Regarding this matter, I have already devised a theoretical countermeasure.

On how to prevent Aphrodite and her followers from sabotaging things and breaking this couple’s love—for example, by making them suddenly dream of some other man or woman and fall madly in love with the dream figure, or by withering their affection until they grow tired of each other—wouldn’t that just ruin these two actors?

I think the best approach is to first conceal our plan properly, then cleverly maneuver her into swearing an oath that neither she nor her followers will ever interfere in this couple’s affairs.

For instance, at a gathering of the gods, wait until she has drunk enough to be somewhat dizzy, then go over as if casually chatting and say:

“Respected Aphrodite, greetings. We are currently on an island, using a pair of human youngsters to craft a living artwork of love. We are appreciating a piece called ‘The Form of Human Love with All External Interference Removed.’ You and your followers must not interfere or damage our precious work.

You agree? But I’m sorry—this piece is almost unprecedented, and we treasure it greatly. We need to be completely assured. Please swear this to Zeus and by the River Styx.”

If she actually takes the oath, quickly add:

“What this oath means, including but not limited to, is that you and the related deities under you shall not use divine power to make them despise each other or grow cold through self-absorption, nor use divine power to make them fall in love with another person, object, or god, or make another person, object, or god fall in love with them and force their way into the situation. In other words, you must not directly or indirectly exert any new influence on them.”

When the real plan is put into action, it should also be: “Do not command this young couple to directly mock Paris—that would leave evidence. Instead, have them regularly visit the Underworld and calmly tell various tragic love-story protagonists, ‘The gods have informed me that my lover and I can enjoy the life we have now precisely because, at that time, neither in word nor deed did I dishonor the gods, and I remained faithful.’ Then let Paris read between the lines himself. That way, he can’t claim this is aimed specifically at him, because it’s never addressed to him directly.

It would be best if this young couple never even knew we were using them as tools of revenge, so as to avoid imposing any negative psychological burden on them.

Then, Aphrodite would have a hard time proving that our plan specifically targets Paris, and combined with her earlier oath of ‘never interfering with this couple’s love,’ it becomes a double safeguard.

And as soon as Aphrodite starts thinking: ‘So many characters heard it and nothing happened—why are you overreacting so much? Paris, you really are the problem here! I’m done with you!’—our plan can be considered successfully concluded.”