<strong>ss Starts!</strong>


    Two days after the wee dance party for new students, there was an orientation after which, the sses began in full swing.


    Mia smiled but it was a confident smug. She was looking at her ssmates who were anxious about their new life and the lessons they will take for the first time.


    Of course, this is something that Mia has been through before.


    What’s more, she learned a long time ago all the course materials. Not just concepts; but even their applications.


    <em>Hmm, this will be a walk in the park!</em>


    And so, she confidently told her fellow ssmates:


    “If you have any questions, let me know and I will help you!”


    It’s been a few minutes since the ss started.


    “Oh, oh?”


    Mia noticed something.


    <em>It’s strange. I don’t remember this at all.</em>


    Miapletely forgot something very important: she wasn’t a very good student.


    Mia was born with the politician’s unique skill of “forgetting anything inconvenient to their careers”!


    For the record, back in Tearmoon, she studied on topics that seemed essential for avoiding the guillotine in the future. But that was different from academic education.


    When ites to studies, she only had a basic level of knowledge to teach people.


    It was thetest math ss that particrly afflicted Mia. Mia is a passive liberal arts person; that is, she chose the liberal arts because she is not good at the sciences. She gets confused when trying to calcte.


    <em>It’s really bad!</em>


    Mia started panicking. It’s too embarrassing to be unable to answer after all her bragging.


    After the sses finished, Mia quickly returned to her room before anyone could talk to her.


    “Anne! Anne!”


    “What happened, Princess Mia?”


    Anne was surprised when she saw Mia rushing into the room.


    “Anne, go to the math sses with me starting tomorrow.”


    “Huh?”


    At St. Noel Academy, it is possible to be apanied to ss by attendants. Many people bring their servants who are good at studying next to them to help them study.


    But Anne doesn’t know that. So, Anne was hesitant to reply.


    When Mia noticed, she thought for a moment…


    “Oh, as long as I’m in ss, it’s okay to adjust the amount of work you do each day. You can clean the room once every two days, and I’ll even help you.”


    “What? I can’t do that! If I will go, I’ll still do my day’s work properly!”


    “But, Then you can’t help me review the lesson.”


    “Eh?”


    “Ah……”


    Mia slipped up. Even Mia has pride.


    Anne trusts, believes, and even admires her. So, Mia cannot say, “Study what I am not good at on my behalf, then teach meter!”


    “Well, arithmetic should be useful to you, Anne.”


    In distress, Mia said.


    Arithmetic is certainly useful. It is an essential skill for doing business, and what you can learn at St. Noel Academy is thetest knowledge in the field. If you learn it seriously, it will be handy in many ces.


    “I see, Princess Mia …, for me …”


    Anne said looking impressed and growing teary eyed.


    “Thank you very much for your kindness and this opportunity, Princess Mia. I will do my best not to let you down.”


    “Eh, yeah …”


    Anne’s straightforward and earnest reaction stabbed Mia’s conscience and made her feel guilty.


    “You don’t have to think about it. There are also some things I don’t know, so I’d appreciate your help in the ss.”


    Mia is chicken hearted as usual. To ease her own guilt, she slipped in a bit of her real motive at the end.


    “Mia-sama …”


    For Anne, however, those words seemed like an excuse added in a hurry, so Anne won’t feel indebt and Mia’s attempt at modesty.


    For amoner, the idea of being able to attend sses at St. Noel – not just for free, but also getting paid while doing so – waspletely unthinkable. For Anne this was an act of profound grace that moved her beyond words.


    At that moment, Anne was ready to devote her life to Mia. She was willing to apany Mia wherever she went. Even if Mia married to a foreign country, she would follow her and serve her until the end.


    But those are just Anne’s thoughts. Maybe one day she will quit being Mia’s exclusive maid and Mia is probably telling her to acquire as much knowledge as she can in case such timees.


    –Or …


    Perhaps Mia really thinks of her as a confidante. And Mia may be asking her to acquire the necessary knowledge as a confidante so she can support her in the future.


    This increasing responsibility that Mia gave her is a sign of deepening trust.


    But Anne knew that she might be overly optimistic, still …


    “Princess Mia, I’ll do my best”


    …her motivation was inevitably rising.