《Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death》


 Chapter 547

    <b>The Evil Plot</b>


    It was a ce forgotten in history. The abandoned castle served as both the residence and base of the High Priestess of the Chaos Serpents. She was reading a book in a room that was used as the throne room of the former king. It was the Serpent¡¯s Holy Scripture ¨C ¡°The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Are you reading that again?¡±


    The wolf master entered the room and immediately spoke in an exasperated tone.


    ¡°You¡¯ve read that so many times already. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not tired of it yet.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could get tired of it.¡±


    Replied the Serpent Priestess as she stroked the book lovingly.


    ¡°The person who wrote this book truly understood humans inside out. The true nature of humans is beautifully captured through the lens of malice. Every time I reread it, I discover something new, so it¡¯s hard to put down.¡±


    Without looking up from the book, the Serpent Priestess continued.


    ¡°So, do you need anything?¡±


    We¡¯ve received some news. In Sunnd, the spark set up by Kunrou did not lead to a major fire. Prince Sion is alive and well. There are rumours that King Abram¡¯s health temporarily deteriorated, but he is conducting his official duties as usual now. The Second Prince Echard will be leaving Sunnd and will be entrusted to the daughter of Duke Greenmoon, who has be his fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°I see. All in all, it did trigger some minor events but didn¡¯t ignite a major fire. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    The Serpent Priestess spoke nonchntly and continued to flip through the pages of the book. The wolf master frowned at her casual attitude.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re too disappointed, though¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I am disappointed, but it is what it is. Either way, it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. If Prince Sion or King Abram die, they die, and the chaos caused by their death could be exploited. However, if they survive, they survive, and some other tool can be used. It¡¯s easy to think of a method to approach Prince Echard, who is heartbroken after being forced out of the country. Since he most likelymitted some kind of blunder, perhaps we can take advantage of the breach in his heart?¡±


    ¡°I wonder about that though.¡± The wolf master said without changing his expression.


    ¡°It appears that there was some intervention from the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the Serpent Priestess looked up from the book for the first time. She opened her mouth in surprise, and the next instant, she started to p her hands in apuse, saying, ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Kunrou-san is an outstanding Serpent Priest. It¡¯s indeed amazing that she got wind of his schemes. How exactly did she manage that? Why did shee to Sunnd with such perfect timing, and how did she thwart his ns?¡±


    As the Serpent Priestess began to contemte, the wolf master continued.


    ¡°Also, there is one more piece of bad news. Relief from the Forest n has arrived at the secret vige of the Fire n. It seems that Aima has fallen into the hands of the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s so like your little sister. She is quite loose-tongued and bears no resemnce to you.¡±


    The Serpent Priestess chuckled and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed unfortunate. I was nning on enjoying tea with her sometime. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the chance now.¡±


    The Serpent Priestess shrugged her shoulders and said ¡°Well, well¡± in response to the wolf master¡¯s information.


    ¡°It seems that Abel Remno, whom you¡¯ve been eagerly awaiting, is also apanying the rescue mission¡±


    At that moment, a genuine smile appeared on the face of the Serpent Priestess, Valentina Remno.


    ¡°Haha, I see you¡¯ve reeled Abel in quite skillfully. It¡¯s just as I¡¯ve heard, Abel is indeed close to Lin Malong. I wasn¡¯t expecting Abel toe along, but I suppose that¡¯s not a problem?¡±


    The information about Valentina¡¯s sighting was intentionally leaked. The ns for this day had been made since the night of Princess Mia¡¯s assassination attempt. Since then, it became clear that the rtionship between Mia Luna Tearmoon and Abel Remno was more than what it seemed on the surface; it was something worth risking their lives for. Barbara¡¯s actions and Mia¡¯s response to them. On examining them carefully, Valentina reached a conclusion: a cunning strategy. That was¡­


    ¡°If that kid dies, we can distort the mind of the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    This referred to the assassination of Abel Remno. The wolf master frowned upon hearing the Priestess¡¯s words.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it pain your heart to take the life of your own younger brother?¡±


    At that question, Valentina tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Of course, it hurts. Did you think it wouldn¡¯t? It¡¯s so sad. Abel is kind and one of the few decent ones in our country. I almost want toin to Princess Mia for befriending him. It¡¯s so unreasonable for him to lose his life in a ce like this. There¡¯s nothing sadder.¡±


    She was probably not joking and was genuinely feeling sad.


    ¡°But, well, that¡¯s just a small thing. From the perspective of the flow of history, people¡¯s emotions probably don¡¯t matter.¡±  She said, her eyes staring into the distance.


    ¡°Be it an individual¡¯s feelings, an individual¡¯s life, the destruction of a vige or a town, or the rise of a nation, it¡¯s all trivial in the grand flow of history. How I feel is hardly of any significance.¡±


    ¡°The Serpents influence the course of history by controlling the hearts of the people. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s true. My sadness doesn¡¯t matter, but plunging Princess Mia into despair will have a big impact on the course of history. Barbara-san had keen insight. Distorting the heart of Princess Mia, who is at the centre of the next generation¡¯s most powerful people on the continent, holds great significance.¡±


    ¡°In that case, don¡¯t you think it would be preferable to aim for Princess Mia¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The wolf master exined to Valentina who tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°Princess Mia is apanying the Forest n¡¯s relief force, along with Saint Rafina, the daughter of the traitor Duke Yellowmoon, and a young girl who is called Princess Mia¡¯s younger sister.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to simply take the Princess¡¯ life? Doing so would eliminate the need to harm your little brother.¡±


    The Priestess smiled affectionately at the wolf master who spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s kind of you. However, in order to do that, I think you have to defeat that Dion ia.¡±


    After the Priestess said that, she added, ¡°But, that¡¯s right. We ought to wee the change in circumstances. Our options have increased, so let¡¯s think of something.¡± Then, she looked down at her book again.

 Chapter 548

    <b>To Ask about his Older Sister</b>


    This refers to the events of the next day.


    After spending the night in the carriage, Mia yawned and slowly got up.


    ¡°Hmm¡±


    After stretching a bit, Mia lightly patted her stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible. Ever since I started eating yoghurt, I¡¯ve been feeling a little better.¡±


    Anne, who had overheard Mia talking to herself, quickly sprung into action. After consulting Ludwig and Malong, she made arrangements for fresh yoghurt to be avable even in the Empire. That was an entirely different story.


    Mia¡¯s right hand, Anne, often acted on her own volition to ensure that good food was avable for the sake of Mia¡¯s health¡ªa rtivelymon urrence.


    Anne, Mia¡¯s quick and agile right-hand person, spared no effort in her devotion to ensure Mia¡¯s health and beauty.


    Well, setting that aside¡­


    Aima came over to visit Mia, who was feeling refreshed after waking up.


    ¡°Princess Mia, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Aima-san. Good Morning.¡± Mia greeted Aima with a smile.


    ¡°The elder wishes to greet you. She wants to know if it is okay for her toe visit you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh ? She means toe here?¡±


    ¡®<i>I see. Asking me toe greet her would be considered disrespectful, so she wants toe herself and offer greetings.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Hmm. In that case, I shalle and visit her myself.¡±


    Mia responded casually. Her carriage, built for an Imperial Princess, was extremelyfortable and suitable for receiving visitors. However, it was a bit narrow. It would probably be fine for a one-on-one meeting, but if Rafina, Malong, and even Abel were included, it might get cramped.


    ¡®<i>I suppose they wish to greet me first. Honestly, I would like to avoid that. After all, there are a lot of problems that have umted. The matter of the food supplies for the Fire n, the question of improving rtions with the Equestrian Kingdom, and additional questions regarding the Chaos Serpents also need to be addressed. To be dealing with all that alone seems a bit too much for me. I would also like Abel to be present when I ask questions regarding my future sister-inw.</i>¡¯


    So, Mia made a proposal.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well then, I¡¯ll call out to Rafina-sama and Malong-senpai, and we will go from here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Saint Rafina is fine, but that guy from the Forest n¡­.Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    With a reluctant nod, Aima agreed.


    Certainly, having received food supplies, the Fire n could not ignore their benefactor. By an unexpected turn of events, the Fire n members lost the opportunity for conflict.


    Could they ept help from the Equestrian Kingdom, with whom they shared aplicated history? What about letting the Forest n members into their vige? Should they wee Rafina, Mia, and the others, who werepletely unrted? The Fire n was spared from worrying about all these concerns that would have naturally cropped up. Since Mia had begun to move, they werepelled to go along with the flow. And then, the children, who had no particr grudges, grew fond of the visitors. The rest unfolded naturally.


    Having worked together and shared the same food, they grew to appreciate each other¡¯s efforts, and smiles had naturally followed. The tension had faded away, and an atmosphere was created where it was difficult for anyone to say, ¡°I absolutely won¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡®<i>Well, I¡¯m not sure what will be decided after we talk, but it¡¯s the Equestrian Kingdom that will do its best from there. That¡¯s Malong-senpai¡¯s role. However, it would be foolish to let our guard down. It would be a good idea for me to have my knowledgeable advisor  apany me.</i>¡¯


    And so with such thoughts in mind, Mia visited the elder¡¯s hut with Rafina, Malong, Abel, Ludwig and Anne.


    When in trouble, the more people you can turn to, the better. That was the rationale behind her decision. Diversification of risk and responsibility was important. That was Mia¡¯s motto.


    On entering the hut, Mia found the old woman who hade to greet herst night, Aima, and another young woman waiting.


    The old woman looked at Mia and the others. There were deep wrinkles etched on her forehead, her lips were tightly pursed and her gaze was sharp. On seeing her impregnable expression, Mia thought to herself,  ¡®<i>After seeing her like this, she indeed seems like a difficult person.</i>¡¯


    But Mia remembered what happenedst night.


    During the banquet, the old woman had eaten the food with great relish. She had eaten the same food as Mia, and had enjoyed it, all the while making noises of approval, such as ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡±. Mia didn¡¯t miss that.


    Furthermore, the old woman, who had be cheerful after seeing her n members freed from hunger, was dancing merrily. Dancing!


    Remembering all this, Mia became convinced.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. This person might actually be quite mischievous.</i>¡¯


    Contrary to Mia¡¯s inner thoughts, the old woman bowed deeply.


    ¡°I am Ka Roufa, the elder of the Fire n. As the Chief is currently away, his younger sister Aima and I offer greetings on his behalf. Your Highness Princess Mia and Saint Rafina, we thank you for taking the trouble toe visit us.¡±


    The old woman then turned her sharp gaze towards Malong.


    ¡°Also, we are thankful for the assistance from the members of the Forest n. I would like to express my gratitude once again.¡±


    Then, Roufa bowed again. Following her lead, Aima and the young woman also bowed their heads. The young woman appeared to be Roufa¡¯s attendant.


    After Mia and the others finished their self-introductions, the conversation quickly moved on to the main topic.

 Chapter 1

    <strong>It Starts at the Guillotine</strong>


    The red, fiery red sunset fills the horizon. A guillotine was set up in the main square of the capital of the Imperial City. The rusty, rugged de was glinting in the sun.


    Standing in front of it was Mia Luna Tearmoon, the only princess of the Tearmoon Empire. Stunned, she looked around her surroundings. She can hear piercing voices. Voices of anger and malice. They were ming her for everything


    ¡°¡­Why, why, is this happening?¡±


    <em>Why should I, the only princess of the glorious Tearmoon Empire, be subjected to this? Was it because Iughed and told them to eat meat if they didn¡¯t have bread? Or was it because I pped the daughter of a poor noble out of anger? Was it because I fired the chef who kept on cooking my hated yellowmoon tomatoes?</em>


    She kept on wondering as she saw the gazes of the angry people, totally unaware that she had already answered her questions.


    At the front was a young man giving instructions to the soldiers. Sion Sol Sunnd. The crown prince of the great Kingdom of Sunnd. His silver hair and the way he stood out looks very dignified. And beside him was a girl as dignified as him. She was called the Saint of Tearmoon. A youngdy from a poor noble family who, with the help of Sion, started a revolution because of the suffering of the people. Tiona Rudolvon. She despised and hated Mia before. But now the mes of hatred had disappeared; all that¡¯s left were the ashes of resignation.


    ¡°¡­ Why is this happening?¡±


    Mia weakly muttered. Eventually, a soldier behind her forced her to kneel. She could see in front of her was a nk of wood with three holes. Those holes were for fixing prisoners that will be decapitated.


    The crude surface of the wood bit into her skin and left splinters¡­


    ¡°Why is this happening ¡­¡±


    This was the third time she asked the same question¡­ and still no reply.


    ¡°For the sake of the Empire, die quietly Princess.¡±


    Looking up, she saw the eyes of the soldiers who forced her into the guillotine. They were cold and hostile. But she didn¡¯t have any time to be scared. A heavy de of iron fell¡­ then there was a dull sound¡­ then everything was spinning.


    The only article she was allowed to have, a used diary, fell into the ground. Its pages slowly started to seep in the blood. Same color as the sky.


    That was how Mia Luna Tearmoon died.


    That was how the dream went.


    ¡°Hiya ah ah ah ah ah ah!¡±


    Mia screamed. It was a scream that was totally improper for someone that is the princess of the empire.


    ¡°Ma-ma-ma my head! My head!¡±


    She frantically patted her head to make sure it was still attached to her body.


    <em>It¡¯s still there. I¡¯m okay.</em>


    Next she looked down on her body. She was wearing a luxuriouys nightwear instead of the stiff tattered clothes. Her clothes now was fluffy and has plenty of frills and it isfortable to touch. Her skin that was once full of scars small and big was now smooth. She stared at her palsm which seemed to be a little bit smaller than she remembered in her dream¡­


    <em>It¡¯s like the hands of a child¡­</em>


    Still a bit drowsy, she got out of bed and stood in front of a full-length mirror. What she saw was blue eyes that are wide open, tinum hair that is trimmed around the shoulders, and healthy cheeks that are slightly flushed. It was her appearance when she was about 11 or 12 years old. It was the time when the empire was the most affluent and prosperous on the continent.


    <em>Strange. I¡¯m sure I was 20 years old¡­</em>


    At the age of seventeen, she was captured while trying to escape and was imprisoned in a dungeon for three years¡­ and so.


    The memories of all those painful days resurfaced one after another, falling as teardrops from her eyes. She recalled the suffering, the nights she cried to sleep, the feel of the hard stones in the dungeon, the cold damp nket¡­ She was confused by the memories, but more than that, she felt relief.


    ¡°¡­Ohoho, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Miaughed.


    ¡°None of that ever happened. How could it be?¡±


    Sheughed it off as a bad dream.


    ¡°It was a silly dream and how childish of me to believe it really happened.¡±


    Mia continuedughing, then she noticed something near her pillow.


    ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    Mia tilted her head, confused. There was something there.


    It was an old diary.


    As far as she can see on the cover, there is no mistake that it was the diary she has been keeping since she was ten years old. It looked much older than it should be¡­


    ¡­and it is covered with dark stains.


    It¡¯s just like the diary she saw in her dream. She picked up the diary with trembling hands. Slowly she flipped over the cover and saw the pages dyed in red and ck.


    Written there were her grudges that matched her dream word for word. The suffering in the prison, the fear of the guillotine¡­ they were all written in vivid details.


    ¡°Hiyaaaaah!¡±


    Mia screamed again, fell on the bed, and fainted.

 Chapter 2

    <strong>Thing that Mia Dislikes</strong>


    After regaining consciousness, Mia remained lyingzily on the bed with her hands and feet syed sloppily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t eat lunch because she had no appetite. It was because she still wants to believe that it was just a nightmare. However, the vividness of the memory and the blood-stained diary reminds her that it was not just a dream.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    She groaned and rolled to one side of the bed. Then she groaned again and rolled to the other side of the bed. Just like this, she worried and groaned and rolled for about 30 minutes.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    She was hungry. It¡¯s been less than an hour since I declined lunch.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve heard that sweets are good for the brain especially when thinking about things.¡±


    She pped her hands. She had got a good idea and her face became brighter. She jumped out of the bed with a spring in her step and left her room.


    Mia and the rest of the imperial family lived in a pce called the Whitemoon Pce. Its halls were ornamented with green, gold, and white moonstone. Mia walked through it thoroughly taking in the sites. Right now the empire was at its peak of prosperity before its decline.


    She continued walking down the corridor and eventually entered into one of the four dining rooms, the Midnight Sun Dining Room. When she entered therge room, a man inside gave her a confused look.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Princess Mia. What can I do for you Your Highness?¡±


    Mia was a little surprised upon immediately recognizing him. He was big man with a bear-like body and a very thick, fluffy beard.


    <em>Isn¡¯t this the chef that I have fired?</em>


    It was on her 14th birthday that Mia fired this chef who kept on serving her vegetables that she hated.


    ¡°That would be about two years from now¡­¡±


    ¡°My apologies, but what was that?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m hungry, could you prepare a snack? A moonberry pie would be nice.¡±


    When the chef heard that, he frowned and shook his head.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, but I cannot serve you snacks so close to lunch.¡±


    The words made Mia feel nostalgic, she smiled unintentionally. Thinking about it, this chef was the only one who refuses Mia like this. The chef that reced him just cooked whatever Mia wanted, and it became boring.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, can you serve me the leftovers of the lunch then?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    For some reason, the chef looked at Mia in shock.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Then I¡¯ll bring them now.¡±


    In a short time, the dishes lined up in front of Mia. Soft and fragrant freshly baked bread, stew with plenty of seasonal vegetables, marinated red fish, and a fruit tter.


    ¡°Oh, I miss this.¡± Mia said especially as she saw the stew full of vegetables. This was because the stew contained yellowmoon tomatoes, which Mia dislikes.


    <em>I could never stand their sourness.</em>


    Mia stares at the yellowmoon tomato on her spoon.


    <em>But this looks delicious somehow.</em>


    Suddenly, she remembered what she was forced to eat in the prison. Bread that is hard enough to break one¡¯s teeth. There was even mold on the surface, and it was also very dry and difficult to eat. The stew that came out from time to time was murky gray, and she always wondered if the vegetables used were actually weed. She didn¡¯t mind the taste though, she just wished that it wouldn¡¯t make her stomach hurt for days after eating it.


    She has heard about the ongoing famine and that there was no food, but Mia thinks that her treatment was more of a harassment than a necessity. As a proof of that, there was a day when they only fed her shriveled yellowmoon tomatoes knowing that Mia hated them.


    <em>That was terribly unpleasant¡­</em>


    When they forced it into her mouth, she remembered the indescribable green odor, sourness and harshness¡­ She got goosebumps just remembering it.


    She returned her focus on the yellowmoon tomato before her.


    <em>Compared to the one at that time¡­ it¡¯s kind of shiny.</em>


    Mia was nning to leave it, but with a little curiousity, she put a piece of the tomato in her mouth. Immediately her eyes snapped open!


    ¡°Chef! Call the chef!¡±


    The maids tremble at Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your Highness, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Just call the chef here!¡±


    ¡°Was it something that you didn¡¯t like, Your Highness??¡± The chef appeared before Mia. His face clearly showing signs of nervousness.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    Mia held a spoonful of yellowmoon tomatoes before the chef¡¯s nose.

 Chapter 3

    <strong>A Familiar Voice</strong>


    ¡°What is this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a stew of seasonal vegetables¡­¡±


    The way the chef answered suggested that he was hiding something. But Mia wasn¡¯t going to be fooled.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking what this vegetable is.¡±


    Mia asked while bring the spoon closer to the chef¡¯s face. There is a difference in height between the chef and Mia, so she stretched out her arms and stood on her tiptoes.


    ¡°It is indeed a yellowmoon tomato, Your Highness.¡±


    The chef answered after realizing that Mia was not backing down. The maids around them all looked worried.


    ¡°Really? This¡­ this is a yellowmoon tomato?¡± Incredibly, Mia stares at it and then puts the spoon in her mouth with her quivering hand. There was a refreshing sourness that spreads in her mouth the moment it touched the tip of her tongue. There was a faint sweetness hidden in it. The moderately simmered vegetables crumble in her mouth and melt. Leave a wonderful finish in her mouth¡­


    The exquisite taste, which is different from what she remembered, shook Mia¡¯s emotions.


    Enthusiastic, Mia took another spoonful. The stew melted on her tongue, leaving a rich vor, and the bread has a soft sweetness to it.


    ¡°Was bread always this soft?¡±


    Her muttering voice was trembling. Then she noticed that tears were flowing down her cheeks.


    ¡°Huh, Your Highness, did you not like it? Was there something wrong with my cooking¡­?¡±


    The chef panicked.


    Mia, whose mouth was full, tried to reply, but her voice wouldn¡¯te out. Furthermore, she started choking on something, and so she iled her arms wildly. After showing a behavior that was unprincess-like, she managed to calm down when one of the maids brought her water.


    ¡°I enjoyed it, chef. Your skills aremendable.¡±


    Mia smiled at the chef who was nervous.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored by yourpliment, Your Highness. But that stew was made to bring out the naturalyu vor of the ingredients. So the vor is not all to my credit.¡±


    ¡°Was that so? But that yellowmoon tomatoes¡­ Wasn¡¯t yellowmoon tomatoes supposed to be more greenish and bitter?¡± She remembered what she was forced to eat in prison. It was hard, bitter, and tasted very very bad.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± After a bitter smile, the chef said. ¡°In the case of yellowmoon tomatoes, if you save the trouble of boiling, it may have such a taste. However, the one we prepared for you was cooked for three days. Anyone can make it they pay attention to the heat, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­That much time? But if it takes so much time, we can just avoid eating it altogether.¡±


    ¡°I cannot do that, Your Highness. It is our duty as subjects to protect the health of the imperial family.¡±


    The chef puts his hand on his chest and bows deeply. Before, Mia took for granted such signs of deference assuming that it was the normal way of things. But it wasn¡¯t. After the revolution that fell the empire, there was nobody who gave a care about her, nor any deference. She has learned this now, and so she softly smiled and said.


    ¡°You are very considerate. Know that I am most grateful for your efforts.¡±


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    Hearing honest gratitude from Mia, the chef was in absolute shock that his mouth went agape. He took two unsteady steps backwards. He never thought that such a selfish princess could utter such kind words.


    ¡­ At this point, it should be obvious how Mia usually behaves.


    The chef stared at Mia with the kind of bewilderment as if he had just seen a witch through the sky.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­ I am very honored, Your Highness.¡±


    Finally, words came out of his mouth. He scratched his chin out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Well, it is also a matter of cost. The foods prepared today were of the finest quality that it is equivalent to a month¡¯s sry of themon people.¡±


    ¡°My, is that so?¡±


    Talks of costs and price have never made much sense to Mia. In the first ce, she was raised as a spoiled princess. She was the kind of woman that can get anything that she likes with just a nce. She wasn¡¯t interested in how much her living and food expenses are. Nor was she interested in how much themon people¡¯s sries are.


    So she naturally did not care about the chef¡¯s words. Or it was supposed to be like that¡­ but¡­


    <strong><em>Do you have any idea how much it costs to feed you royals?</em></strong>


    A sarcastic voice suddenly echoed in her mind. Surprised, Mia looked around.


    <em>What in the heavenly moons.. Who was that now?</em>


    It was a familiar voice¡­ from her memory¡­

 Chapter 4

    <strong>Reunion</strong>


    ¡°¡­ Whose voice was that?¡±


    After the meal, Mia moved to the salon in the Aerial Observatory. Even though it¡¯s an aerial garden, it doesn¡¯t really float. It is built on the roof of Whitemoon Pce, a little overhanging on the walls. The garden, which was created by collecting various beautiful flowers from within the country, was a magnificent ce that is a perfect ce for entertaining royalties from other kingdoms.


    She walked around the garden for a while and enjoyed the beautiful scent of flowers, but the thoughts in Mia¡¯s head did not clear up. There¡¯s something she really have to remember¡­ but that precious memory seems to be clouded by a veil of fog and she can¡¯t reach it no matter how hard she tries.


    ¡°¡­I know what the problem is. I haven¡¯t had sweets. Maids! Bring me some sweets, will you?¡±


    Mia pped her hands as she expected the sweets that were denied to her earlier. She sat at the table seat near the corner of the garden and waited for awhile. Then she saw a young maiding. Seeing what she was carrying, Mia¡¯s eyes went wide with anticipation.


    <em>Gracious moons! Could that be¡­</em>


    A cake! It was a cake. An ordinary shortcake with plenty of cream and plenty of strawberries on top.


    <em>It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten cakes, cakes, and cakes!</em>


    It wasn¡¯t only after she was captured and spent her days in the dungeon, but even by the time that the empire¡¯s finances deteriorated, she was no longer able to eat cakes. Naturally, the sight of one sent her to excitement.


    In front of Mia¡­


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waitiiiiiiiii-eeeek!¡±


    Before her eyes, Mia saw the maid flew! Of course, the cake flew together with her. As if in slow motion, the cake passes in front of Mia, who could do nothing to stop it¡­


    St!


    The cake crashes into the floor. It somehow retained abit of its shape. But the real catastrophe was justing¡­ the maid falls on top of it, andpletely crushed the cake!


    Mia was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Hey, Anne, what are you doing!¡±


    An elder maid, who watched the whole scene from the sidelines, rushed in uproar.


    ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry, Your Highness. Are you injured?¡±


    ia was shocked and stunned, but soon she regained her calm and smiled.


    ¡°Yes. I am fine. Thank you.¡±


    Normally, the old Mia would have raged and screamed curses at the maid. However, after experiencing a painful life in a prison, Mia¡¯s kindness was now deeper than a cake te and her heart was broader than a teacup. In other words, she now has the patience enough not to be called selfish, but maybe not deep enough for an average person.


    Still, this was a big growth. Yes, people do grow up. Even if it¡¯s slower than a turtle¡­, no, a snail. Mia is growing! So even now, Mia wore a smile, although a bit strained.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much. Just bring me another cake.¡± Mia said but added more to ease her mood, ¡°More importantly, is that poor girl okay?¡±


    She has grown much to the point that she can now afford to care for her maids. Besides, there¡¯s not really a problem if they can just bring her a recement cake.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Your Highness. That was the only cake we had for today¡­¡±


    ¡°You! Come! Kneel on the spot!¡±


    And just like that, she snapped! Before a ruined cake, Mia¡¯s tolerance was as light as a dead lead that would fly if blown.


    After all, cake business is serious. She hasn¡¯t had one for so many many years. So betweenmon sense and cake, the cake will always win.


    ¡°My cake¡­ how dare you do this to me? You! Look at me!¡±


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    The young maid trembled before Mia who was stomping her foot. Before Mia was girl in her mid-teens, probably few years older than Mia. She has red hair that was covered with fresh cream. Thin freckles dotted the tip of her nose and her blue round eyes glistened with tears.


    It was a face that was more cute than beautiful. Regardless, shecked the dignified aura of nobility. She was more like a simple cute girl that wasmon in viges.


    ¡°¡­you¡±


    When Mia saw her face, a vivid memory came back to her. It was a memory from the worst day of her life, her execution day. At that time, she had been alone in her dungeon, waiting for her inevitable fate toe.

 Chapter 5

    <strong>The Loyal Maid</strong>


    In that dim and chilly dungeon, Mia was alone, holding her knees on her chest, waiting for ¡°that¡± time toe. It has been two years since Mia was imprisoned. The servants who catered to her at the first few weeks have all gone now. They disappeared when they realized that Mia would never return to power. It was then that Mia¡¯s loneliness would begin. However, there was an exception.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯vee to do your hair.¡±


    It was Anne, a young maid with red hair. Anne arrived and bowed politely to the soldier standing guard. Then she steps into the prison. Though Mia was already numb to it, but the smell of the prison was terrible. The foul odor wasparable to the slums.


    However, Anne does not hesitate at all and lowers herself behind Mia. Then she produces ab that she kept in her pocket. She startedbing Mia¡¯s unruly hair. Not being able to wash for days, her hair resisted Anne¡¯sbing, but Anne patiently and carefullybed her hair until no strands can be found.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I have never been good with theb.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡­ Why are you still devoted to me?¡± Quiet words escaped from Mia¡¯s mouth.


    After being imprisoned in this dungeon, Anne had been visiting her every two or three days. She devoted herself to taking care of Mia. Sometimes she would bring snacks, or water and washcloth to wipe Mia¡¯s body, knowing that Mia couldn¡¯t take a bath.


    But Mia never really understood why.


    Mia is the daughter of the emperor. So many people follow her in order to gain profit. But the maid in front of her, Anne, clearly wasn¡¯t one of them. If anything, Anne was the one who suffered from Mia¡¯s selfishness.


    To be clear, Mia wasn¡¯t a tyrant. Well, if Anne blundered, Mia would give her a mouthful. Or sometimes if she is really angry, then a punch, or a kick, or even a headbutt.


    It was at this point that Mia realizes that headbutts might have been not a suitable behavior for ady of her noble status.


    But that was it. Nothing more.


    She never ordered her soldiers to whip anybody not ordered anybody to be executed. Because those things seem to hurt. And Mia wasn¡¯t a fan of anything that hurts.


    But she wasn¡¯t a good princess either. Aside from those with a fetish, no one really wants to be abused or kicked. Her other maids, therefore, has no reason to devote themselves to her, especially after her fall. But the maid in front of her was different.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been good to you. Never treated you well. Rather¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was hit a lot. And you also kicked me a few times.¡± Anne smiled nostalgically and said, ¡°Do you know, Your Highness. Your kick doesn¡¯t hurt at all!¡±


    ¡°What? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Compared to the times when I had fights with my younger brothers, it¡¯s nothing. Fufu.¡±


    Then Anne shuts up and there was a pensive silence between them.


    ¡°The reason I keep on taking care of you, Your Highness, is that I could not leave you alone. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Mia noticed that Anne was smiling at her gently.


    But their moment of calm did notst long. Soldiers arrived to bring Mia to the guillotine.


    Before Mia was taken away, she turned to Anne and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Now I can¡¯t reward your loyalty. So please forgive me, who can only say thank you.¡±


    The next moment, Mia¡¯s body was wrapped in warmth.


    ¡°I pray for God¡¯s blessing on you, Your Highness.¡±


    She realized that Anne has hugged her and even a stranger realization was that tears were falling from Mia¡¯s eyes. She has never been hugged since her captivity. Anne¡¯s overflowing kindness and warmth flowed through Mia¡¯s body¡­ but there was also a tinge of regret.


    The fact that she could not repay this maid¡¯s undying loyalty to her was an ache in her heart, no, a scar in her soul that would remain as she makes her way to the guillotine.


    ¡°¡­I remember now.¡±


    Mia quietly kneeled beside Anne, who was still on the floor apologizing.


    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ll get cream on your dress¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Mia rebuked the maid around her before gently lifting Anne up by her shoulders.


    ¡°Miss Anne, please rise.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m really sorry, Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    With that said, Mia¡¯s smile was soft and gentle.


    ¡°Now, stand up. You really aren¡¯t injured, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡±


    Anne was bewildered by Mia as she was pulled up. But Mia was steady, and she looked at the maid.


    ¡°Now I can repay your loyalty.¡±


    Then she dered in a formal tone.


    ¡°Let it be known, henceforth, you shall be my maid-in-waiting. You shall serve me exclusively and shall be responsible for my daily affairs.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­eh?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!?¡±


    The surrounding maids around Mia were all upset.

 Chapter 6

    <strong>An Adorable Way of Showing Loyalty</strong>


    The princess¡¯ maid-in-waiting was a very honorable position that was coveted by all the maids who were serving in the castle. It is very rare, if not totally unheard, for amoner to take on that role. It is usually given to the second or third daughter of an upper nobility.


    Also most importantly, itmands a higher sry. It is nearly double than that of a regr maid. And for Anne who was a neer, it was nearly three times.


    It came as a shock to everybody. Not just because Anne was amoner, but also because she wasn¡¯t really that good as a maid, in fact, she was scatter-brained. Her sudden selection attracted hostility from almost all the other maids. However, Mia proudly dered this with a smile.


    ¡°From now on, Anne is my exclusive maid. She¡¯ll be under my patronage. Everyone, please think about what that means.¡±


    With that announcement, it snuffed out any future harassments. It was a reminder of her power and authority. After all, it is the direct nomination of Princess Mia, who is known for her selfishness. They know the fate of their fellow maids who were fired just because of the Princess¡¯ whims. So they were not willing to take the risk by harassing Anne.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ Miss Anne, about what we have said before¡­¡±


    From that day on, the rtionship between Anne and the senior maids have changed. Instead of bullying her, they were extremely kind to her. It was a great help since she was clumsy. But it still made Anne a little ufortable.


    <em>It¡¯s great because I get a raise in my sry but¡­</em>


    Not knowing why this happened made her feel uneasy. Even more, it was Princess Mia was known to be selfish who fired maids on a whim. This made her feel more ufortable. If someone was kind to her for no reason, it can¡¯t be helped that Anne is a little scared. So Anne decided to brave it and ask.


    ¡°Your Highness, why are you so good to me?¡±


    That day, Mia was sitting on a bedside chair in her room, reading an old diary. Mia has been spending a lot of time reading that book nowadays.


    <em>I wonder if it¡¯s the diary of someone famous.</em>


    Mia, who raised her face at Anne¡¯s voice, answered with a lovely smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just rewarding your loyalty.¡±


    Her answer left Anne even more confused.


    ¡°Uhm, what have I done for you, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. But I know that you are deeply loyal, and so I am repaying your devotion. That¡¯s it.¡±


    <em>I¡¯m pretty sure I am not that loyal as Her Highness thinks¡­</em>


    Anne screams inwardly.


    She has note to the Whitemoon Pce to offer her loyalty to His Majesty, the Emperor, or Her Majesty, the Princess. Then, what is it for? It¡¯s for money.


    Anne came from a poor merchant family. She had five younger siblings and so her parents are struggling to make ends meet. Anne¡¯s ie was really a lifeline. Therefore, the increase in sry was a big wee. But being rewarded for her non-existent loyalty¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    <em>I¡¯m going to lose much sleep over this¡­</em>


    Mia smiled as if she didn¡¯t care about Anne¡¯s internal struggles at all.


    ¡°So, now I want you to show your loyalty immediately ¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    She has no such loyalty! Anne wanted to scream but of course she didn¡¯t dare to.


    <em>Sweet moons, what is she going to ask me to do?</em>


    Mia brought her face close to Anne and grinned with a childish mischievousness. Well, Mia is after all, still a child.


    ¡°Take this, and buy for me some sweets and snacks from themon people please.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    It was a very adorable way of showing loyalty. Anne who was tense just now, was caught by surprised, and couldn¡¯t help but let out augh.


    ¡°With this¡­¡±


    She screamed when she saw how much she was given.


    ¡°N-No! Your Highness, this is too much!¡±


    What Mia had given was a huge gold coin called a fullmoon gold coin. It was the average sry of a maid for sixty days.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? But I don¡¯t have other money at hand¡­ Oh, yes, then you should buy something delicious for your family with the change.¡±


    <em>Even if I go to the best restaurants, I still won¡¯t be able to use this up!</em>


    ¡°Oh, and from now on, call me Mia, not Princess or Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What? That ¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m counting on you. Do it as soon as possible. After all, I need sweets for my thoughts ¡­ Ufufu, a snack of themon people, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Mia started humming happily while Anne watched her mistress in total confusion.

 Chapter 7

    <strong>Princess Mia is Motivated</strong>


    The Grand Library at the Whitemoon Pce housed the knowledge gathered throughout the empire. Sitting at one of the wooden desk was Mia. She had her chin in her palm, and she let out a dejected sigh.


    ¡°Hmm, This has been most unfruitful¡­¡±


    Mia has been in the library for the past few days. After the memory of Anne came back to her, she spent the following week reviewing her diary and organizing her memories. As a result, she finally understood that it wasn¡¯t a dream, but something that actually happened¡­well, to be exact¡­ something that is about to happen in the future. And as a result¡­


    ¡°No! No! No! I am not going through that again!¡±


    Mia screamed.


    She couldn¡¯t take being up at that guillotine again. So, she was looking for a way to escape that future. This is why she is now at the library, looking up at the current state of the Tearmoon Empire.


    Mia remembers that the empire¡¯s finances will deteriorate. Then a famine wille. It will be followed by gue. Finally, a revolution will happen to which foreign kingdoms will assist the revolutionaries.


    Mia believes that¡¯s how things will y out. And by cross-referencing her past(future) knowledge with the books in the library, her only conclusion was that¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s all tooplicated!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t very surprising. She was spoiled since she was childhood. There was no way she could understand politics or economies after just leafing through some books. Mia was frustrated. She knew what was going to happen, but she didn¡¯t know what she could do about it. No matter how many sweets she ate, she still could note up with a good idea. But at least now she understands why it is bad for one of her meals to cost as much as one month¡¯s sry of amon person.


    ¡°It seems I have no choice but to find that man¡­¡±


    When she remembered Anne, she also remembered another of her loyal subjects. An excellent young civilian who worked really hard to rebuild a declining empire and so, by extension, helped Mia and imperial family. Even when Mia had lost everything, that person never abandoned her and tried his best to help her. Still¡­


    <em>His name isn¡¯t written anywhere here. All I can remember is that he was a terribly rude person¡­</em>


    ¡°Four eyes,¡± ¡°stupid four eyes¡± and ¡°crappy four eyes.¡± Those were what she called him. She is just realizing now that she never really called him by his name.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything if I don¡¯t know his name. I wonder if I can find clues here¡­¡±


    She flipped her diary again back to the first time that they met. ¡°A fool kicked from the Central and was sent to the countryside¡± She found that small line that described him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I think he held office here in the capital for awhile¡­ I wonder if I should go look for him.¡±


    She was thinking that maybe he was still in the imperial capital. Thinking it would be better if she acts immediately, Mia got on her feet and had Anne make arrangements for going out.


    Lunatear, the imperial capital of the Tearmoon Empire, was home to the five ministries that helped the emperor in governance.


    The Blue Moon Ministry was the administrative agency for the capital city. The Gold Moon Ministry handled taxes. The Red Moon Ministry was the administrative agency for the rural areas. The Green Moon Ministry handled diplomatic affairs. Finally, the ck Moon Ministrymanded the seven armies of the empire.


    Mia headed to the Gold Moon Ministry, which was the closest to Whitemoon Pce. She didn¡¯t have any particr reason. After all, she wasn¡¯t thinking properly because she was in a bit of pressure trying to rebuild the empire¡¯s finances. So she was just going out following her hunch.


    ¡°Uhm, Mia-sama, what are we doing here?¡± Anne asked with a puzzled frown.


    ¡°There is someone that I wish to meet.¡± Mia¡¯s answer was short and simple.


    ¡°Someone¡­ you wish to meet? You mean.. No way¡­¡± Anne covers her mouth as she gasped. Then she nodded as if she understood.


    ¡°If you say so, then this Anne will do her best to be of help.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Well, if you insist, I would certainly appreciate it.¡± Mia couldn¡¯t understand why Anne suddenly got excited, but she didn¡¯t put too much thought on her maid¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°I do hope he is here¡­ Oh?¡±


    As they were walking, they heard people arguing.


    ¡°Why is this waste going on? This will cause the empire¡¯s finances to copse in the near future. You should know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very noisy¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Why are you fussing on the details?¡±


    ¡°They are not trivial details. The empire is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Mia smiles as she hears a familiar, nostalgic voice.


    ¡°It seems spending all that time in the library finally paid off!¡± The knowledge she gained at the library has absolutely nothing to do with it. All that can be said is that Mia was a very lucky person with good fortune.

 Chapter 8

    <strong>Princess Mia Shows Off a Smug Grin</strong>


    The first encounter with him was the worst. That day, Mia met the young official for a recognition of his service. Her first impression was that he wasn¡¯t so bad. In fact, she quite liked him. He had smooth hair long enough to cover his ears, and he wore a pair of small sses that were foreign-made. Eventhough he came off with an aura of aloofness, his facial features were enough for him to catch Mia¡¯s eyes. That¡¯s why Mia gave him a gentle smile that she rarely shows tomoners. And she also greeted him in an uncharacteristic gentle voice. However, his response was¡­


    ¡°Do you know how much your royal meal costs?¡±


    And it was said in a sharp and cold voice.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you being rude?¡±


    Suddenly, Mia felt offended. The young man with sses before her was clearly angry, but she has no idea why. It was very rare for the Mia at that time to see someone angry at her. Especially by someone she had met for the first time.


    ¡°I have to let you know, I came here to recognize your efforts. Why would you offend me like that?¡±


    That¡¯s right. She met him to show her appreciation for the work that he had done. The empire was in financial trouble, and there was a rebellion from a small tribe. That was when Mia heard that there was this one official who refused to abandon her duties and continued to work tirelessly himself while all the other officials have ran away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very impressive story. I should personally give him a visit.¡±


    That was her intention and now here she was!


    She was the one who came here to give her appreciation, so howe it is this young official giving him a cold condescending look and giving her the ¡°do you know how much your royal meal costs?¡± And not only that, he continued on with his sermon.


    ¡°It would be annoying for you to be standing there forever. If you have free time, why don¡¯t you do your job as a princess. Something useful only you can do, Your Highness.¡±


    What insolence! This man¡¯s attitude is terribly unforgiveable!


    Mia was so angry with the encounter that day that she couldn¡¯t sleep that night. After she went to bed, she mmed on her pillows and grinded her teeth, and kept tossing and turning until morning.


    So it is true that their first encounter was really the worst.


    But it was also true that when Mia was imprisoned in the dungeon, that young official remained steadfast to his duties, and he worked tirelessly to appeal for the release of Mia, and he ran from one end of the empire to the other in his attempt to restore the empire. On the day of her execution, it was only Anne and him that came to see Mia.


    For that reason, Mia¡¯s trust in him ran deep.


    If only he would be nicer with his words, I wouldn¡¯t have ain about him.


    ¡°¡­ Hmm, if you say so, Third Tax Officer Ludwig. I will appoint you to the Red Moon Ministry.¡±


    While Mia was reminiscing, the situation had turn for the worse.


    <em>Ah! Ludwig! That¡¯s right! That¡¯s his name!. But¡­ the Red Moon Ministry?!</em>


    ¡°You are sending me to the countryside?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you increase local taxes, then we can avoid this Empire Crisis that you are talking about, right?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    This is bad. That stupid four-eyes is already about to be kicked out of his job and sent to the countryside.


    Mia panicked. Thest time Ludwig was sent to the countryside, he did note back until it was far toote. By that time, Tearmoon Empire was already beyond repair. This means that if he goes now¡­


    <em>I¡¯m heading straight to guillotine!</em>


    Mia jumped out of the shadow and stepped in front of them.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    ¡°What, Who is¡­ Woah¡­ Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I believe I heard enough to understand what is going on here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to subject Your Highness to such a tedious discussion¡­¡± The higher-ranking official wiped a sweat that appeared on his forehead.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t agree with it. I must say that I find it terribly unwise to be throwing young officials to the countryside just for voicing out their opinions. I¡¯d prefer if they can speak their minds freely and can have discussions, that will benefit the empire more.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I see, but ¡­¡±


    Before the higher-ranking official could finish his thoughts, Mia shot him a re.


    ¡°Oh? Is that resistance I hear?¡±


    ¡°What! No. Of course not!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. By the way, the young one over there, uh, your name was Ludwig, was it not?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡± Ludwig was surprised by the sudden mention of his name.


    ¡°We need to have a little talk. Hope that is okay?¡± Mia grabbed Ludwig¡¯s hand and took him to a room in the building.


    ¡°What is¡­ I mean¡­ Your Highness, I have a job to do¡­¡±


    At first, Ludwig was surprised by the turn of events, but now that he has regained hisposure, he was disappointed with the young princess seemingly senseless behavior.


    ¡°I just want to talk with you for a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I said I¡¯m busy¡­¡±


    ¡°There is something I would like to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t even listen to me¡­ She really is a selfish princess. She deserves such title¡­¡±


    Ludwig sighed while shrugging with a slight dismay. ¡°So what do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will ask this in a straightforward manner. How can we rebuild the empire¡¯s finances?¡±


    When he heard that, Ludwig¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Hmph. In that case, let me ask you a question first. Your Highness, do you know how much your meal costs?¡± He asked while looking down at her condescendingly.


    On the other hand¡­


    ¡°Well, a single meal of mine would costs the equivalent of a month¡¯s sry for you. That would mean that it is roughly one crescent gold coin. Right?¡±


    ¡­ Mia answered with a smuggest grin she had ever worn.

 Chapter 9

    <strong>The Greatest Ally</strong>


    Ludwig waspletely surprised and shocked by Mia¡¯s answer. Mia who saw this¡­


    <em>Well, this feels terribly good!</em>


    Seeing Ludwig¡¯s face was like a drug for her. She needed more¡­


    ¡°In the first ce, the financial problem of the empire is simply that there is more money going out than moneying in. To solve it ¡­¡±


    Then, from Mia¡¯s mouth, the problems of the Tearmoon Empire emerge. It¡¯s not what Mia came up with in the library for thest few days¡­ Of course not.


    As you can see, these were the words of Ludwig in the alternate future. She was just parroting him back.


    She could remember the events of the first day that she met him. She could remember his haughty expression as he lectured her about topics big and small, full of sarcasm. Almost everything went through her head, but still¡­


    <em>I shall never forget such humiliation! I will never forget those days!</em>


    It was a humiliating event for her. So she burned every word that Ludwig said into her mind. Now all that she is doing is saying all those grudgeful memory back to him.


    Mia spoke about the problems with the empire, the problems with the nobles, the problems with the Imperial Capital, the problems with the neighboring kingdoms, and many more. If anyone else was listening to their conversation, they would have shouted at her brazenness to parrot Ludwig¡¯s own teachings.


    Meanwhile, Ludwig¡¯s expression has changed from that of surprise to that of reverence and awe.


    ¡°¡­Enough.¡± He held up one hand to stop the Princess¡¯ sermons. Then he knelt in front of Mia. ¡°I am impressed that there was someone so wise within the imperial family.¡±


    The words shocked Mia¡¯s body.


    <em>Wise?! Did he just say that I am wise? This miserable four-eyes just praised me!</em>


    Mia trembled with joy.


    <em>Oh, I feel like I was reincarnated just for this day.</em>


    Mia was at the height of her excitement,


    ¡°But if you already know the problems, then surely you would be able to rebuild this empire without me?¡±


    Mia paled instantly.


    <em>Oh no. This is bad! I have gone too far.</em>


    It was a big miscalction. Indeed, what Mia said was Ludwig¡¯s words. However, Ludwig only came to those conclusions after surveying the countryside and visiting neighbouring kingdoms. In other words, Ludwig had to do a lot of work toe to those conclusions. For the present-day Ludwig, who was still new to the job, Mia¡¯s words were like providence.


    it was after he went around the countryside and investigated the circumstances of foreign countries.


    Mia¡¯s grasp of the current events and usible predictions of the future, couples with the fact that she was only 12 years old, it was simply too much for Ludwig to handle. In his mind, he doesn¡¯t have to do anything. All he had to do was to leave everything to this Goddess of Wisdom that he had encountered.


    Needless to say, Mia was no goddess of wisdom, and nothing would turn out fine if left to her. So with her back against the wall, Mia desperately started thinking¡­


    <em>No, it¡¯s no good. I can¡¯t think of any good exnation!</em>


    As expected, she is a regrettable princess. Fortunately, however, there was an excellent young civilian official in front of her.


    ¡°Were you perhaps concerned that people might not take you seriously because you are still young?¡±


    His interpretation was very convenient for Mia. Very wrong, but also very convenient.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Mia joined in the flow. She could feel the wave of fortune pushing her up. Furthermore, Mia was experiencing a rare moment of mental rity.


    ¡°And no matter how wise I am, I can still be wrong. So I want you to think about these issues and tell me what you think about them.¡±


    Anybody with a sense of modesty would have never called herself ¡°wise.¡± However, because of Ludwig¡¯s lingering astonishment, all these were clouded by the veil of awe for Mia.


    ¡°A mind unclouded by its own brilliance¡­ and ears that wee a subordinate¡¯s advice¡­ Your Highness¡­ Your truly are¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s words impressed him when just moments prior, his superior brushed his appeal without a thought. ¡¡Ludwig never dreamed that Mia would be a dumb-ass princess who is totally helpless without the wisdom that he provided.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case ¡­¡±


    Ludwig once again thanked her and he kept his head down and bowed deeply,


    ¡°This Ludwig will cooperate with you with all your heart.¡±


    ¡°I ept your pledge.¡±


    Hearing Ludwig¡¯s praises and reactions was a full pleasure for Mia.


    In this way, Mia got her greatest ally after Anne.

 Chapter 10

    <strong>Prophecy x Bloody Diary</strong>


    ¡°Ufufu¡­¡±


    Anne tilted her head a little when she saw Mia smiling.


    ¡°Did something good happen, Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°Oh? How did you know?¡±


    Ever since returning to her room, Mia had been in good spirits. After all, that stupid four-eyes just called her ¡°wise.¡±


    <em>Wise! He called me wise! Hehehehe.</em>


    She felt like she just ascended into heaven. And her mood was unlikely to change for awhile.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I have to write this in my diary so that I won¡¯t forget the memorable events of today ¡­¡±


    Immediately, Mia picked up her diary and dived to the bed. She rolled around like a small ball. Then she rolled again the other direction. The feeling offort from the luxurious mattress that was made of moonfowl feathers gently wrapped Mia¡¯s body.


    Mia tickled her legs, crouching in a fluffy nket. The skirt of her loungewear is turned over, and her young legs are exposed, and she anything but princess-like.


    ¡°Ufufufu, Ufufu¡±


    ¡°¡­Mia-sama, please stop that. That¡¯s indecent.¡±


    Even Anne¡¯s words failed to have an effect on her. Mia looked at her with still the same happy smile¡­


    ¡°Ufufu, I¡¯m Princess Mia the wise. The wisdom of the empire, didn¡¯t you know? So there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Anybody seeing Mia¡¯s behavior would have branded her as annoying and being a brat. Anne, however, was looking at her with gentle eyes.


    <em>Look at how she¡¯s beaming! She must be so happy beingplimented by the man that she has feelings for.</em>


    Anne is Anne, and because she has a strange misunderstanding with Mia, she feels more like an older sister watching over her sister¡¯s first love. So she looked at her with the lens of affection.


    There¡¯s a saying in Tearmoon that a misced button messes up the whole shirt. Misunderstandings, once ingrained, can be difficult to undo.


    Mia, on the other hand, was beating the bed with her feet as she wrote a new diary entry. She started writing from making Anne her exclusive maid and up to the events that transpired today. Of course, there were some few exaggerations here and there.


    <em>My! How quickly I was able to write this entry. I wonder if I have a talent for poetry and theatre?</em>


    Since she was very happy, her pen flew through the pages. When she finished writing the final word and closed her diary, a thought came into her mind.


    <em>Since I have changed the contents of this diary, I wonder what has happened to the diary from the future. </em>


    It was a bout of curiosity. She put the two diaries side by side. Since she just wrote a new entry to her current diary, what would happen to the entry in the future(past) diary?


    Mia casually opened the blood-stained diary.


    ¡°What! What is this!¡±


    It was an unintentional startled voiceing out from her.


    The letters in the blood-stained diary were distorted and rewritten. What Mia wrote earlier in the current diary will be rewritten as it is in the blood-stained diary. And from there, the other future entries started to change as well. It looks as if the future is rewriting¡­


    <em>Not only does it look like that, but the future is actually being rewritten!</em>


    Mia suddenly realized. With the help of Ludwig and having him by her side early on, a big change has been made to the future history.


    <em>Does this mean then that¡­</em>


    Mia got up and sat upright on the bed. With shaking hands, she quickly turned the pages to thest entries of her diary. Upon seeing it, she let out a sad sigh.


    It still didn¡¯t change¡­After all that.


    The final entry, which remained unchanged, predicted the execution of Mia.


    <em>Why is this happening¡­</em>


    Her world seemed to darken because of despair. Faced with the fact of her tragic end, she began to panic. She wanted to run away and escape it all.


    <em>It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I still have time.</em>


    After taking a deep breath and calming down, Mia reread her diary. It contained a number of events that, with the help of Ludwig, had some financial improvements, but there were still things that did not change. The outbreak of gue in the capital¡¯s slums. The rebellion of a minority tribe from the Ounds. Along with much more, the problems were piled up. What¡¯s more, she had no idea how to solve all nor any of them.


    This is really bad. This is not the time to let Ludwig¡¯spliment get into my head.


    Mia stood up feeling like a bucket of cold water has just been poured over her head.


    ¡°Anne!¡±


    She called out her personal maid in a voice that rang withmand and purpose.


    ¡°I need to think, so I request that you bring me some sweets!¡±


    She asked for so little.

 Chapter 11

    <strong>The Shadow of Lunatear</strong>


    Where there is light, there is always a shadow.


    Lunatear, the glorious capital of Tearmoon Empire, also has a ce that people choose not to look at. Near the walls was the slums,monly known as the Newmoon District. This is the ce where the poorest live, where there is not enough food, where the sick don¡¯t get care and just get thrown away. It seems all semnce of civilization has left this ce, except for a small church that hosts an orphanage. Indeed, the ce was an abandoned district.


    A young girl in a beautiful dress was walking along the streets of this forsaken district. It was no other than Mia Luna Tearmoon, the beloved daughter of the Tearmoon Emperor.


    ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t walk too far ahead. In fact, please don¡¯t walk in front of us¡­¡±


    Around the girl were four armed guards, her exclusive maid Anne, and Ludwig, who was a recently added ally. In order to exin why such a conspicuous group is visiting such a ce, it is important to go back a few hours¡­


    ¡°¡­After all, this problem is something that definitely needs to be solved¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s head was surprisingly clear, probably because of the sweets Anne brought. After rereading the diary, Mia found an interesting description in it.


    ¡°The gue¡­ I remember having eggs thrown at me because of this.¡±


    A few years from now, a pandemic would devastate the capital. It was a terrible incident that even Ludwig wasn¡¯t able to predict. It would kill 10% of the capital¡¯s poption. ording to the rewritten diary, the empire¡¯s finances that has improved due to Ludwig, deteriorated again because of the pandemic.


    ¡°Well, I know I can¡¯t leave it alone¡­ but how can I prevent the gue?¡±


    As a rule, Mia hates hard work. She can stay in therge library if it needs be, but she won¡¯tst long, and she hates studying and researching. Then what should she do¡­


    ¡°For now, I will just ask the things that I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The answer is simple. Just ask someone and rely on them. Mia, after all, has now a convenient source of knowledge.


    ¡°Miss Anne, I¡¯m going out.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, Mia-sama¡±


    ¡°To see that stupid four-ey¡­ I mean to see Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the gentleman from the other day¡­ then I have to fix your dress and make you look pretty.¡±


    Anne¡¯s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm all of a sudden.


    ¡°Is that so? I think my dress at the moment is nice enough already¡­¡±


    Mia was currently wearing a chic ck dress which she often wear in her room. While it may be a little nd for a ball, it was more than suitable for casually meeting people.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do at all! Don¡¯t you want to be appealing to men? Now, off to the dressing room, Mia-sama.¡±


    Mia was forcibly brought to the dressing room. Anne, with the help of another veteran maid, prepared Mia¡¯s clothes. They decided to dress her in a blue dress with a rtively short skirt. It was designed to look cute and is easy to move around.


    ¡°My, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen this dress before.¡±


    Mia¡¯s dresses can easily fill rooms. So of course, it wasn¡¯t surpsiging that she couldn¡¯t keep track of all of them. There are even some dresses that she outgrew without ever being worn.


    ¡°Fufu, you look good, Mia-sama¡±


    With a smile, Anne began tending on Mia¡¯s hair. Afterbing, her hair was shining tinum, and then Anne put on a hairpin that was adorned with rainbow-colored jewels.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s ¡­¡± Looking in the mirror, Mia looked at the hairpin and her eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mia-sama?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Mia who answered Anne¡¯s question, but the other veteran maid.


    ¡°It was an offering gift to Miast year. Mia likes it very much.¡±


    Anneughed happily when she heard the story of the veteran maid in charge of the dressing room.


    ¡°Is that right? It¡¯s just perfect for the asion then.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± Mia replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t really like this¡­


    It wasn¡¯t the design or ornaments that Mia disliked. Mia had another reason why she wasn¡¯t happy with the hairpin.


    <em>But for going to see that stupid four-eyes, I guess this is enough?</em>


    In the end, Mia chose to say nothing.

 Chapter 12

    <strong>The Great Leader Sent by the Heavens (Note: A Great Misunderstanding)</strong>


    For Ludwig, the whole encounter was shocking.


    Born as the second son of a merchant, he was a smart child from an early age. His eldest brother took over the store and the family business. So he directed his aspirations into bing a government official. But soon after he began his studies, he realized how rotten the Tearmoon Empire was.


    There were various reasons, but most of them came from the noble houses, of which the emperor¡¯s own family was the most powerful. That¡¯s why he has disdain on nobles and royalty; those of so-called high birth.


    But one day, a girl suddenly appeared in front of him. She was Mia Luna Tearmoon. The first princess of the empire, a girl who is near the heights of the noble people. She came to him while shaking her beautiful tinum-colored hair that seemed to melt the moonlight.


    ¡°Help me rebuild this empire.¡±


    The sparkle of intelligence she showed was just like the goddess of the moon. It was so dazzling¡­ Ludwig, stabbed by that moonlight, still can¡¯t stop his heart from pounding quickly whenever he recalled that meeting. Since that day, he has been working hard to live up to the trust that Mia gave to him.


    Any oppositions from his superiors, he would quash it by using the name of the Princess. He assumes that his actions had reached Mia¡¯s ears. But since she had said nothing, it means that he is probably acting the way that she wants him to. Perhaps she thinks Ludwig will move voluntarily after she had conveyed her thoughts to him about the empire.


    Her stance was clear: she pointed the way, and he plotted the course. It was a textbook good leadership; once the vision was given, it is up to the front-line experts to worry about the details on how to achieve it. Though, it may seem simple, leaders who made it correctly were very few. Most poor judgements have led to downfall of countless kingdoms throughout the ages.


    And here was a girl who was only twelve years old, and she already makes the correct decisions. Ludwig shivers just thinking about it.


    ¡°Could she be the great leader that is bestowed upon to the empire by the heavens?¡±


    Ludwig thought with full reverence.


    Of course, such a thing is nothing but a delusion.


    ¡°Hello Ludwig¡±


    ¡°Your Highness! Wee.¡± Ludwig paused his work and stood up in respect. Mia raised her hand to stop him.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ludwig. Know that it is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°No, it is all thanks to you, Your Highness. Because of you, my work has been easier.¡±


    Mia nods with a smile to Ludwig who bows his head. Ludwig was relieved. He took Mia¡¯s actions as a sign that his actions were not misguided. After all, he is in the presence of someone whose wisdom was beyond himself.


    ¡°By the way, I came here because I need your advice on a particr matter.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, my advice?¡±


    Ludwig thinks with his arms folded.


    <em>Looking at Her Highness, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s dissatisfied with my work¡­ but maybe there¡¯s something I¡¯m not aware of.</em>


    After all, Ludwig figured, he is talking to a person whose wisdom is like that of a moon goddess. Ludwig¡¯s evaluation of Mia is on a level that no longer touches the earth. It has flown up and away with no signs ofnding any time soon¡­ which is truly unfortunate.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Though we can have the discussion here, I¡¯d prefer if you can escort me somewhere else.¡±


    Mia said with a mysterious smile.


    ¡°Where might that be?¡±


    ¡°The Newmoon District ¡­¡±


    Ludwig was totally taken by surprised by Mia¡¯s answer.


    ¡°¨C!? The slums? You want to go to the slums?!¡±


    Newmoon District, the slums of Lunatear was located close to the ramparts. It was a ce that ordinary people, never mind nobles and royals, wouldn¡¯t even dare to step into. Ludwig himself has never been to that ce, and never wished to go there. Even if the heavens and the earth are turned upside down, it is not the ce where the first princess of the empire goes.


    ¡°Mia-sama, no! That¡¯s going too much far!¡±


    It was Anne, the personal maid, who voiced her distress of Mia¡¯s n. She thought that Mia¡¯s n was just to visit Ludwig. For a young maiden, like herself, Newmoon District was the ce that she wants to avoid at all cost. It¡¯s a ce where parents say, ¡°Don¡¯t approach because it¡¯s dangerous,¡± and she¡¯s also telling her sisters and brothers.


    But in opposition to the two, Mia just shook her head and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s necessary. I want Ludwig to see it directly and tell me what he thinks about it.¡±


    There was a resolve in her tone that told them that the discussion was over.

 Chapter 13

    <strong>Stench of gue</strong>


    At the behest of Mia, Ludwig hurriedly arranges for soldiers to escort them. Since it was sudden, only four people were gathered, but all of them were highly-skilled soldiers. This wouldn¡¯t have been enough in the battlefield, but since they are technically still inside the Imperial City, there should be no problem.


    <em>I would have preferred to have at least ten more soldiers. But given the rushed circumstances, it can¡¯t be helped.</em>


    Ludwig sighed. After all, it is the daughter of the Emperor is going out into the city. They can never be too careful.


    ¡°By the way, Your Highness, does His Majesty know about your ns today?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You mean Father?¡± asked Mia with a curious tilt of her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll tell himter.¡±


    Ludwig was a little worried about Mia, who just casually wave off the issue.


    They did not need any sign to know that they were already in the Newmoon District. With just one step, the atmosphere was clearly different from the other districts.


    ¡°It smells terrible.¡±


    One of the soldiers remarked while holding his nose.


    The whole city seemed to be dominated by the smell of rottenness, the smell of sweat, and just an overall filthy smell. Not to mention the soldiers, Anne and Ludwig were grimacing at the pungency that they have never smelt in the castle and other high-ss residential areas.


    But¡­


    ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t find it bothersome¡­¡±


    ¡­Mia was calm. For Mia, who had been imprisoned in the dungeon for two years, this ce was actually better because it is in the open so there is wind and fresh air.


    ¡°It must be difficult for people here even to bathe. Spend three days without cleaning your body and anyone will start smelling. It¡¯s not much different from travellers whoe from afar.¡±


    After dering so easily¡­


    ¡°Well, let us proceed then.¡±


    ¡­Mia started walking. The soldiers around him could only gape at such a bold princess.


    Dirty roads, dim back alleys, crumbling houses¡­


    From those shadows, suspicious looks was wary of the out-of-ce party. Regardless of such things, Mia continued walking totally unconcerned¡­


    ¡°Where are we headed, Your Highness?¡± The lead soldier asked.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right, I haven¡¯t decided in particr¡­ what¡¯s that?¡±


    Mia suddenly ran off and approached a child curled up at the side of the road. It was a boy dressed in tattered cloth that can hardly even be called clothes. He seems to be younger than Mia, about five or six years old. Mia, gently touched his bony shoulders.


    ¡°Wait! Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Hello, are you okay?¡±


    The boy raised his face slowly. He did not look surprised when he saw Mia. His eyes are cloudy and devoid of any spark of childhood.


    ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    The dry lips move slightly, but no voice came out from them. Instead, the answer came from Ludwig behind them.


    ¡°It looks like he is starving, not sick. It¡¯s amon urrence here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Hunger is no small suffering.¡±


    Mia instructed Anne to give some of her sweets to the boy. Then Mia looked back at Ludwig.


    ¡°Ludwig, I have something to ask.¡±


    ¡°What is it Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°If I want to prevent a gue from happening here in the future, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°gue? That is¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s words shocked Ludwig. It was like a hit in the head as he hadn¡¯t even thought about that possibility. He knew that the empire¡¯s finances would definitely go bankrupt in a few years. So he thought that he had to do something about it by reducing spending and increasing tax revenues. And to be honest, he was quite proud of what he has done so far.


    However, once a gue urs, all his efforts would be meaningless. So the little Princess in front of her pointed out this very danger.


    ¡°To prevent a gue, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama, this child, I think it¡¯s better to let him rest somewhere. There seems to be a church nearby, why don¡¯t we go there?¡±


    Anne¡¯s words, interrupted Ludwig¡¯s thoughts,


    ¡°We should. I had hoped to see various things here, so this works out perfectly.¡±


    Ludwig gazed at Mia¡¯s smiling face, feeling like he finally understood why she brought him here.

 Chapter 14

    <strong>The Secret of the Hairpin</strong>


    Through the narrow and winding back alleys, they arrived at their destination, a small church that was leaning to one side. It had arge garden from where energetic voices of children can be heard. After leaving the child to a sister, Ludwig looked back at the church.


    ¡°Is this the only ce where sick people can be treated?¡±


    The church was simple, and even with the attached orphanage, it could only house very few people. It was impossible for them to provide food and care to all the needy in the area.


    <em>I didn¡¯t believe until I saw it. Her Highness is right. There is definitely arge chance for a gue to break out from here.</em>


    While Ludwig was thinking, Mia was building rapport with the priest in charge of the church. She was not really a religious person. But she calcted that if she made connections with the church, which is an organization that is spread throughout the different kingdoms, then they might help her escape in an event of an emergency.


    No matter the time or the ce, Mia always operated under the motto of ¡°me-first.¡±


    ¡°Father, thank you for epting the sick child into your care.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks. We do what we can as servants of God. It is us that are humbled that Her Royal Highness came to visit a ce like ours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Because like the other districts, this ce is part of my beloved country. By the way Father, would you happen to have friends abroad¡­¡±


    Mia wasted no time in getting to the point.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    It was Ludwig who called out.


    ¡°Oh, Ludwig, is it time to go already?¡±


    ¡°No. I just want to say that I finally understand your intentions now.¡±


    Hearing that, Mia nodded satisfactorily.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what it is. It¡¯s Ludwig. So how can we prevent a gue here in the Newmoon District?¡±


    ¡°There are two ways to prevent a gue: strengthen the inhabitants by giving them food, and improve the medical institutions.¡±


    While talking, Ludwig realizes the difficulty of what he was proposing. The job he¡¯s been doingtely is ¡°reducing spending.¡± In order to restore the empire¡¯s finances, he is pushing for an increase in the empire¡¯s ie and to reduce its spending. And now here he was, suggesting for distribution of food and the building of a hospital. Both ideas costs enormous money.


    Ludwig had no idea how much money this project would need, nor where to get it in the first ce. Even with the Princess backing, it might still be impossible. After all, she was still a child.


    But ¡­


    ¡°That means we need money¡­ I see.¡± Mia nodded a little, folded her arms as if she was thinking about something. ¡°Then¡­, that¡¯s right! Is it enough if I sell this?¡±


    She slowly removed the hairpin that was on her hair.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    The big red jewel shone on it. It was a gift from a famous merchant just days before.


    ¡°Mia-sama, isn¡¯t that your favorite!¡± Anne shouted in rm.


    But Mia just shook her head a little,


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how important it is, even if I treasure it as much as I can, it will still disappear one day. It could go missing or break. Knowing this, the most we can do is to use it well, and so give it meaning.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The normally calm Ludwig was very much impressed. He looked at Mia as if she was literally a saint.


    Of course, it¡¯s an illusion. Mia is not a saint or anything. So there¡¯s a good reason she said, ¡°Sell it!¡± And the reason was¡­


    <em>It¡¯s better to sell it quickly than to have it robbed from me by those jerks.</em>


    Yes, that hairpin, no matter where she hid it, it was stolen from her by the Revolutionary Army. What¡¯s more, it was taken rudely by a crude and violent bearded hooligan. Not that it would be okay if it was taken by a handsome fellow with a kempt hair¡­


    <em>If it¡¯s going to end up in the hands of someone like him, I¡¯d rather give it up myself. At least I¡¯ll be using it for my own sake.</em>


    Mia was endlessly calcting, and Ludwig doesn¡¯t have a single clue about it.


    ¡°Your Highness benevolence shall not go to waste. I will make the best use of this treasure that I have received.¡±


    Even if he sells the hairpin, it¡¯s not enough for the amount they needed. However, Ludwig knew the intention of Mia, or at least he thinks he knew anyway.


    The next day, Ludwig made a big statement that Mia offered an important treasure for the people of the slums. It was an utmost act of charity by the Princess.


    The people were shocked and surprised at Mia¡¯s act of benevolence. And the act forced the other nobles in a position where they had no choice but to donate to the cause as well.


    Thus, twenty dayster, it was decided that arge hospital would be built in the Newmoon District.

 Chapter 15

    <strong>Tea Party</strong>


    This day, Mia came to a tea party at the invitation of Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, the daughter of a Grand Duke of the Tearmoon Empire. For noble children, tea party is a status symbol. The more prestigious guest they can invite to attend, the more influence they held. In that sense, Princess Mia was always in high demand.


    The tea party was held in a corner of a vast garden, where many daughters of noble houses were gathered.


    ¡°Mia-sama, what you did was very bold.¡± Asked Esmeralda, the organizer of the tea party, while waving her blue hair.


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Mia took a sip of her tea while giving Esmeralda a curious look.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about what you did in the slums the other day.¡± The Duke¡¯s daughterughed and continued, ¡°But why did you do such a wasteful thing? You gave away your treasured hairpin for themon people. Even my Father cannot get his head around the news.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought it was just a whim, but I¡¯ve also thought that it might have had a deeper meaning because it was Mia-sama. But I just couldn¡¯t think of a reason¡­¡± Esmeralda leans forward.


    To be honest, Mia didn¡¯t like her. After all, she was the one who betrayed the most as soon as the revolution happened, even though she kept on iming that Mia was her best friend.


    Mia didn¡¯t want toe to the tea party, but she can¡¯t easily refuse. After all, Esmeralda was the daughter of a noble house with the emperor¡¯s blood. So, today¡¯s goal was for Mia to spend as little effort as possible.


    And so¡­


    ¡°There is no deeper meaning to it. I just acted as my heart wanted.¡±


    Which was a diplomatic was of saying, ¡°I did it because I wanted to. You¡¯ve got a problem with that, punk?¡±


    If it was Ludwig, then she needs to be more careful about her answer, but for these noble daughters, this level of answer is more than enough.


    ¡°That¡¯s so wonderful, Mia-sama. You have such a big heart.¡±


    ¡°To care even formon people¡­ such benevolence, we can¡¯t hope to imitate.¡±


    While listening to the praises of the noble daughters around her, Mia¡­


    <em>Ah, I wonder if this will end soon¡­</em>


    Mia was sighing inside.


    ¡°You have worked hard, Mia-sama¡± Anne said to her as soon as she got into the carriage heading home.


    ¡°Indeed. My shoulders feel stiff.¡±


    Anne looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She then proceeded to twist her neck and crack her joints.


    ¡°I figured Mia-sama wouldn¡¯t feel at home with that kind of atmosphere.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Mia wasn¡¯t at home with that kind of atmosphere. Rather, she grew up in that kind of atmosphere. So, she was curious about Anne¡¯s words.


    ¡°What made you think so?¡± Mia asked while checking the various souvenirs she has been given.


    ¡°Because Mia-sama and those people are different.¡±


    <em>Oh, it¡¯s an ice cream. This is delicious! </em>


    While thinking about something frivolous, Anne¡¯s narration continues.


    ¡°They never have gone to where the poor people lived, nor had they given any of their belongings for charity. They are totally nothing like you, Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ is that so?¡± Mia was unable to look at Anne¡¯s glittering eyes.


    After all, she has never acted in good faith. In fact, not a single thing she had ever done was out of pure good will. There was something terribly ufortable about being praised for something that she didn¡¯t do. Anne¡¯s pure trust in her, shook Mia¡¯s conscience. As a result, she wanted to do something nice to erase the guilt.


    ¡°¡­Well, since I am a generous Princess, I decided to bestow this gift to you.¡±


    Mia gave Anne her ice-cream souvenir.


    ¡°Really? Will that be okay? It looks so luxurious!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯s fine. They¡¯re not that rare¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, thank you so much¡± Anne cheered happily¡­ and then suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s just that I want my siblings to taste this too.¡±


    ¡°Good point. Then why don¡¯t we visit your home right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? Huh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an ice-cream, so if you don¡¯t eat it right away, it will melt. If you want your siblings to taste it, we better hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Mia-sama, that kind of thing¡­ Will they allow you to go into amoner¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought you already knew? I¡¯m the selfish Princess, right?¡±


    With that, Mia turned to the driver, while Anne was at aplete loss for words.

 Chapter 16

    <strong>Princess Mia Attains Enlightenment</strong>


    Anne¡¯s home was on the outskirts of the castle town. An ordinary wooden house that looks simr to the rest of the rows of houses. A lot of dried clothes were swaying in the wind in the garden where pretty flowers bloomed. It didn¡¯t look wealthy, but it was a very homely and warm house.


    ¡°Princess Mia, please wait in the carriage until I get you.¡±


    After saying that, Anne quickly went into the house. After a few minutes of waiting, Anne and a middle-aged couple came out with slightly pale faces.


    ¡°Oh, maybe these people¡­¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s an absolute honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Anne¡¯s father.¡± The man said nervously. He then introduces the woman beside him as Anne¡¯s mother.


    Mia curtsied.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Mia Luna Tearmoon. I¡¯m always indebted to Anne.¡± Mia said with a sweet smile.


    ¡°No, no, I have no words of gratitude for your royal favor for our daughter..¡±


    ¡°Please be at ease. The service that your daughter provides is more than enough. We just stopped by here to deliver gifts.¡± Mia gave them a sweet princess smile. She was very good at putting up a sweet front.


    ¡°Well, Anne, please show me to your siblings quickly.¡±


    Mia was impatient because she wanted to eat the ice cream before it melted. Fortunately, thest time she counted it, there were eight frozen desserts in a pottery cup. With these number, even if she gave one for each member of Anne¡¯s family, there would still be something left for her.


    <em>As expected, the Four Dukes. They don¡¯t skimp on gifts.</em>


    Mia was excited to taste the ice confectionery that she hasn¡¯t tasted for a long time. But when she stepped into the small guest room, she became a little worried. There she met four children. The oldest boy is probably a little older than Mia. Then there were three girls who looked younger than Mia.


    ¡°I assume you are all Anne¡¯s brother and sisters?¡±


    Five people including Anne. Together with her parents¡­ seven people! And there were only eight desserts.


    <em>Oh, that was dangerously close.</em>


    With this, there should be one remaining for me. She then showed her saint-like generosity of giving the desserts to each person. The kind-hearted image of Mia in Anne must not be destroyed.


    Feeling proud of herself for how everything worked out fine ¨C even though she didn¡¯t do anything ¨C Mia started envisioning herself eating the ice desserts. She failed to listen to Anne¡¯s introduction of her family members.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mia-sama. My second sister, Elise, is a little weak and always rests in her room during this time. I know she is supposed toe down and greet you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    This means there¡¯s one more person. Mia froze. Not only that¡­


    ¡°Wow, Your Highness, is it really okay for us to have something like this?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Princess Mia. Come on Mom, Dad, let¡¯s eat together!¡±


    ¡°Behave yourselves in front of the Princess ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡±


    Faced with the happy faces of Anne¡¯s family, Mia knew her fate was sealed. She didn¡¯t have the guts to demand a piece in front of Anne lest she destroys Anne¡¯s image of her.


    <em>Stupid daughter of Four Dukes! Why are you stingy?! You could have given me ten instead of just eight!</em>


    She vented her frustrations at the Duke¡¯s daughters. After abusing them in her head, Mia finally calmed down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, His Highness Princess. Under any circumstances, she should have to presented herself to meet you¡­ I¡¯m sorry for such rudeness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t matter. I came here at such a short notice, so it can¡¯t be helped. And if she is sick, then there¡¯s no point forcing here toe. More importantly, Anne please have everyone try these already. You should eat them before they melt.¡±


    Then, after sending a lonely gaze toward the ice desserts once¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right, why don¡¯t we bring your sister¡¯s share in her room?¡±


    As a reminder, Mia wasn¡¯t saying this out of concern for the sick. It¡¯s just that she cannot stand the sight of seeing other people eat delicious things and she can¡¯t have one.


    As for how Anne interpreted her statement¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­!¡± Anne was deeply moved. ¡°Thank you for your intention. I¡¯m sure my sister will be happy that you came to visit us!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice to hear.¡±


    Compared to Anne¡¯s heartfelt words of gratitude, Mia¡¯s reply was less passionate.


    Author¡¯s Note


    For the time being, that¡¯s all. After that, I will be updating this leisurely.

 Chapter 17

    <strong>The Unfinished Novel</strong>


    ¡°So your sister is called Elise?¡± Mia followed Anne upstairs.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the same age as Mia-sama. But she is sickly. I only wish that she was as healthy as you.¡±


    Anne smiles sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that she is sickly.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not actually ill, or anything. Thanks to Mia-sama, my sry has increased. We¡¯re able to feed her a lot of nutritious food, so she¡¯s getting better and better.¡± While saying this, Anne knocked on the door. ¡°Elise, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Anne-neesama, is that you? Come in.¡± A small voice answered. Upon hearing it, Anne opened the door.


    It was a small room. Unlike Mia¡¯s room, which was full of things, this room has only a wooden desk and a bed. On the desk, there were tattered books that seemed to have been read many times. Books are valuable, so it ismon for them to be read again and again. What is umon is for them to be read to the point that they are tattered as they are now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry neesama. I couldn¡¯t go down to say hello¡­¡±


    A young girl sat on the bed rubbing her eyes. She looks a lot like Anne with her bouncy red hair that was sticking at all directions. It seemed like she have just woken up.


    ¡°I guess Her Highness have already returned. That¡¯s such a shame, I really wanted to meet her.¡± While saying this, Elise was putting on therge sses from her bedside. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seeing Mia standing beside Anne, Elise froze.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Elise. My name is Mia Luna Tearmoon. I am always indebted to your sister Anne.¡±


    ¡°Wow, wow, wow, uh, nice to meet you. Excuse me for being dressed like this, Your Highness, Princess, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Please rx. I have heard about you from your sister.¡± Mia smiled as she ced a hand on Elise¡¯s shoulder and stopped her from trying to get up.


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°Elise, you don¡¯t have to mind your words. Mia is a very open-minded person and a heart of gold. So she¡¯s not bothered by a fewpses in protocol.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I did not even notice anything amiss.¡± Mia said, not missing a beat. After all, she is good at giving praise to others.


    Then, for a while, Mia enjoyed chatting with Elise. What pleased Mia above all was that Elise declined the frozen dessert.


    ¡°It¡¯s painful to refuse what you received from Her Highness, but my body might get a cold if I eat something cold.¡± As soon as Mia heard this, she immediately decided that she liked this girl. Not because of any particr trait but because she got her frozen dessert back. Mia was so happy that she could start bouncing.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you d Elise? You kept on saying how much you wanted to meet Mia-sama.¡± Anne also smiled happily next to Elise.


    ¡°Oh, did you want to see me that much?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Um, I¡¯m writing a story¡­¡±


    The excited Elise brought a stack of paper that had been sitting on the desk. On the cover was the title ¡°The Poor Prince and the Golden Dragon.¡±


    <em>My, it seems that I have seen this title somewhere¡­</em>


    A memory arose in Mia¡¯s head.


    Life in the dungeon was boring. After all, there was nothing to do. She didn¡¯t want to be taken out to a kangaroo court where everyone shouts curses at her, but at the same time, it was also painful for Mia to be stuck in the cell doing nothing.


    At that time, Anne started telling her about the story of ¡°The Poor Prince and the Golden Dragon.¡± It was a story that Mia had never heard before. An adventure story about a Prince who became poor because he shared all his wealth with the poor. He then met an injured dragon whom he took care of. Then the two of them went off on a series of exciting adventures.


    Fantasy novels were rare in Tearmoon Empire, and Mia liked it. However, she never got to hear the ending. It wasn¡¯t because she was executed before she had a chance to hear about it. Rather, it was because the author ¨C Anne¡¯s sister ¨C died in the famine before she could finish writing it.


    When Mia was on the guillotine stand, it was one of her deepest regrets that she wasn¡¯t able to know the ending of the story.


    <em>I almost forgot!</em>


    Mia was so caught up in her thoughts. Destiny was changing, little by little. She didn¡¯t know whether the famine would still strike. But if it did, its effects might not be so disastrous with Ludwig¡¯s efforts.


    But ¡­


    After flipping through the stack of paper, Mia looked at Elise.


    ¡°This story is very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Elise¡¯s face betrayed her confusion. She didn¡¯t think that Mia could have read through it so quickly. Regardless of Elise¡¯s reaction, Mia continued¡­


    ¡°Elise, I want you to be my court author.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

 Chapter 18

    <strong>The Princess Chronicles of Saint Mia</strong>


    There is a book called <em>The Princess Chronicles of Saint Mia</em>. It is a work of non-fiction and its contents were pure and unbridles fabrications that glorified Mia. The author of this work was the renowned writer Elise Littstein. She single-handedly established the fantasy-genre in the Tearmoon Empire and pushed it to prominence. Employed as court author by Princess Mia, she was also the sister of Anne Littstein, who served for countless years as the princess exclusive maid.


    The book began like this.


    <em>I first met Her Highness when I was just twelve years old. At that time, I was too weak to y outside with my friends of the same age. I turn instead, my interest to writing. I began to write stories ¨C not novels, they were far too crude to be called one. Writing became my outlet for my desires and frustrations. They were the escape of a poor girl who had little else in her world.</em>


    <em>Her Highness scanned lightly my manuscript, then she decided to make me her royal author. In that quick skim, she grasped the entirety of my story. I was left speechless by the speed at which she read. It was a talent that defiedmon sense. In fact, it was a brilliance that defied any description. It is my belief that this episode offered an early glimpse at the abundant genius of Her Highness.</em>


    Just to confirm again, these are all Elise¡¯s misunderstanding. No. Her delusions. Since not a single piece of truth was written there. Regardless, this book sold well! This event was probably the first sign of the empire in decline.


    Granted, the book also ends up saving Mia¡¯s life¡­ but that¡¯s a story for another time.


    ¡°Royal Author¡­ to Your Highness?¡± Elise was caught off guard by Mia¡¯s sudden offer.


    The system of being a royal author involved a member of the royal family bing a sponsor for an artist and supporting his or her livelihood. Gaining a good sponsor meant freedom from financial worries and the ability to focuspletely on one¡¯s creative work. It was a very coveted position.


    Elise shook her head eventhough she had just been offered the best job a writer could have.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mia was surprised by Elise¡¯s answer. ¡°Why? I believe it is an offer that you stand to benefit from.¡±


    If she bes Mia¡¯s royal author, then she can gain ess to the Grand Library in the castle. There it should be easy for her to collect research materials.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to patronize me just because I am Anne¡¯s sister.¡±


    ¡°Elise! How can you say that to Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°I want to earn my sess with he work I have done. Not to be gifted the role of a royal author because of my sister¡± Elise answered with an angry tone.


    Mia replied to her in a calm manner, ¡°My, but I do recognize your talent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. There¡¯s no way you can read everything so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Miss Elise, you should remember one thing about me.¡± Mia said in a t tone. ¡°I hate lies. I read the contents of your story and I¡¯m making the proposal because I enjoyed it.¡±


    Mia put a finger to her cheek and looked up, as if she was thinking. A momentter, she began speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, why don¡¯t I describe to you what I like about your story¡­¡± She remembered the story that she had heard in the dungeon. She remembered the parts that she liked, the parts that impressed her, the parts that made herugh¡­


    Mia talked and talked and talked. She rattled off like a smug critic.


    ¡°¡­ No way.¡±


    There was first a look of astonishment on Elise¡¯s face. Then it was gradually reced with a look of suspicion.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ Your Highness¡­?¡±


    Just as Mia finished ranting, Elise spoke up.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    Elise looked at Mia in a suspicious way.


    ¡°Why¡­ why do you know the parts that I haven¡¯t written yet?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The meaning of what Elise said, hit Mia like a bolt of lightning.


    <em>Heavenly moons! I just slipped up badly.</em>


    That¡¯s right, the story Mia knows is a few years from now.


    <em>It felt so terribly food to talk about it that I wasn¡¯t thinking at all about what I was saying.</em>


    Having realized she had made a blunder, she started to panic. However, a helping hand came from an unexpected ce.


    ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that, Elise?¡± It was Anne who spoke up for Mia. ¡°This is Mia-sama we are talking about. She only has to read a few chapters to be able to guess where to story is going.¡±


    It seems that it wasn¡¯t only Ludwig that is suffering from Terminal Mia Syndrome. Anne seems to have been infected badly as well. In Anne¡¯s mind, Mia¡¯s significance had reached ridiculous heights. If the weather was good, it was all thanks to Mia. If it rained, then Mia was looking after the farmers. In summary, Anne had be a true Mia fanatic.


    ¡°Right, Mia-sama?¡± Anne asked Mia with a big smile. Mia could do nothing but nod reflexively.


    ¡°Of course! What you said is absolutely right.¡±


    <em>Absolutely what? What even in the dark moons is she talking about?</em>


    Even from Mia¡¯s perspective, Anne¡¯s reasoning was nonsense. However, since this will help her, she decided to just go with it. It was toote to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Elise, be my writer, and finish this story.¡±


    ¡°..Your Highness¡­ Anne-neesama¡±


    Elise looked from Mia to her sister. Faced with the pair¡¯s absurd logic¡­


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    She cracked and gave in.


    Thus did the Empire see the birth of yet another Mia fanatic.

 Chapter 19

    <strong>Oath on a Winter Day</strong>


    Winter in the Tearmoon Empire was cold. It often snows that fireces are in every home. Today was also a harsh day with snow.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s cold¡­¡±


    Anne was walking down the hallway. Her breaths leave faint puffs of white in the air. It was thest day of the year and it was the holidays. Outside, many (if not all) shops are closed. But in the castle, it was business as normal. Anne greeted her fellow maids as she passed them by. Finally, she arrived at Mia¡¯s personal chamber.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Anne. You¡¯re here.¡± Seeing Anne, Mia put down her book and rose from her fireside chair. ¡°You look very cold. Come over here and warm yourself up.¡±


    With that said, she guided Anne to the side of the firece.


    ¡°Thank you, Mia-sama. This feels lovely.¡±


    In the past, concerns over propriety and norms would have caused Anne to balk at such an offer. However she was reprimanded by Mia that her reservation was improper. So Anne justplied gratefully. In return, she made a solemn promise to herself that she would repay her master¡¯s goodwill with loyalty.


    Anne and Mia sat side by side near the firece in silence.


    <em>I wonder if she has grown taller¡­</em>


    A fond smile crept on Anne¡¯s lips. She usually regarded Mia as her little sister.


    ¡°Say, Anne, I wonder if you have a moment¡­¡±


    Mia breaks the silence. Anne notices that Mia was fidgeting. Knowing her behavior, Anne knows Mia only does this when she was about to ask a difficult favor.


    ¡°Yes, what is it, Mia-sama?¡± Anne replies, wondering.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to school next spring.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of that. Congrattions on your enrollment.¡±


    There was a rule that noble children are supposed to enroll in specialized institution of learning once they reach thirteen. There, they will learn various knowledge andpetence required to effectively rule their respective domains.


    Anne already considers Mia a saint. She looks forward as to what kind ofdy her mistress would be after a formal education.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne. The thing is¡­¡± Mia smiled a little, but her face soon became cloudy. After a brief silence, Mia raised her face as if she had decided, ¡°I want you toe with me as my personal attendant.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ehhh?¡± Anne was shocked at the offer, ¡°You want me?¡±


    Anne¡¯s surprise was justified. School is a gathering ce for noble children. It is there that future nobles mingle and develop connections for the future. Anyone who stepped foot into these hallowed institutions was expected to be on their best behavior. They were, after all, the future leaders.


    Moreover, the school that Mia will be going is not even inside the Empire. Mia will be leaving the castle and will be staying in a school dormitory for the next few years. And she is only permitted to bring one attendant. She can no longer rely on the other veteran maids.


    ¡°That¡­ Mia-sama, I¡¯m very happy with your offer, but are you okay with me?¡±


    Anne is by no means a capable maid. If anything, she¡¯s clumsy. She knows that Mia trusts her deeply, of which she is grateful. But it also saddens her that her skills as a maid is not that great. She believes that Mia would be better off with a maid with more experience.


    Anne¡¯s hands are suddenly wrapped in warmth. Surprised, she looked down and saw her hands wrapped by Mia¡¯s own.


    ¡°Um, Mia-sama, my hands are cold¡­¡±


    ¡°Anne, listen to what I am saying. I said that I want you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Mia-sama¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s chest was filled with overflowing emotions. Mia had believed in her, offered her unconditional trust, kindness, and friendship. She had given her so much. It was a debt that should, and must be repaid. Moved to the core, Anne kneeled down right there and then.


    ¡°I will try my absolute best, Your Highness. I will serve you with all my heart and soul.¡±


    <em>Phew. I am d I got that sorted.</em>


    Mia exhaled with relief.


    At the school where Mia is heading now, two of her lifelong nemesis were waiting. An Ound noble who led the revolution against the empire, Tiona Rudolvon. And the prince of Sunnd who helped her, Sion Sol Sunnd.


    These two people were directly connected to Mia¡¯s fate with he guillotine, and it also happens that these two will be her schoolmates.


    <em>It will be a nightmare if I don¡¯t have someone that I canpletely trust.</em>


    For the time being, with the minimum condition of having a trustworthy attendant in ce, Mia weed the New Year with a lighter heart.


    Author¡¯s Note


    Tomorrow is Saturday, so I n to post a little more (4 episodes at 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 21:00).


    I hope you enjoy it.

 Chapter 20

    <strong>To New Lands</strong>


    There was a small country in the middle of all the kingdoms and empires. It was known as the Holy Principality of Belluga. It is the home of the Central Orthodox Church, the religion which had been observed by the continent since ancient times. Though it had no military power, it possessed an unparalleled amount of influence. To prove this, a certain school exist within its borders.


    Saint Noel Academy was a super-elite school that gathered noble and royal children from thend. Future rulers of kingdoms, which should¡¯ve been hidden in an ivory tower, are instead sent into this academy to receive six years of education. From this fact alone, the authority that the Principalitymanded was obvious.


    And it was to this academy that Mia is headed to this spring.


    ¡°Wow! This is great!¡± Anne cheered when St. Noel finally came into view after a week of bumpy ride in the carriage.


    Mia smiled as she sees Anne marvel at the sights with her face pressed on the window.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wear yourself out, Anne.¡±


    ¡°But, Mia-sama, it¡¯s amazing! The sea, you see, the sea ¡­¡±


    ¡°That is ake.¡±


    While correcting Anne, Mia also turned her attention to the scenery outside the window. After passing through a small forest, the road was filled with lush trees which opens up to a hugeke. Known as Lake Noelige, it upies more than a third of the Principality and is well-known for its abundant natural beauty.


    At the center of theke was arge ind, on which a beautiful white, castle-like school building stood. It was almost like straight out of a fairy tale. Mia understood Anne¡¯s excitement upon such a sight.


    <em>As expected, after seeing it everyday for almost five years, it gets a little old.</em>


    After all, she already attended this academy in the previous timeline. While she has noints about the academy¡¯s environment, it also no longer roused any excitement in her.


    ¡°I¡¯m really impressed how calm Mia-sama is.¡± Anne whispered with a sigh.


    Mia did notment. She just smiled and closed her eyes.


    <em>These next six years are going to be crucial.</em>


    Beforeing to this academy, Mia scrutinized her dairy to figure out the best way to spend her time here.


    As a result, she decided to impose two rules on herself.


    First, avoid any danger. In particr, try not to associate with people who had anything to do with her being sent to the guillotine.


    Second, in the unlikely event that the reform of the empire fails and an unfortunate revolution urs, then build awork of connections. To that end, she needed as many useful friends as possible.


    That¡¯s it.


    <em>The most important thing is to stay away from danger. As the old saying goes: prevention is better than cure.</em>


    In her mind, she recalled the faces of the two persons that lead her to the guillotine. She didn¡¯t really think of anything in particr with them. She didn¡¯t want revenge nor fight them. Mia is, after all, azy pacifist. So she ns to stick to her first rule. Stay away from danger. If she doesn¡¯t get acquainted with the two, then they wouldn¡¯t have any reasons to hate her as well.


    <em>However, it is foolish to not prepare for an emergency. In that case, it is necessary to make connections inconspicuously. Who should I approach?</em>


    Just as Mia was sinking into her thoughts, the carriage suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Mia can hear the bitter voice of her coach driver in the front.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Mia called from the inside.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. Actually, I was about to move our carriage onto the boat to get us into the ind. But some other kingdom got in front of us and took our spot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so?¡±


    ¡°Normally, they should give way for the empire. Allow me to go and put them in their ce.¡±


    Mia sighs a little to the coach driver who was getting ready for a fight.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind, really.¡±


    ¡°But then, the prestige of the empire¡­¡±


    ¡°The prestige of the empire would be better served if we don¡¯t go squabbling on such trifling matters such as the order of going into the boat.¡± Mia said with a hint of irritation.


    The coach driver¡¯s words and actions hurt really frustrated Mia. It is unsightly to making a fuss on the order of who gets to be on the ind first. But what really irritates Mia was that she did the exact thing in the previous timeline.


    Furthermore, after all themotion, her carriage fell into theke. She remembered it now with frustration. It had been a terrible experience. She had been wearing her favorite heavy dress. So when it got wet, it was very heavy. She almost drowned. After she managed to reach the shore, she had to endure toughter of the students looking at her.


    Remembering it was painful, but watching her own humiliating actions being reyed before her was even worse.


    <em>How terribly embarrassing¡­ If I could, I¡¯ll get rid of that past self!</em>


    ¡°Well, are you okay, Mia-sama¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. It was a long trip, so I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    With that said, Mia opened a window. Thekeside breeze was refreshing and seemed tofort Mia.

 Chapter 21

    <strong>Waste of Sweat and Blood</strong>


    Anne looked up to the massive, regal ship floating on theke. It can clearly carry a dozen of horse-carriage without a problem.


    ¡°Mia-sama, why don¡¯t they just build a bridge to the ind? That way, they don¡¯t have to carry carriages and people by boat.¡±


    ¡°It seems that there used to be a bridge before. But there were too many disputes over checking admission documents and confirming the apanying servants.¡±


    No matter how wide or many bridges are, they are always a cause for traffic jams. Since all the students arrive on carriages on the same day, it was easy to imagine the congestion. Adding to that, the ones riding those carriages are children of nobilities or royalties, for whom the concept of ¡°waiting¡± is totally foreign.


    A mishandled dispute may cause the head of a supervisor to fly. Literally.


    Simrly, widening and adding more bridges would be quite impractical given how infrequent they are being used.


    ¡°Even when they started carrying the carriages by a boat, arguments still broke out over the assigned cabins.¡±


    The children of the royalty and nobles are people with very high pride. They would not allow for those families of lower or equal standing to have a better or bigger cabin than them. It was a nightmare for whoever was in charge.


    ¡°It¡¯s terribly stupid to squabble over such matters.¡±


    Mia said an impressive statement as if oblivious to the fact that in the past timeline she made a huge uproar on who gets to the boat first.


    However, Anne, who does not know such a thing,


    <em>As expected of Mia-sama. She has such a noble heart!</em>


    It only made her loyalty for her mistress stronger.


    Eventually, they arrived at the port. Upon disembarking, it was time to say goodbye to the coach driver and the guard knights who apanied them in the journey.


    ¡°Everyone, thank you for your hard work of guarding me. May you have a safe journey home. I pray for your well-being.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. We and the whole people of the empire, wish you well. May your new life at the academy be filled with God¡¯s blessings.¡±


    Mia once again gives a polite word of gratitude to the captain of the guard knight who bowed his head.


    During the revolution, while most of the Imperial Army betrayed the royalty, the Imperial Guard Knights stayed loyal and gave up their lives to protect Mia and the imperial family.


    In other words, they were the kind of useful friends that she needs to stay on good terms with. Therefore, she treated them with utmost respect.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness¡­¡±


    The guard knights were impressed with the warm words that their princess showered on them. After all, it was the first time.


    Their work was to guard the imperial family, and sometimes they even do assassinations. But that was considered part of their job. So whether they are injured or killed, it is not something that the ones that they are guarding are concerned with. It is after all, part of the job.


    Even so, the little princess in front of was worried about them, and prayed for their safe return. It wasn¡¯t much, but it moved them all the same. They set off back to the Imperial Capital with their hearts ming with unwavering loyalty for their tiny master.


    ¡°Well then¡­ let¡¯s head to the academy.¡± Mia turned her eyes to Saint Noel Academy, which was going to be her battlefield.


    The ind in theke where St. Noel Academy was located contained all the facilities necessary to function as an independent town. It was filled with various shops such as restaurants, clothing tailors, shoe stores, cksmiths, jewelry stores and stationery stores. What¡¯s more, all of them are super-luxury stores to satisfy the taste of noble children.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Anne said in a mixed tone of awe and aversion. ¡°There are so many shops that look too scary to walk into¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right. But that¡¯s only true for the main street. There are cheap shops that are meant for the general public that are living on this ind. The academy also has its own store that sells most daily necessities at very reasonable prices.¡±


    <em>That is good because I can go there to buy things that I need for myself.</em>


    ¡°So Anne, could you make a survey of the shops here starting tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°In, particr, check out for shops that sell items of decent quality at reasonable prices.¡± Mia said in a tone as if it was normal.


    ¡°But, Mia-sama, you have more than enough allowance that you won¡¯t have to worry about what you will buy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, as a princess of the empire, there are necessary expenses to protect the prestige. But¡­¡±


    Mia looked around and frowned.


    ¡°My allowance is derived from taxes. And I¡¯d rather not squander something thates from sweat and blood.¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡± Anne¡¯s voice trembled with emotions as she watched her mistress softly whisper¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t waste money. I can¡¯t waste sweat and blood. Absolutely not¡­¡±


    For Mia, it wasn¡¯t a metaphor. How she spends money will literally affect her blood on the guillotine. Every coin wasted was another step closer to the guillotine.


    ¡°Half of my allowance will be sent to Ludwig. He can make good use of it.¡±


    Just then, Mia suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    What stood in front of her sight was¡­

 Chapter 22

    <strong>Princess Mia Sows Seeds</strong>


    In Mia¡¯s grade, there was a boy student who was extremely popr. Sion Sol Sunnd. The crown prince of Sunnd Kingdom, a kingdom that rivals the power and history of the Tearmoon Empire.


    He had silver-white hair, cool clear eyes, a handsome face, and a sweet voice. He had an air of regality around him but has a friendly manner. AT the same time, he had a strong sense of justice. His grades were excellent, and his sword skills was so good that even most teachers can¡¯t defeat him. He was perfectly the Prince Charming in flesh.


    So it wasn¡¯t surprising that Mia fell in love with him madly. Or perhaps, she had fallen into what she thought was love. In her arrogance, she believed that she was the only one suitable to be Sion¡¯spanion. As the Crown Prince of Sunnd, the only match could be Mia, the only Princess of Tearmoon Empire. He was the man of her dreams, as such, she couldn¡¯t forgive the girl who became close to him. Especially because she was the daughter of a poor imperial noble.


    That was Tiona Rudolvon. The daughter of a poor noble whose territory is a farnd at the southern edge of the empire. Mia couldn¡¯t admit that a country bumpkin could manage to win Sion¡¯s heart.


    So she took it out on this girl, she teased her and joined the other nobledies in harassing her. This harassment became a driving force for Tiona. She will be the leader and the symbol of revolution. She will be called a Saint. And it will be under her that Mia will be executed by a guillotine.


    <em>I did something stupid.</em>


    After two years of life in the dungeon, Mia, who had been harassed in much the same way, realized a truth. That is: you reap what you sow.


    Harassing others would alwayse back to you.


    ¡°Mia-sama, that ¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s voice pulled Mia back to the present. She looked at where Anne was pointing. In a street corner, Tiona was surrounded by a group of girls.


    <em>Ah, of course.</em>


    Mia notices that these were the exact same situation when she first met Tiona on the previous timeline. At this time, Tiona was being harassed by the daughters of powerful foreign nobles.


    <em>I believe they were going on about how they had been slighted by her attendant or something.</em>


    In the previous timeline, Mia just happened to pass by. But she had chosen to give Tiona the cold shoulder.


    ¡°What should we do, Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it already obvious?¡±


    She will stick with her rules in the carriage. Stay away from danger. At the same time, she won¡¯t show any hostile attitude. She won¡¯t even go near them. Just in case, she would be thought of as a bystander. It was one of those situations where being neutral was difficult. In the eyes of the victim, that would just be enabling the bullies.


    Mia was thinking of going another route when she felt a chill on her spine.


    <em>What in the heavenly moons was that?</em>


    She paused. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that a terrible misfortune awaited her if she made a wrong choice this moment. Then a question popped into her mind.


    <em>That¡¯s right! I wonder why Anne asked me that question.</em>


    It would make sense if they were at a crossroad and they have to decide whether to go left or right. But in this case, Mia has no reason to help. Even if they both came from the Empire, it doesn¡¯t mean that she has to go out and help a stranger. Nevertheless, Anne still asked her that question: ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Something told her she needed to do something about Tiona. Yes, it seems that Anne was thinking that¡­


    Mia looks at Anne again. And she can now conclude that her reasoning was correct.


    Anne looked at Mia full of trust. With those eyes, Anne was not asking whether they should help of not. It seems that helping Tiona was already a foregone conclusion. Anne¡¯s question was not ¡°Should we help?¡± Rather it was ¡°What should we do to help?¡± Anne never dreamed that her beloved Princess Mia wouldn¡¯t help someone in need.


    <em>So the decision has already been made, huh?</em>


    Mia was trapped in a difficult ce. Should she help her enemy or should she lose the trust of her most loyal subject?


    Shortly after, Mia concluded that now at this time, she can¡¯t afford to lose Anne¡¯s trust.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s go Anne.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mia-sama!¡±


    After two[i] years in the dungeon, Mia realized the truth. Or rather she thought she had. But she didn¡¯t know that she understood only half of it.


    You reap what you sow.


    If you sow malice and evil, then surely you will harvest malice and evil as well.


    But the same is true for the opposite.


    If you sow kindness and goodness, then you will also harvest kindness and goodness.


    Mia at this time did not understand this yet.


    Author¡¯s note:


    Thest one should be posted at around 21:00.


    [i] Author wrote two years, but Mia was actually three years in the dungeon.

 Chapter 23

    <strong>Princess Mia Attacks Verbally! Tiona¡­ Recovers?</strong>


    ¡°Hey, what are you guys doing there?¡± With a m on her footsteps, Mia waded through the crowd.


    There were three girls surrounding Tiona. From the previous timeline, she recognized them as the daughters of a moderately prominent nobles from a moderately notable kingdom. The emphasis here is on ¡°moderate.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡± The leader of the trio irritatedly said before recognizing who was it that came.


    ¡°Your Highness?!¡±


    Hearing Tiona¡¯s voice, the trio fell silent and all color from their faces drained.


    ¡°Your Highness? You¡¯re-you¡¯re-you¡¯re Princess¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon, the first princess of the Tearmoon Empire. She lifted her skirt a little and give a splendid curtsy. At that moment, it was as if the majesty of the empire was radiating brightly off Mia. Seeing this, the girls immediately fell prostrate.


    ¡°So ¡­ what are you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that, this is¡­¡± Theplexion of the girls gradually turns paler. Mia was the princess of great Empire that they could not afford to make an enemy of. And right now, that same Princess was clearly furious.


    Mia was indeed furious. But not because of what the three were probably thinking. She was furious because these three girls had forced her into a situation that she has to help her nemesis. She red at the three with hatred.


    ¡°I seemed you have been rude to one of my subjects¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all. Eventhough she is an imperial noble, shees from the Ound. We thought we should teach her the rules of polite society¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± This time, Mia had no choice but to help. But she is only doing this because she didn¡¯t want tond in the guillotine again.


    Hoping to make herself feel a little better about this turn of events, she kept talking¡­


    ¡°I love all my subjects equally. Even the child of the poorest ve on the streets. No matter who they are, no matter how powerless they are, no matter how insignificant they may seem, so long as they belong to the Empire, I will don¡¯t turn a blind eye on any rudeness against them.¡±


    What she really meant was: <em>I am not helping Tiona because she is special or anything</em>. In fact she was trying to dere that Tiona was not any better to that of a child of a ve.


    Considering that Mia was already helping anyway, she should have just gone and went to the full mile to help. But that would require Mia to be a good sport. And Mia was anything but that.


    Mia then turned to Tiona and smiled at her triumphantly.


    <em>Since I helped you, you cannotin about what I say, okay?</em>


    But sadly, Mia¡¯s true intentions didn¡¯t reach Tiona.


    Tiona¡¯s family is a young noble family. Her grandfather was originally a leader of a group of farmers. After exterminating a group of bandits, he was awarded with and and a title. He was therefore not born but inducted into nobility. So they were considered an upstart noble.


    Even worse was that the region where they lived was incorporated into the Empire muchter than the other regions. As a result, they were discriminated. Oftentimes, they were not even considered subjects of the Empire, nevermind nobility. They were insulted as ¡°descendants of serfs¡± and ¡°second-ss citizen.¡±


    That¡¯s why she entered St. Noel Academy. She studied hard, learned etiquette, and even mastered court swordsmanship. She did this all so that she could outshine those noble girls who made fun of her. Or at the very least, not to be a target of their ridicule. She wanted to be recognized as an imperial noble, an equal.


    However, even from this first day, she was already harassed. This shattered her hopes. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried, there would be no change.


    But just when she was about to be swallowed in her despair, a certain person appeared. Mia Luna Tearmoon. The one who sits on top of the Tearmoon nobility. She strode in and proudly dered that she was one of her subjects! And not just that. That she would not forgive anyone who is rude to any of her subjects!


    <em>Huh?</em>


    At first, Tiona didn¡¯t know what was being said. She could hear what was being said, but the meaning eluded her. This was because she wasn¡¯t expecting any help. Never in her wildest dream did she think that she would be acknowledged as a subject of the Empire.


    Then she blinked, and the figure of the girl before her came into focus.


    <em>Princess Mia, Your Highness¡­</em>


    That girl had a warm and gentle smile.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she felt tears running down her cheeks. Not because her efforts were recognized, nor because she was able to get back at her offenders.


    Rather, it was because of the promise. The Princess guarantees that no matter how powerless or insignificant a person she might be, the young princess before her would love and protect her as her own.


    After spending her whole life tyring to prove herself¡­ this was the first time that she felt secure.


    Relief poured out of her in streams of tears that despite her best efforts, refused to stop flowing.


    Author¡¯s Note.


    This is the end of today.


    I hope you enjoyed it.


    It will be updated at 12:00 as usual tomorrow.

 Chapter 24

    <strong>The Cast Assembles¡­</strong>


    Sion Sol Sunnd was born the eldest son of the King of Sunnd.


    ¡°He who reigns over the people must believe firmly in fairness and hold justice close to his heart.¡± These were the words that his father taught him when he was young. It became his belief, and it guided his way of life to this day.


    Royalty and nobility ¨C those who stand above themoners ¨C must be proud, disciplined, and should always set an example for people through their way of life¡­ Or so he thought so¡­


    As he was growing up, there were things that he couldn¡¯t avoid seeing. He came to realize that not all nobles are the same. And not so many really lived by his father¡¯s principles. Even so, he had held hope for Saint Noel Academy. After all, it is the school where exceptional children of nobility gathered. He was hoping that many of them would conduct themselves with virtue. Peers that were worthy of their status and power.


    Because he was such a man, he was disgusted when he saw students squabbling over something trifling as the order in which they crossed theke. Then soon after, he witnessed another scene that unbing of nobility. Three daughters of nobility were bullying a I was already disgusted when I saw the students who were sick of waiting for their turn to cross theke.


    Immediately after that, he again encountered a scene that is not suitable for that of nobility. A noble girl who came to the defense of her attendant who had blundered was being bullied by three other noble girls.


    ¡°¡­ Oh, is it the same here?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the corruption of the royal aristocrats of each country continues to progress. There are not many people with aspirations like His Majesty the King and Your Highness, Prince Sion.¡± Keithwood, his butler,ments while shrugging. His lips seem to have an ironic smile constantly.


    Sion and Keithwood were childhood friends and were raised together from an early age. Originally, Keithwood was a war orphan, but the king raised him like his own son. As a result, a tight bond formed between them. A bond like real brothers.


    ¡°So, what do you n to do? Seems like a hassle, but it¡¯s obvious you are going to help.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sion nodded without any hesitation.


    It is clear that leaving a girl who is abused one-sidedly is against his justice. However, just as he was about to run over, something shed across his view.


    ¡°What are you guys doing!?¡± A girl, whose hair shone like moonlight, demanded. It was Mia Luna Tearmoon who looked very angry.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Princess Mia? The one that they¡¯re calling the Wisdom of the Empire?¡± Sion said as he watched the scene unfold from afar. He was impressed by Mia¡¯s anger. When witnessing the oppression of the powerless, anger was the correct response. For Sion, the ability to feel righteous anger because of injustice was a quality essential for a ruler. Seeing Mia¡¯s genuine anger, he felt that she was living his ideals as a future ruler.


    ¡­This is an example of why humans can never fully understand each other.


    ¡°I heard that she arranged to have a hospital built in the slums.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that story. I have always wanted to meet her ever since¡­¡±


    Sion looked at Mia again.


    ¡°I thought she was just a sheltered princess who doesn¡¯t know the value of things, or someone with vacuous mercy¡­¡±


    An ipetent but charitable ruler is better than one who spreads chaos because of bad governance. For this reason, Sion didn¡¯t think of Mia too badly. But the scene he had just witnessed in front of him profoundly changed his opinion of her.


    ¡°When she gave away that hairpin, she probably did it with the full knowledge of the implications it will bring.¡±


    A good-natured simpleton would not choose to plunge headfirst into trouble, the same with a cunning viin. Sion was now certain that Mia indeed possessed wisdom befitting her imperial blood and that she held justice close to her heart.


    ¡°If her friendship is the only thing I gain from Saint Noel, then it will still be worthing here.¡± Sion said with his mood brightening as quickly as his hyperinted assessment of Mia.


    Meanwhile, Mia was flustered. She felt triumphant after her masterful sarcasm. But she felt guilty soon enough when Tiona began to cry.


    <em>I never expected her to cry so easily!</em>


    Mia was never really a tyrant. She was more of a wimp. And while her conscience is usually biased, she still possesses one.


    ¡°Ah, uh, Have I said too much? Please stop crying.¡± Mia stammered as she pressed her handkerchief into Tiona¡¯s hands. ¡°Wi-wipe your face with this.¡±


    She then escaped the scene.

 Chapter 25

    As soon as she reached her room in the girls¡¯ dormitory, Mia sighed heavily.


    After what happened, people who were attracted by the name of the Imperial Princess of the Tearmoon Empire came to greet her one after another, and she was busy dealing with them.


    (I would have liked to run away from all those people greeting me.)


    Despite being a little arrogant and half-hearted, Mia is actually timid.


    (I couldn¡¯t ignore the people who greeted me so respecfully because I was in front of Anne, so I ended up dealing with them one by one.)


    [¡­..I¡¯m tired]


    After taking off her shoes, Mia fell straight on the bed, and sluggishly threw her hands and feet out. The dignified appearance of an Inperial Princess was nowhere to be found¡­..


    (I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m the great Imperial Princess. I don¡¯t need anyone to tell me what to do!)


    Mia convinced herself.


    [Good work today, Mia-sama]


    Anne said with a smile which shows her worry for Mia.


    [Yes, I¡¯m really tired]


    [Would you like me to bring you some tea? Or would you like me to prepare a hot bath for you?]


    [Hum. Let¡¯s see]


    The room is equipped with a bathroom. As long as there is hot water, I can take a bath at any time.


    This country is abundant in water to begin with, so there is not need to conserve it, since water supply and sewage systems are widespread.


    From the perspective of people from desert countries, this is an outrageous luxury country.


    Mia wanted to take a long bath and rx her stiff body on the couch, but she quickly shook her head.


    [No, that¡¯s not necessary.The public bath will open in an hour, so let¡¯s go there.]


    The women¡¯s dormitory is equipped with a hot spring facility that students can enter at certain times. Let¡¯s hold back for now so that I can stretch my arms and legs and try out the hot spring!


    [More importantly, I¡¯d like to ask you something, Anne]


    [Yes, what is it?]


    Mia sits down on the edge of the bed and asks Anne to sit on the bed next to her.


    By the way, there is no difference in the size or luxury of both beds. Normally, it would be impossible for a noble and a servant to live in the same room, but in the case of St. Noel Academy, it is possible that the servants who came


    with the nobles are from noble families themselves.


    So, all the rooms are designed to amodate two children of noble families.


    Anne sits in the luxurious bed with a frightened look on her face.


    [So, what is it, Mia-sama?]


    [I¡¯d like your advice on something]


    [Advice?]


    Anne tilts her head.


    [Yes, and it is something very important]


    [Something very important¡­..]


    Anne Swallows her saliva.


    After staring at Anne, Mia takes a deep breath.


    [When meeting your ideal partner, how one should go about creating a good first impression?]


    [¡­..Eh?]


    In the previous timeline, Mia had convinced herself she would end up with prince Sion. She thought the only person worthy of the great Imperial Princess was the prince of Sunnd, Sion. And vice-versa.


    So, Mia¡¯s stance towards Zion was always, ¡°Feel free to ask me out¡±. It was always like that. Whether it is was a ball, a dinner party or before a holiday.


    She would go to Sion and say: ¡°Feel free to ask me out¡±. Basically, she was very annoying.


    Now Mia was slightly aware that it was a mistake.


    That is growth. It is a big step. It may not be a big step for mankind, but a big enough step for Mia.


    Of course, she though: ¡°It is because of Sion¡¯s rotten personality!¡±, but after so much time in prison, she gained a somewhat bettermon sense and started to think: ¡°Maybe there was something wrong with me¡±.


    Although Mia has no intention of approaching Sion, she has to make connections to save herself from the guillotine.


    The most important of those is a lover or fiance.


    So Mia decided to ask Anne if her approach to love was wrong¡­¡­.


    [¡­.Mia-sama, this, who taught you this method?]


    Anne said with a twitching face, after listening to the story.


    [Who you say?¡­..]


    Anne gripped Mia by the shoulders before she could say: ¡°Myself¡±.


    [Listen Mia-sama. That is all wrong! I don¡¯t know which shallow nobledy you¡¯ve asked, but no one will want to be with you if you look down on them like that!]


    [Is.. Is that so?]


    [That is so!!!! It is true that since Mia-sama is the Imperial Princess, some may still want to go out with you. But that is because they want your power, not because they like you. Someone like that isn¡¯t worth of Mia-sama to begin with.]


    She finishes with a snort. And then¡­.


    [So, Mia-sama. Who are you nning to approach? Let¡¯s think of an strategy!]


    Anne says, with an air of enthusiasm.

 Chapter 26

    [What a wonderful bath!]


    As soon as the public bath opened, Mia arrived in high spirits.


    The public bath in the girl¡¯s dormitory of St. Noel Academy is a natural hot spring, with water drawn from deep underground.


    Upon seeing the bathtub filled with hot water in the empty bathhouse, Mia¡¯s face lit up with a big smile.


    [Isn¡¯t this heaven?]


    (Mia-sama, you really like baths, don¡¯t you)


    Anne let out a gentle smile, after seeing the joyful Mia


    Surprisingly, there aren¡¯t that many people in noble society with the habit of bathing. In fact, there are very few.


    To begin with, volcanoes are scarce on the continent, making natural hot springs very rare. In order to take a hot bath, you have to go to the trouble of fetching water and boiling it, which many nobles saw as pointless.


    They thought: ¡°Why not just wipe oneself with water?¡±


    In fact, it was the working ss that was more interested in baths. Unlike the aristocracy, who had plenty of entertainment, themon people didn¡¯t have much to look forward to.


    The public bathhouses scattered throughout the city became a popr option for themon people.


    Meanwhile, Mia was known to be the biggest bath lover in the country. It was the only luxury she indulged on.


    Since she asked for water to be boiled almost every day, her love for bathing was well known among the maids.


    It wasn¡¯t like that from the beginning though. At least, it wasn¡¯t like that in the previous timeline.


    But¡­.. two years of prison life changed her.


    She was only given a bucket of cold water once a week. ¡­..After two years dealing with that, she began to miss hot water.


    However, no matter how much she asked, she couldn¡¯t touch hot water until she was put in the guillotine.


    Because of that memory, the reborn Mia wanted to bath every day.


    Even though she knew indulging in luxuries would lead directly to the guillotine, she could not suppress her desire.


    Anne was puzzled after hearing Mia¡¯s wish.


    Why would Mia, the Imperial Princess, want to take a bath, which is supposed to be a thing formon people?


    She had such doubts, but after seeing Mia so confortable in the bath, she ran around the city, looking to improve the bath environment, looking for renowed bath herbs and getting hot water from rare hot springs.


    As a result, ¡­.., Mia unwittingly obtained it.


    A lustrous and radiant skin.


    A beautiful and smooth glossy hair.


    However, Mia, who was simply satisfied with taking a bath every day, was oblivious to that.


    She didn¡¯t realize she was secretly attracting attention in the social circles for being like ¡°the goddess of the moon¡±.


    (I wonder why people keep telling me I have beautiful hair and skin recently)


    That was the extend of her thoughts.


    [Well then, I¡¯ll wash your body, Mia-sama]


    [Yes, if you please]


    While gently rubbing Mia¡¯s back, Anne checks on Mia¡¯s skin condition.


    (The trip was very long, so your skin may be a little rough.)


    Fortunately, the water in this bath is said to be good for rough skin and recovery from fatigue. A light massage with herbal soap and a little time soaking in the water should be enough.


    (I wonder who Mia-sama wants to approach)


    Although the question was avoided earlier, Anne¡¯s curiosity know no bounds.


    (I though for sure she liked Ludwig-san, but¡­..)


    Anne shook her head.


    (In any case, I have to take perfect care of her body, so, no gentleman will resist¡­..)


    After washing Mia¡¯s body, she carefully washed her hair. She also checked for split ends on it. There was no problem with color and gloss.


    [Hum. I¡¯m done washing you, Mia-sama]


    Anne said, after nodding her head satisfied.


    [Thank you for your hard work, Anne]


    Mia turned around in a good mood, but then she though of something.


    [Oh, yes. It is my turn to wash your back now.]


    She said with a smile.


    [What are¡­.? There is no way I could ask the princess to wash my back.]


    [You don¡¯t need to hold back. There is no one else here and you must be tired. It is my way of thanking you for everything you have done for me.]


    For Mia, Anne was an important ally and loyal subject.


    However, above anything, she had with her a debt of gratitude she could never repay, for she had stood by her side, until the moment of her death.


    Mia forcibly made Anne sit down and hastily washed her back.


    [I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go in.]


    Just when she was about to enter the bathtub.


    [Mmmm, you two sure get along well.]


    A soft voice reached Mia¡¯s ears.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Thank you very much for your reviews.


    I can¡¯t write a thank you answer on the reviews, but I can write a note here, so I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to thank you. I¡¯m very happy. Thank you very much.

 Chapter 27

    The children of the most powerful people in the world gather here, at St. Noel Academy. Even then, there are very few people Mia needs to be wary of.


    The Tearmoon Empire is one of the two most powerful countries on the continent.


    Therefore, as its first princess, Mia has unrivaled authority. The only exceptions are Prince Sion of the Sunnd Kingdom and one other person¡­..


    But,


    [You are¡­..]


    Right in front of her appeared one such exception and Mia reflexively straightened herself.


    [Rafina-sama]


    Rafina Orca Belluga


    The eldest daughter of Duke Orleans, who rules over the Duchy of Belluga, where St. Noel Academy is located.


    If Mia¡¯s memory serves her right, Rafina is fourteen. Two years older than her. She has been the Student Council¡¯s President since she entered the school, and is the most influencial person in St. Noel Academy.


    Not only that. Belluga is considered a holynd for the religion the neighboring countries follow. And having such a high position within it, Rafina is a person that even Mia can¡¯t underestimate.


    Or rather¡­., she is terrifying.


    [Nice to meet you, Rafina-sama. I¡¯m¡­..]


    [Imperial Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. It is very nice to finally meet you. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.]


    Mia was taken aback by those words.


    It was very shocking that Rafina knew her name.


    In the previous timeline, Mia approached Rafina.


    She as attracted to Rafina¡¯s power and wanted to be her friend.


    However, in spite of her best efforts, sitting near her at tea parties and giving her gifts, she was unable to make friends with her.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t even remember Mia¡¯s name.


    Whenever she looked at her as if she was walking garbage, her self-esteem was torn to pieces, and in the end, she ended up terrified.


    And yet, ¡­¡­


    (How does this person know my name?)


    Rafina smiled softly at Mia, who just stood there absentminded.


    [If you just stand there like that, you will catch a cold. Let¡¯s enjoy the bath together.]


    Indeed, she realized her body was getting a bit cold. The thing is¡­..


    (It is kinda of scary when she is being so nice.)


    Still wary, Mia dip her foot in the bathtub.


    [Th.. then, I will take you up on your offer.]


    She suddenly realized something.


    She was not the only one who could catch a cold. Anne was there as well, and they can¡¯t bath together in front of Rafina.


    The only solution is to send Anne back to her room, but by doing so, Mia and Rafina would be left alone in the bathtub.


    (As if! There is no way I can something that scary!)


    In the previous timeline, Mia was twenty years old. And the Rafina in front of her was fourteen.


    She was younger than her. I would not be an exaggeration to call her a little girl.


    Even then, Mia¡¯s heart can¡¯t help but tremble at the sense of magnificence that oozes from the other party.


    [Your maid is wee as well.]


    Amidst the swirl of emotions, Mia turned her head at the unexpected offer.


    [In this ce, where we rid ourselfes from our clothes, there are no princesses, there are no nobles, there are nomoners. Here, we are all just people. Don¡¯t you think so too, princess Mia?]


    [Exactly! What Rafina said is right Anne. So,e and sit next to me!]


    Mia took advantage of the situation.


    [B.., but¡­.]


    At first, Anne was afraid, but as Mia pulled her hand more and more, she eventually gave up.


    [Yes, I understand.]


    She reluctantly entered the bathtub, staying on its edge.


    [You won¡¯t get warm in there. Como closer to me.]


    Mia huged Anne¡¯s arm and pulled her toward the middle. Rafina gave a small smile seeing the scene.


    [He, he. You are really close, aren¡¯t you?]


    [Of course! Anne is my most trusted friend.]


    So, if you decide to fight me, we will take you on two-on-one. No matter how influencial you are, she won¡¯t betray me. That is what Mia was trying to imply.


    [Tru¡­ trusted Friend?]


    Meanwhile, Anne was on the verge of tears.


    Even if Anne served Mia whole-hearted, she never considered herself as a good maid. Rather, she made more blunders than not.


    For her, Mia¡¯s words were an outstanding of a reward.


    ¡­¡­Ignorance is bliss.


    Well. Mia wasn¡¯t lying when she said ¡°trusted friend¡±, so, even if Anne were to learn about Mia¡¯s inner feelings, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    [He, he. I see. You certainly live up to the title of Empire¡¯s wisdom, princess Mia.]


    Seeing their rtionship, Rafina smiled.


    Author¡¯s notes about the setting:


    A ¡°duchy¡± is basically a country ruled by a ¡°duke¡± of noble rank or by a branch of the royal family (¡°grand duke¡±), instead of by a


    king or emperor.


    You can think of it as a country whose authority is recognized by arger country. But that is not the case for the Duchy of Belluga.


    The reason the country is called a ¡°duchy¡± is because the only king they follow is ¡°God¡±, and the duke¡¯s authority is given by God.


    In other words, the duke who rules the country is not only the politics¡¯ head, but also a priest.


    Rafina is an idol-like girl who often helps her father in various religious cerimonies. She is very popr with the people. Definitely not someone you would want to make enemies with (LoL)


    TL: When Mia says ¡°trusted friend¡±, she uses the word [¸¹ÐÄ]. This word can mean ¡°trusted friend¡±, ¡°confident¡±, ¡°trusted retainer¡±, among other things.


    I¡¯m not sure on which one the author wanted to use, but it seems to me that Mia used it in the sense of friend/confident and Anne interpreted it as retainer. That is why there is a bit of a dissonance between what was said and Anne¡¯s emotions and inner thoughs.


    That said, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if Mia considers Anne her most trusted retainer as well, considering all that happened in the old timeline.

 Chapter 28

    When Mia got warmed up to her shoulders and was feeling morefortable.


    [By the way, Princess Mia. Did you know an entrance party is going to be held the day after tomorrow?]


    Rafina asked.


    [Entrance party? I didn¡¯t know¡­]


    Mia tilted her head.


    She doesn¡¯t remember hearing about something like that. Not now nor in the previous timeline.


    What on earth? Mia¡¯s question was solved shortly after.


    [It is a dance party to wee the new stutends, in case you didn¡¯t know. I thought someone had invited you do dance already.]


    As soon as she heard the word ¡°dance¡±, lightning ran down on her spine!


    (That is right! I¡¯vepletely erased that awful time from my memory!)


    In the previous timeline, Mia thought she was going to date Prince Sion.


    Because of that, she took for granted he would invite her to dance and she told everyone around her that it was the case.


    So, on the day of the party, she went through hell.


    After all, Prince Sion had no intention of inviting her. But because she said it in advance, no one would invite her either.


    Around the end of the party, some people finally noticed her alone and approached her, but they were all familiar faces from her own country.


    They all had concerned, troubled smiles on their faces, so, Mia¡¯s pride didn¡¯t allow her to ept the offer.


    In the end, Mia was force to enjoy a lonesome night.


    (Ah! I don¡¯t want to go through that again!)


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t lie about having a dance promise with Sion this time. There is certainly someone interested in inviting her¡­ Maybe¡­. Probably.


    (Please let there be¡­)


    Mia fainthearted lets out a prayer before shaking her head abruptly.


    (You can¡¯t be that weak. Besides, this is a great opportunity to build connections!)


    Yes. There are two goals Mia set for herself.


    The first is to avoid making connections with dangerous people. And the second is to make connections with people who can help her.


    The first already went downhill. But it is just the beginning for the second. I want to actively look for opportunities.


    In the past, Mia tried to win over the top bachelor in the world. Sion Saul Sannd.


    After all, Sion is handsome and his smile is very refreshing.


    In short, her reasons were very superficial.


    Furthermore, there were no match for his swordmanship. Not even his seniors, let alone his ssmates.


    In tournaments, he bravely confronts his opponents, even if they are bigger than him. But he is usually kind and gentle , so, there is nothing toin there.


    At least, that is what Mia thought.


    ¡­. It was a huge mistake.


    Mia, who was guillotineed because of him, though not directly, knew his personality was false (That¡¯s how it works in Mia¡¯s mind)


    That said, regardless of his personality, it was impossible for her to take the first prince as a husband to begin with.


    There is no way Mia, the only heir to the Tearmoon empire would be sent to marry abroad. And it is very unlikely the Kingdom of Sunnd would send their first prince to marry matrilineally.


    (Rather, the right target to aim for shouldn¡¯t have that much of a chance of inheriting the throne. Something like a second prince or lower.)


    While she was thinking about it, one person came to her mind.


    The Tearmoon Empire and the Kingdom of Sunnd. while not asrge as those two first-ss nations, there is another nation, rtivelyrge among the middle-ss ones, boasting substantial military power.


    Moreover, although it is a little far from the Tearmoon Empire, it is located on the opposite side of the Kingdom of Sunnd.


    The country is called the Kingdom of Remno.


    And fortunately, Abel Ramno, the second prince of the kingdom, is a ssmate of Mia.


    If Abel was to marry her, or at least be a lover, she would be able to ask for reinforcements when the Kindom of Sannd attacks.


    This way, they could go for a pincer attack.


    (I was nning on approaching him slowly after school started, but it seems that is no longer possible!)


    As soon as they left the public bath and entered their room, Mia said to Anne:


    [We are having a strategy meeting! Anne, I¡¯m mobilizing all of your knowledge about love and romance.]


    Upon hearing Mia¡¯s words, Anne quickly straightened her posture.


    [I undertand, Mia-sama. I, Anne, will devote all my energy and wisdom to you.]


    Mia nodded satisfactorily to the enthusiastic reply.


    ¡­.. Mia didn¡¯t know.


    That Anne¡¯s knowledge, which she was relying on, came entirely from the romance novels written by her sister.


    She never imagined that Anne, who is five years older than her, was a novice in romance who hasn¡¯t even had her first love yet¡­


    She didn¡¯t even imagine¡­


    [I will be counting on you, Anne. I feel like I have an army of 10,000 troops by my side.]


    The 10,000 troops are nothing more than paper mache, however.

 Chapter 28.5

    The winters in the Tearmoon Empire are cold. At its coldest, it snows, and the puddles of water are covered with ice.


    The prison where Mia was locked up was also a cold ce. So much so, a person would freeze if they stayed still for too long.


    In such a cold prison, Mia¡¯s delicate, but untidy naked body was exposed to the outside air.


    [Ugh! So cold¡­.]


    [Yes, it is winter already¡­.]


    Today is the one day of the week she gets water to cleanse her body.


    [Honestly, I¡¯m not really in the mood for it¡­.]


    Wiping her body with water is not a big deal in the summer, but in winter, it is hard on the body. And there are even small ice blocks floating in the water as a form of harassment.


    But missing this opportunity means waiting a week before wateres again. Living with the dirty in her body for an entire week was hard enough already, much less two.


    Mia had no choice but to take off her clothes and wipe her skin, full of goosebumps.


    Anne put her hand in the bucket of water, while looking at Mia¡¯s white back.


    The water, with ice floating on it, was so cold that it hurts.


    Anne remembered the face of the person who had handed the bucket with a nasty grin on his face, and felt anger boiling inside. She tried to protest once, but was simply ignored and the situation stayed the same.


    She had no choice but to warm the wet cloth in her hands before using it, so, Mia doesn¡¯t get cold.


    This was her little silent resistance that no one will ever know.


    ¡­Well, Mia knew though.


    Since it was awkward to remain silent for long periods of time, Anne always tried to talk to Mia about various things.


    And the topic of the day was¡­.


    [A big bath¡­?]


    [That is right. There is a public bathhouse in town with a big bathtub full of hot water¡­ Did you know?]


    [Eh¡­ It is my first time hearing of it.]


    Anne continues her story, while wiping Mia¡¯s back with the cloth that had warmed up to a certain extent.


    [I go with my younger sisters, sometimes. When I stop by after work, it is like all my fatigue is being washed away. The other day¡­.]


    Anne continues to talk about the fun times she has with her sisters. Her voice was calm and gentle. In Mia¡¯s eyes, Anne¡¯s appearance was dazzling.


    (I wish I was there with you.)


    Mia swallowed her small wish without saying it.


    She knew it was a wish that couldn¡¯t be fulfilled. ¡­ She knew saying it out lound would do nothing more than bother Anne.


    Instead, Mia smiled and said:


    [I don¡¯t know how you can enjoy something like that. It is a thing formoners, after all.]


    [Mia-sama¡­.]


    Anne was not angry at the spitefull remark.


    Instead, she realized the smile on Mia¡¯s face was lonely and felt sad to see the former proud princess dropping her shoulders.


    However,forting her here wasn¡¯t an option. It would only hurt Mia¡¯s pride.


    After thinking for a while, Anne decided to y a little prank.


    She dipped her fingertips in the cold water and ran her fingers down Mia¡¯s neck,


    [Take this!]


    She got her!


    [Hya!]


    Mia¡¯s delicate body bounced up and down.


    [Wh, wh, wh!?]


    Anne smiled at Mia, who turned around in surprise.


    [How is it? Isn¡¯t it fun? I though you wouldn¡¯t understand by just talking about it, so I gave a demonstration. Take this!]


    [Hyaaa! St, stop it, Anne! Hey!]


    After having her neck and sides touched non stop by Anne¡¯s cold hands, Mia puffed up her cheeks.


    [You better remember, Anne. If I ever get to take a bath with you, I will have my revenge. I¡¯m quite a vindictive person, just so you know.]


    [Oh, that is too bad. That is totally impossible. A princess and amoner can¡¯t take a bath together.]


    Anne says with a teasing smile.


    [Oh? I don¡¯t know about that. If the dayes when I can leave this ce, I will not be a princess anymore, will I? If my status is revoked, I¡¯ll be amoner, just like you. Of course, we can go to the bath together then, can¡¯t we?]


    Anne smiled back at Mia, who had a determined smile.


    [Hahaha! That is true. Then, let¡¯s go together. I will look forward to your revenge.]


    Mia knew way too well. That day will nevere.


    The day when Mia can leave this prison, is the day of her execution.


    Anne probably knew that as well¡­.


    However, Mia was grateful for Anne from the bottom of her heart for answering with a honest smile, without glooming over it.


    (At that time, I didn¡¯t think the opportunity would really arive.)


    Even after her transmigration, that promise wasn¡¯t easy to fulfill.


    If you think about it, there is no way an Imperial Princess could go to a public bathhouse made formoners. On the other hand, there is no way Anne would be able to take a bath in the castle either. Since it was a bath built for Mia.


    Even then, Mia really wanted to take a bath with Anne. She wanted to experience the fun of taking a bath together with other girls, like the stories she was told.


    The opportunity came to her soon after arriving at St. Noel Academy, but¡­.


    (I couldn¡¯t take my time back then, since Rafina was there.)


    And then¡­.


    [Anne, shall we go take a bath?]


    A few days after meeting Rafina in the bath, Mia invited Anne to go there once again.


    Simr to the other day, thergemunal bath was empty. The big grin on Mia¡¯s face tells that if it is like that, she feels confortable to join Anne without hesitation.


    Well. Even if there was someone else, Mia wouldn¡¯t let themin¡­.


    [Then, Mia-sama. Allow me to wash your back.]


    Anne, with her long red hair, quietly knelt beside Mia.


    Looking at that, Mia makes a suggestion, without wasting any time.


    [Hey, Anne. Why don¡¯t we wash each other again?]


    Mia doesn¡¯t want to just bath together. She also want to have fun.


    In short, she wants them to y with each other.


    The other day, she washed Anne¡¯s back, but she was too nervous and stiff.


    (That is not how she was told it was in the stories.)


    What Mia yearns for, is a fun bath where they ssh water at each other, tickle each other and so on.


    So, today, Mia was fired up to get her revenge! Yes, revenge.


    [No, you see, Mia sama, you know, right? That¡¯s¡­]


    As she tried to resist as before, Mia said with a grin face.


    [I¡¯m sorry Anne¡­ this is an order. You know how selfish I am, right? Well, sit there. I will go first!]


    Today, Mia will take her revenge by force, if needed.


    So, a few minutes after she started to wash Anne¡¯s glossy back.


    (Huh, that is strange. Anne, you are still nervous after all. This is no fun.)


    Mia puffed up her cheeks, frustrated.


    (I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡­ Oh, that is right!)


    A previous scene crossed her mind.


    [¡­Oh, that reminds me¡­.]


    Mia gave a mischievous smile.


    [Not only I was indebted to you, but I also had a grudge¡­.]


    [¡­Eh? Mia-sama, what are you talking about?]


    When Anne was about to turn around, Mia opened up a broad smile and pressed her cold palm against Anne¡¯s back.


    [Take this!]


    [Wahhh!]


    With a funny scream, Anne jumps up.


    [Wh, wh, what are you doing, Mia-sama?]


    [He, he. It is payback. Revenge!]


    [Re, revenge?]


    Anne tilted her head in confusion, but when she saw Mia smiling happily, she undertood what she was looking for and smiled back.


    [Mia-sama, do you remeber what Rafina-sama said? In this ce, where we rid ourselves from our clothes, there are no princesses ormoners¡­..]


    [What?]


    As soon as she said that, she reaches out to Mia¡¯s side.


    Of course, her hands aren¡¯t cold now.


    There is no intention of using cold water against Mia.


    Howerver, Anne has a technique she developed by taking baths with her younger sisters.


    Yes, a fun and enjoyable technique.


    When she touches Mia¡¯s smooth belly, she tickles it with her fingers!


    Naturally, Mia had never been tickled before. No one would dare do something like that.


    Mia, who had no immunity whatsoever jumped up and down, just as nned.


    [Eh? Ehhh?]


    Not only that, but Anne had mastered the art of tickling in her battles with her sisters.


    [No, no, noo! Nooo!]


    Mia couldn¡¯tpete with her, and was tickled down in an one-sided battle.


    And thus, Mia, the avenger, was dumbly defeated, and enjoyed the bath from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡­.By the way, the next day, Rafina smiled at her while saying: [Please be quiet in themunal bath, Mia-san.]


    Mia, scared and with tears in her eyes, though,


    [I knew it. I shouldn¡¯t take revenge anymore!]


    And her heart was filled with a new determination.


    And they lived happily ever after.


    Author¡¯s notes:


    Speaking of viinesses, revenge! So, this was the story of Mia¡¯s revenge.


    Yes, no matter what anyone says, it is a revenge story.


    It is a story about Mia taking revenge on Anne, not about anything else.

 Chapter 29

    [I think droping something might be a good idea.]


    [¡­¡­..Huh?]


    Anne¡¯s sudden words made Mia blink her eyes.


    Mia leans her head a little, wondering what on earth the girl is saying. But Anne continues with a confident expression, as if she knows the truths of the world.


    [Listen, Mia-sama. For people to get to know each other, it is important to have a natural reason.]


    [Yes, I can see that, but¡­]


    Surely, it is hard to reach out to someone who isn¡¯t an acquaintance. It takes a lot of courage.


    It is pretty much impossible for someone as coward as Mia.


    In addition, when ites to inviting someone to dance, there is another problem. Usually girls don¡¯t invite boys to dance.


    ording to aristocracymon sense, the girls are the ones being invited and the boys are the ones who make an effort to invite the girls.


    If a girl were to ask a boy out, I bad rumor might start stating said girl is shameless or even worse.


    As such, in order to be invited to dance, Mia first needs to create an encounter that feels natural, get to know the person and be approachable.


    Of course, it is not impossible to be invited to dance by aplete stranger.


    It is not umon for boys to invite someone to dance without making an arrangement beforehand. However, the title of Imperial Princess it too intimidating for that to happen.


    In the first ce, Mia only started to be called saint and wisdom recently. It is something only neighboring countries with a good informationwork know.


    Before that, she was known as a selfish and arrogant princess, and no one would like to talk to such a person.


    Therefore, while she has time, Mia has to show her appeal and that she isn¡¯t scary.


    ¡­. It¡¯s very tough.


    [So, if you drop something in a natural manner in front of the gentleman you want to approach. What Mia-sama thinks is going to happen?]


    [I see. If I drop something in front of him, it would be natural for him to pick it up.]


    [Exactly! And while thanking him, Mia-sama can naturally talk about the dance party. And if he hasn¡¯t made an appointment yet¡­.]


    [Thanks to the conversation opportunity, he can invite me in a natural way. That is a perfect way of doing it.]


    Mia was deeply impressed by her trusted retainer¡¯s n.


    She never thought Anne had the ability to devise such meticulous strategy. It was like meeting themander strategist who plots the battle strategy for the empire¡¯s army. That is how much Mia was impressed.


    [If the other party is too dense, Mia-sama can invite him as a thank you for what happed before.]


    Indeed, while it is considered taboo for girls to invite boys. If it is out of gratitude for something else, it wouldn¡¯t be considered shameless.


    Giving a present for no reason is considered a cheap attempt to buy favor. But if it is a thank you gift, it would be stingy not to give it.


    [And that is not all. Depending on what Mia-sama drops, it is possible to show off your good taste and feminility. I rmend a nice handkerchief.]


    [That is wonderful, Anne¡­.]


    Mia was apuding.


    She really liked Anne¡¯s suggestion. The more she listened to it, the more she undertood the perfection of the ¡°drop something¡± strategy.


    ¡­¡­¡­.Mia didn¡¯t even realize, the whole strategy was a situation taken directly from one of Anne¡¯s sister¡¯s story.


    Well, that is not too surprising.


    The story in question was written at the beginning of Elise¡¯s writing career. Long before the story Mia was reading. That is why the situation is so rich in dreams and delusions from a young girl¡­¡­


    Neither Mia nor Anne noticed this fact.


    The two novice in romance can¡¯t tell the difference between a novel and reality.


    [Now then, lets start.]


    Mia snorts, and after calming herself, prepares to start the operation.

 Chapter 30

    At St. Noel Academy, between the boys and girls¡¯ dormitories, there is a beautiful courtyard.


    It is called the Water Garden and has arge fountain and a waterway, suitable for a country with abundant water sources.


    It is a very romantic ce, decorated with many colorful flowers, and have been choosed as a confession ce by many lovers.


    (It is the perfect ce to create an encounter!)


    Mia squeezes the handkerchief she had prepared and put on a wicked smile.


    It was the day after she had met Rafina.


    Thanks to Anne¡¯s intel gathering, Mia had caught wind that Abel would soon be passing by this ce. And she was currently sitting on a bench in the courtyard, waiting for that moment.


    By the way, from today onwards, Mia is wearing the school¡¯s uniform. It consists of a brand new zer and pleated skirt. Its pure white color with no cloudiness go in direct contrast to Mia¡¯s heart.


    Dressed in the beautiful uniform, Mia looked innocent and beautiful, just like a saint of the empire.


    While listening to the sound of the fountain, the person she was looking for finally arrived.


    (Here it is!)


    Seeing her prey, Mia lets out a small breath and stands up from the bench.


    Mia starts walking a little in front of Abel while ncing behind her, waiting for the right moment¡­.


    (Now!)


    Handkerchief deployed.


    After lightly fluttering, the handkerchief falls at Abel¡¯s feet.


    After seeing it, Mia exims with joy internally.


    (I have a perfect control of this, if I do say so myself. And now!)


    Mia walks as slowly as possible, waiting to be called. She walks¡­. and walks¡­. but the call is yet toe.


    (Isn¡¯t this strange?)


    Upon checking the condition of the handkerchief, she sees it, fruitlessly caught in the grass, swaying in the wind.


    (Why didn¡¯t you pick the handkerchief up?)


    She looks at Abel this time, and sees him talking to a nearby girl.


    [Are you in trouble, youngdy?]


    So cheesy!


    Mia hadpletely forgotten.


    Yes. If it is Abel, between a handkerchief and a girl in ¡°trouble¡¯, Abel would go straight to the girl, without hesitation.


    And make a move on her, if possible.


    Frivolous, pretentious and, regrettable, also beautiful. That is the essence of the boy named Abel Ramno.


    But the misfortunes continue.


    [Hum? Is this¡­., a lost item?]


    Someone picked up Mia¡¯s handkerchief.


    With his beautiful silver hair and annoyingly dignified face. Mia¡¯s worst enemy Sion, gracefully picked it up.


    [Did anyone drop their handkerchief?]


    [Wh, wh, wh!]


    While gritting her teeth, Mia decides to leave the ce. Her primary goal is to not get involved with Sion and Tiona.


    Absolutely never get involved with them. Otherwise, it is over.


    She has no choice but to withdraw, pretending she didn¡¯t notice it.


    When Mia was about to walk off¡­.


    [Oh, that is Mia-sama¡¯s]


    The voice of another enemy draws near.


    It is Tiona Rudolvon, running up to Sion.


    [I borrowed a simr one yesterday, so I¡¯m sure of it.]


    After saying that, she takes out the carefully washed handkerchief and shows it.


    The handkerchiefs used by Mia were made by an imperial craftsman. The skilled craftsman was very enthusiastic about the personal belongings of the beloved princess, and added a unique and borated pattern to thece around the edges.


    An irrefutable proof.


    [Oh, there she is. Mia-sama!]


    (Uhg! That was unnecessary!)


    There goes any chances of scaping. Giving up, Mia gracefully turns around, then pats her uniform.


    [Oh, that is true. I must have dropped it by ident.]


    She says, showing a smile.


    [Thank you very much for letting me know.]


    [I see. So, this belongs to her highness princess Mia.]


    Saying that, Sion walks up to Mia and bows with his hand on his chest.


    [That is the first time we meet. I¡¯m prince Sion Saul Sannd of the Kingdom of Sannd. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, princess Mia.]


    [This is very kind of you. I¡¯m Mia Luna Tearmoon.]


    Mia lifts the hem of her skirt a little and also bows.


    Mia was ready to hurriedly leave the scene¡­.


    [I met you at the right time. I beg your pardon, your highness Mia, but have you decided on a dance partner for tomorrow?]


    A bad feeling assaults her.


    [If you haven¡¯t already, I¡¯d love to apply for the position.]


    (Why, how, why is this happening!??)


    Mia screams on the inside, seeing Sion¡¯s smile, which would make any girl want to surrender without even fighting.

 Chapter 31

    (What should I¡­, What should I do¡­.!?)


    Mia¡¯s thoughts were in chaos.


    If she were to be Sion¡¯s dance partner, she would establish the biggest connection of them all.


    If the rtionship deepened, it would be just a matter of time before a mistake happened, opening the doors for ¡°revolution -> kingdom¡¯s invasion -> guillotine¡±.


    That is bad. That is too bad.


    However, If she refuses at this point, Sion¡¯s impression of her would worsen.


    And if that is not enough, lying and telling she already has a dance partner would make it nearly impossible to find a partner before the event.


    Not one would be bold enough to invite the imperial princess who refused prince Sion.


    In the midst of the situation, Mia was searching for a way to get herself together.


    She sharps her senses, like a small rat in a sinking ship, searching for a way out.


    And at that moment, at the edge of Mia¡¯s field of vision, an unthinkable scene came into view.


    Abel, the boy who ignored her handkerchief earlier, was being led into the back of a building, by a senior student.


    Mia¡¯s rat senses start tingling with the somewhat threatening atmosphere.


    (So, looks like there is a chance!)


    [Huh? Is that¡­.?]


    Apparently, Sion also noticed.


    [Excuse me for a moment.]


    Finally having found a good excuse to run away, Mia quickly walks past Sion.


    [What were you doing back there?]


    [Brother, I was looking for a dance partner, ¡­.]


    When Abel tried to answer, the senior boy punched him as hard as he could.


    (What a barbaric person. If it is prince Abel¡¯s older brother, it should be the first prince, right?)


    Mia was looking at the scene from behind.


    [Such weak man¡­ sucking up to woman. If you are a proud member of the Remno¡¯s royal family, train your sword skills intead. Then the woman wille to you.]


    He looked down at Abel, condescendingly.


    [Well, who cares. It doesn¡¯t matter how pathetic you appear and how much you try to humor them. A loser like you will never get a decent girl as a dance partner. A worthless woman at best.]


    (That is not how it works. Greeting a girl is just good manners.)


    Mia thinks, a little dumbfounded.


    [What are you doing?]


    Abel and his brother looked surprised at Mia¡¯s sudden appearance.


    [What, you say¡­?]


    A displeased voice.


    [We¡¯re busy right now, little girl. Oh, but you don¡¯t need to worry about it, it is just a quarrel between brothers. So, why don¡¯t you go over there quietly?]


    While saying that, Abel¡¯s brother drew his face close and looked straight into Mia¡¯s eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t a thoughfull way to talke to a child. Instead, for a young girl, it was just tant intimidation.


    Mia, on the other hand,


    (Oh, what a rascal!)


    was smiling.


    Mia is over 20 years old on the inside. Even though she spent more than two years in prison, she was still an adult. A mentally immature one, but still an adult.


    Moreover, she was the target of the anger and bloodlust of the revolutionary army.


    She had been mmed with real murder intent.


    Abel¡¯s older brother, on the other hand, is a prince raised in a greenhouse, regardless of how much he tries to look intimidating.


    And even though he is the first prince, the Kingdom of Remno is still inferior to Tearmoon Empire.


    (There is no need to be afraid of him.)


    Mia let herugher scape a little.


    [Wha? What is so funny?]


    [Oh my, how rude of me. But if you hit the face of my dance partner too much, I will be in trouble.]


    Mia walks up to Abel, after having said that.


    Apparently, Abel¡¯s mouth had a small cut, so she gently puts a white handkerchief on his mouth, while smiling at him.


    [My goodness, prince Abel. I already applied to be your dance partner, and here you are, flirting with other girls. What am I going to do with you?]


    [Eh¡­?]


    Abel opens his mouth with a nk expression.


    With no regards for him, Mia helds the hem of her skirt a little,


    [That is our first meeting, first prince of the Kingdom of Remno. I¡¯m the first princess of the Tearmoon Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.]


    She smiles in a good mood.


    [I¡¯m the worthless woman who epted your brother.]

 Chapter 32

    Abel Remno knew he was a second-ss loser.


    The Kingdom of Remno puts great importance on swordsmanship. They don¡¯t have history and prestige, like the Kingdom of Sannd. They don¡¯t have the power and a big nation like the Tearmoon Empire. They don¡¯t have the influence and respect of the surrounding countries like the Duchy of Belluga.


    Having none of that to rely on, they are barely able topete with the top countries around by strengthening their military power.


    Therefore, all men of Remno polish their sword skills andpete for honor.


    A member of the royal family, like Abel, was no exception and was taught swordmanship rigorously since an early age. As a direct descendent of the king, he was always told he should be the best.


    However, he had never been able to win against his older brother, the first prince. Not even once.


    Still, he didn¡¯t give up. He worked hard, striving to beat his brother and be the very best.


    And then, he found out. A entirely different level of talent exists in this world. A level impossible to reach, no matter how much effort and hard work he puts in.


    It was when he visited the Kingdom of Sunnd and saw the swordmanship of Sion Saul Sunnd.


    It was terrifying.


    A level of skill that could overwhelm even the knights of the kingdom.


    Disregarding the weight and reach difference, one by one, hepletely overpowered his sparring opponents, who were all adults. The owner of such unbelievable natural talent was so strong, that he couldn¡¯t even bepared with Abel¡¯s older brother, who he was never able to defeat. And he was just a boy, the same age as Abel himself¡­.


    When Abel learned that the boy was the first prince of prestigious Kingdom of Sannd, something broke inside of him.


    Ah, so it is true there are people who are chosen by God¡­ No matter how hard I try, I won¡¯t be able to reach that point, he thought.


    Second-rate is all I can be¡­.


    When thinking like that, the thought of trying his best became ridiculous.


    If that is the case, there is no need to do anything painful. Fortunately, he had a neat look, inherited from his mother. The Kingdom of Remno was a country with a strong tendency of cing men above women, so, if he gave them a little bit of kindness, he would be pampered.


    Abel was very popr among the mainds.


    But then, in front of Abel, a yboy who was supposed to follow the fate of the second-rate prince and take dozens of concubines during his life, a girl shone brightly.


    The princess of the Tearmoon Empire. Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    A wise woman, first daugher of the powerful empire, and considered by some as a saint. She haspletely rejected Abel¡¯s frivolous future.


    She dered loudly in front of the surrounding students.


    She told them that Abel was her dance partner. And not only that, ¡­.


    [That is why, Prince Sion, I am truly sorry, but I cannot ept your invitation.]


    Of all things, she refused the invitation of Sion Saul Sannd, God¡¯s chosen one and top-ss royal.


    (You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!)


    Abel panicked.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening. He knew he and Princess Mia would not be a good match. That was undeniable. That is why,


    [Princess Mia!]


    As soon as themotion died down, he chased after Mia.


    [Thank you for your help earlier. But you don¡¯t need to go that far. It is best for Prince Sion to be your partner at the dance party.]


    [Oh? So, are you turning me down?]


    [No, that is not it! Of course not. It is just that it is no use dancing with me. You are far too good to be wasted on me!]


    [Then, you should improve youself. Be a better person for my sake, so I wouldn¡¯t be wasted on you.]


    [Wh?]


    Abel opened his mouth wide, with a nk expression¡­.


    [B, but. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any talent, Princess Mia. No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t even defeat my brother, let alone Prince Sion¡­.]


    His words seemed to be cutting him from the insides as they came out. The words filled with regret and frustration were Abel¡¯s true sentiments, that he never showed anyone.


    If you can¡¯ achieve what you want, no matter how much time and effort you put in, it is hard not to feel frustrated.


    However, Mia smiled gently at Abel.


    [Prince Abel, you forgot to say ¡°for now¡± right? You are no match for them, ¡°for now¡±, right?]


    [¡­.Eh?]


    [If you can¡¯t match them today, you can match them tomorrow. And if you can¡¯t match them tomorrow, you can match them the day after. No human knows where dilligence and effort will lead them to. Who is to say that, at the end of your life, you won¡¯t stand toe to toe with Prince Sion, if not above him.]


    Then, Mia gently closed her eyes.


    [If I may, I will vouch for you. I have chosen you as my dance partner. It is totally impossible that you won¡¯t be able to stand against Prince Sion, and let¡¯s not even talk about that brother of yours. I, Mia Luna Tearmoon guarantee you of that.]


    These words ressonated with Abel¡¯s soul like a thunderstrike.


    (I need Prince Abel to do his best. If I need him to send reinforcements in case of emergency, his actions shouldn¡¯t be restricted by that bad brother of his¡­. Hehe, I¡¯m so happy I got to reject prince Sion¡¯s invitation in public! He deserves it!)


    On the inside, Princess Mia¡¯s heart was pitch ck though.


    Regardless of her true intentions, Abel Remno¡¯s fate began to change dratically from that day onwards.

 Chapter 33

    [Oh. You¡¯ve been brilliantly rejected, your highness Sion.]


    After Mia and Abel left, Keithwood walked up to Sion, who was left at the scene.


    [Still, I didn¡¯t think she would refuse. That princess is not bad at all. Well, it would certainly be a good opportunity to deepen your friendship, but it isn¡¯t thest one, so, there is no point in getting all depressed over¡­.Huh?]


    Suddenly, Keithwood felt somewhat ufortable.


    His master, Sion,¡­, who had been training his moderation and self-control since childhood as a member of the royal family¡­ had a rare moody face.


    No, rather than moody, it is more like a sulky face¡­.


    [Don¡¯t tell me you got hurt because she refused your dance invitation?]


    [Of course, that is not the case.]


    Sion shows a smile, but the smile was a little stiff.


    [Her actions were admirable and she helped prince Abel upstand his honor. The first prince of Remno doesn¡¯t have the best character, so, it makes sense she would support Prince Abel.]


    (It is like you are trying to convince yourself.)


    Keithwood¡¯s feelings for Sion, who is 4 years younger than him, can¡¯t be described in a single word.


    Part of it is respect for his master, part is loyalty to the King¡¯s son and part is friendship for his childhood friend, with whom he grew up with.


    And now, what he feels for Sion is a burning desire to tease him. Like an older brother who wants to make fun of his younger sibling.


    [Besides, I was the one who invited her. She has the right to ept or to refuse.]


    [You say that, but aren¡¯t you all down and gloomy?]


    [As I said, I¡¯m not gloomy at all!]


    Keithwood was a little astonished by the childish objection.


    [I was just a little disappointed. That is all.]


    Sion forced his lips closed, after saying this.


    (It is anusual for His Highness to get so worked up about anything.)


    Normally, when Keightwood teases him, he just calmly dismisses it.


    (Maybe he is starting to feel more than just a small curiosity¡­)


    Keithwood could read Sion very well. Even the things Sion himself wasn¡¯t aware of. He knew what he was feeling now was not too dissimr to the feelings of a boy who was treated coldly by the girl he is interested in.


    (His Highness Princess Mia, isn¡¯t it?)


    Mia¡¯s response surprised Keithwood as well.


    From his perspective, Abel didn¡¯t have a single winning point over Sion.


    Indeed, he didn¡¯t look bad. He had a nice appearance and his behavior was good at first nce.


    When school starts, he will be popr.


    ¡­..But that is about it.


    As Keithwood saw it, Abel¡¯s charm was very superficial. A pretense, so to speak. A person who is deceived by such charm isn¡¯t worthy.


    (That would be the case, but the problem is theparisons with Prince Sion.)


    Right. If youpare Abel and Sion, even if you limit theparisons to the surface level, Sion is still superior.


    The prince Sion Saul Sannd was the real deal. Able to charm anyone, whether they were deceived by appearances or wise enough to see the essence.


    And even then, Mia still chose Abel to be her dance partner, refusing the right to be Sion¡¯s partner.


    And that is in spite of the fact that Abel himself tried to decline her offer.


    (It makes sense if it was to protect Prince Abel¡¯s honor, but¡­.)


    Keithwood couldn¡¯t help but feel there was another reason.


    The words she spoke at that time seemed like she was encouraging him.


    (Are you saying you can see the qualities of Prince Abel that I can¡¯t?)


    Her Highness is said to be the wisdom of the Empire. She probably knew what she was doing.


    (Is she a saint whose caring heart can¡¯t take seeing her partner¡¯s honor being hurt? Or maybe a tactician whose every move is calcted and part of a grander n?)


    Keightwood smiled bitterly, remembering Mia¡¯s face.


    (Or maybe she was just teasing His Highness Sion? The smile on her face was more like a little devil than a saint¡­. I never thought there would be a little devil who could y with His Highness on the palm of her hands.)


    It would be a littleter that Keithwood would learn of Mia¡¯s intentions ( or what he believed were her intentions ).


    At that time, he will shudder upon seeing why Mia is called the wisdom of the Empire ( or what he believed was the reason ).


    But that is a different story for a different time. Right now, only one thing is certain.


    Mia has acquired the tittle ¡°litle devil¡± without knowing it.

 Chapter 34

    An hour before the wee ball for new students, Mia was alone in the public bath.


    It is not because she can¡­ Instead, she was on the verge of tears.


    [Ugh, the worst¡­., this is the worst!]


    For starters, the trend among the young daughters of aristrocrats and royalty is extravagant dresses with manyyers of clothing. If we include makeup, the preparations can take hours.


    Despite of this¡­.., Mia was in the public bath. And what¡¯s more, she was alone. There was no signs of Anne, who should be by her side.


    Mia scrubs and washes her hair in a hurry. There is some kind of mucus sticked to it¡­.


    There was a small little reason she was in this situation.


    On that day, Mia got up early in the morning.


    She had breakfast and lunch. And had plenty of time to change into her dress.


    Her doting father, the Emperor, had sent her a very high-quality dress. It would take some time to put on, but it was extremely luxurious and couldn¡¯t be found in any other country.


    She was dressed in such a shy dress and her makeup was perfect. Everything was ready 2 hours prior to the party starting.


    That small extra time proved fatal.


    [There are still time left, so, I should take a small stroll around the school¡­]


    Mia set her mind to that, and on her way, she came across something unusual.


    The equestrian club was walking their horses.


    (I¡¯ve never seen one so up close.)


    Mia thought so, while staring at one of the horses. The horse approached its face.


    Mia doesn¡¯t hate animals, so she was pleased with the horse and asked if she could stroke it.


    Horchoo1! She was caught in a loud horse sneeze.


    [Hiaaaa!]


    After the sneeze ended, there was Mia, soaked with mucus from the horse.


    [Ugh, why¡­. why is this happening¡­?]


    Mia was sniffing and sobbing.


    It was an event that could only be described as bad luck.


    Actually, the reason it happened is that Mia was spraying a little too much of her favorite perfume beforehand. But even so, it is hard to not feel sorry for her.


    Anne almost faited when she saw Mia¡¯s state upon returning, all dreary and depressed.


    She calmed the half-crying Mia down and told her to go clean herself in the bath. But there was nothing Anne could do about Mia¡¯s situation.


    Or that should be the case, but¡­..,


    [¡­.It can¡¯t be helped, Anne, just put on enough makeup so I don¡¯t get too embarrassed¡­. and find a suitable dress nearby that you think is good.]


    Since Mia looked so dejected when saying those words, Anne¡¯s maid spirit was ignited.


    (As if I would let the princess feel embarrassed!)


    Anne was on fire. She was burning!


    (Mia-sama is cute even without much makeup!)


    With that in mind, Anne only drew an eyeliner to soften her slightly harsh impression around her eyes2. The remaining of her energy was spent on Mia¡¯s dress.


    Preparing something formal now would be impossible. And if it is a simple one, it is better to avoid anything too shy. With those ideas in mind, Anne chose a simple snow-white dress.


    The chosen dress showed off Mia¡¯s shoulders and had a slightly short skirt, perfect for dancing.


    As for the finishing touches, she spritzed on a faint scent of perfume, different from the one Mia had used before. And the time was up.


    The boys gathered at the party couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by Mia¡¯s appearance.


    Among all the girls wearingvish dresses, Mia, who was wearing a simple one, looked more healthy and radiant than anyone.


    The reason was simple.


    Most of the girls in the hall looked pale from the tightness of their corsets. Intead of being white and beatiful, they just looked pale.


    Mia, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t wearing a corset. Moreover, she had a goodplexion after taking a bath.


    Her slightly reddish cheeks looked lovely, and her skin was glowing radiantly.


    In addition, Mia¡¯s smooth skin, which would have been hidden within all the dress¡¯syers, was exposed thanks to her informal dress.


    Although the dresscked luxury, Anne made sure it had the effect of fully enhancing Mia¡¯s natural charm.


    Thebination of all of these things raised Mia¡¯s rating from ¡°a normal beautiful girl¡± to ¡°a truly pretty girl¡±.


    She is not a peerless beauty.


    And she is not even be the most beautiful girl in the country.


    However, her beauty was definitely enough to attract the attention of all the boys in the venue.


    And the fact that Mia, such a beautiful girl, sighs so sadly at times has attracted even more attention.


    (Of course I would stand out. Comming to a party in such light clothes.)


    Some of the boys in the venue were taken aback, not knowing what was going through her mind or that she had no choice but to wear this dress because of a stupid reason like being caught in a ¡°horse sneeze¡±.


    TN:


    1. How do I describe a horse sneeze in English? I have no idea.


    2. All the talk about makeup got me really confused. If you saw the description and thought it doesn¡¯t make sense, that is probably because it doesn¡¯t. If you have a better idea on how to describe it, please teach me in thements.

 Chapter 35

    Did you know?


    Being beautiful without makeup is the most important, and being cute without dressing up is precious. ¡­


    This kind of value exists among boys who are naive, pure, and also a bit foolish.


    That may indeed be true. Not having to dress up or wear makeup to be beautiful, pretty, and attractive.


    For those who can do that, said value is perfect.


    ¡­.And for those who can¡¯t, it is just bullshit! Unfortunately for them, boys hold this value in their hearts as strongly as they hold their faith.


    And this school of thought is stronger among children of nobles, who are usually surrounded by well-dressed women, than amongmoners who can¡¯t afford spending on fashion.


    Abel Remno was also a person influenced by such values.


    (Was that truly real?)


    Abel was anxious as he waited for Mia.


    The events of that day didn¡¯t feel real. So much so, he started thinking it was all a dream.


    He never imagined he would be the dance partner of the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s princess ¡­. That was unthinkable, simply unbelievable.


    So, when Mia arrived, as pretty as if she hade out of a dream, that made his doubts even stronger.


    (So.., so beautiful¡­)


    Under the faint light of the venue, Mia looked as beautiful as a moon goddess.


    That was just the effect of poor lighting though.1


    (Will I really dance with her? Wasn¡¯t it just a dream?)


    Just as he was thinking like that, Mia, who had caught everyone¡¯s attention, walked up to him.


    [I¡¯m sorry, Prince Abel.]


    When she suddenly apologized, he couldn¡¯t help but think she was going to turn him down.


    (Well, that just makes sense. Prince Sion is the only one who can measure up to her.)


    On one hand, he was disappointed, but on the other hand, he was also slightly relieved and ended up speaking in a soft tone.


    [It is fine. You are so pretty that it doesn¡¯t really matter.]


    You are wasted on me. Please go to Prince Sion. Was what he was trying to imply. But Mia put her hand on her small chest and let out a sigh of relief.


    [Thank you, Prince Abel. You are very kind.]


    And then, seemly without reason, with both of her small hands, she grabbed Abel¡¯s right hand.


    [Well then, shall we go?]


    [¡­Eh?]


    And led him to the center of the dance venue.


    Mia was in high spirits.


    She wasn¡¯t able to dress up as she had nned. Even so, Abel smiled kindly. Furthermore, he was considerate enough to call her beautiful.


    (Prince Abel is truly a gentleman. I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t say anything about the dress.)


    (But I can¡¯t keep taking advantage of his kindness forever. I have to make up for it, no matter what¡­..)


    Since her childhodd, Mia has been educated as an imperial princess. However, in reality, her results weren¡¯t very good.


    Since her transmigration, she worked hard in her own way, but even so, she was slightly above average, at best.


    However, Mia had one special skill that no one could match.


    And that was dancing.


    Mia¡¯s dancing abilities are unquestionably second to none.


    And it wasn¡¯t a self-reliant skill such as herself being able to dance beautifully. She could grasp the ability level of her partner and adjust her tempo and movements to that level, making the dance confortable and enjoyable.


    Although it is a skill Mia is very proud of, in the previous timeline, she never had the chance to show it off.


    Back then, she refused all invitations to dance at the wee dance party for new students during her first year, after all. In a situation like that, isn¡¯t it natural for people to think she doesn¡¯t like dancing?


    Mia was never invited to dance after that, not even once. And she had been feeling very lonely, since.


    (Now it¡¯s time to show off my abilities!)


    Mia pulled Abel¡¯s hand gently, and smiled.


    [Let¡¯s dance, Prince Abel.]


    [Woh, Whoa!]


    Abel was confused at first, but soon began to perform the dance¡¯s steps.


    (Hum, not bad. His body is well built.)


    Mia looked at Abel trying hard to dance correctly in front of her and nodded in satisfaction.


    His steps seem awkward, but that is not because he is not used to dancing, but rather because he is trying too hard not to step on Mia¡¯s feet.


    (It is good etiquette to avoid stepping on ady¡¯s feet, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s much better than being so focused on dancing well that you disregard your partner. However, if the partner is me, it is a pointless worry¡­)


    After all, Mia can¡¯t be stepped on.


    Mia¡¯s dance skills weren¡¯t at such basic level.


    (Let¡¯s make this a good practice for him!)


    Thinking that, Mia steps up the dance just a little. It¡¯s not hard for Abel to follow, but it is hard to keep up with her. It is the type of dance that improves ones skill after it is finished.


    Trantor¡¯s Notes:


    1. The narrator uses the word ҹĿßhÄ¿, which literally means ¡°a woman who looks more beautiful than it is, because it is night¡±. I couldn¡¯t think of a word with a simr meaning, so I improvised a little.

 Chapter 36

    The legendary night when Mia Luna Tearmoon shone in front of all the students.


    The beginning was a little turbulent.


    She was the center of everyone¡¯s attention, but her dance was mediocre.


    [¡­ What is this? She stands out, but her dance doesn¡¯t amount to much.]


    [¡­ Well, even if she is the princess of a powerfull country, she is still a child.]


    In some parts of the venue, whisperings of jealousy and ridicule could be heard.


    After all, they went through the trouble of preparing and dressing up, but all they were doing now was making Mia look better. The new students who were in the same grade as Mia didn¡¯t like such conversations, but the upperssmen were enjoying it.


    They can¡¯t say things like that to her face, but they might want to talk about it behind her back or imply it sarcastically.


    Mia herself though, wasn¡¯t really concerned.


    [Very good, Prince Abel. You are very skilled at dancing.]


    Mia leads Abel carefully and gently. Not only that, but she does it in an unnoticeable manner. At first nce, it looks like Abel is the one leading.


    By doing so, her partner can have a good time and dancefortably.


    It was a splendid showing. A skillful woman sure is different.


    Amidst the situation.


    (This is¡­)


    The only person who noticed was Abel.


    (Could it be that Princess Mia is trying to match my level?)


    At the same time, he was also aware of the other students reactions.


    The harsh eyes of the audience on Mia. The stares of those who scoffed at ¡°the star of the show¡± who became aughing stock.


    Abel knew he was the cause and felt both bad and sorry.


    (She said she believed in me, and now she is being embarassed because of myck of skill.)


    That said, Mia had apletely unconcerned look on her face, while dancing.


    She probably doesn¡¯t want me to get concerned. Is what Abel thought.


    That was when Abel¡¯s eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of the only person who could match Mia¡­


    Sion Saul Sunnd.


    He was surrounded by girls, talking andughing.


    When the song was over, Abel took Mia and headed towards Sion.


    [Prince Abel? Where are you going?]


    Without answering the question, he went straight to Sion.


    [Prince Sion, may I ask for a favor?]


    [A favor?]


    Sion looked surprised at the sudden question.


    [I¡¯m a little tired and I need to rest for a bit. Could I ask you to apany Princess Mia in the meantime?]


    [Prince Abel?]


    Mia says, astonished. But Abel doesn¡¯t flinch and keeps looking straight at Sion.


    Sion was silent for a moment.


    [I understand. Ideed, I was hoping I could apany Princess Mia to a dance. This is a good opportunity.]


    [What?]


    Mia nced at Abel.


    [I will get a drink. I¡¯m a little tired.]


    This time, it was Mia who stayed silent for a little moment.


    [¡­Is that so? Just one song then.]


    She said, showing a bright smile at Sion.


    For a moment, Abel felt a pain in his chest.


    The sweet smile that was directed at him earlier, was now directed at someone else.


    It was a mixture of frustration, sadness, jealousy and various other emotions. He felt the urge to scream.


    (Because I¡¯m not good enough¡­.)


    For the first time since he met Sion, Abel thought¡­.


    I don¡¯t want to lose.


    In the past, He thought no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn¡¯t be able to win.


    (I don¡¯t want to lose, I refuse to give up.)


    A passion he never had since birth was now burning through his body.


    [Next time¡­. I defely won¡¯t lose.]


    Biting his lip, Abel turned around.


    By the way, that is what Mia was thinking when she showed a bright smile to Sion.


    (It¡¯s a great opportunity. I¡¯m going to make you fall down splendidly. I can¡¯t wait to see you embarrass yourself in front of everyone!)


    (To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to dance with Sion, but if I have to, then I¡¯ll make the most out of it and embarrass him. )


    She couldn¡¯t help but let her wicked feelings show on her face.


    Abel¡¯s eyes were already so clouded he couldn¡¯t differenciate such ck-hearted smile from a sweet one. Poor guy.


    But Mia¡¯s n was bound to fail.


    She had forgotten.


    Sion Saul Sunnd.


    He is a prince perfect in every way.


    Unlike Mia, who was perfect only in her dancing skills, Sion was a boy who could do everything.


    Of course, that includes dancing¡­


    And so, the legendary night reaches its climax.

 Chapter 37

    Even though Mia said she was going to make Prince Sion fall, she didn¡¯t intend to do anything obvious like tripping him.


    Of course, with Mia¡¯s skill, doing something like that without being noticed would be no trouble.


    However, that is only if her dress was longer, it would be difficult to hide it with the short skirt of the current dress.


    In the first ce, Mia does not want to attack Sion directly.


    If she were to provoke his anger, she might end up going straight to the guillotine.


    (Well, even if I don¡¯t make him trip, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be able to keep up with my all-out dance moves and will get his feet tangled!)


    She was taking him lightly, like that.


    (I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll fall down and show an unsightly appearance!)


    It was the perfect n¡­ at least in Mia¡¯s mind.


    And the result, ¡­


    [I thought you were the calm and gentle princess type, but surprisingly, you¡¯re more on the yful side.]


    Sion¡¯s fresh and rxed smile was in front of her.


    (That is way beyond my expectations!)


    While screaming inside, she takes even more difficult steps.


    The way she twirls while dancing with her light steps is like a fairy dancing in a field of flowers. And her beautifull glossy skin is like the one of a goddess under the moonlight¡­


    The people who were enjoying their dances stop one by one, and before long, Mia and his partner are the only ones dancing.


    Soon after she started dancing like that, those who were making fun of her, saying that it was just because Sion was a good lead were forced to shut up.


    All noble children knew that if only one of them danced well, they would be merely spinning around.


    A brilliant dance that fascinates the audience can only be realized when both of them are highly skilled.


    When Mia lightly turns her body.


    Sion gently catches her and guides the dance to the next movement.


    The lead is splendid and graceful.


    As she was hugged gently, Mia¡¯s heart flutters a little, unintentionally.


    (Ah¡­ wonderful¡­! No way! There is no way I can feel this guy is wonderful!)


    Just when Mia was squirming in agony at her internal conflict, something came into her line of sight.


    It was¡­


    (Oh, is that Prince Abel?)


    It was Abel, heading towards the bar counter holding two sses.


    Looking at the empty ss in his hands, ¡­Mia couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    (A very kind person, for sure.)


    Eventually, the songes to an end.


    Mia gracefully bows while holding the hem of her skirt.


    [What do you think Princess Mia? If possible, I would like you to apany me to a calmer song¡­]


    [Thank you, but I¡¯ll refrain. Prince Sion, isn¡¯t there someone more suitable for you?]


    You¡¯re not good enough! That is the nuance she was trying to convey. She is just a sore loser though.


    While the surprised Sion stared nkly at her, Mia left the ce.


    [Prince Abel!]


    Abel was a little surprised when he saw Miaing over. He was expecting her to dance two or three more songs.


    That is because of how in tune the two of them were with each other¡­.


    Abel handed Mia the ss with her drink while smiling.


    [Wee back, Princess Mia. It was a wonderful dance.]


    [Oh my, thank you for that.]


    Abel was so dazzled by Mia¡¯s shy smile that he had no choice but to look away.


    [But still¡­ I¡¯m no match]


    [What was that?]


    [Prince Sion. Reality is, I can¡¯t bring out your charm like him.]


    He was determined to not lose next time. But the overwhelming difference in ability made him feel like he already lost.


    However, Mia said¡­


    [Thank you for the drink. It¡¯s cold and very tasty.]


    She sipped the juice that Abel had brought her and said¡­


    [You are a kind and thoughtful person, Prince Abel.]


    [If you thought I was going to get a drink only for myself, I¡¯d be disappointed¡­]


    [That is not it. You saw the dance was intense, and went back to rece it, right?]


    When she pointed this out, Abel opened his mouth in surprise.


    Yes, Abel went to get a drink as soon as the dance started. But when he saw Mia dancing, he thought it would be better to have something cold, since she would feel hot.


    [Prince Abel, please don¡¯t get down on yourself. You are very cool in your own way.]


    The words were sincere and kind, which was unusual for Mia.


    It was the first time she had been treated kindly by a boy her own age.


    And not as an imperial princess, but as a girl¡­


    She was so happy that she said something out of character.


    [But if possible, I don¡¯t want to lose to Prince Sion in dancing either¡­]


    [If that is the case, I¡¯ll teach you. I¡¯m a very strict teacher, so be prepared.]


    On that day, for the first time in her life, Mia was able to enjoy dancing to her heart¡¯s content.

 Chapter 38

    Now, let¡¯s go a little back in time.


    [Anne, give me your hand.]


    Mia said to Anne after changing her dress and finishing the preparations to go to the party.


    She puts some gold coins from the Duchy of Belluga in Anne¡¯s hands.


    [Use it at your own discretion.]


    Mia said.


    The current Mia is a frugal person. After all, wasteful spending could lead to guillotine very fast. And when she thinks that whatever she buys might be taken by the Revolutionary Army, she loses the will to do so.


    A unique exception to this was the money given to her beloved Anne.


    She wanted to give back as much as possible to her loyal retainer who left her family toe with her, not to mention what happened in the previous timeline.


    [You have time off while I¡¯m at the party. You can stay in the dormitory or go into town.]


    It has been only three days since they arrived here, but even so, Anne was probably tired because of the new environment. Even now, she was dressing Mia at a fast pace.


    I hope you can rest and recouple yourself, even if it is only for a little while, is what Mia said. Or rather, that is what she was trying to say.


    [I understand, Mia-sama. I will make sure to live up to your expectations.]


    Expectations¡­? Mia tilted her head at Anne¡¯s reply, which was full of spirit.


    Since bing an exclusive maid, Anne¡¯s life had changed drastically.


    Even though she sends most of the money she gets to her parents at home, she is no longer in financial trouble. Not to mention, her younger sister, Elise, who became a writer employed by the Imperial Princess. So her family is rtively well-off.


    That¡¯s why Anne didn¡¯t consider the gold coins given by Mia as ¡°pocket money¡±.


    (Mia-sama granted me free reign to move. I have to live up to her expectations!)


    Anne thought she had been entrusted with gold coins, time¡­ and a mission to ¡°do something¡±.


    (Well now. How can I be of use to Mia-sama?)


    What were her expectations?¡­. After considering the possibilities carefully, Anne came to a conclusion. Oddly enough, what she needed to do was no different from what Mia was trying to do.


    Yes, make connections.


    Of course, there was no way for Anne to make connections with the noble children who attended the school. However, if we are talking aboutmoners like the gardeners, chefs or janitors who worked at the school, that is a different story.


    Anne had learned something while working at the castle.


    There were many servants who supported the daily life of the ce.


    Their power is by no means small.


    (In order to support Mia-sama¡¯s love life, and to make her school life morefortable, I have to make as many connections as I can¡­)


    Grabbing the gold coins, Anne went out into the city.


    For the chefs who seem to have rough hands, she arranged high quality horse oil1. And got nutritious food for the gardeners and other workers.


    Unlike nobles, who could have anything they wanted at hand,moners would be happy with even a small gift. There was no way not to take advantage of this.


    Once everything was done, she had about half of the gold coins left.


    [This looks about right¡­.]


    As Anne walked through the city, she stopped in front of a clothing store.


    [Wow, beautiful¡­]


    There was a dress on disy. The dress was light blue and was designed to look like a flower blooming in a spring field, abination of cuteness and innocence.


    [It is a beautiful dress, but I think it might be a little big for Mia-sama.]


    The price was the exact amount she had at hand, which made her feel a little uneasy, but in the end, she walked past the store.


    When she returned to the school, Anne let out a small breath.


    [It will take about two more hours until the party is over.]


    She thought about going to her room and rest for a while, but when she looked at the courtyard.


    [Huh?]


    She saw a girl.


    Looking at her, the girl had a tearful face. She had silver hair that stretches to her waist and healthy tan skin.


    These were the characteristics of the Lulu tribe, a minority on Tearmoon Empire.


    But more than that, Anne recognized the girl.


    [You are.., if I remember correctly, Tiona-sama¡¯s?]


    Tiona, daughter of the Rudolvon family from the remote region of Hendo2. It was her maid.


    They were the ones being bullied by the noble girls on the day Mia and Anne arrived at St. Noel Academy.


    [What is the problem?]


    When Anne spoke to her, the girl shook her head with a troubled look¡­.


    [Please, Tiona-sama, trouble. Help, please.]


    She said with brokennguage.


    Trantor Notes:


    1. This is an actual thing. I had never heard of it, so I had to look it up to see if I wasn¡¯t misreading the kanji or something of the sort.


    2. This series has a lot of names. I¡¯m trying my best to make them consistent across all chapters as well as with the official English LN, but if the English name is too different from the Japanese one, or the names contain characters which can be read in multiple ways, I might confuse them every now and them. Feel free to point those out if you see them.

 Chapter 39

    Liora Lulu.


    A member of the Lulu tribe, a smalll tribe living in the forest area of the Tearmoon Empire.


    Regardless of her maid skills, she is still not good at speaking the continent¡¯snguage, and as such, is not someone who would normally be brought to St. Noel Academy.


    Nevertheless, she was reluctant chosen because there was no one else avable.


    For the Rudolvon family, who have a poor financial situation, sending their daughter to the academy is already a hard endeavor.


    ording to the policy of Rafina, daughter of the Duke of Belluga, the school¡¯s doors are open not only to rich and important nobles, but also to the poor and weak ones. Therefore, attending the school itself is possible. However, they offer no financial assistance.


    They couldn¡¯t afford to have an experienced maid with a high sry apany Tiona.


    In addition, there was one more reason why she was chosen.


    And that is¡­


    [Liora, don¡¯t be reckless.]


    Tiona said while sticking her head out of the window above.


    [Tiona-sama the one is danger. Not lean like that.]


    Saying that, Liora looked down toward her feet.


    High¡­ Falling from this height probably means death.


    The highest point in St. Noel Academy. That is where Tiona and her maid were trapped.


    Called the Star Gazing ssroom, the ce is on the top floor of a tower, at the north of the school building. There is only one way in, and once it is closed, there is no way out.


    Although there is a window, the people who locked them in probably didn¡¯t think they would be able to escape through it.


    What they didn¡¯t expect, however, was the presence of Liora.


    The Lulus, who lived in the forest, had extremely high physical abilities.


    For them, who often persue their prey along the forest and can climb trees with ease, height is not an obstacle.


    Liora quickly climbed down the wall and smoothly reached the ground. Shortly after, she called out to Anne, the first person she saw.


    [Tiona-sama, trapped.]


    [Eh¡­?]


    Anne couldn¡¯t believe the words that wereming from Liora¡¯s mouth


    [What do you mean trapped?¡­ Who would do something like that?]


    And for what reason?


    [I not know. I was the only who escape.]


    Liora said, looking up at Anne.


    [Please. Tiona-sama help. Please. I beg you.]


    [I understand. I will lend you my strength.]


    Despite being a little confused, Anne answered immediately. And was more than a little surprised by her own action.


    (I answered without any hesitation at all¡­)


    She never thought she would act like that one day, but she knew exactly why she had done it.


    (Mia-sama granted me free reign to move. I have to act in a way that would not bring her shame.)


    I¡¯m sure that Mia, who is kind and have a strong sense of justice, would do the same. This conviction allowed her to answer without hesitation.


    Funnily enough, this conviction is actually not wrong.


    If Mia were here, she would have acted to save Tiona.


    Because she is kind and have a strong sense of justice¡­ of course not.


    It is simply because she is a coward.


    If she decided to ignore the situation, she might go straight to the guillotine route, and more than that, she would be helpless if her loyal retainer Anne looked at her full of anticipation.


    She would shed tears of blood in her heart, but she would help.


    In this sense, the choice of action from both the master and the servant was in perfect syntony.


    Their hearts werepletely at odds, though¡­


    Liora took Anne to the north area of the school.


    Therge school building waspletely silent. When there are no sses, the school building is a surprisingly unpopr ce.


    In addition, all the students were at the party right now, and the servants were either waiting in the dormitories or, like Anne, were given time off and went to the city.


    This ce, which is even more deserted than usual, looks like a good ce for some kind of sinister scheme.


    After climbing up the long spiral staircase at the north tower, they finally reached a narrow corridor. At the end of the dimly lit corridor, a figure was barely visible.


    [Is that¡­?]


    [Shh! Careful. Standing guard]


    [Standing guard¡­?]


    As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Anne could see more clearly.


    There were two men standing in front of the Star Gazing ssroom.


    From this distance, it was impossible to tell who they were, but at first nce, they looked strong.


    (I heard that among the servants, some excel in martial arts and are chosen to protect their masters. Maybe they are like that.)


    [What should I do¡­?]


    Anne, unfortunately, had no martial arts background. Even if they were just normal men, it would be impossible to knock them out and continue on.


    And if we talk about persuasion, that was also questionable.


    [¡­what should I do? How should I do it?¡­]


    [Oh? Is something wrong,dies?]


    Suddenly, someone called out from behind.


    The two of them jumped up, startled. When they turned around in a panic¡­ standing there was¡­


    [You are¡­]


    [Are you in some kind of trouble?]


    [I think you were His Highness Sion¡¯s¡­?]


    It was Keithwood, with a friendly smile on his face.

 Chapter 40

    [You¡¯re Keithwood, right?]


    [It¡¯s an honor to be remembered by you, Anne. the Imperial Princess Mia¡¯s aide.]


    Keithwood looked at Liora with a smile on his face.


    [So, is the youngdy from the Empire as well?]


    [Ah, yes. That is correct. She is Liora, maid of Tiona-sama from the Rudolvon family.]


    [Liora Lulu. Please, please, help Tiona-sama, save.]


    After hearing what happened, Keithwood folded his arms and started mumbling.


    [Hum. There are two guards keeping watch here. How many are in total?]


    [Not know. But four people locked us. Man, and woman too.]


    [So, either they noticed you escaped and put guards inside, or they left the two men behind. Well, If I leave 2dies in trouble on their own, His Highness Sion would be furious. Let me help you.]


    [Really? Yes, please!]


    [But what are you going to do?]


    Anne thought he would lure the guards out and create a gap for them to rescue Tiona, or maybe use another smart strategy.


    [What do you mean? I will simply rescue a lovely nobledy from the hands of the bad guys. That is all.]


    Keithwood said in a casual tone, but with a fierce smile.


    After that, what unfolded before Anne happened so quickly that she could only watch in amazement.


    Without making a sound, Keithwood ran over to the guards and mmed his knee into the stomach of the closest one. Then, he grabbed the arm of the other one, who was too surprised to move, and threw him to the floor.


    It happened in the blink of an eye.


    [Uhm¡­ can all male servants do that?]


    Anne made the question in a daze, to which Keithwood shrugged his shoulders and gave a bitterly smile.


    [Well, in my case, I have my circustances. After all, I serve someone who is the embodiment of sense of justice.]


    Meanwhile, Liora ran to the door and quickly unlocked it.


    [Tiona-sama. Are you okay?]


    [Liora? You are safe.]


    Fortunately, Tiona didn¡¯t seem to be injured aftering out of the room.


    [I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. Tiona Rudolvon-sama.]


    [You are¡­ Mia-sama¡¯s?]


    [When I came back to my room, my dress was gone.]


    ording to Tiona, when she and Liora returned to their room, it had been ravaged and a letter was left behind.


    The letter said that if she wanted her dress back, she should go to the school¡¯s north tower.


    [That¡¯s¡­ who would do such a thing¡­?]


    [Probably someone you or Her Highness Mia know?]


    [What do you mean?]


    [Look. The guard outside had it.]


    Keithwood was holding a handkerchief with the emblem of the Tearmoon Empire on it. There is no mistake.


    [It can¡¯t be¡­]


    [Yes, they¡¯re probably servants of nobles from the empire.]


    This caught Anne off guard. She thought the ones responsible were the nobles that were bullying Tiona the other day.


    [They said I shouldn¡¯t go to the party because I would embarass the imperial nobility.]


    She was not really angry. Instead, she just looked sad. While saying that, she showed what she had been holding.


    It was a dresspletely ripped appart.


    [¡­That is terrible.]


    [But weren¡¯t you too reckless, just for a dress? I can¡¯t believe a woman woulde to this ce alone.]


    Keithwood admonish her, narrowing his eyes. In response, Tiona showed a faint bitterly smile and shook her head.


    [This dress is all my family could prepare.]


    And then, she sighed as if she had given up.


    [So, Liora, you didn¡¯t have to be so rash¡­ There was no need to be in a hurry.]


    [Tiona-sama¡­]


    Liora was biting her lips a little, while looking at Tiona.


    Anne knew exactly how she felt.


    If she was in the same position as her¡­ if it was Mia who was trapped. Surely, her frustration would be unbearable.


    She gently opens her clenched hands.


    In it, was the leftover money Mia had entrusted to her.


    [Liora, please go to the store in the main street in town and buy the dress disyed there. Here¡¯s the money¡­]


    She handed the money to Liora with no hesitation.


    [This is¡­?]


    [It was entrusted to me by Mia-sama.]


    I¡¯m sure Mia would have done the same¡­ Anne¡¯s conviction is unwavering.


    [In the meantime, Tiona-sama, let¡¯s fix your makeup. The makeup around your eyes has been ruined by tears.]


    As she was about to start, Keithwood suddenly stopped her.


    [Is it really fine? As Her Highness Mia¡¯s maid, should you really help her?]


    [What do you mean?]


    [Her Highness Mia is at the top of the imperial noble society. If Tiona-sama was locked up by imperial nobles, it is possible that it was under orders of Her Highness Mia herself, right?]


    [¡­Eh?]

 Chapter 41

    Let¡¯s talk about the previous timeline for a little bit.


    The incident with Tiona also happened in the previous timeline.


    On the day of the party, Tiona, who was locked, was rescued by her attendant and arrivedte at the venue.


    Once there, she was invited by Prince Sion to be his dance partner and performed a brilliant dance, gaining the respect of all the students.


    The biggest difference was that Anne didn¡¯t help with the rescue.


    The maid that Mia brought with her was the third daughter of a noble from the capital. Although she listened to Mia, she was never a hard worker, and by the time everything happened, she was having a tea party with her friends.


    So, only Keithwood and Liora rescued Tiona.


    And about the ruined dress, they turned to the school¡¯s president, Rafina.


    That was where the powerful connection between Tiona, leader of the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s revolution, Prince Sion, her ally, and the saint Rafina, her backer, was born.


    And the first suspect of being the culprid was Mia, who was at the top of the imperial noble society.


    When Mia found out about that, she didn¡¯t do much to clear up the suspicions.


    She didn¡¯t really care about what happened to the daughter of a countryside noble, nor did she care about the suspicion that was cast on her.


    It was normal for nobles to oppressmoners, and in the same way, there was nothing wrong with a noble from the capital to oppress a noble from the countryside.


    It is hard to determine when the spark of the imperial revolution was born¡­


    Some say it was due to famine, others mention the tyranny of the major nobles or the ipetence of the emperor.


    However, if we ask when the guillotining of the Imperial Princess Mia was set in ce, we can say that it started with this very incident.


    The powerfull current of history was about to push Mia to the guillotine.


    But now, Anne is bravely standing in the way of such current, that is supposed to lead towards destruction.


    [Mia-sama? The culprit?]


    Anne murmured, but right after.


    [As if that could be true.]


    She startedughing.


    The story was so absurd that she startedughing instead of getting angry.


    [Mr. Keithwood, stop joking around.]


    (Not even a shred of doubt, heh¡­)


    Keithwood was impressed by Anne¡¯s reaction.


    (Looks like she got a handle on her aides¡¯ heart.)


    In fact, Keithwood didn¡¯t believe Mia was the culprit. But still, just in case, he said that to see Anne¡¯s reaction¡­


    [Ah, um. Mr. Keithwood, I don¡¯t think Her Highness Mia would do something like that either.]


    Tiona, the victim, interjected from the side.


    [I see. Well, if the victim herself says so, I don¡¯t have much choice but to ept it.]


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    Anne spoke to him in a quiet voice.


    [Mr. Keithwood, perhaps in your kingdom, there is such a thing as those who stand at the top taking responsibility for those below them. In that sense, what the nobles from the Empire did might be Mia-sama¡¯s responsibility.]


    Oddly enough, this logic was the same logic that made Rafina despise Mia in the previous timeline.


    Rafina didn¡¯t think Mia was the direct culprit.


    She was just disappointed that Mia, who was in a position to condemn their coward actions toward the weak, tolerated it instead.


    She was unqualified to be a ruler.


    That is why Mia could never be Rafina¡¯s friend. Because she had been branded as unqualified.


    [So, with all due respect, for now I would like to take the responsibility as Mia-sama¡¯s arms. I¡¯ll make sure that Tiona-sama gets to the venue!]


    A enthusiastic statement from ¡°Mia-sama¡¯s arms¡± deputy.


    For Mia herself though, it was more like a horror story where her arms move on their own and try to save her enemy.


    [Tiona-sama, please, sit down. I¡¯m going to fix your makeup now.]


    Anne¡¯s handwork was unbelievably fast.


    After all, she had just done the same thing for Mia.


    ¡­Thinking about it properly, you could say she used her own master as a guinea pig.


    (Could it be that Mia anticipated this, and made me do her makeup twice for me to get some practice? That is impossible, right?)


    Of course, that¡¯s impossible.


    Even Anne, who had been infected by Miaitis, can see that this much is pushing it.


    She had been infected enough to entertain the possibility though.


    (I have to do my best to live up to Mia-sama¡¯s expectations)


    Mia¡¯s arms enthusiastically changed the course of history with brute force.

 Chapter 42

    Keithwood handed a piece of paper to Tiona, after she was properly dressed.


    [Sorry, Miss Rudolvon, but if you don¡¯t mind, could you please give this note to His Highness Sion?]


    [¡­? Yes, no problems.]


    After nodding slightly, Tiona headed for the venue.


    Tiona arrivedte at the dance hall.


    But no one paid attention to it, because Mia and Sion had just finished their dance.


    Their amazing performance drew the attention of the whole venue, and Tiona was able to enter the party without attracting attention.


    After the dance, Sion was surrounded by girls. It took some courage to go there, but¡­


    (After everyone put in so much effort to bring me here.)


    Determined, Tiona walked up to him.


    [Excuse me¡­]


    [Oh, if I remember correctly, you are¡­]


    [I¡¯m Tiona Rudolvon, Your Highness. I received this from Mr. Keithwood at¡­]


    [Hmm? Then, if you excuse me.]


    Moving away from the girls who were surrounding him, Sion looked at the note. There was a summary of the incident and the people behind it.


    It also mentioned the possibility of Mia¡¯s involvement, just in case.


    (That Keithwood. There is a limit to being cautious.)


    Sion couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Keithwood¡¯s job is to broaden Sion¡¯s horizons by pointing out possibilities that he is unaware of. He has to be especially aware of the people Sion trusts.


    Sion didn¡¯t think he really suspected Mia¡¯s involvement.


    (Or rather, they would probably get along.)


    Regardless, his instance of disregarding personal feelings and just trying to provide materials for Sion to think about was¡¯t gentle but was wise.


    (Speaking of which¡­)


    Sion remembered Mia¡¯s attitude from earlier.


    Perhaps Mia had spotted Tiona during the dance earlier.


    Just by looking at her, she guessed what had happened, and entrusted her to Sion so that she could at least enjoy the party.


    Normally, Mia would take care of her, herself, but in the case of dancing, it is faster to ask a boy to be her partner.


    (Someone more suitable¡­ In other words, someone more suitable for my help?)


    If someone asks for help like that, It is hard to refuse.


    (However, ¡°suitable¡± has a slightly different meaning, doesn¡¯t it?)


    Sion remembered what she said earlier, and smiled a little.


    He felt like he had just found a small weakness in the seemingly perfect Mia, and that made him chuckle.


    [Um, Prince Sion?]


    [Hmm? Oh, no, excuse me. Miss Rudolvon, would you be so kind as to apany me to a dance?]


    And on that note, the night of the dance party dawned.


    The next day¡­


    Mia woke up in a good mood.


    She used up a lot of energy dancingst night, and after working up a good sweat, she took a rxing bath.


    Then, with a pleasant feeling of exhaustion, she fell into a soft bed and slept soundly until morning.


    It was the perfect night¡¯s sleep. She slept so soundly that she felt refreshed in the morning.


    While humming to herself and wondering what she should have for breakfast, Mia came to the dining room.


    After setting down, she watched as Anne went to arrange for her meal.


    (Eh?)


    She noticed someone approaching Anne. It was a young man with a fearless face. Since he was wearing a tight butler¡¯s uniform, he was certainly a servant brought in by some student. His demeanor was graceful, elegant and charming.


    If he was just a good looking guy, Mia wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    If Anne had found someone, she might even have cheered her on.


    However¡­ if it is the servant of her sworn enemy, Prince Sion, it is a different story.


    The girl next to him was even more problematic. The girl, from a minor tribe of the Empire, was without a doubt, Liora, servant of Tiona Rudolvon.


    The arrows she pointed at Mia with a look of resentment in the previous timeline were still burned into her mind.


    (Wh¡­ Wh¡­ Why is Anne talking so friendly with those guys?!)


    Mia asked Anne about what happened after she returned.


    [I was going to tell youter, but ¡­¡­]


    Anne timidly began reporting what had happened. And once Mia finished listening to the whole story¡­


    [¡­¡­¡­¡­.]


    She was frozen in ce. Her small body slowly tilted to the side. Tilted. Tilted¡­


    [Yaah! Mia-sama.]


    Mia fell straight down on her side.


    Herplexion, as pale as moonlight.

 Chapter 43

    The crimson mes flickering¡­ The imperial city burning ¡­ the voice of people¡¯s hatred echoing and echoing¡­


    And, my own head, rolling around.


    [Hyaaaah!]


    Mia jumped with a scream. It has been a long time since she had dreamt of her execution.


    She was on a bed in the school infirmary and her body was covered in cold sweat. She wanted to take a bath immediately, but now was hardly the time for that.


    Anne was standing next to her with a worried look, and Mia quickly gave her instructions.


    The first thing Mia did was to deport the four servants directly involved in the incident back to the Empire.


    Shortly after, the students who were the masters of said servants came to protest. And Mia was now facing them.


    (This is the critical moment, isn¡¯t it?)


    She understood that if she made a mistake here, she would be in danger.


    No. To be more precise, she knew it.


    After waking up in the infirmary, she checked the bloody diary she had brought with her as soon as she had sent Anne off.


    At the beginning pages of the diary, she had indeed written about the incident with Tiona¡¯s imprisonment.


    She only had superficial information when she wrote it and had no idea that such an incident had taken ce behind the scenes.


    If she were ambiguous about the punishment, that would probably incur the wrath of Rafina. Prince Sion and Tiona would not have a good impression either.


    Therefore, it was necessary to condemn them properly, but the problem was their masters.


    They denied any involvement, but from Mia¡¯s point of view, they were far from innocent. They were passive aplices, at best.


    However, if you ask if they were definitely involved, there would be no proof to state that they were.


    Normally, when a servant is amoner, it is impossible for them to imprison a noble¡¯s daughter without an order. However, all of the criminals came from noble families.


    They may not be the heir to their family titles, but they did grow up in noble houses in the central capital and were respected by the people. They must have had a good amount of pride.


    (It is easy to tell, given that they were wearing personal belongings with the emblem of the empire on them.)


    To be honest, Mia wanted to say: ¡°Don¡¯t do something stupid while wearing something that reveals your identity!¡±.


    Anyway, it¡¯s no wonder that these proud people didn¡¯t like the idea of Tiona, a ¡°noble from the countryside¡±, attending the wee party instead of them.


    Unlike their masters, the attendants had motives.


    [I don¡¯t understand, Your Highness. Why do that to our servants just because¡­ they imprisoned the daughter of a countryside noble¡­?]


    It was a protest in ordance with the values of the empire.


    The central faction aristocrats are allowed to be as rude as they want to themoners as well as the local nobles.


    (You have no idea how much hatred from the people that brings.)


    In Mia¡¯s heart, there was not anger, but rather pity. After all, Mia herself didn¡¯t known this until she was thrown into prison.


    This is something that you don¡¯t realize unless you are forced into that situation, but by the time you realize it, it is already toote¡­


    (Even if I say ¡°you reap what you sow¡±, I don¡¯t think those people will understand.)


    With a sigh, Mia shook her head.


    [I see¡­ It is as you say. Maybe what you said was not wrong¡­ If this were the Empire, that is.]


    [What?]


    [You guys need to think about who controls this school.]


    Mia came up with a n.


    If she condemns them based on her own values, their anger will go towards her. In order to avoid that, she decided to shift the me to someone else.


    To the ruler of this school, Rafina Orca Belluga.


    [Rafina is an honorable person. Do you really think she will overlook such an action against one of the important students of this school?]


    After saying that, Mia closed her eyes.


    [And I¡¯m not a big fan of that kind of thinking either. Using the power you have to abuse those weaker than you. Which part of that can be called noble?]


    There was some truth in that.


    Mia, who had suffered at the hands of the revolutionary army, didn¡¯t want to do the same thing as them.


    Be it verbal abuse or physical abuse. It is hard and it hurts.


    She didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end. And she didn¡¯t want to be the perpetrator either.


    [Honestly, I think you should take responsibility and leave the school. But I feel sorry for you.]


    [Mia-sama¡­]


    [I will personally talk with Rafina and intervene for your sake.]


    She put them in her debt.


    Even though Mia had just admonished them, they couldn¡¯t help but feel gratitude toward her.


    (I hope things will settle down.)


    Feeling very tired, Mia asked for a meeting with Rafina.

 Chapter 44

    [Excuse-me, Rafina-sama. May I have a word with you?]


    During lunch break, Mia, stiff and tense, visited Rafina¡¯s ssroom.


    [Oh, Mia-san, what can I do for you?]


    Rafina looked up with the same smile she always has on her face. But that didn¡¯t put Mia at ease.


    For her, who is described as a saint, smiling is a default state. She could casually cut Mia off while wearing a smile.


    You can never be too careful.


    [I need to talk to you about something¡­]


    Mia fearfully looked up at Rafina.


    [Is that so? I was just about to have lunch. Would you like to join me?]


    Rafina guided Mia to her room with the same gentle voice she usually uses.


    [Oh, yes. Thank you for the gifts. The staff was very surprised and pleased.]


    Rafina pped her hands and spoke happily.


    Mia wasn¡¯t sure of what she meant, since she hadn¡¯t received a report from Anne about it, but at any rate, she smiled, relieved that Rafina seemed to be in a good mood.


    (That is good. It might work¡­!)


    After they were seated and the food was lined up on the table, Mia bowed her head.


    [I¡¯m very sorry for what happened.]


    With the looming threat of the guillotine, she had no hesitation.


    [Please raise your head, Princess Mia. It wasn¡¯t your fault, was it?]


    [No, I¡¯m the Empire¡¯s princess. The actions of the imperial nobles are also my responsibility.]


    Mia said while trying to look as admirable as possible.


    In fact, yes, it was done without my knowledge! That is what she wanted to say, but patience was necessary here.


    [So, what about the punishment?]


    [Yes, the servants who were directly involved have been sent back to their home countries. As for the students, their involvement is unclear, so they have been ced under house arrest.]


    [Isn¡¯t that a bit lenient?]


    Rafina narrowed her eyes.


    (Eek!)


    The cold stare made Mia shudder.


    Indeed, she regretted not giving a harsher punishment, but now it is toote for that.


    Now, she must somehow justify her decision to punish them so lightly.


    [Princess Mia, you seem to be a very merciful person.]


    (What should I do, what should I do!?)


    Just like a cat being watched by a lion that just woke up, Mia tries her best to find a way out.


    However, her already fried brain was unable to think of anything¡­


    At that time, she suddenly saw the soup in front of her. It was a yellow vegetable soup. A nostalgic soup with yellow moon tomatoes.


    Suddenly, the face of the imperial chef came to her mind.


    The face of the stubborn man who devised a way to cook the yellow moon tomatoes that Mia hated¡­


    [¡­Only after having nothing left to eat came the realization that it was sinful to leave the yellow moon tomatoes behind, calling them bad¡­]


    She says, remembering the taste of the yellow moon tomatoes she had after transmigrating.


    (When I remember that I used to leave behind the food that had been so carefully prepared for me, I realize how terrible I used to be.)


    (Wait, I¡¯m trying to escape from reality! That is not the time for that¡­)


    [In other words, you¡¯re saying that sometimes, people do bad things because we are unaware they are bad?]


    [¡­Eh?]


    [Since there was no significant damage, the victim won¡¯t seek furtherpensation. I see, that¡¯s why you sent your trusted retainer, Anne, to help¡­]


    Different from earlier, Rafina¡¯s smile is soft and gentle.


    There are two aspects to punishment.


    One is to ensure justice in order tofort the victim¡¯s mind. The other is to encourage the perpetrator to reflect on their actions.


    This time, thanks to Anne¡¯s efforts, the damage was kept to a minimum.


    [In this case, we should encourage the perpetrators to reflect on what happened and grow from it¡­ Certainly, for a school, that looks like a more suitable way of punishment.]


    [It surely does!]


    Mia¡­ got onboard.She wasn¡¯t sure what that was all about, but anything was fine, as long as she could escape.


    [Mia-san.]


    Rafina took Mia¡¯s hand once again.


    [I must admit that I don¡¯t have thepassion to try to rehabilitate evil people. As expected from the wisdom of the Empire. I truly admire you.]


    [I¡¯m ttered.]


    Mia gives a tense smile. She is notfortable with that kind of admiration.


    [So¡­, you see, Mia-san¡­.]


    Suddenly, Rafina started having a hard time articting her words.


    (¡­Isn¡¯t it over yet?)


    Mia just wanted to run away, but Rafina said something unexpected.


    [Would you¡­ Would you like to be my friend?]


    [Eh¡­?]


    And on that day, Mia became friends with the school¡¯s president Rafina.


    After parting with Rafina and returning to her room, Mia once again thanked Anne for her kindness.


    She forced the reluctant Anne to go out into the city with her, and as a reward, she happily went on a tour of sweets¡­


    But that is a story for another day.

 Chapter 45

    <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 ¨C not just for free, but also getting paid while doing so ¨C 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.


    ¨COr ¡­


    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.

 Chapter 46

    <b>Princess Mia Tries to Join a Club</b>


    There are countless clubs at St. Noel Academy.


    From academic clubs aimed at various academic explorations to martial arts clubs aimed at improving skills such as swordsmanship and spear art. There are also hobby clubs such as the Tea Party Club which is popr with females. Aside from sses, there are various things and activities that are avable to meet the fancies and luxuries of the students.


    Meanwhile, Mia had a club that was keeping an eye on.


    that is¡­¡­,


    ¡°Here it is¡±


    Mia arrived at the stables.


    ¡°I see. As expected of St. Noel¡¯s Academy. Very impressive¡±


    There are more than thirty horses in the stables. This isparable to a corps of imperial guards. The students of the equestrian club were all nervous when they saw the little princess looking at the horses with interest.


    Female students rarely came to the stables. The odor particr to horses is foreign on this ind, and many girls hate it. Nevertheless, the arrival of the Princess of the great Tearmooon Empire means something is about to happen.


    While everyone was hesitating to approach and talk to Mia, a boy stepped out in front of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose in such a ce, youngdy? Did you get lost?¡±


    It was a boy in the second year high school who was five years older than Mia. He had a solid physique and was tanned. Mia recognized him.


    ¡°Oh ¡­? I believe you were the one walking the horse before the party.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re thedy from that time!¡±


    It seems that the boy also remembered. He tapped his forehead andughed heartily.


    He remembered that day clearly. It was just before the party and the horse he was walking sneezed on Mia. She ended up covered in snot.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry at that time. I¡¯m the head of an equestrian club. Second year high school. Lin Malong¡±


    ¡°I am Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    Mia tugged her skirt and performed a curtsy.


    ¡°From the sound of your name, are you from the Kingdom of Equestria?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an honor to be known to the Princess of Tearmoon.¡±


    Ma Long grins. Then suddenly his expression turned serious,


    ¡°So why are you here today? Did youe toin about what happened at that time? Don¡¯t tell me you want the horse dead or something.¡±


    In the past, there was a girl student who came yelling and wanting to ughter the horses because she had a terrible experience with one of the horses. It is one thing toin, but wanting the horse dead is definitely out of the question. Ma Long looked at Mia¡­


    ¡°Killed? Why?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because the horse ruined your dress, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Miaughed.


    From Mia¡¯s point of view, it is obvious which one is more valuable. Dresses can¡¯t help her escape the Revolutionary Army, but horses can.


    ¡°Today, I just came to visit the equestrian club.¡±


    Mia wanted to be able to ride horses and she has apelling reason.


    In her previous life, she was once chased by the Revolutionary Army. She tried to escape in a carriage and was easily caught. No matter how strong or famous the horses pulling a carriage are, they cannot outrun a single horseman.


    It is most desirable that the revolution would not ur. However, if it happens, Mia ns to quickly escape to the neighboring country as swiftly as she can. To do that, she must be able to ride a horse. To avoid the guillotine, Mia can easily overlook being covered by horse snot. As long as the horse can carry her away to safety, she can forgive.


    ¡°Just a visit, huh¡­¡±


    Ma Long tilted his head.


    It was hard to believe that the princess of the Tearmoon Empire was interested in the equestrian club. She is not one from the Kingdom of Equestria who are said to have been riding a horse since they were born.


    In the first ce, horseback riding is not a graceful hobby for aristocratic children. Equestrian is aimed for riding a war horse and its techniques are for military warfare.


    It might be a helpful technique for boys, but is unnecessary for female students. Very rarely, there are some female students who say that hunting is their hobby, and joins the club ¡­


    From Ma Long¡¯s point of view, Mia doesn¡¯t even look like she can bend a bow.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to look as much as you want, but are you thinking about joining the club?¡±


    ¡°If I join the club, will I be able to learn how to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course ¡­ Do you want to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by all means¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it will take you somewhere far.¡±


    You can carry it as far as possible from the Revolutionary Army.


    Horses are a realistic way to escape, and Mia believes so.


    ¡°Somewhere far, huh?¡±


    Mia¡¯s answer touched Ma Long¡¯s heart.


    Because it was a truth that his people were imprinted on from an early age.


    A horse is apanion who can elevate their riders, allowing them to strive higher and farther. On top of a horse, there is nowhere that cannot be reached. They are partners who give freedom to go as far as one wants. It was a sentiment that could never be spoken by those who saw horses only as a tool of war, or who loved them as pets.


    <em>Regardless of how she looks, it seems that this youngdy is not just a mere princess.</em>


    ¡°Princess Mia, why are you here?¡±


    At that time, a familiar voice echoed on the spot.

 Chapter 47

    <b>Miscalction on Horseback</b>


    ¡°Princess Mia, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Prince Abel? What a surprise.¡±


    Upon seeing the owner of the voice, Mia was a little surprised at the appearance of an unexpected person. If Mia¡¯s memory is correct, Abel belonged to the card game club on the previous timeline. Mia also considered joining that club to deepen the rtionship with Abel. However, discovering that that club wasposed of good-for-nothings who gambles all day, Anne stopped her.


    <em>I thought you would lead a self-deprecating student life¡­</em>


    Abel¡¯s face in the old timeline came to Mia¡¯s head. At that time, he looks pallid and had always had a pitiful smile on his face, and his uniform was sloppy.


    ¡°Did you join the equestrian club?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m technically a prince of the Remno Kingdom, so for the time being, I¡¯m thinking of training in equestrian and swordsmanship.¡±


    His face was not a hint of the old face that Mia remembered. Abel answered with a refreshing smile that was far from decadent. He was well dressed for horseback riding, and he was emanating a healthy atmosphere.


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on a tour. I¡¯m interested in horsemanship.¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia and horsemanship? That sounds a little surprising ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abel, do you know this youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ma Long. Yes, the other day, at the wee party for new students, I was lucky to be her partner.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just perfect. Good that you are here, perfect timing. Why don¡¯t you take her on a horse ride?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Hearing those words, Abel blinked his eyes.


    ¡°If she is interested in horses, we can¡¯t leave her empty-handed, can we?¡±


    With that said, Ma Long winked mischievously.


    ¡°No, but ¡­¡±


    Abel nces at Mia and immediately turns away. His cheeks are slightly reddish.


    <em>Oh my, is that¡­</em>


    Mia did not fail to notice Abel¡¯s blushing.


    <em>Maybe Prince Abel is embarrassed to be on a horse with me!</em>


    Riding two horses is a romantic atmosphere. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Abel was shy and nervous because of that.


    <em>Ufufu, Prince Abel. Unexpectedly, he is sweet.</em>


    Her inner twenty-year-old showed up, and she haughtily looked down on him. Even if she has never been in a rtionship, she was an adult female ¨C assuming you count the previous timeline. The mind of a mere teen could hardly pose a challenge for her. She can read this boy like a book.


    Currently, Mia¡¯s woman¡¯s intuition was certainly correct. Yes, but it is more because of a beginner¡¯s luck than romantic insight.


    <em>Well, if that¡¯s the case, I must take the lead here. I am older and the mature one, after all.</em>


    Mia was confident and told Abel.


    ¡°I would like to ask for an escort, Prince Abel. We did not get to know well each other at the party. I¡¯d love to have a chance to talk with you some more¡­¡±


    With that said, she lowered her head bit, and looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes. Mia was shameless.


    ¡°Mmm? If Princess Mia says so ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    Mia had a lovely smile ¡­ and yet that smile did notst long.


    <em>Heeeee!!! It¡¯s too, high, too high. This is too much high!</em>


    Mia did her best to stop herself from screaming those thoughts out loud. After Ma Long helped her onto the horse, she immediately noticed that the back of a horse was much higher off the ground than she had previously thought.


    To make matters worse, Mia was in her school uniform. The uniforms at St. Noel Academy were novel and designed by cutting-edge designers on the continent. A white blouse, the zer worn over it; and the pleated skirt with tight creases. This uniform sets it apart from the dresses normally worn by aristocrats.


    The important thing here was that Mia was wearing a skirt instead of pants. Yes, if one tries to ride a horse in this style, one must sit sideways with the legs aligned.


    <em>This is scary¡­</em>


    If Mia was able to normally straddle the back of a horse, she can see the front over the horse¡¯s head. But since she is sitting sideways, she can see the ground with every downward nce.


    Furthermore, it is extremely unsteady in terms of position. A little carelessness would result in a quick fall. As a result, Mia has lost all her advantage, such as romanticism and leading Abel.


    ¡°Then, Princess Mia, hold on firmly to me ¡­ Wow!¡±


    Prince Abel was saying something, but she couldn¡¯t afford to hear it. Mia put her arms around Abel¡¯s waist and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°Umm, umm, Princess Mia, you don¡¯t have to grab that tight ¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I-I know! I-I-I understand. Feel free to go ahead!¡±


    In many ways, a thrilling horseback riding date begins between the two. Mia, who has lost her cool and in a total panic due to fear; and Prince Abel, who has lost his cool due to being in proximity with the girl he cares about. So began their horseback date that was heart-stopping for a different reason.

 Chapter 48

    <b>A Little Misunderstanding</b>


    It was Abel, who was ustomed to riding a horse, who regained hisposure first.


    ¡°Look, Princess Mia, open your eyes. The view from the top of the horse is quite beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right ¡­ Then¡±


    Mia took a small deep breath and then forced her eyes open.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    A slightly higher perspective than usual. It was a slightly fresh view, unlike the scenery seen from a high ce such as a castle.


    The refreshing breeze makes her hair flutter quietly.


    The shaking when the horse walks, which was scary until just before, is now somewhatfortable.


    <em>I feel a little sleepy ¡­</em>


    Mia gently rested her head on Abel¡¯s back, and she closed her eyes a little.


    ¡°Whoa, oh, ah, princess, what are you¡­ oh, hey, look. Yourdy servant is over there.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s true. Anne ~!¡±


    Mia waved to Anne, who looked far away.


    Cheerfully ¡­ with both hands!


    ¡­Familiarity is what makes you alert.


    ¡°Hey, princess, don¡¯t let go of your hands ¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    At the moment, Mia¡¯s body tilted and spinned, and started to fall¡­


    ¡°Haaa!!¡±


    With a scream, Mia¡¯s body fell to the ground ¡­ with a loud thud ¡­


    However, the impact was smaller than I had expected.


    ¡°Ah ¡­ oh? What on earth?¡±


    ¡°It was ¡­¡±


    Mia can hear Abel¡¯s voice right next to her. Slowly, she opened her eyes ¡­


    ¡°Oh, Prince Abel! This is ¡­!?¡±


    There, Mia noticed for the first time! That she¡¯s in Abel¡¯s arms!


    Abel dove off to catch her fall and she was in his embrace!!!


    ¡°Oh, wha¡ª wha¡ª !?¡±


    Unintentionally, a strange scream leaked from her mouth. Mia¡¯s heart was pounding so hard she can hear it herself.


    <em>What am I flustered about? I don¡¯t have to get all worked up just because I am hugged by Prince Abel? Besides, this isn¡¯t the first time, when I was dancing, I had experienced that kind of thing ¡­</em>


    Mia tells herself in an attempt to calm her pounding chest.


    <em>Tha-that¡¯s right, Prince Abel is still a child in the first ce. Eight years younger than me ¡­</em>


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Princess Mia? Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    Abel looks into her face with anxiety. Their eyes met; the intensity of his gaze shot straight to her heart.


    <em>Wha-wha, do-don¡¯t stare at me like that!</em>


    Mia quickly turned away, while her face-colored bright red.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m okay. Prince Abel, I¡¯m fine. So¡­ um¡­ I wonder if you can¡­ um¡­ let go.¡±


    ¡°Uh, oh yeah. My apologies, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Abel pulled away from Mia in a hurry. His expression was slightly disappointed.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong, Prince Abel. I don¡¯t really hate being stuck to you. I don¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, oh yeah ¡­ I know.¡±


    Despite that, Abel¡¯s face did not brighten. Looking at his disappointed and lonely face made Mia feel ufortable.


    <em>Oh, surely this is not that! If Prince Abel hates me here, then in the future, I won¡¯t be able to get reinforcements ¡­</em>


    There was a whisper of doubt at Mia¡¯s mind. Was what she did cause him to despise her? It won¡¯t be surprising. But Mia focuses on how to remedy the situation.


    <em>What should I do ¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right!</em>


    As Mia stepped closer to Abel, she took his hands into hers and squeezed them.


    ¡°Wha, Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Prince Abel!¡±


    While saying that, she got closer to Abel. It approaches to the point where the faces are almost sticking together. Then she stares at Abel closely.


    <em>People naturally back away when they get closer than necessary. I hope you can experience it, and he will understand my intentions. With this I am in the clear.</em>


    ¡°Oh, uh, um ¡­, uh, I see ¡­ I understand, can you get me a little further away?¡±


    Unable to hold her gaze, he blushed and turned away.


    ¡°See? You turned your face away. Why did you turn your face away?¡±


    Mia smiled with a victorious smile.


    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°How you feel now is the same as how I felt earlier, Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°Now ¡­¡±


    <em>Because I am delicate person, I get nervous when I get closer to others than necessary. That¡¯s all that¡¯s it.</em>


    ¡°But I probably feel that way stronger than you ¡­ I think that my feeling is stronger.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, is that a sore loser?¡±


    In a strange way, Miaughed because Abel was so cute, like a child.


    <em>I wonder if he means to say that he is more delicate than I am</em>


    Mia, who leans her head, was unaware that the conditions for tension and nervousness are slightly different between Abel and Mia, such as ¡°when someone gets closer than necessary¡± and ¡°when you get closer to your favorite girl¡±.


    Mia herself was nervous but what she did not realize is that her reason for nervousness might be the same as Abel¡¯s.

 Chapter 49

    <b>Princess Mia is not a Loner</b>


    For the record, Mia is not a loner.


    Suitable for status of the princess of the powerful kingdom, Tearmoon, there are always many girls around her


    It is not an exaggeration to say that it is thergest faction in the ss, although the number is smaller than the previous timeline because Mia turned away anybody who said anything bad about Anne.


    Including Mia¡¯s group, there are different groups in the ss. Whether it¡¯s club activities, amon hometown, or a variety of connections, students act together with like-minded peers or with like-minded people to form groups and cliques. However, it is quite natural that there are people who cannot belong to such a group and can be called a loner.


    There was such a girl in Mia¡¯s ss. Her name is Chloe Forkroad. A shy girl with light ck hair and thick sses.


    The bell that signals the end of the lesson rings.


    ¡°Hah ¡­¡±


    Chloe sighed deeply and sadly among the students who were delighted with their end-of-ss freedom.


    Chloees from a family of merchants.


    Both her father and mother were good people in the world who started apany from a small caravan corps and eventually got the title. But their daughter, Chloe, had a quiet personality by nature.


    She was more interested in books than in conversations. Her parents¡¯ efforts to bring her along to the different ces their travels to meet different people only worsened her shyness. Fearing for her future, her parents expended arge amount of donations and connections to enrol Chloe at St. Noel¡¯s school, the best academy on the continent.


    However, what awaited Chloe at the academy was the harsh reality that most nobilities are obsessed with their lineage and tradition. As a neer family who bought their title with gold, she was considered an outcast.


    Thus, Chloe started living a lonely school life.


    For those who don¡¯t fit in with the ss, the hardest part is the break time.


    Chloe was always worried about how to spend ¡°time socializing with friends¡± alone.


    Her biggest help was a book she brought from her parents¡¯ house.


    Books, which are a collection of knowledge, are originally expensive products that are traded at high prices. Chloe¡¯s parents¡¯ business, Forkroad Company, has been handling it as a main product for a long time, and so Chloe was also familiar with books.


    She brought a lot of books when she entered the school ¡­


    <em>Is this thest book?</em>


    Everyday she has been spending her breaks reading. It was no wonder that she would finish reading them immediately.


    <em>What should I do from tomorrow ¡­?</em>


    The book she was reading had less than 20 pages left. No matter how slowly she reads it, she will finish reading it by tomorrow.


    <em>Do I have the courage to talk to someone? That¡¯s absolutely impossible. I should have done so when the school started. Now that everyone has formed their own groups, it¡¯s toote.</em>


    <em>I want to disappear¡­</em>


    While thinking about it¡­ Chloe¡¯s face sank to her desk. She ims that she is not sad, but tears starteding up to her eyes.


    That was the time¡­


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Chloe slowly looked up.


    She blinked her tears away and she could see a figure in her view.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Eh?¡±


    Chloe was so surprised that she was frozen for a moment.


    It was the Princess of the Great Empire, the champion of this ss, the top of the most famous ones in the grade.


    It was no other than Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    ¡°Ah ¡­ uh, eh?¡±


    Chloe was so confused that she struggled to speak. Meanwhile, Mia was looking at the book on her desk.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh ¡­, a picture book of nts in the desert ¡­ It tells you how they get their water and other stuff¡­ That¡¯s what it says ¡­¡±


    For Chloe, this was the first time that anyone had a decent conversation with her. She took advantage of it and exined hard to Mia as if afraid that the conversation might break.


    After hearing the exnation, Mia wrinkled her brow,


    ¡°¡­ Is it interesting for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes! ¡­ Ah, um. It may not be very interesting for you to read. I find it interesting, but ¡­, other people may not find it interesting ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ It seems that you read books a lot. What about story books?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I also read them. I like the love story between a prince and a princess in a small country. But I have just read all the books I brought with me, so ¡­¡±


    Chloe wondered why ¡­ She felt that Mia¡¯s eyes were shining for a moment. It¡¯s like a cat aiming at a mouse ¡­


    Chloe caught herself for a moment. Mia caught her hand in case escapes; then she smiled with a big smile like that of a captor.


    ¡°I was looking for someone like you. Would you like to be friends with me?¡±


    That was thest thing Chloe expected to hear.

 Chapter 50

    <b>Book Buddies</b>


    <i>Fufufu, it seems that you are exactly the kind of person I expected you to be.</i>


    Mia, who heard Chloe¡¯s talk and ranting on, wasughing inwardly.


    Mia approached her, of course, not because Chloe was always alone; nor did she approach her out of sympathy¡­


    The reason Mia noticed her was just because she was reading a book by herself every break.


    Yeah ¡­ Mia was wanting for friends whom she can talk and share about the contents of the book they read. She was looking for book buddies¡­


    That day, Mia was lying on her bed in her room, reading the manuscript sent by Anne¡¯s sister, Elise.


    <i>Oh, it¡¯s very interesting to read it again properly like this!</i>


    The story was still as far as Mia knew from the previous timeline, but the details were subtly different from what she once heard from Anne. There was a fresh excitement in reading the same story with a different lens.


    Mia hums happily, her cheeks propped on her palms while fluttering her legs.


    As a princess, her behaviour was unbefitting. Anne usually reproaches her, but this time she just watched over her.


    See Mia as a princess of the Tearmoon empire is in a position where she usually has to watch the way she acts. This puts her in a lot of pressure, so Anne wants her to feel as free as possible in her room.


    This is better called ¡°spoiling.¡±


    Eventually, after reading the manuscript to the end, Mia sighs with satisfaction.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne. I enjoyed it this time as well.¡±


    While returning the manuscript, Mia tilted her head.


    ¡°By the way, how are things at home? Is Elise okay?¡±


    For Mia, this manuscript was one of her great pleasures. Elise needs to be healthy to continue and finish writing the story.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. Things at home are fine and Elise is doing well.¡±


    Anne replied with a cheerful smile. She didn¡¯t have to lie or hide anything at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. If anything happens, tell me right away. Elise is one of my own.¡±


    After telling Anne¡­


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it sad. We¡¯re the only one able to read this ¡­¡±


    ¡­Mia sighed.


    The thing about booklovers is that if they read an interesting book, they¡¯ll want to share about it with someone. Anne might be a good book buddy, but unfortunately Anne doesn¡¯t seem to be very interested in this kind of story. It seems that she is reading it because it was written by her sister and not really because she is interested in it.


    <i>This story is quite different from the story I heard when I was in the dungeons, I wonder if Anne was just skimming though most of these.</i>


    However, Mia also rejects the idea of sharing the story to her close group of followers. They would just shower it with praise because Mia likes it.


    <i>I wonder if anyone is suitable ¡­?</i>


    While thinking about this, Mia found her. Chloe, an unrivalled book lover who reads books every break.


    <i>Instead of talking to her friends, she spends her time reading. She must really love books!</i>


    ¡­Actually, Chloe is reading books because it¡¯s awkward to be alone, and she doesn¡¯t like books as much as Mia thinks.


    ¡°Would you like to be friends with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Chloe blinked her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, that ¡­, that, I ¡­, why?¡±


    Chloe was very confused.


    She had no idea why Mia asked her that suddenly.


    After all, she is the princess of the Great Empire and the most influential person in this ss. Moreover, the friends and followers are bigwigs.


    Included in those are the gorgeous princes, such as Prince Zion and Prince Abel, who have been longed for by girls in the academy. She also has a close rtionship with the name at the top of the school, the daughter of the Duke of Rafina.


    Chloe couldn¡¯t find a reason for such a person to call out to her lowlife self.


    <i>No, I could actually think of one reason.</i>


    Because she felt pity for me.


    <i>Did she notice that I was alone, and she felt sorry for me?</i>


    Chloe knows that Mia is also called the Saint of the Empire. She assumes that is full ofpassion.


    However,


    <i>If she is, then I don¡¯t like it</i>


    The thought of being pitied upon made Chloe feel very miserable¡­


    <i>That is probably why¡­</i>


    ¡°Because you like books. In fact, there is something I want you to read.¡±


    Chloe was confused of Mia¡¯s unexpected answer.


    ¡°So, if you¡¯d like, would you be my book buddy?¡±


    It was ten yearster that Chloe, who seeded thepany, focused on publishing books and established a huge publishingpany that deals with multiple countries.


    All of her books always sold out, but it¡¯s notorious that the most famous one came from her alumni, the Imperial Princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon.

 Chapter 51

    <strong>Lunchbox Promise</strong>


    ¡°Huh? A swordsmanship tournament?¡±


    That day, Mia was enjoying lunch in the cafeteria surrounded by her girl friends.


    ¡°Yes, the boys are excited. It was going to be held at the academy in thest week before summer vacation ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you not know?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm ¡­ I don¡¯t remember ¡­ Uh, my head¡±


    Mia suddenly suffers from a headache when she tries to remember.


    <em>Swordsmanship tournament ¡­¡­, Alone ¡­¡­.</em>


    Somehow, it seems that the words had very unpleasant memories ¡­


    ¡°So, it seems that it is customary to prepare a lunch box for the boy you like at the swordsmanship tournament, but I wonder if Your Highness has already arranged it ¡­¡±


    <em>Lunchbox!</em>


    There was a memory that vividly revived in Mia¡¯s mind.


    The memory of the previous timeline, in front of her, a gorgeous lunchbox that she ordered enthusiastically ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him say that he won the championship thanks to the lunch box I gave him!¡±


    Mia was so enthusiastic, but Prince Zion, to whom she gave it to, never even epted it.


    She couldn¡¯t tell anyone around her about that incident, thus she had no choice but to eat it alone.


    While crying alone in the room ¡­


    <em>That was ¡­ it was very painful ¡­¡­¡­¡­.</em>


    Suddenly, tears run down Mia¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Wha, Hi, Your Highness! Why are you suddenly crying?¡±


    ¡°Someone! Give me a handkerchief!¡±


    Seeing Mia shed tears silently, the people around her panicked.


    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. Thank you for telling me about it.¡±


    After wiping her tears with her fingertips, Mia smiled and said to her entourage.


    <em>Unlike the stupid Prince Sion, Prince Abel is a gentleman, so he will eat it properly. I¡¯m sure of it!</em>


    The situation is different from that time, and moreover, the Mia now is a bit different from the previous timeline.


    <em>For the time being, I should make him promise in advance that he¡¯ll ept my lunchbox.</em>


    Yes, she now has a littlemon sense. Mia knows that the other person also their own circumstances. Even without Mia, that person could still bring his own lunch. That is why it is necessary to tell that person in advance that she will bring him lunch.


    <em>I should go and tell him soon.</em>


    After school that day, Mia went to Abel.


    This day was also the meeting day of the equestrian club, so it was easy to find him.


    ¡°Prince Abel¡±


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia. Are you nning of practicing horse riding today?¡±


    Abel said that when she saw Mia dressed in a dignified riding suit, horse-riding waistcoat and long trousers.


    ¡°Senior Ma Long praised you. He thought it was a whim of a princess, but he said you were serious about it.¡±


    Club activities basically require free participation. It¡¯s not necessary toe every day, and it¡¯s a school with many free-spirited aristocrats, so it¡¯s rtively rare for someone toe as often as Mia.


    Miaes every day because it is essential to learn horse riding skills in order to secure a means of escape, but to tell the truth, she would rather be messing around in her room after school.


    ¡°For the time being, I only have this horse now, but would you like to ride it with me?¡±


    With that said, Abel took off his gloves and extended his hand to Mia.


    ¡°Are you sure? Then, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer ¡­¡±


    Mia reaches out to take Abel¡¯s hand


    ¡°My¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, your palm is much firmer, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    After stroking Abel¡¯s palm, Mia looked up at Abel with a smile.


    ¡°Hmm, oh. Actually, there is a swordsmanship tournament soon, and I have been training ¡­¡±


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re doing your best ¡­¡±


    By the way, Mia wondered if the knights in her home country also had such stiff palms ¡­?


    In front of her, Abel looks like a boy who still has innocence, but somehow, she noticed a certain toughness on his face ¡­ Mia¡¯s heart began pounding.


    Riding behind Abel, Mia slowly opened her mouth, while wrapping her arms around his back.


    ¡°Um, Prince Abel, on the day of the swordsmanship tournament ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That ¡­, is there anyone who has promised you a lunchbox?¡±


    ¡°No, not really ¡­¡±


    His response gave Mia a wave of relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. If that is so, would you like if I bring you lunchbox?¡±


    ¡°Eh? For me ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will do my best to bring you something that will help you win.¡±


    At this time, Mia was relieved.


    With this, she shouldn¡¯t be all alone eating lunch on her own like that time. That sense of relief, half-heartedmon sense, put Mia off guard.


    She knew it from before, but she gave it little thought and have forgotten.


    The lunch boxes have to be ordered early.


    All the shops are very busy on the day, so she should¡¯ve made a reservation a week in advance.


    ¡°Ufufu, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Mia, who smiles gently, never imagined the future that will soon hit her.

 Chapter 52

    <strong>Anne¡¯s Ingenious n</strong>


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The situation was discovered when the swordsmanship tournament was just three days away. Mia headed for the best bento shop on the ind and was faced with a harsh reality.


    ¡°For that day? Sorry but all the shops here are full of orders. I don¡¯t think you can find one to make you one.¡±


    <em>I was careless!</em>


    When Mia heard from her girl friends that it is better to prepare the lunch box with her own hands, she decided to order it herself without consulting Anne. She had interacted with many merchants in her home country. Simrly, she had seen Ludwig deal with purchases before. So, she thought that she could do it herself. However, reality was harsh.


    <em>What should I do ¡­? what should I do¡­¡­!??</em>


    Mia was told that all the stores making lunchboxes have already closed their reservations. A cold sweat ran down Mia¡¯s spine.


    <em>If I pay them more gold coins¡­ maybe¡­</em>


    The easiest solution can indeed be throwing more money. Who knows, if she throws a lot of money, her order might even be prioritized. But ¡­


    <em>I can¡¯t do that.</em>


    Mia immediately dismisses the idea. As she had learned after several social dinners, the ruler of the school, the daughter of the Duke of Rafina, is a very conscientious person.


    She could force a store to serve her by giving more money, and that might still be forgiven. But if by doing so they would have to cancel other reservations in order to give priority to her order, then Rafina will surely be disillusioned and will never speak to Mia again.


    ¡°That ¡­ that is too scary !!!¡±


    However, Mia couldn¡¯te up with any other ideas no matter how hard she racked her brains, and so¡­


    ¡°Oh, Anne!¡±


    Mia relied on her loyal maid who was waiting in her room.


    ¡°Mia, please calm down.¡±


    Anne was surprised and worried when she saw Mia returning to the room on the verge of tears. But when she heard about the situation, she immediately started to act.


    <em>To start things, it¡¯s best to ask around the situation in the markets¡­</em>


    Anne was steadily building connections while Mia was enjoying her school life. At first, with the staff of St. Noel Academy. Next, to the merchants who are rted to the school. Then those merchants introduced her to more merchants.


    She often went to the town and had gotten acquainted with the people in the market. As a result of making full use of such connections, Anne understood the general situation.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s certainly tough problem.¡±


    In the first ce, thevish lunchbox that Mia wants is very difficult to find in stores around here. Lunchboxes contains food that is meant to be eaten when one goes out.


    It¡¯s needed primarily during long journeys. Therefore, the general public imagines it to be nd food that focuses on long storage life and resistant to spoge, such as dried meat and dried bread. And, in fact, the idea is not so different even for aristocrats.


    First of all, it is important not to get hungry. So, it is something that you eat that will replenish nutrition. The taste factor is only secondary. That¡¯s why ¡­ there is no market demand for ¡°delicious lunchboxes¡± that pleases boys. People don¡¯t bother to pay for such things, and even the students who go to school don¡¯t always need them.


    The number of shops that makes them are limited. And they are already in a situation where even if they order now, the shops are already in a position that they cannot ept new orders.


    ¡°That means that what iscking is thebor force.¡±


    For the time being, Anne sighs with relief. She was saying that it wasn¡¯t the worst that could happen.


    What Anne was most afraid of was theck of ingredients. If they don¡¯t even have the ingredients for the lunchbox, then it is useless to even talk about it.


    ¡°But with this ¡­¡±


    Anne goes around the market and ces the orders for the ingredients for the lunch box. Then she came back to Mia.


    ¡°How was it, Anne? Were you able to figure something out?¡±


    Anne nodded a little to Mia, who was clinging to her because of her uneasiness.


    ¡°I think I might have figured something out.¡±


    Mia sighed with relief upon hearing Anne¡¯s response.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Anne! Where did you find a store who will make it?¡±


    ¡°No, Princess Mia. That wasn¡¯t possible.¡±


    Mia turns blue again upon hearing those words.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make it¡±


    Anne looked at Mia with a determined look.


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Hold on to Mia¡¯s hand, which tilts her head.


    ¡°I will help you too, so Princess Mia, you yourself will make a lunch box for Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°Make it? By myself?¡±


    Her reaction is not surprising after all Mia has never cooked before.


    ¡°Yes. You may not know this, but it is customary among themon people to say that a lunchbox made by a wife for her husband is called ¡°beloved wife¡¯s lunchbox.¡± Men are always happy when women cook for them. ¡°


    Anne says such a thing as if she was knowledgeable.


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s how it works! By the way, Anne ¡­, are good at cooking?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯ve baked bread,¡±


    <em>Ah, this is terrible. We¡¯re doomed!</em>


    Mia was sensitive to the nuances of the words that Anne said. She understood the implications of what Anne said implicitly.

 Chapter 53

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Mental Overload: Part 2</strong>


    Inspired by Anne¡¯s words, Mia immediately set out to gather helpers.


    However, there are not a lot of connections that she can use. After all, the girls that usually surround Mia are all aristocraticdies who have never cooked, and most of the students attending St. Noel Academy are also nobles who have never cooked.


    However, there are a few exceptions.


    First, Mia went to Chloe.


    Her family, the Folkroads, are aristocrats, but their title was bought by money. Even now, their lifestyle is that of a merchant. There was a good chance that she could cook.


    ¡°Ah, Princess Mia ¡­, eh? Cooking ¡­?¡±


    Chloe leaned his head upon hearing a sudden question,


    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ve read about it before.¡±


    She answered with a smile, but Mia did not fail to notice her choice of words: ¡°I know ¡­ I have read it ¡­¡±


    <em>This child also seems to be useless.</em>


    From Chloe¡¯s words, Mia immediately noticed danger. Still, she invited Chloe to make a lunch box. It is better than nothing for the time being.


    ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s that day, I don¡¯t have any ns, so it¡¯s okay ¡­¡±


    Saying goodbye to Chloe who kindly agreed, Mia runs further to the scout more people.


    Next, Mia headed for ¡­¡­¡­¡­,


    ¡°¡­ No one. There¡¯s nobody else that I can think about!¡±


    She already hit a dead end. This was a shock to Mia especially because she was proud of herself in working hard to make connections.


    <em>In the first ce, trying to find someone who can cook at this school is a difficult task!</em>


    When she was going back to her room to sulk and sleep, she saw Anneing.


    ¡°Mia-sama! I found it. A person who can cook¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that true!? Speaking of people who can cook from your acquaintance ¡­¡±


    After only thinking for a brief moment, Mia immediately reaches a conclusion.


    ¡°Oh, is it Liora?¡±


    Mia thought of Liora, Tiona¡¯s servant. It was very possible¡­


    ¡°Ah, no ¡­. Liora¡¯s extent of knowledge in cooking seems to be that she is good at handling the wild rabbits she hunts; and then roasting them on the spot¡­¡±


    It¡¯s a rather wild method of cooking. It may be an indispensable skill if someone lives in the forest as forest people, but it is unknown how much of that knowledge can be practically used for making a lunchbox.


    ¡°It seems that Tiona, not Liora, is good at cooking.¡±


    ¡°Tee!? Tiona-san ¡­ is that?¡±


    Mia involuntarily squirmed.


    As much as possible, Mia have tried avoiding her so as not to make any connections thus Tiona won¡¯t get close to her. After all, Tiona is one of the people who put her on the guillotine. But ¡­


    ¡°Yes, I sometimes helped in the kitchen of my house ¡­¡±


    Indeed, the Rudolvon family is a poor aristocrat family to a level that can hardly even be called aristocrats anymore. Moreover, they have a vastnd they use for farming. While most of the servants were farming out in the fields, Tiona had to help with the cooking. It looks like she will be useful addition to the lunchbox making team.


    ¡°Uh, no. I guess it¡¯s unavoidable ¡­¡±


    Despite the revulsion of the idea showing up in her face, Mia visited Tiona.


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Tiona, who was surprised at the sudden visit, asked Mia.


    ¡°I heard that you are good at cooking Miss Tiona. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, That¡¯s right¡±


    Tiona nodded confidently. Can this be done? For a moment, Mia was overjoyed, but ¡­


    ¡°I used to chop vegetables all the time. I¡¯m also confident about slicing.¡±


    When Mia heard that, she immediately be anxious.


    ¡°¡­¡­Other than that?¡±


    ¡°I can mince perfectly too.¡±


    Mia may have no knowledge of cooking, but Mia¡¯s gut instinct is screaming that something isn¡¯t right. It seems that Tiona isn¡¯t that reliable as well.


    Still, Mia has no choice but to rely on her. She needed all the help she can get, after all!


    ¡°Miss Tiona, I¡¯m actually thinking of making a lunch box for Prince Abel on the day of the swordsmanship tournament. Would you like to do it together?¡±


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s ¡­ I didn¡¯t imagine being able to do it with the princess ¡­ And I don¡¯t have anybody to it to¡­¡±


    When Mia heard those words¡­ suddenly, a devilish inspiration was born in Mia¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Then he ¡­ Oh! Well, why don¡¯t you make a lunchbox and bring it to Prince Sion?¡±


    Mia¡¯s expectation is that this lunchbox making is unlikely to seed. If they¡¯re not good at it, this may affect the results at the swordsmanship tournament, especially if Prince Abel gets sick because he ate the weird stuff that Mia and her friends made.


    But ¡­ if she could also feed it to Prince Sion ¡­


    <em>If I do it this way, I can also take Sion down. This is my chance for a revenge!</em>


    Lunchbox making has already reached a stage where it cannot be reneged. It¡¯s good if they seed, but if they fail, then she wasn¡¯t going to fail alone. She¡¯s going to take down her archenemy with her.


    When life gives you lemons, squeeze their bitter juices into the eyes of your enemies. Let¡¯s take advantage of this as an opportunity to reward our hated enemies! Yes, Mia thought positively! She is a positive thinker. Right? Right?


    <em>Moreover, I¡¯m not the only one who is bad, but also Tiona. Prince Sion shouldn¡¯t be able to resent me alone. He can¡¯t me me on my own. This is a great way to get revenge!</em>


    Mia showed an evil smile.


    However, by involving Prince Sion, her n rolled in the wrong direction.

 Chapter 54

    <strong>Keithwood Mentally Overloads as Well</strong>


    Sion Sol Sunnd was training by himself in the grounds. His swings were sharp. He was a master of the weapon to the point that even ordinary soldiers could not match him.


    When he went sideways from a sharp step, he heard a crackling apuse.


    ¡°Have you been working this hard since the morning, Prince?¡±


    ¡°Keithwood? I still cannot notice your footsteps. I did not know you were here.¡±


    He thought of taking a break with the appearance of his servant. Sion put down his training sword and wiped his sweat. Sweat sttered from his smooth hair which was reflected the glittering sunlight.


    Keithwood quietly observed while wondering if such gestures fascinate many girls.


    ¡°So, did you decide whose lunchbox you were going to ept?¡±


    ¡°I have no ns of epting anyone¡¯s¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s sudden question received a quick response from the prince. Dozens of girls have already sent offers to Prince Sion. However, Sion politely refused each one of their offers.


    ¡°Oh, does that mean that you want my own handmade lunchbox?¡±


    At Keithwood¡¯s light joke, Sion grinned and returned a mischievous smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I do want to taste your cooking. Aren¡¯t you a good cook? And wasn¡¯t thest time you cooked for me was when we were still in Sunnd?¡±


    Sion, who received special education by the Emperor since he was a child. It included all parts of his life. Even his food was strictly controlled. Being respectful and obedient, Sion never openlyined about the nd food. But he oftenined to his best friend, Keithwood. So Keithwood would sneak into the kitchen at night, cooked a midnight snack and delivered it to Sion.


    As a result, he once ended up with a cavity. They both got a good scolding at that time. Now it was just a good memory.


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m doing this with good intentions, but I feel like all you¡¯ve been doing isining a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, aren¡¯t I the Prince of the Great Sunnd? It¡¯s part of my duty to be particr about the taste.¡±


    After a smirk, Sion said.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s put the jokes aside. Have you made any arrangements for a lunchbox to be delivered?¡±


    Sion doesn¡¯t want to get a lunchbox from anyone. The title of Prince of the Kingdom of Sunnd is influential. It¡¯s too heavy. Being friendly with any specific person may be seen as a diplomatic moveter on the line. And he does not want to implicate his country for such actions.


    <em>Yeah, that might exactly how my Prince might be thinking.</em>


    Keithwood shrugged, sighing.


    <em>Not that he is wrong, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt for him to rx a little and enjoy life.</em>


    Even if Sion is the crown prince of Sunnd, he is just a boy around his teens. Just as he onceined about wanting to eat delicious food, he may feel lonely that no one will give him a lunchbox.


    ¡°Are you trying to say something?¡±


    ¡°No, not really¡±


    Keithwood left the training ground whilezily waving his hands goodbye.


    ¡°¡­ The point is that there are a limited number of people that Prince Sion can say ¡®yes¡¯ to when ites to epting a lunchbox.¡±


    The first candidate thates to mind is the face of the princess of the Tearmoon Empire, a perfect match for the great power of Sunnd.


    ¡°If Princess Mia offers, I don¡¯t think Prince Sion will refuse ¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, that wise princess seems to have promised to bring a lunch box to Prince Abel. Keithwood could neverprehend why she is so obsessed with Prince Abel.


    ¡°Oh, Keithwood, just the right person in the right ce.¡±


    Keithwood suddenly heard his name. He stopped and looked to the direction of the voice.


    ¡°Ah, it is Lady Rudolvon.¡±


    It was Tiona Rudolvon, the daughter of the Ound Count of the Tearmoon Empire, who called out.


    ¡°Can I be of service to you today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually ¡­¡±


    Keithwood groaned inwardly when he heard the story.


    <em>A coboration of three people, one of which is a low-ranking aristocrat, and the other is the daughter of a merchant who has be an aristocrat. In addition, there is another person that will receive the lunchbox, Prince Sion.</em>


    Sure, that would save Sion from having to deal with nasty rumors such as that he was in love with a particr girl. Moreover, this will strengthen the idea that Princess Mia only wants to be friends with Prince Sion.


    <em>As expected of Princess Mia.</em>


    Keithwood nodded in admiration. Princes Mia really lived worthy of her title as the wisdom of the empire. He can witness the unfolding of her master n before his eyes. Layers uponyers of intricate designs navigating through the social maze of Saint Noel.


    Suddenly, Keithwood was horrified ¡­


    A cold thing ran on his spine. It may have been chills, or it could have been a hunch.


    Somehow, it seems that a great crisis is imminent for his Lord¡­ Keithwood had an overwhelming premonition that if he left these three girls alone, the swordsmanship tournament will be perilous for his master.


    I can¡¯t feel any malicious intent from Tiona, who is smiling in front of me. But


    ¡°Would you mind if I take a look at the situation of your cooking ns?¡±


    It was only then that Keithwood realized how dire his Lord¡¯s physical condition could be if he left thedies on their own. He therefore decided that he would join Mia¡¯s culinary corps.


    It was in fact that it was because of Keithwood¡¯s great judgement to join Mia¡¯s cooking group that he was able to save the physical condition of Prince Sion and Prince Abel.

 Chapter 55

    <strong>Keithwood¡¯s Cooking ss</strong>


    Three days before the swordsmanship tournament, Keithwood was inspecting Mia and her friends¡¯ practice for making lunchboxes in the kitchen.


    And ¡­ He looked up to the heavens when he saw the tragedy.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia ¡­ what is that bread?¡±


    Mia, who was kneading the dough into a certain shape, answered Keithwood¡¯s question with a proud face.


    ¡°Yes, Prince Abel loves horses so much that joined the equestrian club. I¡¯m sure he will be pleased.¡± With flour on her cheeks and hands on her hips, Mia proudly showed him her ¡°bread.¡± Keithwood, however, looked sick.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s important to think about the other person you are cooking for when cooking.¡±


    Keithwood nodded with fake admiration and then


    ¡°But Princess Mia, this bread has a fatal w. Miss Anne, please borate.¡±


    He talked to Anne who was next to him. For him, it seems that only Anne, being a maid, would know how to properly bake a bread.


    Anne, with full confidence, nodded with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Yes. Princess Mia, since it is a horse bread, it should be a little more like this, the ear should also be ¡­¡±


    ¡°No. No! If it¡¯s so big and thick, the dough won¡¯t cook. In which kiln do you want to bake a full horse-sized bread? Make it smaller and tter.¡±


    A full-scale horse-sized bread dough was in proud disy in front of Mia. It looks like a sculpture of an actual size horse. But Keithwood mercilessly tore it down and crushed it into pieces.


    Mia shrieked. She screamed! But Keithwood ignored it. He gave her a small piece of dough.


    ¡°Please make it about this size. Alright?! Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Mia puffed her cheeks in defiance.


    ¡°Do You Get It?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh, ok. I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡±


    Keithwood was irritated for a moment by Mia who shrugged and acted like she was the one giving him a favour. Keithwood was like ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the one who is patient here.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Keithwood, how about my vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lady Rudolvon ¡­. She seems to be good at cutting vegetables.¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s smile froze on his face when he saw the julienne made by Tiona.


    ¡°But ¡­ neither His Royal Highness Sion nor Prince Abel are herbivores, so I don¡¯t think they can eat so many shredded vegetables.¡±


    In front of him were fourrge tters of vegetables all cut into strips! Keithwood tried hard to avoid putting in a sharp retort.


    After all, the opponent is the Countess, and the great power Tearmoon Empire. He should be patient here. And yet the test for Keithwood¡¯s patience is not over yet.


    ¡°Hmm? This smell is ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ finished¡­ roasting¡­ the meat.¡±


    The door behind the kitchen opened and Liora came in.


    ¡°This is ¡­ it looks very well roasted indeed, Miss Liora.¡±


    The chicken is making sizzling noise and is dripping with gravy. It¡¯s burnt in ces, but it looks really good.


    It looks delicious, but ¡­


    ¡°After that, I hope you can think a little about the people for whom this food will be served¡­¡±


    <em>Why?! Why did she not use the kitchen oven!</em>


    <em>Why did she have to take it to the courtyard, prepare and cook the meat over a bonfire!??A bonfire in the courtyard!</em>


    It¡¯s too crude and it¡¯s extremely unsanitary to cook outside in terms of cleanliness. When he tried to voice out his concerns, there was a person beside him who spoke out first.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Liora-san. These are to be served to the princes, right?¡±


    Chloe said with a thick cookbook in one hand.


    <em>Oh, she¡¯s the youngdy of the Folkroad Company. Finally, we have someone with amon sense¡­</em>


    ¡°Raw meat is the best way to show off the taste of the ingredients¡­¡±


    ¡°Absolutely no. Please¡­ please stop.¡±


    Keithwood made a 180 degrees turn very quickly.


    Keithwood finally noticed that the title of the book Chloe has in her hands was ¡°Exotic Recipes for Exotic Delicacies.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But it is written in this book that the sashimi of horse liver is delicious. Also, I wonder if Prince Abel, who is in the equestrian club, would prefer to eat horse meat¡­¡±


    ¡°First of all, the sashimi of the internal organs is something you go to a specialty shop to eat. And more than that, were you wanting to put horse meat on Princess Mia¡¯s horse bread? Horse meat for those who are in the equestrian club? And a sashimi. It¡¯s altogether a different dimension of harassment than making bread into a horse shape! Are you looking for a fight with them?¡±


    It was toote. Keithwood finally realized that the most dangerous people in the kitchen are not the cooks who know nothing; but rather those who know something but has not a single idea of how to put it together.


    <em>This is getting harder. What have I put myself into?</em>


    Before it was toote, he decided to make his move.


    ¡°Princess & Ladies please listen to me from now on.¡±


    Keithwood said in a dignified and quiet voice.


    ¡°On the day when you are making your sandwiches, follow my instructions¡­ please.¡±


    His real intentions spilled, but he doesn¡¯t care about that anymore.


    ¡°The menu for the day will be a simple sandwich. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh? But it won¡¯t be special anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ You¡­ All¡­ Understand!?¡±


    ¡°Eeeek! Ye-Yes, we understand.¡±


    Keithwood realized that he had set foot on a battlefield that he could not escape. He regretted his outburst¡­ but only a little.

 Chapter 56

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Heart Flutters</strong>


    Two days before the swordsmanship tournament. Mia visited Abel to exin the situation. She found him when she was headed to the short of theke to swing her sword. So, they decided to walk there together while talking. I¡¯ll talk while walking side by side.


    ¡°I see, a handmade lunchbox ¡­¡±


    Normally, lunchboxes for this asion are ordered in shops. As for Mia, she was offering to make him a lunchbox. Together with her friends. All of whom don¡¯t have any experience in making one. However, ¡­


    <em>I wonder if I actually have a talent in cooking.</em>


    She was convinced on an idea that if Keithwood ever hears, it would surely test his patience.


    She is aware though that her cooking is not that of the same level as the professionals at the shops.


    So, in advance, she decided to set up a precautionary line by saying that she is sorry if it¡¯s a little wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Abel. I should have ordered at the finest shops with the best ingredients¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t mind. In truth, I¡¯m actually rather happy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re happy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my mother made me lunchboxes from time to time. It reminds me of her¡±


    In the Kingdom of Remno, even though they are aristocrats, the position of women is not very high. While it is not a good thing, it also means that even aristocratic females can act likemoners. It is quitemon for aristocrats to cook for their husbands and childrenpared.


    ¡°Sure, it may taste less than a professional chef, but it is always special because my mother and sisters made it with their hearts. And so, I am happy¡±


    Abel kindly tells Mia that he is looking forward to it. This caught her off guard, and Mia felt that the level required for handmade lunchbox had risen a notch.


    <em>No way. I did not expect Prince Abel to be ustomed to eating homemade lunchboxes¡­ Now it is hard to make an excuse if my lunchbox does not taste good. Maybe I should try something more borate¡­</em>


    And so on ¡­ while Mia¡¯s thoughts were headed in the wrong direction, they finally reached the shoreline where they were headed.


    ¡°Wow ¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Mia was surprised when she saw the sight unfolding in front of her.


    Blue as far as the eye can see. The clear surface of theke burst into the sunlight, bursting, and glittering where the sun meets the sea.


    There was almost no sign of people on the beautiful white sand beach. Only the sound of quiet waves echoing apanied them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a wonderful ce nearby¡­¡±


    It is a ce that she has never visited even on the previous timeline.


    ¡°Yes, it is a beautiful ce. I¡¯m d you liked it.¡±


    Abel said gently. In one smooth motion, he stepped onto the beach, turned around, and offered her his hand.


    ¡°Here. Be carefuling down¡±


    The flowing, natural and elegant gesture made Mia¡¯s hear to flutter.


    <em>Ca¡ªcalm down me. This is expected of boys.</em>


    She took his outstretched hand. She noticed that his palm was firm which surprised her.


    Ahhh, the day has finallye that I get to walk along such a beautifulkeshore with a gentleman by my side¡­


    When she was in the dungeon, she never imagined that such a thing could happen. Mia was swimming in happiness. She tried to take in though all of her sense everything she can: the sights, the smells, the sounds, and the feelings.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a little disappointing.¡±


    Abel murmured. Mia tilted her head quizzically.


    ¡°What could it be?¡±


    ¡°The fact that I¡¯m not the only one that will receive lunchbox from you ¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Coupled with Abel¡¯s mischievous smile, his sudden words made Mia¡¯s heart scream.


    Wha¡ªWhat is he saying,?! This person!?? Is he a natural womanizer?


    In the cold, dark and damp nights in the dungeon where loneliness and hunger are her onlypanions, Mia tries to escape reality by imagining time and again that she was somewhere else. That she was in the beach thates with a man she loves. That they were having sweet silly conversation.


    Now, Mia was actually in the middle of such fantasy. She panicked! She was not ready for this.


    <em>I¨C I have to calm down. Yeah, take a deep breath!</em>


    No matter how much she tries to rx, her mind refuses to follow her instructions. Mia¡¯s face turned red and began to breathe hard. When Abel sees it, he looks into Mia¡¯s face with concern. This only made her blush harder.


    ¡°Hmm? Are you a little tired?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Abel takes Mia to the shaded area of the beach, spreads his coat over the beach.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to sit there and rest for a while. I will be practicing but it is pretty boring, so when you recover, feel free to go back first.¡±


    When Mia sat down, he started swinging his sword.


    ¡°Well, you seem to be working very hard.¡±


    She remembered Abel¡¯s palm, which waspletely stiff. It is a testament of how long he has kept swinging his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never swung my sword so desperately before. It is only now because I have an opponent who I really want to win against.¡±


    After saying that, Abel paused looking like he had wanted to say something


    ¡°That¡¯s why. I¡¯m sorry about the lunch box. I know I said earlier that I was disappointed but I¡¯m also a little relieved.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Well, if only I ate Princess Mia¡¯s lunchbox, people might say that I was able to beat Prince Sion only because of that.¡±


    With that said, Abel gave Mia a shining smile.


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    Mia was left speechless and breathless.

 Chapter 57

    <b>Horse Sandwich Completed!</b>


    On the morning of the day of the swordsmanshippetition, the sandwich making group began their task under the supervision of Keithwood.


    ¡°Then, Miss Liora bake the meat in the oven as we nned. It¡¯s a little different than your usual cooking process, but I think it¡¯s rather easy to adjust the heat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Liora straightened up, saluted, and began to prepare the meat. She was cooking the chicken. She plucked the feathers, gutted it, and took away the internal organs. She then prepared it with salt, herbs and spices, then¡­ she just threw it into the oven. Itnded with a loud st! But Keithwood averted his eyes, and pretended not to hear it.


    If he was to worry about every problem, then he would die before tomorrow because of all their concerns.


    ¡°If it¡¯s cooked¡­ and it is edible¡­ then it is fine¡­ If it is cooked¡­ and it is edible¡­ then it is fine¡­¡± Keithwood muttered to himself as a sort of mantra before going to the next station.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the look of the meat anyway, it is about its taste¡­ so it should be fine. Now next is?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Keithwood, how about my work?¡± It was Tiona who came up with her handiwork. Keithwood nodded with satisfaction when he saw what she had in her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s good. It¡¯s as expected of the Lady of Count Rudolvon.¡±


    Tiona blushed a little upon hearing Keithwood¡¯spliment. Originally, Tiona is a strong addition to the team as long as she doesn¡¯t make a mistake in the amount. The problematic one is ¡­


    ¡°Is it okay for me to start baking this bread?¡±


    Hearing Mia¡¯s voice, Keithwood turned around and saw her bread. He felt a headacheing on.


    Fortunately, Anne probably kneaded the dough. From the way it looks, it may actually work as a dough¡­ hopefully. So, as long as the shape is solid ¡­ it should be easy to make into a sandwich ¡­


    It was just that¡­ it retained the characteristics of its original creator, Mia. He looked at the head (pretty detailed, it even has ears!), the legs, the body, and the tail. It is the same horse shape asst time. He could feel his headache getting stronger.


    <em>I told you time and time again to make it a goddamn square ¡­</em>


    Well, there are some signs of growth anyway. It is made t and thin so the insides can be baked with no problem, and its size is also technically still eptable as a bread.


    However, it was the shape that was the problem.


    <em>Anyway, it might look like a horse but it is still a sandwich. But how can they intend to put anything inside it when it is shaped like that?! I want to crush it into dough and remake it.</em>


    However, it¡¯s hard to say to Mia, who is waiting for his reply with an excited face. Not to mention the diplomatic implications of destroying another princess¡¯ handiwork, it is hard for Keithwood to destroy it while Mia was looking at him with expectant face, clearly waiting for his approval.


    The way the bread is at now, if nothing is done, one bite and the contents will pop out.


    <em>Calm down¡­ I need solutions. If so¡­</em>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Forkroad, but could you make a white sauce with Anne? The ingredients are ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, I know what they are. I¡¯ve read it before. Anne-san, I¡¯ll list them for you¡­¡±


    At Chloe¡¯s instructions, Anne quickly prepares the ingredients.


    Originally, Chloe¡¯s knowledge is as good as Keithwood. All she has to do is bring out the right knowledge (not raw meat or delicacies, by far, not that maniac), and she¡¯s dependable enough.


    <em>Okay, we can use the sauce like a glue.</em>


    The biggest problem with Mia¡¯s bread is that the meat and vegetables sandwiched inside will fall off after a bite. That¡¯s why Keithwood is improvising by using sauce to fix the contents together inside the bread. He applied plenty of sauce to the baked horse-shaped bread, and put vegetables on it. Then applied again the sauce on top of it and sandwich, then on top of the meat ¡­


    ¡°OK, it¡¯s done ¡­¡±


    In this way, Keithwood¡¯s painstaking work, the horse-shaped sandwich, was sessfullypleted.


    When all the work was done, Mia came to Keithwood.


    ¡°Thank you, Keithwood. I was saved.¡±


    Hearing Mia¡¯s thanks, Keithwood gave a polite bow.


    ¡°It is my honor and pleasure to be of service. I¡¯ll pass it on to His Royal Highness Sion.¡±


    The servant¡¯s work is the master¡¯s credit, and the praise to the servant is the tribute to the master. So, of course, Keithwood thought that Mia¡¯s words were for Sion.


    But¡­


    ¡°No, not Prince Sion. Thank you, Keithwood. I am thanking you.¡±


    Mia stares straight into Keithwood¡¯s eyes,


    ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to make a bento in this way.¡±


    With that said, she smiled with a shining smile.


    <em>Ah I see. I wonder if this is how she grabs the hearts of the people.</em>


    Seeing Mia¡¯s actions, Keithwood was deeply impressed.


    Normally, aristocrats do not thank nor do they bow to their servants. Because pride does not allow it. However, Princess Mia is not bound by such boring aristocratic customs.


    For Keithwood, who has been immersed in aristocratic society for a long time, it was a surprise and a breath of fresh air.


    <em>If I met her before His Highness Sion, I might have been serving her now.</em>


    What Keithwood doesn¡¯t know is that Mia is actually faithfully observing those customs. And it was probably for the best.


    <em>Hmmpph¡­ As if I would ever thank Sion, that jerk!</em>


    Keithwood did not know how narrow Mia¡¯s reasoning was. As a matter of fact, Keithwood had hurt her enough on the previous timeline, but that her reasoning was¡­


    <em>The sin of the servant is the sin of the lord. Everything is Sion¡¯s fault!</em>


    It was Keithwood who never dreamed that Mia had a truly aristocratic andmon-sense thinking.


    And what Mia doesn¡¯t know is that she had just raised her favourability in the eyes of Keithwood.

 Chapter 58

    <strong>Swordsmanship Tournament: Part 1</strong>


    St. Noel Academy holds swordsmanshippetitions twice in a year. Once in summer and again in winter. As a general rule, this tournament requires all male students to participate. Thus it was a big event and was a greatly attended every year.


    ¡°It¡¯s so lively, Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems that the whole city has moved to the school.¡±


    There are three special arenas in therge school yground, and many stores are lined up around them.


    St. Noel Academy is a school for the children of the aristocrats, and normally the general public cannot enter it easily. But this day was special. The merchants who passed Rafina¡¯s rigorous screening expanded their stalls everywhere, and all around the school there was a festive atmosphere.


    I remember¡­ I remember in my previous timeline, I went around the stores all on my own.


    Mia on the previous timeline wanted to go around the stalls with Sion. She had never imagined that she would be refused. And at that time, she had already refused the invitation of the people close to her. As a result, she ate the prepared lunch box on her own and she visited the different stalls alone. She was all alone when everyone else where all festive around her.


    Painful¡­ that memory was so painful.


    She was so angry that she could not bear the sight of her friends having fun. She spent the whole day ring and scowling at everyone. This started a rumor that Mia hated the swordsmanship tournament. After that and for the years toe, everybody avoided inviting her for the swordsmanship tournament.


    ¡°Oh, wow! Princess Mia, that looks delicious.¡±


    ¡°It certainly does look delicious, Anne. May I ask you to buy three; one for me, you, and Chloe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡±


    Anne sprinted away and soon returned with food in a small paper box.


    There was a cheap sweet smelling from the box. There was a red strip-like food on top of everything inside the box. Mia picked it up with her fingers and tossed it onto her mouth in one go. The instant it touched her tongue, she felt her nose growing hot. Just after that, a small tear ran down her cheek. It was then that Mia noticed.


    Oh, I see. This must be it. I have been moved to tears.


    She thought of Anne and Chloe¡­ she thought of how wonderful it was to be able to visit the different stalls with two friends. Compared to her previous timeline, she thought she was in a bliss.


    I am probably very happy right now¡­ Too happy to the point that I am crying¡­ These are tears of happiness.


    ¡°Mia-sama! That thing!¡±


    Chloe was iling her hands.


    ¡°Hahe?¡±


    ¡°That is a crimson pepper that you just ate. It is very spicy! Spit it out! Quickly!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Aaahhh¡­ It¡¯s spicy! Spicy! My tongue¡­ my nose¡­ it¡¯s on fire!!!¡±


    The spiciness of the crimson pepper caused tears from her now swollen eyes and the tip of her nose to turn bright red.


    ¡°Water, water. We need water. Someone bring some¡­¡±


    ¡°Here, drink this.¡±


    A bottle suddenly was held out before her. She immediately received it and gulped it all at once. The refreshing, citrus vor spreads in her mouth, and the spiciness of the pepper disappears ¡­.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ I was saved. Thank you so much.¡±


    She rubbed her tears and looked up to the owner of the bottle that saved her¡­


    ¡°You are wee. I am d to be of help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Prince Abel!¡±


    The owner of the bottle was no other than Prince Abel who was d in a knight¡¯s armor for the mock battle. The appearance of Abel wearing a knight costume with light leather breasttes and elbow pads made him look so dignified, and Mia cannot help but¡­


    No, no, no. I can¡¯t let my heart flutter. I am better than this.


    ¡­try her best to stop herself from swooning.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Was this something you were going to drink during the match?¡±


    Mia asked while looking at the water bottle in her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll Immediately buy you a recement ¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I still have more than half left.¡±


    With that said, Abel received the water bottle from Mia. Then he tied it to his waist. Noticing this¡­


    My, my! Is Prince Abel going to drink from that water bottle as it is? But I just drank from it¡­ and if he drinks from it? Then¡­ then¡­


    Because of the way that her logic runs, Mia¡¯s head turns white. Her mind went nked. Her senses were overwhelmed.


    Abel, for his part, did not seem to mind. In the first ce, Abel is a 12-year-old boy who is not very familiar with the intricacies of the rtionship between men and women


    Furthermore, because it is before the match, his head has no room for delusions like Mia.


    Isn¡¯t this an indirect kiss!??


    Mia, on the other hand, was having a minor meltdown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Princess Mia? Somehow your face ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. There is nothing wrong!¡±


    When she raised her face, Abel¡¯s worried face was unexpectedly just inches close to her¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah!¡±


    Mia took a breath.


    ¡°Are you sure? Do you have a fever?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­ I¡¯m okay, no problem. Prince Abel, who is your opponent in the first match ¡­¡±


    Mia hurriedly tried to change the topic. But another voice blocked Abel before he could answer.


    ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t her Highness Princess Mia?¡±


    Standing there was the first prince of the Kingdom of Remno, a boy who was verbally pped by Mia before.

 Chapter 59

    <strong>Swordsmanship Tournament: Part 2</strong>


    ¡°You are¡­ Prince Abel¡¯s brother, am I right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to have been remembered by you, Your Highness Princess Mia.¡±


    Abel¡¯s brother made a rude, exaggerated bow.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that you made a lunch box for my younger brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I made it personally with care.¡±


    While Mia dered it proudly, the first prince mocked her.


    ¡°Kukuku, that¡¯s what it is ¡­ what a shame.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Abel¡¯s first match is against me. Kuku, that means this guy will lose in the first match. Which is perfect! After losing, the taste of the lunchbox you eat will be delicious. Nothing soothes a good defeat than a good lunchbox.¡±


    He continued mocking her andughing.


    ¡°Really¡­ I can¡¯t believe this really. To really fall in love with my younger brother. I guess this just shows that the so called wisdom of the Tearmoon Empire is still a child.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to Princess Mia, brother.¡±


    Abel hastily interjected.


    Abel¡¯s brother seems to be judging Princess Mia based on his views of women from the Kingdom of Remno, but that¡¯s a big mistake. Sure, Princess Mia is a tolerant and benevolent girl (from Abel¡¯s point of view anyway), but she¡¯s never a pushover.


    She is a saint who dares to confront injustice (by Abel standards anyway), and a girl who has both self-esteem and high wisdom to confront rudeness (based on Abel¡¯s twist evaluation anyway).


    Therefore, Abel would not be surprised if Princess Mia got angry at her brother¡¯s mockery. Abel immediately looked at Mia¡¯s face.


    To his surprise, Mia didn¡¯t say anything and just gently hid behind Abel and retreated.


    <em>Princess Mia, why ¡­?</em>


    Abel was suspicious for a moment, but soon realized Mia¡¯s true intentions (or what he thinks are her intentions anyway).


    <em>Maybe you want me to step up¡­?</em>


    <em>Knowing Princess Mia, she should be able to fight back here if she wants to. With her brilliance, she should be able to retort as much as her brother¡¯s sarcasm.</em>


    But Mia doesn¡¯t do that.


    Mia said just one sentence.


    ¡°I will wait your winning, Prince Abel¡±


    Mia said with a gentle face.


    <em>Does she really believe that I will win?</em>


    Certainly, if Abel beats his brother, Mia¡¯s honor will be preserved. But ¡­


    Abel looked at his brother again. He is an older brother to whom he has never won. An older brother who is far superior to him when ites to sword talent. As for the physique, even the older brother is one head taller than Abel.


    <em>Can I really beat him?</em>


    A feeling of anxiousness slowly crept into his heart. He is familiar with this feeling, it is despair.


    ¡°The lunchbox should taste better after winning.¡±


    Those words from Mia blew the darkness from his heart.


    Abelughed a little.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­ Prince Abel¡¯s brother, am I right.¡±


    ¡°You are ¡­¡±


    What was the name? Mia bends her head a little.


    As Mia tried to remember the name of the boy before her, the nameless boyunched into a verbal attack that she could hardly pay attention to. Eventually she sighed and gave up trying to remember his name.


    <em>I see that he has a lot of resentment towards me. This could be a little troubling.</em>


    Mia doesn¡¯t have a bad impression on Abel¡¯s brother ¡­ or rather, she doesn¡¯t have any impression in the first ce. She has forgotten that he existed in the first ce!


    At that time, Mia was only thinking about running away from Sion and making connections with Abel. She had no particr interest in Abel¡¯s brother, that¡¯s why he faded from her memory.


    However, the fact that he is the first prince of the Kingdom of Remno must be taken into consideration. Originally, she approached Abel in order to get reinforcements from the Kingdom of Remno when something happened. Even if she gets along well with Abel, if he can¡¯t get reinforcements because of the opposition from the first prince, she might still be on the way to losing her head, literally. So, Mia¡¯s stance is that he did not have to like her, as long as he does not hate her as well.


    <em>This means that I must not disy any hostility or aggressiveness.</em>


    Mia takes a step back and diverts his hostility somewhere. Most of Mia¡¯s thoughts are made up of avoiding the guillotine after all. Her reasonings and actions are all based on calctions on how to avoid the guillotine.


    <em>It would be good if Prince Abel lost properly. Then his brother¡¯s self-esteem will be satisfied¡­ And also, I canfort Prince Abel after losing, which means I can deepen our rtionship. Two birds with one stone.</em>


    Mia calcted¡­ and so¡­


    ¡°I will wait your winning, Prince Abel¡±


    She noticed it toote. Her true intention was spilled. She meant to say something else, but something entirely different came out. This is because Mia remembered Abel¡¯s hardened palm. She knew he was training hard in swordsmanship. She didn¡¯t want to see him lose.


    <em>Oh, it¡¯s strange. Why am I feeling this way?</em>


    Mia was confused by the words that suddenly spilled out of her mouth¡­ and eventually came to a conclusion.


    <em>Oh, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to him eat the lunchbox that I made with a sad feeling. If you lose and eat with a sad feeling, you will not notice how delicious the sandwich I made for you is.</em>


    Mia nodded to herself. She is confident that her analysis is correct.


    ¡°The lunchbox should taste better after winning.¡±

 Chapter 60

    <strong>Swordsmanship Tournament: Part 3</strong>


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the seventh qualifying match. Abel Remno, Gain Remno, please go up to the arena.¡±


    Called by the referee, Abel exhaled a little. Then, he quietly climbed up the stairs of the arena, went to the center, and drew out his sword. Beyond the dull edge of practice sword stood his brother who was a perpetual symbol of his defeat. Nervousness starts to hurt his stomach.


    <em>But I cannot afford to lose.</em>


    He held his sword firmly and red at his brother, Gain Remno.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll try to see how much you have grown, my dear brother.¡±


    The older brother raised his sword over his shoulder and a grinned. Then, at the next moment, he suddenly steps in and shes.


    ¡°Gut ¡­¡±


    Abel received the heavy sh with his own sword. The des mmed with a screech. Numbness ran from both his arms, and he almost dropped his sword.


    The practice swords that they are using are still heavy metal swords, even if the edges have been dulled. If it hits, it won¡¯t cut, but it can bruise. And if the hit is bad, it will naturally break bones. Abel remembered the pain from broken bones he received years ago from his brother. He remembered the pain and he stiffened.


    ¡°Hmm, well, was that your best? I thought as much.¡±


    Abel clenches his teeth to his brother, who looked down on him with contempt.


    He is very strong.


    Boys in their early teens grow quickly every year. Therefore, with the age difference with the brothers, the difference in power bes apparent. Gain started attacking and ridiculing Abel, who is forced to defend.


    ¡°But you caught a good woman. Abel.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    After another sh with the swords, their des locked. Gain leaned in forward, bringing his face closer to Abel.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a weakling like you to court the princess of the empire. Our father will be delighted.¡±


    With a dullugh, Gain moved his gaze behind Abel. There was a figure of Mia watching them.


    ¡°Even so, she was pretty mature today. Well, it must be as they say as the wisdom of the empire. I thought that if I threatened her a little, she¡¯ll start looking for a fight, but it was bit unexpected.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±


    Before Abel could refute Gain¡¯s words, Gain pushed forward and continued.


    ¡°If you decide to marry her, bring her to our country. Let her stay with me for about a week, I¡¯ll teach her proper discipline.¡±


    Abel¡¯s mind momentarily wandered of his mother, his sister, and the maids of the castle.


    ¡°Well, if you show her a little pain, she¡¯ll grow up. That will make it easier for you. Then the empire will do whatever we want ¡­¡±


    The appearance of being oppressed, abused, and sometimes violently treated¡­ the appearance of these women oveps with Mia. He can imagine her with sad, lifeless eyes like theirs.


    The sound of my heart, which had been beating at a terrifying speed, gradually slowed down. His sight began to clear and he felt that the scenery in front of him was clear. If he gets hit with his brother¡¯s sword, it will hurt and he may get injured. But he doesn¡¯t care about that¡­ He has now realized that there was something far more important than that.


    ¡°Brother¡±


    He heard himself saying. Abel was surprised at how cold his own voice sounded.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gain also noticed that his tone had changed.


    Abel pulled down his sword and stepped back.


    ¡°You can say anything about me. Mock me or insult me. Feel free to do it. I don¡¯t care, but,¡± Abel said with a piercing gaze, ¡°if you say one more bad word against Princess Mia¡­¡±


    He thought of the girl who was touted as the wisdom of the empire. He thought of her, the light in his world. For her to be deprived of her brilliance¡­.


    It was totally uneptable. He can¡¯t forgive such a thing.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    Gain swings his sword with one hand taunting Abel. Abel changes his stance and raised his sword while calmly observing Gain¡¯s stupid attitude. It is the stance that puts everything you can in a swinging blow is the first stance of swordsmanship that is handed down to the Remno royal family. The idea was to attack faster than your opponent. Focus on that one point, ignore the defence. Give it all in this single attack.


    Seeing that stance, Gain startedughing again because it was the first basic stance for those who started swordsmanship.


    ¡°Is that the first stance? Well, I guess it suits losers like you.¡±


    Abel inhales and exhales, looking firmly at the older brother who repositions his sword with a rxed attitude. He stares at the older brother whom he has never defeated before.


    Now!


    Don! He stomped the ground and rushed forward.


    ¡°I will never allow you to insult her anymore!¡±


    He screamed these words as he swung down his sword with all his strength. The downward swing of the de reflected the sunlight and it seemed like a ray of lightning.


    The match was¡­ over in an instant.


    ¡°Hey ¡­ uh ¡­ gyaaaaaaah!¡±


    Gain screams mercilessly in pain. His sword falls from his hand, making a loud ng as it hit the ground. Embedded firmly on his shoulder was Abel¡¯s sword.


    ¡°We have a winner!¡±


    Immediately after the referee¡¯s voice, the arena is filled with cheers.


    Abel was staring at her brother who was being carried. His mind was number, but then¡­


    ¡°Prince Abel!¡±


    Hearing a certain voice from somewhere, all the tension finally released from his body.

 Chapter 61

    <strong>An Adventurous Lunch: Keithwood, You Can Cry</strong>


    Abel¡¯s matches continued and he was on a roll. He won against the seniors in his next two matches. With these three straight wins, it was soon time for lunch. Anne and Chloe were preparing the food. Theyid a rug on a warm and sunnywn in a corner of the courtyard. Abel was approaching them, and Mia was beaming.


    ¡°You were really amazing! Prince Abel¡±


    Mia was waving both hands at him. She was full of excitement. Abel was abit embarrassed.


    ¡°No, it was all thanks to the cheers and support of Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°No need to be modest. It is the result of all your hard work.¡±


    Mia replied, but her gleeful humming suggested that she would not be upset if he is more modest and that he praises her more.


    ¡°Even so, you¡¯re really very strong. I totally did not know at all.¡±


    Abel¡¯s winning of the matches was a very unexpected event for Mia.


    <em>I didn¡¯t think he was so strong. Maybe he could even knock Sion off from his pedestal.</em>


    Mia wasn¡¯t really interested on taking revenge on Sion or Tiona. The reason is, of course, it is dangerous. Doing so would mean incurring their grudge. And that grudge might cause her to end up on the guillotine. She prefers to stay away instead of risking herself earning their wrath.


    But¡­ if she can do it without any risk to herself¡­ it would be a shame not to do it. She¡¯ll definitely support it. She¡¯ll support it with all her strength and with all her heart! In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for proper manners, she would be shouting her support for Abel to go against Sion.


    ¡°In this case, your winning the whole tournament is not a dream.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I think it will be difficult because there is Prince Sion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Prince Abel, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll win. Be confident. Believe in yourself.¡±


    Even though it¡¯s not about herself, Mia confidently announces and pumps her fist on her chest.


    ¡°You are strong. So please, when Prince Sion, that good-for-no¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What was it about me, Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°What!? Prince Sion!?¡±


    Surprised, Mia jolted up. Turning around she saw the rest of hispany.


    <em>Why are these guys in such a ce!??</em>


    Before Mia stood Sion and Keithwood, Tiona and Liora.


    Sion¡¯s sandwich should have been delivered by Tiona. By this time, they should be having lunch somewhere else in the school building. She gave a questioning gaze towards Tiona. Tiona, however, gave her a wink and a thumbs up. Tiona seemed to be signalling that she has proudly done her part.


    ¡°Lady Rudolvon told me that since Princess Mia had helped in making these, then we should eat it with Princess Mia. I hope we are not imposing.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not the case, not at all¡­ Please do join us. Ohohoho¡±


    While answering that, Mia felt her facial muscles twitch as she forces herself to smile¡­


    <em>Why now? Eventhough you refused my invitation time and time again in the other timeline, now you just suddenly show up and invite yourself in?!</em>


    That¡¯s right. In the previous timeline, Mia was forced to spend this swordsmanship tournament alone after Prince Sion refused her invitation. She ate the lunch she had prepared while crying all alone.


    Nevertheless, this current attitude of Prince Sion was¡­


    Understandably irritating. When she saw Sion talking to Tiona and Anne with a gentle smile, a me of anger suddenly rose up in Mia¡¯s stomach ¡­


    ¡°Oh, this sandwich is pretty interesting.¡±


    The me was extinguished by Abel¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh my, so you did notice it?¡±


    Immediately, Mia squirms.


    When Abel picked up the sandwich she made, she felt nervous. She can feel the butterflies in her stomach.


    <em>Prince Abel is looking at the sandwich I made. Oh, the way he is staring at it so much is making me so nervous.</em>


    Mia gulped as she watched Prince Abel¡¯s reaction. Her eyes grew wider from nervous anticipation until¡­


    ¡°Oh, I see it now. This is a horse.¡±


    Abelughed and took a bite of the sandwich.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really delicious. This sandwich is very well made.¡±


    Mia¡¯s wide-eyed stare was reced by a bright smile upon hearing his words.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear. I am d you liked it.¡±


    Hearing Abelplimenting the sandwich she made, Mia was in a bliss. She felt like her boy can fly out of happiness. After all, the unique characteristic of this sandwich is, obviously, it is horse shaped. Isn¡¯t that what made the sandwich great? And who was it that suggested making the sandwich in a shape of a horse?


    Yes, of course, it is none other than Mia herself. ¡¡Then, that means all the praises for this sandwich is obviously for Mia herself!


    Such logic was developed in Mia¡¯s brain.


    The adjustment of the ingredients so that it would fit the strange shaped bread, the consideration on how to make the ingredients stick through a creative adhesive, themon sense in making the dough smaller, and many more to make this sandwich a sess were all done by Keithwood. The hardwork, the blood, the sweat, and the tears were all forgotten by Mia. In her eyes, it is all because of her.


    ¡­.Keithwood can cry.


    ¡°Prince Abel, do you have a moment?¡±


    Sion came up to Abel. It was after the conversations with Tiona and the girls has settled down.

 Chapter 62

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Sigh</strong>


    ¡°Prince Sion? What do you want?¡±


    Abel tilted his head, curious as to what Sion wanted to talk about.


    ¡°I know it iste, but congrattions on your first victory over your brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for that.¡±


    Abel smiled carefreely. Then Sion bowed his head a little.


    ¡°And I have to apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    Sion continues to bow his head before Abel.


    ¡°I thought for sure that you would lose. I thought the difference in ability between you and your brother was quite clear.¡±


    <em>Well! How rude! Prince Abel can¡¯t lose to such a bad brother!</em>


    Mia¡¯s liking for Sion has decreased.


    However, Abel smiles bitterly at Sion¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think you might be right. I was only lucky to win. I didn¡¯t win because of my skills like you Prince Sion.¡±


    <em>Well! How humble!</em>


    Mia¡¯s liking for Abel has increased.


    ¡°The element of luck is also important, Prince Abel. I also didn¡¯t keep winning just because of my ability.¡±


    <em>Well, it¡¯s natural. Of course, you¡¯ve only won because you are lucky!</em>


    Mia agreed with Sion¡¯s assessment of himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to hear Prince Sion say that. I¡¯ll take that to heart.¡±


    <em>That¡¯s not true, Prince Abel. You should not feel honored by him. It¡¯s not a big deal to be recognized by such a guy!</em>


    Mia objected strongly.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s have a good fight in the next match.¡±


    With that said, Sion extended his hand. There was a big confidence smile on his face. It is a friendship between hot boys.


    Sitting beside Mia, Chloe let out an enraptured sigh¡­


    ¡°¡­ so dreamy¡±


    Both Anne and Tiona were already fascinated by the two princes before the match. They watched the scene before them with spellbound eyes; clearly mesmerized. On the other hand, Liora was poking the chicken meat inside the sandwich. After checking that it was grilled cooked, she nods satisfactorily. Liora was a girl who knew what should be prioritized.


    And Mia wasn¡¯t interested in such a boy¡¯s hot friendship either. Rather, she is now in a bad mood. Just earlier, she was in a good atmosphere with Prince Abel, now Prince Sion has taken away his attention from her. Her Royal Highness has a slightly narrow heart, puffing her cheeks and biting angrily the sandwich in a moody manner.


    Considering that in her heart is that of a 20-year-old woman, her actions are rather ridiculous¡­


    <em>Prince Abel was just praising my sandwich just now. Would it hurt for you to stop butting in already?</em>


    With that in mind, Mia lightly pulled the hem of Abel¡¯s clothes. Seeing Abel turn around, she stares at his eyes and appeals.


    Will you please go back to praising my sandwich already? Please!?


    Actually, like this¡­ Mia was just being annoying.


    As usual, Abel smiled innocently at seeing Sion¡¯s outstretched hand. It is his practiced smile to avoid making enemies. It is a smile that shows anyone that he bears no hostility.


    With this smile, he was about to say:


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a good match. I don¡¯t know how much fight I can do, but I¡¯m going to do my best and learn from it as an experience.¡±


    This was what he was nning to say in advance¡­ If he puts up a precautionary line, then he will not be hurt if he loses. He did not have to hope, nor did he have to care.


    This is Abel¡¯s way of life. It¡¯s how he survived from an early age and now that has permeated through his body.


    But then¡­ he could feel a tug on his clothes.


    <em>Yes? What is it?</em>


    Turning back, he saw Mia grasping the hem of his clothes. Her were eyes staring at his, her beautiful wide eyes were lit by a serious light, and it was as if she was talking to Abel.


    <em>You are strong, Prince Abel.</em>


    What echoed in Abel¡¯s mind was the words that Mia said earlier.


    She said:


    You are strong.


    Be confident.


    You can definitely win.


    She said, she said.


    <em>Then I¡­</em>


    Something changed in Abel¡¯s mind. His mind ran counter from his past defeatist attitude. He remembered Mia¡¯s words. For him, Mia doesn¡¯t lie, and he don¡¯t want to waste her feelings of believing in him. He must uphold her trust in him.


    <em>¡­I have no choice but to win.</em>


    ¡°Please be prepared, Prince Sion¡±


    Abel was surprised by what he himself is saying. His voice contained a determination that Abel never had heard before no experienced before.


    ¡°Please be prepared, Sion Sol Sunnd¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Sion was quite puzzled by Abel¡¯s sudden change of demeanor.


    ¡°I, Abel Remno, will not lose to you.¡±


    Sion responds with a challenging smile at the dignified deration of war.


    ¡°Well, wee, Prince Abel Remno. Let¡¯s fight all our hearts out. I swear here to defeat you with all my might.¡±


    Chloe, Anne, and Tiona sighed and swooned over such a hot exchange. Liora sighed at the deliciousness of the grilled meat she made.


    <em>B-but¡­ my sandwich! What about my sandwich¡­?</em>


    Being ignored, Mia sighed sadly.

 Chapter 63

    <strong>Swordsmanship Tournament Part 4: The Decisive Match</strong>


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the next match. Sion Sol Sunnd, Abel Remno, pleasee up to the arena.¡±


    The two princes, who were called by their names, slowly walked onto the arena. Many students gathered around the arena to watch. As a crown prince of a kingdom and known as the genius of the sword, Sion attracted a lot of people. Abel, on the other hand, also attracted arge following, especially with him just being a first year and having a winning streak.


    <em>Well, this is certainly unexpected. I didn¡¯t think we will get so much attention.</em>


    With a dry smile, Abel bowed to Sion. Then he unsheathed his sword and raised it above his head. It is the first stance of the style of swordsmanship that was passed down by the Remno royalty. It is quite an aggressive stance.


    Sion, on the other hand, held his sword loosely far below his waist. Sion¡¯s sword stance reflects his genius. Using deflections and parries, he would tire his opponent down. Then he would wait for the perfect time to strike. His style was based on counterattacking. Each of his attacks were fatal because he only attacked when his opponent ispletely vulnerable. It is a style that demands extreme precision and absolute confidence. A style that is impossible for Abel.


    Abel Remno was an ordinary person. He was aware of it from the time he was born. But all his thoughts changed when he crossed swords with Sion. There he noticed that there is a natural difference in talents. He noticed that some were born better than others. He noticed that there indeed exist geniuses! There was a big gap, and it is a gap that he would never close. He had seen and experienced it first-hand. It was this day that he fully realized how mediocre he is.


    And so he gave up. It was the wisest choice. Some people are just more talented. He could try all he want but he know that he won¡¯t be able to catch up. There is no use trying. It is a perfectly logical decision.


    But then¡­, he came to St. Noel Academy and met Mia¡­ and something changed. A desire began to grow inside him. He did not want to lose to Sion. He wanted to win, for in winning, it will show that Mia was right to believe in him.


    But ah¡­ reality is cruel. He has felt that he cannot make up the difference in talent by efforts. If a person has talents but iszy and doesn¡¯t practice, then one might win by working hard. Hard work and efforts can ovee a talented person who does not work hard.


    Unfortunately, Sion is not that kind ofzy person. Though he was born with talents, he never took it for granted. Abel practiced hard, but so did Sion. Abel was facing a genius who never stops working hard. For him, who is not a genius, no amount of effort would ever be enough. The gap between them would never close, it will only grow wider¡­


    A normal approach would never work.


    Therefore, Abel threw away what was normal. It simple. His thoughts were very simple. If he can¡¯t win with general swordsmanship, he can just win through something else. He can prune away his training. He can narrow it down.


    Throw away the defenses, throw away the feints, throw away the thrusts, throw away the thrusts ¡­ He concentrates his efforts on only one thing. He raises his sword, and he swung it down. He repeated it. Then he did it again faster this time. And again, this time even more faster. He devoted all his time to this swinging motion since the night at the dance party. Everyday he poured his heart and soul into practicing only this one swing. And now¡­ now is the time to see the fruits of his efforts and hard work.


    So now he swung his sword. Now he will conquer a genius. Now he will y a god!


    Kerching!


    The sound of high-pitched metal fills the arena. Half a second alter, his hands felt the reverberating shock. Abel realized that his blow was blocked.


    <em>It still wasn¡¯t enough?!</em>


    He was disappointed. Despair slowly creeped up to him. He waited for the end. But it did note¡­ there is no counterattack from Sion.


    Abel¡¯s world came back into focus. Their swords are still shed, and then he noticed¡­ he is actually winning. He is pushing Sion to the edge of the arena. Sion is now just a step away from exiting the arena.


    ¡°I thought you said you were not going to hold back?¡± Abel said in an angry tone.


    Sion responds with a bitter smile to Abel.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t live up to your expectations, but it seems the circumstances has changed from then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are mocking me¡­ or¡­¡±


    Abel took offense of Sion¡¯s answer, but when he saw the sweat rolling down on Sion¡¯s face, he reconsidered.


    ¡°¡­ or maybe not. Well, it does not really matter as my options is totally limited. There¡¯s only a single thing I can do.¡±


    Abel stepped back and once again positioned for his overhead stance. Then he swung again.


    ¡°Ku!¡±


    Sion barely avoids the strike; the de missed him by a hair¡¯s width. He wasn¡¯t trying to show off his skills in dodging, the swing was just too sharp that he had to focus everything on dodging and even so, he can only dodge at thest minute.


    <em>No way, I wasn¡¯t really expecting this¡­</em>


    He did not underestimate Abel from before. He knows perfectly well the dangers of underestimating an opponent. However, Abel¡¯s wings were more than he expected. They were faster, sharper, and heavier. He can barely hold his sword in defence from Abel¡¯s strikes. There was no time to parry. His arms bear the full force of the impact of the strike.


    <em>I can barely feel my arms. Thest time this happened was when I was training with Father.</em>


    He could barely keep holding onto his sword, counterattacking is totally out of the equations. Undoubtedly, Abel¡¯s blow was putting Sion in a disadvantageous position.


    But ¡­


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    Abel swings down again, and Sion avoids it by his footwork.


    Sion Sol Sunnd is an unmistakable genius. Therefore, with the first strike, he had alreadypletely seen Abel¡¯s sword¡¯s range.


    <em>Even so, I was only able to manage it because all he does is an overhead swing. Otherwise¡­</em>


    Sion was aware that he could dodge the overhead swing because it was the only that the only attack that Abel really uses. If Abel mixed other motions in his attack ¨C even if they did not have the same strength behind it ¨C the variety of attack would keep the opponents on their toes. Abel¡¯s strong overhead swing, if coupled with other attacks, would surely be even a formidable enemy.


    Sion realized Abel¡¯s hidden potential and the danger he is in.


    Anyway, there is no choice but to wait for my arms to recover from the shock of blocking his strike. I don¡¯t know how many seconds it will take for the numbness to heal¡­


    A question urred to him and he decided to ask,


    ¡°Prince Abel ¡­ Is it because of Princess Mia? Is it because of her that makes you so strong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Princess Mia believed in me and wished for my victory¡­ So I can¡¯t afford to lose.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I thought so.¡±


    Sion sighed a little


    ¡°I am envious¡± then he re-held his sword.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the same for me. I can¡¯t lose.¡±


    The numbness in his arms were slowly recovering. Just a few more seconds and he will be ready. As he raised his sword, he waited¡­ and the whole arena waited as well¡­ He knew as Abel knew and the whole arena knew, that he is ready for a counterattack.


    A drop of rain fell onto his de as he readies it for a counterattack.


    <em><strong>Trantor¡¯s Rants:</strong></em>


    Yes, I have changed the style of posting, because why not¡­


    Hahahaha. No, I just find the pages quite hard to control as I cannot set them on a timer to appear, Wherein I can easily do it here on a post.

 Chapter 64

    <strong>The Essence of Princess Mia: Keithwood¡¯s Delusion</strong>


    <em>Hmm ¡­, Your Highness Sion, you¡¯re off guard.</em>


    From the spectator¡¯s stands, Keithwood calmly watched the match.


    <em>Looks like his talents got the better of him. Did he think he can stop the first strike? Although truth be told, there is rarely a blow that cannot be parried by His Royal Highness Sion¡­</em>


    Sion avoids Abel¡¯s sh with a very small margin. If even one of those blows hit him, then it is over. But Sion continues to evade them at a hair¡¯s breadth. He really lives up to his name as a genius.


    <em>But I didn¡¯t expect Prince Abel to be such a threat.</em>


    From their arrival at Saint Noel, Keithwood had kept tabs at Abel¡¯s swordsmanship. At that time, there was no question that Abel¡¯s skills were subpar. He was far below that of the genius of Sion.


    But now, Abel is overpowering Sion.


    <em>Looks like I misjudged Prince¡¯s Abel potential.</em>


    At this point, Keithwood was able to urately see Abel¡¯s potential. Abel¡¯s talent lies in his knowledge of himself. He can calmly and objectively evaluate his own abilities. He is fully aware of his own shorings, yet he refuses to give up. Instead, he was able to think of a way to defeat his opponent and keep at it tirelessly.


    Know yourself, know your enemy, and know how to push forward to reach the goal.


    It is a quality that is in no way inferior to Sion¡¯s natural genius. Rather, it is a talent that is needed for the Kingdom of Remno in the future.


    <em>The qualities that the king needs, huh? Indeed, if Prince Abel bes King Remno, that country will be stronger¡­</em>


    Abel¡¯s talent is starting to bloom. The birth of an excellent ruler is something that themon people should be pleased with¡­


    <em>As a person who serves His Royal Highness Sion, it¡¯s a littleplicated. It would be scary if the rtionship with the Kingdom of Remno was broken in the future.</em>


    Keithwood turned his attention away from the arena and onto a girl whose gaze never left the two princes since the match started.


    <em>I guess the person we should really be afraid of is Princess Mia.</em>


    She is the person who created this situation. The mastermind whoid down all the pieces. Of course, Prince Abel¡¯s efforts aremendable. His talents deserve recognition and caution, but he was not the one who caused him to bloom into his talents. It was Princess Mia who was behind the scenes, the one who arranged it all¡­


    ¡°I see¡­ It all makes sense now. Princess Mia cherishes talented individuals¡­¡±


    Keithwood muttered.


    At this point, he finally came up with the true essence of Mia.


    Princess Mia regretted the talent that was asleep in Prince Abel. She could not stand it being buried away by beingpared to his brother and to Princes Sion.


    Looking back at that time of dance party, choosing Sion as a dance partner was the most obvious and easy choice. It wasn¡¯t like Mia, who is called the wisdom of the empire, cannot see Sion¡¯s talent. Nevertheless, Mia chose Abel. She did it to bring out Abel¡¯s sleeping talents.


    While pondering about this, a chill ran Keithwood¡¯s spine as hees to a realization.


    <em>Wait. No, it¡¯s not that simple. The story is not so easy.</em>


    Cherishing talents is one of the qualities of a king. Even they are soldiers of an enemy country, as long as they are talented and are willing to pledge allegiance to the ruler. It will surely strengthen the country. But that¡¯s not surprising or something new. Sion and the King of Sunnd are always actively courting talented people. Most wise rulers in history had done the same.


    ¡­But Prince Abel¡­ he is not a subject of Princess Mia. And at the time of their meeting, the Kingdom of Remno and the Tearmoon Empire are neither allies nor friends. Mia cultivated Abel¡¯s talent, even though Abel¡¯s Remno Kingdom might be a hostile country in the future.


    If so, that means¡­


    <em>Does this mean that Princess Mia¡¯s view sees no borders? Is her world view unbound by the shackles of race and country?</em>


    Whether it¡¯s an enemy country or not is just a trivial matter for Mia. She is purely worried that there is a talented person whose talent will rot if not cherished.


    Moreover, she probably doesn¡¯t even care about the degree of talent.


    Mia was very tolerant of those who were rude to Tiona. She even bowed her head and asked Rafina for their forgiveness. As a result, Keithwood heard that those who have been forgiven are now working hard to repay Mia¡¯s grace.


    <em>She sees talent in every human being! And she will not forgive a talent that is not utilized. She will work hard until those talents bloom. That is the true essence of the Great Sage of the Empire!</em>


    The height from which she saw the world was utterly breath-taking. It was a perspective that surpassed even that of his Lord Sion¡­ Keithwood realizes that he is bing fascinated by Princess Mia.


    However, he reminded himself that his loyalty lies with his one and only Lord Sion.


    <em>If ever therees a day that there is a conflict between Sunnd and Tearmoon Empire, I should advise Prince Sion to at least stay on good terms with Princess Mia.</em>


    Keithwood vowed firmly in his heart.


    ¡­Of course, it goes without saying that all of this exist only inside Keithwood¡¯s head. And they were all a delusion. Nothing more or less than a delusion, nothing but a delusion.


    He may believe it with all his heart and mind, but it does not change the simple fact that it is only a delusion.


    However, unfortunately (or fortunately for Mia) for him, he was unlikely to ever get rid of this delusion.


    <em><strong>Trantor¡¯s Rant:</strong></em>


    Why is it that the chapters seem to be longer and longertely?


    Anyway, enjoy your day everyone!

 Chapter 65

    <strong>Swordsmanship Tournament Part 5: Promise of Rematch</strong>


    A high-pitched metallic sound echoes in the arena. It was the second time in this match that the two des met. There was a subtle change in the match. For the viewers, it seemed trivial, unnoticeable. But for the two fighters in the ring, the change was night and day.


    ¡°I see, so you are now really getting serious?¡±


    Abel said while grimacing from the feeling from the sh of the swords. It would have been better if he felt his sword deflected or if he felt a strong resistance from a block. However, his sh met without much resistance. The momentum of his strike has been parried. He nearly lost his bnce that he had to dig his heels into the ground to keep from falling over.


    ¡°No, I know you might not believe me, but I¡¯ve always been serious since we started the match.¡±


    While staring at Abel quietly, Sion gave a weak smile.


    ¡°Knowing really isn¡¯t everything. I know where your strike ising from, but still, it took me almost everything to parry it. Your overhead sh is the real deal.¡±


    Sion smiled as he slowly lowered his sword and positioned it for a lower stance.


    ¡°In honor of that sharp attack of yours, let me offer you an advice. If you do the same attack once more¡­ then it will surely be your defeat, Prince Abel.¡±


    Sion¡¯s smile now changed. What was a weak smile before, has turned into a ferocious smile. Abel realizes that he is not lying¡­


    ¡°Well then. There¡¯s only one thing I can do.¡±


    Abel raised his sword high above his head. His attitude hasn¡¯t changed at all. It was going to be the exact the same attack.


    ¡°Does this mean that you are giving up?¡±


    Sion sees Abel¡¯s unchanging stance and frowns slightly. Abelughed in response.


    ¡°Give up? No. This is how I will win, Prince Sion.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, it seems like I might have not given you the due respect you deserve. Allow me to change that. Abel Remno. I will do my best to defeat you.¡±


    If Abel listened to Sion¡¯s words and changed his tactics, Abel¡¯s defeat would have been certain. There is no attack that could have let him win in front of Sion¡¯s genius in swordy. But Abel did not waver. He took the same stance that he was most confident in. It was not because he is giving up, but because there is nothing else he can do to win. There was a determination in his eyes. This next attack would be harder, faster, and even more powerful than before.


    Sion acknowledged Abel¡¯s wordless challenge. He does not see him as a mere opponent but as a rival. A respected rival who is willing to bet everything he has to gain victory. It was only fitting that Sion match his resolve.


    The two approached each other then stopped just at the right distance for a strike. The rain has started to pour heavily but it seems these two cannot feel nor worry about it anymore. The heavy downpour wet and soaked every part of their clothes and body, but neither one of them even blinked. Abel was only thinking about hitting Sion with his best strike, and was improving his concentration. He has forgotten or stopped caring about everything else around him; and even the reality of the situation.


    That this is neither a life-threatening battle nor is it a battle. It¡¯s just a match to deepen the friendship between students. It¡¯s not something that is supposed to cause its contestants to catch a cold, or risk injury if they continue to fight under the rain. So of course ¡­


    ¡°Both of you up there!¡±


    The referee¡¯s voice called out.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of this match! Stop now!¡±


    Abel, was half-stunned by what he just heard.


    ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s that. I expected this would happen.¡±


    Sion shrugs his shoulders and sheathes his sword into the scabbard. Apparently he understood fully well what happened, and he didn¡¯t seem to be particrly surprised by the referee¡¯s decision.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to settle this match someday¡­ but probably not now for the time being. I wonder if this winter¡¯s swordsmanship tournament will be the closest opportunity.¡±


    With that said, Sion smiled at Abel.


    ¡°How about it Prince Abel? Can you promise me that we will have a rematch?¡±


    Sion extended his hand.


    ¡°That is exactly what I want.¡±


    Abel took his hand.


    Thus, with a firm handshake, the tournament match between the two ended.


    ¡°Prince Abel!¡±


    Mia ran up to Abel as soon as he got off the arena. Mia gives her utmost praises to Abel, her champion, who was about to defeat her archnemesis Sion in just about one more strike.


    ¡°It was amazing! But ooohhh, it was regrettable. You were just one step away. Just a little more and hnnnngggh!¡±


    ¡°Thank you Princess Mia¡­ but if I kept going like that, I would probably have¡­¡±


    Mia continues to rant, unaware of Abel¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure someone who is jealous of Prince Abel¡¯s victory wished for this rain. That jerk is so shallow minded! It¡¯s a shame that you were just one step away. You were really so soo close! This rain¡­ interfering with a fair match¡­ so unfair!¡±


    ¡­By the way, in the previous timelines, Mia, after eating her lunch alone, withdrew to her room alone. At that time, when Mia heard that the hated Sion was likely to win, she wished and prayed for rain, and when she heard that the tournament was cancelled due to rain, her screams of happiness could be heard.


    It was Mia who had forgotten about herself, who was shallow and a jerk for wishing for rain to interfere in the match.


    Thus, this year¡¯s swordsmanship tournament was cancelled due to rain. The promise of a rematch between the two princes will be fulfilled in an unexpected ce, faster than they expected. It¡¯s not on the arena, but on the battlefield, and that time, they will have to put their lives on the line¡­


    But that¡¯s a little further on the story.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Rants:</strong>


    The disappointment¡­ I know¡­ Rain wins the day. That¡¯s why I betted on Liora.


    It¡¯s the weekend so enjoy!

 Chapter 66

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Cold-Induced Dreams and Memories Part 1</strong>


    ¡°Ugh¡­ A¡­¡±


    Mia was groaning painfully as shey on top her bed inside her bedroom.


    On the day of the swordsmanship tournament, Mia stood under the rain watching excitedly Sion¡¯s struggle from Abel. Once it was over, she ran off to Abel and showered him with praises under the rain. Then Abel pointed out how the beautiful and lustrous her hair is once sunlight hit her rain-drenched hair. And so, without listening to Anne¡¯s advice, she moved around with her wet hair the whole day. The result is she caught a cold.


    Just after noontime, Mia woke up.


    ¡°Anne? Are you here, Anne?¡±


    She looked around the room with heavy and blurry eyes.


    ¡°Oh my, it seems strange.¡±


    She was puzzled by the state of her room.


    There was no sign of people in the room. It waspletely quiet. The room was all cluttered. There were half folded clothes all around, and the inks for pen have been left uncovered on the desk. Though it was messy, Mia was familiar with this room that was in total disarray.


    <em>Oh, I know when this is from. This is thest timeline¡­</em>


    Simrly in the previous timeline, Mia also caught a cold.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When I woke up, that girl wasn¡¯t in the room.¡±


    The girl Mia was talking about was her exclusive maid. When Mia fell asleep, she left the room to go outside. That girl was the third daughter of a powerful noble. She always smiled and ttered Mia when they were together. She had been Mia¡¯s favorite and she found herpliments pleasant to her ears.


    <em>I heardter that she did not want to catch my cold and so she left to have tea with her attendant friends.</em>


    Waking uppletely alone, the sun shining to show the emptiness of her room, she felt very alone. Dread started to take over. She held tight on her covers and forced her eyes close. She felt as if she was left all alone in the world. It was very very lonely.


    ¡°Mia-sama, Mia-sama ¡­¡±


    There was somebody shaking her body. Mia opens her eyes slowly¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama, are you okay?¡±


    Immediately in front of her was Anne¡¯s face. She seemed to be very worried.


    ¡°Wah? Oh, Anne ¡­ Oh, then¡­ was that only a dream?¡±


    Unsure and confused, Mia takes a look around. Did someone clean while she was sleeping? The room was neat and tidy, and no dust was in sight. Not only that, but somehow Mia felt calm and peaceful. It was the total opposite of the room in her dream.


    ¡°You were tumbling about. Did you have a bad dream?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Anne exhales a sigh relief upon hearing her answer. It seems that Anne put a chair beside the bed and watched over her all the time.


    ¡°Anne, I have a cold. You shouldn¡¯t get too close or you¡¯ll catch it too.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mia-sama? I¡¯m super healthy, so it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about me or anything else, just rest and sleep.¡±


    Anne dered with her hands on her hips. She then reced the cloth on Mia¡¯s forehead with a new one.to something else. The chilly feel of the cloth feelsfortable, and Mia falls asleep again.


    ¡°Mia-sama, that girl, she¡¯s reading a book by herself again.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, is she now?¡±


    It was an afternoon one day. One of Mia¡¯s entourages smiled nastily at Chloe reading a book in a corner of the ssroom. Chloe did not exist in the memory of Mia¡¯s previous life. She wasn¡¯t her friend, and they had very few interactions. So, she didn¡¯t really remember that day either.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think, Mia-sama? About that Chloe girl?¡±


    ¡°I heard she bought her title with money. I cannot believe that there is someone like that in this academy.¡±


    The girls around her made fun of Chloe as they please. Mia didn¡¯t join in, but she didn¡¯t stop them either.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very interested with her. What I¡¯m interested is what I heard. Prince Sion¡¯s attendant seems to be amoner but also very handsome¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia. Are you awake?¡±


    When she woke up again, it was Chloe who was by her bedside.


    ¡°Oh, Chloe ¡­¡±


    Gently closing the book she was reading, Chloe turned to Mia.


    ¡°Is there anything you want me to do? Do you want to drink water? Or do you want something to eat¡­ or¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your sympathy. But don¡¯t get too close or else you might catch my colds¡­ what is that?¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but notice. A white cloth covered the lower half of Chloe¡¯s face. It covered her nose and mouth.


    ¡°This is a mask. It helps to prevent me from catching a cold.¡±


    As expected, Chloe, the daughter of merchants, was unexpectedly knowledgeable.


    ¡°Anne is fetching some cold water right now. Also, I brought the cold medicine that my father sent me before, so please take itter.¡±


    Seeing Chloe, who smiled after saying that, Mia softly said¡­


    ¡°I have to apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia ignored Chloe¡¯s confused look and continued on.


    ¡°At that time, I pretended not to see you when you were suffering. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well, Princess Mia, was that a dream?¡±


    Chloe giggled.


    <em>Dream¡­ maybe that¡¯s the case.</em>


    Maybe that wasn¡¯t the case, and the future that will no longere is like a dream.


    Still, the guilt in Mia¡¯s chest was tingling and real. However¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of fun since I became friends with you, Princess Mia. I liked making sandwiches together, but more than that, it¡¯s like a dream to be able to talk about the stories that I have read with a friend. So please don¡¯t apologize. There is nothing to apologize for.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s words made Mia¡¯s heart feel a little lighter.


    Feeling a little sleepy again, Mia said in a soft voice.


    ¡°¡­ I wonder if you can tell me a story¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Just if want you to do it. If you¡¯ve found something interesting in a book you¡¯ve read recently. You could tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, then¡­¡±


    Hearing Chloe¡¯s gentle voice, Mia fell asleep again.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Rant:</strong>


    The will be released in about 4 hours from now, which will be thest chapter. Then an announcement.

 Chapter 67

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Cold-Induced Dreams and Memories: Part 2</strong>


    ¡°Then, Miss Tiona, be careful along the way.¡±


    It was thest day before summer vacation. Sion was seeing Tiona off with a refreshing smile. Tiona leaned out of her carriage window then returned a friendly smile.


    There were other people around Sion who wanted to say goodbye to him. This made Mia worry while she continued to receive farewells from her own people.


    ¡°Princess Mia, my father wants to meet you¡­¡±


    ¡°So would I love to visit you during this summer vacation, myself and His Majesty the Emperor ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, visit us first. Our territory may be small, but it has the best summer resort ¡­¡±


    As she answers each of the requests appropriately, Mia made a sneak peek towards Sion. Suddenly their eyes met. His normally bright eyes seemed cold. Sion broke the eye contact as if he lost interest. Mia did not understand his expression.


    <em>Why doesn¡¯t Prince Sione to greet me? Oh, I¡¯m sure he is still feeling awkward after turning down the lunch box. Oh, he¡¯s silly. He doesn¡¯t have to worry about that.</em>


    Mia waspletely unaware of the current feelings Sion and Tiona until the revolution started. Not only that, but she also couldn¡¯t even grasp the hearts of those around her. She never had the time to consider the feelings of others, nor did she care to. That was until the world as she knew it came to an end


    Thest year she spent at Saint noel was the year when the empire was falling due to tight finances and uprisings in various parts of the country. During that time, at the final day of school, Mia found herself all alone¡­


    ¡°Why is this happening?¡±


    There was not a single person that bothered to bid Mia farewell. Tearmoon aristocrats other than Mia could not afford to send their children to the school, and those from other countries avoided her. They don¡¯t want to be involved with the troublesome princess of a falling empire.


    Mia was alone. Truly alone.


    Meanwhile, Sion, who was still gathering people around him, stared at Mia with cold eyes and said in a cold, sharp voice.


    ¡°I despise you, Princess Mia¡±


    ¡°Hiiii!¡±


    Mia screamed as she sprang up from her bed. Her whole body is soaked with sweat.


    ¡°Ah ¡­ oh, it was a dream?¡±


    A cup appeared at her side. Mia took it and drank the cold water all at once.


    ¡°Thank you. I needed that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. But you seemed to be screaming, did you have a bad dream?¡±


    A cold hand touches her cheek. Mia was touched by the gesture and fascinated by thefort. She was ready to close her eyes again, but ¡­


    <em>Oh Wait! Don¡¯t I recognize this voice?</em>


    Mia slowly turned her neck to see who was beside her.


    ¡°Fuhya!¡±


    She almost jumped out of the bed, screaming.


    The person who was looking into Mia¡¯s face was no other than¡­


    ¡°Ah, ah, Abel ¡­ Prince? Why are you here?¡±


    It was Prince Abel gazing at her softly and gently.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be watching ady¡¯s sleeping face, but Miss Anne asked me to watch over you for a while.¡±


    Mia could see Anne raising her thumbs up.


    <em>I know you think you are doing your best for me Anne. But you are doing your best in all the wrong things!</em>


    She lifts the nket all the way up to cover her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your sympathy, but I think you should not stay here. I don¡¯t want you catching my cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that might be convenient.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is a legend of my country that a cold can be cured by transferring it to another person. If Princess Mia can be cured by me catching it, then it is worth it.¡±


    With that said, Abel embarrassedlyughed.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    His youthful and cheerful smile cheered up Mia. After that, Mia enjoyed chatting with Abel.


    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s summer vacation soon.¡±


    ¡°Will Princess Mia return to the empire after all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are a lot of things I must do in my country. I¡¯ll be in the empire all the time during the holidays.¡±


    Mia can¡¯t just take it easy just because it¡¯s a long vacation. She has to do everything she can to escape the fate of the guillotine.


    ¡°What will Prince Abel do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going home, but I¡¯m thinking of going back to school a little earlier. I was wondering if I could be with you somewhere during the summer vacation, but it seems that I shall be disappointed.¡±


    <em>Why does this person say something that makes me nervous?</em>


    Mia diverts her gaze from Abel and exhales a little to calm herself down.


    Then, they heard a knocking from the door.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Prince Sion and Miss Tiona also said they woulde to visit youter.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, it seems that I will be busy today.¡±


    Of course, in her head she was thinking that they¡¯re all annoying, even though she is lying down because of a cold¡­


    Though thinking like that, Mia tilts her head a little. To be honest, she did not feel ufortable with their visits.


    <em>Is it because I slept a lot?</em>


    Even her head, which felt heavy because of fever, began to lighten before she knew it.


    ¡°Excuse us Princess Mia. How is your cold?¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama, this is a heat-cooling paste sent from my parents¡¯ house. I have to apologize in advance that it was made from herbs grown by my younger brother and it¡¯s nothing fancy¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s room was filled with warm and lively air. It was a calm and gentle atmosphere filled with friendship,panionship, and pure love. Something that she never experienced on the previous timeline.


    -End of Volume 1-


    Great extra stories and side storiesing next¡­


    Volume 2 will start after them.

 Chapter 67.1

    Extra Story Part 1


    <strong>Mia, Anne, and the Bath Part 1</strong>


    The winter in the Tearmoon Empire is always cold. At its peak, when it is coldest, even the puddles are covered with ice and snow.


    The dungeon where Mia was imprisoned was no exception to the cold weather. In fact, one could freeze to death if one stays still. In such a cold dungeon, Mia was almost barenaked. Her delicate body was exposed to the cold freezing air.


    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s getting cold¡­ Well, it is already winter.¡±


    Once a week, she gets to clean her body, and today is that day.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to do it¡­¡±


    She enjoys it during the summer months. However, in the cold winter months, wiping her body bes a tedious chore. The water she is given to wash her body is cold, sometimes to the point that ice floats at the top. Nevertheless, she gets on with it because if she doesn¡¯t, then the next time she gets water to wash would be next week. And that would mean that she will remain dirty for another week. Being dirty is something she can hardly tolerate.


    Reluctantly, Mia took off her clothes and immediately goosebumps appeared on her skin. Anne looked at Mia¡¯s pale, fragile, white back as she put her hand into the tub of water. There was ice floating on the water, and it was cold enough that she can feel the freezing pain in her hand. Anne was silently raging. She once tried to protest, but she was just ignored, and the situation did not really improve.


    To alleviate the cold water, Anne immediately wipes her after with a damp cloth. The cloth wasn¡¯t exactly perfectly clean nor was it warm, but this was the best Anne could do so Mia won¡¯t suffer from the cold water. Mia does not offer any resistance¡­ by now, she was well aware of the situation she was in.


    Anne decided to start a conversation with Mia to ease the awkward silence. The topic of the conversation is¡­


    ¡°A big bath¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is a public bath in the town, and everyone can use it freely. You haven¡¯t heard of it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I have never heard of it before.¡±


    Anne continues talking while drying Mia¡¯s back with the warm damp cloth.


    ¡°I usually go with my sisters. When I go there after a day¡¯s work, it blows the tiredness of my body away.¡±


    While talking about her sister in a gentle voice, Anne talks to Mia as if she was also her sister.


    In Mia¡¯s eye, Anne looked dazzling.


    <em>I also want to go with her.</em>


    Mia swallowed that small wish of hers without even voicing it. She knew it was a wish that could never be fulfilled¡­


    She knew she would trouble Anne is she said it. And she doesn¡¯t want to be annoying to Anne, the only person she knows that cares for her.


    Instead, Mia said with a smile¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how you can enjoy that when there¡¯s a lot of people with you. But it might be something that themon people enjoy.¡±


    Anne did not get angry with what she said. Rather, she found the smile on Mia¡¯s face to be lonely. It was painful for her to see the former proud Princess dropping her shoulders. However, if sheforts her here, then it will just hurt Mia¡¯s pride.


    After thinking for a while, Anne decided to do a little mischief. She soaked her fingertips into the cold water and then stroked Mia¡¯s nape.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oooohhhh. Hinnnn!!!!¡±


    Mia¡¯s delicate body jerked up. The surprised Mia turned around to face Anne who was smiling.


    ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it fun? I thought you wouldn¡¯t get it just by talking, so I gave you a little demonstration.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, stop it Anne. Here!¡±


    Mia tickled Anne¡¯s sides while pouting.


    ¡°I will remember this Anne. Next time I go to the bath with you, I will definitely take my revenge¡­ After all, I¡¯m quite a vindictive person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that would probably not happen. You see, it is impossible for the Princess and themoners to take the same bath.¡±


    Anne replied with a grin.


    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t know about that. If the dayes when I can leave this ce, perhaps I won¡¯t be a princess anymore, will I? If my status is revoked, I will be amoner just like you. Then of course, I can go to the bath with you. Will you then go to the bath with me?¡±


    Anne smiled at Mia who was smiling as well.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Well then, let¡¯s go together and then I¡¯ll return your revenge.¡±


    She knew well as so does Mia¡­ that that day will nevere.


    The only time that she will leave the dungeon would mean that it was the time of her execution. Their wishes can never be fulfilled¡­


    Mia then thanked Anne from the bottom of her heart. She thanked her for always showing her a cheerful smile, for always trying her best not to feel the cold and washing her up so she won¡¯t be dirty.


    Anne staying by her side until her final moments was a debt she will carry to her next timeline.

 Chapter 67.2

    Extra Story Part 2


    <strong>Mia, Anne, and the Bath Part 2</strong>


    <em>I never thought that such an opportunity would happen in that previous timeline. But this time my debt and the promise¡­ there is finally an opportunity.</em>


    But even with her second timeline, the promise was not fulfilled easily. It was only natural when one thinks about it. There was no way that the Imperial Princess could go to the public bathhouse for themon people. In the same way, it is not as if Anne can take a bath in the castle together with Mia.


    However, Mia really wanted to take a bath with Anne. She wanted to experience the fun of girls having a bath together. The opportunity finally came at Saint Noel¡¯s Academy, and she immediately visited the baths with Anne.


    But¡­


    At that time, Rafina was there and so she could not rx. So¡­


    ¡°Anne, do you want to take a bath with me?¡±


    Mia invited Anne again a few days after their encounter with Rafina in the bathroom. Just the other day, thergemunal bath was fully reserved by a certain someone who does not want to be walked in by Rafina. Mia asked Anne with sparkling eyes to once again go to the bath with her.


    <em>This time, I won¡¯t let her make excuses that there¡¯s someone else in the bath.</em>


    ¡°Then Mia-sama, I will wash your back.¡±


    Anne tied her long red hair on top of her hair, then she knelt down beside Mia. Mia immediately proposes¡­


    ¡°Hey Anne,st time, didn¡¯t you wash my back first as well?¡±


    Mia not only wants to take a bath with Anne, but she also wants to have fun. In short, she wants to y with Anne.


    Thest time she washed Anne¡¯s back, Anne was so nervous that she was stiff.


    <em>This is different from what I heard.</em>


    Mia wanted to have a fun bath where they will be sshing water, tickle each other, and so on. So, today Mia was burning for revenge! Yes, revenge!


    ¡°Well Mia-sama, I guess that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    When Anne tried to resist like she did thest time, Mia said with a mischievous smile¡­


    ¡°Anne, I¡¯m sorry to tell you¡­ but this is an order. As you know, I am a selfish princess. Now, sit here and I¡¯ll do it for you first.¡±


    Mia was forceful today with her revenge.


    She washed Anne¡¯s back for a few minutes until it was shiny.


    <em>Hmm¡­ It¡¯s strange. Anne is still nervous. This is not fun.</em>


    Anne pouted her cheeks in dissatisfaction.


    What should I do? Oh, that¡¯s right¡­


    The scenes from her previous timeline crossed her mind unexpectedly. Mia made a mischievous smile.


    ¡°I was not only indebted to you, but I also have a grudge against you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about, Mia-sama.¡±


    Anne was surprised and tried to turn around. With a smile, Mia pressed her cold palm against Anne¡¯s back.


    ¡°Eh?! Uhya!¡±


    Anne jumped out with a strange scream.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what are you doing, Mia-sama?!¡±


    ¡°Ufufufu¡­ It¡¯s my payback. My revenge.¡±


    ¡°A payback? Revenge?¡±


    Anne tilted her head curiously. When she saw Miaughing happily, she seemed to guess what Mia was trying to do. So, Anne just smiled.


    ¡°Do you remember what you and Rafina-sama were talking about before? That in the bath, there isn¡¯t any barriers. It does not matter if you are part of the aristocracy or amoner¡­¡±


    While saying this, Anne reached out to Mia¡¯s side. Of course, her hands aren¡¯t cold now like in the previous timeline.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia was abit surprised by Anne grabbing her by the sides. Though Anne is not like the nasty prison guard (that forces Mia to clean with cold water), Anne has a special technique that was cultivated when she went to the bath with her sisters. It was a fun ying technique.


    She touched Mia¡¯s smooth belly and tickled her with waxy fingers! Of course, Mia had never been tickled before. No one had ever dared to do anything like that. Mia, who had no immunity whatsoever in being tickled, splendidly jumped up.


    ¡°What? Uhyau!¡±


    Even more, Anne was a tickler-master. It was a skill she developed and mastered by having tickle fights with her sisters.


    ¡°Hey! No¡­no¡­ no¡­ stop¡­ no¡­ hahahahaha¡±


    Mia could notpete with her. It was a one-sided tickle fight. Thus, the avenger, Mia, was tickled, stunned, and defeated. She was able to enjoy this bath sincerely from the bottom of her heart.


    By the way, the next day, Rafina warned Mia with a smile,


    ¡°Please do not be too loud in the big bathroom, Mia.¡±


    Mia, who was scared and tearful from embarrassment, renewed her thoughts.


    <em>I¡¯m not going to take revenge anymore.</em>


    Congrattions! Congrattions!

 Chapter 67.3

    Short Story 1


    <strong>Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through a Mutual Misunderstanding Part 1</strong>


    ¡°You¡¯re getting me into trouble, Baron Radnor. Paying taxes is a fundamental part of the Empire. I¡¯m sure that you are aware of this as a noble.¡±


    Ludwig said to the middle-aged man standing before him. They were in the manor of the Baron of Radnor. The baron¡¯s face looked as if he has eaten something bitter, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t pleased to see Ludwig.


    ¡°As you can see, here is the amount that you reported to the Golden Moon Ministry¡­¡±


    Ludwig said as he handed over a piece of parchment with numbers written on it.


    ¡°¡­and here is the tax revenue that you actually collected from your territory. I¡¯m sure you will notice the discrepancy. That should tell you the purpose of my visit today¡­¡±


    Ludwig stopped himself from adding, ¡°you thieving bastard¡± but he could not keep it in and instead tsk could be heard. He has to waste parchment for this one after all. And parchment isn¡¯t cheap.


    ¡°Certainly, I understand. It¡¯s not that I do not want to pay, you know¡­¡±


    Lord Radnor answer while barely managing to smile as he was looking at the parchment.


    ¡°¡­ If Lord Bluemoon were to hear of this, I can¡¯t help to think what would happen.¡±


    Lord Bluemoon is one of the Four Dukes of Tearmoon, and he is the leader of the faction that Baron Radnor belongs to.


    ¡°He would surely wonder why a good friend of his is being harassed by taxes. Surely you understand what I mean.¡±


    Baron Radnor tried to look as intimidating as he can be, but Ludwig only shrugged.


    ¡°Of course. I am totally aware that if Lord Bluemoon were to learn that a tax issue was going to endanger his rtionship with Her Highness, it would be problematic¡­ for you.¡±


    While saying this, Ludwig looked at Radnor over his sses. Seeing that his threat was useless against Ludwig, Radnor started feeling uneasy. He started to understand what Ludwig is truly saying to him. If Duke Bluemoon hears about this, then the Duke has to choose between Baron Radnor or Princess Mia. The choice will be quite obvious.


    In reality, of course, the Duke of Bluemoon would surely be filing a formalint if he hears that a lowly Golden Moon official was harassing a noble from his own faction. Even with the backing of Princess Mia, Duke Bluemoon is still a formidable foe.


    The Four Dukes hold great influence and power in the Empire that even the Princess herself has to tread lightly around them. Even more so for a mere government official like Ludwig. That is why Ludwig had to project confidence. Any signs of apprehension might allow Radnor to see through him.


    Noticing that the baron was shaken, Ludwig continued his attack.


    ¡°I am just asking that the correct amount be paid. The discrepancy between your original report and your¡­te payment is not a big concern. Her Highness has no intention of taking issue with such matters. As I can remember her saying, ¡®Anyone can make a mistake¡¯.¡±


    Ludwig was giving the baron a clear hint that as long as he pays up, then he was willing to let the whole thing slide. Instead of submitting a false tax return, the incident will be recorded as an error in ounting or in recording. It would be seen as a dyed payment instead of tax evasion. It was the perfect example of carrot-and-stick. Baron Radnor immediately bit it.


    He put on a humble smile¡­


    ¡°Then in that case, I shall have the money prepared immediately. You travelled a long way here, I can¡¯t have you go back empty handed, can I? Also, if you can, when you see Her Highness, I would really appreciate it if you can put in a good word in for me.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will see to it.¡±


    Ludwig gave one final disgusted nce at Radnor before turning away. He let out a deep sigh¡­

 Chapter 67.4

    Short Story 2


    <strong>Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through a Mutual Misunderstanding Part 2</strong>


    <em>Goodness¡­ These people are not really thinking¡­</em>


    Ludwig was rubbing his temples because of a headache sinceing back to his office in the Golden Moon Ministry.


    <em>If they know they are going to get caught, whymit fraud? They might as well as just not do it in the first ce¡­ If only all nobles are as wise as Her Highness, my job would be a lot more easier.</em>


    He sighed while shaking his head.


    <em>Well, I guess it will only be a dream.</em>


    ¡°Hey! Are those new wrinkles or you are just happy to see me?¡±


    Ludwig was startled and looked up to see a man standing before his door. The man had a thick blond hair with a trimmed beard. His intelligent brown eyes match his charming smile. Ludwig smiled upon seeing this man.


    ¡°Oh! Balthazar. It has been a long time. When did youe back to the capital?¡±


    ¡°I just arrived this afternoon. I heard you were looking for me, so I came here directly.¡±


    This man was Balthazar Brandt who was an old friend of Ludwig and works at Scarlet Moon Ministry. He was born into afortable life as the third son of a count. Even with his luxurious upbringing, his talent continued to bloom. He wanted to test his limits and so he went to the capital to study under the most prestigious schr. It was there that he met Ludwig. After passing the Scarlet Moon Ministry exam, he started making a name for himself as a young and capable official.


    ¡°I did not think that we would meet again so soon¡­ It looks luck is on my side.¡±


    Ludwig said while sighing with relief. He did not request a meeting with him just to reminisce their olden days. Even now that he has the backing of the Princess of Tearmoon, he is still just a public servant. In the Golden Moon Ministry where he worked, he was quite vocal about abolishing policies that tend to favor only the nobility, and he made sure that taxes were collected fairly and impartially.


    There were always people like Baron Radnor whose deep connections always scare his fellow workers. With those kinds of persons, he gives them a personal visit. Because of this, he is often in conflict with the factions of the Four Dukes and was known to be thorn in the side by the nobles.


    However, that was the extent of his aplishments. There was a limit on what he can do as he is just an official of Golden Moon Ministry whose job only covers taxation and financial matters. He was only a small entity against the whole Empire. If he wants to fix the Empire, he needed friends. Friends who share in his vision and will rally under the same cause.


    Ludwig and Balthazar went to a familiar restaurant and sat down in a private room. Balthazar immediately asked¡­


    ¡°So, what is happening? Did you just call me to show off your new wrinkles?¡±


    ¡°Will you please stop it with my wrinkles! Well, it is true that I have been busytely. I can feel the fatigue catching up with me¡­¡±


    Ludwig stifled a yawn and shook himself to keep himself awake.


    ¡°From what I hear, you have been stepping on toestely. You really are seriously cracking down on those nobles.¡±


    Balthazar came from the upper crust of nobility, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he has heard rumors.


    ¡°My parents back at home have been talking about you, you know. But don¡¯t get the wrong idea. They would never be involved in any suspicious activities.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Ludwig gave a mocking smile, to which Balthazar replied with a cynical smile of his own.


    ¡°Of course, feel free to punish them if you catch them doing something shady. Don¡¯t go easy on them on ount of me. All these tax evasions can bring the empire to its knees that is why we should always be watchful of forces that n to corrupt the moral fiber of the Empire.¡±


    Balthazar was a patriot and a rationalist. It would not be surprising if he would not spare even his own family if he caught them with wrongdoing. It is this absolutism that Ludwig liked about him most.


    ¡°You are absolutely right, but there is something more concerning than tax fraud. It is the discrimination within the Empire that is firmly rooted.¡±


    ¡°Discrimination huh?¡±


    While talking, the server arrived with their drinks. Balthazar took a small drink and faced Ludwig to challenge him on his im.


    ¡°I admit that there is discrimination toward some minor tribes in remote regions, but is it really a big problem to be concerned with? The way things are right now, they seem fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you just ying dumb? I actually proposed this to Baron Radnor if he is willing to open hisnd to cultivation. His barony may not be that big, but it is t and has rivers. It is perfect for growing crops. I even offered him subsidies. Want to guess his reply?¡±


    Ludwig sighed¡­


    ¡°¡­ it was like talking to a wall.¡±


    Balthazar folded his arms and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, that is not surprising. I don¡¯t think there would be a lot of nobles who are willing to turn theirnds into farms.¡±


    The farmers and agriculture in general are all looked down by the nobles. Because of this, the empire is hardly self-sufficient, and they have to spend a lot of money just for the import of food. It is this issue that keeps Ludwig up at night.


    ¡°Unless we can find a solution to this problem, I am afraid that there is no future for the Empire.¡±

 Chapter 67.5

    Short Story 3


    <strong>Princess Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through a Mutual Misunderstanding Part 3</strong>


    The discrimination against agriculture in the Empire can be traced back to its very roots. Thend that the Tearmoon Empire is on used to be called the Fertile Crescent. A seed nted there would easily reap ten or even twenty times more than a seed nted anywhere else. The people that originally lived in the regions lived through farming. They lived easy lives with abundant resources and plenty of harvests. They had very little conflict¡­


    ¡­until they were invaded by a tribe of hunters. This tribe used their hunting skills for war and so they were able to quickly subjugate the original inhabitants. Since then, the conquered natives were mocked by their new rulers. These new rulers called them the ¡°ves of thend.¡± They were ridiculed and called spineless and talentless. They were thought to be too cowardly to hunt that they can only live by tilling thend. As serfs, they provided their masters with food andbor. This made the invaders richer and richer.


    At some point, these hunters began calling themselves as nobles. And the man who was their tribe leader became the First Emperor of the Empire. From that time, the farmers had always upied the bottom spot of the social hierarchy of the Empire. Even when serfdom was abolished long time ago, the discrimination remained alive and well. It was still thought that those who farm are only those who have no other talent for doing anything else. It isn¡¯t like the noble altogether prohibit farming. But they only farm the bare minimum and if they can, they prefer to rely on imports. This is why thest thing that they want is that their territories be turned into farnds. This is the ultimate irony of the Tearmoon Empire. It is an empire built upon thends perfect for farming, but the ones living in it utterly despise it.


    That twisted concept is now what Ludwig is fighting against. He is going against the very history and tradition of the Empire itself.


    ¡°At the moment, we are totally relying on food imports from the neighboring kingdoms. This situation is too risky. If ever there is a famine, those kingdoms will surely prioritize themselves. So, unless we increase our domestic production and be self-sufficient, then the Empire has no future.¡±


    ¡°I do agree with what you are saying but changing the current mindset and situation will be very difficult.¡±


    Balthazar grimaced as he was already considering the implications of forcing the noble to farm.


    Seeing that his prey has taken the bait, Ludwig leaned forward.


    ¡°The reason I wanted to meet with you is to ask about the state of things in the edges of the empire. Those Ound nobles¡­ how are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Probably exactly as you suspect.¡±


    The areas that were newly absorbed into the Empire were known as the Imperial Ounds. And so, the rulers of those regions weremonly called as Ound nobles. They had already been farming even before being part of the empire, thus they felt no shame in tilling thend. Since they became part of Tearmoon, however, they were ridiculed by the nobles of the capital. They were seen as country bumpkins and called Ound Nobles. Of course, this causes a lot of resentment and anger.


    ¡°Soon even the Ound nobles will follow the ways of the others and will reduce their farnds. The Scarlet Moon Ministry has rules that set limit the amount of farnd that can be repurposed¡­ but as long as there is money, the rules can be bent.¡±


    It seems to be that the Ound nobles are slowly following the trend of the Central nobles. They now want to repurpose theirnds to something else other than farming.


    ¡°Outcount Rudolvon is one of the few exceptions. He is determined to keep hisnds for farming. But nobles like him are hard to find.¡±


    Bncing the supply and demand was getting difficult every day even with the import of food from other countries. There is a noticeable slow decline in the amount of food harvest. Though the decline may be slow, it is nevertheless there; slowly and surely. The effect is surely fatal. Ludwig thinks of it as a poison that is slowly dripping into the Empire, that will cause it its death almost unknowingly.


    ¡°While on topic, what about our special Princess, who you keep on talking about? Does the Wisdom of the Empire have a grasp of the problems that we are facing?¡±


    Just moments ago, Ludwig was brooding about the Empire¡¯s problem. But upon hearing the mention of the name of Mia, his spirits immediately lifted. Although the situation of the Empire may seem to be heading to its doom, there is still hope. And Ludwig fully knows where that hopees from.


    ¡°I received a letter from her Highness yesterday. It was the first one that she had sent since leaving for the academy¡­¡±


    He smiled knowingly¡­


    ¡°She wrote that she attended her first meet-and-greet party. Do you want to have a guess of who was hosting it?¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Perujin Agricultural Country.¡±


    Balthazar took a deep breath. In his eyes were starting to show a hint of admiration.


    ¡°I must say¡­ that is interesting.¡±


    Perujin Agricultural Country is a country in the southwest border of Tearmoon. Even though itsnd area isrge, their military and economic power is weaker than that of Tearmoon. That is because about eighty percent of their poption were farmers.


    Because of this, Tearmoon looks down at Perujin as a second-rate, uncivilized, and undeveloped country that is hardly worth of its time. It was considered to be a country of serfs. Sadly, this discrimination from the Tearmoon nobles blinded them from the truth. Most of the food imported into the Empire actually came from the country that they looked down on. This just shows how gravely the situation really is.


    ¡°The country that is looked down by nobles but it actually vital to the Empire, huh¡­ If the Princess did this out of diplomatic insight, then¡­ what this could mean would be¡­ my God. That¡¯s definitely a progressive thinking!¡±


    ¡°This is Her Highness we are talking about, you know. I won¡¯t be surprised if it was all calcted. But that¡¯s not the end of it, there¡¯s more to the letter. Guess what happened next?¡±

 Chapter 67.6

    Short Story 4


    <strong>Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through a Mutual Misunderstanding Part 4</strong>


    ¡°Rania, I know I have said this before, but I will say it again. So, listen well. Do not, under any circumstance, show any discourtesy to the guest from the Tearmoon empire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t show them any discourtesy Father.¡±


    Rania Tafrif Perujin, the third Princess of Perujin Agricultural Country, gave a mechanical answer. Her reluctant expression was hidden by the veil she was wearing over her face.


    ¡°I must tell you again how important the Empire is when ites to our industries¡­¡±


    ¡°You do not have to worry Father. I will do my best so that everything will proceed smoothly.¡±


    Rania cut off her father. She has been hearing the same thing over and over again for years, since she started attending Saint Noel¡¯s Academy. It does not really matter much anyway. It is more than likely that anybody of importance from Tearmoon Empire would attend the get together. Well, she¡¯d be lucky if they even show up in the first ce. But she kept her arguments at heart and did not voice them out to her father.


    She wasn¡¯t always like this. When she was a child, she was already aware of her responsibility as Perujin Princess to take care of her kingdom¡¯s future. With those ideals, she enrolled at Saint Noel¡¯s Academy. Every year in the early spring, the Perujin students would host a meet-and-greet where they would invite the Tearmoon students. This is with the goal of having friendly rtions and that the Tearmoon students can taste the products of Perujin. The Tearmoon students in the future would inherit the titles of their parents, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be in friendly terms with them early on. This was what the party was for.


    During her first year at Saint Noel¡¯s Academy, she dedicated her everything into preparing for this event. She researched the best recipes, used the best ingredients, and spent many sleepless nights to make sure that only the best of the best will be served to the Tearmoon students. However, reality was harsh. When the day of the event came, only a handful of the Tearmoon students showed up. Even more, all of those who showed up were from lower ranking noble families. Adding insult to injury, it was clear from their expressions that they were only forced to attend the event.


    At first Rania could not understand such behavior. What was the reason for such a sad turnout of attendance and such a rude disy? The answer came from her older sister. A country of serfs; second rate; tributary. These were the terms that were used by the Tearmoon nobles in describing Perujin. She had learned from her sister that years ago, when it was her sister¡¯s turn, that she also had to endure such humiliation just to entertain an ungrateful bunch of Tearmoon students. There was nothing she could do but put on a smile and keep her anger within her heart.


    The truth hurts, the truth that the weak has no other choice but to endure. If the diplomatic rtions between Perujin and Tearmoon would deteriorate, then war would be unavoidable. And if that happened, Perujin would be crushed like an ant. Ever since that day, she had lost all energy and excitement.


    The annual event was again approaching this year and she was no longer looking forward to it. Just imagining what might happen makes her want to vomit. It is after all very reasonable. She doesn¡¯t want her hard work to be mocked as a second-rate food.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I wish this event would just get cancelled¡­¡±


    While thinking such a thing, an idea came to her¡­


    ¡°¡­ since it is nothing but just a cheap show, I might as well as have some fun!¡±


    Rania decided to y a joke on her soon-to-be ungrateful visitors. Looking at the all the delicious and beautiful dishes of food that will be presented in the party, she added a few preserved foods that was long stale.


    Because Perujin¡¯s primary industry is agriculture, they invest heavily into researching preservation techniques. It allows them to keep the food longer with the vour difference that can only be noticed by an expert tongue. Since Tearmoon usually send second-tier nobles, they would never be able to tell the difference.


    Rania smiled to herself while imagining the clueless idiots that would happily eat stale food. She knows it is petty of her to do so, but at least she will get some fun out of it. However¡­ in what seems to be a karma for her mischievous ns, her mischief returned to her¡­


    It was finally time for the party and the guests arrived¡­ Rania¡¯s jaw almost fell to the floor in surprise¡­


    ¡°Prince Rania, I extend my greatest gratitude for the invitation for this beautiful party filled with the best of your foods.¡±


    <em>Wha¡­ wha¡­ why?! Howe?</em>


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Thoughts:</strong>


    This story was supposed to happen early when Mia arrived at the academy. Parts of this SS were inserted into some parts of the main story. And in the manga it appeared as a chapter on its own. I think it is chapter 13 in the manga.

 Chapter 67.7

    Short Story 5


    <strong>Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through Mutual Misunderstanding Part 5</strong>


    ¡°I am Mia Luna Tearmoon, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire. It is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    The one who was leading the Tearmoon students was no other than the VIP of VIPPs, the great daughter of the Tearmoon Emperor, Princess Mia herself!


    <em>Oh no! Deep breaths¡­ deep breath¡­ I need to calm down¡­ Rania, do not panic now.</em>


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness. I am Rania Tafrif Perujin, Third Princess of Perujin Agricultural Country. I thank you foring to this party. Please enjoy all these delicious foods from my country, Perujin.¡±


    She tried to hide her panic by making a deep bow. However, when she looked up, she could see Princess Mia¡¯s deep blue eyes. Mia was staring straight at her.


    ¡°Hyaa¡­ Uh¡­ uhm¡­. Your Highness?¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Oh, my apologies. Please do not mind me.¡±


    Mia¡¯s cool response failed to calm down the hard beating of Rania¡¯s heart.


    <em>It seems like she saw through me¡­</em>


    It was then that Rania remembered something important. The well-known Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon had another title. She was also called as the Wisdom of the Empire.


    <em>Was she able to see through my prank? That cannot be, surely. But what if she did¡­ She cannot possibly know. I mean it is only one food out of all these delicious dishes, she surely won¡¯t get to choose that one¡­ hopefully¡­</em>


    Rania¡¯s thought was racing as fast as her heart. She looked at all the different dishes that were on the tables. There were so many of them ¨C probably as many as the butterflies she feels in her stomach.


    ¡°Ah! Oh, my apologies. Please do not mind me.¡±


    After staring at Rania¡¯s face for a while, Mia shook her head. She observed that Rania has a beautiful tan, and she had a charm that matches with it. She had dark hair like the night sky, and she had green eyes like a summer forest.


    <em>Right! Like this, I can easily remember her features. Now that I have seen her up close, I won¡¯t forget again!</em>


    Mia was feeling satisfied with herself after being able to take note of the details of Rania¡¯s face.


    She remembered a memory from her previous timeline. It was during the year when the Empire has been struck by a great famine. During that time, Ludwig has been working hard trying to import enough food for the empire.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ if I may be allowed to speak frankly about the source of my irritation¡­¡±


    The past Ludwig said with a vein throbbing in his temple out of anger.


    ¡°W¡­well, you may not¡­¡±


    Mia stammered as she fears Ludwig¡¯s expression.


    ¡°We were about to negotiate with the country that can really help us, right? And the princess attended the academy at the same time as you, right? Then, why is that YOU¡ª CAN¡¯T¡ª REMEMBER¡ª WHAT¡ª SHE¡ª LOOKS¡ª LIKE?!¡±


    ¡°I-I did just say ¡®you may not¡¯!¡±


    Ludwig ignored Mia¡¯s protest and continued with his lecture¡­


    ¡°I am sure that you are aware that the reason why the children of nobles are sent to Saint Noel¡¯s Academy is to build rtionships and diplomacy for future events, right?¡±


    ¡°O¡­ of course I know that. I feel sorry for what happened¡­¡±


    What happened was a failure of negotiations because of Mia. After a series of invites and talks, Ludwig was able to finally invite Perujin toe over for a negotiation deal. The Third Princess of Perujin arrived with the delegate. However, when Mia arrived at the negotiation table, she said something that instantly sealed the negotiation into a failure. It was when she looked at the Princess and asked, ¡°Oh my, and who might you be?¡±


    Ludwig once again looked at Mia. Mia, for once, looked like she was really repentant of what had happened.


    ¡°Oh well, they probably did not really want to trade with us and was just waiting for us tomit some sort of mistake.¡±


    With wide surprised eyes, Mia looked at him¡­


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be too surprised if they were. It isn¡¯t only our Empire that has been struck by the famine. All throughout the continent, the harvests have been terrible. Everybody needs food, probably even Perujin themselves. Even if they were willing to meet and talk with us, they might have just been looking for an excuse to refuse us.¡±


    It was very rare for Ludwig to offer sympathy to Mia. But what followed was¡­


    ¡°Having said that, it is still inexcusable to forget the faces of royalty and powerful nobles of the other countries and kingdoms. Especially if you have seen them a lot of times at the academy before. You better reflect on your mistakes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I am already sorry for what happened. You don¡¯t need to keep on telling me¡­¡±


    For the rest of the day, Mia choked back her tears as she has to endure the nonstop lecturing from a very irritated Ludwig. Since that day, Mia started making a genuine effort to know the figures of political importance and she tried her very best remembering their faces.


    ¡­It was good, of course, but not really worth bragging.


    ¡°It is my honest desire that this wonderful even will join the Tearmoon Empire and Perujin Country closer. So shall we begin the party?¡±


    At Rania¡¯smand, the party began in earnest. It was sort of a hybrid of a buffet party and a tea party. The food on the tables were mostly snacks and fruits. The drinks were different kinds of ck and herbal teas. The whole party had an atmosphere of a calm, refined afternoon break.


    Mia looked around the disyed food. She couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to the cakes¡­ then to the tarts¡­ then to the¡­


    <em>All of these are a great selection! They surely live up to their name as an Agricultural Country.</em>


    Mia was deeply impressed, and so were the children of the marquesses and counts that joined her, also voiced their admiration and praise for the foods. Even the girls, who want to belittle the food, cannot help but give in to the temptation of good sweets and pastries. Well, the fact that Mia was the one to lead headfirst into the tasting tour of all the foods might have been a factor.


    It wasn¡¯t Mia¡¯s intention to change the mindset of his fellow Tearmoon nobles. It just happened this way. Her real and only intention was to stuff her face with food.


    After having visited all the tables at least once, Mia¡¯s interest was drawn to a particr te that was off to a side.


    ¡°My¡­ my. Are those cookies?¡±


    The cookies looked nothing exceptional. Surrounded by the different colors of fruits and pastries, the only thing that was exceptional about the cookies were how nd and normal they looked.


    ¡°Ah no! Wait! That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Rania was madly dashing forward towards Mia with a panic-stricken face. Rania couldn¡¯t care less about elegance as she ran towards Mia. The cookies were more important.


    Mia heard and saw Raniaing over. Mia noticed that she seemed perturbed by something, she doesn¡¯t know why. But for now, the cookies were more important.


    She picked one up¡­ popped it into her mouth¡­


    <em>Ahhh¡­ I know this¡­ this taste¡­ this is it!</em>

 Chapter 67.8

    Short Story 6


    <strong>Mia Gains a Bosom Buddy Through a Mutual Misunderstanding Part 6</strong>


    The sweet crumbly texture spread across her tongue. The taste reminded her of a memory during her time in the dungeon. Even with the dark depressing days in there, there were a few beautiful moments. It was because Anne once brought her these cookies. The Empire was already facing a shortage before the revolution. Sometimes for weeks, Mia would have nothing sweet to eat. When she was imprisoned, the quality of her food drastically dropped to the point that she almost forgot that eating can be enjoyable. Then Anne gifted to her those cookies. When she was able to taste the sweetness, her happiness was more than she can ever express.


    Emotions came rushing back as she remembered those moment. Mia began to tear up.


    ¡°This taste¡­ this texture¡­ it has been such a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­I¡¯m very sorry, Your Highness!¡±


    Mia turned around to find Rania staring at her with a fearful face.


    ¡°Huh? For what?¡±


    Mia was again not sure of what happened, but based on Rania¡¯s panicking face, she judged it to be something serious. She took Rania (and a te of cookies) to a quiet part of the hall. Here they can talk in private as to what might have been amiss. She was hopeful that they can straighten things out before the rest of the Tearmoon students notice anything. Thest thing she wants is for the rtionship between Tearmoon and Perujin to deteriorate. Because if that happens, she will surely receive a scolding from Ludwig like thest time. Out of her fear to be scolded, Mia actually was tactful.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ about those cookies¡­ uhmm¡­ they were actually made three years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Wha-what? Three years ago?!¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard and so she stared at Rania. Rania just turned even paler form her stare.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I apologize¡­ it was meant to be a prank¡­¡±


    The Perujin Princess was shaking in fear as she apologized. She bowed in apology profusely. But Mia did not even flinch or react. Because in truth, Mia has stopped paying attention at all. She was more stunned upon learning the truth about cookies.


    <em>These cookies were made three years ago, and they are still edible?! Even more than that, they are still delicious!</em>


    Mia had seen the famine. She had lived through it, and it felt liked living in hell. The unpleasant taste of the rye bread, that she was forced to eat because there was no other food, still left a foul taste on her tongue. Because of Tearmoon¡¯s discrimination, agricultural techniques such as food preservation is hardly known. They were never able to preserve their harvests for too long, even more so their quality.


    Mia looked at the cookies full of awe. Their existence is extraordinary. She understood their significance. They were like golden coins¡­ no¡­ probably even more valuable than that. Then, suddenly in Mia¡¯s mind everything seemed to click. She understood (or thought she did), why Rania presented the cookies as one of the foods in the party.


    <em>I understand now. She is showing me how good Perujin technology is at preserving food! We are their customers after all. The foods today were not just for feasting but also a showcase of the products that they sell¡­</em>


    She remembered something like that said by Ludwig, although she ignored most of what he said in the previous timeline.


    <em>In that case¡­ Princess Rania is really incredible. She understands what she is doing!</em>


    Mia looked at the cookies in her hands. No, they were treasures. She contemted in a small voice¡­


    ¡°I see¡­ so this is the Perujin preservation technique¡­ it¡¯s absolutely so¡­ so incredible¡­¡±


    Rania was surprised upon Mia¡¯s words. She stared at her unsure if what she heard was really true. She thought that she would be on a receiving end of a scolding, instead what she was hearing was a praise.


    <em>A Princess of Tearmooon, no THE Princess of Tearmoon is praising our Perujin technology¡­ How did this happen? Why?</em>


    From what she knew and experienced, Tearmoon Empire has always looked down on them. The research and technology that they put into their farming had never been recognized before. She had given up hope¡­ but now¡­


    <em>Could it be that Princess Mia is someone who will recognize the value of our technology? Will she then treat us as equals?</em>


    ¡°Princes Rania, there is something I wish to discuss with you if I can have a moment of your time.¡±


    ¡°O¡­ oh¡­ Of course!


    After speaking for awhile, the two princesses sealed a firm handshake. So, a miraculous partnership and friendship was born through mutual misunderstanding. Only time can tell as to where this new forged alliance will take them.


    ¡°So, the food preservation technique of Perujin Agricultural Country¡­ If we fund them, then we can gain ess to their research and technology. That¡¯s pretty good deal. But didn¡¯t you say that the Empire is don¡¯t have any money?¡±


    ¡°I had a budget set aside for those who want to change their territories into farnd. And as you know, that has beenrgely unsessful as of yet. So, I was thinking of using that money for this joint venture. It¡¯s a better use of time and money than trying to convince some hard-headed nobles.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ with food preservation that will at least ignite their interest. Then once you have visible results, then you might be able to change the thinking of the nobles. After that, it will be easier to convince them to repurpose their territories for farming¡­ That is brilliant! It seems that you have really thought this through!¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I sometimes wish that we would have a famine. That way, I don¡¯t have to waste my words convincing the nobles.¡±


    ¡°Woah! Slow down there for a second. You might be asking more than you can chew there.¡±


    Balthazar raised his hands to stop Ludwig, but Ludwig onlyughed.


    ¡°I am just joking of course¡­ But tell me what do you think after hearing all of this? While it might not fill you with optimism, but at least it shows you that there is indeed hope.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ if all of this is true, then the Princess is really a very interesting individual¡­¡±


    Balthazar raised his mug of ale¡­


    ¡°To the wise princess who appeared like magic to my good friend!¡±


    Ludwig did not raise his mug. Instead, he looked at his friend seriously through his sses and dered in a serious voice¡­


    ¡°To Her Wise Majesty, the future Empress of Tearmoon.¡±


    For a moment, Balthazar was stunned.


    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°All for the sake of restoring the Empire. So, for that goal, I wish to enlist you as well.¡±


    Ludwig said while staring straight into Balthazar¡¯s eyes. Balthazar returned his stare for awhile. Then he looked up at the ceiling, scratched his head, and finally gave out augh.


    ¡°So, this will be the First Empress in the history of Tearmoon Empire, huh? If we¡¯re going to make thate true, then we need to work hard and pull strings until our arms fall off.¡±


    Meanwhile, Mia waspletely unaware of the powerful political undercurrents that were brewing underneath her. She wouldter learn of their ns and suffer a minor meltdown as a result. But that is a story forter.


    <em><strong>Trantor¡¯s Rant:</strong></em>


    This (not really) short story is Chapter 13 in the manga. Please read it. It looks beautiful with pictures.

 Chapter 67.9

    Extra Story 2


    <strong>Mia¡¯s Diary</strong>


    <b><strong>Fifth Month, 17<sup>th</sup> Day</strong></b>


    Today¡¯s dinner was stew with yellowmoon tomatoes and cake. The yellowmoon tomatoes tasted bad. But the cake was delicious.


    <b><strong>Sixth Month, 10<sup>th</sup> Day</strong></b>


    Today¡¯s dinner was bread and roasted moonbow chicken. It tasted pretty good. But I cannot forgive theck of dessert, though.


    <b><strong>Sixth Month, 25<sup>th</sup> Day</strong></b>


    Today¡¯s dinner was a ster salmon meuni¨¨re and jelly for dessert. As expected, the fish tasted bad, but the jelly was delicious.


    <b><strong>Seventh Month, 4<sup>th</sup> Day</strong></b>


    This is my first time writing again since my reincarnation. Reading again my diary entries made me realize that all I write about is food. I used to be such a silly girl. Starting today, I will write seriously because I am now mature and wise.


    The first thing I did after my reincarnation was that I ate yellowmoon tomato stew again. The taste was amazing. There was a perfect harmony between the umami and the mellow acidity. It just melted in my mouth. It was truly¡­ I was about to write about food again. That was dangerously close!


    I will now write about the events that had happened so far.


    I remember that day. It was the day I died on the guillotine stand¡­ and then I woke up in my bed. What¡¯s more, I have regained my form as a child. At first, I was confused, but I soon understand. God in all His Greatness has made me the Chosen One. I am definitely convinced that I have been given a mission. That is the great mission of saving the Empire. As the Chosen Saviour, in order to save all those countless peoples and soldiers, I began to think.


    To help me in mission, Anne, my most loyal servant, was sent to me. She appeared like a messenger sent down from heaven, flying down from the sky. I was a little pissed that she ruined my cake with her appearance, but I quickly forgave her. She was really good to me until the very end in the previous timeline. I am very happy to be given the opportunity to reward her past loyalty. Above all, it is very encouraging to have her beside me. I immediately made her my personal maid.


    Then I went to the library and did some research.


    Eventhough I am wise, I can¡¯t know everything happening and that is in the world. In fact, being able to admit that I don¡¯t know everything is a sign of wisdom itself. I read a lot of technical books. Those thick books used by schrs. It was not a big deal actually; it wasn¡¯t even worth boasting about. In addition to what I have learned, I incorporated just a bit of what Ludwig had told me before. Just a tiny bit. And then I, the wise one, put them together to analyse the crisis of the empire.


    And now today. Today is such a wonderful day. I went to the Golden Moon Ministry to look for someone who could be my hands and feet. When I arrived there, that piece of¡­ I mean¡­ Ludwig was about to be demoted to the countryside. I rushed over and told them off. I saved the day. And then to my surprise, that four-eyed ash¡­ I mean Ludwig, actually came over to praise me. When he heard my theory from my wise research, his eyes went wide, and he stared at me. Then he knelt down and praised me.


    It was really refreshing. It was as if I had been reborn just for that moment today. Then he pledged his allegiance to me, so of course, I forgave him. I may not like him, but he did his very best for the Empire in the previous timeline. I know he can be a real nagging assho¡­ I mean he can be really dedicated to his work¡­ but I am merciful and generous.


    I now have two loyal subjects at my side. At this rate, with someone as wise as me, saving the Empire should not be a problem at all.


    Wow! Look at all this writing I have done! Such a beautiful diary entry. Maybe I also have a talent in poetry!

 Chapter 68

    This marks the starting of volume 2.


    <strong>Ominous Premonition</strong>


    It was finally summer vacation for Saint Noel Academy. Like many of the students, Mia was also in a carriage heading home to the empire. In a wagon that sways, Mia decides to reread her blood-stained diary for the first time in a while.


    Mia was hoping that the future might have changed.


    ¡°Well¡­ nothing new, I guess.¡±


    Mia involuntarily sighs with disappointment.


    The diary showed that Mia was still executed on the guillotine. The basic parts remain the same. Starvation will ur, it will be followed by a revolution, and finally the imperial family will be destroyed.


    Of course, there were some changes.


    On the ¡°new¡± previous timeline, the people were all about ming the imperial family, but a few voluntary militia, mainly residents of the New Moon area, stood up. It seems that it was a unit that wanted to help Mia solely, not for the entire imperial family. In cooperation with the imperial guards, they caused considerable damage to the Revolutionary Army.


    Besides, it seems that there were some people who appealed for Mia¡¯s life to be spared.


    Altogether, the situation surrounding Mia has improved. The ce of imprisonment changed from a dungeon to a room in the castle, and the chef was allowed to keep bringing her warm meals. Even on the day before the execution, it seems that he prepared such a big feast for her. It is specifically written in the diary on how excellent the yellow moon tomato was.


    There was also the reaction of Sion. He seems to have opposed Mia¡¯s execution to some extent, partly because of his servant¡¯s strong rmendation.


    Although, in some asions, these support sometimes turn out for the worse.


    Anne tries to rescue Mia but fails. Anne was caught as a criminal and her family broke up.


    Abel also seems to have infiltrated the empire to rescue Mia. He zed a bloodied trail to the castle. But he wound up killed together with his manypanions just before the castle gate. As a result, the rtionship with the Kingdom of Remno worsened, and the empire is in further trouble.


    ¡°¡­ That wasn¡¯t very fun.¡±


    The description in the diary was written in unsteady letters, perhaps the writer was upset by the news of Prince Abel¡¯s death. Also the words are slightly blurred and the page has traces of getting wet, maybe because of fear, or sweating, or tears¡­


    Despite such subtle changes, the results did not change.


    <em>The famine seems not as bad as before¡­</em>


    The number one cause of the revolution still seemed to be food shortages. The food stockpile, under Ludwig¡¯s instruction, although somewhat improved, did not solve the overall food problem. Until the end, they were not able to have enough stockpile.


    <em>And the conflict with the minority tribes in the border areas.</em>


    What was recorded in the diary was a regional dispute with the people of the forest, the Lulu tribe. This may have happened on the previous timeline, but Mia can hardly remember such an event happening. Mia wasn¡¯t interested at that time, and so she didn¡¯t know the cause of the incident. But now it¡¯s easy how it will lead to bad things for her.


    <em>Lulu tribe ¡­, the tribe from which Tiona¡¯s attendant came from.</em>


    Liora Lulu. As her name suggests, shees from the Lulu tribe.


    If Mia was involved in the outrageous acts against her hometown, it was not unreasonable for Tiona to have a bad impression. It is written in the diary that the rtionship with her was broken due to this incident.


    Conversely, if this incident can be managed, at least Tiona may not turn into an enemy.


    <em>The agricultural products of the Rudolvon family are attractive. If friendships are established, the food situation should improve considerably.</em>


    She can¡¯t rely on that alone, but it¡¯s still a big factor in improving the famine situation.


    <em>Even so, I¡¯m curious about this description.</em>


    Mia paid more attention to the incident that triggered the revolution.


    It is the abduction case of Ound Count Rudolvon, Tiona¡¯s father.


    The diary describes the incident that it was caused by the emperor, who was jealous of the popr Ound Count. The emperor ordered the count, who shared his food with the people who were suffering from food shortages, to be abducted. The angry people uprised all at once, and it became the spark of the revolution.


    It was an incident that did not change even in the previous timeline. But Mia thought that something was strange.


    Certainly, the emperor, who is his father, is far from innocent from any wrongdoings.


    However, the question remains as to whether or not he ordered the abduction of a popr nobleman because he was jealous of him.


    <em>In the first ce, my father is only interested in how I feel about him¡­</em>


    If he is begged by his beloved cute little daughter, he might start a war. But other than that, he is generally harmless. A doting idiot parent, that is the image that Mia has of her father.


    <em>This case doesn¡¯t sound like something father would do.</em>


    The suspicion clung to Mia¡¯s mind, leaving an unpleasant feeling. It¡¯s as if someone made up the case so that a revolution would ur ¡­ Or, an ominous premonition as if the god of fate wanted the empire to be destroyed.


    She felt this something wrong rising from her stomach¡­


    ¡°Uh, I feel bad ¡­¡±


    Yes, she had carriage sickness. Mia waspletely carriage-sick because she was reading while inside the swaying carriage.


    ¡°¡­ Ah, Anne, Anne ¡­ I feel ufortable.¡±


    Because she wanted privacy to read her diary, she asked her loyal maid to sit with the coachman. Anne soon opened the carriage door to discover the teary-eyed Mia curled up into a ball on her seat.


    There were hardly any remnants of the so-called Wisdom at St. Noel Academy that can be found in the whimpering figure crouching with tears. Luckily, aside from Anne, there was nobody else to witness this.

 Chapter 69

    <strong>Princess Mia Mentally Overloads</strong>


    Ludwig appeared to Mia five days after she returned to the empire.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡±


    It hasn¡¯t been an easy five days for the Princess: greetings to the emperor who is her father, greetings to the great aristocrats, and a party tomemorate her return. Just because she is the Princess doesn¡¯t mean that she gets toze around all day.


    ¡°I miss the easy school life.¡±


    Mia wants to go back to school as soon as possible. There she couldze as much as she wants.


    That was when her loyal retainer Ludwig visited.


    ¡°Wee back, Princess Mia. We are delighted that you have returned safely.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s usual unfriendly face looked nostalgic for some reason.


    ¡°You seem to be fine, Ludwig.¡±


    With some greetings, Ludwig begins to report on imperial affairs during the absence of Mia.


    ¡°Not enough ¡­¡±


    After receiving all the reports, Mia sighed.


    ¡°Sure, our food stocks are low, but Mia-sama, I think it¡¯s very likely if we keep stockpiling, the food will just go to waste.¡±


    Ludwig was could not understand Mia¡¯s concerns. The amount she wants is asrge as if they are preparing for arge-scale famine. One that the Empire hasn¡¯t experienced before. At the moment, they have enough stockpiled food to feed the people for several years if the crops fail. Mia¡¯s request seems too excessive. The crisis of financial copse seemed to Ludwig to be a more pressing problem.


    Stockpiling means keeping the food in a warehouse. If nothing happens, the money spent there will be wasted. Besides, just keeping them in the warehouse also needs money. These are issues that Mia surely understands.


    Despite this, Mia maintained her stance.


    ¡°Mia-sama, I believe in you. If you want to increase our food stockpile, I can increase it. But you¡¯ll need to exin this to the other aristocrats. ¡°


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have issued a notice to the nobles to refrain from wasting money. However, if we dere that we are increasing stored food provisions, we may invite criticism that these stocks will only just go to waste; and that you are the one being wasteful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Those kinds of people are good at finding fault with others.¡±


    From Mia¡¯s point of view, it was natural to increase the stockpile. After all, she knows for sure that a great famine will strike in a few years. It was frustrating that she couldn¡¯t exin that even though they have arge stockpile, they still needed more.


    ¡°I think we need to change our approach.¡±


    Mia exhales a little and shakes her head to clear her thoughts.


    ¡°Ludwig, you said you believe in me. Please continue stockpiling food under the assumption that a great famine that will ur in the next few years.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Ludwig¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Do you mean to say that we are preparing not <i>if</i> a famine, but we are preparing for a <i>definite </i>famine to happen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. On top of that, I¡¯d like to ask, but if we can¡¯t store up enough food, what should we do when a famine urs?¡±


    ¡°If you think about it normally, you have to use a merchant to bring foods into the Empire.¡±


    Yes, Mia knows that much. but¡­¡­,


    ¡°Then, the finances will go bankrupt. Nothing is more expensive than food during famine.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The price goes up when the demand exceeds the supply. It is natural that the more people want it, the higher the price of things.¡±


    ¡°We should put a limit to that.¡±


    If it isn¡¯t limited, then it will reach a point where a bag of wheat can buy a castle. She had experienced this kind of hell first-hand¡­


    <i>The only way to prevent merchants from taking advantage is to stockpile more food, but¡­</i>


    that cannot be done. There is little hope of increasing the supply. All the crops will almost be wiped out. Even if they multiply the farnds in the empire by ten times, it will still be not enough, and it is not very efficient.


    <i>In the first ce, the situation is not fair! Why is it only her Empire have to suffer? It is not like all food is gone from all over the world!</i>


    Surprisingly, Mia wasn¡¯t just ying around at the school. While she did love toze around, but she was also studying properly. At one point, Mia, who was researching about famine, found out that she was misunderstanding how famines happen.


    Famine is not caused by ack of absolute food. It happens because the flow of food is stagnant. It is not that there is no food, rather it is because the food does not reach the people. It is not about supply, rather it is about distribution.


    The business of taking the food to a hungry area and selling it at a high price is exactly how food business in the first ce.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡±


    At that time, Mia was inspired. She got an inspiration! She suddenly jumped up which made Ludwig flinch. But she ignored him.


    If food can be bought cheaply from merchants even during famine, then it will solve their problem¡­


    <i>It¡¯s a friend¡¯s discount. Friend¡¯s discount!</i>


    What Mia came up with was really straightforward and rather selfish idea¡­ She ns on using friendship to get a discount.


    ¡°So, friend¡¯s discount¡­¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, Ludwig contemted for a few minutes,


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually¡­ a great idea.¡±


    In a voice filled with admiration, Ludwig was clearly impressed.

 Chapter 70

    <strong>Business Talks</strong>


    Chloe¡¯s father, Marco Forkroad, started his business from scratch and made it grew up into a bigpany in his lifetime. He is a merchant with deep insight and calm judgement, as such, he is highly regarded by those of same profession.


    He enrolled his daughter at St. Noel¡¯s Academy purely for her future. He wanted for her the best education in the best environment in the continent. Also knowing that his daughter is shy, he wishes for her to make friends over there. It was an academy for nobles, so it would be great if she can make connections there as well. Well, he is a merchant at heart after all.


    He had a discerning eye for money. Always in the lookout for opportunity. His motto is to take advantage of any opportunity and make everything into an opportunity.


    But even he never thought that his daughter would be friends with the princess of the Great Empire.


    <em>Daughter, it¡¯s nice to be friends with the princess. As your father, I¡¯m happy for you but will you please tone down your choices of friends a bit, or else I might die of heart attack before my time.</em>


    Even though he had such thoughts, he decided to visit the Tearmoon capital. It would be wrong for him not to take advantage of such luck before him, and he also wanted to say hello to his daughter¡¯s first friend. It just so happened that he also had a business deal nearby, so it was the perfect time to visit Her Highness. Thinking that the rumored Wisdom of the Empire would be busy, he looked for ce to stay until he gets a response for his audience request.


    <em>I thought I had to wait for more than ten days¡­ I did not expect that I would meet her so quickly.</em>


    As Marco was weed into the audience chamber, he at once saw a girl with a cheerful smile ¨C the Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. She was exactly as Chole had told him. A girl with a spark of intelligence in her eyes.


    ¡°I am honored to be granted an audience with you, Your Highness. My name is Marco Forkroad, Chloe¡¯s father. I am the head of thepany, but I have the noble title of a knight.¡±


    ¡°I wee you, Lord Forkroad. How is Chloe doing?¡±


    ¡°She is very well, Your Highness¡­¡±


    After continuing to chat for a while, Mia shuts up for a moment. Then she starts talking again¡­


    ¡°By the way, Lord Forkroad, I wonder if I might ask you. Is it possible for you to have things carried from the other side of the sea?¡±


    Mia said in a serious quiet tone.


    ¡°Huh? Yes, it is possible. We have arge number of merchant ships, so if you order anything, we¡¯d be more than happy to assist you.¡±


    Sensing that this is a business opportunity, Marco put on his best merchant smile.


    ¡°So, what kind of goods would you require, Your Highness? Or is it carpets? The items over there are of good quality and are quite popr with the imperial nobility¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wheat.¡±


    ¡°Wheat?¡±


    Marco¡¯s eyes be round circles of unbelief and surprise upon hearing Mia¡¯s request.


    Bringing wheat from the other side of the sea ¡­ it doesn¡¯t make any sense business wise. No¡­ not just business wise¡­ but it does not make sense at all! This is because wheat doesn¡¯t have to be brought from across the sea. Wheat can be obtained both in the empire and in neighboring countries. There is no reason to spend time and resources to bring it from a far distant ce, especially on boats.


    Buy it where it ¡°is¡± and sell it high where it is ¡°not.¡± That is the basis of business. If food runs out during a famine, then he might make a profit. But during normal times, there was no way he can recover even just the cost of shipping and transportation.


    After all, people would just go to their local store to buy what wheat is in there. Who wants to pay extra for an imported wheat when it tastes the same from local wheat?


    <em>Surely, this isn¡¯t everything¡­</em>


    Marco instinctively turned his eyes when Mia added a condition.


    ¡°There is an additional condition. The price must be set in advance and a guarantee that it will not be changed under whatever circumstances.


    ¡°That is ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Even if there is a famine, I won¡¯t allow you to raise the price.¡±


    ¡°Now ¡­¡±


    It was a crazy request. If Forkroad Company epts this, then they are really out of their minds. Of course, for the Tearmoon Empire, it makes perfect sense to secure food suppliers just in case something happens¡­ but for the Forkroad Company¡­


    <em>No, this deal is way too one-sided¡­ there¡¯s no benefit for us.</em>


    Marco was discouraged. But then he paused. As far as he has heard from Chloe, Princess Mia is not the kind who uses power to force other to her will. And if so, there must be a meaning behind her words¡­


    <em>Am I being tested?</em>


    Marco felt a slight coldness on his spine. It was too subtle that he did not realize what he was dragged into. He realized that he was actually dragged into a business negotiation without him noticing. And now that he is aware of it, business negotiations mean that this is where he can use words as weapons to close a deal.


    <em>The words of Princess Mia must have some meaning. Is she trying to see if I can decipher her words? Is this how she is trying to see if I am a person worth trading with?</em>


    Marco had to think deeply about it. What exactly is in this deal that will make Marco want to sign a contract? What does he get out of this? Will this lead to something?


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I forgot to mention¡­¡±


    Mia adds it in a suspicious tone as if she deliberately chose not to mention it until this moment.


    ¡°I will always purchase at least a minimum amount agreed beforehand.¡±


    <em>Buy a fixed amount at a fixed price¡­ no matter what the situation, the price will not move¡­ even if there¡¯s famine¡­ or¡­ even if it wasn¡¯t ¡­? That is.</em>


    Some of the conditions that Mia saide together like puzzle pieces in Marco¡¯s mind and he was able to finally draw a conclusion.


    <em>It is a product that is not affected by price fluctuations!!!</em>


    Immediately considering its merits and demerits, Marco was terrified.

 Chapter 71

    <strong>Ludwig Reflects</strong>


    ¡°If I am going to ship it from overseas, the price will be higher. Has Your Highness given thought about this?¡±


    Marco said in order to see if the conclusion he came to was right.


    In response, a young civilian behind Mia came forward and handed him a piece of parchment.


    ¡°This is the specific content of the contract.¡±


    Seeing the parchment handed over, Marco groaned again.


    <em>This is¡­ a very interesting price setting.</em>


    Mia was bubbling with happiness over the possibility of being able to buy wheat cheaply. However, there was a decisive gap between her and the general public¡¯s senses. Her idea of what cheap is, is totally different from the public. She can be forgiven for this mistake though, as what she thought as cheap was based on the time of famine when a simple bag of wheat was enough to buy a small castle.


    So, what exactly does her price even with ¡°friend¡¯s discount¡± look like tomon people?


    <em>Even adding the cost of shipping it from distantnds, the price is still quite high. In this case, unless my expenses overly soar, it will be profitable.</em>


    Marco realized that Mia¡¯s proposal was a mutually beneficial agreement. In exchange for being paid a high price when things are fine, he has to help out during famine. It is very simr to the concept of an ¡°insurance.¡± Something that this world has not yet invented.


    <em>No, that¡¯s not all¡­</em>


    Marco, a talented merchant, read through again what was included in this proposal. He realized that the biggest benefit of riding Mia¡¯s proposal was ¡°maintaining the distribution route.¡±


    Why is food expensive during famine in the first ce? Of course, it is a bnce between supply and demand, but even if it there is no pressure in the demand, the price of wheat will still be high. Because acquiring wheat costs money.


    Example, if he tried to import wheat from overseas. Having never traded in wheat before, Forkroad Company must start by actually being introduced to the farmers who grow wheat overseas. Then they have to figure out the transportation. What kind of transport ship should I use? How should it be handled while being transported? Perhaps wheat doesn¡¯t need a specialized way of transportation but there is still the need to know at least the basic knowledge of its transportation preservations. They need to hire a knowledgeable and experienced people.


    In summary. if they want to prepare the distribution system from scratch, you need to spend money. There is a need for enormous amount of money to create a distribution flow from nothing.


    But what if the distribution could be maintained, even if it was small? Isn¡¯t it easier to widen a narrow stream than to revive a dead river?


    <em>If I can maintain even a small distribution channel, I will be able to transport it faster, smoothly, and at lower cost than anywhere else in the event of famine.</em>


    The reason why it cannot be maintained is a matter of cost. In a merchant¡¯s perspective, it is unreasonable to continue a sales channel that produces profits only during famine. Of course, to prioritize profits, unprofitable distribution channels should be cut to save loses¡­


    <em>Is Princess Mia suggesting that she is going to take the burden of the continuing cost of having an unprofitable distribution system?</em>


    A distribution system that guarantees the profits during peacetime and ensures food supply in the event of famine. And even more in the event of famine, he would be able to sell food ahead of otherpanies.


    <em>My God¡­ With this system, she is giving me benefits as her business partner while also ensuring that her people will not starve.</em>


    There was no other emotion to call what Marco was feeling at the moment, except for awe.


    <em>Chloe, just what kind of person did you make a friend of?</em>


    While in total admiration of Mia, Marco bowed.


    ¡°Forkroad Company will be more than happy to sign a contract with His Imperial Highness Princess under these conditions.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Mia beamed in happiness.


    ¡­


    <em>Her Highness genius truly is unfathomable.</em>


    Looking at Marco bowing, Ludwig was pondering at Mia¡¯s further goal. When he heard Mia mentioning ¡°friend¡¯s discount,¡± he found a special meaning there.


    <em>Princess Mia gave the other nobles a reason they could live with by lowering herself.</em>


    The nobles would just oppose if they were told to stop wasting money ¡°to keep the people from starving.¡± Noble ideals are iprehensible to them. Whether the people starve or die, they are not interested. Pursuing a selfless cause is foreign to them.


    But what about nepotism? Giving benefit to friends? Then the nobles can understand this because they do it themselves. So, if Mia¡¯s goal was framed under the context of giving benefits to a friend, then it is something they can understand and empathize.


    Sure, it may indeed be an injustice. They might be disappointed in her abit. But altogether they would just shrug it as a selfishness that is normal for someone with the emperor¡¯s blood. In themon sense of nobles, this degree of royal arrogance is perceived as naturally forgivable.


    <em>No¡­ this is not everything¡­ This is Her Highness we are talking about¡­ There¡¯s more to this.</em>


    Ludwig was confident in the work that he was doing for Mia while she was away at the academy. However, he must admit that maybe he has pulled the reins on the nobles too much. Mia, who noticed this, might have tried to loosen the reins by taking the initiative in cheating herself. This level of nepotism and profiteering is okay. In fact, this kind of arrogance is needed for Mia to win their respect. It will show to them that she is one of them. Thus, they can also support her cause.


    Politics cannot be limited to just being virtuous. One must know when they have used too much whip, that the carrot will be effective.


    <em>Heavenly moons! Just how much strategy is lurking in Her Highness¡¯ head? How many steps does she n ahead? I may never be able to fathom just how deep her thinking is.</em>


    Needless to say, Ludwig doesn¡¯t have to fathom too deep as Mia¡¯s head is empty.

 Chapter 72

    <strong>Unicorn Hairpin</strong>


    The week after finishing a business talk with Chloe¡¯s father, Mia visited the poor area of the imperial capital, the New Moon district. The visit was ast-minute proposal of Mia. Under the direction of Ludwig, a ten-member guard toon was dispatched hurriedly. Some of the soldiers secretlyined about the sudden mission.


    ¡°Her Highness really likes to do things her way. I don¡¯t want to go to a poor area where security is bad ¡­ It¡¯s an extra effort.¡±


    ¡°It seems she wants to see the hospital that she had built. Well, I guess it¡¯s a good poprity stunt. And at least she bothers. She¡¯s called the wisdom of the empire after all.¡±


    Since the guards¡¯ heads might literally roll if something happens to the princess, it is not a surprise that they prefer for her to stay inside the castle where it is safer and quieter. It is easier to guard someone who does not actively look for trouble.


    These grumbles of the young knights soon reached the ears of a veteran guard knight who apanied Miast time.


    ¡°You guys better stop your grumbling andining. Her Highness is different. At least she is different from the nobles that you might know. I won¡¯t allow any badmouthing of her under my watch.¡±


    This veteran guard remembered the first time he encountered the princess. She had the courage to step in without hesitation in an unsafe area. She showed mercy to dingy, dirty children and helped them unconditionally. She had the wisdom to build the hospital which was a necessity in that poor area. His reputation for Mia is as inted as Ludwig.


    ¡°I thank you for your time foring today despite such short notice, everyone.¡±


    Just in time, Mia arrived.


    Mia gave the knights a cheerful smile; to which the knights hurriedly corrected their postures to stand at attention. During the revolution, the Imperial Guards offered their very lives for the imperial family to the very end. And so, Mia is quite fond of the Imperial Guards. She decided to reward them for the deeds in the previous timeline and in the hope of strengthening their bonds for this current timeline.


    She rewarded them with her smile, of course. While her motives were questionable, it was quite effective in raising the morale of the guards especially the younger ones. After all, Mia is reasonably beautiful. She may not be a beauty icon, but she¡¯s also not on the level of the normal beauty. Moreover, there is also a status of being a princess of the Great Tearmoon Empire.


    What¡¯s more, today Mia isn¡¯t wearing a fancy dress, instead she is wearing an active outfit, a blouse and shorts tailored for riding. This was a fresh surprise for those who believed that the nobles were always dressed in ostentatious dresses. All these added with Mia¡¯s smile sent some of the young guards¡¯ hearts aflutter.


    ¡°Well, let us then be on our way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Mia left the castle with a somewhat excited group of the Imperial Guards.


    ¡°Oh, has the atmosphere changed a little?¡±


    Immediately after entering New Moon, Mia noticed the change.


    She felt that the number of people passing by has increased. She also noticed that the faces of people who were walking around are a little brighter. Above all, the odor that covered the entire town seemed to fade, and the atmosphere seems to be a bit more weing.


    ¡°Because the hospital is in operation. And food rations have doubled. There are reports that fewer people die on the streets. The people in this district are slowly regaining their vitality.¡±


    When people are in the situation that they can barely live, they cannot worry about their living environment. However, as soon as immediate danger seems to pass, they immediately start on working on the things surrounding them, such as hygiene and cleanliness. The cleaning of the town was initially voluntarily carried out by the staff dispatched to the hospital, eventually, it spread among the residents.


    If it bes even more beautiful, it will be one of the important districts of the imperial capital. Being part of the capital city, the possibilities of the use of thend is unlimited.


    Luna Tia, the imperial capital, is a city full of people. There is always a problem on having enough housing. Ludwig noticed it and had built a new inn at the edge of New Moon district. It hired workers from the New Moon District which created jobs. By giving job opportunities, money would start flowing into the area. This will in turn start new businesses and will energize the district financially.


    After hearing the information from Ludwig, Mia nodded satisfactorily.


    ¡°Yes, that seems to be the best solution.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness!¡±


    At that time, a voice can be heard from a distance. When Mia saw where it wasing from, she saw a little boy who had been ying with his friends and was now running towards her.


    ¡°Hey kid! Stop!¡±


    The guards were suddenly on high alert. Ready to intercept the little child. But¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­ surely¡­ you were the boy from that time¡­¡±


    Mia stopped the guards with a wave of her hand and looked at the boy. It was the boy that she savedst time from dying of starvation. Although he is still a little thin, his skin is now healthy, and his eyes are shining with life.


    ¡°Are you eating properly?¡±


    He nodded happily to Mia¡¯s question,


    ¡°Yeah, thanks to Your Highness. Thank you!¡±


    The boyughed.


    Then he took something out of his pocket and offered it to Mia.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A present! As thank you for thest time!¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    It was a white hairpin. Its surface has a faint rainbow color. The color changes depending on the viewing angle.


    ¡°It¡¯s a unicorn hairpin!¡±


    ¡°A unicorn!? Oh my!¡±


    Mia screamed in amazement and stared at her hairpin. The hairpin certainly had a brilliance that she had never seen before, and it certainly looked like it was made by carving out the horns of a legendary unicorn. The boy giggles andughs at Mia¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I made it by carving a tree from my hometown. It¡¯s called a unicorn hairpin.¡±


    ¡°Well, is that right?¡±


    Mia observed the hairpin again.


    ¡°This is beautiful. I like it.¡±


    Mia was happy about the present and put the unicorn hairpin on her hair.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    When Mia smiled, the boy¡¯s cheeks blushed red and then he ran away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a keepsake from that child¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Mia turned to see the priest standing behind her. He was the only person who ran an orphanage around here.


    ¡°Oh, Father, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Mia politely curtsied and greeted him.

 Chapter 73

    <strong>Princess Mia Sympathizes</strong>


    ¡°Please. Please enter here.¡±


    The priest led them into the church and into his room. The priest¡¯s room was still simple and empty, which also reflects the state of the church. Nothing has changed since herst visit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t offer you a proper hospitality. I¡¯m very grateful for your support, but we¡¯ve been too busy to find time to fix this ce.¡±


    The priest gave an embarrassed smile. Although upon looking around, it seems that repairs had been done to the walls and the ceilings. Even if it still bare, the church is in better condition, and at they won¡¯t be bothered by drafts.


    <em>It is very admirable for him to leave his room forst.</em>


    Not all people working in poor areas are of outstanding character. There are people that are pretending to help while enriching themselves. Mia was impressed by the priest¡¯s attitude, which did not change even with the financial assistance arranged by Ludwig. Mia¡¯s admiration of him started to skyrocket before it plummeted with the next conversation¡­


    ¡°By the way, I heard that Your Highness became friends with the Saint ¡­¡±


    The priest said as if he just remembered.


    ¡°Saint ¡­ Oh, that¡¯s Rafina. Yes, we have be friends.¡±


    Not of my own choice¡­ she wanted to add but stopped herself.


    <em>Because that person is scary¡­</em>


    Although Mia might be thinking this way, Rafina actually likes her. In fact, she has been sending Mia letters since summer break started. Mia did not have much of a choice but to reply to her letters.


    <em>Writing back to her is so stressful and depressing. I have to make sure that I don¡¯t write anything bad or else she might hate me! Ugh!</em>


    Mia sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Oh, wow! The rumors were true after all!¡±


    Hearing Mia¡¯s words, the priest screamed in excitement and his eyes seem to be sparkling. For him, who belongs to the Central Orthodox Church, Rafina is up there above the clouds. So, his excitement might seem normal¡­ but it seems to be more than that¡­


    <em>Is it just me or is he reacting like an idol fan?</em>


    Mia remembered what happened when she visited a big theater before. At that time, the popr actress was surrounded by lots of fans¡­ and it seems like¡­ the priest behaviour is¡­


    ¡°Oh, uhm¡­if it is not much trouble Your Highness, will you ask her for a signature the next time you see her?¡±


    <em>Damn right! This priest was fangirling</em>!


    Mia receives a portrait of Rafina from the priest. She tried very hard to hide her disgusted face. Then he told her detailed autograph instructions such as ¡°I would be very happy if you could include my name if possible¡­¡±


    By the way, the portrait seems to have been made inrge quantities when Rafina was born in the Principality of Verga. Mia sniffed the same scent as her father to the delighted Duke of Verga, who invited many painters to make portraits of her daughter!


    <em>Rafina-sama also has it hard¡­</em>


    Mia felt sympathy for Rafina¡­ well, just a little.


    Mia then turned back her attention to the priest to whom she has lost all respect for, and changed back to the main subject.


    ¡°By the way, Father, I heard that this hairpin is a keepsake¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Mia just caught him on time, if not the priest would have started singing Rafina¡¯s praises. This time the priest nodded and switched back to being the humble director of the orphanage.


    ¡°It seems that the child¡¯s mother is from a small tribe living in a forest area on the outskirts of the empire. But she has a rtionship with a man from another tribe and gave birth to that child. This led to a fight with her parents. She ran away and came here to the capital with the baby. Unfortunately, she got sick, and she died when he was still young.¡±


    The moment Mia heard the words, ¡°a minority tribe in the outskirts of the empire,¡± an unpleasant chill ran down her spine. The words in the diary entered her mind. Mia¡¯s instinct was telling her that she was stepping into a danger zone leading to her grave.


    ¡°¡­Well, would that tribe happen to be the Lulu tribe?¡±


    ¡°Oh, as expected of Her Highness Princess. You are already aware of it¡­¡±


    The priest looked a little surprised, but immediately nodded as if he understood everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a surprise that you already know since you are friends with the Lady Saint Rafina¡­¡±


    In the eyes of the priest, Mia was elevated. But although he admires her, it seems that she won¡¯t be joining the Mia fanclub any time soon. He¡¯s a big Rafina fanatic after all. That aside¡­


    ¡°Well! If it¡¯s such an important thing, I can¡¯t ept it!¡±


    Mia exaggerated her tone to point out that she did not know about this beforehand. She looked at the beautiful hairpin. It seems to be bewitching her to her bad ending. It is best to return this back as soon as possible¡­


    ¡°Oh no. Please take it, You Highness. Because that child really wishes for you to have it.¡±


    The priest gave a gentle smile.


    ¡°Since being brought in by Your Highness, he has always wanted to thank you. That hairpin is a heartfelt gift from him.¡±


    <em>Well of course it is a heartfelt gift. It is his mother¡¯s keepsake after all, duh!</em>


    ¡°So please, please. From your point of view, Your Highness, it may look like a poor item, but please don¡¯t throw it away¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. I won¡¯t throw it away! I¡¯ll make sure to perfectly take care of it.¡±


    Mia, who is blocked from the escape route, takes the next best option.


    ¡°And when you¡¯re here, and if you don¡¯t mind at all¡­ if you can wear it ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear it every day!¡±


    Since she can¡¯t return it, she might as well as just charge forward! She will treasure this hairpin if it means building a good rtionship with that boy. And she¡¯ll make sure that it will be very obvious that she treasures it. She¡¯ll wear it every day, and even wear it sleeping if that means building affection with that boy. Mia may not be sure how the boy is connected to her future ¡°past¡± events, but she is sure that the boy ys a critical role. So, she might as well as take advantage of the situation.


    ¡°Will you please tell that child that I am very happy with his present? And that I will cherish it very much?¡±


    ¡°I will definitely tell him, Your Highness. He will surely be happy to hear that you like it.¡±


    The priest smiled, looking relieved.


    At that point, Mia was unaware how her behavior would have an unexpected effect in the future.

 Chapter 74

    <strong>The Dice are in Mia¡¯s hands</strong>


    There is a jewellery box called ¡°Princess Mia¡¯s Curse Box¡±. It is covered and decorated withvish gems and rare jewels; the box is also ornate with beautiful painstaking artistry. It is also known as a cursed box that has continued to invite many owners to ruin. It is widely known that its first owner was Mia Luna Tearmoon, the princess of the guillotine, but the name of the person who made the box is surprisingly unknown.


    It was actuallymissioned by Viscount Berman. He is a noble whose territory is next to the territory of the Rudolvons. Hardly anybody know about Viscount Berman. And even fewer are those who knew that it was because of his actions that led indirectly to the Empire¡¯s downfall.


    ¡°Viscount Berman, it is as expected. Count Rudolvon did not agree to the request.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him a count! Put ¡®out¡¯ when calling him. He is just an outcount!¡±


    Viscount Berman shook with rage after receiving the report from a lowly servant.


    ¡°A terrible country noble¡­¡±


    It all started with this crap.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I can¡¯t understand why Viscount Berman, who is a traditional and prestigious central noble, has a smaller territorypared to the upstart countryman, Outcount Rudolvon.¡±


    A fellow nobleman remarked in one party event.


    Berman wrinkled his nose with displeasure¡­


    ¡°Although the territory of that outcount isrger, most of it is agriculturalnd or forest area. So there really is nothing to be proud about it.¡±


    ¡°Even so, if it was me, I would not want to be upped by an outcount in any way. But if the Viscount doesn¡¯t care, then it does not matter I guess.¡±


    Berman tried to argue, but he certainly thought the nobleman¡¯s words was reasonable.


    It was unpleasant for him just to think that there is an aspect by which he is defeated by a country bumpkin.


    The man whispered in his ear.


    ¡°If I may offer an advice Viscount Berman, all you actually have to do is to clear out the Sealence forest.¡±


    ¡°The Sealence Forest?¡±


    Sealence Forest is arge forest area that is between the territory of Viscount Berman and Count Rudolvon. There is no line to mark boundary between the two territories. It is just generally agreed that where the Sealence Forest end on both sides, is the boundary.


    ¡°I see, if I clear up the forest from my side, then I can expand my territory by arge amount.¡±


    Since Sealence Forest is considered not to be owned by any noble, clearing it from one¡¯s side would mean being able to expand the territory. While this might be a selfish idea, it is not really an umon idea for a central noble.


    Viscount Berman immediately begins to act. But there was a problem.


    The Lulu tribe, a small tribe living in the forest, opposed the clearing of the forest and started a resistance. They were willing to die to defend their forest homnd.


    ¡°Insolent lowlives¡­¡±


    The viscount immediately brings this issue to the ck Moon Ministry, which is in charge of the military affairs. As a result of hismitment to bribery, a centuria was immediately dispatched. However, the dispatched centurionmander refuses to engage the Lulu tribe inbat.


    ¡°I was given the mission of maintaining the security.¡±


    They were not instructed, after all, to start a battle against the Lulu tribe. So, they camped just outside the forest and did not enter the forest to fight the Lulus.


    ¡°Useless! They don¡¯t listen to me!¡±


    The frustrated Viscount thought of a scheme to ovee the situation. And it is with a gift. A present to the Emperor¡¯s beloved Princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon. The strategy is very simple. Make a magnificent jewellery box and use a very rare wood that can only be found in the Sealence Forest. It is the tree called the ¡°Unicorn Horn.¡± And he will even attach a small sculpture. This will showcase the beauty of the Unicorn Horn.


    Then he would say, ¡°If Your Highness wants, I can make as many of the same things as you want¡­ but to do that, I need to get the wood from a certain forest¡­¡± Then get the backing of Mia. The Imperial Army will move and it will be easy to annihte the Lulu. This is what he thought.


    At the same time, the Viscount was thinking of another n. They are going to kidnap the children of the Lulu tribe and sell them to vers. He will then show it as the work of the imperial soldiers. The Lulus will be outraged and will surely actively attack the army. If that happens, then a battle will break out. And surely the Lulu tribe will be wiped out. That means he wouldn¡¯t have to wait for thepletion of the jewellery box.


    That was his strategy, but it never actually happened.


    ¡°Recently, Her Imperial Highness has been a big favorite of unicorn horn hair ornaments¡­ She even wears a unicorn horn hairpin everyday¡­¡±


    Such gossips came into the ears of the Viscount. If this was true, then he did not have to make any jewellery box. Unicorn Horn grew right in the Sealence Forest. If a hairpin is enough to make the Princess happy, then he canmission one. It is obviously cheaper and faster to makepared to a jewellery box. So, he prepared to get one immediately¡­


    Thus, the flow of history is about to change. How? It depends on Mia. She now holds the dice to which her fate and the Empire¡¯s fate hangs.


    ¡°Mia-sama, Viscount Berman has requested an audience¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, who might that be? It¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard before.¡±


    Destiny is about to appear in front of Mia in the form of a visitor. Mia had not yet realized that she was standing right above the turning point of her destiny.

 Chapter 75

    <strong>The Horse Shampoo and the Selfishness of the Princess</strong>


    ¡°I suppose this is the first time we have met, Viscount Berman.¡±


    My God¡­ she is¡­


    Berman was fascinated by Princess Mia who appeared before him. He was awestruck by her beauty. Well, Mia has been mesmerizingtely.


    In the past, it used to be ¡°If you ask cute or not cute, I guess it¡¯s cute.¡± But now it¡¯s a bit different. Nowadays, Mia looked beautiful than she has ever been.


    The reason wasn¡¯t the radiant pearly skin. Of course, it was even more polished by Anne¡¯s care, but it was her beautiful hair that made Mia shine even more.


    <em>It¡¯s as beautiful as the coat of the finest warhorse that runs through the battlefield.</em>


    Mia¡¯s beautiful hair that fascinated Berman was all thanks to the shampoo that Prince Abel sent as a present.


    ¡°Not only does it clean, but it also has a reputation for nourishing and glossing hairs. I think you might be tired of getting regr gifts. So, this is something different, hopefully you will love it.¡±


    Mia was very pleased with the present that came with the letter. In fact, she was overjoyed that she uses it every day. While humming a song, Mia was looking forward to the bath every day, Anne smiled as she watched her fondly.


    <em>As expected of Prince Abel. It¡¯s a great gift.</em>


    What Prince Abel forgot to mention is that actually, the shampoo¡­ is for horses. Being with Mia in the equestrian club, he knew how much Mia loves horses. And so, he sent her a horse shampoo to use on her beloved steed. Mia, however, used it for herself. Horses have more delicate hair than humans, so it is not a surprise that Mia¡¯s hair is now smooth, shiny and glowing. Her hair is the best in the empire.


    At ater date, a horse shampoo will have an unexpected boom in the empire, but that¡¯s another story.


    <em>I see. This is why people are quick to call her the Wisdom of the Empire. Her beauty is totally unmatched.</em>


    Berman judged Mia¡¯s recent reputation to be because of her appearance.


    <em>The people praising her wisdom and saintliness were probably idiots who just got swayed by her beauty. Her Imperial Highness Princess Mia is nothing more than a selfish little girl.</em>


    As evidence, Princess Mia seems to have given a favour to her friend¡¯s father the other day. Certainly, the fact that the nobles give advantage to their fellow peers is normal. But it was different for a noble by name only. It seems to only show Mia¡¯s selfishness. This meant well for him. If he can present an item that she likes, then she might behave exactly as he intended her to be.


    <em>She is a Princess, and she must love receiving gifts, especially an item that she has been likingtely.</em>


    With such conviction, Berman took out the present.


    ¡°Recently, I heard that Her Highness likes the hairpin that is made of Unicorn¡¯s Horn¡­¡±


    While saying, his gaze went to Mia¡¯s hair. She was certainly wearing a hairpin that is made out of unicorn¡¯s horn.


    <em>For just a piece of wood, it actually looks beautiful. I suppose it depends on the one wearing it.</em>


    While observing the hairpin, Berman failed to notice that Mia¡¯s eyes were narrowing.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve been wearing this hairpin thesest few days ¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, is that right? Then here is my present.¡±


    Berman arranges the unicorn horn hairpins in front of Mia. They were made by craftsmen in a design that was shy and rugged, which was meant to appeal to children.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ this does look interesting.¡±


    Seeing Mia smile, Berman was inwardly thinking that he just might be able to do this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Actually, this hairpin is made from a certain forest tree and if you are interested in this Your Highness¡­


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very interested in it, so I¡¯ll go directly and take a closer look at the forest.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Berman freezes upon hearing Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh, that¡­ uhm¡­ there¡¯s no need for you to go personally Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Ludwig, make preparations. I¡¯m heading right now.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, do you mean to depart immediately?¡±


    Then that means he has no time to hide things¡­


    <em>But this should not be possible. Travelling takes preparation, and it takes time¡­</em>


    Berman looks at the young civilian in sses, standing beside Princess Mia.


    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re as wilful as ever¡­¡±


    Ludwig, a young civilian, shrugged and shook his head.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll get it the preparations done immediately.¡±


    Berman¡¯s eyes and mouth widened in surprise. He was too stunned.


    ¡°My, my¡­ Didn¡¯t you know? They call me the selfish Princess, you know?¡±


    Berman totally panics as Mia mischievously shed him a smile.

 Chapter 76

    <strong>Angry Mia in a Carriage</strong>


    In the Tearmoon Empire, there exists an exclusive group of knights called the ¡°Princess Guard.¡± They were created through Ludwig¡¯s request to respond to the whims of Princess Mia at any time. Protected by these loyal knights, the carriage carrying Mia headed to the territory of Viscount Berman.


    ¡°My¡­ my¡­ It hasn¡¯t been half an hour since I gave the instructions, and we are already on the road. Very impressive, Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Your Highness. I learned from the past experiences, especially from your visit to the slums the other day.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s face looked stern, but he wasn¡¯t in a bad mood. Ludwig has a certain degree of confidence that Mia¡¯s actions are basically error-free and that they are based on wisdom and virtue.


    As a talented official, Ludwig had a good grasp of the problems that were urring in Viscount Berman¡¯s territory. So, when the Viscount came to visit Mia, he expected something to happen and was prepared in advance.


    <em>This time, I had some information, so I managed to prepare something beforehand. But, if possible, it would be better if Her Highness would share her intentions beforehand as well¡­ No, it is my duty as her vassal to be able to urately interpret Her Highness intentions.</em>


    Ludwig noticed that sometimes Mia¡¯s logic takes a big leap that he had trouble keeping up. The speed of the way she thinks always leaves others unable to follow. She was always thinking one or two moves ahead of others. And to think that she is still young¡­


    She will surely grow up to be the wisest monarch. Ludwig¡¯s expectations and loyalty grew unchecked.


    ¡°Well then, Ludwig, could you tell me about Viscount Berman and his domain?¡±


    Mia said with a smile.


    <em>Hmmm¡­ This is Her Highness speaking¡­ Surely, she already knows about what is happening in Viscount Berman¡¯s territory. And yet she is still asking me¡­</em>


    Mia gave him an innocent smile. It was a smile with a child-like innocence. And one could be forgiven thinking it was nothing more than that. But Ludwig knew that behind that innocent smile is a fully functioning sharp brain that he could not fathom.


    Ludwig tries to read Mia¡¯s intention for asking such an obvious question so as to be able to act ordingly. But the sad truth is that he could not understand half of what she was thinking.


    Maybe she wants a summary so that she can check the uracy of her information against mine. Or maybe she wants me to talk about it so she can think about a solution in greater details.


    ¡°Then allow me to exin. The Viscount Berman is now ¡­¡±


    While listening to Ludwig¡¯s story, Mia felt a cold sweat dripping down her spine.


    ¡°That¡¯s all the information I have ¡­¡±


    After listening to all his exnations, Mia


    <em>Ah! That was f¡­ing close!</em>


    Involuntarily, she muttered an inappropriate word in her heart. However, her reaction is not unreasonable. What Ludwig described was something that would bring her closer to the guillotine. Ludwig exined that Viscount Berman nned to carve out a portion of the Sealence Forest; eliminate the ethnic minority Lulu tribe for that purpose. And he was nning to do this all with the explicit approval of Princess Mia. The Lulu tribe happened to live besides the territory of the Count of Rudolvon, on the other side of the forest.


    Mia read the passages in her diary many times, over and over again. Yet, she can¡¯t remember such an event happening. To think that this had been happening and she had not a single idea.


    <em>I see. If this is true, then this might be the reason why my rtionship with Tiona turned sour.</em>


    Regardless of the previous timeline where she was never friends with Tiona. ording to the diary which foretells the current timeline, her rtionship with Tiona was broken. Mia had always wondered what caused it. After all, there were no signs of it during their time at school.


    <em>The mystery has been solved! Viscount Berman, it is all your fault!</em>


    Anger rises from within Mia. Ludwig noticed this and started praising Mia for such a righteous anger. Ludwig assumes that Mia is angry because of this tant injustice by a noble. However, he didn¡¯t know that Mia is just angry because Viscount Berman is the cause for her getting closer to the guillotine.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know. At this stage, I¡¯m sure the fault lies with Viscount Berman¡­¡±


    Ludwig cut his words there without finishing his sentence. Knowing what the problem is, is one thing. Finding a solution to the problem is another one. In fact, finding a solution is where the difficulty begins. What Viscount Berman was trying to do was more of a gray zone than wrong.


    Clearing the forest to gain morend is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as it was in his territory, then nobody canin.


    The border with Count Rudolvon is certainly ambiguous, so it¡¯s hard to say where the border is. The only opposing voices is the minority tribe of Lulu, and it is certain that the central Government will support him against them. In fact, they have already dispatched forces to do this. Furthermore, this military force is another problem. Since they have already been dispatched, they cannot just withdraw without a reason of without achieving their goal that peace has been restored.


    Ludwig couldn¡¯t think of a way to solve all these problems. And so¡­


    ¡°So, Your Highness, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what am I going to do? Of course, I have decided. I¡¯m going to teach them a lesson!¡±


    Mia dered while ring in anger.

 Chapter 77

    <strong>Enemy</strong>


    Speaking of the enemies of Tearmoon Empire Princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon, the most famous are Sion Sol Sunnd and Tiona Rudolvon.


    However, neither of them actually executed Mia, who was captured by the Revolutionary Army. It was a former Imperial Army soldier named Dion ia who received the unpleasant honor of dealing with a young woman. Immediately after the revolution, he changed sides to the Revolutionary Army and yed a major role in killing famous generals with his sword and destroying the Imperial Army.


    The reward he sought, as one of the greatest contributors to the Revolutionary Army, was the head of Princess Mia. At first, Sion was confused when he heard his wish, but he was convinced when he heard about what happened in the past. In the conflict initiated by Mia¡¯s selfishness, the Battle of Sealence Forest, all his men were annihted, he was the only one who survived. The death of his men was his motivation for his turning into the revolutionary army.


    ¡°Why is it that I haven¡¯t heard the battle starting? Are your men thatzy?¡±


    Centurion Dion ia, who was summoned to the Viscount Bellman¡¯s mansion, gives exactly the same reply he had said before, without breaking his smile.


    ¡°As I have mentioned, our purpose is to maintain peace. I believe it isn¡¯t necessary to engage in unnecessary hostility.¡±


    I said the same thing just the other day, but are you crazy? Dion was actually quite proud of himself as being a ¡°responsible adult.¡± He was keeping his calm against the Viscount¡¯s unreasonable demand. But his patience is almost reaching its limit.


    ¡°That forest is a territory of the Lulu tribe. If we decide to go to battle against them, we will suffer significant casualties.¡±


    Dion is confident that he will survive by himself, but his subordinates are a different matter.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t soldiers supposed to live for their lord? Who do you think is feeding you?¡±


    ¡°We are the soldiers of His Majesty the Emperor. So, He is our lord. I¡¯m sure you are not that ignorant as you are a Viscount.¡±


    Hearing Dion¡¯s reply, Viscount looked at him angrily. If looks could kill, the Viscount¡¯s re would have killed Dion at the spot.


    ¡°We have been ordered by the ck Moon Ministry, which is His Majesty¡¯s military department. And the order we received was to maintain the security of the forest. It would be against His Majesty¡¯s wishes if we were to start a war without permission¡­¡±


    ¡°Gah! Enough! Leave already.¡±


    With a disgusted look, the viscount waved him away angrily.


    ¡°Damn nobles¡­ They order us to kill as if it¡¯s just for fun¡­ why don¡¯t they try doing it themselves.¡±


    Dion sighed as he stepped out of the viscount¡¯s manor.


    ¡°Oh, captain, are you done?¡±


    Dion found arge soldier waiting for him at the gate. This soldier started rushing towards him. Just the way he looks, especially his beard, he can be mistaken as a bandit. But there was a sharp light in his eyes characteristic of a trained soldier.


    ¡°So how did it go?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t change. I told him that it¡¯s too dangerous to fight in that forest. If that happens, the two of us are probably the only ones who can make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Wahahaha¡­ Sure we will survive. But we can¡¯t have that now. It will surely look bad if only the captain and the vice-captain walks out alive.¡±


    Dion shrugs a little to the vice-captain who continues tough loudly.


    ¡°But since he went to the Imperial City, I was wary that he brought back His Majesty¡¯smand, but it seems that it didn¡¯t work out very well ¡­¡±


    ¡°How about that? Makes you feel a little relieved, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Huh? What is that¡­¡±


    Dion cut his words upon noticing the grouping in front of him. They were clearly knights but they wore beautiful ceremonial armor different from the rest of the imperial army. There was only one group who wore such impractical beautiful armor, the most loyal knights of the imperial army: those who are tasked with protecting the imperial family.


    ¡°The imperial guards?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ording to rumors, Her Royal Highness hase to visit from the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this just getting interesting?¡±


    The vice-captain showed a bitter smile, while Dion looks obviously disgusted.


    ¡°Captain, you better put on your best smile. Don¡¯t wanna be looking disrespectful towards the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m too tired with this sh*** about being a princess or a prince.¡±


    ¡°Do you also think there is something fishy here Captain?¡±


    ¡°Timing is perfect. The Viscount just returned from the Imperial City and now the princess is arriving. Well, let¡¯s see what kind of nonsense the Viscount told the princess¡­¡±


    ¡°But I heard that Her Highness, the Princess in our country is very smart.¡±


    The vice-captain says while stroking his beard.


    ¡°Nothing in this world is ever the way you hope it would be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pessimistic way of looking at things. Who is philosopher who said that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Wishful thinking usually ends with disappointment. Thanks to that, my sword arm has improved, so it¡¯s not all bad.¡± (MF: O.O if you know what he means¡­)


    ¡°In short, does that mean that you need to have enough skill to handle whatever happens?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure¡­ simply speaking, that would be the case.¡±


    Gahaha, the deputy directorughs vigorously.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very captain-like philosophy.¡±


    At that time, a little girl appeared, protected by Princess Guards.


    <em>Hmm, so that is Princess Mia, huh?¡­</em>


    Dion looks at her just in time for Mia to raise her face and meet his stare¡­


    ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡±


    For some reason¡­ Princess Mia fainted. Everyone looked at each other.


    ¡°¡­ So, what should we do now Captain?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Same as the Princess, I guess. Scream and faint.¡±


    It was Dion who shrugged and answered the vice-captains¡¯ question with a retort.

 Chapter 78

    <strong>Ludwig Hatches a Plot</strong>


    <em>Heavenly moons, why is this person in this ce?</em>


    Regaining consciousness, Mia turns to Dion, who was standing in front of her.


    ¡°How are you feeling? Your Highness Princess Mia¡±


    With a friendly smile, Dion bowed.


    ¡°It seems this is the first time we have been acquainted. I am Dion ia. I am inmand of the Imperial Army dispatched here.¡±


    His smile was perfect. It didn¡¯t show off a single shred of hostility. However, Mia only felt horror seeing his smile. It was as if that smile pierced through her. Looking at his face, she seems to recall the feeling of a cold de on the nape of her neck¡­.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Your Highness Princess¡±


    Being called, Mia raised her head and came face to face with Dion. The sight of him was so terrifying as if he was looking straight to Mia¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Hiiii! Eeeeek!¡±


    She started swooning to faint! Luckily therge vice-captain was nearby and caught her.


    ¡°Are you okay Your Highness? Did the carriage ride make you sick?¡±


    She didn¡¯t even hear the vice-captains¡¯ words of concern for her. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Dion. Dion raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. This, this vice-captain of yours is like a bear. He is scary.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m a bear, huh? Well, I¡¯m sure the princess is scared of my face.¡±


    The vice-captain gave out a heartyugh. However, Dion was calmly observing Mia.


    <em>It¡¯s a lie. This kid has been scared of me since she arrived.</em>


    If Dion¡¯s assumptions were correct, then he has to give credit to Mia for having a very good eye for observation. The vice-captain may look like a viin, but he is a total softie with children. He will not raise his hand against Mia unless she does something atrocious. For example, even if Mia attacks him, he will only attack her weapon out of kindness.


    On the other hand, at first nce Captain Dion looks every bit of a gentleman. But he will kill anyone mercilessly, even if that someone is a child, if necessary. If an opponentes to kill him with a weapon, then he will not be forgiving. Moreover, Dion is overwhelmingly superior in terms of strength. Therefore, the attitude of being wary of Dion is correct ¡­


    <em>Apart from the warriors who have faced death countless of times on the battlefield, it is impossible to see me as a threat. But if the princess who grew up in the imperial family saw such a thing, this means she can¡¯t be underestimated.</em>


    His silent pondering was interrupted when a young civilian wearing sses, who apanied the Princess, suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Your Highness, please go to the forest for an inspection with Captain Dion.¡±


    ¡°¡­ hahe?¡±


    Mia made a stupid sound while totally confused.


    Oh, a joke! I didn¡¯t realize this four-eyed can crack a joke¡­ It is of bad taste though¡­


    For a moment, Mia was about to escape from reality¡­


    ¡°If Your Highness go to the Viscount¡¯s residence right now, then he might interfere with your ns. If Your Highness go to the Sealence Forest in secret, then Your Highness should be able to grasp the situation better.¡±


    Realizing that Ludwig really meant what he was saying, she started to panic.


    ¡°Wha¡­ wait!¡±


    ¡°Stop there Ludwig-san. I know you have ns but it isn¡¯t that easy.¡±


    Dion looks annoyed and his face is distorted.


    ¡°And you do realize that if I take Her Highness into the forest, it will only be me guarding her.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? We, the Princess Guards will naturally apany Her Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Your armor is too noticeable, and it looks intimidating. The forest is in a tense state right now. Can you take responsibility when the war begins, stimting the Lulu tribe? Or ¡­¡±


    Dion says with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Do you want to take it off? The armor that is a proof of the royal guard¡¯s pride¡­¡±


    ¡°If we have to do that, then we will do it. It¡¯s our pride to follow Her Highness. Everyone, disarm! Take off your armor! Carry only your swords and continue to follow Her Highness!¡±


    With a cheerful smile, the captain of the Princess Guards orders. The rest of the Princess Guards obeyed the orders without any hesitation. Dion¡¯s eyes open with amazement. Speaking of the royal guards, it is an elite group known for their fierce loyalty and strength, but they are also known for their supreme pride. Nevertheless, their behavior¡­


    ¡°¡­no way¡­ Does this mean that their devotion to Princess Mia is even greater than their pride?¡±


    Dion silently mutters.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Captain of the Princess Guards. You have made your point by showing your loyalty to Her Highness. But you have toe with us as a distraction for Viscount Bellman.¡±


    ¡°But! Sir!¡±


    ¡°Two men. They will apany Her Highness and Dion. The rest will be with us heading to the Viscount¡¯s residence.¡±


    Then Ludwig turned towards Dion.


    ¡°So, Captain, will that be fine?¡±


    ¡°Ah, hmm, well, if that¡¯s the case, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Dion answered with a voice of resignation. The way Ludwig handled the conversation barely gave him room to negotiate. Besides, he was getting a little interested to the little Princess whomanded such devotion to her guards.


    ¡°Perfect. I guess that¡¯s everything Your Highness!¡±


    On the other hand, Mia¡­


    <em>Perfect? What is perfect with this, you four-eyes!</em>


    She was in a sensitive situation where she couldn¡¯t join in the conversation or put her opinions forward¡­


    <em>It¡¯s not good at all! You did not even let me have my say, stupid four-eyes.</em>


    She screamed her frustrations inside her heart.

 Chapter 79

    <strong>Princess Mia Sympathizes</strong>


    <em>Oh, why in the moons is this happening¡­</em>


    Mia sighed a little while riding on horseback. The man leading their group was the very man who killed her. Depressed and weak, Mia let herself be swayed by the horse.


    ¡°Huh, princess, you¡¯re horse-riding is quite good.¡±


    The bear-like vice-captain, who was slightly in front of Mia, spoke to her.


    ¡°You are rxed and letting the horse move freely. Most nobledies don¡¯t know such basic skill.¡±


    ¡°My, I thank you for thatpliment.¡±


    Mia returned a nod to the barbarian-looking vice-captain. As far as Mia can tell, aside from his appearance, he is not a bad person. He has been caring for her since earlier. Besides, since he is a vice-captain, this means that he is in a position to check on Dion. In case of an emergency, she can use him to keep Dion under control to some degree. Mia¡¯s intuition tells her to get on the good side of this vice-captain.


    Furthermore, she was a little happy he praised her riding skills. Even if it is the summer vacation, Mia continues to practice riding a horse if she had time. After all, riding skills are literally a matter of life and death for Mia. When something happens, she can count on her loyal subordinates and her physical mobility. How well she rides a horse determines whether she might end up on the guillotine or not, so it¡¯s a good idea to get into practice.


    ¡°Do tell me vice-captain. What do you think? If I run away from Captain Dion, can I safely escape to the border?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, that one ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s a bad idea. I can catch up with you in three days.¡±


    She raised her face to see that Dion turned around with a smile on his face.


    ¡°So, a friendly advice. If you want to elope and go abroad, you should make sure that I don¡¯t find out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, but that¡¯s it captain. If you train for another ten years from now, you can be a rider who can¡¯t lose to the captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­oh¡­ I see¡­ Ten years ¡­¡±


    If history goes as written on the diary, the revolution will ur at thetest five years from now. Mia hangs her head, depressed by the idea. The vice-captain¡¯s horse whinnied as if tofort her.


    ¡°Oh my, that horse¡­¡±


    Mia sees the horse on which the vice-captain rides. The horse was beautiful with its supple, powerful and dynamic muscles and the ck and glossy coat that covered it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful horse. The hair is especially very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, princess, are you into horses?¡±


    The vice-captain who heard the praise, smiled widely.


    ¡°Hehehe, this guy is indeed very beautiful. And the hair that you like? I ordered from a foreign country a special horse shampoo.¡±


    ¡°Well, is that right? For some reason, I feel a connection with it. It¡¯s as if there something familiar between the two of us.¡±


    The horse looked sideways at Mia and gave a friendly snort.


    In about half a day, Mia and his group arrived at the entrance to the Sealence Forest. The Empire¡¯s centuria, led by Dion, set up a camp on a tnd a short distance from the forest. Makeshift tents line up in an orderly manner, and a simple fence covers the area. The soldiers moved busily from inside the fence. The snappy movements may indicate the skill of the soldiers, but Mia somehow felt an unpleasant feeling.


    ¡°Somehow, it seems like everyone is on the edge.¡±


    ¡°Since Her Highness has arrived, it is natural for them to be nervous.¡±


    Mia shook her head upon hearing her guard¡¯s answer.


    ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s a little different.¡±


    A silent feeling of tension just before the fire burns. The quiet before the storm¡­


    Mia remembered this feeling from before¡­


    <em>It is like the atmosphere on the eve of the revolution!</em>


    ¡°I see, Your Highness seems to have a good fighter sense.¡±


    Dion stood beside Mia and smiled.


    ¡°Because this is a battlefield. The soldiers are prepared knowing that the battle can begin at any time, otherwise they will lose their lives.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    The environment seems too harsh for Mia. These soldiers have to work under such an oppressive atmosphere, and they have to follow orders from a terrifying man who saw humans as little more than heads to be chopped off¡­.


    ¡°I feel sorry for the soldiers ¡­¡±


    Mia deeply and really sympathized with the soldiers.


    <em>Hmm, if she can sympathize with the soldiers who are ordered under the whims of the nobles, then this princess may really be a wise person as rumored¡­</em>


    Fortunately for Mia, Dion doesn¡¯t have telepathy. He can¡¯t read Mia¡¯s intentions behind her words.


    ¡°Is it necessary to have the soldiers stationed here?¡±


    ¡°In my personal opinion, it¡¯s not necessary. Rather, just being here can be intimidating and it can actually increase the risk of starting a fight.¡±


    ¡°If so ¡­¡±


    ¡°But unfortunately, we¡¯re just getting orders. Even if we know it¡¯s better to pull out, we can¡¯t move without a reason.¡±


    Dion shrugged while saying it.


    ¡°A reason for withdrawing soldiers ¡­¡±


    Mia entered into deep thought.

 Chapter 80

    <strong>Situation to be Selfish</strong>


    While walking through the garrison and smiling and thanking the soldiers, Mia continued to think.


    <em>A reason to withdraw the soldiers¡­</em>


    A battle that is directly linked to her being sent to the guillotine is about to begin. In this situation where the crisis is burning like a me, Mia¡¯s brain was on full throttle. She could almost hear the whistle of an overheated steam engine.


    Mia was thinking too hard that her gaze wandered around aimlessly. Whenever a soldier appeared in her view, she would smile reflexively before moving on.


    The soldiers took a breath. From their point of view, it looks different. What they saw was her smooth, glowing skin (all thanks to the care by Anne), her beautiful hair (all thanks to the horse shampoo), and her riding outfit. It is an outfit that plebians wear, not nobles. However, this gave Mia a fresh look from their eyes. She was the kind of princess that is in the imagination of every soldier. None of Dion¡¯s training prepared them for this.


    ¡°Oh wow, how beautiful ¡­ is that Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°And she came here to personally meet with foot soldiers like us. It must be true what they are saying¡­ that she is a saint.¡±


    Such whispers could be heard throughout the camp. These are the sighs of the soldiers that were captured by Mia¡¯s beauty. Mia, however, did not notice this as she was still in deep thought.


    There is a trump card that Mia can use. The privilege to be selfish. Most of the time, Mia¡¯s selfish wants are granted. Although it is an order of the ck Moon Ministry, which is the military department of the empire, it can be overturned by the selfishness of the imperial family.


    In the past timeline, this selfishness of hers caused fatal tragedies and many deaths. But at the moment, it is a powerful trump card.


    But it¡¯s not that easy to be selfish¡­


    She needs to meet the conditions on which she can be selfish.


    <em>Easier said than done.</em>


    It is different to use her selfishness to get a presentpared to selfishly withdrawing the soldiers. If she withdraws the soldiers without warning, should she just walk up to Dion and say it? And will Dion just follow her selfishness without question?


    The answer is probably no. And the vice- captain would probably say, ¡°Hahaha, are you pretending to be a general, Your Highness? You¡¯re pretty brave.¡± It will be over with augh, and they will think of it as nothing more than a child¡¯s babbling.


    Mia needs to create or find a situation where it is perfectly eptable to be selfish.


    <em>I wish there was a good way to do it¡­</em>


    Then, Mia suddenly noticed. Somehow, the scenery around her seemed to have changed slightly. Looking up, she can see big, tall trees. And it seems like there are just trees everywhere. She was in a deep forest, like in the story of Anne¡¯s sister, Elise. Before her, there seems to be a narrow trail made by animals, though she cannot see where it leads or ends.


    ¡°That ¡­ where are we?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? As I have said earlier that we are entering the forest. So, now we are in the forest.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡±


    Mia opened her mouth in total shock.


    ¡°So, this is the front line.¡±


    ¡°Woa¡­ what? The front line!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but the battle hasn¡¯t started yet. If you don¡¯t do anything, you won¡¯t be attacked suddenly.¡±


    Dion added, but Mia didn¡¯t hear at all.


    <em>How in the heavenly moons can he bring me to a ce like this?! Just because I was deep in thought doesn¡¯t mean you can lead me to danger!</em>


    Even though it was an inspection visit, Mia didn¡¯t really want to see the forest. In fact, she didn¡¯t even want toe to the garrison in the first ce! Mia just came to stop the conflict. That¡¯s it!


    Dion then whispered in a low voice to Mia who was about toin.


    ¡°Oh, let me tell you first, Your Highness, please, don¡¯t carelessly touch the things in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°For the Lulus, this whole forest is an important treasure given by God. If you treat it poorly, you can¡¯tin if an arrow flies, right?¡±


    <em>Of course, I willin! And what do you mean an arrow will fly?!</em>


    Mia was scared and looked at the trees around her. She felt like she could see the men holding the arrows in the darkness. Her chicken heart started squawking.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ I guess I have seen enough. I¡¯d like to go back to the town quickly ple¡­Fugya!¡±


    Mia fell down with a loud noise. She tripped by a protruding root.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you okay !?¡±


    ¡°Are you injured anywhere!?¡±


    Her guards raised a worried voice while dashing to her side. In contrast, Dion sighed but with a frightened face.


    ¡°Be careful, Your Highness Princess. It¡¯s not the imperial capital.¡±


    Still, he reaches out to Mia to help her up. Mia takes that hand while¡­


    ¡°Why are the roots in such a ce? This tree is ¡­ oh.¡±


    Suddenly, Mia had a sh of inspiration¡­


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right ¡­ This tree is bad!¡±


    Mia looked up to the tree with an evil grin.

 Chapter 81

    <strong>The Princess with a Strong Gaze</strong>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this tree is to me. It is this tree¡¯s fault¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia?¡±


    Dion stares at Mia with a suspicious face.


    ¡°This cheeky tree dares to catch my leg!¡±


    With a hysterical voice, Mia kicked the tree trunk with a loud thud. It was a slightly barbaric way of kicking, not very princess-like. Immediately, tension runs up on Dion¡¯s spine. He felt a wave of bloodthirst that were aimed at Mia.


    ¡°Sh**t¡±


    Pulling out his sword while jumping in front of Mia in a swift single motion, he turns to where the sound of faint windes from. Then there it was. Four arrows were heading straight towards them.


    ¡°As expected of a hunting tribe¡­ their aim is urate. But that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Dion swings his sword¡­


    One sh, two shes, three shes. It was a splendid sword technique that gives the illusion that the three sword strikes were delivered almost at the same time. Immediately after, three torn arrows fall at his feet.


    Speaking of the remaining one ¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Eh, uh ¡­¡­, eh?¡±


    Mia is stunned while blinking. Thest one was stuck in the tree just above her little head. Dion, who read the trajectory of the arrow, dared to ignore it. Mia slowly looked at the arrow above her head.


    ¡°Huh, huh!¡±


    She screamed on the spot as loud as she can.


    At that time, the hairpin she wore on her head fell to the ground.


    Dion quickly grabs Mia under his arm, and at the same time cutting off the flying arrows with his sword again.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Soon, the vice-captain also pulled out his sword, and the two Princess Guards also rushed in ¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re falling back! Everyone, out of the forest!¡±


    Dion started running, holding Mia in one arm like a sack.


    ¡°With all respect Princess, I¡¯m going to kill you for this!¡±


    Dion gave Mia an angry re.


    ¡°Eeeeeek¡±


    Seeing Dion¡¯s murderous re, Mia was more frightened now than when she was targeted by the arrows.


    ¡°I told you! I told you not to touch the things in the forest¡­ and by not touching, that includes not kicking!¡±


    With teary eyes and a quivering body, Mia said in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°We need to run away!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what exactly I am doing right now! Even if you don¡¯t tell me! I¡¯ll take you back to the garrison right away.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ further! Go up to the town! In fact, I won¡¯t feel safe unless I reach the Viscount¡¯s residence.¡±


    Dion nced down at Mia. And Mia met him with a serious gaze. This little princess was shaking all over, but her gaze did not falter. He nodded at her. He also approves of the idea. It is convenient for Dion if this Princess just stays inside the town safe from harm.


    ¡°Yes, feel free to head back to the manor with your two guards. I¡¯ll send a few of my men to be a part of your escort.¡±


    Dion exhaled¡­ At the end of the day, the princess is nothing but a child. In fact, she is a selfish child who only thinks about herself. Maybe he misjudged her before.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not enough!¡±


    Still, Mia keeps staring at Dion¡¯s eyes. Dion tilts his head a little and notice that her stare has a kind of power.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°A few men? Do you know who is normally tasked with protecting me? The Princess Guard! The elite of the elite! Do you truly think a few men will be enough to ensure my safety?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you really want to say, Princess?¡±


    ¡°The whole army. I want your whole army with all the soldiers to escort me and return to the town.¡±


    ¡°No, hold on a bit Princess¡­ No matter how much upset you are, that is still too much. Right, captain?¡±


    The opinion of the vice-captain, who usually deserves listening. But Dion never took his eyes off Mia. In those beautiful eyes, there seems to be a hidden meaning. Dion wondered what the meaning behind her powerful gaze was. Could he be possible be right? Just to make sure¡­


    ¡°But Your Highness, it is not that easy. Moving them takes time. The tents have to be dismantled; supplies have to be transported¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there is anything more important than my safety?¡±


    Mia continued to stare at Dion. They stared at each other for a while, neither one backing down nor blinking. Eventually, Dion sighs.


    Then, use both arms to re-hold Mia. Instead of carrying her in one arm like a stray cat, he now carried her like a true Princess.


    ¡°Well, Vice-Captain, you heard the Princess. Once we reach the camp, try to move the horses and soldiers as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°But? Captain?¡±


    ¡°We have been given an order; it can¡¯t be helped. Apparently, Her Royal Highness seems to underestimate our ability. So, to prove that we are a suitable escort of the Princess, we will be moving back to the town in formation.¡±


    Then Dion looked at Mia. He noticed that she has closed her eyes in what seems to be assign of relief.


    ¡°Please be patient, Your Highness. We will be out of this forest soon.¡±


    <em>I was totally scared here!</em>


    Even when she rxed in Dion¡¯s arms, Mia can feel a cold sweat running down her spine. The n went better than I expected, but¡­


    <em>Heavenly moons! I did not think that they would really shoot me with arrows!</em>


    At the time of that revolutionary war, there was always shouting and warnings before the shootings start. She thought it was the same this time.


    Furthermore, it is the reaction of Dion after that. Mia was convinced that if she takes her eyes off first, she will really be killed! Therefore, Mia desperately kept staring at Dion¡¯s eyes. Just doing her best not to look away from him, has sapped Mia of all her energy.


    <em>I¡¯m so tired that I could die¡­</em>


    Ovee by tiredness, she closes her eyes. Dion seems to be saying something more, but it does not matter. She has done her best, and so her eyes deserve some rest.

 Chapter 82

    Schadenfreude


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything about what happened inside the forest. If anyone asks just tell them that I tripped from a root of a tree and got a messed up. Okay?¡±


    Mia, who arrived in the territory, said so to the four guards who apanied her. There they joined Ludwig and others.


    It was Dion who had to handle the difficult work afterward. After all, Dion¡¯s troops number by a hundred. Without a single casualty, he has to find a ce to house exactly 100 people. This would have been easy in the Imperial City. But the main town in the Viscount territory could never ept that many people at once. So, he had no choice but to divide the corps into ten and station them in neighboring viges. When he returned to the territory after finishing all the instructions, even Dion couldn¡¯t help feeling a little tired.


    ¡°That was one difficult job¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d I am onlymanding a centuria. If this were 1,000 or 10,000 people, I would have a hard time arranging beds and food. This is why I don¡¯t want to be promoted.¡±


    ¡°No desire for promotion as usual. Nothing new there Captain.¡±


    Afterughing out loud, the vice-captain said.


    ¡°Even so, the captain¡¯s intuition was right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That wishful thinking rarely trantes to reality. The princess is said to be the wisdom of the empire, so I thought she was a little more decentpared to the other nobles¡­ Well, I guess all nobles are the same.¡±


    The vice-captain said in a low voice while stroking his beard.


    ¡°You should be careful with that princess. She is more than she meets the eye.¡±


    Dion shook his head and replied.


    ¡°What? Really? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake, she is the type to be a mastermind behind the scenes. If you sit her in a war room and give hermand, she will make it look like she is losing until she snatches victory from you in the final moment. She is that kind of person.¡±


    The vice-captain showed a face that says he was not convinced. He followed Dion to visit the tavern. Inside was some familiar faces.


    ¡°Oh, Centurion Captain Dion¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Were you able to make arrangements safely?¡±


    They were the two guards who apanied Mia. Upon seeing Dion, they immediately stood up and corrected their posture.


    ¡°Hey, are you guys drinking too?¡±


    The two Princess Guards gave Dion a military salute. Dion raised his hand and told them to be at ease.


    ¡°This time, our Highness the Princess has caused a great deal of trouble ¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Trouble?¡±


    ¡°Her Highness doesn¡¯t act selfishly. But I think she must be upset because those forest people were aiming for her life. Please forgive her.¡±


    <em>Ah, bloody moons¡­ these guys too. Well, I don¡¯t think this is my role¡­ but¡­</em>


    Dion sighs a little and then starts exining¡­


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a trouble. Rather, I think it is me who needs to thank Her Highness for the help.¡±


    ¡°Eh ¡­? No, why¡¯s that ¡­?¡±


    The two Princess Guards were astonished. They were confused by Dion¡¯s words. Dion smiled at them and continued¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It was a bluff. She was acting.¡±


    Then he went to the two Princess Guards¡¯ table and ordered. After a while, when the ordered beer came, one of the soldiers couldn¡¯t wait anymore¡­


    ¡°So, Captain Dion, what¡¯s the bluff¡­?¡±


    Dion chugs about half the contents of the wooden cup, then


    ¡°See, the thing about armies is that they apply pressure by just being there. If anyone¡¯s nning any mischief, then just having an army stationed nearby is an effective deterrence. Now, this works great against bandits and the like, but against determined warriors who are willing to die for a cause, it might just end up provoking needless violence.¡±


    When two people are both pointing their unsheathed swords at each other, the slightest trigger can lead to war. To stare down the de of an opponent¡¯s sword is to stare death in the face, and the fear and anxiety thates with that can easily morph into a desire to kill ¡ª to eliminate the threat at hand.


    ¡°Her Highness was quite perceptive about this. She felt the dangerous tension in the air upon arriving at the garrison. Then rather than watch from the side-lines, she decided to do something about it. The Lulu tribe isn¡¯t going toe out of the forest and raid us. They never were a threat to begin with. As long as we leave the forest alone, they won¡¯t attack us, and we can avoid any needless violence. The problem is that these nuances of the battlefield are subtle things, and the higher-ups who is not in the front of the battlefield don¡¯t understand this. Your dear princess probably knew getting our bosses to understand was a lost cause, so she took things into her own hands. And boy, what a power y it was.¡±


    For the time being, by withdrawing the army it relieved the tension. But that¡¯s just a temporary measure.


    <em>Well, what are you going nning now, Princess? What shall be your next move?</em>


    Dion realizes that he enjoys being used in the ns of Princess Mia and he smiles unintentionally.


    ¡°So, you know, it now rests on you guys.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°His Highness Mia¡¯s hard work may all be ruined depending on your actions. If you babble and His Majesty, the Emperor, hears that his beloved daughter the Princess was shot by an arrow, you know he will definitely not keep still. He will have all the Lulus wiped out. Why do you think Her Majesty told you to keep your mouth shut about what happened? It is very important that no one finds out!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­, so that¡¯s what it was! Of course, our lips are sealed¡­¡±


    The two Princess Guards saluted Dion. Dion looked at them and sighed softly.


    <em>Why the moons am I defending Princess Mia ¡­?</em>


    Suddenly, Dion remembered the young official who was always standing by Mia. Given how fast and vast Mia¡¯s mind works, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she forgets to fully exin her ns to her followers. Those who assist her probably had it rough. Figuring out the Princess intention must be hell for that follower with sses. He raised his mug of beer as a respect for that sses fellow, as he smiled¡­


    <em>Cheers to you poor bastard. I am d I am not in your position.</em>


    He downed the rest of his beer and soon enjoyed the taste of schadenfreude¡­


    ¡°Captain Dion, can I take a moment of your time?¡±


    Indeed, the man he was just raising his toast to appeared before him in the tavern. An unpleasant feeling was slowly within him. His guts told him that this sses guy won¡¯t be the only poor bastard that he was mocking about earlier.

 Chapter 83

    <strong>A Thing That Should Be Handled With Care</strong>


    When Mia arrived at the Viscount¡¯s main territory, she was totally ovee with fatigue and victorious exhaustion¡­


    <em>Oh, heavenly moons, I miss the bed, the bed.</em>


    Of course, she cannot afford to go to bed at the moment. For the time being, Mia tells Dion and three others to keep quiet about the forest.


    <em>I can¡¯t have others know that I threw a tantrum after tripping on a tree root.</em>


    No one would actually be surprised if they hear Mia throwing a tantrum after what happened. However, Mia felt that her behaviour was embarrassing. It was embarrassing enough to trip on a tree root, even more so to almost get hit by an arrow on the head for it.


    It isn¡¯t that Mia is shameless, it¡¯s just that she has a weird sense of it.


    Mia, who arrived at the Viscount¡¯s residence, was immediately called by Viscount Berman. Mia, as the princess, is under no obligation to answer such summons, but this time it was the perfect timing for her to say something to the Viscount. So, she decided to respond obediently.


    ¡°What did you do, Your Highness? That ce is dangerous. There seemed to be a confusion at the scene¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, then the Viscount says that my escort should just be a few people? Is it enough to be escorted by two Princess Guardsing back from a dangerous ce as you imed?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ no, no, that¡¯s never the case¡­ but you did go to such a dangerous ce without my permission. I¡¯m afraid to be in trouble ¡­¡±


    ¡°Thend of the empire is the imperial family¡¯snd. As the emperor¡¯s daughter, if I wanted to go anywhere, no one should be able to stop me, nor do I need any permission. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mia is in full-blown arrogant and selfish princess mode. She is quite good at it as she had lots of experience of being like this in the previous timeline.


    <em>My, my¡­ this reminds me of the good old days. It is so refreshing.</em>


    It has been such a long time since Mia had done this kind of ¡°specialty treatment¡± to anyone. Her face was shining with delight.


    ¡°Oh! I want to talk with my father regarding thatnd. So, I¡¯d like you to refrain from logging the trees or having any military operations there for a while.¡±


    ¡°Stup..! I mean¡­ yeah¡­ yes, but that could be a bit dangerous. How can we defend ourselves if that savage tribe suddenly attack us?


    ¡°Oh? But it seems to be that this town is sufficiently fortified. If that tribe attacks any of the neighbouring viges, then let those viges handle it themselves.¡±


    Mia leans her head a bit in a perplexed fashion. However, what appears on her face is a devilish, nasty smile. What Mia said was usually what the Viscount himself was thinking. At the same time, it is also the normal thinking of the nobles at that time. Refuting Mia¡¯s words would reveal that Berman has special undisclosed interest about the matter. Berman had no choice but to shut up.


    ¡°Well then, I guess that is everything. I thank you in advance for making the necessary arrangements.¡±


    After lifting the hem of her dress, Mia gave a not-so-respectful curtsy. Then, Mia left the Viscount¡¯s room.


    After finishing all that talks with the viscount, Mia returned to her chambers. It was only then that she discovered something very important¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama, what happened to your hairpin?¡±


    Anne asked Mia as she helped her change her clothes. Mia hurriedly put her hand on her head where the hairpin used to sit¡­


    ¡°Oh my¡­ that¡¯s odd.¡±


    She had not changed her clothes yet since arriving to this town, and she also certainly did not change clothes while she was in the garrison. She can¡¯t remember when or if she took off the hairpin. Mia, who tilted her head slightly and organized her memory, turned blue the next moment¡­


    <em>It was at that time! T</em><em>hat time, when they tried to shoot me with an arrow! I must have dropped it!</em>


    Or maybe it was when she stumbled on the tree root, but in any case, it seemed like she lost it while she was in that forest.


    <em>Oh no¡­ this is bad¡­ really bad!</em>


    Mia began to panic.


    Just now she was proud of herself for having stopped a conflict that could have broken out at the edge of the forest. But now she has lost the hairpin that seems to be closely connected to how all the trouble started in the first ce.


    She felt an ominous feeling¡­


    What might be small thing could be a trigger that could spark a revolution. Then what follows next is the guillotine¡­ then the decapitation¡­


    <em>No¡­ no¡­ no¡­ I absolutely don¡¯t want to go back to that again!</em>


    And there was another reason why she wanted to get that hair essory back. It¡¯s for the child who gave it to her. If it was just a normal gift, she wouldn¡¯t really care too much. But since she found out that it was his mother¡¯s keepsake, she realized it was a precious thing. Mia was sure that he will be sad if he hears that she lost such an important gift. She doesn¡¯t want him to be mad at her. Even if he won¡¯t be mad, she won¡¯t know how to face him next time.


    <em>Nothing good cane out of treating sincerity with contempt.</em>


    Then there is only one thing Mia should do.


    ¡°I have to go back to the forest and find it.¡±


    ¡°What did you mean, Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Anne, but could you call me Ludwig?¡±

 Chapter 84

    <strong>Ludwig scouts</strong>


    <strong>¡ª</strong>


    ¡°My apologies for calling you at such an hour, Captain Dion.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It is natural for us soldiers to work at the will of Your Highness, no matter the ce or time.¡±


    Dion kneels and bows his head. He paid proper homage to Princess Mia, who saved the lives of his own subordinates. This was a rare and exceptional attitude for him who is usually cynical and sarcastic.


    ¡°Well, is that so? It¡¯s kind of creepy hearing that from you, but ¡­ well, it¡¯s okay. Actually, I have something to ask.¡±


    For some reason, Mia was staring at him cautiously, but she cleared her throat and started talking as if she was finallyfortable to speak her troubles.


    ¡°So, you want to go to the forest to get your hairpin back¡­?¡±


    When Dion heard about the situation, he involuntarily tilted his head in wonder.


    <em>Is it really expensive? However, she doesn¡¯t seem to be that kind of person to worry about expensive things¡­ or is it a gift from someone special?</em>


    It was Dion who spected that, but after hearing more details about the request, he just became more confused.


    ¡°So, it is something you got from a child in the slums¡­¡±


    No matter how much it meant as it was a keepsake of the child¡¯s mother, he couldn¡¯t understand why she would bother to return to the forest for such a thing.


    ¡°I am perfectly aware that what I am asking you is quite selfish of me, though.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness gave me a great favour by creating an opportunity for my soldiers to withdraw from the frontline. The least I could do to repay such favour is to listen to one or two selfish requests.¡±


    Besides, I am sure it is more than just selfishness, right?


    Dion said thest part in his heart.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t move the soldiers, but I¡¯m here. So, if you¡¯re okay, I¡¯ll take you myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh?! Me alone with you!? Just the two of us?¡±


    Mia¡¯s face turned blue for a moment, but¡­


    ¡°Fine¡­ I suppose that can work¡­¡±


    Her voice trembled as if she were about to cry.


    ¡°Captain Dion¡±


    A voice stopped Dion as he stepped out of the room.


    ¡°Oh, Ludwig?¡±


    He saw Ludwig, Mia¡¯s confidant, standing waiting for him.


    ¡°Please, I would like to ask you to keep Mia-sama safe. Mia-sama is a necessary person for the empire now and in the future.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best. I owe Her Highness a favour and I am not a man who doesn¡¯t repay a debt.¡±


    He casually saluted Ludwig and tried to turn to go¡­


    ¡°There is one more thing I would like to ask.¡±


    Dion slightly tightens his expression as he noticed Ludwig¡¯s determined gaze.


    ¡°What else can I do for you, Ludwig?¡±


    ¡°Once youe back safely, I would like you to join our cause and be one of Her Highness¡¯ allies.¡±


    ¡°Join your cause? That sounds like a really big deal¡­ and I thought that Her Highness did not like me very much.¡±


    Since this invitation wasing from Mia¡¯s most trusted aide, he must have misjudged how Mia thinks of him.


    ¡°While you¡¯re inviting me to your cause, but you did not tell me what exactly I should be doing? Should I join the Imperial Guard and protect Her Highness? Well, that seems to be fun too.¡±


    ¡°Considering your sword skills, you¡¯ll be the most reliable guardian. That¡¯s certainly a fascinating suggestion, but that¡¯s not it.¡±


    After shaking his head a little, Ludwig said something unexpected¡­


    ¡°I want you to be a general.¡±


    ¡°What? Me? You want me to be a general?¡±


    As expected, Dion also opens his mouth in shock at Ludwig¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let me exin. I work in the Golden Moon Ministry, and I have connections with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But unfortunately the military, that is ck Moon Ministry, I have no influence over it. For what Her Highness wants to do, I, a civilian is not enough. She needs allies in the military department. And not just any allies. She needs someone who has the ability to achieve what she ns she has in her heart.¡±


    ¡°For that reason, do you want me to work my way up to the very top and help her from there?¡±


    In a sense, what Ludwig was asking him was more difficult than being an imperial guard and putting his life on the line for Mia. For Dion, who has no interest in career advancement and thinks that politics is a pain, this might be a bad idea. But¡­


    ¡°Hmmm¡­. Now that you put it like that, that sounds to be fun too.¡±


    Nobody was more surprised by those words other than Dion himself. He couldn¡¯t believe what just came out of his mouth. However, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If he was to wield his sword and put his and his men¡¯s life on the line, better to do it for the Princess than for some braindead noble.


    ¡°Well, anyway, it doesn¡¯t make sense to say anything else for now. There is no guarantee that we will be able to survive and return safely from the forest, and there is no guarantee that this conflict will be resolved peaceful ¨C Hey! What are youughing about?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows at Ludwig who was chuckling.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s not a big deal, I just find all of this amusing.¡±


    ¡°That Her Highness will surely fix this mess and that I am just wasting my time worrying about it? Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°There is that. But more importantly, it seems that you, Captain Dion, also thinks that way too.¡±


    When Ludwig pointed it out, Dion was surprised. Indeed, he certainly did not feel anxious. He just thought that it was because he has confidence in his sword skills.


    <em>Was I also thinking that so long as I leave it to Her Highness everything will turn out fine?</em>


    Dionughed. The thought of it was both amusing and also vexing.


    The secret talk of this night will be a renowned event that appears in the history books in the future. Later, the prestigious Chancellor Ludwig and the General Dion ia, will be known as Mia¡¯s Four Heavenly Kings. It was the first encounter of the two men who will devote their lives for Mia. It will be a friendship forged through adversities, but it all began on this fateful night of secret talks.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    By the way, I think Anne is one of Mia¡¯s four heavenly kings. Thest one is still undecided¡­


    And it goes without saying that the weakest person is not one of the four heavenly kings, but Mia herself who leads it ¡­.


    That was the story.


    Why is the author bullying Mia so much¡­

 Chapter 85

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Intuition!</strong>


    The Sealence Forest is the home to the secluded Lulu Tribe. Their settlement, which is home to nearly 200 people, is known as a ce of tragedy in the previous timeline. A vige destroyed by the selfishness of Her Highness. The Imperial Army suffered massive casualties against the great archers of the Lulu Tribe. Soon after arge army was dispatched to quell the unrest for good. They burned down the entire forest and ughtered the entire tribe once and for all.


    The only survivors of the Lulu tribe were those who migrated for work before the events happened. These survivors throughout the Empire threw themselves into the Revolutionary Army with anger directed against the imperial family. and became skilled. They were deadly sharpshooters to which many Imperial Soldiers lost their lives to.


    Lulu vige would be remembered as the bloodynd from which bitter vengeance would arise.


    However, at least for the time being, everything was quiet. The veteran warriors of the tribes knew that this won¡¯tst forever. There was a tension in the air. It was the calm before the storm.


    ¡°Is it true that the imperial soldiers retreated?¡±


    The chieftain moaned at the report from the guard on the front line.


    ¡°This could be a trap to lure us out, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    One of the warriors asks the question¡­


    ¡°I also thought of that possibility¡­ However, they left behind their tents, food, and supplies, and I think it¡¯s a bit strange.¡±


    The scout was not a clueless young man. He is a man who is entrusted to bring the first reports once war breaks out. So, he is a trusted sentry. Any foolish attempt of ambush would not escape his notice.


    ¡°In any case, we wait and see.¡±


    The chieftain folded his arms and stroked his long beard. Then he said seriously to the young girl who was standing by his side¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you came all the way here. I wanted themander of the Imperial Army to hear the outcount¡¯s message but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, if it¡¯s our n¡¯s crisis, it¡¯s natural for me to rush¡­¡±


    The girl nodded with a quiet expression.


    ¡°I was thinking of asking Miss Tiona to talk to someone higher up to mediate the situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Asking intervention from someone higher, huh? That might be an option depending on the situation. Sadly, there aren¡¯t a lot of nobles who are like Ound Count Rudolvon who is noble enough to be willing to help us.¡±


    The Lulu tribe is only a small tribe residing in a section of a forest near the border. There is no reason for the nobility to bother helping them. At least that¡¯s how the chieftain thinks so¡­


    ¡°The chieftain is too pessimistic. There are some nobles who are good and respectable¡­ Besides¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, chieftain! A girl who came into the forest dropped this¡­¡±


    ¡°What ¡­ Mmm! This hairpin is¡­¡±


    The moment he saw what the sentry was holding in his hand, a deep wrinkle carved between the chieftain¡¯s eyebrows.


    <em>Uh, uh, why is this happening¡­</em>


    On top of a shaking horse, Mia was stiff as a board. In front of her, she could see a slender, tall figure which just mad her more tense. Riding at night is dangerous, so Mia is currently riding with Dion. So, it¡¯s just her and Dion and the great outdoors.


    He also told her to hold on tight, but she didn¡¯t know where or what to hold on to. She was scared of holding the wrong ce and making him angry. So, the only thing she could think of doing is freeze and hope she didn¡¯t fall off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop by the camp, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°The camp? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we need to get more torches. Did you mean to look for something in the forest at night without light?¡±


    Then Dion let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Your Highness, your acting is getting sloppy. The details are missing.¡±


    <em>Acting? Huh? Missing details? What on the moons is he talking about?</em>


    Mia tilted her head, wondering what Dion was on about¡­


    ¡°Your whole story is so amateur. Sure, it may fool my vice-captain¡­ But¡­ Looking for something in the middle of the night? Who would do that? And if you want to go with that story, at least stick with the details to make it believable. Like how are we going to find anything without torches?¡±


    With that said, Dion turned around over his shoulder.


    ¡°You can drop the act now. The truth is you are going to meet the tribe chieftain directly to talk, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°Or am I wrong, and you pulled me out from my drinking just for nothing?¡±


    Suddenly, Mia felt pressure rising from Dion¡¯s back. Something cold started running down her spine. Mia hurriedly opens her mouth¡­


    ¡°O¡­ O¡­ Of course, you¡¯re right. I mean, you¡¯re not wrong in your first assumption. That is why I need your cooperation Captain Dion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I thought! You¡¯re an interesting one, Your Highness.¡±


    Dionughs happily. At the same time, the pressure dissipates.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, but rest assured. I¡¯ll apany you even to the depths of hell.¡±


    Looking back at Dion¡¯s face, Mia noticed it toote.


    <em>What? Bloody moons did I just put myself in a dangerous situation?</em>


    Then she remembered. The man in front of her was the man who killed her in the previous timeline.


    <em>What in the moons am I doing?</em>


    She could only im that she let her guard down. She thought that after pulling the soldiers out then everything was done. This was supposed to be just looking for the hairpin as a precaution¡­


    It seems her relief has blinded her senses and she has exposed herself to danger once again.


    <em>This is that! It¡¯s like when the appetizer is really tasty and you eat too much of it that you miss the whole point of the meal; which is of course, the delicious desserts! And you can¡¯t eat the dessert anymore because you¡¯re too full¡­! Gaaahh! No¡­ Focus!</em>


    It¡¯s not a very good metaphor. In the first ce, it¡¯s not even a metaphor that describes her situation. But¡¡Mia was so confused that she muttered something she didn¡¯t understand.

 Chapter 86

    <strong>A Tear-Eyed Mia is Helpless and Alone</strong>


    ¡°It¡¯s really dark ¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Sealence Forest was surrounded by darkness submerged in the night. Dion was holding a torch in front of Mia, but it seems to illuminate only a small circle around them. The forest did not look anything like in the daytime.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    Mia jumped up a little. Surprised at being called.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just that we have arrived at the ce where you were attacked during the day, so I thought I¡¯d let you know.¡±


    Dion said with a smile that suggested that he was enjoying this so far.


    ¡°Oh, is that right? I understand.¡±


    Mia looked around and tilted her head.


    ¡°Is this really the ce during the day?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt. You see there, there are arrow marks on the tree.¡±


    She looks at the direction Dion was pointing. There definitely seems to be a mark made by an arrow. But¡­


    <em>I can¡¯t really be sure. And how am I supposed to find that hairpin in this kind of darkness?</em>


    Mia noticed that, but it was toote. If she tells Dion that they should just go home, she would be lucky if Dion would only get angry at her. After all, this was the man who killed her before. She should really be avoiding making him angry¡­


    Mia squints at the ground trying to find the hairpin¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, it looks like things will go as you nned.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    Hearing Dion talk, Mia gave him a nk, clueless look.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t youe? Instead of peeping on us,e show yourselves.¡±


    Dion says while pointing the torch towards the bush. Suddenly, the bushes shook, and men appeared from there. These men wrapped their muscr bodies with the beast¡¯s pelts.


    <em>That is the Lulu tribe. Perhaps there are people who are rted to Liora.</em>


    Mia gazed at them while Dion kept on talking.


    ¡°Since you did not wee us with a flurry of arrows, I assume you are not here to fight, right?!


    ¡°Impressive¡­ Leader of the Empire¡¯s warriors¡­. good insight!¡±


    The warriors parted to make way for an older man toe forward from the back. This man has an impressive beard and looked sharply at Dion. Then his gaze fell on Mia.


    ¡°Girl¡­ you person¡­ came at day?


    Mia was taken aback when the conversation suddenly involved her. She figured that it would be wrong to lie in this ce¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was me¡­¡±


    ¡°Girl¡­ where pick this?¡±


    The man said in a low voice. In his hand was Mia¡¯s hairpin, ¡°Unicorn Hairpin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°Answer truly¡­ if not¡­ I warn¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Dion interjected and stepped in between Mia and the old man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude old man. You are talking to the Princess of the Empire. The one that I have to protect. So you better start minding your manners¡­¡±


    Dion¡¯s hand moved to the hilt of his sword as his voice took an edge.


    ¡°I might also have to warn you myself. We don¡¯t always y nice.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡­!¡±


    Tension rises to the point that sparks could be seen between the two. A dangerous situation could erupt any moment. On the other hand, Mia¡­


    <em>Oh, this is ¡­!</em>


    Mia was fascinated and trembled with excitement.


    <em>What a pleasure¡­ this is bliss!</em>


    She was absolutely fascinated by the current situation that she could almost cry. After all, Dion was the man who killed her. This means he is one of her greatest enemies, if not the greatest enemy. And such a person is trying to protect her¡­ really¡­ this situation is just too much¡­


    <em>Ohohoho, this is the same feeling I had when I impressed that four-eyes. So refreshing!</em>


    Just when her suppressedughter was about to vocalize¡­


    ¡°By the way, His Highness Princess ¡­ of course, you know how to get this thing done, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡±


    She felt like she was just sshed with cold water.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡±


    ¡°Assuming this is within your calction, I would be grateful if you could give me instructions on whether I can kill them or not. Should I engage or withdraw?¡±


    Dion said this with his signature smile. By now, Mia has figured out that when Dion gives out this kind of smile, it means that you-better-know-what-you-are-doing-or-else. Mia turned blue.


    <em>Okay. This is not the time to be feeling good. I have to do something¡­</em>


    She thought and thought, but she could not think of a n. What¡¯s more, for some reason, there is a Lulu man in front of her who looks very angry. It seemed difficult to resolve this situation without blood being shed. Moreover, Dion wasn¡¯t really an ally she can count on. He is neither a friend nor a subordinate who have sworn allegiance to her. His assistance is only conditional, and he even has an enemy-like atmosphere.


    <em>Oh my! Merciful moons, that means there is nobody on my side!</em>


    Mia is starting to tear up. She had just fully realized that she was all alone. She had no Ludwig or Anne or any friends to support her or help her out of this mess.


    <em>I¡­ I have to think of something fast¡­</em>


    As she spiralled down into panic, Mia got help from an unexpected direction.


    ¡°Wait! I said wait!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who might that be? Is that¡­Liora-san!?¡±


    Mia was surprised at the sudden appearance of an acquaintance.

 Chapter 87

    <strong>Princess Mia is Unwavering</strong>


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ It is an honor.¡±


    Liora bowed to which Mia looked at her quizzically.


    ¡°Why are you in a ce like this? No, actually can you tell me why that old man seems to be very angry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s actually the chief of the Lulu tribe. So ¡­¡±


    ¡°This hairpin¡­ give wife gift¡­ then wife die¡­ give to daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°Your daughter, is that right?¡±


    Mia tilted her head a little, but nodded that to show that she understood.


    ¡°I see ¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to say this, but unfortunately your daughter is dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    The chieftain mutters with a stunned face. Mia continued in a slow tone so as not to irritate the other party as much as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably your grandson that gave this hairpin to me.¡±


    ¡°Details¡­ tell more.¡±


    At the end of Mia telling the story, there was silence. The silence continued while the looks and gazes of the Lulus tried to assess the truth of the story.


    ¡°Chief, Her Highness is not the one to lie. And knowing the personality of Her Highness, it matches the story she was talking about.¡±


    It was Liora who broke the silence. Then Dion came to help Mia.


    ¡°Look, it may not matter to you. But the reason we pulled back our army was because of a crafty move from Her Highness the Princess.¡±


    ¡°What? A lie¡­ girl kick¡­ our tree.¡±


    The Lulu tribe warrior shut his mouth after being nced by Dion.


    ¡°The army needs a good reason to withdraw. I think the chieftain will understand this, even if the soldiers at the bottom do not.¡±


    Dion looks at the Lulu chieftain. The chieftain looked at Dion with a stern look and then said in a heavy tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ yet¡­ believing words¡­ difficult.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then, I will send the boy toe back here. Besides, I don¡¯t think it would be good for him to stay in the slums as it is. I¡¯ll arrange it soon. You can make up your mind by then.¡±


    With that said, Mia found the perfect excuse to leave the forest. She turned around, and prepared to leave. But Dion¡¯s voice resounded¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, surely you don¡¯t mean for this to be the end of negotiations?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting on how you are going to resolve all the conflicts in this forest?¡±


    Mia face quickly turned blue. She saw the swordsman¡¯s light in Dion¡¯s smiling eyes.


    ¡°Oh¡­oh, of course. It¡¯s convenient that Liora is here to represent the Count of Rudolvon. Let¡¯s hear what she has to say!¡±


    Mia was desperately grasping at straws. She has no clue what she should be doing now, and is on the verge of nervous breakdown.


    ¡°Yes¡­ we should listen what she has to say. Then¡­ each one can speak as well. Yes¡­ yes! That¡¯s exactly what we should do!¡±


    After hearing everyone speak their minds, Mia was finally allowed to leave. But just when she was about to go, the chieftain approached her alone.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ me apologize.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought you did not believe me?¡±


    Mia frowned at the patriarch who apologized in a particrly humble tone.


    ¡°Before¡­ others were there¡­ front of them¡­ must act like chieftain.¡±


    The chieftain said with a serious face,


    ¡°You enter enemynds¡­ only one guard¡­ you brave¡­ courageous¡­ no liar.¡±


    The chieftain bowed deeply.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ care grandson¡­ apologies¡­ words earlier.¡±


    The Lulu tribe is a prideful people. Those who are rude to them will be met with rudeness in kind. Violence will be met with violence, even if they are nobles. But Mia is viewed as a benefactor, caring for one of their tribesman. Even more, she is the princess of the Great Tearmoon Empire. She could have wiped them off from the map if she wanted to. Instead, she approached them in good faith, sincerity, and respect.


    They have to return her kindness with equal amount of respect. Their pride would not let them do anything less. So even if it was just the chieftain in private, he was willing to bow down before Mia and apologize.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. After all, it was me who kicked the tree in your forest eventhough I know you treat it as a treasure. So how about we call it even?¡±


    Mia gave the chieftain a smile. A smile that seems to say that there are more important things than pride and respect.


    ¡°More importantly, once your grandsones, please treasure him and treat him kindly.¡±


    The chieftain was shocked¡­ stunned. In thatst sentence, he understood exactly was Mia was trying to say. He was a man bound by pride. His pride caused him to fight his daughter. His pride caused his daughter to run away. His pride caused his daughter to die in a foreign ce without even reconciling with her. He valued his pride more than he valued his daughter.


    In thatst sentence, this young girl¡­ no, this wise Princess was admonishing him not to make the same mistake he did with his daughter when ites to treating his grandson. He understood her. He pressed his lips and clenched his jaws to stop tears from forming. The princess, in all her wisdom, saw through him and gave him an honest wise advice.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ thank you¡­ thank you much¡­ deep words¡­ me treasure.¡±


    His quivering voice, however, betrayed his suppressed emotions. All he can do is bow down even lower and reverently to this young girl whose empathy seems no bounds.


    ¡­ But, of course, Mia didn¡¯t say those words because of her boundless empathy or her extraordinarypassion.


    <em>If that child is the grandson of the chief of the Lulu tribe, it would be problematic to leave him in an orphanage.</em>


    Although it has improved a little, the slums were still the slums. One could not guess what might happen next in there. And if indeed something might happen to that little boy, then the Lulus might really start an uprising. Better to pluck out any buds of danger before they grow.


    <em>It is best for that child to return to this forest. To do that, I have to get the patriarch to ept him kindly and treat him well so that he would not want to go back to the orphanage¡­</em>


    She was indeed sticking true to her motto of ¡°Mia First.¡± It was just sad that not a single person realized the true motives behind Mia¡¯s passion.¡±

 Chapter 88

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Begging</strong>


    It was already early morning when Mia returned from the forest. What followed was a whirlwind of activities. She gathered her things; organised her men; and gave orders to quickly depart for the capital. She didn¡¯t even bother answering Viscount Berman¡¯s questions. When the concerned guards told her to rest first, she told them she can sleep in the carriage.


    ¡°Speed is the essence of war, huh? It seems that not only soldiers but also sages value time. Princes Mia, ever the tactician.¡±


    Dion remarked while giving an admiring sigh.


    She showed up here; started her game; showed her cards; set the stage; and is now leaving the table. She was able to identify that her work here is done and now her fightys elsewhere. Her actions were guided by that wise perception of where she was most needed and what was most required of her. That is what Dion thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s all ording to her calction, huh. But for a mastermind, she sure is squeamish. Well, I suppose it is all part of the acting as well.¡±


    The child that she rescued in the slums ¡°just happened¡± to be the chieftain¡¯s grandson. Was that really just a coincidence? Sure, the meeting between Mia and that child might have been a coincidence, but by the time she was heading to this ce, she perfectly knew everything already. She yed not just the Lulu tribe, but everyone, on the palm of her hands.


    ¡°So that is the Wisdom of the Empire¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Ludwig¡¯s words came back to him.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want you to get involved in politics or promotions¡­ but if it is for that princess¡­ it might be worth trying.¡±


    Sadly, his motivation for joining Mia¡¯s cause all came from a wrong interpretation of Mia¡¯s actions. After all, Mia don¡¯t even know what ¡°speed is the essence of war¡± is. Her current actions are all motivated by one thing: safety. She wanted to get away from the danger zone: that forest with the Lulu tribe, and her executioner, Dion. So she was doing her escape as quickly as she can.


    <em>I need to get away from here! With that Lulu conflict and that Dion, this ce can kill me a hundred times over!</em>


    Upon reaching the capital, Mia¡¯s first order of business was to have that child from the New Moon District orphanage be sent home to Sealence Forest. She chose the best of her men as escorts to make sure that there will be no trouble. It was while she was arranging this that she was officially summoned by her Father, the emperor to the audience chamber.


    ¡°An official summons from Dad? In the audience chamber? I wonder what he wants this time?¡±


    The imperial family of Tearmoon Empire were very close. While in some countries, hierarchies are absolute that even blood rted families have to request audience with the rulers, this was not the case in Tearmoon Empire.


    Rather, Mia wished that her father would stop trying to see her every free time that he has. Because of this, being officially called to the audience chamber has piqued her curiosity.


    When she arrived, she noticed that there were a lot of people inside. There was her father, the emperor; Ludwig, her confidant; and Viscount Berman, the man who is the centre of attention with all thesetest events.


    ¡°Oh, my beloved daughter, Mia!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to see you. I¡¯m here ording to your summons.¡±


    She gracefully curtsied which caused the emperor to rant¡­


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ Don¡¯t say your Majesty. I told you not to call me that. It feels so lonely and distant. Call me Father, like usual. Or Dad! Call me dad! ¡­ what about papa¡­ papa seems to be the best option¡­ call me papa¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what is it that you want to speak with me, Father?¡±


    The emperor dropped his shoulders upon hearing his daughter¡¯s reply. It was obvious for everyone to see that this emperor is a big daughter-con.


    ¡°Well, I suppose being called Father is okay ¡­ More than that, Mia, I called you today because I wanted to hear about your visit to Viscount Berman¡¯s territory the other day.¡±


    <em>No surprise there. I thought as much.</em>


    Mia looked at Berman. He was clearly petrified, and his face was blue. While he was indeed part of the nobility, his territory is near the border that he could be considered a country bumpkin ¨C not that he would admit. And so, the number of times that he was able to be in audience with the emperor was at most, once a year. It was easy to imagine why he was so nervous.


    <em>I might as well get this over with while he is still overwhelmed.</em>


    And so, Mia¡¯s rare calcting side started working¡­


    ¡°I heard that you went to a very dangerous zone of the Viscount¡¯s territory. When I heard of it, I was so surprised that I almost fainted.¡±


    ¡°Oh? There was actually nothing dangerous there.¡±


    Mia said with a tone that sounded unconcerned. It was important to appear nonchnt about the whole thing. If she said something bad, then his father might really just order to destroy the entire forest. And knowing her father, it is in the very realm of possibilities


    ¡°That said, Her Highness withdrew all the soldiers that were guarding the area. Surely, something must have happened.¡±


    <em>What an annoying bbermouth.</em>


    Mia supressed her irritation and with a cool face, she shakes her head after looking at Berman.


    ¡°Ah Viscount, I suppose I must swallow my pride and tell the truth. It was an embarrassing story. I tripped over a tree and waspletely upset. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°What!? A mere tree dared to trip my beloved daughter! I¡¯ll give an order for the army right away to burn down that entire forest!¡±


    ¡°Please Dad, calm down. I¡¯ll arrange to cut down that tree and make it into my hairpin, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Mia showed the emperor her most endearing smile before moving her gaze to Berman.


    ¡°Actually more than that Dad, I have grown to like that forest. So¡­ please papa¡­ will you add that forest as part of my domain officially?¡±


    All those acting as spoiled princess finallye to fruition, as Mia cooed her Father, begging him like a cute stuffed animal.

 Chapter 89

    <strong>Ludwig¡¯s Terminal Delusion</strong>


    ¡°What? Is it such a good ce?¡±


    Listening to Mia, the emperor was intrigued, and he leaned slightly forward.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a beautiful forest and I thought it was a good ce to visit for vacations.¡±


    ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case ¡­¡±


    Ludwig, at the sidelines, was watching the exchange. He couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.


    <em>I can¡¯t believe Her Highness is handling it like this.</em>


    Certainly, if Mia puts the forest under her direct control, Sealence Forest will be saved. The conflict with the Lulu tribe will also be resolved. But in return, they will earn a grudge from Viscount Berman.


    Viscount Bellman is not a very useful person in Ludwig¡¯s view. If anything, he looks like someone that should be avoided. However, he is a noble and he has been entrusted to rule a particr piece ofnd. The reforms that Mia is trying to do (or which Ludwig believes) will inevitably require the cooperation of many nobles. It has been decided that it is better not to earn unnecessary grudges as much as possible. Any new enemy made is a potential ally lost.


    Or maybe Mia decided that the issue with the Lulu tribe is something that should be set right even if it means earning grudges. It would be justice and it would be the right thing to do. It is an act that ismendable for a princess¡­


    <em>But still, I thought that if it was her¡­ she would be able to present a better solution. There should be a way to solve this problem without sacrificing her cause¡­ Or am I too blinded by my devotion to her? Am I making her out to be more than she actually is? Was I wrong to put faith in her potential?</em>


    Indeed, Ludwig has gone too far into his own delusions that he is now starting to feel disappointed in his own delusions. He is suffering from a terminal disease of Mia-phrenia. Normal delusions were not enough to satisfy him. He was now putting delusions into his delusions. As a master of self-deception himself, he has masterfully deceived himself.


    The good thing about this is that the rose-tinted sses by which he sees Mia is about to be removed from his eyes. After all, Mia is neither a saint nor a sage. Only a princess. And if anything, a disappointing little princess. The fog from Ludwig¡¯s mind was slowly clearing up. He was just about to reach a truth¡­ but then¡­


    ¡°Then, Viscount Berman, I want you to build a castle for Princess Mia beside that forest¡­ no¡­ not just a castle, but build a town and call it Princess Town.¡±


    The words of the emperor registered into Ludwig¡¯s head stopping him from reaching the truth about the princess. As he thought about the implications of the emperor¡¯s orders¡­


    <em>Of all the things¡­ that¡¯s exactly adding oil to the fire!</em>


    Not only was his territory going to be reduced, but he has to build a town and even a castle. This is all from his own resources.


    <em>While it is true that if you order Viscount Berman to build it, you will not waste the money of the empire; but that will buy you an extra grudge. As if the man is not upset already, he will be further antagonized!</em>


    Ludwig rubbed his temples and let out a quiet sigh. Then he looked at Berman¡¯s face¡­


    ¡°Oh, oh¡­ Your Majesty, thankful moons¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Ludwig is confused. The viscount was clearly trembling¡­ but it wasn¡¯t because of anger¡­ but rather from excitement. In fact, it seems that the viscount is very close to tears!


    <em>What in the moons is happening now?</em>


    Ludwig desperately racked his brains. He came to a realization that terrified him¡­


    <em>Is that what¡¯s happening? No¡­ no way¡­ but¡­ if that¡¯s so¡­ then, heavenly moons!</em>


    If they had been dealing with a merchant, then Mia¡¯s decision would have caused a great deal of ill will. After all, she is using her imperial power to requisition assets. It was an order that he cannot disobey whether he likes it or not.


    But this situation is different. Berman is not a merchant. Berman is a noble. And like every noble, he values honor above everything else.


    Mia did not want to make Berman an enemy. Instead, Mia haspletely grasped the personality of Viscount Berman. She offered him what he wanted the most: honor.


    Why did Viscount Berman started making trouble in the first ce? It was because he felt slighted that he had to bepared with Outcount Rudolvon. Mia recognized what Berman really was thirsting for. So, she gave him the honor of having a special territory of the princess within his domain. And he gave him the honor of constructing the town and castle for the princess. For the nobles, this was an honor beyond measure. After all, if that forest bes Mia¡¯s territory, of course, the emperor will have more opportunities to visit his territory. That honor is irreceable for the aristocrats.


    <em>Am I seeing this right? Did Her Highness just establish a permanent protection without a cost to herself?</em>


    In addition, by building the Princess Town beside the forest, she is preparing a way of prosperity for the Lulu tribe. It will serve as an apology to the troubles they encounteredtely, but it will be up to them to take advantage of the current situation. Having the Princess Town nearby will make the logistics easier. The flow of goods will surely improve in theirnds. But most importantly, Princess Mia was able to earn Berman¡¯s gratitude instead of his ill will.


    <em>If it was me, I would dispose Viscount Berman through a political plot. If it was Captain Dion, he would most probably eliminate the Viscount through some bloody means.</em>


    However, neither of these options were the best. Nobles or lords are important cogs that keep the empire running smoothly. Even if something goes wrong, it should not be removed suddenly. Doing so will only lead to confusion. No matter how quickly a recement can be ced, it would create unavoidable harm to the people who lived there. A change of ruler would cast a shadow of uncertainty over thend, damaging productivity and stability.


    How can Mia avoid this from happening? It¡¯s easy. Don¡¯t rece the ruler, make him work for her instead.


    That¡¯s exactly what she did. She made it look so easy, as if doing it was as easy as saying it.


    This is surely not the end of it. There is surely more that she is nning with this move. She¡¯s probably even considering how she can make it up to Outcount Rudolvon as well¡­


    Sadly, Ludwig¡¯s terminal delusions seem to be proven right. The next week arrived, and so did a letter arrive that totally rob Ludwig from recovering from his terminal delusions. It was a letter for Mia from Tiona, the daughter of Outcount Rudolvon.

 Chapter 90

    <strong>Mia Gets Scolded</strong>


    For a while after finishing the whole ordeal with Viscount Berman case, Mia was just lolling around. Mia was released from public duties due to the emperor¡¯s consideration. ording to the emperor, she worked hard during her school days and now that it is school vacation, she should spend it rxing. So, Mia was currently on full vacation mode.


    She is currently sprawled on the bed, doing nothing in particr. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s not even wearing a dress, just her underwear! She was thinking along the lines that since it is her room, she should be able to do what she wants. The highly respected Wisdom of the Empire could not be found anywhere here. Because what lies here is an idle princess determined to reach the pinnacle ofziness.


    ¡°¡­ By the way, I haven¡¯t received a letter from Prince Abeltely.¡±


    Mia let out a sad sigh.


    In fact, this was one of the reasons why Mia wasn¡¯t motivated. She had been exchanging letters with Abel every ten days, but recently she hasn¡¯t been able to receive any.


    By the way, the distance between the Tearmoon Empire and the Kingdom of Remno is about five days on a carriage. Considering a round trip would take ten days, then a correspondence every ten days means a very frequentmunication by this world¡¯s standards. With the asional help of Anne¡¯s sister, Elise, Mia had already written more letters than she had ever written in her previous life. That is three letters¡­ three letters written. This says a lot about how bad of a writer Mia was in the previous timeline.


    Mia¡¯s hopeless career as a writer aside, it is true that Abel¡¯s reply was reallyte. Thest letter Mia sent was fifteen days ago. The summer vacation is nearing its end. Although they will meet at school soon, Mia is still feeling a little lonely. This was, however, not an excuse to be lounging in bed all day!


    ¡°Mia-sama, a letter¡­¡±


    Anne said as she entered Mia¡¯s bedroom. Mia literally jumped up with delight.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s finally here. I was worried if something happened¡­ what if there was andslide and the roads were blocked¡­ It might have caused the dy. But, oh well, it is here now¡­ I suppose I can forgive the dy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mia-sama, that¡¯s ¡­ not actually a letter from Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Feeling a little sorry, Anne gave Mia an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a letter from the daughter of Count Rudolvon.¡±


    Mia, who was leaning forward on the bed, slowly and silently slid back on the bed.


    ¡°Oh, ok. Tiona, right?¡±


    And just like that, all her excitement was gone. She sighed.


    ¡°Alright. Open it and read it for me.¡±


    She said in an unmotivated tone. Needless to say, Tiona Rudolvon was one of her main enemies on the previous timeline. While she does not want to take revenge, she also does not want to be corresponding with her. If this was from Chloe, she would be a bit happier.


    <em>However, the wheat stored by Outcount Rudolvon is appealing.</em>


    Therefore, she could not dare to ignore his daughter. Reluctantly, Mia prepared herself to listen to the letter¡­ but!


    ¡°Mia-sama!¡±


    Mia was a little surprised by Anne¡¯s unexpectedly sharp voice.


    ¡°What is it, Anne? And what¡¯s with the scary face¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re lonely without a letter from Prince Abel, but what will Prince Abel think when he sees you like this?¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that, I¡¯m in my room. He won¡¯t see me.¡±


    Anne tly scolds Mia, who was starting to make excuses¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who is watching, Mia-sama. The servants¡¯ mouths are bbermouth.¡±


    So, Mia remembers. On the previous timeline¡­ The servants around her kept ming her with different things. Some of them were things she did not do. Anything she did wrong in private, it became known to the wider circle. It did not take her long to realize that the servants were indeed bbermouth. And if one of them were to tattle to Prince Abel¡¯s messenger about her current appearance¡­ The mere thought made her blush with shame.


    ¡°Oh, Anne¡­ Anne¡­ huhuhuhu¡±


    Mia whimpered as she stretched out her hands to Anne looking forfort. Anne held her and gave her a reassuring nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mia-sama. I try to take care of you on my own. That way, nobody else can enter your room and no one else can see the state of it. I will only let them in when you and your room are clean and tidy. But remember, you can never know who might be watching.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ huhuhuh¡­ I¡¯ll put my act together.¡±


    Listening to Anne¡¯s scolding, Mia resolved herself to always conduct herself appropriately. That way, she won¡¯t be embarrassed to be seen by Prince Abel, or whoever else might see her. Mia was a simple girl, and she was honest. And Anne felt a small rush of pride in seeing her straightforward attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mia-sama, if I went too far.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You¡¯re always helping me, Anne.¡±


    Originally, such servants who scold their masters could be punished. However, Anne was happy that Mia was still the virtuous Princess she respected, no matter howzy she may behave.


    Now Mia was dressed properly and was seated, ready to read Tiona¡¯s letter.


    ¡°Hmm, Tiona¡¯s younger brother ¡­¡±


    From reading the letter, a memory from the past came to the surface.

 Chapter 91

    <strong>A Cheat-like Younger Brother</strong>


    Tiona Rudolvon, the saint of the Revolutionary. The most important factor in her rise to fame was the distribution of food to the people. The people, who were suffering from a severe famine, saw the imperial family only exploiting them and thus, supported the revolutionary army led by Tiona. Mia was bitter upon reading the report.


    ¡°What does this mean, Ludwig? Why does that woman have so much food?¡±


    Mia was left wondering. No matter how vast Outcount Rudolvon¡¯snds are, he couldn¡¯t be unaffected when the Empire was struck by famine. Even if he had stored wheat, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to share with many people. Ludwig answers Mia¡¯s question with a disdainful sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re a member of the imperial family, but it seems you¡¯re not studying, Your Highness. Were you not aware that a new type of wheat was developed?¡±


    ¡°A new type of wheat?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a cold-resistant wheat developed by Tiona¡¯s younger brother, Cyril Rudolvon. It seems that even in unreasonable weather, you can get almost the same volume of harvest as normal.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that! It¡¯s my first-time hearing this.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well, Cyril studied at a research institute in the Principality of Belluga. It was Lady Rafina who sponsored him. So, it may be unavoidable if you don¡¯t know. Still, Lady Rafina seems to be a person of insight. Unlike somebody I know.¡±


    ¡°Gu, Gununu ¡­ It¡¯s not fair! Tiona not only have Prince Sion, but also a younger brother who is a prodigy. This is cheating! I want a younger brother who¡¯s a prodigy as well!¡±


    Mia grinded her teeth in anger and frustration over fate¡¯s favouritism.


    Such a memory surfaced in Mia¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Genius child, Cyril Rudolvon ¡­ a cheat-like younger brother ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mia looked up from the letter she was reading.


    ¡°I wish to write a reply quickly. Anne, can you prepare my writing materials?¡±


    There was s sharpness in Mia¡¯s gaze. Anne recognized that gaze. It is no longer Mia the bed-all-day-belly-scratcher, this is now again Mia the Wisdom of the Empire


    ¡°Oh, and contact Ludwig. I¡¯m going to need a little money.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I got it¡±


    At the direction of Mia, Anne immediately started to move. She first run over to Ludwig to let him know then she prepares parchment, ink and quill. When she returned to the room, she saw Mia sitting on the bed¡¯s edge with a wide grin.


    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood, Mia-sama. Did you read something pleasing in the letter?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right ¡­¡±


    Mia swung her dangling legs happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Tiona¡¯s younger brother, Cyril, who seems to be very intelligent. But apparently he can¡¯t go to school because of financial difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Listening to Mia, Anne tilted her head quizzically.


    <em>It¡¯s a very pitiful story, but Mia-sama looks very happy.</em>


    Mia, who keeps talking, is in such a good mood that she seems to start singing and dancing. Anne always believes that Mia is a paragon of virtue and righteousness. She refuses to believe that Mia is rejoicing because of the misery of others. To confirm her trust in Mia, Anne uses all of her reasoning¡­


    <em>Maybe Mia-sama is happy to be able to help her friends?</em>


    The benevolent Mia-sama is after all a saint among saints. She ispassion incarnate. So, she delights when being able to help someone.


    <em>I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do something for Tiona!</em>


    Anne, who thought that, soon found out that her reasoning was correct.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Tiona asked for me to put a good word to Lady Rafina.¡±


    ¡°Lady Rafina¡­ which means¡­ Oh! She is asking you for help for her brother to study abroad at the Holy Principality of Belluga!¡±


    Mia is also a close friend of Rafina. Besides, the Holy Principality of Belluga is a gathering ce for cutting-edge knowledge. It¡¯s one of the best ces abroad to study and gain knowledge. It all makes sense to Anne now. Mia is really the kind of saint she knew she is. Anne expected that Mia would write a letter to Rafina¡­


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    Anne froze upon hearing Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°I want him to study hard in this empire. I will take responsibility and make all the proper arrangements.¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes started gleaming. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable. The quality of education in the empire is not in any way inferior to the Principality. The empire had its benefits of beingrge and mighty to be able to have a high standard of education. But Anne was skeptical.


    <em>Why can¡¯t he go to the Principality of Belluga like Tiona wants, instead ofplicating things?</em>


    If Tiona¡¯s younger brother, Cyril, was really brilliant wouldn¡¯t it be better to go to a knowledge-rich country like Belluga and raise him there? For Anne, Mia may have made a mistake. This might be because Mia wanted to help Tiona with her own hands.


    Anne¡¯s thoughts, however, immediately disappear upon meeting Ludwig. Ludwig not only dispelled Anne¡¯s doubts but even instilled in Anne a renewed sense of awe for the depth and scale of Mia¡¯s wisdom.


    So, delusion will meet delusion. Where will these delusions lead these two deluded people? No one knows yet.

 Chapter 92

    <strong>Ludwig¡¯s Delusions, Go Fast! Unstoppable!</strong>


    ¡°I understand, I will make arrangements as per your Highness¡¯ wishes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ludwig. Please see Tiona soon¡­ No, it would be more convenient for me to go over there. So, please make arrangements for my travel.¡±


    Ludwig bows in front of Mia and leaves. After that, Anne chased after him running.


    ¡°Mr. Ludwig, are you free for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sure, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ludwig looked a little surprised because it was rare for Anne to talk to him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something which may sound dumb, but what did you think when you heard Mia-sama¡¯s story?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right ¡­, in a nutshell, it¡¯s like Mia-sama. She is really an amazing person that is unfathomable for me.¡±


    Upon hearing the answer, Anne sighed with relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that Mr. Ludwig agrees with Mia-sama. I was afraid that she was making a mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡­¡±


    Anne talks to Ludwig about her worries and anxiety about the decision that Mia had just made.


    ¡°I see¡­ I understand your concern.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? Mia-sama, is doing the right thing, right?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say if it¡¯s right or not. I don¡¯t know how Her Highness mind works, and I don¡¯t think I presume to understand all of her goals, but at least I know that what she is doing right now is a sensible thing¡±


    ¡°Sensible thing to do?¡±


    Ludwig nodded when he saw Anne muttering confused.


    ¡°Well ¡­ you are amoner, right? Since that is the case, it might be hard for you to make sense of what¡¯s happening. Actually, Outcount Rudolvon only has two children: his eldest daughter, Tiona, and his younger son, Cyril.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ and how does that connect with the situation?¡±


    ¡°As with themoners, heirs are especially important to nobles. Outcount Rudolvon is not really that keen to send both of them to a school abroad.¡±


    If a political change urs in the Principality of Belluga. Or if the Principality is invaded by another country. Or, more likely, if a fire broke out at the school and resulted in casualties of some students.


    ¡°In that case, Sir Rudolvon will lose both his heirs at once. As a noble this is something he must avoid. Also, it is not just about academics, I assume he also wants them to learn about their own country, especially their own territory. After all, the nobles are lord of their territory. So, the heirs must also learn about the territory they are going to rule over.¡±


    They need to learn the kind ofnd they will control, the kind of people that live there, the kind of towns and viges are there, and what kind of industries exist there. In short, they need to learn how to govern it. There is a mountain of things that nobles should learn hands on more than academia.


    ¡°So, if Outcount Rudolvon would be given for his son to be educated within inside the Empire with the same quality of education at Belluga, I am sure that he would prefer that option.¡±


    ¡°I see ¡­ that¡¯s the situation. I never knew there so many things that needed to be considered.¡±


    ¡°In addition, one of Her Highness¡¯ ssmates is the daughter of the Forkroad Company. Thatpany is also involved in the distribution of books. If so, I won¡¯t be surprised if Her Highness¡¯ next move is to collect books with the help of her ssmate. She will probably gather as much knowledge as she can to rival Belluga. That way she can provide the very best education for Rudolvon¡¯s son.¡±


    Of course, Mia intended to rely on Chloe to get a lot of books. Needless to say, however, it doesn¡¯t mean that Rudolvon¡¯s concerns are taken into consideration. She only wants one thing: the cold-resistant wheat. She wasn¡¯t being considerate to others; she just pursues what pushes forward her interest. Nevertheless, the delusion of Ludwig was able to twist Mia¡¯s intention into somethingpassionate and noble.


    <em>Also, this may be the way that she wants to bnce things out.</em>


    Ludwig adds silently in his heart.


    In the case of the Sealence Forest, the one who lost the most was Outcount Rudolvon. The Viscount Berman got the honor and glory he wanted. The Lulu tribe were shown the way to prosperity. Whereas Outcount Rudolvon gained nothing; he even had to give up some of hisnds. ¡°Not having a battle near your territory¡± is not really apensation or reward. While on the surface, he may be happy because of his friendly rtionships with the Lulus, it was unlikely that he is satisfied with how the things ended. He lost something and gained nothing while everyone else got rewarded orpensated. Mia¡¯s proposal is most probably her way ofpensating Outcount Rudolvon for what happened.


    <em>As expected of Her Highness¡­ She is the one who doesn¡¯t usepassion as an excuse to be ipetent.</em>


    Mia, who is touted as a saint, cherishes her friends. To her people, she ispassionate and twice as clever. She doesn¡¯t waste money mindlessly just because it¡¯s for the people; nor does she give out just because it¡¯s for her friends. She knows the perfect bnce of politics, friendship andpassion. A mark of a wise ruler, and a saint ofpassion.


    <em>That¡¯s as much as I can understand at the moment¡­ But is there something more? Knowing her, I am sure there are more that I can discover. What next might she be after?</em>


    A few yearster, Ludwig would get his mind blown when Cyril Rudolvon developed his resilient wheat. His admiration for Mia¡¯s insight would even reach new heights. But that¡¯s another story.

 Chapter 93

    <strong>Cyril Rudolvon</strong>


    Cyril Rudolvon trusted his sister more than anyone else in the world.


    He likes to grow flowers, loves reading books, and enjoys studying. In contrast, he was not very good at exercising or any kind ofborious physical activity. Because of this, he struggles with the demands of horse-riding and swordsmanship from his father. Yet always time and time again Tiona treats him kindly.


    ¡°Cyril you are good at studying, so you have to study properly when you go to school.¡±


    That said, she always encouraged Cyril. Cyril was very worried when she heard that she was going to a school abroad, St. Noel.


    ¡°I wish Cyril went instead of me.¡±


    His sister said that, but it wasn¡¯t the thing he cared about. Studying is certainly fun, and he would love to go if he can. But what he cares about is that if his sister might be bullied in a foreign school full of noble children.


    So, he was relieved to see that his sister who came back during the summer vacation looked very well. That is not all. He was surprised to hear of his sister¡¯s newfound friends. It seems that she has made friends with Prince Sion of the Kingdom of Sunnd and Her Highness Princess Mia.


    ¡°Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon¡­¡±


    Cyril had no particr feelings towards Princess Mia, either good or bad. For him, she is more of a concept than a person. His only curiosity about her are the rumors surrounding her.


    <em>There are people who call her ¡°the selfish princess¡± and there are also people who praise her as ¡°the wisdom of the empire.¡± I wonder which is true¡­</em>


    At best, this was the limit of his interest in Mia.


    However, when he heard that it was none other than Her Highness the Princess that had settled the case of the Lulu tribe and Viscount Berman, his interest grew¡­


    ¡°As expected of Princess Mia. I never thought there would be a solution that wouldn¡¯t include any bloodshed. Only the wisdom of the empire can truly rule like that.¡±


    ¡°But father, is that really okay? They have taken some of yournds unfairly¡­¡±


    ¡°It may be unfair¡­ it¡¯s not unreasonable. The imperial family have the authority to do that. Well, it doesn¡¯t change that it does not make any better for us¡­.¡±


    The tone of the Outcount didn¡¯t sound as aggrieved as he should have.


    ¡°In the end, as long as the people don¡¯t suffer, it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    The Rudolvon family was originally the leader of the farmers who lived here. They have a deeper affection and ties with their people in their territorypared to ordinary nobles. Moreover, they have built a friendly rtionship with the Lulu tribe since a long time ago. It was satisfying for them because the situation was settled without the Lulus getting hurt.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    Cyril was honestly impressed and his respect for Mia grew. His father, his sister, and Liora, his sister¡¯s attendant, talked about Mia in a positive way. Eventually in Cyril¡¯s mind, Mia became a wonderful saint that is full of virtue. And now he heard that this paragon of virtue, Her Royal Highness, ising here.


    ¡°What is Princess Miaing to do here?¡±


    When Cyril asked that, not only his father but also Tiona was confused and unable to answer. The Rudolvons were a family of poor nobles who lived at the border of the empire. There was nothing here that would interest the imperial princess to visit.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s about the other day in the forest ¡­¡±


    His father answered although it is obvious that he was unsure of his own answer.


    ¡°Sure, I wrote a letter, but ¡­ I don¡¯t think she was going toe directly ¡­¡±


    Tiona smiled. Her answer seems more confidentpared to his father.


    ¡°But it is something that Her Highness does. It¡¯s just the way she is.¡±


    Cyril saw her sister smiling sincerely¡­


    <em>Or maybe¡­ just maybe, she ising to see her friend and y with you, dear sister.</em>


    Cyril quietly thought so.


    In any case, his father and sister have something to do with the uing visit. Judging that it wasn¡¯t much of his business, Cyril went to water the flowerbed, which is his daily routine. If it were an official visit, then the whole n needed to be there to greet her. But since it is a personal visit, then it probably won¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t show up.


    <em>Even so, my sister is amazing. To be able to make friends with Princess Mia.</em>


    With that in mind, he cared for the flowers that are in full bloom. Caring for flowers is quite difficult. It¡¯s not just about watering. One has to look at each flower and check if it is well-nourished or if it is sick. That¡¯s how deep in concentration Cyril was, that he did not notice¡­


    ¡°Oh my¡­ that surely is a pretty flower.¡±


    A person was standing right next to him!


    When he turned around, he was surprised to find a girl standing there. It was a beautiful girl. Her shiny hair, healthy skin, and her eyes that seems to sparkle with intelligence. The girl bent her knees slightly and put her hand on the flower, looking at the surprised and frozen Cyril.


    ¡°These are¡­ Sweetmoons, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ah, yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Cyril looked at the girl¡¯s appearance and wondered if he should use honorifics. She wore a light summer dress, not the luxurious dress worn by so-called nobles. It was more casual, light, and suited for the summer weather. This is why he couldn¡¯t be certain of her identity. Adding honorifics would be normal for a noble, but it would be embarrassing and grandiose to use it on a conversation with amoner. It was the voice of the girl¡¯s servant who answered his question¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama, it¡¯s about time ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand ¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    This was the first encounter with whom Cyril Rudolvon would swear his lifelong loyalty.


    TN: Mia the shota killer


    TN: Hello everyone. I am away for holidays until the 2nd of March¡­ So there will be no new chapters until the 3rd of March. I won¡¯t be bringing myptop with me.

 Chapter 94

    <strong>Princess Mia Wears a Smug Smile</strong>


    After leaving the courtyard, Mia entered the Rudolvon House.


    <em>I did it!</em>


    Mia was screaming triumphantly in her heart. She could not resist showing a sly smile. In truth, she looked scary with that evil grin.


    About ten minutes ago


    <em>Ugh, I don¡¯t really want to go.</em>


    Upon arriving at Rudolvon¡¯s house, Mia was feeling very depressed. Although she understood that she needed to do this, she wasn¡¯t motivated at all. After all, it is the birthce of Tiona Rudolvon, her enemy of the previous life. So, to speak, it is the enemy¡¯s headquarters.


    It can¡¯t be fun.


    <em>I wonder if I should wander around first until my mood gets better.</em>


    It was about this time when she saw a boy.


    <em>Oh, what an adorable child.</em>


    It was a boy who was watering flowers. The atmosphere was just ephemeral. Adding the effeminate look of the boy, it looked like a scene out of a fairy tale.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ a boy who loves flowers?¡±


    Realization immediately dawns on Mia. This is Cyril Rudolvon. The fact that he was able to produce a new kind of wheat should be because he was familiar with nts. Flowers = nts!


    Mia sneaks up secretly, trying not to surprise him as much as possible. She hunched her back, curled her fingers, and carefully walked on the tips of her toes. There was nothing that says the Wisdom of the Empire in the way she is acting now. She was more like a thief breaking in into someone¡¯s home. Nevertheless, her sneaky approach proved to be sessful. She was in the perfect spot to talk to the boy.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ they¡¯re pretty flowers, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    This is the Art of Love that was taught to her by her master strategist, Anne.


    ¡°Mia-sama, it seems that men love it when you praise their work.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? That means Prince Abel ¡­ what is his work?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if it can also be a hobby. Doesn¡¯t he like equestrian or swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°I see. Good idea Anne. Your advice is very helpful.¡±


    Just in case anyone has forgotten, Anne has no love experience ¡­ but fortunately, Anne¡¯s advice at that time was right.


    <em>Men love it when I praise the work they do. That means that this child, Cyril will surely be pleased if I praise the flowers he has grown</em>


    Mia elegantly knelt beside the flower,


    ¡°These are Sweetmoons, I believe?¡±


    Yes, Mia is about to do something very undignified.


    She was trying to show off her appeal as a girl. Then, at the same time, she was going to name the flowers. This will make it appear that she was knowledgeable about it and has a real appreciation of what he was doing. This tactic is totally unbing of a noble. But not for Mia; she¡¯s a pragmatist. She wouldn¡¯t mind stooping so low if she can achieve her goal of a new wheat, and even more, to escape the guillotine. She¡¯s willing to y dirty.


    <em>Hmmm¡­ this is as good as it gets. If all goes well, the new wheat is good as mine!</em>


    When she stood up after being called by Anne, Mia was filled with a sense of fulfilment. She turned away from Cyril then wore the smuggest of smiles.


    ¡°Princess Mia. Wee to this distant ce.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Outcount Rudolvon. I hope you are keeping well.¡±


    Mia greeted with respectfully and with proper courtesy. Her manners did not carry any of themon arrogance of the capital nobles when talking to poor nobles.


    <em>The daughters of the other nobles I have met before always looked down on me. But it seems that the Princess is different.</em>


    The Outcount was impressed with the Princess. Even if he could not tell if the Princess was sincere or not, at least on the surface, she was polite.


    Ound Count or Outcount. That is the title given to the Rudolvons. Being a count is a high title that should havemanded respect within the empire. However, just adding the ¡®out¡¯ in the ¡®count¡¯, it changes everything.


    In the first ce, the birth of this title is rted to the empire¡¯snd expansion policy. Since its founding, the Tearmoon Empire has been actively expanding its territory. They went out tonds that doesn¡¯t have a ruler and actively expand onto them either by persuasion or by force. Initially, the imperial government gave the newly acquired territory to the central nobles to rule it. However, the reaction of the people who originally lived there was worse than expected, and the policy was changed quickly.


    Next, they thought that the powerful people who originally ruled thend would be relegated to the imperial aristocrats, and that thend would be ruled as a territory. This policy worked better than expected. There was no unnecessary confusion due to the change of ruler, and the territorial consolidation proceeded smoothly.


    But at one point, a problem arose.


    It was when tribal chiefs who were heads of many tribes own a considerablerge tract ofnd. The empire desperately wants to make them under their control. The Imperial Green Moon Ministry, who oversees the negotiations, promised the chiefs of the tribe the title of ¡°Count¡± in view of the size and importance of its territory. The empire seeded in swallowing thend brilliantly.


    It was good up to that point ¡­ But the problem was after that. The central nobles rebelled violently.


    ¡°How does a country bumpkin be a count overnight?! That¡¯s outrageous!¡±


    Suchints were fierce that the Green Moon Ministry had no choice but to respond. To appease the central nobles, the tribal chiefs must be lower than the count. However, overturning what they once promised to give would affect the empire¡¯s credibility. The high-ranking officials were worried and squeezed their wisdom, and the conclusion that they managed to reach was the title of ¡°Ound Count¡±.


    In negotiations, they would emphasize on the title ¡°count¡±. However, back in the capital, they would emphasize the ¡°Out¡± part to distinguish them. It didn¡¯t take long for Ound Count to be Outcount, which is usually seen as an outcast. It was so low that even the barons, who are the lowest in the hierarchy, make fun of them. Little by little, through the years, a rift appeared that will slowly widen. It was a dangerous factor that could break the empire from within.


    Given such circumstances, it is easy to see how unusual Mia¡¯s attitude is. It made an impression on Outcount Rudolvon that he unconsciously straightened his back out of respect.


    ¡°I would like to thank you for your kindness to my daughter at the academy.¡±


    ¡°Kindness? No, I don¡¯t remember giving kindness to be thanked about.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ well¡­ I still would like to thank you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the recent incident in the Sealence Forest. Thank you very much for talking with Viscount Berman. Including the members of the Lulu tribe¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess that did happen.¡±


    Mia pped her hands as if it was such a small matter that she wouldn¡¯t have remembered if she wasn¡¯t reminded.


    <em>She¡¯s obviously here for that matter. But it seems that the Princess prefers to keep her cards close to her chest</em>.


    No way would Outcount Rudolvon ever believe that Mia wasn¡¯t acting but that she really had forgotten about the incident. Mia smiled, and just moved on to another topic. Her voice was light as if she was singing.


    ¡°Rather than talking about that, Ound Count Rudolvon, I came here today to offer a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hmm, a proposal?¡±


    Rudolvon corrected his posture and looked attentively towards Mia.


    <em>Her Highness settled Viscount Berman¡¯s grievances the other day. So, I am sure she is here to settle out grievances as well. In that case, she shouldn¡¯t be making us too bad an offer.</em>


    However, he has a feeling that it won¡¯t be a simple proposal that she will be offering. He was, after all, dealing with the Wisdom of the Empire. Surely, she won¡¯t let this matter be done with only a letter of apology and a bag of gold coins.


    <em>Something tells me I should prepare for something that I am not expecting.</em>


    Mia was totally oblivious of the expectations that were ced upon her. She continued to talk in a calm and quiet voice.


    TN: I am back! now let¡¯s get this rolling¡­

 Chapter 95

    <strong>A Big Wave is Coming</strong>


    ¡°I heard from Tiona-san that your son, Cyril, is a very intelligent child. He seems to excel in any studies.¡±


    From Mia¡¯s words, Outcount Rudolvon immediately understood.


    <em>I see, in other words, the proposal of Her Highness Princess ¡­</em>


    Perhaps she will give Cyril a rmendation to a school to study. But if this is thepensation of me losing a part of my territory, it is a little cheap.


    <em>No, what if it isn¡¯t just any school?</em>


    Outcount Rudolvon thought for a moment and then began speaking.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia, would it be the case that you want to repay me by enrolling Cyril at St. Noel Academy?¡±


    Admission to St. Noel Academy, which boasts the highest educational environment on the continent, is certainly exceptional. As a price for the recent events, it would be enough.


    <em>I heard that Princess Mia has an excellent friendship with the daughter of the Duke, Rafina. If Tiona had asked for it, then it wouldn¡¯t be impossible ¡­</em>


    Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s look was stern. If it was a wish. He did not want his son who is his sessor, out of the empire. However, Mia shook her head at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. It would be foolish to let our important human resources out of the country.¡±


    Mia has been thinking since she received the letter. If Cyril enrols at St. Noel, who will receive credits for his aplishments? Needless to say, it would be St. Noel¡¯s Academy, or the Lady Rafina. Or it could be his sister, Tiona? Whoever might receive the credits, it surely won¡¯t be the one who rmended him to enter St. Noel¡¯s.


    What is important for Mia is that she will receive credit for the achievements of Cyril Rudolvon. To do this, Cyril must be under the patronage of Mia.


    However, she couldn¡¯t just enrol him to any imperial school. That is because there is no school at the level of St. Noel Academy in Tearmoon Empire. Even worse if the new wheat may not be produced if Cyril is enrolled in a mediocre school.


    How could she solve this dilemma? After worrying for a time, Mia came to an answer.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t have the school we need, we can just create one!¡±


    At that moment of inspiration, several elements of innovation entered Mia¡¯s mind.


    ¡°By the way, they were building a town for me, weren¡¯t they? Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you know about the Princess Town that will be built in Viscount Berman¡¯s territory?¡±


    Outcount Rudolvon was caught surprised by the sudden change in topic that it took him a few seconds to follow.


    ¡°Eh? Yeah, of course¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of building a school in my town.¡±


    ¡°A school?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wouldn¡¯t it be exciting if there was a school like St. Noel in the empire?¡±


    Mia smiled mischievously, tossing the idea as if it was the most natural thing to say.


    ¡°And wouldn¡¯t it even be more exciting if Cyril is the first student in my school?¡±


    Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s tongue was tied, and he took a sharp breath.


    By putting the forest under the direct control of the princess, the conflict was settled. By letting the Viscount Bellman build Princess Town, she appeased his vanity.


    <em>And throughout all those steps, Her Highness has actually included us, Rudolvons, in those ns? She wanted us to benefit as well?!</em>


    Being in a neighbouring territory, the school would be close to home. Moreover, the Lulu tribe who lives in the forest is a tribe that has good ties of friendship with them. It¡¯s much easier and safer than going to the imperial capital. Perhaps the n will cost a lot of money. However, other nobles cannot help but participate in the n to create a town for the princess. If Princess Mia will participate in the n, then it will surely be realized.


    This was Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s conviction.


    Currently, he now holds deep admiration and trust in the Princess. He bows deeply.


    ¡°I am honored to have your consideration. Though we are a family of little power, but if there is anything I can do ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right ¡­¡±


    Pretending to be casual, Mia tilted her head a bit. She was considering her choices. What would be the best thing to ask for?


    <em>This is an opportunity!</em>


    Yes, a big wave has appeared in the surfaced and its powerful power is realizing her ns! Mia entrusts herself to it.


    ¡°Then, I am interested in the wheat that you have in storage.¡±


    ¡°What? Wheat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would like you to store as much wheat as possible without selling it at a bargain price. And when famine urs¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, if that happens, our wheat will be offered to the imperial family¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case.


    That would be very bad. Mia¡¯s instinct was telling. If they did that, the imperial family would store wheat only for the central nobles and themselves, and the people will starve. As a result, the angry people will start a revolution.


    Then it¡¯s straight to the guillotine¡­


    ¡°I would like the wheat to be distributed directly to the people from the Rudolvon family. At that time, please use my name while doing it. Tell them it was my order, and it was because of me.¡±


    It was clearly a terrible and vain request from Mia, the outcount stared at her¡­ but it wasn¡¯t a gaze of disdain. Rather it was full of admiration and gratefulness!?

 Chapter 96

    <strong>Do It in the Name of Princess Mia!</strong>


    <strong>¡ª</strong>


    ¡°Let me see if I get this right. In the event that I have to distribute wheat to the people, you want me to dere that I am doing it under your instruction. And that I can use your banner?¡±


    Outcount Rudolvon said while his voice trembles with an excitement that he hadn¡¯t felt for awhile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I really want you to do it in my name. Use my banner and shout my name while doing it if you want.¡±


    ¡°I am impressed, Your Highness.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help marvelling at the wisdom of the little princess that is the same age as his daughter. Outcount Rudolvon has arge territory, and most of his people are farmers. Therefore, when food was scarce due to poor crops, the central nobles came and robbed their wheat. They do it in the pretence that they are giving to the imperial family. Although in reality, they hoard it for themselves. They do not care about the starving of themon people. The nobles would not even think of the starving people if they were at risk of starving themselves.


    While it is true that nobles do live luxurious lives, it isn¡¯t the want to maintain such luxurious lifestyles that they hoard wheat. Rather, it stems from a simple reason. Fear. Nobody could know when a famine wouldst. With the risk of starvation, nobles would hoard up wheat as much as possible. They are looking for a relief from their anxiety from future starvation while burdening the people with real current starvation.


    These nobles woulde knocking on the territories with lots of farming, like the Rudolvons. They would ask food under the pretence that it was for the imperial family and refusing them would almost be treason.


    But what if the Rudolvons could say no these nobles and distribute the food instead to themon people who were really hungry. Surely these nobles will be angry. But this is where the genius of Princess Mia truly shows.


    Use her name in distributing food. Disy the Princess banners while doing it. If they do so, the central nobles, or any nobles, can¡¯s say anything. It would be them who will be guilty of treason. The Rudolvons have the backing of the imperial family.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to admit it to you, Your Highness. I am a timid man. Would you be willing to have what you said written down?¡±


    ¡°Written down? I don¡¯t mind if it brings your concerns to rest.¡±


    Mia answers while tilting her head, with a figurative question mark over her head. The Outcount¡¯s reaction has baffled her. Her proposal, is after all, letting the Rudolvons do all the hard work, while all she does is to ept the credit. She was wondering why her one-sided proposal seems to be epted readily and happily. Beforehand, she was afraid if Cyril¡¯s higher education was enough for a bargaining chip. Now, it seems for her that it was more than enough?


    <em>It¡¯s a little scary how he is so willing for it to happen. Is he nning something?</em>


    Mia observes Outcount Rudolvon with a suspicious look.


    <em>Or is he trying to win my favour? Or is this his way of showing his loyalty so that I will treat him well in the future?</em>


    Mia certainly wants the knowledge of Cyril Rudolvon, but that doesn¡¯t mean she wants to be chummy with him. He is after all, still a Rudolvon. She still has a grudge against them, which is not surprising. One does not simply chop off a girl¡¯s head and expect her to forget about it.


    <em>Trying to butter me up, huh? I can see what you are nning, Outcount. It¡¯s time for me to put my foot down.</em>


    Mia turned her chip up and blew a cocky puff of air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, this school won¡¯t be like the luxurious ones that nobles attend. Of course, I¡¯ve nned so that the level of instruction isn¡¯t inferior to St. Noel. However, I am thinking of epting a wide range of students; like from the neighboring Lulu tribe and themon people.¡±


    What Mia was trying to imply to the outcount was that Cyril was not that special. That for her, the Rudolvons were like themon people. And so, she will be putting Cyril to study with themon people. It was her way of saying ¡°Know you ce, peasant


    Hearing Mia¡¯s words, the outcount was silent for a while. Then his hands started to tremble.


    ¡°I see¡­ This is¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t have any words that I can convey to express my gratitude for such a consideration.¡±


    Outcount Rudolvon said earnestly. He was so moved that tears started flowing.


    <em>Her Highness is willing to go to such lengths to make sure that Cyril can learn in an environment free from pressure or bullying of the central nobles. What¡¯s more, by letting the neighbouring Lulu Tribe attend the school as well, then they can build friendly rtionship and trust from a young age.</em>


    To be honest, Outcount Rudolvon didn¡¯t like the imperial family very much. But ¡­


    <em>I may have finally found a person to whom I should offer my loyalty.</em>


    The joy from the depths of his heart overflowed that tears flowed out of his eyes. These were tears of pure joy.


    ¡­¡­ Mia who saw it ¡­¡­¡­¡­, pulled back a little.


    <em>This person, is maybe that kind? I wonder if he is one of those people who feel good when you hurt them.</em>


    Was he enjoying her disdain? Mia gets creeped out upon seeing this older man who seemed to be in pleasure.


    <em>Well, He is Tiona¡¯s father. I guess I should not be surprised¡­</em>


    In any case, she was able to get Cyril Rudolvon. And the Rudolvon¡¯s wheat was effectively all hers. She aplished what she came for.


    <em>It was good that I came personally, I got a great response!</em>


    She smiled happy with satisfaction while being softly rocked by the shaking of the carriage returning to the capital.


    ¡­¡­ Thus, everything is ready. The final piece was finally in ce. Fate has finally started to flow in a different direction¡­

 Chapter 97

    <strong>Disappearance / Intermission</strong>


    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, as expected after all of that.¡±


    There were only few days left of the summer vacation. Mia, who returned to her roomte at night, lied down on the bed without even bother changing out of her dress. It is usually the kind of behavior that would earn her a scolding from Anne. But for now, it can be overlooked.


    After finishing her talks with Outcount Rudolvon, Mia energetically travelled throughout the Empire. Enthused by her sess with the wheat, Mia decided to get as many things done before she goes back to the academy. She visited the hospital in the slums, checked the food storehouses, and then visited nobles after nobles to let them know about the establishment of her school.


    ¡°Uh ¡­¡±


    The moment she hit the bed, tiredness quickly crept up to her whole boy. Nheless, Mia manages to resist the urge to fall asleep immediately.


    ¡°That reminds me, I haven¡¯t checked it recently ¡­¡±


    Giving a deep tired sigh, Mia pushed herself up and headed to the luxurious desk where she kept her blood-stained diary. This blood-stained diary has been a signpost for almost everything that Mia does. Mia gave a tired smile as she picks up the diary, remembering that thest time she read it was at the start of the summer vacation


    ¡°¡­ With all my hard work, if there¡¯s no change and I still end up on the guillotine, I might just cry.¡±


    Mia quickly flips through the scary pages until she reaches the page in question.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh !?¡±


    She let out a gasp of rm. The page where she was reading was the day of the guillotine. But something¡¯s strange with the page. The letters seem to melt into seemingly small threads, then they unravelled into nothingness. At the same time, the blood red stains that covered the whole diary disappear while she was looking at it. Now the page was totally nk.


    ¡°Huh? What is this, oh?¡±


    In her surprise, Mia identally dropped the diary. The diary gave off a faint glow like a moonlight, and in the next moment, it disappeared as particles of light.


    ¡°Heavenly moons!¡±


    Mia, who was staring at the scene, was totally confused for a moment without understanding what had happened.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ wha, what does this mean? Where is my diary¡­¡±


    Mia panicked and searched the whole room looking for her lost diary. It is important that she doesn¡¯t lose it after all, Mia¡¯s actions were guided by that diary. Based on what she read from it, she adjusts her actions to avoid the guillotine. And now, that important guide has disappeared¡­literally.


    ¡°¡­¡­hmmm?¡±


    Mia froze as she came to a realization. That diary is a guideline written by the Mia in the future. As long as Mia ends up on the guillotine, then that diary will continue to exist. But now, it has disappeared¡­


    ¡°In other words, as long as I have that diary, I¡¯m destined to die at the guillotine¡­ Then¡­ now that diary has disappeared¡­ this can only mean¡­¡±


    Amidst her confusion, she slowly and logically arranged her thoughts until she reached a certain conclusion. And that is¡­


    ¡°¡­then this means¡­ that the future of me dying at the guillotine is gone too?¡±


    With a stunned and almost unbelieving voice, Mia muttered.


    ¡°I¡­ did it? Yeah? I¡¯m finally free!¡±


    Mia threw her small fist up in the air. This behavior was very unprincess-like but it didn¡¯t matter. Mia burst into a joyful dance while twirling around and around her room. She only stopped when her fatigue and tiredness caught up with her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s write a letter to Prince Abel!¡±


    She pped her hands and smiled happily. As a matter of fact, it is unlikely that she will receive a reply from this letter considering the numbers of days left for the summer vacation. Even more so, once school resumes, they can talk directly. However, Mia is just so happy that she wants to let someone know her happy feelings right away. And as for who that person she wants to share her happiness with? It doesn¡¯t take a lot of guesswork¡­


    ¡°Prince Abel, how are you? Well, I¡¯ll see you once school starts, but I¡¯m looking forward to it from now on.¡±


    And the gear of fate begins to move slowly.


    At the same time, at a certain underground bar, four men were talking secretly.


    ¡°The empire seems to be picking up.¡±


    ¡°I tried goading various nobles, but it is proving difficult.¡±


    ¡°That young man named Ludwig, a civilian worker of the Golden Moon Ministry, seems to be quite excellent ¡­¡±


    ¡°I was hoping that a famine would do them in, but they seem to have a perfect system to counter it¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that the rtionship between Princess Mia and Prince Sion is also good. This means that the efforts in having them turn against each other has failed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, the wisdom of the empire ¡­ It¡¯s all because of that kid.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Prince Sion has always been known to be a genius and everything. And that Belluga¡¯s Rafina is not an easy target as well.


    ¡°In any case, our ultimate goal remains the same. We¡¯ll put the ns for the empire on hold. For now, we are changing targets¡­¡±


    ¡­ Mia never received a letter of reply from Abel.


    TN: Well, that¡¯s it everyone. Mia finally avoided the guillotine. She is free!


    Thank you very much for all your support through the whole series. This was my first time doing trantion of a webnovel. And it has been fun! I enjoyed it. There were times that I feltzy. Whenever those times happened, I looked back to yourments, and then I trudge on to look forward to what you say in thements the next day. So thank you for the kind words. And thank you for following me from one site to another.


    Until next time.


    ¨C<em>Mermaid Fish</em>

 Chapter 98

    <strong>A fun tea party, and ¡­</strong>


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Mia looked up at the academy with a refreshing smile.


    ¡°I never thought that the day woulde when I would be happy to be back at this school.¡±


    Mia arrived at St. Noel Academy a week before the start of the new semester. To be honest, Mia didn¡¯t really like school, but she left the empire early because of the feeling of liberation from the guillotine. She was humming happily entering the school gates.


    ¡°Oh, Mia-sama!¡±


    ¡°Chloe! Good morning¡±


    Mia looks at her and gave her an exceptionally formal curtsy. Chloe hurriedly did the same¡­ and then they looked at each other andughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Chloe. Were you well?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am. Thank you. Mia-sama looks fine too.¡±


    ¡°Is your father doing well?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you for that by the way. My dad was so delighted to have a very good business talk with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d to hear that¡±


    ¡°Well, I was very surprised. I mean¡­ I knew it¡­ but it really drove home for me how you truly are the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°My, my. I¡¯m terribly ttered. But you¡¯re giving me too much credit.¡±


    Chloe surely did give her too much credit. It has been too long since Mia said something true about herself.


    The two walked happily around the campus. When they were approaching the courtyard, a familiar person approached them.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long time, Princess Mia, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Rafina-sama¡­ Good morning to you too. You¡¯re as charming as always.¡±


    The two exchange pleasantries as typical of nobles. Then Rafina looked at Chloe and smiled gently.


    ¡°Good morning to you as well, Chloe¡±


    ¡°Ah, eh, uh, yeah. Rafina-sama, good morning.¡±


    Rafina looked at Mia after seeing Chloe getting nervous.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Chloe were friends.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are. In fact, we are best-friends.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s eyes went round upon hearing what Mia said.


    ¡°Oh. Be-be-best friend?¡±


    ¡°We often get together to discuss about the books we read.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? That sounds delightful.¡±


    Rafina smiled happily,


    ¡°I was thinking of having a tea. Would you like to join me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m just going to head off¡­¡±


    ¡°Chloe, do you have anything to do?¡±


    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t want to get in the way¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I was thinking of having tea with the two of you.¡±


    Rafina smiled again at Mia, who nodded a little.


    ¡°I would prefer if you joined us as well, Chloe. Rafina kindly invited us. So, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Having said that, she took Chloe¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Mia, I heard that you are trying to build a school.¡±


    Rafina asked after they had made themselvesfortable in her room. Rafina gazed at Mia with her mouth on the cup of tea.


    ¡°I also heard that the door will be open to themon people. I must say that that is certainly a bold move.¡±


    Chloe blinked in surprise upon hearing this.


    ¡°Mia-sama, did you try to do that? I had no idea.¡±


    At the gaze of the two, Mia was a little nervous.


    <em>Uh¡­ I wonder if she had caught on that I am letting inmoners because I don¡¯t want to send Tiona¡¯s brother to a school exclusive for nobles.</em>


    Eventhough, she had escaped the guillotine, Rafina¡¯s stare doesn¡¯t seem to bode well. Mia hurriedly thinks of an excuse.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really surprising. After all, talent is talent irrelevant of one¡¯s social background.¡±


    After all, Tiona¡¯s younger brother is not from a prestigious bloodline. And yet, he was still able toe up with a new strain of wheat. Talent has nothing to do with bloodline. That should be it!


    Fortunately, the quick excuse seems to satisfy Rafina¡­ no, rather, it seems that she has taken it deeply.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As expected of my closest friend. I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re my friend.¡±


    Rafina took Mia¡¯s hands full of admiration; her eyes moistening with emotions. Mia¡¯s words hadn¡¯t just satisfied her. It resonated with her on a very deep level. Which is a shame because Mia is oblivious of this fact.


    All that Mia can notice is Rafina¡¯s reaction that was bordering on being scary and creepy¡­


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re exaggerating.¡±


    Mia smiled back. She was on a roll, and she knew it. Fate was on her side. She can feel a big waveing up and she¡¯s going to ride it.


    <em>The waves of my luck areing¡­ I can feel it¡­ it¡¯s going strong!</em>


    Mia was going to ride this wave up higher and higher. But of course, a wave goes up and down. In fact, the bigger the wave, the greater the fall. Time will tell until when Mia can ride this wave up high.


    ¡°Your Highness, pardon my intrusion.¡±


    Anne rushed in. Mia was surprised that she failed to notice Anne¡¯s ashen face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Looking at Mia¡¯s face, Anne took a deep breath and then spoke slowly.


    ¡°A revolution has happened ¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡±


    Thus, the fall from up the wave begins¡­

 Chapter 99

    <strong>Choice of the Wisdom of the Empire (Romantic Mode)</strong>


    ¡°Wha¡­ what? Revolution? Why? What about my effort so far? All down the drain? The empire in revolution¡­¡±


    Mia felt her strength suddenly drain out of her body, and she started to faint.


    ¡°Eeeek! Oh, calm down, Mia-sama. It¡¯s not the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    Mia paused mid-fall and looked at Anne


    ¡°The revolution has happened in the Kingdom of Remno¡­ Keithwood told me earlier.¡±


    ¡°What? What? Ue?¡±


    Still suffering from the initial shock, Mia couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    ¡°What do you mean? What on earth ¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand anything all. Why and how is there a revolution in the Kingdom of Remno? And why so suddenly?


    ¡°Excuse us, Lady Rafina¡±


    Mia¡¯s questions were interrupted with a knock on the door. Prince Sion entered together with his servant Keithwood. Trailing behind them was Tiona.


    ¡°I heard that Princess Mia is here ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in the right ce. Prince Sion.¡±


    Rafina answered in a serious tone.


    ¡°Pleasee in and be seated. I¡¯ll prepare tea for all of you now.¡±


    When the neers were seated, Keithwood started talking.


    ¡°To be precise, it is still at the stage of popr uprising, so it isn¡¯t a full-blown revolution yet¡­¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s words were apologetic and a bit hesitant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the confusion.¡±


    The misunderstanding was actually caused by Anne.


    Keithwood has a reason to be hesitant. The Kingdom of Sunnd has emphasized the importance of information since the early days of its founding. A dedicated intelligence agency in the kingdom Wind Crows has spies all over the nearby nations.


    It was only recently that the news came from a spy in the Kingdom of Remno.


    ording to the spy:


    ¡°In the Kingdom of Remno, there are signs of revolt that could result in overthrowing of the monarch. Government most likely to respond with a crackdown on the people. There is a need for military intervention from the Kingdom of Sunnd to protect the people from violence.¡±


    Originally, even though Keithwood was the prince¡¯s servant, he wasn¡¯t a privy to state secrets ¡­ but that¡¯s it. The Kingdom of Sunnd is not a monolith. Military and administrative factions want to be on the good side of Sion and so Keithwood held these connections. It was important for Keithwood to grasp these connections especially with Sion¡¯s habit of putting his nose where it shouldn¡¯t be at and getting into trouble.


    This information came from a reliable source. When Keithwood got this information, he immediately consulted with Sion, and they came to the conclusion that it would be better to inform Princess Mia.


    ¡°In fact, most of the details are still unknown.¡±


    The information was vague. Only that there is a revolt that could lead to a revolution. Still, the sentence calling for military intervention was very clear. This made Keithwood¡¯s heart skip a beat. They ryed the information to Anne who came in bursting starting with the revolution part which caused Mia¡¯s misunderstanding.


    ¡°But there have been signs of destabilization in the Kingdom of Remno for several years.¡±


    A strong army, heavy taxes, and the political situation of the Kingdom of Remno were originally a dangerous bnce. The cause of the sudden unrest was that the king proposed to raise the taxes.


    Of course, there was opposition. The first to disagree was Count Dasayev Donovan, the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Remno. He raised his voice to represent the voices of the disgruntled people.


    ¡°I know that person as well. He is a wise person, but I thought he had a mild temperament¡­¡±


    Rafina tilts her head slightly.


    Sion answered her to clear her doubts.


    ¡°I have the same impression. In fact, Chancellor Dasayev seems to have been moving to act as an intermediary between the people and the royal family. But something happened ¡­¡±


    Sion trailed off with his arms folded.


    ¡°¡­¡­something¡±


    A heavy silence is born.


    <em>What is it, what is it, what is it!!!???? What is going on!</em>


    Meanwhile, Mia was amid a turmoil. She couldn¡¯t follow the conversation at all, and she was absolutely frustrated. In fact, she looked like she was about to cry from frustration.


    Of course, Mia had no memory of a revolution in the Kingdom of Remno in the past. And it¡¯s not because she got her hands full of her own country. At this point, there should have been no noticeable incidents in the empire¡­ At least nothing that would warrant Mia¡¯s attention. So, if there is a revolution or a civil war in some country, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t notice.


    Nevertheless, something ¡­ happened. Moreover, the ce is not the empire, but the Kingdom of Remno.¡¡None of this makes sense to her.


    <em>Well, well, I should still be pleased that it wasn¡¯t the Tearmoon Empire. That¡¯s something to be happy about.</em>


    Mia attempted to look at the bright side of things.


    Even if the royal family of the Kingdom of Remno was destroyed by the revolution, Mia would not be the one at the guillotine¡­ So, Mia doesn¡¯t have to do anything¡­


    Rather, staying away from danger is what a wise person should do ¡­


    But¡­¡­.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­ do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡±


    Sudden voice. When she raised her face, Anne was looking into her face. Her face is serious, and she doesn¡¯t seem to be joking.


    ¡°Well, what are you talking about, Anne. I never said¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Mia-sama, your face looks like you¡¯re about to cry.¡±


    ¡°Eh? No, that¡¯s not the case ¡­¡±


    <em>All this time, I have been doing my best to avoid the guillotine.</em>


    Memories began to resurface in her mind. shback of what happened to her in the past. She remembered the terror of the guillotine, and all the sweat, tears, and hard work she had shed trying to avert that horrible fate.


    <em>So, I¡¯m really sorry but I prefer not to go to such a dangerous ce. It¡¯s the right choice to refrain from running into danger.</em>


    Her choice was of course obvious.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­but¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more the memories came back. Including a gentle face, riding a horse together, a smiling face chewing on a sandwich, a shy face when dancing¡­ Scene after scene, it was his face that kept appearing.


    Mia looked around and saw the faces of the room.


    Anne¡¯s, Chloe¡¯s, Zion¡¯s, Keith Wood¡¯s, Rafina¡¯s, Tiona¡¯s ¡­


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t really say that I don¡¯t want to go after all.¡±


    Mia had a cheerful smile on her face, while saying in a small voice.


    ¡°I want to go to Prince Abel¡­ I want to go.¡±


    Freed from choosing choices to escape the fate of the guillotine from her diary, Mia finally makes a choice that is totally hers. Then Mia looked around and said to everyone around her.


    ¡°Can I ask for your cooperation?¡±


    <em>Well, I¡¯m not saying this because I want to meet Prince Abel! This is just a strategy! People might be disillusioned with me and put me again on the guillotine!</em>


    Mia muttered the inner tsundere of her heart.

 Chapter 100

    <strong>The bonds that have been built up</strong>


    ¡°I want to go. Will you help me?¡±


    Mia quietly said. It was a heartfelt wish of a girl who is touted as the wisdom of the empire. Normally, that is a wish that should be denied as it was unreasonable. But¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not so easy if you want to go, Princess Mia. The Kingdom of Remno is currently in a tense state. If you¡¯re going to take your guards, you could be suspected of aggression. At least fake your status and you¡¯ll have to go in secretly¡­ ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At this time, those with suspicious status will not be able to cross the border. We need to n some strategy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I wonder if what we can do about it.¡±


    None of the people gathered there denied Mia¡¯s wishes. With serious looks, they epted Mia¡¯s wish and put their heads together to make ite true. No one questioned her idea. They did think what could be aplished, but rather they are thinking of solutions. They skipped the whats and whys, jumping directly to the hows, as though helping Mia was a foregone conclusion.


    In an overwhelmingly desperate situation, they were a ray of light. Mia might be ipetent but the people she has surrounded herself with, they were all capable. The first person to voice out a solution came from an unassuming member of the group.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    It was Chloe Forkroad¡¯s voice. Chloe flinched when all the eyes of the group were on her. She realized how regal the group was.


    ¡°Ourpany¡¯s caravan are headed to Remno. Um¡­ what if you go with them? ¡±


    ¡°That is ¡­ I see.¡±


    Keith Wood nods immediately after thinking for a moment with his arms folded.


    ¡°Sure, then you might be able to enter secretly. If you¡¯re a merchant, you¡¯re unlikely to receive hostility from the people ¡­¡±


    At least, it will be much easier to move this waypared to entering the country as a royal family of another country or an unidentified suspicious person. Keithwood¡¯s expression began to brighten.


    ¡°Looks like we have a n. Then I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What?¡±


    Keithwood turned around upon hearing his master¡¯s words. Of course, Keith Wood likes Mia. He wasn¡¯t afraid to do anything for her, and he even thought he could apany her with Sion¡¯s permission. That¡¯s why hr brought the information to Mia, and it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that he is willing to help. He looks up to Mia as if she¡¯s a celebrity.


    However, if Sion himself says he will go to the danger zone, he has no choice but to oppose it.


    ¡°Your Highness Prince Sion, that¡¯s ¡­ Think about your position. You¡¯re the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Sunnd.¡±


    Due to the uprising of the people, the crown prince of Sunnd does not have any business being there. In fact, it might just even trigger a diplomatic and political problem. Basically, Sion is a person who prioritizes the future of his own country over his own selfishness. Naturally, Keithwood thought he would listen to what he said. For some reason, Sion said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why Keithwood. I¡¯ll apany her because of my position.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a good king needs to be brave. I can¡¯t rule the country with just a sword. But at the same, a craven king cannot rule Sunnd. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think you¡¯re right ¡­¡±


    Keithwood knows Sion¡¯s oratory skills. He has heard him debate others before. But this is the first time that Sion uses his skills against him. Now he has a bad feeling that he will be persuaded by him, no matter what.


    ¡°If, for the sake of argument, there was a princess of arge kingdom, like me. And this princess goes to rescue her ssmate, bravely going to a dangerousnd. And this princess doesn¡¯t even know how to defend herself.¡±


    Sion started his oratory skills.


    ¡°If I see such a princess, shouldn¡¯t I lend a hand? Or else people might think of me poorly.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly nonsense. Sion¡¯s oratory showcase aside, he has a point. Being a prince of arge kingdom, he has a lot of political enemies who could not wait to smear dirt on him. It was then necessary for him to behave in a way that would benefit his reputation.


    <em>I guess this is my loss. </em><em>Damn, it can¡¯t be helped. Of course, I will apany you, but I also must contact the intelligence officers hiding in the Kingdom of Remno.</em>


    Fortunately, there are allies in the Kingdom of Remno. The great power of Sunnd has set up a specialized agency and has set up intelligenceworks in several countries over a long period of time. It can be said to represent the foresight of the King of Sunnd, who recognized the importance of information warfare from an early stage. Information on the popr uprising in the Kingdom of Remno also came in through this intelligence agency. Back home, there should already be a military debate on whether to intervene.


    <em>This is great and all. But for the sun¡¯s sake, it still doesn¡¯t make it okay for a crown prince to walk into a potentially enemy territory!</em>


    Keithwood¡¯s headaches are endless.


    ¡°Mia-sama, I will apany you.¡±


    Following Sion, Tiona voiced out as well. She also practices swordsmanship. Although her skill is not that of an expert level, she is capable of defeating bandits. She¡¯s at least stronger than Mia.


    <em>Since I cannot bring my guards, it would not be bad to take her along.</em>


    Mia just silently bowed her head deeply out of thankfulness. She decided to ept their kindness. But¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­ I will go too. Please take me.¡±


    Mia looked at the final speaker and, to her dismay, found that she couldn¡¯t ept thisst speaker volunteering.


    TN: Woohooo! Chapter 100!

 Chapter 101

    <strong>All the pieces are on the board</strong>


    ¡°Your Highness, may I¡­¡±


    Anne timidly voices out. Mia shuts up for a moment and then gently turned her to her.


    ¡°I am sorry, Anne. I can¡¯t take you.¡±


    Of course, if Annees with her, she¡¯ll take care of everything around her. She would be grateful. But still, she can¡¯t bring Anne with her. The reason is very simple. It is because Anne can¡¯t ride a horse!


    For example. Suppose Mia takes Anne, and a danger appears. Supposing there were horses, the easiest way out would be to ride them. The strongest horse would be carrying two people. But that would still slow them down, or even worse, that horse will be used as a bait. If it was any other servant, Mia wouldn¡¯t probably mind. But this was Anne. She was indebted to her. She doesn¡¯t want nor does she choose to put her into any danger. Mia wants to return her loyalty sincerely.


    ¡°Anne, you can¡¯t ride a horse. The ce we are going is very dangerous. You will slow us down.¡±


    ¡°But Mia-sama¡­¡±


    Anne was about to cry. She began sniffling and her voice started breaking. Mia had pushed her away. She made it clear that her inability to ride a horse would make her a burden to everyone. It was blunt. It was harsh. But, worst of all, it was very kind. She was not stupid. She knew Mia was doing this to ease her conscience. Her beloved mistress did not think twice about trading their friendship for her safety. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She understood everything. But this does not ease the hurt she feels.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry, Anne. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll definitely be back.¡±


    Mia smiled softly to reassure Anne.


    ¡°So, you have to stay and do your job well. Okay?¡±


    Mia was thinking that when shees back to school, she¡¯ll surely want a cup of tea. Or maybe she¡¯s exhausted and want to dive into bed right away. Or she may want to take a bath to her heart¡¯s content. For all of these, she needs Anne. It¡¯s an important job to keep up with the demands of Mia once shees back.


    Mia looked at Anne in the eyes, trusting that she was able to convey this message. It was meant tofort her. Unfortunately, even when Anne heard that, her expressions did not clear up.


    Mia and her friends left one by one, saying that they must prepare for the infiltration. Anne watched them leave through the door; stunned.


    <em>Because I can¡¯t ride a horse, I¡¯ve be a stumbling block for Mia-sama. I don¡¯t know if I can forgive myself for this.</em>


    Anne looked down and tears started spilling down from her eyes.


    ¡°Raise your face, Ms. Anne¡±


    Anne was suddenly shocked upon hearing a dignified voice. She turned and saw Rafina observing her with a quiet expression.


    ¡°Rafina-sama ¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is the time and the ce to be depressed?¡±


    ¡°But ¡­ I ¡­ I feel so worthless. If I can ride a horse, I¡¯ll be with Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°What are you, Mia?¡±


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m ¡­ Mia¡¯s exclusive maid.¡±


    Rafina shook her head in response.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t only be the case. Did you forget how Mia introduced you to me before?¡±


    Rafina stared straight at Anne and spoke.


    ¡°Mia said you were her confidante and right arm.¡±


    The words shocked Anne as if she had been struck by lightning.


    ¡°Mia was telling you to do your job. Is that job standing there and being down?¡±


    ¡°What can I do ¡­¡±


    ¡°Something only you can do as Mia¡¯s confidante. Whates to your mind?¡±


    For awhile, Anne said nothing. Then she bowed and left the room. Rafina watched as Anne walked out the door with her back straighter than it was few minutes ago.


    Anne, the maid who was depressed, has started to move.


    The day after Mia and his friends left, Anne also left the school. Within her heart was the resolve of something that only she can do. Her destination was the Tearmoon Empire. Anne¡¯s loyalty would bear fruit. She would bring the strongest piece of the empire onto the board. But that¡¯s a story a little further on.


    Thus, all the pieces are in ce on the board. With the Kingdom of Remno as the board. A conspiracy drama is about to unfold. With the White Queen and her friends gathered to attempt a rescue of the Knight at the ck Camp. Will they be able to rescue Prince Abel?


    The game is in motion. It¡¯s oue still undecided. What the future holds is anyone¡¯s guess.


    TN: The author uses a lot of chess terminology at the end. Anyway, this marks the start of this new arc. This arc would cover at least the next 30 chapters. And this will be the arc that will end Volume 1.


    So, time for a ride on the Mia train.


    And yes, I guess, it¡¯s obvious by now. The Mia x Abel is definitely sailing.

 Chapter 102

    <strong>A tragic prayer and a maiden¡¯s sigh¡­</strong>


    Three days have passed since they have left with the Forkroad Merchant caravan. And now they are just about to leave the borders of the Holy Principality of Belluga.


    A heavy silencey between the four who hid themselves in a carriage bed. Mia¡¯s cheeks are slightly pale. She is understandably sad and is quiet. Dressed in a riding blouse and easy-to-move shorts, Mia hugged her bent knees tightly.


    ¡°Fu ¡­¡±


    asionally, she lets out a sad sigh. Seeing this, Tiona frowns anxiously.


    <em>Princess Mia, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re worried.</em>


    Tiona tried to think what Mia is going through. Prince Abel, her sweetheart, could be in a dangerous zone. She¡¯s probably filled with grief and anxiety.


    <em>Anyway, I must protect Mia and take her to Prince Abel¡­</em>


    Tiona squeezed a slender sword on her waist.


    <em>Hopefully, Prince Abel is safe.</em>


    Tiona prays silently.


    Keith Wood, on the other hand, had a different perspective.


    Well now, this is interesting. Even the great Princess Mia cannot escape nervousness.


    Thend they are heading to, the Kingdom of Remno, is a dangerous territory. Although public security is still maintained overall, the areas where the people have uprised are undoubtedly dangerous ces. It is quite possible that their anger at the Remno royal family could be transferred into royalty and nobles from other countries. If their status is revealed, they could be in real danger. Mia surely knows about this. After all, she is the Wisdom of the Empire. This would surely not escape her notice.


    <em>Admittedly, she is not just smart, but she knows how to be courageous at the right time.</em>


    If possible, Keithwood would like to see a marriage between his master and Mia. But this is just his inner thoughts.


    Well, in fact, what Mia was thinking about¡­


    U, uh, ugh. I feel sick.


    She was just cartsick. A very bad case of cartsickness actually. In the first ce, Mia has only travelled on high-ss carriage for the imperial family. She was ustomed to riding a carriage that pursued ride quality andfort. Of course, she has never rode a merchant¡¯s wagon before. Her butt hurts from the hard wooden floor, and it doesn¡¯t help that they are travelling at a bumpy road as well.


    ¡°Fu¡­ Fu¡­¡±


    asionally, she¡¯d let out quick breaths to quell her nausea. But she can¡¯t let her guard down because she can already taste something sweet and souring up from her stomach to her throat. She knew it was bad attitude to give her friends silent treatment after what they are doing for her. However, every time she wants to start a conversation, her queasiness would also start, and her head would start spinning.


    <em>If I open my mouth, I might just vomit.</em>


    She could not admit to her status, however. She still has her pride as a princess. So, Mia kept her head down and desperately endured the nausea.


    It did not cross her mind to worry about the people who are uprising and if their identity was revealed. It didn¡¯t register to her that this would be a problem. She was worried about Abel, of course, but her coping mechanism for this was to not think about it in the first ce.


    <em>It should okay. When I was captured, it took awhile before they killed me. We¡¯ll make it in time.</em>


    With the tragic maiden¡¯s prayer in her heart, Mia held her mouth down.


    <em>I¡¯m feeling even worse. I may be reaching my limit soon.</em>


    ¡°We¡¯re about to cross the border. Everyone, let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    Sion said aftering back from the coachman¡¯s sit.


    The first barrier to meeting Prince Abel was the border. ording to the information obtained in advance, the Kingdom of Remno is currently on high alert. Except for a few selected merchants, people from other countries are strictly restricted from entering and exiting.


    ¡°It makes sense of course. The neighboring countries will send people to take advantage of the civil war. They might send help to both factions now, so that they can ask for favorster in the future. Or they might use this chaos to attempt a coup. The Kingdom of Remno is military one. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for any rulers to take advantage of this disorder to weaken it.¡±


    Keithwood and Tiona nodded to Sion¡¯s words. Mia was vaguely gazing at them.


    <em>Ah, I wonder if these people were doing the same thing when my Tearmoon Empire went through a revolution.</em>


    ¡°Even so, it works.¡±


    ¡°Miss Chloe¡¯s strategy has been brilliant. Besides, the route formted by our hidden intelligence unit ¡­¡±


    Keithwood stopped his talking. Immediately after, something like a scream came up from the driver of the coach.


    ¡°Bandits! They¡¯re attacking us!¡±


    ¡°Bandits?¡±


    Sion frowns and looks at Keith Wood.


    ¡°This is weird. A caravan if this size should not be¡­ ¡±


    The Forkroadpany¡¯s caravan is rtivelyrge, consisting of ten carriages. Of course, at this scale, a private mercenary corps apanied it as guards. This means that the bandits are taking great risks.


    ¡°Even if the public security is bad at the moment, this whole attack reeks of suspicion.¡±


    Sion and Keithwood stood up at the same time.

 Chapter 103

    <strong>Princess Mia Falls!</strong>


    ¡°Princess Mia, over here!¡±


    ¡°Cha!¡±


    Suddenly, Mia was pulled forward that she stumbled towards the front of the wagon.


    ¡°Up!? What¡¯s the matter !?¡±


    She caught herself on time not to vomit the contents of her stomach. Mia tried toin, but when she raised her face, she saw Sion, who had a serious expression. She followed his gaze¡­


    ¡°What !?¡±


    The wagon cover was flipped, and a man stepped in. He was dressed in ck from the top of his head to his toes. He looked at the four people and then pulled a sword from his waist. It looked a little shorter than a knight¡¯s sword.


    ¡°A bandit!?¡±


    Mia screamed when she saw the glint of the de.


    ¡°Good grief, don¡¯t you know that you are scaring thedies? ¡±


    Keithwood says while stepping in. He already has his sword ready in his hand. He gave a sharp thrust while stepping in. His aim was the enemy¡¯s sword arm. There was a ng of metal as his sword was met with the enemy¡¯s sword. The way the enemy parried Keithwood¡¯s sword was almost as good as Prince Sion¡¯s.


    At the same time, the enemy¡¯s counterattack began. Keithwood was forced to step back. When he saw a slight opening before a powerful blow, he stepped again to counterattack. However, the enemy deflected Keithwood¡¯s sharp attack. This flurry of shing and counters went on that the hood of the carriage was brutally torn and it fluttered in the wind.


    ¡°You¡¯re able to top my attacks, huh? Your Highness, be careful. It looks like he¡¯s not an ordinary thief.¡±


    ¡°I agree. His movements are not that of an amateur.¡±


    Sion nods with a serious face.


    ¡°Who are you? An assassin or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, if he is an assassin, he would not give you his name.¡±


    Even when the two were talking, the enemy shes. Taking a step back, Keith Wood parries it. It¡¯s just like a dance step; the flowing movements are so brilliant that one might even feel the beauty.


    ¡°Interrupting people who are talking. You assassins are sure rude.¡±


    Keithwoodughs haughtily, as if he was amazed and teasing his opponent. However, he didn¡¯t seem to be particrly angry with such an attitude, and the enemy gradually narrowed the distance.


    ¡°Trying to close the gap so easily?¡±


    This time Keithwood moves. He uses a sword technique centered on piercing that can be used even in a narrow loading tform. Even if it is stopped, a perfect attack that immediately leads to the next move should not be fatal, but it should be enough to stop the opponent.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­. This guy has a lot of skill, but he knows that he will not be winning. Even yet, he still is not leaving.¡±


    At that time, an impatient expression appears on his face.


    ¡°Be careful, Your Highness. This guy probably is waiting for back-ups!¡±


    Without waiting for the end of the word, his words came true. There was a sound of the wagon¡¯s hood being cut open. From there, two new ck masks appeared.


    From this side of the carriage, it¡¯s just like pinching Mia and the others.


    <em>There is no escape!</em>


    Mia desperately looks around, but of course there is no escape.


    No matter how strong Sion is, it¡¯s two-on-one¡­


    Suddenly a feeling of real danger that she has not felt for a long time started creeping up.¡¡After a long time, feeling the danger of life realistically, Mia ispletely in tears. But


    ¡°For a couple of kids, you people sure are invested heavily in this.!¡±


    Sion pulled out his sword in a dignified and majestic manner, staring at the enemy who appeared to restrain him. A murderous aura was released. Mia felt it on her skin, at the same time a wave of nostalgia appeared.


    <em>On the previous timeline, that re was aimed at me.</em>


    She also remembered how reliable he was. After all, the power that once threatened her is now being used to protect her. Somehow, Mia¡¯s confidence in Sion is growing.


    <em>As expected of Prince Sion. He will surely kill these bandits with an ease. I¡¯m sure he has defeated many bandits before.</em>


    Mia was starting to be optimistic. Now she is supporting her friends as if she was watching a sports match.


    ¡°Well, who wants to have the honor of being the first victim of my de?¡±


    <em>Si- On. Go, Sion, go. Si- on. Wait!</em><em>? Did he just say first? This is his first time?!</em>


    Immediately, her anxiety returned.


    <em>Uh¡­ Maybe I should watch this from a safer distance.</em>


    Then, it was exactly when Mia tried to move toward a safer distance¡­


    The wagon hit a bump and the whole wagon bounced up.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡±


    Mia felt a strange floating feeling. Then she felt the p of the torn hood at her back. Finally, there was a dizzying feeling of rolling.


    The wagon was just crossing arge river along the border. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was headed straight into the water. The current seems to be very strong that everything that falls on it is washed away.


    ¡°Hey, aaahhhhhh!¡±


    Mia falls into the river while screaming.


    ¡°Damn it! Princess Mia, I¡¯ming!¡±


    Thest voiced that Mia heard was that of Sion¡¯s jumping after her.


    And so, the princess and prince of the two great powers disappeared into the strong torrents of the river.

 Chapter 104

    <strong>Princess Mia and Correct Way to Do Artificial Respiration</strong>


    Immediately after the feeling of floating, struck the feeling of cold water. Mia, who fell headfirst into the river, was saved by the depth of the water¡­ and the next moment, she was about to be killed by that depth.


    ¡°Ababa Baba ¡­¡±


    Yes, Mia ¡­ can¡¯t swim. She had hardly been to any water in her two lifetimes, and so she had no idea how to handle herself. She may love bathing andrge pools, but swimming was never a part of Tearmoon culture


    ¡°Aba¡­ blub¡­ blub¡­¡±


    While spitting bubbles from her mouth, the powerful torrents pulled Mia¡¯s body deeper into the bottom. She couldn¡¯t breathe and her chest became painful. Her eyesight began to falter.


    <em>Ughhh¡­ This is really really bad¡­</em>


    Mia couldn¡¯t figure out which was up or down as she kept being swept by the torrent. She was already fatigued from the ordeal in the wagon. She belched out her final breath of air as she reached her limit.


    <em>Oh, I¡¯m dying here. So, this is it. At least this might be better than dying at the guillotine¡­ Urgh¡­</em>


    She felt a little bit better thinking about this. What was left behind was a sad, sweet, and sour, slightly bitter aftertaste as her consciousness sank into the darkness.


    ¡°¡­ Princess. Hey, reply, Princess Mia!¡±


    She heard a voice calling her somewhere far away. Next, the feeling her body being shaken. Then a few ps to her cheeks. There was a sourness in her mouth. But everything felt as if they are so far away. Her senses were dulled.


    <em>Uh, what is this? What happened to me ¡­?</em>


    Mia tried to open her eyes with all her energy. Immediately in front of her was Prince Sion¡¯s dashing face just mere inches from her own.


    <em>Prince Sion? What on earth?</em>


    Vaguely hazy thoughts came into her mind about something Anne told her before.


    <em>Oh, Anne said that she learned from Elise¡¯s novel a way of saving drowned people by breathing them air through a kiss.</em>


    She was slow but the current reality was starting to catch up.


    <em>I remember saying that it was indecent¡­ but even then, I actually thought it was wonderfully romantic¡­ oh?</em>


    Mia was in a pinch! She finally realized what was happening.


    <em>Does this mean that Prince Sion wants to kiss me? This is going to be my first kiss and I want to save it for Prince Abel!</em>


    Mia was very confused by the situation in this world. This had never happened to her both in the past and in this world. And to think it will be with her archnemesis, Prince Sion.


    <em>Oh, Prince Abel, I¡¯m sorry ¡­ But, well ¡­, this situation is a little nice, isn¡¯t it? This can¡¯t be helped, even if my heart is pounding a little. I guess anyone¡¯s heart would pound with a situation like this. It¡¯s not really my fault. This is beyond my control, isn¡¯t it?¡±</em>


    With her conscience cleared, Mia closed her eyes tightly and waited for the inevitable. But there was bit of water in her mouth. And it tasted bitter. It would be inappropriate to have water in her mouth for such an event. And so, she spit it out.


    The next moment! Mia¡¯s face is turned sideways ¡­


    <em>Hmm? Oh my, how odd. Why sideways ¡­?</em>


    She didn¡¯t have much time to wonder as something touched her lips¡­


    <em>Hin!</em>


    The next moment, Mia screams with all her heart! It wasn¡¯t exactly as Mia thought it would be. The sensation was¡­ well¡­ something parted her lips, pushed past her teeth, and wriggled its way into her mouth. And the texture was coarser than she imagined.


    <em>Oh, oh? What on earth is this?</em>


    Then suddenly, it came into Mia¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Blueeghh!¡±


    Mia made an unromantic sound and forcible woke herself up.


    <em>* Notes on Sunnd artificial respiration!</em>


    <em>¢Û</em><em> When a drowned person vomits</em>


    <em>If a drowned person vomits, turn the person¡¯s head to the side immediately. After that, scrape off the foreign matter with your fingers to clean the inside of the mouth, and then continue artificial respiration.</em>


    Because of Sion¡¯s clumsy but appropriate treatment, Mia managed to hold on to her first kiss. Good for her!


    Teary eyed, she crawled on all fours, spitting out water on the spot, and then Mia raises her face.


    ¡°Oh, praise the sun. You are breathing again.¡±


    In front of her was Sion with a very relieved expression.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought I¡¯d die.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That torrent was certainly dangerous.¡±


    <em>No! It was because of you! It was painful because your finger was stuck in the back of my throat! Do you really want ady to say that out loud?!</em>


    Mia was even more embarrassed because her mind was full of dirty thoughts earlier. But at the end of the day, Sion saved her life.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. Prince Sion¡±


    To her surprise, her polite words of gratefulness were met with a serious look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bit early to thank me¡­¡±


    Sion looks around after saying that. Following his line of sight, Mia also looks around as well.


    ¡°Where¡­¡­ where are we?¡±


    ¡°Downstream from where we fell. From the map I saw before, my best guess is that we are in the north-western part of Remno Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh. We were able to enter the Kingdom of Remno¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we were able to get in¡­ but.¡±


    Sion continued to have a serious look in his face.


    ¡°This location is pretty bad. I think it¡¯s quite a distance from the royal capital. And to cross back to the border, we need to cross again that river¡­ and¡­¡±


    Without saying a word, Mia followed again Sion¡¯s line of sight that pointed to a high mountain. To escape, they have to cross that mountain to reach the border.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We are running out of stock chapters. So, after a bit more chapters, the updates will be slow. More on that soon.


    TN: Above was the Author¡¯s note. Not mine.

 Chapter 105

    <strong>A Bad Example of an Adult</strong>


    A bonfire crackled on the riverbank. The mes that dimly illuminate the darkness of the night were warm; and Mia involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°For the time being, we won¡¯t have to worry about catching colds with this.¡±


    The Kingdom of Remno is not in the frigid north. Nor was it a tropical country with tropical nights. If their body gets cold, they may get sick. So, they started a bonfire quickly¡­ Well, Prince Sion did. Princess Mia was just watching.


    ¡°You surprise me. I didn¡¯t expect you to know how to start a fire.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Well, I used to go hunting. I learned a lot at that time.¡±


    For some reason, Sion turned away. His cheeks are slightly red. It is quite understandable. They are only wearing underwear to dry their wet clothes. Sion was looking away from Mia as much as possible. He was trying his best to be a gentleman. Mia, on the other hand, was looking at Sion with her chin resting on her knees.


    <em>Oh my. What a cute reaction!</em>


    She was delighted with the naive reaction of Sion, who was known to be a perfect superhuman. ¡¡Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Mia was not ashamed as well. She was just as vulnerable to the embarrassment of being stared at by the opposite sex while only wearing her underwear. Even so, Sion is a 12- or 3-year-old boy. On the other hand, Mia¡¯s internal age is 20 years old. No, she is 21 years old because she was already reincarnated for a year.


    She was technically, an adult. This doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s mature though. She enjoyed the embarrassed reaction of a little boy. All while having a creepy grin on her face. She was a bad example of an adult.


    ¡°Rather, I was more surprised. I don¡¯t even know which wild grasses can be eaten, but you¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable about them. I guess ites with being the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, it¡¯s not that surprising.¡±


    Mia says with a smug look on her face.


    There was a reason for her attitude of superiority. Mia already has the experience of spending the night in the woods. It was on a timeline before, even before what happened in the Sealence Forest.


    To escape the Revolutionary Army, Mia hid in the woods. At that time, there was only one unreliable maid with her.


    <em>It was a painful experience.</em>


    They couldn¡¯t secure drinking water and had no food. Wild beasts seem to be everywhere because they are far from the escorts. Moreover, her captors were already nearby, it was impossible for them to ask for help.


    The maid soon flees to one of the nearby viges while cursing Mia. Mia became utterly alone in the forest. Unable to endure the darkness and loneliness of the night, thirst and hunger, Mia went out to a neighboring vige. She was promptly captured there by the Revolutionary Army.


    <em>Compared to that time, this is a walk in the park.</em>


    After all, there is a river nearby. It is easy to secure drinking water. Besides, Mia had already researched in books what kind of edible food was in the forests of this continent. Mia, who is eager to escape from the guillotine, now has the knowledge that it is no exaggeration to sayparable to that of a survival specialist.


    <em>Edible nts and herbs, nuts¡­</em>


    She didn¡¯t have to worry too much for the time being. Especially with Prince Sion at her side.


    <em>At that time, I was trembling as to what to do if a bear or wolf attacked me, but I¡¯m relieved to have Prince Sion here.</em>


    Mia smiles while a sense of security that fills her heart.


    Any bystander could say that Sion, being a boy, would have a hard time fighting against a bear or a wolf. Sadly, there is no nearby bystander to burst Mia¡¯s bubble.


    <em>Even so, it seems strange to think that this guy is escorting me.</em>


    Mia thought while gazing at the profile of Sion, who was looking toward the forest. When she saw the beautiful face of her enemy, she could not resist the urge of being a little mean to him.


    ¡°Hey, Prince Sion, I have something to ask, but only if it is okay?¡±


    Mia opened her mouth.


    ¡°Sure. Ask away. I¡¯ll answer if I can¡­¡±


    For a moment, Sion turns his face towards Mia before immediately turning away again.


    Mia said in a quiet voice, keeping her eyes on Sion.


    ¡°If your friend and schoolmate, Prince Abel, was involved in the oppression of his people, would you kill him?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­that is¡±


    ¡°I heard that you are as noble as Rafina. You are a person of integrity Prince Sion, that¡¯s why I want to ask you. Even if you know the other person and he is a friend, if he is doing evil, will you condemn him with a sword?¡±


    This was a question that have been in Mia¡¯s mind for a long time. In the previous timeline, the Revolutionary Army, led by Prince Sion and Tiona, took her life. To some extent, she understood why it happened. She could see the wrath of the hungry people. Together with their other grievances, they have enough motive to execute her.


    But that was then. Now, they are people that she knows. In fact, to some extent, can be considered friends. This is why she is really curious about how Sion felt now. Was it the same feeling when he watched that terrible de descended upon her neck?

 Chapter 106

    <strong>Princess Mia is Angry!</strong>


    ¡°That¡¯s so sudden, Princess Mia.¡±


    Sion thinks about the question he never thought of.


    <em>I didn¡¯t think about that possibility, but ¡­</em>


    The hesitation was only momentary, then Sion said.


    ¡°If Prince Abel took part in the crackdown on the people and wielded his sword ¡­ well, I might have to point his sword at him.¡±


    It was Sion¡¯s unwavering belief. He was raised as a prince of the great Kingdom of Sunnd. Since an early age, he has been raised with justice. He can¡¯t leave the evildoer in front of him.


    But Mia has not finished her line of questioning¡­


    ¡°So, depending on the circumstance, you think you might kill Prince Abel, Prince Sion¡±


    Sion couldn¡¯t answer immediately. He didn¡¯t have such a deep rtionship with Abel Remno. Nheless, their days at St. Noel¡¯s Academy cultivated in Sion a feeling that it would be safe to call Abel his friend. Is it possible for him to kill Abel?


    Sion replies, even though he is shaken by a small hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It may happen.¡±


    Then he added something like an excuse, which is unusual for him.


    ¡°But I would do it because it is unavoidable¡­ there is nothing I can do about it.¡±


    To give appropriate judgment to those who have done evil. It is the duty of the royal family to rule the country to maintain justice. It is a rule that governs even Sion himself. A rule he has been taught since childhood.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped; you can¡¯t do anything ¡­ Is that really the case?¡±


    But Mia¡­ the girl in front of her, called the wisdom of the empire, called out his doubt.


    ¡°Are you going to say that I am wrong?¡±


    Sion¡¯s voice asking was firm. For a moment he thought that perhaps Mia was saying this through the lenses of love¡­ that she was personally trying to protect Abel.


    But then¡­


    <em>No, it¡¯s not.</em>


    Sion denies immediately. He noticed the light in Mia¡¯s eyes. What was there was neither a tingling color of love nor asking for pity¡­ What was there was anger!¡­ The wisdom of the empire was angry at Sion¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your words should only be said after you have tried everything in your power to avoid violence. Am I not right, Prince Sion?¡±


    Sion gasped at Mia¡¯s piercing gaze. Her gaze saw through his doubts, his virtues, his soul¡­


    There is no choice but to judge the other party. Condemn if the other person has done evil. Mia questioned the values that Sion took for granted.


    It seemed as if she was asking him, ¡°Then, you¡­ you say it can¡¯t be helped¡­ But what kind of efforts did you make to prevent the other person from doing evil?¡±


    Sion was not unaware of the plight of the Kingdom of Remno. Even during the summer vacation, he was constantly updated by intelligence officers hiding in the Kingdom of Remno, and he felt a disturbing atmosphere in that kingdom. Alternatively, he was prepared that his country might have a military intervention.


    But that¡¯s it. He didn¡¯t do anything else. He did not work to keep the people from suffering All he did was spitting out words of justice that condemned them for suffering.


    Does he have then the qualification to condemn Prince Abel? He who knew about the sufferings but did nothing? A big hesitation was emerging in Sion¡¯s heart.


    At the same time, A new question was emerging in his heart.


    <em>Princess Mia is heading to Prince Abel, maybe it is not just because she wants to meet him and rescue him¡­ Is she trying to prevent him from doing evil?</em>


    He continued following the logic of his own hypothesis. That is¡­


    <em>Does this mean that she is trying to stop the revolution that is happening in Remno Kingdom? Is that even possible?</em>


    Sion looked at Mia who was gazing at the fire. She said nothing. However, her silence after the words she said echoed in his mind. While he was great disturbed, there also arose in him a deep sense on awe for the princess.


    Well, needless to say, Mia doesn¡¯t have any ns to stop the revolution. She didn¡¯t know about Sion¡¯s beliefs or crazy expectations!


    So, what was it that made Mia angry ¡­?


    <em>You had no choice? That¡¯s your excuse for what you did to me?!</em>


    This is her source of anger. Indeed, the Tearmoon Empire at that time was in a terrible situation. The people had a reason to resent the imperial family and the prestigious nobles. And she could ept the criticisms of other countries.


    But¡­ There is something that Mia cannot tolerate.


    <em>I died because you could not be bothered to warn me that I was getting into trouble! You knew what was happening and did not help, and only came to drop the guillotine!</em>


    They were attending the same school, and at least a word of caution could have been said, like, ¡°Your attitude is not good!¡± If he said something, maybe something could have changed. When it was toote, he came dashingly and said, ¡°I have no choice but to condemn! It¡¯s a consequence for your own actions!¡±


    <em>I hate this guy after all! I take back all the good things I said about him.</em>


    Mia gets so angry that it took almost everything in her to stop herself from gnashing her teeth. In her mind was all sorts of feelings and thoughts: anger, frustration¡­ etc.


    The only thing that is not on her mind is the n on what they should be doing tomorrow.

 Chapter 107

    <strong>Princess Mia Tries the Mushrooms!</strong>


    Early in the morning the next day, Mia and Sion started walking along the river. Rather than blindly entering the woods, they bet on the possibility of a vige near the riverside.


    <em>And it¡¯s a little scary if there is no water.</em>


    From the previous timeline, she knows the suffering of thirst due tock of drinking water. So, Mia decided this route, and Sion agreed with it. But ¡­


    <em>This¡­ this may have¡­ have been a¡­ a mistake.</em>


    She regretted this with everyboured breath. The riverbank was littered withrge rocks and walking over them proved to be extremely exhausting. Mia did try to improve her stamina in case of emergency, but there is still a limit. The road was a little too harsh for a girl¡¯s feet. Sweat spilled from Mia¡¯s forehead, and her cheeks were slightly dyed red. Her knees started shaking and they could give way anytime.


    ¡°Are you okay? Princess Mia¡±


    Sion reached out from the top of a rock. He was offering her his hand to help her up the rock.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m saved, Prince Sion¡±


    While wiping the sweat off her forehead, Mia looked around. Unfortunately, there was nothing like a vige in sight.


    ¡°I wish there was something we can ride. Even if it¡¯s not a carriage, but at least a horse.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I almost forgot that you could ride a horse.¡±


    Sion shrugged a little and then said.


    ¡°But unfortunately, you won¡¯t find a wild horse, maybe a wolf ¡­¡±


    ¡°Well! Prince Sion, can you ride a wolf !?¡±


    Mia remembers that in the manuscript written by Elise, there was a a prince riding a wolf. She stared at Sion, and he couldn¡¯t supress hisughter anymore.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ride a wolf as you expect me to. Princess Mia, you can be gullible sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    She gave him an angry re while puffing her cheeks out.


    <em>Stupid Sion! Just because I¡¯m a little na?ve about these things¡­. I really hate this guy! His guts and everything!</em>


    However, she couldn¡¯t antagonize her only ally now. So, she decided to direct her anger elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all because of the guys who attacked that carriage.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Sion frowned slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Prince Sion¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s a little strange.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sure, the Kingdom of Remno is now a politically uncertain and dangerous zone, so it¡¯s no wonder that the caravan is attacked. But at that time, we were attacked by regr bandits.¡±


    ¡°Now that you say it, I remember someone saying assassins.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They were thugs with specializedbat training. Needless to say, those kinds of guys aren¡¯t the ones that suddenly show up just because the public order is in decline.¡±


    ¡°Well! So do you mean to say that someone hired those assassins to take our lives?¡±


    Sion shrugs and shakes his head.


    ¡°Maybe not all of us. Maybe just I or you. Well, I suppose Miss Tiona as well¡­¡±


    In any case, the carriage was full of dignitaries. It may not be surprising if the assassins were sent¡­


    ¡°But no one should know that we¡¯re in that carriage¡­ Does that mean that information was leaked from somewhere?¡±


    ¡°It would be natural to think so, but ¡­¡±


    Sion went silent. Apparently, he remembers what was in that carriage and is thinking about various things.


    On the other hand, Mia¡­


    <em>Well, if this guy is doing the thinking, I should not think about it myself.</em>


    Judging from that, she started looking for something that could be eaten instead.


    <em>I</em><em> can¡¯t catch fish. I wonder what kind of herbs grow along this riverbank. Hmm¡­ is that¡­?</em>


    A mushroom growing by the riverside caught her eye. This one was bright red like a burning me. It looked beautiful and caught Mia¡¯s attention. However, the words of her head chef came back to her, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s okay to be interested in wild food. But take note of one thing. Mushrooms are very difficult to distinguish between poisonous and non-poisonous. It¡¯s dangerous if you¡¯re not an expert. So, it¡¯s better not to touch it. ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a mushroom, a water mushroom ¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Recalling the advice, Mia retracts her hand as she was about to touch it.


    <em>But if you think about it, I¡¯m an expert, right? I¡¯ve done lots of research about how to survive in the forest¡­</em>


    After spending the night in the woods, a strange self-confidence grew in Mia. She had a strange self-confidence that she can tell the difference between being edible and poisonous nts. This came from her guts, which just happen to be empty at the moment.


    ¡°It looks so beautiful. It¡¯s decided. We can eat it.¡±


    Then Mia reached out to pick it again.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t pick it up!¡±


    A voice suddenly called out which made Mia jumped up.


    Stop! The author¡¯s HP is already zero!


    ¡­¡­ Hello, this is Mochizuki.


    Finally, the stock chapters has run out.


    So, this Saturday, we have 10 days to finish the update every day.


    Thank you for your long rtionship.


    In the future, I would like to do my best with the goal of updating twice on Tuesday and Friday. I think I can do my best ¡­ Can I do my best?


    I¡¯m sorry.


    TN: Again those are Author¡¯s note above. Updates will still be daily, unless something happens.

 Chapter 108

    <strong>Going to a Remote Vige</strong>


    ¡°Mia! Get back!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Suddenly, Sion pulled her arm that she almost lost her bnce. That alone made her heart skip a beat. But what was more shocking is the realization that Sion did not use her title. He just called her ¡°Mia¡±, no honorifics. No address. As if they were close friends¡­ or even¡­


    Actuallyst night, they decided to stop using titles. It would be problematic to call each other prince or princess. Especially if they will be caught by the revolutionaries.


    <em>This cheeky boy. So this was what he was aimingst night when he suggested it. T</em><em>his is really bad for my heart!</em>


    Mia¡¯s cheeks went red and her brain started filling with all things about love. Sion, however, was fullyposed. He stepped forward to shield her as he faces the owner of the strange voice.


    Standing before them was arge man with a thick beard. At first nce, he looks like a hunter, but ¡­


    ¡°¡­ Is it possible that he is merely dressed like one?¡±


    Sion silently muttered.


    When they fell into the river, he had thrown away the sword for it was in the way of swimming. If this is apanion from the assassins that attacked the carriage, then it¡¯s going to be a hard fight. In case of emergency, Sion was resolved to let Princess Mia escape alone.


    But the stranger did not approach. He just points to the red mushroom that Mia was trying to take.


    ¡°That, youngdy, is a Smandrake. It is a poisonous mushroom. It can also cause just by touching it. If you eat it, it will really be bad. ¡±


    ¡°Well! Is that so? I thought I could eat it because it was so beautiful!¡±


    <em>Mia, you¡­</em>


    Sion was about to retort but he kept his mouth closed as he realizes how hungry he was. He wondered if the herbs they have eaten yesterday was safe. For a split second, his trust in the Wisdom of the Empire wavered.


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t from around here? Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°We are¡­ Hmmpff?¡±


    Sion quickly covered Mia¡¯s mouth to stop her finishing her words.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Sion was quietly observing the man. When he looked at his gestures, he didn¡¯t look like abat-trained assassin. But he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. If the opponent is a bandit, one wrong word and they maye be in danger. They could be held for ransom, or even worse, sell them to vers. Sion¡¯s vignce was justified.


    ¡°Yeah? Is this one of those ¡®tell me your name first before I tell you mine¡¯ things? Well, I¡¯m Muzic from the nearby Doni Vige. I am a hunter. See?¡±


    As he said this, he lifted what was tied to his waist. It was a big rabbit with ck and white stripes.


    ¡°Well! That¡¯s arge rabbit¡­ are you going to eat it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you like to try itter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would definitely want to try it. Actually, we are very hungry because we were separated from our friends.¡±


    <em>Princess Mia, aren¡¯t you a little careless?</em>


    Sion feels uneasy for a moment, but immediately dismisses his thoughts. There is no reason why a person like Princess Mia cannot understand this level of danger. Earlier he was about to make fun of her about the incident with the mushrooms, but that was probably a failure borne out of pure curiosity. It shouldn¡¯t affect her ability o perceive real and present danger.


    <em>Which means¡­</em>


    He looked at Mia¡¯s face and he couldn¡¯t find a single shred of anxiety. She was just looking at the man. Her expression was calm.


    <em>In any case, it seems that she has figured out that there it doesn¡¯t make sense to go along the river as it is.</em>


    With a bitter smile, he shakes his head.


    <em>I see, she¡¯s more prepared than I am. Her resolve is admirable. I can¡¯t lose to her now.</em>


    So, Sion also decides¡­


    ¡°We are children of a merchants. We were attacked by bandits at the bridge and separated from our parents.¡±


    This was the story that they have agreed beforehand.


    ¡°Oh, was that so? That must have been hard for you.¡±


    Muzic gave them an understanding smile.


    ¡°My vige is close to here. Would you like toe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for that ¡­ but we have to head to the capital.¡±


    ¡°The capital? Oh, then I¡¯ll find out if there¡¯s a guy from the vige who will be heading out that direction.¡±


    With Muzic leading, Mia and Sion started following.


    At this time, it should already be obvious that Mia didn¡¯t have any resolve. Rather her actions were based on a passage of a book that she has read about forest survival techniques: ¡°Rabbit meat is one of the most delicious ingredients in the forest. In particr, the ck-and-white striped half-moon rabbit soup deserves special mention. ¡±


    <em>Rabbit meat ¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it!</em>


    In short, she was just hungry.


    <em>Bu¡­ but, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m hungry. At times like this, you just have to eat something that is nutritious!</em>


    Her excuses just proves the point that she did it out of hunger. Luckily, no one can hear her thoughts.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    By the way, the fire lizard mushroom is like Kaentake in Japan.


    If you are wondering if it is okay to eat, please try google.


    See you soon.


    TN:


    I probably did not trante the Author¡¯s note properly. I don¡¯t know what »ðòáòæ is. It just means literally fire lizard, but I know it is a species of mushroom. Nheless, don¡¯t eat it. It¡¯s poisonous.

 Chapter 109

    <b>Mia Enjoys the Exquisite Rabbit Stew!</b>


    They followed Muzic through the woods by taking narrow animal trails. It was just as harsh as walking in the riverbank. Mia was exhausted, but she couldn¡¯t afford to be left behind.


    The canopy of the thick dense trees blocks the sunlight. As a result, the whole forest seems to be surrounded in darkness. From the shade of a tree, a monster may appear. Mia trembles with her overactive imagination.


    She did not believe in ghosts or monsters and the like. But she did not get the title of being ¡°Chicken-Hearted¡± by being selective of her fears. Whether it¡¯s a ghost or a wolf, Mia can jump up and scream without any difference.


    She was already way past the point of exhaustion but her fear from her overactive imagination gave her more than enough strength to keep walking on.


    <i>Well, I am surprised. I thought that by now we would have taken at least two breaks. I¡¯m surprised that Mia has physical strength. I know she joined the equestrian club, but she is truly impressive. Princess Mia, I can¡¯t really lose to you now.</i>


    Sion was impressed by seemingly Mia¡¯s stamina.


    Mia of course was barely hanging on. Staggering desperately¡­


    ¡°Oh? The flickering light is twinkling in front of me. It¡¯s very beautiful ¡­¡±


    Just when Mia started mumbling things that would make doctors concerned about her mental health¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived¡±


    The trees seem to open up to wide clearing.


    They arrived at the vige of Doni. It seems to beposed of about ten houses and every house was made only out of wood


    <i>A vige made up of hunters and lumberjacks¡­</i>


    A quick look at the vige and Sion came to this realization.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. That round-roofed house is my house.¡±


    Muzic pointed to a house which was more like a shack. It was not much different from the other houses.


    ¡°Even if you want to go to the royal capital, it will have to be tomorrow. It¡¯s toote today, so it¡¯s a good idea to stay here for now.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Sion exhaled with relief.


    <i>It looks like we can sleep in a ce with a roof tonight.</i>


    But he suddenly turned to Mia. For Sion, who sometimes goes hunting in the woods, this kind of hut is a rtively familiar ce. But that¡¯s not the case for Mia, the princess of a great empire. Sion was worried that she might be disappointed or even disgusted upon seeing the condition of the house¡­


    ¡°How do you eat rabbits? Do you roast them over a fire?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we sometimes do that. But I was thinking of making it into a hot pot today, so I prepared some vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Stewed food! That¡¯s wonderful! Oh, if you add mushrooms ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, youngdy, mushrooms are difficult to identify, so it¡¯s dangerous if you pick them up randomly.¡±


    ¡°Then, could you tell me which ones are edible? There¡¯s someone I really want to cook for.¡±


    With her eyes glittering with excitement, Mia was clearly absorbed in cooking. She didn¡¯t seem to care about the state of the house at all.


    <i>So much for me worrying about her delicate sensibilities. She didn¡¯t seem to be bothered if we camped out in the open either. She¡¯s surprisingly tough.</i>


    Sion looked at Music again with a resigned smile.


    ¡°By the way, it looks like it¡¯s going to be difficult here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡±


    ¡°There is a civil war, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I don¡¯t know. Word here is that there are some people in the town making a noise about something stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­ something stupid? It does not affect anything around here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t hear about it around these parts. Anyway, here in the countryside, we¡¯re not free enough to do that. We¡¯re too busy looking after ourselves. Gahahaha¡±


    Muzic makes a livelyugh. Seeing that, Sion frowns.


    <i>It¡¯s quite different from the report¡­ I thought that the revolution had enveloped the entirety of Remno¡­</i>


    ¡®Residents, who couldn¡¯t stand the heavy tax imposed by the king to expand their armaments, rose up in anger.¡¯ This was the information he received.


    <i>Is it because this ce is a remote settlement along the border that it hasn¡¯t reached here yet?</i>


    Sion tilted his head slightly due to the slight difference in the information he received and what he is currently witnessing.


    Mia, on the other hand, was also tilting her head. But this is because she was drinking a generous amount of rabbit stew from a wooden bowl ¡­


    <i>As expected. No wonder it was mentioned in the book. It¡¯s excellent!</i>


    Mia was pleased with the tender meat that melted in her mouth, the wild taste full of wildness, and the rich taste of wild nts. She noticed her body being warmed by the food.


    ¡°¡­ This is strange.¡±


    Mia observed the rabbit stew in the bowl.


    ¡°It seems that like there is plenty of food¡­¡±


    The famine that will hit the continent wasn¡¯t due for a few years from now. So, there is no shortage of food yet. Still¡­


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s kind of weird.¡±


    It¡¯s like a little difort ¡­ no, it¡¯s a kind of uneasiness that might have been fleeting¡­ However, she couldn¡¯t take her mind off it.


    ¡°¡­ Oh, I want something sweet.¡±


    Mia muttered while wolfing down another rabbit meat into her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, but I want something sweet ¡­¡±


    At the end of the day, Mia was still a princess. And a Princess deserves her sugar cravings.

 Chapter 110

    <strong>Stepping stones to a Miracle and Anne¡¯s trust</strong>


    While Mia was enjoying her exquisite rabbit stew, Anne finally arrived back to Tearmoon.¡¡Despite the tiredness from the trip, she went to see Ludwig immediately. She conveyed Mia¡¯s words and actions urately and without any omission.


    ¡°Gracious moon¡­¡±


    Ludwig sighed and looked up.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a turmoil in the Kingdom of Remno¡­ but Princess Mia¡­ Ipletely forgot that Her Highness¡¯s ssmates were there.¡±


    Ludwig stood up, cursing himself for his own carelessness.


    ¡°If we move the army in this situation, they may be suspicious that we¡¯re trying to invade. If so¡­¡±


    Originally Ludwig wanted to dispatch Mia¡¯s exclusive Princess Guards to ensure her safety. But that would be problematic diplomatically. The alternative is to dispatch a personnelparable to an army unit. That is¡­


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I was called, huh?¡±


    Dion shrugged a little after hearing the story from Ludwig and Anne.


    ¡°The princess really does a lot of exciting things. Hahahah¡­¡±


    Ludwig makes a bitter expression while Dion continuesughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not aughing matter. If something happens to Princess Mia¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay? Prince Sion of Sunnd is famous for being a sword genius. Unless he meets a dangerous guy like me, he¡¯ll probably be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°That would be true, but ¡­ I am still worried ¡­¡±


    Ludwig cut off his words.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Remno is in no way on the brink of a revolution.¡±


    ¡°Eh ¡­? What does that mean ¡­?¡±


    Anne leans her head closer. Ludwig keeps quiet for a moment to put his thoughts together, and then continues.


    ¡°Revolutions are very risky. If they fail, the participants are executed. So, it does not make sense to take such a risk unless they have no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    Dion smiled and started exining to Anne who was clearly confused.


    ¡°In other words, revolution is for people who has no other choice but to die. If one is suffering to the point that death is a better alternative, then they can go ahead and rebel against the royal family. If they seed, then their lives will be better. If not, then they just die a bit sooner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, I see. And is the Kingdom of Remno not yet in such a terrible state?¡±


    ¡°ording to the information gathered by our intelligence department anyway¡­¡±


    Ludwig is steadily building connections among officials to help Mia. He has enough information to grasp the internal affairs of other countries.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a little bit of investigation. It¡¯s true that the tax hike has heightened public dissatisfaction. But the impact should not be fatal. At least for now, anyway¡­¡±


    Ludwig continues, folding his arms.


    ¡°This a revolution shouldn¡¯t have happened. I feel somebody¡¯s manipting something over there. This may be a sabotage.¡±


    ¡°Someone is trying to ignite the fire of revolution in a ce where there shouldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s not just a fire, but arson. Hahaha. That does sound like a dangerous ce to be in right now.¡±


    As usual, Dion looks happy.


    ¡°But then, on the contrary, this means that it can also be stopped¡­¡±


    If someone is inciting the riots, then they can just catch that someone. Anne thought if there¡¯s anybody who can do it, it would be her mistress, Mia. In fact, she was thinking that that might be the reason why Mia rushed there in the first ce.


    ¡°That will be very difficult. But¡­ well¡­ it might be possible before blood flows.¡±


    Dion shook his head a little.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Death elerates conflict and makes it irreversible.¡±


    Dion was not talking about ethics, but rather from a practical point of view. Death was irreversible. No one cane back after dying.


    ¡°I see. Is that why you didn¡¯t take any military actions against the Lulu Tribe?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the case, though. But at that time, I did want to keep the casualties to a minimum for both sides.¡±


    Dionughed bitterly.


    ¡°What I thought was amazing about Princess was that she acted immediately after hearing the story of Viscount Berman. If even one life had been lost, then it couldn¡¯t be solved neatly. You see, once death enters the picture, the conflict will detach from the problems that caused it in the first ce. It will be about the death, rather than the root problem. Then violence will spawn more violence. It will self-propagate until neither side has the option of backing down. But the Princess did not let that happen. She came in quickly and mitigated the danger by pushing the two sides apart before it was toote. Then she went straight to the root of the problem and solved it. It was really remarkable. Princess Mia disyed a masterss performance in problem-solving.¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­¡±


    Anne thinks of her mistress in a distant ce.


    ¡°So, if the princess wants to solve this situation, she should do it before a single death happens whether it¡¯s the side of the Remno Kingdom¡¯s Army or the Revolutionary Army. That¡¯s just impossible if you think about it.¡±


    Neither Ludwig nor Dion expected that that would be possible. But there was one who has full trust in her mistress, Anne¡­


    ¡°Still, if it is Her Highness, then she definitely can¡­¡±


    She muttered to herself.


    The next day, Dion, Ludwig, and Anne set out for the Kingdom of Remno.


    The seed of miracles that Mia had unknowingly nted would sprout in the hearts of the revolutionary mes. No one knows yet what kind of fruits it will yield.

 Chapter 111

    <strong>Diamond Legion! Sortie!</strong>


    They stayed in the vige to recuperate from their tiredness and fatigue. They were introduced to a merchant who was heading to a neighboring town.


    ¡°Be careful out there, okay?¡±


    Muzic shouted as they left.


    Mia waved back at Muzic.


    ¡°We¡¯repletely indebted to him. I wish there was a way we can repay him.¡±


    Mia said to Sion. However, she did not get a response from him. She looked at him and heard him muttering¡­


    ¡°I hope Keithwood, and the others are safe¡­¡±


    Sion muttered. Mia noticed his slightly anxious appearance¡­ and remembers.


    <em>Ah! That¡¯s right! Of course¡­</em>


    The reason they fell into the river was because their carriage was attacked by assassins. After that, they don¡¯t know what happened to the carriage or whether Keithwood and Tiona were safe.


    <em>Hm? Why does it matter to me whether those two are safe?</em>


    After all, those two were her enemies. Still¡­


    <em>Well, I guess I can spare a moment to pray for their safety.</em>


    Mia thinks again. Keithwood is an important person for Sion. Just like how Anne is an important vassal for her.


    <em>I¡¯m surprised that Sion has a human-like quality¡­</em>


    The earnestness of their friendship struck a chord with her and so she spares a little time to pray for their safety.


    <em>They were using the Forkroad wagons. I¡¯d feel terrible for Chloe if something happened to it. I also pray for the driver, I suppose. Keithwood helped me with the sandwich, and the same goes for Tiona. So, I can spare them a bit of prayer, I guess¡­</em>


    ¡°¡­if we run into those assassins again, it¡¯s going to be tough on my own.¡±


    Suddenly, Sion¡¯s silent mutterings reached Mia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to ask you something. How tough exactly are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will make every effort so that you can escape safely.¡±


    It dawned on Mia how serious the situation was. And so¡­


    <em>Keithwood! Sweet moons! Please be safe!</em>


    Mia offered another prayer. This time, it was a more earnest onepared to thest.


    ¡°It looks peaceful around here.¡±


    Half a day out of the forest and they were on the highway. During that time, there were no major problems. It was the normal idylldscape of the countryside. The passers-by looked incredibly carefree seemingly unaware about the conflict in their country.


    ¡°There are no bandits around here. So, it¡¯s a ce that is easy for us, merchants, to do business.¡±


    ¡°But there is a civil war going on, right?¡±


    The merchant shrugged with disinterest.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean much to us. I¡¯ve heard that there was a riot in a town of Count Donovan. It¡¯s rumored that the Diamond Legion was sent out to quash the rebellion.¡±


    ¡°The Diamond Legion? Aren¡¯t they the elite troops? If they were sent, then it wouldn¡¯t be much of a battle. It would be a one-sided ughter.¡±


    Sion muttered in astonishment.


    ¡°What is this Diamond Legion?¡±


    Sion grimaced at Mia¡¯s innocent question.


    ¡°It is an elite unit under the directmand of the king.¡±


    The Diamond Legion is an army unit created by the decree of the current King Remno: ¡°It shall be the strongest heavy infantry unit in the world. It shall beposed only of soldiers who are each a match for a thousand man.¡±


    It was ten years ago that the recruitment began in response to the king¡¯s decree. They recruited regardless of status, nationality, or even criminal background. They searched everywhere for people of immense stature; bringing in people who are gigantic. Sessful candidates were put through rigorous military training to drill them into elite soldiers. The result of all this was the creation of a terrifying army of hulking muscleman. Each built like a tank.


    ¡°I heard that they wear all-metal body armor. And they hold huge battles axes in one hand as if it¡¯s weight is nothing.¡±


    Sion exined this with a grim seriousness. Mia, on the other hand, had a dreamy sparkle in her eyes.


    <em>That¡­ looks really strong!</em>


    Mia doesn¡¯t hate big guys. In fact, she had a positive impression of them. This is obvious with her previous experience with Captain Dion and his deputy.


    <em>I wonder if I can recruit some of them to join as my Princess Guard.</em>


    ¡°By the sun, the magnitude of the damage they can do will be unimaginable.¡±


    Even though it is a revolutionary army, they are still citizens of this country. These are the people who stood up because they couldn¡¯t bear the heavy tax. The king has decided instead to supress them with the most brutal force. Sion felt anger towards that king.


    He understood that rebellions need to be quashed to protect the sovereignty of the royalty. He also understood that it was necessary to use overwhelming force to minimize casualties in the army¡¯s side. But there must be a limit to these things.


    The opponent to whom such strong force should be directed should also be a trained regr army of another country. Moreover, in Sion¡¯s memory, this is their first campaign. Morale should be quite high. They would be hungry for glory and blood.


    Sion looked at Mia who was still smiling. He could not understand why Mia was still in a good mood even after hearing everything. He could glean no further insight from her face. So, he turned back to the merchant to ask a question. To Sion¡¯s surprise, it was where he got his answer to Mia¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°So how much damage is there?¡±


    ¡°From the stories that I¡¯ve heard, none whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, there hasn¡¯t been any actual fighting yet. I mean they are the Diamond Legion after all. And diamonds are pricey. You can¡¯t field them willy-nilly.¡±


    That was all Sion needed to hear to put all the pieces together. He finally realized what¡¯s happening. At the same time, a chill of a shock ran down his spine.


    <em>N-No way¡­ Did Mia figure all of this out already? So, this was the reason why she was just smiling even after hearing what I said?</em>


    Things, however, were rolling in a direction that no one expected.

 Chapter 112

    <strong>The Schemer is Flustered!</strong>


    <em>How did this happen!?</em>


    In the Kingdom of Remno, there was a man who was called Graham. And this man is at the height of his frustrations right now. He had been contacted by his associates working undercover in Tearmoon. He was informed that their efforts to sabotage the empire had failed, and so he was to proceed with the ns in Remno early.


    <em>Are they kidding me?!</em>


    Originally, the n to bring down the Kingdom of Remno through chaos in revolution was supposed to be after the Tearmoon Empire had fallen. It was meant to be a slow and careful process that would take at least ten years. The n was to slowly corrupt the government to the point that there will be political decay. Then they would water it with the blood of its people, only then will the seed of revolution start. Once this is aplished, they would be able to harvest the fruits of their slow and bloodybor. Except that now, he has been to do it immediately.


    <em>But there is no choice but to do it. I have to make it work.</em>


    If he doesn¡¯t move right away, their schemes would be at the risk of being crushed by the Wisdom of the Empire. It took them a long time to infiltrate the Remno government. They were going to be the seeds of ruin that will suck the kingdom dry. But now, they are looking at the de who will uproot them in one go. That de, of course, is the Princess of Tearmoon Empire.


    And so, Graham was desperate and impatient. But what could drive him to this extent?


    It all started at the start of summer vacation¡­ yes, it was the ¡°pen pal letters¡± between Mia and Abel. Graham and hispanions had embedded themselves deep into the kingdom¡¯s government. There were limits to their ess. Official missives from the king were out of their reach, but it is easy for them to get their hands and to check the contents of the private letters of the prince and the princess.


    After confirming the contents of the letters, they were baffled. What was written there was a love letter that was cheesy. Yes, really cheesy love letters. It was filled with the awkward sentimentality of young youthful lovers who seems to be full of inexperience.


    Reading such letters, they let out a sigh of this budding love expressed in immature words. And they never give the letters another thought.


    Or not!


    Ignoring those letters were something that they definitely did not do! In fact, they were even more suspicious because of it. They read and reread the letters and became thoroughly confused at how innocent they seem to be.


    ¡°Will Princess Mia, the Wisdom of the Empire, really send such a cheesy love letter?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only a single letter as well. She kept on writing to Abel very frequently. It was at an abnormal pace. And so, they did not believe that these are just ordinary love letters. Because of this, they redouble their efforts to decode the messages that were surely hidden within what seems to be innocent wordings. But to their endless dismay, they could not find anything ¨C no patterns, no ciphers, no secret code words¡­


    No matter how much they analyze them, they seem to be just love-letters. They even considered the possibility of an invisible ink that can be revealed by applying heat. But they decided to go against testing them. If someone receives a browned or burnt letter, then it would be obvious that someone has been snooping at their correspondence. All their efforts will go to waste if their cover was blown.


    This is why Graham and his conspirators are totally frustrated.


    In addition, the gifts sent by Prince Abel just added more to their confusion. Who in their right mind would give a horse shampoo to a teenage girl? It totally does not make sense. Was that supposed to be a coded message to send cavalry? Or to start amassing warhorses? One of them even suggested to pour the shampoo to the letter in case a secret message might appear. Luckily, this person was stopped before it was toote.


    If only their coborators at St. Noel had told them that these two were in the equestrian club and were always flirting. It would have given their minds a break. But even spies hadmunication difficulties. At the end, they were not able to glean anything from the correspondence between Mia and Abel.


    ¡°No, we know one thing for sure. That a highly confidential information is being exchanged between the two. After all this is Princess Mia who dismantled with masterful precision our meticulous and long running n to topple the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    ¡°We have to do this now, before it is toote. Before the Wisdom of the Empire arrives and ruins everything.¡±


    In their desperation, they elerated their ns far earlier than they originally intended.


    The first step in the n was to abduct or assassinate a well-known figure who is known to carry the voice of the people. In the Tearmoon Empire, that was supposed to be Outcount Rudolvon. Here in Remno Kingdom, it is the Chancellor Count Dasayev Donovan, who has a reputation for being upright and sensible. This veteran politician, who turned sixty this year, was known as a conscientious man and was opposed to the recent military build-up announced by the King. He was also against the current tax hike. Then they circte rumors that the king had Donovan abducted and imprisoned for speaking against him.


    Next step is to approach the people who have been holding grudges against the current Remno government. Stir up their anger and push them to revolt. They would not be demanding something outrageous like the overthrowing the government. Their demand would be something simple: ¡°We are fighting to get our beloved lord back. We demand the safe return of the man who was the voice of the people.¡±


    Having a moral cause, the rioters would feel that their cations are justified and would greatly enhance the movement¡¯s persuasive potential. Once they had built up momentum, these angry activists would upy a town within Count Donovan¡¯s territory. Naturally, the Kingdom of Remno will send troops to supress the rebellion.


    It¡¯s a win-win situation from there. If the revolutionaries win the ensuing battle, the rest would be easy. They would loudly announce their victory to the rest of the kingdom and appeal to the masses to join their cause. On the other hand, if the army sessfully crushes the rebellion, they could simply denounce the government for tis cruel act of suppression. Once the news spread, it would feed into the anger harbored by the people that will light the fires of revolution throughout the whole kingdom.


    At the moment, the first and second part of the n ¨C that is the kidnapping and upation of a town ¨C has went really well.


    ¡°¡­No, did it really work as we want it to? It went too smoothly.¡±


    Graham felt a slight sense of difort when he saw the reports from his colleagues.


    ¡°Peaceful surrender of government facilities¡­ disarming of the garrison without fighting¡­ the results are definitely ideal, but¡­¡±


    Something is¡­ something is wrong¡­ He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they are all dancing in the palm of someone¡¯s hand.


    TN: Wow! The author seems to have really researched this. Let me just copy this down on how to start a revolution 101.

 Chapter 113

    <strong>Diamond Soldiers</strong>


    Authors Note:


    Today will be thest day that I am making daily posts. Thank you for your long patronage.


    From next week, I will do my best by posting twice a week on Tuesday and Friday¡­, can I do my best ¡­?


    I hope that you will continue to look forward to Mia¡¯s sess.


    Peaceful surrender of government facilities, and the disarmament of town guards without fighting. This was the ideal scenario that wasid out by the revolutionary leaders. Most of the town guards were local residents from that area.


    The basic tactical concept is if there is a foreign invasion, the local guards would hold them off buying enough time for the government to send a rapid response force. The fear was that if the town guards were not local residents, they might flee as the tides turn against them. Knowing that they are defending their homes and loved ones, they would surely fight to the bitter end.


    However, this system is weak against a popr uprising. When the onesining about heavy taxes and famine are their own loved ones, family or neighbors, how can they even raise their sword against them?


    They couldn¡¯t. As such, the town guards would probably give up and join the side of the rebels instead. And if they joined the rebels¡¯ side, then it is an additional manpower for the revolution. So, it was ideal to capture them unharmed.


    This meant that during the initial uprising, the revolters wished to prevent casualties on both sides. Thest thing they wanted was a war of attrition which would be disadvantageous for a local militiapared to a well-supplied national army.


    This peaceful surrender is exactly what they were able to achieve. The leaders of the revolution had followed Graham¡¯s instructions and done exactly as they had been told.


    ¡°But this n was premised that heavy taxation would have already exhausted the people¡­¡±


    Graham bitterly scowled. In the first ce, as long as the premise is not there, the n cannot work as expected. The heavy taxes hadn¡¯t really been felt yet by the people. No one had fallen into poverty, nor lost a family member due to hunger. There is no hatred for the monarchy at the moment. Only minorints here and there¡­ It¡¯s just a group of loud protestors who barged into the government offices and camped out. With no blood spilled, their protests held very little gravity.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a farce. It¡¯s nothing but a farce.¡±


    ording to the report, the atmosphere of the uprising was more like a festival. It would have been nice if they had murdered the messengers from the Kingdom or killed one of the town guards; but none of them had gone to such lengths. Without the fuel of anger and hatred, their passions simply did not burn hot enough to produce the kind of bloody, destructive potential that could overthrow the royal family.


    The Remno Kingdom Army, which will be sent for the suppression, will surely either be dismayed or disappointed with this so-called rebel army. He would probably just stroll in and ask them to disband. At this rate, the fire of revolution was hardly going to consume the kingdom. It is about to fail even in this first town.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not yet over. There is still a chance to turn this around¡­¡±


    What he needs is an act of brutality ¨C pure violence ¨C against the rebel army that the general popce would grow in hatred and outrage against the government. Thinking about this led him to remember the events that unfolded in Sealence Forest. It was there that a miracle was performed by the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    The dispatchedmander was experienced and so he was abstaining from violence. Then Princess Mia arrived at the scene and forced the army to retreat which defused the tensions. In addition, in an act of courage that is not normal for a girl, she marched to Lulu vige with a single escort to have a face-to-face negotiation with the chieftain. And after that lies the real miracle. She was able to make everyone happy, nobody was on the losing end. Not the Lulu tribe, not the Viscount, not the Imperial Army. Not even the Rudolvons!


    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to pull something like that again¡­¡±


    Graham¡¯s primary focus now is to make sure that a battle will happen. Anyone who had lost a family member was not going to be easily swayed with just words offort. Once that happens, not even the Wisdom of the Empire can turn back the clock and revert everything to normal. This time there would be no miracle. This time, he will not make the same mistake.


    This is why Graham is focused on the Diamond Legion. They have more than enough potential tomit a brutal massacre. They are inexperienced and won¡¯t know how to gauge the opponent¡¯s strength, added that this will be their first campaign, they would be hungry for glory and blood. They are the perfect instrument for his scheme.


    At the military meeting with the King, Graham spoke confidently.


    ¡°Is there anyone who is better than the King¡¯s sword, the Diamond Legion, to deliver justice to these unscrupulous rebels who dare to disrespect the king¡¯sw?¡±


    At Graham¡¯s remarks the military meeting quickly came into an agreement.


    ¡°That is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°What a great idea!¡±


    The voice of approval goes up.


    ¡°Will your majesty send the Diamond Legion for their maiden campaign against those rebels?¡±


    Nodding satisfactorily, King Remno says¡­


    ¡°Then, Goriall, the leader of the Diamond Legion, I speciallymand you. Crush those stubborn men who im to be the Revolutionary Army!¡±


    ¡°By your will, Your Majesty!¡±


    Goriall¡¯s heart soared hearing themand of the King.


    ¡°I will make sure to present you with the head of each and every rebel.¡±


    ¡°Then fight well¡­ By the way, Goriall¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    The king waved Goriall toe closer. He approached the king with silent steps, and pausing for permission before leaning in.


    ¡°As you know, the Diamond Legion has been trained for ten years. All of you are my precious pride and joy. ¡±


    ¡°I am beyond honored hearing your words, Your Majesty.¡±


    The king¡¯s words make Goriall teary eyed. Knowing the amount of trust that the king has for him and his men moved Goriall deeply. He wanted to prove that they are deserving of the king¡¯s trust when¡­


    ¡°Yes, you are indeed my precious¡­ so¡­ uhm¡­ Goriall, make sure that not a single soldier gets hurt ande back victorious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majes¡­ Huh! ¡­ Huh?¡±


    For a moment, Goriall tilted his head, thinking he misheard the king.


    ¡°Make sure not a single soldier is hurt. Scratches and bruises are fine, but make sure there is no serious injuries that will end their career. Even more so, make sure there are no deaths.¡±


    Goriall was stunned by the words of the king. He was unsure on how to respond.


    As to why the king made such a demand, it can be understood with a little thought. Suppose that there exists an armor crafted of diamond. It is strong and imprable. Its performance would be first ss. But would you wear it on the battlefield? Most probably not. Because it is too expensive! You wouldn¡¯t even want to get it scratched in fear that its value might go down.


    ¡­ To put it bluntly, it is worth more sitting in the vault than being used.


    The same logic then applies to a legion of men who have a gigantic body frame. Their immensity is already rare. Add to that all the expenses and the training that has been done for thest ten years. They are already rare, their training made them even more elite. Such was the status of each member of the Diamond Legion.


    Now they are sent to supress a local uprising. The king cannot risk losing even a single soldier, whose value is worth more than a thousand gold coins.


    Goriall had to do his best to figure out how to defeat all the enemies without damaging the soldiers. He thought and thought but he could not think of a solution. After all, no such thing as a battle without any injury exists.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    By the way, this Kongo Infantry Corps may think ¡°that¡¯s stupid!¡±, But in fact, it has a source material.


    Although it is the strongest corps that gathers only giants, it is said that the actual battle experience is extremely thin.


    But that¡¯s right, it¡¯s a waste.


    Former stories, in the first ce, kidnap big men and big women, get married and give birth to children, and even do things like mating. I haven¡¯t done it in the Kingdom of Remno because it¡¯s a bit raw to do so, but it¡¯s certainly a waste to easily lose the soldiers raised up to that point on the battlefield.


    TN: Yes, there were two Author¡¯s note in this chapter. And it is already a long chapter as it is. So, I thought why not add mine as well at the end.


    When I was typing Goriall¡¯s name, it kept on being underlined red. MS Word thinks it should be Gori. For now, I have the image of Goriall as a gori.

 Chapter 114

    <strong>Princess Mia is Kidnapped!</strong>


    <em>It is easy to follow the logic as to why the king hesitates to send his precious Diamond Legion to the battle¡­ but for Princess Mia to realize all of these in an instant¡­ She never fails to impress.</em>


    Sion looked at Mia with a renewed admiration and awe.


    Mia was waving to the merchant with a seemingly airheaded smile. There wasn¡¯t a glimmer of intelligence in her eyes. If Sion has to describe her current expression, it would be like she¡¯s stup¡­


    <em>No, why say something that is not true. I¡¯ve heard that the wise lion hides its ws, but this is the first time I have seen that saying action. This appearance is surely nothing but acting.</em>


    ¡°Thank you for your help. Please give my best regards to Muzic!¡±


    ¡°Will do, youngdy. I hope you can find your friends too.¡±


    After giving the merchant a few more extra enthusiastic waves, Mia turned to Sion.


    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s nice to finally be in a town, but what are we going to do now?¡±


    Mia asked with a wide-eyed expression that seems to be empty of thoughts. Even knowing that it is an act, it could have still deceived Sion.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s see. I want to meet and join up with Keithwood and others for the time being.¡±


    A meeting ce was decided in advance for events like this. When they asked the merchant earlier, it was about half a day by wagon to their pre-determined meeting ce.


    ¡°Fortunately, there are regr passenger wagons, but ¡­¡±


    Sion muttered with a hint of dismay. Seeing this, Mia couldn¡¯t resist. A mischievous grin appeared on her face¡­


    ¡°Oh my, Sion. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have any money.¡±


    ¡°All the gold is with Keithwood.¡±


    ¡°My, my!¡±


    She put her hand on her lips in an exaggerated expression of astonishment before giggling.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a child. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Mia crouched down and pulled down her white socks. It revealed her white calves. On which were glued three silver coins on each leg.


    ¡°That is¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Emergency funds. I tried putting them in my shoes, but found it hard to walk.¡±


    The attempt almost gave her blisters.


    ¡°But why in such a ce?¡±


    ¡°Of course, so it won¡¯t be easily stolen!¡±


    It was a Mia-like preparation based on her past experience.


    Mia, who fell into the hands of the Revolutionary Army on the previous timeline, was robbed of all the jewelries and money she had. Even the gold coin bag that she thought was carefully hidden.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have anything anymore! Really!¡±


    ¡°Liar, then jump!¡±


    <em>Jangle.</em>


    ¡°I hear them jangling you liar! Now hand them over.¡±


    She never thought coins can be found through such a method.


    <em>Who would have known such a method exists¡­ It¡¯s pretty clever, but still¡­ that got on my nerves.</em>


    That ridiculous smile of the Revolutionary Army soldier¡­ just remembering it made me angry.


    <em>Anyway, that was thest time I would fall for such a trick. I need to put them in a ce that won¡¯t make a sound¡­. A ce that they don¡¯t easily check but is easily essible¡­ it has to be inside my socks, right?</em>


    Even if Mia doesn¡¯t normally think, she still does use her brain every now and then. Moreover, she was fortunate that she was collecting foreign coins so that she can escape smoothly if a revolution urs. These has been collected by her trusty aide Ludwig who thought that Mia had begun investigating foreign currencies to widen her geopolitical knowledge. He was wrong of course. But point is that Mia had the forethought to bring them with her.


    <em>Actually, I wanted to give one of these to Muzic as a thank you¡­</em>


    Mia carefully stroked the silver coins on her palm, and then¡­


    ¡°Is this enough for a wagon ride?¡±


    ¡°Always ready for anything huh?¡±


    Sion looked at the silver coins in Mia¡¯s hand and tilted his head slightly. In an uncertain voice¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s probably enough¡­¡±


    They are after all, a prince and a princess of a great countries. There is no way to that they would know the market price of a wagon ride. For Mia, when something happens and she has to escape from the imperial capital, her loyal retainer Anne or Ludwig will apany her. So, she didn¡¯t bother personally checking the market price of a carriage fare.


    ¡°May I leave the negotiations to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes please¡­ It would be terribly ungentlemanly of me if I let thedy do everything.¡±


    That being said, Sion was clearlycking in confidence. Mia found this rare disy of vulnerability surprisingly endearing.


    <em>Ufufu, even the perfect superhuman guy has things he is not good at.</em>


    Mia watched Sion¡¯s back as he went off to negotiate with the coachman¡­


    Suddenly, felt being Mia lifted from behind.


    ¡°Huh? Hmmpff !?¡±


    The next moment, her mouth was covered with a slightly damp cloth. Mia fluttered her limbs, but immediately after that, a sweet scent drifted from the cloth and her mind began to fog.


    ¡°Hurry up, before the other kides back.¡±


    Even with her addled brain, she could feel being carried away.


    <em>M¡­my¡­ Am I¡­ am I in trouble?</em>


    ¡°Mia !? Damn, you guys!¡±


    She felt like she could hear Sion¡¯s voice in the distance¡­


    Everything faded into ck as Mia lost her consciousness.


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Hello, this is Mochizuki. Thank you for your supportivements.


    So, it¡¯s updated on Tuesday.


    Princess Mia has athletic ability and fighting ability, but can she survive safely?


    Who kidnapped her in the first ce ¡­! ??


    I hope to see you again on Friday.

 Chapter 115

    <strong>Princess Mia is Found Out!</strong>


    Mia woke up to the feeling of being shaken.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ Hmm?¡±


    She slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed hazy. She tried to rub her eyes but found out that her arms doesn¡¯t move. It seems that her hands were tied to her back and the rope was tied tightly that it dug into her wrist. She winced a bit.


    Unable to rub her eyes, she blinked a few times and looked around. She was in an unfamiliar room. It was quiterge but the floor was dusty. It wasn¡¯t enjoyable to lie on.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it looks like she¡¯s awake.¡±


    She can hear a voice overhead.


    <em>Why-I-! That¡¯s right, I¡¯m sure someone caught me at that time ¡­</em>


    The memory of being attacked in the wagon resurfaced in Mia¡¯s mind.


    <em>Are these the assassins that were after us?</em>


    For a moment, Mia was nervous at the thought, but two boys appeared in front of her.


    They are a little older than Mia, 16 or 17 years old. The kind of ordinary boys you see walking around the town.


    <em>Maybe not¡­</em>


    Mia thought while rxing again.


    ¡°Ah, youngdy, don¡¯t you have any money on you? Gold coins or silver coins? From the way you are dressed, you must be the daughter of a merchant. Jewellries and cessories are fine as well¡­¡±


    Those words made her remember the time she was caught by the Revolutionary Army on the previous timeline. They made her jump on the spot and to hear the sound of gold coins. Now she was undergoing the same humiliation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±


    Mia said turning her face away.


    ¡°Really? Then jump for us.¡±


    ¡°Fine, watch me.¡±


    Mia jumps on the spot with a triumphant smug look. Of course, there was no sound.


    Hah. It¡¯s sweet to think that you can fool me with such a trick. Do you really think I will hide important things in ces that will make a noise¡­


    ¡°Check the shoes and socks then. Children usually think of hiding it there first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Mia¡¯s perfect idea was easily foiled by a kid. To add insult to injury, her n was called the first ce were children hide it. Despite Mia¡¯s humiliation, the boy took off Mia¡¯s shoes and her socks. Of course, they came up empty as well. After all, the silver coins have already been handed over to Zion.


    ¡°Seriously? We came up with nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you think about it, nobody will entrust money to kids.¡±


    ¡°Humph! That¡¯s why I said I had nothing!¡±


    Mia eximed in an attempt to save face.


    ¡°This kid is cheeky. How about we sell you off to a ver?¡­. Ow!¡±


    Two thwacks were heard and the two boys wailed in pain after.


    ¡°Well, are you guys having fun making fun of such a little child?¡±


    Before they knew it, a girl, about the same age as the boys, was standing behind them. She let out an exasperated sigh. In her hand was a well-worn shoe that she probably was wearing before it was used for another purpose.


    ¡°Lynsha. No, that¡­, if you threaten them a little, she might cough up some cash.¡±


    The boy was in a hurry trying to make excuses, but the girl, Lynsha, smacked them at the head again.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jem¡¯smand to bring that child, right? So get on with it already.¡±


    ¡°Get on what?¡±


    ¡°What, are you going to carry her all tied up like a sack of potatoes? There should be a wagon out there we can use, so go get ready. There are preparations we have to make before the big moment, ad we need manpower. Go check on that side of things too.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but don¡¯t let her go away.¡±


    The boys reluctantly left the ce.


    After seeing them off, Lynsha turned to Mia again.


    ¡°So, who are you ¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    Mia instinctively thinks about the question. As expected, even Mia knows that it is bad to talk about her identity. However, when she think about it calmly, wasn¡¯t she in enough danger already?


    <em>They did say that they were going to sell me off to the vers¡­</em>


    When she recalled those words, it scared her that her mind started spinning.


    <em>What is the correct answer here?</em>


    Lynsha sighed when she looked down and Mia thinking hardly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say? Well, it¡¯s okay ¡­ I mean it will be troublesome if you start babbling now.¡±


    Then the girl pulled out a knife out of her bosom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    Mia¡¯s mind went ck. She simply gaped at the sharp point of the knife as it neared, rose, and fell.


    <em>Shiiick!</em>


    The rope that bound Mia¡¯s hands was cut off.


    ¡°Eh? Ah ¡­ to?¡±


    ¡°Hey, can you stop this revolution?¡±


    Lynsha continues to loot at Mia with a serious face. She holds and closes her hand in a daze.


    ¡°If you can stop it, please. Help my brother.¡±


    Linsha pleaded again in a desperate tone.


    Author¡¯s note:


    Hello, this is Mochizuki.


    So it was updated on Friday.


    It¡¯s a new character. How will she be involved in the story?


    I hope to see you again on Tuesday.

 Chapter 115.1

    <strong>Character Introduction Part 2</strong>


    ©–Chloe Forkroad (12)


    Daughter of Forkroad Merchant Company. She was a shy girl and was usually isted in her ss.


    She has ck hair and wears sses. She likes books, but she wouldn¡¯t die without them. She is a child who can enjoy conversation properly if there is someone who can talk to during breaks. Especially if that someone is a well known person¡­


    Evaluation of Mia (before)


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s a scary person. I don¡¯t want to talk to her if possible¡­¡±


    Evaluation of Mia (after)


    ¡°She¡¯s a very important friend. The book that Mia gave me is very interesting and I am looking forward to discussing it with her. She¡¯s a very kind person who talks to me.¡±


    ©–Dion ia (27)


    Centurion of the Imperial Army. He was a mercenary and then he joined the army and is now an officer. The strongest swordfighter in the empire. Mia¡¯s natural enemy who literally killed her on the guillotine in the previous timeline.


    When facing a legion of enemy alone, the most effective tactic is to face them on a bridge. That way, it will be one-on one or at worst, two-on-one. Dion, however, thinks this way of fighting is boring. He prefers to face a whole legion together. That way, it will be more fun. And if the enemy can add another extra legion, he will even be happier.


    He has a certain amount of affection for hisrades, and of course he will take revenge if they are killed unreasonably.


    He is a dual wield swords user.


    Evaluation of Mia (before)


    ¡°Her Highness? Oh, of course I¡¯ll kill her with a smile! I don¡¯t really have a sense of loyalty, but for the time being, I have to avenge those who were my subordinates.¡±


    Evaluation of Mia (after)


    ¡°Princess? Oh, she¡¯s an interesting girl. I don¡¯t get tired of seeing her actions. She has my loyalty. For the time being anyway.¡±


    ©– Graham (30¡¯s)


    ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? A member of the special forces ¡°??¡± of the national intelligence unit ¡°??¡±.


    Infiltrated the Kingdom of Remno and engaged in intelligence activities. Willing to die for his homnd. He has a serious personality and his stomach hurts if things don¡¯t go ording to his ns.


    Evaluation of Mia (before)


    ¡°A stupid woman whocks the wisdom of running a great country. She dances in the palm of our hands.¡±


    Evaluation of Mia (after)


    ¡°The most terrifying person is the Wisdom of the Empire. It¡¯s as if we¡¯re all dancing in the palm of her hands.¡±


    ¡ð Cyril Rudolvon (10)


    Tiona Rudolvon¡¯s younger brother. He is the eldest son of Outcount Rudolvon. He two things he likes most are nts and his sister. He will make wheat that is resistant to environmental changes in the future. He is a schr and loves studying. He was supposed to devote himself to his research under the patronage of Rafina ¡­


    Evaluation of Mia (before)


    ¡°The one who bullied my sister. And the princess who got my father killed¡­ I will never forgive her.¡±


    Evaluation of Mia (after)


    ¡°The person whoplimented my flowers¡­ I was so happy because I had only my sister until now¡­ (blushing). And she¡¯s Tiona¡¯s dear friend. I have to be careful in what I say or do. ¡±


    ©– Matthias Luna Tearmoon (48)


    Tearmoon Empire Emperor. Mia¡¯s father. His wife was his soul mate, so he hasn¡¯t remarried after her death. From the point of view of his vassals, he is an old man who is a little troubled.


    ¡°More sessors? I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Mia was child he got in hister years. She looks like an angel but she suffers from an illness when she was younger. My recent worry is that Mia is aloof (she doesn¡¯t call me Dad anymore. I know I pretty spoiled Mia¡­)


    Neither good nor bad as a ruler. He is not a great man, but he is not a tyrant. Domineering but just about the authority that he has. If he was the emperor during a peaceful era, the empire would have survived with a slight financial deterioration ¡­


    Evaluation of Mia (before)


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t just listen to Mia¡¯s request¡­ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Because she¡¯s an angel!¡±


    Evaluation of Mia (after)


    ¡°How kind Mia is to themon people. What a gentle child. She must be an angel!¡±


    Introducing the requested characters ¢Ú


    Author¡¯s Note:


    And ¡­ who else?


    Chloe¡¯s father, His Majesty the Emperor, Tiona¡¯s father ¡­?


    I just noticed that many fathers with daughters in this story seem to be daughter-con? Rafina¡¯s dad is included in that list.


    Well, I guess that was a good character introduction. A least we now know the name of Mia¡¯s father.


    I don¡¯t know where the part 1 is. I can just assume it was done by the earlier trantors.

 Chapter 116

    <strong>A Person who is All Talk</strong>


    ¡°Stop the revolution? Help your brother ¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Mia said while rubbing her hands that had just been freed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time. We¡¯ll talk while walking. Put on your shoes.¡±


    Mia did as she was told for the time being. She followed Lynsha and they emerged out into a dim back alley.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°This is one of the bases of the underground revolutionaries. It¡¯s not very safe around here, so stay close to me.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Okay, I understand. Hmm? Revolutionary ¡­?¡±


    Mia nodded but then she suddenly paused when she heard a word that caught her attention.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ by revolutionaries, do you mean the revolutionaries that are causing riots in the Kingdom of Remno right now?¡±


    Lynsha paused for a moment, then¡­


    ¡°Yes, they are ourrades.¡±


    She nodded a little, but her voice was weak.


    ¡°My brother¡­ he is the one in charge of the revolutionaries.¡±


    ¡°In charge? Eh? Does that mean that your brother is the leader of this revolution?¡±


    Mia was starting to have second thoughts on following this girl.


    ¡°He was just caught up into it. He is just someone who talks big when he is at the tavern. There¡¯s no way he can be a revolutionary leader.¡±


    Lynsha then proceeded to tell her story. Lynsha and her brother were originally nobles. But they had fallen into hard times. Her brother was a student in the royal capital but was forced to go to a rural town with the fall of their house.


    It was good when they first arrived. Her brother was motivated to work as a craftsman. However, the job proved to eb demanding. It didn¡¯t take long for him to startining about his work. Everyday he ends up exhausted from the hard physicalbor. His only sce wasining at the tavern.


    One day, a man approached her older brother.


    ¡°Know what buddy, it is exactly as you say. At this rate, the country will only get worse. What about we do something about it? Why don¡¯t you recruit yourrades to join in too?¡±


    Invited by the sweet words of a very amiable man who called himself ¡°Jem¡±, Lynsha¡¯s brother soon became a central figure with the revolutionaries. He was a naturally talented orator. He gradually built an organization for that purpose.


    Being his sister, Lynsha was viewed as a member of the revolutionaries as well. Although he had never made a formalmitment.


    ¡°You can¡¯t really call it an organization. It¡¯s just a group of people who grumbles. But everyone is being stirred up by Jem¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­uhmm¡­ is it okay to interrupt you?¡±


    At this point, all the rm bells in Mia¡¯s mind were warning her of danger.


    ¡°Why are you telling me about the internal workings of the revolutionary organization?¡±


    A scary smile crept across Lynsha¡¯s face as she turned towards Mia.


    ¡°This Jem guy said that you are a danger to the revolutionary organization. So, we need to catch you at all costs. I figured out that you have the power to stop the revolution and to disband the organization. Right?¡±


    Mia replied with a nervous chuckle to Lynsha¡¯s serious thoughts.


    ¡°O-Ohoho, you greatly overestimate me. Wh-What can a child like me possible do? ¡±


    ¡°Yeah? You looked pretty calm when those boys were harassing you earlier. Even now you are still calm. That¡¯s not how a normal child usually behaves.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡±


    Lynsha was right on these points. Compared to the Revolutionary Army of the past, orpared to the time in the Sealence Forest, to be honest, the current situation wasn¡¯t really that scary for Mia. Both the boys earlier and this girl looked like normal kids ying hooky.


    Honestly, they¡¯re even smiling! That ispared to the Imperial Revolutionary Army with hatred-filled eyes and pressed their des against her throat. They don¡¯t even have that murderous aura that Caption Dion inhibits. These kids are just downright cuddly byparison.


    <em>Okay. I need to keep this together. These are not my friends. I still need to be cautious.</em>


    Mia arranged her expression and put on a serious face. Then thinks again.


    <em>Should this man named Jem be considered apanion to the assassins who attacked our wagon?</em>


    Only they can predict where the Mia could have been after falling from that wagon.


    <em>I wonder if they know my true identity.</em>


    I could just be an ordinary girl. But that guy named Jem seems to know who I really am. Even if I am the Tearmoon Empire Princess, I don¡¯t know how to stop this revolution¡­


    <em>And ¡­ oh, I want to eat sweets.</em>


    Mia had given up and threw in the towel. The thinking she had just done ¨C no matter how little it was ¨C was nheless already causing her feeble mind to overheat.


    <em>I would like ice candies!</em>


    Just as Mia¡¯s thoughts were beginning to derail badly, an angry voice pulled her back to reality¡­


    ¡°Oi Lynsha, what¡¯s taking so long! Did you intend to take the credit all for yourself!?¡±


    One of the boys on the lookout is back.


    ¡°Ku ¡­, you came back very quickly. Have you made all the necessary arrangements yet?¡±


    Lynsha stared at the boy with a stiff face. However, a suspicious color immediately appears on the boy¡¯s face¡­


    ¡°N-No¡­well actually¡­¡±


    The boy made a slightly awkward face and began scratching his head. The next moment they hear a voice saying¡­


    ¡°So, we have arrived. You are now dismissed.¡±


    It was followed by a blunt sound on impact


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    The boy copses on the spot. What appeared from behind was¡­


    ¡°Oh! Sion!¡±


    ¡°My apologies. It was a little difficult to find. I was lucky to catch these boys wandering around. I asked them nicely to lead me to you.¡±


    It was the dashing figure of Sion Sol Sunnd, who beat the boys to sleep with a sheathed sword. He probably wasn¡¯t as nice as he imed to be when he asked those poor boys.


    Author¡¯s Note.


    Hello, this is Mochizuki. Thank you for your supportivements.


    This time, the enemy Prince came to help! That¡¯s the story.


    I¡¯m d that Mia was saved by a hero.


    So I hope to see you again on Friday.

 Chapter 117

    <strong>An Artificial Spark</strong>


    ¡°Mia, Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m quite fine.¡±


    Mia replied, subtly squirming. Mia is still unfamiliar with called by Sion without honorifics. Sion was looking at Mia with caring gaze.


    ¡°By the way, who is thatdy with you?¡±


    Now, Sion¡¯s gaze suddenly turned into cool hostile look at Lynsha.


    ¡°Well, I¡­ uh, uh¡­¡±


    Lynsha stammers as she is intimidated by the pressure from Sion¡¯s gaze. Mia sees it¡­ and feels sympathetic. Well, a little sympathetic.


    ¡°Hey Sion, stop that. You¡¯re already scary enough, don¡¯t make it worse by staring like that.¡±


    Mia steps forward to protect Lynsha from Sion¡¯s murderous stare.


    ¡°This person is Lynsha. She¡¯s a member of the underground revolutionary organization, but she helped me. I was able to hear a lot of information from her. She told me that the leader of the revolutionary group is her brother and many more interesting stories.¡±


    <em>Not that I know what any of it amounts to.</em>


    Mia mentally added.


    Mia was just talking about what exactly happened. There were no lies or exaggerations. She just spoke by recalling the events.


    However, to Sion, it sounded like this. ¡°In this short time, I got a person with inside information of the revolutionary army to be on my side.¡±


    <em>As usual, the Wisdom of the Empire does it again. Her skills and cleverness really know no bounds.</em>


    Sion even started wondering if Mia allowed to be kidnapped on purpose so that she could learn more about them. His better judgement told him that couldn¡¯t be trye, but some part of him felt like it was actually possible. Sion¡¯s trust in Mia now runs so deep that he is starting to have this full on delusions.


    At the same time he was thinking¡­


    <em>What if it was me? What would I have done?</em>


    Looking at the boy who fainted at his feet, it¡¯s probably not difficult to escape.


    <em>However, having the calm presence of mind to talk him into switching sides is something I probably cannot do.</em>


    She did not just escape. She turned her kidnapping into an opportunity to learn more about the enemy. The more Sion thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.


    <em>I don¡¯t think that trying to get them to defect would even cross my mind in the first ce. Only Princess Mia can think of such a thing.</em>


    Needless to say, Mia didn¡¯t even think of that. All Mia was doing was showing some sass to the boy on the lookout, which even backfired. So she really aplished nothing.


    That aside¡­


    ¡°Should I assume that you are now our ally then?¡±


    Mia asks Lynsha. Lynsha nodded cautiously,


    ¡°If you stop the revolution, I¡¯ll cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Stop the revolution¡­? But to do that, you¡¯ll have to meet King Remno. Something has to be done with the heavy taxes.¡±


    To the best of Sion¡¯s knowledge, the source of people¡¯s frustration was the heavy increase in tax. It was a simple problem, but solving it won¡¯t be easy.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. In the first ce, what the older brother is not the lowering of taxes.¡±


    Lynsha shook her head a little and then continued¡­


    ¡°He is demanding the release of Count Dasayev Donovan, who is jailed by the government.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    That revtion gave Sion a pause.


    ¡°His Majesty seems to have been imprisoned Chancellor Donovan somewhere to seal his mouth from speaking against the tax increase. My brother is fighting for his release.¡±


    ¡°Putting his own vassal in prison for speaking up? Is he stupid?¡±


    This reminded Sion of the conversation he had with Rafina before leaving. Rafina told him that ¡°something happened¡± that could be a reason enough for revolt.


    ¡°The one who has the courage to speak up the mistakes of the lord is a loyal vassal. Besides, the king should have expected this kind of response if he harms the person who speaks for the people. ¡±


    Sion¡¯s face showed a slight anger. During this time, a memory came up in Mia¡¯s mind.


    It was in the previous timeline¡­ when Sion met the captive Mia¡­


    ¡°Outcount Rudolvon was the one who fed the people that your royal family abandoned. They are saviours of themon people. Didn¡¯t you think what would happen if you killed such a person?¡± Sion shrugged in disappointment. ¡°Did you guys ever think of the consequences of your actions?¡±


    At that time, Mia couldn¡¯t say anything back. Outcount Rudolvon was indeed executed, and the revolution was brought about by the hands of the angry people. Sion was right, but just on those parts. Not everything.


    <em>But, but¡­</em>


    Mia bit her lower lip, holding back her tide of grievances. In that moment, she wanted tosh out at him. To shout at his presumptuous face that all he said was a total nonsense.


    <em>¡­I don¡¯t think my father did that.</em>


    Mia¡¯s father, the emperor does not execute his vassals just because they are popr. He is not interested in those matters. Paradoxically, if all he cared was how people perceived him, then the empire probably wouldn¡¯t have deteriorated that much, but that aside¡­


    Mia has the innate feeling that there was something strange going on here. It struck to her thoughts like slime, shapeless and invisible, but terribly unpleasant. Nevertheless, faced with Sion¡¯s criticism, she stayed silent, taking her doubts with her to the grave. Now she had a second chance to voice those thoughts; to take out all those frustration and indignation that she couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°You know, something just doesn¡¯t add up¡­¡±


    However, her words were drowned out by a new intruder.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Hello, this is Mochizuki. Thank you for your support.


    So it was the 117th episode.


    By the way, it seems that all the recent ¡°Naro¡± animated works are given the title of ¡°Ikiri ¡ð¡ð¡±.


    ¡­¡­ Hmm, in other words, is it necessary to add a squid to animate it?


    So, I tried to get on the flow ¡­ I hope you enjoy it.


    I hope to see you again next week.

 Chapter 118

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Quick Switching</strong>


    ¡°We have a problem! Huh?¡±


    It was the other boy from earlier who was back. He froze when he saw Mia standing with her wrist unbound. He was even more confused when he saw Sion. Sion reacted quickly and gripped his sword. The boy noticed this immediately and tried to turn around and run. However, Sion was faster. He bashed him on the back of his head.


    There was a loud thud and the next moment, the boy was on the ground. From down the ground he can see Sion towering over him and his sword pointing down on him.


    <em>He looks so pitiful.</em>


    Mia felt sorry for the boy. She can empathize with the boy¡¯s fear as she had also experienced being pointed at by swords.


    <em>Wait a minute! This is the punk that told me to jump! Hmph! Good riddance!</em>


    Mia immediately changed her mind after remembering the current events. Mia¡¯s mind switches quickly. She is not one to dwell. She grinned when the boy was made to sit submissively.


    Lynsha knelt in front of the boy and asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss? What do you mean there is a problem?¡±


    ¡°Lynsha! What the hell is happening here¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Answer me first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah ¡­ Actually, it seems that ourrades started things already. They upied the local guard station and stole their weapons. They are now heading to the mayor¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°What!? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be the day after tomorrow? Was it Jem¡¯s instructions?¡±


    ¡°No, it was at your brother¡¯s discretion. He said ourrades who are facing the army can¡¯t wait any longer. So, to help them, he went to the town square to gather support and raided the guard station.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that does sound like what my older brother would do.¡±


    Lynsha facepalmed and let out a frustrated sigh.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the damage?¡±


    ¡°It was hardly a battle. There were about ten garrison soldiers in the station, but it seems that your brother was able to gather hundreds of people from the square. The guard leader ran away. Your big brother is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. That person¡¯s mouth is a genius. If he bes a king, everyone will line up to pay him taxes.¡±


    After another deep sigh, Lynsha said.


    ¡°Well you have heard him. To the mayor¡¯s house then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    <em>Huh?</em>


    Mia was surprised by Lynsha¡¯s deration, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    <em>Ohoho, silly girl. Did you just assume that we will follow you? That is a dangerous ce, I¡¯m not going to step foot there.</em>


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s pretty dangerous ¡­¡±


    Sion takes up Mia¡¯s side.


    <em>That¡¯s right. Even Sion thinks¡­</em>


    Mia turned her gaze and saw Sion¡¯s face¡­ What she saw was a face brimming with excitement. An unpleasant premonition slowly dawned on Mia.


    ¡°But if you really want to go, I¡¯ll go out with you.¡±


    He dered in a powerful voice as he put his hand on the handle of the sword.


    ¡°Eh? Oh, but ¡­¡±


    <em>No, no, no one said I wanted to go!</em>


    Before Mia can voice out her insistence, Sion noticed her suspicious look.


    ¡°What? Is something wrong? ¡­ Hm¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    He nodded as if he understood Mia¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Keithwood and the others. The truth is I also want to join up with them first. But you have created this chance to explore the inside of the Revolutionary Army. I won¡¯t let your hard work go to waste.¡±


    ¡°My- my hard work¡­? No¡­no¡­ no worries.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    Mia stood up, urged by Lynsha¡¯s voice.


    <em>I am not allowed to say no, am I? I can¡¯t refuse anymore?</em>


    Mia guessed that they were past the point of no return. And so she switched thinking immediately.


    <em>Well, if there is Prince Sion, I am sure he will somehow protect me worsees to worst. There is also the younger sister of the leader of the Revolutionary Army here, so maybe it¡¯s not that dangerous?</em>


    Indeed, the good thing about Mia is that she switches quickly. She is not one to dwell. And she is still curious. The feeling of something that doesn¡¯t add up was still there. She intends to find out the reason for that.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been wondering from a while ago, who is this Jem?¡±


    Sion casually asked as they were walking.


    ¡°One of ourrades of the Revolutionary Army. My brother said he met him at the bar¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he tell you to kidnap Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he said that she is a hindrance to the revolution.¡±


    ¡°He must be apanion of those who attacked our carriage¡­ But.¡±


    Sion remembered the boys earlier. He was able to overpower them easily. The clearly haven¡¯t been trained inbat.


    <em>They¡¯re a far cry from the assassins on the wagon.</em>


    His thoughts were interrupted by the change of scenery. A waterway and a dock spread out in front of Mia and others who passed through the back alley. Although it was small, there were many boats docked. A bustling market was visible.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice it earlier¡­ The river we fell from actually flows through here.¡±


    Mia voiced out her observations.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This ce seems like a transportation hub.¡±


    Sion agreed with her.


    ¡°Maybe it was the man named Jem who chose this town as the stage for revolt?¡±


    Sion continues to Lynsha, who looks puzzled.


    ¡°If so, he knows how to choose the right ce to attack. This kind of calcted maneuvering matches those who attacked the wagon.¡±


    Author¡¯s note:


    His Majesty the Emperor has been added to the character introduction secretly.


    I hope to see you again next Friday.


    Apologies there were no updates yesterday and this morning. Just recovering from a terrible flu.

 Chapter 119

    <strong>Leader and Instigator, Lambert</strong>


    Mia and the others aimed at the mayor¡¯s mansion as inconspicuous as possible. For disguise, Sion puts on a hat and Mia puts on a cloth over her head like a veil. This just made her more suspicious. However, the town seemed to be preupied that they didn¡¯t get any attention.


    In some parts of the town, there were young people with weapons in their hands. Everyone is wearing normal clothes, and there is no unity of uniforms like a regr army. However, there is themon fact that their faces are flushed with excitement.


    ¡°The revolutionary army¡­¡±


    Mia remembered the previous timeline for a moment, but soon noticed the difference. The light that dwells in their eyes is rather pure excitement as if they are at a festival. She couldn¡¯t feel the stinging hatred nor the bloodthirst that was characteristic of the Imperial Revolutionary Army during her previous timeline.


    The houses along the streets are all tightly closed, probably to avoid getting entangled with what is happening. As far as she can see, no looting has been done, and although it is noisy, there are no violence.


    <em>It doesn¡¯t seem like they are killing people¡­</em>


    ¡°They¡¯re revolutionaryrades over there.¡±


    Lynsha pointed to a crowd. The people in the crowd seemed to be holding a blue cloth.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a symbol of the revolution. I think it¡¯s wrapped around the head. They call themselves Blue Scarves or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡­?¡±


    Mia muttered¡­


    <em>Hmm, what an odd name. It sounds fake or giarized. Sounds more like a weird cult led by a weird leader.</em>


    For a moment, Mia¡¯s mental performance hit its peak that her intuition got information from another world. However, this knowledge was useless to the people around her.


    <em>The Diamond Legion sounds so much stronger after all.</em>


    ¡°By the way, how much do they know about us?¡±


    Sion asked.


    ¡°I think the senior members have been informed. But those people? Maybe they¡¯re the ones who gathered in response to my brother¡¯s call, so they probably don¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s convenient. Let¡¯s hurry up and blend with them.¡±


    Sion sprinted towards the crowd and came back with a blue cloth.


    ¡°Here Mia, wear one too.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if this is okay¡­?¡±


    Mia wrapped a blue cloth around her head.


    ¡°Well, at least it is better than the one you are draping over your head.¡±


    Lynsha said with a small sigh.


    The city mayor¡¯s mansion was like a noble¡¯s little mansion. The turmoil had already subsided, and men with blue cloths on their heads were gathering in therge garden one after another.


    And a young man was crying out to incite them. Same as Lynsha, he has brown hair and deep blue eyes. In his eyes, however, there was this burning zeal.


    ¡°We¡¯re making the demands that are justified. We are suffering from heavy taxes. We want our voices to be heard. Chancellor Dasayev gave us that voice. We want him to be returned. That¡¯s all. But the king and the government doesn¡¯t listen to us. That¡¯s why we stood up. The mayor fled with an escort before we surrounded the mansion. He ignored our voices and abandoned his responsibility.¡±


    He did not possess a singer-like voice that people will fall in love with. It is also different from the overpowering voice of a powerful knight captain. Instead, he has an exquisitely perfected intonation. It is a politician¡¯s voice brimming with charisma inspiring people.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we could not stop the mayor¡¯s escape. But in return we were able to take the town without losing a single man. This is all thanks to you, myrades. All of you who answered my call. If it wasn¡¯t for each and every one of you, this wouldn¡¯t have been possible. So you have my deepest gratitude.¡±


    The young people all roared in approval at once. Eventhough they haven¡¯t won a battle yet, their morale is very high.


    ¡°Apelling speaker. He attracts people. He is more like an instigator than a leader, though he ys both parts well. Lynsha, would he happen to be your brother?¡±


    Sion asked aftermenting.


    Before Lynsha could respond to Sion¡¯s question¡­


    ¡°Oh, Lynsha. You came¡­¡±


    The young man in question turned to them.


    ¡°Lambert-niichan¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who are these children with you?¡±


    Lambert looked suspiciously at Sion and Mia.


    ¡°Maybe these are the kids that Jem was talking about? The ones who are a danger to the revolution?¡±


    Hearing that, all the people around him put their hands on the sword. Sion also prepares to respond by putting his hand on his sword, but ¡­


    ¡°Stop! If you point your sword at a young children, we lose our integrity and no one will listen to us.¡±


    Lambert raised his hand and calmed those around him.


    ¡°Please, brother. Listen to these kids. Talk to these kids.¡±


    ¡°Talk ¡­?¡±


    He quietly stared at Sion and Mia¡¯s faces and a faint smile appeared on his face.


    Author¡¯s note:


    Hello, this is Mochizuki. It¡¯s December soon.


    It gets cold, so please take care of yourself.


    I hope to see you again on Tuesday.


    It is obviously not December at the moment¡­ But still take care of yourself. Don¡¯t end up like me.

 Chapter 120

    <strong>Mia and Sion Reach the Same Conclusion!</strong>


    ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around here¡­ Let¡¯s talk in the hall for the time being.¡±


    Mia andpany followed Lambert into the manor.


    ¡°Well,e in please, you are very wee. Although it¡¯s not my house.¡±


    Lambert spoke with an air of nonchnce and walks with the elegant stride of a noble.


    ¡°Hmmm, the office should be here on the back¡­¡±


    Inside a magnificent door was a luxurious room that was more than opulent enough to be called the mayor¡¯s office. A simple chandelier was hanging on the ceiling but it was made of highly transparent crystal that dazzled from the light of the outside.


    ¡°They got all those taxes from us and this is what they spent it on?¡±


    After shrugging in dismay, Lambert arrogantly sat down on the mayor¡¯s chair in front of the office desk.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably expensive, but it¡¯s not veryfortable to sit in.¡±


    ¡°Brother! Enough of this! What¡¯s the point of all of this? What will this aplish?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Lynsha. I¡¯m not going to talk about politics with you, a woman. It¡¯s futile.¡±


    Lambert leaned farther into his chair that he was looking down at Lynsha from his nose.


    <em>That reminds me. The Kingdom of Remno is very male-dominated where women don¡¯t have a ce.</em>


    Mia¡¯s opinion of Lambert just plummeted. Well, it wasn¡¯t that high in the first ce anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in these people you have brought.¡±


    Lambert stared at Mia and Sion¡¯s faces in turn, then smiled softly.


    ¡°Where are my manners. Sit down. Rx for the time being. Let¡¯s prepare some tea and sweets for you.¡±


    <em>My! Tea and sweets! This person knows how to wee his guests!</em>


    Mia¡¯s favourability of Lambert just suddenly improved. Well only a little. It put him above the likes of the Prince¡­ whatever Abel¡¯s brother¡¯s name was. But Lambert¡¯s likability was still below the Diamond Legion. After all, Mia likes big men.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. But I believe we are against the clock so if you can tell me your side of the story, it would be more appreciated.¡±


    Sion res at Lambert without sitting on the guests¡¯ couch. There is no sign ofxity in his alertness at observing Lambert. While on the other hand, Mia was already sitting on the couch. Leaning on the backrest andpletely rxed! However, just like Sion, there was noxity on her gaze. Her line of sight was sharpened so as not to miss the arrival of the tea and sweets from the door. Like Sion, she was alert like a predator.


    ¡°Oh, I guess what I heard was true. As expected, His Royal Highness Sion Sol Sunnd can indeed strike fear into the hearts of his enemies with a single look!¡±


    Lambert apuded jokingly and said in a casual tone. Lynsha and others who were listening to the conversation were astonished. But the prince remained calm.


    ¡°So the rumor was indeed true that the great prince can be reckless. Reckless enough to march unguarded to ce like this by himself.¡±


    ¡°So you knew then?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to keep your sword.¡±


    Lambert says while still sitting in a rxed manner.


    ¡°I see. I was wondering if you just deemed us harmless being kids.¡±


    Sion lightly touched the handle of the sword and gave Lambert a piercing gaze.


    ¡°So? Why did you bring us here? We are said to be the danger to the revolution? What do you want from us?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have my reason. To be honest, we¡¯re looking for help from your country, Prince of the Kingdom of Sunnd. After all, as you have witnessed, we¡¯re just not strong enough.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so easy but what you are asking is military intervention. It is not as simple as rallying a rabble.¡±


    ¡°That is a statement that is not like His Royal Highness Sion, who values justice and fairness. What do you think of this country¡¯s suffering? And a sensible politician who values the people is being imprisoned. Heavy taxes are levied on the people. Will you overlook the tyranny of the royal family?¡±


    In fact, Sion has not seen the plight of the people themselves. But if the king has put his loyal vassal to prison, then it is something that he certainly cannot overlook.


    ¡°If my country does support the side of the rebels, I don¡¯t think there is any guarantee that you will be able to hold up until help arrives.¡±


    Lambert smiled at Sion¡¯s words.


    ¡°This is located halfway between the royal capital and Count Donovan¡¯s territory. I¡¯m sure you can now understand the strategic importance of this ce¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to iste the Diamond Legion from the royal capital by hitting them logistically?¡±


    Sion thought while folding his arms.


    Of course, this is still in the Kingdom of Remno. It is possible to receive supply from the surroundings even if it is separated from the royal capital. However, it will take time to make such arrangements. This will result in temporary confusion and lowering of the morale of the soldiers. It seemed the revolutionaries led a revolt in this town with the full knowledge of using its strategic importance¡­


    <em>I was under the impression that they were just a disorganized militia. Was I wrong?</em>


    rm bells were ringing off Sion¡¯s head.


    <em>Frontman and firebrand, huh? I can¡¯t say anything of certainty yet. He seems to be a man who knows what he is doing. I can¡¯t underestimate him.</em>


    In Sion¡¯s head, the warning bells kept on ringing loudly.


    On the other hand, what was on Mia¡¯s head¡­


    My! Cookies! It¡¯s also finely crafted!


    She was inwardly apuding the arrival of her long-awaited sweets. She popped one into her mouth before anyone else can say anything. She held her cheeks in sensuous pleasure as the sweetness of the cookies melt within her mouth.


    Impressed by how good the cookies were, Mia looked towards Lambert.


    <em>He seems to be a man who knows what he is doing. I can¡¯t underestimate him.</em>


    Curiously, Mia and Sion reach the same conclusion.

 Chapter 121

    <strong>Princess Mia is unwavering¡­ or maybe not?</strong>


    ¡°So what do you think Prince Sion?¡±


    Lambert said while opening a map.


    The royal capital is located in the north of the Kingdom of Remno. At the bottom left is Senia, the town where Mia and his friends are currently located. Beside Senia, arge road running through the central part of the kingdom extended to the territory of Count Donovan in the south.


    ¡°So this is the supply route you want to cut off? If this is cut off, can¡¯t they just use another route?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but it won¡¯t be easy. Either way, it will take some time to prepare.¡±


    What the Kingdom of Remno is proud ofpared to other countries is not a strong army. What the country is truly proud of was the widework of roads that were maintained throughout the whole kingdom.


    <em>I remember Kiethwood telling me that the true strength of Remno Kingdom lies on its highways connecting the noble domains to each other. This provides extreme mobility for the army to respond rapidly.</em>


    Even infantry that has low mobility can be loaded into wagons and transported at a faster speed. The highways also ensured that supplies get transported smoothly and efficiently. This makes their response unit to be deployed rapidly and with precision. This gives Remno a perfect defence system. If they just expand it more, and focus outwards instead of inwards, then they can use this highway system for invasion¡­


    Seeing that Sion was in deep thought, Lambert gave him another push.


    ¡°But there¡¯s something more important than tactics. Prince Sion, the royal government of this country has sent an overpowering force, the Diamond Legion, to crack down on the people. Doesn¡¯t that alone make them unqualified to lead the people? Fortunately, the fighting hasn¡¯t started yet¡­ but once it begins¡­¡±


    Involuntarily, Sion swallowed his words. The criticisms were real and it is true that a one-sided ughter is about to take ce. He cannot silently overlook all of this to happen.


    <em>There may be various circumstances, but after imposing a heavy tax on the people, the king imprisoned his vassal, who is spoke for the people. Isn¡¯t that act alone made him unqualified to lead the people? At first, I thought I was justing with Princess Mia, but I think it may be a blessing that I came. I got to know the domestic situation and make a connection with the Revolutionary faction. Maybe this is my chance to¡­</em>


    Clink¡­


    A clink reaches Sion¡¯s ears that broke his train of thoughts. It was the sound of ceramic cup hitting the te. When he turned to where the sound came from, he saw Mia sipping tea with a calm face.


    Mia had just set her teacup down to its te. She leaned her head back and had her eyes closed out of pure pleasure. She let out a satisfied sigh, presumable from the tea she had just sipped. The smile formed gentle dimples on her cheeks, which entuated the glow of faint blush. There was an air of nonchnce to her that was conspicuous. Her actions seemed deliberate.


    Mia¡¯s actions immediately hit Sion. It was like a cold shower for his hot mind.


    <em>Heavenly suns¡­ I almost got swallowed by his talk!</em>


    Instigator, Lambert. The man in front of him has an indescribable charm and a genius at oration. He employs his skills like a conman. Mixing truth, ttery, and appealing to virtues, he worms his way into his listeners¡¯ hearts. He instigates them to do his bidding without even them realizing.


    This instigator continues¡­


    ¡°I want to change this country. A country where such injustice doesn¡¯t have to exist anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t we the hindrance to the revolution?¡±


    Sion interrupts him. He figured out that it wasn¡¯t wise to keep this scammer to keep on speaking, so he changed the topic.


    ¡°I heard that your fellow man, Jem, was saying such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right ¡­¡±


    Lambert smiled and turned to Mia.


    ¡°I was thinking of doing something about it. Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    Lambert turns to Mia. Mia, however, gave him a nk confused look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything that interferes with our noble revolution.¡±


    Lambert remembered Jem¡¯s words during theirst conversation. The Prince of Sunnd and the Princess of Tearmoon are going to infiltrate this country. Prince Sion is a potential threat but he can be converted into an ally. But Princess Mia is a definite threat. There is no other way but to have her eliminated. She should be eliminated in a way that won¡¯t seem suspicious to Sion.


    <em>But because of my stupid sister, I couldn¡¯t do it.</em>


    During this period, if something happens to Princess Mia, it will not be possible to obtain the cooperation of Sion. If so, the next best thing should be taken.


    <em>I need to get Princess Mia on my side, or at the very least, keep her mouth closed.</em>


    Fortunately, the other party is a girl. He has heard the rumors about her, but at the end of the day, she is just a child.


    <em>It can¡¯t be that hard to talk her into helping us.</em>


    With these thoughts, Lambert smiled at her.


    ¡°Well, I assume you might be tired because of everything that happened today. If you like, you can stay here tonight. It¡¯s not like your royal pces, but at least there will be a big bath and bed.¡±


    ¡°My! A bath!¡±


    Noticing Mia¡¯s reaction, Lambert smiled inside knowing that he had this in a bag.


    <em>The Tearmoon Princess is a big fan of baths, huh? It seems the rumors are true.</em>


    Lambert thought that it¡¯s only a matter of time before he got her in the palm of his hands. Already feeling his victory, he began nning what he should do afterward.


    Lambert¡¯s behavior is exactly what is called, counting one¡¯s chickens before they are hatched.

 Chapter 122

    <strong>Princess Mia Gets More Blood Flowing to Her Head</strong>


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you a little careless Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    Sion¡¯s sigh can be heard from beyond the door.


    ¡°Sure, he won¡¯t hurt you if he is relying on my Sunnd army to support him but¡­¡±


    If Lambert hurt Mia, then it will immediately turn Sion away from his cause. Also, it will most certainly make him an enemy of the great Tearmoon Empire. This makes the chances of Lambert hurting them low. In addition, there is a man named Jem. If they left the manor, they might encounter that man who might make an attempt on Mia¡¯s life. It was safer to stay at this mansion with Lambert who at least gives them some information.


    ¡°But still, staying here for the night¡­¡±


    Suddenly, sounds of sshing water can be heard as if blocking Sion¡¯s words. Yes, Mia is in the middle of her bath. She was thoroughly enjoying it. Sion was outside the door acting as a guard, but the constant sound of sshing was making him ufortable. In an attempt to hide it, he tried to make small talk that sounded like ain to Mia.


    <em>Oh, he¡¯s adorable!</em>


    Mia had the urate insight of Sion being flustered. She seized this opportunity to toy with the superhuman Sion. Just the thought of being able to torment the Perfect Prince gave her a sense of superiority. At one point, she even did a sexy pose in the tub eventhough Sion can¡¯t see from outside the door. She felt like she was not eh Great Seductress of the Empire.


    <em>Ufufu¡­ This is my revenge Sion!</em>


    Lynsha, however, was standing beside her with a look of annoyance and disgust at Mia¡¯s antics. She was told to wait inside in case something happens. She was wondering if she really has to do this.


    While she was thinking such thoughts, Mia got out of the tub and started shampooing her hair. Mia picked up a bottle of shampoo and poured some into her palm. She rubbed it between her palms then frowned.


    ¡°Well, this shampoo is not very foamy and to think it came from the Kingdom of Remno¡­ I wonder if Prince Abel¡¯s shampoo gift was a special one¡­¡±


    ¡°Receiving gifts from a prince?¡­ You really are the princess of the empire¡­ By the way, what kind of shampoo was it?¡±


    ¡°It had a cute horse picture on it. I don¡¯t remember the name ¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Uh. For sure that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Lynsha tilts her head but leaves her sentence unfinished. She decided that ignorance is probably worth this bliss.


    ¡°It was a very good shampoo. I have to thank Prince Abel when I met him.¡±


    Lynsha saw Mia smiling¡­ and read the air.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Yeah, that was good¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m sure that someday you will find a nice young man for yourself.¡±


    Mia, who was soaked in a sense of superiority, was a little annoying. But Lynsha was patient with her, holding back from pping this cheeky noble brat. After all, Lynsha was the adult.


    <em>Ah, even so, when I take a bath like this, I start missing Anne.</em>


    Normally, Anne rubs her back for her. But it is something she cannot ask Lynsha to do for her given the current circumstance.


    ¡°By the way, you will stop my brother, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be too impatient. Haste makes waste, so let¡¯s enjoy this bath for now.¡±


    Mia dodged the question for the time being, but she was thinking what she should do after. Yes¡­ Mia, who has eaten sweets and has improved blood cirction because of the bath, is regaining her normal brain function.


    After washing away a few days of sweat and dust, Mia seeded in regaining about 80% of her beauty. Still, she never came up with a good idea. Cleanliness doesn¡¯t necessarily meanpetence.


    Mia came out of the bathroom with vapors steaming from her head. The change of clothes that was prepared was a little big, but it was just rightfort for her body that was flushed after the bath.


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s refreshing ¡­ Oh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mia leans her head toward Sion, who has a slightly tired and red face. Sighing and shaking his head, Sion said.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about the n in your head¡­ But anyway, we should still join Keithwood and others. He is probably already in touch with the Wind Crows. They are surely already searching for us. Also, I have to contact my home country¡­ ¡±


    Sion figured that they have a few more days before things could go wrong badly.


    But that spection turned out to be wrong.


    The next day, a scout from the revolutionary army came back with some news. Knights from the Royal Capital has already been seen along the highway.


    And it was led by¡­


    Wind Crows = Sunnd¡¯s espionage department


    Within the Wind Crows are two factions: ck Crows and White Crows.

 Chapter 123

    <strong>ck and White Crows</strong>


    Monica Buend¨ªa.


    It is the name of the maid who assassinated Prince Abel on the previous timeline. Prince Abel, known as a famous yboy, was said to be a victim of a crime of passion but the details were not really revealed.


    Let us rewind time a little. Back to the day when Mia and Sion fell into the river.


    Monica was walking down the corridor of the Royal Castle of the Remno Kingdom. Her destination the office of a certain official. She stood in front of the door and knocked in a certain rhythm. The door opened silently.


    ¡°Graham¡±


    ¡°Monica ¡­¡±


    Graham looked more down than usual and greeted Monica with a face that didn¡¯t hide his sullenness.


    ¡°The freaking guys from the Diamond Legion¡­ why haven¡¯t done anything yet? Is this caused again by that damn Wisdom of the Empire?¡±


    Graham muttered in a paranoid tone as if believing in such a conspiracy. He finally looked up to Monica.


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡±


    ¡± I received this this morning.¡±


    Monica revealed in her hand a small piece of folded papyrus and handed it to Graham.


    ¡°Ku¡­! Princess Mia and Prince Sion¡­ Argh!¡±


    Graham, who read it, muttered bitterly. Then, after sighing, he gave Monica another piece of papyrus.


    ¡°Send this back home.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    It is Monica¡¯s job to encrypted letter to send them to the messenger birds. Monica frowned after reading the letter she received from Graham.


    ¡°Are you sure this is right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This is the wrong information that will drag our home country into war¡­ is it really okay to send this?¡±


    ¡°You guys are ck crows. It¡¯s best for you to just keep on collecting information in the shadows so that you don¡¯t stand out. But I am a white crow. Whereas your job ends with information, mine starts with it. I must use it as a weapon for the glory of our homnd.¡±


    Monica bit her lips hard hearing his words.


    Kingdom of Sunnd¡¯s intelligence unit is called the Wind Crows. It was established by a king several generations ago. Its primary job is to infiltrate other countries and bring back various information back to Sunnd. The intelligence brought back is vital for the diplomatic and military decision makings. The wind crows were considered to be a passive organization.


    However, changes started happening with a man named Jem. He advocated for a territorial expansion. No longer would they just bring back information. They will also actively use it to weaken and divide other kingdoms. Then they can conquer it in the name of justice thereby expanding Sunnd.


    A unit was created within the Wind Crows to carry out the n. They were called the White Crows. They were the white birds that will announce the glory of Sunnd to the whole continent.


    ¡°Our mission as White Crows take precedence over anybody else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡±


    Monica nodded, but she was swirling with emotions that she couldn¡¯t digest.


    Leaving Graham¡¯s room, Monica sighed a little.


    <em>What am I even doing?</em>


    Monica was proud of her home country, Sunnd. The royal family, which values justice and justice, and the royal government, which does not overlook injustice, was a glorious homnd for her.


    <em>This¡­ this thing we are doing¡­ isn¡¯t this a smear to Sunnd¡¯s glory?</em>


    Tendril of doubt being to envelop her heart. Her breathing started to quicken. Just then, someone rammed into her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    She fell hard on the spot and the documents she had in her hands were scattered. The papyrus was in in sight. Even though it was encrypted, it was still not good to be seen by others.


    Monica rushed to pick it up, but suddenly a boot stomped on the papyrus.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    When she looked up, she saw a middle-aged official grinning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sitting there woman. Move!¡±


    The man said disdainfully.


    Monica¡¯s mission was to gather intelligence as a royal maid. In Remno Kingdom, women were looked down on, so the lips of senior officials could be shockingly loose around them. They assumed that women didn¡¯t have the capacity to grasp the importance of what they hear. This works perfectly to her advantage.


    But despite this being an advantage, suffering is still suffering. The advantage doesn¡¯t ease the fact of being insulted or hit. Especially when she saw how her colleague maids are treated. She could barely hold in the eruption of her hatred


    <em>A country like this might okay to perish.</em>


    If this unreasonableness can be changed with the blood of the people, shouldn¡¯t it be fair for Sunnd to rule it? Her thoughts started to swallow her. But then¡­


    ¡°Pick. Those. Up.¡±


    A boy¡¯s voice reached her ears. It was still young, but it was a dignified voice with a certain unfaltering will. Monica looked back and saw the owner of the voice.


    ¡°Did you not hear me? Pick those up! Then apologize to her.¡±


    It was the figure of Abel Remno, the second prince of the Kingdom of Remno.


    The author at the end of this chapter added notes about the Wind Crows. But it is already something that was written. Basically, that Wind Crows are the spywork of Sunnd. ck Crows gather the information behind scenes. He also added a character introduction note for Graham. But that has already been added in the second part of Character Introduction.

 Chapter 124

    <strong>The Seeds of Hope are Sprouting and Spreading</strong>


    ¡°Ah¡­ Your Highness Prince Abel.¡±


    The middle-aged officer panicked and took two steps back.


    ¡°This is that¡­ uhmm¡­ this woman here. She wasn¡¯t looking¡­¡±


    ¡°I told YOU to pick it up¡­ this will be thest time.¡±


    Abel said again in a tone that now sounds like a growl. At the same time, he took a step forward the officer.


    ¡°Or do you think that I am such a weak Prince that mymands are not worth listening?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­ of course not.¡±


    The civilian hurriedly picked up the papers then held them out to Monica. He impatiently shook them a few times towards her. When she finally received them, he red at her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say this again. If you ever do any more rudeness to her, I¡¯ll consider it as a personal affront.¡±


    Abel red at the civilian with a look that is simr to that of knights on the battlefield. It was definitely a look that could kill.


    <em>Oh my. The prince can now make such a face. He really has grown.</em>


    Monica is deeply moved by Abel¡¯s expression. Since she came here, her reputation for Abel Remno hasn¡¯t been bad. She sees him as a kind-hearted boy who is kind not just to her, but also to his mother and sisters. This kindness even extends to the maids who served him.


    Monica was looking at Abel with a smile. She almost sees him as her younger brother.


    But at the same time, Monica thought that Abel was unfit to be a ruler. He was indecisive andcking in discipline. She thought that he would struggle to make hard decisions that is often required to those who wield power. But that all changed now¡­


    <em>If it was him from before, in this current situation, he would give a smile andugh it off to smooth things over. He might have helped me, but he would never reprimand anyone. And yet¡­ He clearly has changed.</em>


    Now Abel was starting to resemble like Prince Sion from her home country. The change was very profound that she began to feel a glimmer of hope. Perhaps he was the one who could break Remno¡¯s tradition of misogyny. At the same time, she wondered what caused this great change in him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Abel¡¯s voice brought her away from her thoughts and back to reality.


    ¡°Oh, my apologies, Your Highness, Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°No, it is me who should apologize. I know it is hard for all of you to work here. I know I need to do something about it, but it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    With a bitter smile, Abel scratched his cheek.


    ¡°Uhmmm¡­ it might be rude to say something like this, but you really have changed, Your Royal Highness Abel.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have grown¡­ stronger. You matured.¡±


    ¡°Haha, well. I can¡¯t show the pitiful part to ¡®her¡¯.¡±


    <em>Her¡­</em>


    Monica knew exactly who Abel was referring to. She was the Tearmoon Imperial Princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon. Hailed as the Wisdom of the Empire, and Graham¡¯s natural enemy. She was the girl who made the kind Abel into a heroic young lion. Gone was the cute and tender cub, through Mia¡¯s hands, that cub has now grown into a full lion with teeth and w. Monica has always heard rumors about this Wisdom of the Empire. She was deeply curious about her.


    ¡°What kind of person is Princess Mia ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good question¡­¡±


    Abel was lost in thoughts for a while. Then he properly faced Monica and answered with a slightly shy smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s like the moon. Breath-taking, but beyond my reach. Her greatness is such that I¡¯ll never be worthy of her. But she still wholeheartedly believes that I will be her match one day. That is the kind of person Princess Mia is¡­ She is the one who has full faith in me and continues to encourage me to better myself.¡±


    Abel said in the tone of a man who is full of love and reverence. He continued¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s why I have to live up to her faith. I should do my best¡­ But¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Abel¡¯s face became cloudy. It was then that Monica notices something. Abel was wearing armor.


    ¡°Your Highness. It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, that¡¯s right. The frontlines seem to be stuck in a stalemate. So, I have to head there to boost the morale of the soldiers. Actually, my brother is more suitable for this kind of job¡­ ¡±


    Abel shrugged and continued¡­


    ¡°But it seems that there was a certain someone who mmed a piece of metal down on his shoulder at the academy. So, I am going to do my duty as part of the royal family. Lest the monarchy copse and chaos engulf thend.¡±


    Abel straightens his back, but his expression is still dull.


    ¡°Are you concerned about something?¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­ nothing. Just¡­¡±


    Abel looks up but his gaze was further into the distance.


    ¡°¡­ I think she would never forgive me for taking part in suppressing my own people.¡±


    With a lonely face, he muttered.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, excuse me. I¡¯m off¡±


    After seeing Abel depart with escorts, Monica released a messenger bird. A white crow with news to her home country and another one. A ck crow with the truth. The ck bird flies into the skies. There is no guarantee that the ck bird will reach the intended person. Nevertheless¡­


    If it reaches¡­ it means that fate willed it¡­


    She watched it go. The figure of the ck bird was slowly disappearing into the horizon as it heads to a secret destination.


    Thus, the seeds that Mia sowed are sprouting and spreading like weeds one after another. And these seeds are filled with hope.

 Chapter 125

    <strong>Princess Mia expresses her determination</strong>


    In a particrlyrge and luxurious guest room of the mayor¡¯s mansion, a small princess was indulging in an excessive sleep. Mia, who was hungry for a good night¡¯s sleep, wrapped herself in a fluffy nket and surrendered herself to the waiting embrace of thergefortable bed. It was a bed wide enough that even Mia who kicks and rolls in her sleep, did not fall off.


    The n for the next day was to join up with Keithwood and the others. The thought of leaving such afortable nest did not really do anything to encourage her from waking up early. Sion, on the other hand, did not get much sleep because he was worried about being attacked while asleep. But such thoughts did not even enter Mia¡¯s mind. After all, Mia does not really do a lot of thinking.


    Ignorance is not just a bliss, but also a great sedative. So, Mia was sleeping soundly. While asleep, she mumbled something about mushroom stew while making slurping noises. She enjoyed herself in what seemed to be a tasteful dream until a noise from the corridor shattered her fantasy.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ u? What is that? What¡¯s that noise? So loud.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. She stood up, feeling the soft sensation of thick carpet under her bare feet. Her shoes were at the entrance of the room, so she headed to the corridor. Sion just happened to be passing by in the ce.


    ¡°Oh, Sion. Just at the right time. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, actually ¡­, uh, Mia, you should change first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Mia tilted her head and blinked her eyes. When she looked down on her appearance, she nodded a little.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Currently, Mia is wearing a nightgown with plenty of wool, a nightcap that looks like a witch¡¯s hat, and her leather shoes. It is bad enough to be caught out in a nightwear, it is even worse to look like a fashion disaster.


    ¡°Anne will give me an earful if she sees me like this. I do have to change.¡±


    Mia returned to her room and quickly changed her clothes. Then, she headed to the mayor¡¯s room with Sion.


    ¡°This is not possible. How can they dispatch the army so quickly?!¡±


    As soon as they entered the room, they heard Lambert¡¯s voice.


    ¡°But the fact is they have sent a messenger earlier to ask our surrender.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Lambert¡¯s face turned to them. It was paler than usual.


    ¡°Actually, there was a report from ourrades that the royal government army is already deployed along the highway, and it is led by the second prince, Abel Remno.¡±


    ¡°My! Prince Abel!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Mia screamed with unbridled happiness that came from her heart.


    That¡¯s right, as most of you may have forgotten, Mia is still ¡°an innocent girl in love¡± in some parts. The rest of her is made up of parts that are definitely not maiden-like. Such as starting creepily at the body of a handsome boy and being cheeky with a couple of young delinquents.¡¡Anyway, Mia¡¯s inner maiden has awoken, and her heart is now pumping faster.


    <em>I¡¯m d I took a bath yesterday!</em>


    Mia was overjoyed, but such happiness was cut too short with Sion¡¯s response.


    ¡°If the royal family led their own troops, the purpose would be for morale boost.¡±


    Sion grimaced as he continued his observation. Sion muttered.


    ¡°The Diamond Legion is already in position, which means he is bring the king¡¯s orders as week as reinforcements. Prince Abel, is this the path you chose?¡±


    There was then a moment of silence. Then he spoke to Lambert.


    ¡°Tell me more about what the messenger said, and I also want to hear where the army is deployed.¡±


    ¡°No, but ¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are looking for help from our country, don¡¯t you think you should do what I say?¡±


    Lambert had a pensive look, but immediately nodded and gave instructions to his subordinate toply.


    Then Sion looked towards Mia.


    ¡°Mia, do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Eh ¡­? Oh no, but ¡­¡±


    She hesitated for a moment. After all, the ce we¡¯re heading to is a dangerous zone that could be a battlefield. She couldn¡¯t go to such a ce ¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go even if you don¡¯t go¡­ Well, it might be easier if you don¡¯te with me.¡±


    ¡°Hey? Why ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Things have changed. And there¡¯s a question I have for Abel that really needs an answer. Depending on his answer¡­¡±


    Sion lightly touches the handle of the sword on his waist and his eyes for a moment disyed bloodlust.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to put into practice what you said to me that night. I can¡¯t overlook the ughter of the people.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to kill Prince Abel ¡­?¡±


    Mia felt her voice quiver.


    ¡°I hope I won¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that¡­ Mia decided to harden her heart. Tenderness turned into resolve, and she made up her mind. It was going to be the hardest decision she had ever made, and it took every ounce of determination she possessed.


    Mia didn¡¯t want Abel to die.


    And Sion¡­ She didn¡¯t want him to die in such a way either. Though she had no idea what she could do, she could not bear the thought of being left behind while the two kill each other somewhere. At the very least, she wanted to be there.


    In a very rare urrence of such resolve, Mia took a deep breath, exhaled, and then put all her energy into her cowardly heart and dered!


    ¡°Prince Sion, I¡­ I sha¡­ cha! chall go with you!¡±


    She bit her tongue. It¡¯s a good example of not doing something that one is not used to.


    Nevertheless, she fixed her steady gaze on Sion. Sion was impressed by seemingly Mia¡¯s disy of determination.


    For her part at the moment, she was determined not to cry from the paining from biting her tongue.

 Chapter 126

    <strong>Reunion and Duel</strong>


    ¡°Have we heard anything from the rebels yet?¡±


    As the horses line up, a tall man who has been assigned as Abel¡¯s guard, raises a sharp voice. The man¡¯s name is Bernardo Vigil, who have a thick mustache and sharp eyes like a hawk. He is the head of Remno Kingdom¡¯s Immediate Response Army Unit.


    He is also known as Adamantine Spear, because of his prowess in battle and because of his choice of weapon. Unlike a normal spear made of wood with a metal tip, his spear was fashioned from a single steel rod. It was too heavy for a normal human to even carry, let alone wield. But the Adamantine Spear uses it with ease. And hence, the nickname.


    Unlike the Diamond Legion who was yet to prove their mettle in battle, the Adamantine spear was a veteran knight who has destroyed numerous bandits, won all battles with neighboring countries, and raised his martial arts each time.


    <em>Now I understand how this is supposed to work. The actualmanding will be done by Bernardo, and I¡¯m just here as a decoration and im credit for this campaign.</em>


    Abel came to this conclusion after observing the dynamics of what was happening.


    ¡°Prince, how do you want to proceed? I think we have given them more than enough time. Fortunately, Senia has low walls and the barricades built by the rebel are weak. It won¡¯t be difficult to break through.¡±


    Contrary to Abel¡¯s prediction, Bernardo properly asks Abel in every important decision. Despite the prevailing tendency to make light of the weak-willed Prince, the veteranmander always lent a willing ear to Abel¡¯s thoughts. It was a perfect disy of his respect to him and to the chain ofmand. But this also means that every decision weighed heavily on Abel because the decision to supress his own people would be by his own judgement andmand.


    ¡°A prince¡¯s duty, huh?¡±


    Abel quietly muttered. He then straightened his back and looked forward¡­


    ¡°It will be problematic if we let it be. To boost the morale of the soldiers, we should strike¡­¡±


    ¡°Report! There is a new report from the town.¡±


    A scout rushed into themanding camp. The tension built up.


    ¡°What? Did they send a messenger?¡±


    Bernardo¡¯s sharp question was answered by the young soldier with a confused look.


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ that¡¯s¡­ two children areing¡­ and they want a meeting with His Highness Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid. The rebels wanting to see Prince Abel in person? And they are just kids? Who do they think they are?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ they¡¯re not ordinary children. They im to be His Highness¡¯ schoolmates¡­¡±


    ¡°His schoolmates¡­? What on earth ¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse us.¡±


    A boy appeared, pushing away the messenger¡¯s exnation.


    The dignified behavior and the overwhelming atmosphere of a king opened the way through the soldiers as if they were under pressure.


    ¡°Sion Sol Sunnd, why are you here? No, wait¡­ does that mean¡­ that¡¯s no way¡­¡±


    Abel widened his eyes in astonishment. He saw her right behind Sion¡­


    ¡°Princess Mia ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Prince Abel. I missed you.¡±


    tinum-colored hair that shines like moonlight in the sunlight, beautiful eyes with deep intellectual brilliance, and shiny skin. That day, she was wearing the same beautiful sparkle as that party night dance. It was Mia Luna Tearmoon who appeared in front of Abel Remno.


    ¡°So do I. I missed you terribly. But how I wish I was the aim for your visit.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying there was another reason for me visiting you?¡±


    Mia tilts her head quizzically. But Abel knew her well that this was just an act. Of course, it may be that she came to see him. But it was just happenstance. She surely came to the end of this stupid battle. It didn¡¯t seem for Abel that Princess Mia, the Wisdom of the Empire, woulde all the way here just to see him.


    <em>Maybe Princess Mia won¡¯t take my side¡­ Still, I ¡­</em>


    Just for a split moment, Abel¡¯s determination wavered.


    ¡°Prince Sion, how about you? I assume you did note here just to see me like Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. At first, I was only going to escort Princess Mia¡­ but at this point, I can¡¯t standby doing nothing.¡±


    Sion lightly touches the handle of the sword on his waist.


    ¡°It was a little earlier than I expected. But it is time to fulfil the promise of rematch from the summer.¡±


    Abel was caught off-guard by the sudden deration. But he quickly collected himself¡­


    ¡°That means¡­ you¡¯re challenging me to a duel?¡±


    ¡°If you return to the royal capital without pulling out your sword, then we can wait until the winter swordsmanship tournament.¡±


    Abel tried to answer Sion. But Bernardo stepped forward.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen to him, Your Highness. To challenge the prince andmander of an army to a singlebat is absolutely stupi-¡­¡±


    ¡°Stand down, Bernardo. The crown prince of Sunnd has ced his life on the line for the justice he believes in. If I decline the challenge, it will affect the morale of the soldiers.¡±


    Abel dismisses Bernardo¡¯s advice. Then, he nced at Mia and smiled slightly.


    <em>And because I can¡¯t just back down in front of her.</em>


    Exhaling a little, Abel dered.


    ¡°So be it, Prince Sion. Let us duel.¡±

 Chapter 127

    <strong>The Promise That Hasn¡¯t Been Fulfilled</strong>


    <em>Heavenly moons, this is strange¡­</em>


    Mia tilted her head in confusion at the situation that was unfolding before her.


    <em>I mean¡­ I did say it after all. I said that I came here for him. ording to Elise¡¯s story, at times like these the next step should be something romantic¡­ a hug probably? Or at least a smile? and then everyone smiles as well, the atmosphere is lifted, and we all go home problem solved!?</em>


    That¡¯s why Mia was waiting with her arms wide open, expecting a hug from Prince Abel. For some reasons, iprehensible to her, the focus of the story has shifted to Abel and Sion instead of Mia.


    <em>Oh, this seems to have happened before. While we were eating our sandwiches at the swordsmanship tournament, these two went off with their own conversation and left me hanging¡­</em>


    ¡°Our roads are wide and t, so it should be good enough ce for a duel.¡±


    When Mia looked at them again, the two were already walking away.


    ¡°Prince Abel! Wait! A duel¡­ you can¡¯t!¡±


    Mia rushed to catch up but was stopped by Bernardo.


    ¡°Bernardo, I speciallymand you. Protect Her Imperial Highness Princess Mia. Make sure that no harmes to her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I need the princess to bear witness to the legitimacy of this duel. She is neutral,ing neither from Sunnd or Remno. If the King of Sunndins, she can testify for what happened.¡±


    ¡°No! Prince Abel! This is all wrong!¡±


    ¡°I was looking forward to seeing you again, Princess Mia. I only wished it happened under better circumstances. I wish¡­ we could have¡­¡±


    Abel shakes his head a little and smiles at her.


    ¡°Hahaha. All that resolve and determination, and now that this time has finally arrived, I¡¯m getting cold feet.¡±


    As if to cut off that feeling, Abel looks away from Mia.


    ¡°Prince Abel!¡±


    Mia¡¯s scream failed to move Abel. He did not look back. His eyes were now set firmly on the boy standing in front of him.


    ¡°Did Mia¡¯s words do not reach you?¡±


    ¡°No matter who it may be, they can¡¯t stop me now. You also know this, Prince Sion.¡±


    ¡°Abel Remno, do you choose to die for your rotting kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Rotten or not, a king is still needed. A world without order is hell. Chaos breeds suffering, and the people will be its kindling.¡±


    Without a king, order would copse. Bandits will swoop in. People will suffer more. Peace would end.


    ¡°If the throne is corrupted, it¡¯s my job to correct it, nor yours.¡±


    There was a tone of finality in Abel¡¯s voice. He said no more as he unsheathed his sword.


    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t overlook you trampling over your own people.¡±


    To that end, Sion was willing to do a military intervention to remove a corrupt regime. The views of Sion and Abel are irreconcble. Abel chose to side with order and loyalty to his kin and kingdom.


    ¡°If you are to partake in oppressing the people, then you shall fall before my sword, Abel Remno.¡±


    Sion pulled out his sword, ring at Abel with a sharp look.


    Just like in the swordsmanship tournament, Abel lifted his sword high above his head. It is his trademark aggressive stance. Sion, on the other hand, hangs his arms loosely and is ready to parry and counter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that it will be the same as thest time. You won¡¯t catch me off-guard again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to. You know well that this is the only attack that I am confident about.¡±


    The next moment there was a burst of movement¡­ and it came from Sion. He dashed forward in a surprise attack! Keeping his body low to the ground, he dashed forward into striking distance.


    Knowing Sion¡¯s uses a counter-attack style, Abel was caught unprepared with this sudden attack. He reflexively stepped back, which gave Sion the opening he needed to attack.


    Sion¡¯s advantage, however, was short-lived. Eventhough Abel¡¯s bnce was impaired, and his feet were not firmly nted, he brought down his sword while stepping back. It was at such a speed and force that Sion had to stop his own attack midway and try to defend himself.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    The heaviness of the blow far exceeded Sion¡¯s expectation, and he raised his sword just in time to receive Abel¡¯s downward strike. The two weapons collide with such a force that Sion also had to step back.


    ¡°Such power eventhough you are not in a perfect stance. I can just imagine how much heavier your strike could be if you were in a good position.¡±


    Sion remarked as he continued to back off.


    ¡°I see ¡­ I wasn¡¯t the only one who was training for the rematch.¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not a genius like you. And since I am trying to surpass a genius, I needed to go the extra mile.¡±


    Abel, who has regained his stance,unches an attack this time.


    ¡°I admire your effort. But victory against me won¡¯t be so easy.¡±


    From a powerful step, Sion tilts his sword and parries it. Sparks flew over the des. Abel¡¯s force was too heavy that Sion¡¯s parry couldn¡¯t catch up. A bloody gash appeared on Sion¡¯s arm.


    Yet it did not faze him.


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    Immediately after, Sion started his attacks. Sion did not use his signature riposte before. But this has all changed as his sword hit Abel¡¯s side with precision. It cut through Abel¡¯s side¡­ But Abel took it without wincing. Instead, Abel roared and drove his shoulder into Sion.


    ¡°Haaaa!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Ku. So this is your n against me? You n to close the gap instead of stepping away? I must say, I am impressed, Abel Remno.¡±


    ¡°Well, I must also say that you are no pushover yourself, Sion. One wrong move and I am a dead man. I am wearing a chainmail and you were still able to cut through it easily.¡±


    Abel said with augh while patting on his bloody side.


    Firstly, I hate tranting action scenes. They are hard¡­ But oh well. Have to deal with it.


    Secondly, What is your opinion of the title of the Webnovel? Do you think it could be better?

 Chapter 128

    <strong>A Response to Her Voice</strong>


    Every time two people cross their swords, fresh sparks and fresh blood would scatter. Each of Abel¡¯s attack were answered with a parry and riposte by Sion. But not without Sion receiving also damage by the heaviness of Abel¡¯s swings. Sion¡¯s movement were graceful and flowing. His sword attacks were like a dance. The soldiers watching all held their breaths as they admired the beauty of their motion and also the flurry of blood flowing.


    There is only one weapon that Abel has in confronting Sion¡¯s overwhelming sword techniques¡­ that is his determination. He refuses to give up. It is normal to hesitate when staring down at a de, but Abel ovees this hesitation. By swallowing his fears, he steps forward every time their des met. By stepping in instead of stepping away, Abel minimized the lethality of Sion¡¯s attacks. Together with his armor, he was wounded but not fatally.


    ¡°To be able to stand against me this long¡­ you are really somebody I can¡¯t underestimate.¡±


    ¡°Hah. I¡¯m d to I did not let you down.¡±


    Abel smiles but it was a strained one. Abel felt that Sion¡¯s shes are bing more and more powerful. For a genius like Sion, adjusting his sword attacks while fighting is probably like a child¡¯s y.


    <em>I don¡¯t think I canst any longer. The next one is probably thest one.</em>


    Abel sighs. Then he kneels in one knee out of pain. He changed his gaze slightly and noticed Mia


    <em>That¡¯s right¡­ I can¡¯t give up yet.</em>


    Taking a deep breath, Abel stands up again.


    ¡°Get ready, Prince Sion. It¡¯s time to end this!¡±


    Abel gripped his sword and willed all of his strength into this one final strike.


    ¡°Please stop! Both of you will really die!¡±


    Seeing the two of them, Mia raised her desperate plea again. Tears running down her face without her even knowing or caring. To her horror, her voice doesn¡¯t seem to reach anybody. Their weapons were drawn, and she could feel that this will be thest strike.


    <em>Ahh¡­ In the end, my words don¡¯t reach them or anybody after all ¡­</em>


    She remembers the previous timeline. She travelled with Ludwig through the empire. She pleaded again and again with them, speaking as the Princess of the Empire. But her words were lost in a sea of anger and hatred. Ultimately her efforts proved useless. She failed to win the trust of her people.


    <em>It¡¯s the same as that time.</em>


    Mia was filled with despair as she stared at the two people who were about to sh each other. If she thinks about it, it may be inevitable. Faced with people who have already drawn their swords and determined to fight, words are powerless.


    That¡¯s why Mia¡¯s words¡­ don¡¯t reach anyone.


    ¡­or did they?


    Does Mia¡¯s voice really not reach anyone? Absolutely not! Eventhough her words don¡¯t reach the duelling princes, the bonds she had forged would carry her voice. And who was listening to her voice? Her faithful retainers, of course.


    ¡°Now, aren¡¯t you two just a bunch of troubles.¡±


    Something flew past Mia in a blur. In its wake, the tears that ran down Mia¡¯s cheek fluttered in the air, shining brightly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two terrible for making my little Princess cry?¡±


    That something that flew past was a someone. And he did not stop until he was in the center of the duel. Abel swung his sword down and Sion swept his up. There was a loud ng ¨C actually two ngs. Then both of the princes¡¯ swords were flying in the air.


    The princes then froze when the man who disarmed them pointed a sword to them. One sword for each prince¡¯s chest.


    Dion Alia, a sword in each hand, then smiled.


    ¡°My princess is a crybaby, you know. So, I would appreciate it if you don¡¯t give her a reason to cry.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    The sudden appearance of an ally brought a wave of relief to Mia. She did not realize how tense and nervous she was. Now it was all released, and she can feel her body weaken.


    Mia¡¯s knees started trembling and she fell back. But she did not fall into the hard ground, instead something soft and tender hugged her.


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­!¡±


    It was a nostalgic voice. Mia spun around to see a familiar face.


    ¡°Oh, Anne¡­¡±


    Her first and most loyal vassal held her in her arms with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Anne, Anne¡­¡±


    Mia hugged Anne and buried her face in her chest sobbing.


    ¡°Knave! You dare point your weapon at His Highness Prince Abel? Lower it at once!¡±


    It was the man who had been entrusted with guarding Mia, Bernardo the Adamantine Spear. And he was ring down at Dion.


    ¡°It¡¯s unthinkable to intrude upon a sacred duel between royalties.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I guess you¡¯re right. Must have been hard on you resisting to help your beloved prince. And then I just selfishlye and join in the fun. Annoying, isn¡¯t it? But then again, my allegiance is not sworn to any of these princes. ¡±


    ¡°Shut up! That rudeness is worthy of death! Consider your life forfeit!¡±


    Immediately after, Bernardo started running towards Dion. Dion just smiled. Then he stabbed to the ground the sword in his left hand. He then switched his right-hand sword into a two handed one. He watched his approaching foe with a delightful grin.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Merry Christmas!


    Have a nice Christmas, everyone.

 Chapter 129

    <strong>Empire¡¯s Strongest VS Adamantine Spear</strong>


    Adamantine Spear: the name given to Bernardo and to his weapon. The spear he wielded was cast of pure steel. A normal soldier could barely lift the weapon, but Bernardo uses it with ease. With this weapon, he charged forward.


    ¡°For your insolence, you shall die by my spear!¡±


    Like a one-man cavalry, Bernardo thundered towards Dion with such force like a tornado.


    <em>sh!</em>


    <em>Guin!</em>


    A metallic sound reverberated through the air. The next instant, the ovepping forms of Dion and Bernardo parted again. Bernardo came to a stop behind Dion. There was a momentary silence which was disturbed by Dion.


    ¡°I see. A deadly thrust indeed. It¡¯s definitelymendable, but I do have to ask though¡­¡±


    Dion turned to face Bernardo with a smile and pointed his sword at him.


    ¡°How are you going to stab me with the spear that lost its tip? Are you going to beat me with just a stick?¡±


    Immediately afterwards, a beautifully cut tip fell from the sky, making a whistling noise. The soldiers nearby gathered to look at the scene. A cut spear tip ismon in the battlefield. However, Bernardo¡¯s spear was made of pure steel. The fact that the tip was cut means¡­


    ¡°Cutting through steel. An impressive feat. It seems I have apetent foe.¡±


    Bernardo turned as well and examined the clean-cut section of his once spear. In that moment of shing, Dion¡¯s swung his sword at such a high-speed that it turned the spear into merely a stick.


    ¡°Well, you need to put on a show when there¡¯s audience, right? Especially if one of them is your royal mistress. So, what are you going to do now with that¡­ uhmm¡­ stick?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. You think I¡¯m giving up? I¡¯m going to beat you to death with it.¡±


    Bernardo smiles as he twirls his steel rod. Eventhough it is no longer a spear; it is still a heavy steel rod that can easily smash in the skulls or break the bones of opponents. He wasn¡¯t one bit perturbed by what happened to his weapon.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a gag! I¡¯m starting to like you. d to know that there¡¯s crazy people in Remno like you. Mind if you ask the name?¡±


    ¡°Bernard Virgil. Second Knights, Leader.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the famed Adamantine Spear. I see, you certainly live up to your name. Remno¡¯s got great fighters in their service, huh? ¡±


    ¡°Let me hear your name as well, Knight of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Dion ia. I don¡¯t mean to brag but I consider myself the strongest knight in the empire. Well, now that I mention it, I guess I do mean to brag.¡±


    Bernardoughed at Dion¡¯s quip.


    ¡°Hmm, if you really are the strongest, then Tearmoon is not a big threat. ¡±


    ¡°¡­Big words Adamantine Spear. Be sure that you can back them up or you¡¯ll regret having a loose mouth.¡±


    Dion pulls out his sword that was stabbed on the ground. He dual-wields again.


    ¡°Charge, pierce, and breach: these are the three ts of a spearman. Regret is not one of them.¡±


    Bernardo poised with his headless spear. Immediately after, the tension sparked again. The surrounding onlookers held their breath for the uing continuation of the fight.


    But then¡­ A sharp but dignified voice boomed through the silent tension.


    ¡°Enough! Both of you, stop! Everyone, you are in the presence of Princess Mia, sheath your weapons!¡±


    It was Ludwig, who seemed to suddenly appear beside Mia. Dion nced at him and sighed, then stabbed his swords into the ground. Then Ludwig nced at Bernardo.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± on the other hand, lifted his stance with a bitter face.


    There were two reasons why he charged. One is, of course, to ovee the situation where a strange man is pointing a sword at his prince. The second and more important reason was to takemand of the situation ¨C to have the power. Unfortunately, with his weapon now lowered, he was no longer the center of attention. All the eyes are now focused on the figure who is upying the center stage, Princess Mia. The ball is now in her court, she now holds the attention and the control of everyone around¡­


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    ¡­which seems to be thest thing she expected. She wasn¡¯t the only royalty around after all. There is Prince Abel who, although second in line, is the prince of thatnd. There is Prince Sion, who holds the same rank as Mia. Nothing about her should have stood out.


    However, Dion overwhelmed Bernardo, the kingdom¡¯s pride. Then Dion obediently lowered his sword uponmanded. This is an undeniable proof of her authority. Through Ludwig¡¯s ingenious disy of social maniption, he was able to put Mia on top of the hierarchy of power among those around.


    With a mixture of pride and anticipation, Ludwig is convinced that he has set the stage for his master. So, he passed the baton to her¡­


    ¡­. She really did not want to be passed the baton. Her legs are still shaky. Her face is a mess from crying¡­


    <em>Eh? Eeehh? Why is everyone looking at me?</em>


    Being the focus of the gaze of the soldiers and everyone, Mia¡¯s chicken heart quivered and squawked with terror. She wanted to hide¡­ no, she wanted to run away.


    So, she turned to her most reliable loyal retainer. With a pleading look, she turned to Anne for help. Anne promptly nodded, wiped away her tears, cleaned her face, touched her hair, and nodded again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mia-sama. We¡¯re right behind you.¡±


    Mia then realized that her fate is sealed.


    <em>Ah, I see¡­ There is no escape for me.</em>


    With no other choice, she resolved herself and turned to the soldiers. In addition to just having taken a bathst night, her eyes glistened from tears earlier. This gave Mia an aura of ethereal beauty.


    Later, when Elise published ¡°The Biography of Princess Mia,¡± she recounted the testimony of the soldiers who were present that day. The passage read as follows:


    ¡°When she appeared, it was as if the moon goddess hadnded on the battlefield.¡± (Note: Ellis¡¯s trantion)

 Chapter 130

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Legendary Speech</strong>


    For those of you who might have already started forgetting, Mia, was in fact, born and raised as a princess. Therefore, she was quite used at speaking in front of a lot of people. In the previous timeline, she usually went with Ludwig to make speeches in front of people who ridicule and insult her. But still¡­


    <em>Well, I¡¯m a little scared!</em>


    Mia was a little nervous that everyone¡¯s gazes were at her. This is quite normal when fully armed young men have calmed down and are all eager to listen to Mia¡¯s words.


    <em>I wish they could make at least some noise. It¡¯s so quiet that I can hear a pin drop.</em>


    With this, she knew she can¡¯t make any mistakes because they would surely notice. Messing up would be so embarrassing, but she¡¯s a royal. She¡¯s quite proud of herself when ites to making speeches.


    ¡°Everyone, please listen to my words. I¡¯m Mia Lou nya ack!¡±


    She bit her tongue in the most spectacr way. And to think she was just at the start of introducing herself. It was rather painful as it was in the same spot that she bit thest time.


    As for the soldiers watching her¡­ they werepletely caught off guard. The tension on their faces vanished at once. Few bursted outughing. The rest gave Mia good-natured smiles


    On the other hand, Ludwig was stunned. He was awed by Mia¡¯s performance. It only took his mistress an introduction to grab the hearts of every soldier present.


    ¡°No way¡­ even that was intentional?¡±


    He quietly whispered while totally being off the mark of what happened.


    Mia, however, was totally aware of her blunder. She was shaking from embarrassment. She shambled back to Anne and buried her face in her shirt.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to do this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, Mia-sama, please do your best!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve never been humiliated like this!¡±


    Mia channelled all her embarrassment into anger. It wasn¡¯t like she was angry with anyone. It was all her fault, after all. But her emotional outburst gave her time to recollect herself. So, she attempted her speech again.


    She easily regained the whole attention of everyone. She was about to start talking when she noticed something¡­


    <em>Huh? Now I just realized¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. I have no speech!</em>


    Needless to say, Mia had no ns to stop the Remno Army. In the first ce, Mia came here only to meet Abel. Now that she has achieved her goal, she never thought what she should do from this point onward.


    <em>What should I do ¡­?</em>


    Mia smiles with superb ear to ear smile to hide her inner turmoil. It is a strategy to smile and deceive.¡¡With that smile, the enthusiasm and expectations of the soldiers increased. The power of the skin gloss that was regained in the bath the day before cannot be underestimated!


    However, there are limits to simply smiling as well.


    <em>I can¡¯t keep smiling. I need to say something!</em>


    There are some kinds of people who can¡¯t stand silence and so they tend to babble to fill it in. Mia was one of those people. She can¡¯t stand the silence and felt that she has to say something. And so, she spoke out the first thing that came into her head.


    ¡°I wish all you gentlemen from Remno would return to the capital without drawing your swords.¡±


    It was blunt. But honest¡­


    ¡°Go back home? And do nothing? You want us to just leave the rebels alone? That¡¯s absolutely ridiculous!¡±


    It was quite obvious that Mia¡¯s words would be met with rejection. Bernardo¡¯s objection came hard and quick. His tone and his re seem to be saying: What is this little girl even saying?! It made Mia flinch.


    <em>Eeek! This guy is scary. He seems to have the same smell as Captain Dion!</em>


    Bernardo¡¯s re finally set Mia¡¯s brain into motion. It may have taken awhile to work but at least it¡¯s working now. Betterte than never. With her brain working again, she concluded that there is only one way of getting out of this predicament!


    ¡°Ridiculous? Well, the only thing ridiculous I see here are you guys fighting each other.¡±


    It was good. What she was saying in essence was that: ¡°This is a gathering ofmoner militia. Honorable knights as yourself should not lower yourself and brawl with them.¡±


    But her words made some soldiers angry. From their perspective, it felt like they were putting their lives on the line to fight and peace and order, only to have their courage belittled. Also, some soldiers were confused. It would have been understandable if she said that their actions are cruel. As ughtering civilians is definitely one. She could have argued from an ethical perspective and me the soldiers as immoral.


    But she neither said cruel nor immoral. Instead, she chose to throw Bernardo¡¯s words back. She said ridiculous. Why?


    Most of the soldiers were confused with her strange choice of words. At this point in time, rumors of Mia being the Wisdom of the Empire has already reached Remno. The soldiers, especially, know that it was because of Mia that their once weak young prince grew up into a dependable lord. Slowly, the crowd began to doubt their mission.


    ¡°If the wisdom of that empire is ridiculous, then maybe this battle is really ridiculous.¡±


    Faced with serious doubts, they waited even more enthusiastically for Mia¡¯s next words.


    <em>Eh? I can¡¯t believe mypliments are not working on these people! </em>


    Mia had never been good at ttery, so most people don¡¯t understand it. But Mia was able to pick up changing emotions in the soldiers¡¯ looks. Some were curious, some were angry. She felt a cold sweat running down her back as she might be in a dangerous position. A voice then rang out from the side.


    ¡°That was an interesting choice of words, Mia. I believe this isn¡¯t the first time you have used such perturbingnguage. I remember you saying the other day that ¡®something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡¯ That something is strange.¡±


    It was Sion was now bandaged. He gave her a thoughtful look with his arms folded.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    Mia jumped on it. She had no idea what ¡°it¡± was, but she was going to jump on it anyway. Anything that could change the topic.


    ¡°Yes, yeah, you¡¯re right. I did say that something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    Mia¡¯s famous speech, which struck the fate of the people, seemed to veer off course. Luckily, it will actuallynd at the right point.

 Chapter 131

    <strong>News from a ck Crow</strong>


    Mia was finally able to grasp what was it that she felt was unnatural. It had been nagging on the back of her mind like a mist. Now that mist has solidified into something that she can speak out.


    Mia was right that something doesn¡¯t add up. The situation in Remno was indeed strange. It was an unconscious insight that she had from her previous life when Tearmoon was headed for revolution.


    Eventhough the situation that Remno is currently in is different from the situation with the previous Tearmoon Empire, the motivating factors and the flow are very simr.


    This time, Chancellor Dasayev Donovan seems to be the Outcount Rudolvon of the previous timelines. In both cases, the noble who is on the side of the people has been persecuted. And in both cases, it is the Kingdom of Sunnd that saves the oppressed people.


    In two ces where the conditions arepletely different¡­ how can there be such a coincidence?


    <em>No way. It¡¯s definitely not possible.</em>


    It¡¯s as if someone is trying to make the Kingdom of Sunnd the executor of justice. Was this the wish of God or a maniption of the devil?


    ¡°It¡¯s like we are caught in a devious, and cunning scheme.¡±


    Then she realised a problem.


    <em>Just a second¡­ how will I be able to exin this?</em>


    Indeed, she will have a hard time exining these things as her reasoning presupposes the knowledge of Mia¡¯s previous life.


    <em>What should I do!??</em>


    When Mia was about to descend into panic, a voice rescued her. Surprisingly, it was¡­


    ¡°A cunning plot¡­ I see. Your Highness are you suggesting that this rebellion is the product of a conspiracy? That there are people who are interested in dividing our kingdom? That we are ridiculous enough to be ying into their hands by killing our own countrymen? So, this is what you meant when you said that it is ridiculous?¡±


    It was Bernardo who voiced out. Gone from his eyes is the menacing look, and it is now reced by and intrigued attention at Mia.


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡± (Mia)


    ¡°As expected, Princess Mia. You noticed a conspiracy so quickly. As expected of the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°As expected of you, Mia-sama!¡±


    Ludwig and Anne, her two loyal retainers scream in admiration for Mia. Only Dion, who was watching the situation with his arms folded, was unmoved.


    ¡°Does that mean that Prince Sion? Is that the reason why you risked your life in a duel to stop Prince Abel?¡±


    Bernardo asked while turning his gaze toward Sion. Sion slowly shakes his head,


    ¡°No, I am¡­¡±


    Two dainty hands suddenly appeared in front of Sion¡¯s mouth. Effectively stopping him frompleting what he was about to say. It was Mia blocking Sion¡¯s words.


    <em>What in the heavenly moons are you doing?! There¡¯s a time for honesty, and there¡¯s a time not to be stupid! Why would you say no when things are finally going well, and everyone is ready to move on!</em>


    Sion¡¯s reason for fighting Abel was because of the difference in principles. Pretending it was because he wants to stop a conspiracy would be disrespectful to his opponent, Abel. But Mia could not care less about being disrespectful or whatnot right now. Keeping Sion firmly muffled, her mind worked overtime extra quickly to find a logic to shut him up. This was going to be the fastest ever that Mia¡¯s brain worked.


    ¡°Yeah, if we want to be urate, you¡¯re half right.¡±


    ¡°Half right?¡±


    Bernardo looked suspiciously at Mia. Sion also looked suspiciously at her. Mia whispered to Sion.


    ¡°You came to protect me, so if my purpose is to solve that devious conspiracy, then you were able to do your primary task. Half-right. Right?¡±


    Mia¡¯s re and tone clearly suggest that she would not take a no for an answer.


    ¡°Well, I suppose you could say that¡­¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Then that¡¯s everything settled!¡±


    Mia dered in a triumphant tone before turning around to see the soldiers still confused.


    <em>What¡¯s this? Did my message not get through?</em>


    She was relieved that nobody voiced aint. But then¡­


    ¡°However¡­¡­¡±


    In a heavy tone, Bernardo said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Your Highness, that is not a reason enough for us to return. I would like to ask you the grounds for what you said¡­ Even if you will be able to present a concrete proof that this conspiracy, we still have our orders to disband the reel army and restore order in the town here.¡±


    <em>Oh, after all¡­ I should have guessed it won¡¯t be easy.</em>


    Mia dropped her shoulders as Bernardo continued¡­


    ¡°I suppose it is the same for the rebels. They surely won¡¯t lower their weapons once they know that the government is not willing to lower the tax.¡±


    His words brought Mia back to life.


    ¡°My, I do believe you are mistaken. The rebels are only demanding the release of Chancellor Dasayev Donovan.¡±


    Mia then proceeded to recount what Lynsha told her. The reaction was dramatic.


    ¡°Your Highness, Prince Abel, have you heard from His Majesty that Count Donovan was captured and is in prison?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ He never said anything about that. In fact, this is the first time I have heard of such a thing.¡±


    Abel, who just came back after his wounds were treated, was shocked at what he just heard. Mia gave him a quick inspecting look and breathed a sigh of relief to see no major injuries.


    ¡°I see¡­ I suppose it would be wise to listen to Her Highness¡¯ words on this matter. If we are able to rescue Chancellor Donovan, then we might be able to peacefully disband the rebels. But at the moment, we don¡¯t know where he is held.¡±


    Upon hearing Bernardo¡¯s words, Dion agrees.


    ¡°Yes, I was also thinking the same thing. Princess Mia, being very wise, would surely already know where he is held. The only question is, will we find a man or a corpse?¡±


    Chancellor Dasayev Donovan was not a hostage. He was a fuse. An instrument for inciting the masses to revolt. And once his purpose is done, there is no reason to keep him alive. In fact, Count Rudolvon, who triggered the Imperial Revolution, was murdered. Dion¡¯s question was obvious to everyone given the current situation.


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    Well obvious to almost everyone. Mia, who was no longer in control of the situation, was lost in the dust at what everyone was talking about.


    ¡°Eh? Oh, that¡¯s that ¡­¡±


    But¡­ help came from a surprising direction again.


    ¡°If you will allow me to answer that question.¡±


    Hearing a familiar voice, Mia turned around to see Keithwood with a troubled smile. And on his shoulder was a bird with beautiful ck feathers.


    ¡°Keithwood, you are safe! And what¡¯s with the crow?¡± (Sion)


    Keithwood shrugged at Sion¡¯s question.


    ¡°I bear news. Good news, in fact¡­ well, maybe not for us.¡±


    The seeds sown by Mia bloomed beautifully in a distant foreignnd. As they grew, they lifted the heart of a certain ck bird. The bird then returned the favor. He carried young saplings filled with Monica¡¯s message of hope back to the only one who could stop this tragedy ¨C the Wisdom of the Empire.


    Now the time for those seeds to bloom are near.

 Chapter 132

    <strong>Princess Mia, the Mature and Composed Adult!</strong>


    ¡°I would like to report to Prince Sion first, if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    After seeing Keithwood and Sion leave, Mia walked towards Abel. For the time being, she figured that they have a bit of free time before anything happens.


    ¡°Prince Abel, how are your injuries?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was saved by your vassal. Thank you very much. If it continued as it was, I would have been killed. It seems my training wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    While Abel was speaking, Mia noticed something.


    <em>Somehow, Prince Abel seems to be in even better shape than before.</em>


    Thest time that they had met was before summer holidays. Compared to that time, Abel seems to be a little taller, more muscr, and has a more dignified aura. Mia couldn¡¯t help but breath out a sigh as she stared at Abel¡¯s body.


    ¡°Hmm? Princess Mia, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Perhaps he noticed Mia¡¯s gaze, Abel tilted his head in wonder. Mia hurriedly looks away from him.


    ¡°No-none. There is nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°But your face seems red¡­ Did you push yourself too hard toe this far?¡±


    ¡°My. How considerate. But aren¡¯t you the one who has been pushing yourself¡­ oh!¡±


    Mia remembered then.


    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t know! You¡¯re terrible! I¡¯m not falling for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong? Princess Mia, what did I do?¡±


    Mia tells Abel angrily¡­


    ¡°You were ignoring me earlier and doing something dangerous. Prince Abel! I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t even spare a thought about how I felt.¡±


    Then she turned her face away with her arms crossed. Her expression was even crosser.


    ¡°And not just that. There¡¯s also Sion. I can¡¯t believe him! He actually tried to hurt you! The two of you¡­ I swear¡­ ¡±


    Abel first watched Mia with fondness upon seeing her angry. Then he made a bitter smile.


    ¡°So if it is me, it is Prince Abel. But if it¡¯s Prince Sion, it is just Sion, huh? ¡±


    He muttered in a small voice.


    For a moment, Mia didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Then she understood¡­


    <em>Oh my! Is this jealousy? Prince Abel is jealous? Is he jealous that I call Sion without honorifics?</em>


    Mia was able to urately identify Abel¡¯s hidden feelings. Mia¡¯s intuition had always been very sharp in situations when it wasn¡¯t needed.


    Then¡­ a grin slowly spread on her lips.


    <em>To make a big deal of how we call each other¡­ Oh, how cute¡­ he is such a child.</em>


    Mia has conveniently forgotten that she was also perturbed and embarrassed when she first dropped the ¡®Prince¡¯ from Sion.


    ¡°This is to hide our identities. It doesn¡¯t have any deeper meaning. You understand we are currently undercover, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see, that was the case¡­ I¡¯m d!¡±


    The sight of a relieved Abel filled Mia with delight. She was practically glowing with delight. Her anger from just before were all but forgotten already. Mia¡¯s memory has always been quite selective.


    <em>Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I suppose I will also drop the ¡°prince¡± for you. In fact, it should be quite normal for me, an adult, to call you just ¡°Abel¡±.</em>


    So with the full confidence of an adult, full of maturity andposure, she calls out to the young prince.


    ¡°Ah¡­, uh, that¡­ ah, ah, Abel¡­¡±


    Indeed, with maturity andposure¡­


    She quietly added ¡°prince.¡± Fortunately, the person who was listening didn¡¯t seem to hear it. Abel looked at Mia with a surprised look.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I won¡¯t mind if¡­ if you call me¡­ Mia ¨C just Mia. And then¡­ I¡¯ll also call you¡­ A¡­ A¡­ Abel.¡±¡±


    Mia said stammering with the full maturity andposure of an adult. Abel¡¯s face beamed.


    ¡°Is it really okay? It¡¯s a great honor!¡±


    A child-like pure, open-minded, dazzling smile from the bottom of his heart appeared on Abel¡¯s face. This is totally opposite of the manly and regal Abel from just now. This gap-moe made Mia¡¯s heart to beat uncontrobly. She noticed her cheeks bing warmer and she started to feel hot. The mature andposed adult is totally gone.


    ¡°Ah, uh, then ¡­, that, see, then Mia ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes?!¡±


    Hearing her name being called like that, Mia straightened up involuntarily. Her heavy breathing made it hard for her to reply.


    ¡°Yes, A-A- Abel¡­¡±


    Just calling Abel¡¯s name made this mature andposed adult to turn red with embarrassment that she hid her face by facing down. For the next few moments, these two lovebirds were shamelessly flirting without seemingly a care in the world or the situation they were in.


    Eventually, the Sunnd pair, Sion and Keithwood, finished their discussion and returned to their group. Sion¡¯s face was pale and Keithwood¡¯s face was sternly serious.


    ¡°Prince Abel, Mia, there is something I need to tell you.¡±


    Sion¡¯s voice was stiff and every word he uttered seemed to be difficult to say out.

 Chapter 133

    <strong>Walking Forward On the Way the Great Wisdom of the Empire Has Prepared for Them</strong>


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Sion? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±


    <em>Though the ghost probably looked worse after seeing you.</em>


    In a rare disy of tact, Mia stopped herself from saying that second part. She noticed that Sion¡¯s face was so pale it seemed lifeless.


    ¡°What is wrong Sion?¡±


    Without answering Mia¡¯s question, Sion approached Abel, knelt on the ground, pressed his hands on the ground, and prostrated himself before the other prince.


    ¡°Eeek!?¡±


    Mia gasped at Sion¡¯s unexpected behavior. Then she hurriedly looks to the sky to check if pigs had started flying. She didn¡¯t want to start aedy act, but Sion Sol Sunnd has unabashedly done a dogeza. Such a scene is rarely, if not, never seen. Mia felt triumphant seeing him like this. Or she would be if she wasn¡¯t creeped out.


    <em>This is ominous. I hope this guy is not bringing any bad news with his dogeza.</em>


    Anybody watching the scene would think that Mia¡¯s thoughts were rude. Luckily, nobody can read her thoughts. Mia silently watched the whole scene unfold. Abel spoke up.


    ¡°Stabbing swordsellers¡­ Prince Sion, what is the meaning of this? Can you at least raise your face for the time being?¡±


    Abel was also surprised. He knelt down beside Sion. But Sion didn¡¯t even try to raise his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Abel ¡­ I have to apologize.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Keithwood, who was next to Sion, answers Abel with a serious look.


    ¡°It seems that a part of Sunnd¡¯s intelligence unit, Wind Crows, went rogue and are actually the true masterminds behind this whole situation.¡±


    After hearing Keithwood speak, Mia¡¯s mouth went wide open. It is very unprincess-like behaviour but looking stupid is the least of her concerns at the moment.


    <em>Heavenly moons! What?</em>


    She was thoroughly confused and could not make sense of what was being said.


    <em>I suppose that¡¯s true. It was Sunnd that benefited from the revolts in both Remno and Tearmoon. It should not be surprising that Sunnd was behind both of them at all.</em>


    Mia closed her eyes. Suddenly, she was staring at the guillotine again with the setting sun giving everything a bloody glow. She remembered the noise of the crowd, the scent of the wood, and the fear of her impending death. Except this time, the roles are reversed. The heroes were viins; the convict was the judge. The chain of events that had led to this horrific moment was all Sunnd¡¯s doing. Sunnd prepared the road to the guillotine and then sentenced her to walk on that road to her death.


    Mia shook her head, and the moment passed. When she opened her eyes again, there was no bleeding sun and no guillotine. There was only Sion still in dogeza. She watched him for a long time and came to an understanding.


    <em>Oh, this is for me as well, isn¡¯t it? I have also been owed an apology.</em>


    Maybe it was karma, or fate, or revenge even. Whatever it was, it offered closure. Justice was served; vengeance concluded. It was a pleasant sight for her¡­ but¡­


    <em>This sight¡­ it does not feel too good to look upon.</em>


    There was an indescribable bitterness in Mia¡¯s heart. She knew that this bitterness would not subside even if she cut off Sion¡¯s head with a de of condemnation.


    Mia didn¡¯t really find it strange. They had gone to school together and travelled together. To derive pleasure from watching the condemnation of someone with whom so much had been shared would make her the most disgusting person.


    <em>Sion is stubborn. He seems to be tied up to his ways. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to follow his philosophy.</em>


    If Mia didn¡¯t like something, then she didn¡¯t like it. She was straightforward, like that. Mia First applies not only to interests but also to emotions.


    <em>But what is Prince Abel going to do ¡­?</em>


    Her concern now was Prince Abel who was the right to condemn Sion. Those who held power bore responsibility. It was their duty to bring criminals to justice. To seek penalty for that which has been done: this would be the approach that Sion always employed. Only this time, it will be him who is guilty.


    Strictly speaking, it was not Sion himself who sabotaged Remno Kingdom. The one responsible would be Sunnd, therefore its king. Sion would not want to settle for such an arrangement. It was against everything he was brought up and taught with. In his eyes, he was not sinless.


    Mia swallowed. Her lips became dry from watching. Abel, still kneeling, moved closer to Sion.


    ¡°Raise your face, Prince Sion. Such conduct wouldn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­However¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to bow your head if it makes you feel better, but ¡­ If dare I say¡­ if you want to take responsibility as a royalty, then you should do so in a manner befitting a royalty, right?¡±


    ¡°A manner befitting royalty¡­¡±


    ¡°As royalties, our duty is to reign the people in peace and happiness. I thought war was the only way to end this conflict. But¡­ someone showed me that I was wrong. There was another way to end this ¡°ridiculous¡± battle.¡±


    Then Abel looked at Mia and his expression softened.


    ¡°Someone has illuminated the way we should go. Then all we have to do is to walk that way. Am I not right?¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s right. It is as you say.¡±


    Sion exhaled a little and then stood up up.


    ¡°Even if I bow my head and beg forgiveness¡­ even if I want to be judged, it¡¯s just self-satisfaction of my guilty conscience wanting to be absolved.¡±


    ¡°We have been saved, both I and you. We have been given the chance to be the proper rulers who rule above our people. I think that we should approach this opportunity with gratitude andmitment.¡±


    ¡°Commitment¡­ to walk this path that was illuminated by the Great Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Then, they both turned their eyes toward Mia. Mia walked up to them with a very satisfied smile.


    Mia, Anne, Ludwig (people from Tearmoon Empire) = have the habit of referencing to the moon (e.g. heavenly moons)


    Sion, Keithwood (people from Sunnd) = references to the sun


    Abel, Lynsha (people from Remno) = references to the sword

 Chapter 134

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s High Kick!</strong>


    Mia was watching the interaction between Abel and Sion from a distance. It seems that Abel has forgiven Sion.


    <em>I¡¯m d it all turned out well. As expected of Abel.</em>


    She was a little happy that Abel made the same decision as her.


    <em>Even so, it seems that Sion won¡¯t be going around with walking around with his nose in the air for the time being.</em>


    Mia walked up to Sion, feeling smug.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you have been forgiven.¡±


    ¡°Yes. All thanks to you, Mia¡±


    Sion turns his face to Mia and gently bows. Next to that, Abel shrugged her shoulders with a smile.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I can¡¯t say my father is totally innocent. I can¡¯t just me Sunnd.¡±


    Mia knew how true Abel¡¯s words were. He cannot impose all responsibility with the one who hatched the plot. In her previous timeline, Tearmoon empire was certainly rotten. Its reckoning was inevitable. That¡¯s why she¡¯d put her grievances aside except for one thing¡­


    ¡°Sion, you finally know the taste of failure.¡±


    At Mia¡¯s words, Sion was taken aback.


    ¡°You may not know this since you are always so perfect, but humans fail. No one can live perfectly. That¡¯s why we forgive, so that we may give them the opportunity to start over.¡±


    <em>Especially me! </em>Mia added in my heart. After all, in the previous timeline she wasn¡¯t given that opportunity at all¡­


    ¡°But¡­ when I think about it¡­ hmmm?¡±


    Calming down a little, Mia folded her arms in deep thought.


    <em>If what happened here in Remno is the same as the revolution in Tearmoon, then that holier-than-thou attitude of Sion was not really justified! When I think more about it¡­ this actually makes me angry!</em>


    Looking at Sion with an apologetic face¡­ Evil Mia whispered in Mia¡¯s ear.


    <em>Now is the perfect time to teach him a lesson. No pain, no gain, right? Besides, it will be for his own good.</em>


    ¡­Mia waited for the Good Mia to argue against Evil Mia, but none came. Good Mia sometimes cks off her job, this is why Mia gets herself into trouble sometimes.


    ¡°Sion, I believe that you need a permanent reminder of what happened today. That way, you will never forget that you also failed once.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    To Sion¡¯s question, Mia answers in a deliberate and heavy tone.


    ¡°Crime and punishment go hand in hand. Crime is considered finish once punishment starts. Prince Abel seems to have forgiven you, but is your conscience really satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Punishment? Hey, Princess Mia!¡±


    Keithwood hurried to stop Mia, but Sion stopped him with an outstretched arm.


    ¡°No¡­ she is right. I shall dly ept your punishment. What shall it be?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, your courage ismendable! Sion, stand over there.¡±


    Sion closed his eyes and Mia slowly circled around him with a pompous air as if judging him. She then positioned herself behind him. Like Abel, who stubbornly continued to train that one sword, Mia also had been polishing something of her own. From the day that Anne told her that it didn¡¯t hurt, she trained hard so that when she gets to use it someday, its power has increased. Well, that day has arrived. She was ready to deliver her signature kick!


    <em>I¡¯ll make sure to give you a pain!</em>


    She was so determined to inflict pain on Sion that she was willing to endure the pain in her leg. This is something, since Mia is known to hate pain.


    She nted her feet firmly to get ready. Then she kicked as high as she could. It was as perfect as Mia could ever do. She was aiming for Sion¡¯s head. Except that it fell short of its target. It did not reach Sion¡¯s head¡­ not even his shoulders¡­ nor his waist¡­ it barely reached above his thighs.


    <em>nk¡­</em>


    It was his butt that she hit with a satisfying sound of impact.


    ¡°Engrave this pain in your heart Sion, that you may forever remember what happened here.¡±


    Mia said with a triumphant face.


    It wasn¡¯t as painful as Sion was preparing for. In fact, the kick was so weak that Sion was baffled by it. He looked to Mia in confusion¡­


    ¡°Shining sun, what was that?¡±


    However, he realized something immediately.


    <em>No way. It has to be on purpose¡­?</em>


    Crime ends where punishment begins. The Wisdom of the Empire did ask him, ¡°Is Abel¡¯s forgiveness enough for you to move on?¡± Crime requires punishment, and ends with a punishment. That¡¯s why Mia did not spare him. To the onlookers, his punishment had already been carried out. So no one will punish Sion after this.


    However, Sion himself knows that it did not really end. His crime, the guilt, and the pain with it would never disappear. From now on, Sion will always remember today¡¯s failure whenever he will try to act in the name of justice. He will ask himself again and again if what he is doing is really right? And after oveing doubts, then he would remember to forgive. Just as he had once been forgiven. With the events that happened this day, he will remember to show mercy to anyone who had done wrong.


    <em>Engrave this pain in your heart Sion, that you may forever remember what happened here¡­ This pain of guilt will always be my constant reminder. So that¡¯s what she was saying, huh?</em>


    <em>Judgment fairly and act justly.</em> This had been ingrained into Sion since childhood. But it is only now that he truly understood the weight and the difficulty of what it means.


    Later, Sion Sol Sunnd, would be praised for the way he bnces justice and mercy; and he would acquire the title ¡°Bnce King.¡± He told his loyal retainer Keithwood with a nostalgic smile.


    ¡°That day was a crossroad for me. If I hadn¡¯t tasted that pain, I would surely have lost my head to my own people due to their wrath. And if I had tasted that painter, I would have been too stubborn to be able to admit my mistake.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note:


    The extra edition ¡°King of Condemnation and the loyal retainer of Mia¡± has been uploaded.


    It¡¯s an episode on the previous timeline, and it¡¯s just a bittersweet episode like a deep roasted bitter blend, so if you don¡¯t like that, you shouldn¡¯t read it.


    Which sounds better? Bnce King or Libra King? Or Equal King?


    Anyway, tomorrow we will be having the side story that the author mentioned. So, a trip back to the previous timeline.


    Also, I am not sure if the thing that Mia was talking about (crime and punishment) is a reference to Dostoevsky¡¯s book, <em>Crime and Punishment.</em> Probably it is. But I haven¡¯t read that book.

 Chapter 134.1

    <strong>Condemnation King and Mia¡¯s Loyal Retainer</strong>


    *Author¡¯s Note: A story about the previous timeline, which is as bittersweet as a deep roasted bitter coffee blend.


    The exchange between Ludwig and Sion two days before Mia¡¯s execution.


    Tearmoon Empire, Whitemoon Pce. The beautiful castle where sessive Tearmoon emperors lived did not lose its beauty even after the entire empire was burned by the mes of the revolution. The Revolutionary Army set up amand post for their leaders in the castle. They n that once the wars in each region were over and the great nobles who had corrupted the country were killed, this would be the center of the country¡¯s administration again.


    Ludwig, who was summoned into the audience chamber, knelt on one knee, and bowed to the young man sitting on the throne in front of him.


    ¡°I am very humbled by your offer, Your Highness. I was originally an official of the Empire. I hope to continue working for the people of this country. But¡­ I have one request from Your Highness.¡±


    Ludwig then raised his face.


    He looked at the young man with beautiful silver hair on the throne who turned to Ludwig with interest.


    ¡°What is this request? Ask and I will try to fulfil it the best I can¡­¡±


    ¡°I only wish for one thing. Your Highness Sion, spare Princess Mia¡­¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the execution of Princess Mia cannot be revoked.¡±


    Without waiting for Ludwig to finish, Sion shook his head heavily.


    ¡°Blood has flowed too much. The people¡¯s anger at the tyranny of the nobles and the imperial family is too great. If the execution is cancelled, outrage against the leaders of the Revolutionary Army will break out.¡±


    The military power of the Kingdom of Sunnd can suppress the people. But that would only prolong the turmoil and make the country suffer more. Many people will suffer in result.


    ¡°We need to get rid of this chaos as soon as possible. To do so, we must have the Revolutionary Army gain the trust of the people as the champions of justice to correct corrupt power.¡±


    A new leader will rise that is trusted by the people. Under that leader, the empire will be reborn. That is the smoothest and easiest road to recovery. It was a fair and logical decision. Ludwig knew this as well. This is why he sighed as he stood up.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ So be it.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders and turned, walking away. It was an act of disprespect towards a royal family of another country. A soldier standing beside Sion involuntarily puts his hand on the sword, but Sion stopped him.


    ¡°Will you help me? To rebuild the empire.¡±


    ¡°Prince Sion¡­ you are the ideal lord. You are intelligent, fair, and just. There is no doubt in my mind that you are a man ofpetence and virtue.¡±


    <em>Unlike that stupid Princess</em>¡­ Ludwig adds in his heart.


    While attending St. Noel Academy, Mia spent her days not paying attention to the political and diplomatic significance of her actions. As a result, she earned the favor and affection of not a single soul.


    Despite attending that same academy with the princess of a friendly nation, she had forgotten that girl¡¯s name (Rania). During a diplomatic meeting when the empire needed their help most, she did the unthinkable. She looked at her schoolmate and asked, ¡°My, who might you be?¡±


    That incident almost caused Ludwig to give up on the Princess. Instead, he swallowed his frustration and stayed with her. Of course, not before giving her a good scolding.


    <em>Heavenly moons! At least remember the names of the influential people in your school and their countries!</em>


    But Ludwig couldn¡¯t stay angry forever. Especially after he noticed that Mia was carrying a notepad after he scolded her. Every now and then, he would find her walking around with that note pad, muttering something to herself, and her face in full concentration. One time, he got really close enough to see what was written. On it was written the names of her ssmate s with their nations of origin, which she kept on reciting to herself in an attempt to memorize them.


    From that day on, something changed in Ludwig. He saw her differently. Yes, she was still foolish and unreliable¡­but she was trying.


    <em>Her Highness¡­ she put in her best effort. She tried to be better.</em>


    Ludwig stopped in his steps and turned again to Sion. Sion looked the very picture of virtue. Mia was Sion¡¯s enemy, and yet Sion had asked Ludwig for help, despite being Mia¡¯s former vassal. This disyed Sion¡¯s sound judgement and political acuity.


    Ludwig smiled. It was a sad smile. He knew with painful rity that he could not find a better person to serve than this young man before him. And yet¡­


    ¡°Have you ever been wrong, Prince Sion? Even once? I doubt it. And that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Ludwig shook his head and swallowed his final words.


    <em>That¡¯s why you will probably never understand¡­ how she felt¡­ and how desperately she tried¡­</em>


    ¡°Do the right thing when you can¡± is the quality of a good ruler. If one has money at their disposal, how many people can use it for the right thing? Sion Sol Sunnd is definitely such a person who can use the money for the right thing. It is a testament to Sion¡¯s virtue¡­ and also to his luck and fortune.


    There are times when the right thing simply could not be done. When the world backs one into a corner to the point that they are between a rock and a hard ce. Even when one wishes to give food to the starving people, there might be no food to give. The desire to rule with integrity and enrich the people could be thwarted by theck of resources or ability.


    This was the story of his mistress ¨C a princess who struggled against her fate in the worst of times. When all the world seemed hellbent on bringing about her ruin, she gave her best effort no matter how desperate everything seemed.


    Exhaling a little, Ludwig looked toward Sion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need my strength. I¡¯m sure you have no shortage of excellent advisors.¡±


    Ludwig realized that he was sentimental. It was his emotions taking over him,


    Effort and endeavour did not excuse the result. The cold truth was that many people died due to the ipetence of the royal family and the tyranny of the corrupt nobles. The wrath and pain of the bereaved family cannot be healed by any words.


    But still¡­ inspite of it all, he felt a deep sorrow at the fact that everything she had done ¨C all her hard work and earnest efforts ¨C would be in vain, never to be recognized.


    ¡°I cannot see myself serving you or the Lady Tiona. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Then Ludwig left.


    Sion let him go without stopping him or punishing him.


    Two dayster, at the Imperial City Square, the execution of Mia Luna Tearmoon took ce. Since then, no one has ever seen Ludwig.


    ¡°I suppose this means that Princess Mia was regarded well, at least by a few people.¡±


    Sion muttered, after returning to the office after the execution.


    The girl he knew, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was a selfish girl who abused her power. She was vain and shallow. She openly disdained lower nobles and superficial. She was the daughter of a foolish ruler who undermined his very empire through his disregard for his people. She was a person that he could not give even the smallest affection. But¡­


    ¡°Was there something in her that I did not see?¡±


    With that in mind, the face of the imperial princess suddenly entered his mind. They had gone to the same academy. They had spoken to each other. And at hismand, he had just watched her decapitated. It was not a good feeling. It was an ugly bitter feeling in his chest. It was more than just sentimentality, and the bitterness remained in him.


    Eventually, time goes by.


    With the copse of the Tearmoon Empire, a period of chaos wille to the continent. First the assassination of Rafina threw the Belluga Principality into mayhem. Then a revolution consumed the Kingdom of Remno. The waves of chaos grew and grew that it even swept in the Kingdom of Sunnd.


    Sunnd¡¯s excellent vassals, led by King Sion, survived numerous wars and domestic power struggles. Although some of thend was lost and the people were sacrificed, the number was still overwhelmingly smallpared to other countries. It was all thanks to Sion¡¯s good leadership and good governance.


    However, these troubled times prove to be toxic for ideals, and Sion soon found out that a kingdom could not survive on morals alone. Every time he was forced to make a decision that was morally ambiguous, he would recall that fateful day of Mia¡¯s execution. He felt trapped between conscience and reality.


    <em>I wasn¡¯t wrong¡­ I had to¡­ it was unavoidable. There was no other choice.</em>


    He would tell himself each time the memory resurfaces. It was like scratching the scab of an old wound that would never heal. He would try to ignore it. Or pretend it was gone. But it stayed with him, forcing him to endure its persistent itch and ache.


    In theter years, Sion Sol Sunnd was called the ¡°King of Condemnation.¡± He gained fame as a righteous ruler, but he would lie on his deathbed alone. That was his life ¨C one of respect, but little love. His named was evoked by his people out of fear and awe, but never out of affection.


    Thus ends his story in a future that is yet toe. It was one of the many possibility that might have had happened if Mia did notunch it into oblivion with her mighty full-blown (feeble) kick.

 Chapter 135

    <strong>Kind-hearted Conviction</strong>


    ¡°Ah, uh, Sion ¡­¡±


    Mia anxiously called out to Sion whose face was still in pain.


    ¡°Thank you, Mia. You are certainly the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Upon hearing his thanks, Mia pulled back a little to Sion.


    <em>Dark moons! Why is he thanking me for that kick? Is he perhaps like Tiona¡¯s father? A masochist?! Does being hurt make him happy?</em>


    ¡°You have awakened within me something that I did not know before.¡±


    <em>Eeek! Wha-What awakened?! And what did he mean that I am certainly the Wisdom of the Empire? That should have been a given¡­ Heavenly moons, was it my kick? Was it too strong or the angle? Did he take a liking to my kick?! I¡¯m confident with my kicking but kicking someone who likes pain creeps me out.</em>


    Mia put on a forced smile.


    ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s good to hear then. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    To her surprise, Sion burst into happiness upon hearing her words. This creeped her out even more. She slowly turned her gaze away from Sion, while trying hard to put on a straight face. She realized that she might have just done something irreparable. But she threw it at the back of her mind. The less she thought about it, the better.


    ¡°B-By the way, do you know where Chancellor Dasayev is being held?¡±


    Mia quickly changed the topic. This is the typical Mia. Leaving problems for tomorrow.


    ¡°Oh¡­, Keithwood, you can exin.¡±


    Keithwood nodded in response to Sion¡¯s words


    ¡°ording to the information, Sir Donovan is apparently imprisoned in this town, Senia.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Mia eyes went wide in shock.


    ¡°Prince Abel, are you familiar with this town?¡±


    When asked by Keithwood, Abel shook his head.


    ¡°No, but some soldiers may know. Let me ask¡­¡±


    Mia suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°Oh, would it not be better to ask Lynsha.¡±


    <em>Lynsha, Lynsha. You think you can make me do all the hard work while you do nothing? Think again silly girl.</em>


    With these thoughts, a mischievous grin appeared on Mia¡¯s face.


    For a moment, Abel was captivated by Mia¡¯s lovely smile. It took all of his effort to divert his eyes away. He cleared his throat and asked.


    ¡°Lynsha? Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Oh, actually, I got to be acquainted with the sister of the leader of the rebel army. That person is called Lynsha¡­¡±


    When Abel heard Mia¡¯s exnation, he sighed in admiration.


    ¡°Got acquainted with her huh? I see¡­¡± (Abel)


    With just those words alone, Abel felt that he understood Mia¡¯s scheme.


    That is¡­


    <em>Is she hoping that their sentences will be reduced?</em>


    Abel remembered what Mia was saying earlier. Everyone makes mistakes. Therefore, people should be given the opportunity to start over. Though the rebel army were victims themselves, they were still willing participants and caused a big mess. If this had went on, it would not be surprising if the rebel army get the death penalty.


    But if they were notbelled as rebels, they are just people who were dissatisfied with the heavy taxes. The royal family is also to me. Mia understood this and so she was hoping to lighten their punishment as much as possible. She wants to give them a chance to redeem themselves. This is why she is insisting that they employ their help. If these rebels contribute to finding the Chancellor, then this good work will cast a good impression on them during judgement time.


    <em>They could say that they were deceived by a spy from Sunnd but had a change of heart halfway through. They then cooperated with the Remno army to prevent the conspiracy from getting worse¡­ Hmm¡­This might actually convince my father¡­</em>


    The King of Remno was a straightforward man. And furthermore, if Mia speaks for their behalf as the Princess of Tearmoon, it will further improve their chances.


    <em>Brilliant swords! She¡¯s already thinking many steps ahead!</em>


    Abel was impressed and at the same time a little happy. For some reason, he is happy that Mia¡¯s wisdom is directed towards mercy for those who have made mistakes. Not only does she possess wisdom, but she also possesses deep sympathy for those who have erred. This is the hallmark of a great ruler. This was Abel¡¯s gentle sentiments, and this caused Mia to be endeared more by this young prince. Abel now knew that Mia¡¯spassion and mercy are always founded on solid rationality.


    Since the girl named Lynsha lives around here, she would be familiar with geography. And if she is connected to the rebels, then she would also know the potential hiding ces. It makes sense for her to be their guide.


    And there will also be the aftermath. If the revolutionary leader, who is representing the people, was executed, it would create problems. At the very least, the opposing factions could use it against the king.


    For the kingdom to maintain its system, it is absolutely necessary to give out severe punishment, or at least to show that attitude. Failure to do so for no good reason will hinder the maintenance of power.


    Yes, if there was no good reason¡­


    And this is what Mia is doing through employing Lynsha as a guide. Giving the system a reason. So that these rebels can be acquitted, or at least their punishment be lightened.


    In order to do so, she would have to put togetherplicated logical arguments and legal principles, and yet at the core of it all was a kind-hearted conviction.


    <em>Mia¡­ you are really extraordinary¡­ Being worthy of you is like reaching out to the moon. I might not be able to do it now, but one day¡­</em>


    ¡­. The day when Abel realizes the true nature of Mia¡¯s kind-hearted convictions was very unlikely to arrive.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    So, I would like to finish this year¡¯s post.


    Have a nice new year.


    On New Year¡¯s Day, I will take a day off and continue running a little more from the second day. It¡¯s Hakone Ekiden Day.


    Hakone Ekiden is a two day ry race in Tokyo. It is, imho, the most popr sporting event in Japan. Everything just stops and people watch it, even on their tv¡¯s at home.

 Chapter 136

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Enlightenment</strong>


    ¡°So, this information¡­ Did ite from one of your Sunnd spies? It seems that they have infiltrated deeply into our royal family.¡±


    Abel said in a thoughtful tone.


    ¡°I wonder who they are¡­¡± (Abel)


    ¡°Oh, it was a maid named Monica Buendia who informed me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Your Highness Sion, that¡¯s ¡­!¡±


    The surprised Keithwood tried to stop Sion from divulging the secret, but Sion just shook his head and spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I intend to propose to my father to recall all the Wind Crows.¡±


    Keithwood was left with nothing to say. With how the situation is going, a full-scale withdrawal of the Wind Crows is very feasible even without Sion¡¯s proposal. Neither Sunnd nor Remno want to start a full-scale war at the moment. Remnocked the strength, and Sunnd dreaded the optics.


    The probable aftermath next steps would be secret talks and a solution in the form of marypensation. It is not hard to imagine that the first demand of Remno¡¯s side would be for Sunnd to withdraw all of its intelligencework.


    As for those who are directly involved with the conspiracy¡­ their punishments would depend on the diplomatic negotiations.


    ¡°If my assumption is correct, you wouldn¡¯t do anything to her, would you?¡±


    Abel remembered the face of the maid she met the other day.


    ¡°Oh, you can trust me on that. So, it was Monica¡­ I see¡­ she¡­¡±


    <em>I am no Princess Mia, but the thought that she might face severe penalties doesn¡¯t sit well with me either. Then thises to¡­</em>


    Abel looked at Mia with a bitter smile. Then he moved on to the task at hand.


    ¡°Princess Mia, I¡¯m sorry, but can I take that man with you, your vassal?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What? Dion?¡±


    Abel shrugged at Mia who looked confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be Bernardo¡¯s job, but he¡¯s not known for flexible thinking. Hopefully I don¡¯t have to tell him yet that Sunnd is involved in this matter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Well, I don¡¯t think he will refuse.¡±


    Mia looked at Dion with a slightly reluctant face.


    ¡°Well, if Your Highness is going, I can¡¯t help but go.¡±


    Dion shrugged and shook his head in feigned resignation.


    <em>What? Heavenly moons! Have they already decided that I am going with them to rescue Donovan? All without my permission! I am starting to see a pattern here¡­</em>


    With this enlightenment, Mia sighed and epted her fate.


    Eventually, it was decided that the group who will rescue Chancellor Dasayev Donovan would be: the two princes and Keithwood, Dion, Mia and Anne. A total of six.


    Ludwig will go and meet with Lambert to negotiate the dissolution of the rebel army once Count Donovan is safely rescued. Tiona, who has some sword skills, will apany Ludwig as a guard.


    There was some disagreement that the two princes would go to the scene, but in the end, there were not enough other members. Lambert¡¯s ¡°Blue Scarves¡± would not let them bring the Remno army into the town. ON the other hand, the rebels were neitherpetent nor trustworthy enough to be used as an escort. Mia¡¯s group was, therefore, the best option for the rescue.


    <em>Honestly, it¡¯s okay for me alone¡­ Well, if something goes wrong, I just have to make sure to protect the Princess and her maid. The princess¡¯s sweetheart can fight for himself¡­</em> (Dion)


    ording to the information provided by Monica, there were not a lot of enemies in the ce where the Chancellor was held. Jem only had a fewbat-trained Wind Crow agents with him. Normally, Dion would be disgusted by such a small number. It would take at least three times that number to make the fight interesting. However, the Princess is with him, so he decided to tone down his bravado and proceed cautiously.


    It is said that there are only a few intelligence personnel and gems who have undergone


    ¡°I¡¯m not particrly worried about the battle¡­ but will this really work?¡±


    Dion asked Ludwig before they parted.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing if all I have to do and annihte the enemy, but what about getting the Chancellor Dasayev alive? I don¡¯t see why they would keep him alive until this time.¡±


    Dasayev Donovan was nothing more than an instrument to trigger the uprising of the people. It doesn¡¯t seem to make much sense to still keep him alive.


    ¡°I get your point¡­ But I think he would still be kept alive.¡±


    In response to Ludwig¡¯s answer, Dion looked surprised.


    ¡°Is that so? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I asked Her Highness earlier¡­ She said that the leader of the revolutionary group is a man who speaks well but is actually shallow. It seems he is a talker but has no guts.¡±


    Dion frowned at the answer at first, but he soon understood the implication.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it¡­ I see, so there is a reason to keep him alive. Well, anyway, I will protect the princess even at the cost of my life. So make sure to keep those rebels off our backs, okay?¡±


    Dion turned his heels back while waving his hand flippantly.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    happy new year. I look forward to working with you again this year.


    I will post every day until the Kingdom of Remno is cleared up. There are a few more episodes nned ¡­

 Chapter 137

    <strong>Princess Mia ising! </strong>


    Downtown Senia is where the wealthier people live. In there was a mansion that was once lived by a merchant. In its basement, Chancellor Dasayev Donovan was imprisoned. His situation wasn¡¯t too bad. Because of his old age, his captors treated him rtively well. Still, he would rather be free.


    ¡°Well, do you feel like cooperating with us yet?¡±


    The frivolous looking man asked him after entering the room. Dasayev shook his head silently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you. I know you have no family or rtives. But for the sake of the people, isn¡¯t it time make a stand?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think His Majesty made an irreparable mistake. I will continue to voice out my concerns only through words. Killing His Majesty won¡¯t solve anything and will only cause chaos and suffering to the people.¡±


    ¡°You should stand on top instead. If you can see what needs to be done, then you can solve it quicker. I¡¯m sure you are interested, right?¡±


    Standing at the top of the country¡­ it¡¯s something that every noble or politician longs for at least once.¡¡However, Dasayev shakes his head immediately.


    ¡°Enough. In the first ce, do you think I would obey the words of someone who won¡¯t even give me his real name?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Was that so? I thought I was the first to introduce myself before¡­ My name is.¡±


    ¡°Jem¡­ wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    It was the mostmon name in the area. It¡¯s somon that people who don¡¯t give their names are called ¡°Nameless Jems.¡± Therefore, Dasayev did not think that this was the man¡¯s real name.


    ¡°Begone. I¡¯m not young enough to be tempted by the offer of a suspicious person.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. But do know that even my patience has its limits.¡±


    Jem shrugged and left the room.


    ¡°Oh, shit, it¡¯s awful ¡­ That old man is getting on my nerves.¡±


    Upon entering the hallway, Jem muttered in a rough tone.


    ¡°If only I could, I would have killed him already¡­ Damn it. Graham better finds someone who can be used ¡­¡±


    With his training as a Wind Crow, it was easy for him to kill Dasayev. And that was actually the original n. However, there was a reason why they couldn¡¯t do that.


    Unlike his counterpart in Tearmoon Empire, Dasayev Donovan don¡¯t have a Tiona Rudolvon. He had no children, and his wife has passed away long time ago. All his rtives are old and are faithful subordinates of the king. None of them would ever consider rebellion. Therefore, Dasayev¡¯s death would not be of any real advantage as nobody would take revenge for him.


    Lambert is certainly a good orator. In addition, with Jem¡¯s teaching, he has been learning how to do cold reading. Stirring up people¡¯s emotions is quite an easy task. All that one has to do is to know what the other person wants to hear and push them in the desired direction. Wrap it in pleasant words and mix it with poison. In fact, he manipted a number of people this way. This includes the Remno¡¯s rebels to Sunnd¡¯s Wind Crows. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. To have a sessful revolution, there needs to be a core target that the mob can rally upon.


    ¡°Had everything gone ording to n, it would be time to start inciting chaos in the empire now. But that meddling brat¡­¡±


    It was all the fault of the Wisdom of the Empire. She crushed their ns in Tearmoon. Now they have to rewrite the script and rush with their ns for Remno in a short time. They were totally underprepared because of her.


    The new n was supposed to be Lambert rallying the people to rescue Chancellor Dasayev Donovan. The rescued Lord Donovan will then join the Revolutionary Army. He will be the one to lead the people in anti-government activities; and at the same time, he will denounce the royal government.


    That is why, Donovan was imprisoned in this town, Senia. Jem thought he could still salvage the situation if he was able to persuade him.


    ¡°That stupid guy ¡­¡±


    He wanted to wait until he converted Donovan to their side before starting the revolts. But Lambert incited the people and started a riot on his own. Eventhough Lambert¡¯s skill in oration is a great asset, at the moment he is a great nuisance.


    ¡°It seems like I made a mistake in choosing the person for the job. I was only nning to hold onto Donovan as a back-up. But now, it seems I don¡¯t have enough time.¡±


    Jem took out a book from his bosom and a distorted smile appeared on his face. The book, with its ck-painted cover, seemed to give off some creepy air.


    ¡°The Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon. I heard she¡¯s a friend of Rafina Orca Belluga. It¡¯d better not be that woman pulling the strings.¡±


    He muttered bitterly to himself while tracing his fingers along the book¡¯s cover. As he did, a pattern emerges. It was shaped like a snake.


    ¡°Starting with the copse of the empire, all the kingdoms will follow to fall into ruins. The chaos thates from the destruction of order. That is our long-cherished desire¡­ I won¡¯t let anyone get in the way.¡±


    He continued thinking on how to persuade Dasayev Donovan. He was indeed right. Chaos and copse are about to happen. But it won¡¯t be of the nations. Rather it will be the copse of his ns due to a little girl.


    The countdown has begun. Mia wasing.

 Chapter 138

    <strong>Under the Same Sunset as That Day</strong>


    As Mia expected, Lynsha knew the location of the mansion where the Chancellor was kept.


    ¡°Sure, it was owned by a merchant or something. I don¡¯t think it has ever been used by the revolutionaries though¡­¡±


    Her words made it more credible that they were talking about the same building. The fact that it was hidden from the amateur revolutionaries seems to prove the importance of the building.


    By the way, Lynsha, who heard the situation from Mia, kindly agreed to guide them. Yet, as they were leaving¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mia asked Lynsha who kept on looking at her face.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Uhm¡­ It¡¯s nothing¡­I know I did ask you to stop all this conflict¡­ its just¡­ uhm¡­ I didn¡¯t think you would actually try to do it. Especially since you look like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Lynsha shakes her head silently to Mia who was confused. Lynsha walked off.


    ¡°¡­ Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I feel like she was about to say something extremely rude ¡­¡±


    Mia had a slightly unsettled look, but still ran after Lynsha.


    Senia seemed quiet and deserted. There were few people who were on the roads, but they were sparse enough.


    ¡°This is bad. With how empty this ce is, everyone can see using.¡±


    Keithwood looked around with a grudge.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. No one wants to get involved in a needless conflict.¡±


    Lynsha shrugged and then headed for a narrow alley. She made a few corner turns and then¡­


    ¡°There!¡±


    The group looked at where Lynsha was pointing. It was arge mansion sitting on an evenrger garden. There were norge nts or bushes that can hide them approaching the entrance.


    ¡°What should we do? We can wait until it gets dark¡­¡±


    As if prompted by Lynsha¡¯s words, the area began to dim.


    Mia looked up at the sky


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already sunset¡­¡±


    She muttered unintentionally and her eyes narrowed slightly. Before they knew it, dusk was approaching. The red, fiery red sunset seemed to burn the horizon.


    <em>It¡¯s like¡­ like that day¡­</em> (Mia)


    The sun was just like that fateful day. Curses reached her ears. Her slow walking exposed her to eyes full of hate.


    Her loneliness from that day returned¡­


    <em>Somehow¡­ I don¡¯t like this ce. It seems something terrible is about to happen.</em>


    The person who caused her pain is inside the building in front of them. The thought of it made her hairs stand up. Mia instinctively touches her arm, but the chills cling to her body and weren¡¯t disappearing.


    ¡°Are you scared, Mia?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When she looked sideways, Abel was staring at her with a serious look.


    ¡°Ah ¡­ Abel ¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Mia shook her head a little. It wasn¡¯t fear. It was just that the scene seemed reminiscent of her fate from the past. Her reply didn¡¯t dissuade Abel, however. Abel stared at Mia¡¯s face and then gently took Mia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    It took a moment for the action to register. But as soon as it did, Mia flinched so hard that her feet almost left the ground.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ Huh?!¡±


    Whatever anxiety that upied Mia¡¯s heart just now suddenly disappeared! Abel¡¯s hand gently wrapped Mia¡¯s hand. The warmth of his hands radiated the cold Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doing this suddenly. But this is what my mother does to me to help me calm down.¡±


    Abel¡¯s tone was as if he was making an excuse out of an embarrassment. And the tip of his nose was now a shade of pink.


    ¡°Oh, oh, thank you for your concern¡­ Abel¡±


    Mia also turned a shade of pink darker. She spoke with a voice that hardly suppressed her embarrassment.


    By the way, just to confirm it to those who were unsure¡­ all they did was held hands.


    That¡¯s all! Yet, Mia is a very innocent maiden.


    ¡°What happened to both of you?¡±


    At that time, Sion, who was in front of them, called out.


    <em>Hey! Just as things were finally getting good!</em>


    Miained although inwardly she was a little relieved. She was unfamiliar with romantic situations and that handholding was more than enough to break herfort zone.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s necessary for the survival of my country, but it¡¯s better to choose the time and ce, my dear princess.¡± (Dion)


    Dion said with a wide grin.


    ¡°And it¡¯s still early to give birth to a sessor.¡± (Dion)


    ¡°Now, here! I can¡¯t give birth to a child just by holding hands! Maybe. Right? Right?¡±


    For something that is biologically impossible, Mia didn¡¯t seem confident. Instead, Anne stood in front of Dion to protect Mia.


    ¡°Sir Dion, don¡¯t make fun of Mia-sama too much.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Between Ludwig and you, our dear princess seems to have two overprotective nannies.¡±


    Mia nces at Dion who didn¡¯t show any remorse whatsoever. She red at him but soon her expression became soft.


    It was dusk, the same as that fateful day. The sun seemed to have bled the whole sky red. It was ominous¡­ but it was encouraging that she was not alone this time. She has Abel. Sion, Keithwood, and Dion. And next to her was Anne, a loyal vassal, and Ludwig, even if he is far away, and even Tiona, who was her nemesis.


    <em>It¡¯s okay, this will definitely work. We can do this.</em>


    Mia nodded confidently.


    Only one person was looking at them with a dubious expression.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t you think we should be hiding¡­ or something?¡± (Lynsha)

 Chapter 139

    <strong>When this battle is over¡­ by Mia</strong>


    Lynsha thought that the best way in should be through stealth¡­


    ¡°Those inside the mansion. Throw away your weapons ande out. My name is Sion Sol Sunnd. The White Crow¡¯s plot has already been exposed. There is no reason to continue fighting.¡±


    And with that loud deration, all ideas of a covert operation went out the window. Even Mia did not expect their arrival to be announced.


    <em>Will we really be okay like this? </em>


    Feeling uncertain, she looked at Dion who just gave her a shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t honestly think anybody will do as he said. But it will probably nt some doubt into their minds.¡±


    Then Dion pulled out his sword and carried it on his shoulder.


    ¡°Dear noble people whose lives are a lot more valuable than mine. Please do note out in front of me. It makes it difficult for me to protect you if I have to chop through you to get to my opponents.¡±


    The group decided to split into two and infiltrate the mansion. Coming from the front would be Sion, Dion and Abel, Mia and Anne. It goes without saying that Mia is just there to increase the headcount. The same with Anne. Meanwhile Lynsha and Keithwood would sneak from the back.


    ¡°Well then, should we head in?¡±


    With a sh of his sword, Dion broke the front door. Seeing the dimly lit interior, Dion opened his closed eye. It was a technique for getting immediate visibility when plunging into a dark room.


    Immediately after, a metallic sound can be heard


    <em>nk!</em>


    Dion smiled a little bit as he easily caught the de striking him from the blind spot.


    ¡°Oh, a surprise attack?¡±


    It was a perfect surprise attack from the blind spot. Nevertheless, Dion shrugged his shoulders without even flinching.


    ¡°As expected, assassins are different to knights. Did you think I couldn¡¯t swing my sword indoors because the space was limited? Or did you think you could kill me before I got used to the darkness.¡±


    Dion shook his head.


    ¡°Good effort but your thrust is too weak. I can deal with it even with my eyes closed. It is disappointing. I me the Adamantine Spear for getting my hopes up.¡±


    Dion wrapped his fingers around the offending arm and squeezed. There was a crunching sound, and the man¡¯s face twisted with pain. Dion leaned in closer to the man¡¯s face with a ferocious smile.


    ¡°By the way, just in case you did not hear our loud announcement earlier. Prince Sion is with us.¡±


    Hearing that, the man moved his sight to the door. There was a flicker of recognition as he saw Prince Sion enter in.


    ¡°As he had said before. This whole scheme by you White Crows has already been exposed. You might want to reconsider if it is still really worth giving up your life for. But if you still want to be a martyr, I¡¯ll be more than happy to make you one.¡±


    After saying this, Dion kicked the man¡¯s gut, which caused him to crumple down. Then Dion pointed the tip of his sword to the man¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Just surrender. Also, tell your friends the same. I prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s surprising, Captain Dion. I thought you really liked fighting¡­¡± (Mia)


    ¡°I do. Bute on, Princess. I also choose the opponents. If there is too much difference in ability, it won¡¯t be fighting but bullying. If it was someone like Adamantine Spear, I would be more than happy to go for a few rounds.¡±


    With that said, Dion looked down at the fallen man with deadly gaze. It was more than enough to defeat that man¡¯s fighting spirit. The situation is where the prince of their royal family has be their enemy. And there was this strong man whom they could never hope to defeat. He just decided to surrender.


    After surrendering, he was instructed to light all themps in the mansion, which he promptly did. Sion, in all his princely glory, scanned the room, into which men were slowlying in, their hands up and their weapons discarded.


    <em>Well, it looks like things will actually work out after all. </em>(Mia)


    Mia breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mia-sama, your hair seems to be a little rough.¡± (Anne)


    Anne was relieved as well. So, she did a good once-over her mistress.


    ¡°Oh, you noticed? Actually, the shampoo I am using is not good enough. I feel that what Abel gave me was a little more moisturising.¡±


    ¡°Please rest assured, Mia-sama. See.¡±


    With that said, Anne reached into her bosom and took out the vial.


    ¡°I made sure to bring some for you.¡±


    ¡°My! How wonderfully thoughtful of you Anne! What would I do without you, Anne.¡±


    When Mia received the vial from Anne, she held it up and skipped and jumped to a happy dance. And then she said something careless¡­


    ¡°When this battle is over, I am going to take a bath to my heart¡¯s content.¡±


    In a situation where they were almost winning, Mia cheerfully and proudly spoke the line that had always been a red g in any story.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    While twirling around, she didn¡¯t seem tond on solid ground. She fell into an unilluminated stairway to the basement¡­


    ¡°Hyaaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    She tumbled down the stairs, rolling round and round into the dark underground. She fell hard and head a crack of something fragile.


    ¡°Uh, uh, I feel sick.¡±


    When her swirling vision began to reorient, she noticed a person in front of her.


    ¡°Princess Mia. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    This man gave her a wide devilish smile. It was the man, whom people called Jem.

 Chapter 140

    <strong>The Miracle of Horse Shampoo (coefficient of friction ¡­)</strong>


    ¡°Uh¡­ Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. I don¡¯t want to sully the ears to the Great Wisdom of the Empire by letting you know my name.¡±


    The man smiled hatefully after showing him a mocking bow.


    ¡°Mia, are you safe!?¡±


    Immediately after, both Princes Abel and Zion, rushed down. Anne and Dion followed right behind them.


    ¡°Are you Jem?¡±


    In response to Sion¡¯s keen question, Jem shrugged.


    ¡°Since you know my name, does this mean that you already know the n of the White Crow?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All your schemes have been revealed.¡±


    With that said, Sion pulls out his sword.


    ¡°Your friends have also surrendered. Stop resisting and just give yourself up.¡±


    ¡°Friends, huh¡­¡±


    For some reason, Jem shook his head with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Even so, I feel sorry for that Graham¡¯s guy. His loyalty was unappreciated by his young and fastidious prince.¡±


    ¡°Surrender already. We¡¯ve already rescued Count Dasayev Donovan. You¡¯re the only one left.¡±


    The voice echoed from the opposite side, that is, from the underground direction.


    What emerged from the shadows was Keithwood. Jem was now trapped in the middle.


    ¡°You found the underground escape route? It seems that it was not only Prince Sion but also his attendant¡¯s reputation that is well earned.¡±


    Sion was on the stairs and Keithwood in the basement. Jem was standing in the middle¡­ and Mia was secretly trying to escape.


    <em>This is my opportunity to get out of here.</em>


    Mia casually tried to leave the ce with quiet, slow, and inconspicuous movements. But soon, she felt a cold metal on her neck.


    <em>Eeeek!</em>


    Mia gasped and straightened up. The memory of the guillotine¡¯s cold and heavy de came back to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything smart now. It¡¯s easy to cut off your neck.¡±


    Nodding to Gem¡¯s words, Mia stiffened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Sunnd won¡¯t support the Wind Crows, White or ck. Your ns have already failed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it with finality, Prince Sion. I might be hurt with those words and cause my hand to slip and cut this girl¡¯s neck.¡±


    Jem tapped Mia¡¯s shoulder with the de to prove his point.


    ¡°Anyway, it is because of this little girl that all my ns have been crushed. You can bet that I have a deep grudge against her.¡±


    ¡°Hiiii¡­¡±


    Mia whimpered and there seemed to be a sound of something dripping¡­


    Jem looked down at Mia and smiled mockingly.


    ¡°Hey, even if she is the Wisdom of the Empire, a kid is still a kid.¡±


    Mia¡¯s skirt was wet, and everyone were thinking of the same thing: that she had peed herself out of fear.


    Well, almost anyone thought this was the case. Aside from a single person.


    Anne, Mia¡¯s number one loyal retainer, figured out what happened.


    <em>Wrong! This smell is¡­</em>


    The scent of flowers tickled her nose, and that is the scent that she is ustomed when she sniffs her mistress¡¯ hair. Anne remembered what her dear mistress said: ¡°I feel that what Abel gave me was a little more moisturising.¡±


    That dripping liquid was from the broken bottle of the shampoo. This shampoo was slimier than the others. Then something clicked on Anne¡¯s mind¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama! Run!¡±


    Anne¡¯s sudden shout surprised everyone. Everyone froze and time seemed to have stopped. Everyone except for Mia. She believed in the instructions of her most loyal retainer that she moved out of reflex.


    Mia shifted the weight of her foot to start running. But time seemed to move again for everyone.


    ¡°This kid!¡±


    When Gem noticed that Mia was trying to escape, he raises his sword to cut the head of the hated Wisdom of the Empire. It seemed like he would be able to sh her head without any effort.


    <em>Tsurun!</em>


    Mia stepped forward to run but she slipped back.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    The shampoo had soaked the soles of her shoes that she made unexpected movements that even expert fighters cannot foresee. Her flew out from behind, and her body mmed forward.


    After that a sharp swish sound flew just mere inches above her head.


    ¡°Uhyaa!¡±


    It was Mia who screamed as she fell in an unttering fashion. But no one med her for it.


    ¡°Damn, this! Ugh!¡±


    Jem raised his sword to sh at Mia again. But when he walked forward, he too stepped on the shampoo puddle and fell t right behind her. It was too sudden of a shock that he let go of his sword as was falling. His sword flew away from his reach


    ¡°Mia-sama,e here quickly!¡±


    ¡°Eeek! Eeek!¡±


    The scene was a confusion of sprawled bodies and entangled limbs. Mia tried once again to stand up and to reach Anne; only to fall down again.


    Behind her was Jem, already back on his feet and dashing to chase after Mia.


    ¡°This kid, wait¡­ Ogu !?¡±


    What happened next was either an unfortunate ident or fortunate coincidence. While falling down again, Mia¡¯s heel was in the right trajectory as Jem¡¯s ba- No, it¡¯s better not to mention it. But she hit him in a ce where he really felt it.


    ¡°Goooooo!¡±


    Jem crouches down on the spot, muffling a scream. Dion walked up to him holding a sword walks up to him, but it was unneeded.


    ¡°Ah ¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the princess to finish you by herself¡­¡± (Dion)


    He said in a stunned tone.


    Thus, one of the masterminds, Jem, was brilliantly repelled. The deciding factor that ended the case was the splendid kick that was unleashed from the beautiful legs of Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Wisdom of the Empire.

 Chapter 141

    <strong>Each One¡¯s Delusions</strong>


    ¡°Uh, damn it¡­¡±


    In front of Mia and others were the members of the White Crows all lined up and tied up. Only one person was still showing resistance. Jem was ring at them with pure hate. Mia was silently staring at him for awhile, but she turned to Abel and spoke.


    ¡°Prince Abel, Prince Sion, I have a request for you two. These guys ¡­ could you somehow spare their lives?¡±


    Abel wasn¡¯t really surprised when he heard Mia¡¯s request. Rather, he was expecting it.


    <em>I had a feeling that she would be asking for this.</em>


    The White Crows attempted to overthrow the monarchy. Unlike the rest of the Wind Crows, who only gathered information, these radicals attacked directly. Even the capital punishment is not enough. Were they not from a foreign country, not only would they be executed, but also their family and their ns.


    Nevertheless, Mia pleaded for their lives. Normally he wouldn¡¯t be able to grant this kind of request. But Abel thought¡­


    <em>If it was the Princess of Tearmoon, my father might listen.</em>


    Basically, he is a man who has a soft spot for girls¡¯ requests.


    <em>The intelligence officers¡­ it will take some convincing, but the best concession will be their banishment. Rather, the hardest part would be those involved in the revolutionary activities. The one who were just caught up might get away with just a whish. But Lynsha and her brother, Lambert, will normally be facing capital punishment. I wonder what Mia thinks about that?</em>


    Abel looked at Mia and wondered what Mia was thinking about the sibling¡¯s situation. But he wasn¡¯t worried or concerned. He was pretty sure that Mia had already considered and thought out this issue.


    Sion was of the same opinion as Abel. Having been lectured by Mia recently, he saw this as an extension of her ideals. She was trying to give these people an opportunity to start over. So far, her actions have been the proof of that intention.


    Had the White Crows actions led to a bloody battle, it would probably have been impossible to spare their lives. Furthermore, the rtionship between the Kingdom of Remno and Sunnd will deteriorate, and war will be inevitable. If that happened, there would have been no turning back.


    However, the damage this time is limited. At least the Kingdom of Remno shouldn¡¯t have enough reason to make Sunnd into an enemy and starting a war. Although it will all depend on the negotiations, but at this moment, they have at least kept the pot from boiling over.


    Mia¡¯s request could be the final course of this long, harrowing events, and the culmination of all her efforts.


    <em>I have no choice. I don¡¯t think I have even the right to plead. After all, as she said, I did not even explore all avenues so that these things would not have happened.</em>


    It was Mia who did her utmost best in attempting to change this course of events. Thus¡­


    <em>I should use all my authority and resources to make her words into a reality.</em>


    For Sion, who was also given the opportunity to start over, he had to do at least that much. He knows it won¡¯t be easy, but this time he will do his best.


    <em>If the Kingdom of Remno settles for lenient punishment of banishment, Sunnd wouldn¡¯t be able to execute them as well because of optics: others might look at it and think of it as a cover-up. If Prince Abel handles the persuading in Remno, the question is how should I deal with the Wind Crows upon their return to Sunnd?</em>


    ¡°Hey, did I just hear that you are not going to execute us? Are you insane or am I? Are you nning to torture us instead?¡±


    Jem said with a snarlingugh.


    ¡°Hihihihi, do your best. You won¡¯t be able to get a word out of me.¡±


    Sion scowled. Something about the man¡¯s shrill, disdainful voice grated on his nerves.


    <em>Torture huh? I see¡­ So, the Princess is thinking that they are still hiding something from us.</em>


    Only Dion was thinking about somethingpletely different. By the time he came here, he had a unique thought about what was happening. Something about the Wind Crows did not sit right with him. Specifically, their change into White Crows. He was suspicious of the man who transformed what was supposed to be a passive agency transformed into an aggressive one.


    <em>This Jem guy¡­ there¡¯s something fishy about him.</em>


    He did not seem to fear torture. In fact, he dared them to do their worst. This wouldn¡¯t be surprising for a spy since they have sworn allegiance to their nations. But this kind of mentality goes beyond loyalty¡­ this is like¡­


    <em>Fanaticism. It¡¯s like he has a mad passion of something.</em>


    Dion nced at Mia while forming his own hypothesis. Why was she asking for these men to be spared? It must be because she had noticed that there was something else that is hidden beneath all of these. The Wind Crows had gone rogue, but they hadn¡¯t done so alone. There was intent behind their corruption; there was a hand in the shadows pushing them along.


    <em>I swear¡­ that Princess can be uncannily sharp sometimes. Still, Jem seems to be a tough nut to crack. I wonder what is brewing in that Princess mind. Or maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ there is nothing brewing up there at all¡­ hehehehe </em>


    Dion was correct in his thoughts in the second half. All Mia had was a wish. She said it, and that was as far as her forward thinking got. She had not thought about how it was supposed to actually happen. Besides, she did that wish of hers out of her dedication to her Mia First policy¡­

 Chapter 142

    <strong>In order not to let wither what has been carefully grown</strong>


    Neither Abel nor Sion have any doubt that Mia is a benevolent saint¡­ but of course, they are dead wrong.¡¡Needless to say, Mia wasn¡¯t merciful. It wasn¡¯t out ofpassion that she asked for the culprits to be spared. Mia is neither a saint nor has a big heart. In fact, she has a rather small chicken heart.


    Just like anyone else, she gets angry when wronged, and right now she was staring at the very people who had sent her to the guillotine. Thest thing she really wants is to help them. And unlike Dion¡¯s delusion, she didn¡¯t suspect them of withholding information.


    But she has a particr concern that keeps gnawing on her, and that is¡­


    <em>What if the same things happen to them? I mean, I got a second chance at life after being guillotined. Isn¡¯t there a chance that they will also get a second chance if they are executed?</em>


    Having leapt through time herself, she could not deny that there was a chance that other people might be able to do so as well.


    <em>If so, what are the conditions for it to happen?</em>


    It wasn¡¯t clear and she doesn¡¯t know for sure. She can only base it from her own experiences. For example, being killed on the same day or at the same time or in the same way might trigger it. Or it could be dying with regret.


    <em>If these people involved in the plot were executed¡­ it could happen to them too.</em>


    Anyway, if these people were executed and they do reallye back in time¡­ what would that mean for Mia? All her hard work to change history may be overturned.


    <em>Then that would mean I¡¯m back to the guillotine! I don¡¯t want that!</em>


    Avoiding the guillotine was her main priority after her time leap. But now she realizes that there is another stronger emotion that is holding her here.


    <em>That¡¯s not the only reason¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ because I like it there. I like this timeline¡­ this¡­ now.</em>


    Mia looked around. At the people. At the scene.


    There was her former enemy, Sion, and his follower, Keithwood.


    There was Dion who personally chopped off her head.


    And there was Abel, who was nothing more than a stranger before.


    There was Tiona whose help allowed her toe this far¡­


    ¡­ there was also Chloe and Rafina.


    The Mia before only had Anne and Ludwig. Yet, the Mia now is full of friends. Mia finds in them a warm friendship. She likes the here and now more than she thought possible.


    And then she paused¡­


    ¡­she realized that deep down, she was actually hoping that Sion and Tiona would continue to stay by her side. And she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that.


    <em>D-don¡¯t get me wrong. I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m starting to like you people¡­</em>


    Whenever Mia wasn¡¯tfortable with her own emotions, she turned to her tried and tested coping mechanism ¨C a tsundere outburst in her own heart.


    <em>If possible, I don¡¯t want to get too close to him than necessary.</em>


    It is the one thing that Mia does not give in to.


    ¡°Abel, I know this will cause you a great deal of trouble, but¡­¡±


    Abel shook his head with a weary smile at the anxious Mia.


    ¡°Oh, it sure will. But it is fine. After all, without you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to solve it peacefully like this. My father ¡­ I¡¯ll try to convince him.¡±


    ¡°But if you¡¯re nning on sparing them from execution, what are you nning to do to them?¡± (Sion)


    To Sion¡¯s legitimate question, Mia tilted her head, totally clueless


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right ¡­¡±


    To be honest with Mia doesn¡¯t really care about them as long as they are alive.


    If they are imprisoned in Remno, they¡¯ll probably be assassinated. If they are imprisoned in Sunnd, then Remno would make a fuss. I guess I can take them back to Tearmoon, but¡­


    That was when Jem snickered.


    ¡°Hey, are you really going to keep us alive? What a bunch of saints! Hahaha.¡±


    Seeing the hateful grin of Jem, Mia scowled.


    <em>This guy is really irritating.</em>


    Mia, who was subtly frustrated and angry, suddenly came up with an idea! Her payback shall be the ultimate harassment!


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right. We are a bunch of saints. And since we are saints, we are going to send you to the Holy Lady. You will be spending the next three years hearing a sermon from Rafina every single day.¡±


    Both Sion and Abel received Mia¡¯s proposal very well. It was quite a decent idea. Belluga is the least contentious ce to put these people. Dion muttered something about ¡°letting them off easily¡±, but he was speaking more out of humor than hostility.


    The White Crows stared at Mia with confused looks as if she just said a joke. However, one person had a very different reaction¡­


    ¡°F-F*** off! You don¡¯t dare, you silly girl!¡±


    Jem alone screamed and shouted with wide eyes and teeth bared. His whole demeanor changed. He was a little paler than before. His once irritation confidence was gone and is now reced by clear panic.


    Mia mirrored the nasty smile that he had given her earlier.


    ¡°Oh my, oh my. Didn¡¯t you say that torture won¡¯t work? And didn¡¯t you say that I could do my worst?¡±


    <em>Serves you right. </em>(Mia)


    Despite Mia¡¯s triumphantugh, she did not really know the true implications of her proposal. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that this decision of hers would shine the first beam of light into the dark closet of history to expose the shadows hidden within.


    Thus, the disturbance in the Kingdom of Remno came to an end.


    Clemency was given to the core members of the Revolutionary Army, including the leader, Lambert, and his sister, Lynsha. All the credits go to Ludwig who deduced Mia¡¯s intention. He went to the Remno royal capital and requested their pardon. ording to him, if they assign most of the me to the Remno people, then wouldn¡¯t the me of Sunnd be lightened? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if they focus the me on Sunnd? That way they can get more concessions during the negotiations.


    His logic had proven persuasive, and the King Remno took his advice. Thus concluded the incident and allowed Mia and herpany to return home. Upon arriving at the academy, Mia would face the despair that was midterms, but that sad story is for another day.


    Hello! Mermaid Fish here!


    This is officially thest chapter of Part 1: <em><strong>Princess of the Guillotine</strong></em>


    Yay! Thank you very much for your continued support.


    Tomorrow would be an epilogue. After that a few short (long) stories.


    The name of Part 2 is <strong><em>Girl of Guidance</em></strong>

 Chapter 143

    <strong>Part 1 Epilogue: Tale of Greedy Princess Who Always ced Herself First</strong>


    An era of prosperity and peace reigned for 300 years on the continent. This glorious era began with the emergence of many heroes who would leave their mark on history.


    The wise king Sion Sol Sunnd, who was called the Libra King, and his trusted confidante Keithwood.


    Saint Rafina Orca Belluga, who preached the way of salvation to the people and made efforts for peace between nations.


    Chloe Forkroad, the head of the Forkroad Company, who established the mutual aid system ¡°Mi¡± throughout the continent.


    Dion ia was active in the battle against demonic cultists andrge bandit groups.


    Ludwig reformed the structural and governmental affairs of the Tearmoon Empire.


    Cyril Rudolvon, a botanical innovator, introduced a cold resistant wheat and many more useful nts. His achievements wouldn¡¯t have been possible if it wasn¡¯t for his sister Tiona Rudolvon.


    In the center of these great people was a moon that shone brighter than them all. Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Empress of the great Tearmoon Empire. Regarded as the great Wisdom of the Empire, she was loved and adored by these heroes. But there were only very few records of her aplishments.


    Conspicuous was her absence in the credits of history. Rarely, if ever, did she take the stage herself. And yet there is a well-known and frequently circted information among historians. That, time and again, when these heroes face their greatest battles that left their marks on history, Empress Mia would be at their side without fail.


    Despite the veil of mystery surrounding her, she was incredibly popr in the Tearmoon Empire. She appeared in numerous tales and myths that were told and retold. One of the most beloved stories of her is the story of the ¡°Rescuing the Prince.¡±


    In this story, the princess¡¯ beloved prince had incurred the wrath of his father king. Hearing of his beloved¡¯s plight, Mia raced to rescue him personally. In a disy of passion, she snatched him from his homnd and brought him back to Tearmoon with her.


    After that, she officially weed the prince to the empire as her husband. It struck a chord with the imperial nobles of the time. They were arguing: ¡°Why do you choose to marry an abandoned prince? Isn¡¯t it aplete diplomatic and political waste?¡±


    She and her vassals crushed such argument with all their might. A passionate woman, Princess Mia, did not wield power like a tyrant, rather she was a woman who wielded wisdom and power in order to protect her love. When ites to her loved ones, her fiery passion knew no bounds.


    And although she was a person with lots of love, she only had one loved one. She was a woman who stayed true to her youthful love throughout her life. It also contributed to the poprity and familiarity of the people.


    After that, her husband, the former prince, devotedly supported Mia, who became the empress. The empire prospers, and the royal lineage bes even more prosperous with the couple¡¯s eight children¡­


    ¡°Eight children¡­ a little too many¡­¡±


    Mia looked up from an old history book that she had in her hand. She was in the library of St. Noel Academy.


    Mia was waiting for Chloe. To pass time while waiting, she was casually leafing through a history book that caught her eye. The book was a biography of the Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Empress of the Tearmoon Empire. Normally, this would be a cause for bewilderment, but Mia was a seasoned veteran of anachronistic books. She didn¡¯t even batter an eye. It wasn¡¯t her first time encountering a weird book out of time.


    ¡°Oh, this is like that (my) diary ¡­¡±


    She thumbed through it as a casual reading which led her to the contents mentioned above.


    ¡°Eight children, huh?¡­ Wow, we really did get down into it, huh?¡­ Well, eight children with Abel¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Mia? What are you doing in a ce like this?¡± (Abel)


    ¡°Uhya !?¡±


    Mia suddenly jumped up when she was called out. Abel tilted his head wondering why she suddenly jerked up.


    ¡°Ah, ah, what happened Abel? Why are you in a ce like this ¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a little research. What are you reading?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡­ uhmm?¡±


    It then urred to Mia that she might not want Abel to see what she was reading. But when she nced down at it, something was different. The passage she was just reading had disappeared!


    ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­ I¡¯m sure¡­ Just a minute ago¡­¡±


    As she looked closer at the book to check the passage that disappeared, the book suddenly shimmered with a golden glow. Then something incredible happened. It was like the letters lifted themselves off the pages. They floated upwards like golden strings. Then finally, they melted away and disappeared.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Mia?¡±


    Mia shook her head a little and turned back to Abel.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The disappearance of the contents in the history book seemed to Mia as a proof that the future that had been set was changing again. It was supposed to be already a happy future¡­ but it disappeared again¡­


    Surprisingly, it did not upset Mia. She just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t quite satisfied with that one¡­¡±


    Because in that future, Abel will not be able to return to his parents¡¯ home and will not be able to meet his family. That is not apletely happy future. It wasn¡¯t enough.


    It is Mia¡¯s style to greedily seek happiness. It¡¯s Mia¡¯s unchanging principle: Mia-first policy.


    That¡¯s why,


    ¡°I won¡¯tpromise. I have worked hard to avoid ending again in guillotine. I want a future that will fully satisfy me. I will not settle for anything less.¡±


    The future is still uncertain, and it is unknown what Mia¡¯s life will be like. The only thing that doesn¡¯t change is that Mia¡¯s greed. She would neverpromise on what she likes when ites to her own happiness and for the happiness of her loved ones¡­


    This is a story of a slightly selfish princess who was given a second chance of life. She has sown the seeds of hope. What kind of future will they grow into¡­ no one knows it yet.


    <strong>Part 1: The Princess of Guillotine</strong>


    <em>Fin.</em>


    ¡ª¨C


    ¨C


    The sun had long set, and darkness ruled the sky. Moonlight shone through the window of an empty library and fell across the surface of a heavy wooden table. On top of the table was a book. It seems that itsst reader forgot to return it to its shelf. The culprit of this hideous library vition was, of course, none other than the princess who was reading it earlier.


    As the moonlight shone on the book, it suddenly flipped open. There was no wind, but the pages continued to turn steadily. It began to give off a faint golden glow. Luminous lines appeared and began twisting forming into words. They settled on the page, forming new and ominous passages recounting a dreadful history and the dark future it led. But before anyone could witness or read it, the text crumbled again!


    One by one, the glowing words unravelled and faded until only one line was left. It was the name of a young girl in whose veins flowed the blood of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. It was the name of thest princess of the Tearmoon Empire, Miabel Luna Tearmoon.


    Like thest glimmer of hope at the bottom of Pandora¡¯s Box, it glowed and glowed. It glowed as if it was fighting to survive. Then ¨C just like the rest of the texts ¨C it unravelled and faded into the empty night.


    Time continued its steady march, and our take enters into a new chapter.


    To be continued in Part 2 (Volume 3)


    Mermaid Fish here again! With this, the curtain closes with Mia¡¯s blood-soaked diary and the guillotine. We are going to have the POV of a new character in Vol 2. (So Chizuo, don¡¯t worry so much. The other characters won¡¯t disappear).


    And this new character is¡­ Miabel Luna Tearmoon!


    I guess it is already obvious where her name came from. So, for those, like me, who were shipping Mia + Abel¡­ we won! Miabel obviously got her name from Mia and Abel.


    After this is a little excerpt of Mia¡¯s Diary. I will publish it an hour after this one.


    Then after that, I will take a quick break. I need to read beforehand the s. So, no updates for the next few days. But I promise to have a bulk release afterwards.


    -Mermaid Fish.

 Chapter 143.1

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Diary of Delights</strong>


    <em>1<sup>st</sup> day, 10<sup>th</sup> Month</em>


    I had bread with lots of honey today. Honey from the Holy Principality of Belluga is the best. It was delicious.


    <em>10<sup>th</sup> day, 10<sup>th</sup> Month</em>


    I was supposed to be having a cake today¡­ but Anne got angry with me. I didn¡¯t know Anne and the head chef were collsp working together. Next time, I will have to eat the cake secretly.


    <em>25<sup>th</sup> day, 10<sup>th</sup> Month</em>


    I had ambermoon tomato stew today. I haven¡¯t had it in a long time. It was good, but the stew I have in the empire tasted better. It¡¯s not like I miss the head chef¡¯s food! Well, maybe a little.


    <em>25<sup>th</sup> day, 11<sup>th</sup> Month</em>


    Wait a minute! I just reread my diary entries and it seems that all that I have been writing are food reports again. Heavenly moons, whenever I don¡¯t pay attention, I end up writing about what I ate. Maybe this is a cursed diary!


    Anyway, to other matters.


    I made a big discovery today! I found a history book in the library that seems to have the future written on it. It really wasn¡¯t a big deal. I figured it was something like that other diary I had, so I wasn¡¯t too surprised.


    The problem was the stuff written in it. ording to the book, I will eventually marry Abel. I wonder how he is going to propose to me. I can¡¯t wait to find out¡­


    Maybe, I don¡¯t have to wait! I should be more proactive. But that means¡­


    Anyway. Marriage. I started at the guillotine, and I go all the way to finding a husband. What an epic journey. I really deserve a pat on the back. In fact, why not? I¡¯ll give myself one right now.


    On top of that, the book said that we will have eight children. That¡¯s more than enough to keep the Empire supplied with heirs for a long time. We¡¯re definitely riding some sort of wave.


    But still¡­ Eight! That¡¯s surely a lot. A lot of hard work in making them as well. It¡¯s going to be a big undertaking.


    It also said that I am going to be empress too. Honestly, it all sounds like so much work. Will somebody trade jobs with me?


    This is a side story, but it has a lot of prophetic contents for the next part. As I have said earlier, I¡¯ll be taking a quick break to read the next part beforehand. See you in a few days!


    -Mermaid Fish


    Keep on being smug Mia and Anne!

 Chapter 144

    <strong>Part 2: The Girl of Guidance</strong>


    <strong>Prologue: Hold Your Name Proudly Close to Your Heart!</strong>


    A girl was running through the deste ruins of what was once her home. The imperial capital, once known as the ¡°City Graced by the Moon,¡± was burnt down due to repeated wars and became awless zone. It is now a smoldering shadow of its former self.


    Vaguely humanoid dried-out husks littered the streets. These were once people; now they were not even corpses. This crumbling cityscape looked bleaker than when Newmoon was still a shanty town.


    So¡­ even the site of a young girl chased by armed men did not elicit any help nor even reaction from the residents.


    The girl continued to run¡­ and run¡­ she was running out of breath. Her dull silver-colored hair, which probably hadn¡¯t been washed for a long time, got wet with sweat and stuck to her cheeks. Her cheeks were pale shade that contrasted with the dirt of mud on them.


    Her thin shoulders heavedboriously as she struggled to draw enough breath to supply what few muscles remained on her thin and emaciated frame.


    But the girl didn¡¯t stop.


    As she looks behind her over her shoulder, she kept her legs moving to escape her pursuers. She ran¡­ and ran alone¡­ and ran running out of breath¡­ and ran despite the pain and fatigue¡­ and ran like a desperate prey¡­ and ran even without strength¡­ and she ran out of pure fear.


    Then it happened. Her fatigue and her pain caught up with her; her strength failed her¡­ she couldn¡¯t run anymore. She stumbled, tripped, and fell.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    The girl hit the ground hard and the object that she was clutching so desperately was thrown. This object was an old book. During the period of bookburnings, this book was the first victim. And so, there were very few copies of this. Inscribed across its cover was the title, ¡°Grand Epic of Princess Mia, the Wisdom of the Empire¡±[i] Ignoring her exhaustion, pain, and wounds from stumbling, the girl hastily crawled towards the book to retrieve it.


    It was a book written by a person who raised her. The author was like her second mother. She was her foster mother.


    ¡°¡­Mother Elise.¡±


    The girl remembered the gentle smile of her now deceased foster mother.


    <em>¡°Listen Bel. The book contains the truth. You have to know the truth. The truth about your grandmother and what kind of person she was. No matter how many lies the world may try to cover her with, you alone need to know what really happened¡­¡±</em>


    This girl, named Bel, remembered that after her younger foster mother tells her this, she would give her an affectionate pat on the head.


    ¡°Mother Anne¡­¡±


    Bel remembered the warmth of the person who raised her and gave her unconditional love.


    <em>¡°Run away, my dear. Hold your name proudly close to your heart. Her blood flows through you. You must not die in this ce. Go! Run!¡±</em>


    So said her older foster mother. She embraced her. Her smile was as warm as the blood that was streaming down her chest.


    Bel remembered the faces of the people that she loved and loved her. Kind,passionate faces that she will never see again.


    ¡°Aunt Tiona¡­ Aunt Chloe¡­ Mr. Ludwig¡­ Uncle Dion¡­¡±


    Everyone is dead. All these people who had shown her kindness were dead. They died protecting her. However, before they died, they had all spoken the same words ¨C some with regrets, some with a bitter smile. But without fail, they said the same thing.


    <em>¡°If only she was alive¡­ All of these wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±</em>


    If only that saintlydy who was full ofpassion, the Great Wisdom of the Empire, was still alive here with them, then the empire ¨C no, the whole world ¨C would have been able to avoid this terrible fate. Everyone seemed to be in awe and admiration of this person. But Bel doesn¡¯t have any memories of this person. All she could remember was a vague impression of gentleness. This was why all her knowledge about this revered person came from books.


    This revered person undoubtedly deserved to be called the Great Wisdom of the Empire among other titles. As a saint, she was a paragon ofpassion and benevolence; as a princess, she was the savior of her nation.


    At one point, it was forbidden to speak about the Wisdom of the Empire or the imperial family. But even so, when the moon was low and ears were sparse, people would speak of her in whispers and hushed voices. And while speaking about this great person, their face would bloom into admiration and fondness upon the mention of her name.


    This filled Bel with pride. The thought that the same blood flowed through her veins was like a shining beacon in her heart.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve finally given up, kid?¡±


    A violent voice pulled Bel from her warm memories back into reality. When she looked up, she saw a man dressed in crude leather armor with a menacing smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t like to do this as well, but the gold coins that are the bounty for your neck are too attractive.¡±


    The man next to him pulled out his sword.


    ¡°Would you like to follow us quietly? Oh, just letting you know, if you run away, we¡¯ll kill you. It doesn¡¯t matter since you are wanted dead or alive. You get to choose between my sword or the gallows.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we got the right kid. She¡¯s so dirty. Let me check that wanted poster¡­ Hey, kid, what¡¯s your name? You better tell the truth!¡±


    His murderous aura crept out like tendrils trying to entangle Bel. Fear filled her heart and she quivered.


    <em>I¡¯m scared¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­ Mother¡­</em>


    She held her book tightly to her chest.


    <em>Help me¡­ Grandmother¡­</em>


    At that moment¡­ she felt like she heard the voices of her loved ones.


    ¡°Hold that name proudly¡­ and go! And please survive¡­ live! Tell them¡­ about that person¡­ tell the world¡­¡±


    She suddenly remembered¡­ what it meant, who she was, and what she had inherited. That the blood coursing within her body was passed down to her by the one who stood as a symbol of hope for her people.


    An tion and pride stuck her like a lightning. Her trembling body did not stop, but it changed character. She was no longer frightened nor afraid. She was now filled with fighting spirit of defiance.


    Prompted by this passion, she stands up. She looked at the men with a silent intense gaze. Her blue eyes were filled with pure, radiant resolve.


    ¡°Rude knaves¡­ stand down!¡±


    Pride straightened her back and her voice steadied. Even though she was small, she stood with her head held high. She was imposing. She was determined to conduct herself with the dignity appropriate of someone who was of the lineage of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Although iparable to the gravitas of the Wisdom of the Empire, Bel radiated the same aura. Then she dered aloud the proud name that she bore.


    ¡°My name is Miabel, Miabel Luna Tearmoon! The one who inherits the noble blood of the Saint and Great Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon!¡±


    Suddenly there was a burst of blinding light. The book she held to her chest flipped open, and words rose from its pages. They floated with a golden glow then they unraveled into golden strands. These golden strands wrapped around Bel¡¯s body.


    ¡°¡­ Ah? Huh? Eh?¡±


    Bel stood stunned and shocked. She was lifted into the air. The next moment, she disappeared. The girl, the book, and the golden strands vanished without a trace.


    ¡­Thus, the sands of time shift started shifting.


    [i] Yes, I used IamKieto¡¯s suggestion for the name of Elise¡¯s Book. It actually can be tranted as such, so why not.


    T/L: POV will return to Mia in . See you there.

 Chapter 145

    <strong>The Elegant Spring Break of the Wisdom of the Empire</strong>


    The Great Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon, spent her spring vacation at Saint Noel Academy in the most elegant fashion. Gracefully, really gracefully sprawled out on herrge bed in her room at the women¡¯s dormitory.


    Gracefully, she would roll from one side of the bed to the other side up to the very edge. Then she would then gracefully roll to the other side again. For an added elegant variety, she would asionally roll lengthwise, and even sometimes hug a pillow and gracefully roll with it. Of course, all of these are done with grace and elegance befitting of her.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    She whined as she idled her time away elegantly. Elegantly, was of course, a euphemism for like azy degenerate.


    Originally, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. Until the school restarted, she was nning to y leisurely in the empire. Nevertheless, there were some circumstances that confined her to be in St. Noel.


    After sessfully departing from Remno Kingdom, Mia did not stop by home, but instead went straight back to St. Noel. There she remained until the winter holidays. This proved to be a very bad idea.


    The daughter-con emperor was in tears upon weing Mia¡¯s return.


    ¡°Oh, Mia, Mia! My beloved daughter! What on earth were you doing without returning to the empire!?¡±


    The emperor embraced Mia tightly and then ordered a cruel punishment. It was a punishment that would not only embarrass Mia but also smash her pride. That is¡­


    ¡°Call me Dad until the next winter. I won¡¯t allow you to call me anything else.¡±


    It was a really cruel and unusual¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t! Th-that¡¯s¡­ But Father!¡±


    ¡°Dad. Dad. I won¡¯t respond to anything else!¡±


    The light from Mia¡¯s eyes faded as she watched her beloved Father turn his face away, pouting, with a hmph. For awhile, she stood there like a ceramic doll devoid of life. Eventually, the full implication of the situation dawned on her.


    <em>Ugh, I feel a headacheing on.</em>


    Things only got worse once she started calling him ¡°Dad.¡± The emperor was overjoyed that she was finally calling her ¡°Dad¡± that he started visiting Mia more frequently.


    <em>This¡­ Argh! This is bing annoying!</em>


    You see, Mia is at that delicate age where she did not get along well with her parents.


    By the way, Ludwig, Dion, Tiona and Anne got off scot-free from the incident in Remno. Rather, they were even praised by His Majesty the Emperor for guarding the runaway Mia.


    That was how she framed their achievements. If not, the four people could have been executed. Still, she was a little bit annoyed that she was the only one to get a punishment.


    That¡¯s why Mia, after experiencing a terrible winter vacation, chose not to return to the empire during the spring vacation. She stayed at St. Noel. Which was great¡­ at least for the first two days. And then boredom started sinking in.


    ¡°Ahhh, boring¡­ nothing to do here¡­ Chloe is not here. Neither is Abel¡­ ¡±


    She currently has no friends to y with. Well, Rafina was around. But she wasn¡¯t really the kind of friend that Mia was wanting at the moment. Sure, Mia goes to see her if she gets an invite from Rafina. But otherwise¡­


    As a result, Mia¡¯s range of activities were limited to strolling with Anne around the ind, eating sweets, sleepingzily, and sometimes going out for horse-riding.


    In short, she was living a very indulgentzy lifestyle.


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­¡±


    Anne entered the room to witness herzy, loafing, apathetic mistress lying on top of the bed. There was, however, no disgust or disappointment in the way she looked at Mia.


    Rather, Anne looked at her with a gentle gaze. Like the way she would look at a cute younger sister.


    Recently, Anne has noticed something. Mia doesn¡¯t really like studying. A few days ago, when Anne helped Mia study for the end of the year exams, she noticed that Mia was having a lot of trouble. Yet, Mia toiled hard cramming and scribbling through notes even with tears on her eyes. Her efforts were rewarded. She ranked in the top 20 of her grade. It¡¯s a feat!


    By the way, Mia¡¯s grade only has about 80 students. Well, it¡¯s still a feat. Being in the top quarter is unthinkable in the previous timeline!


    The cause of thest minute studying was, of course, procrastination. After neglecting to study properly through the term time, she crammed her heart out. And now she is totally spent. Mia¡¯s appearance of lethargy reminded Anne of her younger siblings, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.


    <em>Mia is not good at studying¡­</em>


    And just because she knew it, Anne¡¯s respect did not waver. No, rather¡­


    <em>She¡¯s younger than my other siblins¡­ but her shoulders carry such heavy responsibilities.</em>


    ¡­her reverence for Mia only deepened with this thought. There was something admirable knowing that her beloved mistress¡¯ wisdom was not a result of innate natural gift but rather thought the result of honest hard work.


    <em>That¡¯s why¡­ I have to support her as much as I can.</em>


    This was going to be Anne¡¯s secret new school year resolution.


    <em>When she can rx, I must help her rx as much. When she needs to be proper, I need to get tough on her. She is the kind of person who will understand as long as I exin it properly. So I need to think about what things I can do to lighten her load.</em>


    Anne haspletely taken on the role of Mia¡¯s manager. That¡¯s why Anne wanted to have her mistress rx at least during the break until school started again. But today there was a situation where she couldn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡±


    She walked towards Mia¡¯s bed. Mia acknowledged her by lifting one of her eyelids.


    ¡°Oh, Anne, right timing. Would you mind sitting there and singing me a luby¡­¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, please refrain from taking a nap today. Rafina-sama has invited you for an afternoon tea.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Rafina-sama? But just yesterday I was there for a tea party ¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that His Highness Abel will arrive here today. And so Rafina hopes you can join them.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful moons!¡±


    Immediately, Mia burst into a smile.


    ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t be back untilter. Oh! Could it be that he heard that I was staying at the academy and so came back early to see me?¡±


    Mia got up from the bed and said in amanding voice¡­


    ¡°Anne, choose a dress for me. I need to hurry!¡±


    She said it in a dignified way, befitting to be called the Wisdom of the Empire. Mia has transformed back into the glorious princess Anne knew¡­


    ¡­well, from the neck up, anyway¡­ from the neck down, this dignified princess was still wearing a crumpled, wrinkled nightwear¡­ which seems to have endured abuse.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    That was the beginning of Part 2. I hope you enjoy the journey of Princess Mia.


    Next week will be a holiday, and next time I will aim to post from the 21st.


    See you!

 Chapter 146

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Romance Overload.</strong>


    After getting up from bed, Mia quickly began to act. First of all, it goes without saying that she went to¡­ a bath.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to be able to take a bath anytime!¡±


    By the way, Mia, who loves bathing, gets up in the morning and takes a bath first. It is rmended practice in St. Noel. Taking a bath after getting up improves blood cirction. But in the case of Mia, it is a bit different.


    ¡°Oh, my body is getting warmer¡­ I¡¯m getting a little sleepy.¡±


    She mumbles as she considers going back to bed. Baths, in the case of Mia, were an exercise of hedonism.


    Ultimately, she abandoned the idea of going back to bed and dried herself off. Despite being a little urgent in bathing, Mia regained her usual shiny skin and lustrous hair. Additionally, she put on a freshly cleaned dress and essorized to maximise her charm. She then headed to Rafina¡¯s room.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Rafina-sama. Thank you for inviting me to this tea party.¡±


    She pinched the skirt¡¯s hem and performed an elegant bow before stepping into the room. When¡­


    ¡°Hi, Mia, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°My! Abel, you¡¯re already here!¡±


    ¡°I just got there. Anyway ¡­ Mia, you look more beautiful today than ever.¡±


    Abel said with a bright smile. Upon hearing and seeing this, Mia¡¯s cheeks instantly dyed red.


    ¡°M-My! Abel! It seems you have be a smooth talker. You shouldn¡¯t say that to girls too often. They¡¯ll think you are a womanizer.¡±


    Mia said while flirting. Abel, however, looked hurt.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you saw me that way. I wouldn¡¯t say that to anyone. Only you, because I really thought you are.¡±


    After hearing such things, an uncontrolled romantic sigh came out of Mia¡¯s lips.


    <em>Now¡­ wha-what is this? Sweet moons! Is Abel a natural or an imbecile?! He can¡¯t say things like that in public!</em>


    Mia was brought back to reality by the sound of someone clearing his throat.


    ¡°Ahem, Princess Mia¡­, can you not neglect my Lord so much?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Keithwood, you¡¯re here too. And oh¡­ Sion. You too?¡±


    Sion dropped his shoulders in response to Mia¡¯s reaction. He then told Keith Wood.


    ¡°¡­Keith Wood, I¡¯ve never wanted to be popr with women. In fact, it was them who wanted to approach me. But was I too conceited or confused? Did I consider myself too blessed and now I am suffering such scorn?¡±


    Then Sion turned down. Mia, who has been guilt-tripped by Sion, rushes tofort him.


    ¡°Well, that was a joke, Sion. Don¡¯t take it seriously. I wanted to see you too. I¡¯m d you look fine and all.¡±


    The next moment, Sion raised his face and said with a smug.


    ¡°I meant that as a joke as well.¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I also wanted to meet you. It¡¯s good that you look fine. But¡­¡±


    Sion continued with a grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s even better to know that you as gullible as ever.¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    Mia¡¯s face is dyed red again. This time, it was from anger overload.


    <em>This brat! His personality is even worse than before. I bet he is still holding a grudge from being kicked by me.</em>


    At the moment when Mia tried to rebuke, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned back and saw it was Abel with a puzzled frown.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Prince Sion? It¡¯s exactly Mia¡¯s good heartedness that makes her beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    Mia was once again speechless to Abel¡¯s sweet words. Her cheeks turn red, and a romantic sigh leaked out from her lips. This is romance overload!


    It was like a romanticedy, and Mia was drunk with what was happening. She let down her guard. The bloody dairy has vanished, and she was in no danger of being decapitated. Furthermore, she escaped safely from the situation in Remno. Her continuous sess has dulled her sense of danger. Mia was in a hibernation state oblivious of any impending danger. But she would soon wake up from this state¡­


    ¡°Excuse me. Eh? Princess Mia?¡±


    The person who has just entered the room was Tiona Rudolvon and her attendant, Liora Lulu.


    ¡°My! So, you two were also invited. How are you Tiona-san? And how¡¯s Cyril?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. He is looking forward to the school that Your Highness will be building so he is studying hard.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am d to hear that¡­ oh?¡±


    Suddenly, Mia can feel chills running down her spine.


    <em>Hold on a second¡­ something about this meeting seems off. The people who are here¡­ they¡¯re all¡­</em>


    Sion, Abel, and Tiona¡­ these were the people who apanied her to Remno Kingdom. That fact made her uneasy. Her sense of danger finally kicked in¡­. But it was toote for her to escape.


    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s start the tea party.¡±


    Rafina announced with a smile.


    At that moment, Mia felt herself sucked into a new whirlpool of danger.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Next will be posted on Wednesday.

 Chapter 147

    <strong>Jam, Tea, and Chaos Serpents</strong>


    ¡°Oh my! Miss Rafina, these cookies are very delicious!¡±


    Mia happily expressed after another bite. The good thing about Mia is that if sweets are present, she can easily forget any ominous premonition. This is one of her strengths. Or maybe not?


    ¡°Well, I am d that you like them.¡±


    Rafina happily said while bringing her hands together in a p. There was a good mood in the room, and it was filled withughter. Then Rafina started talking.


    ¡°By the way, that Jem guy you entrusted to me, I made sure to give him a sermon everyday as Mia suggested.¡±


    <em>Oh, I feel sorry for that man¡­ but then again¡­ should I really be sorry?</em>


    Mia took a sip from her tea. Enchanted by the tea¡¯s scent of fragrant flowers, she remembered Jem¡¯s hateful face.


    <em>This feels good. I feel very refreshed. And here I thought there was something off.</em>


    Seeing Mia with a refreshing and cheerful smile, Rafina nodded while saying¡­


    ¡°Oh! So, you know all the time for whom he was working for! As expected of you, Mia.¡±


    <em>Huh? Who¡¯s working for who?</em>


    Sion began speaking, taking away everyone¡¯s attention from Mia who looked clueless.


    ¡°What does you mean, Rafina-san. They are the spies from my Sunnd¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. They were Wind Crows, White Crows to be exact. Sunnd¡¯s proud spy agency.¡±


    Rafina said with a bright smile.


    ¡°Most of them were good and innocent spies who pledged allegiance to the country.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Good¡­ and innocent¡­¡±


    Everyone around was surprised at the way Rafina described them. Those descriptors are usually not associated with being a spy.


    Nevertheless, Rafina continued in a light tone.


    ¡°But that Jem¡­ he was the only one who is an exception. Everyone else had no problem to listening to me or reading the scriptures. But Jem alone showed a strong refusal and resistance to my sermons!¡±


    ¡°Resistance?¡±


    Mia was confused but also curious.


    All the kingdoms in this region worship a single religion the Central Orthodox Church. And the centre of this religion is the Principality of Belluga. Their morality and beliefs were based on the Holy Book of Belluga. There may be slight differences due to local customs, but the overarching value system was deeply embedded within the vast majority of people.


    Therefore, it should be normal if Rafina¡¯s sermons can be called boring because people are too familiar with it. It is very strange for anybody to be refusing and resisting it.


    Working as a spy requires pragmatism, so even if they don¡¯t have religious belief, it should be easy for them to at least pretend to listen to the morality stories of a little girl. Jem, however¡­


    ¡°No, rather than just resisting it¡­ it was more like he was panicking.¡±


    People that have faith wee Rafina¡¯s sermons. People who don¡¯t have faith can either listen to it or pretend to be indifferent. To be incapable of even ignoring it means that one has belief that is contrary to the preached faith. Which means¡­


    ¡°Oh no¡­ Is he a demoniac?¡±


    Tiona muttered fearfully.


    Rafina was surprised to hear Tiona¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I suppose there are such people.¡±


    God was opposed by an entity called the Archdemon. This Archdemon has lower ranking demons serving beneath him that could possess people. These possessed people are called demoniacs.


    In the Principality of Belluga, exorcists are called to deal with those who are possessed.


    ¡°But as far as I know, people who are possessed doesn¡¯t behave like that. They behave like wild beast rampaging. They usually don¡¯t form groups nor are they intellectually able to scheme like what Jem did. That is why I suspect Jem¡¯s actions are motivated by something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°Something else? Based on the way you are saying it Rafina-san, it seems you already have an idea of what or who this <em>something else</em> is.¡±


    Abel said with a serious look. As a victim of the recent plot, the culprit¡¯s true identity is very important for him.


    By the way, Mia, who is also the victim on the previous timeline, was listening to all these revtions in a good mood. The reason for this is that Mia found a jam and was happily putting it into her tea. Mia is more interested in jam than Jem¡­ it¡¯s not a pun.


    <em>Oh, sweet moons. I thought this tea and wild strawberry jam would go well, but it was more than that. This is exquisite.</em>


    Despite Mia¡¯s discovery of tea and jam, the rest continued with the serious topic of Jem.


    ¡°Yes. As Prince Abel said, I¡¯m suspecting that we are facing a threat that is more grounded in this physical world.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Rafina paused a moment and gracefully took a sip of her tea. Then she continues in a quiet but clear voice.


    ¡°In my Principality of Belluga, the Central Orthodox Church has an enemy who seek to destroy the world. They are a secret society who lurks behind the scenes. They are known as the Chaos Serpents.¡±


    Upon saying the name, the face of Rafina turned into a rare disgust.


    ¡°Chaos Serpents¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of them before. Are they an evil cult?¡±


    Sion asked while frowning.


    The worship of the Archdemon or the evil demons was not rare. Every now and then, an evil cult would appear. But they are usually shunned by people and so they would disappear like bubbles. Sion was asking if this Chaos Serpents were like that. However, Rafina¡¯s reply was crisp¡­


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but unfortunately, I don¡¯t know their exact doctrine. Rather, I know only two things about them. One is that they hate our divine scriptures. From this we can easily deduce that they worship the Archdemon.¡±


    Rafina cuts her words and looks around at the faces of everyone gathered¡­


    ¡°The second thing is that their goal is theplete destruction of any order humans created. I think this second thing, while theologically less significant, is a more realistic threat.¡±


    She told them in a heavy tone.


    ¡°Destruction of order¡­ what exactly does that mean?¡± (Sion)


    ¡°It¡¯s all kinds of order. The country, thew, the culture, the academics¡­ even the peaceful daily order of activities.¡±


    ¡°These people are enemies of the nations. No, enemies of the humanity as a whole. And these people are just allowed out in the free world to roam?¡±


    With a suspicious face, Abel asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case, but they are everywhere. Sometimes nobles, sometimes merchants, sometimes peasants, sometimes civilians, and evenmanders of the evil-cult subjugation army.¡±


    Rafina sighs annoyingly and shakes her head.


    ¡°They are skilful in embedding themselves into our society. They are almost like spies. Although I didn¡¯t think to find one of them to be actually working as a spy.¡±


    They could be anywhere and anyone. And there¡¯s no way of telling who they are. Therefore, it is very difficult to deal with them.


    ¡°Ordinary evil cults usually live in temples or gather together to live. Sometimes they band together and attack viges. But this makes them easy to stamp out. Whereas this Chaos Serpents seems to be more troublesome¡­ We don¡¯t know how to subdue them¡­Oh I see! So that¡¯s why you gathered us here today. Having already acted against the Chaos Serpents, you knew for certain that we are not among them¡±


    ¡°That was quick uptake. And I couldn¡¯t have said it any better, Prince Sion¡±


    Rafina nodded satisfactorily to Sion¡¯s realization. Then she looked at Mia. In response to Rafina¡¯s gaze, Mia could feel cold sweat running through her back.


    <em>Huh? Am I caught again in one of those situations wherein I have no idea what they are talking but it is a bad idea to ask?</em>


    Mia¡¯s cowardly instincts started kicking in. Sadly, it was toote for them. Mia was already involved when she was invited to this tea party. Or perhaps even earlier, when she proposed to push Jem towards Rafina during the Remno Kingdom incident.


    <em>Why am I even called here? Maybe she just wants me to update about Jem¡­ That¡¯s right! I¡¯m sure it was important for us to know Jem¡¯s background. And so, she is telling us. It has nothing to do with me specifically.</em>


    Mia was holding on to this thin sliver of hope. She looked back at Rafina who smiled at her.


    ¡°Mia surely already knew this. But let me make it official. I, Rafina Orca Belluga, formally request all your aid in establishing a united font against the Chaos Serpents, as well as your participation to counter their activities.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    I hope to see you again on Friday


    While tranting this, I realized that Chaos Serpents can actually be tranted to Good evening snakes¡­ so tell me if you want it to be called that way. Lol


    And yes, you can actually add jam into your tea. Not to green tea, or Chinese tea, or any fancy tea. Those normal teas only. Add jam instead of sugar.

 Chapter 148

    <strong>Wish Upon a Book</strong>


    <em>Ah! I¡¯m in a really bad position right now, right?</em>


    Mia¡¯s intuition has finally started working and was now warning her. This request is going to be even more dangerous. In fact, the Remno incident won¡¯t evenpare to this one.


    <em>Heavenly moons! I need to figure out a way to refuse this offer!</em>


    She started thinking of an escape n but discovered it was toote.


    ¡°As Prince Sion has said earlier, the Chaos Serpents are everywhere, so you are the only ones I can talk to right now.¡± (Rafina)


    ¡°Hmm? But if they react strongly against the Sacred Scriptures, can¡¯t we just use it to find them?¡±


    Abel asked to which Sion shook his head.


    ¡°No, that probably won¡¯t work. Remember the White Crows? While it was Jem who instigated the whole plot, the rest of the members were actually doing the work.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ it¡¯s not just the members of the Chaos Serpents that we are up against. We are also against the people that are being manipted buy them.¡± (Abel)


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And they¡¯re never stupid, they¡¯re very cunning. So they never appear in ces where they can be exposed. They won¡¯t appear in ces where the scriptures are read aloud. And if they need to do so, they would send one of the people they are manipting.¡± (Rafina)


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s sort of like a miracle that we were even able to capture Jem in the first ce.¡± (Abel)


    Abel looks at Mia with eyes full of admiration.


    ¡°Indeed. And even in this situation, I still have a room full of people that I fully trust. I should really count myself lucky.¡± (Rafina)


    Rafina also looked at Mia and smiled gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Mia. I¡¯m so d that she is my friend.¡± (Rafina)


    ¡°Oh, oh, of course! I and Rafina are friends. Friends help out each other.¡± (Mia)


    ¡°They most certainly do.¡± (Rafina)


    ¡°Well, if Mia cooperates, then I can¡¯t help but also participate. Mu kingdom was also a direct victim of their actions. I would be happy to help.¡± (Abel)


    Abel said with a firm nod.


    <em>Huh? What? I¡¯m cooperating? When did I say that? I¡¯m pretty sure I never said that! </em>(Mia)


    ¡°Me too. It¡¯s not a problem that can be left unattended. They even manage to infiltrate my kingdom¡¯s spy agency. Since I don¡¯t know who might be on their side. At least I can share information with the people in this room whom I can trust.¡± (Keithwood)


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know what I can do, but I¡¯ll cooperate too.¡± (Tiona)


    Following Sion, Tiona also deres her pledge.


    And Mia ¡­


    <em>Oh, the sweetness of this cookies¡­ It¡¯s so delicious that I can just cry.</em>


    ¡­ she has opted for good old escapism.


    <em>How can cookies be this delicious? This must be a dream. It has to be! I¡¯m sure when I wake up in the morning, I would say that I regretted that I wasn¡¯t able to eat more. Look! I¡¯ll wake myself up now. I¡¯ll just reach for another of this delicious cookie and as soon as I touch it, I will wake up.</em>


    It didn¡¯t work. Unfazed, she reached for another cookie. And then another. She still did not wake up even after eating all of them on the table.


    She did, however, got a good scolding from Anne for eating too much that she couldn¡¯t eat dinner.


    The evening of the next day ¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I guess that wasn¡¯t a dream¡±


    Mia finally came into terms with yesterday¡¯s events and epted it. She then began to take action. After all, Mia was a woman who was able to overturn her past timeline. She may not look like a survivor, but she was aware that the longer she procrastinates, the more likely it was for a bad situation to get worse.


    But this did not change the fact that Mia generally wishes to avoid anything that resembles hard work. If she can cheat her way through it, then she will do that. In ordance with this idea, she began looking for something that would make her work easier.


    ¡°I wish I had some sort of a guide. Something like that diary that helped me survive my previous future.¡±


    To her dismay, no such thing materialized. Her diary was gone. Besides, reading a diary that describes the days leading up to her decapitation was not something she really wanted to do.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Wasn¡¯t there something simr that I have seen recently?¡±


    Suddenly, Mia remembers. There was something that was like that previous diary of hers.


    ¡°Oh I remember! It was that history book! Maybe something is written in there!¡±


    The future was described in that history book. Although the words suddenly disappeared and never reappeared, that might have changed now. Figuring the sooner she finds out the better, Mia quickly got up from her bed and headed to the library alone.


    The library of St. Noel Academy was located in themon building that is connected between the boys¡¯ and girl¡¯s dormitories. Since books are valuable, there are security staff at the entrance. But as long as the books stayed in the library, everyone can read it freely, even the attendants.


    Therefore, the ce is usually crowded with people. But because it was still holidays, there was only Mia in the ce. This made it very convenient for her to find what she was looking for. Indeed, she found the book she was looking for almost immediately.


    ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t think it would be that easy¡­¡±


    The history book itself was found quickly. But no matter how many times she flipped the pages, she couldn¡¯t find the essential description she was looking for.


    ¡°Oh, but I remember that the passage mentioned that it was actually an excerpt from some other book. What was the title again? Chronicles of Princess Mia something, something¡­ Ah! The Epic Chronicles of Princess Mia, The Great Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Mia grimaced upon remembering the title. And it was for a good reason. Nobody would want to read a book with a title called Epic Chronicles. It would just be too cringey. Not to mention also very morbid.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really want to read that book. It sounds like it will just be depressing.¡±


    Even while muttering herins, Mia still went and looked for it. She went through all the bookshelves and couldn¡¯t find it. She sat down on a nearby chair exhausted.


    ¡°¡­Well, I didn¡¯t have much hope of finding it in the first ce.¡±


    She muttered to herself in order to ease her disappointment.


    ¡°Shining moons, I wish I have some sort of guidance. It doesn¡¯t have to be as detailed as the dairy. Even just like a guiding star¡­ just to guide my way¡­ Maybe something will fall down from the sky.¡±


    Mia gazed at the ceiling wishfully. After a few moments of making sure that there was no savior of hers falling down from above, she sighed and started getting up to leave.


    All of a sudden, a bright sh of golden light appeared on her vision.


    ¡°Uhya !?¡±


    Mia fell backwards on the ground, screaming so loud that she might she might have received scolding if there was anybody else in the library.


    ¡°Heavenly moons, what was that?!¡±


    Mia quickly backs away from the light on her hands and her rear. Only after she was in a faraway safe distance that she stopped ang tried to take a good look at it. The light gradually diminished. A faint shape of a person appeared. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was seeing an illusion.


    ¡°Oh, wha-wha-what is that?¡±


    And then Mia suddenly noticed. She was all alone in therge library. Furthermore, she is in the farthest ce from the entrance where the staff are. Moreover, it was quite dark and quiet, with the air seemingly stale. In short, it¡¯s a creepy ce.


    Mia doesn¡¯t believe in ghosts. Well, that¡¯s what she tells herself anyway.


    ¡°Oh, oh, ohohoh. Ghost? Only children believe in those kinds of things. The-They don¡¯t actually exist. N-No sharp tee-teeth. N-No bad fairy or de-demons who possess. No-None of those are real.¡±


    Of course this is from an adult woman who is over 20 years old on the inside. It would be ridiculous for her to believe in ghost or goblins. Adults like Mia¡­


    <em>Patter¡­ Patter¡­.</em>


    In the fading light, something like a human figure was crawling towards Mia!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡±


    Mia screamed but her voice was gone. She just repeatedly opened and closed her mouth. She wanted to call for Anne but she was too scared to make a sound.


    She bolted up, dashed out of the library full speed and into her room. Then she jumped into the bed and pulled the covers over her.


    ¡­ Later on, Anne was soothing Mia was sniffling.


    ¡°Mia-sama, it¡¯s okay. There are no ghosts. I¡¯m sure you just had a scary dream¡­¡±


    To protect her mistress honor, Anne decided never to divulge the events of that night.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    So far this week, next Monday is scheduled again.


    The new semester begins!

 Chapter 149

    <strong>Princess Mia is in Great Form!</strong>


    While Mia was healing from the traumatizing event that happened in the library, the season changed. It was the new semester, and now Mia is in her second year. She will be fourteen this winter.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be scared of ghosts forever. I can sleep alone again!¡±


    After making a bossy deration, Mia moved out from Anne¡¯s bed, which she had been using throughout the spring holidays. It was time for her to sleep solo again after sleeping with Anne.


    By the way, her reason for sleeping alone again was made arbitrarily. It wasn¡¯t because Chloe and her other friends areing back that she feels a little less scary. That would just be childish, and Mia is definitely not childish.


    With that out of the way, Mia proceeded to greet Chloe and others at the start of the new semester.


    ¡°Then, who can read this coat of arms. How about you, Princess Mia.¡±


    ON arge whiteboard at the front of the ssroom was an emblem drawn in a special red-colored sap paint. Mia looked up at it and stook up confidently.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s easy!¡±


    With all eyes in the ssroom gathered at her, Mia walked calmly towards the front to the coat of arms.


    Currently, Mia¡¯s ss is teaching ¡°heraldry¡±. Heraldry, as the name implies, is the study of the meaning of the coat of arms. This is an indispensable skill especially for noble children. This helps them decipher and recognise individuals and lineages from their house family crests.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    Mia stands in front of the painted coat of arms, looks at it and studied its parts. There is aw in drawing a coat of arms. When a noble boy and a noble girl get married, they basically inherit a new family crest that looks like abination of half of each their family crests. For example, if Mia and Abel were to get married, the Tearmoon emblem ¡°Crescent Moon¡± and the Remno royal emblem ¡°Warrior Wolf¡± would bebined to create a new coat of arms. In other words, if one knows the coat of arms that is present to each noble house, one can easily identify the connections of that family to other houses.


    By the way, that example earlier was definitely just an example. It didn¡¯t mean that Mia spends her free time scribbling her mirror in her room, while dreamily mumbling, ¡°Ahhh, if I marry Prince Abel, our emblem will look like this¡­. The wolf howling at the moon¡­ it¡¯s a perfect match.¡± She definitely does not do this kind of thing. Never.


    In the previous timeline, something that she also never did was doodling emblemsbining Sunnd¡¯s sun and Tearmoon¡¯s moon, while dreamily muttering, ¡°Ahh, if I marry Prince Sion¡­ (the rest are omitted).¡± Any mention of such things is definitely fake news!


    ¡°Hmm, the right side of this emblem is the family crest is the Count Gand, the lower left is Marquis Wesley, a nobleman of the Sunnd, and the upper right is ¡­¡±


    The elderly female teacher nodded satisfactorily to Mia¡¯s answer.


    ¡°The answer is correct. As expected of Your Highness Mia. You have been doing your homework.¡±


    This teacher was known to be strict and an earnest praise from her was rare. Mia couldn¡¯t help but show a smug grin to her ssmates.


    ¡°Hmm, as I have said, this was a piece of cake.¡±


    So, in this new semester, Mia started off in a great form. This is a surprise to anyone who has been following her grades. Her performance is all due to Anne, of course.


    After being traumatized in the library, Mia could no longer sleep alone. Once Anne started sleeping with her, things improved to the point that she managed to fall asleep. But even then, it took her awhile to fall asleep. When Anne noticed this, she devised a n.


    ¡°Mia-sama, if you can¡¯t sleep, why don¡¯t we review what you have learnedst year?¡±


    Then Anne recited Mia the first year¡¯s lessons in a tone like a luby. Anne¡¯s idea was to reduce the burden on Mia, who had been struggling in the tests.


    This worked better than expected. As soon as Anne started talking, Mia fell asleep. Whenever Anne looked up from a book, she noticed that Mia was already dozing peacefully. But, strangely enough, Mia remembered what she was hearing while she was sleeping. This is the moment when the ¡°Anne-style sleep-learning method¡± was born! Thanks to this method, Mia could now behave in a fashion befitting her title of the Wisdom of the Empire. It was a miracle!


    Mia smiles cheerfully as she basked on the praises of her ssmates.


    <em>Oh, this feels very good. This is how it should always be¡­</em>


    She was on cloud nine. But life doesn¡¯t always go so well¡­


    Little did she know that by lunch time the cause of trauma would be revived.


    That day, Mia was having lunch in the courtyard with the usual girls around her. They were doing a pic after having asked sandwiches from the cafeteria. The clear sky was blue, and the spring sunshine was warm andfortable.


    <em>It¡¯s a perfect pic day. The salted meat of this sandwich is excellent. I¡¯ll just have another one.</em>


    Mia was eating the sandwiches in a cheerful mood. But the time for fun chats didn¡¯tst very long. Halfway through the lunch break, one of Mia¡¯s entourage, the daughter of the Count Gleich, Dora asked her a question.


    ¡°By the way, Princess Mia, have you heard?¡±


    Mia was busy eating her sandwich¡­


    ¡°Hmm? Heard about what?¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice the dangerous atmosphere created by Dora.


    ¡°¡­ it seems that there was a sighting.¡±


    Mia gave Dora a nk look.


    ¡°A sighting? Of what?¡±


    Dora theatrically lowered her voice and said¡­


    ¡°A ghost¡­¡­¡±


    She said in a terrifying voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Dora continued speaking regardless of Mia, who opened her mouth in shock.


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    This week, we are nning to update on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

 Chapter 150

    <strong>Chloe, Tiona and Mia¡¯s Syllogism</strong>


    ¡°Gh-gh-ghost ¡­?¡±


    Mia stammered to which Dora nodded seriously.


    ¡°I heard from one of my friends that she saw it. She was walking in the girls¡¯ dormitory at night, and she saw it ¡­¡±


    Dora paused and stared wide-eyed at Mia¡­


    ¡°The ghost of a girl dressed in tattered rags!¡±


    <em>Would you quit it with the scary expressions!</em>


    While screaming inwardly, Mia did not break her smile. If someone pays close attention to her, Mia¡¯s clenched cheeks would be obvious. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many people around who were very good at observing.


    ¡°Rumor has it that it is said to be the ghost of a female student who lost her love and killed herself, or the ghost of a child of a townsman who drowned in theke ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared! Princess Mia, are you afraid of ghosts?¡±


    The girls around Mia were clearly scared and one of them decided to ask Mia as well.


    ¡°Ghosts¡­ Well, they may be fun to talk about¡­¡±


    Mia shook her head, then gave a confident smile.


    ¡°¡­but unfortunately, I¡¯m not a child anymore to be scared of those things.¡±


    Then she elegantly put a sandwich into her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to prepare for the next lesson, so I¡¯ll go ahead.¡±


    Mia lifted her skirt, curtsied; and left the courtyard in a hurry.


    Upon entering the school building, Mia she started sprinting. By the time she climbed up the stairs, she was at full speed. She flips her skirt lightly, totally unbing of a noble, that she may run a little bit faster. I went up the stairs two step at a time and entered a ssroom.


    ¡°Chloe, Chloe!¡±


    As soon as she entered, she scanned the ce and found Chloe staring at her surprised.


    ¡°Huh? Mia-sama? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Apparently, Chloe was preparing for the next lesson in the ssroom. She seemed to have been enjoying a chat with Tiona. By the way, it seems that these two people who became acquainted through Mia asionally talk to each other.


    Chloe¡¯s deep knowledge of nts was very useful for Tiona, who was into farming to help her parents¡¯ house. The two seem to be in a pleasant conversation, but Mia interrupted them.


    Upon reaching them, Mia immediately asked¡­


    ¡°Chloe, I have a question¡­Are there really ghosts?¡±


    Basically, Mia doesn¡¯t believe in ghosts. She thinks it¡¯s very childish to believe in such things. But her inner cowardliness still scares her. That¡¯s why from time to time she needs someone to guarantee her that ghosts were not real.


    Moreover, there was that thing she saw the other day in the library. She wants to treat it as a misunderstanding, and so she was desperate for some reassurance.


    She needed someone to tell her that ghosts aren¡¯t real. The problem was that not just anyone would fit the bill. Anne and the others would tell her that, but they would only do it to reassure Mia. She can¡¯t also ask Abel or Sion. Abel would probablyugh and tell her she gets scared too easily¡­ which, now that she thought about it, might actually be a great excuse to bury her face in his chest and¡­


    <em>No, no, no. I can¡¯t do something so immodest.</em>


    And so, her weird sense of propriety stopped her from asking Abel. Sion, on the other hand, would probably make fun of her for being a baby.


    Also, Rafina and others may be experts of that kind, but there is something scary about it. <em>¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know? There are ghosts everywhere. In fact, there is one behind you Mia ¡­¡± </em>There is a danger that Mia will be forever traumatized if she heard such thing.


    When she thought about it, Chloe was the one who seemed to deny such existence and most trustworthy. ¡¡Chloe, who reads more books better than herself, is intelligent and calm¡­. So, Mia asked her with confidence.


    Chloe didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t evenugh. She looked down, thinking deeply. The light reflected off her sses and her eyes disappeared¡­ her face looked a little creepy.


    ¡°Oh, Mia-sama, I don¡¯t know much about ghosts ¡­¡±


    It was Tiona who opened her mouth instead.


    ¡°But I know that demoniacs often appear in my territory.¡±


    It is generally believed that demoniacs appear more frequently in the rural areas than in the urban areas. ¡¡The territory of Rudolvon, where Tiona lives, is a region far from the imperial capital. It¡¯s not surprising that she has had many opportunities toe into contact with such things¡­


    ¡°What is the connection between demoniac and ghosts?¡±


    Mia asked to which Tiona said something unexpected.


    ¡°Well, I just thought that if things you can¡¯t see like demons exists, then it can¡¯t be that much of a stretch to assume that ghosts exist too¡­¡±


    Tiona¡¯s answer blindsided Mia. She hadn¡¯t considered that line of reasoning and it was enough to scare her. Because Mia also has the experience of being involved in a mysterious phenomenon. Ever since her reincarnation, she had been a firm believer of God.


    ¡°The almighty God has bestowed something really special to me. That makes me¡­ the chosen one.¡± She usually tells this to herself pure of humility, orck thereof.


    If God exists, then of course, all the other things written in the scriptures exists too. This includes the Archdemon, the demoniacs and other terrifying beings that could be real. By this way of thinking, it was entirely possible that ghosts exist as well. This is how Mia¡¯s syllogism concluded.


    Which scared her even more.


    <em>Why in the dark moons would she say something that makes everything so much scarier?! This girl! I hate her guts and I take back everything good I ever said about her.</em>


    Mia res at Tiona. Just then Chloe started speaking¡­


    ¡°Mia, actually, I have a book like this ¡­¡±


    Hearing Chloe¡¯s soft but creepy voice, Mia almost screamed when Chloe produced a n even creepier book with a skeleton drawn on the cover.


    ¡°Hi?! Wha, what¡¯s that book?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, this is a collection of monster illustrations that came from an eastern ind nation, and they are a collection of pictures of scary monsters.¡±


    Then Chloe opened the book.


    What she saw there was monster with a long neck, monster with three eyeballs, monster who swallows humans, and so on.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­¡±


    That was it ¡­ Mia¡¯s slowly fainted.


    ¡°Wha! What happened Mia-sama !?¡±


    Tiona catches her in a hurry. Mia shook her head with a deep blue face.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just a little dizzy¡­ I¡¯ll get better soon.¡±


    ¡°You look awful. We better call Anne now.¡±


    Mia, who waspletely sick, decided to take a break from ss that afternoon and had to take a long nap in her room. She recovered by dinner time. She ate a lot and drank to her heart¡¯s content because she missed the teatime snack.


    She was unaware that such a decision would lead her to yet another tragedy.


    <strong>Syllogism</strong>


    ¨C an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions (premises); amon or middle term is present in the two premises but not in the conclusion, which may be invalid (e.g. <i>all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs</i> ).

 Chapter 151

    <strong>Savage courage to protect the pride of the empire!</strong>


    It was that night.


    Midnight ¡­ Mia suddenly woke up to an ufortable sensation that made her quiver in bed. It feels strange but it was something that she knew so well¡­


    <em>Uuu¡­ I need to go to the bathroom ¡­</em>


    The sandwiches she had in the daytime were salty, and as a result, she drank a lot of water at dinner time. Mia turned over and closed her eyes tightly. She figured she could ignore the urgency and sleep through it¡­


    <em>I have a feeling that if I sleep like this, I will be in trouble with another thing¡­</em>


    She couldn¡¯t stand it and so she got up. In the dark room, Mia walks up to Anne¡¯s bed, relying on the faint moonlight. She thought of asking her toe with to the bathroom, but¡­


    <em>During the spring holidays, Anne barely got any sleep because of me.</em>


    During the holidays, Anne took care of Mia who was frightened by the shadow she saw in the library. Night after night, Anne would talk to her and sing her lubies until she falls asleep. Mia didn¡¯t want to wake Anne up and burden her this time.


    <em>If Anne gets sick, it will be difficult.</em>


    Mia is, after all, a saint-like leader who cares about her subjects.


    <em>If that happens, I¡¯ll have to sleep alone in this room! That would be uneptable.</em>


    Or maybe not that saintly at all.


    By the way, Saint-Noel Academy¡¯s curfew was nine o¡¯clock at night, but Mia, being an exemry model of a healthy, wholesome child, always crawled into bed an hour early at eight. She¡¯d usually lie there for about an hour before the ¡°I can¡¯t sleep!¡± realization and ensuing panic came about ¡ª at more or less the same time as regr curfew.


    Then, she¡¯d spend about thirty minutes being tormented by the horrors of her own imagination before finally drifting off to sleep. In other words, even at the peak of her insomnia troubles, she was falling asleep about half an hour after curfew. She was actually getting plenty of sleep. Furthermore, once Anne switched from lubies to her patented sleep-study method, Mia would be out like a light within minutes of getting into bed.


    After that, Anne would continue reading for about an hour before sleeping. Then she at about five in the morning. In terms of sleep time, Anne is asleep for about nine hours.[i]


    Chances are, if Anne gets sick, it isn¡¯t because ofck of sleep but such calctions are beyond Mia.


    ¡°Uh, uh, I guess I have no choice.¡±


    Mia put on her slippers and left the room.


    The corridor in the dormitory waspletely shrouded in darkness¡­ well, not actually.


    The firefly azaleas on the wall give off a dim light, which makes it possible to walk without amp. ¡¡Normally, it would be a fantastic, dreamy sight¡­ but it just looked creepy to Mia now.


    From the shadows left in the corridor, the terrifying monsters from Chloe¡¯s book, seems to pop out¡­


    ¡°Oh, m-m-maybe I don¡¯t have to go after all¡­. I can probably hold it in until the morning¡­¡±


    She was about to turn back when a wind blew on her spine, and she shivered. Then she noticed¡­ it was toote to turn back now. She realized¡­


    <em>Ah, ah, if I don¡¯t go to the bathroom with barbaric courage now, I¡¯ll have another kind of trauma to deal with.</em>


    The thought of Anne hanging up her bedsheets to dry, stained patch and all, made Mia tremble.


    <em>Well, now is the time to show my courage, Mia Luna Tearmoon! I am the princess of the empire, the representative of Tearmoon. My shame is the empire¡¯s shame and empire¡¯s pride are about to be trampled! I won¡¯t go down without a fight.</em>


    Like a lonely knight on the battlefield, Mia stepped into the corridor, resigned to her tragic fate. Unfortunately, the destination, toilet was quite far from Mia¡¯s room.


    It was actually an act of consideration that the room of the Princess of the Empire was not next to the toilets. But such consideration was a nuisance for her now.


    ¡°U ¡­ Uu ¡­. It¡¯s far ¡­ Why is it so far? And it¡¯s dark ¡­ Hi!¡±


    Frightened by the darkness, frightened by the shadows, frightened by the sound of the wind¡­ Mia probably shaved a few weeks of her lifespan by the time she arrived at the bathroom.


    After a while ¡­


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Mia came out of the bathroom and breathed a sigh of physiological and psychological relief.


    ¡°Thinking about it, it was good of me to brave the toilets. Now I feel like I can sleepfortably.¡±


    While muttering, she gazed forward¡­ she realized something: she has to make the trip back to her room. Suddenly, her fear revived.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going back now. I¡¯m just walking back to the room. If I go quickly, there should be no problem¡­¡±


    Mia started walking, while encouraging herself.


    [i] I counted, it¡¯s actually eight hours. 9pm to 5 am. But 9 hours is what the author wrote.

 Chapter 152

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Springtime Ghost Story Night</strong>


    Immediately after she started walking, Mia felt thirsty.


    ¡°¡­ There should be a jug of water in the room ¡­¡±


    She was sure that Anne prepares one for her before she goes to bed¡­ but once Mia goes to bed, she wouldn¡¯t wake up at night. The more she thought about it, the less sure she was. She wasn¡¯t sure if Anne prepares the jug for her at night, or if she brings it in early in the morning.


    The truth about this is that Anne actually brings one before going to bed and prepares a new one every morning. Such a loyal vassal. Anyway¡­


    ¡°¡­If I go back to my room and find that there¡¯s no jug of water, I might not be able to go back to sleep.¡±


    Once Mia started worrying about something, she can¡¯t stop worrying about it. If she needs to drink because she is thirsty, then she really needs to gulp down water, even if this might mean another trip to the bathroom again. But for now, she just wants to quench her thirst.


    <em>It¡¯s not that far from here to the cafeteria. Rather than returning to the room right away¡­</em>


    The cafeteria has spring water that is avable for anyone all the time. The Principality of Belluga has abundant water. Even if it there was no water-drinking tap on each room, the water-rted facilities were generally in ce.


    Bolstered by her sessful trip to the bathroom, Mia turned to set out to the cafeteria.


    ¡­ As though pulled by some invisible force.


    When Mia arrived at the entrance to the cafeteria¡­


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that sound¡­¡±


    The sound that Mia¡¯s ears caught was like sobbing, or sniffling. It was like a girl was trying to hold back the sound of her cries¡­


    At the moment, the story she heard in the daytime revives in Mia¡¯s mind. The story of the ghost of a female student who killed herself!


    ¡°No way, it¡¯s impossible, absolutely ¡­¡±


    She should have just back away, turned heels, and ran. However, Mia was curious as to where or who was making the sounds¡­


    ¡°Heeee!¡±


    Involuntarily, Mia squeal and froze.


    There was a girl in the darkness. She was probably a little younger than Mia. Rough hair, worn-out clothes and dingy skin made her look like a slum¡¯s resident, unsuitable as a St. Noel¡¯s student.


    But¡­ what caught Mia¡¯s eyes even more was the red color that dyed the girl¡¯s body. The light that illuminates the dining room was faint. Nevertheless, the red burned into Mia¡¯s eyes. The red liquid that drips from the girl¡¯s head to the body, then to the floor forming a puddle¡­ it¡¯s like ¡­!


    ¡°Hiiii!¡±


    Mia intended to scream. But all that came out of her mouth was a faint, thin scream.


    <em>What is that!?? I-is it the ghost of a bloody schoolgirl!?? Hii!</em>


    Stumbling out of the dining room, Mia ran towards her room. Her indoor slippers flew somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered about it at the moment. Mia was barefoot on the corridor floor and trying to run with all her might¡­ but her body didn¡¯t move fast as she would like to¡­ it was as if she was in a nightmare. Also, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was just on her mind but¡­


    <em>Eeeek! Someone is chasing after me!</em>


    The sound of footsteps was following Mia. They were faster than Mia¡¯s and definitely catching up.


    Mia reached her room, and cried out¡­


    ¡°Anne! Anne!¡±


    She jumped into Anne¡¯s bed with a terrified voice. But strangely, there was no one in bed.


    ¡°Anne, why? What¡¯s going on? Where are you?¡±


    At that time, an unpleasant imagination springs up in Mia¡¯s mind. There was no other person in this world aside from Mia and that monster. It is something that she remembered Dora, her horror-loving ssmate, had told her.


    <em>Why do I remember such a scary story at this time!?? That¡¯s impossible! I¡¯m sure, yes! Anne might have woken up and realized I was gone. She might have been worried and was looking for me! That¡¯s all! There¡¯s no way everyone would just disappear like that¡­ that would be a nightma-¡­</em>


    It was then that Mia noticed a serious mistake.


    <em>The lock! I forgot to lock the doo-¡­ Eeeek!</em>


    At that moment, she could hear the creak of the door opening. Mia hurriedly hid under the covers and desperately closed her eyes.


    <em>I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Anne. Anne is back. It must be so ¡­! Other than that, it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s impossible ¡­</em>


    ¡­something came up on the bed.


    <em>It¡¯s strange. If it was Anne, she should say something to me!</em>


    Fearfully, Mia opens her eyelids slowly just a bit. And there¡­, the girl¡¯s face dyed in something bright red can be seen just before her own face!


    <em>Hi, hii good! Ah¡­¡­.</em>


    With that, Mia lost consciousness.


    Hello everyone, Mermaid Fish here. Sorry for having no updates. I was in the hospital for almost a month. What happened was I broke my elbow, sent to the hospital. Got a cast, and was supposed to be sent home in a day or two. However, when I was supposed to be discharged, I tested positive for Covid. At first, I didn¡¯t thought of it much. 5 dayster, I was moved to Respiratory ward because my breathing wasboured, and I was on a venttor. Never thought I would experience it first-hand, especially since I got my 2 jabs and booster already. All I can say about Covid is like taking a deep breath, but never really being able to fill my lungs, and then the next thing, I feel like I¡¯m drowning.


    Anyway, it was only yesterday that I was released from the hospital. Thesest three chapters were already done before I was in the hospital.


    I hope to take it easy for awhile. I hope you all didn¡¯t miss me too much.


    -Mermaid Fish.

 Chapter 153

    <strong>Princess Mia, reasoning</strong>


    Rustle rustle¡­


    Mia¡¯s body was shaken by something. She moaned and rubbed her eyes.


    <em>Hmm¡­ did I fall asleep? I feel like I had a very scary nightmare¡­</em>


    Mia slowly opens her eyes¡­ and sees the ghost face of a girl looking into her¡­


    ¡°Hnnggh-¡±


    Again! Mia was about to fall over and faint. But¡­


    ¡°Uhm. Could you stop pretending to be asleep?¡±


    <em>Huh? Did I just now hear a voice?</em>


    Hearing that voice, Mia stopped. Then she observes the girl she was terrified of. The girl was gazing up at Mia. Her face had a poor expression, and she seemed to be apprehensive.


    <em>Ah, this child ¡­ isn¡¯t a ghost.</em>


    Mia guessed. Mia¡¯smon sense said that ghosts wouldn¡¯t be apprehensive. At the same time, Mia reached out and touch the girl¡¯s hair. The sticky liquid on it¡­


    <em>This red liquid is ¡­</em>


    Now that she has seen it closely, it was too red to be blood¡­it is


    ¡°Oh, I see, this is¡­ the sap for writing on a whiteboard.¡±


    Hearing this, the girl tilted her head a little and gave a confused look.


    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t know what it is, but I tipped a container over. But please don¡¯t worry. I made sure to clean it up properly.¡±


    The girl answered in a polite tone.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s what happened¡­¡±


    Mia chewed her lip while thinking.


    <em>Well, of course, I knew from the beginning that she wasn¡¯t a ghost, but a normal human being ¡­ but, of course, I knew that there couldn¡¯t be a ghost¡­ But who, in the heavenly moons, is this girl?</em>


    With her ragged appearance, the girl would fit right in with the people of Newmoon District. Her matter hair looked like it hadn¡¯t been brushed for a while. The abundant rips and holes in her dress made it look more like a frayed rag than an article of clothing, and the limbs protruding from it were unhealthily thin.


    <em>A starving child who snuck into the academy.</em>


    This was Mia¡¯s impression of the girl.


    ¡°So, what exactly did youe here for?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I think you dropped this, so I came to give it back.¡±


    That said, the girl held out the pair of indoor slippers that Mia had been wearing until a while ago. She had lost them when she was scrambling back to her room.


    ¡°Well, you came here just to deliver these?¡±


    When Mia asked, the girl shook her head a little.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not all. I want to ask a favor.¡±


    <em>A favor? Does she want some food? </em>Mia wondered, although it seems to be her own desires.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m here. Please.¡±


    With that said, the girl bowed down. Hearing that, Mia¡­


    <em>Hmm¡­ I know what you are ying now!</em>


    After a brief moment of thought, Mia¡¯s mouth spread in a devious grin. At a nce, the girl looked like one of those townsfolk who could no longer stand being in poverty. In her desperation, she¡¯d even managed to knock a container of sap over onto herself, covering her in sticky red liquid. This made this girl look even more pitiful¡­. But no! This girl was only pretending. Mia, in her infinite wisdom, has seen through her act!


    <em>St. Noel¡¯s security isn¡¯t sox that random poor people could wander in.</em>


    It¡¯s hard just to step on the ind. In addition, the school itself boasts a security system that is more like a fortress than an academy.


    <em>That means that this child is a person who can escape from strict security.</em>


    Moreover, Mia already noticed that she called herself ¡°I¡± (TN here: the girl uses ¥Ü¥¯ = Boku in referring to herself. It ismonly used by men. The normal way would be to use ¥Ü¥¯, = watashi. But English only has the word I. So, a bit lost in trantion.)


    She was a girl no matter how you look at it, but she uses the boy¡¯s way of referring to herself.


    <em>This means that she has experience pretending to be a boy. The only reason she would do that¡­ is to lie about her identity.</em>


    Until then, Mia could only think of one kind of person who dare to sneak into St. Noel¡¯s, and who would be sessful in doing so¡­ It is no other than the members of the secret society who aims to destroy the world.


    <em>Chaos serpent! Hah! Nice try but you can¡¯t fool me. I¡¯ve foiled your disguise.</em>


    Mia¡¯s reasoning is usible! Although her conclusion was wrong because of wed insight, still, it was usible.


    <em>Hmm, you didn¡¯t waste your time showing up. Too bad, I¡¯ll send you directly to Rafina.</em>


    Proud and haughty of her aplishment, Mia snorts and res at the girl.


    <em>Well, now that I know who you are, you don¡¯t really scare me anymore. Thoughe to think of it¡­</em>


    No matter how young this girl is, she may be strong because she was able to infiltrate the academy. If so, it is a good idea to pretend to be deceived and deceive her as well. The brain of the tactician Mia is on a roll! Hopefully it won¡¯t roll downhill and off a cliff.


    ¡°I know that terrible things will happen if people find out that you¡¯ve been letting me stay here in secret, but even so, please, please don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± The girl pleaded.


    ¡°Fufufu, of course,¡± Mia said with a gentle smile, ¡°I¡¯ll keep your secret.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡± The girl looked surprised at Mia¡¯s answer.


    ¡°More importantly, are you hungry?¡±


    Mia picked up a small box on her desk. The contents of the box are cookies. In Mia¡¯s room, emergency food (=snacks) is stockpiled in case of emergency. This is to ensure that it is possible for her to survive a three-day siege (= weekend of not going out her room).


    Moreover, the cookies are not just ordinary cookies. As a result of the investigation that Mia ordered Anne to do, these cookies were judged to be the best tasting ones that are avable at a low price.


    <em>Fufufu, if you eat this when you¡¯re hungry, you¡¯ll surely be hooked. Then I will have you.</em>


    However, the girl shook her head a little.


    ¡°No, thank you for the offer but I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I am not hungry.¡±


    As if to deny the girl¡¯s words, a sad rumble was hearding from her stomach.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Mia stared at the girl silently. The girl did not change her expression, but rather puffed her chest in a show of confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. And to prove it, I¡¯m willing to swear upon the name of my grandmother, whom I hold in the highest regard.¡±


    <em>My, your grandmother¡¯s name isn¡¯t worth very much to you, is it?</em>


    Mia resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she held a cookie.


    ¡°Take one. No need to hesitate, okay? You see, there¡¯s plenty¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I was told that food is scarce and precious¡­¡± The girl said, staring at the cookie as if spellbound. ¡°¡­ Besides, I have trouble you enough by asking not to tell anyone about me.¡±


    But having said that, the girl¡¯s gaze is still glued to the cookie. As a test, Mia tried to move the cookie in her hand from one side to the other. The direction of the girl¡¯s face kept on following it.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t ask another favor¡­especially food¡­¡±


    Mia threw a cookie towards the girl. The girl snapped at it in the air with her teeth! Tears slowly filled her eyes as she greedily chomped on the cookie.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so delicious¡­¡± Then, she stared at Mia, her benefactor, ¡°Are you some sort of goddess of charity andpassion?¡±


    She said while sniffling.


    <em>Well, well. This girl¡¯s a real sucker. </em>Mia snorted inwardly.


    Seeing that her foe had taken the bait, Mia put on her most amiable smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty, so don¡¯t hesitate. For now, cookies are all I have; but tomorrow morning, you¡¯ll have something decent to eat. And ¡­¡± Looking over at the girl¡¯s body, Mia nodded. ¡°You need a bath.¡±


    Even if she¡¯s going to send her to Rafina, she can¡¯t send her in such a dirty state.


    <em>Rafina might feel sorry for her and be lenient. She looks so miserable right now, even I feel sorry for her.</em>


    It was at that time. The door of the room opened.


    ¡°Oh, Mia-sama, I¡¯m d you¡¯re back.¡±


    It was Anne who was standing at the doorway. She looked relieved upon seeing Mia¡¯s face. It seemed that she was worried and had gone looking for her.


    ¡°Yes, I went to the bathroom. You came at the right time, though. Do you mind preparing the bath?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all mdy, but¡­ who is this girl?¡±


    <em>What should I say?</em>


    Mia looks at the girl, worried a little. When¡­


    ¡°Huh¡­, Anne? You mean Mother Anne? And now you just call her mdy, Mia-sama¡­ eh? Then that means¡­¡±


    The girl looked confused at Anne and then at Mia.


    ¡°Well ¡­?¡±


    Mia, on the other hand, looks just as confused with the little girl¡¯s reaction.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    By the way, I¡¯m very sorry to everyone who thinks there will be a love-angle, but Miabel is a little girl.


    I¡¯m not a lolicon.

 Chapter 154

    <strong>Moving Reunion Between Grandmother and Granddaughter</strong>


    ¡°What would you like to do, mdy?¡± (Anne)


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Let¡¯s take her to themunal bath for the time being.¡± Mia tells Anne while the little girl was gaping at them.


    Themunal bath in the women¡¯s dormitory basically has a fixed bathing time. But that¡¯s just more of a formality. Because the sourcees from the hot springs, there is always hot water. And if it is absolutely necessary, it is possible to just say nice words to the manager and be allowed to sneak in.


    It is said that it is very atmospheric to take a bath at night time with the moonlight shining through the ss ceiling of themunal bath. But such a thing has nothing to do with Mia who knows no better night-time activity than being soundly asleep.


    ¡°For the time being, wash this child¡¯s clothes¡­ and¡­ Anne, can you prepare a change of clothes for her. Just give her something from my wardrobe for now.¡±


    ¡°What about you, mdy?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±


    Mia looked down on herself and realized that she was sweaty. This is not surprising considering that she ran all the way down the corridor earlier.


    <em>Sleeping like this is definitely gross.</em>


    Nodding a little, Mia got up from bed.


    ¡°Well then, might as well see the allure of moonlit bathing.¡±


    Mia went to themunal bath with Anne. The girl was following them closely while being utterly silent.


    <em>I wonder what¡¯s the matter with her. Is she plotting something against us?</em>


    Mia gave her a suspicious look. However, the girl didn¡¯t seem to be ill-mannered, but rather confused. ¡¡When she arrived at the dressing room, Anne quickly takes off the girl¡¯s clothes. The girl did not resist and allowed to be undressed without anyins.


    Mia was casually observing the whole the situation¡­


    <em>Hmm, she doesn¡¯t seem to have any weapons¡­ And it looks like she doesn¡¯t do any martial arts.</em>


    Without clothes, the girl looked more or less the same as her, except skinnier. Her ribs are slightly visible, indicating that she hasn¡¯t eaten for awhile. Pallid skin and sinking cheeks, and herplexion was pale. And now that Mia has thought about it, even her hair felt rough.


    Despite suspecting the girl as a Chaos Serpent disguising as a slum dweller, now that she is fully bared, she was a pitiful little thing, and Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.


    <em>It reminds me of my life in the dungeon.</em>


    Mia knew what it was like to have nothing to eat¡­ and it was painful. Mia instinctively regrets of thinking that this girl is a sucker from the way that she reacted to the cookie. If it was Mia who had been hungry, she would worship the person who would giver her food as a goddess¡­


    <em>No, I would not go that far. </em><em>After all, I think this child is a little sucker.</em>


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s serious tone pulled Mia out of her thoughts.


    ¡°May I have your permission to use your shampoo and body cleanser? As well as your perfumed oil for moisturising her skin?¡±


    Anne is always helping Mia with all kinds of care. She is particrly proud of her work. As such, Anne took it as a professional challenge to rectify the situation of the girl¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Yes, you may. I¡¯m just going to wash off this night sweat, so don¡¯t mind me. Please help the child take a bath.¡±


    Then Mia smiled with a mischievous smile,


    ¡°In fact, why stop there. Clean her up to the point that she won¡¯t be embarrassed if she is going to a ball.¡±


    Mia quickly washed away her sweat and soaked in the bathtub. She then let out a sigh of pleasure.


    <em>Ah, I¡¯vee back to life¡­</em>


    She stretched out her limbs and loosened her tired muscles. While she hadn¡¯t been doing any exercise, the sprint earlier proved to be quite taxing for her body that was unustomed to physical exertion.


    <em>Whoops. I can¡¯t take it too easy.</em>


    After changing her mood, Mia looked at the girl again. The girl seemed to have surrendered herself to Anne¡¯s hygienic attack. She sat there with her eyes closed tightly and stayed still like a cat in the bath.[i]


    <em>I wonder who in the heavenly moons is this child¡­</em>


    At first, Mia suspected that she was a saboteur, or something sent from the Chaos Serpent, but when she saw the girl, it seems too ridiculous to suspect such a girl.


    <em>And the words that that child whispered earlier¡­</em>


    Mia was sure that she heard the girl say ¡°Mother Anne¡± earlier.


    Eventually, once the girl was filth-free, she joined Mia in the bathtub.


    ¡°Then mdy, I¡¯m going to bring a change of clothes and prepare the perfumed oils.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you Anne.¡±


    Anne bows and went off to retrieve the items she mentioned. The girl watched her until Anne closed the bathroom door and left.


    ¡°It really is Mother Anne¡­ but¡­¡±, the girl muttered, ¡°It¡¯s strange. It¡¯s her¡­ but younger.¡±


    The girl muttered and mumbled in a confused manner. But she suddenly raised her face and pped her hands together.


    ¡°Oh! I know what¡¯s going on. This is a dream!¡±


    In an impressive disy of the girl¡¯s mental resilience, Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of familiarity in her behavior.


    <em>Wh-What¡¯s with this child? And why do I get the feeling that we are rted?</em>


    When she looked at her again, she somewhat resembled Mia herself. The color of the hair that was thoroughly washed and cleaned was the same tinum color as Mia. The color of her beautiful eyes is different from Mia, it is emerald-green but its shape is still simr to Mia.


    Suddenly, the girl¡¯s eyes looked toward Mia, and Mia was surprised to see them wide open.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I amte in introducing myself. I¡¯m Bel. Miabel Luna Tearmoon. I am your granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Unbefitting of a princess, Mia¡¯s mouth fell open from the surprise introduction.


    Mia tends to refer to Miabel mostly as ¡°child¡±, only sometimes as ¡°little girl.¡± And for unknown reasons, it seems that in the novel version, their eyes are both the same color.


    [i] I don¡¯t think the author really have tried bathing a cat. If he did, then he would know that a cat would rather kill you than allow herself to be bathed.

 Chapter 155

    <strong>Facade of the Wisdom of the Empire</strong>


    ¡°Wwaa¡­ granddaughter? You mean like the daughter of my child?¡±


    Mia was so dumbfounded that she had to confirm the basic definition of the word. The girl¡¯s physical simrities to her were undeniable, but still¡­


    This should have been impossible, but Mia had experienced too much to dismiss such a thing. If Bel was really sent by the Chaos Serpents, then she wouldn¡¯t have to make such a crazy lie. In the first ce, it is a story that is never heard of even in fairy tales: jumping back in time anding to the past. The only thing Mia came up with was the almost simrity of her own experience.


    Therefore, Mia could believe Bel¡¯s words.


    ¡°That means¡­ Miabel, you ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, call me Bel, grandmother.¡±


    Bell said with a shy smile.


    ¡°Okay. Then call me by my name as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Grandmother Mia.¡±


    A groan came out of Mia¡¯s throat. Mia was 20 in the previous timeline. And now, nearly three years had passed since her reincarnation. Excluding maturity, Mia would be twenty-two or twenty-three years old.


    But that wasn¡¯t old enough for her to be called grandmother. She might be able to ept Mother, but the ¡°Grand¡± part is just too much.


    Mia approached Bell, waddling through the water. Then she silently grabbed Bell¡¯s delicate shoulders and smiled at her.


    ¡°If anyone asks, Bel, I am your sister, and you will call me Miss Mia.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But grandmother¡­¡±


    Mia leaned over Bel, bringing her face so close their noses almost touched.


    ¡°Sister. Do. You. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Huh? But, oh, it hurts! Your fingers are digging into my shoulder¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s practice. Repeat after me, Bel. Mia. O. Nee. Sa. Ma.¡±


    ¡°Mia¡­ onee ¡­ sama?¡±


    Bel¡¯s voice trembled with fear but she was able to finished her sentence. And so, Mia released her.


    ¡°Well, unto more important matters¡­ Bel, would you happen to have gotten your head chopped off by a guillotine?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s sudden question, Bel blinked and then she giggled.


    ¡°Ahahaha, that¡¯s such a weird question, Mia-oneesama. Are you saying that someone can continue walking around after being guillotined?¡±


    <em>Yes, indeed!</em> Mia thought, but she can¡¯t really say it out loud. <em>I see. So being guillotined is not exactly a condition to be able to leap through time¡­ but then again, her time leap is differentpared to mine. Maybe this is something else entirely.</em>


    At that moment, a memory came back to Mia.


    <em>Awhile back, I wished for some guidance. Something like the bloody diary. Could it be that this child is¡­</em>


    Mia looked towards Bel whose smile had turned sad.


    ¡°But maybe Mia-neesan is right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was on the verge of being caught. I was so sure that I will be captured, and then I fainted. When I wake up from this dream, as neesan said, I will probably find myself on the guillotine.¡±


    Then Bel stared straight at Mia.


    ¡°But I¡¯m d that thest dream I had was such a fun dream. I¡¯ve always wanted to see my grandmother¡­ I mean sister.¡±


    Then Bel smiled a little. It was an awkward smile, as if a child wasn¡¯t used to smile was forced to do so. It was endearing, but also heart-wrenching.


    The next thing she knew, Mia had her hands wrapped around Bel¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bel¡±


    Mia looked straight into Bel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This dream of yours wont end. I, Mia Luna Tearmoon¡­, no.¡±


    Mia gently shook her head, then smiled gently and confidently.


    ¡°I, your grandmother whom you admire will never let it end.¡±


    To reassure Bel, Mia lifted her chin slightly.


    ¡°So tell me what happened? Why were you, a member of the imperial family, being chased?¡±


    ¡°that is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°that is?¡±


    Mia gulps and waits for the words that follow. But ¡­ before Bel could continue talking¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ my head ¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Bel¡¯s body swayed and copsed into the water.


    ¡°Hey, Bel!¡­ Oh, the heat must¡¯ve gotten to you.¡±


    Mia hurriedly lifted Bel¡¯s body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡±


    Mia tried to get Bel out of the bath tub.


    ¡°Oh, oh?¡±


    Mia immediately noticed that her head felt light and the room seem to be swimming. Thinking about it, Mia had been in the bath much longer than Bel.


    ¡°I-I feel a little dizzy¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s body swayed and falls down on the floor of the bathhouse.


    ¡°Oh¡­ the floor feels good¡­¡±


    A few minutester, Anne returned to the bathhouse and was surprised to see Mia and Bel syed on the bathhouse floor.


    Fortunately, Bel, fainted first. And so, she wasn¡¯t able to witness to inglorious sight of her respected grandmother rubbing her flushed cheek on the cold floor. Her unwavering admiration for Mia remains unblemished, and the great fa?ade of the Wisdom of the Empire was safely preserved.


    Congrattions, congrattions!

 Chapter 156

    <strong>Serious Pajama Talk Between Grandmother and Granddaughter</strong>


    <em>What a mysterious dream¡­</em>


    Bel thought while enjoying the pleasant heat of the bathwater that rxed her fatigued body.


    She was about to be caught by her pursuers when she was swallowed by a light. The next thing, she was in a strange building. A veryrge, and luxurious building like a castle. Surprised by the sudden change, Bel immediately hid.


    <em>Looking back¡­ it might have been a waste to spend most of my time hiding.</em>


    Had she known from the beginning that it was a dream, she would have walked around a little more. At the very least, she would have scrounged around for some more food; being hungry for so many days had been terribly unpleasant and¡­


    <em>I might have been able to meet Mother Anne sooner as well. Also¡­</em>


    In front of Bel was Mia Luna Tearmoon. Her grandmother whomanded unwavering respect by everyone she knew. And whose death was sorely missed by everyone.


    Her appearance has a resemnce to that of Bel, but¡­


    ¡°I, your grandmother whom you admire will never let it end.¡±


    ¡­Unlike Bel¡¯s, her voice was charged with a soft but steady confidence that manifested in the form of a gentle, reassuring smile. There was a quiet power in that smile that touched Bel¡¯s heart, and she felt herself unconsciously gravitating toward its enchanting pull.


    <em>Ahh¡­ So, this is the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡­</em>


    When she first encountered Bel, she offered her cookies without a hint of reluctance. When Bel refused, she had tricked her into eating them anyway. And as if food wasn¡¯t enough to show her generosity, she even brought Bel here for a bath.


    <em>The grandmother that I have always respected¡­ is everything I hoped she would be. Warm¡­ Kind¡­ Dependable¡­ I wish I could have met her earlier. That way, we could have had more time to talk¡­</em>


    At first Bel thought the dream was a little scary. But now it had be a wonderful dream, and she was having so much fun. To her surprise, she felt happy ¨C so happy that for the very first time in a very, very long while, since the death of Mother Anne and Mother Elise. The day of their deaths was the day that fun ceased from her world. But now, she found herself once againughing.


    <em>Maybe¡­ Maybe this is because I never let go of my name¡¯s pride. Because I held onto it until the very end¡­ and as final reward, I am allowed to have this beautiful dream¡­</em>


    <em>A final reward¡­</em>


    Bel realistically knew that her fate was already sealed. Once captured, a girl of imperial blood like her would not be allowed to live. She didn¡¯t know if she will end on the guillotine or die in a different, horrifying way¡­


    When she thought about it, her body trembled with fear¡­


    <em>If possible, I want to be in this world a little longer¡­</em>


    This world was warm and gentle world. A happy world where her loved ones are still alive¡­ and weed her with open arms. She sincerely wished in her heart to be able to stay in this world forever.


    However, contrary to Bel¡¯s wishes, the scenery in front of her began to be hazy.


    Her dream was ending¡­


    No matter how much fun she may have, all dreamse to an end. People can¡¯t stay in their dreams, even if they want to stay forever.


    <em>Grandmother ¡­¡­ I was so happy to have met you.</em>


    Then, Bel¡¯s consciousness melts into the white steam¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    When she woke up, Bel noticed that she was crying. She hurriedly wiped her eyes. The dream is over. What ising is a brutal and painful reality. She fell into the hands of her captors, and now she is in a desperate situation. A hopeless situation. Resistance was clearly futile. But even so¡­ She prepared herself to struggle. They weren¡¯t going to get her without a fight. But then she suddenly noticed¡­


    She was lying in a fluffy,fortable bed. When she looked down at her body, it seemed like her clothes had been changed¡­. The clothes she was wearing were fluffy and of very good quality. Besides, it has the faint scent of flowers which was very nice.


    <em>I ¡­¡­ What¡¯s going on?</em>


    ¡°Oh, are you awake?¡±


    There was a girl sitting on the bed and looking down at Bel¡¯s face. She was still lit by the faint moonlight before dawn. This moonlight emphasized her beautiful shining tinum hair.


    ¡°My? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you weeping¡­ our Bel seems to be a crybaby.¡±


    She leaned over and gently wiped the tear on the corner of the Bel¡¯s eye with her fingertips. She is¡­


    ¡°Mia, Grandmother ¡­?¡±


    ¡°<em>Mia-neesama</em>!¡± Mia said in a slightly moody voice.


    <em>How rude! To think that I waited for her to get up, and that¡¯s the first thing thates out of her mouth!</em>


    Mia lied down next to Bel, angry.


    ¡°Uhm, where¡¯s Mother Anne?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time to start preparing breakfast in the cafeteria, so I asked to go down and prepare an extra portion for you. It¡¯s too early to get up. We¡¯ll rest here a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Eh? In the same bed with Gran¡­ I mean with you, neesan?¡± Bel¡¯s voice seemed to be uncertain, and she shrank away a little. ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t dare do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactly prepare a bed so suddenly for you, can I? I guess you can use Anne¡¯s bed in the meantime¡­¡±


    Bell followed Mia¡¯s gaze and looked at the other bed in the room.


    ¡°What about that? But Mia-neesama weren¡¯t you sleeping in that one a while ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nope. Definitely not.¡± Mia didn¡¯t look at her as she answered. ¡°Anyway, there is something that I was meaning to ask.¡±


    With that said, Mia lifted the nket over their heads. Two little girls sneaking under it,pletely private. Then, after making sure that the voice does not leak out, Mia asked Bel again.


    ¡°Bel, could you tell me what in the heavenly moons happened to you? I mean, when I first found you, you didn¡¯t look like a member of the imperial family.¡±


    Tattered, poor clothes, unmaintained hair, thin body¡­ Far from being a member of the imperial family, she was in a miserable state, not evenparable to a daughter of a lower noble.


    ¡°The Tearmoon Empire, the imperial family¡­ what happened to me and my children?¡±


    At Mia¡¯s question, Bel hushed. There was a long silence and Bel finally opened her mouth to answer in a quiet whisper.


    ¡°There is no Tearmoon Empire ¡­ anymore.¡±

 Chapter 157

    <b>Princess Mia¡­ Messes it Up¡­</b>


    Mia was shocked by Bel¡¯s words. Although she had expected some tragic news from Bel¡¯s appearance, it didn¡¯t lessen the shock.


    ¡°Why¡­why? Did we not survive the famine?¡±


    ¡°Famine ¡­? I don¡¯t know the details because it happened long before it was born, or before my mother was born. Maybe it turned out fine¡­. It was mentioned in the book that praised your aplishments. The book said that you stocked up more than enough food to get through and even sent aid to neighboring kingdoms that were suffering.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s right. The famine will ur a few years from now. It wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you¡­¡±


    Mia began to breathe a sigh of relief¡­


    ¡°Oh, and that was also the time when they erected your golden statue in your honor.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Wha¡­? A gold statue¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother Elise said that the huge statue seemed to reach the heavens.¡±


    ¡°¡­reaching the heavens¡­¡± Mia imagined a huge statue of herself standing. The figure of herself with her arms folded and smiling proudly. Such a golden statue is in the square of the Imperial City¡­ and then she could imagine the scene where it was overthrown by the Revolutionary Army.


    Moreover, since it a statue made of gold, they wouldn¡¯t just take it down; they would destroy it to pieces and sell them off. It will be like they¡¯re taking me apart, almost literally. An image like that would be a shock!


    Mia has not forgotten how her portraits was treated in the previous timeline. On the way back from visiting the needy people with Ludwig, she was saddened to see the portraits piled up and burned in the square.


    ¡°This statue must never be built¡­ I have to tell Ludwig¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Howe? I heard that it was a very impressive statue with the finest workmanship.¡±


    ¡°Remember this Bel: We, the imperial family should never think of taxes as our own personal money.¡± Mia said with a serious face. ¡°Think of taxes as your own blood!¡±


    ¡°Blood ¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s the key to survival!¡±


    Bel nodded, diligentlymitting to memory a lesson that Mia herself learned from that most profound teachers ¨C the guillotine.


    ¡°So, back to the story, what happened to the empire after all?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know directly what happened. All I know is what I have learned from Mr. Ludwig.¡±


    With this opening, Bel started talking.


    ¡°After my great-grandfather, your father died, you did not seed to the throne. Therefore, it was one of the Four Dukes¡¯ families who seed to the throne.¡±


    The Four Dukes were direct rtives of the emperor, making their families part of the imperial lineage and therefore legitimate contenders to the throne. Greenmooon was on good terms with the imperial family due to Esmeralda being Mia¡¯s friend ¨C in principle, at least. Bluemoon owned an abundance of capital. Redmoon had strong ties to the military. Yellowmooncked a prominent feature but was still a renowned family.


    The four families varied in prestige and power but were all prominent nobility whose standing was second only to the emperor himself. It went without saying that each had its own faction of allies within the aristocratic world, and all of them were engaged in a never-ending power struggle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that a battle for session happened that led to a civil war?¡±


    ¡°Wow! As expected, you understand it easily. That¡¯s exactly what happened. The two families join hands and confront each other. Each noble in the empire, with a few exceptions, joined one or the other camp. The empire was split into two.¡±


    Bel sighed a little.


    ¡°Mr. Ludwig was mourning. He said that if only you had be an empress, it wouldn¡¯t have been so terrible¡­¡± Then Bel added in a hurry, ¡°Oh, of course, he said that you probably have a deep reason for not ascending, and that you declined it after giving it a considerable thought.¡±


    When she heard that, a cold sweat ran down on Mia¡¯s back.


    Ah, oh, now I¡¯ve done it. I¡¯m pretty sure I know what happened there¡­. That sounds exactly like the kind of decision I would put zero thought into¡­ Mia knew the thoughts of future Mia. It was, after all, still herself. Ah, it¡¯s because I read that history book. It was written I had eight children and the country prospered¡­


    Mia was absolutely convinced that her future-self decided not to be an Empress out of sheerziness. But in any case, she must have handed over the throne to another person for no particr reason or without putting much thought about it.


    ¡°Still, when the civil war broke out and the empire was about to break, Mr. Ludwig and his colleagues tried to put you into the position of Empress.¡±


    ¡°However¡­?¡±


    ¡°At that point, you were killed.¡±


    ¡°Killed?!¡±


    ¡°By poison.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ poisoning !?¡±


    Hearing that, Mia thinks for a moment.


    Well, dying by poison seems to be better than dying on the guillotine.


    A fairy tale story entered through Mia¡¯s mind. A story in which a princess and her knight who loved each other lose their lives by poisoning each other after an unrequited love.


    It definitely sounds more pleasant than having my head chopped off.


    ¡°It was a heroic end. Mia-neesan fought valiantly for thirty days against the poison¡­¡±


    Mia tranted those words as: suffered from poison for thirty days.


    ¡°And in your final moments, even as youy upon sheets dyed crimson with your precious lifeblood, you let out a fierce cry, dering that you lived your life to the fullest and died with no regrets!¡±


    Mia tranted that as: bled out of every hole in her body and died a horrible, agonizing death.


    ¡°It was written in Princess Mia¡¯s Chronicles.¡±


    Dark heavenly moons! Nothing about that death is remotely better than guillotine. Even considering Elise¡¯s tendency for overdramatization, I pretty much just went through hell for a month before dying in a pool of my own blood! That is a terrible and tragic way to die!


    The description was quite clear that when Mia imagined it, she shuddered.


    Moreover, I feel that this story is very popr even if some parts don¡¯t make sense.


    Considering she was dying of poison, she can¡¯t imagine herself letting out any kind of cry, nevermind that fierce deration that Bel mentioned. Bel, meanwhile, was looking at her with glittering eyes. This made Mia a little anxious.


    What in the moons have they been teaching about me¡­?


    Mia has always been curious, but this time, she preferred not knowing for now.


    ¡°After that, my uncles and aunts, worried about their safety and scattered into hiding. I was first sent to Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s ce for protection. But then my mother passed away. Just before she did, she entrusted me under the care of Mother Anne.¡±


    Bel stops to breath. When she spoke again, her voice was softer.


    ¡°But then¡­ they came¡­ and Mother Anne to protect me, she¡­ and after that, Mother Elise took care of me, but she too¡­¡±


    Oh, Anne and Elise. You guys have been loyal to me even after I died¡­ But Elise, you need to stop making things up when you write about me.


    Mia sighs a little and asks another question.


    ¡°But if I died, the empire be destroyed so easily. What about Sion? I don¡¯t think he will overlook the suffering of the people because of the stupid nobles ruining the empire. And what about Ms. Rafina? Surely, she could not ignore the empire when it was in so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Miss Rafina? Do you mean the Empress Prte, Rafina Orca Belluga?¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes, I think¡­ Hmm? Empress Prte?¡±


    Mia scratched her head upon hearing an unfamiliar term.

 Chapter 158

    <strong>Empress Prte Rafina</strong>


    While they were talking, morning came. Lacking in sleep, Mia headed down to the cafeteria for breakfast while stifling her yawns. Anne was given instructions to bring breakfast to Bel who was left in the room. Arriving at the cafeteria, Mia had a normal conversation with her usual retinue. After drinking a ss of fresh milk, she recalled the talk she had with Bel.


    <em>Empress Prte Rafina¡­ It was an unbelievable story.</em>


    The Holy Principality of Belluga is a small nation with no military power. Instead, it is the seat of the Central Orthodox Church, whose influence spans through the whole continent. There is no king in Belluga. Instead, it worshipped the one and only God as its lord and king, making the Duke of Belluga the highest-ranking individual in the principality. He was theoretically appointed by God, and he functions as the head of both the state and the church.


    He does not have an army and does not call himself a king. It is out of humility and as a self-control from holding absolute power.


    <em>Nevertheless, Rafina was named the Empress Prte and even raised an army herself.</em>


    This was what Bel said to her in bed. ¡°Empress Prte Rafina called for war against the heretical society of the Chaos Serpents. She recruited volunteers from neighbouring kingdoms and organized them to create the Holy Aquarian Army.¡±


    ¡°Rafina-sama, did that?¡±


    Indeed, she dered a fight against the Chaos Serpents and asked Mia and others to help. But Mia didn¡¯t expect her to create her own army and head off to war.


    ¡°Not only that. She renamed the Holy Principality of Belluga into the Holy Belluga Empire and started demanding allegiance from nearby kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that an act of aggression? What in the dark moons made her do something like that?¡±


    ¡°To prevent sabotage through the establishment of absolute control. By using the Aquarian Army as her personal military, she sought topletely eradicate all the hidden heretics in the popce¡­ is what Ludwig-sensei said.¡±


    Mia hid augh at Bel¡¯s subtle impersonation of Ludwig.


    ¡°¡­Eradicating all heretics¡­ the scale of that¡­ the mess¡­ even if Tearmoon was in turmoil, didn¡¯t Sion of Sunnd do anything?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, Sunnd was also in a state of civil war. There was a nobles¡¯ faction that wanted to join the Empress Prte¡¯s cause, while the Libra King Sion and his allies were opposed to her methods.¡±


    Even Sion, known for his unwaveringmitment to good government and just rule, was faced with a divided kingdom. This is the weight of the Holy Lady¡¯s words.


    ¡°This flow of division eventually came to Tearmoon. Of the Four Grand Dukes, two will be on the side of the Empress Prte, the other two will be on the side of the Libra King. In the end, the faction supporting the Libra King loses. As a result, the empire fell under the control of the Holy Aquarian Army.¡±


    ¡°From listening to your story, it sounds like Rafina is the root of all the problems.¡±


    Mia clearly thought that the Chaos Serpents was the cause of everything. But¡­


    <em>This is a contradiction. Rafina enforced a strict system of control to get rid of the Chaos Serpents, but because she did that, the world ended up going downhill. That would make Rafina the ultimate source for all this chaos.</em>


    In the first ce, Mia doesn¡¯t think Rafina would be able to do something like that.


    ¡°Why did Rafina do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­because¡­¡±


    ¡°Because?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know. I feel like Ludwig-sensei said something about it. But at that time, I dozed off.¡±


    <em>My, my. This girl has some guts to be dozing off in the middle of a lesson from Ludwig. She must have gotten an earful afterwards.</em>


    Mia was honestly impressed with Bel, but ¡­


    ¡°Ehehe, Ludwig-sense was always nice to me, so I kept on falling asleep¡­¡±


    Mia was stunned by Bel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Nice? Did you say nice? Ludwig is nice?¡± Mia asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Yes. He treated me very well. It was my fault for falling asleep, but he would always apologize and say that he must have taught the lesson in a boring way. He would always praise me too. Sometimes, he would pat my head and tell me I was a good girl just for staying awake and listening until the end of the lesson. He was my favorite teacher and I loved him very much.¡±


    <em>Hey, Ludwig, what is this?! The difference in this treatment! It¡¯s discrimination! This is clearly a discrimination! I feel totally wronged!</em>


    In the first ce, Mia got reprimanded when she was 16 or 17 years old, and Bel was only around 10 years old, so there is a big difference. But of course, Mia doesn¡¯t think about that. That¡¯s why her anger went on.


    <em>In the end, I couldn¡¯t get anything useful out of her after that. Well, maybe she will remember something elseter though. Still, I¡¯m curious about that story about Rafina-sama.</em>


    Coincidentally, Mia found Rafina also about to leave the cafeteria having finished breakfast.


    ¡°Good morning, Rafina-sama¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mia-san. Good morning. What¡¯s wrong? You look sleepy.¡±


    Mia tried to give Rafina a gentle smile. But with little sess as she had to stifle a yawn.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little short of sleep. More than that, I have something I want to talk about. Do you have some time during lunch?¡±


    ¡°My, how strange. I was just about to ask you the same thing as there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you as well. I¡¯ll see you at lunch then.¡±


    While Rafina¡¯s expression brightened, Mia¡¯s expression turned into a puzzled frown.


    The author left a note how it was supposed to be Empire¡¯s Holy Army, but changed it into Holy Aquarian Army, which could be read as Sexually Transmitted Disease.

 Chapter 159

    <strong>Rafina¡¯s Invitation</strong>


    After finishing the day¡¯s lessons, Mia immediately went to Rafina¡¯s room.


    Rafina, the daughter of Belluga¡¯s most powerful man, lives in the same women¡¯s dormitory as Mia and her friends. Her house is close enough that she canmute everyday. But she saw the importance in having frequent discourse with the next generation of leaders from across the continent. And so, she decided to stay in the dormitory.


    ¡°Well,e on. We¡¯re going.¡± Mia called out to the girl behind her. Mia¡¯s granddaughter, Bel, stared at Mia with a nervous face.


    ¡°Grandmo- ¡­ neesan, are you sure it will be okay?¡±


    ¡°Well, it will all depend on you. As long as you don¡¯t slip up and call me ¡®grandmother.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Humph. Neesan, you¡¯re such a meanie¡­¡±


    Mia knocked on the door, while pushing the pouting Bel.


    ¡°Excuse me, Rafina-sama.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wee, Mia-san. Oh? This child is¡­?¡±


    Rafina greeted Mia with a smile, turned her eyes toward Bel and tilted her head slightly confused.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s actually the reason I am here today. May shee in with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s okay¡­¡± Rafina said with a frown, ¡°But you¡¯ve given me a problem. I only prepared tea cakes for Mia-san and myself.¡±


    ¡°Well! That¡¯s a seriously big problem!¡±


    Mia was genuinely concerned¡­


    After they entered the room and were seatedfortably, Mia was relieved to find that Rafina managed to produce another portion of teacakes, which she set down and offered to Bel. Rafina lifted the teacup in front of her, took a deep breath to enjoy the scent, and then turned to Mia.


    ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ that.¡± Mia deliberately didn¡¯t answer directly. She first took a sip of tea letting the scent of sweet flowers spread in my mouth. As soon as she calmed down, she sighed and then¡­ ¡°Actually, this child is my younger sister¡­¡±


    With calcted hesitance, she gave the answer she had prepared in advance. She said it in a tone that suggested Rafina not to pry too much.


    ¡°Eh? I was under the impression that there was only one Princess of Tearmoon¡­¡±


    Mia replies, nodding meaningfully to Rafina,


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the only one¡­. Officially.¡±


    Unofficially, Mia was also the only Tearmoon Princess. But anyway¡­


    <em>Sorry, Father. I¡¯ll be tarnishing your reputation a bit.</em>


    Mia trailed off, leaving the words unsaid but the intent obvious. By her approach, she was suggesting that the topic was awkward for her and rather not talk about it. Rafina picked up the cue and immediately spared her from further questions.


    ¡°Well, as a ruler of the country, it¡¯s natural. It would be difficult if Mia-san was the only heir.¡±


    Then Rafina turned to Bell.


    ¡°I see, now that I can see her closely, she does resemble you, Mia-san. So, Mia-san¡¯s sister, uh ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, my apologies. My greeting waste. My name is Miabel Luna Tearmoon. Nice to meet you Empres-Ow!¡±


    Mia stepped on Bel¡¯s foot to silence her. Then Mia smiled and moved the conversation¡­


    ¡°So, I have a request Rafina-sama. Could you enroll this child to this academy?¡±


    Mia said with a little nervousness. Attendance at St. Noel Academy is a privilege. Even in the Tearmoon Empire, there are many people who could not attend despite their money and status. On the contrary, even rural aristocrats like Tiona and the general public are admitted with Rafina¡¯s approval.


    Most of the time, Mia relies on her political power. But this time, she knew that she can¡¯t throw her weight around.


    ¡°Admit your sister to this school¡­¡± Rafina nced at Bel for a moment, then. ¡°Well, I can hardly turn down a request from a friend.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rafina-sama¡± Rafina smiled happily at Mia, who bowed her head feeling relieved.


    ¡°Fufu, anyway, Mia, you¡¯re really bad at acting today.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Honestly Mia, do I really look like the kind of person who would pry? If you wished to keep your circumstances private, you could have just said so instead of talking in such a roundabout manner. Though, I suppose it is reflective of how much you care about her, which I find wonderfully endearing.¡±


    Then Rafina turned to Bel.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miabel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, call me Bel. Rafina-sama.¡±


    Apparently, Bel has started to rx around Rafina. Seeing that her work was done, Mia reached out for a teacake.


    ¡°By the way, Mia-san, there was something I wanted to talk to. Do you still have time?¡±


    Seeing that Rafina wasn¡¯t done talking to her, Mia reluctantly retracted her hand and gaze from the teacake.


    ¡°Of course. I hope I could be of assistance. Is it about <em>them</em>?¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t think of any other issue other than the Chaos Serpents that was important and relevant at the moment for Rafina to call her. So, she was surprised when Rafina brought up apletely unrted topic.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. Actually, there will be an election for the Student Council soon¡­¡±


    Rafina cut her words and stared into Mia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well, I would like you to join as a member.¡±

 Chapter 160

    <strong>Crossroads</strong>


    ¡°Me? Join the Student Council?¡±


    Mia was clearly surprised. St. Noel¡¯s Academy¡¯s Student Council is not just a mere exercise in student self-governance. The ones enrolled in the academy are all influential and with potential. It is a gathering of future leaders, and so being part of the student council means wielding real influence and prestige.


    Mia in the previous timeline was aiming for a position of the student council. However, although the president is determined by election, the two vice presidents and the two secretaries are decided by the elected president.


    The past Mia, who soured her own image that Rafina refused to acknowledge her presence, was obviously not selected for any of the roles. Shecked the audacity of challenging Rafina, and so ended up voting for her. She hoped that Rafina might secretly summon her to join the Council. That summon never came.


    Having failed to join the Student Council before, one would expect that Mia would be overjoyed with Rafina¡¯s invitation. But she¡¯s not! She thought it was more of a hassle. That¡¯s right, Mia is different from Mia at that time. She is no longer that na?ve little girl who delights in supreme authority and power. She is an adult woman who is over 20 years old. And with that she knows that great poweres with great responsibility.[i] She knows that she will disappoint Rafina if she joins but neglects her duties.


    And she wasn¡¯t that free. Chaos Serpents and Bel were already proving to be a handful. Mia wanted to refrain from taking on more troubles. Mia uses her head and tries to use a safe excuse for the time being.


    ¡°But Rafina, I am the Tearmoon Princess?¡±


    Unwritten rules exist in the St. Noel Academy Student Council. That is, the nobilities of Tearmoon, Sunnd, and their allies may not hold Council positions. Because of the great authority of the Student Council, there had been a lot of manoeuvring in the past. Skirmishes and sabotages followed that it disrupted and hindered normal school life.


    From such past reflections, the unwritten rule was born that the student organization should not include nobles of the great powers. Rafina¡¯s invitation deviated from that rule¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a written rule. And isn¡¯t it ideal to have a student organization open to everyone who attends the school? I think that with you, Mia, we can pursue that ideal together. And¡­ ¡°Rafina stared at Mia with her clear eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a person who sees people not for their status, but for who they really are?¡±


    With those words, some memories came back in Mia¡¯s mind.


    <em>She was always happy to see me getting along with Anne. And she was smiling when I became friends with Tiona and Chloe¡­ Ugh, Rafina¡¯s trust is too heavy.</em>


    Just then, a soft whisper reached her ears.


    ¡°Student council¡­?¡±


    The voice was weak and quivering. When she turned towards the voice, she saw Bel reaching for a teacake with a pale face looking at Rafina.


    What happened? Bel¡­ did we talk about something that¡­


    Suddenly, Mia remembers who Bel was. She is her granddaughter, but before that¡­


    <em>My guide! That¡¯s right. Bel is my guiding star. </em>


    The existence that was sent in response to Mia¡¯s wishes. Somebody who knows the future. Even if it might just be coincidence, anything that can make Bel¡¯s face pale is serious.


    <em>This needs to be considered carefully ¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s heartbeats quickened as she senses danger.


    <em>I feel like I¡¯m at a crossroads here and something bad will happen if I take the wrong path.</em>


    Trusting her intuition, Mia opened her mouth¡­


    ¡°It is an honor¡­ and extreme honor to be considered for the Council. But ites with serious responsibilities, and I worry about my ability to fulfil them. May I have some time to think about it?¡±


    Rafina smiled when she heard Mia¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Of course. There is no hurry to answer.¡± Rafina smiled coolly after she sipped her tea. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s quite impressive that you were unmoved by the opportunity of power and prestige.¡±


    ¡°You tter me too much. I simply just want to avoid causing you trouble through my own inadequacy.¡±


    Mia also lifts the teacup to take a sip. She hadn¡¯t noticed it until how parched her throat had be.


    [i] Yup, that indeed is the trantion.

 Chapter 161

    <strong>The night with tear-soaked pillow</strong>


    Mia decided to have Bel stay in the same room as her and Anne. The extra bed made the room cramped, but she couldn¡¯t demand for an extra room after having asked special permission to enroll Bel. This also made it easier for her to talk to Bel.


    ¡°So, what happened, Bel?¡± She asked Bel who had been acting strange since they left Rafina¡¯s room.


    The two people were sitting next to each other in bed. Mia gently watched over the pale Bel. There was the warmth of a grandmother watching over her grandchildren. This is the moment when Mia¡¯s grandmotherhood sprouted.


    Looking at Mia, Bel mumbled.


    ¡°I remembered¡­ something.¡±


    ¡°What did you remember?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ludwig said that what caused the world to fall into turmoil and chaos was this student council election. He was really sad about it, and he kept on saying, ¡®If only Her Highness had run in the election.¡¯¡±


    Upon hearing that, Mia gave a resigned sigh.


    <em>I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, but it seems like I won¡¯t be able to skip it. </em><em>I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­</em>


    While she sighed about giving up joining the Council, she was actually happy inside.


    But¡­ Mia was misunderstanding something. She didn¡¯t realize the meaning of Bel¡¯s words, and the horror they contain. That¡¯s why Mia nodded in a calm manner.


    ¡°I see. I really wanted to decline having a position in the Student Council, but if Ludwig said that, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll go to Rafina-sama and tell her that I will officially ept her invitation¡­ huh?¡±


    Mia noticed that Bel was shaking her head.


    ¡°No, Mia-neesan. That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ludwig said¡­ If Mia was in the election and defeated Empress Prte Rafina, history would have changed.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Mia tilted her head, unsure and confused. ¡°What are you talking about? Bel, do you mean¡­?¡±


    Mia tried to calm down and remember Bel¡¯s words.


    <em>She did say that I have to run the election!</em>


    Now that she finally understood Bel¡¯s words and their implications, panic started rising. This was going to be an open deration of war! Against whom? Of course, to Rafina Orca Belluga! The trauma that was never dealt with on the previous timeline revives in Mia¡¯s heart. Mia, moaning and holding her chest, immediately smiled at Bel.


    ¡°Ohohoho. What in the dark moons are you talking about silly girl? Do you understand what that means?¡±


    Bel¡¯s answer to Mia was extremely ruthless. Bel said with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s just what Mr. Ludwig said.¡±


    If it was Bel¡¯s words, Mia could have denied it. But when she heard that Ludwig said them, she had to consider it properly.


    ¡°Oh, but didn¡¯t you doze off couple of times? You must¡¯ve misheard it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If my respected Mia-neesama says so, I¡¯m sure it was my misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, Bel must¡¯ve just dozed off, huh?¡±


    Then, the two of themughed. Bel¡¯sugh was genuine, Mia was¡­


    <em>What am I doing?!</em><em> Even if I have persuaded Bel, it won¡¯t change anything! </em>Mia screams inwardly.


    After seeing Bel¡¯s reaction, Mia guessed. What Bell was saying was true, and not a misunderstanding. If Ludwig really said that¡­ then he expects that the fate of the world will change if she defeats Rafina in in the Student Council elections¡­


    <em>But it¡¯s possible that Ludwig, the four-eyes, might have made a mistake. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m sure Ludwig must have made a mistake.</em>


    Mia took a deep breath and exhaled to calm herself down.


    Suddenly, a single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek.


    <em>Ah, oh, I get it now. This is it, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s over. I have no choice but to take the plunge.</em>


    Mia¡¯s intuition told her that Ludwig can¡¯t be wrong. If that Ludwig said that if Mia didn¡¯t win the student council election, then the world will be in trouble, then it must be so.


    Understanding that she will now be stepping into hell, with no hopes of returning back to her happy life, Mia just spilled tears.


    <em>Oh, I¡¯m dead. There¡¯s no way out of this anymore. Uhuhuhuh¡­ Woeful moons, why?</em>


    Mia dived onto her bed, and buried her teary face in her pillow¡­ That was how she slept that night.


    By the way, Bel was rmed when she saw Mia suddenly crying¡­


    <em>Why is grandmother crying?¡­ Oh, she must have been impressed when I told her how Mr. Ludwig took really good care of me. She must have been moved to tears with Mr. Ludwig¡¯s loyalty.</em>


    With this logic, Bel was thoroughly convinced¡­


    Grandmother is a sensitive person with a kind heart who understands the feelings of her subjects and can be moved by them!


    As a result, her respect for Mia only grew stronger.


    In this way, Mia¡¯s future was clearly pointed out by her guiding star. Nevertheless, it was only at the eighth day that that she filed a candidacy application. During those eight days, Mia was procrastinating, hoping against hope that a solution would present itself.


    On the day that her name appeared on the candidate list, Saint Noel Academy was shaken to its core.

 Chapter 162

    <strong>Mia¡­ Stepping on <em>Something</em></strong>


    For eight days, Mia did her best. The morning after hearing Bel¡¯s story, she took a break from ss saying that she wasn¡¯t feeling well. Then she spent the day drowning in tears of misery and despair. Thus concluded the first day.


    The next day, Abel, Sion, and other worried ssmates came to visit her out of concern for her health. Feeling particrly adored, she was on sky high, and she felt a little more energetic. Thus concluded the second day.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to give up. We need to calmly analyze what Ludwig was saying!¡±


    With that in mind, she started looking for a way out of her problem. Thus concluded the third day.


    The next day, she returned to ss because she wanted to eat sweets. Because of her extended break, she struggled to catch up with the lessons. She retired to bed early with fumes of overexertion emanating from her head. Thus concluded the fourth day.


    This is half-way through her 8-day battle.


    After almost five whole days of unproductivity, Mia¡¯s gray brain cells started working that night. Her brain cells finally assembled a reasoning and a working theory. That is¡­!


    <em>If I defeat Rafina in the Student Council election, the history will change. So, in short, Rafina shouldn¡¯t be the student council president! In other words, I don¡¯t have to stand as a candidate. Anyone can run as long as that someone can beat her. Then things will work out fine!</em>


    Upon reaching the end of the road of that reasoning, it was as if a fog had been cleared. And Mia bravely steps on the new road.


    Then, the sixth day.


    Mia starts to move. Mia spares no effort if she wants to escape the crisis. It was Prince Sion that she came up with as a candidate. Prince Sion, ho is extremely popr and respected, couldpete with Rafina. It was a decent decision by Mia. Mia¡¯s brain cells, which had warmed up over the course of a few days, were now starting to work full throttle.


    After school, Mia immediately went to Sion¡¯s ss with a happy face while humming.


    <em>Hmm, it¡¯s a wonderful idea! Not only will I not receive death res from Rafina, but I will also be giving work to that Sion guy. My, my. Am I ever good at this?</em>


    By the way, St. Noel consists of two sses in each grade. Sion and Abel belong to a different ss than Mia. Tiona and Chloe are in the same ss.


    <em>I wish I was on the same ss as Abel. Well, I don¡¯t care about that Sion guy¡­ Well, I mean¡­ if he really wanted to be in my ss, I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind if we were all together. After all, he might feel lonely if we left him in a ss all by himself. </em>


    Every now and then, the tsundere Mia would appear.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Mia called out to a group of schoolgirls were near the entrance of the door.


    ¡°Yes? Wha ¨C Oh, Princess Mia?¡±


    The girls jumped a little at the sudden appearance of a school celebrity. Mia smiled politely at them.


    ¡°Good afternoon. Would Prince Sion be here?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes. His Highness Prince Sion went to practice swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°My, how diligent. I supposed I will find him at the training grounds?¡±


    ¡°Maybe? Oh, but His Royal Highness Abel was with him.¡± A girl who panicked said, who hastily added the information about Abel.


    Seeing that, Mia tilted her head and asked, ¡°Is that so? Oh, if Abel is with Sion that means they would be at the other ce¡­¡±


    Hearing Mia¡¯s words, the schoolgirls all looked surprised.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well then. Thank you for your help.¡±


    She gave a polite curtsy and left the ssroom.


    After Mia left, the schoolgirls looked at each other.


    ¡°Hey, hey ¡­ did you hear it now?¡±


    ¡°I heard it! Your Highness Princess Mia called Prince Sion without the title ¡®Prince¡¯, just Sion!¡±


    ¡°Maybe Princess Mia and Her Royal Highness Sion¡­¡±


    ¡°Well? But he supported His Highness Abel at the swordsmanship tournament? And she also called Prince Abel without his title.¡±


    ¡°So, among those two princes, which is your favorite?¡±


    Kya-kya!


    Mia suddenly became the central figure in the rumor in the ssroom where it will spread through the academy.


    Not knowing that, Mia visited the training ground, and when she confirmed that they weren¡¯t there as expected, she headed for the stables. She thought that maybe they were doing swordsmanship training on horseback¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ still nowhere to be found.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t the daughter of Tearmoon?¡±


    A voice called out suddenly from behind her. Mia turned her gaze and found a big senior in front of her. He was looking at Mia with a horse brush in one hand ¡­


    ¡°My, Malong-senpai. It has been a long time, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long time, Miss. Did you ride your horse properly during the holidays?¡±


    With that said, Lin Malong, the president of the equestrian club, smiled with a big smile.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Maybe I¡¯m better than you now.¡± Mia said with a smirk at which Malongughed.


    ¡°Haha, confident, aren¡¯t you? Okay, want to race meter?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want to. But I won¡¯t lose though.¡± Mia said with a big smile matching Malong¡¯s.


    ¡°By the way, Malong, did Sion and Abel came here?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen them. I¡¯ve been taking care of the horses since the ss was over¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that means they¡¯re over there.¡± Mia nodded while mumbling to herself.


    ¡°Thank you, Malong, I¡¯m away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Youngdy, you should be careful. Around this time, this guy ¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡±


    Mia¡¯s foot stepped out, and suddenly there was an ominous sound underneath. A little damp, watery, really, this kind of unpleasant sound¡­


    <em>No, what is it now ¡­? No way?</em>


    Mia was very, very reluctant, but still reluctantly, she looked down at her feet ¡­


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡±


    She made a sad voice.


    <em>U, U, my shoes ¡­ UU.</em>


    Mia is not a noble princess raised in crystal pce. In the previous timeline, she lived a hellish life in a filthy dungeon. She was no stranger to filth. As such, she can walk into the slums no problem.


    So then, she wasn¡¯t going to make a big deal about stepping into a <em>something</em>. It wasn¡¯t like she hurt herself, her shoe won¡¯t suffer any permanent damage either. It wasn¡¯t much to worry about.


    Still, the realization of what just happened came with an unpleasant shock that soured her mood. While slumping down, Mia headed for the alley behind the school. At the end of the narrow path, which looks like an animal trail through the woods, is the sandy beach where Abel used to practice swordsmanship.


    Eventually, her view opened up into a mesmerizing expanse of white sand and blue water.


    ¡°Oh, this ce is always beautiful.¡±


    The faint sound ofpping waves can be heard. Rolling waves gently crash against the shore before retreating to reveal wet sand glimmering under the soft springtime sun. Against this beautiful backdrop stood two princes, swords drawn and eyes locked.


    ¡°As I thought, they were here after all.¡± While muttering, Mia puffed her cheeks.


    <em>Even so, Abel doesn¡¯t understand a maiden¡¯s heart. I wanted to make this ce a secret ce only for us.</em>


    Mia stopped as she tried to approach them on the beach. She stares at her shoes, and then at the beautiful white sandy beach. She can imagine the brown footprints on the white sandy beach ¡­


    ¡°That¡­ would be unpleasant.¡±


    She took off her shoes.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a sandy beach, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡±


    Mia, who became barefoot as it was, tried to head toward the princes with a short run.


    ¡°Oh? Princess Mia¡±


    It was Keithwood who first noticed Mia and called out to her. Watching over the two princes, leaning against a giant rock lying on a sandy beach, he looked toward Mia and turned his eyes round.


    ¡°Oh, hello. Keithwood. How are you?¡±


    Mia lifted the hem of her skirt a little and greeted Keithwood.

 Chapter 163

    <strong>Princess Mia, Innocent Seductress of the White Sandy Beach!</strong>


    Abel steps in and stomped his foot, throwing up a ring of sand.


    ¡°Haa!¡±


    His sword split the air with a piercing whoosh and mmed into Sion¡¯s upheld de with a deafening ng. Keithwood sighed as he observed from the sidelines.


    <em>Prince Abel has gotten stronger again¡­</em>


    Previously, Sion was overwhelmingly superior, but now Abel¡¯s skill is slowly closing that gap. His signature downward sh seems to have improved, so with his overall skill aspects as well. But¡­


    ¡°Well, I doubt that either of them was satisfied about their current skills.¡±


    During the incident in the Kingdom of Remno, they saw for the first time the strongest knight of the empire, Dion ia. That man who shed the adamantine spear whileughing.


    After seeing that terrifying swordsmanship, Sion began to focus more on training. Apparently, it¡¯s the same with Abel, and recently both of them are working on their swordsmanship. Striving to outdo the other and themselves.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice that they are motivated. But don¡¯t they have anything better to do at this hot ce on such a hot day? Hmm¡­?¡± At that time, Keithwood¡¯s eyes caught the figure of a girl. A girl was running toward them, her bare feet leaving dainty little prints in the pristine white sand.


    <em>This is such a beautiful sight!</em>


    Keithwood was transfixed before snapping out of it and calling out.


    ¡°Oh. Princess Mia¡±


    ¡°Hello. Keithwood, how are you?¡± With that said she lifted the hem of the skirt a little in curtsy. Mia wore a shining smile that perfects the view of the glistening water in the beach.


    <em>Her</em><em> Highness Princess Mia¡­ Is she doing this on purpose?</em>


    In that moment, Mia was strikingly cute. Part of the reason was the backdrop of the white beach. Her delicate and bare feet blended beautifully with the white sandy beach. There was an innocence to her, like a young girl running along the shore or sshing around in the gentle tide. It awakened Keithwood¡¯s parental instincts and added to Mia¡¯s charm.


    <em>Usually, princesses don¡¯t like to expose their skin. It was effective during the dance party. But taking off her shoes and walking barefoot is another story entirely. Others might deem it unseemly.</em>


    ¡°Hmm? Is something wrong?¡±


    Keithwood smiled bitterly at Mia, who leaned her head and stared at her with wide questioning eyes.


    <em>Scorching suns! It¡¯s good that I am not into younger girls. But with this, even that wise Royal Highness Sion will be crushed.</em>


    Keithwood opened his mouth, replying¡­


    ¡°By the way, what happened? Why are you in a ce like this¡±


    ¡°Well, I have something to talk with Sion¡­¡±


    ¡°With His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it seems that he didn¡¯t even notice me aftering all the way here. I suppose I can forgive him a little.¡±


    Mia turned to Sion and Abel, who are still training.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t I just call out and surprise them?¡± Mia smiled a little mischievously.


    <em>Sacred sun! If she¡¯s doing this on purpose, then she¡¯s a devious little seductress. If not¡­ then, well, she¡¯s still a little seductress, and a natural one at that. The future of this devil is terrifying!</em>


    In this way, Mia¡¯s reputation in Keith Wood was upgraded from ¡°Seductress¡± to ¡°Natural-Born Seductress.¡± Little did Keithwood know that Mia¡¯s choice of going to the beach barefoot was not out of design or instinct, but because of something far less pleasant.


    Mia gently walks on the sandy beach. The two princes are obsessed with training and didn¡¯t notice Mia. As she approached closer, Mia said in a slightly louder voice.


    ¡°You two sure like hitting each other with swords, huh?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, Mia? Why? When did you¡­?¡± The first thing one to notice was Abel. He looked at Mia and he smiled, but he immediately blushed and turned his gaze away.


    <em>Oh? What¡¯s wrong with him? </em>In ordance with Anne¡¯s teachings, she handed him a towel. Anne told her to ¡°Give a good-smelling sweat cloth to the lord after exercising!¡± Mia is faithful to Anne¡¯s teachings.


    ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯m sorry. I mean¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Abel is restless and nervous but wipes his face with the cloth he received from Mia. With that sideways, Sion tried to head towards Keithwood. There was loneliness in his stride.


    Mia smiled at Sion and offered him a towel as well.


    ¡°Sion, you will catch a cold if you don¡¯t wipe your sweat.¡± It is a rare urrence that Mia is kind to Sion. But this was all done out of necessity. After all, Mia came to ask Sion. If necessary, Mia would willingly smile for him or even bow her head for him.


    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡± Sion looked a little surprised and then received a sweat towel.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s wrong Mia? I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯te here just to watch our swordsmanship training?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, well, I wouldn¡¯t mind watching you two a little longer. But in fact, I¡¯m here because there is something I have a favor to ask of Sion.¡±


    ¡°A favor? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sion, will you run for the student presidential election?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± Sion eximed in a in a cracking falsetto which was unusual for him.

 Chapter 164

    <strong>Princess Mia is cut off from her retreat</strong>


    ¡°Mia¡­ do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Sion stared at Mia with a very impatient face. It was the same with Keithwood, who was listening at his side. He was staring at Mia to see her true intentions.


    ¡°You want me to challenge Miss Rafina as the student council president?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why are you so surprised? It¡¯s not decided that the daughter of the Duke of Belluga will be the student council president. Everyone has the right toe forward.¡±


    Keithwood took a breather at Mia¡¯s words.


    <em>I see ¡­ In other words, does Her Highness Mia feel that the presidential election has be more of a formality? And so, she is taking an issue with it?</em>


    When he realized this point, Keithwood had an epiphany!


    There is always a reason for a system to exist. And the reason for doing things like student presidential elections at St. Noel was extremely simple and important. In a school where young people gather, problems tend to ur. However, in this school where many nobles and royalties attend, if the problem is handled incorrectly, it will be a conflict between countries with disastrous consequences.


    That mediator is the important role of the student council president.


    So, what do you need to do get that role?


    It is the support of the students. The student council president must have absolute support in order that his words will hold power. This is the reason for the student council presidential election.


    But now the system has be dead. A mere formality. Everyone assumes that Rafina Orca Belluga will be the student council president. No one questioned that fact, not even Keithwood¡¯s master.


    <em>The purpose of the election was to demonstrate to the students that through their votes, they themselves were the ones who selected their student council president. That purpose needs to be reaffirmed, and it seems like Princess Mia thinks that now is the time to do so. </em>


    Keith Wood remembered the other day. Rafina appealed for a joint fight against the Chaos Serpents. In such a difficult challenge, it was necessary for Rafina to prove herself. She needed to demonstrate that she was someone whomanded the full support of her fellow students.


    This would make the students feel that they chose her, and so they had to take responsibility for their choices. By making her president, they were obligated to abide by her decrees. Keithwood figured that this is the new status quo that Mia was trying to establish.


    <em>If so, Rafina needs to legitimize her election. The only way to do so is for someone who has an actual chance of winning to run against Rafina. Which exins why Princess Mia is talking to Sion. </em>


    A weak candidate won¡¯t do. The students must be presented with a true alternative and still choose her over her opponent. Only then would the intery of choice and responsibilitye into effect. By investing their trust in her, the students show that they believe in her words and actions.


    <em>But what if Rafina¡¯s contender ends up winning? I¡¯m sure Princess Mia has thought this through. She would be willing to ept that oue as long as the election is fair. But in that case¡­ why doesn¡¯t Princess Mia run herself?</em>


    Keithwood¡¯s doubts will soon be thawed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sion. You can certainly handle that heavy responsibility.¡±


    Mia said with a gentle smile. As if to encourage Sion.


    Mia was thinking about a proper strategy to have Sion run. It is a strategy based on the advice of Anne, a loyal subject who knows all about the man¡¯s heart (Mia believes).


    The strategy that was previously used by Tiona¡¯s younger brother.


    <em>Men are happy when they are recognized for their talents. All I have to do is to tell him he¡¯s got what it takes to be a president, and he¡¯ll be all over it in no time!</em>


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sion. You can certainly handle that heavy responsibility.¡±


    She was going to butter him up. And that was only the first step. If needs to be, she will even bow to him. After all, she is asking him to go against Rafina.


    ¡­Therefore, today¡¯s Mia has already abandoned her shame.


    <em>I will keep on giving you praises until you cannot refuse.</em>


    Just as Mia was about to go on this pathetic offensive¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mia. I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Sion said with a seriously face.


    ¡°No, no, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mia, I know your aim.¡±


    <em>What? He knows that I am pushing all my troubles to him?!</em>


    Cold sweat trickled on Mia¡¯s spine. But¡­


    ¡°You are trying to give me a chance to make up for what happened in Remno Kingdom, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡± Mia gave him a puzzled face wondering what Sion was saying. But Sion paid no attention to Mia¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°You n to impress upon the students the importance of a legitimate election. Then you¡¯ll hand me the task of going against Miss Rafina. By doing so, it will allow me to redeem myself for my prior failings. It is an impressive n. The sheer craft ismendable, and I appreciate your consideration. But I also have a pride to maintain.¡±


    Sion quietly passes by Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the opportunity to recover my honor myself. If it is something that ising from you, then it would be an affront to my dignity.¡±


    Ehh? Ehh? About what? What are you talking about!??


    Mia didn¡¯t understand a single thing Sion was saying. Sion walked away with his shirt billowing that added a dramatic exit.


    Looking for help, she looked at Abel, who only shook his head with a bitter smile.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. He¡¯s a proud Prince of Sunnd, but I think yourpassion was well conveyed to him.¡±


    <em>No! that¡¯s not the case¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant!</em>


    Mia is confused because she has no idea what is going on.


    At that point Mia should have noticed. The genius warrior¡¯s tactics have copsed, and it is already impossible to rebuild the front line, and that is why it is necessary to withdraw promptly.


    But unfortunately, Mia made a mistake in withdrawing. Therefore, the retreat is closed immediately.


    ¡°Well, Mia. If you run for it, I¡¯ll do my best to support you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you run against Miss Rafina, you¡¯ll probably deal with weird looks from all the other students, but at least I¡¯m on your side until the end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abel¡­¡±


    Abel grabs Mia¡¯s hands and stares at her with a serious face. Mia found herself lost in his gaze.


    Later¡­


    ¡°¡­ Oh, Abel is so cool.¡±


    Mia returned to her room with her heads still up at the clouds that night¡­


    ¡°Uh, uh¡­ How did ite to this?¡±


    She finally realized that she had reached a point where she could not back out anymore. Then, after wetting the pillow with tears for another two days, Mia finally decided.


    Thus, the news of Mia¡¯s candidacy for the presidential election ran around the school.


    The conspiracies, plots, and schemes with the election of the Student Council begins.

 Chapter 165

    <strong>The Princess with a High-Powered Gaze Returns</strong>


    The morning after announcing her candidacy, Mia entered the cafeteria for breakfast as usual. However, there was an unusual atmosphere that can be felt.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone¡± Mia called out to those who at the table. Her usual entourage looked awkwardly for a moment, and they just whispered a little, ¡°Good morning.¡± Then they quickly got rid of their meals and left.


    <em>Oh, I remember the previous timeline. It was about the time before the start of the revolution when it felt like this. </em>


    There was a subtle atmosphere in the dining room that created an atmosphere where no one wanted to get involved with Mia. As expected, there is no open harassment. The authority of the empire has not fallen to the point of being harassed by tripping her foot, pouring water over her head, and so on. Furthermore, Mia was pretty sure that at the end of the day, her fellow Tearmoon nobles would probably put their votes in for her.


    <em>But they probably won¡¯t publicly show their support.</em>


    Nobody in their right mind would want to openly oppose someone with such overwhelming influence across the continent. Not even Mia herself.


    Not! Even! Mia! Herself!


    <em>Dark moons, why is this happening?</em>


    It wasn¡¯t typical of Mia to give up easily. Her hopes of escaping this predicament were slowly disappearing.


    What¡¯s even worse is that the fact that she went to see Sion and Abel also contributed to unnecessary spection. Some rumors are floating that she made a shady bargain with them to secure majority to defeat Rafina. Without her knowledge, Mia was bing politically untouchable.


    She quickly finished her breakfast and returned to her room to get ready to minimize the chances of her running into Rafina. By the way, Anne has been apanying Bel to her ssroom. The emptiness of her room made Mia yearn for her loyal maid¡¯spany, but there was nothing she can do about it.


    <em>What I wanted is that I could find someone I could trust to go with Bel, and keep Anne with me¡­. But I don¡¯t know anyone like that.</em>


    With a deep, deep sigh, Mia headed for the ssroom. Even while walking in the corridor, Mia is slightly worried about the looks of the people she passed by. Normally, her entourage would have already flocked her by now. But today, no one approached.


    The situation did not change when she entered the ssroom. Mia was hoping to find Chloe whom she trusted will greet her normally. Unfortunately, Chloe hadn¡¯t arrived at the ssroom yet.


    <em>Oh right¡­ Chloe always takes her timeing in in the morning.</em>


    Having left breakfast early to avoid Rafina, she arrived at the ssroom early as well, and was now left in the awkward situation of having nothing to do.


    Mia sits lonely and starts preparing for sses because she has nothing to do.


    <em>Well, I guess this is it. It can¡¯t be helped. I would do the same. I wonder if I should go wait in Abel¡¯s room until next sses start¡­ </em>


    She entertained that thought for a moment but quickly stopped herself.


    <em>No, I shouldn¡¯t do that. I should stay like this. What¡¯s important right now is to avoid attracting attention.</em>


    When opposing Rafina, the more she made a show of it, the worse off she would end up. Even if she will win, it is better to do it quietly and without attracting too much attention. Ideally, her victory should only be met with mild interest. The goal was not, ¡°Whoa, she won? No way!¡± but ¡°Huh? She won? Okay.¡±


    <em>Most of the people here aren¡¯t interested in the elections anyway. I will start by bringing in the nobles from Tearmoon and friendly kingdoms. Then Sion¡¯s probably next. If I can get him to have a few private conversations with the Sunnd students, maybe I¡¯ll actually have a chance at getting over half the votes. </em>


    If so, the important thing is to secure the votes of the Tearmoon nobles to solidify her base.


    <em>I¡¯m sure that the families of the Four Dukes have some of their people enrolled here right now. I need them to promise me their support first¡­. Hmmm¡­. Given this, maybe it isn¡¯t as hopeless as I thought it would be. </em>


    It was at that time that Mia was fantasizing about victory when¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama!¡±


    There was a person who walked up to Mia! The glitter of the morning sun showcased her golden hair, and it is made into a dignified ponytail¡­. A girl who stares straight at Mia with her strong will shining in her eyes. that is,


    ¡°Oh, what happened to Ms. Tiona?¡±


    Mia is astonished but manages to answer. She thought that Chloe was the only who will talk to her now. To the dismayed Mia, Tiona¡¯s voice was full of resolve.


    ¡°I heard the story from Prince Sion and Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama, I will support you at the student council election.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Mia opens her mouth unintentionally. Regardless of such Mia, Tiona continues.


    ¡°Let me help you in the uing student council election.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Mia jumped up in a hurry. She was just thinking of riding through this election inconspicuously. Nevertheless, it was toote. A quick nce around the ssroom showed that everyone¡¯s eyes were on them.


    <em>This is bad! We are standing out!</em>


    ¡°Oh, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Mia tells Tiona while giving her the look that says: <em>It¡¯s scary to go against Rafina. So just give me your vote and don¡¯t make a scene!</em>


    Mia, was after all, a princess with the high-powered gaze. She could speak through her eyes.


    Looking back at Mia, Tiona nods.


    <em>Thankful moons. She understands. </em>


    Mia exhales relief in her heart. But Tiona started talking.


    ¡°Of course, I do. I¡¯m going to help you, and that¡¯s that!¡±


    <em>Gah! She didn¡¯t understand a damn thing!</em>


    Mia¡¯s screams echoed only in Mia¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 166

    <strong>Mia Leading Like a Pied Piper</strong>


    Tiona doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid at all. The unbreakable, stubborn, and straightforward attitude that emanates from Tiona reminded Mia of a scene in the previous timeline.


    <em>By the way, I just remembered¡­ this person was a saint of the Revolutionary Army.</em>


    Although the current Tiona is less powerful than the previous one, at her core, she is still the same woman who was willing to start a fight against the mighty authority of the Tearmoon Empire.


    <em>Moreover, her father, Count Rudovon¡­ dark moons! He is one of those strange people who like it when you hurt them¡­</em>


    Mia shuddered as she recalled the time she had made some unreasonable demands of the Outcount, only to find him smiling happily at her. There was no doubt in Mia¡¯s mind that Tiona¡¯s dad is that kind of pervert.


    <em>Her brother, Cyril, is a cute boy. But the people of the Rudolvons are basically all strange people. She really might not be bothered of the idea of opposing Rafina.</em>


    Mia gives up on persuading Tiona. In fact, election campaigns are necessary even if she doesn¡¯t want to do it in a big way. And for that, Mia needs help. She looked at Tiona again, then Mia sighs¡­


    ¡°If you really insist, then okay¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s words were cut off when four people entered her field of vision.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you guys ¡­¡±


    Mia was familiar with the two boys and the two girls.


    <em>These were the people who confined Tiona during the ball incident¡­ No, the verdict was that their servants were the guilty ones.</em>


    Mia leans her head, but before that, one of the boys knelt.


    ¡°I¡¯m Uros, son of Baron Langes, Princess Mia. I¡¯m here to repay the favor from that time. We came here to let you know that you have our full support.¡±


    Following that, the other three simrly reverently knelt in front of Mia.


    <em>Eeh</em><em>? e? What¡¯s going on!?</em>


    ¡°Your Highness has protected us who were about to be expelled.¡±


    ¡°Since that day, we¡¯ve been studying hard and pushing ourselves into various service activities. It¡¯s all for this moment so that we could repay that trust you gave to us. If it¡¯s all for you, then, there is no greater joy.¡±


    Then the four bow to Tiona.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry at that time. Ms. Tiona.¡±


    ¡°Can you forgive us?¡±


    Upon receiving the apology, Tiona smiles gently.


    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. I don¡¯t mind it anymore. And I think because we are all here to help Her Highness, that makes us all friends.¡±


    That attitude of suffering hostility, being able to swallow it, and still being able to smile, gave Tiona the makings of a Saint. Mia certainly noticed herpassion for others. It is very different from Mia whosepassion is for oneself.


    ¡°Oh¡­ thank you. You are a paragon ofpassion Ms. Tiona. In return, we shall do everything in our power to support Her Highness.¡±


    A scene of wonderful friendship was developing around Mia, which annoyed her.


    While this was all happening, Mia¡¯s entourage cannot be silent. In the first ce, they are those who have always followed Mia and idolized her. What¡¯s more, Mia herself waspletely unaware, but her entourage was also slightly different from the previous timeline.


    Having Anne, amoner, as her exclusive maid, it stipted that those who follow her should at least be able to ept Anne¡¯s position and presence. In fact, not many people can tolerate it. This functioned as a natural screening process, as it required candidates to be either open-minded or so infatuated with Mia that they were willing to overlook everything else.


    Those who survive this selective process were fundamentally drawn to Mia¡¯s character and liked her as a person. They were the Mia Elite. As the Mia Elite, they won¡¯t let the likes of Tiona or people who didn¡¯t even hang around as much steal the spotlight.


    ¡°Your Highness, of course, we will support you too!¡±


    Their enthusiasm proved infectious. Soon, the whole ss was flocking toward her to pledge their support.


    Aaahhh! Stop it! Would you please go away already? This was supposed to be quiet and discreet. I want this to be low profile! At this rate, Rafina will give me the death re!


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne, who had escaped from Bel, was rushing to Mia¡¯s ssroom. After all, she was worried about Mia. Upon reaching the entrance to the ssroom, Anne found Chloe. For some reason, Chloe is sneaking into the room from the back door.


    ¡°Chloe-sama¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Anne.¡±


    Chloe beckoned after putting her finger on her lips telling her to be quiet. Anne walked up to her wondering¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s a good scene right now.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at the ce that Chloe was pointing out. Anne smiled unintentionally¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama ¡­¡±


    Arge number of students were gathered around Mia and screaming for support of her.


    When Anne saw this, she looked at Mia and saw her with her head down and crying¡­


    ¡°She didn¡¯t let it show, but I guess she was nervous after all. She might¡¯ve been wondering if anyone would support her.¡±


    In response to Chloe¡¯s words, Anne looked at Mia again.


    ¡°Mdy, I¡¯m d¡­¡±


    There were not a lot of students there. But it was more than Mia had expected. From this small number would be formed Mia Party. A small faction that would challenge the political giant Rafina.


    By adding Tiona to her camp, Mia shatters herputational hopes of keeping a low profile to win. Little did she know that it was this very event that would save her from an uing crisis.

 Chapter 167

    <strong>Princess Mia Makes an Oath</strong>


    The student council election is a major event that takes ce over 20 days. Normally, the only candidate was Rafina, so the schedule was usually shortened to about five days. But this time there is a reckless challenger named Mia. So, they have to proceed with the usual procedure and length.


    The opening ceremony was held at the cathedral. This is the introduction of the candidates. It was attended by all the students of the academy and the ceremony itself was extremely strict and dignified. The candidates had to put on special clothes for this.


    In order to carry out the scared service of being candidate of the student council, candidates needed to wear holy clothing for the ceremony. The first piece of the ensemble was a thin veil made of a pure white material, which was to be worn over the head. In keeping with the theme of chastity, the hair was to be kept loose. No ornaments ¨C not even simple hairpins ¨C were allowed. Next came the dress, which was a long white robe that hung from the shoulders down to the ankles. An equally white belt was then fastened around the waist, a small dolphin embroidered along its length was the only decoration.


    Clothed with this simple attire, the candidates face the priest presiding the ceremony. As such, the candidates would be facing the students. Being born as a princess, Mia was ustomed to feeling the gazes of crowds on her, and she was confident ¨C perhaps, overconfident ¨C with her good looks. But even a veteran like her would feel the pressure of the other candidate who was a big favorite of the academy.


    ¡°Somehow, it¡¯s been a long time, Mia-san.¡±


    Rafina sat with a soft smile.


    ¡°Well, was that so? Oh, oh, I guess we have both been busy¡­¡±


    In response to Rafina¡¯s gaze, Mia smiled awkwardly. Mia haven¡¯t seen Rafina since the day she and Bel came to see her. It was awkward ¡­ of course, but it was even more scary. Mia thought that it would be unavoidable to meet Rafina if she summons for her. But since she did not, then she wanted to avoid meeting her as much as possible. However, on this day, Mia cannot avoid her.


    When Mia thought that she has to sit next to Rafina for almost an hour, cold sweat trailed down on Mia¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Sorry, Mia. I wanted you to work for the Student Council under me. I wanted the next student council president to be you. I wanted you to learn¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Rafina-sama¡­¡±


    Rafina looks a little sad, but Mia feels sorry for her¡­ The next moment, Rafina smiled at her.


    ¡°But it¡¯s also fun, because not wanting to join the student organization under me means that Mia has different ambitions for the council, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°If you can run a better student organization than me, I think, it¡¯s great. It¡¯s good for you. That¡¯s right, Mia.¡±


    Mia noticed there and then. Rafina¡¯s lips may be smiling¡­ but her eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    <em>Hi, hiiii! Rafina is mad at me¡­!</em>


    Mia trembled from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to what kind of election promise Mia will make.¡±


    When she heard Rafina¡¯s words, Mia felt the horror from within.


    Eventually the ceremony began.


    The scriptures are read aloud and the candles in the shrine are lit. Then they stood up and sang the chant together, and the prayer text was read aloud. All of that must be done in the eyes of all the students.


    <em>This¡­ this is quite stressful even if Rafina wasn¡¯t sitting next to me¡­</em>


    After all, it was very likely that the students saw her as an idiot who thought way too highly of herself and decided to pick an unwinnable fight against Rafina. Those gazes she felt, if not pitying, were probably of embarrassment. The more she thought about it, the sorrier she felt for herself.


    <em>Oh, I feel like everyone is looking at me. I¡¯m sure they are secretlyughing in the inside. Ugh, this is terribly humiliating.</em>


    As a matter of fact, there were of course some who thought exactly the same as Mia did. But, at the same time, there were quite a few who were in admiration of Mia¡¯s appearance. The white outfit looks like a bridal gown, depending on how you look at it. The bridal gown worn by girls around the age is a mysterious and beautiful one that gives off an indescribable charm.


    What¡¯s more, since the summer vacation, the hair that shines healthy with the horse shampoo effect, the skin gloss maintained by Anne¡¯s care, and the thin veil make it look mysterious, which has the effect of stirring people¡¯s imagination.


    Human delusional power is great.


    By the way, in terms of pure beauty, Rafina ispletely superior. It won¡¯t be a match. However, unlike Rafina, who often wears sacred clothes at ceremonies, this is the first time that people have seen Mia in such an attire. The so-called rarity ispletely different! It¡¯s an SSR!


    Naturally, the students¡¯ attention was drawn to the less familiar sight, and a roomful of eyes focused themselves on the veiled beauty before them.


    Eventually ¡­ the ceremony finally entered the climax, and it was time for the candidate to make their oaths.


    ¡°Then both candidates should make an oath before God.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s oath as made as if singing with a dignified voice. Following that, Mia stands up and raises her face. Ranks upon ranks of eyes were focused on her, and she thought for a moment that she might pass out on the spot.


    To calm her down, she took a deep breath and exhaled, then Mia screamed.


    ¡°I, Mia Luna Tearmoon, will run for the student president of St. Noel Academy, and will fight this election honoraply¡­¡±


    ¡­bit.


    The silence after she fumbled the word was deafening.


    ¡°¡­This I swear¡­¡±


    Mia managed to continue to the end.


    By the way, the god of the Central Orthodox Church is tolerant, so there is no me for biting or stopping in the middle of the deration. However, there were countless pairs of eyes and ears that just bore witness to her flub, and she hadn¡¯t the nerve to look them in the face after that.


    <em>Uh, I want to go home. I want to go back to my room in the Imperial Capital and sleep for a week.</em>


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but unfortunately ¨C or fortunately ¨C no one can see them through the veil.

 Chapter 168

    <strong>Tea Party of the Children of the Four Dukes of the Empire</strong>


    ¡°Fufufufu. It¡¯s here. It¡¯s here! Finally, my chance is here!¡±


    The tea party was secretly held in a corner of St. Noel Academy. Arge desk ced was in the middle of arge room. On top of that is an overflowing tea confectionery. Compared to therge amount of food, the number of people gathering on the spot are few. There were only two people.


    If anyone knew who they were, they would surely receive a greeting. In particr, any nobleman of the Tearmoon Empire would never ignore them. Because they are the ones who unite the central nobles of the great Tearmoon Empire. They are of the lineage of the Four Dukes of the Empire.


    ¡°Oh? Is Ruby noting today? She¡¯s selfish when this is the perfect time for us to deepen our friendship of our Four Dukes. Also, that little girl, Citrina¡­ skipping our party, the nerve.¡±


    Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, the eldest daughter of Greenmoon, has rich green hair that gently draws waves. It fluttered. She sighed and sipped a cup of tea gracefully.


    ¡°Hey, hey! What are you rxing about Esmeralda? Were you listening to me?¡±


    It was a blue-haired boy was scowling at Esmeralda. His trimmed hair seemed to be trimmed over time and did not appear to crumble even when moved violently. He was around the middle of his teens. He is about the same age as Esmeralda.


    Esmeralda looked the boy with disdain from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°Hey, Sapphias, can you make your voice any louder? Just in case I didn¡¯t hear you because after all we are indoors. Hmph.¡±


    The boy, the eldest son of the Bluemoon, Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon shook his head with a sigh.


    ¡°Yeah, you, hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t you know? This chance. There¡¯s a lot of honor you might have in St. Noel¡¯s student council! Because of the stupid unwritten rules, we, Imperial nobles can¡¯t join the student council of St. Noel, but if Princess Mia bes the student president, she must ignore such unwritten rules and appoint us as officers. See the difference?!¡±


    Sapphias sighed a little after saying in such an excited tone.


    ¡°Even so, to pick a fight with Rafina by running in the election¡­ Her Highness seems to be a little inadequate up in the head.¡±


    Esmeralda puts a tsukkomi in the straight word with a smooth face.


    ¡°Such insolence, Sapphias. No matter how much you are a member of the Grand Duke, you should still refrain from speaking ill of the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Didn¡¯t you nder, saying that His Highness was too familiar with themon people?¡±


    ¡°That was a legitimate criticism, you¡¯re ndering her with a false usation. There¡¯s a difference between the two. She skipped my tea party to go to her maid¡¯s parents¡¯ house, who aremoners. It¡¯s natural that I should urge her to behave in a fashion befitting her station.¡±


    Sapphias shook his head to Esmeralda, who was sipping tea with a smirk in her face.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, but listen to me a little. Her Highness Princess Mia will definitely lose.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And I¡¯m the one disrespectful when you are the one suggesting that Her Highness will lose to the daughter of a Duke of a small country?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re very disrespectful when you call Belluga a small country.¡±


    Shaking his head in dismay, Sapphias continued¡­


    ¡°As you can see, Esmeralda, the Princess seems ipetent. She made that hugemotion in her ssroom. She should be keeping a low profile and making deals behind the scenes. Open opposition does her no favors. Her best was to win is to evade spotlight until the final moment. But she¡¯s bungling her approach.¡±


    Sapphias reveals his thoughts with a sigh. Strangely, his thoughts miraculously matched Mia¡¯s thoughts! Probably birds of the same feather.


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll teach Her Highness directly. In return, once she is seated as the president, I can rmend myself as a vice-president for my advice.¡±


    Then Sapphias turned to Esmeralda and spoke.


    ¡°By the way, what are you going to do Esmeralda? I¡¯d like to know what are the intentions of the Greenmoons¡­¡±


    Esmeralda made an exaggerated show of bafflement, frowning as she titled her head¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the student council. Well, if Princess Mia invites me, I suppose I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Then she giggled.


    ¡°My father, too, is very obsessed about his position. I¡¯ll never understand why men are always so obsesses with positions and titles.¡±


    Then she cut the cake in front of her into slices.


    ¡°Well, do your best. I won¡¯t help you, but I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Very well. In that case, I shall.¡±


    In this way, the two pretending-to-be-plottersugh with fake smiles.


    ¡­By the way, it may not be necessary to mention, but just to be clear, the Four Dukes were rtives of the imperial family. That is, they shared the same blood as Mia.


    Make of that what you will.


    Mia¡¯s middle name is Luna (moon), while the middle name of the Four Dukes is Etoile (star).


    The Four Dukes are loosely based on the four precious stones


    Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon = Sapphire = Blue


    Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon = Emerald = Green


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon(?) = Ruby = Red (Her fullname hasn¡¯t been mentioned yet)


    Cetrine Etoile Yellowmoon(?) = Citrine = Yellow (She also really hasn¡¯t appeared as well)


    The four precious stones are diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald. And we all know that Mia has a diamond hair. Where Cetrinees in, I don¡¯t know.

 Chapter 169

    <strong>Princess Mia, Files a Comint Against Her Future Self!</strong>


    After school the day after the opening mass, Mia came to the library with a sad look but a grim determination.


    ¡°Backdoor dealings or not, I still need to make it look like I have a campaign for appearance¡¯s sake. Or Rafina is going to have my hide!¡±


    Mia was keenly aware of how underprepared she was. She knows she cannot win through conventional means. But without proper camouge, it would be quite obvious that she got her victory through underhanded means. She needed to create a situation that would make seem her victory natural. Or at least convincing enough to satisfy Rafina.


    <em>Convincing Rafina¡­ that would be difficult.</em>


    Mia is already bing depressed.


    By the way, there was currently no student around Mia. The Mia factions are nning about what kind of election campaign will be held in the future. They were doing the hard work of actually running a campaign.


    Coming from Tearmoon Empire, the concept of elections is foreign to Mia as there were no elections in the Empire. After talking to Chloe, Mia learned that in nations with elections, candidates frequently engaged in active promotion of themselves. They employed carious methods such as distributing portraits for their identity to be known or hiring a bard to spread their achievements.


    Since it¡¯s toote for Mia to have her portrait done, it may be okay to just write her name on a parchment and hang them up in various locations throughout the school. Chloe was part of the campaign meeting and was proposing various ideas.


    <em>I¡¯m a little worried if it¡¯s just Chloe, but with Tiona with her¡­ maybe it is okay.</em>


    Chloe alone will not be able to suppress the children of other nobles, but Tiona is with her. Tiona, who expressed her support for the event in the ssroom and in the tense atmosphere, was highly respected by the Mia faction. Tiona¡¯s abilities aside, Mia is confident that Tiona wouldn¡¯t do anything dirty that would anger Rafina.


    Besides, while everyone was silent, Tiona was the first to speak up. That alone was enough merit for Mia to let Tiona lead the campaign.


    ¡°It seems that she¡¯s on good terms with Chloe, and I hope it works well¡­ but I¡¯m going to have too much work to do, and my head will hurt.¡±


    After a small sigh, Mia propped her chin in her palm and sighed.


    ¡°Anyway, I have to figure out first my election pledge. What am I going to do if I be president¡­? I have to make sure that it gets known early.¡±


    While ruminating on Chloe¡¯s advice, Mia started writing down what she wanted to achieve as a student council president:<ol> <li>Increase the number of snacks in the cafeteria.</li> <li>Increase the number of jams that can be put into the tea.</li> <li>Winter mushroom hot pot party (to be made by Mia).</li> <li>Expansion of bathing facilities (interested in steam baths, etc.)</li> </ol>


    ¡­And so on.


    What came out was a pure and unfiltered list of Mia¡¯s personal desires. It was a waste of paper. As she continued to scribble, she heard a voice behind her.


    ¡°Mia-neesama.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, Bel and Anne! You came.¡±


    Mia¡¯s expression brightened when she saw the two reinforcementsing to the library. Aside from Bel, Mia has high expectations of Anne as her confidant.


    ¡°I heard that you were here and so we rushed in. I will help you too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful, Anne. I really want you to lend me your wisdom.¡±


    Then, Mia immediately showed the written paper to them.


    ¡°This is¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°If I be the student council president, these are the things I want to do.¡±


    Mia said proudly.


    ¡°Mia-neesama¡­ this¡±


    Bel carefully studied the contents¡­ and then looked at Mia¡¯s face,


    ¡°These sound really amazing!¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes glowed with wonder.


    ¡°I knew Mia-neesama was amazing. I think this cream pie wrap is really nice! I¡¯m in great agreement with the increase in sweets!¡±


    It was a great sess! Bel wiped the drool of her face as she continued to look at the additional menu for the cafeteria. In that moment, it was unmistakable that she was really the granddaughter of Mia.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Elise often said that it¡¯s important toe up with ideas freely and to think outside the box.¡±


    Anne also shows an impressed expression at Mia. Mia felt better after receiving the reaction of the two.


    ¡°Hmm! I can feel it. I¡¯m on a roll! I¡¯ll keep on thinking outside the box!¡±


    Mia¡¯s mind was racing¡­right off the cliff.


    Just then, a new voice joined the conversation.


    ¡°Hey, Mia.¡±


    A new person has appeared in the library.


    ¡°My! Abel! Did youe to help?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard you¡¯re holing up a lot in the library. I¡¯ve also been researching to make myself useful. I have been looking into the things that Miss Rafina has done since she became a president.¡± After saying that, Abel said with a serious look. ¡°There is an old saying in the Kingdom of Remno: know your enemy to win the battle.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s true. It makes sense to anticipate what kind of election promises Rafina will make.¡± Then Mia smiles at Abel. ¡°I¡¯m d I could count on you, Abel.¡±


    As a matter of fact, Mia was very happy just that Abel came to see her. Seeing Mia, Abel looked away with a shy look. Then he suddenly looked up at Bel.


    ¡°Oh, you are¡­¡±


    Beyond that line of vision was the figure of Bel staring at Abel with her eyes wide and incredulous.


    ¡°You¡¯re the rumored¡­ Is it a youngdy who is a rtive of Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Nice to mee you, Grandfath¡­ I mean Prince Abel. My name is Miabel. You can call me Bel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my best regards, Bel. I¡¯m Abel Remno. Prince of the Kingdom of Remno.¡±


    Abel looked at Bel with a gentle smile, and then giggled.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that when you think about it, I think Miabel is like abination of Mia¡¯s name and my name.¡±


    That being said, Mia finally notices.


    <strong>Miabel = Mia + Abel.</strong>


    Indeed, Bel¡¯s name can be thought of as such¡­


    ¡°Oh, Abel, you¡¯re so silly¡­ Ohoho.¡±


    Mia blushed a little andughed.


    <em>Oh, how terribly silly of them. I can tell that they loved us very much, but even so, a name like that is just so straightforward. What in the moons was my child thinking, giving her a name like that? You need to put more thought into ¨C </em>


    ¡°Yes, it is the name my grandmother gave to me, and I love it very much. It means a lot to me.¡±


    <em>What in the dark moons are you doing, future me?!</em>


    Mia screamed inwardly.

 Chapter 170

    <strong>Grandpa Abel, You Can Cry¡­</strong>


    ¡°We¨Cwell, so Abel, what did you find from your research?¡± Mia asked after regaining herposure.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I wrote it because I thought it was easy to understand this way.¡± Then Abel took out two sheets of paper and put them on the desk.


    ¡°This is a summary of the work Rafina have done since she became the student council president. And the other one¡­¡± Abel added bashfully. ¡°They are some ideas for campaign pledges. I hope they would be of help to you. Though I am not very confident with them.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I am very happy you did this for me!¡± Mia cherishedly picked up the paper that Abel brought.


    ¡°First, read the sheet about Rafina-sama. I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t read my ideas. It¡¯s really embarrassing to show¡­ Oh?¡±


    Abel noticed Mia¡¯s election pledge, which had been ced on her desk earlier. He picks it up and looks at it for a while¡­


    Then he looked at Mia¡­ and immediately turned his gaze towards Bel as if he was convinced.


    ¡°Bel, are you helping Mia too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a great honor to be able to help Grandmo- Mia-neesama. so, I¡¯m excited!¡± Bel answered cheerfully to which Abel gently patted her head.


    <em>Huh! Howe she gets a pat in the head? That¡¯s not fair! </em>


    Mia became jealous of her own granddaughter. So much for being a mature adult.


    <em>Why are you even talking to Bel in the first ce? I was the one who made those pledges.</em>


    Mia was angry, but when she saw the research that Abel came up with about Rafina, she turned blue.


    ¡°This is¡­ a bold renovation of an old school facility, abolishing unnecessary events and nning a new event¡­?¡±


    It was a whole new different dimension from what she was thinking. Admittedly, it was way better than her own. It paints the picture of a president who had been attentive to the needs of the student body, listened to their demands, and had the foresight to do meaningful work that would continue to benefit the academy 10 to 20 years from now.


    <em>And I have to make something simr to this!?</em>


    Mia¡¯s ¡°More Sweets in the Cafeteria¡± now all seemed like a childy.


    <em>So that¡¯s why he thought that Bel was the one who came up with those ideas! And why do Rafina¡¯s pledges seem like something Ludwig would say? </em>


    Mia didn¡¯t know Rafina¡¯s political abilities at all, but ¡­ if she had the same administrative power as Ludwig, then the battle is already over.


    <em>I have no idea what to do¡­</em>


    Mia was already in tears. However, a new person joined them.


    ¡°Oh, Mia, were you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Sion?¡±


    It was Sion who have just entered the library. There was a slight sweat on his forehead that suggested that he was running. As he walked up to Mia andpany, he looked at Bel and gave a curious look.


    ¡°Hmm? You ¡­ Oh, yeah. I heard from Rafina-sama. You¡¯re a rtive of Mia¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Nice to meet you. My name is Miabel. You can call me Bel.¡±


    ¡°Such lovely manners. I¡¯m Sion Sol Sunnd.¡±


    Upon hearing the self-introduction, Bel looked astonished.


    ¡°That¡­ Libra King Sion¡­ Wow! The real thing ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Libra King ¡­?¡±


    Sion gave her a confused look but notices the paper ced on the desk and looks at it.


    ¡°Is this the aplishment records of Rafina?¡±


    ¡°Yes, pretty impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Abel shrugs. Sion skimmed through the material


    ¡°I see. As expected, Rafina is still ¡­ oh? That paper ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡­!¡±


    Sion picked up Mia¡¯s election pledge.


    After looking through it, Sion turned to Bel, who looked at him innocently.


    ¡°Are you helping Mia too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I respect Grandmo- Mia-neesama a lot. So, I am trying my best to help her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a good girl.¡±


    Then Sion patted Bel¡¯s head while smiling gently.


    ¡°Ehehe¡­¡±


    Bel giggled with delight. It was the same exchange as before, but she seemed to enjoy it far more, with how wide her grin is. As it turns out, head pats were not made equal. Getting one from a handsome celebrity like the Libra King meant a lot more to her than one from her own grandfather.


    Grandpa Abel, you can cry ¡­


    <em>This child¡­ Surprisingly, she¡¯s a fangirl. And a terrible one at that. Bu then again, she covered for me with the campaign pledges.</em>


    Mia feltplicated. Turning to Mia, Sion said.


    ¡°So, Mia, what are your election pledges?¡±


    What Mia really wanted to say was: You¡¯re holding them, dammit! But then she had a sh of inspiration.


    ¡°Oh, Sion. If you¡¯re that worried, do you want to help me write them?¡±


    Mia¡¯s n was to implicate Sion. That way, if she ends up angering Rafina, she could im that Sion had helped here up with it and so lessen her own me. Even more, while Sion is not Ludwig, he is still a genius when ites to brains. So, it might be worthwhile. When pushes to shove, Mi was willing to use whatever she can.


    On the other hand, Sion¡­


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve decided that I will take a neutral position this time.¡±


    Mia¡¯s n fell apart.


    <em>You little¡­ Fine¡­ you were able to escape this time. And to think it was such a good n as well¡­</em>


    Sion shrugged while Mia grumbled under her breath.


    ¡°I do want to help. But I cannot do it with my position. It will look terrible if its people think that Sunnd and Tearmoon are joining forces against Belluga.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    <em>If you don¡¯t feel like helping, go home!</em> Mia wanted to say out loud.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forget.¡±


    Sion suddenly makes a serious look. Then he looks at Bel.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Serpents, is she okay?¡±


    Serpents¡­ A secret society, the Chaos Serpents. People blending in the society plotting to overthrow it. Since their identities are unknown, it is hard to know as to who can be trusted.


    Mia nodded.


    ¡°Bel can be trusted.¡±


    Rather, Mia wants to give Bel as much information as possible.


    <em>The empire will be in trouble, and the chaos serpents is definitely involved ¡­</em>


    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s talk. This isn¡¯t certain yet, so take this with a grain of a salt¡­ Mia, it seems like the Chaos Serpents have agents in Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I thought so.¡±


    It was quite convincing. The members of the Chaos Serpents blend into society with their identities unknown. So, of course, Mia thought that there would be some in Tearmoon, but¡­


    ¡°They seem to be part of the central nobles. Specifically, one of the Four Dukes is involved.¡±


    ¡°The Four Dukes!?¡±


    That was something that Mia did not expect to hear.

 Chapter 171

    <strong>Suspicions</strong>


    ¡°What do you mean Sion? One of the Four Dukes is involved with the Chaos Serpents?¡± Mia asked flustered.


    The Four Dukes of the Empire were the nobles closest to the emperor. They were rted to him by blood and so they have the right to seed to the throne. This doesn¡¯t mean they are automatically trustworthy, but considering their closeness to the emperor, they are more credible than the rest of the nobles. So, Sion¡¯s news poses a concern.


    ¡°How certain are you of this information?¡±


    Sion ponders for awhile and then answers¡­


    ¡°Well, if you think about it normally, the uracy isn¡¯t that high. It¡¯s an information that originally came from the Wind Crows that was dispatched to the empire, but it¡¯s old. This information has been neglected for a long time. If it really was important, then they wouldn¡¯t have let it sit around for a long time.¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®If you think about it normally.¡¯ Is there another way of thinking about it then?¡± Abel asked to which Sion nodded.


    ¡°There are always multiple ways of looking at things. Sometimes the less obvious perspective is the most convincing one.¡± Then he smiles mischievously. ¡°If we think about it in another way. It might be that this information wasn¡¯t shelved because it was unimportant, but rather the opposite.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. There were Chaos Serpents in the Wind Crows. If Jem or any of his aplices deliberately chose to hide this information, then that makes it more suspicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ certainly very suspicious. I think we need to find out more about this.¡± Mia agreed.


    If the information was true, then it would be a big problem since the suspects is one of the Four Dukes! They were the ones that supported the empire by rallying the rest of the nobility. And they were bound by their allegiance to stand with the imperial family to the bitter end¡­ Or so Mia had thought¡­. Then she remembered something from the previous timeline.


    <em>Oh? But wasn¡¯t I betrayed by Esmeraldast time? </em>


    Esmeralda, who imed to be Mia¡¯s best friend, abandoned the empire early in the revolution and fled the country. That is also the case with the rest of the Greenmoons. The Greenmoon family owns sailing ships and has exchanges with foreign countries. Using that connection, they sessfully escaped from the dangers in the Empire.


    During their final meeting, Esmeralda had spoken to her with the same elegant smile as usual.


    ¡°Mia-sama, let¡¯s have a tea party at my house the next time. We invite a lot of other nobles to make it grand. There, as proud Tearmoon nobles, we¡¯ll dered our allegiance to the empire together and swear to serve it with all our heart and soul. Doesn¡¯t that sound nice?¡±


    Mia was veryforted and encouraged by Esmeralda¡¯s words. Everyday Mia goes out with Ludwig to see the plight of the empire, and it has taken a toll on her psyche. Her good friend was a source of sce for her aching, despondent soul.


    Then, the promised day of the tea party.


    What Mia witnessed was the Greenmoon residencepletely abandoned. This would not be thest of the betrayals she would experience, but it was the first, and it had left her shaken to the core.


    ¡°Uh, and I was thinking I would finally get to have some cake for the first time in a long time ¡­¡±


    It was supposed to be a reward for herself all her hardwork. This made it even more sad.


    <em>Hmm, thinking back, the Four Dukes behaved all the same way¡­</em>


    She recalled the various times when she had gone to them for help, only to run into a brick wall. Like when she had asked one of them to aid the people who were struggling with famine, only to be turned down¡­ and when she had requested one of them to send troops to the capital to defend it, only to be ignored¡­.


    Due to the status of their pedigree, the royal family couldn¡¯t just send a messenger. So, it was Mia herself that had to make the trips to the residences of the Four Dukes to ask for help. She suffered the equivalent experience of knocking doors and being told to go away. Every such instance left a new scar in her heart.


    Furthermore, there were rumors that the Yellowmoons were actually assisting the revolutionary army in secret.


    <em>All things considered, I shouldn¡¯t be shocked that there were traitors among them¡­ in fact, I should consider myself lucky! This is an opportunity! I have a one-in-four chance of weeding out one of the Serpents. If I nab the guy and hand him over to Rafina, it might please her enough to let me off the hook if my campaign pledges don¡¯t turn out so great¡­ </em>


    Mia, who became a little positive, looked toward Sion. But Sion shook his head a little,


    ¡°Unfortunately, too much time has passed. Finding out more would be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not surprising, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°And we lost contact with the person who sent this information.¡±


    ¡°What? Then¡­¡± Mia was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s reasonable to think that the agent was murdered because of the information.¡± Sion says in a heavy tone and then folded his arms. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure anyway. As I have said in the first ce, I don¡¯t know how credible this information is. But still, it should be better to be careful.¡±


    Mia heard the words as if they were from somewhere far away. Mia¡¯s thoughts were already turned inward. Because if shebines the information that Sion brought with the information that Bel gave her, an entirely different picture can be formed¡­


    <em>The Four Dukes are in conflict over the empire¡¯s session. Bel said they split into two factions and civil war breaks out¡­. But was it really just a power struggle? </em>


    Naturally, she has such suspicions. If one of the Dukes was harboring Chaos Serpents, a ploy by them would be a far more convincing exnation for the sudden fragmentation of the empire than a simple power struggle.


    It seems that I need to be vignt against the Four Dukes.


    The next day, Mia got a visit. It was no other than Sapphias Etoille Bluemoon, the eldest son of the Bluemoon family, one of the Four Dukes.

 Chapter 172

    <strong>An Invitation (Deathtrap) from the Heir of the Bluemoon</strong>


    In the library, Mia managed toplete her election pledges referring to what Abel brought to her. Of course, Abel helped her and she was even able to rope in Sion. ¡°I¡¯m neutral, so I can¡¯t be on Mia¡¯s side.¡± Sion helped her somehow while mumbling. Mia thought that Sion¡¯s disposition was gentler nowadays.


    After finishing all the work, steam figuratively blows out from Mia¡¯s head. She was ready to copse from all the hard work.


    ¡°Sorry, Mia¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? What are you talking about?¡± Mia asked Sion with a nk stare.


    ¡°About the Four Dukes. I can tell how shocked you were. I did not see your usual wisdom throughout this afternoon while writing the pledges. I should have picked a better time.¡±


    It may be that Sion was being considerate, but it did undermine Mia¡¯s entirety of work. And to think that she used up all her brain for it.


    <em>What? I worked so hard toe up with these too¡­</em>


    Mia would usually put on an angry cheek puff, but she doesn¡¯t have the energy for it anymore. Also, he did help her a lot with the pledges, so being a responsible adult, Mia tolerated Sion.


    After returning to her room, Mia fell on the bed and fell asleep like a rock.


    The next day, in the ssroom that they were using as an election headquarters, Mia was nning election strategies with her faction. It was then that Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon came in for a visit.


    ¡°Hello Your Highness. A good day to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good morning, Sapphias. Is your father doing well?¡±


    ¡°Quite well. In fact he is better than ever with the patronage of His Majesty the Emperor. And gracious moons, Your Highness, you are looking beautiful as always. I always find myself fascinated by your charms.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re really good at ttery¡­. Ohoho.¡±


    Unlike the friendly superfluous greetings they exchanged, Mia¡¯s inner monologue was far less friendly.


    <em>You¡¯re finally here.</em>


    The second she heard Sapphias had requested an audience, she immediately made the connection with what she had heard from Sion.


    <em>Chaos Serpents¡­ If you think you can snare me with your schemes, then you¡¯d better think again! I¡¯m going to turn this around, catch you in the act, and walk you straight off to Rafina! </em>She hmphed with a swagger. <em>The trapper¡­ has be the trapped!</em>


    ¡°Now then, Your Highness¡­ May I ask that the room be cleared?¡±


    Sapphias nced around the room. That alone was enough to send a few students scurrying for the door. As one of the heirs of the Four Dukes, his influence easily overshadowed that of even royalty from smaller kingdoms.


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    It was Abel who gave Mia a look of caution.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Abel. Could you see to it that our friends find another room to work in?¡±


    With that said, Mia nodded to Tiona who left with Abel. Mia really wanted the two who were proficient with swords next to her, but at the moment it can¡¯t be helped.


    Sapphias smiled upon seeing the people leave the ssroom, but raised his eyebrow upon looking past Mia.


    ¡°Ah, perhaps you didn¡¯t hear me. You, the maid over there, you were instructed to leave.¡±


    Anne winced at his re and began to shrink back, but Mia took a step forward to protect her.


    ¡°This person is my exclusive maid. She is my limbs. Would you dare cut off any of my limbs?¡± Mia said while ring at Sapphias.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. If Your Highness says so, I will happily abide her presence.¡±


    Seeing Sapphias bowing reverently, Mia sighed.


    <em>Being alone with a member of the Chaos Serpent is far too dangerous! I¡¯m not stupid enough to let that happen!</em>


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne was staring at Mia full of heartfelt emotions.


    ¡°So what is it that you want?¡±


    Sapphias smiled amiably and answered, ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you Your Highness that my Bluemoon family fully supports you in your running as President of the Student Council.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a very good news. Did youe all the way just to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not all. I¡¯ve prepared a n to beat Rafina-sama.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mia leaned forward a little. After all, she currently has no ns on how to beat Rafina. ¡°You have such a n?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite easy. Find Rafina-sama¡¯s shorings and weaknesses, then use it to attack her.¡±


    ¡°Her shorings, huh?¡±


    It¡¯s a so-called negative campaign. Instead of promoting the goodness of your own policy, look for the other party¡¯s fault and use it as a material for attack. It may be an effective method, but¡­


    ¡°That may be possible against a normal noble, but does Rafina-sama actually possess any shorings?¡±


    ¡°Well, if she hasn¡¯t, then we can just invent one.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Rafina Orca Belluga is a noble saint. Therefore, any slight w we make, will be a huge blow on her reputation. It¡¯s an easy task. If it pleases you, Your Highness, I would be willing to do this task personally.¡± Sapphias said with a cunning smile.


    Hearing that, Mia¡­


    <em>Heavenly moons, I haven¡¯t thought of that!</em>


    She was honestly impressed.


    For Mia, who knows of Rafina¡¯s wlessness of policy, it is truly eye-opener that she can just make-up ws and defects about it.


    <em>But when I think back about it, I am pretty sure they have done this countless of times to me during the revolution¡­ Four out five rumors about me were not true. </em>


    ¡­ It¡¯s a big lie. At least over 60% of the criticisms were true. However¡­ certainly not all of them were true¡­


    <em>What made them difficult was that even if I im them to be false, people would not believe me. </em>


    Sapphias¡¯s plot seemed really reasonable to Mia¡¯s eyes. Mia¡¯s heart shakes for a moment. But something in Mia was issuing a warning. That is¡­


    <em>It made me really angry when it was done to me.</em>


    Insulting someone for something they did not do will not only make them angry but is also a sure way of earning someone¡¯s grudge for a long time.


    <em>Even I, who is known to be mild-mannered and tolerant, got angry. So, there is no doubt that this will blow Rafina¡¯s top off.</em>


    Mia imagined Rafina staring at her with a cold, angry expression¡­ The road leading to the guillotine was suddenly visible to Mia.


    <em>Eeek! No way I¡¯m going to do that! It will lead to my head rolling off even before I know what hit me. </em>


    Yes¡­ Mia now has a lot of experience, regardless of what those experiences were.


    You have to reap the seeds you sow yourself. And the seeds that Sapphias is trying to sow are bitter and poisonous, even if they temporarily bloom beautiful flowers.


    ¡°A daughter of a small country duke is nothing against the might of us proud mighty Tearmoon nobles. We¡¯ll snap her like a twig. Just you watch. Hahaha.¡±


    Mia watched as Sapphiasughed with such smugness that he started bending over backward. And then it suddenly hit her¡­


    <em>I see! Now I understand! This is what the Chaos Serpents are nning now. They n to drive a wedge between me and Rafina. Too bad for you. I¡¯m not going to let that happen! </em>

 Chapter 173

    <strong>Fair and Square</strong>


    ¡°So when you win the election, save me a seat in the Student Council.¡±


    Sapphias said smugly while still unaware of Mia¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Just so you know, you are not fooling anyone.¡±


    Mia wanted to say that she has seen through his act and his schemes. Sapphias was taken aback at first but quickly recovered.


    ¡°Fufu, Your Highness, you¡¯re too cautious. Rafina Orca Belluga isn¡¯t that formidable.¡±


    He said with a frivolous smile. The words were perfectly in line with Mia¡¯s expectations.


    <em>So that¡¯s your excuse. You will raise me up and pull Rafina down. By downying her, you assert that opposing her isn¡¯t a big deal. But if she¡¯s so easy, why would you spend so much time scheming against someone who matters so little?</em>


    A stupider princess might have taken him at his word if told that she was better than Rafina.


    <em>Unfortunately, I¡¯m not that stupid!</em>


    Mia felt good about herself knowing that she had seen through her opponent¡¯s scheme.


    ¡°Dear Sapphias. I¡¯m afraid I cannot take part of your cunning plot.¡±


    <em>A cunning attempt to make me and Rafina fight against each other? Think again!</em>


    ¡°You will regret not taking this brilliant plot of mine!¡±


    Sapphias leaves the room. Mia watched him go, her face fully refreshed.


    <em>Underhanded tactics are definitely out of the table. But I still have to get the Four Dukes to out together votes for me. I better follow up on that tomorrow. </em>


    Mia was thinking about that but the situation would begin to roll in a way that is against her favor.


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m telling her that she can win. The idiot princess with a cowardly heart¡­¡±


    In a state of anger, Sapphias was about to kick the wall in the corridor¡­ but stopped as he realized that it might hurt his foot.


    ¡°Just so you know, you¡¯re not fooling anyone.¡± Mia¡¯s words resonate in his head. ¡°My n is perfect¡­ it cannot be¡­ how can she know? How can Rafina be possibly be on to me. She thinks too highly of Rafina. It¡¯s not being cautious but more of being spineless. Isn¡¯t all¡¯s fair in love and war?¡±


    Sapphias leaves the ce whileining. But he was stopped by a voice.


    ¡°Lord Sapphias¡±


    Reflexively turning around, he saw a girl in front of him.


    ¡°Yeah? Ah ¡­, the daughter of a poor country noble. Does being friends with Princess Mia get to your head that you feel like you have the permission to talk to me?¡±


    It was Tiona Rudolvon. Sapphias snaps at her, venting his frustrations at the daughter of the Outcount. He is, after all, the heir of the Bluemoon family. A top noble of the central aristocracy.


    Tiona takes a step back, frightened for a moment¡­ Then she clenches her fist and stood her ground. Then she met Sapphias gaze and red at him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t disturb Princess Mia.¡± Tiona said in a quivering voice. ¡°Her Highness is different from you. She hates dirty tricks.¡±


    For a moment, Sapphias wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. Then he realized that he was being lectured by someone that is lesser to him in age and status. He smiled a disdainful grin.


    ¡°So you were eavesdropping on our conversation? How fittinging from a lowly house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the daughter of an Outcount, but Princess Mia is a person who doesn¡¯t discriminate ording to social status.¡±


    Hearing her reply, Sapphias¡¯ grimaced.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheeky for a daughter of an Outcount. Maybe this requires a little punishment¡­¡±


    Sapphias approaches Tiona to threaten her. He barely stepped forward when he heard another voice¡­


    ¡°You would dare to do that?¡± It was Abel who appeared behind Tiona. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bad image to be threateningdies.¡±


    ¡°Abel Remno? Is the second prince of a second-ss kingdom going against me who is one of the Four Dukes?¡± With a disdainful attitude, Sapphias red at Tiona and Abel.


    ¡°Well, diplomatically that might be bad. The empire and the Kingdom of Remno may have different national powers ¡­¡± Abel shrugged with a smile. ¡°However, if keep silent here, Her Highness will surely get angry at me. So can you please refrain from violence towardsdies?¡±


    Unfazed with Sapphias taunting, Abel wore a smile that warned his enemy not to test his patience. Sapphias who saw it was scared.


    Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon. He, who is also rted to Mia, had the same virtues as Mia. He¡­ doesn¡¯t like to get hurt. No, he cannot even stand blood. If he sees it, he would faint. From his experience, just scraping his knee is enough to make him light-headed.


    Because of such, even if he punishes his servant, the best he can do is hit him with the t of his hand. And because his hand will hurt, he rarely does it. He might be able to let his subordinate do the punishment, but he is afraid that if they use too much strength, the punishment might end up with blood. Then he will pass out.


    That¡¯s why he¡¯s a person with strong aversion to violence.


    Of course, this means that he didn¡¯t participate in the swordsmanship tournament, nor even trained for it. Tiona might even be better to him when ites to swords. Without his political power, he really doesn¡¯t have any power. Literally.


    On the other hand, Abel is a member of the royal family of another country. Although inferior to Tearmoon, he is a favorite of Princess Mia. In case of a confrontation, Sapphias would be at a disadvantage. Sapphias quickly analyzed the current situation in his head.


    ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t get too full of yourself. There are many nobles under the Bluemoon¡¯s influence. I am going to talk to the rest of the Four Dukes. Don¡¯t think you can get any cooperation from us.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead then! Even without their help, Her Highness will be okay. We will show you that she can beat Rafina fair and square.¡± Tiona proudly tells Sapphias. ¡°She will be fine. I know she will.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day that Mia heard about this exchange. And this was just before she was to head out to meet the Four Dukes to ask for their votes.


    <em>What?! What is with this girl? What is she trying to do?! She really is my archnemesis! </em>


    Eventhough she was frustrated, she could not throw a tantrum with Abel being there. Moreover, he had taken Tiona¡¯s side, leaving Mia with no choice but to y along.


    ¡°Uh, uh, I¡¯m sure that was a pain, Tiona. Thank you for giving him a piece of my mind. You told him what I wanted to say instead.¡±


    ¡°I am honored by yourpliment, Your Highness.¡±


    <em>I¡¯m notplimenting you! I don¡¯t approve of what you did after all!</em>


    Thus, Mia lost the sure votes of the imperial nobles. What Mia doesn¡¯t know is the end results of Tiona¡¯s courage¡­

 Chapter 174

    <strong>Sapphias receives a Summon</strong>


    ¡°Damn, damn damn! Those guys, who do they think they are talking to?!¡±


    Upon returning to the room, Sapphias hit the pillow on the bed. A sloppy sound echoes in the room. Sapphias, who went wild for a while, finally became tired and sighed deeply.


    ¡°I¡­ I have to be an officer of the Student Council. I can¡¯t afford to screw up like this¡­¡±


    He muttered with a very serious. Then Sapphias looked at the desk. On top was a half-written letter which read¡­


    <em>To my beloved Honey</em>


    <em>How are you doing?</em>


    <em>I¡¯m in good health as usual. However, I often feel depressed because I can¡¯t meet you.</em>


    It was a beginning of a very sweet and mushy love letter. The fact is Sapphias had a fianc¨¦e who had been betrothed to him since childhood. It wasn¡¯t too unusual for nobilities to have arranged marriage. These were important political moves to strengthen their houses. Status, money, and even military power are the factors to be considered when looking for marriage. This usually causes a lot of undesired marriages.


    But this is not the case for Sapphias. He and his fianc¨¦e shared a mutual affection for each other. In fact, they flirt not just on the letters, but every chance they can. This is to the point that when they flirt at home, people can¡¯t stand them and just leave.


    Sapphias¡¯ fianc¨¦e is the daughter of a Marquis. Though not as high in status as that of the Four Dukes, her family¡¯s status is enough for her to be a suitable bride. ¡¡The opponent is a marquis who is inferior to the four great dukes but has tradition and prestige, is perfect in terms of bloodline, and looks pretty and graceful.


    She¡¯s a fair young maiden who thought of Sapphias as a respectable and upstanding young man. She views him in rose-colored lenses so her opinion might be askewed. But the result is that they were viewed as the ideal couple as nobles. By the way, they also happened to have the same trait as that of Mia where they easily get stuck in romance mode. Of course, they refuse to admit it.


    That¡¯s not really a problem, the problem is that Sapphias had already written a letter to his sweetheart boasting that he will be a member of the Student Council.


    ¡°How can I say that that was a mistake? There¡¯s no way I can do such an embarrassing thing!¡±


    He held his head and screamed. It was the sad cry of a man who was suffering from love.


    By the way ¡­ the boy who is his servant in the same room as him, is Dario. He happens to be the younger brother of Sapphias¡¯ fianc¨¦e. With his sister¡¯s connection, he came to St. Noel as a servant of Sapphias and was educated at the highest level on the continent.


    Personally, Dario was very happy with the arrangement. But asionally he has to witness his future brother-inw wail out of despair just from writing a love letter. And for him, it was a kind of hell.


    ¡°Hey, Dario. What should I do? Do you think she will forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, maybe it¡¯s okay. Big sister tends to have a ¡®meh, whatever¡¯ kind of attitude.¡± Dario gives an unmotivated reply.


    Going home won¡¯t even provide respite for Dario. For there, he will be quizzed by his sister to tell the stories of her beloved Sapphias. With how crazy Sapphias and her sister are for each other, Dario doesn¡¯t think that this small degree of failure of joining the student council will affect their rtionship.


    ¡°No, but I have an image to maintain. Cursed moons! If only Princess Mia agreed to my ns!¡±


    It was an awkward moment for Dario. Fortunately, it didn¡¯tst long as a knock could be heard from the door.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry but I have to get that, Lord Sapphias.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Lord. We¡¯ll be brothers soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Lord Sapphias.¡±


    Dario dashed to the door, opening it to see an unfamiliar man standing there.


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion. Lord Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon. You have been summoned by Rafina-sama.¡±


    Hearing that, Sapphias¡­


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    ¡­just tilted my head. It was a messenger from hell¡­ a messenger of Rafina Orca Belluga, the ruler of the academy.


    ¡°Rah, Rafina-sama¡­ You wished to see me?¡±


    Sapphias was brought to the Student Council Room. It was the room that he very much wanted to be a part of, but at the moment, he could not even rx.


    Because, right in front of him, Rafina sat deep in a chair with a stern smile. Then she took a sip of tea from her teacup. It¡¯s usually uneptable to summon someone and just enjoy a tea for yourself. The only case it can be eptable is if the other party was at fault. And Sapphias had an inkling as to what the summons may be for. His head told him that she wouldn¡¯t have known, but another part of him says that he is in trouble.


    Whether or not she knew the feelings of Sapphias, Rafina quietly stared at the teacup as if checking the color of the tea.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Rafina-sama?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Apologies. I was just thinking a little.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What might that be?¡±


    ¡°What would my friend do in such a case?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m not sure I follow¡­¡±


    Then, Sapphias noticed. A girl was standing behind Rafina. Her face was deathly pale. She was the one that Sapphias bribed to spread malicious rumors about Rafina.


    ¡°Somehow, it seems that you were trying to do something behind the scenes. Though I must say, you need to learn how to cover your tracks well¡­ If not, they will only destroy you.¡±


    With a dignified and beautiful voice, Rafina finally turned to Sapphias. Sapphias quivered at her clear gaze that looked like the morning dew of the mountains.


    The words that Mia said pass through his mind. <em>¡°You¡¯re not fooling anyone.¡±</em>


    <em>No way! Can she really know?</em>


    Rafina has a gentler tone to the astonishing Sapphias.


    ¡°But what should I do¡­ I think, Lord Sapphias, that bad guys should be punished. Of course, people make mistakes, and mercy should be given to them, but you, you are the eldest son of the Duke¡¯s family.¡±


    Rafina said with a stabbing re that was cold enough to freeze anyone. Her re was pure, gleaming, and freezing cold.


    ¡°We are born from different kingdoms, but we are born to simr stations. I assume you are aware that you must take responsibility of the things you do as befitting your rank, right?¡±


    Sapphias trembled upon a realization. The girl that Sapphias despised as a daughter of a Duke of a small nation was the executor of justice in the name of God. She does not forgive wrongdoings and always gives out punishment. Right now, the sword of judgement is above his neck figuratively held by Rafina with a determined will.


    However, her tone suddenly softens.


    ¡°But I know Mia-sama will forgive you. She would say that the school is a ce for teaching and education. It would be cruel to expel someone just because they made a single mistake. And she would show mercy.¡±


    Punishment has two roles. Tofort the victim¡¯s heart by forcing the perpetrator to suffer in return; and to punish the person who made the mistake¡­ that is, to educate.


    ¡°Hmm, but this time, I suppose the victim would be me?¡± Rafina puts her hand on her cheek and tilts her head. ¡°But I failed to be a real victim¡­ Same as Tiona-san. There is no need to cate any grievance of mine. That leaves us with ensuring that those who did wrong repent for their actions.¡±


    Sapphias watched in bewilderment as she spoke of an incident entirely unfamiliar to him. Then Rafina giggled.


    ¡°Hey, Lord Sapphias, did Mia-sama say anything?¡±


    ¡°She said that she will fight you fair and square.¡± These were actually the words of Tiona, that Sapphias repeated. In the noble¡¯s society, the words of an attendant were considered to be the words of the master. And Sapphias considered the lowly noble Tiona to be no different than an attendant.


    Therefore, the words that Tiona said without permission are transmitted to Rafina as Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yes. She would say that, wouldn¡¯t she? That¡¯s just the kind of person she is, that dear friend of mine¡­¡± Rafina sighed sadly there. ¡°Oh, why wouldn¡¯t she just ept my invitation to the council then¡­¡±

 Chapter 175

    <strong>The Mncholy of the True Saint</strong>


    ¡°Oh¡­ I might have talked too much.¡±


    Rafina smiled bitterly after Sapphias left. She drank the tea left in her cup. Its bitterness matching her mood. ¡°Being refused by Mia must have hit me harder than I thought.¡±


    Rafina Orca Belluga.


    The Saint of Belluga. The girl worshiped by the people yet does not have any friends. She never thought it was unfortunate. Her father poured a lot love to her, and her people loved and adored her. It can be said that she is privileged. Everyone treats her in a special way.


    Special¡­ that¡¯s the best was to describe Rafina. And she does not deny that she is a special being. There¡¯s only one saint in Belluga, and that was her. She is definitely special and deserves to be treated in a special way.


    But at the same time, Rafina couldn¡¯t help by think that it also applies to other people as well. Everyone was made by God in a special way. Each person has their own individuality. Each none is favored by God. This makes them special, and so they should be treated the same way that she is treated. This is what the Holy Book of Belluga teaches. Therefore, Rafina was dissatisfied that she¡¯s the only that is treated specially. She wished that other people would approach her the same way that they approach others. It would be nice to have a normal friendship.


    One day, a daughter of a known noble appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Miss Rafina, would you like to be friends with me?¡±


    Rafina was so pleased with her words. She was finally able to meet someone who wouldn¡¯t treat her in any special way!


    But one day, she saw her new friend hitting her servant with a stick.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Rafina asked, utterly confused. Her friend was supposed to be someone who is not influenced by the notion of statis. That was the main reason why they became friends. But how could she do such a horrible thing?


    After reflecting, Rafina came to an answer. The reason why her friend did not treat Rafina specially was because she saw Rafina as her equal. Not an equal to Rafina the person, but an equal to Rafina the saint. The girl believed that she was as special, and as favored by God to be superior. It wasn¡¯t impartiality. It was just conceit.


    <em>What a tyrannical belief¡­</em>


    Rafina considers the inhabitants of thisnd, amunity of believers who believe in and respect God, and who have been favored by God, to be like a family. Nobles,moners, ved, etc. are all a single family, just with different roles.


    Those born as the eldest son are entitled and obliged to seed the family. Simrly, the second son has the roles, rights, and obligations of the second son, and so on¡­


    The roles are different and so they are notparable. It cannot be said that there is a better or inferior role. They¡¯re just different.


    Therefore, Rafina despises those who oppress themoners and kick ves relying on their status, just because they are nobles. Rafina cannot forgive those who were given the privileges and refuses to fulfil their obligations brought with that role.


    And a Rafina that couldn¡¯t forgive, is a Rafina who couldn¡¯t make friends.


    The nobles who approached her were the ones that were attracted to Rafina as a saint. She despised them for their despicable intentions. They weren¡¯t worthy of their friendship. On the other hand,moners held her in high esteem but made no attempt to befriend her. Eventually, she epted that this was an inevitable burden with her position. As the Saint of Belluga, she was fated to be friendless, until¡­


    Mia Luna Tearmoon appeared.


    When Rafina first heard of what she had aplished in Tearmoon, she was astonished. Though born as the daughter of the emperor, she did not take her position for granted. She worked hard to fulfil her role. She acted benevolently towards themon people and was considerate to the poor.


    When Rafina heard that people were calling her a Saint, she couldn¡¯t wait to meet the person who shared the same title as her.


    A princess who works appropriately as the daughter of the emperor who is the ruler. She is a charitable person who deserves a given position, can benefit the people and even be considerate of the poor.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ just maybe, she would be my friend.¡±


    Rafina was looking forward to Miaing into the academy. Then, in themunal bath, Rafina met Mia for the first time. There she showed consideration to her maid, who was amoner. In fact, she went as far as dering her to be her right hand and her confidant! Mia¡¯s ability to see past the superficial gilding of rank and pedigree, and being able to see the depths of a person¡¯s character left a strong impression on Rafina.


    Rafina thought that Mia was the person she was looking for all this time¡­ But she was wrong.


    ¡°You¡¯re even more than that, aren¡¯t you, Mia?¡±


    In the incident at the ball, Rafina witnessed Mia¡¯s forbearance even to those who made mistakes. In dealing with those whomitted wrong, whenever possible, Mia sought to grant them a chance to make amends, and she made every attempt to realize that opportunity for them. Her approach was unknown to Rafina, but¡­


    ¡°People make mistakes. Sometimes they make mistakes without even knowing. Therefore, opportunities for redemption should be given in abundance¡­ Mia is a much kinder person than me.¡±


    Rafina was a little surprised to find herself feelingforted with it.


    Inconsistency in punishment is a breeding ground for corruption. A light penalty for the offender robbed the victim of emotional sce. That was why, all her life, she had viewed with contempt people like Mia who forgave the guilty. Punishment was punishment. Those who held power were obligated to punish the wrongdoing and right injustice.


    However instead of applying principle, Mia applied her wisdom. She pre-emptively exerts her influence before serious damage, or evil is done. She then is able to create a situation whereby the party at fault could be afforded chance to make amends. It was an approach to kindness that had never even crossed Rafina¡¯s mind, instilling in her a sentiment that was almost admiration. Still, with all this¡­


    ¡°Unfortunately, Mia, you can¡¯t beat me.¡±


    Rafina murmured. She can already foresee the future. Mia will definitely lose the election. If Mia had only epted Sapphias scheme, they maybe she stood a chance. But, she turned down that proposal.


    ¡°Fair and square¡­ with that kind conviction of hers¡­ Mia¡¯s virtue has turned into chains that binds her. So she can never beat me.¡±


    Rafina believes in Mia¡¯s passion for justice. It¡¯s ironic that because of that, Rafina is assured of her victory. As long as Mia remains righteous, she will never win.


    ¡°Ah, I was looking forward to you supporting me¡­¡±


    Rafina murmured as if to cut off her thoughts. She was a little lonely, after all, she¡¯s just a girl.


    ¡°I thought you would understand since we were friends¡­¡±


    Rafina lied her face on the desk, disheartened.


    Of course Rafina knows why Mia is running against her. A rival candidate was necessary to ensure the fairness and function of the election. It will also demonstrate the legitimacy of Rafina¡¯s candidacy. Moreover, the role of her rival could only be yed by someone who didn¡¯t ce her on a pedestal


    ¡°Ah! This is so frustrating¡­¡±


    Even though she knew all of it, Rafina couldn¡¯t control her emotions. She let out a lonely sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best, you know.¡±


    Rafina couldn¡¯t her fatigue. Between taking measures against the Chaos Serpents, performing her duties as the Saint of Belluga, along with running the student council president, Rafina was tired.


    ¡°I¡¯m really doing my best ¡­¡±


    Muttering, Rafina gently closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep.

 Chapter 176

    <strong>The Mncholy of the Fake Saint</strong>


    It was around halfway of the election period.


    ¡°Mia-sama, the election contest so far¡­ we¡¯re losing.¡± Chloe announced in a somber tone.


    Mia and her crew were in an empty ssroom that they borrowed for their campaign headquarters.


    <em>Oh well. No surprises there.</em>


    It wasn¡¯t a shock to her. In fact, it felt quite reasonable to her. After all, Mia can¡¯t think of any way that she can beat Rafina. The election pledge was made with the cooperation of Abel and Sion. That¡¯s why she was able to make something as solid as Rafina¡¯s. But that was it. Not better, nor worse than Rafina¡¯s pledge. But running against Rafina means that she has to produce something better than hers.


    <em>Too many things outside my calction happened¡­</em>


    That¡¯s right, Mia had a tentative strategy. She had intended to prepare a solid list of pledges and to establish an atmosphere where she was seen as someone who could realistically be a the council president. Meanwhile, she would be buying votes from Tearmoon and Sunnd factions behind the scenes. However, this n of hers didn¡¯te to fruition.


    The great announcement by Tiona not only alienated her from Sapphias, but also to the whole Four Dukes faction.


    And so, it hase to this.


    Even if one of the Four Dukes might be a Chaos Serpent, she still needed their assistance to rally the Tearmoon nobles for her votes. Worse yet, if she could not secure all the Tearmoon votes, then the Sunnd votes would be a lost cause. Who would support a candidate who could not even convince her own nobles to vote for her?


    Of course, Sion has also stated that he will take a neutral position¡­ something Mia can¡¯t do anything about.


    The result is in the preliminary survey, most of the support is in favor of Rafina.


    ¡°Currently, the ratio of supporters is nine for Rafina and one for Mia.¡±


    <em>Wow! 10% of the student body supports me?! </em>Mia was surprised at the fact. <em>So there are still people who doesn¡¯t mind riding on the sinking ship. Hohohoh!</em>


    She had reached the self-deprecation stage of grief.


    ¡°Somehow, we have to do something to recover.¡± Chloe said to which Mia replied with a wry smile.


    ¡°Even if you say so, that is easier said than done.¡±


    There was something in the room that she knew so well. It was the smell of defeat. She remembered it vividly¡­


    <em>Oh, these faces¡­ It¡¯s simr to the faces of the Imperial Guards during the final days of the revolution.</em>


    She remembered the look of resignation on the faces of the soldiers who knew that they won¡¯te out of it alive. And still, they went for the final charge against the Revolutionary Army. The students in the room all wore the same expression. These were the faces that looked at Mia.


    Maybe it¡¯s better to assume that we have lost and start preparing for the aftermath¡­


    The mood in the room was infectious and Mia was also about to give up. The only ones who seemed to believe that she could still win were Abel, Tiona, and Chloe.


    ¡°Does anyone have any concrete ideas?¡± It was Chloe who is acting as a moderator now. She was undeterred by the air of defeat in the room.


    Tiona Rudolvon¡¯s hand shot up in answer to Chloe¡¯s question.


    ¡°How about we decide on a color to represent us?¡±


    Tiona¡¯s question earned her puzzled stares from everyone in the room.


    ¡°People who support Her Highness will wear the same color. It may be difficult to do that with all our clothes though¡­¡±


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s an easy-to-understand branding. We could use scarves. Scarves of the same color wrapped on the arm. I think it will be effective. Appearances matter after all.¡± Chloe nodded and exined that such a strategy was used in an election in some country before.


    Then Abel added.


    ¡°Its also effective on the battlefield. I hear that there is an unrivaled order of knights whose whole body is solidified with jet ck, and showing that they are allies in an easy-to-understand manner also bolstered their solidarity. Then the question is what color to use?¡±


    One of Mia¡¯s entourage answered Abel¡¯s question.


    ¡°Rafina is white in terms of imagery, so what about a quiet color? Like some shade of blue?¡±


    ¡°Blue¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Mia winced. It reminded her of the failed revolution in Remno.


    <em>What were they called again? The Blue Scarves¡­</em>


    It¡¯s really ominous. She felt like she won¡¯t be able to win with such a color.


    <em>Well, I can¡¯t win originally anyway.</em>


    Mia was still stuck in self-deprecation mode. After that, ideas for various colors such as yellow, green, pink, and orange came out ¡­


    ¡°We are actually limited by dyes. So if we want to get this done quickly, there are only a couple of colors that we can realistically choose from.¡± Chloe¡¯s realistic view narrowed the options.


    As a result, it became a decision between yellow or red.


    ¡°If we go for red, then it will be dyed with dye form twilight-rose dye. As for yellow¡­ uh¡­ this color¡­¡±


    Chloe the produced a handkerchief. The yellow was so yellow, a shy yellow, that it hurt the eyes of everyone there.


    We are going to look like idiots if we wear that color.


    The only thing they can achieve with such a shy yellow color is to bebelled attention-seekers. That was definitely not a good branding. So their real choice was the other color, twilight-rose red.


    ¡°Red, sure. Whatever¡­¡± Mia muttered with disinterest. It wasn¡¯t until a few dayster that she regrets this decision.


    ¡°This color is ¡­¡±


    The color came from twilight-rose dye¡­ which was a color of deep red that it is usually called by another name, guillotine red. It was obvious where the name came from, but it evoked an ominous memory to Mia.


    ¡°Ah! This has to be a sign. I am done for¡­ Ugh¡­¡±


    Mia copses on the spot which caused Anne and the others to panic. Thus the fun election campaign wasing to an end¡­

 Chapter 177

    <strong>Princess Mia is cornered</strong>


    ¡°Please vote for Princess Mia!¡±


    After establishing their color, the Mia faction started to move. Ribbons of guillotine-red adorn their chest as they raise their voices to appeal support. Mia joined in the campaign and read her campaign pledge to anyone willing to listen.


    Abel suggested doing something adventurous that Rafina wouldn¡¯t do. And as such, Mia started giving speeches while riding a horse. She wondered if she had gone too far, but surprisingly, it was well-received by the Equestrian Club. This impressed Mia more about Abel as a tactician.


    Through these unconventional means, Mia¡¯s supporters slowly began to grow. Although it was still way far off from Rafina¡¯s supporters, and it seems like they won¡¯t be able to outnumber her supporters.


    ¡°ording to Chloe¡¯s analysis, Mia¡¯s approval rating is just below 20%¡± Mia dered with a sigh.


    Her fellow campaigners also let out a sigh. They had made progress, but the progress has started to teau. Victory is still too far out of their reach.


    <em>But I can¡¯t just give up now.</em>


    Mia spoke to Belst night trying to get more details about being a Student Council President. Sadly, all that Bel remembered was Ludwig saying that if only Mia became the Student Council President, then the world could have avoided disaster.


    <em>We¡¯re so far behind, that I don¡¯t know how to make aeback.</em>


    Adding more to the pressure were Bel, Anne, Tiona, and Chloe who until now, still believes that Mia wille out victorious.


    <em>Ugh¡­ Just thinking about it makes me feel bad.</em>


    Her sad thoughts were interrupted by Abel who appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Mia, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abel, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to apologize. This situation is my fault as I messed with your election pledges¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh ¡­?¡±


    Abel bitterly said to Mia, who was confused.


    ¡°Most of the election pledges you announced were my drafts. The results are my responsibility. You probably could havee up with better ideas¡­ Ideas that I could not even think about. But because I showed you my list first, you decided to be nice to me, and used them, right?¡±


    ¡°No way! How could you think of such a thing!¡±


    This is something she really meant.


    ¡°Without you, Abel, I would not eve have any election pledges.¡±


    120 percent true. There wasn¡¯t a hint of false modesty in her im, that it affirmed Abel that they were the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Have some faith in yourself, Prince Abel.¡±


    Sion, who have just entered the room, had a bitter smile, which was unusual for him.


    ¡°But ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you see Rafina¡¯s pledge? It was a perfect policy that even I couldn¡¯t find anything toin about. Even if we coulde up with something that exceeded that, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. Rafina¡¯s overwhelming support had been there from the very start.¡±


    The difference between Rafina and Mia can be attributed to Rafina¡¯s incumbent advantage. Rafina has a proven track record and can y safe with her campaign promises. On the other hand, Mia had no political achievements. For her to win the student¡¯s hearts, she had to make some groundbreaking political pledges.


    ¡°In any case, with any normal election pledges, we couldn¡¯t win against Rafina.¡± Sion concluded.


    ¡°Oh? You said ¡®normally¡¯ so does that mean there is something that we can do that is not normal?¡±


    Mia questioned Sion¡¯s words to which he shook his head.


    ¡°Mia, you of all people should already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I asked Miss Bel. The election pledges I saw at the library seems to have been written by you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    It took her a second to realize that what he was talking about was her unfiltered list of desires.


    <em>Bel! I can¡¯t believe you betrayed me. I will take this grudge to my grave!</em>


    Mia screamed in her heart. Mia has never really forbidden Bel to talk about it, so technically, she didn¡¯t betray her grandmother.


    ¡°What is this now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not right. You see¡­¡± Mia tries to make an excuse for Abel, who looks confused.


    ¡°That list of election pledges was actually the right way to go.¡± Sion exined.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I see Mia won¡¯t drop her act. If we fight Rafina fair and square, we will never win. Therefore, as an experiment of sorts, Mia jotted down some promises that were less noble.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean now.¡± Abel looked at Mia, fully impressed.


    Both princes regarded Mia with admiration and respect.


    ¡°Well, it seems that you have me figured out¡­¡± Mia decided to jump on the bandwagon. Which was awkward because the other passengers were under the impression that she was driving. But it is nothing that a smug grin couldn¡¯t solve. So she put on her best smug grin as if asking them: <em>Did it take you this long to finally catch on?</em> Despite the beads of sweat on her back, Mia won¡¯t let it interfere her performance.


    ¡°So Prince Abel, you don¡¯t have to be ashamed. Mia sought a way to beat Rafina and then abandoned that path.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Abandoning a path that has a chance of winning?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? If we make pledges that go counter with Rafina¡¯s pledges, then what would happen? Rafina is someone that is impartial tomoners and nobles. So making a pledge against that would mean making a pledge that is preferential only to nobles.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Prince Sion, we can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Sion shook his head at Abel, who snapped his eyes.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s a very straightforward strategy. Rafina is benevolent to bothmoners and nobles. In fact, she judges nobles harsher.¡±


    ¡°So the only other thing we can do is to make pledge that is almost the same as Rafina. But that won¡¯t take away the people¡¯s support from Rafina.¡±


    In the current situation at St. Noel¡¯s Academy, the budget and effort of the Student Organization are limited. For example, for every twenty problems that exist, the Council only have the capacity to solve ten. And it all ends up on which to prioritise to solve. Those familiar with council¡¯s capabilities would be able to urately grasp which problems can be realistically solved and prioritise it.


    Therefore, if Rafina makes a good election pledge, Mia will have to make an evil election pledge. If Rafina makes a fair election pledge, Mia will have to make an unfair election that only some students will benefit from. Only by making a promise can she make a difference.


    As long as the Council is confined to its staffing and budgetary limits, there will always be an ovep of priorities. And at the moment, Rafina has already taken all the good points, of which Mia can no longer do anything.


    While listening to the conversation between the two, Mia swelled her cheeks.


    <em>How terribly unfair of Rafina to take all the good ideas and use them for herself. That¡¯s cheating!</em>

 Chapter 178

    <strong>Mia has evolved into Passive-Aggressive Mode!</strong>


    The day of election finally came without Mia being able to turn the situation into her favor.


    ¡°Uh, uh ¡­, what should I do ¡­¡±


    Mia had exhausted all the measures she can think about. Now, she was desperately trying to make her already floundering brain work. She has been in this state for a few days now. Nothing of her said wisdom seems to stuck any inspiration. Time wasn¡¯t on her side. All that remains now is the final speech before voting.


    There seems to be no way she can reverse this.


    At this time, Mia noticed¡­


    <em>Ahhh¡­ I don¡¯t feel anythinging. There¡¯s no wind at my back. No wave pushing me forward.</em>


    There wasn¡¯t the proverbial wave that seems to pick up Mia everytime she was in trouble.


    <em>There is nothing¡­ Absolutely nothing.</em>


    Only now did Mia thought that she might be in the biggest pinch she can be since she leapt back in time.


    In Saint Noel, elections are considered to be a sacred ritual. Just as there was an opening mass at the beginning, another gathering will happen for today¡¯s voting for the choosing of the new president. Candidates were required to be cleanse their bodies and to be dressed in pure white sacred clothing.


    There is a ce called the Purification Fountain in the basement of St. Noel Academy. It was paved with white polished stones that adds to the tranquil atmosphere. In the middle of therge chamber was a fountain that emits clear spring water. It is customary for the candidates to cleanse themselves there.


    At the entrance, Mia took off all her clothes and walked in. She entered the water, wincing a little at first at its temperature. It wasn¡¯t very cold enough for her to shiver. A bit of hot water was added beforehand. She soon got used to the temperature and started enjoying it.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Mia exhaled as she lowered into the water. She looked sideways¡­


    Why is so Rafina so beautiful? This is so infuriating¡­


    ¡­beside her was Rafina bathing as well. Her smooth skin, long beautiful hair that seems to glitter, and perfect body proportions¡­ even Mia, who is of same sex, has to admit as attractive.


    <em>This is so unfair! Not fair at all!</em>


    Mia, who has been quite moody thesest few days, now also realizes that Rafina also defeats her in terms of appearance.


    ¡°Oh? What happened? Mia-san¡±


    Perhaps she noticed Mia¡¯s gaze, Rafina tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°No, no, nothing at all. Ohoho.¡± Miaughed to deflect the question.


    ¡°I must say, you look very tired, Rafina-sama. It must be hard on you¡­¡±


    <em>¡­to be so perfect all the time.</em>


    Mia was unusually ironic. Mia has finally evolved from moody Mia to passive-aggressive Mia. But eventhough she had evolved, passive-aggressive Mia was still a coward. So she kept the truth of herments to herself.


    ¡°I can just imagine how it must feel to be in your position¡­¡±


    ¡­<em>knowing that you¡¯re smart and pretty and perfect at everything you do. Must be a fun life!</em>


    In her mind she spat words like venom while angrily scrubbing her legs with a cloth.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Mia-san¡±


    Suddenly spoken to by Rafina, Mia sank her body to the pool until only her head was above water.


    ¡°Mia, could you withdraw your candidacy?¡±


    ¡°Rafina-sama¡­ what do you mean by that?¡± Mia answers Rafina with a cold gaze. Rafina parries her stare with a polite smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are already aware Mia. We don¡¯t even have to count the votes to know that I will win this election.¡±


    Preliminary surveys show only an estimate voter preference. But for this election, the gap was so big that victory is already confirmed.


    ¡°If you back out now, it will soften the blow, right?¡±


    No matter what the spection, the evaluation about Mia is not very good. A selfish princess who doesn¡¯t know herself. At this rate, this will cement her image. However she backs out now, people will at least think of her as someone with enough awareness.


    ¡°Because you are my friend Mia¡­ I don¡¯t want to fight you, nor hurt you. So please understand.¡±


    For Rafina, this was an act of kindness. She felt it was her duty to offer mercy for someone that is her friend.


    However¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rafina-sama. But I can¡¯t do that.¡± Mia shook her head a little. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to lose ¡­¡±


    To avoid a future of ruin, she has to beat Rafina at all costs. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t know how.


    Hearing Mia¡¯s reply, Rafina looked sad and disappointed.


    ¡°This is really upsetting¡­ I thought we were friends.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean¡­ we <em>are </em>friends?¡± Mia muttered back in a small voice.


    For a moment, Mia stares at Rafina with a grudge.


    <em>Because we are friends¡­ I thought that you would go easy on me¡­ well, so much for that.</em>


    The election pledges of Rafina covered every important issue of St. Noel. All of them. She didn¡¯t leave a single one for Mia. This means that Mia¡¯s pledges became unremarkable due to the simrity. Naturally, such pledges would not bring her any closer to victory.


    <em>It¡¯s so unfair! She took all the good issues for herself¡± Here I was hoping that she would leave some for me since we are friends, but nope! She wants to beat me downpletely! Without any mercy!</em>


    Mia¡¯s passive-aggressiveness had reached its peak, and she delivered her most indirectly hostile remark yet.


    ¡°But then again, maybe I¡¯m wrong¡­ Since you seem to be perfectly fine with holding onto absolutely everything!¡±


    Please consider leaving ratings and reviews on NovelUpdate if you are enjoying this novel. You can do so HERE. Thanks.

 Chapter 179

    <strong>Two Pairs of Teary Eyes</strong>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The remark caught Rafina by surprise.


    ¡°Mia? What do you mean?¡±


    Mia was gone without looking back. Rafina just realized that she had angered Mia.


    ¡°Mia¡­why?¡±


    Rafina didn¡¯t have a clue as to how she had made Mia angry.


    <em>Or do I?</em>


    She asked herself.


    She thought back about the verbal exchange that had just happened between them. She thought hard about each aspect of the conversation. She started recalling from the very start when they entered the pool. <em>¡°I must say, Rafina-sama, you look awfully tired. It must be so hard for you.¡±</em>


    <em>Mia¡­ was she worried about me?</em>


    Thinking hard, she finally hard what made Mia angry.


    <em>Mia-san¡­ you were worried about me¡­ were you trying to lighten my burdens?</em>


    Lately, Rafina had been tired. She kept a very busy schedule, and it only became busier with the appearance of the Chaos Serpents. Did she really think someone like Mia wouldn¡¯t be aware of her exhaustion? And if she were aware, what would she do as a friend?


    As a friend, Mia would express her care through her actions.


    Mia could not take her ce as the Duke of Belluga¡¯s daughter; that role was hers alone. Neither could she take lead of their anti-Serpent faction; it had to be the Saintess of Belluga who had to lead the offensive against the secret society. The student council¡¯s job was different. It was the only role that Mia could take from her ¨C the load that she could lighten. So, Mia offered to relieve Rafina of those duties and shoulder a part of her burden.


    This is exactly what kind of friend Mia is. Someone who was willing to share her burdens and share her joys and sorrows. The kind of friend that she wanted ¨C one who did not treat her as divine or special but as an equal. As someone who had stood by her side and shared in joy, Mia had intended to share her burdens as well.


    Then Rafina notices¡­


    Mia¡¯s election pledge¡­ The election promises presented by the Wisdom of the Empire were not much different from Rafina¡¯s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were almost the same.


    Having stopped the revolution in Remno Kingdom, and has carried out reforms one after another in her own country¡­ Will the brilliance of that empire¡¯s wisdom stoop down at that level?


    <em>No way¡­ did she do it on purpose?</em>


    It should have been easy for Mia to propose innovative policies. Despite this, Mia dared to present a policy that imitated Rafina¡¯s own. It was because she did not want to beat Rafina. The simrities in their pledges were for Rafina¡¯s peace of mind. It was Mia¡¯s message to her that she will run the Council and Academy as Rafina would n; to show that she would be leaving her duties in good hands.


    <em>All this time, she was thinking of me¡­ and what did I say to her in return?</em>


    Rafina recalled her own words¡­ and felt ashamed. She told Mia that she can¡¯t win so she should withdraw her candidacy.


    Mia held out her hand to help carry Rafina¡¯s burden¡­ and all she did was shook it off. And she even dared to arrogantly show her mercy as a friend.


    <em>Perhaps it was me who didn¡¯t trust Mia when I said we were friends¡­</em>


    ¡°Ah¡­ Mi-Mi-Mia¡­¡±


    Her voice was trembling and weak.


    With desperate urgency, she reached toward Mia. Only to see her leaving. Her outstretched hand touched only the gap between them. It hung in the air for a moment before falling weakly to her side.


    What could she say? What was there to say? She finally had a chance to have a true friend¡­ and she squandered it.


    <em>And now it is toote. All toote.</em>


    Her vision blurred. Despair began to consume her. Like a dark shapeless mass, it invaded her mind, oozing into every recess of thought in its path. That was when she heard Mia¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Rafina -sama¡­¡±


    Mia said without looking back.


    ¡°¡­I think that there is no friendship without forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Rafina could not believe what she was hearing. Afraid it was a trick of the ears, she asked in a hoarse voice¡­


    ¡°You mean¡­ we¡¯re ¨C¡±


    ¡°Friends! And what are friends if not those willing to overlook the mistakes wemit from time to time.¡± Saying that, Mia turned around and gave a shy smile. ¡°Would not you agree?¡±


    <em>Friends¡­. So this is what it feels like?</em>


    In that moment, it all became clear. She knew without a shadow of doubt that the girl before her, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was the friend she had been looking for all her life. For so long she had been looking for a kindred spirit¡­ now she finally had found her.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Rafina bit her lip. Suddenly, her vision clouded, andrge drops of tears welled up from her beautiful eyes.


    <em>Why are there tears? Why am I crying?</em>


    Rafina, who rarely cried in front of others, was at the mercy of her own uncontroble emotions. This was foreign to her.


    <em>I am so happy¡­ so why am I crying? My face must be a mess. I can¡¯t let Mia see me like this.</em>


    She tried to stop crying but the tears kepting up one after another, and there was no way to stop them. Rafina turned around and walked to the spring and washed her face with cold water. She hastily spun around and waded to the fountain¡¯s source, allowing the cool water to fall over her head, washing her face free of tears. And just to make sure, she rubbed her eyes clean and turned to face Mia again.


    She wanted to say thank you. And also that she¡¯s sorry. But she gulped the words down. She could not trust her own voice to produce anything but sobs.


    Instead, she returned Mia¡¯s smile with a smile of her own. A pure smile that reached red tear-stained eyes.


    <em>Ah. I am so d to have made a friend like Mia¡­</em>


    ¡°Mi-Mia¡­¡±


    The moment Mia heard Rafina¡¯s trembling voice; her head cooled down. It was reced by cold dread. A chill ran down her spine sending shivers to her body.


    Rafina¡¯s voice has always been calm. Now it was trembling. What could be upsetting her so much? After looking back on her own actions up until now¡­ she realizes¡­ it was her!


    Not only had she been sarcastic in her fit of passive-aggressive mode; she also ignored Rafina¡¯s attempts to talk to her. She instead chose to sulk by herself. As a result, Rafina¡¯s voice was now shaking with anger!


    She was furious! So furious that the only thing she could manage was to say Mia¡¯s name!


    <em>Eeeek! This is so bad! Very bad!</em>


    Having focused on the election too much, Mia had forgotten something important. No matter how bad her campaign worked out, taking out her frustrations on Rafina was an extremely bad idea. The world won¡¯t end the instant she would lose the election anyway. So that meant there was going to be a lot of timeter for her to suffer the consequences.


    <em>Merciful moons! What should I do? I¡¯m such an idiot!</em>


    Mia began thinking hard. She had to find and excuse for all her actions just now¡­ She thought hard and she finally came up with something¡­


    ¡°Rafina-sama, I think¡­¡±


    She was too scared of Rafina that she continued facing away.


    ¡°¡­ that there is no friendship without forgiveness.¡±


    Mia¡¯s n was to remind Rafina of their friendship! This is while subtly adding forgiveness into its definition. Mia was now imposing this definition.


    ¡°Huh? You mean¡­ We¡¯re ¨C¡±


    ¡°Friends!¡± She dered with a tone of finality. And she imposes forward her logic. ¡°And what are friends if not those willing to overlook the mistakes wemit from time to time. Would you not agree?¡±


    Friends forgive each other


    They were friends


    Therefore, Rafina should forgive her


    Mia was ying dirty. It was Rafina who first proposed friendship with her, and that she won¡¯t go back on her word. Mia was now using that weakness to the fullest extent. <em>You said we were friends, so you have to forgive me.</em>


    To add a perfect ending, Mia turned around and gave her ¡°teehee¡± smile.


    When Rafina saw this, she lowered her gaze. Her shoulders started to shake. The motion soon spread throughout her body that she bit her lip down.


    Eeek! She seems now even more furious!


    Mia instantly regretted her offensive. She should have just apologized honestly. But Mia was robbed of this chance when Rafina turned around quickly.


    Rafina steadily walked towards the fountain where she plunged her head into the stream.


    <em>Heavenly moons! Was she that angry that she needed to pour cold water over her head to cool down?!</em>


    She watched in horror as Rafina slowly turned around. Then she watched as Rafina forced herself to smile¡­ her cheeks were twitching, and her eyes were bloodshot.


    Eeek! That is so scary! Look at those angry eyes! But she is still tyring to smile, she must be telling herself that she should forgive me because we are friends¡­ I might just still be able to get out of this alive¡­


    Seeing that smile, Mia let out a sigh of relief.


    <em>Sweet moons! I am so d that I made friends with her beforehand¡­</em>


    Mia thought with the tears of terror in her eyes were reced with tears of relief.


    Please consider leaving ratings and reviews on NovelUpdate if you are enjoying this novel. You can do so HERE. Thanks.

 Chapter 180

    <strong>The Spread of Red</strong>


    Having used all her mental strength at the Cleansing Spring, Mia shambled into Anne who was waiting for her.


    ¡°Mdy, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is no problem.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡­?¡±


    Anne frowned but still went to work. She dried Mia¡¯s hair and dressed her with the ceremonial robes. Once she was done, she stepped back to admire her work and gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°Mdy, please do your best.¡±


    Anne wanted to cheer Mia up. However, Mia seems to be staring nkly into the space and didn¡¯t hear what Anne was saying. What happened earlier with Rafina had scared her. She was still trying to gather her wits.


    ¡°Mia-sama, as I said before, the veil is light and can fall of easily. So, please be careful when you move.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh? Ah, eh, yeah. I understand. Thank you, Anne.¡±


    She has finally able to gather her wits. She took a look at herself in her saintly attire and made a tired smile.


    <em>Even if it¡¯s a losing battle, the general still has to go to the battlefield¡­</em>


    Student Council Presidential Election.


    It was a school eventposed of voting and solemn ceremonies. Arge sacramental table was ced in front of the cathedral that serves as the venue. Arge silver cup was ced on the table, and blood-red wine was poured into it. It represented the blood of the saints.


    The one who is elected as student council president drink wine from the cup, metaphorically taking the saints¡¯ blood. Then before the student body and God, the elected will swear to govern in a just and upright manner as a president.


    The students had already gathered in the cathedral. The voting ceremony began with the entrance of the candidates, Mia and Rafina. After singing a few hymns, it is time for the candidates¡¯ final speech.


    Mia will be the first to give a speech. Mia stepped forward in front of the sacrament table and quietly turned to the students. It was then that¡­


    ¡°Princess Mia, do your best!¡±


    ¡­several voices could be heard cheering her on.


    At St. Noel Academy, the student council presidential election is a sacred ceremony. Of course, cheering for the candidates is out of the question¡­ but, well, the God of the Central Orthodox Church is tolerant, so there¡¯s no punishment for something like this.


    ¡°Keep quiet.¡±


    The priest in charge of the ceremony only gave a warning and did not send them off.


    Mia gently turned her eyes to the direction from which she heard the cheering. It was the group with red cloth wrapped around their arms ¨C her supporters.


    <em>I thought that they would have already given up and already left.</em>


    It was, after all, a losing battle. Despite this, they united and followed Mia without leaving even at the veryst stand. Mia remembered the times they had spent thinking, working, andughing together. Mia remembered those memories with nostalgia.


    <em>Now that I think about it, it was fun.</em>


    In the previous timeline, she never enjoyed school events like this. Mia bows deeply with sincere gratitude to her staunchest supporters. They were as loyal as her former guards.


    <em>Thank you. I will definitely repay you for your loyalty someday¡­</em>


    It was then that suddenly, the veil on Mia¡¯s head slipped off.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The veil was blown away by the wind and dropped into the silver cup. Looking at it, the pure white veil soaked up the wine. It started turning into blood red.


    <em>Ugh¡­ Even at the very end, I could not finish it right.</em>


    Mia panicked and tried to pick up the veil¡­


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Softly, a new veil was ced on her head. And then, a hand reached out from Mia¡¯s side and picked up the wet veil. Mia timidly turned her eyes to the person and was shocked.


    ¡°Rafina-sama?¡±


    It was Rafina, who put her own veil on Mia¡¯s head. Rafina then squeezed Mia¡¯s wet veil lightly and wrapped it around her arm without worrying about getting her clothes dirty. Wrapping her red-dyed veil around her arm, it was a proof. That statement of support for Mia Luna Tearmoon!


    ¡°Lady Rafina, this is¡­¡±


    The priest was unsure of what Rafina was doing. Rafina gave him a reassuring look before stepping forward.


    ¡°I apologize to everyone who supported me. I, Rafina Orca Belluga, hereby withdraw my candidacy for student council president and formally endorse my friend Mia Luna Tearmoon as student council for the role.¡± Rafina deres in a dignified voice.


    ¡°Rafina-sama!¡±


    In St. Noel¡¯s long history, nothing like this has happened before. On the day of the election, she withdrew her candidacy before the final speech. Moreover, the person who did that was the current student council president and the daughter of the Duke of Belluga¡­


    The priest let out a confused scream. And the students exploded intomotion. Amidst all the chaos, Rafina stood like a statue of serenity. Mia looked at her and Rafina gave her a mischievous smile.


    <em>What in the moons is going on?!</em>


    Confused as everyone else, Mia could do nothing but stand there.


    At St. Noel Academy, elections are sacred ceremonies. It is a solemn ritual before God. But the Central Orthodox God is known for his tolerance. If the action is simr to a practical joke, it will naturally be judged, and the ritual itself may be judged invalid.


    However, if the action is sincere and is based on sincere thoughts¡­ then it is permissible to deviate from traditional conventions.


    Yes, even if one bites their tongue during the opening ceremony¡¯s speech. Or even if someone withdraws their candidacy in an extraordinary manner during the voting ceremony.


    Thus, a new student council president was born at St. Noel Academy: Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    The inauguration of the imperial princess as the student council president will have a considerable impact on history, but that is still a story for the future.

 Chapter 181

    <strong>The Tragedy of the Saint and Mia¡¯s Ambition</strong>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    In a corner of the Newmoon District in Lunatear, a murmur of an old man can be heard.


    Ludwig Hewitt once used all his talents in the services of the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon. Now he bore a grandfatherly air.


    ¡°Her Highness Miabel isn¡¯t very good at studying¡­¡±


    Stroking his now-white moustache, Ludwig looks at Miabel sleeping on the bed.


    ¡°She sleeps so well¡­ But there¡¯s still a trace of that person.¡±


    Ludwig murmured as he gentlybed his fingers through her silky hair on hers cheeks.


    ¡°Her Highness Miabel is still young.


    He closed his eyes for a moment and relived the image of his proud mistress, Princess Mia, the brilliant wisdom that gave people hope.


    ¡°We need hope for the future. Like Princess Mia, we need a guiding light.¡±


    They need a guide for the future of the empire.


    Miabel, who inherited the blood of the Empire¡¯s wisdom, was a person who could be the core for rallying the Empire¡¯s subjects. It was Ludwig who wanted to let her acquire the minimum knowledge necessary for that.


    ¡°There seems like a long way to go¡­¡±


    With a wry smile on his face, he sat down at his old desk. Several sheets of parchment are casually piled up there.


    ¡°Rafina Orca Belluga, huh¡­¡±


    Ludwig has grown old and has already retired from the front line, but information still flows in to him, remnant of the days when he was still a minister.


    Recently, he has made it a daily routine to ponder on the current world situation and the flow of the times that led to it, to figure out what caused them to fall into this mess.


    ¡°As I thought, the influence of Rafina on the world cannot be underestimated.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s Holy Aquarian Army has grown exponentially in power and was now becaome a force that dominates thends.


    By exposing rebels, thoroughly monitoring them, and suppressing them, they can achieve a temporary peace. But there was also a deep-seated opposition to her violent methods. As such, the continent was in the midst of arge-scale war.


    ¡°However, the original Saint Rafina should not have been so stupid as to becking in forethought, nor should she have been vicious enough tomit such tyranny.¡±


    From the days when she and Mia were in school together, Rafina was a good person who had both great intellect and a mental poise. She was thought to be an excellent leader,parable to her contemporaneous hero, the King of Libra, Sion Sol Sunnd.


    ¡°Just what happened that changed her so much¡­¡±


    Although he asked the question, the cause of the change was clear to Ludwig¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The Holy Eve Festival¡­ and the mass poisoning.¡±


    Saint Noel Academy¡¯s big winter event, the Holy Eve Festival. The indiscriminate terrorism that urred there dropped the reputation of Saint Rafina to the ground.


    It was something she deserved sympathy for. At that time, Rafina was extremely busy and often fell sick in bed due to extreme fatigue. Apse in her scrutiny of the festival¡¯s security measures was understandable, if not, defensible. Furthermore, the enemy¡¯s schemes were also extraordinary in its scale and ruthlessness.


    Rafina was certainly an intelligent person, but unfortunately, she was brilliant not a genius. She couldn¡¯t see through all of her enemies¡¯ intentions. The assassination itself was rming.


    Since she was dealing with a secret society called the Chaos Serpent, it was only natural that she would take precautions to prevent the assassination of important figures, including herself.


    However, she was mistaken.


    She never thought that the enemy would target not the students of St. Noel, but the servants. An extravagant stew dish served on festival days to reward their daily work. It never urred to her that there was poison in it. She failed to consider it because even in her wildest dreams, she didn¡¯t think such cruelty was possible. That there would be people who were willing to ughter countless innocents just to damage her reputation. And their attacks on soft targets were quite effective.


    Normally¡­ nobles don¡¯t care how many servants die. In the mindset of nobility, only their lives mattered. However, Rafina was the saint of Belluga. She was not in a position to abandon themoners or the poor people.


    Therefore¡­ her title as the saint was tarnished.


    The security of the noble students was perfect, but they cut corners on the servants¡­ There were voices criticizing that. The reputation of the clean and innocent Holy Lady has been damaged. The wound was fatal for Rafina, who would never recover from it. The guilt assaulted her again and again. Slowly she changed, her suffering twisting her guilt into hate, until she transformed into the iron-fisted ruler she was today.


    In order to hunt out the Chaos Serpents that hid among the popce, she has set up a draconian measure. To her, gray was just as incriminating as ck. To root them out, she nipped them at the buds. As a result, the secret society Chaos Serpents was thought to be destroyed in a moment, but¡­


    Ludwig recalled interrogating a captured Chaos Serpent within the Empire.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t what you guys doing strangling yourself?¡±


    When Ludwig asked that question, the man answered with a triumphant smile.


    ¡°Serpents don¡¯t die, because this is what we are after.¡±


    Ludwig was horrified when he heard those words. If the purpose of the Chaos Serpents were to destroy order, then surely what he is saying makes sense.


    The Reign of Terror of Prte Rafina was an attack on the order established by the Central Orthodox Church. The more Rafina acts coercively under the authority of the Central Orthodox Church, the more people¡¯s hearts drift away from the Central Church. What was responsible for the order of thisnd, symbolizing God¡¯s authority, was now being destroyed by Rafina¡¯s own hands.


    Then, some yearster, Belluga will fall, and the surrounding nations will lose their basis for justice and fairness.


    Only chaos remained.


    ¡°Chaos Serpents¡­ A secret society whose purpose is to destroy all man-made order¡­¡±


    Ludwig had to admit that the man was right. The world is indeed in turmoil.


    ¡°But if it¡¯s Her Highness Princess Mia¡­¡±


    He knows that what is doing is nothing more than wishful thinking. But Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but think about it.


    ¡°With the Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s ingenuity, would things have turned out differently? Only thing I know is that if she couldn¡¯t do it, then nobody can. Her Highness was our only hope.¡±


    If the student council president who managed the school events in St. Noel was Mia, perhaps they would be able to see through the evil schemes of the Chaos Serpents and save the world¡­


    ¡°If it was Her Highness Mia, the Goddess of the Empire, the Wisdom and the Shining Moon¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ludwig-sensei¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness Miabel¡­ Are you awake?¡±


    Ludwig turned a gentle smile to Bel.


    ¡°Did you just say something?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing. Did you sleep well?¡±


    Miabel had barely heard what Ludwig said at that time. Therefore, Mia does not know. Also the conspiracy of the Holy Eve Festival. What would she have to do instead of Rafina to stop it. Without even imagining that Ludwig¡¯s excessive expectations would weigh on her own shoulders¡­


    ¡°Leave aside the difficult election pledges for now¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right! I definitely want to serve my handmade mushroom pot at the Holy Eve Festival!¡±


    And so on, Mia was thinking about disturbing things.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Today, in rtion to deleting theic book version, I will move the extra stories that was only posted there.


    Also, I would like to put an announcement in the activity report at that time, so if you don¡¯t mind, I would appreciate it if you could visit.

 Chapter 182

    <strong>Extra: Birthday Party 10 Days Late</strong>


    <strong>¡ª</strong>


    Chapter Notes by the Author:


    This is theic book version of thepletion of thememorative extra edition.


    Today we are posting two episodes, one for the extra episode and one for the main story.


    <strong>¡ª</strong>


    Life in Mia¡¯s dungeon was basically very boring.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t given any entertainment. And there was no hope of having a fun conversation with the guards unless it was a verbal abuse.


    As a result, Mia¡­


    ¡°Five thousand six hundred one, five thousand six hundred two¡­¡±


    ¡­was counting the number of cracks in the stones that made up her cell. She was absorbed in a rather crazy game. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was on the verge of insanity. By the way, the number of stones and the number of stains on the stones have already been counted by her before.


    It was the end of the season.


    ¡°Hello, Princess Mia.¡±


    Suddenly, she heard a rare and cute voice in the dungeon.


    ¡°Oh? Am I hallucinating?¡±


    What appeared in Mia¡¯s field of vision when she lifted her face up was the figure of Anne, the woman who was taking care of her.


    ¡°Well, well! Anne, how nice of you toe!¡±


    It happened on a winter day near the end of the year.


    Themoners were busy preparing for winter, and Anne had not been seen for the past seven days. Has she finally been abandoned? It was three days ago that Mia was crying loudly.


    With the joy of not being abandoned, Mia weed the conversation partner that she hasn¡¯t seen in a long time with a big smile.


    Then, his gaze stopped at Anne¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wearing something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Ehehe, it¡¯s actually my birthday today.¡±


    Anne pinched the scarf wrapped around her neck with her fingers. Because the mesh is uneven and cheap yarn is used, it cannot be said to be of high quality. But Anne has a very happy smile on her face.


    ¡°¡­ you¡¯ve such a good family.¡±


    With a small murmur, Mia remembered her father, who had already been executed. A father who pampered her with overprotection. She didn¡¯t know what he was like as an emperor, but as a father, he was always kind to Mia.


    Mia felt like she was going to be saddened, so she shook her head slightly and decided to change the subject.


    ¡°Speaking of birthdays, I just had mine too.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Anne blinked in surprise.


    ¡°M-Mia-sama, it is your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Was. It was seven days ago.¡± Mia looked at Anne with a slightly usatory face. ¡°Or rather, haven¡¯t you ever been to my birthday festival while living in the Imperial City?¡±


    Speaking of Princess Mia¡¯s birthday festival, it is a grand festival that takes ce every winter for five days. When the empire was still prosperous, under the emperor¡¯s grand decree, many stalls were lined up and many people from all over the empire visited for sightseeing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was busy with housework and other things during the winter¡­¡±


    Anne said in an apologetic tone.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I remember my younger sisters pestering me to go there, but we never knew what the festival was for.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a thing of the past now.¡±


    Remembering the liveliness of those days, Mia expressed a lonely smile.


    ¡°I thought it was annoying before, but when it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s a little lonely.¡±


    ¡°¡­is that so¡±


    Anne seemed to be thinking about something, but in the end, she agreed only briefly. After that, Mia listened about the story that Anne¡¯s sister had written, and heard about the state of the city, and the day ended, but¡­


    Anne¡¯s next visit was three dayster.


    Anne quickly entered Mia¡¯s dungeon while secretly watching the guards.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Anne?¡±


    ¡°Shhh. Her Highness Princess Mia, please act as usual.¡±


    After saying that in a whisper, Anne turned her back on the guards and looked at Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix your hair today. Please turn around.¡±


    Saying that, she hastily rotated Mia.


    ¡°Hey¡­ what¡¯s wrong? Anne, you¡¯re so pushy¡­ Huh?¡±


    Anne pretended to fix Mia¡¯s hair and quickly handed ¡°something¡± to Mia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a cookie?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was able to get it by chance.¡±


    ¡°My!¡±


    Mia raised her voice softly.


    Since the great famine hit the entire continent, the food situation in the empire has deteriorated extremely. Even Mia, as a princess, rarely ate sweets. Even more so after being thrown into a dungeon.


    ¡°Hurry up. If they find you, they¡¯ll get that off you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Then¡­¡±


    Mia carefully held the baked sweet, that she had for the first time in a while, with both hands. Then put it in her slightly trembling mouth. The moment she put it on her tongue, it felt like dry earth. However, as soon as it is chewed, it transformed into sweetness. Somewhat cheesy, but undeniably sweet. The scent of roasted barley and the scent of slightly sprinkled flowers¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    She let out a sigh involuntarily. It was the best treat she had sinceing to this dungeon.


    ¡°Happy Birthday¡±


    Suddenly, Anne called out to her.


    ¡°You brought it for this for¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for being ten dayste.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it difficult to get it?¡±


    Even Mia can guess how hard it was to get a cookie. Was it okay to give it to her who wasn¡¯t even a family member? Mia was very concerned.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s special because it is for your birthday Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Because isn¡¯t it lonely? You weren¡¯t able to celebrate your birthday. I think everyone has the right to celebrate being born in this world.¡±


    After dering proudly, Anne sticked out her tongue,


    ¡°Ehehe, I sounded a bit arrogant. Please excuse my rudeness, Princess Mia.¡±


    Anne then lowers her head in a formal tone.


    Seeing this sudden shift in attitude that bordered onedy, Mia almost spatted out her cookie crumbs.


    Times passed, and lives changed, but Mia never forgot that birthday she celebrated ten dayste. She remembered it on the guillotine, and she continued to remember it afterward.


    And so, time goes by¡­


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    A national birthday celebration followed by parties at each of the four dukes. After going out for nine days, Mia¡¯s face waspletely sore by constant smiling.


    ¡°I thought it would be lonely if it disappeared, but it¡¯s still as annoying.¡±


    Mia is the type who misses winter in summer and summer in winter. In autumn and spring, the food is delicious, so she doesn¡¯t miss it. She had a simple nature, but it kept her happy.


    Mia takes off her dress and lies on the bed. She felt that she was about to fall asleep, but¡­


    ¡°If you sleep like that, you¡¯ll catch a cold. At least, let¡¯s change you into a loungewear.¡±


    With a wry smile, Anne walked up to Mia. Mia turned her attention to the tray she was holding.


    ¡°Oh, what is that?¡±


    ¡°It was from the head chef. Something made from hot milk.¡±


    ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I heard that it is sweetened with honey.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the treat!¡±


    Mia finds most things delicious if they are sweetened. It¡¯s a happy taste. She sat on the edge of the bed and receive a porcin container from Anne. A sweet smell wafted from the white, warm milk¡­ Mia let out a sigh of satisfaction.


    ¡°By the way, Mia-sama, about the rest of the day¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my! I just realized! Today is Anne¡¯s birthday, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mia pped her hands as if she had just realized. It¡¯s really bad acting. Then Mia gave Anne the present she had hidden.


    ¡°Huh? Um¡­ what is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a present.¡±


    The contents are high-ss sweets.


    ¡°Ah, thank you very much.¡±


    Anne thanked her¡­ but Mia noticed that she seemed like she wanted to say something more.


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to do? Ah, you¡¯re having a birthday party with your family, so you want to go home today, or something like that?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Um.¡±


    Anne was fidgeting and fidgeting, then¡­


    ¡°I know it¡¯s really rude, but I wonder if Mia-sama wille too¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia gaped.


    ¡°Ah, um, my siblings, umm¡­ They are excited to celebrate with Mia-sama¡­¡±


    Anne stole a nervous nce at her, then let out an embarrassedugh.


    ¡°Ah, haha, but you look tired¡­ it¡¯s no good. I¡¯m sorry. I said something strange¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be the girl that celebrated my birthday ten dayste. Always.¡±


    Mia gripped Anne¡¯s hand tightly on her own.


    ¡°Huh? Um, Mi-Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I will with go, Anne. Yes, I¡¯d be happy to.¡±


    Mia raised her face to see a shining smile on Anne¡¯s face.


    A few dayster. Mia asks Anne to go to St. Noel Academy with her. Mia still didn¡¯t know what kind of adventures awaited her.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Today, I have something to announce, and I have updated the activity report.


    Sorry to trouble you, but I would appreciate it if you could see it.

 Chapter 183

    <strong>Princess Mia Bes an Aplished Woman</strong>


    ¡°Hmm¡­mmmm¡­nununu¡±


    Mia¡¯s groans resounded in the student council room. Her first task as the new student council president was to fill the officers of her council. For Mia, who basically had no administrative ability, this was an urgent priority.


    An ordinary person would opt to staff the council with yes-men who would agree with all her decisions. This would ensure smooth sailing. However, Mia was not that ordinary. She was aware of her standing.


    ¡°If I choose the wrong people¡­ my head will fly off.¡±


    She meant this quite literally.


    After all, this seat that she has was something that Rafina gave to her. It would have been nice if she won the elections normally; that way, she could me the voters for choosing badly. But since Rafina entrusted to her this position, she was afraid to betray Rafina¡¯s trust.


    ¡°I barely managed to make her forgive me for what I did at the Purification Fountain. If I mess this up¡­ merciful moons¡­¡±


    Mia trembled at the memory of Rafina¡¯s bloodshot eyes.


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t know why Rafina gave her the president¡¯s seat. What she does know is what will happen to her if she mess up as a president. She doesn¡¯t just know, she can feel it in her neck!


    ¡°I-I¡¯d better live up to Rafina-sama¡¯s trust!¡±


    Therefore, Mia must choose the student council officers that are as smart andpetent as Ludwig. Mia¡¯s ideal was that they could run the whole council on their own, and all that she had to do was to throw in remarks. Mia was not looking for yes-men, she was nning to be the yes-man.


    ¡°First of all, for vice-president¡¯s seat, it can only be Rafina-sama.¡±


    Instead of being med of her mistakester on, it is better if Rafina can point it out to her earlier. Also, this means that Rafina was also partly at fault, if something bad happens.


    ¡°The other vice-president should be Sion.¡±


    Mia decided to involve Sion for the same reason. If it wasn¡¯t just Tearmoon who screwed up, but also Sunnd, then nobody canin.


    ¡°I mean, I won¡¯t let him take it easy!¡±


    Mia¡¯s real reason was to drag everyone else to deal with her problems.


    ¡°I would like Abel to be close to me as the president¡¯s assistant.¡±


    Mia slyly satisfied her own desires.


    ¡°Also, Tiona-san as a secretary¡­ I guess. And Chloe as the treasurer.¡±


    She was doing this as a sign of gratitude for their contributions during her election campaign.


    ¡°Somehow, it feels like the usual members who fight the Chaos Serpent¡­ Hmm.¡±


    So, Miaes up with an idea.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ it would be nice to have Sapphias join as an assistant secretary.¡±


    Mia smiled with a nasty smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that this guy is rted to the Chaos Serpent¡­ If that¡¯s the case, rather than letting him loose, I will bring him into the student council and where he will be under surveince all the time. I¡¯m sure he will be ufortable being surrounded always by the anti-Chaos Serpent faction.¡±


    Mia was cheerfully humming because of her ingenious idea. By the way, it should be stated that Sapphias was definitely not one of the Chaos Serpents.


    ¡°I will surely work him to the bone. That way, he cannot hatch any evil plots.¡±


    Mia said in a good mood.


    Rafina readily epted the position of vice-presidency upon receiving the request from Mia. In her opinion, it was an extremely sensible staffing decision that would ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities.


    ¡°Besides, this would also stabilize public sentiment.¡±


    Originally, it would be a big deal if someone from the Duke of Belluga household was removed from the position of student council president. On top of that, if she wasn¡¯t part of the student council, then it would produce even bigger problems because of her influence.


    While it wasn¡¯t ideal in reducing Rafina¡¯s burdens, it will still befortable for her as a vice presidentpared to that of being the president.


    ¡°Thanks to Mia-san, I can feel more at ease now. I don¡¯t mind staying around to help her out a little, but¡­¡±


    Rafina¡¯s gaze wandered upward as she pondered on Mia¡¯s staffing decisions.


    ¡°You are sending one heck of a message with these choices, Mia.¡±


    Basically, it was customary for the student council to choose students who had limited ties to Tearmoon and Sunnd. Mia¡¯s choices, however, was clearly a denunciation of that custom.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would choose Prince Sion. Prince Abel as well¡­¡±


    She heardter that the two princes cooperated in making Mia¡¯s election pledges.


    ¡°These two helped her with the election pledges. Now she is asking them to help her deliver them as well. This is the same for Tiona and Chloe as well.¡±


    Then Rafina narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°This is¡­ Tearmoon, Sunnd, Remno and Belluga¡­ This could be seen as a deration of the fight against Chaos Serpent.¡±


    For Rafina, this seems to be a gathering of the members of the anti-Chaos Serpent faction into the student council. This would makemunication and coordination easy as they go about their student lives.


    Rafina saw Mia¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°And yes. That Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon in the student council¡­¡±


    Rafina closes her eyes and thought of Sapphias¡¯ face from thest time. He gave of time impression of being timid, unreliable and cunning. She had an unfavorable impression of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is a desirable candidate¡­ but by giving him this chance, he will have no choice but to work hard. I wonder if that was Mia¡¯s intention.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t me him for what happened in the past, instead she gave him a position of responsibility. She was giving him a chance to redeem himself.


    ¡°For someone in Mia¡¯s position, she would have to bring in someone from the Four Dukes. It makes sense that she would choose the one that is easiest to handle.¡±


    By the way, the information that one of the Four Dukes was a Chaos Serpent had reached Rafina, but she definitely didn¡¯t think Sapphias was it.


    ¡°The rest is¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s a message to the Tearmoon nobles and other students¡­¡±


    Perhaps this was where Mia drew the line. She was making it clear how much preferential treatment the empire¡¯s nobles could expect to receive. Doing absolutely no favors for her fellow countrymen would be bizarre.


    It was possible for someone in Rafina¡¯s position to be impartial, but a princess of the empire bing a student council and not appointing any of her own nobles would be unnatural. While there was Tiona, but she had been supporting Mia since the start of her campaign, and was likely to be regarded as a direct subordinate. Someone else had to be selected alongside her to keep up appearances.


    ¡°Even if all Four Dukes were appointed, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all though it may cause some bacsh.¡±


    Rafina simply sighs at Mia¡¯s decision which was clearly careful andprehensive of the current political dynamics.


    ¡°Mia-san, so you¡¯re someone who can do politics too¡­¡±


    Rafina¡¯s assessment of Mia has been upgraded to that of an ¡°aplished woman.¡±


    ¡­ the aplished woman in question had no idea that her perceived level ofpetence had just undergone a significant intion.

 Chapter 184

    <strong>Instigator Mia!</strong>


    Once the student council appointments were decided, Mia triumphantly visited Sapphias.


    ¡°Sapphias, are you there?¡±


    She eagerly knocked on his door, of which Sapphias came out all gloomy. He had the appearance of someone who had hit rock bottom.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness Princess Mia¡­ I¡¯m sorry. My room is in a bit of a mess right now.¡±


    Sapphias timidly responded.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine here. Sapphias, I have appointed you to the student council as assistant to the secretary.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia disregards Sapphias look on confusion and continued.


    ¡°I have appointed Rafina-sama and Prince Sion as vice-presidents, Prince Abel as my assistant, my dear friend Chloe as treasurer, and Tiona as secretary.¡±


    The Chaos Serpents surely had already known what happened in the Kingdom of Remno. It was known that Sion and Abel were united against the Chaos Serpents, while Rafina was an enemy of all heretical cults. There was also Chloe, who was Mia¡¯s close friend. As for Tiona¡­ well, she did go to Remno with them.


    In other words, what Mia was saying was¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll surround you with anti-Chaos Serpents and watch over you. So, prepare yourself!¡±


    By the way, adding Sapphias as an assistant to Tiona, an ound noble, was also a smart harassment of Mia. She was provoking him.


    ¡°Well, I think that this appointment might be challenging for you, so it is fine to decline. However, I think that this would be your chance¡­¡±


    She smiled with a triumphant smug.


    If Sapphias was a Chaos Serpent, the student Council would be an enemy territory. He would be surrounded on all sides with danger. But it also meant that that he would be at the heart of the enemy force. As the saying goes, you can¡¯t catch a lion¡¯s cub without entering the lion¡¯s den. This should be his chance.


    <em>Fufu, it¡¯s hard to refuse, isn¡¯t it? However, once you join the council, it will be your end. Everyone will keep an eye on you that you won¡¯t be able to do anything sneaky!</em>


    Proud of her provocation, Mia left Sapphias room with a harrumph.


    ¡°No way, I didn¡¯t think that this would be the result for me¡­¡±


    Sapphias copsed to the floor upon seeing Mia leave.


    Since having been summoned by Rafina, Sapphias had shut himself up in his room. He was so afraid of Rafina that he was unable to go outside. In addition, the letter to his fianc¨¦ made his heart heavy. Once she prematurely heard that he would be in the student council, she sent him her heartfelt blessings and encouragement.


    <em>Dear Lord Sapphias, my future husband, </em>


    <em>I am overjoyed to hear that you are so deeply valued by Princess Mia. I feel nothing but endless gratitude toward Her Highness, who perceived and appreciated your talent and potential. It is my honest wish that you will fulfil this important new duty by supporting Her Highness with grace andpetence. </em>


    After receiving a letter like that, he cannot take back what he said and tell her that he didn¡¯t get it. It would just be too pathetic. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t keep the truth forever. Trapped within such a situation, he was slowly losing his will to live.


    That was until Mia came to visit him earlier.


    ¡°Ah¡­ anyway¡­ a letter. I have to write a letter to my dear honey¡­¡±


    Sapphias took up the brush, but his hand suddenly stopped.


    ¡°¡­perceived and appreciated my talent and potential¡­ huh?¡±


    Sapphias himself was well aware that it was a mistake. Through the past week¡¯s exchanges, he had painfully realized that he himself was not a mastermind but nothing but a foolish petty person.


    ¡°Nevertheless, she was willing to give me a chance¡­¡±


    Mia had clearly said it. Rafina would be there. So was Tiona, whom he looked down on. It¡¯s a difficult environment, but it¡¯s also an opportunity¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she have high expectations of me¡­ but¡­ No, even so, if she had no expectations at all, she might still have hope in me. Or she would not have bothered to speak with me in the first ce.¡±


    The position he was given as a member of the student council was not something that Sapphias earned himself. It was given by Mia¡¯s one-sided kindness. Kindness that he was undeserving.


    ¡°A new duty of supporting Her Highness with grace andpetence¡­¡±


    He always thought that such flowery words were nothing but lip service, formalities without substance. But now, he felt the weight behind them.


    ¡°Her Highness preserved my honor. She gave me another chance. For that, I owe her a debt of gratitude. Should I fail to repay it and unable to live up to her expectations¡­ I feel that I will remain a loser for the rest of my life¡­.¡±


    When he finally looked up, Sapphias¡¯ face seemed to be slightly more dignified.


    The ir de Lune (Moonlight Meeting) was a tea party held periodically by the Etoilers that were the heirs of the Four Dukes.


    A rare person showed up at that regr meeting.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s rare. I can¡¯t remember thest time I saw you here, Ruby-san.¡±


    Esmeralda made a surprised face when she saw the person who entered.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while, Lady of the Greenmoon.¡±


    The one who smiled so cheerfully was Ruby Etoile Redmoon, the daughter of the Redmoon family, one of the Four Dukes. Her bright red hair was short and trimmed to her shoulders. The word ¡°beautiful woman in men¡¯s clothing¡± was perfect for her handsome face, and there was a gantness that even female students could not help admiring.


    Ruby looked around the room with cool eyes and tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°Are you alone today? Where is the young Bluemoon?¡±


    When she asked that, Esmeralda responded with a sullen face.


    ¡°It seems that the student council is keeping him busy with work.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, he was appointed to the student council, wasn¡¯t he? What about the heir of Yellowmoon? She started school this year, right?¡±


    ¡°Yellowmoon? Those ones that held their prestige through pure luck. We all know that Yellowmoons are the oldest and weakest of all. I couldn¡¯t care less whether she shows up or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I still think it¡¯s better than drinking tea alone.¡±


    With a wry smile, Ruby sat down in front of Esmeralda.


    ¡°Then, since I¡¯vee all the way here, maybe I should get a cup of tea too.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Now this is really surprising.¡±


    ¡°If I skip too many of these meetings, Father will get angry.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby smiles wryly.


    ¡°However, I was really surprised by Princess Mia. From when she announced her candidacy to making Rafina-sama drop out of the race at thest minute. The whole event was just unbelievable. I wonder what¡¯s gotten into her?¡±


    Sipping a sip of the tea that was ced in front of her, Ruby let out a sigh of pleasure.


    ¡°This a domestic tea from Perujin, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it was produced.¡±


    Speaking carelessly, Esmeralda snorted sullenly.


    ¡°As long as it is the best quality, I don¡¯t care where it was produced.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Aren¡¯t you abit angry Esmeralda. Could it be that you don¡¯t like Princess Mia bing the student council president?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t care about that. I just thought that she has a terrible judgement.¡±


    ¡°Terrible judgement?¡±


    ¡°I wonder why she chose that ipetent Sapphias instead me¡­ What¡¯s more, Tiona Rudolvon was chosen, a rural aristocrat¡­ This is just so upsetting.¡±


    The tea in her hand was trembling.


    ¡°Ah, just in case you start some trouble, I won¡¯t stop you. But don¡¯t stir up too much trouble, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t stop me?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, after all, the knight I had my eye on was pulled out? Well, even I have some thoughts about Her Highness.¡±


    Ruby¡¯s smiling eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    Thus, the heirs of the Four Dukes began to move with their own motives.

 Chapter 185

    <strong>Gathering again¡­</strong>


    On that day, Mia was invited to lunch by Rafina. The luncheon was held at the flower garden on the premises of St. Noel Academy,monly known as the ¡°Secret Garden.¡± It was a flower garden surrounded by pale pink flowers. They were in full bloom and Mia was enjoying their scent while also enjoying the fine food that Rafina prepared.


    ¡°This is really delicious, Mia-neesama!¡±


    By the way, today, Bel and Anne are also apanying her.


    Before the super luxurious lunch, Bel had a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Ufufu, Bel looks really adorable when she is eating.¡±


    Rafina happily looked at Bel.


    ¡°Ehehe, it¡¯s so delicious, I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Rafina traded Bel¡¯s smile with a smile. Until recently, Mia thought that Bel was afraid of Rafina¡­


    <em>This child really knows how to get along with people, doesn¡¯t she? Maybe she can make a good living in this world.</em>


    Mia then realized that people always wear gentle smiles when they were interacting with Bel.


    <em>In terms of age, she should be just one year younger than Abel or Sion. But she¡¯s being treated like a child¡­</em>


    ¡°Mia-san.¡± Suddenly, Rafina spoke to her. ¡°Bel is an important person to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course! She¡¯s my precious gra¨C¡± granddaughter. Mia luckily caught herself on time and swallowed the rest of her words.


    ¡°Sister. She¡¯s my precious sister!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s rare for Mia-san to hesitate¡­ Fufu, Mia-san must really like her father.¡±


    Rafina still thought that Miabel was the emperor¡¯s illegitimate child. It was Mia who made such a scenario, so she can¡¯t say anything about it.


    <em>So she believes I¡¯m jealous because Father went and had another kid with someone else¡­ that seems to be abit upsetting.</em>


    Mia doesn¡¯t particrly hate her father, but¡­ she didn¡¯t want people to think that she liked him all that much either. She was on puberty¡­ a really difficult age.


    Anyway,


    ¡°So what about Bel?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking that if Bel was really an important person for you, then we should arrange an attendant for her. Otherwise, the Chaos Serpents might take advantage of her.¡±


    ¡°An attendant? For me?¡±


    Bel gave a puzzled look.


    ¡°Yes, I thought it would be difficult for Anne to take care of Bel as well.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Bel can do most things by herself, so the burden is not that much. But I regret not being able to take sses with mdy.¡±


    <em>That¡¯s right. How many times have I wanted Anne to be with me¡­</em>


    Mia agrees in her heart.


    If Bel could have a reliable attendant, then that would be better. The problem was finding the right person.


    <em>If it¡¯s someone rmended by Rafina¡­ Ah!</em>


    Mia hurriedly spoke up.


    ¡°But I would like Bel to stay in the same room as us.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But wouldn¡¯t that be crowded?¡±


    She can¡¯t deny that, but¡­ Mia wanted to prepare a situation where she could consult Bel at any time.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no problem. There are various things I want to talk with her about¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, fufufu. Mia-san is unexpectedly sweet to your little sister.¡± Rafinaughed, then put her hand on her cheek. ¡°In that case, Bel will be in the same room as Mia for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°So, once again about Bel¡¯s attendant, I have someone in mind.¡±


    Having said that, Rafina pped her hands. With that signal, a girl entered.


    ¡°Oh, you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°Well, well! If it¡¯s not Lynsha, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but smile at the nostalgic face she met again after several months. She hasn¡¯t seen her since the revolution in Remno Kingdom. She had heard that she was given a lenient punishment with the help of Abel and Rafina¡­ Looking directly at her face, she felt a little relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°Both my brother and I are very much in debt to your mercy.¡±


    Lynsha bowed her head deeply.


    ¡°Oh my. That¡¯s a very deferential attitude¡­ What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Mia tilts her head slightly. Thest time they spoke, Lynsha spoke to her casually.


    ¡°No, no¡­ as expected, that¡­, to Her Royal Highness the princess of the Tearmoon Empire¡­ I can¡¯t be disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, Disrespectful? If I didn¡¯t give you a hard time after you and your buddies kidnapped me, then I certainly won¡¯t do that now. Just keep on speaking to me casually. It gives me the creeps when you talk like that.¡±


    Mia said jokingly. Lynsha looked dumbfounded, then after looking at Rafina¡¯s face for confirmation¡­


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders as if giving up.


    ¡°So, Lynsha-san will serve as Bel¡¯s attendant?¡±


    Indeed, Lynsha is hostile to the Chaos Serpents. And after going through such crisis together in the past, she felt a sense of kinship with her.


    ¡°Thank you, that would be very helpful for Bel.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Having the chance to study here in Saint Noel is a dreame true.¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s honest thanks, Lynsha looked a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Ufufu, Lynsha was so happy to be able to help Mia-san that she epted the job right away.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Rafina-sama!¡±


    Mia smiled happily at Lynsha, who was unusually flustered. Then she turned to Bell.


    ¡°Bel. This is Lynsha-san.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Nice to meet you, Lynsha-san. My name is Miabel. Please call me Bell. Miss Mia is my gran¡ª.¡±


    ¡°My little sister. She¡¯s my father¡¯s illegitimate child. Something that can¡¯t be revealed to the public.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t pry.¡±


    Rafina, who was quietly watching the situation, smiled elegantly.


    ¡°Ufufu, good for you. Then it¡¯s decided. And there¡¯s another person I want to introduce to Mia-san. Come over, Monica-san.¡±


    With Rafina¡¯s voice as a signal, a woman dressed in a maid outfit came in.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time to meet you. Your Highness Princess Mia. My name is Monica Buendia.¡±


    ¡°Monica-san¡­? Oh, maybe you were at Abel¡¯s ce¡­¡±


    Unusually for Mia, she remembered the name.


    <em>I¡¯m pretty sure that she¡¯s the one that made Abel happy when he told me about her.</em>


    Mia got a little annoyed at Abel at that time, who seemed happy to talk about a woman she didn¡¯t know.


    <em>Hmm, so this is Monica. Hmm, heh. That¡¯s right! Abel has a thing for older women.</em>


    Seeing Monica again, Mia puffed out her cheeks.


    ¡°At that time, thanks to Her Highness, my friends were able to receive clemency.¡±


    ¡°No, the feeling is mutual. Without you, Remno Kingdom would have faced a much worse fate.¡±


    Mia changed her expression to a smile¡­


    <em>Hmmph! I will never hand over Abel to you!</em>


    ¡­ but in her heart, she was ready for a fight.


    Thus, those who oppose the Chaos Serpent continued to gather under Rafina¡¯s arrangements. At the same time, Mia received a certain news from the empire. That is¡­

 Chapter 186

    <strong>Mia, the Good Questioner</strong>


    ¡°Now, we will hold the first student council meeting.¡±


    Mia smiled as she looked around at the people who had gathered in the student council room¡­¡­then she looked at the glittering sweets on the desk and smiled even brightly.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I need to introduce ourselves, so let¡¯s go to the cake¡­¡±


    ¡°President Mia, we should still do it. Even as a formality.¡± Mia swallowed her words after being cut off by Rafina with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. Then, briefly introduce yourself and what you hope to aplish in the council¡­¡±


    And so the meeting began.


    Mia, Rafina, Abel and Sion. After the self-introductions of the big names who had be familiar faces, Chloe and Tiona¡¯s slightly hesitant self-introductions followed.


    And then, thest one to stand up was Sapphias with a slightly tense face.


    ¡°In this way, I am honored to be able to join thest seat of such an honorable council. I will do my best not to betray Her Highness Princess Mia¡¯s trust, even if I am unworthy.¡±


    After giving a more formal greeting than anyone else, Sapphias took a seat. Mia felt a little surprised when she heard him.


    <em>Hmm, that was an unexpectedly serious greeting. Well, even a Chaos Serpent wouldn¡¯t openly dere a war.</em>


    While Mia was thinking about such things, they were easily blown away by the sweet cakes in front of her.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s stop with the stiff greetings¡­ and immediately¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s enjoy tea and cake¡­ while talking about the budget.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Each club has sent their requests on this year¡¯s budget allocation. We can discuss this while having tea.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uhm¡­ Rafina-sama. Shouldn¡¯t we leave that forter?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, it¡¯s sweet that you want to talk first about difficult numbers. As expected of Mia.¡±


    What Mia meant was leave the budget forter. Rafina just smiled. Mia clenched her fist, all fired up to finish this task and start devouring the cakes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best to finish this.¡±


    After hearing Rafina¡¯s deration, Mia can no longer say anything.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right, I see¡­ I also thought it would be better to finish the budget as soon as possible. Oh, but let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    Mia let out a sigh while feeling depressed.


    And so, the discussion began¡­but¡­


    Mia was looking at the faces of the members, reading the mood¡­


    ¡°Um, excuse me Rafina-sama, what exactly does this mean?¡±


    Mia was aware of the importance of asking questions. In the previous timeline when she was working with Ludwig to deal with issues of the empire, she had learned the hard way not to let questions stay questions. Allowing conversation to proceed uninterrupted thought things she didn¡¯t understand often resulted in a sever scolding down the line. She was always left sniffling after a frustrated Ludwig scolded her for doing things she didn¡¯t understand.


    It was also a problem to ask too basic questions. She had to ask only the questions that needed t be asked, or she risked her credibility before the other party.


    For this case, her criteria for determining the necessary questions were the faces of the other members. Not all the members. Sion was useless; Mia was even unsure if his face was capable of expressing iprehension. Abel, Mia thought, was smart and capable as well. As for Chloe, numbers seemed to be her strong suit. So they were all not helpful


    The ones left are Tiona and Sapphias. Whenever they seemed to look as if there¡¯s a part that they don¡¯t understand, Mia would interrupt with a relevant question, then she would write down both the issue and its answer when she can.


    ¡­And as it turns out, Mia was actually very good at asking questions.


    This was also thanks to the previous timeline. Many times, Ludwig would tell her: ¡°You can ask questions, but please don¡¯t ask anything without thinking about it first.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you don¡¯t know in the first ce. Don¡¯t ask vague questions. Ask specific ones.¡± Many times she cried because of frustration. The bitter memories of holding back tears while clenching her teeth were revived! Mia, who was blessed with Ludwig¡¯s tutge, became quite good at asking questions.


    Yes, Mia has grown into a person who knows what she doesn¡¯t know! It¡¯s a big growth for Mia!


    Rafina who noticed Mia ¡­


    <em>Mia¡­ you really intend to train Tiona-san and Sapphias-san¡­</em>


    ¡­ was deeply moved.


    During the discussion, Mia took notes while paying close attention to the two. And when it seemed that there was something that they didn¡¯t understand, Mia would step in and ask and easy-to-understand question.


    Rafina was able to understand what she is talking about. However, it is quite difficult for her to exin it to someone in an easy-to-understand manner. Mia, on the other hand, was attempting the far trickier task of asking targeted questions that would prompt Rafina to exin what it was that the others weren¡¯t understanding.


    <em>While protecting the pride of the two, she firmly taught them knowledge¡­ What a masterful stroke, Mia.</em>


    In Rafina¡¯s eye, Mia¡¯s evaluation continued to swell up. One can only hope that one day, it won¡¯t burst and crash.


    Sometime after the first student council meeting, Anne and Lynsha were busy coordinating the handover of their job responsibilities. This left Mia alone with Bel. Mia figured it was the perfect time to talk with Bel about the future again. Bel told her¡­


    ¡°Ah, maybe you should read ¡®The Chronicles of Princess Mia¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Why does that book sound familiar?¡±


    Certainly, it was the book that appeared in a paragraph of some history book she found in the library.


    ¡°¡­Chronicles of Princess Mia¡±


    ¡°Yes, this was the record of Grandmother Mia written by Mother Elise.¡±


    ording to Bel, when she woke up in the library, she hid it in a bookshelf to keep it from being burned.


    ¡°I see, so if you¡¯re going to hide a book, hide it in a library¡­¡±


    Following Bel, Mia visited the library.


    ¡°This way. Onee-sama.¡±


    Bel goes straight to the back of the library. Eventually she stopped in front of a bookshelf. It was the bookshelf where Mia found the history book. After Bel took out several thick books, a ragged book came out from the back.


    ¡°This one, Mia-neesama.¡±


    The book that Bel took out was all worn out. But on its cover, the title can clearly be seen: ¡°The Chronicles of Princess Mia.¡± When Mia picked up the book, she had a bad feeling. A chill ran down my spine, as if an iprehensible miasma was wafting from the entire book.


    I hate it, I don¡¯t want to read it, but I can¡¯t help but read it. Mia took the plunge and opened the book! She almost fainted on the spot.


    ¡°Hey, this is¡­¡±


    It was full of beautiful phrases that praised her. Just reading it gave her goosebumps. Every time she turned a page, her face heats up and her body naturally began to squirm. It was a little scary.


    To calm herself down, Mia exhaled heavily.


    ¡°Heh, heh, this Mia is amazing, isn¡¯t she? Somehow, she¡¯s like a character in a story.¡±


    Somehow, that¡¯s all Mia can mutter.


    ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re so funny Mia-neesama. Of course, she is not just some character. She is standing right here.¡± Bel regarded Mia with the look of someone who cannot differentiate fiction from reality.


    <em>What in the world is going to make her think that this kind of person actually exists!?</em>


    ording to The Chronicles of Princess Mia, a person named Mia Luna Tearmoon has read more than ten books every day since she was a child, and her wisdom allows her to see 100 or 1000 years into the future. Even more than that, she rebuilt the failing finances of the empire. She was unconcerned with material wealthy but always considerate to the poor. She even rode a legendary horse. She rode it on the air while twirling and dancing as beautiful as the moon goddess herself.


    <em>Wait, this is all a big lie except for my appearance!</em>


    Mia was astonished and let out a sigh while failing to correct her own evaluation of her beauty.


    <em>And what is this about me about to drown when we were attacked by a Megalodon. And that I knocked it down with a single punch to its nose!?</em>


    In the first ce, it has nothing to do with wisdom. It¡¯s about physical strength. Well, since there are sensory organs on the tip of a shark¡¯s nose, it might be part of my knowledge that I can repel them by punching them. Still, it was obviously fiction. It was a packed episode. Mia can¡¯t swim in the first ce.


    <em>If Bel thought that I was such a superhuman, it would be a big problem¡­</em>


    While thinking so, Mia picked up the book.


    ¡°For the time being, we can¡¯t have such a dangerous book just lying around.¡±


    It would be a problem if someone carelessly picked up something like this.


    <em>The humiliation would kill me.</em>


    Mia hurriedly leaves the library with the book in her chest because she didn¡¯t want to die from embarrassment. On the way out, she was stopped by the librarian, but got through by exining that it was her book that she forgot earlier. Afterparing it with the records and wasn¡¯t able to find the title, the librarian believed her. Mia¡¯s heart did almost stop when the librarian checked the title.


    ¡°I swear, there¡¯s something about a book having my name in its title. It just feels wrong. I need to have a word with Elise next time we meet.¡±


    While muttering such things, Mia returned to her room. But¡­.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    A girl was standing in front of her door.


    ¡°Ah, Princess Mia, how are you?¡±


    The girl who was waiting for Mia slightly lifted the hem of her skirt. Her healthy tan skin and jet-ck hair that looks like it¡¯s melted into the night sky are proof that she lives in a country to the south of the Tearmoon Empire. Mia was familiar with the deep green eyes and the cute smile on her face.


    ¡°Well, Rania-san. Nice to meet you.¡±


    It was Rania Tafrif Perujin. Mia returned a friendly smile to the third princess of Perujin Agricultural Country.


    Well, it¡¯s already gotten pretty sloppy, but¡­ Mia had two rules for living in St. Noel. The first is to stay away from people who lead her to the guillotine. The other is to build connections with useful people in order to avoid the guillotine.


    The first one is already half-destroyed, but the second one is something she is working hard on.


    And the person in front of her, Rania, was one of the few sessful examples of making connections for Mia.


    ¡°For the time being, pleasee in.¡±

 Chapter 187

    <strong>Mia knows that both cake and bread are made from wheat.</strong>


    Perujin Agricultural Country is a nation located southwest of the Tearmoon Empire. Most of the country¡¯snd is farnd, and most of the people are rted to agriculture. As such, many imperial nobles look down on the country. A descendant of serfs, a vassal state of Tearmoon: there are even those who see it that way.


    But Mia knows that if the import of agricultural products from Perujin stopped, the empire would be in a in immediate crisis. And when ites down to it, the most important thing isn¡¯t beautiful silk, glittering jewels, or precious metals. It is the crop that fills the belly.


    <em>Yes, I know. That bread and cake are actually made from same wheat!</em>


    Therefore, she can¡¯t tell people to eat cake if they don¡¯t have bread. She had done this in the previous timeline, and Ludwig gave her a contemptuous re. She had learned her lesson and now gave Rania her utmost respect. When ites to a Perujin Princess, there was no room for rudeness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Princess Mia. I came unannounced¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. However, Anne is out now, so I can¡¯t offer you tea¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mia-neesama, I¡¯ll get her then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so smart, Bel.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe¡±


    Seeing the smiling and happy Bel, something clicked in Mia¡¯s mind.


    <em>Oh,e to think of it, recently Bel was addicted to sweet hot cocoa. It¡¯s bad for her health if she drinks too much, so Anne stopped her. So, she is nning to use this as a chance to get a cup for herself. What a sneaky little rascal. I wonder who she gets it from¡­ </em>


    Despite seeing Bel¡¯s scheme, Mia doesn¡¯t stop her. The reason is very simple. Because she wants one too. Theplicity between granddaughter and grandmother was established here!


    Bel bowed to Rania and left the room.


    ¡°Fufu, she¡¯s cute. Is she your little sister?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ that¡¯s how it is. So, what brings you here today?¡±


    Mia pulled a chair for Rania and then she sat on the opposite chair.


    Rania sat down on a chair, fell silent for a moment, and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s about my second sister.¡±


    ¡°The second princess?¡±


    Mia tilted her head. Then she slowly starts mumbling in her head.


    <em>What was Rania¡¯s older sister¡¯s name? Um, ah, I think it starts with an A¡­ uhmm¡­ Oh!</em>


    ¡°Arshia Tafrif Perujin, I believe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As expected of Princess Mia. I¡¯m honored you know her.¡±


    Rania smiled happily. Mia also has a cheerful smile. The refreshing feeling that she remembered made her smile unintentionally.


    <em>Ludwig said to make an effort in remembering things. He¡¯s got a point.</em>


    Yes, that effort to remember might help her ward dementia caused byziness.


    ¡°Arshia has studied at St. Noel for six years and acquired specialized knowledge. But Father told her that he wants to marry my sister in order to deepen the rtionship with the country that would benefit Perujin.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡±


    It¡¯s amon story among nobles and royalty. Considering the future of the country, it was the norm to marry a noble from a better country. At least it¡¯s a more general idea of enriching a nation instead of through individual ability or learning.


    <em>Hmm¡­ I can understand what Rania-san¡¯s father is saying.</em>


    Mia looks at Rania while sensing signs of trouble.


    ¡°So, why did you tell me about your sister?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my sister¡¯s efforts. Is there anyway you can speak to Rafina and ask her if my sister could somehow work at Saint Noel¡¯s?¡±


    <em>Ah, so this is what it was about¡­</em>


    Mia thinks while snorting. To be honest, the rtionship with Rania is something that Mia wants to cherish. So she wants to do what she can. However, it is not a good idea to have the King of Perujin have a bad impression of her because of this.


    <em>While listening to Rania-san¡¯s request, I need to think of a way that the Perujin King won¡¯t resent me.</em>


    While thinking, Mia folded her arms.


    ¡°There is no problem with asking Rafina, but by the way, what did your sister study here?¡±


    ¡°She studied botany.¡±


    ¡°I see. Botany¡­¡±


    It will be a littleter that Mia remembers Rania¡¯s words at that time. A short timeter, Bel returns to the room with hot cocoa. Furthermore, shortly after that, an impatient Anne returned with news from the empire, and many things were forgotten, almost.

 Chapter 188

    <strong>Returning to the Imperial Capital</strong>


    Anne was bringing news from Ludwig.


    There is something I wanted to discuss with you about the academy town n. Please return to the empire at earliest convenience.


    That was all it said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s rare for Ludwig to be looking for me¡­¡±


    Ludwig was exceptionallypetent that he rarely bothered Mia with his work. asionally, he would ask Mia to use her name for something, and she¡¯d give permission without a second thought ¨C well, without a first thought either. Mia had always been a model yes-man.


    Anyway¡­.


    Arriving with the message was a detachment of the Princess Guard. They were on theke shore and all ready to bring back Mia to the empire the next day. Apanying her were Anne and Bel, along with Lynsha, Bel¡¯s new attendant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lynsha. I know you were looking forward to studying at Saint Noel¡¯s¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s apology, Lynsha shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s work. Besides, I¡¯ve never been to the Tearmoon Empire, so it will be a new experience.¡±


    And so, the carriage carrying the four of them, apanied by a small escort force, hurried their way to the empire.


    ¡°The academy town, huh? I wonder what it will be about. If I remember correctly, the construction has already started, and I heard that students are nning to start studying by summer time.¡±


    Mia scratched her head before pulling out the Chronicles of Princess Mia. She thought that she would have time for analyzing its contents while they were riding the carriage.


    It is something that shouldn¡¯t be shown to other people, but she thought she would be able to get away with it with her carriagepanions.


    ¡°Oh? Mia-sama, what are you reading?¡±


    It was Lynsha who immediately asked. Curiously, she tried to peer into her book.


    ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡±


    A foreign book I borrowed from the library¡­ and so on: was about toe out of her mouth. When¡­


    ¡°Ufufufu, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s The Chronicles Princess Mia. A book that details all the glorious achievement of my sister Mia!¡±


    Bel announced proudly.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Mia shouts out totally surprised by her granddaughter¡¯s revtion. The conversation, however, continued.


    ¡°Chronicles of Princess Mia¡­ Oh, maybe someone in some other country has written and published it without permission. Now you are analyzing it. That makes sense. It is important for the royal family to know the public¡¯s evaluation is also beneficial.¡±


    Lynsha nodded in agreement,


    ¡°It was written by Mia-oneesama¡¯s writer, Mother Eli ¨C I mean Elise-sama.¡±


    Bel became more talkative.


    ¡°Really? Elise wrote something like that¡­?¡±


    Anne makes a curious face. Next to her, Lynsha was looking at Mia with nk eyes. It was as if she was looking at Mia while using her: ¡°Did you have your writer write a book about you to praise your achievements? And now you have the guts to read it in front of us to show off? Seriously? That¡¯s a new high to bragging!¡±


    ¡°Uh, uh¡­ Stop, don¡¯t look at me! Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡±


    Mia covered her face with both hands and shook her head. It seems that embarrassment can indeed kill a princess. What a terrible thing!


    That¡¯s it! This book is officially a dangerous good and needs to be handled with caution.


    Having decided that it was a terrible idea to read the book in front of Lynsha, she asked the two attendants to move themselves to the driver¡¯s seat under the pretense of instructing them to arrange the night¡¯s food and lodging with the guards.


    Now, Mia, who was alone with Bell, opened the dangerous book again. But not before giving her granddaughter a good talking.


    <em>That¡¯s strange. It seems that this passage seems a little different from thest time I read it. Ah!</em>


    Mia finally found where the start of the passage seemed to have changed.


    ¡°Bel, I just want to confirm. I was able to build an academy town in the Tearmoon Empire, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You mean St. Mia Academy? Of course!¡±


    Hearing the disturbing name, Mia involuntarily stiffens.


    ¡°Um, now, what¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s St. Mia Academy. It¡¯s the most prestigious school in the Tearmoon Empire, located in the princess¡¯ direct jurisdiction right next to Sence Forest. The academy teaches various subjects.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, the name aside, it seems to be the kind of thing I¡¯m thinking about.¡±


    Mia resisted in cursing out loud.


    <em>Who in the dark moons thought of giving it that name!</em>


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s even more strange. This princess¡¯ biography¡­ doesn¡¯t mention that academy at all.¡±


    If it¡¯s a school with such a name, it should definitely be in this book. Despite that, the story of the academy was not written at all in Princess Mia¡¯s biography.


    ¡°Huh¡­? It can¡¯t be. I mean, I¡¯ve read it before.¡±


    Bel looked into the book. She eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Huh? Huh? No way! Why? This is weird.¡±


    Looking at the confused Bel, Mia can guess what happened.


    <em>It¡¯s probably the same as what happened with my diary. An event can trigger it to change its contents. Oh? But Bel¡¯s memories itself hasn¡¯t changed. Does that mean that it does not affect memories? Or is there some sort of timeg?</em>


    Unlike pages on a book, memories certainly seem to take time to be changed.


    <em>Hmm, there are many things I don¡¯t understand¡­</em>


    Mia tilts her head in puzzlement.


    <em>So, what does this mean?</em>


    Mia continued thinking, using all her brain cells. She finally arrived at a truth.


    That¡¯s right. Bel came here as the guide that I prayed for. That means if Ipare her unchanging memory with that of the changing ounts of this book, then I would be able to figure things out! That must be it!


    Mia didn¡¯t bother analyzing why such a phenomenon was happening. She was approaching it from the perspective of what does it mean for Bel and the ¡®Chronicles of Princess Mia¡¯ to coexist at the same time.


    It was definitely not because she thought it was too tiresome to think about difficult things. This was ingenuity at work! At no point did she think that there¡¯s no point about thinking things that she can¡¯t figure out at all. After all, that would just make her tired. So long as she has an answer, she was happy with it.


    Well, that aside¡­


    ¡°There is also this new strain of wheat.¡±


    ¡°Huh? New type of wheat? What is that? What do you mean, Mia-neesama?¡±


    Seeing Bel¡¯s expression, Mia nodded in understanding.


    <em>I see¡­ In other words, in the future where Bel was, even though there was an academy town, no new wheat was developed. Well, it seems that the famine can be ovee thanks to the stockpile of food and Chloe¡¯s firm¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s deep, deep thoughts continued.

 Chapter 189

    <strong>Mia Day</strong>


    Arriving at the Imperial Capital, Lunatear, Mia immediately went to greet her father. By the way, Lynsha and Bel went with Anne and stayed at her home. Since Anne is Mia¡¯s exclusive maid, she is supposed toe to the Whitemoon Pceter, but as expected, she can¡¯t enter the castle with Bel.


    Mia changed clothes in her room and immediately headed to the audience room.


    <em>Come to think of it, he made a big fussst time about how I have to call him ¡°Dad¡±, didn¡¯t he?</em>


    Remembering it, her steps grew slightly heavy. It seems like it was a long time ago¡­ but that was why Mia went to St. Noel early.


    <em>I hope he is not still hung up about that.</em>


    While Mia was vaguely worried about it, her father unexpectedly greeted her calmly.


    ¡°Oh, Mia, are you back? It¡¯s good to see you in good health.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Your Majesty. We have just arrived safely.¡±


    ¡°As I have said before, call me Father if you can¡¯t call me Dad.¡±


    ¡°Yes Father. I am d to see that you are of good health as well.¡±


    This is their usual exchange. For the time being, Mia breathed a sigh of relief for not being forced to call him Dad.


    ¡°I see¡­ Is St. Noel¡¯s fun?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Recently, I have been on friendly terms with Rafina-sama, Prince Sion, and Prince Abel. I acquaint myself with nobles from other nations to broaden my perspective. So my days with them at Saint Noel have been most enjoyable.¡±


    Hearing about Mia¡¯s school life, the emperor nodded happily. Then his face suddenly clouded over.


    ¡°Ludwig, the civilian officer you used a lot¡­ It seems that I need to have a firm word with him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    For a moment, Mia couldn¡¯t understand what it meant.


    ¡°It is absolutely unforgivable to summon you, the Imperial Princess, and interrupt your fun school life. How dare he get in the way of your enjoyment! I¡¯ll spare him the gallows, but I will send him to¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. Father. I¡¯m rather happy to be back in the Empire like this. Besides, I only came back because I am needed. As an Imperial Princess, it is natural for me to fulfil my duties.¡±


    Mia said tly that meant no further discussion. Losing Ludwig now would be a disaster. She had to quickly sever her father¡¯s disturbing train of thoughts.


    ¡°Is that really okay? There is no need to punish him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Seeing Mia nodding, the emperor let out a sigh.


    ¡°I see. If you say so, then I will give him the highest praise without any reserve.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a strange face. I¡¯m still the emperor. I¡¯m your father and the emperor at the same time. They are two roles that I cannot mix. So I have to put on the role that is needed for a certain asion.¡±


    Hearing that, Mia was a little impressed.


    <em>I thought that your father was definitely a useless emperor, but he¡¯s actually thinking about things properly.</em>


    Mia was impressed, but¡­


    ¡°Therefore, as emperor, I shall reward him greatly for this decision.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but be amused by her father¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m missing the point, Father. You should be happy that I am back as a father, not as an emperor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? How could I be wrong? When you are here in the Imperial Capital, all the people of the empire rejoice; when you depart for Belluga, all the people of the empire despair. Therefore, as one who created this opportunity for you to return, Ludwig deserves my praise as the emperor.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Silence ensued. Mia thought that she should have seen thising. Mia knew that her father dotes on her, but not to this extent.


    <em>Somehow I feel like if I just asked him very nicely to put some serious thought into fixing the empire, all our problems would be solved.</em>


    Mia was about to realize the ultimate truth, but as expected, she reconsidered.


    <em>Even so, Father is still the same. He never changes.</em>


    Something in her father¡¯s unbridled joy at her return, annoyed Mia for unknown reason.


    ¡°Okay. Mia, since you are back, so let¡¯s make it Mia¡¯s day today! For ten days from today, we will hold a big festival for the whole empire.¡±


    ¡°How about we save that for another time¡­¡±


    Mia was starting to get more annoyed.


    <em>Ah, but I guess I did have involuntarily dragged his reputation in the mud with the whole Bel affair.</em>


    Thinking of her father, who waspletely misunderstood by Rafina, Mia felt a little guilty. Somehow, Mia has be kinder to her father,


    ¡°Father, of course I¡¯m happy to be celebrated by the people of the empire. But for now, I¡¯d like to have a leisurely dinner with my father today.¡±


    She said that with a soft smile. The emperor took one look at her expression and started to cry.


    ¡°Oh¡­ oh!¡±


    He burst into tears. Tears flowed down like a waterfall.


    ¡°Mia¡­, my cute Mia wants to eat with me¡­, Kuu, what are you saying¡­ Alright, I get it. Let me prepare the supreme dish for you! Burn the forest down, grill the freshest rabbit meat¡­¡±


    ¡°No, please stop. I am fine with ambermoon tomato soup. How about that?¡±


    Mia¡¯s annoyance meter reached a new level.

 Chapter 190

    <strong>The Curse ced Upon the Empire</strong>


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia, wee back.¡±


    After receiving news of Mia¡¯s return, Ludwig visited the Whitemoon Pce. His expression was unexpectedly dark. This wasn¡¯t surprising as he didn¡¯t want to request Mia¡¯s return, but the situation made it extremely necessary.


    <em>It can¡¯t be helped. This problem can get pretty big if done poorly. I know my limits, and I know I can¡¯t tackle it on my own.</em>


    And so he faced Mia who looked tired.


    He grimaced. She must haven¡¯t been able to rest because of the rush. The sight of Mia yawning and rubbing her eyes felt like thorns on Ludwig¡¯s chest.


    <em>I heard that she has been quite active at Saint Noel. She must already be pretty busy as it is.</em>


    When Ludwig heard the news of Mia running for presidency, he felt the chills. But what happened next was something he never imagined. From being an underdog, she emerged victorious at ast minute conceding from Rafina. It was unclear what happened behind the scenes. There must be a deal or something. But whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t a threat. There seemed to be a mutual consent between the two candidates.


    Ludwig had heard that there were many people whoined about the result of the election. They were unsatisfied that it was won without voting. These people argued: what is victory without swords? For them, it wasn¡¯t a real victory, it was cowardly.


    But Ludwig thought differently. Some tacticians are good at fighting, while some strategists can force their opponens to withdraw before the fighting even begins. There are politicians who put their nations in a position o diplomatic superiority that there was no need for open conflict.


    The way Ludwig saw it, Mia had won over Rafina on the strategic font, way before the actual battle of votes began. And now that he thought about it, it was bing obvious why she decided to run for the student council.


    <em>Bing the student council president will allow her to experience how the school is actually run. </em>


    The knowledge gained there will be used in Tearmoon¡¯s first academy city.


    Indeed, even though the continent is vast, there is no better ce to learn academic administration than at St. Noel¡¯s. Mia¡¯s thinking was extremely rational. Despite this, Ludwig regrets that he had interfered with her actions. Ludwig makes to curse himself for his shamelessness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness Mia for calling you back like this.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem. Last night, my father didn¡¯t let me sleep much because he wanted to hear the stories he hadn¡¯t heard.¡±


    He thought that it was a joke as an excuse. She probably saw his troubled expression and tried to make the atmosphere light by making such a joke. After making such a joke, Mia yawned again then turned her slightly moist eyes to Ludwig.


    ¡°So you came all the way here. I was nning of visiting youter. I know you must be busy too.¡±


    ¡°Not as busy as you¡¯re Highness. Yet, I still asked you to interrupt your studies at Saint Noel and rush home. Coming here was the least I can do.¡±


    Ludwig knelt and bowed as fit for a vassal.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you in good health, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°The same to you. You haven¡¯t seem to have changed much.¡± Mia then narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, what do you want to discuss with me?¡±


    Ludwig paused for awhile before replying.


    ¡°Before we get to the main topic, there are a few things I would like to report.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to bring her back to the Imperial Capital, he might as well as her for guidance. She is, after all, the Wisdom of the Empire. Her vision and intellect greatly surpasses his.


    ¡°First of all, the food stockpiling that Mia-sama ordered is progressing smoothly. At present, even if there is no harvest for a year, we have enough stock to keep the entire nation from starving¡±


    This is just a spection. It is not clear as to how much each noble has stockpiled in their region. So the uracy was unclear.


    ¡°Furthermore, if we calcte the amount purchased from the Forkroad Company, it seems that we can deal with a considerable scale of famine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s going well.¡±


    Looking at the parchment handed to Mia, she nodded slightly.


    ¡°And the wheat will soon be harvested, but this year¡¯s harvest is likely to decrease a little.¡±


    ¡°It will decrease¡­ by how much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rough estimate, but there are reports that it may decrease by about 10%pared tost year.¡±


    ¡°10%¡­ hmm¡­¡±


    Mia put her hand on her cheek and tilted her head slightly. This amount is not that dire to be considered a problem. If that is the case, the next year¡¯s harvest will be enough to make up for it. Also, in the first ce, a decrease in harvest was amon urrence in the Tearmoon Empire. Looking down on farmers was a pastime for imperial nobles anyway.


    Originally, thisnd was suitable for agriculture, called the Fertile Crescent. After sowing seeds, all it took was regr watering and weeding to see bountiful harvest. People had usually called it ¡°thend of effortless harvest.¡±


    And there lived simple natives. They lived a peaceful farming life, never starving or having to fight. Then, a powerful invader, a nearby hunting tribe, attacked. The hunting tribes, the ancestors of Tearmoon, used force to reduce the natives to serfs and made thend their own. That was the beginning of the Tearmoon Empire.


    The first emperor, the chieftain of the hunting tribe, regarded those who were excellent in martial arts as nobles, and despised the indigenous people who engaged in agriculture as ves or cowards. By doing so, they legitimized their sovereignty.


    This evil ideology took root as a Tearmoon identity. Tearmoon people are contemptuous to farmers who they believe are too stupid to make a living doing anything else.


    The system of serfdom is long gone. Farmers are no longer systematically treated unfairly. It is a proper profession, and farmers are no longer oppressed for being one. Therefore, the problem was rather serious.


    If there is a problem with the system, the system can be changed. If the status is unfairly low, then the status can be improved. If there is violence, then eliminate violence.


    But it is hard to correct assumptions that originated from emotions rather than reason. ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t want to do it¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s not good.¡± Such unconscious beliefs are still rooted in people¡¯s minds and affect various actions without realizing it.


    The self-sufficiency rate of the Tearmoon Empire tends to be difficult to increase due to the irrational prejudice cultivated historically without any rational reason. And Ludwig¡­ even sensed something like malice there. It¡¯s as if this empire is heading towards its own death¡­


    It¡¯s as if the curse of the in natives of thisnd is about to kill the entire empire. For some reason, Ludwig couldn¡¯t shake off such imagination, even though it was groundless and fictional. In fact, the distribution of food within the empire was quite a tightrope act before Mia took action.


    ¡°¡­ Finally, it is here.¡±


    Mia¡¯s words brought Ludwig back to reality.


    ¡°What-what do you mean, Your Highness?¡± He asked carefully while fixing his sses lightly. ¡°The reason for decreased harvest seems to be bad weather¡­¡±


    Of course, it is not possible to lose all the farnd, so each noble has been issued a notice to keep the farnd in the territory above a certain level. Also the nobles are aware of impending crisis, so it is safe to assume that they are abiding directives.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just bad weather, it¡¯s possible that the yield will recover after a year¡­¡±


    ¡°No, unfortunately that won¡¯t happen. This is just the beginning. Next year¡¯s harvest will be worse.¡±


    Mia quietly asserts. Then, with a quiet gaze towards Ludwig,


    ¡°If you feel the need, withdraw from the stockpile and distribute wheat. I¡¯ll leave the decision to you.¡±


    Ludwig identifies himself as a rationalist. Therefore, he thought that he should admonish Mia¡¯s unfounded worries, but¡­


    Mia¡¯s face was so full of confidence that this famine was happening. Therefore, all Ludwig could do was silently nod back.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for the reports. And the main subject¡­¡±


    Ludwig said without breaking his serious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the academy town project for Her Highness Princess Mia. At this rate, we may not be able to open the school.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia blinked her eyes.

 Chapter 191

    <strong>Remnants of Memories ~Unfulfilled Promises~</strong>


    ¡°Huh? The academy won¡¯t be able to open?¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s words suddenly awakened Mia¡¯s sleepy head. All the father-daughter talkst night vanished.


    <em>Well¡­ I thought that something like this would be the case.</em>


    Considering that Ludwig asked her toe back urgently and the things she had read from the Princess Mia Chronicles, Mia wasn¡¯t that shocked from the news.


    Mia sigh deeply, then ask Ludwig in a slow, calm, quiet voice.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mia expected that Viscount Berman was meddling again, but Ludwig¡¯s answer was unexpected.


    ¡°Actually, the lecturers I have been reaching out declined one after another. Lord Bachmann, who was supposed to be the president, and Lord Hillerbeck, who is an authority on religious studies; they both backed out of the arrangement.¡±


    In order to open the academy that Mia was aiming for, Ludwig made full use of his personal connections and tried to gather excellent human resources. Thanks to the full use of Princess Mia¡¯s name, the fundraising was going well, and the gathering of talented people as staff has started.


    Or at least that¡¯s what Mia had received during thest report.


    ¡°Not only that, but the people also who supported the establishment of Academy City are now reluctant to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on? What did this happen?¡± Mia was so rmed that she involuntarily pulled out of her chair. She was expecting trouble, but not this much.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but¡­ it seems that the Greenmoon family is pulling the strings behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Esmeralda¡¯s house, isn¡¯t it? Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia folded her arms.


    <em>If I remember correctly, Duke Greenmoon was the same as my father. He is a daughter-con sweet to Esmeralda. Then, if I ask Esmeralda¡­</em>


    Her n was ruthlessly cut off by Ludwig.


    ¡°It seems that everything is being done under the instructions of Esmeralda-sama. Mia-sama, do you have any idea why this is happening?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Mia, who opened her mouth in astonishment, started clenching her teeth at the next moment.


    ¡°Gununu¡­ Esmeralda. Do you have a grudge against me?¡±


    In Mia¡¯s mind, the face of her tea-drinking friend who wasughing loudly came to mind.


    Around that time that Mia was screaming her head off, her friend, Esmeralda was just waking upte from her bed.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    She yawned then looked around the room with blurry eyes. A small whisper escaped from her lips.


    ¡°I had a bad dream¡­¡±


    Just remembering it makes her shudder¡­ it was a dream of the Tearmoon Empire copsing. A world where the empire was being ravaged by food shortages, financial copse, rebellions from minority tribes and epidemics.


    In her dream, Esmeralda, who was depressed by the worsening situation, visited the Whitemoon Pce. The beautiful castle, which boasts its majestic appearance that does not change at any time, lifts Esmeralda¡¯s heart and makes her proud as an imperial noble.


    ¡°Ah, the empire is fine¡­ It¡¯s impossible for our glorious Tearmoon empire to fall to ruins.¡±


    Esmeralda regained her energy and walked lightly through the corridors of the pce, where she found her best friend, Mia Luna Tearmoon, with a dark and sunken face.


    ¡°Oh, good evening, Mia-sama.¡±


    Mia did not look too well. It seems that she has been running around various ces, with a loyal civil officer, for the sake of the empire.


    <em>My, that¡¯s hardly the way a princess should carry herself.</em>


    Esmeralda wanted to cheer her friend up, and so¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mia-sama, next time, let¡¯s have a tea party at my house. I¡¯ll invite a lot of guests and make it grand. And as proud imperial nobles, we will pledge to do our best for this empire. I will also have your favorite caked prepared. Doesn¡¯t it sound wonderful?¡±


    When she said that, Mia smiled happily.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed very nice. I¡¯m looking forward to it, Esmeralda.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will surely exceed your expectations, Mia-sama.¡±


    Seeing Mia¡¯s expression brighten, Esmeralda feels slightly satisfied.


    ¡°Really, you¡¯re worrying too much. Mia-sama¡­ There¡¯s no way this glorious Tearmoon Empire can ever fall. All this doom and gloom are nonsense. Just ignore the stupid dogs barking about.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Esmeralda returned to her mansion.


    It was that night.


    ¡°Esmeralda, hey, Esmeralda¡­¡±


    She felt her body shaken gently. There is no way such rudeness would be tolerated by her, who is the daughter of a Duke. In an instant, Esmeralda¡¯s anger boiled up and she opened her eyes, but she was surprised when she saw the person standing in the dark room.


    ¡°Oh, father? What are you doing in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, actually¡­ This is rather sudden, but we Greenmoon people have decided to leave the Imperial Capital.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh? Leaving? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard this, but the empire is in a dangerous situation. That¡¯s why I got in touch with friends of mine from a foreign country to ask them if they can shelter us.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand, but father, that is¡­ Greenmoon family will run away from this empire with our tails between our legs¡­ Is that what you are saying?¡±


    With angry eyes, Esmeralda vigorously rose from the bed.


    ¡°Absolutely not. Are we not one of the Four Dukes? Do we not have our pride from our allegiance to the Emperor? Besides, I made a promise. I will be having a tea party with Her Highness Princess Mia¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I think that the empire will recover. But we will need help to do it. That is why we need to bide our time and gather our strength, so that we may return in greater force and drive out these mongrels.¡±


    Saying that, Duke Greenmoon grabbed Esmeralda¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°But what about His Majesty the Emperor? And what about Her Highness Princess Mia!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The rest of the Four Dukes will protect His Majesty. In the meantime, we will prepare a counterattack across the sea.¡±


    ¡°But, but I have a promise, Father. And Mia looked so happy!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Enough. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Father, please let me go. I¡­¡±


    Thus, the Greenmoon family escaped overseas. Esmeralda tried many times to find a way to return to the empire, but she never got the chance¡­


    The promise of a tea party with Mia was never fulfilled.


    ¡°¡­ a bad dream. Seriously, why did I have such a strange dream?¡±


    Esmeralda got out of bed and took off her dress that was soaked with sweat. Behind her exposed naked body, a girl attendant approaches without a sound and puts on her the St. Noel¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Hey, are you working properly as I requested?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Esmeralda-sama. We have received a notice from the mansion. It is said that the sabotage has already begun against Her Highness Princess Mia¡¯s academy town n.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s great. Mia, you¡¯re now in trouble, I¡¯m sure. Ufufu¡­¡±


    Esmeralda smiled as she brushes her long, thick hair lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, isn¡¯t it? Mia-sama. This is what happens when you did not give me the respect I deserve.¡±


    Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon. One of the Four Dukes of the empire, the daughter of the Green Moon family. She considers herself Mia¡¯s best friend and also her rival. Recently, she has been very dissatisfied with Mia¡¯sck of attention to her.


    Even if she invites Mia to a tea party, she won¡¯t stay for long. And Mia haven¡¯t even invited her to any tea party. So, Esmeralda is very, very, very dissatisfied.


    You see, Esmeralda was very, very, very much a handful.

 Chapter 192

    <strong>Ludwig is moved to the Core!</strong>


    ¡°The Greenmoon family had a strong tendency to look down onmoners. It seems that this is a protest against Her Highness¡¯s policy of opening the door not only to nobles but also tomoners. Unfortunately, there are a lot of nobles who agree with them. The situation is serious.¡±


    The Greenmoon family owns sailing ships. They had a lot of ties with foreign nations across the seas. Early on, the Greenmoon family realized the usefulness of knowledgeing from across the sea, and from then on, they actively invested in schrship.


    Due to this background, Duke Greenmoon has great influence over the academic cliques within the empire. Therefore, its influence could never be ignored. Also, in this case, the Greenmoon family has be a banner that rallied the nobles who were dissatisfied with Mia. There are quite a few noble families who do not like Mia, who has been tolerant and kind tomoners for a long time.


    It wouldn¡¯t be strange at all that most of these nobles cooperated with Duke Greenmoon secretly.


    However, the civil servants with hearts support the actions of Mia and Ludwig. So, information such as secret maneuvers of the Greenmoon family are passed on to Ludwig. But still¡­


    ¡°By the way, how are the other Four Dukes doing?¡±


    ¡°Both the Redmoon family and the Yellowmoon family have decided to wait and see. Only the Bluemoon family has offered financial assistance. And it¡¯s quite a considerable amount.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s surprising¡­¡±


    This seemed to be intended as a way of showing gratitude for having Sapphias part of the student council.


    ¡°Or should I see it as a snake snuggling up to me¡­ Anyway, if he¡¯s going to be on my side from now on, then there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because of them, funding is not a concern at the moment. As for the buildings, Viscount Berman is overlooking its construction. So, it is proceeding smoothly as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s also surprising. I thought he was definitely reluctant about something.¡± Mia secretly apologizes in her heart. ¡°Even so¡­ what shall we do?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Either persuade them again or find someone else.¡±


    Ludwig was right, but at the same time it was not easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy. There aren¡¯t that many people who want to go against the Greenmoon family. Hm? Outside the influence of the Green Moon family? What about¡­¡±


    Mia groaned while thinking for a while¡­ then she finally remembered.


    <em>Oh, yes. Rania¡¯s older sister was a botany schr if I remember correctly¡­ The Peruvian king wanted to marry her to a nobleman from a foreign country. I wonder if she¡¯s willing toe to my academy to teach. Maybe if I ask nicely¡­</em>


    Mia evaluates that this option should be better than being married to a stranger for political reasons. Besides, she would only be asking to teach for about 2 or three years. She can quit afterwards if she wants to get married. In the meantime, it will be possible to find one to rece her.


    <em>Besides, in order for Cyril to develop a new type of wheat, someone who can teach botany is essential.</em>


    Somehow, Mia involuntarily smiles, feeling like she¡¯de up with something really good.


    ¡°Ludwig, about the issue of lecturers, I have my eye on a person.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Second princess of Perujin Agricultural Country. Princess Aisha Tafrif Perujin is said to have studied botany at St. Noel¡­ and is looking for a ce to where she can put her knowledge to good use.¡±


    Mia said in a light tone,


    ¡°She¡¯ll just the right person for my academy.¡±


    Mia spoke confidently.


    <em>Mia-sama what do you mean by this?</em>


    Ludwig gasped upon hearing the candidate lecturer¡¯s name. Calling the princess of the Agricultural Country as a lecturer of botany would mean that Mia was going to fight head on against the ¡®evil anti-agriculturalist thought¡¯ that was prevalent in the empire. This seems to make sense as education is the best way to wipe out irrational discrimination and superstition. Mia is trying to solve the biggest problem of the Tearmoon Empire with her Academy City Project.


    A sudden shudder ran through Ludwig¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t help but get goosebumps from the intense emotion.


    <em>Ah, this person¡­ as expected, she is unmistakably the wisdom of the empire. She is an angel of wisdom sent by the heavens to this country that is in decline¡­</em>


    Mia, in Ludwig¡¯s eyes, had moonlit shining wings on her back. Proud to work under the direction of such a supreme being, Ludwig, uncharacteristically, smiled cheerfully.


    ¡°Fufu, is that so¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were already looking for the right person to be the lecturer.¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t discussed it with her yet. Besides, we need more than a single teacher. But what is really a headache is looking for a Headmaster for the academy.¡±


    Indeed, it was so. Initially, it was nned to appoint Count Bachmann, who is known as a prominent intellectual within the empire, as Headmaster. Attracted by the fame, there were several people who came forward as instructors. It is necessary to appoint a well-known person as the person who will be above the lecturers.


    But¡­


    ¡°Regarding that matter¡­ Could you leave it to me?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have had some reservations about this person. But after witnessing Your Highness¡¯ resolution, I have made up my mind to also do my best.¡±


    ¡°Resolution? Huh? Well, that¡¯s good. Who are you thinking about?¡±


    After closing his eyes for a moment, Ludwig speaks in a quiet tone.


    ¡°My¡­ master. The man who taught me everything I know.¡±

 Chapter 193

    <strong>The culprit¡­?</strong>


    Rewinding back time a little when Mia was interrogated by her father about every sincle thing that happened to her at Saint Noel¡¯s¡­


    During this time, Bel and Lynsha received a modest weing party at Anne¡¯s house.


    <em>So this is the home of Mother Anne and Mother Elise¡­</em>


    A father with a gentle smile and a quiet and kind mother; while the children areughing carefreely. The atmosphere of the dining table was wrapped in a pleasant warmth. Totally opposite from the environment Bel was raised in.


    <em>Mother Elise¡­</em>


    Bel remembers with nostalgia the face of the woman who was like her mother. The gentle wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her gentle voice when telling bedtime stories, and the dignified look that she had when she entrusted Bel with the precious Chronicles of Princess Mia.


    Ludwig died, Anne died¡­ It was Elise who took care of her until the very end. That¡¯s why Bel wanted to see Elise no matter what, if she was able to go back in time.


    <em>Mother Elise¡­ I guess it should have been obvious, but you look so much younger.</em>


    Bel had endless respect for Mia¡¯s personal court writer and the author of Mia¡¯s biography. Seeing Elise so young felt strange. Elise used to carry her to put her to sleep. Bel always felt that Elise back was wide and full of motherlyfort. However, seeing Elise who is almost the same age as her, Bel could did not get the same impression of the elderly Mother Elise.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Bel-sama¡±


    Elise, who was sitting next to her, noticed that Bel was staring at her. Bel had no way of knowing, but the sicklyplexion of Elise had been reced by a younger healthier Elise. All thanks to the money that Anne had been sending and the sry that Elise herself receives as a writer. There was now no trouble finding food.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that? Ah¡­¡±


    Bel stammered. But Elise noticed something.


    ¡°Bel-sama, please excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Saying that, she gently reached for Bel¡¯s cor and brushed off the crumbs that were on it,


    ¡°Forgive my rudeness, Bel-sama. But I must remind you that you are rted to Mia-sama. You cannot go around with crumbs on your shirt. You should conduct yourself ordingly.¡±


    Elise said it with a stiff face. It was at that moment that Bel¡¯s emotional floodgate couldn¡¯t hold in anymore.


    <em>Aaah¡­ it really is Mother Elise.</em>


    Waves of emotions washed over Bel. Her heart overflowed with nostalgia and fondness.


    ¡°Um, um, Moth- I mean, Elise-san, is it okay if I sleep with you tonight? I¡¯d like to hear some of your stories¡­¡±


    Without thinking, Bel requested.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, but Bel-sama, what about your attendant¡­¡±


    Elise looked flustered at Lynsha, but Lynsha gave a wry smile and shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Normally, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for aristocrats or royalty to sleep withmoners. But both Princess Mia and Bel-sama seemed to be quite loose in that area. Also, Bel can take care of herself. So you don¡¯t have to worry


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know how to behave. Mother El- ¡­ My mother taught me well.¡±


    Bel dered while showing a proud smile, and Elise just looked confused.


    Just like that, Bel was able to worm herself into sleeping with Elise. Sheid down on the bed, snuggled into the nket and took a deep breath.


    <em>Aaah¡­ it smells like Mother Elise.</em>


    Her foster mother who gave her own life to protect her. Now she is in her presence again. It was the same feeling. The same warmth. It was so nostalgic and familiar that Bel cried just a little.


    ¡°Well then, excuse me¡­¡±


    Right behind her, Elise slowly entered. Sheid down stiff on the bed with her back to Bel.


    ¡°Umm, Moth ¨C Elise-san?¡±


    ¡°Ha, yes, what is it?¡±


    Elise answered in a nervous voice.


    This may not be a fun story evening as Bel hoped. In the old days, when she couldn¡¯t sleep, Elise would gently tell her fairy tales. It was mostly big action adventure stories that were extremely inappropriate before going to sleep. There were times when she couldn¡¯t sleep because she was so excited, but there were times when she found herself in pleasant dreams.


    For Bel, who wanted to experience those irreceable moments just one more time, this situation was a little dissatisfying. Puffing out his cheeks, Bel thought.


    <em>I have to ease Mother Elise¡¯s nervousness.</em>


    Mumumu, after thinking about it, Bel decided to go for one of her trump cards.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Elise-san uhm¡­ Do you want to hear some stories about Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°I do! Yes please!¡±


    Elise tossed and turned, then stared at Bel with expectant eyes.


    <em>Ah, so you¡¯re really interested in Grandmother Mia¡¯s story¡­</em>


    Bell was relieved that her strategy was sessful. Then she lowered her voice slightly.


    ¡°Is that so? Well then, I¡¯d like you to keep this to yourself¡­ Mia-oneesama can also ride the Tenma (legendary heavenly horse).¡±


    ¡°Eh? The Tenma!¡±


    Bel couldn¡¯t believe how excited Elise became with the topic. Encouraged by such sess, she kept telling the tale with such confidence that she almost started believing it herself.


    ¡°Yes. And it can fly! I have never seen one myself but the wingse out of its back.¡±


    ¡°Well, I imagine it so. Since it has wings, then it can fly¡­ The Tenma¡­ wow! I wasn¡¯t really sure they existed before.¡± Elise cleared her throat from the excitement. ¡°And to think that Her Highness can ride it! That¡¯s so amazing!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and it seems that Princess Mia reads ten books every day since she was a child. I tried doing it myself, but one book a day was my limit.¡±


    ¡°Even one book a day is amazing. I want to live in a ce with so many books.¡±


    Bel didn¡¯t want to tell the truth. She read one book a day¡­ for a total of three days, then she gave up.


    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s more. Mia-oneesama can dance like a goddess. Whenever she dances, she looks like she is dancing in the sky.¡±


    With Mia¡¯s topic as a trigger, Elise finally started rxing. After that, Elise also told Bel various stories centering on the story she was currently writing. Remembering the atmosphere of the mother who raised her in the past, Miabel was very pleased.


    ¡­Elise made a note of everything that she heard from Bel,ter that night.


    ¡°As expected of Mia-sama. It looks like it¡¯s going to be a story for a novel¡­ No, if it¡¯s this, it might be more interesting to write a true story¡­ The Chronicles of Princess Mia¡­ That¡¯s the perfect title. I guess I¡¯ll write it someday.¡±


    Mia was totally unaware that Elise was thinking oft such ominous things.


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 Chapter 194

    <strong>Princess Mia is being Considerate</strong>


    The day after meeting with Ludwig, Mia decided to head to the Newmoon District with Bel and the others. ording to Ludwig, his master doesn¡¯t have a fixed residence and so he doesn¡¯t know where is at the moment. For the time being, they decided to put the matter of headmaster aside and they are looking for another instructor.


    Just a few hours ago¡­


    ¡°But finding new instructors are easier said than done.¡± Mia said with a frown.


    ¡°Yes¡­ If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we talk to the priest in the Newmoon area?¡±


    ¡°The priest?¡± Mia tilted her head for a moment. ¡°I see¡­ I see what you mean.¡± She immediately nodded in understanding.


    The Central Orthodox Church have a penchant for the schstic studies, and they are less susceptible to the influence of the nobility.


    ¡°Originally, some churches were running schools as well¡­ We might be able to make use of that know-how. How about epting some children who are at the orphanage¡­¡±


    <em>That way, we might be able to count on the Central Orthodox Church as well as the nobility for funding.</em>


    Mia, who had already started calcting, said, but Ludwig opened his mouth with a slightly sour face.


    ¡°Although it may be a little difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Why? I¡¯m pretty sure the priest there will be more than happy to help us out.¡±


    ¡°In order to realize Your Highness¡¯ idea, I spoke to many noble families while referring to St. Noel. I pitched what a prestige it will be if we have an academy like St. Noel¡¯s within the empire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of that.¡±


    Mia was already aware of how Ludwig was framing his pitch. They were trying to persuade them through patriotism. The method worked well, and as a result they have a firm financial founding.


    ¡°At that time, it was the best approach. However, St. Noel is a prestigious school built in the Principality of Belluga. It is a status and prestige for them. I¡¯m not sure if they will look kindly upon a rival academy. Furthermore, when Her Highness defeated Rafina in the election, Your Highness effectively ousted the Holy Lady to be the president. So, acquiring the Church¡¯s help might be a little difficult.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡±


    Having heard that much, Mia now understood the effect of her actions that the priest might not appreciate.


    <em>Besides, wasn¡¯t that priest a rabid Rafina fan?</em>


    Mia briefly considered asking directly for Rafina¡¯s cooperation instead of the priest. But that wouldn¡¯t be looked too kindly by the nobles. It will be seen as begging Rafina for help. The orphans andmoners that will be attending the academy might be seen as something Rafina imposed in exchange for help. This would give those who were opposing the academy n a lot of political material to attack Mia.


    Such an action could be used as a fuel that there is a rivalry between the Tearmoon Empire and the Principality of Belluga. So even if Mia needs to ask the help of this priest, she cannot ask for Rafina¡¯s help.


    Knowing such dynamics Ludwig¡¯s face turned sour. Mia honestly thinks it is too troublesome, but she can¡¯t say it out loud.


    Viscount Berman is the kind of noble they are looking for. A noble who lives by pride. It is easy to loosen the purse-strings of nobles if one appeals to their pride.


    <em>Well, I feel this is much morefortable than when I was facing Lady Rafina during the elections. I¡¯ll just do what I can, and hope for the best, right?</em>


    Mia has be an expert in surviving hopeless situations. She won¡¯t be discouraged by such a minor problem. Not only was she not discouraged, but she also even forgot about it. She slept soundly at night; ate breakfast with sleepy eyes¡­ it was then that she suddenly remembered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That person is an enthusiastic fan of Rafina. There was that thing that he really wanted. If I get it for him, he will be so happy that he might just agree to help.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but want to praise her past self for not forgetting what the priest asked her to do. What¡¯s more, she was considerate and even went above and beyond what she was asked to do. Considerate to an excessive level. Well, ording to her own evaluation anyway.


    <em>As expected of me. I am a very considerate woman! So, this is what it feels like to be an aplished woman who knows what she is doing.</em>


    And so, with a perfect strategy, Mia took the guards and headed to the house of Anne¡¯s parents. Along the way¡­


    ¡°Oh? You are¡­¡± Mia recognized the Princess Guard that was walking beside her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the vice-captain who was with Sir Dion?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Hehe, did you remember me?¡± The bear-like giant imperial guard scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°Actually, Ludwig nned to strengthen the imperial guards¡­ Most of the corps at that time were incorporated.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°I never thought rough soldiers like us would be Imperial Guards.¡± And then, the vice-captain gently approached Mia. ¡°I heard you picked a fight with some pretty bad folk. I can¡¯t me Ludwig looking for extra muscles. Even if we may be good fighters, assassinations are quite hard to defend. So, keep your eyes open.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. I know we are big and ugly, but you¡¯ll have to excuse our appearance, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I am the one who should be thankful for your diligence, Vice-Captain.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, your humble attitude is really refreshing, Your Highness. Besides, I am no longer the vice-captain. You can just call me Vanos.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Well then, Vanos, please take care of me.¡±


    Mia was in a good mood and slightly lifted the hem of her skirt as a curtsy. Mia has goodpatibility with big men.


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness!¡±


    Eventually, they arrived at the house of Anne¡¯s parent. She was greeted by Anne¡¯s brother and sisters. They surrounded her with shining smiles.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me, there¡¯s no need to be so excited.¡± Mia said eventhough she was clearly enjoying the attention.


    ¡°Good day, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Elise. It¡¯s been a while. I always enjoy reading your story.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe, thank you, Your Highness.¡± Elise smiled happily after being praised for the story she had written. ¡°Ah! Um, by the way, Your Highness¡­ about Ten ¨C oh, it was supposed to be a secret. But is it true that you can ride that <em>special </em>horse?¡±


    ¡°A special horse¡­ is it?¡± Mia wondered what Elise was talking about.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve certainly ridden a special horse.¡±


    St. Noel¡¯s equestrian club has a variety of horses. There are heavy horses that one can ride on the battlefield. There are also horses that can run fast and usually used by messengers because of their stamina. There are also small breeds that look like foals at first nce.


    <em>I didn¡¯t even know such small horses exists before. They can certainly be called special. They were so cute¡­</em>


    Mia started remembering them fondly.


    ¡°As expected¡­ it was really true!¡±


    Mia started wondering why Elise¡¯s eyes seemed like they were twinkling.


    ¡°Um, Your Highness, I know you¡¯re busy, but¡­if you have time, could you tell me a story about when you rode that <em>special horse</em>?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure. But what is it for?¡±


    ¡°Of course, for reference.¡±


    <em>Ah, indeed. In the stories that Elise writes there are a lot of scenes whereby the prince is riding a horse. So she wants to know what it feels like to ride a horse¡­</em>


    Mia nodded with a satisfied face¡­¡­


    <em>That means it wouldn¡¯t be interesting to talk about the feeling of riding a horse normally. A sense of speed like running around the grasnd is surely important. A sense of speed, as if one is flying¡­ Hmm, it would be nice if I could talk a little bit more powerfully! I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind if I exaggerate a little.</em>


    So Mia, being a considerate person, decided to tell Elise stories with dubious authenticity for the sake of her writing.


    This is Mia being considerate, after all!


    ¡­thus, the (false) Chronicles of Princess Mia was one step closer.

 Chapter 195

    <strong>Princess Mia Talks about Politics</strong>


    After picking up Bel¡¯s group, the party headed straight to the Newmoon District. Mia was a little worried when she saw Bel skipping in a good mood and humming.


    ¡°By the way, Bel,e here for a minute.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it, Mia oneesama?¡±


    Mia told the curious Bel in a low voice.


    ¡°Actually, we are going to join Ludwig and the others at the church in the Newmoon District.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Can I meet Ludwig-sensei!?¡±


    Bel¡¯s face shines even more.


    ¡°So, I¡¯d like to warn you, please don¡¯t say anything careless.¡±


    ¡°Careless? What could that be?¡±


    ¡°For example, something about the future.¡±


    When Mia said that, Bel justughed.


    ¡°Mia-neesama, you don¡¯t have to worry about such a thing. I will never say anything that might cause trouble for you!¡±


    Bel announced with confidence.


    Considering what she told Elise the night before, this confidence seems misced. Bel¡¯s memory was never more than a stone¡¯s throw away. She was indeed Mia¡¯s granddaughter in this respect.


    ¡°Very well. I approve of your prudence.¡±


    Mia nodded haughtily. Then she looked around the surroundings.


    ¡°This area has be quite lively¡­¡±


    Compared to before, the Newmoon District seemed somewhat cleaner although it still had the feel of a poor district. Stores and stalls lined up the roads in a jumbled manner and there was bustle in the air. The products mostly seemed dubious, but it has a raw charm and vibrancy that was not found in the other parts of the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Ludwig designated this as a special jurisdiction. Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vanos told Mia while casually walking beside her as a guard. ¡°Heard that people can do business here for cheap. So merchants are flocking in.¡±


    ¡°Special jurisdiction¡­ ah!¡± Bel perked up. ¡°So this is Mia Boulevard!¡±


    ¡°Mia Boulevard¡­?¡± Mia just heard something disturbing. She then whispers to Bel. ¡°What is that supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. It seems to have been a famous ce in the Imperial Capital. I heard that it was a ce where festivals were always held. And it is also famous for its Miacakes. They are sweets that are shaped like you Mia-neesama.¡±


    ¡°¡­Miacakes.¡±


    Somehow, Mia had a vision of herself coated in butter and cooked above a me.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of cream in the head part. So people usually argue if the head should be eaten first orst. That¡¯s what Elise told me.¡±


    ¡°Bite the head¡­¡±


    Mia imagined herself without her head, then she imagined herself with only her head left.


    <em>It reminds me of a guillotine, which is ominous¡­ I should tell Ludwig about this and ban it as soon as possible¡­</em>


    ¡°Ehehe, I¡¯ve only eaten it once, but it was a very delicious, sweet with a unique aroma and sweet cream.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it delicious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought my cheeks were going to fall off.¡±


    Seeing Bel¡¯s excited expression, Mia snorted.


    <em>Well, if people enjoyed it, it would be uncouth of me to stop them. I shall overlook this for now.</em>


    Mia has a big heart. This is definitely not because she herself enjoys sweets.


    ¡°Bel, when exactly did theye up with this Miacakes?¡±


    ¡­Again, it is definitely not because she wants to eat them herself.


    In the meantime, the party arrived at the church. They were supposed to meet Ludwig there.


    ¡°Ludwig said he would be a littlete, so let¡¯s talk with the priest first.¡±


    After muttering so¡­, Mia looked at Bel.


    <em>Bel is also a member of the Tearmoon Imperial Family. She has to learn a little bit about politics too. </em>


    When she sees her clueless granddaughter staring wide-eyed, Mia¡¯s grandmother heart couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    ¡°Bel, let me tell you something.¡±


    ¡°Yes! What is it, Grand- Mia-oneesama¡±


    Mia interpreted Bel¡¯s slip as a personal praise. Mia thinks that Bel said she is grand. Mia¡¯s mental flexibility was superb.


    ¡°We are going to ask the priest for a favor. When we ask something from someone, a gift will make the conversation go smoothly.¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ the grand strategy that the Wisdom of Empire came up to win the priest over was a gift¡­ a bribery. An extremelymon strategy¡­ nevertheless, Mia puffs out her chest proudly.


    ¡°Bel, remember this very well. Politics is not just about being pretty¡­ If a small gift can facilitate smooth talks, then be more than generous of it.¡±


    ¡°I see! So that¡¯s how politics work! I am learning a lot from you Mia-oneesama.¡±


    Bel looked at Mia with sparkling, respectful eyes.


    ¡°By the way, is what that soldier is holding the bribe?¡±


    Following Bel¡¯s gaze, the escort soldier was holding something wrapped in a square cloth.

 Chapter 196

    <strong>Princess Mia Gives Off a Comint</strong>


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia. It has been awhile since you have been here.¡±


    A priest came out of the church as if he sensed the arrival of Mia and the others. Mia feels a little nostalgic for the priest who had the same calm and gentle smile.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    As usual, Mia slightly lifts the hem of her skirt curtsying. She then introduces Bel, who was by her side.


    ¡°Oh, are you a blood rtive of Her Highness Princess Mia¡­ You certainly look a little like her¡­ Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Nice to meet you too.¡±


    Bel lowered her head a little, then stared at the priest¡¯s face¡­ and then brought her face to Mia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Um, Mia-oneesama¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°This person¡­ doesn¡¯t look like someone who is moved by bribes or anything like that¡­¡±


    Bel worried that the bribe might just worsen the priest¡¯s impression of Mia. Mia just smiled at the worried Bel. Certainly, there are such people in the world. But¡­


    ¡°Fufufu, don¡¯t worry. The priest is indeed a good man. And even a good man¡¯s heart can be moved with the right lure. Besides, as I¡¯ve said, it¡¯s not a bribe. It¡¯s a gift.¡±


    Mia said with a hushed viinousughter.


    ¡°You should remember this, Bel. When ites to these kinds of meetings, the talk is just for show. By the time we sit down at the table, the result has already been decided. The real battle is finding as much information as you can beforehand.¡±


    Then Mia turned to the priest.


    ¡°Today, I havee here because I have a favor to ask of you Father.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry you have toe all the way here for that. Well then, let us talk in my room, please.¡±


    Following the priest they proceeded inside the orphanage.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I wonder how that child is doing. That one from the Lulu tribe¡­ the one who gave me this hair ornament.¡±


    Saying that, Mia put her hands on her own hair. She¡¯s a little pretentious¡­ There, a rainbow-colored hair ornament was emitting a faint glow. It¡¯s a memento of the Lulu chief¡¯s daughter¡­ but it¡¯s actually not. The hair ornament in question has already been returned to the tribal chief. This was a new gift the other day.


    It¡¯s something that the boy carved for the first time. Wearing it will increase the favorability not only of the boy, but also of the priest. Also, if she happens to meet the boy without wearing it, it will be very embarrassing. So there is no reason not to wear it! Mia¡¯s fashion sense is an exercise of her crisis management ability.


    ¡°He just visited us the other day, with a whole bundle of forest fruits. I¡¯m d that you liked the hairpin he carved. He will be overjoyed to hear that Your Highness is still wearing it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet him. I really wanted to thank him. Please pass on my regards.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I certainly will.¡±


    It was then. Suddenly Mia stopped at what came into her sight. What was ahead of her was the scene of children writing in arge room. Children enthusiastically writing around a brand-new desk. Of course, some of the children looked bored, but most of them listened intently to the nun who was acting as their teacher.


    ¡°She is teaching them to write letters, Your Highness.¡± The priest exins.


    ¡°The Central Orthodox Church puts a lot of effort into literacy, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If one can read, write and do math, one can do a lot of things. Besides, one will also be able to read the scriptures.¡±


    The Central Orthodox Church promotes literacy for all people on the continent so that each person can directly receive teachings from God, not only through priests. It has been the policy of the Central Orthodox Church since ancient times.


    <em>Fumu, this priest is enthusiastic about education. Since they don¡¯t have to worry about food, clothing and shelter, they are now suing the money for children¡¯s education.</em>


    Comparing the brand-new desk with the slightly frayed priest¡¯s clothes, Mia grinned.


    <em>If this is the case, it seems that we have a found a new supporter for my academy n. As long as my gift can win him over.</em>


    When they entered the priest¡¯s room, Mia sat on a slightly hard chair.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I forgot.¡±


    Mia seemed to be intentional when she pped her hand. Mia put the souvenir gift she had brought in front of the priest. As long as we are in a position to make requests, such consideration is essential. This kind of gift acta as lubricant for a smooth negotiation. She may manage without it, but with this, the conversation will proceed more smoothly.


    ¡°It is what you asked for thest time.¡±


    At Mia¡¯s words the color of the priest¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°Oh! that¡¯s not true!? Are those really¡­?!¡±


    With trembling hands, the priest parted the cloth and lifted it up¡­it was a portrait.


    ¡°I had Rafina-sama sign it. Just as you requested.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you very much. Your Highness Princess Mia¡­ Thank you for listening to my unreasonable request¡­¡±


    Impressed, the priest thanked Mia with a voice restraining a cry of happiness.


    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s not all. Actually, I have another gift.¡±


    ¡°¡­Another one?¡±


    Mia smiled at the priest who looked curious but excited.


    ¡°It is this!¡±


    With a ¡°ta-daaa!¡± sound effect, she handed out what was behind her back.


    ¡°I had Rafina-sama sign this as soon as I bought it at St. Noel Academy.¡±


    Mia proudly smiles. But the priest was unresponsive¡­ No, it wasn¡¯t! His whole body was trembling! It was from excitement!


    ¡°Oooooooh, ooooooooh!¡± Raising a voice resounding from the depths of the earth, the priest picked up the portrait. ¡°No way! You cannot buy this just anywhere, not even in the Principality of Belluga. It was only sold at St. Noel¡¯s! It¡¯s the Special Legendary Limited Edition, Student Council Version!¡±


    His protruding eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he discovered something at the bottom. Aside from his name and Rafina¡¯s signature, there was also a personalized message:


    <strong><em>Thank you for your hard work. May God bless you.</em></strong>


    The priest let out a yelp out of surprise, happiness, and appreciation. It was a little scary to witness firsthand.


    ¡°¡­ uh, a special limited legendary edition? Is that so? To be honest, I don¡¯t know the details, but¡­¡±


    Mia struggled to keep herself from grimacing upon seeing the priest¡¯s reaction. Still, he was clearly happy with the gifts. She pulled herself to rpose and got back on topic.


    ¡°By the way, the important reason that I came here today¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have heard from Ludwig. I told him I need time to work out the details, but I would be more than happy to help you as much as I can. You have my word!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    As expected, Mia¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected situation.


    And it was the same for Bel.


    ¡°So this is the power of bribery¡­ Wow!¡±


    She had just witnessed firsthand the power of the lubricating oil of bribery. The perfectly selected gift doesn¡¯t only make negotiation smooth, but it removes the need for negotiation entirely.


    <em>Could it be that I didn¡¯t need to bring a bribe ¨C I mean a gift in the first ce?</em>


    The whole bribery scheme just seemed a lot less necessary. At least the priest was happy, and that was all that mattered.


    <em>This person deserves to be rewarded once in a while for the seeds he sowed.</em>


    With that in mind, Mia thanked Rafina in her heart for her willingness to sign the portraits.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put this up in my bedroom!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do as you like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s popr among my friends that if you hang it on the ceiling above your bed, you¡¯ll have good dreams¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Right¡­ Shall we move on to a different topic?¡±


    <em>Before I lose my respect for you?</em>


    Mia tactfully kept thest part to herself. She decided that it would be better for Rafina not to know how her portraits were being used.


    In a very rare moment, Mia was the only sensible person in the room. It was really strange.

 Chapter 197

    <strong>The Manuscript </strong><strong>?</strong><strong>The Book of Those Who Slither the Earth</strong><strong>?</strong>


    Around the same time that Mia was enjoying watching the priest¡¯s enthusiasm¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s kind of boring without Mia-san¡­¡±


    In St. Noel Academy¡¯s student council room, Rafina was sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ Oh, Rafina-sama, this is the budget. But Mia-sama wants to increase the budget rted to the cafeteria¡­¡±


    Chloe handed Rafina the parchment with the budget written on it.


    ¡°Cafeteria-rted¡­¡­Is there something wrong with it?¡±


    Tiona raised her hand to Rafina¡¯s question.


    ¡°Um, about it¡­ I talked to Chloe about it, and there¡¯s a theory that if you don¡¯t eat a wide variety of foods, it¡¯s bad for your health¡­¡± Saying that, Tiona handed out a book on nutrition that Chloe had acquired.


    ¡°Maybe Mia-sama knew about this. She must have read a book like this.¡±


    After that, Tiona smiled a little and continued.


    ¡°Mia-sama is too smart, so there are times when she omits exining because she expects us to have also understood¡­ Keithwood said same thing before.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ That may be true. Ufufu.¡±


    Rafina also smiled, remembering her friend in the distant empire.


    ¡°I really wish she would have exined a little more during the student council president election. It would have made things easier. Instead, she used such a roundabout method to get her point across.¡±


    Like that, the three girls looked at each other andughed happily.


    ¡­and that was it until there was a thud and a modest knock on the door.


    ¡°Excuse me. Lady Rafina¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Monica, you¡¯re back!¡±


    The person who opened the door and entered was Monica Buendia, a former Wind Crow member. Today, instead of wearing a maid outfit, she was wearing a thick gray overcoat.


    ¡°I¡¯m back not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. So how is it? Did you find it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was found in the mansion.¡±


    After saying that, Monica ced on the desk a square-shaped object wrapped in cloth.


    ¡°I see. It was just as Lynsha said.¡±


    ¡°Rafina-sama, what is that¡­¡±


    Rafina gave a knowing smile to the curious Tiona.


    ¡°This is¡­ the Scripture of the Chaos Serpent¡­ a copy of the manuscript of ¡®The Book of Those Who Slither the Earth.¡±


    While saying so, Rafina unwrapped the cloth. What appeared was an old book. Looking at the rough ck cover, Rafina contorts her face in disgust.


    ¡°As far as I know¡­ this manuscript has rarely appeared in the center stage of history. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Then, casually Rafina stroked the surface of the book. In an instant, a horrifying chill ran through his fingertips. It felt like a snake was crawling on her skin¡­ Rafina couldn¡¯t help but catch her breath at the intense difort that ran through her body from her fingertips to her arms.


    ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    Rafina stared nkly at her own palm. Monica gazed at Rafina with worry.


    ¡°Is everything fine, Rafina-sama?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She smiled to assure the others. Then Rafina urges Monica to continue her report. ¡°By the way, Monica, have you read the contents of this book?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have been authorized to do so, and I¡¯ve already looked through it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So how was it?¡±


    At that question, Monica was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Well¡­ To put it bluntly, that book describes the process through which a nation is destroyed by revolution.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean it predicted the revolution in Remno Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Monica shakes her head. In response, Rafina frowned.


    ¡°No¡­? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Rather than a book of prophecies¡­ this is¡­ how should I put it¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, Monica said. ¡°It¡¯s more like pure malice.¡±


    For some reason, her voice was trembling.


    ¡°Pure malice?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m being vague.¡±


    After saying that, Monica let out a small sigh. She then continues in a t voice that was imitating a calm voice.


    ¡°The content of that book¡­ is a manual of how to destroy the order of a nation. How to corrupt the royalty and devastate the nation. To beget death with death, and wring from those deaths everysty drop of hatred. To then use that hatred to seed thend with violence, creating breeding grounds for revolution and war. And finally, to manipte the masses so they seek the destruction of the established monarchy. Destroying with it the established government and order. I¡¯m only scratching the surface, but that is the kind of knowledge that is written in this book.¡±


    Then unconsciously Monica rubbed her arm.


    ¡°As I read it, the malice of the person who wrote it seemed to seep into me¡­ I felt that kind of ominousness.¡±


    A faint fear was shown by a spy who has undergone the harshest training and is required to remain calm at all times. Rafina, who noticed it, paused for a moment to think, then immediately shook her head.


    ¡°In any case¡­ if we analyze this book, we might be able to get a clue about how to track down the Chaos Serpent. As expected, Mia-san.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Was it Princess Mia who found the book?¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.


    ¡°Yes, she certainly did. Mia-san asked Prince Sion and Prince Abel not to kill that man named Jem. Then she sent him to me¡­ I¡¯m sure she expected to get from him this book or something simr.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s certainly true. If it¡¯s Mia-sama, of course, I think it¡¯s not strange for her to think in advance like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just expected of Mia-sama.¡±


    Tiona and Chloe totally agreed with Rafina¡¯s guess.


    Monica saw what was happening¡­


    <em>Her High</em><em>ness Princess Mia is such an incredible person¡­ I can¡¯t believe she foresaw all of this!</em>


    ¡­it instilled a new sense of awe in her.

 Chapter 198

    <strong>Schadenfreude¡­ in the case of Mia</strong>


    While chatting for a while in the priest¡¯s room¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy. Ludwig-san is here.¡±


    Ludwig entered apanied by Anne.


    ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Highness.¡±


    Ludwig bowed deeply to Mia who nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy with a lot of things, and I¡¯ve already settled the matter, so there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Mia said with an arrogant smug. If anyone else saw her attitude, they would be annoyed. Ludwig, however, just looked at her with deepened respect.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ It¡¯s amazing that you¡¯ve already obtained their support¡­ By the way, Princess Mia, who is this next to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, this is my half-sister that I wrote about in the letter. Please don¡¯t say anything about this to anyone. You too Father. Please keep it a secret.¡±


    When Mia turned her gaze, the priest just nodded, ¡°Understood!¡±


    While feeling relieved, Mia looked at Bel again,


    ¡°Bel, introduce yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°My teacher, Ludwig-sensei¡­¡±


    Bell¡¯s murmur resounded loudly and clearly.


    ¡°Hmm? Teacher? Sensei?¡±


    Ludwig was confused. On the other hand, Mia was in shock.


    <em>Eeeh?! Right off the bat?!</em>


    She had expected her granddaughter to be a little bit absentminded. But fumbling right off the bat was a new low for her. Even Bel immediately realized her blunder¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Pretend I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    She said something that didn¡¯t serve as an excuse and fell silent. The only ones who could be fooled by such deception were Anne¡¯s family.


    <em>I need to deceive them somehow¡­</em>


    Judging so, Mia quickly overworks her brain. And the result¡­


    ¡°Umm¡­ Oh, yes. I told Bel to call you her teacher. I figured that she could learn a lot from you.¡±


    In an attempt to deceive, Mia resorted to ttery. There is no human being who is not happy to be praised. ¡¡Men, especially, are vulnerable to ttery when being praised for their work. She took Anne¡¯s advice and also employed the strategy of ¡°never stop talking.¡± Nobody can question her if she keeps on talking and they don¡¯t get a chance to talk.


    ¡°Your insight is very valuable. I know that they will be very useful for Bel in the future. That¡¯s why I told her to call you her teacher. The mindset is also important. It is all about habits. If she calls you her teacher, then you are her teacher. In fact, while we are on this topic, have you thought of teaching a few sses at the academy yourself?¡±


    Mia just kept on talking until she finished, and Ludwig paused before answering.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am not at all worthy of being called a teacher. Please, Your Highness Bel. Just call me Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so humble, Ludwig. But I do think very highly of your abilities.¡±


    Considering that Mia relies on him for almost everything ¡°thinking very highly of¡± was actually an understatement. And the way she said it was like that of a boss who was feeling particrly generous with herpliments that day. But since nobody really knows they dynamic of Mia and Ludwig, aside from Mia herself, nobody corrected her.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that, but¡­ When I think of my teacher, I feel verycking. I feel I don¡¯t have the qualities to teach others. To teach is to be master to another. I feel I don¡¯t have those qualities yet.¡±


    With a wry smile, Ludwig shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a matter of personal preference¡­ Maybe Your Highness, if you meet my teacher, you¡¯ll understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know where my master is.¡±


    Ludwig smiled, which was unusual for him.


    ¡°Well! You found him quite quickly! I¡¯m amazed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to receive thispliment. Actually, along with summoning Her Highness, I also asked someone from my school to search for him. Apparently, he found him sooner than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a fellow disciple? Next time, do please introduce me to him.¡±


    Mia¡¯s mood was getting better. All the problems seem to resolve themselves. And quite easily at that. She already had Princess Arshia from Perujin. Now she also had lecturers from the Church, along with Ludwig¡¯s master and fellow disciples.


    ¡°Hmm, this problem is as good as solved.¡±


    And so on, Mia thought optimistically. However, Ludwig turns around with a dark expression.


    ¡°No, the difficulty actually starts now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean? All you have to do is to talk to your master and ask him to help us out, right?¡±


    Ludwig shook his head with a sombre expression.


    ¡°Actually, my master hates nobles¡­ Therefore, it¡¯s not easy to ask for him to cooperate with Princess Mia¡¯s cooperation in the school city n.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I see.¡±


    Mia understood that it is because Ludwig¡¯s master despises nobles that he wasn¡¯t under the influence of the Greenmoons. They would never be able to dissuade him.


    ¡°Besides, because he is a stubborn person, I think that persuasion will take quite a bit of effort.¡±


    Ludwig continues with a bitter tone.


    ¡°That sounds like a really difficult task, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mia replied in a tone that feigns empathy for other¡¯s troubles.


    <em>Dear four-eyes. How the tables have turned. After all the scolding you gave me in the previous timeline, it is time for me to watch you grovel before your master. Considering how much you seem traumatized by him; this will really be a good show!</em>


    Mia has a really nice smile on her face relishing schadenfreude. Unfortunately what goes aroundes around. In Mia¡¯s case, karma wasing to her quickly than she would know.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible for me to persuade him. That¡¯s why I asked Her Highness Princess Mia to do such a task.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Princess, please use your wisdom to persuade my master.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    It was all Mia could say with her mouth agape.

 Chapter 199

    <strong>Plenty of sugar with a Drops of Tears on the ck tea</strong>


    ¡°Me? You want me? To persuade him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ludwig stared straight at Mia. It didn¡¯t seem like he was joking.


    <em>Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Ludwig make a joke anyway. So he really must be serious.</em>


    Her brain couldn¡¯t keep up with the sudden development.


    ¡°Uh, well, Ludwig, I¡¯d like to hear more about your master if possible.¡±


    She decided to buy herself some time for the time being.


    ¡°Of course. Let me see¡­¡± At Mia¡¯s request, Ludwig folded his arms, nodding as if it was ¡°reasonable.¡± ¡°Well, my master¡­ is a strict person. Some people came to him wanting to be disciples, but on the first day he broke their hearts and their wills, and they went back to their hometowns. I was also scolded to the point that I couldn¡¯t eat for three days and three nights. There was a time¡­¡±


    <em>¡­ you have got to be kidding me.</em>


    Just listening to this first part, Mia¡¯s motivation decreased by 80%.


    ¡°He is well versed in all forms of knowledge. If he wants to learn about martial arts, he goes to the battlefield and run around with a spear. When he wanted to know the effects of poison, he ate diluted poison and copsed. He is a free spirit. He believes that knowledge is acquired through the senses. So he goes out to see, hear, touch, and makes them his knowledge. People usually call him the Wandering Sage.¡±


    <em>Eeek! This guy sounds a real weirdo! I don¡¯t think I can convince him at all!</em>


    Mia¡¯s motivation has further decreased by another 80%.


    <em>To be honest, I absolutely don¡¯t want to persuade him, and I don¡¯t even want to meet him.</em>


    However, Mia kept up her smile andmented¡­


    ¡°¡­hmmm¡­ he seems to be a really smart person.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You could say that his amount of knowledge is the best in the empire. Besides, he is a very good teacher to train people. Sometimes he was strict, sometimes he was gentle, he taught us and admonished us, all for the goal of raising us.¡±


    <em>I see¡­Sometimes harsh, sometimes gentle. I see. So he uses this whole carrot-and-stick thing. He keeps switching between carrot and stick so the suffering stays fresh.</em>


    Mia considers this kind of sadistic torture to be something that will leave a permanent trauma. Needless to say, Mia¡¯s motivation was alreadypletely gone by this point. Mia, who lost motivation far beyond her total motivation, no longer wanted to see Ludwig¡¯s master from the bottom of her heart.


    Therefore, Mia voiced a dissenting opinion in the guise of a concern.


    ¡°Well, should a man like him be fine as a headmaster?¡± Mia asked Ludwig that asks him to think about the children.


    Ludwig showed a gentle smile as if to reassure Mia.


    ¡°Her Highness¡¯s concerns are legitimate. But it¡¯s fine. Master is strict, but there¡¯s always a reason for that. For example, when you neglect your efforts, you will be mercilessly reprimanded.¡±


    <em>Ah, I see now¡­ he really is Ludwig¡¯s master. No wonder. Like master, like disciple.</em>


    Mia stared at Ludwig¡¯s face with dead eyes.


    <em>It may have worked for you. But each person is different. It might not work for most people. They might despair before they learn. Damn our-eyes. Don¡¯t you know that most people get hurt when you insult them?</em>


    Ludwig smiles wryly when he sees Mia¡¯s grim face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s Her Highness Princess Mia, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to keep up with her master¡¯s attitude. Rather, he might be the only one who can have a proper discussion with you, Princess Mia. As the Wisdom of the Empire, you might be able to connect with him on an intellectual level.¡±


    <em>Well, I don¡¯t need that kind of whackjob! I don¡¯t want to talk to someone smarter than Ludwig! No matter how I think about it, I won¡¯t be able to keep up¡­ Besides, it¡¯s tough, it¡¯s scary¡­ I really don¡¯t want to see him! I don¡¯t want to meet him!</em>


    Mia was starting to have second thoughts about this idea. Then third thoughts¡­ then fourth thoughts¡­. After all, even if she seeds in persuading this man to be a headmaster, it won¡¯t end there. As a headmaster, he would have to consult and discuss things with Mia on a constant basis. Ludwig was bad enough, and this man seems to be more Ludwig than Ludwig. It seems like a scenario of a horror story.


    ¡°Ah, but you said he disliked nobles, so isn¡¯t it useless for me to meet him?¡±


    ¡°No. Master hates disrespectful and arrogant aristocrats. Moreover, he hates stubborn nobles who doesn¡¯t want to take a step outside of existing concepts. But Princess Mia, you are clearly different from all of them.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m pretty hard-headed too, you know?¡±


    Mia gave her head a soft blow to prove her point.


    ¡°Haha, you are so humble.¡±


    Thinking it was a joke, Ludwigughed. Led by that, Bel and the priest alsoughed. Anne was also watching over Mia with kind eyes. The atmosphere was peaceful!


    <em>No! This is noughing matter! Stopughing.</em>


    Only Mia was desperate. In her heart she was screaming.


    <em>These guys areughing with a carefree face without caring for my feeling.</em>


    But Mia had already guessed. This is a trend that she must face. She felt like amb being led to the ughter.


    <em>Ah, this is¡­ even if I resist¡­ it¡¯s useless, isn¡¯t it?</em>


    In that case, Mia surrenders herself to resignation, as if not to use useless effort.


    A cup of ck tea was suddenly presented to Mia who sat weakly on the chair.


    ¡°Your Highness, have this tea. It is sweet and very delicious.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh, that¡¯s true. <em>Sip. </em>it¡¯s really, really delicious¡­¡±


    Gradually, the sweet taste spreads on her mouth¡­ but for some reason it was also a little salty.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me¡±


    It was at that time that the pretty voice of a girl was registered in Mia¡¯s ears. A voice unlike any other in the room.


    <em>Come to think of it, who brought me this tea?</em>


    Quickly raising her head, Mia looked around and found a girl who was about to open the door and leave the room. A little younger than Mia, probably a girl who is being looked after at this orphanage¡­


    There, Mia ces a ray of hope.


    ¡°Hey, hey, you over there¡­ Could youe here for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Me?¡±


    Mia put on a gentle smile to the girl who approached her.

 Chapter 200

    <strong>Celia¡¯s Gratitude</strong>


    The orphanage in the Newmoon District teaches the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. As is the case with all orphanages of the Central Orthodox Church, the education was of a reasonable standard, if not outstanding. It was the utmost consideration for the children leaving the orphanage so that they could live on their own. But even so¡­ not everyone who leaves there can be happy.


    Celia was one of them. She was a girl who left an orphanage and was taken in by a certain merchant. Celia was one of the best students of the orphanage. She always studied hard and was always reading books.


    It was predicted that if she entered an advanced school, she would surely be a great schr. But the opportunity never came. Her life after being taken in by a merchant was not a happy one. Of course, she had food to eat, a ce to live, and clothes to wear. It is already a luxury for someone who grew up in the slums without parents.


    ¡°I should be satisfied. At least I got to live as a decent human being¡­¡±


    Saying that to herself, she covered her emotions. She has given up. Her intellect, that could have produced something wonderful, didn¡¯t have the possibility of sprouting. Without falling into soft soil or being watered, it quietly crumbled and scattered. Gradually getting older and losing her spark of intellect, Celia looks back on her life in her sickbed. There was regret. However, what was even greater was the withered resignation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I was an orphan¡­ I should be grateful that I can die on a bed.¡±


    And so her worn-out life came to an end.


    ¡­That was the dream that Celia woke from. She woke up in the orphanage bed and in despair. No matter how hard she tries, it will all end up in vain. It is something that she cannot deny. Even if she studies hard, she will still face a dead end.


    At that time, she appeared. The glory of the shining empire, Imperial Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. The benefactor of this orphanage, the one who changed the Newmoon district.


    Celia was ordered by the nun to bring her tea. She did her job with the utmost care so as not to make any mistakes. And just when I was about to leave the room, Mia spoke to her.


    ¡°Hey, you over there¡­ Could youe here for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Me? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. I just thought that I should listen to the opinion of someone on the receiving end of such things.¡±


    Mia stared at Celia¡¯s eyes as if she was appealing to something, and smiled.


    ¡°You want to be taught by a kind and nice teacher, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the girl who was enthusiastic about writing earlier, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s because the nuns here are so kind, aren¡¯t they? If the nun was an extremely strict person¡­ even if she wasn¡¯t unreasonable, if she was a demon-like person who would sharply point out your mistakes. Would you still be motivated to learn?¡±


    Mia continues in a strict, even frightening voice.


    ¡°If you were told that you could go to school for free, but the teacher there was really strict, would you still want to go?¡±


    ¡°¡­ that kind of thing, it doesn¡¯t matter¡±


    Celia answered before she even realized.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s tough, hard, and painful; if I can learn, then there is hope. I want to study. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s unreasonable or unfair. I want to learn. To know there¡¯s hope. Even the faintest ray. As long as I can still see it, I will keep going.¡±


    What stands in the way of Celia is not a high mountain. It was just a merciless wall. A vertical t wall with no handholds, nor cracks for her to grip. Unscble and unbreakable. It was a cruel wall that exists solely to prevent her from advancing forward.


    If it was a mountain, she could climb it. Steep as it might be, there was still hope of reaching the peak. But a wall, she can¡¯t do anything. All she can do is give up and sit down in front of it.


    For Celia, the answer to Mia¡¯s question was clear.


    No matter how steep it is, if it¡¯s a mountain¡­even if she stumbles, or hurts herself, or falls to her death¡­ there is hope. The peak would always be there, and reaching it would always be possible. That knowledge was enough to keep her going.


    Celia looked straight into Mia¡¯s eyes and spoke.


    ¡°If I am allowed to study, I will do my best no matter how hard it is. Being put in an environment where you can learn and choosing not to do so¡­ I think that is inexcusable.¡±


    After saying that, Celia turned pale. She just realized that she might have said something rude to the imperial princess. Celia hurriedly tried to apologize, but¡­ she suddenly looked at Mia and was at a loss for words. Because Mia¡¯s eyes were full of tears¡­


    ¡°Then¡­ I expect you to realize you those words.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Right here, right now. I swear upon my name that if I can sessfully scout a strict school headmaster, you are definitely going to my school. And you will learn various as I will have you study directly under the headmaster.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to learn¡­ Take responsibility for those words.¡±


    Holding Celia¡¯s shoulders tightly, Mia¡¯s voice trembled. Celia was simply surprised at the road that suddenly opened up in front of her and was at a loss for words.


    Ludwig, who was watching it right next to him, saw Mia trembling with emotion and felt his heart tremble.


    <em>Her Highness Princess Mia hasn¡¯t changed¡­ As usual, she is a warm-hearted person.</em>


    Perhaps Mia was struck by the thoughts of this orphan girl. Mia then turned and¡­


    ¡°Ludwig, of course you will also help me. Come with me!¡±


    Mia said in a voice that encouraged herself. Mia was worried about the children who will receive a strict education, and was worried about various things. But she must have made up her mind after receiving the resolution of the orphanage children.


    ¡°Of course. I will cooperate as much as possible.¡±


    It was Ludwig who realized how fortunate he was to serve under Mia.


    Well, it should already be noticeable that Mia wasn¡¯t moved by Celia¡¯s determination. Because she didn¡¯t want to go see Ludwig¡¯s master, Mia clung to herst hope. She hoped that the voice of a potential student will turn the tide in her favor.


    Mia¡¯smon sense was that studying was not something you want to do with a strict teacher. Being an imperial princess, she can¡¯t help but have to study. But if possible, she wants to her studies to be easy, gentle, andfortable.


    Hence¡­¡­.


    <em>I¡¯m sure this girl doesn¡¯t want to do it either. In the first ce, ordinary people can live normally if they can read, write and calcte. She shouldn¡¯t want to study hard if she gets scolded for it¡­ And even Ludwig will give up on scouting his master if he hears this girl saying such a thing.</em>


    It was Mia who spoke to the girl based on such calctions, but it ended with a splendid crush.


    <em>Ah, as expected¡­ I can see now that fate is really conspiring for me to meet Ludwig¡¯s demonic master.</em>


    Mia with tears of grief in her eyes, red at the girl.


    ¡°Then¡­ you, make sure you realize those words.¡±


    Looking at the stunned girl¡¯s face, she firmly grasped her shoulders as if not to let her escape.


    <em>You cannot just say whatever you want then run away! You like it when they are strict? Fine¡­ then, that is exactly what you will be getting.</em>


    Mia smiles with a nasty smile.


    ¡°Right here, right now. I swear upon my name that if I can sessfully scout a strict school headmaster, you are definitely going to my school. And you will learn various as I will have you study directly under the headmaster.¡±


    <em>Yes, yes. Why should I suffer on my own? If I have to suffer, then you are all suffering with me¡±</em>


    Driven by a desire to see misery dispensed equally, she resolved to take everyone else with her. Thus, as a result of Mia¡¯smitment to the spirit of sharing, Celia¡¯s life took a dramatic turn. Half a yearter, she would step through the doors of the newly built Saint Mia Academy as one of its first students.


    What Mia said at this time wouldter be realized in the form of a special ss that is handpicked from the orphanage. This special ss would be under the direct tutge of the headmaster.


    If Ludwig and his friends were the first generation to receive the teachings of the Wandering Sage, then the children gathered here could be said to be the second generation of disciples of the Sage. In the future, the children who were taught by the Wandering Sage showed their talents to be on par with those of the first generation.


    But they differed from the first generation in one thing.


    They had a feeling of gratitude for being rescued by Princess Mia. And that led to their unwavering loyalty for her.


    Having received Mia¡¯s favor, they grow up and enter various ministries as young government officials. They demonstrated their talent to the fullest to realize the reform that Mia wanted (as Ludwig exined).


    Celia will be the leader of the powerful officials who will support the empire of the next generation. She will be appointed as an all-purpose subordinate of Chancellor Ludwig. She would earn the title ¡°Lady Wonder¡± and ¡°The Ace of All Trades.¡±


    But it is a vision of a future that yet toe true.


    Whether or not that dream bes a reality is up to none other than Mia.


    ¡°Uuuhhhh¡­ Howe¡­ Why is this happening to me?!¡±


    This great future endeavour rests on the sobbing shoulders of the oblivious princess.

 Chapter 201

    <strong>Bel¡¯s Wasteful Spending</strong>


    ¡°Well then, please take care of yourself Mia-oneesama.¡±


    It seems that Ludwig¡¯s master is currently staying in the Sealence Forest. For the purpose of researching the minority tribes of the empire, he lives among them. So, Mia decided to see him together with Anne and Ludwig.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be useful even if I went there, so I will remain here in the Imperial Capital.¡±


    Miabel dered effectively that she is separating from the group. There was something that she wanted to do in the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Are you sure you will be fine?¡±


    Mia was worried, but in the end, she listened to her wish and decided to act separately. After sending off Mia, Bel and Lynsha went for a walk in the imperial capital of Lunatear.


    ¡°What are you going to do today, mdy?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I want to take a quick stroll around the capital and see the sights.¡± Bel looked at Lynsha and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lynsha. You¡¯ll be walking a lot today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize for.¡±


    Having spent so much time with he likes of her brother, Lynsha had be a bit of cynic in her attitude toward others. As a result, Bel¡¯s naivete and guileless attitude always catches her off guard. She couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with her frank innocence.


    <em>It¡¯s the same with Princess Mia. I wish she would just act like a proper princess, arrogant and everything. It would make things so much easier.</em>


    Lynsha asks again while sighing.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Well. I¡¯d like to go to the Newmoon District¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? Um, isn¡¯t that the former slums? Won¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, Lynsha-san, you¡¯re worried pointlessly. The Newmoon district isn¡¯t particrly dangerous. It¡¯s a ce where there are a lot of kind people who love Grand ¨C Mia-oneesama.¡±


    After saying something confusing, Bel started running happily.


    As soon as they entered the Newmoon District, Bel began to wander. It¡¯s like she was trying to remember something. Or it seems that she is reliving a vison of things that weren¡¯t there, but had been. She was so absorbed that Lynsha was reluctant to speak out.


    ¡°Oh, that shop¡­¡± Before long, Bel started running as if she had found something.


    ¡°Wait, mdy!¡±


    Lynsha chased Bel to a dingy looking shop.


    ¡°Um, uncle¡­ can I have one of those sweets?¡±


    ¡°Sure, youngdy. That will be five crescent copper coins.¡±


    Returning a smile to the spirited uncle, Bel held out her hand towards Lynsha.


    ¡°Lynsha-san, please give me my pocket money.¡±


    ¡°Yes yes. I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Lynsha let out a sigh and handed the coin bag to Bell.


    Without hesitation, Bel took out the half-moon silver coin, which was the second most valuable silver coin, and handed it to the owner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need change. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh!?¡±


    Bel rushed out smiling of the store, regardless of the store owner¡¯s calling.


    ¡°Hey! Mdy! What are you doing!¡±


    Lynsha panicked and chased after Bell. It costs five crescent copper coins, Bel paid half-moon silver coin. The change should be a whole crescent silver coin. That was a lot of money. It was not something that is considered a ¡°tip.¡±


    Eventually, Bel finally stopped when she reached a ce where the shopkeeper couldn¡¯t follow her. Catching Bel, Lynsha made a bitter face.


    ¡°Bel-sama, I don¡¯t know where you saw it or who taught you. But it¡¯s a bad idea to waste your money showing off like that.¡±


    Naturally, Lynsha condemns the behavior of pretentious nobles. While it is true that Bel had been given allowance money that was free for her to use, that doesn¡¯t mean that she should wastefully spend it. It was meant to be save in case something happens.


    ¡°If you waste money like that, Princess Mia will get angry.¡±


    Lynshained.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a waste of money.¡±


    Unexpectedly, she received a firm response. Lynsha flinched. Every so often, Bel would exude an aura that made Lynsha¡¯s breath catch in her throat. There was something about her expression and the way she carried herself that befit the word ¡®majestic.¡¯ Looking at her was likeying eyes upon a queen.


    <em>I usually forget about it¡­ but this girl is rted to Princess Mia. That makes her royalty. A member of the imperial family of this great Tearmoon Empire.</em>


    Lynsha stiffened at the thought while Bel just innocently smiled at her.


    ¡°It is just proper to return back a favor that is owed. That was what I was told by Grand ¨C Mia-oneesama. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Lynsha had no idea what Bel was talking about. But at least she knew that Bel wasn¡¯t selfishly wasting money.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but I guess it is okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is something I have to do.¡±


    And so, Lynsha let out a small sigh at the smiling Bel.


    ¡°Miabel-sama,e have a bite of this.¡±


    Every time she passed by that dingy looking shop, a friendly voice would call out to her.


    ¡°Miabel-sama, this way. Hide here for a while.¡±


    Every time she passed in front of the small house, visions of the people who had tried to help her would resurface.


    The battle divided the empire and left the imperial capital in ruins. However, even in this hellish environment, there were still pockets of kindness.


    Hunted by the Empress Prte and her Holy Aquarian Army, bel lived a life on the run. Time and again, she encountered people who would shelter her and help her escape. People who loved and protected her, even at the cost of their own lives.


    Bel remembered them. All of them. Every face, every voice, tucked away deep within her for safekeeping¡­ so that one day, she might have the chance to repay their selfless generosity.


    ¡°Gratitude should be acted upon. If you owe someone a favor, you must never forget it¡­ and always try to pay them back¡­¡±


    Bel kept this important teaching that was bestowed to her by her esteemed grandmother. Bel continued to dash through the streets of the Newmoon District.

 Chapter 202

    <strong>I Don¡¯t Mind Running Away, Do You?</strong>


    Clip, clop, clip, clop¡­ Goes the carriage that carried Mia. The horse that pulled it walked in an unmotivated gait, as if reading the mood of its master, Mia.


    <em>Aaaah, I don¡¯t really want to do this!</em>


    A deep sigh echoed inside the carriage. By the way, currently, there was only Mia and Anne inside the carriage. Ludwig went ahead of the others to prepare for Mia¡¯s arrival; and Bel and Lynsha were acting separately. As a result, inside the narrow carriage, only Mia¡¯s sighs could be heard, creating a subtly dull space.


    <em>In the first ce, if he was Ludwig¡¯s master, then it should be Ludwig doing the convincing. Ugh, maybe everything will have worked out by the time I arrived there¡­</em>


    It should be obvious by now that Mia is the kind of person that takes the easy way out if possible. For her, it would be best if a moon fairyes while she was sleeping and solves all her problems. Ideally, Ludwig should arrive by now and report to her that everything has been solved.


    ¡­Of course, there is no such convenient story.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Phew¡±


    Mia let out a sad sigh several times more.


    ¡°Mdy, are you okay?¡±


    Anne called out to her with a worried look on her face.


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I felt like you weren¡¯t feeling well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Saying that, Mia smiled. Then a secondter, she let out a deep sigh again. Noticing this, Anne made a face as if she had just figured something out. She climbed towards the driver¡¯s box and came back to Mia with a question.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Mdy, since we are on the road, would you like to do some horse-riding?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? Horse-riding?¡±


    Anne gave a gentle smile to the confused Mia.


    ¡°Yes. I know mdy enjoys long rides. I checked with Vanos earlier. He said that the roads here are well maintained, so it should be easy to ride horses.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, it might be good for a change of pace¡­ Huh? But Anne what about you? Last time I know, you can¡¯t ride horses.¡±


    When Mia asked that, Anne fumbled for some reason and then said,


    ¡°Actually, I am now able to ride horses. I¡¯ve been practicing in my free time.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Anne on a horse? That¡¯s new to me. Why on earth would you do such a thing?¡±


    Anne answered with a dignified face.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to be a hindrance to Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I never thought you were a hindrance, Anne.¡±


    ¡°When you were in Remno Kingdom, you couldn¡¯t take me with you. Even though you were in a dangerous situation, I couldn¡¯t be there for you because I couldn¡¯t ride a horse.¡±


    Anne said in a frustrated, trembling voice.


    ¡°Anne¡­¡±


    ¡°But with this, I can keep up with mdy at any time.¡±


    Anne gently put her hand on her chest and then gave a small smile.


    ¡°So, mdy, please don¡¯t worry too much. I believe that if it¡¯s you, mdy, you can solve any problem. But if ites to the point that there¡¯s nothing more that can be done, we can just run away. Even to the ends of the earth, I will follow you mdy until the end of my days.¡±


    With such a long speech, she was basically saying a simple message: ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. I am here for you.¡± Anne¡¯s words of encouragement were filled with genuine concern.


    When Mia heard that, she was deeply moved.


    ¡°Ah, ah, Anne¡­ yes, you are right¡­¡±


    After being impressed by Anne¡¯s words¡­


    <em>That¡¯s right. I can always just run away. In the face of an unbeatable opponent, I don¡¯t mind running away. Sweet moons, what was I thinking? I was too focused on figuring out how to persuade that weirdo that I lost sight of the bigger picture. If I¡¯m gone, the Ludwig and his people will just have to deal with this problem instead, and they will solve it for me. Probably. That¡¯s right! Why am I so worried? I have got nothing to worry about. If it doesn¡¯t work out, then I can just run away.</em>


    Mia was so moved by Anne¡¯s words that she distorted her message and ended up on the other side. Human beings are creatures that hear only what they want to hear and see only what they want to see. However, in reality, it shouldn¡¯t be that easy to escape¡­


    Freed from her dark and depressed mood, Mia got off the carriage with a light heart. There were already two horses prepared by the guards.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia. Please use this horse.¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, thank you very much. Then I shall oblige myself.¡±


    Mia mounted the horse in a good mood. ncing sideways, she was pleased to find that Anne was on the horse next to her.


    ¡°Ufufu, not bad, Anne. Shall we go?¡±


    When they have started to walk their horses, a thought came to Mia.


    <em>Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve ridden a horse.</em>


    When Mia first started riding horses, the shaking and the height of the horses scared her; but now she was totally used to it. Mia looked at Anne, who was walking next to her. Mia had the smug look of a veteran horse-rider.


    Anne on the other hand, seemed to have practiced a lot. She mounted the horse with not much problem.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good, Anne. How about we race to that hill?¡±


    As soon as she said it, Mia kicked the horse¡¯s side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Silver Moon!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, that horse¡¯s name is¡­¡± the nearby guard intervened. But neither horse nor rider seemed to mind. Mia leaned forward and started galloping with Silver Moon (provisional name). She can feel the wind in her hair, tickling her cheeks, and against her body.


    ¡°Ufufu, this feels good. Come on, let¡¯s go faster!¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s shout, the horse steadily elerates. It kicked up the grass of the meadow and Mia felt like she was one with the wind!


    <em>Oh, this is amazing. It¡¯s like I¡¯m riding a heavenly horse! Later on, I have to tell Elise about this experience!</em>


    While Mia was drunk on speed, a voice was shouting behind her.


    ¡°Your Highness, stop the horse! You¡¯re too fast!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    It was then that Mia finally came to her senses. She realized that the surrounding scenery was flying by at an rming speed.


    ¡°Oh my, I got too carried away¡­ Ohoho, hmmm¡­ In order to stop the horse¡­¡±


    Mia soke the necessary steps in order to calm herself. Then exactly as she instructed herself, she tightened her grips on the reins¡­ and pulled! But her efforts to remain calm wasn¡¯t all that sessful. Her nervousness caused her to pull the reins too strongly.


    The horse did not appreciate the sudden yank on the reins. It reared violently.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    With just this word, Mia once again became one with the wind. The difference was that time, the horse wasn¡¯t with her. It¡¯s retreating form was a dire reminder that she had been thrown from its back ¨C at such a dangerous speed, no less.


    <em>Uh¡­ oh? This seems to be really bad¡­</em>


    She felt weightless and started getting nauseous.


    ¡°Mdy!¡±


    She could hear Anne¡¯s screams at the distance, but it was toote. Just when she was about to hit the ground, something thick and rigid wrapped around her stomach.


    ¡°Blech!¡±


    A voice came out of her lips. Her nausea was taking over, and she swallowed hard barely managing to hold back from vomiting.


    ¡°Phew. I made it on time. Are you okay, Your Highness?¡±


    She saw the face of Vanos smiling wryly. It was then that Mia finally noticed that she was held by Vanos¡¯ thick arms.


    ¡°That was really dangerous. I¡¯m d I made it on time.¡±


    Saying so, Vanos let Mia straddle his own horse. Mia obediently sits in front of Vanos and calms down, then turns her head again and looks at Vanos.


    ¡°Thank you Vanos. You saved me. I¡¯m sorry to have put you through that. I got a little carried away there.¡±


    ¡°You sure did, Your Highness. If something happens to you, both Captain Dion and Ludwig will be disappointed. And not to mention your poor maid¡­¡±


    When Mia looked behind her, she saw Anne with a deathly pale face, trying desperately to control her horse she urged it toward them.


    ¡°Ah, I made Anne worry too¡­¡± If, by any chance, she fell and got injured, Anne would have fainted. ¡°I should have been careful.¡±


    ¡°I must say, I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear that from you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? But you were right, and you saved me. Isn¡¯t that natural?¡±


    ¡°Well, I agree with you. But I thought I would get an earful about being insolent and everything else. Most nobles would surely react like that.¡±


    Vanos smiles wryly.


    ¡°That aside, Vanos, you are quite big, now that I see you up close.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Hehe, well, I¡¯m proud of being one of the biggest in the empire. It¡¯s not just my size though. I also am quite good at the sword. Though not as good as Captain Dion.¡± Vanos lets out a loudugh with Gahaha. ¡°There are imperial soldiers who are bigger than me, and there are imperial soldiers who are stronger than me, but I don¡¯t think there are any imperial soldiers who are as big and strong as me. I make a great meatshield.¡±


    ¡°Now that is very reassuring, isn¡¯t it? But please don¡¯t call yourself a meatshield. You are now a member of the Princess Guard, so you should carry yourself with confidence and pride that befits a knight who protects me from harm.¡±


    Mia said with a pleasant smile, to which Vanos grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°Hehe, Your Highness, you¡¯re really a likeable person. Makes me feel good to serve under you. Makes the whole job worth it.¡±


    The two looked at each other andughed. Mia gets along well with big men.


    ¡°Mdy! Are you injured!?¡±


    Anne finally caught up with them. Her face was pale with terror. Mia bowed her head to Anne in apology.

 Chapter 203

    <strong>Stop the Construction of the Giant Golden Mia Statue!</strong>


    The next day, Mia arrived in Viscount Berman. She was then briefed about thetest developments of the construction of the academy. Ludwig also added to her appointment an inspection, as it was a rare opportunity for her to be here.


    <em>Well, whatever. If things get out of hand, I can just run away.</em>


    Motivated by Anne¡¯s words, Mia goes on to perform various official duties with at the least amount of nervousness. She went on to greet Viscount Berman, gave him some words of gratitude, then went to the Viscount¡¯s mansion to be receive an exnation of the construction n of the Princess Town.


    ¡°Currently, the school building is being built first in ordance with Your Highness¡¯ wishes. We should be able to start sses as soon as possible. I hope there¡¯s no problem with this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is no problem with that.¡±


    When Miast met him, Berman had this servile smile. Now, Berman wore the expression of quiet confidence. The kind of expression worn by those who have pride in what they are doing.


    Beside him was an official dispatched from the Scarlet Moon Ministry. He had a lustrous blond hair, smartly trimmed beard, and a friendly smile that suggest that he came from a genteel upbringing. He seems to be about the same age as Ludwig.


    <em>I wonder who that is? A noble, perhaps?</em>


    Mia observes carefully and then smiles. It is always the better policy not to make anyways. Besides, smiles are for free. The official seemed a little surprised by this gesture but continued to follow up Berman¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°We are prioritizing the construction of the school building and the dormitory where the students will live. With the cooperation of the neighboring Lulu tribe, we are constructing the school building from wood from the Sealence forest. I have heard that the Princess is quite fond of the woods there.¡±


    Saying that, he looked at Mia¡¯s head. She was wearing the hairpin from the boy of the Lulu tribe.


    ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea. I¡¯m sure the buildings will turn out beautifully.¡±


    After shaving and polishing them, the wood from Sealence forest shines with different colors. Just imaging such an enchanting sight, Mia nodded satisfactorily. Just because Mia doesn¡¯t care about expensive and luxurious buildings, doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t like beautiful things.


    Berman then started speaking.


    ¡°Your Highness, I would like you to take a look at this too¡­¡±


    What was offered was a piece of parchment.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    While Mia was reaching out to receive the parchment, she noticed something. Berman had a proud expression while the official behind him had a bitter expression.


    <em>Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this¡­</em>


    It only took her a quick nce at what was in written in the parchment to realize what was happening.


    ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡±


    ¡°Why?! It¡¯s a giant golden statue of Her Highness Princess Mia!¡±


    ¡°A giant golden statue¡­ of myself, is it?¡±


    Just saying it made her head spin.


    ¡°Indeed! I am nning to have it stand as tall as the spire of the Whitemoon Pce!¡±


    Just thinking about how much it will cost made her ill. Berman clearly didn¡¯t notice her reaction as he continued on.


    ¡°In addition, the inside is hollow, and people can go inside.¡±


    ¡°Wait, inside?¡±


    Mia hurriedly turned over the parchment. And there was a detailed blueprint for the interior of the gigantic statue.


    ¡°Yes. You can see the scenery outside from the eyes and mouth.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­ how¡­ fascinating?¡±


    ¡°At night, I was thinking of illuminating them. So beams of light will shoot from the openings. But well, doing so would require more money than we currently have avable. So I was hoping to request ¨C¡±


    ¡°Rejected. Request denied.¡±


    Mia said weakly with a sigh.


    <em>If I waste money like that, Ludwig will get mad at me¡­ No, even before that, this just have a bad taste.</em>


    At night, imagining a golden statue with glowing eyes and mouth, imagining that its face resembles none other than her own¡­ Mia felt shivers down her spine.


    <em>I remember the incident about the hairpin as well. This Berman really does just have bad tastes.</em>


    ¡°Why? Your Highness, if it werepleted, think of the glory. It would be the most famousndmark in the empire¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mia sighs inwardly, wondering if exining it was really worth it. She thought that it was too troublesome to exin it, so she might just get it done with amand. However, Berman¡¯s next words quashed this idea¡­


    ¡°If it¡¯s about the financial stress, then I can consult with His Majesty the Emperor for support¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ You will do no such thing.¡±


    Mia said immediately.


    <em>If Father hears of this, he will surely get on board. He will decree a special tax for its construction and people will no doubt hate me for it.</em>


    However, knowing Berman, he will most likely appeal to the Emperor even if Mia tells him not to. So she had to persuade him right here right now.


    ¡°Viscount Berman, you are misunderstanding my intention.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding? What do you mean Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°You talked about glory. But what I consider to be my glory are the students who will attend my school, as well as their achievements after stepping out into the world. Therefore, if you have money to build a golden statue, I would prefer that you spend it on the student themselves.¡±


    Proudly puffing out her chest, Mia dered.


    <em>Well, I don¡¯t really care about the number of achievements. What I really care about is Cyril Rudolvon¡¯s producing a new strain of wheat. That is the main goal.</em>


    ¡°On the students? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Think about it, even if you build the statue, its brilliance can only be seen by those who will have visited here. However, if the students achieve great things out there, the news of their aplishments will quickly spread. They will gain fame, and that fame will extend to the school itself. And they will lean that it is located here in Viscount Berman¡¯s domain. Your name will forever be linked with the academy and all its glory. Now, doesn¡¯t that sound wonderful?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ People are a castle, and people are its walls¡­ well said.¡±


    There was a murmuring voice, but it wasn¡¯t from Berman.


    When Mia turned her gaze towards the voice, she saw the officer watching her with great interest.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, was your Highness unfamiliar with the saying? These are the words of a famous king in the East. No matter how splendid a castle you build, it¡¯s meaningless without people. Treasure your people and they can be as sturdy as a castle and protect you as firmly as a wall.¡±


    For a moment, Mia tried to feign that she knew about this. However, she stopped short. Mia sensed something dangerous.


    It¡¯s dangerous to pretend to know in front of a smart person. This person somehow smells like Ludwig.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that at all. You are very knowledgeable.¡±


    Mia said with a clear face.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. But it would appear that I am not the one who is knowledgeable in this regard.¡±


    The officer said with a respectful bow. Mia was worried about this man¡¯s pensive expression, however Berman interjected before she could say anything.


    ¡°I see, as expected of Her Highness Princess Mia¡­ I am deeply impressed by your insight.¡±


    Satisfied with Berman¡¯s praise, Mia decided not to pursue it.


    In this way, Mia managed to stop the Golden Giant Statue Project, but at ater date, another statue will be built at the school by Berman. It is said that the statue, which was made by the elite members of the Lulu tribe at the request of Berman, was not that big, but it was made with one-of-a-kind workmanship. ¡¡The statue carved out of a tree from the Sealence Forest depicts Mia and a unicorn ying.


    By chance, a certain court author with a strong delusional habit saw it. Fuelled by the mes of delusion that burned in her heart, the story of the Chronicles of Princess Mia became even more fictitious.


    Well, not like it matters anyway¡­

 Chapter 204

    <strong>The Three Visits ~The Sage¡¯s Examination~</strong>


    Inside the Sealence Forest, a man entered where the Lulu tribe lives. His lustrous blond hair and brown eyes glittered with intelligence. He was the Scarlet Moon Ministry official working under Viscount Berman to oversee the construction of Princess Town. His name is Balthazar Brandt.


    Born as the third son of an earl family, he was an old friend of Ludwig and also a fellow disciple. At the moment, he was walking down the narrow path that he had walked many times during meetings about the town¡¯s construction. He was already familiar with the path; his thoughts sank deeper. He passed by the Lulu vige but did not stop. He headed deeper into the forest until he arrived at a small tent.


    Made of stiff, thick cloth, it was an impromptu dwelling usually used by the Lulu tribe. There was a familiar man in front of him and Balthazar gave a rxed greeting.


    ¡°Hey, Ludwig. I was wondering where you were when I didn¡¯t find you with the Princess.¡±


    Ludwig turned around and gave a small shrug.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do now. It is all up to her now.¡±


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you pretty cold? Didn¡¯t you pledge allegiance to that princess? I thought you would be buzzing always behind her.¡±


    ¡°I was being considerate. It was your first experience meeting her after all. I didn¡¯t want to get in the way. So what do you think? She¡¯s captivating, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Balthazar smiled wryly at Ludwig, who had a mischievous smile on his face.


    ¡°Indeed. Her Highness is impressive. She stopped the construction of that giant statue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you were impressed by? That was already to be expected. That would be too much of a fool for Her Highness Princess Mia.¡± Ludwig shook his head in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s natural to stop that. How much do you think it will cost? That wasn¡¯t really that impressive.¡±


    Baltazar shook his head at the old friend said something as if it¡¯s a-matter of fact.


    ¡°No, it is. Historically, there are quite a few rulers who yearn for colossal statues. An inted sense self-worth is characteristic of corrupt rulers. Plenty of nations have emptied their coffers to satisfy the unquenchable egos of their sovereigns.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s certainly true¡­ It seems that serving Princess Mia has distorted my perspective. I¡¯m starting to base my standards to that of the Great Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Ludwig acknowledged the truth of Balthazar¡¯s words. There was a king who erected statues of himself throughout thend andmanded them to be worshiped at hourly intervals. There was an emperor who wanted the biggest statue in the world. The desire to venerate and deify oneself is almost irresistible for many rulers.


    ¡°At such a young age¡­and with such good looks, for her to be immune to the influence of pride and ego. Well, let¡¯s just say that I know understand why you are so infatuated with her.¡± Balthazar crossed his arms and looked again at Ludwig. ¡°By the way Ludwig, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was thinking of making an appointment in advance so that my master could meet with Her Highness, but¡­¡±


    Ludwig smiled wryly and looked towards the tent.


    ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s thinking about something.¡±


    ¡°I see, so he is on his do-not-disturb mode, huh?¡± Balthazar shook his head. ¡°He really is a problem child, isn¡¯t he? Or should it be a problem master?¡±


    ¡°He sure is.¡±


    The two shrugged and exchanged aughter.


    ¡°Ho, so you¡¯ve got some nerve. Laughing at your master in front of your master¡¯s dwelling.¡±


    A third voice made both of them jump. They hurriedly straightened their postures and faced the old man that emerged from the tent. The old man had a beautiful long white hair and a prominent white beard. He looked at Ludwig and smiled.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re making a fuss even though people are thinking. I can¡¯t even concentrate in peace.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Master.¡±


    Ludwig bow to which the old man returned with a bow as well.


    ¡°And I you, my disciple, Ludwig.¡± The old man said while lightly stroking his long beard that hung down to his chest. ¡°So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I thought I already told you that I¡¯ve got nothing more to teach you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You have told me. I did note here for my own learning, Master, but to seek your help.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, my help? I don¡¯t know what this old bone can do¡­¡±


    ¡°Please listen to me. Master. This is about the survival of the empire.¡±


    Ludwig said in a serious tone. In response, the old man shook his head with annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening. Ludwig, you seem to be serving the princess of the empire¡­ Does this involve her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I serve Her Highness Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°The Great Wisdom of the Empire. I have heard enough rumors about her tost three lifetimes. I¡¯m not really keen about this. You know that I hate nobles.¡±


    ¡°I do know that, Master. And still I make this request even with the knowledge of how you dislike nobles.¡±


    ¡°You would go that far, huh? What makes you think it is worth all this effort just to get me to talk to her?¡±


    ¡°I know I am now acting arrogant, Master. But she is the one whom I have sworn my lifelong loyalty.¡±


    At those words, the old man narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ¡°Hmm, for you to go that far¡­ That¡¯s certainly interesting, isn¡¯t it? Baltazar, what do you think?¡±


    Balthazar replied with a nod.


    ¡°People are the castle, people are the walls¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, she knows that proverb? She¡¯s quite well-read for her age.¡±


    Baltazar shook his head to the old man who nodded in admiration.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t know the proverb. However, she firmly grasped the truth contained therein. It was not an allusion, but a conclusion. A fundamental truth discovered through pure reasoning. It was¡­ impressive, to say the least. I am, therefore, of the same opinion. She does indeed deserve the title of Great Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Balthazar remembered the appearance of Mia he had seen earlier, and felt a faint goosebump. He heard from Ludwig. However, the surprise when he actually saw it with his own eyes was exceptional.


    ¡°My teacher. Please meet Princess Mia. And talk to her. See that person with your own eyes, and if it suits your teacher¡¯s heart, please help me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, it¡¯s a request from my dear disciples. Why not then? As you know, I am a kind and amodating person.¡±


    Neither disciple remembered any remarkable disys of kindness and amodation from their master. But they were prudent enough not to point it out.


    ¡°But that¡¯s right¡­ it is not that I don¡¯t trust the two of you, but I prefer to test her myself¡­ let me see¡­ how about that ancient folklore in the eastern country¡­ The three visits.¡±


    Ludwig had a bad feeling about his master, who started showing a mischievous smile.

 Chapter 205

    <strong>The Three Visits ~Mia¡¯s n~</strong>


    The next day after receiving an exnation of the school construction n at Viscount Berman¡¯s residence, Mia actually inspected the school under construction. Even though it was called an inspection, it was little more than a formality. The main issue was after that.


    Mia was finally going to meet with Ludwig¡¯s master, the Wandering Sage.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Called by Ludwig, Mia gave her cheeks an invigorating smack.


    ¡°Then¡­ Shall we go?¡±


    She made up her mind and stepped into Sealence Forest.


    Her thoughts on the matter had changed a little over the past day. After the wee sweets by Viscount Berman, she realized that running away was not a feasible option. This alsoes with the realization that what Anne told her might be more metaphorical than literal.


    <em>This is not a situation that I can just run away.</em>


    Basically, Mia wants to live up to the expectations of her loyal subjects. They believed in her, so she must also do her part. Mia, surprisingly, has a heart of 24 karat gold. It just takes a long dig to find that gold vein.


    <em>Besides, Ludwig can¡¯t do it by himself, so he relied on me¡­</em>


    Maybe not 24 karats, but 18 karats.


    <em>If I walk in and manage to convince his master in one try¡­ I can just imagine the look on his face. I bet his eyes will pop out of their sockets in surprise. Oh, this is going to feel so good!</em>


    Well, maybe at least it is gold-ted. So, Mia changed her mind. The good thing about Mia is that she can switch quickly.


    Last night, Mia pondered on how she can obtain the cooperation of Ludwig¡¯s teacher. She pondered on it¡­ Mia style¡­ next thing she knew, she woke up in the morning. She wasn¡¯t able toe up with any good ideas, but at least she wasn¡¯t suffering from sleep deprivation.


    ¡°I just have to try everything I can think of and see what works.¡±


    Thus began Mia¡¯s pre-emptive maneuvering.


    ¡°By the way, Ludwig, won¡¯t my current attire be disrespectful to your master?¡±


    Today Mia was wearing thick clothes for outdoor activities. Long sleeves on top and thick trousers on the bottom, covered with cloth up to the ankles. Ludwig¡¯s master seems to live even deeper in the forest than the Lulu tribe¡¯s vige¡­so she¡¯s dressed like that so that the grass and branches won¡¯t hurt her skin.


    ¡°I assume he values decorum. Perhaps it would be best if I changed into a dress?¡±


    ¡°No, my teacher hates excessive ornamentation. He believes in dressing practically. So Your Highness¡¯ clothes are suitable for the forest¡±


    ¡°Well, is that so¡­?¡±


    Mia looked a little disappointed.


    <em>How unfortunate. Wearing these unfashionable clothes, it will be difficult for me to use my enchanting looks¡­ Such a shame¡­</em>


    As the saying goes: Silence is golden. Mia¡¯s silence on her intentions is definitely golden.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. In that case, how about bringing some souvenirs? What does your master like?¡±


    Mia was trying to use the same tactic she used against the priest in the Newmoon District.


    ¡°Things he like? Hmmm¡­ He eats anything, so foods are out of the question. Oh! But I remember that he once said wile rabbits make excellent stew.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I had that one before too. So he also knows his delicacies. Interesting.¡±


    Mia remembered the exquisite rabbit stew she ate in Remno Kingdom and wiped her mouth to hide her inner gourmet.


    <em>That being said, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be lucky enough to catch that a delicious rabbit on the way there¡­ and it seems difficult to get a good impression with a bribe¡­ disappointing¡­¡­.</em>


    In the meantime, the forest grows deeper and deeper.


    ¡°I would like to say hello to the people of the Lulu tribe, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ We n to set up a time for that. They are also cooperators in the construction of the school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    The path winded and narrowed, and the leaves on the trees overhead grew thicker.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that I didn¡¯t end up fighting here. I have to thank Her Highness again.¡±


    Vanos looks around and rubbed his upper arm as if he felt a sudden chill. Visibility was terrible and having no geographical advantage, it was simply unimaginable to fight in a ce like this.


    Just then, the encroaching darkness gave way all at once to a clearing. In the middle was a small tent.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. That¡¯s my master¡¯s temporary residence.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is fascinating.¡± Mia curiously looked around the small tent. ¡°¡­ Hmm, if I had this¡­ I could set up camp anywhere and quickly, in case I would have to make a quick escape¡­ I should ask him how to make one for myselfter.¡±


    Mia muttered something like that for a while. Finally she made up her mind. She took a deep breath and announced¡­


    ¡°Wandering Sage, are you there?¡±


    She waited for an answer but there was no reply.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia lifted an eyebrow.


    <em>Maybe he didn¡¯t hear me. Since he is considered a sage, he might be of old age. He might have a hard time hearing me.</em>


    Rethinking that, Mia called out again. However, there was still no reply.


    ¡°Is he away? Just to make sure, Ludwig, you did tell him I wasing today, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I told him.¡± After thinking for a while, Ludwig continues. ¡°However, my teacher¡­ sometimes, when he is absorbed in his thoughts, he ignores everything from the outside world. The longest I know is about five days. He shut himself up and never went outside.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± The outrage came from Anne. ¡°How dare he be so disrespectful to mdy.¡±


    In line with that, the surrounding guards also have angry expressions on their faces. However, Mia hushed them by raising a hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. We are the ones who havee to ask for a favor. He probably has something to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Well, but mdy¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, let me wait here for a while.¡±


    Mia who said that with a perfectly cid tone. Not a single trace of anger can be seen on her face¡­ well, actually her lips were showing a hint of smile.


    <em>This is a great opportunity!</em>


    Finally, Mia¡¯s excellent strategic eye found a one-in-a-million chance of victory. He promised to meet her, but he was away. Or he ignored her. This means that this is his fault!


    <em>It¡¯s the perfect material for a counterattack! If he says something mean to me, I can just hit him back with his behavior. In such case, it would be better to have more to use against him.</em>


    ¡°Mdy, let me look for a ce for you to sit somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that shall not be necessary. I shall wait for him right where I stand.¡±


    If she waits for him in such a sloppy manner, he might use that as a counter counterattack. The only way to use this situation in her favor was to wait for him in perfect courtesy.


    <em>In that case, it¡¯s better not to talk too much. I need to shut up, straighten my posture and wait.</em>


    Luckily, Mia has a lot of experience doing this in the dungeon. At that time, she used to count the number of stones in the dungeon for days¡­


    <em>Compared to that time, this situation is infinitely better. Well then, let¡¯s count the number of grasses around here while waiting. One, two, three¡­</em>


    Mia counted the grass while standing still and totally expressionless. If the people with her realized what she was exactly doing, they would have been totally creeped out.


    Eventually, the number of grasses she counted exceeded 30,000.


    <em>Hmm¡­ I think that should be enough for now.</em>


    Mia nodded satisfactorily and called out to those around her.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s impossible today to meet him today. We shall head back and try again on ater¡­¡±


    At that time, a demonic idea arrived in Mia¡¯s mind.


    <em>That¡¯s right! I just realized how to make his blunder even more fatal to the point that I can carry out the negotiations with an overwhelming advantage!</em>


    In Mia¡¯s ears, Ludwig¡¯s words earlier revived.


    <em>If I remember correctly, he said that he once shut himself up for five days and didn¡¯te out. That means if I visit again in the next few days and be ignored, I¡¯ll have an even better leverage!</em>


    Missing someone once was undoubtedly rude but still barely forgivable. But what about twice¡­ or thrice? In a row? That would be totally unforgiveable.


    He would no longer be able to im that he hates nobles because they are presumptuous, if he himself will act in such a presumptuous manner. That would just be a hypocrisy it would weaken his position so much that he would not be able to talk back, much less say mean things to her.


    <em>If I can gain that much leverage from him, he won¡¯t have any choice but to ept our request! Heavenly moons, what a marvelous idea I have.</em>


    Mia trembled involuntarily at the perfect scheme she came up with. In order to realize such a wonderful idea, Mia quietly started to move.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ludwig, but could someone please go to the Lulu vige?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Certainly, but what for?¡±


    Mia answered with a smile to the confused Ludwig.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t meet your master today, I thought it might be a good idea for us to stay in the vige of the Lulu tribe. It is better than going all the way back to Viscount Berman¡¯s mansion.¡±


    It will be difficult for her toe back to this ce every day if she goes back to Viscount Berman¡¯s mansion. She would be tied up by different things. However, if she stayed with the Lulu¡¯s she won¡¯t be hindered by other responsibilities.


    Mia wanted to create a situation wherein she could say to Ludwig¡¯s master, ¡°I went to you several times, but you seemed to be too busy. I wasted many days of my life trying to meet you.¡± Five times might be a stretch, but ideally, she should try to get two more unsessful attempts.


    ¡°But the forest might becking in variousforts¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is it really? I certainly don¡¯t mind. Back in Remno, I spent a night in the open with a campfire, you know?¡±


    Ludwig looked stunned at Mia who just giggled andughed.


    Thus, <Mia¡¯s n> began quietly to overthrow the stubborn wandering sage.

 Chapter 206

    <strong>Young-Boy Killer Mia-sama</strong>


    <strong>¡ª</strong>


    TL¡¯s note: The only other option for tranting was Mia the Shota Killer


    Mia was warmly weed upon arriving at the Lulu vige. Having been notified beforehand by Ludwig, the vige chieftain had arranged a feast at the vige square. The men went out to hunt and came back with a gigantic boar. This was roasted whole to serve as the feast¡¯s main dish. There was a big bonfire in the middle of the square. Encircling this bonfire were the entirety of the vige. Mia was astonished by such a grand wee.


    ¡°Even though it was short notice, this is such an incredible wee.¡±


    ¡°When they heard that Princess Mia wasing, they were all thrilled. I told them that a simple reception would suffice but¡­¡± Ludwig exined with a helpless shake of his head. ¡°I suppose this just shows how high they regard you, Your Highness.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s tone was joking but its contents rang true. The Lulu always value reciprocity and believes in paying their debts. Mia was the benefactor of the chieftain¡¯s son and the savior of their entire tribe. So their gratitude towards her was immense.


    By now, Mia had won the favor not just of those who were living in the vige, but the whole tribe. This includes the tribesmen like Liora who were outside the vige looking for work. She had effectively acquired a fanbase of highly skilled archers throughout the empire. Their skills were formidable enough to be called a quasi-militia. If Mia actually attempted to run away, she would be able to do so easily with just their help alone.


    Mia was oblivious to this fact. Her focused had been taken over by the sizzling roasted boar that was to be served for dinner.


    ¡°Was this boar caught in this forest?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Your Highness. I went with them for the hunt.¡± The young boy by her side cheerfully exined. He was the chieftain¡¯s grandson, whom she had previously rescued in the Newmoon District.


    ¡°Did you now? My, how brave of you¡­¡± Mia pped her hands and peered into the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve been formally introduced.¡±


    Facing the boy, Mia raised the hem of her trousers as a curtsy,


    ¡°I¡¯m Mia Luna Tearmoon. I¡¯m the empire¡¯s princess.¡±


    Seeing that, the boy opened his mouth, and then his face turned bright red while he got down on his knees and lowered his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wagur. Your Highness. Thank you again. I will never forget that you saved me.¡±


    When he looked up, his eyes stared straight at Mia¡¯s. They were beautifully innocent.


    ¡°Never is a long time, you know? Are you sure you can remember for that long?¡±


    Mia smiled yfully.


    ¡°I¡­uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I suppose that¡¯s nothing to worry about. After all, the wonderful gift I received is proof of your thanks, and that won¡¯t fade anytime soon.¡±


    Mia gave him her most beautiful smile. Seeing that, Wagur¡¯s cheeks blushed again.


    Indeed, Mia was a boy-killer.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness¡­ it is my pleasure¡­ to have you here.¡±


    The chieftain approached and bowed before Mia.


    ¡°Greetings, Chieftain. I see that you are in good terms with Wagur.¡±


    The chieftain sheepishly grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks¡­ to Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, but I am d still¡­ By the way, Chieftain, have you be a little more fluent in the imperialnguage?¡±


    Mia looks at the chief¡¯s face with interest. And, once again, the tribal chief scratched his cheek shyly.


    ¡°I¡­ was taught¡­ by Wandering Sage, and I¡­ practiced¡­ a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you were able to meet the Sage.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ oftene¡­ to the vige, but¡­Her Highness, were you¡­ not able¡­ to meet him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we tried to meet him. But it seems that he was busy thinking.¡± While saying that, Mia throws the cut boar meat into her mouth. The meat that was grilled over the fire had a wonderful taste, with juices gushing out in her mouth every time she took a bite.


    <em>Oh, this is exquisite! This is also thanks to not being able to meet Ludwig¡¯s master. On top of that, it¡¯s nice that he is giving me lots of fodder to attack him with. It may be that this whole talk about him has been blownover. He might just be a pushover, after all.</em>


    Mia smiles in a good mood. However, right next to him, Wagur was angry.


    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive him for ignoring Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, thank you for being angry for me. I appreciate the sentiment. But I am not bothered about it at all. I believe it turned out for the best.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    Mia gives a mischievous smile to Wagur.


    ¡°Thanks to that, I was able to stop by the Lulu tribe¡¯s vige, and I was able to see how you were doing.¡±


    After that, Mia reached out to Wagur¡¯s cheek. She picked up a piece of meat from the dazed Wagur. Wagur froze and his cheeks were turning even redder. He lowered his head unable to meet her eyes.


    ¡­Mia the boy-killer strikes again.


    ¡°Ludwig, you also had a hard time. Thank you for all your preparatory efforts here. It was nothing short of excellent.¡±


    ¡°No, I would like to apologize on behalf of my teacher. Because of him, you have to make an unscheduled overnight stop outside the manor.¡±


    Ludwig lowered his head, but Mia smiled.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing worth apologizing for. I am more than capable of handling a little setback or two. Besides, it is all necessary parts of the process, right? If we want to win him over, we had to y his game.¡±


    Hearing her, Ludwig looked a little surprised.


    ¡°Wha¡­ as expected. So Your Highness have already realized.¡±


    ¡°Of course I have.¡±


    <em>Hmm¡­ so Ludwig understands what I am doing as well. In this game of leverage, we are stocking up our advantages for a big showdown.</em>


    Mia makes a rough snort and throws another delicious meat into her mouth.


    <em>Now then, I can¡¯t wait for him to ignore me again tomorrow. Just keep on handing me over that advantage, Sage.</em>

 Chapter 207

    <strong>Princess Mia shows no mercy!</strong>


    After the weing feast, Mia spent the night in the vige. Mia and Anne were taken care of by an elderly woman¡¯s hut. It wasn¡¯t luxurious but it was clean andfortable. Besides, Mia can sleep soundly without a bed. This was a skill she picked up during her dungeon days. Back then, all she had was a filthy nket and a cold, stone floor. She couldn¡¯t sleep at first, but itsted only ten days and her exhaustion drove her to sleep. Sopared to those times¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is quite good.¡±


    Mia woke upfortable the next morning to the chirping of the birds. She gave her bed a few inquisitive pats.


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s in this. It¡¯s nice to touch, it¡¯s nice to wrap around, and it¡¯s warm¡­ I¡¯ve never really been particr about bedding. But now that I think about it, I spend a considerable part of my life on the bed, so it might be wise to start paying attention to that¡­¡±


    Somehow, Mia got up while muttering something dubious like a peddler who sells expensive futons.


    Her body felt a little sweaty, and there was a lingering smoke on her. It was probably from the bonfirest night.


    ¡°I could really use a bath right now.¡±


    While she was talking to Anne, the host came in and arranged for the women of the vige to take her to a nearby stream for bathing. After being cleaned up, she put on the clothes that had been prepared for her. They were tribal clothes. She felt refreshed in body and soul.


    ¡°Lulu¡¯s clothes are pretty cute too.¡±


    It was a fluffy garment made from the fur of some animal. Mia giggled in glee at the fluffy feeling.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken care of me very well.¡±


    Mia smiled at the chieftain who bowed.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­always wee in our vige¡­e whenever you like.¡±


    ¡°But I would be imposing on you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ My grandson will be happy too¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, could you allow me to stay in the vige until I can meet the sage?¡±


    ¡°Permission¡­not needed¡­You are the benefactor¡­ of the tribe¡­Treat as your own.¡± After saying that, the chieftain paused as if an idea had juste to him. ¡°That¡¯s right, is there something¡­ you would like¡­ for tonight, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Something I want to eat¡­ hmmm. As for sweets, I received fruit yesterday too¡­ honey or something¡­ ah, that¡¯s right!¡± Mia pped her hands. She remembered her talk with Ludwig yesterday. ¡°Rabbit stew, I¡¯d want to eat that again!¡±


    ¡°Hou, rabbit stew¡­¡±


    The patriarch nodded after hearing the traits of rabbits from Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the vigers¡­ look for them as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Chieftain.¡±


    With another tasty dinner guaranteed, Mia was in a good mood as she departed for her second attempt to meet the Wandering Sage.


    ¡°Good morning. Wandering Sage. Are you here?¡±


    Mia went to the front of the tent and called out. But she called out in a low voice that the person inside might not hear her. This was of course, her point.


    <em>I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t show up. So if you really in there, could you please note out.</em>


    She waited while hoping that the tent would remain shut. There was silence¡­ then her lips parted in a sly grin.


    ¡°Then, we shall wait here for a while.¡±


    Saying that, Mia straightens her posture and stood in attention before the tent.


    ¡°Your Highness, please have a seat.¡± Seeing Mia like that, Ludwig took off his jacket and spread it on the ground. ¡°Please,e over here.¡±


    When Mia looked down at it, she picked up her jacket and patted the des that were stuck in it.


    ¡°No need, Ludwig. Since I will be waiting, I shall do it standing with the form and propriety that befits my position. As the one who is asking for a favor, I should be disying the utmost respect.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose that is true. But¡­ I don¡¯t think my teacher would ask you to go that far. So please¡­¡±


    Mia quietly shook her head at Ludwig.


    ¡°Ludwig, isn¡¯t that up to your master to decide?¡±


    Mia believed that when ites to criticizing someone, identifying the problem was never the difficult part. That the more disadvantageous one¡¯s position is, the more they will scrutinize their opponent¡¯s ws. This was simple human nature. Or at least, Mia¡¯s nature.


    It is extremely rude not toe out to answer when someonees to visit. Mia was going to use this as a bargaining material for the future talks. At the moment, she is piling on her advantage upon advantage. So she gets in the perfect waiting posture. A posture wherein nobody canin about from any angle. This way, her opponent can¡¯t find a single fault from her.


    <em>Ufufu. You won¡¯t find any weakness in me. And in this way, I will be holding all the cards.</em>


    Miaughed triumphantly and said to Ludwig.


    ¡°I¡¯m standing here waiting because I need to do it. I do appreciate your sentiment. But I stand here¡­ because it is worth it.¡±


    <em>Because it is worth it¡­</em>


    Ludwig was moved by Mia¡¯s words. Through those four words, Mia conveyed her depths of trust in him. Mia has no direct connection with Ludwig¡¯s teacher. All the information she have has been obtained through Ludwig.


    <em>And yet, here she is, putting all her effort into persuading a perfect stranger to be the headmaster. A man she has decided was worth the trouble. Because I, Ludwig, had said so. This just shows how much she trusts me.</em>


    Ludwig vowed to make Mia¡¯s ne true, while being genuinely happy hearing Mia¡¯s words.

 Chapter 208

    <strong>How to use his life ~The winter season is not over yet~</strong>


    He thought of counting the number of days he has left to live.


    He did not suffer from any disease that would cause him an early death. However, the old man thinks that he does not have much time left since he has reached old age.


    Even if he was given the title Sage, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live forever. A normal person¡¯s lifespan usually does not reach a hundred. This means that he has ten or twenty years left at most. Now that he was looking at death, he began thinking about his life.


    The first thing he can say is that it was a happy life. If he was topare life akin to seasons, then he was definitely entering the winter season. He had lived his spring season by nurturing talents. He pushed through the harsh summer. He enjoyed the fruitful autumn of harvest. And now he is in the final season. It is the season of cold dead leaves, but it is also the time of preparing for the arrival of a new spring.


    He researched and he learned what he wanted to know. His desires brought him to the different ces on the continent. After a fulfilling spring, summer, and autumn, winter¡­ he continued to give his wisdom to many young people so that they could have a fulfilling spring. He was blessed with many encounters and was able to send out many excellent disciples into the world.


    With his winter seasoning, he began thinking more on the use of his little time left. It was at this time that he had learned that his beloved disciple, Ludwig was looking for him.


    Ludwig was a brilliant young man that he taught with care. He was a young man with sharp analytical skills and extremely rational thinking. The Sage was secretly looking forward to what Ludwig would use his talent for in the future. Then he heard that he now serves the imperial princess. He honestly thought it was stupid. As far as the old man knew, nobles and royalty were all proud and foolish. Under such a man a young man wastes his fine talents¡­ Such folly cannot be overlooked. And with such thoughts, he figured something out as well¡­ how to use the remainder of his life.


    The Trial of Three Visits was not a test for Princess Mia. It was a test for his disciple, Ludwig, to measure the true nature of the Wisdom of the Empire. If his rudeness caused her to get angry and have him killed, then she will reveal the mediocrity of her character. It would make clear that Princess Mia was not suitable for Ludwig to serve.


    However, if he listened to Ludwig¡¯s advice and visited this ce three times, no matter what form it took¡­ at least, it could be said that she possessed the flexibility to listen to the advice of her vassals and that she has tolerance to forgive others¡¯ rudeness.


    It was a test that used his own life on the line. The old man believed that this was hisst duty¡­ a parting gift for his cherished disciple.


    That was supposed to be the case, but¡­


    ¡°I cannot believe this¡­¡±


    The Wandering Sage was wide-eyed in amazement when he saw Mia standing still in front of the tent. ¡¡By the way, this old man was currently not inside the tent. He climbed up a tree behind them and was looking at them from there. This was a remarkable feat for someone in his age.


    ¡°Certainly, I told Ludwig that I was going to test her with the Three Visits. But I did not expect her to be just standing still in front of the tent. I wonder if Ludwig told Princess Mia about the test?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, even if he had told her about the proverb, it has not mention of waiting. Even more, on how long to wait. She doesn¡¯t sit nor does she banter. She is just there waiting¡­ waiting actively to see me.¡±


    The old man narrowed his eyes. Most people fail to appreciate this, but time is not free. Even more so for the imperial princess. It should not be an exaggeration that each minute of her time is weigh in gold.


    ¡°Nevertheless¡­ Her Highness is ¡®just waiting¡¯¡­¡±


    If Mia was waiting while reading a book, she would have spent half her time ¡°waiting¡± and half ¡°reading¡±.


    But Mia was just waiting. She is spending her whole time on just waiting for the Wandering Sage.


    It was at this time that the old man felt that his eyes met with Mia who was looking up the trees.


    ¡°She¡¯s been staring at this tree for a while. So she was already aware of my presence! She knows I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡­Well Mia actually did not. After all, this old man was wearing a camouge of leaves attached to his body while secretly observing them from above. His disguise was perfect it the sea of trees. It was him who said that ¡°When in a forest, wear forest clothes.¡± And it seems that he took his own advice quite literally.


    In any case, therefore, whether it was Mia, Dion, or the Lulu tribe¡¯s skilled hunters, there was no way they could have seen him. It was the same illusion as fans have when they say ¡°Omigosh, I just made eye contact with my idol.¡± This is quite sad if not pitiful considering this old man is called the Sage.


    ¡°¡­ I see, Ludwig. So I see. I was the one who made a mistake. The only one exposed today is my own misjudgement of character and intelligence.¡±


    ¡­ Absolutely right in an ironic way.


    ¡°I guess it is decided. I can¡¯t keep her waiting any longer. She has been so patient after all. It looks like winter¡¯s going to be sticking around for a little while longer. Who would have thought that I would spend my final years working for the Tearmoon Princess. Life can really be interesting, huh?¡±


    The old manughed. One of mockery, but it was directed to himself.


    Just to be clear, Mia wasn¡¯t actually just waiting. She was counting the number of leaves on the trees. So by the old man¡¯s logic, she split her time between counting the darker leaves and the lighter leaves.


    This was a fact that the Wandering Sage never knew. Which was all for his own good.

 Chapter 209

    <strong>Celebration with a Rabbit Stew</strong>


    It was the third time that Mia was visiting the tent of the Wandering Sage. She walked calmly along the familiar path. As she came closer, she noticed something unusual.


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    She saw an old man standing in front of the tent. His hair and beard were gray but he exuded the aura of a forest sage.


    <em>I see. So that must be Ludwig¡¯s master. What a shame. If only he had waited one more day, the leverage I would have would be truly decisive.</em>


    Mia was a little disappointed. But she still readies herself.


    <em>But it¡¯s already toote. You have given me too much to attack you with. I can now use your ws. I won¡¯t leave you any openings that you can use against me.</em>


    With the air of a warrior, Mia walks up to the Wandering Sage.


    ¡°Greetings, the Wandering Sage. I am Mia Runya¡­¡±


    She bit her tongue! What a blunder. In a battle of decorum, it was like falling face first. To think she inwardly announced that he won¡¯t leave him any openings.


    <em>Gah! Why? Out of all times¡­ such a failure!</em>


    Before she started panicking, she quickly changed her mind.


    <em>I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine¡­ That was a tiny slip up. It doesn¡¯t count. Besides, what he did was worse. I still have the advantage.</em>


    Raising her head, Mia proudly puffed her chest and dered¡­


    ¡°I am Mia Luna Tearmoon. I am the Princess of the Tearmoon Empire. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness. My name is Galvanus Arminios. It is a great honor to meet you.¡±


    The old man looked upon her with a pair of deep intelligent eyes. There was a quiet intensity to his gaze that Mia almost took a step back before she even realized it. She caught herself on time, and so avoided another embarrassment.


    Regaining herposure, she turned her attention to the old man¡¯s clothes. He was well dressed¡­ in fact, too well dressed. His formal clothes would be something that is presentable before the Emperor. Mia then realizes her failure.


    She was currently dressed with a fluffy fur clothing that she got from the Lulu tribe. It was veryfortable to the touch and the perfect fluffiness to wear to bed, or when lounging in the bedroom. But it was definitely not appropriate when meeting such an important person.


    <em>Gah! I should havee here waring proper clothes. Ludwig never told me that he would be waiting here in the woods with such a formal clothing. That damn four-eyes!</em>


    Mia managed to smile while muttering resentment in her chest.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Your attire is rather striking. I had heard from Ludwig that you are in favor of dressing practically. Right clothes for the right asion. Was he wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Your Highness. This is the most suitable clothes to wear for appearing before Your Highness. Now that you are here, I must beg forgiveness for my previous insolence.¡±


    Saying so, he kneels on the spot and lowers his head to the ground.


    Mia was confused with this unexpected development. But only for a moment.


    ¡°My forgiveness? Never. We are the ones who havee to ask a favor. It is only natural that we wait for you to make time.¡±


    Then she gave a gentle smile.


    <em>Ohoho, I have you now! Forgive you just like that? Think again. What you did was very rude, so you¡¯d better ept our terms.</em>


    On the outside, Mia just kept smiling.


    ¡°It is nice to finally meet you. Your reputation precedes you, and we havee with a request.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Your Highness. Your wish is mymand.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia blinked her eyes in astonishment at the instant counterattack.


    ¡°Eh, well, I haven¡¯t even said what I¡¯m asking for yet¡­¡±


    ¡°I will ept whatever order you may give me. If you want me to acquire intelligence from other nations, then I will infiltrate them. If you want me to go to war, so I will get my spear.¡± The old man looked up at Mia with quiet eyes. ¡°Now, please this servant what Her Highness wants.¡±


    <em>What in the moons is happening?!</em>


    Mia was confused. But she regained herposure immediately. For unknown reasons, the person in front of her just offered her a direct path to victory. She clearly is winning this negotiation. Then she felt a feeling that she hasn¡¯t felt for a long time. It was the sensation of a cresting wave under her feet ¨C the kind that would push her up and over her immediate hurdles. Being a veteran surfer of figurative waves, she wasn¡¯t about to let this one go. In fact, she hopped on it before it changes its mind. She promptly exined her request.


    ¡°I would like you to be the headmaster of the school I am building.¡±


    ¡°A school, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Princess Town is currently built in Viscount Berman¡¯s domain. I n to turn it into an academic city. I will gather the gifted children from across the empire and bring them there.¡±


    ¡°When you say excellent children, how exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, regarding that. Princess Mia has already acquired the cooperation of the Central Orthodox Church. She intends to have the gifted children from the orphanage sent to the school, where they will be enrolled for free.¡±


    ¡°I see. It is certainly true that intelligence and wisdom has nothing to do with wealth or status. As expected of Your Highness, you have a keen eye. Very impressive.¡±


    The old man raises his voice in admiration at Ludwig¡¯s words. He looked at Mia full of admiration. Mia, on the other hand¡­


    <em>Fufufu! That¡¯s right. I am impressive! It is okay if you want to praise me more, old man.</em>


    Mia was not the kind of person who would pass up gloating, even if it is only in her head.


    ¡°Master¡­ that¡¯s not all. Her Highness Princess Mia intends to use the children, as the leaders of the next generation of the empire. They will be positioned in ces that can fundamentally reform the evil anti-agricultural ideology that has taken root in this empire.¡±


    ¡°Ludwig¡­ are you serious! That¡¯s¡­¡±


    The old man gasped in shock at Ludwig¡¯s words. He gives Mia double the look of admiration from the one before.


    On the other hand, Mia¡­


    <em>Eh? What was that now?</em>


    She raised her eyebrow unconsciously. Her primary purposed of creating Saint Mia Academy was to make sure that Cyril Rudolvon will sessfully develop that new strain of wheat. What evil anti-agriculturist ideology? She neither cared nor understood what it was. Not that it mattered of course¡­


    <em>Well, I have no idea what Ludwig is saying. But since it ising from him, I might as well as just get on board. Besides, his master seems to be impressed as well.</em>


    In an instant judgment, she chose to ride the wave! Yes, Mia is a skilled surfer!


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡±


    She once again puffed out her chest.


    ¡°For that reason, Her Highness is already thinking of hiring a Perujin Princess as a lecturer.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ the Perujin Agricultural Country¡­ Certainly, the country¡¯s agricultural technology is very beneficial to the empire. If this is realized, this will be a great achievement that will change history.¡±


    And so, the Wandering Sage stared at Mia with slightly wet eyes. He was full of emotions.


    ¡°To think that this old bone, who was about to die, would be given the opportunity to participate in such glorious undertaking¡­¡±


    <em>Dark moons! I don¡¯t really understand what they are going on about. But¡­</em>


    Mia had no clue what these two men were getting excited about. Feeling lost, she figured she would at least make sure her original objective would be fulfilled.


    ¡°Then, again, Wandering Sage¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Your Highness. You are the true Sage, the Wisdom of the Empire. As your vassal, I do not deserve to be called a sage. Please call me Galv.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well then, Galv-dono¡­ I¡¯d like to ask you again. Please, can you be the head of my school?¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s question, the Wandering Sage Galv bowed deeply,


    ¡°I respectfully ept your order. It is my absolute honor.¡±


    Mia looked down at Galv bowing¡­


    <em>Hah! Like I thought! He is a total pushover.</em>


    She beamed with an intense satisfaction that a smug painted her face.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Would you like to have dinner with us today? Tomemorate our meeting, we can have a modest feast.¡±


    That night, arge banquet was held in the vige of the Lulu tribe with the Wandering Sage. The menu for that day was the rabbit stew that Mia had requested.


    ¡°To think that you would prepare a rabbit stew, my favorite food¡­¡±


    The wandering sage, moved by the hospitality, once again pledged his loyalty to Mia with all his heart and soul.

 Chapter 210

    <strong>The Old Sage¡¯s Last Teachings ~Ludwig¡¯s Consultation~</strong>


    Late at night¡­ After the banquet in the Lulu tribe¡¯s vige was over, Ludwig came to the wandering sage, Galv, who was staying at the chieftain¡¯s house.


    ¡°Hmm, is that you, Ludwig?¡±


    The chieftain¡¯s house is made of wood, and its entrance is slightly elevated. To reach it, once has to climb a set of stairs. Halfway up the stairs, Galv was sitting. In his hand was a wooden bowl filled with muddy sake. The moon that can be seen through the trees in the forest. It seemed like he was continuing the drinking party on his own.


    Seeing that figure, Ludwig was a little surprised. Galv, who was strong against alcohol and had never seen him drunk, was blushing in a good mood.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you drinking too much, master?¡±


    Galv gave a nasty smile to Ludwig, who frowned.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all your fault. Because of the delightful encounters you brought me, you see, I still have to work, too. Haha, I nned to wither and die in secret, but because of you, that¡¯s now all ruined.¡±


    Contrary to his words, Galv¡¯s voice is bright. Ludwig wonders if he¡¯s too drunk to talk to him.


    ¡°Do you want to talk something with me, Ludwig?¡±


    When he nced at his master, there was a sharp and perceptive light in his eyes. Ludwig sat down next to his master, then took a deep breath before starting.


    ¡°Actually, I want Princess Mia to be the Empress¡­ That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Therefore, Master, I would like to ask for your cooperation.¡±


    Ludwig cut to the chase and didn¡¯t mince his words. He did this knowing his master¡¯s personality that dislikes roundabout things.


    ¡°Hou¡­ the Empress.¡±


    Galv looked down at the cup of sake and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.


    ¡°I see. Her Highness Princess Mia is an astute person. If she is worthy of the name of the empire¡¯s wisdom, the country may start moving in a good direction¡­ but¡­¡±


    Then Galv turned a sharp nce at Ludwig.


    ¡°Ludwig, I have one question for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it, master?¡±


    Ludwig corrects his posture. He heard the same deep, still voice when he was being taught.


    ¡°Is it because of her wisdom that you rmend Her Highness the Princess as Empress?¡±


    Ludwig was perplexed by the too obvious question. For a moment, he wondered if there was something beneath the question. Even though he was worried, he nodded loudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Master. Her wisdom isparable to yours. If she bes Empress, I¡¯m sure she will lead this country well and avoid bad customs¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what if she doesn¡¯t have wisdom?¡±


    Ludwig shook his head at the words that followed.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s ask another way. What would you do if she used her intellect for evil?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t do that. She is wise¡­¡±


    ¡°Intellect can be impable as evil, Ludwig. The foolish do not have sole agency over evil. Just as there is the evil of fools and the good of fools; there is the good and evil of the wise. The honed mind is as a de. A sharper one cuts better, but it still cuts any which way.¡±


    After speaking in a heavy tone, the sage silently stares at Ludwig.


    ¡°Then let me ask, Ludwig. Why do you serve her? Is it because of her wisdom? Or does ite from something else?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±


    Ludwig could not answer.


    ¡°Why do you follow that person ¡­. Depending on that, you may be hostile to her in the future. You should be clear.¡±


    Saying that, the masterughed quietly.


    It was that night that Ludwig had a dream.


    It was a strange dream. An ominous dream in which the Tearmoon Empire was facing its decline. Finances deteriorated due to great famine and epidemics, and government officials left the country one after another. Under such circumstances, Ludwig strived to rebuild the country under Princess Mia.


    Strangely enough, Ludwig in his dream hated Mia.


    An ipetent princess of the imperial family, a disgusting fellow who lives in peace while burdening the country. Originally, he had absolutely no obligation to help her, but he reluctantly cooperated in rebuilding the empire.


    That day, Ludwig was visiting a small vige with Mia.


    A vige that has escaped the spread of epidemics and is rtively unaffected by the great famine. Nheless, the vigers were hungry, and people gave up, or hated the nobles and cursed their fate.


    They weren¡¯t very kind to Mia¡¯s group, but no one went so far as to go against the guards and take up the sword. After seeing the state of the vige and saying words of encouragement to the soldiers who were struggling to maintain public order, Mia said in the carriage.


    ¡°Oh, I want a cake. I know there¡¯s no bread but there might be some cake.¡±


    ¡°No. Both cakes and bread are made from wheat.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Mia drops her shoulders dejectedly. Ludwig sees this and bes a little annoyed.


    <em>Even though it¡¯s hard to get even a small piece of bread, she is even looking for a cake¡­</em>


    ¡°Just one would be enough¡­¡±


    <em>What?! One?! That is already a luxury!</em>


    His frustration quickly turns into disgust. This is why he couldn¡¯t stand nobles. Ludwig let out a sigh. But¡­


    ¡°If I could get a one whole cake, it should be enough for the vige. Maybe not with all the adults, but at least with the children¡­¡±


    ¡°E¡­¡­?¡±


    At those words, Ludwig¡¯s thoughts came to a halt.


    ¡°In that case I¡¯d like a big cake. With enough strawberries on it as well. Those vigers seemed so upset. If they all get a slice of cake with a strawberry, I¡¯m sure they would feel much better.¡±


    <em>I thought she wanted to eat everything by herself¡­</em>


    At least, Ludwig¡¯s image of Mia was that kind of person. That¡¯s why he suddenly wanted to ask something rude.


    ¡°Your Highness, suppose I told you that I could prepare a cake just for one person, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Is that true!?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just hypothetical. I said ¡®suppose¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Uh, hmm, that¡¯s right¡­ Assuming that one person is a one giant soldier¡­¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just for Her Highness Princess Mia. One slice of cake.¡±


    It¡¯s just a hypothetical. Nevertheless, Mia had a really serious face, and after groaning,


    ¡°In that case, ku, uh, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll settle with one bite too¡­ Oh, but isn¡¯t the strawberry the size of a bite? That means I can get a strawberry¡­ so¡­¡±


    Mia mutters something while wrinkling her brow. Seeing that, Ludwig was shocked.


    <em>She¡¯s seriously fretting over her answer?!</em>


    A hypocrite wouldn¡¯t fret. She would just say that she will give it all the people. The egotist wouldn¡¯t fret. She would just eat it all herself.


    Mia was neither. She fretted. She was faced with the genuine distress of being able to get the strawberry.


    There existed people who would be willing to give to others as long as they had enough to eat themselves. They were not exactly saints, but they are still better than most nobles. Nobles, after all, are a group of people who wouldn¡¯t share until their own meals are guaranteed. But what ¡°guaranteed¡± means is the problem. Those who have a gurantee for a meal today, would want a gurantee for a meal tomorrow, then again for the next day, then for a week, then for a month, then for a year, then for a decade¡­ and so on.


    Ludwig had that impression of Mia as well. Therefore, Mia¡¯s answer was shocking.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it? Ludwig. I heard you said something.¡±


    Ludwig shook his head slightly at Mia who looked suspicious.


    ¡°No, I was just a little surprised.


    ¡°Well! Ludwig, did you think that when I saw the state of that vige, I would have the cake all to myself!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I never doubted it.¡±


    Mia grinds her teeth at such a quick reply.


    ¡°Grrr¡­ this stupid four-eyes¡­¡±


    Mia was mumbling something, but let out a big sigh to calm herself down.


    ¡°Seeing someone in trouble, and me being in a position to help but ignoring them: it hurts that you think that I am that kind of person.¡±


    Ludwig replied to Mia with a look of genuine admiration.


    ¡°I see¡­ Your Highness Princess Mia, you seem to be a decent person to some extent.¡±


    ¡°What!? What do you mean by a certain extent? Damn stupid four-eyes, you have a foul mouth!¡±


    ¡°Says the one who keeps on calling me ¡®stupid four-eyes¡¯.¡±


    That¡¯s how Ludwig thought, even as he cursed. This person may not be the best as a master, but she may be someone worth serving.


    And he knows this well.


    Mia is proud. Yet despite her habit ofining, she always listened to Ludwig¡¯s advice.


    Mia is a timid person. Yet instead of running away, she remains in the empire and strives to rebuild it.


    Mia is a slow learner. Yet despite Ludwig¡¯s tough teachings, she continued to soldier on through learning.


    Seeing her like that, Ludwig began to wish.


    <em>Please, I hope that this foolish princess¡¯s hard work will be rewarded, even if just a little.</em>


    And then he started dreaming. If the empire were able to escape from this current predicament, he would advise and work alongside this hopelessly unreliable master. To make this country a better ce, he will do his best as her vassal. Ludwig thought that such a future wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    That¡¯s why when Mia was put on the guillotine, he¡­


    Then he woke up.


    ¡°Just now¡­was it a dream?¡± Ludwig was in a cold sweat. The dream he was having just now¡­ it was so real that he could call it a memory.


    ¡°Nonsense¡­ Her Highness Princess Mia can¡¯t be that stupid¡­¡±


    It was an impossible dream. It was a very rude dream towards Mia, the Wisdom of the Empire. Ludwig tried tough it off. But he couldn¡¯t. A deep part of him refused tough.


    Deep down, he flet that it wasn¡¯t just a dream but more of a memory ¨C and an important one at that too. Something he couldn¡¯t afford to forget. Somehow, he also knew, beyond reason and doubt, that the girl in the dream was indeed the princess that he is serving, Mia Luna Tearmoon. On the surface, they were very different. At their core, they were one and the same.


    In Ludwig¡¯s mind, the scene in the slums resurfaced. Mia ran to the dirty child and took care of him. She did not care how dirty he was. Her words from the dream echoed to him.


    <em>Seeing someone in trouble, and knowing I am in the position to help¡­</em>


    Helping someone is the natural thing to do. Whether it may stem from morality or political calction, the conclusion is the same.


    How many nobles will help the dirty and weak? Even though he was amoner, he hesitated to enter the slums. But Mia did it. The only one he knew that would do it was Mia Luna Tearmoon. Knowing that someone is lying down and not helping out would make her feel bad. That was Mia¡¯s core.


    ¡°¡­I see¡±


    Ludwig finallyes to his senses. His admiration for intellect and wisdom remains unchanged. His loyalty, however, has shifted its direction.


    ¡°It is her essence, her core, to which I should devote myself.¡±


    The thought brought with it a flood of emotions to him. It felt like remembering a long-lost memory¡­ as if the dream that he just had was real.


    <em>It all makes sense now¡­ it is not the Great Wisdom of the Empire. It never was. It is the person inside. My dream¡­ has always been to server Her Highness¡­ and realize her goals</em>.


    The next day, Ludwig visited his master again.


    Seeing his disciple with a lighter expression, Galv smiled quietly. Today there was no sake cup in his hand. This is because it would be disrespectful for his disciple if he is drunk.


    ¡°I think you have the answer, Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask you, Ludwig. Why are you pushing Princess Mia to be Empress?¡±


    Ludwig, as if digesting the question posed to him, was silent for a short while, and then answered.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­ if she makes a mistake in ignorance, then she would never knowingly repeat that mistake.¡±


    She might not know that there are people in trouble, but once she was aware, she would never leave them to their fates. She possessed a soul capable of loathing such neglect. That was why he pledged to her his loyalty, and his life.


    ¡°Even if she loses her wisdom, or if she loses her way¡­ then I shall tell her so. So long as I do, she will never choose the wrong path.¡±


    Galv nodded in satisfaction at that answer.


    ¡°Amazing¡­ you found your way, Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master. Thank you for your teaching.¡±


    ¡°That will be myst teaching to you. Serve Her Highness Princess Mia well, Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master. And thank you for your cooperation for Mia-sama¡¯s sake.¡±


    Ludwig bowed deeply.


    Meanwhile the princess in question didn¡¯t know that such an extremely serious meeting was held,


    ¡°Ohoho! And to think that Ludwig was stressing so much about this meeting. He was a pushover! They are all pushovers! Once I got involved, none of them stood a chance!¡±


    Enjoying her blissful ignorance, Mia proudly returned to Viscount Berman¡¯s mansion.


    With the addition of Galv, along with all the students who answered his call, the staffing issues of Saint Mia Academy were solved in one go.


    Of course, after this, she would run into another problem in trying to recruit the Princess of Perujin, Arshia Tafrif Perujin. But that is for another story.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Activity report update.


    I think of updating daily this week and next week.


    This was a very very long chapter. The longest I have tranted so far.

 Chapter 211

    <strong>Princess Mia and Her Loyal Devotees</strong>


    ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯m really tired¡­¡±


    Having returned to the imperial capital, Mia woke up sleepy in her fluffy bed. She rubbed her face against the fluffy nightclothes. These were the ones that she got from the Lulu vige. She purred with pleasure.


    ¡°I still want to sleep¡­¡±


    She had a long carriage journey from Belluga to Tearmoon, then to Newmoon District, from there to Viscount Berman¡¯s domain, and also a stop by the Lulu tribe. As expected, Mia couldn¡¯t hide her fatigue.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not because of all that standing in the forest catching up to me. I am still a young woman of thirteen with a sound mind and body.¡± Mia justified to no one in particr. However, her mentality should be past twenty considering her time jump.


    ¡°Mdy, I heard that breakfast is ready. Would you like to have some now?¡±


    Mia turned to Anne who came to wake her up.


    ¡°Somehow, I feel like morninges earlier and earlier every year.¡±


    While saying something like that, Mia got up and stretched. She started walked towards the door while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.


    ¡°Mdy let¡¯s change clothes first. I don¡¯t think it is appropriate to go out with those clothes.¡±


    Anne stopped Mia and skilfully took off her sleepwear. She quickly checks the quality of her exposed underwear and the condition of her skin, and when she determined that she did not sweat much, she immediately selects her dress for the day.


    Anne predicted the temperature outside, the temperature inside the room, and Mia¡¯s range of activities; then she selects a dress that will befortable for her throughout the day. She took out a gorgeous yellow dress. The loose-fitting indoor dress was tailored to fitfortably without a corset. She made Mia wear it without much of Mia¡¯s help. Politely and quickly as possible she did it, so as not to disturb Mia, who was just standing still.


    That movement was exactly the skill of a veteran maid. Anne wasn¡¯t particrly dexterous. These skills that she has acquired was gained from repeated practice.


    Yes, it¡¯s not just horse training. Not to mention training her maid skills, she was also studying at St. Noel¡¯s, and also learning how to cook; all this she was doing to be useful to Mia. The slow umtion of hard-earned skills hadid down a solid bedrock of expertise while paving the path to true master. None of this Mia noticed. But Anne preferred it this way. If her mistress could notice changes in her dressing technique ¨C be it good or bad way ¨C then that meant she still had a long way to go. For Anne, true maids do their jobs unnoticed.


    ¡°Mmm, I must say. You are spoiling me today, Anne. Thank you as always.¡±


    Mia said with a yawn and watery sleepy eyes. This statement of appreciation caught Anne unguarded. It strummed her heartstrings with happiness. She didn¡¯t think she deserved it. After all, she was just doing her job. Still, she couldn¡¯t stop the happiness at being acknowledged.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, mdy. I mean, you¡¯re wee, mdy.¡± It was Anne who inadvertently returned an iprehensible thank you.


    Now that Mia had changed into a yellow dress, she headed for the dining room.


    <em>Ah, I want to sleep more, I want toze around¡­</em>


    Shambling along, she finally reached the dining hall. In front of therge table, she sat on a chair and yawned again.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness Princess.¡±


    ¡°Good mworning¡­¡±


    Mia turned her eyes to the head chef while rubbing tears on the corners of her eyes. The head chef wrinkled his eyebrows and said with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°You look very tired.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been busy with various things, such as visiting the princess¡¯s town, so I¡¯m a little tired. That¡¯s why don¡¯t you think you should be a bit generous to me today.¡±


    ¡°Generous¡­ you say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, like serving sweets instead of breakfast¡­¡±


    After saying that, the head chef became silent. The head chef turned his heels silently as if he was astonished by Mia¡¯s words. Seeing him walk away, Mia let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well, as expected, I can¡¯t have sweets in the morning. The food here is delicious, but¡­ if I can eat cookies and cakes in the morning, I¡¯ll feel better¡­ Well, that would never happen, but¡­¡±


    Because she was saying something along those lines, Mia shrieked when she saw what the head chef put in front of her.


    ¡°By the moons! Is this a cake?!¡±


    A yellow pastry sat on the te. The sweet scent can be smelt. It was clearly just out of the oven. She made a gulping sound, which was uncharacteristic of a noble, but totally understandable.


    ¡°Are you sure it is okay to have this? So early in the morning?¡±


    Mia stared at the chef with round eyes.


    ¡°Yes. Her Highness seemed to be tired, so¡­ well, I made it for you.¡±


    Mia was so happy that she became a little embarrassed¡­ The bear-like head chef scratched his cheek awkwardly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure you said before that if I only eat sweets, I¡¯ll get sick?¡±


    While asking that, Mia wrapped her arms around the cake. Just in case the head chef changed his mind.


    The head chef gave Mia a soft smile.


    ¡°Ah, you did remember¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. Eating too many sweets can hurt your body. Therefore¡­¡±


    Then the head chef puffed out his chest a little and said,


    ¡°I tried a new menu. The cake is made of vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Wha-ha-ha, it¡¯s vegetables!?¡±


    Mia looked at the cake curiously. No matter how she looked at it, it looks just like a cake. There¡¯s nothing vegetable about it. Mia grabbed the fork with a terrified look and poked it with its tip. Then she dared to put the small piece in her mouth¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Her face melted with happiness.


    ¡°Sweet and very delicious¡­ Oh, I can¡¯t get enough of it.¡±


    After letting out a happy sigh, Mia looked at the head chef.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good joker, chef. This cake is very sweet, isn¡¯t it? Are you saying this is made of vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Some vegetables are naturally sweet. This cake has a sweet and sour taste with yellow moon tomatoes, yellow moon carrots, and mini pumpkins.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t believe you can make such a delicious cake with such vegetables¡­¡±


    Mia let out a sigh of admiration, but she couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the head chef¡¯s next words.


    ¡°Exactly. And because it¡¯s made with vegetables, it¡¯s good for your health.¡±


    ¡°Wha!? Well, that means that if it¡¯s this cake, I can eat as much as I want!?¡±


    It¡¯s like a dreame true!? Mia turned her astonished gaze at the cake.


    ¡°Well, within reason. But it should be fine to have this cake for this morning.¡±


    The head chef answered with a wry smile, but Mia had already stopped listening. With a quick movement, she cuts the cake into pieces and throws it into her mouth. For Mia, cake is a drink!


    ¡°Oh, wonderful¡­ Great job, head chef. I have the utmost respect for your skill!¡±


    Then, the hand holding the fork suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Could it be¡­head chef¡­¡­did youe up with the recipe¡­ just for me?¡±


    ¡°It is the duty of us, your loyal subjects, to take care and protect the health of His Majesty and Your Highness.¡±


    Mia was moved by the head chef who quietly bowed his head!


    ¡°That was a lot of work. I would like to thank you again, head chef. I admire your cooking from the bottom of my heart. By the way¡­ how many of these did you make?¡±


    In that moment of appreciation and gratitude, Mia was able to engineer her admiration into getting another serving, and then a third serving of cake. And probably a fourth one as well, if only Anne did not stop them.


    This and that were all part of Mia¡¯s calm daily life.

 Chapter 212

    <strong>Princess Mia gives a desperate presentation</strong>


    <em>How did ite to this?!</em>


    Mia was in despair at the reality in front of her.


    <em>Why? Why? Why?</em>


    The whole world seemed to darken before her eyes as she desperately looked for a solution to her current situation.


    Turning back time a little¡­


    Mia left the rest to Ludwig. She then joined Bel and Lynsha, and the merrypany returned to St. Noel¡¯s Academy.


    ¡°Now I can finally rx!¡±


    The smiling Mia appeared in the student council room for the first time in a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, everyone.


    After bowing to everyone gathered in the student council room, Mia started cleaning up the work that had umted.


    <em>But it¡¯s mostly paperwork. I don¡¯t need to say anything about what Rafina has finished so far¡­</em>


    Expecting to cruise through the paperworks, Mia¡¯s eyes almost popped out when she looked over one of the papers that hade to her from Rafina.


    On it was a very serious problem that the Academy City hasn¡¯t faced since its construction.


    ¡°Huh? Huh? Why, why? Why is the cafeteria¡¯s sweets menu decreasing?¡±


    The document handed over from Rafina contained a renovation n that reduced the menu of sweets in the cafeteria. By the way, Mia¡¯s favorite fruit tart was also gone¡­


    <em>Wh-why is this happening? What does this mean?</em>


    Mia waspletely teary-eyed.


    ¡°Fufu, while Mia was away, the three of us did a thorough research. Dietetics is fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Rafina, Tiona, and even Chloe exchanged smiles.


    <em>Eh, what? What in the moons is that?</em>


    Mia, on the other hand, was thoroughly confused. She didn¡¯t know what dietetics was. But if it is something that took away her sweets, then it is something that she surely will not like.


    Still, Mia regained herposure.


    ¡°I see¡­ Die- Dietete¡­ So you researched about it, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was also blind. The rtionship between food and health¡­ I never thought there was such an academic field¡­ So, as Mia-san suggested, I thought about the health of the students and considered various nutritional bnces. I thought it would be better to reduce the number of sweets and instead increase the menu with more vegetables.¡±


    <em>Well, I did not suggest that at all. I never said a word like that!</em>


    Swallowing her words of protest, Mia tries hard toe up with a solution. The Wisdom of the Empire roared to protect the sweets!


    ¡°However, no matter how good it is for the body, if we reduce the number of sweets and increase the amount of vegetable dishes¡­ we will probably haveints. That is the problem.¡± Rafina frowned.


    Mia found a way out in those words.


    <em>That¡¯s right! That¡¯s it! </em>


    Mia makes a bold face and takes advantage of it.


    ¡°Yes. That is a very serious problem. We might consider keeping things the way they are for now¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a policy that Mia-san came up with. I want to make it happen somehow.¡±


    Rafina said with an enthusiastic face. In line with that, Chloe and Tiona also nodded.


    <em>What is this? Since when have you three became besties?</em>


    The friendship of the three friends drives Mia into a corner.


    ¡°I see. It is really important for those who rule to take care of their health. It is my first time to hear about dietetics as well¡­ I must confess. Hmm¡­ Ah! So that was why you were always interested in mushrooms! Once again, your foresight is amazing, Mia.¡± Sion nodded with admiration.


    Both Abel and Sapphias nodded, and they didn¡¯t seem to have any objections. No one seems to want to object the motion to Mia¡¯s dismay.


    <em>Uh, uh¡­ somehow, I have to do something¡­</em>


    In a situation where the majority is almost decided, Mia works hard for a n to save her beloved sweets. She was alone in this battle and there was no one who could support her.


    <em>I need a clever idea for my sweets to survive¡­ I need something¡­ something¡­ Ahah!</em>


    In this moment of inspiration, the face of the head chef came to mind.


    I devised this for Her Highness. It¡¯s a vegetable cake.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! A vegetable cake!¡±


    An inspiration came to her to turn the tides of battle to her favor. Her mind usually needs sweets to function fully. Now it is functioning fully to protect its fuel.


    After a long quiet moment, Mia speaks out.


    ¡°Whether to include more vegetables in the student diet¡­ or to preserve the quality of the sweets menu¡­ in my opinion, we should do both. To that end, Rafina-sama, I propose an addition to the meal schedule in the form of cakes that are good to your health.¡±


    ¡°A healthy cake? Is there such a thing?¡±


    Surprised, Rafina asks back. The rest of the room share the same surprise as her. Mia exined¡­


    ¡°In Tearmoon, we have collected the best of the empire¡¯s technological prowess¡­ there is something called a vegetable cake!¡±


    ¡°A vegetable cake!?¡±


    Mia enthusiastically preaches its advantages.


    ¡°First of all, regarding the renewal of the menu, you can leave the sweets as they are. Instead, cut this less popr vegetable sd and rich green soup.


    ¡°B-but, Miss Mia! If we don¡¯t reduce the number of sweets on the menu, we won¡¯t be able to solve the problem of eating too many sweets¡­¡±


    Mia quietly shook her head at Chloe who questioned her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Chloe. Because the vegetable cake is so good, you won¡¯t be able to resist it.¡±


    To those words, Rafina shows a convincing nod.


    ¡°I see. In other words, Mia-san¡¯s proposal is like this. Instead of removing delicious things from the menu and making them eat less delicious but healthy things; we add healthy and delicious things to the menu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, Lady Rafina.¡±


    Rafina quietly nodded back to Mia, who nodded confidently.


    ¡°As expected of Mia-san¡­ I didn¡¯t have a perspective to associate the cafeteria menu with the health of the students. Moreover, I didn¡¯t even know the existence of such recipe¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also been to the Imperial City, but I didn¡¯t know there was such a cake.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I read that in any book before¡­ as expected. Mia-sama is amazing.¡±


    Mia received respectful looks from the three girls.


    ¡°If you ept my proposal, I will write a letter to the imperial capital as soon as possible. SO what shall it be?¡±


    Mia said with a smug


    Immediately after the meeting ended, Mia wrote a letter to the imperial capital. It was asking his loyal head chef for the recipe of the beloved vegetable cake.


    The healthy vegetable cake devised by Mia soon became a specialty menu item at St. Noel Academy¡¯s cafeteria.


    After graduating from the academy, Mia recognized the achievements of her head chef. She presented him with the Mia Medal of Freedom.


    Not that it would matter in any way, anyway.

 Chapter 213

    <strong>Princess Mia Sympathizes with the Cowardly</strong>


    <em>Phew¡­ That was a close one.</em>


    After sessfully presenting the vegetable cake, Mia was ready to take a sip from her tea¡­ but¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ then, Mia. Shall we get to the main topic¡­¡±


    Rafina poured cold water to Mia¡¯s expectant tea and cookies time.


    <em>Main topic? There is more?!</em>


    Mia was clearly confused. The same could also be said for Sion, Abel, and Sapphias. It seemed that only Tiona and Chloe knew what wasing.


    Rafina, who received everyone¡¯s gaze, took out a book slowly.


    ¡°This a manuscript of <em>The Book of Those Who Slither</em>¡­ It¡¯s the scripture of the secret society, Chaos Serpent.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    Mia was clearly shocked. She immediately looked at Sapphias.


    ¡°Miss Rafina¡­ you know¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s okay to discuss that here?¡± She sent Rafina a high-powered gaze that pointed out to Sapphias.


    <em>Rafina-sama, what are you doing? There¡¯s a Chaos Serpent right there!</em>


    It seemed that Rafina got the message. She nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay, Mia-san.¡± Mia was relieved for a moment at that answer, but¡­ ¡°Since it hase to this, let us ask Sapphias to join our cause.¡±


    <em>Dark moons! She doesn¡¯t know! She didn¡¯t understand at all!</em>


    Mia screamed within her heart.


    ¡°Sapphias worked hard while you were away, Mia-san. Of course he still some ways to go, but at this point, I think it is fair to grant him our trust. After all, we can never guarantee that a person is not a Serpent, so we will just have to work with that uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, I guess that is true¡­¡±


    ¡°Rafina-sama¡­ You¡­ You¡¯ll trust me?¡± Sapphias was so moved that he started tearing up. Then a thought urred to him. ¡°Hmm¡­ secret society? Would that be connected with the thick volumes of Holy Book that you had me transcribetely? And the regr lectures that you give me every morning, noon, and evening? The one where you had me join with a study group of mysterious men?¡±


    Rafina looked at him quietly. Then she smiled. It was pure smile like an early spring breeze, crisp but cutting.


    ¡°I¡¯m trusting you Sapphias.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ r-right¡­¡±


    Mia, who was watching from the side, trembled at Rafina¡¯s smile.


    <em>Moons! Rafina is scary! So all this time, she has been secretly testing him. I won¡¯t be surprised if she did a full background check on him too.</em>


    The more she thought about it, the more Mia thought that Rafina was the viin.


    ¡°So what is there in the manuscript?¡± It was Sion who was eager to bring back to conversation on track.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ To put it simply, it describes how to destroy a country. What procedure, how to manipte people¡¯s minds, and how to increase the damage¡­¡±


    ¡°What a dreadful book¡­¡± Mia said with a trembling voice.


    In fact, for Mia, the victim, it¡¯s a book that can¡¯t be taken lightly. The culprit behind the empire¡¯s hopeless situation was right in front of them.


    ¡°And this seems to be just a part of the manuscript. It¡¯s a copy of the chapter called ¡®Kingdombane¡¯, and it seems that there are many other manuscripts. Because this is different from the copy that Belluga had previously obtained.¡±


    Rafina held out the book. Sion took it and flipped through the pages.


    ¡°If we can obtain all of them, we may be able to see clearly the identity of the Chaos Serpents, huh?¡±


    On the other hand, Sapphias was receiving a quick exnation from Abel and Tiona. He was in shock and looked at the book with a face of disbelief.


    ¡°Chaos Serpent¡­ such a thing is also lurking in our empire¡­?¡±


    Originally, it was the kind of information that he would probablyugh at. It was way too far-fetched and too dangerous to be taken seriously.


    But¡­ this is the student council.


    What is said at the St. Noel Academy Student Council can sometimes have the weight of destroying a small country. Topics discussed here can never beughed off.


    Still, Sapphias smiled as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Ha, ha ha¡­ You¡¯re all trying to trick me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Mia was relieved to see Sapphias who looked terribly frightened.


    <em>That¡¯s right. This is the normal reaction. Somehow, everyone seemed to be calm and natural, so I started to think that I was the crazy one. But no. It is the reaction of the rest of the people here that is strange.</em>


    Mia felt a bit of growing empathy for Sapphias. Probably best described by the saying: Birds of the same feather¡­ or chicken of the same feather, in this case.


    ¡°If you feel that this is too much, Sapphias, I won¡¯t mind if you back away. I can¡¯t anymore, but you can still run away from this¡­¡±


    She was, after all, the one who brought him into the Student Council in the belief that he was one of the Chaos Serpent. So she really wasn¡¯t expecting anything from him to begin with. If he really wanted to run, then he was free to do so.


    She wouldn¡¯t stop him. Nor would she stop her beloved prince, nor her loyal maid, not even her reliable-but-nosy-four-eyes¡­. She wouldn¡¯t stop any of them! In fact, she would be right there with them, running as fast as she could!


    Ugh! I want to run away as well¡­


    Her empathy for his cowardice ended up draining her courage. But¡­


    ¡°Run away? It seems that I have been underestimated.¡± Saying that, Sapphias gave a small smile.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia was confused at his reaction, and even more when Sapphias stood up and took a knee before her.


    ¡°Her Highness Princess Mia is trying to take the lead in fighting, holding the g and trying to inspire the people. I am of the Bluemoon family, one of the four great dukes. I cannot afford to be running away while you are fighting. As long as your banner waves, I shall stand by your side. For you, and for my beloved, who surely cannot sleep easily knowing such evil abounds. Please, Your Highness, I implore you to add me in your ranks to battle.¡±


    It was a solemn pledge of allegiance. It was a deration to join Mia¡¯s camp. The eldest son of the Bluemoon family, one of the four great dukes of the Empire, was finally joining Mia¡¯s faction. One of the four great pirs of Tearmoon nobility has allied himself with Mia.


    It was such a historic moment!


    But Mia¡­


    <em>Ah¡­ so this is it. I am now the one holding the banner leading the fight, huh? I wonder if will die by an arrow this time¡­ ugh, that sounds painful.</em>


    ¡­she stood there as hope drained from her eyes.

 Chapter 214

    <strong>Princess Mia enjoys school life</strong>


    Dayse and go. Time flew by as Mia returned to St. Noel¡¯s. In time, she was able to safelyplete the student council work that had umted.


    Today, Mia arrived at the cafeteriaing from her dormitory. It was then that she felt the arrival of the summer upon looking at the menu.


    ¡°Ah, they have started serving the cold soup.¡±


    At St. Noel¡¯s, only dinner was the same for everyone. For breakfast and lunch, there was a variety of food and menu that the students can choose from. This is to amodate the variety of studentsing from different nations, with their foods and preferences. In fact, the cafeteria was a ce that one can learn about world cuisines.


    ¡­ this is also why it is a headache when changing the menus, as the student council has discovered.


    ¡°It has been quite cool this year that I hadn¡¯t noticed. It¡¯s almost summer, isn¡¯t it?¡± Something stirred at the back of her mind. Mia had a premonition that she had forgotten something. ¡°Summer¡­ hmm¡­ I feel like there was something that I should remember.¡±


    After some more thinking, she arrived at her answer.


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right. It is almost time for the summer exams. Well, my grades aren¡¯t so great¡­ but as long as I pass¡­¡±


    Due to Rafina¡¯s policy, St. Noel has a strict system for an academy attended by children of royalty and nobility. Poor test results could affect progress through the grades. Students who failed, simply failed. They were offered no mercy, no matter what their rank or status are. Luckily, the bar for failing is set quite low. So even Mia who wasn¡¯t particrly bad at studying could pass. If she memorized enough at thest minute, she should be able to tide through her exams.


    ¡°I can do my best, as long as I have sweets¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll get through this with the power of sweets.¡±


    She was happily thinking along these lines when she met Rafina.


    ¡°Hello Mia. The summer exams areing soon, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just realized it now. One moment, they seemed so far away. The next moment, they are already here. Time sure flies fast.¡±


    It was supposed to be such a casual conversation¡­ but¡­


    ¡°Lately many student grades have been slipping. I was thinking of bringing it up at the next student council meeting.¡±


    ¡°My, that¡¯s not good at all.¡± Mia said without a hint of self-awareness.


    ¡°So¡­ I know that you are busy, Mia-san. So, I am sorry for adding more. I am thinking of the student councilunching a campaign.¡±


    ¡°A campaign?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We will take the test results of the students with good grades and post them in the hallway to motivate everyone.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. That does sound interesting. I hope it goes well.¡±


    In the past life, Mia¡¯s grades were just above the bottom thirds. Therefore, she assumed that she wouldn¡¯t be part of anything with this.


    ¡°It is fine for the ordinary students to set their own goals. However, since we are in the position of leadership, we should act as role models.¡±


    Mia wrinkled her nose. She can metaphorically smell a stinking her way.


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±


    ¡°Simply put, the grades of the members of the student council are to be made public. We announce them to the student body in an official statement.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± It took several seconds for Mia to close her mouth once again.


    ¡°You mean announce them, whether they are good or bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I know that Mia-san will be fine. But it¡¯s just that you have been quite busytely. So I thought you might have not been able to study. I know you will prove be wrong, but I am just giving you a heads up. Oh, and even if your grades will slip a little, as long as you don¡¯t fail; nothing really will happen. So don¡¯t stress so much about it.¡±


    Rafina said with a calming smile. But Mia was anything but calm. This is because, she still had a sense of pride.


    <em>Well, even if I get bad grades¡­ Abel is kind¡­ so he might think that I was just not feeling well. But Sion¡­ I¡¯m sure he willugh at me.</em>


    Mia was really only battling with her ego. It¡¯s wasn¡¯t like her bad grades would lead to her execution or to the dungeon. Her mind sought refuge to these words¡­<em>at least it is better than dying on the guillotine.</em> It was her tried and tested method for dealing with failure and embarrassment.


    Well it was a different case if the student council president, who was running the campaign, would get bad grades herself. She can just imagine the shame and embarrassment.


    <em>I will be theughingstock of the whole school! I would die of embarrassment.</em>


    Moreover, every year before summer vacation, the student council president has to give a speech. Even if she asks Rafina or someone else to write the manuscript, it was still her that needs to read it. And then she would have to expose her bad grades in front of everyone.


    <em>The way that they¡¯ll look at me¡­ Merciful moons¡­ and here I thought that the elections were stressful enough. They¡¯ll kill me with their looks alone.</em>


    Just because the situation is better than the guillotine doesn¡¯t mean she could survive the embarrassment. In addition, it will be a disrespect towards Rafina, who gave her the position of the president.


    ¡°I know Mia-san will be fine, but¡­¡± Her smile scared Mia. It doesn¡¯t even matter whether it¡¯s embarrassing or not embarrassing. It is bing a matter of whether or not to step on the tail of a wild beast. Mia is standing on the brink of whether or not to step on the sleeping lion, Rafina¡¯s tail!


    <em>I really need to tread carefully.</em>


    Mia showed Rafina a rxed smile,


    ¡°O-Of course. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She decided to bluff her way out by giving a confident fist, but the action shook a few drops of cold sweat off her back.


    ¡°Lovely! I suppose that leaves Sapphias as the only remaining concern.¡±


    After giving a leaving bow to Rafina, Mia scampered out of the dining room like a rabbit.


    Author¡¯s note:


    This week is a run-up period. It will be about Mia chilling at school. In terms of the story, up untilst week was the Academy Story. This week will be the Summer Vacation Story Prologue.

 Chapter 215

    <strong>Princess Mia talks passionately about study theory (overwhelming quantity strategy!)</strong>


    Mia confirms the scope of the examination once more after returning to her room.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to keep in mind, I suppose. Ugh, I can¡¯t possibly recall all of this.¡±


    It may surprise you to learn that Mia did not approach tests by relying solely on intuition and good fortune. Crossing her fingers and praying she got every question right was hardly the approach appropriate for a princess of a powerful nation. Her strategies were fittingly imperial considering that she was a proud Tearmoon princess. Her strategy was the equivalent of crushing opponents with sheer numbers, also known as¡­mass memorising, rote learning! It was time tomit information to memory without restriction! No matter how significant, if it could be tested, it was consigned to the memory.


    She would persevere, ploughing through the sea of information until she could recall every bit of it with the help of her reliable cakes and cookies by her side. It should be clear to everyone who has ever taken an exam that this won¡¯t work. It also never had! She had used this strategy to get ready for many exams in the previous timeline. She would lose focus and procrastinate every time, which cost her dearly in terms of marks by leaving a ton of crucial ideas unstudied.


    However, it should be emphasised that in the present timeline, she was faring much better. Her performance on the most recent exam was in the top quarter of students, thanks to Anne¡¯s assistance. This time, the issue was that she had missed numerous lessons as a result of travelling back to Tearmoon.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m in for a rough time.¡±


    She would have to memorise everything that coulde up if she wanted to do well. Her stomach clenched in dread at the mere thought. She wasn¡¯t the only one who was having a difficult time. Her smaller roommate groaned in pain beside her.


    Bel was relieved that her enrollment in Saint-Noel went smoothly, but she quickly discovered that she was struggling to keep up with the pace and difficulty of her lessons.


    ¡°Hnnngh, there¡¯s something wrong. I think Ludwig-sensei has taught me this before, so why can¡¯t I remember anything? Oh no, that¡¯s not right!¡±


    ¡­Does this sound familiar?


    ¡°Aaaaah, this is so hard! Grand ¨C Mia-neesama, can¡¯t you make this easier in some way? a short cut of some kind? Maybe a different way to study? If I could simply remember everything, I think I might be able to¡­¡±


    Mia regarded Bel¡¯s tears. Like a mirror¡­ In a moment of rity, she viewed her snivelling granddaughter with newfound impartiality. It was unseemly toin, she concluded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shortcut, Bel. You¡¯re to me for not studying regrly.¡± Her words were wise. ¡°Now you¡¯ll pay. Bel, we get what we sow. Everyone.¡±


    Her sad gaze and sagely words were wasted on Bel.


    ¡°Hmph. Easy for you to say, Grandma, since you¡¯re the Great Wisdom of the Empire, but for bad students, studying is torture.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. Still¡­¡± Her hand shook as she gripped her granddaughter¡¯s shoulder and squeezed. ¡°Sometimes we must¡­stand. And fight.¡±


    She tilted her head as an idea struck her.


    ¡°Hm? Wait¡­¡± She cocked her brow at Bel. ¡°What are you so upset about? Nobody is pressing you to ace the exam, and your grades aren¡¯t going to be publicised for all to see¡­¡±


    ¡°I received a ten on myst test, and they informed me that if I don¡¯t raise my grades, I won¡¯t be able to take summer vacation¡­ It¡¯s the worst mark Saint-Noel has ever seen,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Wh-Wha¡ª What?!¡±


    Mia was taken aback by Bel¡¯s revtion.


    ¡°T-Ten?! How on earth did you get a ten?¡±


    To put things in perspective, Saint-tests Noel¡¯s were normally graded out of a hundred, so¡­yeah.


    Even Mia had never experienced such despair. She wasn¡¯t exactly a dedicated cker, either. She simply didn¡¯t have what it took to snooze while everyone else was working hard to improve their scores. The same was true in ss; she only ever half-listened.


    True delinquency required guts, something Miacked. As a result, she¡¯d nevere close to performing the incredible aplishment of counting her test score with her fingers.


    <em>This chick must have steel nerves. With a mark like that, how is she not having a nervous breakdown? At this rate, they could certainly post her grade for all to see, and she¡¯d just shrug.</em>


    She¡¯d begun to develop a developing admiration for Bel before she stopped herself and quickly dismissed the notion with a shake of her head.


    <em>No, failing a test really badly is not a good thing at all. Also, I asked Rafina to sign her up for the ss. If she keeps doing this, Rafina might start to look at me badly.</em>


    Still, she worried about her granddaughter¡¯s future more than anything else.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let this keep going on. I¡¯d better do something for her¡­¡±


    So, she grabbed Bel by the arm and started walking toward the door. Mia knew from experience that she had to leave her room or she would lose all motivation because her bed was so close and always looked so inviting. Also, her reliable maid was out working and couldn¡¯t help her right now. She couldn¡¯t study in her own room if Anne wasn¡¯t there to keep an eye on her. When it was time to make a decision, she had to stay away from this one ce at all costs.


    ¡°Okay, then let me teach you. The trick is that you have to win by having more cards than anyone else.


    ¡°Memorize everything so you can handle anything they throw at you,¡± she said as she led Bel toward the library. It was a n that was pretty much the same as having no n at all.


    ¡°Every now and then, you take a break to eat something sweet, and then you keep going until you¡¯ve gone over everything that could be on the test! That is what will win the game.¡±


    Mia¡¯s way of studying, as you can see, was just in old force.


    ¡°Hello, Mia. Are you here to study?¡±


    At the door to the library, she heard a voice call out to her. She stopped and turned around to find out who was talking.


    ¡°My, Abel! How are you doing?¡± she said, and immediately got happier. ¡°I¡¯m here to help Bel with her homework. Are you also here to study for the tests?¡±


    Abel hesitated to answer and sheepishly scratched his cheek before he did.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ll do that too, but¡­it was more for this.¡± He gave her a little pile of papyrus.


    ¡°Oh? ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a recap of what we talked about in ss. You¡¯ve been gone for a while, and while you were gone, they taught some things that weren¡¯t in the textbook, so I made this. I don¡¯t think it will be hard for you to catch up on your own, but just in case¡­¡±


    His cheeks started to turn red, and he turned away, but when he felt her hands close over his, he turned back to look at her.


    ¡°Oh, Abel, you¡¯re¡­¡± She looked up at him through her eyshes with teary eyes. ¡°Thank you. You were very kind to do that.¡±


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t need to say thank you. It¡¯s not much, really. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll need them¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Abel, I do need to thank you. I really mean it. From the deepest part of my soul¡­¡±


    They looked at each other for a long time and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Bel, who had been watching this whole conversation, thought it was a good time to leave.


    She said to no one in particr, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to bother you, so I¡¯ll just go somewhere else.¡±


    She turned around and took a few slow steps away from the two, but then she let out a strangled croak when a hand closed on the back of her cor. Mia thought to herself as she dragged her granddaughter back, ¡°She doesn¡¯t think twice, does she?¡±


    Bel¡¯s quick thinking when he was trying to get away was admirable, but was also a bit crazy. It made her think about herself. Still, she tightened her grip on Bel¡¯s cor. She needed Bel to stay here, but not just so she could make the girl study. She can¡¯t just run away on me.


    <em>Otherwise. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll be left here with Abel by myself.</em>


    Mia fromst year might have been excited about studying alone with Abel, but Mia from this year was afraid of it. Gone was the cute but immature young man she could make fun of.


    Even though she had only had moderate sess in the past when she tried to be the calm adult in their rtionship, it was the thought that counted. She at least felt like the more mature person in each situation.


    Now, because of all the sword practise he¡¯d been doing with Sion, his body and mind were quickly growing up. He had sharper features, and his muscles were more toned.


    The idea of being alone with a young Prince Charming, who was as kind as he was handsome, was terrifying. Well, she never went anywhere with the thought because it melted her brain in seconds.


    At best, she¡¯d say something like ¡°My, how strange¡­¡± Then she starts to swoon and her chest feels tight. In other words, she was no longer immune to Abel¡¯s charm, and she was now doomed from it.


    Bel was the only thing that could help her keep her cool, so as soon as the girl started to run away, she grabbed her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bel. You¡¯re not bothering anyone. You can stay right here and study with us, where I can see you.¡±


    Bel let out a sullen groan.


    ¡°Hnnngh¡­ Mia-neesama, you¡¯re so mean. You¡¯re worse than Ludwig-sensei.¡±

 Chapter 216

    <strong>Fun Study Session ¨C In the Spirit of Getting Failing Marks Together</strong>


    Mia looked at her granddaughter, and for a short, ufortable moment, she saw herself in the way the little girl pouted and cried.


    She forgot about it right away.


    <em>No matter what, I can¡¯t let Bel go, or I¡¯ll be stuck here with Abel¡­ Just him and me¡­ Which actually sounds really great, but ugh! My heart¡¯s not ready yet. I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time for us to take the next step in our rtionship just yet¡­</em>


    Whether or not the situation she imagined was a ¡°step¡± is debatable, but for Mia, a romantic novice, the idea of them sitting close together was just too risqu¨¦.


    Mia and Abel went into the library with Bel in tow.


    ¡°Ah, Princess Mia.¡± Chloe, who was sitting in a corner, gave them a wave. Mia returned the wave and walked over.


    <em>Phew. So there are now four of us. Now, there¡¯s almost no chance of being left alone with Abel.</em>


    She took a quick look at Abel, who didn¡¯t seem to mind that Chloe was there. He said hello back to the girl without even a hint of disappointment.


    <em>Hmph, at least you could have been a little upset. Don¡¯t you want to be alone with me for a while?</em>


    Don¡¯t worry about sudden change of heart. After all, it¡¯s in a young girl¡¯s heart to beplicated and full of nuances.


    ¡°Why are you here today?¡± asked Chloe, who was interested.


    Mia gathered herself and then spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯vee to study.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are? So am I.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence! Well, I guess not really. Considering that it was test time, it couldn¡¯t have happened at a worse time. May we join you?¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to do so.¡±


    Chloe moved her seat to the side and thenughed.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°Oh, pardon me. It¡¯s just¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve ever studied with friends in this way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that¡¯s true? Are we disturbing you?¡±


    ¡°No, not even close! I¡¯m d, actually. It seemed like something fun to do.¡±


    Two more voices joined the group at that moment.


    ¡°Hello, Your Highness. Good afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Your Highness¡­¡±


    Mia looked up and saw Tionaing toward her. Liora Lulu walked right next to her.


    ¡°Hi, Tiona. Good afternoon to you, too. And so to you Liora. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.


    I went to your vige not long ago, did you know?¡±


    ¡°You did? Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The chieftain can now speak the imperialnguage a lot better. With his grandson, he seems to get along well.¡±


    Just as she was starting to feel at ease with the casual conversation, a bell went off in her head.


    <em>Wait! I know what¡¯s going to happen! We¡¯ll just keep talking and talking and get no studying done!</em>


    She and her group of girls had been caught in this trap many times before. Even though the library was supposed to be a ce for quiet study, it was hard to believe that a group of young people who liked each other wouldn¡¯t whisper to each other.


    Wherever there were rules, it was hard to resist breaking them to see how far you could go, and Mia¡¯s group would be no different.


    <em>I don¡¯t know what to do¡­</em>


    She thought about what she could do. In less than a second, she knew what to do.


    <em>I know! I¡¯ll get Sion involved as well.</em>


    Sabotaging was her answer. Sion wouldn¡¯t be able to study either if she couldn¡¯t. Nor, for that matter, his servant. She had to go get Keithwood so he wouldn¡¯t help Sion.


    <em>Rafina won¡¯t be able to pick on me if everyone on the student council gets bad grades.</em>


    In typical Mia fashion, she gave up right away on trying to study properly. Instead, she tried to minimise the damage by putting the me on everyone else.


    ¡°Then I should also get in touch with Sapphias¡­¡±


    <em>He had sworn to follow the banner of his princess, so if that banner fell, he¡¯d better fall with it. After all, what was a promise if it wasn¡¯t kept through life and death?</em>


    So, she pulled the rest of the student council members into her study group, which was sinking, because nothing says ¡°friendship¡± like drowning together.


    For the record, Mia got the 15th best grade in her ss after the test. This was by far her best score to date.


    This historical achievement owed a lot to Abel¡¯s notes, which were thorough and urate summaries of all the important information. This showed how hard-working he was by nature. Anne was just as important, because her patented method of sleep-learning helped Mia learn a lot more. Even though it was the worst grade in the student council, it was still more than enough.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy and had to miss so much school that I couldn¡¯t do my best,¡± Mia said, trying very hard to keep her grimace from turning into a smug grin. ¡°I wish I had more time to get ready. I should have done better than that. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    Rafina waspletely fooled by her awkward grin-grimace, and she looked at her twitching cheeks with worry.


    ¡°Gosh, you must be really upset¡­¡±


    She even asked Mia if she would like to take the test again at another time. Not surprisingly, Mia turned down the offer.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not fair. I¡¯m not happy with my grades, but I got them, so I guess they¡¯re the ones I deserve. I¡¯ll just have to get used to them.¡±


    Rafina looked at him for a moment before murmuring, ¡°Such integrity¡­ You¡¯re really amazing, Mia¡­¡±


    As for Bel, she got an average of around forty, which was a good scorepared to how she did before, but it was still a failing grade. So, she had to spend her summer break at school taking catch-up sses, which she didn¡¯t mind all that much. Compared to living in a city that had been destroyed, her time at Saint-Noel was like being in heaven.


    ¡°Why should I feel bad? I get to stay in a ce that is so nice.¡± When asked about it, she said with conviction, ¡°I even get to drink hot chocte every day.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re this lucky and stillin, you probably deserve something bad to happen to you.¡±


    Not mentioned was the fact that her grades made her sad at first. She had been looking forward to spending her break with Mother Elise, so when she found out she¡¯d have to go to summer school the whole time, she was very upset.


    Lynsha had the bright idea that if they stayed at Saint-Noel, they could drink as much hot chocte as they wanted every day. This immediately changed Bel¡¯s mood, proving the old saying, ¡°Like grandmother, like granddaughter.¡±

 Chapter 217

    <strong>Esmeralda Comes Up with a Good Idea</strong>


    The ir de Lune, a tea party meant to bring together the families of the Four Dukes of Tearmoon, wasn¡¯t getting as many people as it should.


    Esmeralda sat alone at a table with a piece of cake in front of her and drank tea ck as her mood. This was a scene that was happening more and more oftentely.


    With each push of the fork, her frown got worse.


    ¡°Huh. ¡°No Sapphias again today?¡± Ruby asked as she walked in with a smile. She took a quick look around. ¡°There¡¯s also no Little Miss Yellowmoon, which is nothing new.¡±


    She looked over at Esmeralda.


    ¡°So, did that cake somehow kill your dog?¡±


    That made her look angry.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just kidding. So, what¡¯s making you so angry today?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m not angry. Do I look angry? No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Esmeralda had to make herselfugh before she took another sip of tea.


    ¡°Ugh, this tea is awful. I don¡¯t know where they came up with this, but it¡¯s awful¡­ I need to get them to changepanies.¡±


    ¡°Really? I like the way it smells,¡± Ruby said with a knowing smile as she sat down in front of her. ¡°Again, why so angry?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Sapphias, who is always getting into trouble, is at the library studying with Miss Mia. Can you believe it?¡± Esmeralda said, fuming.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s exam time. He is also a member of the student council. You sure it¡¯s not one of their study groups? Also, you haven¡¯t answered my questions yet.¡±


    Ruby¡¯s words trailed off, and she shook her head when she saw that Esmeralda was too busy thinking to have heard a word she had said.


    ¡°What on earth does he find so interesting about that group of people? I can¡¯t think of a single reason why he would want to hang out with them¡­ Some of them are just regr people, for heaven¡¯s sake! The Rudolvon girl is also there.¡±


    She spat out thest few words like bile and ground her teeth for a moment before going on.


    ¡°It drives me crazy that Her Highness favoursmoners. I can¡¯t stand how Sapphias just hangs out with her and goes along with it. I hate it, it makes me crazy.¡±


    She put a few cubes of sugar in her tea and stirred it very hard, making a lot of noise as the spoon hit the cup. It was not at all what a refineddy of high nobility should do.


    Ruby changed the subject by reaching for her own teacup and saying, ¡°On a different note, it looks like your n didn¡¯t work, did it?¡±


    ¡°¡­n? What¡¯s the n? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Esmeralda raised an eyebrow in surprise. Her act of not knowing was perfect.


    ¡°We all know the rule that isn¡¯t said. What goes on in the ir de Lune stays in the ir de Lune. Still¡­¡±


    Ruby made a sign of agreement.


    ¡°I can see why you wouldn¡¯t want to talk about a possible political foe.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the problem isn¡¯t that my lips are safe, but that I don¡¯t need to open them,¡± she said, keeping her lips closed as she smiled sweetly.


    Then she said, ¡°If anything, I thought you would have already done something. Didn¡¯t you talk about that thest time?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, it turns out that I¡¯m not into back room shenanigans. I¡¯m waiting for a chance to go head to head with Her Highness. No dodgy stuff. Just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Challenge? What a brave word! Very masculine. It almost makes me think that you want to fight her and win.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you and Her Highness are going to fight¡­ To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t mind at all. It does sounds cool.¡±


    Ruby¡¯s upbringing was shaped by the fact that the House of Redmoon had close ties to the military. She spent a lot more time on the training grounds than on the dance floor, so she was very good with the sword. Even though she wasn¡¯t Sion, the average male student wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against her in a fight.


    ¡°But now that I think about it again, I think I¡¯ll pass. It will be too hard on me to have to hold back all the time. I don¡¯t want to identally hurt her and start a war between my house and the Crown,¡± she said with augh.


    ¡°But enough about me. Lady of Greenmoon, what about you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re giving up on trying to stop the Academy City project after your one failed attempted sabotage.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? ¡®Sabotage¡¯? Please, I¡¯m not that barbaric.¡± Sheughed off the usation in a proud way.


    ¡°I will say that letting such an insult go unanswered would be a very bad example to set. There needs to be some punishment¡­¡±


    Ruby sighed and leaned back as Esmeralda fell into quiet thought.


    ¡°Again, don¡¯t make too much noise, okay? If the House of Greenmoon turns against His Majesty, we Redmoons will have no choice but to put you under our control.¡±


    ¡°How heartless of you to say that! Aren¡¯t we all part of the same Etoile?¡±


    Esmeralda asked with a clear act of surprise, then let out one of her trademark ¡°Oho hos.¡± Ruby gave her a funny look.


    ¡°Huh. Do I understand this correctly? Because that sounds like an offer to join forces to me, Lady Esmeralda. And you can¡¯t make friends if you don¡¯t have someone to fight. Do you want to make a divide in the empire? Bring on civil war?¡±


    ¡°A civil war?¡±


    Esmeralda was angry and huffed to show it.


    ¡°Language, Ruby,nguage. You people are so eager for war. I don¡¯t know what kind of barbaric ns you have, but please don¡¯t involve the Greenmoons.¡±


    Ruby¡¯s wry smile didn¡¯t show that she was upset, even if she was.


    ¡°You can say whatever you want, but we all know what¡¯s happening. But I¡¯ll give you one thing. I really like a good fight. That much is true. A full-scale battle between the two sides of the empire¡¯s army would be a great show, but I¡¯d rather it didn¡¯t happen right now. It would be¡­not fun to fight the Princess Guard. For reasons of my own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Personal reasons.¡±


    ¡°In any case, if you want to do something, you should do it quickly. Summer break is almost here. They say it¡¯s going to be a cool summer, but I¡¯m guessing you¡¯d still rather not have to do much work in the summer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, you are right. Isn¡¯t it almost time for summer break? How terrible. Summer is such a bad time of year. The heat is just too much to handle. Shouldn¡¯t I go to the beach? Wait. The word ¡°beach¡± means ¡°sea,¡± and ¡°sea¡± means¡­¡±


    Her eyes suddenly glittered.


    ¡°I just had the best thought. All done! This is how I¡¯ll get to hang out with¡ª Oops. As payment, I can humiliate Mia-sama. Oh, yeah! I can¡¯t wait! Now, which boat should we use?¡±


    Ruby rolled her eyes in frustration at her sneaky smile.


    ¡°If you want to spend time with the Princess so badly, why don¡¯t you just say so.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Next week will be the start of the Turbulent Summer Vacation Arc. Esmeralda will settle things and new facts wille to light.

 Chapter 218

    <strong>Mia Believes Esmeralda¡¯s Crap</strong>


    ¡°¡­Huh? A cruise?¡±


    Mia looked wide-eyed at the messenger at her door. The girl, who worked for Esmeralda, brought a message thatpletely caught Mia off guard.


    ¡°Esmeralda wants me to go with her on a cruise?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Every summer, Mdy goes out to the Sea of Galilee. The water is calm and easy to navigate, and the many inds in the area are great ces to spend the summer. Please read this letter of invitation for more information.¡±


    After she said what she needed to say, the girl bowed and left.


    Mia smiled as she looked at the letter in her hands.


    ¡°I have to say, this is so her¡­¡±


    If the invitation hadn¡¯t been so bold, it would have been annoying.


    Esmeralda¡¯s guts in acting like she hadn¡¯t just tried to stop the building of Academy City was almost admirable. In spite of it, Mia was amused. Anne, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t so happy.


    ¡°Unbelievable! ¡°How can she act like nothing happened after all she did to get in our way?¡± she roared in a rare fit of anger. Anne was a kind person. It wasn¡¯t easy to get her angry, but Esmeralda¡¯s invitation did the trick. Mia looked at her faithful servant and shook her head.


    ¡°This sort of thing always happens, Anne. It¡¯s not important enough to get angry about.¡±


    Esmeralda was not going to admit that she tried to cause trouble. Unless they could show her solid proof, she would definitely act like she didn¡¯t know. And act like she¡¯s hurt by the usation at the same time.


    After all, ying dumb was a noble¡¯s pastime.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll never forget what she did, but it¡¯s not important enough to make a big deal about right now.¡±


    If anything, the letter she was holding was a much tougher situation.


    ¡°Are you going to decline this invitation, mdy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Mia answered.


    Mia thought about what was going on. Based on what she knew about Esmeralda¡¯s personality from the other timeline, this was probably part of a scheme.


    But on the other hand, she might just want to go out and have some fun. She thought the chances were about the same. This could be her way of saying she¡¯s sorry for what she did.


    It would be silly to just go along with the n. Honestly, there was no reason to help Esmeralda as long as it was possible that she was trying to trick her into a trap, even if it was a silly one.


    Saying ¡°no¡± was the best way to avoid all risks. But¡­if she really just wants to do something fun or if this is a way for her to say sorry, it would be awkward to say no.


    Mia knew Esmeralda was a girl who changed her mind a lot.


    She could be plotting someone¡¯s downfall one day and then invite them to a party the next, as if she had forgotten what she had done the day before.


    What was bothering Mia right now, though, wasn¡¯t Esmeralda¡¯s passing fancy, but something much closer to home¡ªsomething that had to do with Mia herself.


    In the Princess Mia Chronicles, that part¡­


    <em>I wonder¡­</em>


    She remembered the passage where she beat a gigantic man-eating shark into submission.


    It¡¯s clear that she didn¡¯t think much of this little story.


    It was probably the result of a lot of exaggeration,yer uponyer, until the story was so far from reality that it might as well have been made up.


    <em>Even I¡¯m not crazy enough to think I can defeat a monster like that, but it seems likely that I¡¯ll have to swim at some point¡­</em>


    Assuming that the story in the book was based on a real event, the context of the story strongly suggested that Mia had fallen into the sea first.


    <em>If so, I should learn how to swim first¡­</em>


    Mia loved taking baths, but she couldn¡¯t swim. If she had been able to, Rafina would have told her off for swimming up and down the big bathing pool in Saint-Noel¡­ which would have left her with a deep psychological scar that would have made it impossible for her to ever enjoy a bath again.


    It turned out that swimming like a brick sometimes helped. She wasn¡¯t alone, though. Tearmoon was an ind empire, and swimming wasn¡¯t part of the culture there. Few nobles would be able to do much more than a dog paddle if they fell into the water.


    In any case, it showed that Esmeralda could swim. Mia had the chance to learn from a pro. Was it really a good idea for her to turn it down? It could be the only chance she gets.


    She rubbed her forehead and crossed her arms a lot before she came to a decision.


    <em>Right. I don¡¯t know what the trap is, but since Esmeralda thought of it, it probably isn¡¯t that bad. When I really think about it, she doesn¡¯t seem like the type to be Serpenty¡­</em>


    So, Mia chose to put her faith in Esmeralda. In particr, she put her faith in how much air Esmeralda had in her head.


    After all, all that buoyancy has toe from somewhere, and she seemed to float better than Sapphias, so she can tell when she sees an airhead.


    <em>And I¡¯m seeing one. I think I¡¯ll be all right.</em>


    Mia was a very sharp observer when it came to the gaseousness of the head.


    Well, at least that of other people.


    As a safety measure, Mia told the student council the next day what she was going to do over the summer. What she didn¡¯t expect was for this decision to set off a chain of events that would lead to a summer that she would never forget.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Summer, sea, uninhabited inds¡­ what more could you be wanting.


    This week it will be a preparation for the uing summer trip.

 Chapter 219

    <strong>Foreshadowing in the Choice of Companion</strong>


    ¡°You¡¯re going on a cruise during the summer?¡­ and with Duke Greenmoon¡¯s daughter?¡±


    When the rest of the student council heard this, they gave each other worried looks. Abel¡¯s brow furrowed as he asked Mia, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay? You know, wasn¡¯t one of the Four Dukes talking to¡­¡±


    Mia smiled, ¡°Yes, I know. But I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll be fine. Esmeralda is no conspirator. She doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Highness, the risk is still there. This is way too dangerous,¡± Sapphias said as he joined the protest. ¡°Esmeralda is no exception to the rule that even the nicest-looking people can have evil ns. She might act nice in front of you, but by the moons, she could be nning to hurt you the whole time.¡±


    He didn¡¯t see the irony in the fact that what he said could and did apply to himself. Rafina knew it, and she smiled at him in a way a mother might smile at one of her children who isn¡¯t as smart.


    Mia saw the look and, even though it was friendly, it scared her. No matter what Rafina did, it felt like she had developed some kind of spinal reflex that sent chills up her back.


    Mia asked Sapphias, ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, why don¡¯t youe on the cruise with us?¡± She thought that would help him feel better.


    Since he was also an Etoiler, he had every right to take part.


    ¡°Eh? Join you? Well, Your Highness, I¡¯d love to. You could even say that as your loyal vassal, it¡¯s my duty to go with you on such trips, but my fiancee and I need some quality time ¡ªer, have ns to be somewhere else.¡±


    He quickly turned down her offer.


    Sapphias was very worried about the princess¡¯s safety. Spending time with his fianc¨¦e was just a bigger deal.


    <em>I see where his priorities lie. In some ways, he makes me think of Father¡­</em>


    His single-minded love for the person he loved, the way he put a single woman ahead of everything else, etc. His unwavering focus¡­ All of these things were true of the Emperor.


    <em>Well, I guess it¡¯s good for his future wife to know that he won¡¯t cheat on her¡­ But if they ever have a daughter, she¡¯ll hate him so much¡­ What a pity¡­</em>


    She thought about a future Sapphias who was sad and curled up in a corner because his daughter had called him an annoying old fart. She felt very sorry for the man.


    ¡°Hm? What? Why do you look at me that way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Don¡¯t be worried.¡±


    She realized that even if he came with her, he probably wouldn¡¯t be very helpful. She thought to herself as she looked at him, ¡°He¡¯s not really a good candidate for a bodyguard.¡±


    Sapphias looked from Mia to Rafina and back again, shuffling ufortably under their two confused looks. Not long after that, he said he had just remembered something important that needed his immediate attention and slunk out of the room.


    ¡°That Sapphias seems to have a lot going on. Also, I¡¯ll be bringing along some of my guards. I think it will work out.¡±


    Even though Mia insisted, Abel¡¯s frown didn¡¯t go away. He got close to Sion and said something in his ear.


    ¡°Hey, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Sure.¡±


    They talked quietly for a while before getting out of their chairs.


    ¡°Excuse me? Is there something you two want to tell us?¡± asked Mia, who was getting more and more suspicious of the quiet talk between the two.


    ¡°Oh, no. Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Abel said as he moved away with his palms open.


    ¡°You just do what you do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­¡±


    Before she could ask them any more questions, the two of them left the room.


    When they got back inside, Abel went over to them right away.


    ¡°Mia, I have a request for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked him, tilting her head because of how serious he looked.


    ¡°For this event, the Kingdoms of Remno and Sunnd would each like to send a group of guards.¡±


    ¡°My! Toe with me?¡±


    Sion replied with a nod. He looked just as serious as Abel.


    ¡°I know you say it¡¯s safe, but she¡¯s a Greenmoon. After what they did recently, it¡¯s hard for me to give them my full trust. We¡¯ll choose the exact peopleter, but first we¡¯d like your approval.¡±


    She looked at the two boys with her lips pursed.


    <em>Who else could Sion send? He¡¯d have to trust them a lot to keep an eye on me, so probably people like Keithwood. As for Abel, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d use the spear guy to send my way. Maybe some of those Diamond Legion people I keep hearing about? I wouldn¡¯t mind, to be honest. It sounds kind of cool.</em>


    She put her arms together.


    <em>Having Keithwood there would give you some peace of mind, that¡¯s for sure. He also has a nice face, so Esmeralda will definitely like him. But I really don¡¯t know anything about Remno¡­</em>


    Her long thought process wasn¡¯t for nothing; the question of her escort wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed.


    She hadn¡¯t nned to show up by herself, that¡¯s clear.


    So, it would be more than a little strange to bring a small army of guards on what was supposed to be a fun summer activity on the open sea. Even if Esmeralda was getting in the way, she was a proud Greenmoon and should have been treated with the respect due a house of the Four Dukes. As the host, she would definitely find a good way for her guests to get there.


    If Mia then brought too many of her own guards, it would be seen as an insult and a sign that she didn¡¯t trust Greenmoon¡¯s skills or loyalty. She couldn¡¯t bring more than one or two people because of this.


    It would be best if someone like Vanos came along, but Esmeralda might find him a little too rough-looking. In other words¡­


    On paper, Dion was the best person for the job. He was good-looking and had the right skills.


    Mia¡¯s personal veto was the only thing that made him not good enough.


    <em>Bringing him with me? I¡¯d rather not turn the cruise into a real nightmare, thank you very much.</em>


    If she ever fell into the water, he would probably justugh and watch her drown.


    <em>The problem is that if I rule out those two, I¡¯m not sure I can trust anyone else to know how to use a sword well enough. In a fight, a cute face didn¡¯t help much.</em>


    Well, unless it got in the way of a deing at her, but that wasn¡¯t the sort of thing she wanted to think about. It would give you bad dreams in the future. Because of this, the two princes¡¯ idea was actually very wee. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to find the right people in her own pool of talent.


    Keithwood in particr was a person she was very excited to bring on board. She could say that Sion and Abel were being kind by letting other travelers join them if she needed to exin why they were there.


    <em>That would probably¡ªno, for sure¡ªbe good enough. After all, Esmeralda liked good-looking guys.</em>


    Mia looked at Keithwood¡¯s face with care.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Princess Mia, can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. At least not yet. Don¡¯t be worried.¡±


    She turned away, and her smile was hidden by the movement.


    <em>You¡¯re wee, Esmeralda!</em>


    Soon after that, the two princes left, saying they had to take care of some business. Keithwood went with them, so there were only girls left in the room.


    Then, in a calm voice, Rafina said, ¡°By the way, Mia, I was thinking¡­¡±

 Chapter 220

    <strong>Mia Experiences the F.A.T.</strong>


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a swimsuit if you¡¯re going on a cruise, right?¡±


    Rafina asked after the boys left.


    ¡°Hm? A swimsuit, you say?¡±


    Mia gave her head a scratch. She didn¡¯t know what the word meant.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s clothing made to be worn in the water. I think you¡¯ll want to change out of your usual clothes. It would be very unpleasant to try to swim in this,¡± she said, pulling up the bottom of her uniform to make her point.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Mia agreed, thinking back on the times she almost drowned and remembering how hard it was. There was the time she fell into theke, and there was the time she fell into the river.


    She felt cold.


    ¡°Yes, I do think you need some new clothes. Hm¡­¡±


    She probably wouldn¡¯t have much luck in Tearmoon looking for swimwear¡­


    ¡°Miss Rafina, do you happen to know any tailors who make clothes like those?¡±


    ¡°Well, I sometimes go on trips to Noelige Lake, so I got a swimsuit for those times.¡± She said, ¡°Maybe I can show you that store,¡± as she chewed on her lips.


    ¡°Yes, I think that tailor will be fine. It¡¯s important to pick the store carefully, because the designs are different, and I¡¯ve heard that some of them are very indecent.¡±


    ¡°I-Indecent?¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes got bigger.


    ¡°Yes. Some of them, it seems¡­¡± Rafina moved her hands around her stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t put anything in this area at all.¡±


    ¡°My! So, it¡¯s bare at the stomach?!¡±


    <em>What a horrible thing to do!¡±</em>


    Mia¡¯s hands naturally rubbed her stomach, where they felt theforting feel of fabric against her skin. The material was¡­tighter than she thought it would be. A lot more¡­


    ¡°Unbelievable! How rude of them to show their bellies!¡± She was very angry and said, ¡°That kind of behavior shouldn¡¯t be allowed!¡±


    Rafina nodded firmly to show that she agreed.


    ¡°Because of the nature of swimming, you can¡¯t avoid showing some skin, but showing too much skin hurts the moral fabric of our society. We¡¯ll need to check out the design carefully first¡­¡±


    ¡°Ipletely agree. Hmph, showing my stomach? It¡¯s unthinkable! Why would I ever wear those clothes?¡±


    ¡°Right? Oh, I¡¯m so d you understand, Mia!¡±


    Others in the room must have thought that the two girls were talking about something they both understood. Most likely, the two people talking about it thought the same thing.


    But none of the people there knew that there was a major difference in how upset they were. One was about morals and was critical of society and its habits. The other was a lot more realistic and had to do with a rather annoying part of metabolism.


    No matter what, they kept talking.


    Rafina said, ¡°Now that I know we¡¯re all on the same page, I¡¯ll call the tailor for us. I¡¯ve been meaning to order myself a new one, too¡­ Oh, but what about the other people? If you want, we can all do this together.¡±


    So, it was decided that all of the girls on the student council would get their own swimsuits made.


    Three dayster, Rafina¡¯s favorite tailor showed up.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your business. Now, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    She was a woman with a short temper and a careful look who got to work right away. She didn¡¯t start by taking precise measurements. Instead, she had the girls try on some swimsuits.


    ¡°Sizes can be changed in the future. First, I¡¯d like to get your approval on the designs. Lady Rafina told me to show as little skin as possible, so if you could take a look at these, I¡¯d appreciate it¡­¡±


    She put several swimsuits out on a table.


    Design-wise, they were simr to the dress Mia had worn to the evening ball, but the skirt was shorter and what looked like shorts were worn under it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I think this one might fit Princess Mia better because she is smaller,¡± the tailor said as she pulled out a pair of pants. ¡°These would be worn alone, close to the skin.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you mean like undergarments?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a goodparison. As for how big it is¡­ The better you can swim, the tighter the fit. To make sure it does its job, I¡¯ve made it feel a little tight.¡±


    Mia nodded as she tried to put them on after hearing what was said. She¡¯s not joking.


    <em>In all honesty, I think this is more than ¡°slightly¡± tight. It fits like a corset. I wonder if all of them are this way.</em>


    As she struggled to get the thing over her hips, she had those thoughts.


    She heard the tailor say ¡°Huh!¡± in a surprised tone just then.


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    She gave the woman a quick look.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no, Your Highness. Don¡¯t mind me. There¡¯s nothing wrong. Hm, hm¡­ I see, I see. That would definitely make it feel tight¡­ All right¡­¡±


    The tailor started to talk in a shaky mumble.


    Mia looked at her for a while and then nodded to show that she got it.


    <em>Aha. Rafina likes this woman¡¯s designs, so she must be a good designer, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be very good at figuring out sizes, does she?</em>


    But what the tailor said next made her stop and think.


    ¡°Does everyone else¡¯s fit fine? Yes? So the princess is the only one who needs a slightly bigger size. Hm, hm, okay¡­¡±


    Mia made a frown and didn¡¯t understand what the tailor was saying until she saw how sad Anne looked.


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± the maid said to herself, ¡°some of the dresses have been feeling a little tighttely. No, but Mdy is still growing, so it¡¯s always possible that it¡¯s not.¡±


    Mia¡¯s mood changed when she heard the worry in Anne¡¯s voice. She put her hands on her stomach and gave it a pinch.


    A big ball of meat rose up in her hands.


    ¡°¡­Anne, tell me what you really think. Am I¡­fat?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, no way¡­ Mdy is getting bigger! Yes, you still are growing. So it makes sense that your body would grow¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m still growing. But if my horizontal growth is faster than my vertical growth, doesn¡¯t that mean that most of my gains are in weight and not height?¡±


    She looked at her maid with a steady eye and said it again.


    ¡°You are my loyal subject, Anne. I believe you won¡¯t lie to me. So, I¡¯m going to ask again. Tell me the truth. Am I¡­fat?¡±


    Anne couldn¡¯t meet her eyes, so she turned away and gave in.


    ¡°Maybe¡­kind of. Only a little bit. But that¡¯s probably because you¡¯ve been eating so many cakes and sweetstely. I thought it might have been too much¡­¡±


    She knew it was true.


    She had been the one to ask, after all.


    But hearing it from her faithful maid made her feel like she couldn¡¯t breathe. She gave a short gasp as the weight of a fact that couldn¡¯t be argued with sunk into her mind, both figuratively and literally.


    In her mind, she saw scenes from the recent past.


    She saw herself getting on a horse, and she remembered how the animal seemed to tighten up as she did. She saw herself roll across her bed, and she remembered that the creaking of the wood was louder than it had been before.


    More and more memories kepting back to her, and they all pointed to the same terrible truth. She put her cheeks together.


    They seemed too big.


    She patted her stomach.


    It looked like it moved.


    That¡¯s all. There was no way to get around the clear evidence.


    It was all to do with the food she ate. Her body was showing a lot of tummy-fication in her abdomen. In other words, she was going through what is called F.A.T.


    ¡°Princess Mia, um¡­¡± Chloe said with worry. ¡°Books say that you can lose weight if you work out.¡±


    She looked at Chloe, who had no trouble getting into the swimsuit the tailor had given her. It fit her perfectly.


    Mia scowled because she felt very betrayed, but her anger soon turned into sadness.


    ¡°All right¡­ I guess that¡¯s just the way things go¡­ I haven¡¯t been practicing dancing as much as I should have, now that I think about it. Most likely, that didn¡¯t help¡­¡±


    Mia turned away from Chloe¡¯s stuttering words offort because she was worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know. I¡¯ll ride horses more and try a little bit harder at dance practice.¡±


    ¡°That is a very good way to act, princess. Keep going, and you¡¯ll see results for sure.¡±


    The tailor said yes in a tone that was a bit condescending, like a teacher telling a struggling student what to do.


    ¡°Although it has nothing to do with swimsuits, I should also tell you that your upper arms are also a little bit fat. Still, it¡¯s not toote to change this trend. Even a small increase in how often you work out may be enough. Riding will also help you get your legs and behind in shape, so it¡¯s good that you¡¯re doing it as part of your routine.¡±


    Even though the tailor spoke in an arrogant way, her words had the authority of experience, which Mia foundforting.


    She felt her motivatione back because she knew that the things she was doing were already on the right track and only needed minor changes.


    ¡°Okay, then. I will do it. I¡¯ll ride every day when I get back to the empire. As well as dancing¡­ In any case, I¡¯ll see to it that it gets done!¡±


    In the end, Mia chose to have her swimsuit made ording to the current measurements, trusting that she would make the necessary changes to her body to fit it.


    Now that the clock was going, the race was on.


    Could she lose enough weight to fit into her swimsuit?


    Time would have to tell!

 Chapter 221

    <strong>The Libra King and Mia¡¯s Loyal Servants</strong>


    The Moonhorse Court was arge paddock tucked away in a corner of the imperial capital. It was mostly used by young nobles to practice riding, but Mia was using it today as well.


    She yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Silver Moon!¡± as she flicked the reins of the horse, whose name was definitely not Silver Moon. Still, it did what it was told and moved into a trot.


    Mia smiled happily as she felt the horse¡¯s back move in a way that was getting more and more familiar.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting pretty good at this, I think. Silver Moon, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    In response, her horse gave a snort.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel like the horse had just insulted her with that snort, as if the horse was telling her¡­ <em>Buddy, all you¡¯re getting good at is getting heavier.</em>


    She gave it a mean look. Yes, she was talking to a horse and didn¡¯t like what it said back. It might have been a sign of how good her imagination was.


    Mia had kept the same riding schedule ever since she got back to Lunatear. She would practice for two hours every day.


    On top of that, she kept practicing dancing. She had never worked out or done anything so hard before in her life.


    As spring turned into summer, she spent her days doing a lot of things that got her moving.


    ¡°I have to say, getting the body moving does feel good¡­ Oh? What is she doing?¡±


    Anne, who was supposed to be waiting for her in the changing room, was standing at the entrance to the paddock. She looked at her maid with interest and turned Silver Moon toward her.


    ¡°Anne? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, both Sunnd and Remno have sent envoys.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Those people. I guess Keithwood is one of them?¡±


    Mia said as she got off her horse.


    Anne gave her a soft towel right away. She took it and wiped her face to get rid of the sweat before taking a deep breath.


    Anne turned around and said, ¡°Uh, well, about that¡­¡± but she didn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    Three people in hooded travel cloaks wereing toward them.


    Mia thought, <em>Huh. I thought they would be taller.</em>


    Her excitement started to fade a bit.


    <em>Since it¡¯s Keithwood, I thought one of them would be shorter, so I¡¯m surprised that the other two are the same height. It looks like Remno didn¡¯t send that Diamond Legion guy after all. Shame¡­</em>


    Her cool, logical demeanor onlysted ten seconds, until the figures took off their hoods.


    Well, the other two. The first to reveal himself was Keithwood, as she expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again, Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, too, Keithwood. Thank you very much for helping me with this. I¡¯m going to put myself in your care,¡± she told him before looking at the two people behind him.


    ¡°And these gentlemen, I¡¯m guessing I haven¡¯t met them yet?¡±


    She smiled at them in a perfectly polite way, but when she heard their voices, the smile froze on her face.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think we need to introduce ourselves, Princess Mia. I see you¡¯re quite the diligent rider. Impressive. Not everyone can stick to a practice schedule during the summer break.¡±


    The voice was one she knew.


    ¡°Wait. What? How? Why?¡±


    She made several sounds of confusion as the two figures took off their hoods.


    ¡°Abel? And Sion? What are you both doing here?¡±


    The two princes gave each other cheeky grins.


    Abel said, ¡°I was a little worried about you, so I asked Sion what to do.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t, so¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°In short, we decided that we would both follow you as guards. It really is a great idea. I never thought it would be this easy to sneak out of a country.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Is this, uh, okay?¡±


    She had a worried look on her face as she looked from one prince to the other.


    ¡°I guess it depends on what you mean by ¡®okay,¡¯¡° Sion said with a shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly going well, but I think we¡¯ll be fine. After all, you and Miss Esmeralda and I are just going on a cruise. How could anything go wrong?¡±


    He really meant what he said, based on how he said it. Keithwood, who was standing behind him, rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh.


    Keithwood said, ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be the first time His Highness has given everyone a few heart attacks.¡± He was trying to calm everyone¡¯s fears, but mostly his own.


    ¡°I guess sneaking into another country to go on a cruise isn¡¯t as crazy as some of the things he¡¯s done in the past.¡±


    <em>Oh, Keithwood, you really get your work cut up for you, don¡¯t you? Even though Sion is your boss, I understand how hard it is for you. It must be hard to keep up with all of his strange ideas¡­ Taking care of the mess he made¡­ I feel sorry for you.</em>


    She felt bad for what he was going through. She was the one who started the horse sandwich trouble, so she understood how hard it was for Keithwood to deal with Sion¡¯s whims.


    She wasn¡¯t very good at noticing irony that had to do with herself.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but I need a moment of your time.¡±


    Ludwig showed up and rushed toward her.


    ¡°As for the rest of your ns for the day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, good to see you, Ludwig. I think thest time we saw each other was in Remno.¡±


    Ludwig turned around in shock and blinked at the person talking.


    ¡°Who? Whoa¡­ P-Prince Sion?! And Prince Abel? Why are you here in Tearmoon?¡±


    Keithwood stepped in to help Ludwig figure out what was going on.


    ¡°I see¡­ To escort Her Majesty¡­¡±


    Ludwig said when he understood what was going on.


    ¡°At least on paper. Well, as official as it can be when you don¡¯t have permission to go on a foreign cruise,¡± Sion joked.


    ¡°For me, it¡¯s more like a vacation with the people who will have my back in the uing battles. It¡¯s an honor to go on this trip with you all.¡±


    Ludwig made a respectful bow.


    ¡°You are a gift to all of us. Knowing that two well-known princes will be joining Her Highness gives me a lot of peace of mind. Thanks to you both.¡±


    Sion regarded Ludwig. For a while, the prince¡¯s face was hard to read.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why¡­ I¡¯m happy¡ªno, I¡¯m happier than that¡­ Your words, Ludwig, bring me a lot offort. But I don¡¯t know why. We¡¯ve only talked to each other once before, briefly, in the Kingdom of Remno. Still, your approval makes me very happy.¡±


    ¡°It makes me happy that you like what I say. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll take care of Her Highness well. I want to thank you for your kindness on behalf of the whole empire.¡±


    Ludwig looked at the two princes and then bowed his head even more deeply.


    On this day, the loyal servant of the Great Sage of the Empire, Ludwig Hewitt, and the future Libra King, Sion Sol Sunnd, made a connection.


    In the previous timeline, the two souls¡¯ paths eventually went in different directions. Now, however, they are finally united under Mia¡¯s banner.


    Mia, on the other hand¡­


    ¡°Wait, if they¡¯reing as guards, they¡¯ll have to go on the cruise with me. And we¡¯ll be wearing swimsuits on the cruise, so¡­ Oh my!¡±


    She lightly patted her stomach.


    It was moving.


    Only a little bit.


    But it could just be that her mind is ying tricks on her. She didn¡¯t try again, though. She did try harder the next time she went horseback riding or danced.

 Chapter 222

    <strong>Princess Mia Contemtes</strong>


    Mia ate ate lunch in the White Night Dining Hall of the Whitemoon Pce.


    No one could find Sion, Keithwood, or Abel. Foreign royals who came to visit would usually be served the best food in this hall, but since they were there secretly, they couldn¡¯t get a big wee.


    ¡°Then we might as well take this chance to see the capital.¡±


    After that, the three of them went their separate ways. In reality, they were in the Newmoon District looking at ces connected to her, like the hospital she built and the orphanage she liked.


    She had no idea, so she took what they said at face value. She thought they were off gawking, so she decided to eat her lunch slowly and enjoy it while Ludwig gave his report. He mostly talked about her summer ns.


    The Tearmoon Empire was not near any bodies of water, so if she wanted to go on a cruise, she would have to first go to a friendly neighboring country.


    She scratched her head when she heard the name of the ce she was going.


    ¡°Huh. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard of this ce.¡±


    Ganudos Port Country was where the Emerald Star was anchored. It was a small country on Tearmoon¡¯s western border. For a long time, it had positioned itself as a friendly subordinate of minor power, even though its military strength and national output were much lower than those of the empire.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was next to the Sea of Galilee, the only thing that made it stand out, the whole country would have been a small note on the political map of the continent. Many of the empire¡¯s most powerful nobles saw the country as a vassal state that got its security from Tearmoon.


    Mia, on the other hand, knew better because she had seen how they really were when the empire started to fall apart. The crops from Perujin and the seafood from Ganudos were important sources of food for everyone in Tearmoon.


    <em>I still remember going there with Ludwig to beg for help.</em>


    She thought with a snarky smile, <em>Good times.</em>


    It was very important for them to make a deal with Ganudos, but what was supposed to be a fairly easy negotiation with a country that was supposed to be obedient quickly got stuck.


    ¡°And it was all because the Greenmoons ran away,¡± she said in a bitter voice.


    As far back as anyone can remember, the House of Greenmoon has always been focused on things outside of their country.


    Attracted by the huge amount of money that could be made through foreign trade, every single one of its Dukes had taken an active role in international affairs, using their great power to make connections with countries that bordered the sea.


    One of these ces was Ganudos Port Country.


    <em>We might as well have smashed our heads against a brick wall as try to reach a deal with those people. I¡¯d rather not go through it again. If there isn¡¯t a revolution, the Greenmoons probably won¡¯t leave the empire, but¡­ Nothing was certain.</em>


    <em>Next year, that nightmare famine was going to happen, and it was always possible that the Duke might want to take a long trip somewhere else. I should find a way to talk to them that doesn¡¯t go through the Greenmoons. And I should do it soon.</em>


    <em>If we go to them when we¡¯re out of food, they¡¯ll just take advantage of us. But right now, the empire is still strong, so as Princess of Tearmoon, I can still make my voice heard. I still carry weight.</em>


    She stopped.


    <em>That was, of course, a figure of speech. My weight in words.</em>


    The brave don¡¯t need a n B, but the smart ones always have one ready. Mia, on the other hand, was the kind of person who liked to have ns C through F.


    Sure, she had Forkroad & Co. setting up grain supply routes, good rtions with the Perujin to make sure they would help her, a new strain of wheat being developed, and healthy food stores from being prepared, but if she could have just a little bit more, that would be great.


    If she could just get some seafood from the Galilee Sea, she would finally feel like she was ready. Also, it would be great if someone could take care of that while she was on her cruise. She gave the person with sses a quick look.


    ¡°Ludwig, you¡¯ll be going with me to Ganudos.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I guess I¡¯ll be opening a line ofmunication with the country?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    She put a lot of jam on her piece of bread and took a bite. Then she made a face.


    <em>But I do wonder. What did Ganudos want to do if the empire got back on its feet?</em>


    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter because the Tearmoon Empire fell to the revolution, but if it had survived the famine and gotten stronger, it would have made sure to mention Ganudos¡¯s refusal to help.


    Sanctions in return would be a given. Were they so eager to bring down the empire that they were willing to risk everything?


    <em>That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ How strange. Maybe the Greenmoons had been working with the Serpents all along, and the others had been right to suspect them¡­</em>


    <em>Even if Esmeralda herself wasn¡¯t involved, that didn¡¯t prove that her family wasn¡¯t.</em>


    <em>Would they sink the boat? Sacrifice Esmeralda to drown us all? No, I don¡¯t think they would go that far, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to check. Every option needs to be thought about¡­</em>


    She chewed on the sweet ball of jam and bread in her mouth for a little longer before taking a sip of tea. She didn¡¯t swallow until she¡¯d fully enjoyed the vors.


    Then she turned around to look at Ludwig.


    ¡°One thing more. When our boat leaves, tell Dion to meet you. He must go with you everywhere you go in Ganudos.¡±


    ¡°Sir Dion? Are we expecting something that bad to happen?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as a safety measure. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Vanos and the Princess Guard, but if things get violent, is there anyone else you¡¯d rather have by your side?¡±


    Dion was strange because she couldn¡¯t stand him, but she also trusted him. If things got tough, she would rather have him close by.


    Not too close, though. Not at all on the boat with her.


    <em>Since he has toe all the way from the empire, it will be easier for him to just wait at Ganudos instead of sailing out to our boat.</em>


    Mia did everything she could to keep herself safe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you and her to decide what the two of you should do there.¡±


    After she said that, she ate the rest of her lunch.

 Chapter 223

    <strong>Esmeralda¡¯s Plot</strong>


    Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon left for Ganudos Port Country early in the morning and got there before Mia¡¯s group.


    After being annoyed by the boring greetings with the country¡¯s dignitaries, she spent the rest of her time waiting in refined luxury. Ganudos was a minor power, so it didn¡¯t have nearly as much money as Tearmoon, and it couldn¡¯t even match the financial power of one of the Four Dukes.


    It did have one thing worth mentioning, though: shipyards. People in this nation knew how to make boats. In fact, Ganudos shipwrights made the sailboat that the Greenmoons used.


    It was built with great skill and was very beautiful. It spent most of the year at the dock, where people could see how well it was made. Yet, the only time it was used was when Esmeralda took it out for a cruise in the summer.


    Even picky Esmeralda, who was sitting in the captain¡¯s cabin and humming to herself, was impressed by the ship¡¯s beauty. It had a bright green hull, two tall masts, and an artistic figurehead at the front.


    ¡°Oh no, Miss Mia, it looks like you fell right into my trap.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t have been happier with how well her n was going. So happy was she that even the boat¡¯s unsteady rocking felt like fun instead of making her sick, and she couldn¡¯t help butugh to show how happy she was.


    She was about to have another fit of boisterousughter, but a girl stopped her.


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy.¡±


    The girl was two years older than Esmeralda, and she had been taking care of her since they were both young children.


    ¡°Oh? Is there something wrong, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Nina, madam,¡± the girl said quickly, giving her name again without batting an eye.


    ¡°Ah. What is this time?¡± Esmeralda said, ¡°Excuse me, but I don¡¯t walk around remembering the names of all my servants.¡± She didn¡¯t even try to sound sorry.


    She thought it was obvious, just like she didn¡¯t care where the tea she drank came from as long as it tasted good. She was one of the chosen ones, so it made sense that she should have the best. She didn¡¯t care if it was a tea leaf or a servant. As long as they met her needs perfectly, it didn¡¯t matter who they were.


    She thought that this was what it meant to be rich. To be noble. She had been taught this, so it was what she thought.


    ¡°Of course, miss. I am well aware.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know that Her Highness is at the port.¡±


    Nina stopped, as if she were unsure. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand something. It¡¯s about the guards who are with her.¡±


    ¡°Her guards?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She is apanied by Princess Guard members.¡±


    ¡°Why, I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so strange about that. She¡¯s a princess, so of course the Princess Guard would follow her around. In fact, it¡¯s almost her duty as a person from a noble family. It wouldn¡¯t look good to bring someone of lower status.¡±


    Nina kept going even though she acted like she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, madam, but she wants to bring five of them with her on the yacht.¡±


    ¡°Five? That¡¯s¡­a lot!¡± That made someone frown. ¡°I don¡¯t mind one or two men, but five? It seems like a lot, especially since we are providing for our own guards.¡±


    Mia wasn¡¯t getting on an enemy boat or anything. The Duke of Greenmoon, who was a subject of the Emperor, owned this ship. She would be with people she knew.


    ¡°Oh, I know exactly what she¡¯s thinking. I bet she¡¯s scared that we¡¯ll meet something scary, like pirates or a sea monster. Oh no, it looks like Mia-sama is a real chicken.¡±


    She never thought that she might be one of the scary things that happened to people.


    ¡°Not that it bothers me,¡± she said, ¡°but I guess I do feel a little bad for her that she has to embarrass herself in front of her private guards. Oho ho¡­¡±


    She gave a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m very interested to see how that turns out. Oh, that will be such a treat¡­¡±


    So, Mia steadily walked toward the terrible trap Esmeralda had set for her. In fact, the trap was even worse than it seemed because it had two parts.


    Before she humiliated Mia in front of everyone, Esmeralda had nned to do it in private.


    First, she was going tough as she watched Mia il around in the water. She wouldn¡¯t let her risk drowning, but Mia probably wouldn¡¯t even put her head under the water because she didn¡¯t know how to swim. The idea of seeing Mia iling around in the water because she was scared was so funny that she had to see it for herself.


    The second part came next. As Mia struggled, Esmeralda would jump in like the big sister she was and teach the poor princess how to swim.


    It was both a joke and a game, so it was a great n.


    She¡¯d get even with Mia for putting her down the other day, and they¡¯d y in the water together. Esmeralda, you see, thought of herself as one of Mia¡¯s best friends most of the time.


    Even though Mia sinks like a rock, she could still do something like submerge her head. She loved taking baths so much that she often gave in to the urge to stick her head down into the warm water. She was an expert at tub diving. Even if there was nothing else¡­


    ¡°Oh my, this is so exciting! What a wonderful thrill!¡±


    Esmeralda walked out of the cabin with a spring in her step, leaving only the sound of her deepugh behind.


    As a second side note, Esmeralda made sure to bring a swimsuit for Mia because she was a thoughtful and caring friend. Expert tailors made it to fit thetest fashion, and it was one of the ¡°terribly indecent¡± styles that showed the whole stomach.


    Also, it was made to go with the other one, which was for Esmeralda. They¡¯d both wear the same swimsuit.


    Mia¡¯s only reaction to this would be a mix of confusion and horror, but believe it or not, it was done in good faith.


    Esmeralda just wanted to help out her friend.

 Chapter 224

    <strong>Showdown Time</strong>


    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s the Emerald Star,¡± Mia said as she looked at the elegant sailing yacht in front of her. Several different technologies were used to give it its elegant shape and small size, which were made so that it could move easily through the Galilea Sea¡¯s many inds.


    When she saw this engineering marvel, she made a soft, murmured remark. ¡°Looks sort of like a budget boat¡­¡±


    To put things in perspective, the only boats Mia had ever been on were the huge ferries that ran around Saint-Noel Academy. When she heard the word ¡°boat,¡± she thought of huge ships that could carry a lot of carriages at once.


    They were big things that gave off awe-inspiring majesty just by their size.


    The Emerald Star, on the other hand, was not much bigger than two or three horse-drawn carriages.


    ¡°Esmeralda kept bragging about it, so I was sure it would be huge. This is kind of a disappointment, to be honest.¡±


    Mia thought that ¡°bigger is better¡± most of the time. It was important to get a sense of scale. The sheer size made people feel awestruck.


    In this way, the yacht in front of her looked more like a toy than a car, and she couldn¡¯t feel anything but disappointment. It¡¯s important to note that the Emerald Star wasn¡¯t a ship for business or for the military. It wasn¡¯t made to carry a lot of stuff or have guns on it, so it didn¡¯t need to be big.


    In fact, that¡¯s not the case. Modern technology made it possible to make it thinner by getting rid of all but the most important functions. This gave it a sleek, efficient design.


    Which made no sense to Mia at all.


    Mia looked up at the boat with her arms crossed and her head held high. Her guards stood on either side of her, and Abel stood behind her, ready to jump to her defense at any moment.


    Sion was watching them from afar and leaned over to talk with Ludwig.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering, Ludwig, what Mia¡¯s ns are for going on this cruise. Do you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Intentions? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not much. If she just wants to have a good time, that¡¯s fine. After all, she¡¯s a person too.


    ¡°The only thing is¡­¡± Sion¡¯s eyes got small. ¡°With an organization like the Chaos Serpents working behind the scenes, I can¡¯t help but wonder if she came all this way just to have fun.¡±


    Ludwig gave a small nod in response.


    ¡°Prince Sion, you are very smart. It is as you say. In fact, Her Highness believes that arge-scale famine will happen in the near future.¡±


    ¡°¡­A famine?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be bad, and the whole continent will feel it.¡±


    Ludwig then went on to describe in great detail what Mia had done to get ready.


    ¡°Well. All of this is new to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I think she hasn¡¯t said much because she doesn¡¯t have any proof that it¡¯s happening. I still have doubts about the im, to be honest. The eye of man cannot perceive the future. So, I chose to think of what she said as a metaphor. A roundabout way to say that the empire¡¯s food supply chains aren¡¯t good enough¡­¡± Ludwig took a break before continuing in a more serious way. ¡°However, right now it¡¯s a very cool summer. In years like this, harvests tend to have fewer crops.¡±


    He looked at the sea, and the sea¡¯s surface sparkled in his sses¡¯ reflection.


    ¡°This is why the seafood from Ganudos that is brought in will be so important. At the moment, the Duke of Greenmoon is in charge of all of our talks with them. I think Her Highness thinks this arrangement isn¡¯t good enough because of the risks it brings.!


    Sion was shocked by what Ludwig said.


    ¡°I had no idea¡­ I knew she cared about her people, but I didn¡¯t expect her to go to such extents¡­¡±


    He had already shown her a lot of respect, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°I can understand storing food for a possible famine,¡± Sion said. ¡°Her work to improve the slums is also a triumph of government. But using Miss Chloe¡¯s family to set up awork of supplies on board? The academy city project aims to promote education and fight dogma. The sheer scope of her ideas¡­ It¡¯s very impressive. I never imagined¡­¡±


    He blinked. A thought came to his mind.


    ¡°Then, Ludwig, do you have any ns to talk to this country¡¯s government while Mia is at sea?¡±


    ¡°I certainly do. I n to do everything I can, but I think it will be hard to reach an agreement without the Greenmoons¡¯ help. Her Highness knows this for sure, which might exin why she said yes to Lady Esmeralda¡¯s invitation,¡± Ludwig said, turning to look at Mia.


    ¡°A fight with the Greenmoon Etoiline ising up soon, and Her Highness is ready to get in the ring. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to do whatever I can to help.¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia, oh. It¡¯s so nice to see you,¡± Esmeralda said as she got off the boat.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Mia said with an excellent curtsy and a perfectly polite smile.


    ¡°Thank you so much for inviting me on this wonderful cruise.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me in such a formal way. We¡¯re best friends, aren¡¯t we? Best friends always do things like this.¡±


    Esmeralda answered with her own bright smile. By the way, hers was the real deal. She was looking forward to spending some quality time with Mia.


    ¡°But I was told you wanted to bring a lot of guards with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Five, to be exact, and I wanted to know if it was okay for them toe with us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to say yes, but they should know that only handsome men are allowed on my ship.¡±


    She said and spread her arms out in a showy way. ¡°These,¡± Behind her, a line of young, good-looking men formed. ¡°Are my guards, and they show what it takes to get in. How do you feel? They look good, don¡¯t they? How good are your guards?¡±


    Sheughed in a proud way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Princess Guard is filled with a lot of bad guys. There is a way to act in these situations, you know? These people have to keep up their good name. I do think you should be a little more picky about who you hire to protect you.¡±


    The men of the Princess Guard stood behind Mia.


    As soon as she said that, their faces darkened, and she could almost feel the angering from them.


    <em>Ah, it looks like I¡¯ll have to fight this one and stand my ground.</em>


    If she didn¡¯t fight back, it would bring down the morale of her guards. After all, who would risk their life to protect a princess who didn¡¯t care enough about their honor to defend it? Some of her best friends were the men in the Princess Guard. Even after most people had left her in the previous timeline, they stayed loyal to her.


    There were people there who were once part of Dion¡¯s squad, but since they had died early in the previous timeline, she didn¡¯t hold a grudge against them. They, on the other hand, liked her a lot because she kept them from fighting in a pointless war. The Princess Guard had a high level of morale because they were grateful, and Mia nned to keep it that way. Anyments that could bring it down would be quickly shut down.


    She looked at Esmeralda and spoke with self-assurance.


    ¡°Oh? How odd. When ites to my personal guard, I¡¯m very picky, and these are the people I chose for the station. They are in charge of keeping me safe, so I know I can count on each of them.¡±


    First, they were nice. The flex came next.


    ¡°On top of that, only two members of the Princess Guard will be with me. The rest are just my friends who came with me.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Your friends? Who could¡ªWhat?!¡±


    When three of the people behind Mia stepped forward, Esmeralda had to raise her second eyebrow out of shock.


    ¡°I hope they are handsome enough to be allowed on board?¡±


    ¡°What the heck? Why is Prince Sion here? And you? Why¡­ you¡¯re the prince of the Kingdom of Remno!¡±


    When Esmeralda saw the two handsome princes, she squealed. Mia was right about what she was like.


    Esmeralda liked handsome boys, and she knew a lot about who the most handsome boys were at Saint-Noel. She looked from one to the other, thinking things like, <em>Prince Sion is younger than me, but he¡¯s totally my type! and Keithwood, the attendant, is a real looker as well¡­ Should I do make a move?!</em>


    Her mind was mostly made up of the same things that Mia¡¯s was.


    In any case, the sight of Sion, Abel, and Keithwood all at once was too much for her to handle, and she fainted and fell backward. Her line of good-looking guards ran after her.


    Mia looked on and felt proud of herself.


    <em>Hah! The showdown is over, and it¡¯s clear who won!</em>


    Before shended the final blow, she put on her most smug smile.


    ¡°Just so you know, Abel and Sion volunteered to watch over me on this cruise because they were worried about my safety. I¡¯d really appreciate it if they were allowed to get on this boat.¡±

 Chapter 225

    <strong>Princess Mia, fulfilling (some kind of g¡­)</strong>


    Mia¡¯s group was on the Emerald Star when it left port. The wind caught its many sails, and the yacht steadily picked up speed. The sky was a clear blue, and the sun shone down without being blocked. So far, the summer has been cool, but the sun¡¯s re has been strong.


    Mia¡¯s hair sparkled just as much in its light as it did before. A salty sea breeze blew across the deck, and her silver hair fluttered in its wake.


    She stood at the front of the boat with her arms outstretched andughed with joy as the wind touched her skin.


    ¡°This is great! I feel like I¡¯m flying!¡±


    Mia had forgotten to bring herints about the yacht with her when she got on the Emerald Star. They were now sitting alone on the shore while their master had a great time sailing on what was supposed to be a ¡°budget craft.¡±


    She could have let herself go, but that was okay. In thest few days, she had been working out and dieting over and over again, which kept adding to her stress.


    The freedom of the sea was too much to resist, and she couldn¡¯t help but get carried away. Well, maybe a lot more than that¡­


    Arge wave came up from the side and hit the ship, making it heave. Water sshed on the deck, and the whole boat jumped up and down as if it had suddenly reached the top of a hill.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia, who had been leaning over the side, was caught off guard and thrown off the deck. Even if she had been ready, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to react any better.


    ¡°Look out!¡±¡­ Only to be pulled into a protective hug just in time.


    ¡°Well, that was close. Eek! Thank you very much.¡±


    She squealed when she craned her neck to look behind her, because the arms gently holding her were those of¡­


    ¡°A-A-Abel?!¡±


    When she saw who had saved her, her eyes sent a signal from her optic nerve to her spine so quickly that it went around her brain.


    She did what all young, self-conscious girls do when they have an emergency fail-safe.


    Abdominal muscles engaged. ttening of the belly.


    Abel breathed a sigh of relief, but he had no idea what she was doing.


    ¡°You know, Mia, you can act like a child in strange ways sometimes,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Wha¡ª Abel! Did you keep an eye on everything?¡±


    Her cheeks turned red as she thought about how she was too eager and almost fell off the yacht.


    ¡°O-Oh, you¡­big meanie! If you were watching me, you could have at least said something¡­¡±


    ¡°I would have done it, but¡­ I forgot.¡±


    He scratched his cheek and couldn¡¯t look at her.


    ¡°You¡­were just too beautiful to look at.¡±


    ¡°Hnngh!¡±


    She clenched her fists and felt the heat in her cheeks rise. Her heart went up, as if it were still being carried by thest wave, and it almost left her chest.


    <em>C-C- Can he hear anything? How can he say things like that and still be serious? Heavenly moons, Abel! Really! Sometimes, you just have no clue!</em>


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down after yelling at herself in silence.


    <em>Okay, I need to keep in mind that I¡¯m older now. I¡¯m the older sister. Abel is younger. He¡¯s just a kid. Just a kid. Just a kid. Just a kid¡­</em>


    After repeating the spell in her head a few times, she put on what she hoped was the carefree attitude of the tough big sister she tried so hard to be.


    ¡°For the Prince of Remno, who is supposed to be so cool, that sure was a corny line.¡±


    It came out a little awkwardly, and her voice cracked just a little too often to bepletely convincing, but she deserved some sympathy for her bad performance.


    The charm of Abel was just too much. When her brain was going to mush, it was hard for her to seem casually confident.


    Abel replied with a smile.


    ¡°Oh? I thought that the Great Wisdom of the Empire liked her cheeses.¡± He put his hands on her hips and said, ¡°After all, that¡¯s why I serve my lines with them.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, mdy.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Waaaaaah!¡±


    He then picked her up and put her on a tform closer to the front of the boat.


    ¡°Wh- What¡¯re you doing?!¡±


    ¡°You should see for yourself.¡±


    He pointed in the way they were going. She turned around and looked at the front of the boat in a shy way.


    She let out a gasp and said, ¡°Wow. The view from up here is even better!¡±


    A few clouds had appeared in the sky, adding white puffs to the blue background. When the sun shone through them, it made strange patterns of light and shadow on the sea¡¯s surface.


    The boat was hit by a wave that was taller than thest one. The water droplets that were thrown up looked like gems.


    It was like a kaleidoscope of colors that changed all the time. It was mesmerizing and almost magical.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like here? Feels even more like flying, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It most definitely does. This is nothing short of amazing.¡±


    She smiled at him, but quickly pursed her lips and turned away.


    ¡°Hm? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Uh, when you just picked me up¡­ Did I feel, um, heavy?¡± she asked, twiddling her fingers nervously.


    Abel looked at her a few times and thenughed out loud.


    ¡°Heavy? You? Really? Come on!¡±


    ¡°Huh? B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m holding on to you right now because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll just get carried away by the wind. You don¡¯t weigh much.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ You¡­ Hnnnngh!¡±


    She held her red cheeks and wriggled when he said sweet things.


    ¡°A-Abel, you absolute scoundrel! I can tell what you¡¯re up to! You¡¯re just trying to be nice to me. You¡¯re buttering me up. I know who you are!¡±


    He grinned.


    ¡°Am I now? Good. Then you¡¯ll know toe to me when you need milk or cheese. I have all the butter and cheese you could ever want.¡±


    At the end of her sweet conversation with Abel, she felt like her life wasplete.


    <em>I¡¯m really having a good time right now.</em>


    Mia was, indeed, having a great time.


    Upper than ever before. She loved the happiness of the time. Taking pleasure in it.


    So she didn¡¯t notice that the white clouds in the distance were turning gray, as if they were frowning at the P.D.A.

 Chapter 226

    <strong>Where the Path of Arrogance Leads</strong>


    Esmeralda watched as Mia yed around the front of the yacht, giggling and squealing and generally acting in a way that made people say things like ¡°get a room.¡±


    The young Etoiline beamed with happiness.


    ¡°Oho ho, Miss Mia looks like she¡¯s having fun. Excellent. The search for a life partner is a very important duty for those of us with noble blood. I must say, though, that I always thought she would be happier with someone like Prince Sion. What was the name of this guy she liked? Abel, Prince of Remno? It¡¯s not quite the same type, but the face is still very pretty. Oh, I see, I know what she wants in a man now¡­¡±


    The happy tone of her monologue changed into an angry one.


    ¡°Still, it bothers me a little that she hasn¡¯t paid much attention to me. I¡¯ll get even with her by sshing water in her faceter. Yes, she¡¯ll learn her lesson! When we¡ª¡±


    Nina, her maid, quietly walked up to her and stopped her from being so happy.


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is there something wrong, Ni¡ªum, maid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mdy. The captain told me that there is a storming and that it will hit us sometime tomorrow. People have told us not to stop at the ind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a storm?¡±


    Esmeralda looked up at the sky with doubt.


    ¡°It seems pretty clear to me. Are you sure that the captain isn¡¯t making things up?¡±


    ¡°I have to remind you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Remind me? Right now, the only person who needs to be reminded that this is my cruise is you. Do you really think something so bad would happen to us when I¡¯m there?¡±


    She gave Nina a mean look, and Nina just lowered her head.


    ¡°I apologize. I did something wrong. Please don¡¯t get mad at me for being rude.¡±


    ¡°As long as you know what I mean. You are forgiven. Now, go tell the captain to keep going as nned,¡± she said, then walked happily to the bow of the ship.


    Nina watched her leave and let out a deep sigh, but the wind took it away before her master could hear it.


    ¡°Miss Mia, I hope you¡¯re having a good time?¡±


    Mia woke up from her dream-like reverie with Abel when she heard the question. She turned around quickly and was surprised to see Esmeralda standing next to her, smiling.


    She suddenly realized that all the giggling, squealing, and ¡°get a room¡± jokes she and Abel had been ying were actually pretty embarrassing. She quickly put on a nice smile to hide how she felt.


    ¡°Yes, the cruise has been pretty nice up to this point. At first, this boat didn¡¯t seem all that great, but now that I¡¯m on it, I like it a lot more than I thought I would.¡±


    ¡°Oho ho, it¡¯s great to hear such nice things. I¡¯ll tell my father what you said as well.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Esmeralda,¡± Mia said, suddenly thinking deeply. ¡°I was wondering what a cruise is really like. Do we just go sailing all the time?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just thought there would be some swimming involved.¡± She thought she would have to learn how to swim. In fact, it was the reason she came in the first ce!


    <em>Then again, not being able to swim means more time on the boat, and more time on the boat means¡­</em>


    She let out a longing sigh as she thought about the romantic moment she¡¯d just had.


    <em>I¡¯d like to see more of that. Now that I think about it, maybe it¡¯s not so important to learn how to swim¡­</em>


    Just as she was starting to forget what was important, Esmeralda reassured her with a nod.


    ¡°There will be time to swim, of course. We¡¯re going to an ind right now that has a beach where we can spend some time in the water.¡±


    ¡°Really? We¡¯ll be on an ind?¡±


    Abel joined in on their talk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever been to Saint-Noel Ind. ¡°How is this one?¡±


    Esmeralda looked at him carefully, her eyes moving slowly from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.


    Atst, she gave a nod of approval. It looks like Abel passed her test for good looks.


    ¡°Then, Prince Abel, you will find that this ind is much smaller than Saint-Noel. It does, however, have an opening where you can swim. Imagine¡­ A beach with soft, white sand and clear blue water¡­ It¡¯s like paradise.¡±


    She gave him a smile.


    ¡°I have to say, though, that Her Highness has made some great friends. I¡¯m almost jealous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Mia, whose pride in Abel grew when she heard other people praise him.


    ¡°You should be jealous.¡±


    Right then, Anne came in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, mdy, but do you have a minute?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Anne. Sure. What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I think we should take out that swimsuit Rafina-sama made for you and¡ª¡±


    Esmeralda said with a sneer, ¡°My, Your Highness, you bothered to learn your maid¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yes. She¡¯s not just any housekeeper, right? She is one of my most trustworthy and loyal servants. I know her name, of course.¡±


    ¡°M-Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s lips trembled with emotion, but she quickly got control of herself and turned to face Esmeralda.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself sooner. I work for Princess Mia. My name is Anne Littstein.¡±


    ¡°My! How rude of you to think that I would want to know your name. Also, for someone that Her Highness seems to think is so smart, you sure don¡¯t look very smart. Oho ho.¡±


    The way sheughed was rude.


    ¡°Just so you know, Princess Mia¡¯s servant, I don¡¯t remember the names of everyone who works for me. So, I won¡¯t use your name when I talk to you either. It¡¯s not about you. All right?¡±


    She gave one of her typical noble girlughs with her back arched and her face turned to the sky, then looked down at Mia with an air of superiority.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange of you, Miss Mia, to remember the names of your servants. You must have something better to do with your time. Those whoe from royal families should act in a royal way. If you hang out with lowlifes too much, you might start to act like them. Be careful, all right? Oho ho.¡±


    Mia made no reply. She looked at Esmeralda, who wasughing, and felt torn.


    <em>I should let her know. Just for herself. But I doubt she would listen¡­</em>


    She knew where Esmeralda¡¯s current attitude of pride would lead her.


    <em>I hope she realizes on her own. Before she is forced to realize.</em>


    When a high-ranking noble did something wrong, it was likely that the imperial family would also be to me. So, Mia really wanted Esmeralda to get smart and get herself together.


    It would stop the guillotine. From them both.


    After all, losing her own head had been terrible, and seeing Esmeralda lose hers was likely to make her feel just as bad.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Activity report has been updated.

 Chapter 227

    <strong>Thrown Overboard! ¨C Princess Mia Shows Off her Seductive Charm</strong>


    Mia¡¯s group had a smooth ride as the Emerald Star moved quickly through the water. The masts of the yacht were made to be as efficient as possible so that the sails could use the wind¡¯s power effectively. Down below, changes to the bilge made the ship roll and pitch much less. Overall, its passengers had a pretty nice time as the ship moved quickly and steadily through the water.


    ¡°Ah, I see it now! Look! That¡¯s the ind where I spend every summer. Since no one lives there, we can go wherever we want!¡±


    Mia woke up when Esmeralda said something. She had been sleeping on a nket spread out on the deck. She slowly got to her knees after opening one sleepy eye and quickly closing it again because of the bright noon sun.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I guess we¡¯re here¡­¡±


    When she looked out into the distance, she did see the shape of an ind in the distance. It didn¡¯t look as big as Saint-Noel, but it was still big enough that she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to see people.


    In the middle of the ind was a mountain, and the rest was full of lush green nts. A white beach was also visible, but there were a lot of big rocks in the water that made it impossible to get there by sea, so the Emerald Star had to stop a long way fromnd.


    The ind was about 300m away, which, for those who don¡¯t know, is three hundred moontales. That was too deep to swim, so they lowered some small rafts to help them get tond.


    Mia clung nervously to the side of the boat while saying, ¡°We¡¯re¡­still pretty far out.¡±


    The Emerald Star could carry a total of three boats. Mia, Esmeralda, Nina, Anne, one of Esmeralda¡¯s guards, and a rower all got into the first one. The second one took Sion, Abel, Keithwood, and Mia¡¯s guards to the ind with another rower. The third one, which was a bit bigger, carried their luggage for their stay on the ind.


    So, the group went tond, and that¡¯s when Esmeralda decided to attack.


    First step of Operation Payback: use the fact that Mia can¡¯t swim against her to make her feel bad.


    ¡°There, Miss Mia, look!¡±


    Esmeralda yelled and pointed as she stood on the side of the boat.


    ¡°Hm? What am I supposed to look at?¡± Mia asked with a puzzled frown as she shuffled over.


    ¡°That! Don¡¯t you see it? Look over there¡­¡±


    An evil grin spread across Esmeralda¡¯s lips.


    <em>Oho ho, it¡¯s awfully hard to keep these small boats bnced, you know.</em>


    Mia walked toward the boat, which moved back and forth under her feet. Then, all at once, the world turned upside down.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    That was all she could say before she was thrown overboard and fell headfirst into the water.


    ¡°Eeeek! Help! I-I¡¯m drowning! I¡¯m drownnggghhh¡­ Blub blub blub¡­¡±


    ¡°Mdy!¡± Anne screamed in horror when she saw Mia desperately pping at the water to stay afloat. Even though she was just as likely to drown as her mistress, the maid was worried about her.


    As she floated next to their overturned boat, Esmeralda looked at the scene with the least amount of interest.


    <em>We¡¯re getting close to the long shoal near the ind. If she stops freaking out and looks, she¡¯ll see that the water is shallow enough for her to stand in, but she won¡¯t. I won¡¯t tell her, either. So she will keep freaking out and making a fool of herself in front of everyone.Oho ho!</em>


    The first part of her n was going very well.


    She wouldn¡¯t do something like this with the princes on board, but she made sure that everyone on her boat was one of her own people, except for Mia and Anne.


    In other words, she had decided that all of her servants, as well as herself, would drown because of this n. She was ready to go down with the ship as long as she could drag Mia with her.


    And it worked beautifully.


    Now, the silly princess was iling around in the water and making aplete fool of herself¡­


    But that was as far as she got with her n. She was about to get a Mia Special of which Keithwood gave her the title of ¡°Seductress.¡±


    ¡°S-Someone¡­help me¡­blub blub¡­¡±


    ¡°Mia! I¡¯ll be there!¡±


    ¡°Stay calm! Soon, we¡¯ll be there!¡±


    Two voices, both loud and urgent, could be heard as the two princes jumped off their boat at the same time. Both of them were good swimmers, and they didn¡¯t take long to get to her.


    ¡°Mia, rx! Pay attention to me!¡±


    Abel was in front of her and telling her to stay calm as he got closer.


    Mia almost pounced on him and grabbed whatever she could get her hands on with the primal strength of a creature trying to stay alive. This immediately made it harder for him to swim, which sent them both down.


    Any good lifeguard knows that you don¡¯t walk up to someone who is drowning from the front. This is why.


    Sion, on the other hand, had gone around behind her and was trying to get his arms around her while talking to her in a soothing voice.


    ¡°Calm down, Mia. Just rx. People can float on their own¡ªHm?¡±


    When he saw something, he stopped right away. He felt something. Then he let out a long sigh and shook his head.


    ¡°Okay, you two can stop fighting like you¡¯re going to die now. It¡¯s not too deep to stand in.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    This made her stop. She carefully brought one leg down. The bottom of her shoe made contact with solid ground.


    ¡°M-My¡­ It looks like you¡¯re right¡­ Oh, silly me¡­¡±


    She gave a nervousugh to try to save a little bit of her dignity by making the situation funnier, but when she looked up, she found herself staring straight into Abel¡¯s eyes. They were very serious, worried, and close to each other.


    Then she realized that they were so close that they were almost holding hands. She couldn¡¯t get away from him! Even with all four limbs!


    Sion was also pushing against her from behind.


    Simply put, she was between two handsome princes, with her clothes wet and their skin touching.


    It was a dreame true! She was living it at the moment! She had never been so deeply excited about something before. So deep, in fact, that it made her head spin. She swayed, and the princes ran to catch her so she wouldn¡¯t fall.


    Sion gave Abel a quick look.


    ¡°I think we should stay this way for now. Keithwood will take care of our boat. We can help her get tond until then.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s do that,¡± Abel said, then turned back to her.


    ¡°But Mia, you really need to stop making us feel like we¡¯re going to die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. I apologize¡­¡±


    She hid her reddened face in her hands, as if she felt bad about what she had done.


    <em>Sweet moons¡­ these two are bing manlier every day¡­ Mmm¡­</em>


    Esmeralda stood back and watched the scene unfold, confused and drenched.


    ¡°H-Huh? She just embarrassed herself, so why does she get all the boys? Hey, Ni¡ªAhem. What the moons is that? Tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± she told the maid who was standing next to her.


    Nina said in a calm voice, ¡°If I may speak frankly, mistress, I¡¯ve heard that men have strange tastes and are attracted to what a woman with weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s use you as an example. You, mdy, know how to swim well. When your boat capsizes, like it just did, you don¡¯t get scared. You don¡¯t even think twice about putting your face under water. All of these things are impressive in their own right. But¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment and shook her head.


    ¡°It also means that no one has to help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    Esmeralda opened her mouth wide in shock. Nina continued.


    ¡°When ites to things like this, mdy, it¡¯s important to show a little bit of weakness. I want you to remember what I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    Unlike Anne, who was said to be an expert at romantic manuevering, this maid gave good advice.


    Esmeralda stopped talking while she thought about what this new information meant. She looked back at Mia, who was making sshing sounds as she paddled toward the shore with the help of the two princes.


    The princess was smiling, and it was clear that she was having fun.


    Esmeralda looked at that smile and felt¡­respect, like when a skilled opponentnded a good blow in a duel.


    ¡°¡­I see. So that¡¯s how you managed to get them to like you. You¡¯re a real seductress, right? Touch¨¦, Miss Mia. Touch¨¦.¡±


    At that moment, Esmeralda felt like she had a better (thoughpletely made-up) idea of how good Mia really was as a rival.


    Keithwood soon arrived with the second boat to rescue the rest of the capsized victims.

 Chapter 228

    <strong>Two Chickens (That were of Human Variety)</strong>


    Mia finally made it to the ind and onto drynd with the help of the two princes. Once she was on her feet again, she walked around and looked at the ivory beach. The sound of the sand moving under her feet made herugh out loud.


    ¡°Wow, what a beautiful sight¡­¡±


    The tiny grains easily rolled over each other and sparkled like gems. Looking at them more closely, they were even shaped like stars. She walked along the beach, which was white and clean like fresh snow. She felt like she had stumbled into a magicalnd.


    Behind her, soft summer clouds floated in the sky over an emerald sea. The rhythmic sshing of the waves as they hit the shore was calm and peaceful.


    ¡°This is really heaven.¡±


    ¡°Mmhm, I¡¯m d you like the ind.¡±


    She turned to look for Esmeralda, who had just arrived. Her long hair still dripped with water. She had her hands on her hips and didn¡¯t try to hide how proud she was of herself.


    ¡°Every summer Ie here, and I always have a great time.¡±


    ¡°Do you now¡­ Also, Esmeralda, what do you think we¡¯ll do at night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up some tents a short distance from here. They aren¡¯t anything special, but they¡¯ll do for a short stay. Have the sounds of nature ever put you to sleep? Have you heard the soft music of evening animals? It¡¯s quite an adventure.¡±


    Some people might be surprised to learn that Esmeralda was very good at being outside. The average noble girl couldn¡¯t stand the thought of sleeping anywhere but in a room with a door, but Esmeralda wasn¡¯t like other noble girls.


    She was an Etoile, so she had much better taste than most people. She knew how to enjoy the best things in life. Just so happened, Mia was also used to being outside.


    <em>A nature¡¯s setting, huh¡­ Hearing the sounds of insects¡­ Staring up at the stars¡­ Maybe cuddling up with Prince Abel around a campfire and telling each other how much we love each other¡­ Mmm¡­ I agree with this. It sounds like a great love story. Ah, but maybe thatst part is still a little too soon¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s mind had been set on romance ever since she stepped onto the yacht.


    She had spent most of the cruise thinking of sweet things that could happen between Abel and her and squirming in embarrassment at how silly her thoughts were.


    For anyone who happened to be there, it was a pretty unsettling thing to see.


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ve heard that the tents are up, so we can go there and put on our swimsuits. Miss Mia,e with me. I made sure to bring one for you, too, because I¡¯m a good friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Thement broke her romantic daydream and brought her back to the real world.


    ¡°Wait, you brought me a swimming suit?¡±


    <em>I don¡¯t like how I feel about this.</em>


    A few temporary tents had been set up quickly a little ways from the beach. Mia and Esmeralda, along with their maids Anne and Nina, were at the camp.


    Even though Mia had a bad feeling when she heard Esmeralda had brought her a swimsuit, she decided to try it on anyway, thinking it couldn¡¯t hurt¡­


    ¡°Sweet moons!¡± She was horrified when she looked in the mirror and saw herself in the dress. ¡°This swimsuit doesn¡¯t cover my middle!¡±


    It turned out that the swimsuit Esmeralda had picked out for her was made of two separate pieces, one for the top and one for the bottom. This meant that her soft, peachy skin and cute little belly button werepletely exposed!


    Now, for those who want to know more about the F.A.T. issue¡­ Mia had, in fact, been able to stop it from getting worse, putting her body back where it was at the start of spring. Her hard work had not let her down.


    All of her hard work of watering (with a nutrient-rich solution of 90% sweat and 10% tears) had paid off, and she now had a reasonably t midsection.


    The swimsuit Mia brought herself came to just above her knees, but the one Esmeralda gave her went to the middle of her thighs. This was a terrible thing to do!


    ¡°How can you expect me to wear something so embarrassing? Even a skirt isn¡¯t included!¡±


    In fact, Mia¡¯s swimsuit had a short skirt with frills around the waist. Esmeralda¡¯s gift, on the other hand, looked like a pair of shorts.


    To be fair, the shorts weren¡¯t much more revealing than the skirt, and they weren¡¯t very different from what Mia would wear when she went outside to y. But how she felt was much more important than how she looked. And she thought Esmeralda¡¯s choice was very rude.


    To Mia, a swimsuit was like waterproof lingerie. They were underwear for water. It was unthinkable to walk around in them without a skirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s obscene!¡±


    She was angry, ¡°I won¡¯t wear these!¡±


    Esmeralda looked at her with suspicion. ¡°Really? And you¡¯d rather swim with that skirt pping around you? I think it will make it really hard to swim.¡±


    When it came to swimming, it was clear that the less resistance there was, the better. The swimsuit Esmeralda brought was made with performance in mind. It was made to fit like a second skin and had fish skin on the outside to reduce drag.


    She took ¡°swimming lessons¡± pretty seriously, and she wanted to give her student every advantage she could. She had chosen the best swimsuit she could find for Mia, of course.


    And made sure it had the same colors as hers, which wasn¡¯t so much a teaching choice as a personal thing.


    ¡°Well, even so, I can¡¯t wear something so immodest with the two princes watching. At least for today, I¡¯ll swim in my own swimming suit!¡±


    Esmeralda got a little bit weak.


    She said, ¡°If you say so¡­¡± with a hint of sadness. ¡°Well, then I guess I¡¯ll put on the ones I usually wear.¡±


    She then wore a swimsuit that¡­was just the right amount of modest! There was enough fabric to cover the whole midriff, and the skirt was frilly like Mia¡¯s.


    Basically, she didn¡¯t have the guts to wear a revealing one by herself, and when she saw that Mia was going with a conservative design, she immediately gave up as well.


    They were, in fact, two birds of the same feather.


    ¡°I mean, no one told me that there would be two princes. Not that it bothers me to show them a little more skin or anything. That would be silly. But, well, you should never rush things like this. Might as well take a little extra time and prepare your mind. Right, Ni¡ª Ahem. Don¡¯t you think so, maid?¡±


    Nina looked at her from head to toe and back when she asked her question.


    The maid¡¯s eyes then started to look away, and she slowly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I think that would be smart.¡±

 Chapter 229

    <strong>Loyal Retainers Make Secret Maneuvers</strong>


    Ganudos Port Country was a small nation with a city as its capital and a few small fishing viges. It had what could be called a royal family, but there was no noble ss. In its ce, there were many guilds, and the heads of these guilds made up the parliament and senate.


    Some of the biggest and closest to the House of Greenmoon were the shipping and shipwright guilds. So, Ludwig avoided them and instead chose to talk to senators from other guilds.


    However¡­


    ¡°You put me in a difficult position, Mr. Ludwig. These things should first be talked over with the Duke of Greenmoon.¡±


    The results he got were not very good. They didn¡¯t turn him away at the door, but no one was interested in what he had to say.


    <em>Well, I sure didn¡¯t do a good job as a diplomat¡­</em>


    He made a sour face. Something kept making him think about it.


    <em>Then again, did I fail ¡ª or was I forced to?</em>


    Vanos asked Ludwig, as he came out of the master¡¯s room, ¡°So, how did it go?¡±


    As they walked down the hall of the manor toward the front door, he replied with a wry shrug, ¡°Like talking to a stone wall.¡±


    He knew how powerful the Greenmoons were and made sure to only talk to people who had little to do with the Duke. He should have had a lot of room to negotiate with these people, but he couldn¡¯t even start a conversation with most of them, let alone talk business.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it going well? ¡°Guess the Duke of Greenmoon has a lot of power around here,¡± Vanos muttered before his brow furrowed.


    ¡°I have to say, though, that something smells fishy about this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Does it now?¡± Ludwig stopped, put up his sses, and looked Vanos in the eye. ¡°Good. So it¡¯s not just me who thinks that. We have every reason to think something is wrong, since Her Highness sent us here. Maybe we aren¡¯t here on official business, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we are known to speak for her. They might be able to get away with not talking to a low-ranking noble, but to do so to an envoy of the Princess of Tearmoon is a royal insult. It¡¯s interesting, to say the least, that they¡¯re willing to try this method.¡±


    As one of the four pirs of the empire, the House of Greenmoon was so powerful with both coin and sword that any small country would think twice before going against them. But Mia could definitely be said to be the same.


    As the daughter of the Emperor, she had a lot of power. Even if they secretly didn¡¯t like her, it made sense for them to at least act like they did. They didn¡¯t see the point of that logic right now, which Ludwig thought was a strange thing.


    ¡°¡­Interesting, but not impossible,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Why?¡±


    He shrugged and said, ¡°Conservative politicians. Those who make money from the way things are, don¡¯t want to change them. If dealing with the Duke of Greenmoon is good for them, it¡¯s not surprising that they¡¯d like to keep things the same. Then we came along and tried to shake things up. They would probably not want to talk to us out of fear of making the Duke mad. That being said¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange how much they don¡¯t want to do it. I thought there would be some pushback, but not this much. Everyone can¡¯t be this dumb. Some of them must know the dangers of relying on the Greenmoons as their only link to the empire.¡±


    At the moment, Ganudos¡¯s ties to Tearmoon depended on the Greenmoons, who could, in theory, cut them at any time. From a diplomatic point of view, this was a bad deal for Ganudos because it was unstable.


    The Greenmoons could easily force them into one-sided deals, and Ludwig had no doubt that they had done this many times before.


    ¡°Considering how important the empire is to Ganudos as a trading partner and how much they depend on Greenmoon¡¯s whims, I thought they would be more eager to open new lines ofmunication¡­ It¡¯s most peculiar.¡±


    He shut his eyes and put his thumb against his chin.


    ¡°So¡­this isn¡¯t about trade, is it? The way things are now¡­and the money they bring in¡­ Maybe that isn¡¯t what they care about? Why should they let the Greenmoons handle all their business?¡±


    He spoke incoherently for a while. He shook his head in the end.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work. I need¡­a new point of view. Some kind of change in the way I think.¡±


    He began walking again.


    Vanos looked at him with interest and walked a few steps behind him.


    ¡°Well, where are we going? Back to the inn to get ready for the next day?¡±


    ¡°No. If we try the same thing, tomorrow will be just like today. Rather¡­ Hm¡­ Well, whatever the case, I think it¡¯s time to do a little asking around. It¡¯s always good to know more. Where are the other Princess Guard members?¡±


    Including Vanos, Mia went to the port country with thirty men of the Princess Guard.


    Two people went on the cruise with her, which left 28 people in town.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made sure that they all stay at the inn. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve got me. If you need to go somewhere, I¡¯ll be there every step of the way to protect you.¡±


    Therge man beat his chest. Ludwig didn¡¯t want to smile but did.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to have yourpany. Sorry to make you do this. You have every right to be enjoying with the others. We are, after all, in the capital. I don¡¯t think anything bad will happen here.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t Her Majesty tell Dion toe here, too?¡±


    Vanos rubbed the beard on his chin.


    ¡°Sounds to me like we oughta keep our eyes open. You¡¯re an important person. Her Highness needs you, and there aren¡¯t many of you to go around.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ But I think the same is true for you too. And Sir Dion. Every single one of her guards. Her Majesty probably thinks you are all just as important and irreceable as each other.¡± Ludwig took a look at Vanos and smiled. ¡°Even though I think you already know this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s now? Hah! I suppose so! I swear, our princess is a very strange person.¡± Vanos said with a rollingugh, ¡°She has a way of making you feel good about working for her.¡±

 Chapter 230

    <strong>Mia from Chapter 82 ¡°The Waning Jellyfish¡±</strong>


    <em>TN Note: That really is the title.</em>


    Mia came out of the tent all antsy after she had finally changed into her swimsuit. Abel and Sion were already standing outside in their swimsuits with their chests bared, waiting for her. Even though they were still young, their muscles were strong and toned from all the sword practise they did.


    It was the kind of sight that would normally make Mia drool, but she was too worried about herself at the time. She was squirming on the spot, looking at her toes. She looked up at them shyly and asked, ¡°How¡­do I look? Does it looks good on me?¡±


    She was not a fashion icon. Her one-piece swimsuit reached all the way to her knees, and a circle of fabric in the shape of a skirt hung from her waist.


    The top half of the dress was like a sleeveless shirt, showing off her corbones, shoulders, and a pair of soft upper arms. In other words, it covered none of the important parts.


    The designs didn¡¯t really go together, and it wasn¡¯t very stylish.


    It was basically the same as the dress she wore to the evening ball, with a style that, to put it nicely, left a lot to the imagination.


    It was simple and in. So much so that it was funny to feel ashamed of it. At least, it should have been, if anyone was still smart enough tough.


    ¡°Uh, yes, I¡­ I think it does,¡± stuttered Abel, who could only manage a quick nce before turning away and showing apletely red face. ¡°You look wonderful. Sion, you agree, right?¡±


    In a rush, he threw the hot potato at Sion, who caught it with about as much grace as he had thrown it.


    ¡°R-Right. Yes. Yes, I do. It looks good on you,¡± he said after a few hesitant nces. His cheeks were red and his voice was strained.


    In fact, these two princes could beat grown men in duels and match decorated knights in bravery. However, when Mia showed up in a swimsuit, they could barely put together a sentence. They stood there awkwardly, as if they were stuck there because of a spell or magic. Maybe the summer beach had done something to them.


    Something about the strange scenery and seaside air, along with seeing a familiar female ssmate in strange clothes, had messed up their sense of beauty and made them look at her as if she were beautiful in every way. At that moment, it looked like her pearly skin shone with a light that surrounded her like a halo of holy light.


    Mia beamed when she saw how happy they were.


    ¡°My! What a nice thing to say! Thank you. You really brightened my day.¡±


    She went for their throats after she had already destroyed their sense of calm.


    The two poor princes and their young hearts had no choice but to give in to her constant and unintentional attack.


    After all the noise about the swimsuits died down, Mia started swimming lessons with Esmeralda right away.


    ¡°Miss Mia, by the way, can you put your face under water?¡±


    Mia was standing in water that came up to her waist at the moment.


    ¡°What a strange question. ¡°Aren¡¯t there people who can¡¯t?¡± she asked as she looked at the goggles Esmeralda had given her.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we start by having you put those on and practise floating? Now, do what I say.


    Like this, raise your arms high. All the way so they are a little bit behind your head.¡±


    She did what she was told and stretched her arms up.


    ¡°Yes, yes, just like that. Now imagine that the sea is a soft bed and you are going to fall into it. Look at me!¡±


    Esmeralda continued her demonstration. She jumped forward into the water and did a perfect front float when shended. Nina, who was nearby and watching, cheered.


    ¡°Marvelous, mdy! Your body is as pretty as the mermaid princess in the stories.¡±


    Her guards, who were watching, did the same thing and pped their hands in approval.


    ¡°Marvelous! Marvelous! Lady Esmeralda is great!¡± they all said at the same time.


    Esmeralda jumped to her feet with a flourish as the crowd cheered loudly. She flicked sparkling drops of water out of her long hair.


    She looked over at Mia.


    ¡°As simple as that. Make sure to keep your legs straight and kick them out. Go ahead. Try it out.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, this is easy peasy!¡±


    Mia jumped into the water and showed off her first front float in a big way. She did this with full confidence.


    Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and everyone there waspletely shocked by how¡­unimpressive it was.


    Even Anne couldn¡¯t help but stare for a second before she pulled herself together and gave a round of apuse that was a little too enthusiastic to bepletely sincere. People in the crowd pped here and there because it was the right thing to do.


    Mia finally got back on her feet with a ssh and looked up at the crowd with a bright smile.


    ¡°How did it go? Did I look as pretty as the mermaid princess, too?¡±


    People looked at each other funny when she asked the question.


    When she saw that no one was answering, she turned her attention to the two princes. Since they had fallen under her spell, they had seen her attempt with clouded eyes and hadpletely wrong ideas about how good it looked.


    ¡°Uh, well, it was¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, well¡­¡±


    During the awkward silence, they both looked away before stumbling over their answers. Even when her seductress aura was at its strongest, the princes could still see that her front float was awkward.


    So bad was it. How bad, you ask?


    Well, her body didn¡¯t make a straight line parallel to the surface of the water. Instead, it made a round curve. Think of the shape of a bow, with the string at the bottom and the body of the bow arcing up.


    Her hands and feet were the ends, and her rear end, which stuck out, was the hump in the middle. Her lopsided shape and the way she floatedzily on the waves made her look like a jellyfish, specifically a moon jellyfish. This might have led to her being called ¡°Waning Jellyfish.¡±


    It may be poetic, but what it means is still clear.


    Sadly, neither prince was brave enough to tell her the truth. Even though they hadn¡¯t flinched when their swords hit each other, breaking bones, they found that their nerves had gone, leaving them at a loss for what to do next.


    ¡°Uh, it was good.¡± Abel looked at Sion with a pleading look and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Of course. I mean, you¡¯re a princess, and it wasn¡¯t that different from what a mermaid would do, right?¡±


    Sion stuttered and looked at Keithwood in an unusually flustered and desperate way.


    Keithwood, always a gentleman, didn¡¯t mind the task.


    He cocked his head and said, ¡°Absolutely,¡± with a smile.


    I thought my eyes were going to melt when I saw you, Princess Mia. You were so beautiful.¡±


    Then, after giving the two princes what seemed to be apliment, he leaned in, put his head between theirs, and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s wrong to lie, but a white lie, especially one to please ady, will make up for it.¡±


    Keithwood steered the Waning Jellyfish through the water with a lot more skill than Sion and Abel, who were still young and didn¡¯t know much. But there was one person who didn¡¯t keep telling the lie. One person who was morally strong enough to say ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia, that was wrong in every way.¡±


    Esmeralda was the person in question, and she was very angry.


    ¡°Waning Jellyfish¡± was not going to be the middle name of the princess she thought was a worthy rival, a dear friend, and a sister in spirit if not in body. It was a disgrace, and she wouldn¡¯t put up with it. Even though she had spent most of the cruise trying to make Mia look bad in front of her friends, that didn¡¯t matter. They might have been more alike than they seemed. At least, their memories weren¡¯t very reliable.


    ¡°If you let your legs sink, your whole body goes down. Try going deeper into the water by putting your head down.¡±


    Esmeralda didn¡¯t want to take the easy way out when it came to teaching Mia how to swim. To put it another way, she was in a serious mood.


    Mia replied, ¡°Oh, I see! Then what else was I doing wrong?¡±


    She was also all business! When she looked at Esmeralda, her eyes were just as determined. And she had a good reason to be afraid, since she knew she would fall into the sea someday. When an overturned raft threw her into the water, it set her on fire.


    She was determined to do whatever it took to learn how to swim so that she could stay safe in the water. Esmeralda¡¯s passionate coaching and Mia¡¯s strong desire to get better turned the day into a tough training session.


    By the end, Mia could do the front float, the flutter kick, and even lie on her back with her face out of the water like she was about to do the backstroke.


    ¡°Huh. If I can float on my back, I don¡¯t really need to learn how to breathe inplicated ways, do I? I can just take a normal breath¡­ Doesn¡¯t this mean that I won¡¯t drown?¡±


    As she kept practising floating, her mind was filled with such deep thoughts, like a Waning Jellyfish floating through the sea.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    The waning moon, the moon with the bowstring down. Cool when you learn it in science ss! so I thought.


    * A waning moon is a half moon, isn¡¯t it? I received ament from a reader and made some corrections.


    From the waning moon to the waning jellyfish¡­


    I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s gotten any worse, but¡­

 Chapter 231

    <strong>Princess Mia reveals her special ghost story</strong>


    The wood that was on fire crackled and popped. A light breeze blew around the huge bonfire, making it light up the beach with flickering orange light.


    Mia sat on a nket on the sand, with her arms around her knees. Her eyes were tired and ssy as she looked into the empty air. She had no energy left after her training session at noon, and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. Even if they did, she was fine because she had already done everything she needed to. She had taken a swim in the sea and eaten a dinner as good as the Greenmoons are known to be.


    After getting clean and eating, all that was left to do was crawl into a tent they had set up a little ways from shore and go to sleep. But something about this short time between being awake and going to sleep kept her from moving.


    In the flickering light of the me, shadows moved around. The ce was quiet and a little bit hypnotic.


    She thought, <em>How magical!</em> before yawning. <em>Still, I think I¡¯ve done all I can. Time to snooze¡­</em>


    Esmeralda¡¯s voice broke through the quiet just as she was about to stand up.


    ¡°All right¡­¡± She said in a low, quiet voice, ¡°I think it¡¯s time to begin.¡±


    ¡°Begin? Hm? Begin what?¡± Mia looked at her, and half of one eyelid was raised.


    Esmeralda nodded slowly and carefully, and then her lips spread into a wicked grin. ¡°Of course, telling ghost stories.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°Take a look around. Campfire. Summer night. Spending your vacation on an empty ind. ¡°What could we possibly do else?¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know you liked such silly things!¡±


    Mia was caught off guard by the idea. She looked out at the darkening sea and then at the leaves moving in the forest. It felt like strange monsters might be hiding in the shadows just out of sight because of how creepy the ce was.


    Mia didn¡¯t think there were ghosts or monsters, so she wasn¡¯t scared.


    <em>I¡¯m not scared at all. In fact, all of this is very stupid. Ghost stories? Hmph, kids are the only ones who like to tell scary stories. I¡¯m happy to listen, of course. I could listen all night long. But I don¡¯t want people to put me in the same group as her and think I¡¯m enjoying it. Maybe I should say why I don¡¯t like this idea? Even if there might be a lot of opposition.</em>


    She put on a smile despite what looked like a nervous twitch in her cheek.


    ¡°Why, Esmeralda, you¡¯re acting like a child by getting so upset about something like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Mia, please don¡¯t say that¡­ Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°S-S-Scared? Who, me? I am not scared.¡±


    ¡°Then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? Feel free to join us and have fun with our silly stories.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª Hnnnngh¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t even make it through three sentences before Esmeralda beat her.


    ¡°Since I came up with the idea, I¡¯ll start with a really scary one¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, Esmeralda,¡± she said quickly.


    <em>She must really like scary stories, based on how eager she is¡­ Most likely, her ssmates have told her a lot of really scary ones. Who could go to sleep after hearing that? At least not Anne! I worry about Anne a lot!</em>


    On the yacht, Esmeralda had been pretty mean to Anne. This was definitely another part of her n to scare the poor girl. Mia made a brave decision out of kindness to protect her loyal maid from more pain.


    It was done out of kindness, not because she was afraid to hear the story.


    <em>The question is, who do I call on?</em>


    Mia looked at the faces of each person in turn.


    <em>Sion is good at everything, so it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s also good at scary stories. Keithwood¡­ Hmph, he has a face that makes girls like him. If they have asked him to tell stories like these before, he probably has a lot of experience. As for Abel, he may have heard some scary stories from Remno or somewhere.</em>


    Scary stories had one thing inmon: they often followed patterns. When a story was easy to guess, it wasn¡¯t as scary. A strange story from another country, though¡­ That would be a different level of scariness as before. After hearing something like that, there was no way she could sleep.


    <em>Anne, to be exact. Anne wouldn¡¯t get any sleep. From what he did on the boat, it¡¯s clear that Abel has a sneaky side. If something gets to him, he might try harder to scare us and tell a scarier story. He is a very risky hand to y.</em>


    That gave her only one choice.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to tell the first story.¡±


    Her n was very easy to understand. She was going to think of a story that took a long time to tell, so that everyone else would have less time. She wouldn¡¯t be scared because it was her story.


    She meant Anne when she said ¡°she.¡±


    She did think that her logic might be starting to break down at this point, but she decided not to worry about small things.


    <em>What was important was the big picture. What should I do, though? I usually don¡¯t listen to scary stories¡­ No, not because I am scared of them. It¡¯s because a lot of them are silly.</em>


    After thinking for a while, she spoke softly: ¡°This is a story¡­about a princess who died at the guillotine.¡± It was about her own life!


    She told about her past, adding a few details here and there to make it more interesting. Since the goal was to take up a lot of time, she worked hard to find story after story from the deepest parts of her mind and try to put them all together in a long story that made sense.


    She went on and on about the headless ghost that appeared in the castle and the story it told, the bloody diary it left behind, the fear and agony leading up to the day of the guillotine, and the despair of that terrible moment when the iron de fell¡­


    She told it with style, and her voice was sad at times and spooky at others.


    As she talked, the other people¡¯s faces became more tense.


    <em>Hm? Are they really scared by my story? Oho.</em>


    So, she felt something when she saw the fear on their faces. It made them feel excited. She realised that it was kind of fun to scare people. She kept telling her story with more passion, making her voice louder and her movements more dramatic. She owned the stage, and things were going well for her. She kept talking and gesturing, scaring her audience more and more. When she was done, she was met with the sound of crickets.


    The crowd waspletely quiet.


    <em>Wow, they¡¯re really scared. My story must have been really scary¡­It was clear that I did a good job.</em>


    She felt pretty good about herself until she got her firstment, which was, ¡°The way you said that¡­ It was as if you had seen it for yourself¡­ Especially the part about the guillotine.¡±


    It came from Sion, and it woke her up from her happy thoughts.


    She took another look at the faces of the people in the room and saw that she had done something very wrong.


    Her story didn¡¯t make them feel scared. People were afraid of her. Because her description of the guillotine was so real that it scared them.


    It was very real, describing everything from the smells and sounds of the people who hade to watch the execution to how it felt when the de cut into her neck.


    Her words were too real¡ªtoo horrible¡ªfor the delicate minds of her well-bred friends.


    ¡°Well, we all know how much Miss Mia likes to make up stories. I guess it makes sense that she also has, uh, a very colourful imagination.¡±


    In the end, it was Esmeralda who saved the day by giving everyone an exnation that didn¡¯t require them to start seriously questioning Mia¡¯s sanity.


    Keithwood pursed his lips as he tried to make sense of Mia¡¯s rambling story. He was doing somest-minute things to get ready for the night while listening in. He didn¡¯t know what to think at first. It wasn¡¯t very scary for a story about ghosts.


    Or much of a story, for that matter. After thinking about it for a while, he finally got it.


    <em>Ah, I see what the princess is doing. This is a precautionary story. She¡¯s giving a subtle warning about Lady Esmeralda¡¯s behaviour in the form of a campfire story.</em>


    Criticism is more likely to get through to someone with a closed mind if it¡¯s in the form of a story. Priests of the Central Orthodox Church used it often because it worked well. Even Rafina used stories to teach about God, and it was clear that Mia wasn¡¯t above a little mimicry to get her point across.


    It made perfect sense, especially since Keithwood knew that Mia¡¯s main trait was her stubborn refusal to leave other people to their ws. She both thought they could change for the better and tried to help them do so. Since Esmeralda was her friend, she couldn¡¯t ignore the way she was acting. So, she made up a story about an arrogant princess who did stupid things.


    The lesson is pretty clear. If you don¡¯t care about your people, you¡¯ll end up like her.


    <em>I have to say, though, that ¡°If there¡¯s no bread, let them eat cake¡± line was a pretty hard shot at that princess. Even Esmeralda doesn¡¯t have so little knowledge that she would say something like that. I guess she did a little bit to make things fair by making the girl work hard to fix things after her empire started to fall apart. It¡¯s good storytelling to give your characters at least a couple of good qualities</em>.


    With his interest piqued, he looked at the story¡¯s main character<em>.</em>


    <em>The question is whether Esmeralda will realise this story is about her.</em>


    The person in question jumped to her feet and said, ¡°All right, I¡¯m next!¡±


    ¡°Now, my story,¡± Esmeralda said, putting her hand to her chest and grinning. ¡°Let me tell you a simple story about an ind and the terrible things that are said to live there.¡±


    Keithwood shook his head andughed to himself. It looked like Mia¡¯s attempt didn¡¯t work out the way she wanted it to.


    Mia fought the urge to pull at her hair out of frustration.


    Keithwood was right, but not in the way he thought. Her attempt had failed, but not in the way he thought.


    She had told her story badly, ending it too soon so that Esmeralda could still tell hers.


    <em>Ugh, I just made a terrible mistake!</em>


    She thought. But there was nothing she could do now.


    Esmeralda started with a flourish.


    ¡°This is an old Ganudos folktale, told and retold by its people. It¡¯s about the ghosts of cultists who roam thend¡­¡±


    She lowered her voice and told the story in a scary way.


    ¡°Long, long ago, before our empire was built, there was a group of people who were forced to leave their home, which was somewhere across the sea. As they ran away from the people who were after them, they hated both their country and its people. They found a deserted ind and hid there. It was an ind just like the one we are on now, and they waited there, promising to get back to their country and get even with the people they hated. To fuel their hatred, they even built a secret underground shrine to worship the Archdaemon.


    ¡°But¡­,¡± she stopped.


    She didn¡¯t say anything else until she had looked at the faces of each person in the audience.


    ¡°There, the cultists died, leaving behind only their bitter hatred. Some people say that their angry, evil ghosts still roam the ind to this day. And that ind¡­could be the one we¡¯re on now.¡±


    The wind whistled in a way that sounded like a sad moan.


    This wind made the fire roar and send angry sparks flying into the air. ¡°Eeek!¡±


    Mia jerked back and let out a gasp. Then, she reached behind her and quietly grabbed Anne¡¯s skirt hem. It was, of course, a kind thing to do because she cared about her maid.


    Anne noticed the pull and gently put her hand on Mia¡¯s.


    ¡°It sounds like the wind is picking up,¡± Abel said, with a hint of worry in his voice.


    As their guards looked around, their faces were also clouded with worry.


    ¡°At this rate, it¡¯s going to be a stormy night at sea, too,¡± Sion said. ¡°Is your sailboat going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, Prince Sion. More than a little wind will be needed to sink that ship. I¡¯ve also made sure to hire a captain with a lot of experience. Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡± Esmeralda said with a lot of confidence.

 Chapter 232

    Esmeralda Screws Up


    That night, Mia couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The walls of her makeshift tent kept rustling in the wind. Leaves would sometimes scrape against it, making a sound like ws dragging across the fabric. She could almost hear something in the wind¡¯s whistling, like a low rumble or a ghostly moan. It gave her a bad case of overactive imagination.


    She kept having scary thoughts, and it took her about an hour of tossing and turning in her sleeping bag before she finally fell into a restless sleep. That, plus the fact that she went to bed an hour earlier than usual because she was tired from the day¡¯s activities, meant that she went to sleep around the same time she always did.


    Anyway, she had a hard night and woke up the next morning to the shrill sound of even stronger winds. When the tent poles squeaked loudly, she jumped to her feet, her eyes wide and alert.


    ¡°What in the dark moons is going on?!¡±


    She looked around quickly and saw that Esmeralda and Nina were nowhere to be seen. Anne was the only one who was still there.


    For more information, it¡¯s important to note that the winds had picked up long before Mia started to move. In other words, the noise quickly woke everyone up except Mia, who kept sleeping through the windy rustling because no one wanted to wake her up.


    ¡°Good morning, mdy. Sorry to wake you up so early in the morning, but something doesn¡¯t look right. We should get you changed quickly so you can join the other people.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Anne. I¡¯ll take your help then.¡±


    With Anne¡¯s help, she quickly put on her clothes and stepped out of the tent, but a gust of wind knocked her off her feet. Anne stopped her from falling and hurting herself just in time, and it took some work to get back on her feet.


    ¡°This is quite a wind¡­¡±


    They set up camp on a high spot ofnd ways from the shore. A number of big trees that grew around the perimeter were used to hold down their tents, but the wind was so strong that even the strong branches¡ªsome of which were as thick as the pirs in a castle¡ªwere groaning loudly.


    Overhead, thick grey clouds moved at a dizzying rate. Even though it didn¡¯t rain, there were blinding white streaks in the distance that went from the sea to the sky. It made me feel like the whole world was falling apart.


    ¡°Ms. Mia! We have a problem! Oh no, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± Esmeralda ran up to her with the look of someone who had just seen a ghost.


    Mia asked her pale-faced friend, ¡°What¡¯s got you so worked up?¡± as she raised an eyebrow.


    She was calm for exactly three seconds, until she heard what Esmeralda said next.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ The Emerald Star is gone!¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia just stood there with her mouth open, trying to figure out what that meant.


    Esmeralda showed the way to the water¡¯s edge. Mia followed behind her, gaping at a beach that waspletely different from the one she had seen the day before.


    Now, the shore was much closer, and the waves were crashing hard against it. Less than a third of the beach¡¯s sand was still above water.


    Worst of all, the Emerald Star wasn¡¯t where she remembered it being, floating off the coast. Instead, it was nowhere to be found.


    Esmeralda said in a scared whisper, ¡°It¡­ It couldn¡¯t have been pirates, could it?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. The crew of the Star probably looked for a ce to hide from this storm.¡±


    Keithwood walked up and spoke in a calm, collected way. He squinted at the sky, where dark clouds were starting to move around.


    ¡°Yesterday, I had my doubts, and it looks like I was right. There¡¯s going to be a storm.¡±


    ¡°It is dangerous for us to stay here, no matter what happens.¡± Sion said, ¡°We should start looking for a ce to hide from the storm.¡±


    Keithwood and Abel both agreed with the idea by nodding.


    ¡°Miss Esmeralda, do you know of any ces on this ind that are safe? Even a cave would help right now.¡±


    ¡°I, um¡­ No, I¡¯m only familiar with this beach.¡±


    Sion¡¯s mouth made a line.


    ¡°I see. So none of us know what¡¯s on the other side of the ind¡¯s shore.¡±


    ¡°Milord, I suggest putting together a reconnaissance party. We might be able to get some of their guards if we ask Princess Mia or Lady Esmeralda. Or I can go myself.¡±


    ¡°No, now is not the time to break up the group. We should stay together.¡± Sion said while frowning. ¡°On that note, where are the guards? Where have you sent your people, Mia?¡±


    Then Mia realised that the two members of the Princess Guard who were supposed to protect her all the time were nowhere to be found. Esmeralda¡¯s retinue, likewise, were also gone.


    That left only seven people in their group: the two princes, Keithwood, Mia, Esmeralda, and their servants, Anne and Nina. All of their guards had mysteriously vanished into thin air.


    <em>What in the moons is going on right now?</em>


    Mia thought about Esmeralda¡¯s scary story again. She remembered how, after talking about the ghosts that roamed the ind, she had moved on with joy to talk about other scary things.


    ¡­like a ship that was found to be empty at sea, people just vanished into thin air¡­


    She shivered as a chill ran down her spine.


    As she shook, her eyes moved just enough for her to see that Esmeralda was moving her hands. She made a sad face and looked her up and down. She had an odd feeling of unease about her. Mia¡¯s eyes lit up when she finally got it after a moment.


    ¡°¡­Esmeralda, you made this happen, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She looked at her in a strange way.


    ¡°M-My doing? Wh-What are you talking about? She said, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± which was a clear lie.


    Mia moved toward her menacingly. Esmeralda backed away sheepishly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. Last night, you sent your guards back to the boat, right? And you were even able to convince my guards to follow them.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not true! Why would I do something like that?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t answer. She just stared. And was angry. And red.


    Eventually, Esmeralda broke.


    ¡°Hnnngh, well, I thought you might want some privacy so you could have private conversations that you wouldn¡¯t want the guards to hear. And if you don¡¯t like it, maybe one of the princes would. It makes sense to do that. I was just being nice.¡±


    In short, she kept Nina and Anne around to help with personal needs, but she sent the guards away because she thought they would get in the way if Mia and Abel wanted to ¡°take things to the next level.¡±


    Esmeralda had nothing to do with what was going on, but she decided to get involved anyway.


    Mia thought as she looked at Esmeralda¡¯s face, ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡±


    <em>It¡¯s also about her. She probably thought, ¡°If I do this, Prince Sion might be tempted toe talk to me, too.¡± I swore to God, this girl¡­</em>


    She gave a head shake.


    <em>When will she stop living in her own world? Sion? Getting close to her? Please.</em>


    Sheughed at Esmeralda¡¯s silly ideas of love.


    Not that she was one to talk, given how she acted in the previous timeline, but again, something about memory horizons, something about a stone¡¯s throw away.


    ¡°Shelter first, talkter. Keithwood, you¡¯re in charge.¡±


    Sion told the group to move, so they did.

 Chapter 233

    <strong>The Oldest and Weakest Duke, the Last of the Four</strong>


    Ludwig wandered around Ganudos¡¯s capital, asking about and listening to all kinds of rumours as he went.


    When he got back to his inn, the sun had already set. He sat down in the restaurant next door to order ate dinner. Vanos, who had been following him around all day, sat down next to him and immediately asked for a drink. Soon after that, the big man¡¯s brows wrinkled as he thought.


    ¡°¡­Do you think Her Majesty is having fun out there?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Is there any reason to think that she may not be?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure, but the men she brought with her are a little¡­ Oh, please don¡¯t take this wrong. They are very good at using swords. Captain Dion himself whipped them into shape. If things get physical, they will definitely prove their worth. Bandits are no problem. Even that whole group of Greenmoon guards can¡¯t stand a chance against them if ites to that. The safety of Her Majesty is in good hands.¡±


    Ludwig nodded as he thought back to the faces of the new Princess Guard members. Everyone thought they were thugs and brigands, but they made the Guard stronger in battle, so there was no doubt about that.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how loyal they are to the empire,¡± Vanos said. ¡°But they know they owe Her Highness a big one. They won¡¯t mind taking an arrow for her. There is no doubt about it¡­But¡­¡±


    He smiled in a strange way and rubbed his head.


    ¡°They are a rowdy group of people who love to drink. If you have trouble walking in a straight line, it can be hard to take an arrow for someone.¡±


    In other words, they came with a disimer. Satisfaction guaranteed, but only if they¡¯re not drunk.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Ludwig gave a shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s out of our hands now, no matter what happens. It would be a waste of time to worry about it. Her Highness is with two of her princely ssmates, both of whom are good swordsmen in their own right, and their servant Keithwood. I think it would be best to leave it up to them and work on what we can do here.¡±


    He looked more and more serious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over everything we¡¯ve learned today. Even though the information we got from gossip during a quick tour of the city isn¡¯t veryplete, it does give me the impression that the Greenmoons aren¡¯t very popr here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. They don¡¯t seem to be trying to improve their image, either. People here think more of Her Highness than they do of the Duke.¡±


    Vanos agreed, nodding with his arms crossed.


    ¡°But even so, they still do all of their business through the Greenmoons. Even if some of the country¡¯s top officials are getting kickbacks, the size of the monopoly is strange.¡±


    The Duke of Greenmoon couldn¡¯t be rich enough to bribe all of Ganudos¡¯s top government officials. Why did they have such a tight grip on trade at that time?


    ¡°Are you from the other side of the Galilee Sea?¡±


    They looked up.


    The owner of the ce was speaking. He was old and his back was a little bit crooked. The way his hands moved across the counter and grill showed how much he knew.


    ¡°No, we are from Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°Tearmoon, ah. What do you know about the Duke of Yellowmoon? How is he doing, and how are his people?¡±


    When the owner asked him a question, Ludwig raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hm? Are you talking about¡­the Duke of Greenmoon? ¡­then he¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, I said yellow. Thank you very much, I can still tell the colours apart. Yellowmoons. How are they? When my grandmother was still alive, she told me that they have been good friends to our country for a very long time. Has helped us a lot over the years. But they stopped talking to us at some point. As simple as that. Since then, I¡¯ve been worried about them.¡±


    ¡°You say that the Yellowmoons are¡­ So far as I know, the Duke is doing fine. And¡­his daughter goes to Saint-Noel Academy¡­¡±


    Ludwig said, but his answer was cautious. He didn¡¯t understand the owner¡¯s question. He had never heard that the Yellowmoons and Ganudos were linked in any way. Even when they walked around the city, it didn¡¯te up.


    After talking with the owner some more, he sat in silence to think. Vanos also thought about the unexpected discovery, but he did it out loud.


    ¡°¡­things are starting to get very strange. The Yellowmoons are the weakest and oldest of the Etoilers. Was surprised to see their name mentioned here¡­ I wonder what¡¯s with that?¡±


    He asked himself and gave a shrug after a while.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s why they don¡¯t hire me for my brains.¡±


    He quickly drank his cup of liquor, sighed with pleasure as the strong smell of alcohol rose to his nose, and started eating the seafood dish the server brought.


    Ganudos was known for its fresh fish, and serving it raw was a local favourite. He put a piece in his mouth and enjoyed how soft it was. The fat was so soft that it melted on his tongue.


    ¡°So good¡­ Gotta say, this jobes with a lot of perks.¡±


    He reached for another piece, but stopped when he saw that Ludwig, whose brow was still furrowed, hadn¡¯t eaten a thing.


    ¡°What gives you so much trouble?¡±


    ¡°Good question¡­ Sir Vanos, what do you know about the start of our empire?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Not very knowledgeable about history in general.¡±


    ¡°Then let me fill you in a bit. There was a ce called the Fertile Crescent, and at first, a farming tribe lived there. Farmers as a group. Later, a powerful tribe of hunters came and took over theirnd and made the people their ves. Most people think that the empire started when the hunters took overnd and ves.¡±


    It was what most people in Tearmoon thought, but after saying it, Ludwig lowered his eyes and spoke in a more thoughtful way.


    ¡°However, there is another theory that says our ancestors came from the other side of the ocean. This theory isn¡¯tpletely wrong, and even though it¡¯s not perfect, there is enough evidence to suggest that at least some of the current poptiones from a ce beyond the Galilee Sea.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Okay, I get it, but I don¡¯t see what the point of this story is. What does it have to do with anything?¡±


    asked Vanos, puzzled.


    ¡°Consider it. If they crossed the sea to get here¡­,¡± Ludwig said, leaning forward. ¡°What would have they done? Where would they have to go to get from the Galilee Sea to the Fertile Crescent, where the imperial capital is now?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I get you.¡±


    Vanos used one finger to tap on the table.


    ¡°You mean here, don¡¯t you? These people in our family tree would have had to go through Ganudos.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Of course, this ce wasn¡¯t a country yet at the time. People say that both the Tearmoon Empire and the Ganudos Port Country began around the same time. But if the theory is right, we should assume that the two were connected from the start. Then, if we assume that the Yellowmoons, who are thought to be the oldest and weakest of the Four Houses, were in charge of keeping these ties together¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, at some point, the Greenmoons took over and started negotiating on their own. People stopped asking questions as time went on because it became normal. And now we¡¯ve reached the end. People think of Greenmoon when you say ¡°Ganudos.¡± Gotta say, there¡¯s something fishy about this.¡±


    ¡°We need to know more. Sir Vanos, I¡¯m sorry to take up so much of your time, but after my meeting with the senator tomorrow, I¡¯ll need you toe with me.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re onto something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet¡­¡±


    Ludwig had his arms crossed and was frowning.


    ¡°But as far as I know, people with bad intentions aren¡¯t usually the ones who get a lot of attention on stage. Instead, they¡¯re the ones who stay quiet behind the curtains.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what a funny thing! That¡¯s exactly what my job has taught me,¡± Vanos said with a smile.


    Ludwig couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Then he gave a shrug.


    ¡°Anyway, I have a strong feeling that this country is keeping something from us about the Yellowmoons, and I n to find out what it is. So, we are going to look into it.¡±


    ¡°Look into, huh? I bet it won¡¯t be easy to get them to tell the truth. You got some kind of n?¡±


    ¡°Usually, the government and the Church are the only ces that keep records like this. Since we can¡¯t trust the government here in this way, we¡¯re going to try the second option.¡±


    The next day, they went to the local Central Orthodox Church together.

 Chapter 234

    <strong>Storm¡­</strong>


    Drip, drip, drip¡­ Ssh!


    Mia flinched and looked up just as another volley of hard raindrops hit her face. What had started as a drizzle just a few minutes ago was quickly turning into a downpour.


    ¡°Oh, silly rain.¡± She asked sarcastically, ¡°Can you fall any harder?¡±


    The rain must have heard her, because it hit them even harder and turned the downpour into a full-on storm with thick clouds and howling winds. The rain was so heavy that it made them feel like they were always walking through a thick curtain of water.


    ¡°Dark moons, it¡¯s really raining¡­ And it¡¯s getting windier¡­¡±


    She tried to clean her face with her hands, but it didn¡¯t work. Then, with a wry smile, she looked around.


    <em>Well, I came here to practise swimming, so I knew I would get wet. But I didn¡¯t expect to get soaked onnd as well.</em>


    The weight of her wet clothes had changed, and they stuck to her as she walked. It felt weird, like she was taking a shower while fully clothed. She made up that she was doing this, as if it were some strange cleansing ritual. The thought made herugh, and she started to enjoy what she was doing.


    ¡°Everyone, stay near me. No matter what you do, don¡¯t get split up. Abel, can you keep your eyes behind us?¡±


    ¡°Just leave it to me. I¡¯ll protect our backs.¡±


    That simple conversation was all it took for the two princes to figure out what their jobs were. Keithwood went ahead to check out the path, and Sion led the group. Mia, Anne, Esmeralda, and Nina were right behind him, and Abel was at the end. They walked in a straight line toward the camp, moving quickly but carefully. Mia kept her eyes on her feet and walked carefully so she wouldn¡¯t slip in the mud.


    Squish¡­ squish¡­ squish¡­ squish¡­


    Every step she took in her wet shoes made an unpleasant sound, which was made worse by the fact that it was hard to walk on mud. She kept tripping and catching herself at thest second to avoid a bad fall.


    They heard where their camp was before they saw it. The tents were shaking so hard that it looked like they were going to be carried away whole.


    ¡°Sweet moons! The tents!¡± Esmeralda eximed. ¡°They¡¯ll be blown away! Quickly! We need to get our things out of rhere!¡±


    She got upset and started yelling at Nina to get their bags back. Sion put out his hand to stop her.


    ¡°Bad idea. It is too risky.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Abel, walking up beside them. ¡°It¡¯s not possible to move all of our things in this wind. Finding a shelter shoulde first.¡±


    ¡°We need a ce where the wind won¡¯t hurt us.¡± Sion looked over at Keithwood. ¡°Can you find one for us?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll have to anyway. Let¡¯s go to the centre of the ind. Ladies, keep close.¡±


    The group moved farther ind, with Keithwood leading the way.


    After a while, they came to a thick forest with tall, thick-topped trees. They walked in. The wind died down a bit, but the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves got louder and faster.


    Patter¡­Pitter¡­Pitter¡­Pitter¡­Thump¡­Thump¡­Thump¡­Thump¡­


    The voices of her friends couldn¡¯t be heard over the sound of the rain and the rustling of the leaves. Mia felt alone for a short time, as if the rest of the world had disappeared, leaving only the loud noise of the storm.


    She looked up. The dark green canopy above her brought back memories.


    <em>Even after all this time, when I walk into a forest, I still think of¡­</em>


    When Mia was running away, her maid left her alone in the forest, and she was desperately trying to avoid being caught by the revolutionary army.


    <em>That¡¯s right. When we walked into that forest, I fell and hurt my leg almost right away. She took one look at me, told me I was useless, and ran away.</em>


    Raindrops fell down her leg. The feeling was familiar, and it made her think of the blood that had run down her knee after she had cut it. The sharp pain of the scratch and the thick, warm feeling of her blood all came back to her, just as unpleasant as they had been that day.


    It may have been too vivid, drawing so much of her attention that she lost track of what was going on in front of her.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Her foot slipped, she fell forward. As she fell, she cursed herself for not paying attention.


    <em>Oh no¡­ It¡¯s going to happen again¡­ I¡¯ll hurt myself, and they¡¯ll think I¡¯m useless¡­</em>


    ¡°Look out!!!¡±


    After the cry, there was a sudden burst of movement behind her. After only a split second, someone grabbed her.


    ¡°M-Mdy, are you okay?¡±


    It took her a while to get herself together. As she did, she realised that she was being gently held. When she turned around, she saw Anne, who was very worried.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Y-Yes. I¡¯m quite fine.¡±


    She was happy. She thought it was strange to do that, given how bad things were, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself. The way Anne stopped her from falling was touching. It put her present self next to her past self, showing her what she was missing back then and what she had now. She was surprised by how much the thought made her feel alive.


    ¡°Wow, I should really pay more attention, shouldn¡¯t I? Anne, the same goes for you. Be careful,¡± she said as she turned around to catch up.


    Just then, through the rain, they heard Keithwood¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Up ahead is a cave. I think we should wait out the storm there.¡±


    He must havee back from checking out the area.


    Sion turned toward the group and said, ¡°Good work! All right, let¡¯s go after Keithwood. Stay close. Make sure no one is left behind.¡±


    After hearing this, they made steady progress deeper into the forest. After pushing their way through a thicket, they found arge rock face covered with thick moss. At one point where it met the ground, there was a hole that seemed out of ce on the smooth, t surface.


    The hole was almost too small to crawl through.


    ¡°It gets bigger inside. Now,e on. Quickly.¡±


    She followed Keithwood right away into the cave.


    It¡¯s almost like we¡¯re trying to get into the stomach of a huge beast¡­ There¡¯s something creepy about this ce¡­


    Mia¡¯s gut feeling, which had not always been right in the past, was right this time.


    They didn¡¯t know it, but they were in a ce that had been lost to history¡­

 Chapter 235

    <strong>The Tables Have Turned! Abel Strikes Back!</strong>


    The things Keithwood said were true. The cave was much bigger and deeper than its narrow entrance made it look. The short tunnel that served as the entrance was a little bit curved, which made it a natural wind block.


    As the group moved deeper into the area, they were surprised to find that it was surprisingly warm inside. However¡­


    Keithwood said to Sion as they walked, ¡°Milord, there¡¯s something strange about this cave.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­unnatural. I can¡¯t be sure, but I think this¡­¡±


    As he walked, he put his palm against the cave wall and felt its surface.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like something that happened by itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we expect enemies?¡±


    ¡°Good question. It doesn¡¯t look like anyone lives here. I think most of the people we meet will be of the dead sort. It¡¯s not very nice, but it¡¯s not dangerous either. Unless they get in your way.¡±


    The cave didn¡¯t look like it had been touched recently, and there was no sign of a path leading here. Even if people used to live there, they are probably long gone.


    Keithwood added with a toothy grin, ¡°Assuming, of course, that they¡¯re not stumbling around or see-through.¡±


    Sion gave him an even look and then looked back.


    ¡°¡­No matter what, we¡¯re safer inside. Right now, we are definitely most worried about that storm. Still, it doesn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful. We are in charge of making sure the Great Sage of the Empire is safe, after all,¡± he said as he looked at Mia, who was crouched near the entrance and looking carefully over a rock at the storm outside.


    ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s get everyone on the same page by having a quick meeting. Also, we should always remind people to stay together. Avoid doing things by yourself.¡±


    The two of them kept talking about important things. At the same time, at the entrance to the cave¡­


    ¡°It really came down, didn¡¯t it? I¡¯m soaked to the skin.¡±


    Mia pulled at the bottom of her shirt, and a stream of water gushed out, showing how much rain they¡¯d been walking through.


    ¡°Everything is soaked through. Even though it¡¯s summer, I feel like I might get sick.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right. We hope not. I mean, not get sick.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mm?¡±


    Abel¡¯s answer came a half second toote and wasn¡¯t very clear. She was curious, so she looked at him. When she did, she saw that he was looking away and his cheeks were a little too pink to be normal.


    Then she looked at her own face. Her clothes were stuck to her skin, and you could just barely see her underwear. Everything made sense all at once.


    <em>My, my Abel. Is my current state a little too risqu¨¦ for you? Do I make your heart skip a beat?</em>


    The thought turned on a switch in her head, and Seductress Mia took over.


    She smiled, and her earlier reluctance turned into a yful excitement. In her mind, swimsuits were underwear that were worn in water. No matter how simple and modest they were, it was embarrassing to be seen in them. Underwear was underwear, waterproof or not.


    On the other hand, she was definitely dressed right now. They had be see-through, so her skin was showing, but by the same reasoning, clothes are clothes. As long as she wore that much, she didn¡¯t feel bad about herself.


    Mia was able to confidently prance around in wet clothes because her inner twenty-year-old had given her the power of rationalisation. Yes, Abel was getting a more masculine body, which caught her attention and made her heart beat faster, but she was still older. In this rtionship, Mia was still the older sister.


    <em>So¡­Mmhm, that¡¯s a cute response, Abel. I think I¡¯ll have a good time with you.</em>


    Teasing Master Mia was on the prowl, she moved to show who was in charge. She was a predator who was ready to pounce on her defenceless, young victims. She would y with the young boy¡¯s innocence and enjoy his nervous naivety with the confidence of a grown woman.


    She started to say something, but Abel spoke before her.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    He took off his thin coat and threw it over her shoulders. Then, he pulled it over her shoulders very gently.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Her grown-up confidence went away, and the words she had nned went with it. She couldn¡¯t do anything but watch in shock as Abel went in for his second blow.


    ¡°Uh, your clothes¡­ They can be seen through. Been that way for a while. So, for now here. You can use this¡­ It¡¯s a bit wet. Sorry about that,¡± he said as he buttoned his coat over her and gave her a worried look. ¡°Honestly, Mia, you need to be more aware of how attractive you are. Even though your skin is beautiful, you shouldn¡¯t show it to everyone. It¡¯s¡­distracting. For me in particr.¡±


    Then, still embarrassed, he turned away from her again.


    ¡°Eh?¡± was all that Mia could respond. It failed just like the first time.


    She stared at Abel, who was only wearing a shirt on his upper body and no coat. Due to a lot of sword practise, the muscles under the short sleeves were toned and showed through. He looked so strong, brave, and dreamy as he stood there with his arms crossed.


    Even though she tried not to, her chest got tighter.


    Mia¡¯s big sister¡¯s attack had failed because of Abel¡¯s clever counter-stroke. Now that it was his turn, she was at his mercy.


    <em>What the heck, Abel! You¡ªWhat the heck are you doing?! H-How can you just say such things?! Moons! You¡¯re so¡­so¡­ Ugh!</em>


    Mia¡¯s face was red and her lips were quivering, so she couldn¡¯t help but squirm. Lucky for her, Abel had already gone to talk to Sion, so he didn¡¯t see how embarrassed she was.


    That was enough to keep her from melting into a puddle of shame, but when she finally got herself together enough to think about it, she realised something else that made her angry.


    <em>Wait a minute. Did you really just leave me alone?! After you y with my feelings for no reason, you just leave?! What am I supposed to do with all these feelings that have been building up?</em>


    Her longing heart still fluttered and ached, but she couldn¡¯t let it out. She tried hard not to scream out of anger. She was in pain, but she could hear Esmeralda¡¯s voiceing from further into the cave.


    ¡°Oh? Is the weather getting wetter or what? The temperature here is a bit different from the temperature at the front door. Hey, Ni, uh, you. Don¡¯t you agree with me?¡±


    Her tone of casual ignorance made Mia¡¯s already irritated nerves even worse.

 Chapter 236

    <strong>A Grain of Wheat, A Single Cookie</strong>


    The next day, the storm had passed. It was gone while Mia was doing her favourite thing, which was counting silly things. She was mentally counting the number of rocks in the cavern, but her face showed that she didn¡¯t care.


    Sion told Keithwood to check out the area as soon as the wind stopped. He did this as soon as the wind stopped. Before he left, Survival Expert Mia added one more thing to the list.


    ¡°Keithwood, while you¡¯re out there, could you look around to see if there is a spring or small stream nearby?¡±


    Getting water was definitely a basic survival skill. As an experienced ¡°theoretical survivologist,¡± Mia had spent a lot of timeing up with different possible ways to stay alive. In many of these, she hid alone in a forest to avoid the revolutionary army. The careful research she had done to prepare for these possible situations was now paying off.


    Also, because she knew so much about how to stay alive, she perked up when Keithwood came back to the cavern after his long reconnaissance trip and told them what he had found.


    ¡°So, to make a long story short, it¡¯s always best to be careful, but I haven¡¯t seen any signs of dangerous animals yet. I could only find a few rabbit tracks¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you say¡­ rabbit?¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. She hadn¡¯t eaten in almost a whole day, so when she heard the word ¡°rabbit,¡± her brain thought it was the word ¡°food.¡± Whatever left those tracks, its days ¨C hours are numbered.


    ¡°Also, only one of the tents is still standing, and I don¡¯t know how the inside fared. I didn¡¯t go in because it was one of the tents for thedies. I finally found a ce in the forest nearby where I could get water. It¡¯s just a little spring.¡±


    ¡°I see. As always, Keithwood, you did a great job. Quick and dependable.¡±


    When Sion praised him, he just shrugged.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m your attendant. It¡¯s part of the job,¡± Keithwood said like a true worker.


    For now, they decided to use the cavern as their base of operations, and their first goal was to see what they could save from the tent.


    They went back to the camp, hoping to find tools and, if they were lucky, food. They didn¡¯t have any luck, which was a shame.


    Thest tent was in tatters. Its frame had fallen over, and its contents were out in the open. All of the equipment inside, which were high-quality items that the Greenmoons had made just for the event, was destroyed, and the mud-covered pieces lost both their form and their function.


    The rations did even worse¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a scrap left.


    ¡°Well, I guess this was just meant for us to sleep in,¡± Mia said.


    They had brought very little food with them to the ind. The Emerald Star was where most of it was kept.


    ¡°I guess it was too much to hope that there would be food here¡­ Wait a second!¡±


    She looked through what was left of her things. Her travel trunk had been blown open, and the extra dresses it held were gone, but she kept her eyes on a small wooden box that was still fastened to a corner inside.


    It looked like it had made it through the storm. She took it out carefully and opened the lid. Inside were ten big cookies.


    You¡¯re right. Mia was the type of person who would bring cookies with her when she went somewhere. She had put them in her bag because she was sure that she needed sugar before bed.


    ¡°Thank the moons they¡¯re all right¡­¡±


    She quickly reached for one, wiped away a tear of relief, and then stopped. She had an idea all of a sudden.


    <em>I have a feeling that I need to share this with everyone evenly.</em>


    Mia knew that denying people food could lead to serious grudges, and that these grudges often got settled with guillotines. Even eating a cookie ahead of time could make people dislike her, which would bring her back together with an old friend who loves to behead people. It wasn¡¯t likely, but it wasn¡¯t impossible either.


    If she had eaten all of a huge strawberry cake, including all of the strawberries, she might have been able to handle the guillotine. It was a bad trade, though, for her to lose her head because she stole a cookie.


    So, she pulled together every bit of self-control she had and started fighting her hunger to get control of her hands.


    She huffed and puffed, her chest rising and falling with each hard breath as she tried to tame the beast of hunger inside her. In her mind, the battle was that big.


    It fought her with everything it had. She fought against it with her teeth clenched and her lips pulled back in a snarl, like a fierce animal trying to assert control.


    In the end, she was able to control herself and bring the wooden box of cookies to the rest of her group without eating them all right away.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, Princess Mia. Well, this is a nice surprise.¡± Keithwood was very impressed. ¡°How did you know to bring something like this with you?¡±


    Mia let out a smug breath right away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just knew what to do. Keithwood, being smart means being ready. And I¡¯m a sensible person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Esmeralda said, interrupting, ¡°but why in the moons did you also give some cookies to themoners? Ms. Mia, please. Have some dignity.¡±


    Mia looked at her and groaned. The way most nobles felt aboutmoners was the way Esmeralda did.


    <em>She has no idea what¡¯s going on. She doesn¡¯t really get what these cookies are all about, so it¡¯s clear that she doesn¡¯t get it¡­</em>


    It was true that if Mia ate more cookies, her stomach would get fuller. But there was another way to look at it. If she ate a cookie for herself, it would only make her stomach fuller by one cookie. It wouldn¡¯t do anything else.


    What if she decided instead to share those cookies? Wouldn¡¯t everybody who received one feel indebted to her? These weren¡¯t just cookies, that¡¯s for sure.


    It was a seed. She was nting the seeds. If a grain of wheat wasn¡¯t buried in the ground, it would never be enough to feed more than one person.


    In the same way, if you ate just one cookie, it would always be just one cookie eaten. But if it were nted as a seed, it might grow into a cookie tree one day.


    Keithwood, Sion, and so on. Right now, they¡¯re friends, but who knows?


    Things can always change. It¡¯s certainly not impossible for them to turn into enemies down the line.


    Mia thought of an old story she had heard, so she started to talk about herself.


    Imagine a big river that flows past red, rocky cliffs, where a navy that was put together quickly lost badly. Then, let¡¯s say she owned that navy and was now on the run. Lastly, imagine that she was being chased by enemy troops when she ran into Keithwood, who stopped her from getting away.


    In that desperate moment, she could look at him and say, ¡°Keithwood, do you remember the cookie? Remember the cookie I gave you that day?¡±


    If he then decided to let her go out of a sense of duty, it would all have been worth it. She could rebuild and get better as long as she got back home alive.


    Anyway, enough imagining¡­


    If she could get a favour in exchange for a cookie now, she thought that was a good deal. Even though that was more of an excuse than anything else,


    On a fundamental level, not sharing the cookies with the attendants was simply not a choice she¡¯d ever make.


    It was clear that Anne was there. Keithwood needed one too. Otherwise, she¡¯d anger Sion and an angry Sion was the stuff of nightmares.


    Also, if she kept Keithwood happy, the cookie she gave him mighte back to her as a delicious pot of rabbit stew someday.


    This wasn¡¯t a donation; it was a business deal. If you buy a cookie today, you can make rabbit stew tomorrow.


    Nina, well¡­


    Well, Esmeralda would probably throw a fit if she passed out from hunger, and Mia just didn¡¯t want to deal with that possibility.


    So, she decided to put the group¡¯s health and nutrition first for now. The sweet treats did wonders for their empty stomachs and made them smile again right away.


    Furthermore, just in case anyone was curious, after the seven people in their group each got a cookie, she divided the remaining ones evenly among them as well.


    <em>Better to just share everything right away. Keeping a few might cause a mad rush for themter, which would be a bad thing. Hunger does change people, and not in a good way¡­ I¡¯ve seen how frightening they can be¡­</em>


    Having just fought down her own beast of hunger, she was well aware of how dangerous it could be. She thought that they couldn¡¯t fight about the cookies if they had already eaten them. It was Mia¡¯s way of managing risks.


    They spent more time going through the tent, but they didn¡¯t find anything.


    The only other thing they found was something Mia had stuffed at the bottom of her trunk, hoping nobody would notice it¡­


    ¡°Oh, yes. This.¡±


    Mia looked glumly at the swimsuit.


    ¡°The indecent one Esmeralda gave me¡­ Well, this is useless now for sure.¡±


    She threw it away, but Anne ran up quickly and grabbed it from the air.


    ¡°Ah, mdy, wait.¡±


    She looked at it carefully before her eyes got a little bigger.


    ¡°This¡­ mdy¡­ we can make use of this.¡±

 Chapter 237

    <strong>Attracted by the Smell of Turmoil</strong>


    The Central Orthodox Church has been around for a long time, and it became prominent long before the Tearmoon Empire and Ganudos Port Country were created. Before it became an official religion, it was just a group of people led by a prophet who could hear God¡¯s words.


    They told people all over the world what the Holy Book said,ying the foundation for a shared set of morals and values. They thought it was part of their job to write down the histories of different countries and leave a record of how far people hade for future generations. They did this because they had been taught that their God was one who ¡°blessed people. And He took pleasure in seeing what people had made because He saw them as gifts to Him.¡±


    Because of this, it was very important for those who serve God to write down the histories, cultures, and systems of order that people had made, because these records were a tribute to God.


    Ganudos, of course, was home to a church of the Central Orthodox. It was in a corner of the capital, but it didn¡¯t have any facilities like an orphanage next to it. It was a simple building that wasn¡¯t too big or too small.


    Ludwig and Vanos sat in its basement archives just as the sun was turning orange in thete afternoon. Earlier in the day, their meetings with different senators had not gone well.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect much, so it¡¯s not really a shock¡­ All right then. What¡¯s next?¡± Ludwig asked.


    He wasn¡¯t really discouraged, but the fact that they kept using the Greenmoons as a distraction fuelled his suspicions. Ludwig went straight to the church¡¯s archives after greeting the local priest at the church door. He was trying to figure out Ganudos¡¯s history by reading old documents. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair. He could feel a headacheing on. His anger wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have enough information. In fact, it¡¯s the opposite.


    It was hard to believe how easy it was for him to get it. The information was all there sitting in in sight, and it spelled out a history he¡¯d had no idea about.


    ¡°Ever since Ganudos Port Country was founded, the Duke of Yellowmoon had been friendly with its people. He had sometimes given money from his own pocket to help the country. Then, at some point, the Duke of Greenmoon took over his job¡­¡±


    He looked at the pages in front of him as if he wanted to make sure he understood what he had read. Then he shut the history book and looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°How could they have kept these facts from us? At least, the Tearmoon government doesn¡¯t know about them. Or have I been the only one who didn¡¯t notice? Know that you don¡¯t know anything, huh? The words of my master are turning out to be painfully urate¡­¡±


    Ludwig knew how secrets were kept and how to keep them. The more people tried to hide secrets, the more obvious they became. It might have been harder to find out what was in the secret, but the fact that it held important information became even more clear.


    The problem with what he had just found out was that it wasn¡¯t a secret at all.


    All it took was a simple question. If he had known what to ask, he probably could have just asked around. And that was where the problem was. Why didn¡¯t he already know?


    He didn¡¯t know because no one bothered to tell him. These facts were left out of reports because they were thought to be so unimportant that they didn¡¯t deserve to be mentioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. These facts were not kept secret. They seemed so unimportant that even if someone found out about them, they wouldn¡¯t realise how important they were.¡±


    Ganudos was a small country that most people didn¡¯t see as much more than a ce to stop on the way across the Galilea Sea. It didn¡¯t matter much who spoke for the empire when they were negotiating with them. No one would have given it a second thought if the Yellowmoons gave their jobs to the Greenmoons.


    That is, no one until now.


    Ludwig thought.


    Had it just been a chance? Was the way things are now just a matter of chance? At first nce, that did seem like a possibility¡­


    ¡°But no. I should think that there is a n behind this.¡±


    His starting point was Mia. She had told him to find out more about this. The Great Wisdom of the Empire, the princess he worked for, thought there was something here¡­


    Something important enough for her to send him and Dion ia, the best soldier shemanded, to this country. That gave Ludwig enough to think about. To dig deeper and look for logical threads, with the hope that they would connect to make a web of intrigue.


    ¡°If this situation was set up on purpose, then what could be the point? Why should allmunication be centralised under the House of Greenmoon?¡±


    The first thing that came to mind was that the Duke of Greenmoon would be a better person to talk to about things. In other words, he was easy to take advantage of and more likely to agree to deals that benefited Ganudos, so they¡¯d rather keep him as their one and only way to get in touch.


    This looked like a real possibility¡­


    ¡°But if something happened to the Duke of Greenmoon, that would work against them. For instance, if he were ever killed, all business with the Port Country would stop. Trade would go downhill. But then, maybe that¡¯s the n?¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire had a low rate of food self-sufficiency, so it had to bring in a lot of food from other ces. Ganudos was a major ce from which these imports came.


    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think that would cause enough damage.¡±


    Even if Ganudos stopped sending food to the empire, it wouldn¡¯t fall apart right away. It had a lot of time to choose a new leader. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t impossible for the empire to stop trading with the Port Countrypletely and still stay in business. So why¡­


    Ludwig jerked up. Like a bolt of lightning, he saw the truth. Since the first time they met, what had Mia been thinking about all the time? She kept telling him that a crisis wasing and telling him over and over to get ready for it.


    ¡°Of course, the famine. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Everything made sense all at once. Let¡¯s say there was a famine, which made the empire¡¯s already low rate of food self-sufficiency even worse.


    If the flow of food from the Port Country stopped at that exact moment¡­ Right now, under Mia¡¯s direction, they were building up their stockpiles and setting up new supply routes through Forkroad & Co. If they had been forced to face such a crisis without any preparation, the results would have been unimaginable.


    ¡°If you follow that line of thinking, the Duke of Greenmoon would be more useful to Ganudos alive than dead. If her Highness¡¯s predictiones true and there is a famine, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if the Duke of Greenmoon ran away to another country. Ganudos could help him escape from behind the scenes, then make it impossible for his recement to do anything by insisting that all talks go through the Greenmoons. A recement would be chosen no matter what, but if the Duke were killed, they would have no choice but to ept the new face. A Duke who ran away was still the Duke, which gave them a reason to drag out the process. By itself, that would do a lot of damage to the empire.¡±


    First, they would make Tearmoon dependent on them. Then they would stop their support. Dependence makes people weak. Without relying on military power, Ganudos Port Country was set up to strike effectively at the heart of an opponent who was much stronger.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ludwig? You eat some bad stuff?¡±


    Ludwig looked up at the worried look on Vanos¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said with his teeth clenched.


    ¡°We got what we wanted. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As night fell, they walked out of the church into the dark. Ludwigughed and shook his head. He had thought about things for longer than he had thought.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯m starting to take after my master¡­¡±


    ¡°But did you figure out something?¡±


    On the way back to the inn, Ludwig told Vanos why he thought the way he did. The big man listened carefully and nodded until the end, when he said, ¡°Okay, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but isn¡¯t there a w in their n?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Yes, there is, and I haven¡¯t figured out how to fill it yet¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa, hold that thought!¡±


    Vanos put one hand on Ludwig¡¯s shoulder and pulled him. The other one hit him in the waist and pulled out his sword. The de made a metallic ng as soon as it was out of its sheath.


    A trail of sparks flew through the air, barely illuminating the shapes of men whose dark clothes melted into the night.


    Five people with curved des stood around them.


    ¡°These guys¡­¡±


    ¡°Son of¡ª When did they appear?¡±


    Vanos red at each attacker in turn as he held his sword out in front of him.


    ¡°Ganudos assassins?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but based on their weapons, I¡¯d say they were pirates.¡±


    They just looked at each other.


    After taking two deep breaths, the assassins attacked from the sides. Vanos kept them away by swinging his sword left and right and clicking his tongue.


    ¡°You guys are tough! They know what they¡¯re doing. Not regr pirates.¡±


    ¡°How likely are we to win?¡±


    ¡°Not good! They¡¯ll wear us out in the end. We go big or go home. Even then, I can only finish three before I fall. Possibly four. I don¡¯t like trading lives in that way. But you have to do what you have to do sometimes!¡±


    Vanos took a step forward. The muscles on his strong body puffed out to show that he didn¡¯t care about their enemies. He growled and pulled his lips back in a mean-looking grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight, and you run,¡± he said. ¡°Godspeed, Ludwig. If you get away, say hello to Her Highness for me.¡±


    ¡°Sir Vanos!¡±


    Ludwig tried to stop the big man, but the move just made him run faster. Vanos took off like a rocket.


    The killers pulled out their swords. Just before he ran into them, there was a sharp swish that split the air.


    It made an arc with the curved des of the assassins.


    In its wake, there was a gust of wind that made a ringing sound and then the sound of broken metal hitting the ground. The darkly dressed men all raised the ends of their weapons and gasped in shock at the same time. The timing was so good that it was almost pstick.


    ¡°Wait, what¡ª¡±


    They were scared and tried to turn toward where the wind wasing from¡­


    ¡°Ha ha, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    They froze..


    ¡°Whoever turns, dies.¡±


    The voice was lighthearted, but the person behind it was not. They instinctively knew that death was close because the hair on their necks stood up. When the t of a heavy de hit one of them on the shoulder, he let out a short yelp.


    ¡°Hey, this is good. I now understand why that Jem guy did what he did to the princess. The shaking can be felt in the de. Fun.¡±


    The de jumped around yfully just a few inches from the killer¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Got you out of a tight spot just now, Ludwig, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Dion ia, the best soldier in the empire, smiled.

 Chapter 238

    <strong>Detective Mia and the Case of the Crystal Clear Spring</strong>


    A clearing appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the thick forest.


    Water from a spring trickled down a small rock face and rippled the surface of a pond that was at least twice as big as the biggest bath in Saint-Noel. The mesmerising beauty of the spring, with its bright nkets of tiny flowers in full bloom, made it look like a scene from a fairy tale, as if a goddess was about toe out of the water at any moment.


    At its edge, the figure of a young, beautiful girl could be seen. She dipped her cute bathing suit-d toe into the water to see how it felt. Squealing in surprise, she quickly pulled her foot back.


    Even though she had felt how cold the water was, she sucked up some with her hand and sshed it over her skinny arms and legs. Glimmering globules of crystalline fluid rolled over the skin, making it shine even more.


    Now, the way the scene was set up could make some people think that a young beauty was about to make her first appearance in the story. To make things as clear as the spring water she was sshing on herself, the girl¡¯s name was Mia, and she wasn¡¯t divine or especially charming in terms of her looks.


    Also, the surprised squeal wasn¡¯t a cute ¡°Eeek!¡± as much as it was a ¡°Ngaah!¡± with a cracked voice.


    Again, just so that everyone is clear. What brought her here in the first ce? That was Anne¡¯s idea.


    ¡°Mdy, why don¡¯t you put on your swimsuit and take a quick dip this spring?¡±


    Esmeralda agreed and supported Anne¡¯s.


    They werepletely muddy from slogging through mud in the rain. Their skin and clothes were both covered in mud.


    Mia was so used to living in a dungeon that she didn¡¯t mind not washing for a day or two, but¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, mdy¡­ I can¡¯t get the mud out of all of your hair. Oh, this is the worst thing ever¡­ Your lovely hair¡­¡±


    Seeing how upset Anne was made her realise that she should take a bath. She was lucky that Esmeralda had brought her a swimsuit, so she could at least be partially covered during the act.


    Mia didn¡¯t have the guts to go naked swimming, even on an ind by herself.


    <em>So I thought, but to be honest, this is still a little embarrassing.</em>


    She looked over at Esmeralda, who was washing herself off in the spring, even though she was wearing the same swimsuit as Mia. Esmeralda¡¯s was never in danger because they were at the bottom of the trunk. While Mia¡¯s almost got blown away with the rest of their clothes.


    Nina had been holding on to it the whole time, careful to keep the swimsuit out of harm¡¯s way.


    Mia gave Esmeralda a look that said, ¡°Are you serious?¡± because she couldn¡¯t believe that a simple piece of clothing had been so well taken care of. But Esmeralda didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.


    Nina had given her the only answer, which she gave in a matter-of-fact way:


    ¡°Mdy Esmeralda was very excited about ying with Your Highness in swimsuits that matched. So that Mdy¡¯s hopes wouldn¡¯t be dashed, I decided to be extra careful and keep it with me at all times.¡±


    <em>Like mistress, like maid, I guess. This Nina person also seems pretty strange.</em>


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s great. You said that your maid came up with this, Miss Mia? Not bad for amoner,¡± Esmeralda said, and Mia was pulled out of her brief thought by her happy voice.


    <em>Oh no, there she goes again with her ¡°I¡¯m so important¡± act¡­ I swear that if she doesn¡¯t change her attitude soon, she¡¯s going to¡ªOh?</em>


    Mia¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to one thing. The point was, of course, that Esmeralda¡¯s midriff, or more specifically, her stomach, was showing. Because she swam a lot, it was firm and t, and it made a beautiful straight line from her chest to her hips. There, in that bared stomach, Mia saw the perfect curve she had always dreamed of having.


    ¡°B-But¡­ I¡­¡±


    She stuttered because she was too shocked to speak, and her hands went to her stomach. She yed with it. It had definitely lost its early-summer bounce and was back to how it was before spring break. It no longer made a mound of flesh when you pinched it. It¡¯s no longer a hill, but it¡¯s still a knob!


    When she looked again at Esmeralda¡¯s thin stomach, she had to admit a sad truth.


    <em>I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m losing to Esmeralda!</em>


    Anne said, ¡°Okay, mdy, it¡¯s time to clean you up.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash your hair first.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, go ahead¡­¡±


    Mia gave a weak answer because she felt so defeated, but then she suddenly understood what Anne¡¯s question meant.


    ¡°Wait, you said you¡¯d wash my hair before anything else?¡±


    Unlike Esmeralda and the other high-ranking nobles, Mia could take care of her own hygiene and bathe on her own. It was unthinkable to make Anne wait on her hand and foot for something like this.


    She knew it, and so did Anne. So, when Anne said ¡°first,¡± she wasn¡¯t talking about the order of body parts like hair, face, body, etc.


    She was going to wash something else after her hair.


    Knowing Anne, that something wasn¡¯t herself. Her devotion made her always put Mia¡¯s needs ahead of her own.


    <em>Then what does she want to wash after she washes my hair?</em>


    She took a quick look around her, but she stopped when she saw a certain object, or rather a pile of objects. Slowly, fear crept into the pit of her stomach, and she shivered. Her own muddy clothes were lying in a dirty pile at the edge of the pond.


    Now that the storm was over, the sky was clear and there was a lot of sunlight.


    Anne¡¯s clothes wouldn¡¯t take too long to dry if she washed and hung them up right now. Taking these things into ount, it was clear that after Anne washed her hair, she would wash her pile of clothes.


    Which was all right. Mia had no ns to put on her muddy clothes again after she had just taken a bath. What would happen while her clothes dried was the problem. She would just sit here and wait, right?


    No, because Anne would probably say something like, ¡°Leave the clothes to me, mdy. I¡¯ll wash and hang them up for you so you can go back and see the princes first.¡±


    Esmeralda would without a doubt agree with this statement and then say something like, ¡°That¡¯s right. Laundry is done by the servants. As people from well-born families, we should hang out with other high-born people. To the princes!¡±


    They would all want to send Mia back to the princes, which would not be good. Even worse, Mia agreed that they couldn¡¯t just wait until their clothes were dry to put them back on. That would make the boys wait a long time.


    <em>I¡¯m probably the one who knows the most about what we can find on this ind to eat¡­ I can¡¯t waste time here or our dinner tonight will suffer.</em>


    Also, she would have to follow Esmeralda back to camp even though she didn¡¯t want to.


    In her swimsuit! With her stomach out! She would be embarrassed if she went back. She was terrified by what could happen, so she tried to stop it as soon as she could.


    ¡°Oh, I just had a good idea! Could you bring me my clothes, Anne?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What for, mdy?¡±


    ¡°Well, since I¡¯m already in the water, I figured I might as well scrub them while you wash my hair.¡±


    ¡°What? No! That¡¯s what I do. Mdy, I can¡¯t let you do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia, she¡¯s right. Just have your maid do the menial tasks.¡± said Esmeralda, whose belly was so t it drove her crazy.


    Mia gave it a dirty look. In all honesty, it was rude. It should be against thew to be so t. She gave an angry snort.


    ¡°About what are you talking? Maids? Masters? It¡¯s not the right time to do that. Everyone needs to do what they can to help.¡±


    ¡°Anne,¡± she told her with amanding look, ¡°you pay attention to your work. If you¡¯re going to wash my hair, make sure it¡¯s clean all the way through. I¡¯ll do what I can until then¡­¡±


    She waded towards her pile of clothes.


    <em>I¡¯ll wash my clothes while Anne washes my hair. I¡¯ll hang them up after that. So, they will be dry by the time I¡¯m done taking a bath. I¡¯m sure of it! But I have to work quickly! Wash quickly! Hang fast! So they dry quickly! Then put them on and go back.</em>


    She thought to herself as she put a piece of clothing in the water and started to scrub it.

 Chapter 239

    <strong>Tokuun!</strong>


    The boys went back to the beach while the girls were out enjoying spring. Sion crossed his arms as he looked at the broken shoreline.


    ¡°Well. What should we do next?¡±


    ¡°Good question.¡± Abel answered with a grimace. ¡°Well, first of all, I don¡¯t see any wreckage, so¡­¡±


    When they looked through the trash along the coast, they didn¡¯t find anything that looked like it came from the Emerald Star. They also didn¡¯t find any bodies or hurt sailors.


    ¡°But we need to be sure. Whether or not that boat is still floating will determine what we do next. If it¡¯s moored somewhere else on the ind to get out of the storm, we can just wait until ites back. Even if it has some damage, we can still send it back to Ganudos to ask for help as long as it can still sail. That being said¡­¡±


    Keithwood picked up where Sion left off and said, ¡°That storm was a doozy. Lady Esmeralda seemed pretty confident about how strong her yacht was, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much we can trust what she says. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but when she talks, she sounds like every other noble bigwig. If someone believes in that way of thinking, their confidence isn¡¯t very reassuring.¡±


    Sion nodded to show that he agreed with what Abel said.


    ¡°Agreed. At the very least, we should be sceptical of what she says. For all our sakes.¡±


    ¡°We should probably move forward with the idea that the yacht sank.¡±


    If the Emerald Star was still in one piece, the n would be simple: they would just have to wait. They might have to stay alive for a few days, but help wouldn¡¯t be far away. They could camp here without much trouble for about a week.


    If the Emerald Star had gone down, things would look very different for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not likely that we¡¯ll be able to get off this ind on our own,¡± Sion said.


    Abel grimaced again.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯d have to build a new boat, and I don¡¯t think any of us are up for that¡­ Who knows, though? Maybe Mia will think of something great, like she always does.¡±


    It seemed like Mia¡¯s shoulders were a ma for other people¡¯s hopes and expectations, even when she didn¡¯t want them there.


    ¡°The most likely way for us to be saved is for one of Princess Mia¡¯s servants or someone from the House of Greenmoon to notice that something is wrong and send out a search party. From what I¡¯ve seen, that Ludwig guy in particr seems pretty smart.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll need a way to show them where this ind is.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should do something like send up smoke signals?¡±


    Abel did what he always does and made a n that was expected but still good.


    ¡°That seems good. Okay, let¡¯s work on just two things for now. First, send up smoke signals to get help. Second, make sure we have enough food,¡± Sion said before pausing tough.


    ¡°When ites to food, what Mia did back there really surprised me.¡±


    Keithwood gave a serious nod to show that he agreed.


    ¡°Yes. Who would have thought that she would be so generous with her own food in this situation? And to us as well, the servants.¡±


    ¡°Given the policies she¡¯s been putting into ce in Tearmoon, it would be silly to think that she doesn¡¯t know how important food supplies are. So it¡¯s even more surprising that she was so willing to give up her own. I never had any doubts about her honesty, but still¡­ She¡¯s amazing.¡±


    As Sion talked, he thought about himself.


    <em>We should choose a leader if we¡¯re going to live on this ind. I was deciding between myself, Mia, and Abel, but now that I¡¯ve seen how hot the sun is, I don¡¯t think I have the guts to put myself forward.</em>


    Mia and Anne were the first ones to meet up on the beach. The first person¡¯s clothes were dry, but the second person¡¯s were still a little damp.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Anne had said with a smile.


    When Mia looked worried, she told her, ¡°They¡¯ll dry while I¡¯m wearing them.¡±


    But now, as the full heat of the sun beat down on them, she wondered if she¡¯d made a mistake as she looked enviously at her maid¡¯s cool, wet clothes.


    ¡°Ah, Mia, you¡¯re ba¡ª Hm? Where¡¯s Lady Esmeralda?¡±


    ¡°She said she would wait until Nina did herundry.¡±


    Sion and the other boys all looked at her like they didn¡¯t understand. They didn¡¯t understand why Esmeralda was so insistent on dividing up the work until Anne gave them a more detailed exnation. To which upon hearing, they rolled their eyes.


    ¡°Well, I guess it makes sense¡­¡± Sion sighed.


    ¡°We need to talk about some important things, so let¡¯s wait for her to get here.¡±


    After about an hour, Esmeralda and Nina finally showed up with Nina in tow. During that time, they had finished making ns for a signal fire on the beach.


    Before he spoke, Sion looked at each of them in turn to make sure the whole team was there.


    ¡°I think we should choose a leader for the group until we figure out how to get off this deserted ind.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. Well, they do say that too many captains make a ship sail for the moon,¡± Mia agreed, then put her finger to her chin to think.


    <em>Well, if we need a leader, I think I should be it.</em>


    She thought she was a good fit for the job. It seemed likely that she was the person in their group who knew the most about how to stay alive. She knew what nts could be eaten and how to catch fish.


    Well, at least river fish. She was not a novice.


    With everything she¡¯d learned, she felt sure that she could even tell the difference between poisonous and edible mushrooms, which was said to be hard. Which was true, as long as we were talking about her confidence.


    She was ready to volunteer for the job, which was a big change from howzy she usually was. It was important for her own safety. There was no room for beingzy about it.


    <em>But if I put myself forward, things might get messy,</em> she thought as she stole a look at Esmeralda. Since she was the trip¡¯s host, it did make sense for her to take charge.


    <em>How strange. But for some reason, if Esmeralda bes leader, I can¡¯t help but think that none of us will get out of this alive.</em>


    Her ¡°danger alert¡± went off when she thought about it.


    It seemed to be begging, ¡°Not Esmeralda!¡± Pick someone else for leader! Anyone else! Hopefully it¡¯s not her!


    Mia decided to do what it begged her to do.


    ¡°Being in charge isn¡¯t always easy, so I think one of these fine gentlemen would be the best choice. Don¡¯t you agree, Esmeralda?¡±


    She said it with a fakeck of interest, choosing her words carefully to avoid sounding like she was nominating herself. By doing this, she also subtly changed Esmeralda¡¯s mind about wanting to take on the role herself.


    ¡°Yes, I guess I would like a gentleman to be in charge in this situation. I think you¡¯re right, Miss Mia,¡± Esmeralda said, and this seemed to convince her.


    Mia¡¯s n to trick people worked. She was smart to take advantage of the fact that Esmeralda usually thought in a conservative way about things like that.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± said Sion, who had figured out Mia¡¯s n.


    He studied Esmeralda briefly before nodding.


    ¡°Of course, yes. Then, either Abel or I will lead.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but I¡¯ll let you do that,¡± Abel said.


    ¡°Why is that? You know there¡¯s no need to be humble right now, right?¡±


    Abel turned his head down to hide his grimace. Then he gave a head shake.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just trying to make things better. I mean, I¡¯ve already been in charge of an army before. I thought you should be in charge here so you could gain some experience. The same rules for everyone, you know?¡±


    He said it with a friendly smirk.


    ¡°As for me, I think this time I¡¯ll just try to keep Mia safe.¡±


    Abel¡¯s smirk hid the fact that he had mixed feelings.


    He really, really wanted to be in charge.


    Sion knew that being in charge here was a matter of pride. So, he had set it up as a discussion and asked Abel for his thoughts.


    <em>I can try to be the hero, and I know I want to, but if my ego ends up putting Mia in danger, I¡¯ll never forgive myself.</em>


    He knew who he was. Too well, perhaps. Discipline and hard work were things he was good at. He wouldn¡¯t stop working or give up.


    But excellence? Brilliance?


    He could never have them because they were Sion¡¯s. He finally stepped back and asked Sion to take charge. The best way to keep Mia safe was to do that.


    He was aware of this. It was the best decision. And yet¡­Being right¡­doesn¡¯t make it any easier to swallow.


    So, he smirked. He was embarrassed, but he was able to hide it with a casual smile.


    ¡°As for me, I think this time I¡¯ll just try to keep Mia safe.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t pick up on the hint of pain in his words.


    ¡°Oh my, Abel¡­¡±


    Ba-dum!


    Mia¡¯s heart made a sound that was almost audible to anybody near her. All she heard, bless her heart, was that she¡¯d have a lot of time alone with Abel.

 Chapter 240

    <strong>It¡¯s Fine</strong>


    Under Sion¡¯s direction, the group moved forward quickly. Now that everything was ready, all that was left to do was start the signal fire.


    ¡°I think this can be done by rubbing two branches together, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess Mia, you have a lot of knowledge. This time, though, I brought a flint with me, so let me do it,¡± Keithwood said.


    He knew from her question that her survival skills were not very good and were more of an academic interest than something she could use in real life. He told himself that he would never leave her alone with something that was important to their survival, because he knew that nothing was more dangerous than a little knowledge. Those who thought they were capable were the ones who failed the worst.


    He thought, ¡°It looks like I should keep an eye on the princess,¡± but his worst fears came true right away.


    ¡°Oh! I have a thought! Why don¡¯t you let me take care of the forest if we¡¯re going to look for food? I know quite a bit about what grows there, you know. All the nts, mushrooms, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to go with you, Princess Mia, on your quest in the woods. Since we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the ind, it¡¯s important for your safety that you do what I say when we get there. Will that be okay?¡±


    He smiled a friendly smile, the kind where the lips, cheeks, and eyes all curled in the right way, but there weren¡¯t quite enough muscles moving for it to be real. Mia didn¡¯t notice or care about this small w at all.


    ¡°Wow, look at that nt! What do they call it? I think it has to do with mugwort. It¡¯s meant to be bitter but still eatable.¡±


    ¡°Ah, impressive. You¡¯re exactly right. The name for this is Southsea Mugwort. By parboiling it, you can get rid of some of the bitter taste. Very healthy food though. Nice find.¡±


    Mia and Keithwood were finally sent into the forest to look for food. Sion and Abel would watch the signal fire while they tried to catch fish at sea. Last but not least, Anne, Nina, and Esmeralda would stay in the cave and get ready to cook the food that the others had brought back.


    ¡°As a Greenmoon, I promise that Ni¡ªum, my maid will make a delicious dinner that lives up to our name. We might not have enough tools, but I don¡¯t think that will be a problem. Right?¡±


    Esmeralda looked at Nina with a questioning look. Nina¡¯s eyes moved diagonally up as she thought about what to do.


    ¡°Give me a moment¡­ The menu will be small, but if we have enough food, I think I can make something edible,¡± she said, taking the task Esmeralda gave her with a straight face.


    Mia looked at her for a moment.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± She muttered to herself, ¡°Poor girl, having to deal with Esmeralda¡¯s nonsense all the time,¡± and then she shrugged.


    ¡°Oh well. She¡¯s done it a lot, so at least she¡¯s good at it. I think she¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice that Keithwood¡¯s eyes were getting tired and far away as he stared at her. She was blissfully unaware of the irony in her rudement. Still, he didn¡¯t say anything, and the two of them went on their hunt for food with mostly no bad feelings.


    But Keithwood was beginning to change his mind. After entering the forest, Mia found nt after nt that could be eaten, and they soon had a nice collection of tasty greens.


    If he was being totally honest, it was pretty impressive. So impressive, in fact, that it made him wonder if he¡¯d been too hard on her and if her survival skills, which seemed half-baked at first, had actually been cooking for a lot longer than he¡¯d thought.


    Mia quickly said that this assumption about her ability was wrong.


    ¡°Ah, look! I think this is a mushroom that can be eaten. I¡¯m sure of it, in fact.¡±


    She said, ¡°My gut tells me so,¡± as she reached for the fungus.


    Keithwood moved quickly to stop her.


    ¡°For the love of¡ªoh, excuse me. Princess Mia, no. We won¡¯t eat mushrooms,¡± he said in a friendly but firm way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Excuse me? I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡±


    She asked with a frown, ¡°Why are we not eating mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°Because.¡±


    ¡°Because?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re good. Let¡¯s move on now.¡±


    Mia pouted to say she didn¡¯t want to, but his firm insistence scared her, so she reluctantly gave up her fungus prize.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame¡­ It also looks so good¡­¡±


    The thing she was about to pick was called the three-day maitake, just so you know. Its name, ¡°maitake,¡± which means ¡°dancing mushroom,¡± and ¡°three-day,¡± which means ¡°three days,¡± could tell you something about how dangerous it is. If you ate one of these, the hallucinogenic poison in it would make you want to dance for three days straight. No way could you eat it.


    Everyone¡¯s lives have just been saved by Keithwood. Or at least their pride as a group.


    ¡°Speaking of tasty,¡± Mia said, and she quickly turned her attention to something else. ¡°See that fruit way up there? It looks good, doesn¡¯t it? But I know for sure that it is actually poisonous.¡±


    ¡°You are correct. That fruit is called the ogre yer. You really know your stuff,¡± Keithwood said back. ¡°Except when ites to mushrooms,¡± he added, but didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    <em>Really, what does this girl have with mushrooms? How can she be so obsessed with them when she knows so little about them?</em>


    He had just started to think about how Mia was a walking mystery when he suddenly grabbed her wrist. The action had be almost automatic.


    A white mushroom was just a few inches from her outstretched hand. Its colour was so bright and bold that it almost screamed ¡°deadly poisonous.¡±


    Both of them looked at it for a second before they looked at each other.


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± he asked without raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Oh, I just¡­,¡± she said in a shy way, but her hand was out in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this mushroom before, but it looked kind of interesting. I was wondering if it might give our dinner some vour. Like a special ingredient or something?¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But, but, it could taste great¡ª¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be used.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that mushrooms really bring out the taste of a soup? Even more so in a rabbit stew¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to catch a rabbit first if you want rabbit stew. So, I think the right order should be to worry about vours and secret ingredients only after we get the other things we need. Do you think that¡¯s right, Princess Mia?¡±


    He was happy. Well, at least his lips did. There was nothing else on his face that made them work.


    She finally gave in and said, ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± Then she sighed and shook her head as if to say, ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°But Keithwood, you really need to learn how to be a little more flexible. You¡¯ll never make friends if you¡¯re always ruining parties.¡±


    A vein on his temple popped, but he kept his smile on and kept thinking about how kind she was to give him the cookies until it went away. The gratitude worth a cookie goes a long way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the mushrooms for now and focus on getting ingredients that don¡¯t need much work. Princess Mia, would that be okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. I swear, it¡¯s your luck that I¡¯m so helpful¡­¡±


    On that day, Keithwood¡¯s veins worked hard.

 Chapter 241

    <strong>Ludwig Makes Others Delusional</strong>


    Thanks to Dion¡¯s timely intervention, Ludwig barely escaped the assassination attempt. He was able to watch as his attackers were given a good beating, rounded up, tied together with rope, and brought all the way back to the inn.


    ¡°S-Sir, what does this all mean? Who are these people?¡± asked the owner of the inn, who clearly had no idea what was happening.


    ¡°Well, then, Ludwig, I¡¯ll let you do the talking,¡± said Dion as he walked away.


    Ludwigughed and shook his head in resignation before telling the owner what was going on.


    While this was going on, the assassins were led to a room in the inn with their hands tied behind their backs. There, a group of the Princess Guard was already crowded into the small space.


    Some of the Guard were rough and mean, while others were calm and dependable.


    Even though they were met with many angry looks and growls when they entered the room, the captives did not show the slightest bit of fear.


    ¡°All right,¡± Dion said with a smile. ¡°We have a lot of questions, so why don¡¯t you all talk, hm?¡±


    He pulled out his sword that made the room feel cold. It seemed like a few degrees had dropped. Some of the prisoners started to sweat when they thought about how well he had used the weapon just recently.


    One of the guards asked Captain Dion, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to keep them all in here?¡±


    The underlying message, of course, was that victims were usually easier to question when they were alone.


    Dion just gave a shrug when he heard the idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer your captain, but it¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll keep them here like this. After all, it¡¯s one thing to hear that your friends are hurting, but it¡¯s another to see them scream and die. I think the second one has a stronger effect. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    The prisoners stood up to protest.


    ¡°Y-You think that kind of threat will make us back down?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought your princess was supposed to be kind and all that? I heard she doesn¡¯t like torture.¡±


    Ludwig walked into the room and talked to them instead of Dion.


    ¡°Such threats are, in fact, wrong. Yourints are valid. You already said that Her Highness is very kind. She can¡¯t help but be kind,¡± he said with a calm smile. ¡°Let me tell you something we¡¯ve never told anyone else. When Her Highness was in the Kingdom of Remno dealing with the uprising, there was a group of people who were working against her. They were spies from a different country, and one of them even held a sword up to Her Highness. This was, of course, a terrible crime that should be punished in the harshest way possible.¡±


    When a topic that seemed unrted was brought up all of a sudden, the captives looked confused.


    Ludwig kept going anyway.


    ¡°In the end, they were all caught alive. So, here¡¯s my question for you. What do you think is going on with them now?¡±


    One of the prisonersughed.


    ¡°What kind of a question is that? They are, of course, dead. Either your cruel friend there cut off their heads, or they died of torture in a dungeon somewhere.¡±


    Ludwig shook his head in a quiet way.


    ¡°No. Everyone is still alive. Under the care of Lady Rafina, they are still alive and well. Every day, they listen to her sermons, copy the Holy Book, and do good things for others. They are a good example.¡±


    During the long silence, the prisoners just stood there with their mouths open.


    Then theyughed mockingly.


    ¡°Are you serious? Is this the punishment for trying to kill her? What a joke! Your princess is a real softie, for sure!¡±


    Theughter faded, however, when the captives realised that their leader had suddenly gone silent. The humour had drained from his face, along with all colour.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up? Why so quiet? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The leader didn¡¯t answer the questions of his followers and instead looked straight at Ludwig.


    ¡°These¡­people. Did they really work as spies? Not just regr soldiers?¡±


    ¡°They were good at being spies. Men with a lot of experience and the most rigorous training. Professionals who didn¡¯t care if they killed or were killed as long as it helped them do their jobs. They had also been given a lot of training on how to endure torture.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t say anything, but his actions were starting to worry the other people.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell is wrong?¡±


    ¡°What does this guy want to say?¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± the man finally said, ¡°how do you get a bunch of top-notch spies to just¡­decide to go clean? These are people who have been taught to kill. They kill people like livestock. And now you¡¯re telling me that every day they have to listen to lectures? Putting holy verses on paper? Helping people?¡±


    He looked at them.


    ¡°They gave up. ¡°What in the name of hell did that take?¡±


    The result was a very loud silence.


    Slowly, the others began to see what it meant. It became clear what had happened. These spies had caused a lot of trouble and put the lives of Tearmoon royalty in danger. They had done the worst kind of wrongdoing.


    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t get away without punishment. In other words, they did get in trouble for something.


    After that, they became religious people who took their faith very seriously. No matter what happened to them, it made them want to find God. With a burning desire.


    So what was this punishment that was so good that it turned bad people into saints?


    ¡°Y-You mean, they were so traumatised that all they can do is listen to sermons and write out the Bible every day?¡±


    When do people want to be close to God? When you¡¯re so scared you can¡¯t stand it, of course. Just like when they were fighting Dion and all prayed for their lives.


    So, whatever was waiting for them must have been something that would make them want it every day¡­


    Ludwig, however, shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. They¡¯re not doing it because they¡¯re afraid.¡±


    A longer silence ensued. The statement didn¡¯t give them anyfort at all.


    At least fear made sense. The fear of pain, mental anguish, and the endless emptiness of death¡­


    These were terrible things, but they were not impossible to understand. Being able to imagine them made them easier to deal with.


    But if fear wasn¡¯t what caused the strange change in the spies, then what was it?


    In that case, no one knew what had caused it. It seemed like it couldn¡¯t be done. How could these spies, who had spent their lives doing the worst jobs, be so religious all of a sudden?


    Those people must have been changed to the core. No matter what happened to them, it would have had topletely change who they were and what they believed.


    A known fear was limited, but an unknown fear wasn¡¯t.


    Without the limits of reality to hold them back, the would-be assassins fell into a deep silence as their minds filled with all kinds of cosmic and otherworldly horrors.


    Ludwig then smiled at them, and his face looked almost kind.


    ¡°Because of this, you¡¯ll all be fine. You won¡¯t be hurt in any way. You will not be killed. None of that will happen. You¡¯ll just turn out like them,¡± he said as he put aforting hand on the shoulder of a prisoner.


    ¡°Gyaaah!¡±


    The man immediately flinched and moved away.


    Ludwig¡¯s words made them think and wonder, even though they didn¡¯t want to, what transcendent horrors they were about to face that couldn¡¯t be put into words.


    ¡°Now,e. You don¡¯t have to be so scared. Her Highness is most benevolent.¡±


    At this point, no one believed what Ludwig said anymore.


    ¡°She won¡¯t do anything bad to you. That¡¯s not necessary. You¡¯ll dly give her your hearts.¡±


    Their minds were filled with images of tearing open their own chests in a mad rush, trying to be the first to give the princess their still-beating heart.


    The room was full of scared gasps.


    ¡°Where did my good manners go? You must be thirsty after walking so far. I¡¯ll have some beer delivered.¡±


    They heard that as a way of saying, ¡°Enjoy it while you can still do it.¡±


    The staging was also very good. Dion stood nearby, giving off an air of danger that made people feel hopeless.


    As the prisoners looked at him, they tried to guess what kind of nightmare creature his master, Her Imperial Highness Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon, would be.


    ¡°It was the King of Ganudos! H-He told us to do it¡­¡± They cracked.

 Chapter 242

    <strong>Go Ahead, Mia Expedition!</strong>


    The Mia Expedition,posed of only two people, went deeper into the forest to look for food.


    They already had a big pile of wild grass, but Mia wanted something else.


    <em>If we can¡¯t get a rabbit, at least we should try to get some other kind of meat¡­</em>


    She already thought of rabbits as ¡°meat¡± in her mind. All of the leporids on the ind were suddenly in immediate danger.


    ¡°Oh, that makes me think. I¡¯ve heard that frog meat tastes a lot like chicken. Keithwood, have you ever tried it before?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice that his face looked tense as she kept talking about food.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that people in the south eat bugs, but the idea doesn¡¯t really appeal to me. But what about snakes? I might be willing to try a few bites if they are cooked well¡­ Even so, the mushrooms¡­ Not to mention the mushrooms¡­¡±


    Keithwood finally spoke up when he heard her mumbling even though he was close enough to hear her.


    ¡°Princess Mia, I¡¯m sorry, but I need to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then ask away.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about how to eat in the wilderness. Is it because you¡¯re getting ready for a famine you think will happen soon?¡±


    ¡°My¡­ How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Ludwig told me about it when we were in the same carriage.¡±


    She thought about what to say for a moment.


    ¡°I see. So, good for him. He was smart to tell you that.¡±


    She gave a firm nod and then said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly what he said. The harvest will be bad next year, and it will stay bad for a few more years after that. Because of this, there will be famine across the whole continent. Preparing for it is very important. Take this as an advice and a warning from me.¡±


    In reality, she didn¡¯t give a damn about what happened in the Kingdom of Sunnd. They seemed to have gotten through the famine in the other timeline, so she thought they would be fine this time, too.


    But at that moment, she remembered a problem she had had with Sion in the past.


    During their undercover mission to Remno, when they were sitting around a campfire, she told him that he was too quick to judge without enough information. In particr, she was thinking about how umunicative he had been before he called her a ¡°enemy of the people.¡±


    For crying out loud, they had been in the same ss! He could have spoken up. Even a quick ¡°Hey, how about you tone it down a little¡± might have helped her keep her head on her shoulders.


    So, she told Keithwood to be careful.


    In line with the moral principle of ¡°do unto others as you would have them do unto you,¡± she¡ªoh, who are we kidding?


    Of course not.


    Her real reason was more like:


    <em>I am telling this to them because I am a kind and forgiving person. I don¡¯t hold the past against them. If the roles were reversed, there¡¯s no gurantee that Sion wouldn¡¯t hold it against me! I can totally see him taking revenge on me to get even.</em>


    ¡­Self-preservation. In particr, she was worried that an angry Sion would retaliate her.


    <em>I guess I also owe them something. It seems like a good idea to square the debt¡­</em>


    She didn¡¯t decide to give a warning until she had done all of theseplicated calctions.


    ¡°I think Sunnd should take some precautions right away.¡±


    Keithwood, on the other hand, tilted his head in a curious way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that you¡¯re telling the truth, Princess Mia, but how do you know? Is it even possible to guess something like that?¡±


    His response did not surprise Mia. People had every right to wonder if her warning was true. None of them could remember what would happen in the future, and none of them had seen her old diary. She couldn¡¯t just walk up to them and tell them how bad the future was going to be and expect them to believe her.


    She made her answer fit the situation.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s up to you to decide if you believe me or not. But the way I see it, there¡¯s a difference between believing a famine ising, preparing for it, and then it not happening, and not taking precautions and getting caught off guard. Well, one way is definitely sadder than the other.¡±


    ¡°I see. Prepare for the worst always¡­¡±


    Keithwood said, his voice carrying a hint of quiet admiration.


    Mia surprised him by shaking her head and giving him a sneaky smile.


    ¡°No, not really. I meant¡­which mistake is easier tough off? Let¡¯s say I say there will be a famine and people believe me. People store up a lot of food, but the famine neveres. Well, we can use all that extra food for my birthday party. We will feed the people for free. It¡¯s food, right? You can just eat it any time.¡±


    Yes, it would be wasteful and a sign of an egotistical princess¡¯s excesses, but the people, who would be enjoying her indulgence, wouldn¡¯t do much more than give her wry smiles.


    ¡°The point is that I would only get a p on the wrist,¡± she said.


    She also had ns for a different kind of future, one in which strong wheat yields led to a huge amount of extra food. ns to eat a lot of cake. She was sure that it would have been a good mistake to do it.


    At the end of the day, it all came down to a simple truth: people were happier when they had extra cake than when they didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So I see. I think that¡¯s a good thing to do.¡±


    As they walked, Keithwood looked at Mia and felt more respect for her.


    The forest was soon reced by a rocky area.


    They were just west of the centre of the ind.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to walk around here¡­ Eek!¡±


    She fell because the rocks she was walking on gave way.


    He came in quickly and caught her.


    ¡°Now be careful. It looks like we¡¯re walking on loose rock here. There is no solid ground. We might not want to go this way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should also tell the others. Even so, it goes in the opposite direction of the spring. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have toe here.¡±


    She stopped and looked up at him as he stood over her to protect her. Then, with a smile, she gave him a gentle elbow.


    ¡°Wow, Keithwood, you really know how to talk to girls, don¡¯t you? How many hearts have you broken?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, I¡¯ll let you think about that. ¡°Right now, the only thing that¡¯s breaking is my back,¡± he said as he smiled and scratched his cheek.

 Chapter 243

    <strong>Harmonious Survival</strong>


    When Mia and Keithwood got back to the beach with their haul of leaves and fruit, the food was already being cooked. A makeshift kitchen had been set up, with a wooden stand set up over a fire and a nice metal pot sitting on top. Inside, thick slices of fish, shellfish, and seaweed were cooked together to make a stew that was very rich in seafood.


    ¡°My! Stew!¡±


    Mia gasped with joy at what she saw. She had given up on that dream because she thought that even if they caught a rabbit, they wouldn¡¯t have a pot to cook it in.


    Now, the door to some delicious rabbit stew was once again open. Again, the rabbits on the ind were in danger of ending up in her stomach.


    ¡°Nice.¡± Keithwood was impressed and asked, ¡°How did you find a pot?¡±


    Nina answered in her usual calm and emotionless way.


    ¡°When ites to food, our main goal is to make sure it is safe to eat. So, most things are fine as long as you heat them all the way through. Stewing or pan-broiling is the easiest way to cook, so I thought having a pot around would be helpful. Then I remembered that we had brought one with us and thought that a big pot that could serve a lot of people might not be so easily blown away. After a bit of searching, I was able to find it on a nearby branch.¡±


    As she talked, Keithwood¡¯s eyes got farther away from her.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Priorities¡­ Of course. What you say makes a lot of sense. It¡¯s nice to know that our meals are being made by an experienced, smart cook like you,¡± he said with the relief of a lost soul who had found a fellow countryman in a foreignnd.


    Mia gave him a puzzled look, but the topic didn¡¯t hold her attention for long, so she gave a ¡°eh, whatever¡± shrug.


    ¡°Whatever the case, this is great news.


    We can stew rabbit now that we have a pot, and we can even add mushrooms¡­¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s eyes got less happy, though, when Mia started naming all the tasty things she wanted to try. Even though the pot was big, her goals were even bigger.


    ¡°But I have to say, seaweed is one thing, but how did you catch all of these fish? I don¡¯t think we brought any fishing rods.¡±


    ¡°We found some sticks in the woods,¡± said Abel.


    ¡°About the string, I¡¯m sorry to say that your attendant had to give up something important to us.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait, Anne?¡±


    Mia looked at Anne and wondered what he meant by that.


    She looked her maid over from head to toe, and then noticed that the back of her long, red hair was showing.


    ¡°No¡­ You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ After all, it is said that a woman¡¯s hair is her crowning glory. I know how important it is, but¡­¡±


    He bit his lip, which made Anneugh.


    ¡°Oh,e on. Hair grows back, and I don¡¯t have to do anything to make it happen. I was going to have to cut it anyway, so I might as well use it! Also, if my hair helped mdy have a nice, filling meal of fish, that makes me happier than my hair ever has.¡±


    ¡°Anne¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s lips moved slightly when she saw such a sincere show of love. She looked at the things she had found on her trip to try to calm down.


    She set out some wild nts and fruits and said, ¡°If we¡¯re having seafood stew, I¡¯m afraid the things we brought back won¡¯t go very well with it.¡±


    ¡°Whoa. It is a lot. You picked all of that?¡±


    Abel¡¯s eyes went wide. Both Sion and Nina were shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m sure that any of you could have done it.¡±


    Her humble answer would have been humble if she hadn¡¯t said it with the silliest grin on her face.


    ¡°And Keithwood helped.¡±


    ¡°No, Princess Mia, it was all you. I have to say that your vast knowledge has really impressed me,¡± he said with a deep bow, before turning back to look at the far horizon and murmuring, ¡°I only wish you could have¡­held back a little on your interest in mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t hear him, so she only frowned at him before her eyes went to other things that looked more tasty. She didn¡¯t worry about small things because she had a big heart, as big as the pot of stew she was making at the moment.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way, we also found fullmoon palm fruit. Its juice is very sweet, and we might be able to use the hard shell to hold something,¡± she said.


    Keithwood added, ¡°We only picked one. We¡¯ll go back and get more if we can open it and find that it¡¯s useful.¡±


    Nina gave a firm nod when the idea was made.


    ¡°Thank you again. I was just thinking that we¡¯ll need some bowls for the stew.¡±


    She looked over the things Mia brought back with her lips together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick these nts clean and put them in the stew. I think I can use the palm fruit juice as a seasoning. It might give it a little more vour,¡± she said in a straightforward way.


    Mia had heard that sound before. It was the tone of a woman who was aplished and knew what she was doing.


    She thought of herself as a pretty aplished woman, so when she heard what it meant, her eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Wow, Nina, are you really saying that you can cook well under these conditions? I thought Esmeralda was just being herself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my simple skills can meet the high standards of royalty like you. I will try as hard as I can, but I¡¯m sorry in advance if I¡¯m not good enough.¡±


    Nina bowed her head in shame, but Mia ignored her and turned her attention to the pot of stew.


    ¡°You¡¯re not being fair to yourself. Really, you¡¯ve done more than enough, especially considering what¡¯s going on. Check out this stew. It smells great.¡±


    ¡°It sure does,¡± said Keithwood, who had missed the first part of getting ready and was watching with interest.


    ¡°What did you put on it to vour it? Just salt?¡±


    Nina gave a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it a habit to carry magic powder with me so that mdy Esmeralda can always have delicious meals.¡±


    ¡°M-Magic powder?¡± asked Mia, who didn¡¯t understand.


    Nina held up a bottle that was hanging around her neck.


    ¡°This bottle of spiceses from another country. One shake of this is enough to make almost any dish taste much better.¡±


    ¡°My! Are you serious! This?!¡±


    Mia looked at the bottle, interested in what was inside.


    Everyone in the group was in a good mood, and everyone shared in theughter. Everyone except for a sad Esmeralda, who showed she was good at making her cheeks look like chipmunks.


    There¡¯s no need to point out how much she looks like Mia.

 Chapter 244

    <strong>Mia and Esmeralda¡¯s Sleepless Night</strong>


    <em>I won¡¯t let this happen! No, I won¡¯t!</em>


    Esmeralda grunted in displeasure as she put more of Nina¡¯s special seafood stew in her mouth.


    The juice from the fullmoon palm fruit gave the sea salt seasoning a nice bite, and Nina¡¯s magic spice powder made it even better. As the hot soup went down her throat and warmed her body, it gave off a pleasant smell.


    When added to the perfectly boiled greens that Mia had brought back, the stew turned out to be better than most meals served at a typical local inn. All of that was great. As a maid for the Greenmoons, she was expected to be this good in the kitchen.


    Esmeralda¡¯sint was about something else: ¡°Why does no one praise my cooking?¡±


    Their masters were responsible for what their servants did well. Since Nina made tasty food, Esmeralda should be recognised as her mistress. Still, everyone kept telling Nina how good her cooking was, which made her mad. No one praised Esmeralda.


    <em>This doesn¡¯t make sense! It¡¯s just not true!</em>


    Esmeralda had helped with the cooking, even though she didn¡¯t want to.


    Even though it was bad enough that the two princes were doing the dirty work, Mia also got her hands dirty, so Esmeralda had no choice but to help out. The girl had worked so hard, sweet moons.


    If Mia had the sense to ck off, Esmeralda could have said, ¡°Surely, this kind of work is beneathdies of noble blood like us,¡± and ¡°Let¡¯s leave the physical work to the boys,¡± respectively.


    But since Mia, who was in charge of her and younger than her, was willing to help, she had no reason not to. So, it was only natural that her anger went in the direction of Mia.


    <em>She always acts this way! For heaven¡¯s sake, we¡¯re nobles! We¡¯re supposed to be proud of the work that the poor peasants do for us. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been done!</em>


    Tradition and custom set the rules for how high-ranking nobles should act, and she did the same. It was done in a proper way. A sense of pride that those with higher blood were expected to have.


    Mia¡¯s actions were hard to understand for someone who had been taught these ideas since she was a child. From the way she remembered the names of all her servants to the eagerness with which she did simple, boring tasks, everything about her was very strange.


    In Esmeralda¡¯s eyes, Mia was like a walking mystery. She didn¡¯t seem to have anymon sense and often did things that made her and her status as a princess look bad.


    <em>And because of her stupidity, I have to do the same thing¡­ What a terrible hassle!</em>


    Her anger kept building up all night, and it followed her into her rough bed. The rest of the group quickly fell asleep after working hard to figure out how to live on an ind they didn¡¯t know. She was left alone to worry, and her bad mood made it hard for her to fall asleep.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t sleep. I can¡¯t get to sleep at all! ¡°Perhaps I should go for a walk¡­¡±


    She sat up and blinked, giving her eyes time to get used to the dark.


    When she saw that everyone was fast asleep, she gave a happy nod and stood up. She took a few steps toward the entrance of the cave and then stopped.


    ¡°¡­That reminds me, didn¡¯t they say something about not going any further into this cave?¡±


    With a sly grin, she thought back to what Sion and Keithwood had said.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I think I know where I¡¯m going. That¡¯ll show them what happens when they tell me what I can or can¡¯t do. I¡¯m a free, good soul, and no one can hold me down.¡±


    For the record, they also told her not to go to the rocky area beyond the forest, but it was night, and a free and noble soul like her didn¡¯t like the idea of walking through a forest in the dark.


    <em>Too spooky.</em>


    She had nned to just hang out near the cave entrance for a while or, at most, walk around the nearby area. If she could stay in the cave, however, things would be different¡­


    She was sure of what she wanted to do, so she crept deeper into the cave on her hands and knees.


    With one hand on the rock wall, she walked away from Mia and the others until she was a good distance away. Then she gave a soft, happyugh.


    ¡°I bet they all thought that because it was so dark here, I wouldn¡¯t dare go any further. Well¡­¡±


    She took the ne pendant off her neck.


    ¡°Check and finish.¡±


    A very valuable gem called arystal that she bought abroad was set in the pendant.


    It was often called a ¡°moomp rock¡± because it took in sunlight and lit up at night.


    ¡°I have to say, though, that this cave goes on and on, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    She murmured, ¡°I do wonder what it¡¯s like deeper in,¡± as she moved steadily into the dark depths.


    Esmeralda was the kind of girl who, if she was told not to go somewhere, would suddenly want to go there anyway. Most likely, it was in the family.


    She didn¡¯t pay attention to the signs that the walls were getting smaller and the ceiling was getting lower. Instead, she dropped into a half-crouch to keep moving forward.


    She kept going and going, but she found¡­nothing.


    Nothing interesting happened.


    Nothing unusual.


    ¡°Hmph. I thought I would find something here, but all I see is rock and nothing else.¡±


    She was getting bored and thought about turning around, but her momentum carried her over what seemed like a small hill, where she then¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all downhill from here.¡±


    She grabbed a nearby stctite that was just the right size, held her pendant up for light, and leaned forward to try to see into the growing darkness.


    ¡°My¡­¡±


    She heard a sharp crack, but more importantly, she felt it in her palm.


    ¡°Huh? What? Oh¡ª¡±


    She fell down the slope with a long, echoing ¡°Myyyyyyyyy.¡±


    Mia thought she heard a woman crying out in the distance that night. It made her mind go overdrive, and she imagined ghosts and phantoms walking around in the dark. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t going to sleep any time soon.


    ¡°Oh, how stupid of me. Evil cultist spectres? Obviously, that¡¯s not true. The wind just blew. It was just the sound of the wind. There¡¯s no way it could be anything else¡­ Hnnngh, Anne, Anne¡­¡±


    Mia finally fell asleep with her arms around Anne. She had a good night¡¯s sleep. She slept really well!

 Chapter 245

    <strong>The Cursed Covenant</strong>


    ¡°Well, we really did catch a big one. I didn¡¯t see thising at all.¡±


    After leaving the assassins in the care of the Princess Guard, Ludwig, Dion, and Vanos went to a different room to talk about their next steps.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think the Ganudos royal family would be involved,¡± Vanos said with a sigh and a shake of the head. ¡°To put it another way, we are deep in enemy territory right now.¡±


    Ludwig made a stern face.


    ¡°The question is¡­whates next?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I believe. If they show that they don¡¯t like the empire, they will be crushed. Of course, I doubt they¡¯ll admit to being involved to begin with,¡± Dion said, pausing to look at Ludwig.


    ¡°Unless you mean what we¡¯re going to do next. In that case, we¡¯re all waiting for you to tell us.¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ The way I see it, things will be easier if we all know where we stand,¡± he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought. If we let people know that we know who hired these killers, or at least have strong suspicions, that should be enough to stop them. Don¡¯t give them any more ideas, if you will. The other option is to wait until Her Highness gets back, since she might want to use it as a bargaining chip when she talks to them. Still¡­¡±


    He looked sad.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this whole thing. Something tells me that we need to talk to the King of Ganudos as soon as possible.¡±


    He kept thinking about how he found out that the Duke of Yellowmoon was linked to Ganudos and what that meant. He had to find out if what he thought was true was true or not, and the only way to do that was to talk to the King.


    ¡°That seems good. So, do you want to break down their door, or should I? I guess we could also sneak in if it¡¯s just the two of us though¡­¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going to do this the right way and ask people to watch. We have their assassins. They cannot ignore us.¡±


    If things got bad between Tearmoon and Ganudos, it was bad for both of them. So, if it were possible, Ludwig would rather talk things out to find a solution, and he thought the other person felt the same way.


    Two dayster, his request for a meeting with the king was granted, and he went to the royal castle with Dion to prove that he was right. When they got there, they were shown to a meeting room.


    Given that they wanted to talk to the King directly, this was definitely one of the few times when they were able to do so quickly.


    ¡°Ah, well met. I think you are the famous Ludwig Hewitt, the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s assistant and right hand man. And you must be Sir Dion ia; the best knight in the empire. I often hear about the great things you have done.¡±


    The King of Ganudos didn¡¯t look like a king at all. His smile and tone were strangely submissive, like he was trying to get someone to like him. He acted more like an old, grovelling government official than the leader of a country.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please ept my deepest thanks for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice,¡± Ludwig said.


    ¡°Too much, too much. You¡¯re far too modest. I wouldn¡¯t dare to make the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s loyal servant wait. Even more so when a serious misunderstanding seems to have happened. Neither the Tearmoon Empire nor my small country would benefit from a pointless war with the other,¡± the King said in a calm voice.


    Ludwig looked into him. At first nce, the King of Ganudos seemed like a small, weak, and scared person, but Ludwig¡¯s sses helped him see that there was a spark of intelligence in those old eyes.


    He knew right away that he was dealing with a smart and sneaky king, and that he shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. At the same time, he was sure he could handle this man, because someone really smart, like his old, wise master or the young woman to whom he had sworn his undying loyalty, would have yed a better fool. They were so smart that they would have hidden everyst bit of it so that their opponents would think they were safe.


    The King did not do this, which showed that he was a dangerous but still beatable opponent.


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s not waste time. Gentlemen, shall we get down to business?¡±


    Ludwig took a short breath and cleared his mind when the King told him to.


    ¡°Certainly. First, I need to tell Your Majesty that there was an attempt on my life not long ago.¡±


    ¡°Was there? And this attempt happened inside Ganudos?¡±


    ¡°In fact, right in the royal capital, in an alley near the church.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. I¡¯m so sorry that this terrible thing happened. Yes, that area is a little bit wild. Being a port country, we have to deal with the mistakes of former pirates all the time. They often turn into local thugs, and there are always a lot of them.¡±


    <em>I see. So you want to me pirates for this, huh? You could call it a bad act of robbery by ouws¡­</em>


    Ludwig put one finger on the bridge of his sses, which has always been a sign that someone is about to step it up a notch.


    ¡°I thought the same thing! So you can imagine how surprised I was when we caught the attackers, questioned them, and found out that they were following secret orders from Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?! They¡¯re spewing garbage! You didn¡¯te all the way here because you believed those scumbags, did you?¡± asked the King with a big show of surprise.


    Ludwig let him use his acting skills while he watched him in silence.


    ¡°It seems clear to me,¡± the King went on, ¡°that this was a random act of violence by criminals or maybe a n by a third party to drive a wedge between our countries¡­ But it looks like you actually made the strange choice to believe what they said, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, Your Majesty, and I did it because I have enough proof to show me that they are telling the truth.¡±


    That was, of course, a trick.


    He yed it anyway, hoping to get the King to say something interesting.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, do you now? So, that¡¯s that. We tried to teach some former pirates how to do the job, but it looks like we didn¡¯t do a good enough job. As you know, we are a small country, and our armies don¡¯t have much. I don¡¯t have enough good chess pieces.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you admit you had something to do with this?¡±


    Ludwig said yes with a little bit of surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather deny the im, but I don¡¯t see any way to prove to you that I¡¯m not guilty. So, let¡¯s assume that what you say is true. We might still find something funny in this small talk. At the end of the day, you and I both know that we¡¯re just going through the motions. No matter what you or I say, nothing wille of this.¡±


    <em>I see. So he wants to make this a ¡°he said, she said¡± argument. He must have hired pirates to do the job because of this.</em>


    A confession from the King in a private conversation like this wouldn¡¯t mean much if he then denied any connection in public. It would be Ludwig and Dion¡¯s word against his, and that was a losing battle, especially if it went before the Duke of Greenmoon.


    Given how close Ganudos and Greenmoon are, it¡¯s clear that the Duke would trust the King over amoner like Ludwig. They¡¯d end the case by simply saying that criminals and their followers were not reliable witnesses. If Mia had been there, the King would never have told her like that.


    Ludwig¡¯s mind moved quickly through this web of reasoning. Then he gave a nod.


    <em>So be it indeed.</em>


    He decided that these were not big problems. He cared more about what happened next.


    ¡°Then, assuming we¡¯re talking in private, I¡¯ll ask you a direct question. Why was I picked on? Was it to keep us from finding out how Ganudos and the House of Yellowmoon are connected?¡±


    ¡°Your question confuses me. We did have ties to the House of Yellowmoon in the past, but I don¡¯t see what this has to do with anything.¡±


    ¡°The Greenmoons are a good tie-down because they are easy to hold and throw away. Did you answer my question?¡±


    Here¡¯s how Ludwig¡¯s theory went. Ganudos wanted Tearmoon to be dependent on them. Then, when it was time, they would cut ties with the empire and starve it to death. The rate of food self-sufficiency in Tearmoon was very low at the time. That is, a veryrge amount of the food it ate had toe from outside the country.


    It was obvious that no noble would use their farnd for something other than farming if they didn¡¯t know how to get enough food for themselves, no matter how much their minds were filled with the nonsense of anti-agriculturalist rhetoric.


    That¡¯s when Ganudos came into the story.


    Their exports gave Tearmoons a steady supply of seafood that was once considered exotic but is now an essential part of the empire¡¯s diet. So, if there was a famine or something else that made food scarce and Ganudos stopped sending food, the empire would be in terrible shape. And if Ganudos¡¯s goal was to make things like this happen¡­


    ¡°What you want to avoid, if my theory is right, is for the empire to send in troops too soon. Ganudos won¡¯t be able to defend itself if Tearmoon sends its armies here before Ganudos is tired enough. So, you should always give the impression that you are a loyal friend. Even if you started putting limits on exports, you¡¯d have to say that negotiations broke down. So, you couldn¡¯t have your true allies, the Yellowmoons, be the ones you were seen to be dealing with.¡±


    They would secretly try to get the Duke of Greenmoon to leave the country, but in public they would only talk to the Greenmoons about trade issues. If, against all odds, the empire decided to get its army ready, they would waste time telling the Duke of Yellowmoon to put pressure on the government from the inside and cause trouble.


    When trying to change Tearmoon politics, having one of the Four Dukes on their side gave them a big advantage. They didn¡¯t know for sure that the Duke of Greenmoon would follow their n, but if he didn¡¯t, they could always kill him and hide his body, making him disappear.


    Ganudos would gain a lot of time because it would cause chaos in the House of Greenmoon while they figured out who would take over. This was thest thing Ludwig said about his theory.


    ¡°Do you really think you can make the empire your enemy and still win?¡±


    ¡°An enemy? What do you talk about?¡±


    The King just smiled.


    ¡°It would never ur to Ganudos to fight against the Tearmoon Empire. That would be a crazy idea, right? We have a small military group whose job is to keep the peace and keep pirates away, but they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the powerful imperial army. Why on earth would we, with our small army, ever want to fight against your huge empire?¡±


    When the King replied, Ludwig tensed up. He hadn¡¯t thought that the old man would use the weakness of his country¡¯s military as a weapon and a cover for his own bad ns.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say, for the sake of argument,¡± the King said, ¡°that I have ns to stop exports to the empire if there is a famine. Even if this were true, do you really think you can use it as a reason to bring your armies here?¡±


    Ganudos¡¯s n did not include any kind of military action.


    If Ludwig had even the slightest idea that Tearmoon was going to be attacked by military means, that would be enough for him to dere war.


    If someone did something openly wrong against the empire, the empire would do the same thing back. The problem was that ¡°Ganudos won¡¯t sell us food if there¡¯s a famine in the future¡± couldn¡¯t be seen as an attack.


    It was too vague and hypothetical to make me feel like I was in immediate danger, especially since the whole n depended on there being a famine and would fail if there wasn¡¯t one. Overall, this Ganudos plotcked both initiative and aggressiveness to the point where it could hardly be called a plot.


    It was hard to call out because it was not clear what it was. Ludwig was sure of his own reasoning, but in the end, his usation was just a guess.


    If his peers used him of chasing shadows, it would be hard for him to defend himself. He wasn¡¯t fooled into thinking that this supposed plot could be used to argue for military action against the port country.


    Ganudos was no barbarian horde. It was a country where people believed in the same God as Tearmoon and practised the same religion. If Tearmoon went to war without a good reason, its neighbours would look down on it.


    <em>Ganudos¡¯s moves would bepletely useless, though, if the empire set up a reliable way to make sure it has enough food on its own.And that makes me upset. Anti-agriculturalism¡­ Ganudos would have never had a chance to try this trick if it weren¡¯t for this ideological gue.</em>


    Ludwig thought it was strange that the cursed belief was so important to this whole scheme.


    For such a slow, harmful n that requires hard work over years or even decades, it depends too much on things they can¡¯t control. Too much depends on the weather and what goes wrong in the other country.


    You could say that famines have only happened every few decades in the past, but bad policies and leadership can be fixed in a day. Even the idea of anti-agriculturalism started to smell like it was done on purpose.


    Maybe the Yellowmoons and Ganudos worked together to spread the rumour.


    Still, something didn¡¯t add up.


    Even though Yellowmoon was one of the Four Dukes, did he really have enough power to do something on that scale? The nobles of Tearmoon were not a single group, and the voices of the other three groups were heard loudly and clearly.


    Ludwig stopped thinking about the same thing over and over again and shook his head.


    ¡°In either case, we will fix the empire with the help of Her Highness. Once systems are in ce to make sure there is enough food for everyone, your n will fall apart.¡±


    His statement didn¡¯t get a response from the King, who replied in his usual calm tone,


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s great news! We are always happy to hear that problems in friendly countries have been solved. Even though I¡¯m disappointed that this will cause our food exports to Tearmoon to go down, I¡¯ll be okay with that. After all, a small country like ours has little to say about the things going on inside your huge empire.¡±


    Ludwig tightened his jaw because he was afraid of what the King would say. He didn¡¯t understand why, which made him feel even worse.


    The King of Ganudos stood there until the doors shut behind Ludwig¡¯s party as they left. Then he leaned back and smiled calmly.


    ¡°So, the battle lines have been drawn. The oldest of the Great Houses, Yellowmoon, is on the other side from the Emperor¡¯s favourite daughter. Hah. What a great time to live! Let¡¯s see what happens¡­¡±


    There was a cursed covenant that tied the empire together, and its hidden chains were about to be revealed.

 Chapter 246

    <strong>The Chicken Detective, Mia, Deduces!</strong>


    Mia yawned when she woke up the next morning, even though she had gotten a lot of sleep the night before.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Hm¡­ Anne?¡±


    She rubbed her tired eyes and opened and closed them a few times.


    She rubbed her eyes again to clear them when she couldn¡¯t find her loyal maid.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Her eyes weren¡¯t it. There was no Anne. No one was, in fact.


    ¡°My¡­¡±


    She gave her head a scratch and got up. She looked around the dark cave with narrowed eyes and saw that she was indeed alone.


    ¡°How terribly odd¡­ I think Anne was right next to mest night¡ªAh?!¡±


    All at once, thoughts fromst night came flooding back.


    She thought back to the strange cry she had heard in the distance. It had been like hearing a person scream. On an ind that was supposed to be empty, someone screamed. What in the world could that have been?


    ¡°We¡¯re the only ones who should be on this ind, right?¡±


    Had they been mistaken? They might have hadpany. And maybe it wasn¡¯t as human or as clear as she would have liked. For example, evil cultist ghost¡­


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    She took a deep breath after feeling a chill run up her spine. It had felt too much like the cool touch of a ghost¡¯s hand.


    ¡°A-Anne¡­ Anne¡­¡±


    She whimpered for her maid with a strained voice as she walked nervously toward the entrance of the cave. She couldn¡¯t yell Anne¡¯s name because that would give away her location, and then¡­it would know where she was. Or perhaps¡­ they would.


    ¡°Eeeek! A-Anne! Where are you? Anne¡­¡±


    She stuck her head out of the cave to see what was going on, but all she could see was a fuzzy figure running toward her. She was about to scream, but she stopped herself when she saw it was only Anne.


    ¡°Mdy!¡±


    ¡°A-Anne¡­¡±


    ¡°Bad news! We¡ª Waaah!¡±


    Mia immediately jumped on Anne, which made her yell out in surprise. Still, she caught the body as it lunged and gently stroked its back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mdy? Did you dream of something bad?¡±


    After a few kind words of reassurance, Mia was finally able to calm down.


    ¡°Wh-Where were you, Anne, all this time? And where did the rest of them go?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve got bad news. Before I go into more detail, it¡¯s best to wait until everyone is back, but Miss Esmeralda has vanished.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Esmeralda disappeared? What do you mean? How?¡±


    Sion, Keithwood, and Abel eventually went back to the cave, and Nina came back with them.


    ¡°When I woke up in the morning, mdy Esmeralda was nowhere to be found,¡± Nina said.


    ¡°Esmeralda is¡­gone?¡±


    Nina could only do one thing: nod. She couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Esmeralda was nowhere to be found, even though everyone had gone out to look as hard as they could.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    When Great Detective Mia saw this mystery, she thought of a few possible answers right away:


    (1) The day¡¯s events made Esmeralda feel like an outsider, so she had a temper tantrum and ran away from home. Cave. Whatever.


    (2) She couldn¡¯t ignore the Call To Adventure, so she went to the mysterious ind to find out more about it.


    (3) She was hungry, so she went out to find something good to eat.


    All three are just as likely as each other¡­ Or maybe it¡¯s because of something even more stupid that makes no sense¡­


    Mia gave a head shake and a sigh.


    ¡°Oh, that girl, I swear¡­¡±


    ¡°She could have gone by herself to the spring. Maybe for a bath in the morning or a drink of water,¡± nervous Nina said.


    Mia nodded.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right¡­ She seems like the kind of person who would say that the only way to start the day is with a ss of ice-cold spring water straight from the source¡­ Let¡¯s go look around the spring right away.¡±


    ¡°Stay put.¡±


    Sion put up a hand to stop the fight.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us all to go together. Could you go to the beach, Keithwood? Keep your eyes on the sea and cover as much of the coast as you can.¡±


    ¡°I guess you think she went to see if the Emerald Star was back, right? Got it.¡±


    ¡°Both of those things. If they have a ship somewhere around here, which is unlikely, she might have thought it was the Emerald Star and been taken.¡±


    Sion¡¯sment made Mia think of something.


    <em>That makes me think¡­ They said that this cave might have been made by people.</em>


    If that was the case, it was very likely that pirates had used it as a hiding ce.


    ¡°Unless she¡¯s noting back on purpose, we should assume she¡¯s being held against her will by people who were here before or who came here by sea. At the moment, it doesn¡¯t seem very likely, but we should be ready just in case. Be safe instead of sorry. I want Nina toe with me. As for you, Abel¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll join the search party, too,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go the other way, the one on the other side of the spring, and look there.¡±


    As the self-proimed resident survival expert, this was her chance to show off.


    She looked back at Anne.


    ¡°Sorry, Anne, but I¡¯ll have to ask you to stay here. If Esmeraldaes back, keep her from running away again if she does.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do what I can to make sure everyone has food, too.¡±


    They still had some greens left over from Mia¡¯s trip to find food.


    She had brought back a small mountain without thinking about how much or how useful it would be, but it was a big help to them now. The most important thing is that they all had the Keithwood Seal of Edibility.


    ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll need to cut off the nodes on those stems, just like we did yesterday, and¡­¡±


    Keithwood left while Nina was giving Anne a quick review.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Anne, but we have to leave you here by yourself. Just hide if someone strange shows up. Don¡¯t confront them.¡± Sion told her.


    With that, he and Nina also left, and thest pair, Mia and Abel, got ready to leave after them.


    ¡°Okay, Anne, it¡¯s time for me to leave, too.¡±


    ¡°Mdy, please be careful out there.¡±


    Mia and Abel quickly said goodbye, and then Mia followed Abel out of the cave. They were walking away from the spring in the opposite direction to get to a ce she had been with Keithwood before.

 Chapter 247

    <strong>The Journal of Mia¡¯s Delusional Dreams</strong>


    <strong>The fourth day of the fifth month</strong>


    Now that the student council elections are over, I can eat my meals in peace.


    Sauteed moon turkey was today¡¯s meal. On top, the mushrooms were juicy and tasted great. Strawberry continentals were used to make a tart for dessert. I¡¯ve now tried everything on the dessert menu at the academy.


    Missionplete.


    Still, I think we need more variety. Time to check on my n to change the menu in the cafeteria. People want to change things!


    <strong>Fifth day of the fifth month</strong>


    I had some very rich fettine Alfredo for lunch today. It has a little bit of tartness that keeps the taste interesting. I just can¡¯t stop thinking about it.


    A masterpiece. Highly rmended!


    For dessert, I chose to go around the menu again, starting at the top. That means I ate chestnut cake from Belluga. It looks like a small mountain and has a lot of chestnut sauce on it, which makes my stomach happy.


    Isn¡¯t it true that cake is the king of all foods?


    <strong>Sixth day of the fifth month</strong>


    I tried something called ¡°fruit sd¡± today. It was full of sweet fruits that tasted great. The dressing made with honey was also really good.


    Its name, ¡°sd,¡± was the first thing that turned me off. I regret thispse in judgement. So I¡¯ve made it a goal to keep an open mind and try new things when ites to food.


    <strong>The Eighteenth day of the Fifth month.</strong>


    Lately, all I¡¯ve been writing about is food, so I decided to be serious and write a real entry today.


    As soon as I got Ludwig¡¯s message, I started making my way back to the capital. I¡¯m in my carriage right now, and we¡¯re still a few days from Lunatear. I don¡¯t remember falling asleep, but I woke up in Anne¡¯sp. I think the trip must have worn me out or something.


    But while I was sleeping, I had a great dream.


    I had a dream that I was a teacher. This really big library was there. It was wonderful. It made Saint-Noel¡¯s look like a joke inparison. There were flowers everywhere, and books were stacked up to the ceiling.


    Oh, if it hadn¡¯t been a dream, I would have brought Chloe and Elise there to show them. They¡¯d be thrilled. That¡¯s how great it was.


    Anyway, I was there to teach many, many people. Even that stupid four-eyed creature that always makes fun of me thought I was smart.


    How strange! Ludwig saying he lost!


    Oh, sweet moons, it felt so good! So so good!


    I always thought that teaching other people seemed like a lot of work, but now that I¡¯ve done it, I¡¯ve found that it¡¯s actually pretty easy.


    Everyone solved their equations so quickly that I must be good at it. Whenever I told them something, they understood it right away.


    That¡¯s how easy it was. It¡¯s a little scary how smart I am, to be honest. And that made me think. I¡¯ve never thought about it before, but maybe I would make a good teacher. It seems like a choice worth looking into.


    The dream also seemed very real. I might be good at this kind of thing because of how I was raised. With my help, maybe the research on wheat that can withstand cold will go faster as well. I should talk to Ludwig about this. I¡¯m sure he will agree.


    <strong>The Eighteenth day of the Fifth month, Night.</strong>


    My n to be able to use the pointing stick at my academy didn¡¯t work out, unfortunately. Anne didn¡¯t like the idea because she thought it would make me too busy and worry about my health.


    Even though I can see why, it¡¯s still a shame. I have to say, though, that she was very firm.


    She¡¯s never tried so hard to stop me from doing something before. She must care a lot about how I feel. She is such a blessing to me.


    No matter what, that¡¯s it. If Anne says no, then no must be the answer.


    I guess I¡¯ll take care of all the other problems first, like the famine and the Chaos Serpents, and then think about this idea when I have more time.


    After all, it would be a terrible waste if I didn¡¯t use all my talented skills as a teacher.

 Chapter 248

    <strong>To Live or To Die</strong>


    Soon, they were in the forest, where they followed small animal trails that wound through the trees. The path was uneven because of the protruding tree roots and the water-logged soil. Mia almost lost her bnce more than once, but she stayed on her feet and kept going.


    ¡°It seems to have rained against night. Mia, watch where you step.¡±


    He reached out his hand to her, and she took it with a smile.


    ¡°The gentleman as always. Thank you, Abel.¡±


    ¡°I- It¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s pretty muddy out there. I just don¡¯t want you to fall, that¡¯s all,¡± he said, looking everywhere but at her.


    ¡°This year sure has had a lot of rain, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    As she watched him suddenly be interested in the sky, she remembered that she had to tell him something important.


    Well, ¡°remembered¡± might not be the right word, since she had never really forgotten. She just didn¡¯t do it. Buttely, she had been thinking about it a lot.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she should tell Abel that she could see into the future. What would he think of her if she told him the truth about her ability to see into the future? Especially since his trust was very important to her.


    She had to convince him that she was telling the truth so he could get ready for what wasing. No matter how she did it, she couldn¡¯t make a mistake. There was a lot at stake, and every time she thought about doing it, her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies.


    So, she had never been able to bring up the subject. Time was running out, though. She decided what to do.


    ¡°There is no doubt this time. By the way, Abel, I¡¯d like to tell you something. I¡¯ve already told Keithwood, but I think you should also know. There¡¯s going to be a serious famineing up soon,¡± she said in a calm, matter-of-fact way.


    She really didn¡¯t care what happened to Sunnd, but Remno made her nervous. Personal worries were caused by the recent revolution, but this was also Abel¡¯s home country. She would like for the kingdom to stay peaceful if she could.


    So, she used a neutral tone and tried to say things as if they were well-known facts in order to make them less shocking. At first, Abel was surprised when he saw her.


    ¡°Seriously? Are you sure that¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t show you proof that proves it for sure, but¡ª¡±


    Before she could say anything else, Abel smiled softly and said, ¡°Never mind. If you say it¡¯s true, it¡¯s true. I believe you.¡±


    That was the end of it.


    He put so much faith in her that she ended up looking like she had just been hit with a big surprise.


    ¡°What? Huh? You believe me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Once we get off this ind, I¡¯ll go talk to some people I trust. I¡¯ll also tell my dad about it. He might not believe me, but some people will, given how this summer is going.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, that¡¯s good, but¡­ why?¡±


    He gave a helpless shrug as she looked at him in shock.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to lie to me. Also, even if there isn¡¯t a famine, you¡¯re still saying it will happen. No matter what happens, even if it¡¯s just because you care, I trust your intentions.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ But¡­ Uh¡­¡±


    His serious eyes left her speechless. He had no reason to trust her. He hadn¡¯t used logic toe to believe her. He did it because it was her.


    She was very happy. And was moved. And about a dozen more things. They were so much that her brain gave up trying to figure out how to say anything, leaving her with nothing but a nk stare.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    Still holding hands, he pulled her ahead. The fact that his ears were red showed that the vulnerable words he had said had gotten to him, too. Mia was able to get back on her feet after she realised what was going on.


    <em>M-Moons! I can¡¯t believe him at all! He¡¯s just¡­so direct sometimes! It¡¯s way too much! But when he¡¯s like that, he¡¯s so dreamy¡­</em>


    Mia was having another one of those times when all she could think about were flowers, rainbows, and a happy Abels.


    She enjoyed the rest of her walk by thinking about how happy she felt. She only stopped when the underbrush suddenly ended and the rocky ground she¡¯d seen yesterday appeared.


    Patches of brown dirt could be seen through the many cracks in the rocky surface, and the area looked like it would be very hard to walk across.


    Abel looked at the rough terrain and thought, ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone past here, could she?¡±


    ¡°You are correct. It looks very risky, and she probably wouldn¡¯t have a reason to do it. It wouldn¡¯t be worth her time or effort to march across this rocky mess. Since she is Esmeralda!¡±


    Mia thought Esmeralda was the kind of person who would do what she was told by a superior, like her parents, but she would do the opposite if she was told something by someone she thought was the same level as her or, god forbid, lower than her.


    She was, in a word, a real handful.


    <em>I swear, that girl¡¯s personality is the most annoying¡­</em>


    Mia also had a habit of touching mushrooms that she was told to stay away from. Unfortunately, people¡¯s ws are often obvious to everyone but themselves. Mia and Esmeralda were, in fact, quite simr.


    ¡°Last night, I should have warned her myself¡­ Maybe it was a mistake to let Keithwood do it.¡±


    She thought that Esmeralda would be more open to advice from a good-looking young man. It was clear that she was wrong.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s keep going. Still, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up ahead, so be careful.¡±


    She showed them the way by taking the first step onto the rocks. She felt something move under her feet so quickly that it was almost funny.


    She looked down just in time to see the earth open up like a gaping mouth after she heard a loud cracking sound.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    That was thest thing she could say before the void ate her up.


    <em>Ah, weightlessness, how I¡¯ve missed you,</em>


    She thought in a moment of pre-panic calm brought on by the crisis.


    <em>We should really get together more. How long has it been since west saw each other? I think it¡¯s the river? Yes, that¡ª Wait, if I¡¯m falling right now and there¡¯s no river below, won¡¯t I be dead?</em>


    ¡°Mia!¡±


    She heard Abel yell out in a panic. In the next second, two arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a tight hug.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    She yelled, ¡°Abel!¡± when she realised that Abel had jumped into the hole to protect her.


    With her face pressed against his chest, she closed her eyes and thought, ¡°Well, of all the ways I could die, this is a pretty good one.¡±


    Not the best thing to think.


    <em>Hmm¡­ The question is, ¡°To live or to die?¡±</em>


    She thought about the pseudo-philosophical question of whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of an outrageously painful but still luckynding; or to take arms¡ªsuch strong, manly arms¡ªagainst a sea of troubles and end them by fighting them further across her body.


    She kept falling the whole time.

 Chapter 249

    <strong>Anne¡¯s Determination</strong>


    ¡°That takes care of it, and then¡­¡±


    Anne took a look around. She dropped her shoulders and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°I¡­guess I¡¯m done.¡±


    Nina told her to prepare thest of the greens, and she did so. After that, she was done with her work. She never thought she¡¯d be left alone on an ind with no one else there.


    She wasn¡¯t at all ready for this situation, so she didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    ¡°I wish that Mdy were here. So, at least I¡¯d have something to do. I could help her in so many ways¡­¡±


    Their current environment was harsh, and she wished with all her heart that she could take care of Mia¡¯s hair and skin ahead of time to protect them from the elements. In fact, she had to use all of her self-control not to worry about them all the time. Anne didn¡¯t spare any trouble when it came to keeping Mia¡¯s beauty up.


    ¡°But I do wonder¡­ Where in the world did Lady Esmeralda go?¡±


    She didn¡¯t really like Esmeralda, but she didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her either. Anne wasn¡¯t mean by nature, and she really hoped they¡¯d find Esmeralda safe and sound. This was especially true because even Mia, whoined a lot, still saw Esmeralda as a friend.


    She was worried about where the girl was because of this.


    ¡°¡­Could she have really just gotten lost in the woods?¡±


    But Anne had been thinking about one question ever since they found out Esmeralda was gone.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s Lady Esmeralda¡­ Could she have even left this cave on her own?¡±


    Everyone just took it for granted that she had left the cave. She thought to herself, ¡°She didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would be brave enough to walk around in a forest by herself.¡±


    Risk-taking and being brave went hand in hand. After all, you had to have a certain amount of courage to do something hasty.


    Would Esmeralda have gone into the forest even if she had thrown a fit and stormed out?


    Alone?


    At night?


    Did she have the guts to do it?


    ¡°Maybe if it was mdy, but her? I don¡¯t think she would do something like that.¡±


    Mia was sometimes a bit of a chicken, but when it came down to it, she was brave enough to step into the darkness, no matter how scary it looked.


    At least, that¡¯s what Anne thought.


    The truth was something else. What she didn¡¯t believe, though, was that Esmeralda could do the same. This could only mean one thing¡­


    If no one could find her and she hadn¡¯t left the cave, then¡­


    ¡°She must still be here somewhere¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s first thought was that Esmeralda was hiding and having a good time while watching everyone freak out over her disappearance. It fit the stereotype of the snobby noble girl so well that Anne was almost sure she was right and felt a wave of real irritation.


    A thorough search of the building, on the other hand, turned up noughing Esmeraldas.


    ¡°Then she can¡¯t be here, can she?¡±


    She looked again just to be sure. She looked in every nook and cranny near the door, but she didn¡¯t find anything. It wasn¡¯t hard to look for them either. Even though the cave got bigger after the first opening, there weren¡¯t many ces to hide.


    She was about to give up because she thought Esmeralda must have gone outside. Then she had another idea.


    ¡°Could she have gone further into the cave? And ended up getting stuck there?¡±


    Things started to make sense to her, as if she¡¯d found a missing puzzle piece.


    Instead of going out into the dark forest, it seemed like a better idea to go deeper into the cave where everyone was sleeping.


    The second one was still the same ce, which gave a sense of safety.


    ¡°She was told not to go any further in, but high-ranking nobles seem to like to do the opposite of what they¡¯re told¡­¡±


    Anne knew that there were people with morals and integrity in the aristocracy, but when she heard the word ¡°nobility,¡± she thought of arrogant lords anddies who didn¡¯t care what other people thought.


    In a fit of haughty anger, Esmeralda¡¯s idea to explore the depths of the cavern by herself sounded like the kind of foolish thing she would do.


    ¡°Mia and the others are already outside looking for her, no matter what.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t pointless to wait here alone, but it felt so¡­passive.


    She didn¡¯t want to just sit around and wait while everyone else searched the ind, so she squared her shoulders and stared at the entrance for a few seconds before whispering, ¡°I can¡¯t be sitting here doing nothing while they¡¯re all looking for her.¡±


    She became more determined, and she took action. As a safety measure, she scratched a message into the ground in case Esmeralda dide back. Mia and the others would also know where she was when they got back.


    ¡°If I go further into the cave, I¡¯ll also need a light source¡­¡±


    She quickly went down to the beach where they had set up the smoke signals and took the rest of the thick branches that had been used to hold the cooking pot above the fire.


    She found a piece of ivy in the forest and tied it together with a couple of other pieces. Then she put dry leaves and thinner twigs with more resin in one end. The ivy was too thick to use as fishing line, but it was perfect for keeping bundles of wood together.


    She soon had a torch that she had made herself.


    ¡°All I have to do now is light it¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t think much of it, thinking that as long as it gave off some light, it would be fine. But her improvised creation worked well, burning with a strong, steady me.


    She went back to the cave with the torch. As she moved deeper into it, though, its glow became much weaker and lessforting than before.


    The darkness was so thick that it almost hid the flickering light from the small me. Her grip on the torch got tighter, but she kept going.


    She told herself, ¡°She¡¯s Mdy¡¯s friend. I need to find her¡­¡±


    Inside the cavern, there were lots of twists, turns, and slopes of all different sizes. Some ces were so small that she had to crawl through them. There were also ces so big that even if she jumped, she couldn¡¯t touch the ceiling. She kept going until she got to a ce where stctites hung down like icicles.


    The way ahead got smaller, and she couldn¡¯t see where it led.


    ¡°It seems to be going down, though¡­ If I go down there, I might not be able to get back up¡­¡±


    In front of her was a steep slope that went down into the earth. When she looked down, all she saw was darkness.


    She turned around because she thought this was as far as she could go. And then turned around again right away. During the first turn, her eyes caught a glimpse of something strange.


    There, near the top of the slope, was half a stctite that was just close enough for her to reach if she put out her arm. Its exposed cross-section showed that the lower end had broken off.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    She moved a little forward and looked at the broken end.


    Nearby, there were a lot of rocks that looked like this one, but only this one had lost its point.


    No sign of the missing piece could be found on the ground.


    ¡°This looks like it was right where I needed it to be¡­ If someone tried to take it and¡­¡±


    She thought about bending forward even more to look down the slope.


    ¡°Oh no! I need to tell everyone if she fell from here.¡±


    Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a loud crack and then the sound of rocks falling.


    ¡°Waaaaaah!¡±


    She yelled and got down on her knees, bracing herself as she put her hands over her head.


    There was no change.


    After a few seconds of silence, she slowly looked up, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve to keep the dust out.


    As she picked up her torch and held it up again, she saw that the path she had used to get here was now blocked by a wall of rocks.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    She sputtered.


    Her mind was full of fast-moving thoughts.


    She couldn¡¯t leave.


    She may never leave.


    She might die right here.


    Her family would never see her again.


    But one idea stood out more than the rest.


    <em>Mdy, I will no longer be able to serve her¡­ She has helped me so much, and I haven¡¯t even started to pay her back¡­</em>


    Her tears made it hard to see.


    ¡°Mdy¡­ Mia¡­¡±


    The words made her feel like she was begging.


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    She said her boss¡¯s name as if it were a prayer.


    Then she stopped, shut her eyes, and took a deep, shaky breath.


    ¡°I need to take it easy¡­ I work for Princess Mia as her maid.¡±


    Mia said that she was her right hand and someone she could trust. If she even wanted to try to live up to what she said, she couldn¡¯t just give up like that. The right hand of Mia wouldn¡¯t just sit here and cry. It would make the Great Wisdom of the Empire look bad.


    ¡°More importantly, it would be disrespectful to all the hard work Mia has done.¡±


    She again held her torch in front of her and pointed it forward.


    Its light didn¡¯t shine on the tunnel floor behind her, but down the slope into the darkness that was waiting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve alreadye this far, so I might as well go on.¡±


    It was too soon to quit and start crying. When her life wasing to an end and shing before her eyes, she¡¯d have plenty of time to do that.


    ¡°Wait for me, miss, I¡¯ll find my way back¡­¡±


    With that quiet whisper of determination, she started to slide down the hill.


    Anne didn¡¯t know it, but her dear mistress was the one who caused the cave-in.

 Chapter 250

    The Last Friends


    Let¡¯s go back to Saint-Noel Academy for a change of pace. What do you think Miabel was doing while Grandmother Mia, Mother Anne, and even Mr. Ludwig were fighting their own brave battles?


    ¡°Aaah¡­ It¡¯s exactly what I expected. This is an illusion. It must be. I¡¯m so happy here that it makes me a little nervous¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t have been happier. Taking full advantage of the day, so to speak. How much was she enjoying, you might ask?


    Well, about enough for a sweet pancake in the morning and a cup of hot chocte in the evening each day, every day.


    Plus everything in between.


    Of course, school was more than just pancakes and hot chocte, and she was a little more responsible than Mia, so she also got a lot of exercise every day by taking long walks through the beautiful campus, short runs along thekeshore, and sometimes even jumping in for a swim.


    In fact, it was the perfect example of a healthy, well-bnced student life.


    All of this was because she had to stay at school over the summer, which was because she did so poorly in school. Because of this, she is not the best example of how a student should act.


    But because Lynsha kept a close eye on her, she didn¡¯t be aplete waste of time.


    After all, Mia¡¯s family was known for ¡°being able to do a pretty good job as long as they worked hard.¡±


    Even though their steps were often slow and sometimes didn¡¯t seem to go in the right direction, they kept moving steadily forward.


    So, like she had done every other day, Bel went to the library today. Summer break was in full swing, so the inside was almost empty. Only Bel, Lynsha, and the librarian were there.


    After sitting down in her favourite seat by the window, Bel pushed her arms up into the air and stretched. Then, like a leaking balloon, she sagged onto the desk.


    As soon as she closed her eyes, her breathing fell into the slow rhythm of sleep.


    ¡°Mdy, I thought you came here to study.¡±


    Lynsha was not very amused as she sat across from her mistress. She gave Bel a stern look as she took one of the books she had brought for herself. Lynsha had nned to study on her own while Bel did her homework. She was actually very eager to. Since her brother was the way he was, someone else in the family had to be more respectable.


    ¡°Ha ha, Miss Lynsha, I was just joking around. You don¡¯t need to look at me that way. It¡¯s a little bit scary.¡±


    Bel smiled and waved her hands to say that she was just joking. Lynsha didn¡¯t bite.


    ¡°You¡¯ll finish all your homework before you leave today, right? Also, don¡¯t try to escape. I¡¯m looking at you.¡±


    Bel flopped down on the desk again with a groan. She looked at the small mountain of homework through her closed eyes.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ I¡¯m¡­so happy here¡­¡±


    Her lips smiled in a small way, but it was real.


    After studying hard for about an hour, Bel started to look around the library. They had agreed that she could read the rest of the time after she finished her work.


    Bel grew up with a writer as a parent, so being around books made her feel at home. She had spent most of her life in a ce where people burned books all the time, so seeing so many books in Saint-library Noel¡¯s was amazing. She felt like she was in heaven as she walked through the stacks.


    ¡°There are so many¡­ I don¡¯t know what to read today. I really like animal books with pictures. I might pick up one of those. Oh, and the ones with pictures of nts that look cute are also good.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you. Are you that girl who hangs out with Princess Mia?¡±


    She was looking at the spines of books on a shelf when she heard a voice. When she turned around, she was surprised to see a girl staring at her.


    The girl was the same age as her. She looked like a doll because she had soft, wavy hair that shone gold and beautiful grey eyes. She waited for Bel to answer with a sweet smile that looked like a flower.


    ¡°Um¡­ I think yes?¡±


    Bel replied by tilting her head in a strange way.


    ¡°Grand¡ªI mean, Miss Mia is someone I look up to and respect a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What happened? Grand?¡±


    The girl frowned, put her finger on her chin, and turned her head to the side.


    As she moved, her hair fluttered, releasing a scent of flowers that quickly reached Bel¡¯s nose. It smelled great, so good that Bel felt like she was losing her mind.


    ¡°Oh well. Whatever. You¡¯ve been always studying in this library as ofte. You¡¯re not going home for the summer, are you?¡±


    ¡°Mm hm. It¡¯s embarrassing to say, but I didn¡¯t do well on the test before the break, so I have to stay¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh. Really? You¡¯re really care in all of that?¡±


    She made a funny face.


    ¡°It¡¯s doesn¡¯t actually matter, you should know. But do what makes you happy.¡±


    Bel scratched her head, not sure what to think of this answer.


    She asked with a cute smile and big, round eyes, ¡°Anyway, would you like to be Rina¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, I mean me. My name is. I¡¯m Rina.¡±


    She moved back one step, held her skirt, and curtsied.


    During the process, Bel got a quick but striking look at the skin on her legs. It was a shocking shade of white. Even worse than that. Almost too bad.


    ¡°Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. I¡¯m Miabel, I¡¯m in my first year as well.¡±


    She smiled again with that sweet smile.


    ¡°But all of my best friends call me Rina, so it would be great if you did too.¡±


    ¡°I see. Okay, Rina. You can call me Bel if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Bel curtsied back in the same way.


    ¡°Tee hee, wonderful.¡±


    She asked Bel, ¡°Please be nice to Rina, okay?¡±


    Bel noticed the girl¡¯s smile more than anything else about her. She really did have the most beautiful smile.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Thus, thest daughter of the Four Great Dukes has finally appeared. I will continue next time when the Princess of Yellow Moon appears.


    Finally! After about 250 Chapters, the four Children of the Great Dukes have appeared.

 Chapter 251

    <strong>Princess Mia Reaches Her Climax (In Her Opinion)</strong>


    Mia kept falling as she was held in Abel¡¯s arms and enchanted by his warmth.


    <em>Aaah¡­I¡¯m going to die¡­from too much happiness¡­</em>


    Severe blunt trauma was a more likely cause of death, but the sudden feeling of water being poured over her head stopped her from making up a reason for death.


    <em>Ssh!</em>


    Rather, it would be better to say that she dove headfirst into that water.


    She tried to scream, but water came out of her mouth instead. She could only make a few panicked cries and was about to start iling around when Abel tightened his arms around her and stopped her. She calmed down and let him have her.


    <em>I¡¯ll just let Abel handle this. We¡¯ll be all right¡­</em>


    Love and trust mixed together in a way that made her mind and muscles feel like they were on drugs. She let herself go limp and didn¡¯t fight him when he pulled her along.


    After a few seconds¡­


    ¡°Bwaaah!¡±


    When she felt her face break the surface of the water, she opened her mouth and took a big breath.


    ¡°Augh! What is that? Ow ow ow! M-It hurts my eyes! And I can taste salt in my mouth¡­ It looks like¡­sea water?¡±


    As she looked up at Abel, she rubbed her eyes hard with one hand. He had his head up and was frowning deeply.


    She looked where he was looking and found a rocky ceiling. A very high ceiling of rocks. From where she was now, the hole they fell through looked very small.


    ¡°W-Wow¡­ We fell all the way down from up there. It is a good thing that we fell into the water. I don¡¯t think we would have been able to make it without you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were fortunate. Still, we can¡¯t stay in the water because it¡¯s too cold. Let¡¯s get out and dry off,¡± he said, pointing to a wall of the cave where the ground rose up out of the water to make a bank. ¡°Can you swim?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm-hm, sure, I can. I¡¯ve been working on it. Look and be surprised.¡±


    She quickly showed what she thought was the best way to swim¡ªone that made everyone else look bad¡ªby turning around and falling into a back float.


    She thought this was really the best way to swim.


    It wasn¡¯t necessary for her to hold her breath. Her face wouldn¡¯t even get wet. All she had to do wasy down and float like a log. The fact that she didn¡¯t have to do much was what she liked best.


    After a short time, she started kicking her legs, and the tiny paddle sshes made her move a little bit forward.


    ¡°Oh, tell me if I¡¯m about to run into something, all right?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll let you know when we get close. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Abel also jumped in, and the two of them started swimming to get to drynd. Mia let out a sigh of relief when she got out of the water.


    ¡°Does anything hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Of course, thanks to you. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well. This water kept us from dying.¡±


    Mia nodded. Her mind was now clear enough for her to fully understand how lucky they were. Her eyes moved across the surface of the water to a nearby rock face and then up it.


    If it had been a castle wall, it would have been about three floors high. From the crack in the ceiling, a thin cone of light shone down, showing that they hadn¡¯t been shut in.


    Nheless¡­


    ¡°That¡­doesn¡¯t look like it could be climbed,¡± she said.


    The rock face had a smooth, slippery surface. It was too high for most people to be able to climb.


    <em>I could see Dion climbing this and making it look easy. But he¡¯s not important. That guy is barely a person, let alone an average person.</em>


    At the very least, she couldn¡¯t have done it.


    So, even though the water kept them from dying right away, their chances of getting out of this situation alive or dead were not very good.


    ¡°I apologise, Abel. I got you into a terrible mess because of me.¡±


    She showed a rare sign of regret by letting her shoulders drop. On the other hand, Abel shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m really happy to be here.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If you care about someone and they are in danger, you want to be with them. To keep them safe. I can¡¯t stand to think of you being down here without me.¡±


    ¡°My¡­¡±


    Mia put her hand over her mouth and looked at him with her eyes wide open.


    He moved his feet around a bit and turned away, not looking at her. Instead, all he did was blush.


    <em>Oh, Abel,</em> thought Mia with a smile, <em>why do you keep saying embarrassing things like that?</em>


    Her cheeks were also getting hot, but as a mature woman in her twenties, she didn¡¯t show any signs of being ufortable. At first, he caught her off guard, but she quickly got back on track.


    In fact, Mia had already figured out what made Abel unique. He was honest and sincere, so he often said what he thought. Because she knew this, she was able to keep a certain level of mental readiness, which made his sudden attacks on her heart less painful.


    Big Sister Mia was still in charge! Even though she had the upper hand, she still found the situation awkward, and letting silence fall seemed like a good way to make things even more awkward.


    So she said something.


    ¡°Anyway, it looks like we¡¯re in a tight spot, doesn¡¯t it? We can either wait for help toe or see if anything changes¡­ Any way you look at it, it¡¯s probably best to stay put for¡ªAh-choo!¡±


    She sneezed, and then her body shook. The goosebumps on her skin showed that it was colder than she thought.


    ¡°Mia? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯m quite fine. I¡¯m just a little cold because I¡¯m wet.¡±


    She was a little embarrassed by the sneeze, so she tried to brush it off with a casual smile. However, Abel¡¯s face stayed serious.


    ¡°I see. If you stay cold, it will make you tired and weak¡­¡±


    He thought for a moment before he said, ¡°Sorry, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Sorry? ¡°But why¡ª¡±


    Instead, he took away her voice.


    She froze in his arms because she was confused and upset.


    <em>Eh? What? Huh?</em>


    Her inner big sister was knocked out, leaving her to figure things out on her own.


    As soon as she heard Abel¡¯s soft voice, she began to feel dizzy.


    ¡°I apologise. I know this is wrong, but we need to stay warm right now by using our own body heat.¡±


    Even though he was sorry, he spoke in a firm way and pulled her closer.


    <em>Ah, now I understand what¡¯s going on¡­ Even if I try to fight him, he won¡¯t let me go because he thinks it¡¯s important¡­ That¡¯s why he keeps squeezing me tighter¡­ I can¡¯t get away, then¡­</em>


    She tried to stay calm by going to the logical side of her mind and thinking about the situation from a distance.


    It didn¡¯tst long because his warmfort spread through her body and into her mind. His tight hug, which hurt a little, showed how young and clumsy he was.


    The only sounds were his and her breaths. She tried to exhale in a smooth way so that a puff of unsteady air hitting his ear wouldn¡¯t show how upset she was on the inside.


    In the meantime, her heart betrayed her. It beat harder and louder.


    As fever took over her mind, she used whatever brain functions were still working to try to think clearly.


    <em>Is this true? Maybe I did die after all. This must be that heaven ce everyone talks about! So, that must be it! There¡¯s no other way to exin it! How else could something so wonderful be happening?!</em>


    The life that started at the guillotine had reached its unquestionable high point.


    At least, that¡¯s what Mia thought.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    I made a map that was requested¡­ But it¡¯s rough, so isn¡¯t it different here? I would appreciate it if you could see a lot of ces. The picture is¡­ not good.


    Mia¡¯s advance route is arge detour due to the hignds. Furthermore, it took some time as we cut through the forest.


    On the other hand, the cave was rtively straight, so Anne was able to get close to Mia and the others even during the time she spent preparing the torches on the beach.

 Chapter 252

    <strong>Following the Glowing Blue Path</strong>


    Sharing space did make Mia feel warmer, but maybe not at all in the way Abel had in mind. Heat ran through her reddened face, making her forget how cold it was. She forgot that she had been shaking just a few minutes earlier and started thinking things like, ¡°If it¡¯s just the two of us, maybe we can just live here.¡±


    <em>It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. He is, after all, my pce and paradise.</em>


    She couldn¡¯t think of anything useful right now.


    ¡°Mia, look.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    She looked up at him because she wasn¡¯t sure where he was going. It seemed like a good choice. Then, after taking a moment to admire his good looks, she looked where he was looking.


    ¡°That way. It looks like the water is going down.¡±


    She could also see it. The level of the water had gone down, letting more of the bank show. If it was just a bit lower, they might have been able to walk through it.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    She looked up at the hole in the ceiling with sadness. The light that was getting through was definitely less bright. It was getting dark.


    ¡°The water is finally low enough that we can try to get out of here, but it will be dangerous to move around in the dark.¡±


    Since there were tides, it was likely that there was a way out to sea. Mia didn¡¯t want to swim through the dark sea at night.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Of course, you¡¯re right, but¡­¡±


    Abel thought hard and crossed his arms.


    ¡°We won¡¯t get anywhere if we just sit around and wait. We¡¯ll get worse off the longer we stay here. Things are getting different. Let¡¯s pay close attention so we don¡¯t miss a chance to get away.¡±


    Abel¡¯s words turned out to be true. Just as thest rays of light from the ceiling were going out, he let out an excited whoop.


    ¡°Look, Mia! There! Water!¡±


    ¡°My! What¡­is it?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe what she saw.


    The water¡¯s surface was much lower than it had been before, but what was more important was that it now gave off a soft blue light. The light was too dim to be a torch orntern, but it was bright enough to show them where they were and went on in a ghostly path deep into the cavern. With this light, getting around was probably easier than it had been during the day.


    ¡°This is our opportunity. We can¡¯t let it go to waste. If we stay here, we¡¯ll only get weaker,¡± urged Abel.


    Mia thought for a moment. Theoretically, the best thing to do when lost or waiting for help was to stay put and save energy. The problem was that, given the people they¡¯de to the ind with, it would be hard for the other people to try to save them.


    Most of all, she was the group¡¯s expert on how to stay alive. How could they get her attention if she didn¡¯t do anything? She nodded because this self-made reminder of her skills made her feel more confident.


    ¡°Okay, then. Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    She took his hand when he held it out. Mia followed the path of blue light as Abel¡¯s hand guided her. There were many holes in the walls where they hadnded, but the glowing road only went in two directions.


    In one, the water level went up, while in the other, it went down. Swimming in the cold at night was a death sentence, so they went in the direction of the shallow water.


    ¡°This ground is not t. Be careful. Hold my arm, here.¡±


    Abel kept stopping and turning around to check on her and say words of concern and support. It made her giggle.


    ¡°Abel, you are such a gentleman.¡±


    Even though things were bad, he slowed down so he could keep up with her. Not only that, but he kept her hand in his, and his grip changed from soft to firm depending on what he thought about where they were. Almost like he was leading her in aplicated dance, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°That was something my older sister always said. She told me that I should always be nice to girls, no matter what.


    ¡°Oh? Your older sister? You mean¡­¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Kingdom of Remno or its royal family in the previous timeline.


    Abel was about the only person she knew of. It¡¯s easy to see why, since she had spent all her time waiting for Sion toe to her.


    Mia was different this time because she had done her homework. Why?


    Because she had already made up her mind that Abel would be her husband. Mia had her sights set on him, so she used her newfound dating skills to do a lot of research before she met him.


    ¡°Princess rissa? Was that her name?¡±


    She remembered that Abel had an older sister who was three years older than him. ording to Mia¡¯s research, this sister was a quiet, shy girl who didn¡¯t say much.


    Doesn¡¯t seem to be the kind of person to tell him that¡­


    His answer to her confused frown was to shake his head.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her name, but it wasn¡¯t her. My oldest sister was the one who told me that.¡±


    ¡°Your oldest sister? Wow, I didn¡¯t know you had another sister¡­¡±


    ¡°If you did, it would surprise me. She has died. About five years ago¡­¡±


    Even though the ghostly glow had already made his face look blue, it got a little bluer.


    ¡°I loved her very much. She¡­was very nice. She was smart, but she was also strong. She had this aura about her that was very beautiful. I wanted to be like her. She said that everyone in Remno had the wrong way of thinking, so she wanted me not to be like them. to treat girls nicely¡­¡±


    In the Kingdom of Remno, where discrimination against women was deeply rooted, there was once a powerful person who questioned the way things were.


    ¡°I¡¯m not proud to say that I forgot for a long time¡­ I had forgotten why I tried to treat women well¡­ I thought it was just a quirk that I did. That I was doing it for no reason. It wasn¡¯t, though. It was because of her. Her words have been with me all this time, guiding me like apass.¡±


    <em>I had no idea that Abel had lost someone who had been so important to him¡­ I wish I had known her¡­</em>


    She became thoughtful and asked, ¡°This sister of yours¡­ What was her name?¡±


    ¡°Valentina Remno. The kingdom¡¯s first princess.¡±


    ¡°I see. Lady Valentina¡­¡±


    Mia would have to wait a while before she could remember the woman with that name.

 Chapter 253

    <strong>Anne Talks About (Her Version of) the Wisdom of the Empire.</strong>


    The cavern was dark, and the only sound in the suffocating silence was a sneeze.


    ¡°Oh, woe is me¡­ Am I going to die here?¡±


    Esmeralda sat leaning against a rock with her legs stretched out in front of her. She held her pendant, which was just barely glowing, in her hands. She tried weakly to lift her right foot, but the pain made her give up, and she let it fall limp again.


    ¡°Ooooh, it hurts¡­ It¡¯s so painful¡­¡±


    She whimpered again.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve broken a bone. It¡¯s most probable. I¡¯ll never get out of here¡­ I¡¯m going to starve and die. Oooooh¡­¡±


    When Esmeralda was sad and in pain, she was even more annoying than usual. She was a handful right now. With tears in her eyes, she looked hopelessly into the vast void in front of her¡­ and gasped when a faint red light came into view.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡±


    She stopped herself from screaming, but she couldn¡¯t stop her mind from running wild. Her mind made her think of her own scary story, in which the ghosts of evil cultists walked around a deserted ind. It scared her, but she quickly got over it and decided that such nonsense couldn¡¯t be true.


    Also, the red light wasing from the direction of the cave entrance, which could only mean¡­


    ¡°Nina?! Who¡¯s that? Did youe to rescue me?¡±


    As the figure got closer, she could see that it was wearing a maid¡¯s uniform, which made her more sure that she was right.


    ¡°Oh good. I was sure. I can¡¯t die here. That wouldn¡¯t be right at all. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Ni¡ªI mean, my maid ising to save me.¡±


    She waited as the figure with the light got closer and closer.


    ¡°Oh! Lady Esmeralda, are you okay?¡±


    The maid that appeared had red hair that hung in two long tails on either side of her body. It was Anne.


    ¡°Huh, Ann¡ª Ahem. You are. Miss Mia¡¯s maid.¡±


    Esmeralda wasn¡¯t too upset when she found out it wasn¡¯t Nina, but she was a little bit. When she heard that help hade, she was so happy she was almost beaming.


    She stood up because of the thrill. She yelled out as pain shot up her leg in a split second.


    ¡°Lady Esmeralda? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Ow, um, yes. When I fell down that slope, I think I hurt my ankle. The bone must be broken, I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s awful! Quick, please take a seat! And put your legs out.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I guess I can do this one thing for you since you¡¯re Miss Mia¡¯s maid. Be grateful. I¡¯ll do what you say this one time and this one time only.¡±


    Even with her arrogant tone, she was sitting down before she was done talking. She stood with her legs spread out and watched Anne kneel down next to her hurt foot.


    ¡°Oh? Do you know how to care for wounds? I¡¯m a little bit impressed.¡±


    ¡°Once, my younger brother broke a bone.¡±¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re not much more than a beginner. I guess I did something stupid. It¡¯s clear that you can never ask too much of amon person.¡±


    Even as she criticised Anne for not knowing much about medicine, she felt more and more relieved. Even a little bit of experience was better than none.


    When she thought about it, her pain seemed to go away a little.


    ¡°Is it very painful?¡±


    ¡°It most definitely does. I can¡¯t even stand up because it hurts so much. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s broken. It¡¯s got to be.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Let me check it out. Excuse me.¡±


    Anne put her hand on Esmeralda¡¯s ankle and felt around. Then she cut a piece of fabric from the hem of her skirt and started wrapping it around the ankle to stop it from moving.


    ¡°H-How is it?¡± Esmeralda asked with worry.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work, does it?¡±


    ¡°No, the bone doesn¡¯t seem to be broken. Even though the area is bruised¡­ Avoid moving your ankle as much as possible.¡±


    With each answer, Esmeralda felt less worried. Even more of the pain went away. She felt so good that she was pretty sure she could already stand up and walk on her own. She wasn¡¯t hard to understand at heart.


    ¡°By the way, why did youe here all by yourself? Keithwood told us that going further into the cave is dangerous. Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡± asked Anne.


    ¡°Are you trying to get me to shut up? You? Amoner?¡±


    Esmeralda made an indignant sound.


    ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t let this ¡®Miss Mia¡¯s maid¡¯ get to your head.¡±


    She made her voice sound a little bit angry. Usually, that would be enough to get Nina and the other maids to stop talking. It didn¡¯t work on Anne. For her, it was more like putting oil on fire.


    ¡°Okay, listen up, you,¡± Anne said, sounding like she had had enough. ¡°Let me be clear about one thing. I don¡¯t care about what happens to you. Go and roll down as many hills as you like. I couldn¡¯t really care less. But could you please do it so that it doesn¡¯t bother mdy? She is interested in you. She¡¯s probably still very worried about you. If you went and did something stupid and got hurt, it would break her heart¡­ Are you really that stupid? Do you know how many problems you¡¯ve caused?¡±


    Anne¡¯s outburst left Esmeralda stunned. She swallowed and blinked a few times after a short time. As soon as she came to, a wave of hot anger went through her head.


    ¡°Huh?! You¡ª¡± Esmeralda eximed, bristling. ¡°You think you can talk to me that way and not get in trouble? Oh, I¡¯ll remember this! I¡¯ll tell Miss Mia how rude you were. I¡¯ll tell the King! They¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Once we figure out how to get out of here, you can tell whoever you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    That made them blink again, looking confused.


    ¡°How do I leave this ce? What do you mean by the word ¡®how¡¯? You just came here. We¡¯ll go back the way you came.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in that direction. A cave-in happened. We can¡¯t go back the way that I came. Right now, our only hope is that there will be a way out soon¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! Y-You¡ª Still, that¡¯s¡­ That is so mean! You bring me here, raise my hopes, and then just take them all away? Y-You¡­monster! How can you treat me like this?¡±


    Esmeralda, who was getting more and more upset, cried out.


    Anne gave her a mean look, and Esmeralda made a scared noise before going quiet.


    ¡°Lady Esmeralda, we¡¯re going to have to work together if we want to get out of here alive. So, I need you to pay attention to what I say and not do anything stupid or risky.¡±


    After some pouting and whining, Esmeralda gave in.


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to treat me so badly. F-Fine, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll try to find a way out. For now, you should stay here and wait for me. I¡¯lle back for you, I promise.¡±


    Anne turned around and started to go.


    ¡°Wh-What? Wait! Don¡¯t abandon me! A-Anne!¡±


    Anne stopped mid-step.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    She slowly turned around and looked at him with a strange look on her face. Esmeralda didn¡¯t like it. She felt like something was stuck to her face. She got a little weak and turned her head down to avoid Anne¡¯s searching eyes.


    ¡°Lady Esmeralda, you know my name, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. How could you think I don¡¯t? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    Anne¡¯s eyebrow went up.


    ¡°Hey! What does that even mean?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°¡®Surprised¡¯?! So you really do think I¡¯m stupid! Of everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not it. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid, but the fact that you know my name does surprise me. I didn¡¯t think it was possible for you to remember names.¡±


    ¡°I can remember people¡¯s names, of course. All of them are yours, Nina¡¯s, and Keithwood¡¯s. I¡¯m offended that you actually thought I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So why do you act like you don¡¯t know them? I don¡¯t care much either way, but Nina is so sad. How can you treat her that way?¡±


    Esmeralda answered with her head held high this time.


    ¡°Because, of course, that¡¯s what it means to be a noble.¡±


    She had been taught to do it this way.


    <em>The rich should not worry about what the names of the poor are. Trying to remember the rabble is both a waste of time and a disservice because it clouds your judgement. As His Imperial Majesty¡¯s most reliable subjects, we rule ournds in his service, and we must always make decisions with a clear head and good sense.</em>


    <em>The noble must never forget to thank their ancestors. As loyal subjects of His Imperial Majesty, we respect the history and culture of his empire and are proud of them. Because you carry the Etoile, you deserve the best of everything. Don¡¯t ept anything less, and don¡¯t say ¡°thanks.¡± ept that which is normal with normality.</em>


    Esmeralda learned from her father and did everything he told her to do. She changed herself to fit around them and was sure that was how she was meant to live.


    That¡¯s why Mia¡¯s behaviour kept making no sense to her.


    ¡°If anyone is strange, it¡¯s Miss Mia. What does she think about our proud history as nobles?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ve dedicated my life to her,¡± Anne said with the same amount of conviction, which made Esmeralda look at her strangely.


    ¡°She addresses me by name. She is nice to me and takes care of everyone in my family. I¡¯ll do anything for her because of this. I know she¡¯ll cry for me if I die. Because she is that kind of person, I would even die for her. But I¡¯m not going to because I don¡¯t want her to cry. I don¡¯t want to die in this dumb cave.¡±


    This strong statement shook Esmeralda to her core. She looked at the maid as she thought about what was being said. Anne had said she was ready to give up her own life.


    That was a sign of deep love, but Esmeralda didn¡¯tck people like that. Didn¡¯t she? She started to have a tiny bit of doubt. Even though she seemed sure, she couldn¡¯t really convince herself that Nina and the guards would both give their lives for her.


    Anne had even said that she would choose to live, even if it meant Mia wouldn¡¯t cry, even though she was ready to die.In the cave¡¯s endless, suffocating darkness, where it would have been natural to give up, her determination seemed to shine even brighter than her torch.


    If Esmeralda had servants, would they do the same for her? Was she as clear in their minds as Anne¡¯s friend Mia was?


    <em>Would Nina cry for me if I died?</em>


    She couldn¡¯t help but think that Nina wouldn¡¯t, though. But what really scared her was¡­


    <em>Would I be able to hold back my tears if Nina died? Not to be sad? If I ever had to give Nina¡¯s life up, would I be able to do it?</em>


    Doubt grew until it filled her whole mind. It was a philosophical crisis because it made her question who she was. Esmeralda had been acting like she didn¡¯t see any bad in the world.


    She had used the rules of nobility as a way to avoid feeling, hiding behind their strict rules so she didn¡¯t have to. So she wouldn¡¯t feel sad.


    Anne then tore apart her weak excuses.


    ¡°Not addressing people by name¡­ Not seeing them as real people¡­ So that if you ever have to leave them, you won¡¯t feel as bad¡­ That¡¯s just so sad. Only a coward would do that. Mdy doesn¡¯t want to abandon anyone. It hurts her just to think about it. So she does what? She works hard so she won¡¯t have to. People call her the Great Wisdom because of this. We all look up to her because of this.¡±


    ¡°The Great Wisdom¡­¡±


    Esmeralda felt something she had forgotten about.


    She had been confused by Mia¡¯s actions for a long time, thinking they were rude and silly. But even so¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest with you, Lady Esmeralda. You have toe with me if you don¡¯t want to stay here. But I won¡¯t stop for you, so if you want to keep up, you¡¯ll have to. So, do you want toe with me?¡±


    Anne asked in a way that sounded like she was giving an order. Esmeralda was lost in thought when someone asked her a question. She quickly put the thought away because she knew that now was not the time to think about herself.


    She slowly got to her feet after giving her a small nod.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We have updated our activity report today.


    If you have time, I would be happy if you could take a peek!

 Chapter 254

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Roots</strong>


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so bright.¡±


    Mia grabbed a handful of water and watched as it ran through her fingers. Her hand didn¡¯t light up after what she did.She thought the glowing wasing from the water, but it seemed to being from something else.


    ¡°It kind of looks like the light that fireflies give off. Maybe there are glowing organisms in the water,¡± said Abel after he had thought about it for a while. Then he was silent for a few seconds.


    Then, with a bit of worry in his voice, he asked again, ¡°So, Mia, do you think this was done on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What was done on purpose?¡±


    ¡°This.¡±


    He made a sign for the water.


    ¡°You remember how Sion said that there were signs that the cave we were in was made by people, right? I was thinking that the light source in this cave might have been put there by someone. On purpose.¡±


    Mia¡¯s mind went back to the story Esmeralda told.


    ¡°Huh, an evil cult with a secret shrine¡­ I see. That scary story she told is suddenly a lot more believable, don¡¯t you think¡­?¡±


    Even so, she didn¡¯t really think they¡¯d find a ce where bad things happen down here. Abel, on the other hand, saw the more important conclusion.


    ¡°That could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. If people helped make this ce, there must be a way to get in and out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Then there might be a way out!¡±


    Even if there hadn¡¯t been, the path still went in both directions. If they followed it, they might be able to get out of there. As her mood got better, she took lighter steps.


    Unfortunately, when they got to the end of the winding tunnels, they weren¡¯t in the open air, but in a huge underground room. The huge cavern was much bigger than any of the others they had seen so far.


    ¡°What¡­does this ce do?¡±


    It was a strange sight that made people feel both amazed and confused. The blue light that had shown them the way through the water is now everywhere in the room. Not because whatever was in the water was now in the air.


    Instead, the crystalline rocks in the area spread the blue light in a million different directions, lighting the whole cavern.


    And in the middle of it all, lit by the strange blue reflections, was a shrine. The huge pirs that held up the roof were made of rocks that were so clear that they looked like ice.


    The building was like a kaleidoscope of reflections, and the light around it made it look like it was glowing. The crystalline shrine looked like it came right out of a fairy tale.


    And like most ces in stories where strange things happen, there was something scary about it.


    It just felt wrong.


    Mia thought the sight from another world was not only strange, but almost dirty.


    ¡°I- It¡¯s true¡­ Down here, there really is a shrine. I¡¯d never have imagined¡­ Could this be the underground shrine of the evil cult?¡±


    ¡°Who can say? Though the fact that it¡¯s hidden in a ce like this suggests it wasn¡¯t built for entirely good reasons¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t say much more as he looked at the building in silence. She didn¡¯t me him. Both of them had never seen anything like it before.


    From the way the ce looked, you couldn¡¯t tell much about it. When did it get built? How will you do it? ¡­who?


    It was aplete mystery how its architecture fit into the world. But there was one thing that was obvious¡­


    ¡°Whatever it is, it creeps me out,¡± Abel said, saying exactly what Mia was thinking.


    She agreed by nodding. She was looking at something that looked like something out of a dream, but she had a strange dislike for it. Almost disgust, but not quite.


    Shrines were meant to show how great God was. They were meant to be built with a philosophy of harmony that looked for beauty inpleteness.


    The one before them, on the other hand, made them feel uneasy. Of not being perfect.


    It wasn¡¯t a definite feeling, but more of a vague gut feeling. Things they thought they¡¯d find weren¡¯t there, and ces that should have been empty were instead full.


    Every small deviation from the expected norm added up to make a strange whole that made people feel like invisible ws were constantly scratching their nerves.


    ¡°The evil cultists¡¯ church¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t think there were many other buildings that fit the term as well as this one.


    ¡°You know, Mia, when I hear the words ¡°evil cult,¡± the first thing thates to mind is them.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Chaos Serpent. I had the exact same thought.¡±


    They were people who hated and fought against the people who tried to set up order. If they really made this building, it would make sense that it is twisted and goes against all rules. It would be a sign of profanity and sacrilege just by being there.


    ¡°I think we may have just made a surprising find in a surprising ce!¡±


    Mia said in a happy voice. She might have finally grabbed one of the Chaos Serpents¡¯ slippery tails after stumbling around for so long in the mysterious fog that surrounded them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and take a look!¡±


    She walked into the building with eager steps. Mia said as she looked around the dreamlike interior of the shrine, ¡°This¡­is really something.¡±


    Everything, including the floor, walls, and ceiling, lit up, bathing her in pale blue light.


    It was like there was a small, azure sun down here in the depths, and it was determined to make its own kingdom in defiance of the fiery sun that ruled thend above.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but just standing here makes me feel weird,¡± she said as she looked around again.


    The shrine didn¡¯t have any doors or walls. Inside, there was only one big open room with thick pirs for support.


    And, Mia noticed with interest, there was another thing in the very back of the room. It looked like a big piece of stone that had been cut out of a cliff or boulder and put in a prominent ce.


    As the only solid thing in the clear shrine, its grey colour stood out against the ghostly blue background.


    They went over and looked at the stone.


    ¡°Something is written on it,¡± Abel said with a sigh and a shake of the head.


    ¡°No good. It¡¯s not in Continenta. Mia, do you know whatnguage it is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in fact. This is written in anguage from the empire¡¯s early days.¡±


    Mia usually spoke Continenta, which is anguage that is used everywhere on the continent. The writing on the stone was written in anguage that was used in the Tearmoon Empire a long time ago. She also knew how to speak this very oldnguage. As a princess, she had to learn it as part of her basic education.


    ¡°Are you able to read it?¡±


    ¡°I can, as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°Really? As always, you¡¯re great, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    When he praised her, she couldn¡¯t help but give him a smug smile.


    ¡°I sure am.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult to read it?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Not for me at least,¡± she said, her confidence boosted by the fact that she had a skill that no one else had. ¡°It¡¯s easy as a pie. Let me read it out loud for you.¡±


    She looked at the writing while leaning forward and putting her hands on her hips. At first, she was able to make a few hmms and aahs to sound smart, but she soon stopped.


    Soon, she was just staring at the stone b in silence, with her brows getting deeper and deeper into a frown. The old writing on the stone b told the story of a man and his strange beliefs.


    Or maybe it was his curse.


    Carved on the stone b was the words of the man, who had been hurt by terrible things and lost everyone he loved, grew to have a poisonous hatred that grew in the bottom of his heart.


    When he came here and found this shrine, he also found the Serpents. They had been hiding on this ind after being chased off the main continent. He connected with the Serpents¡¯ destructive ideas and dislike of all man-made order. Soon, he wanted to realise or at least take advantage of their entropic n to take revenge on the world.


    The Serpents told him that on the continent, there was a ce called ¡°the Fertile Crescent,¡± where thend was blessed by God. The region¡¯s consistently good harvests and plenty of food made sure that the whole continent was safe and stable.


    The man knew that food was the mother of mercy, so this made sense to him. As long as men could feed themselves, they could forgive or at least deal with most problems.


    Only when they were hungry did they pick up swords and start killing people for no reason.


    So, if he wanted to destroy all civilization and throw the world into chaos, he would have to do something about the Fertile Crescent. Its abundance stood in the way of his revenge.


    What ought he to do?


    The answer was easy to figure out because the man was very smart. His sharp mind cut like a knife, slicing through the surfaceyers of people to get to the abyss inside.


    He was a wise man who knew everything there was to know about how bad people are. What, the man thought, should he do with his brilliant mind and sick heart?


    He should talk about ideas and beliefs that would make the Fertile Crescent look bad. He should spread an idea that makes people look down on agriculture and the making of food.


    The man wondered where his biggest problem was. It depended on speed. He wanted his ideas to get out there quickly and well.


    The man wondered how he could reach his goal. Again, the answer was easy. He would make a country there. Then he would spread a doctrine that was against farming and production of food.


    The process would feel natural, because the seeds of ruin would be wrapped in the fruit of regal legitimacy. This would let them grow in the rich, unassuming soil without being disturbed. Then, they would poison the people of the Crescent and cause them to pollute their own fertile farnd, destroying it forever.


    So, the man made up his mind. He would build a country whose tears of pain would soak the fertile crescent-shaped moon.


    So crazy was his belief, and his curse led to the rise of an empire.


    The name of the man was Alexis, the first Tearmoon emperor.


    I can¡¯t even¡­

 Chapter 255

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Status</strong>


    ¡°Is¡­ Is this all true?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true or not, but that¡¯s what the rock says.¡±


    This was one heck of a find. Mia massaged her temples in vain to stop the headache that wasing on.


    As if to give her onest jab, the b had onest line of writing on it.


    <em> Forget not this duty, those of my blood. Ensure it remains engraved in memory. We are haters of everything that is. We are avengers, welding chaos and ruins. Forget not this duty, those of my blood, and fight on! Take revenge on the world. </em>


    Mia stared at thatst instruction.


    <em>Don¡¯t tell me about your strange obsessions, you old fossil!</em>


    When she learned that her so great-great-how-many-times-great grandfather had felt the need to offload such an absurd mission to his descendants, Mia wondered. Was it in her family¡¯s nature to be annoying to their children?


    Still, as bad as this news was, it helped her put some puzzle pieces together. No matter how hard she tried during the revolution in Tearmoon, nothing went right for her.


    She thought the Wind Crows, Sunnd¡¯s best spies, were to me because they were operating in Tearmoon, but she was wrong. Since the beginning, the empire had been home to agents of the Chaos Serpents who did bad things.


    It had actually grown from one of them.


    <em>I doubt that every noble knows about the goals of the first emperor and has made it their mission to achieve them, but the empire has been around for a long time, and ideas can gain a lot of strength over time. I now understand why it was so hard to change things back then. Even more so if any of the Four Dukes is working with the Chaos Serpents¡­</em>


    Her first thought when she heard about this possibility was, ¡°What?! How did they get that far up?!¡±


    This new finding, on the other hand, put everything in a new light. It wasn¡¯t that the Chaos Serpents had tricked one of the Dukes. The first emperor was the one who fell under their spell, and as generations went by, his initial, burning ambition just faded.


    The imperial family had just forgotten the beliefs of its founder.


    <em>And good riddance as well. I¡¯m d we did. Why should we remember?</em>


    It wasn¡¯t a good idea. It could do a lot of harm and nothing good.


    <em>It would be silly to even think about it for a second. In fact, we might want to act like we never saw this¡­ I think a lot of people would make a fuss if they heard about this. Strange rumours can¡¯t be stopped once they start to spread¡­</em>


    The first emperor¡¯s ambition was, to put it bluntly, a huge pain in the rear for regr nobles. They were the ones who benefited from the system, so it makes sense that they would sometimes forget that they were told to change things. It was only natural that, over time, the voluntary part would be less important.


    <em>Even my dad probably doesn¡¯t know about this. It¡¯s hard to think of something less conducive to enjoying the life he currently has now.</em>


    Forgotten¡­but not irrelevant. Even though it was old, this order still had power. A noble on the way down could use this as a way to attack the current system in politics and criticise it.


    It would be a huge shock to people who had never questioned their history or culture and took their own sense of right and wrong as a given.


    <em>Esmeralda is one person I should never show this to, for example¡­</em>


    ¡°W-What in the world¡­ Is that you, mdy?¡±


    Mia almost lost her bnce when she heard a voice behind her. She was thinking so hard that she didn¡¯t notice when someone else came into the shrine.


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Her loyal maid looked at Mia with worried eyes and helped a second person stand up by putting her shoulder under them.


    ¡°Anne¡­and Esmeralda? What in the dark moons are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Forget about that. What about the story? Is it true?¡±


    Esmeralda pressed. Mia gave her a quick nce and then clicked her tongue.


    <em>Oh no, thest person I wanted to hear about this was¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s honest opinion about Alexis was that he and his will should go away.


    Even if the story on the stone b was true and the first emperor did start Tearmoon for the reasons it said, she didn¡¯t have to do what it said.


    <em>If I blindly do what this crazy ancestor told me to do, I¡¯ll just end up back on the guillotine! I¡¯m not going to do that!</em>


    If there was a contest for the ¡°most useless thing in the world,¡± this stone b would win hands down.


    She really wanted to throw it into the water. Then, just to be sure, drop an anchor on it.


    Why did it bother her so much? Was it because it might have sneaky effects on her people? It might cost the lives of soldiers in a civil war?


    Of course not.


    Because she always stood up for the Mia First principle. She wanted to eat candy all day and stay in bed. For her to live this way, she needed a stable empire.


    So, she didn¡¯t want it to go through a revolution or fall apart.


    Before she came along with her deliciouslyzy ideas, her ancestors¡¯ ideas were little more than nonsense.


    <em>No, it¡¯s worse than crap! They were dangerous.</em>


    Thest thing on her mind was why her ancestors had started the empire so long ago.


    <em>I don¡¯t care about his revenge! To hell with killing people!</em>


    Even if someone gave her a brand-new guillotine today, she wouldn¡¯t use it to cut off anyone¡¯s head. She would use it to cut some hard-to-peel fruits open so she could get to the sweet juices inside.


    Like guillotine, like empire. It has nothing to do with why something was made. What you do with it is what matters.


    There were, of course, people who wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t understand things like that, and the worst of them was standing right in front of her.


    <em>Why did Esmeralda have toe at this moment?</em>


    She has the worst luck, I swear.


    Mia really knew her ¡°friend.¡±


    Esmeralda liked to follow the rules of being a noblewoman and what her parents had taught her.


    <em>She isn¡¯t always as smart as I am. It¡¯s too easy to get her to do something.</em>


    ¡°How¡­ How can this be¡­ The first emperor?¡± Esmeralda whispered as she ran her shaking hand along the carved stone.


    ¡°Look, Esmeralda, you don¡¯t have to be so serious about this. It¡¯s all right.¡±


    Mia stopped talking when she realised no one was listening.


    ¡°Our great empire was built for this? To follow the orders of the first emperor¡­¡±


    <em>Oh no, this is not good. I can¡¯t get her attention! She is now in her own world.</em>


    Mia was scared when she saw Esmeralda and her empty eyes.


    <em>Aaah! Sweet moons! She also likes to be in charge a lot. She will give a lot of weight to a message from the first emperor. I¡¯m definitely at a disadvantage in this situation!</em>


    After all, Mia was not the king or queen. She was just a princess. Also, she and Esmeralda were rted, and they treated each other with the same respect as, say, distant cousins. When it came to royal weight, the first emperor¡¯s words were much stronger than hers.


    <em>Hnnngh¡­ If I don¡¯t do something, Esmeralda will also turn into a Serpent.</em>


    Mia didn¡¯t think Esmeralda or the House of Greenmoon had anything to do with the Chaos Serpents at the time.


    <em>It had to be another house that took the crazy ideas of the first emperor to heart. I mean, neither my father nor I got any of this from our parents. We are the royal family! Could you stop trying to reach some crazy goal from a few hundred years ago that we don¡¯t even care about?</em>


    The biggest problem was that the words of the first emperor could turn Esmeralda, who was innocent at the moment, into someone much less innocent.


    Mia had to make sure that didn¡¯t happen.


    After thinking about it for a moment, an idea came to me¡­


    <em>That¡¯s it! If my word as a princess isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll just inte my status.</em>


    In terms of power, she couldn¡¯t beat the first emperor, but power wasn¡¯t the way to win this battle. If the rules were changed, she would have the upper hand.


    ¡°Listen, Esmeralda¡­¡±


    Mia walked up to her friend and looked her in the eye with a soft smile.


    ¡°I know that what the first emperor said means a lot to you. More than my rank will ever do. Because of this, I¡¯ll say this in a different way. Would you be willing to hear what I have to say? As Mia, <em>your best friend</em>, not the princess.¡±


    She knew that the ¡°princess¡± she held was a bad bet when it is against the first emperor¡¯s authority. So she tried a different tactic and approached her as a ¡°friend.¡± No, a best friend, to be exact.


    Even though Esmeralda said in public all the time that Mia was her best friend, Mia rarely agreed. She was now making it official, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to make it official that you¡¯re my best friend, you know? What do you think?¡±


    Even though it was from the first emperor, an order from him still had a lot of weight. There wasn¡¯t any doubt about it.


    It could be argued, if not proven, that every noble in Tearmoon should hold him in the highest regard and be proud to do what he wants.


    When faced with the words of the first emperor, Esmeralda wasn¡¯t the only noble to act like she did. Many nobles did the same thing out of loyalty to the throne, taking the first emperor¡¯s words at face value.


    ¡°Loyal to the first emperor¡± wasn¡¯t a special status, to put it simply. In fact, it happened all the time. Even so, ¡°Princess¡¯s best friend¡±¡­


    That had a nice sound to it.


    It was a very rare title, mostly because of problems with logistics. Only one person could hold that title at a time.


    Mia might have a hundred people she meets for tea, but she couldn¡¯t have that many best friends. There was one title that stood out as better than the other. Mia¡¯s final blow came after she had made it clear how serious her new position was.


    ¡°No matter what the first emperor may have been thinking when he set up the empire, they don¡¯t mean much now. There¡¯s something much more important.¡±


    ¡°F-Far more important?¡±


    ¡°To rule over a happy, peaceful people. To live a golden life, that was the golden rule. The best way to make sure that every time someone wants something sweet, they can get it right away. The way to a perfect world where you can roll around in bed all day without getting in trouble for it. That was a good goal for the future. If the Tearmoon Empire was really made for such a bad reason, then the mandate is officially over as of right now.¡±


    She smiled as her voice faded into the walls of the cave.


    ¡°So, Esmeralda, what do you say? Instead of following the first emperor, why don¡¯t you follow me? Free yourself from the chains of an ancient oath of fealty to him¡­ and make a stronger bond of friendship with me, your best friend,¡± she said with the kind of smile that slick salesmen and evil businessmen use.


    She emphasised thest three words, ¡°your best friend,¡± to remind herself that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make the title official.

 Chapter 256

    <strong>Best Friend</strong>


    Ah¡­ She is always like this¡­


    ¡°Look, Esmeralda, you don¡¯t have to be so serious about this. It¡¯s all right.¡±


    Mia¡¯s hesitant smile as she stood in front of her brought back a memory¡­


    The scene from five years ago came back to Esmeralda¡¯s mind. She was a little nervous because she was having a tea party at the Greenmoon house. And there was a good reason for that: Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon was going to be there. The princess had never been to a gathering like this before.


    Since it was decided that Esmeralda would be hosting Mia¡¯s first tea party, she has been making careful ns with the help of her father. Because she worked hard, the party went off without a hitch. Mia was so happy about the delicious cake she had been given that she almost smiled at the maid who brought her another piece.


    ¡°Oh, wow, thank you, um¡­was it Nina? Could you please bring me one more slice when I¡¯m done with this?¡±


    Mia asked the girl by name, and she seemed proud of herself for being able to do so. She must have learned it by listening to the maids talk about it.


    Esmeralda couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly when she saw Mia¡¯s proud smile. She thought the princess was too young to know that what she was doing was wrong. She decided that since she was the older sister, it was her job as a big sister to teach the princess how to act in a proper way.


    ¡°Miss Mia, the highborn don¡¯t walk around trying to remember everyone¡¯s names. You shouldn¡¯t really call the maids by their names.¡±


    ¡°My? What gives?¡±


    Mia asked, tilting her head as if she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we use their names?¡±


    ¡°Well, because¡­¡±


    Esmeralda stopped to think for a moment.


    ¡°Because you and Ie from noble families. We are in charge of most people, so we must be above them. Better than them. That¡¯s what nobles have always done.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think much about what she had said. It was the foundation of her whole worldview¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s a dumb idea.¡±


    But the young princess quickly turned it down.


    ¡°Remembering people¡¯s names is so much easier. Why do we have to make things harder on ourselves?¡±


    Esmeralda was hit by Mia¡¯s words like a thunderp. She had never looked at it that way before. It had such a loud effect that¡­


    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t that maid about the same age as us? She looks like the kind of person who would keep bringing me cake as long as I kept asking for it. It would be much simpler if I could just call her by her name every time.¡±


    ¡­She didn¡¯t understand at all what the princess said in the end.


    Mia had always been a little¡­sly¡­when it came to getting what she wanted.


    Even though she was only eight years old, she was already wise about people and good at math; showing signs that she would grow up to be the Great Sage of the Empire.


    Or maybe just a glimpse of someone who has a sweet tooth.


    In any case, (the first half of) Mia¡¯s words struck a chord with Esmeralda, whether they showed a young genius or a young glutton. She was very moved by them because they echoed feelings she herself sometimes had trouble with.


    Remembering the names of her maids, making friends with one of them and naming her as her personal attendant, sharing hobbies and bedtime whispers, returning favours and apologising for slights¡­


    She longed for these kinds of interactions. They seemed much easier and more fun than what she had now. So why couldn¡¯t she do that?


    When she first thought of the question, she went to her father. His answer started with a nervous smile.


    ¡°Because we are nobles, Esmeralda. This is how noble people are.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a very good answer, but she took it anyway. It wasn¡¯t important to understand. Things were like that. That was the end.


    That answer stuck with her, and as time went on, it turned into an invisible chain that connected her mind and soul from the inside. The rules of being a noblewoman both made her who she was and kept her from thinking freely. That¡¯s why she looked up to Mia Luna Tearmoon, the young princess who didn¡¯t have to follow any rules.


    But it was a far-off admiration that came from a quiet longing for something she knew was out of her reach.


    ¡°Listen, Esmeralda¡­¡±


    Even the wise words of the ancestor who started their empire, which by definition should be heavy and binding, didn¡¯t change Mia¡¯s mind. She threw them away because she didn¡¯t want to be tied down, and she told Esmeralda to do the same. Not to worry so much about them.


    Mia waspletely unmoved by power that was so strong that Esmeralda couldn¡¯t fight back even if she tried. It¡¯s always been that way. Every time, always the same.


    Mia, who flew above noble customs as if she had wings of freedom, and Esmeralda, who looked up and criticised her high-flying friend for her strange, unprincessly ways that were an insult to the traditions and power of the imperial lineage.


    But behind the criticism was a longing, a desire that had been pushed down for a long time but never died.


    <em>Yes, she¡¯s right¡­ Now I remember¡­ I have always admired her.</em>


    The thought came back to her. She had always wanted to be Mia¡¯s best friend because she thought she was so cool.


    But she knew the truth deep down. Knew too much about it. She always wished she could be, but she never could.


    She wasn¡¯t worthy of being Mia¡¯s best friend. Mia was up there, and she was down here. How could she be?


    She didn¡¯t feel the fluttering wings of freedom on her back. Instead, she felt the cold weight of chains that were much thicker and stronger than she had thought. It was painfully clear that she didn¡¯t have the courage to cut them off.


    She did not deserve to be Mia¡¯s friend.


    When the thought came back, it brought with it the feeling of suffocating resignation that a heart used to despair was used to.


    And yet¡­


    ¡°Instead of following the first emperor, why don¡¯t you do what I say? Free yourself from the chains of an old oath of loyalty to him, and strengthen your friendship with me, your best friend.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t care about it at all. She stepped in, brushed Esmeralda¡¯s dark thoughts away with a shrug, and turned her world upside down.


    She was so willing to take on the coveted role of best friend. She asked Esmeralda to stay by her side, not to be loyal to the first emperor, but to be her friend instead.


    She didn¡¯t say it, but her action said, ¡°You can do it, too.¡±


    She did all of this with a mischievous smile, as if it were just a game they were ying together. Even so¡­


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t.¡±


    The word that came out of her mouth was ¡°no.¡± Was it because of the way she was brought up? Or had she given in to the absolute power of the first emperor?


    No, neither of those was it.


    Before Mia¡¯s warm wee, those worries had already gone away. But one thing kepting back to mind.


    It was a small thing that hurt her heart, and because of that, she couldn¡¯t take Mia¡¯s hand. She had a dream in which she told a sad Mia that she would throw a tea party to cheer her up, but then didn¡¯t follow through.


    Even though it was just a dream, the regret was very strong. She didn¡¯t know when, where, or how, but she felt like she¡¯d hurt Mia at some point.


    Of course, it couldn¡¯t be true. Nothing about it was true, except that it hurt her heart. She couldn¡¯t call herself Mia¡¯s friend as long as that pain was still there.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Miss Mia. I let you down.¡±


    Her sadness made her tell the truth.


    ¡°You did?¡±


    Mia gave her head a scratch.


    ¡°Really? When?¡±


    ¡°I promised you I¡¯d throw you a tea party, but I never did. I broke my promise¡­¡±


    Some small part of Esmeralda¡¯s mind that was still able to think clearly was upset by how she was talking.


    What did she want to say? It was nonsense. Mia had no idea what her dream was about. This would only make her feel worse. But she was surprised when¡­


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Well, then¡­¡±


    Mia wasn¡¯t confused. She did notugh. Instead, she looked serious and seemed to be thinking deeply. She finally said, ¡°I¡¯d like a cake.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Esmeralda blinked.


    ¡°Yes, I like the idea of cake. Those that are extra sweet are best. I¡¯d like to indulge in some sugar. So, once we get off this ind, I¡¯d love it if you¡¯d invite me to one of your tea parties.¡±


    Esmeralda kept batting her eyes. After Mia¡¯s nextment, she gasped when she realised what she had said.


    ¡°There, we¡¯ll all swear to be true to the empire.¡±


    She looked right at Esmeralda.


    ¡°Not to the old one who is trying to destroy the continent. To another. A better one, where everyone wants to live in peace and stability and will work hard to make that happen.¡±


    A drop of water fell on Esmeralda¡¯s hand.


    She looked up, confused. The roof was not wet. Not until then did she realise that she was crying.


    <em>Tears? I¡¯m¡­crying? Howe? I don¡¯t need to cry¡­</em>


    She felt that faint pain in her heart again. It was a constant reminder of a promise she¡¯d made long ago. It was a sad promise because it never came true and was doomed to die along with the dream that made it.


    It was all in a dream. Mia has no way of knowing about it. But¡­


    She looked back at Mia. She felt like she was looking at the Mia from her dream, as if that Mia had crossed the line between reality and fantasy to give her a chance to make good on the promise she had broken.


    She finally reached out¡­


    ¡°Okay, Miss Mia, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll find the best people who make cakes and have them make the best ones. Then I¡¯ll invite you to my tea party.¡±


    And she grabbed the hand of a friend who was more important to her than anything else. Her best friend¡¯s hand.


    As a bit of background, it was getting dark when this scene was happening, so Mia hadn¡¯t eaten since three hours before. She was very, very hungry because she had skipped breakfast, lunch, and dinner.


    Just so we¡¯re clear.

 Chapter 257

    <strong>Esmeralda Disappears After Saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be Right Back.¡±</strong>


    ¡°Well, I have to get out of here, even if it¡¯s just to go to Esmeralda¡¯s tea party¡­ Anne, how did the two of you get here? Why are you even down here?¡±


    After convincing Esmeralda with just words, Mia started to think about how things were going.


    ¡°Yes, about that¡­¡±


    After Anne told her story, Mia sighed.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it went. And there¡¯s no way to go back?¡±


    She was happy to hear that Anne hade in a different way, but was sad to hear about the cave-in.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get rid of all the rocks. Also, we¡¯ll have to climb up a pretty steep hill,¡± Anne said, giving Esmeralda¡¯s ankle a quick nce.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to go back the way I came. What about you, mdy?¡±


    ¡°In fact, we were also caught in something like a cave-in. The ground just gave way beneath us.¡±


    Mia thought about where they had stopped.


    ¡°The thought of climbing back up to that hole in the ceiling gives me the creeps.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. It doesn¡¯t make sense, especially since Esmeralda is hurt,¡± Abel said.


    ¡°That cave in the back did also go in the opposite direction¡­¡±


    Anyone could guess where it would lead.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s first look around this shrine to see if there are any ways out. I think we should go back to where we firstnded if we can¡¯t find any. What do you think?¡±


    When their ¡°survival expert¡± made a suggestion, the group nodded. This could be seen as a sign of bad things toe, so it was good that Anne spoke up after a short pause.


    ¡°Um, mdy, may I suggest that we take a short break? Lady Esmeralda¡¯s foot still hurts, and you look a little tired yourself.¡±


    Mia yawned almost right on cue.


    ¡°Phew. I agree with you. Then let¡¯s take a short break before getting back to work.¡±


    After a short nap, the group went outside to look around the shrine.


    Well, everyone else¡¯s nap was short, so they went off to explore the ce on their own while Mia had a much longer one.


    At the end, they found that there were only two ways to get here. Anne took one way, and Mia took the other.


    ¡°I wonder if that other path in the cave leads out. I sure hope so,¡± said Mia when she woke up and joined the rest of the group.


    With few choices left, the group went back to the cave where Mia and Abel had fallen in, hoping that there might still be a way out.


    When they got there, Abel pointed to the water.


    ¡°Look. On the way here, it was already pretty high, but now it¡¯s even higher.¡±


    He had a point. Where the water used to only reach their ankles, it now goes up to their knees.


    ¡°I see. Then there is still hope. If it goes up and down with the tide, it must go out to sea,¡± Mia said.


    Esmeralda got on her knees and reached for a handful of water.


    ¡°Yes, this is seawater for sure. There¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s linked to the outside.¡±


    She looked up at the ceiling and then around at the other people in the room.


    ¡°I think we should wait a while before trying to leave. I¡¯ve heard that the sea is very dangerous at night.¡±


    On Esmeralda¡¯s advice, they decided to take another break. To keep warm in the cold cave, they huddled together.


    <em>This feeling of cold¡­ I think of the dungeon when I see it. Ha ha, how odd. This seems like fun.</em>


    Even though Mia was hungry, she found that she was beginning to enjoy herself.


    <em>May the moons be kind to us, and may we all remember this fondly as a fun summer adventure¡­</em>


    Soon, light started toe in through the hole in the ceiling, which meant it was morning. Strangely, the blue light in the water went away quickly after that.


    <em>I wonder if it¡¯s because of tiny creatures that only light up at night.</em>


    That made a problem for them. Even though there was light in the cavern, the path ahead was now dark. Sunlight couldn¡¯t get any further into the tunnel.


    They could bring a torch, but once they were underwater, it wouldn¡¯t help much.


    ¡°I knew we would need this someday!¡±


    Esmeralda took the pendant from around her neck and held it up with pride.


    The stone in it gave off a soft glow.


    ¡°This will give us some time to see. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s ahead, so I¡¯ll go ahead and check out the way. It looks like we¡¯ll have to swim, so I¡¯m the best person for the job.¡±


    She threw off her clothes with a flourish, revealing the swimsuit she¡¯d been wearing since she went swimming in the spring.


    Then she started to put her feet in the water.


    ¡°Wait, let me go.¡±


    Abel ran to get in her way.


    ¡°You can stay here and rest a little longer,dies.¡±


    Esmeralda looked at him, making sure to look down her nose as she did so.


    ¡°No, Prince Abel, I don¡¯t think so. Here¡¯s how I see it. Would you say you¡¯re a good swimmer?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe not a good one, but I can swim,¡± he said, but he didn¡¯t seem to believe his own argument.


    Esmeraldaughed like she had won.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. So stay here like a good little prince and let me take care of this. I¡¯d like you to know that I¡¯ve been swimming every summer since I was a child.¡±


    ¡°But even so, I can¡¯t let a woman like you put herself in danger in this way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for caring, Prince Abel, but you might want to learn more about your position.¡±


    ¡°Position? What position?¡±


    Sheughed at how confused he looked.


    ¡°Is it necessary to ask? Of course, your role as Miss Mia¡¯s future husband.¡±


    ¡°Future hus-? What?!¡±


    He stiffened in shock, which made herugh even louder.


    ¡°Miss Mia is both my best friend and my princess. As a proud Etoiline, I won¡¯t let anyone put her husband in danger. There¡¯s no way that could happen. This matter is also very important for Miss Mia¡¯s safety. Failure is not an option, so delegating would not be a good idea.¡±


    Anne, who had been listening to the conversation, was the next person to raise her hand.


    ¡°What about your ankle, Lady Esmeralda?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ankle? Wha¡ª Oh¡­¡±


    Esmeralda was upset, and all of a sudden, she seemed to find something very interesting about the ceiling.


    ¡°Uh, I forgot about itpletely! How odd! Um, Anne, I think your treatment must have worked¡­¡±


    Mia gave her a raised eyebrow because of that.


    ¡°Huh. Really?¡±


    ¡°Wh-What? Does that bother you, Miss Mia?¡± she asked defensively.


    Mia looked at her for a moment before she smiled.


    ¡°No, absolutely not.¡±


    She then bowed deeply and said, ¡°Thank you, Esmeralda. I¡¯m happy to put myself in your skilled hands.¡±


    That made it easier for Esmeralda to get back into her normal routine.


    She smiled back and told him, ¡°And you won¡¯t be let down. I promise that I¡¯ll bring you good news when I get back. Then, when we get home safely, I¡¯ll finally be able to invite you to that very fancy tea party I¡¯ve been waiting so long to throw!¡±


    Even though it¡¯s usually not a good idea to promise to keep long-awaited promises after doing something very dangerous, Esmeralda did it with her head held high, not caring at all that she might have had just raised a g.


    Then she probably did something she¡¯d never done before. Her face softened into a smile that was neither sly nor proud, but kind and sincere¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll be back right away.¡±


    She didn¡¯t.


    Her words were as empty as the room they were in, and her anxious eyes kept staring at the still surface of the water she had just jumped into.


    Well, she didn¡¯te back right away.

 Chapter 258

    <strong>Princes Mia, Towed</strong>


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Esmeralda smile so sincerely before¡­¡±


    Mia spoke to herself in a whisper after Esmeralda went under the water. It had been a real smile, not tainted by fear or bad will. Mia felt uneasy about it, though.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she was ufortably reminded of the day long ago when Esmeralda had promised to host another tea party¡­


    When theyst said goodbye, didn¡¯t she have the same smile on her face?


    ¡°That day, she seemed oddly reliable¡­ Just as she did just now¡­ It¡¯s a little scary how simr they are.¡±


    Five minutes passed.


    Mia was worried. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s okay.¡±


    Anne gave her a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mdy. Only five minutes have passed. We should believe in Lady Esmeralda.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, I suppose you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Ten minutes passed.


    ¡°Is she really all right? Oh, I hope she didn¡¯t do something stupid and hurt herself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Mia. Esmeralda can swim circles around us all. She can take care of herself,¡± Abel said in a tone that made it clear he was trying to reassure her.


    The slow, solemn nod he received in response, however, suggested efficacy had been limited. After that, Mia stopped talking to people as much.


    At half an hour, she looked like she was about to cry, with her haunted eyes fixed on the still surface of the water. The longer she waited, the more time she had to think of all the bad things that could have happened.


    What did it mean if someone went out to look at a ce like this and then didn¡¯te back? It was easy to figure out.


    Her worried mind was filled with thoughts of death, which were made worse by the thought of Esmeralda¡¯s gentle smile before she disappeared¡­


    Mia thought about how she felt about Esmeralda. She didn¡¯t think of the girl as her best friend, and that was true. At best, she fell into the category of ¡°I guess we¡¯re friends.¡±


    But the more she thought about it, the more she saw that they really did know each other.


    They had spent a lot of time together because she had hosted Mia¡¯s first tea party and sent her birthday party invitations every year. She always made sure to be at Mia¡¯s birthday parties, too. They always celebrated these events together.


    Every once in a while, they¡¯d even have dresses made that matched. They¡¯dugh as they shared clothes and fun, but these times were getting rarer as Mia¡¯s schedule got busier. Even though she didn¡¯t think Esmeralda was her one and only soul mate, they were good friends in the end.


    Good enough that it hurt to lose her and made her cry.


    ¡°Ooooh, Esmeralda, you¡­¡±


    Mia said between sniffles, ¡°Y- You said you¡¯d be back in a minute, so where are you? Oh, I hate you so much. You¡¯re a terrible person¡­ I-I can¡¯t believe you would break your promise to me again¡­¡±


    After an hour, Mia had turned into a blubbering mess of tears. She cried freely, and the trails of her tears had just dried when new ones started to flow in their ce. She sobbed loudly as Anne hugged her and patted her back gently.


    Just as Anne¡¯s floodgates were about to open, there was a big ssh and a loud gasp of air behind them.


    They all turned to look for Esmeralda, who had juste up out of the water.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m sorry for making you wait so long, but I¡¯m back now,¡± she said,pletely oblivious to the mood in the cave.


    The water exercise seemed to have helped her health, and both her skin tone and her enthusiasm seemed to shine.


    ¡°It might take about five minutes to get outside from here. We¡¯ll have to dive for a while in one spot, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not too long, so even Miss Mia should be able to do it.¡±


    She got out of the water and walked toward them. The drops of water running down her face looked the same as Mia¡¯s, but they were different.


    When no one spoke up, she turned her head to the side.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She took a look around.


    ¡°Is there something wrong? Why am I feeling so strange?¡±


    Mia muttered, ¡°You really took your time, didn¡¯t you?¡± as she walked over with her head down to hide how she felt.


    ¡°Oh. Yes, well¡­¡±


    Esmeralda put the pendant on her chest and held it out.


    ¡°I was using my moomp rock to get some light. Without some light, the path is a little hard to find. Also, the water was pretty cold, so I decided to warm up on this rock, which was in the perfect spot for a quick sunbath. What¡¯s wrong, Miss Mia?¡±


    Mia wrapped her arms around Esmeralda and squeezed her as if her life depended on it.


    ¡°You know, I was worried. So, so upset! I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you ever again¡­¡±


    ¡°M-Miss Mia?¡±


    Esmeralda was shocked at first and stood still, but she soon rxed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Mia. I won¡¯t ever let my best friend down. And I won¡¯t break that promise. Not again¡­¡±


    She smiled softly and gave him a hug back.


    After everyone had calmed down, Esmeralda went on to exin what she had found.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not that far, and you can¡¯t get lost because the way out is straight. There are a few ces where we¡¯ll have to stay underwater for a while, but I think we¡¯ll be fine if Miss Mia can get us through.¡±


    Anne looked sad. She was amoner, so she didn¡¯t know how to swim even less than Mia did.


    ¡°Well, then Anne cane along with me. We¡¯ll go together,¡± Esmeralda said without much thought.


    Next to frown was Mia.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re Esmeralda, right? Are you okay? Where did you hit your head?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Miss Mia! I just thought I could maybe be a little nicer to my best friend¡¯s beloved maid,¡± she said, before her confidence slipped a little and she turned away.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s been pretty helpful¡­ I mean, being of noble blood means that you have to pay back any help you get, right?¡±


    <em>Oh, Esmeralda, you have such a unique personality¡­ Always so much trouble. Sometimes it¡¯s hard for me to believe that we¡¯re rted.</em> Mia then nodded to herself.


    ¡°Okay, Esmeralda, we¡¯ll do what you say. Look after Anne for me, okay?¡±


    They put themselves in a line and got ready to go. Esmeralda was in front, and Anne was right behind her. Abel and Mia were behind them.


    As their anchorman, Abel would usually best, but he had to stay in front of Mia for a reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting to get deep here. I don¡¯t think your feet will ever touch the ground again.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    She nodded yes, turned around, and fell on her back with the efficiency of a soldier.


    She was wearing her swimsuit under her clothes, just like Esmeralda. Without her wet clothes getting in the way, Mia could do an impressively good back float.


    Abel grabbed her cor as he walked through the water in front of her.


    Yes, Abel stayed in front because he had to swim while pulling Mia with him! Even though they didn¡¯t share the work equally, they made steady progress by following the light from Esmeralda¡¯s pendant.


    She had said that the path was easy enough for the whole group to pass through.


    After a few ces where they had to hold their breath and dive, they could see light in the distance.


    ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re almost there! ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Esmeralda yelled from the front of the line.


    Mia felt better after she heard her words of support, so she worked harder by pping her arms and legs around more.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    She covered her face when she suddenly saw a lot of light. A few secondster, she felt a salty wind on her cheeks. She started to hear the rolling rumble of the tide in her ears.


    Over time, her eyes got used to the blinding light, and a clear blue sky came into view.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ We did it¡­ We did it for sure. We made it out okay.¡±


    Relief almost made her lose all of her strength. Or maybe it did happen.


    When one is floating like a limp dishrag, it¡¯s hard to tell.


    She looked at each of her friends slowly. Esmeralda and Anne could be seen a little ways away.


    Abel was right next to her.


    <em>I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s true. Everyone made it out alive. It¡¯s like a dream.</em>


    That realisation was moving enough, but fate still had more strange things to happen.


    ¡°Ah! Look! It¡¯s the Emerald Star!¡±


    Esmeralda yelled with joy and pointed firmly at the familiar shape of their ship.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­saved? Does this mean we¡¯re going to be OK?¡±


    Mia smiled as she answered her own question in a quiet voice.


    The smile didn¡¯tst long, though, because she would soon be forced to read a certain part of the Princess Mia Chronicles, which told about the things that had happened to her on and around this deserted ind.


    Just below the calm surface of the water, a huge shadow showed up. It came up behind the unfortunate group of swimmers quickly, quietly, and without being seen at all¡­

 Chapter 259

    <strong>Hero of the Ocean: Princess Mia, Lets Put a Fierce Roar!</strong>


    ¡°See? See? I said so! It¡¯s good and safe! I was right! My Emerald Star wouldn¡¯t sink because of such a small storm. Oooh, just look at it! Not even a single mark! It really lives up to its name!¡±


    Esmeralda was grinning like a winner for no reason she could exin. Mia¡¯s cheeks twitched, a quick sign of frustration that was quickly silenced by the thought that help was on the way. As long as they got home safely, she was okay with Esmeralda¡¯s bragging. The most important question was¡­


    ¡°What should we do then? I think it¡¯s too far to swim¡­¡±


    They were about 400 m (400 moontales) away was the yacht.


    <em>I¡¯m d help is here, but honestly, that¡¯s a long way to swim when you¡¯re hungry. If they would onlye get us¡­</em>


    When she thought about it, she pursed her lips.


    ¡°It would be so much easier for them to send us those little boats. Can we get their attention from here in some way?¡±


    Abel looked at the ship.


    ¡°A little too far to shout,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go first and tell them to lower the row boats.¡±


    He looked like a brave knight as he nodded at them and then swam away.


    ¡°Ugh, it hurts me to ask Abel to do this hard job by himself, but swimming all the way there does seem hard¡­¡±


    Mia had spent so much time in water that her mind had be like water in some ways. Of course, it only went in the direction she wanted it to, so she didn¡¯t pay attention to more practical ideas like, ¡°The closer they got, the faster the rescuers could get to them.¡±


    <em>Aaaah¡­ The sea is so beautiful. Staying afloat is so easy. All you have to do is rx</em>


    She thought as she turned back into her favourite form, the Waning Jellyfish, and stared nkly up at the sky. In her jellyfish state, she only moved her eyes, following the vast, blue sky all the way to the horizon, where it turned aquamarine.


    Then she looked at the water¡¯s surface and frowned when she saw what looked like a¡­dorsal fin.


    ¡°¡­Huh. I wonder what that is.¡±


    She just watched idly as it cut quickly through the water. After a second, a scream came from behind her.


    ¡°Oh no! M-Mdy! L-L-Look! It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a carnivorous fish!¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    When Mia heard the words, they hit her head-on with a huge ¡°Out For Lunch¡± sign that was blocking her brain.


    She looked nkly from the fin to Anne and back again.


    As it got closer, it rose higher and higher, and she forced her slow mind to think about how big a fish a big fin would belong to.


    Then she got scared. Since it was a big fish. One big carnivorous fish. In other words, her life was in danger, and she was about to be turned into fish food.


    ¡°Quick! We have to get away!¡± Esmeralda yelled. ¡°Try to swim to the boat! They probably already know and are sending out row boats.!


    ¡°Hurry up,e on!¡±


    She took hold of Anne¡¯s arm and pulled her toward the boat.


    ¡°Eeeek! Eeeeeek!¡±


    Mia swam to catch up with them. She skillfully spun into a back float and, uh, flutter kicked for her life. She kicked and kicked with her small, weak legs, making a lot of little sshes that didn¡¯t do much to move her forward.


    With her growing fear and already questionable technique, she was basically just making a lot of noise and not getting anywhere.


    On top of that¡­


    ¡°Eeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek!¡±


    Because she chose to float on her back, it was easy for her to both breathe and see. In this case, thetter turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing because it didn¡¯t block her view of the impressively thick and unnervingly tall dorsal fin speeding toward her through the water.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaah! It¡¯s going to get me! It¡¯s almost there!¡±


    Usually, people couldn¡¯t just swim away from big carnivorous fish, like the megalodons Mia was thinking about. The thing with this dorsal fin, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to get to its prey. It just followed her while she paddled furiously to get away, getting closer and closer as if to y with her.


    <em>Oh, you stupid fish, you¡¯re trying to trick me, aren¡¯t you? Hmph! If that¡¯s the case,</em>


    Mia stopped and stared at the predatoring toward her. Her eyes hardened with the determination of a warrior.


    If this is where she had to die, so be it.


    Also, if that part of the Chronicles was true, she was about to beat this huge carnivorous fish into submission, ording to that part. She still has a chance to win this fight.


    With her teeth clenched and her jaw set, she let out a fierce roar that was just as impressive as the war cries of seasoned veterans charging into theirst battle.


    At least, that¡¯s how she meant for it to sound. For everyone else, it sounded less like a scary ¡°Raaargh!¡± and more like a squeaky ¡°Meeeeep!¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t have time to think about such silly things, though. She had to beat up some fish.


    She started swinging her arms around in big circles, just like little boys do on the yground when they think their fast-moving fists make an imprable bubble that keeps everyone out.


    Her random iling of her arm, on the other hand, did the unthinkable, and everyone, except Mia, whose eyes were tightly shut, saw a miracle happen!


    Mia¡¯s handnded with a st on the nose of the huge creature.


    Yes, it did.


    She hadn¡¯t been able to make a full fist, so she had pretty much hit the thing on the nose.


    On impact, there was a bit of give, which gave her a bouncy feeling that was strange enough to make her open her eyes. When she did, she saw her aquatic enemy¡¯s dorsal fin quickly shrinking as it ran away.


    Not long after that, a rescue raft got to her.


    ¡°Sweet moons! Miss Mia! That was nothing short of amazing! You beat back a huge shark with just your hands!¡± Esmeralda eximed as she reached out to help Mia.


    Mia took it, and the raft pulled her up.


    ¡°H-Ha ha¡­ Ha ha ha¡­ O-Of course. Who do you suppose I am? That was easy. A piece of cake! In fact, I¡¯m ready for more!¡±


    She said this with a proud puff of her chest, then quickly moved to the middle of the raft and held on with all her might for fear of falling off.


    Then, in a tone that was both firm and desperate, she said, ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s time to go back. What¡¯s holding us back? Quickly!¡±


    ¡­ Most of you probably already know that Mia did not beat a megalodon into submission. It wasn¡¯t even a carnivorous fish to start with.


    It was a calm, t fish that swam upright. It was called an ocean fullmoon fish in science and a moonbow in everyday speech.


    Moonbows were fragile and easily hurt. They could even die from bumping into a particrly rough rock.


    Mia¡¯s awkward punch-p wasn¡¯t strong enough to hurt it, though, so it got away unscathed.


    <em>Wow, that was close,</em> the poor moonbow thought as it quickly swam away. <em>Next time, I shouldn¡¯t let my curiosity get the best of me¡­</em>


    So, everything worked out well for everyone, and the peaceful seascape didn¡¯t change.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    By the way, Ocean Sunfish = Sunfish, but Ocean Full Moonfish = Moonbow can be thought of as a simr type of fish that protrudes its dorsal fin from the surface of the sea¡­

 Chapter 260

    <strong>Each Person¡¯s Loyalty (Fetish)</strong>


    What was Sion¡¯s team doing while Mia¡¯s group was having their underground adventure? Let¡¯s go back a bit and see what happened¡­


    Sion and Nina looked all over the area near the spring for Esmeralda. When they couldn¡¯t find her, they went back to the cave, but it was also empty. Anne was supposed to be keeping watch, but she wasn¡¯t there. Mia and Abel also hadn¡¯te back.


    ¡°Scorching hot sun¡­ Is it a new trend for Tearmoon women to run away to deserted inds?¡±


    Sion¡¯s jokey tone couldn¡¯t hide how worried he was. After getting in touch with Keithwood, who came back soon after, he decided to look for Anne, whose location they knew the most about.


    The two of them went further into the cave, but the cave-in blocked their way. They turned around and then went in the same direction that Mia¡¯s team had gone.


    Sion was speechless when they came across a hole in the ground where the rocks around it had fallen down into a ck void.


    Keithwood spoke in a calm, businesslike tone because he knew his master¡¯s nerves were getting frayed.


    ¡°If they fell, it¡¯s possible that their injuries would keep them from moving.¡±


    ¡°They could be, yes.¡±


    Sion knew exactly what Keithwood meant by what he said. Even if their friends were still alive down there, it would be almost impossible to get them back up.


    There was no way out.


    <em>No, don¡¯t stop trying. Continue to think. There must be a solution.</em>


    Sion thought furiously. He didn¡¯t want to give in to despair. He was upset that he didn¡¯t get any ideas.


    Instead, it took the form of Nina, who had been standing guard at the beach. She ran over and told him, ¡°The Emerald Star has returned.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, tell the crew that we need their help right away. We might be able to get out of this hole if they have rope. Still, there¡¯s hope¡ª¡±


    When she told him there was no need, she stopped his racing thoughts in their tracks. He just stood there and stared.


    ¡°What? They¡¯re all good, right? Are they already on board?¡±


    He was still confused as they went toward the ship, saying things like ¡°What in the name of the sun?¡± and ¡°Damn it, Mia, what magic is this?¡± the whole way.


    The person in charge of the row boat they got into told them with great excitement about Mia¡¯s achievements.


    ¡°Trust me, it was something! She beat that huge thing until it gave up. Totally out of this world!¡±


    After hearing the story, it¡¯s easy to see why this feeling didn¡¯t change.


    <em>What the hell are you talking about? Damn it, Mia, are you even a person?</em>


    In any case, Sion¡¯s three friends were happy as they rode their boat back to the yacht.


    When they found out that their friends, whose deaths had seemed almost certain, were not only saved but alsopletely unharmed, they felt a deep sense of relief that made them loosen up and start talking.


    Keithwood joked, ¡°Well, speaking of that, Miss Nina, you don¡¯t have it easy, do you?¡±


    Nina replied to the suddenment by tilting her head and saying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I mean your mistress, Lady Esmeralda. It must be hard to deal with her.¡±


    She made a short frown. Then her gaze drifted upward.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true. I like the work I do for her,¡± she said, but she didn¡¯t seem happy.


    ¡°You do? Really? But, she doesn¡¯t even address you by name¡ª¡±


    ¡°That part is the best!¡±


    When Keithwood heard the sudden exmation, he jerked back a little and swallowed the rest of his sentence.


    Nina got back on her feet and let out a small sigh after she gave her answer.


    Then she used the tone of voice teachers use to tell a particrly rowdy child why they shouldn¡¯t be acting that way.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t needy. I like her because she is like this. We keep our distance as professionals. What I like most about our rtionship is how dry and businesslike it is. I can¡¯t get enough of how good it is.¡±


    Keithwood and Sion both looked like they were trying to figure out a foreignnguage as they listened.


    Nina kept going even though they were clearly confused. Nina seemed to have a lot to say now that she knew Esmeralda was safe and she wasn¡¯t around.


    She got more and more excited as she talked.


    ¡°And sometimes she forgets that she knows my name and almost calls me by it before she remembers. I love how she panics and stutters a bit as she puts on the act again. It¡¯s also cute that she loves Her Highness and wants to spend time with her, but she can¡¯t work up the courage to just ask. And seeing here up with this borate n to seduce the visiting princes by wearing a revealing swimsuit, only to back out at thest minute¡­ It¡¯s so funny how scared she gets¡­¡±


    Keithwood thought Nina sounded like a want tobe artist who was insisting that a random rock she picked up on the side of the road was art.


    <em>I don¡¯t understand this at all. She lives in a different world.</em>


    Nina patted Keithwood on the shoulder and said, ¡°To think you can¡¯t appreciate Mdy¡¯s beauty¡­ I feel sorry for your taste in women, Keithwood. Also, isn¡¯t it part of the fun of being a servant to have to work hard to keep up with your master¡¯s whims?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, I have to respectfully disagree with your first point, but I can see where your second point ising from.¡±


    They bothughed like they knew what was going on. Even though they both worked for hard-to-please masters, it seemed like they got something out of it. It was part of the fun, so it was worth the trouble¡­


    Sion, on the other hand, looked from one servant to the next, trying to figure out what was making themugh.


    After being pulled onto the deck of the Emerald Star; Mia and her friends Abel, Esmeralda, and Anne celebrated being saved.


    The yacht had sailed away to find shelter, but it was damaged by the storm and started to drift away. The captain was very sorry that the repairs had taken so long, but since they were necessary, no one was punished. Not long after that, Sion, Keithwood, and Nina came back with the group sent to the ind to look for them.


    Sion turned to Mia as soon as he got on the boat and made sure everyone was okay. ¡°Mia, you have to stop trying to give me a heart attack,¡± he said. ¡°Esmeralda was found safe and sound, which is good, but¡­really, what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but what we found underground will blow your mind. It sure did mine.¡±


    ¡°Try us.¡±


    Sion smiled in a testing way.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy enough that we got everyone back on the boat without anyone getting hurt. How can this day get any crazier? Oh, I heard that you punched some huge fish away? Is it even stranger than that?¡±


    Nina gave the two people who were talking a single nce from the side before walking over to Esmeralda. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her mistress was in good shape.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re healthy, Mdy,¡± she said in her usual t voice.


    ¡°Hm? Ah, yes¡­ Even though I twisted my ankle a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. I feel bad that I let you get hurt while I was watching. Please ept my sincerest apologies for the trouble this has caused you.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not to me¡­ I did it¡­ I went away by myself¡­¡±


    Esmeralda spoke in a slow, stuttering way.


    She looked around with a pleading look, and her eyesnded on Mia¡¯s maid, Anne, who smiled and gave her a subtle thumbs up. Esmeralda was encouraged by her fellow caver, so she nodded and used the courage she had borrowed.


    ¡°I know you must have been worried, um, Nina¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    She worked hard to say the name of her maid, but all she got in return was a strange look.


    ¡°Uh,dy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Nina asked, ¡°Why are you using my name out of the blue?¡± She was much more confused than when she first heard about the ankle injury.


    Esmeralda¡¯s answer showed that she was truly sorry.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about how I act. All this time, I¡¯ve been very rude to you. You probably never thought I knew your name, but I do. Even though I¡¯ve always known it, I¡¯m sorry for how I¡¯ve treated you.¡±


    Nina didn¡¯t seem to care much about her sincere apology:


    ¡°Um, are you kidding?¡±


    In fact, she seemed very sad about it.


    ¡°Uh, mdy¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that at all. Just¡­be who you are. Like you¡¯ve always done, okay? You can call me ¡°you,¡± ¡°that maid over there,¡± or anything else you want.¡±


    ¡°What on the stars do you mean? Nina, is it okay for me to call you by your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about¡­appearance. It¡¯s important to look good. Think about the proud traditions of the House of Greenmoon. Or the rules of the upper ss. By any of these standards, calling maids by name is wrong,¡± she said in a t rejection of Esmeralda¡¯s growing change.


    ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯re trying to do, just don¡¯t do it. Really. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Esmeralda turned her attention back to Anne. This time, the other young woman didn¡¯t do it. Instead, she looked out to sea.


    Anne learned something new that day. There are many different kinds of loyalty, and each person has their own tastes and preferences (kinks and fetishes).


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve seen enough of this ind. Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    There was no point in staying any longer.


    Mia told the Emerald Star to sail back to Ganudos, and it did.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Well, it¡¯s abrupt, but with the next episode, the story of the Taermoon Empire, Part 2 wille to an end.


    After a day of extra episodes, the next week is summer vacation. I would like to start the third part from the following Monday, the 19th. ¡­¡­I hope I can start. . .


    So, it was a light future n.


    With this we are finishing this current arc. Following will be an epilogue and then a new arc will begin. Thank you for continuing to support me.


    -Mermaid Fish.

 Chapter 261

    <strong>Epilogue: Prelude to Battle</strong>


    The Emerald Star got back to Ganudos Port Country two days after leaving for the ind. It waste, but everyone was safe. The whole Greenmoon group and the Princess Guard were waiting at the dock.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re home atst¡­ I¡¯ve missed the scent of civilization.¡±


    In general, the Emerald Star gave its passengers a lot of luxury and extravagance, but for Mia, not being able to take afortable bath was a big problem that kept her from enjoying her time on the yacht.


    So, when the boat pulled into the harbour, she let out a sigh of relief. Most of her friends seemed to feel the same relief, as the tension left the faces of the two princes and all the servants, showing how tired everyone really was. It turned out that people who were not used to living on deserted inds had a hard time there. Esmeralda was the only one who kept her good mood.


    ¡°Your Highness, we are so happy that you are safe and sound.¡±


    As soon as she got off the boat, Ludwig, Dion, and Vanos were right behind her.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy to be back as well¡­ I don¡¯t want to go through that again any time soon.¡±


    She tried hard not to yawn before looking up at Ludwig with tired eyes.


    ¡°The questions can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I¡¯m going to Esmeralda¡¯s house to have some free time.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ In that case, I¡¯d like to ask if Sir Dion and Sir Vanos cane with you as guards.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    She looked at him with a confused frown for a moment before she realised that his words were tense, and she could smell danger in the air.


    ¡°¡­I take it there have been some changes that mean we need to be more careful, right? All right, I¡¯ll ask Esmeralda if I can bring some extra guards¡­¡±


    Not only did Esmeralda agree to the request right away, but she also let Ludwig and the rest of the Princess Guards stay at her manor. Just how cooperative she was was unthinkable just a few days ago, and that was enough for Ludwig toe to a certain conclusion.


    ¡°Well, she finally did it¡­ Lady Esmeralda is now part of the group because Her Highness has finally worked her magic on her.¡±


    Mia and her friends went to a vi in Ganudos that belonged to the Greenmoons. The fact that the vi had a small but fully functional bathhouse meant to be used after a swim in the sea was very important. Mia went straight to it when she got there, so it¡¯s not surprising that she soaked in the warm water for a while.


    After that, she put on a fluffy dress and went to bed right away.


    ¡°Oho ho, it feels so good to be back in a soft bed,¡± she said, kicking her legs happily as she rubbed her cheeks against the nket so hard that it looked like she was trying to dig through it with her face. Her digging for bedding was soon stopped when Ludwig¡¯s party asked to talk to her.


    ¡°Oh, is Ludwig here? Hm¡­ What he said at the dock was, to say the least, a little scary. It¡¯s good. Let them in.¡±


    Ludwig walked in with Dion by his side. Ludwig¡¯s eyes grew wide when he saw Mia rxing after her bath.


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re tired. I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed your rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. Even so, it¡¯s a little too early to go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°A little too early¡± was an understatement, since it was only just getting dark, but no one said anything. Dion was the only one who seemed to find it funny. He just smiled in silence.


    ¡°I see,¡± Ludwig said next. ¡°I came to see you quickly because we have some important news about Ganudos that I thought we should share with you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more I need to tell you, too.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Let¡¯s start by listening to you.¡±


    Ludwig then talked about his findings, which suggested that there was a conspiracy going on in Ganudos, but that its existence had been hidden by the fact that it was soplex. Who would have thought there was something like this going on behind the empire-wide revolution¡­


    After he was done, she was so shocked that she had to gather herself before telling him what she¡¯d found on the ind. She still wasn¡¯t sure if the stone b was real or if what it said was true. Because of this, she didn¡¯t know what to do with this piece of information going forward.


    She was hoping that Ludwig the Thing-Figure-Outer could show her the way.


    ¡°You said you saw this stone b¡­ It seems to back up the idea that our ancestors crossed the Galilee Sea to get here,¡± Ludwig said with a deep sigh when Mia was done telling her story.


    He walked over to the desk in the room and opened a map on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that the shrine you found is on one of these inds. The rest of the Galilee Sea and morend are on the other side of it. The theory says that somewhere out there is the ce where our ancestors used to live. We don¡¯t know why they went across the sea. From what¡¯s written on that stone b, though, it seems likely that they lost some kind of fight and were punished for it. It¡¯s very likely that the loss cost a lot of lives. After losing so many people, these ancient people probably looked for a safe ce across the sea, which is how they ended up on that ind.¡±


    ¡°And the leader of these tired travellers was our first emperor. He was the one who gave hope to a group of poor people who were about to give up and told them to keep going. Taking them farther across the water, the ce where they finallynded was¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Was here,¡± Dion said to continue Ludwig¡¯s line of thought. ¡°Here in Ganudos. That¡¯s it. Even back then, our first emperor was starting to get some ideas about how this plot would work. So, before moving on to the Fertile Crescent, he made a secret deal with the people here. He had to find a way to get food that he could cut off at any time.¡±


    Ludwig nodded to show that he agreed, and then he was quiet for a while.


    ¡°Or,¡± he said atst, ¡°the first emperor left someone here. Someone he could rely on. Local fishermen got together and made Ganudos Port Country, but the person who got those fishermen together might have been a rtive of his. Then, the first emperor gave the Duke of Yellowmoon, another of his trusted subordinates, the job of helping the newly crowned King of Ganudos set up this whole n.


    ¡°The weakest and oldest of the Four,¡± Mia said in a whisper. ¡°Huh, the House of Yellowmoon¡­¡±


    She suddenly realised that she didn¡¯t have a clear idea of what the Duke of Yellowmoon was like. Mia thought that his daughter was at Saint-Noel Academy, but she didn¡¯t know what she looked like. Almost everyone in their family seemed to be hiding from her. Or at least acting in a way that is meant to avoid being seen.


    ¡°So, Princess, what¡¯ll it be? For simplicity¡¯s sake, why don¡¯t I just go and, y¡¯know¡­¡±


    Mia looked up just in time to see Dion move his hand in a way that looked like he was cutting. She was lost in her own thoughts, so it took her a moment to figure out what he meant.


    ¡°What? No! Not even close! Think of all the trouble you¡¯d make!¡±


    Whether or not there was a plot, they were dealing with an Etoiler. One of the four pirs of Tearmoon nobility being killed would cause a lot of trouble. More importantly, she had a deep confidence in herself that made her want to avoid the more cut-and-dry solutions to this problem. In particr, a strong belief in how good her enemy was.


    If they killed him and he jumped back in time, she wouldn¡¯t have a chance against someone who was so smart and knew what was going to happen. So she much preferred a solution in which the man didn¡¯t die.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, either, that the famine ising next year¡­ When that happens, all the nobles in the empire will have to help us. Getting rid of the Duke of Yellowmoon now won¡¯t do anything but cause chaos in his faction.¡±


    <em>It would be easy if every single noble in the Yellowmoon faction was involved in a plot, but if there were a good number of innocents, getting rid of the whole group would actually help Yellowmoon because it would cause a lot of trouble. The best thing would be to find everyone in the House of Yellowmoon who is connected to the Chaos Serpents, round them up, and have someone else in his family take over as Duke. It would be great if the Duke was the only one who really did what the first emperor wanted and took part in this plot¡­</em>


    Mia shrugged and sighed.


    ¡°Can we keep an eye on the Duke of Yellowmoon and his people? And find out how deep this conspiracy goes in his group.¡±


    Ludwig looked at her for a moment and then bowed his head.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Your Highness wants, I¡¯ll make sure it happens or die trying¡­¡±


    So, the battle started. It was a fight to get rid of the first emperor¡¯s pact and free the Tearmoon Empire from his old chains.


    What will happen? Who wille out on top? What will happen to the empire and the people who live there?


    No one knows what the answers are yet.


    <em>Part 2: Girl of Guidance Fin¡­</em>


    <em>Part 3: A New Covenant of the Moon and the Stars Coming Up</em>


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We are nning of having an activity report today. Hopefully we will have a good report.

 Chapter 262

    <strong>Side Story: Bel and Her Small Piece of Happiness</strong>


    Bel liked these few minutes right before dinner, as dusk turned to night, because she would get a good wash and hear stories about her grandmother, whom she looked up to. It could be her favourite part of the day¡­


    She sat in a barrel of water with a soft washcloth soaking next to her. In the winter, the water was so cold that it hurt your bones, but in the summer, it was just right.


    Elise pulled out the washcloth, squeezed it out, and started wiping Bel¡¯s back with it. As someone who was always on the run, there weren¡¯t many luxuries in a fugitive¡¯s life.


    Elise couldn¡¯t always give the little girl a good bath, but she was still determined to do what she could. She worked with Bel¡¯s other guardians to keep her clean and presentable, if not shining. She wasn¡¯t going to let a descendant of the Great Wisdom of the Empire go around looking unattractive.


    Not on her watch. So, she started gently stroking the young girl¡¯s skin to clean it.


    She stopped doing what she was doing and put her hand and washcloth on a delicate shoulder de. Below was a back that was thin and didn¡¯t have much fat or muscle. She bit her lip.


    Bel¡¯s skinny, skeletal body reminded her of herself when she was younger, and her skin didn¡¯t have the softness and shine you¡¯d expect from a princess.


    <em>You should be eating better¡­living better¡­ I want you to, but¡­ Oh, Mia, I¡¯m so sorry¡­</em>


    A wave of helpless pain was about to swallow her up.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe she hit such a big fish away with her fist. Grandma Mia must have been a great swimmer. Right, Mother Elise?¡± asked Bel in a happy treble.


    Elise was startled by the question. The suddenness of it stopped the flow of her sadness, but a second wave of quiet regret came soon after.


    Bel was also very smart, just like Mia.


    She must have noticed Elise¡¯s mood getting darker and chose to talk about something funny on purpose.


    <em>God bless her. She wants to make me feel better¡­</em>


    When Elise realised this, she forced herself to answer in the same happy way.


    ¡°Yes, it looks like she was very skilled. Anne-neechan said that when she swam, she was beautiful, like a crescent moon in the water.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    Bel didn¡¯t think about how to swim like a crescent moon. She didn¡¯t try to picture what it would look like in real life.


    She liked how it sounded, and that was enough for her. She cheered because she liked the way the story was told, not just the words. Bel was a nice girl who was honest and willing to take things as they were.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, know what I mean? Your grandmother seemed like she could do anything. I heard that she was also good at writing poetry and ys. The first time we met, she not only read the book I was writing in the blink of an eye, but she also guessed the rest of the plot I had in mind.¡±


    When she thought about that moment from the first time they met, she still got the chills. The feeling of surprise it gave her had not changed at all over time. It was almost like magic how she told the exact story Elise was nning to write and then praised how good it was.


    ¡°I was so happy about it¡­¡±


    Bel listened with her mouth open and her eyes wide.


    ¡°Wow, Grandma Mia was a very interesting person, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was. What else was she good at? Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, sure. She was a great horse rider.¡±


    ¡°Riding horses?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She was in the horsemanship club at Saint-Noel Academy, and her skills were said to be top-notch. I¡¯ve heard that she even rode one of the legendary winged horses¡­¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes would have been even bigger if they could have been.


    ¡°A horse with wings?! They exists?!¡±


    Elise smiled when she was asked this very good question¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, who knows? Maybe it was just a joke, or maybe it was a figure of speech. But based on what I know about her, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it were true.¡±


    Elise answered like a politician! It would be a lie to say that winged horses did exist. Even Bel wouldn¡¯t believe such a tant falsehood.


    Probably.


    Elise¡¯s answer, on the other hand, tried to hide the meaning by saying that she didn¡¯t know if winged horses were real or not, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Mia did ride one.


    In this way, she didn¡¯t give a clear answer.


    So, she could say she had a good reason to doubt and brag about how calm and logical she was, while at the same time using that supposed objectivity to praise Mia¡¯s skill.


    She changed the question from ¡°Do winged horses exist?¡± to ¡°If they did exist, could Mia ride them?¡± so she could answer with a resounding ¡°yes.¡± It was a very sneaky way to do things.


    Poor Bel had no defence against such sneaky tricks, so she fell for it right away.


    ¡°Grandma Mia is so cool!¡±


    She was such a nice girl, though. Elise was pleased by her childlike wonder, which made her even more excited.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. And if she could ride winged horses, it¡¯s likely that she could ride any horse perfectly. All of them, big ones, small ones, fast ones, strong ones. She might even be able to ride a unicorn.¡±


    ¡°No way! A unicorn?¡±


    Bel was taught well by Elise, Anne, and Ludwig, who were Mia¡¯s most loyal servants. As a result, she grew up to be honest, trusting, and quick to believe what other people said.


    She was a really nice girl. So nice that it made you worry about what would happen to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s so amazing. I wonder what she looked like when she was on the horse. I wish I¡¯d been able to see Grandma Mia on a horse.¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes kept shining with surprise.


    Bel enjoyed these fleeting moments, one of her small pieces of happiness, while her beloved Mother Anne finished making dinner and her beloved Mother Elise told her stories about the grandmother she admired.

 Chapter 263

    <strong>Part 3: A New Oath Between the Moon and Stars I</strong>


    <strong>Prologue: Ludwig Takes Flight</strong>


    Mia quickly left Ganudos Port Country after three days of rest and recovery at the Greenmoons¡¯ vi. Even though she didn¡¯t think Ganudos would try to kill her in front of everyone, she still left quickly because it was better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Aah¡­ Is it just me, or did the weather decide to get hot just as we¡¯re about to leave the coast?¡±


    It was strange that the day they left was the only really hot day of a summer that had been mostly cool. Sion and Abel had left early for their own kingdoms, so she was stuck in her poorly ventted carriage with only Ludwig and Anne. She was sweaty and tired.


    <em>It¡¯s so hot, ugh¡­ And we were just at a cool ce to get away from the summer heat. I almost wish we could have stayed there for another two or three days¡­ That reminds me, Chloe said something about how even in the summer, the northern countries are cool. Hm¡­</em>


    She said, half-stupid from the heat, ¡°Aaah¡­ I want to go north¡­¡±


    That made Ludwig frown in a thoughtful way right away. After being quiet for a while to think, he nodded to show he understood and said, ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s it¡­ Brilliant.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    She turned her head just enough to give him a confused look.


    He gave her a smile that made her feel better.


    ¡°If the first emperor¡¯s plot is true, then the most likely suspects are the older, more powerful houses. The longer a noble¡¯s family tree is, the less you can trust them. On the other hand, newer noble families, such as the outcounts, are more trustworthy and easier to convince. Am I right in my thoughts so far?¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire began as a group of noble domains that surrounded Lunatear. Over time, the empire¡¯s borders grew to the north and south. The newnd that was bought as a result of this growth was called the ¡°ounds,¡± and it was a natural result of the growth. Since Outcount Rudolvon was in the south, they should look for their next possible ally in the north¡­


    Ludwig told her this to make sure.


    ¡°Have I gotten any of your points wrong?¡±


    Yes¡­ He had, indeed. In fact, everything, from the first word to thest.


    ¡°¡­No, I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Good for you. You knew what to do. I had faith in you, Ludwig.¡±


    This is Mia the wave rider. But Mia wasn¡¯t going to say anything about it. No matter how small the wave was, she would lie down and let it carry her. She had finally learned the best move, the back float. Now that she had this, it didn¡¯t matter what kind of wave wasing, because she couldn¡¯t drown. She didn¡¯t have to do anything as long as someone else was in charge.


    ¡°In that case, I think it would be best to bring along someone who knows a lot about this¡­ Taking into ount the time it takes to write letters, could I have¡­about three days to get ready?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with that.¡±


    So, it was decided that Mia¡¯spany would take a detour that was very important.


    ¡°I must respectfully say, Your Highness, that I¡¯d rather know ahead of time if I need to make such ns.¡±


    Balthazar was sitting in an inn in the capital of Gildan Ound County, which was in the north of the empire. He looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in days. In fact, it was three days.


    Ludwig looked his friend in the eye and said, ¡°Get used to it.¡± His guess had been right on the mark. After cruelly putting an end to Balthazar¡¯s hopes for a less stressful future, Ludwig got right to work.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s listen. What should we know before we go?¡±


    ¡°Outcount Eerikki Gildan. He is 28 years old. The domain was given to him by his father, and he is trying to give it new life. Like most of his peers, he has been taught by the central nobility to be against farming.¡±


    Balthazar scratched his head and said, ¡°It sounds like he wants to use his farnd to build things like amphitheatres and yhouses. He is thinking about building a bunch of fun ces and turning his domain into a ce where nobles can go on vacation. I¡¯ve tried to talk him out of it a few times, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making much progress.¡±


    That caught Mia¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Now, really¡­¡±


    <em>This ce isn¡¯t too hot or too cold. It¡¯s a pretty good ce for a summer vacation. Even though there is no sea nearby, it is much morefortable than Lunatear. I like this guy¡¯s way of thinking¡­</em>


    Mia thought that if there was a ce where she could stay out of the heat and still have fun, she would be more than happy to spend the whole summer there.


    ¡°So, he is trying to keep the local economy going by turning the domain into a resort for tourists. It might be the right thing to do in a ce where there are no natural resources like ores, but¡­¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s brow furrowed for a few seconds as he thought, and then he shook his head.


    ¡°Whatever the case, let¡¯s first meet the man and hear what he has to say.¡±


    When Mia got to Outcount Gildan¡¯s manor, she was taken to the room where guests are greeted. Some timeter, Eerikki Gildan appeared. Mia looked at him.


    <em>Hm, my first thought isn¡¯t bad. Nothing about him really bothers me¡­ He didn¡¯t show off his wealth by wearing too many essories, like the nouveau riche did, and he didn¡¯t wear the strange clothes that pagan tribes wore. Instead, he lookedpletely normal, almost to the point of being boring.</em>


    Obviously, this shouldn¡¯t be a big surprise. Even though the area was still called ¡°the ounds,¡± it was part of the empire before Mia was born. It would be silly to think that people still wear furs and pelts around here.


    <em>I guess that when you hear the word ¡°ound,¡± you think of certain things¡­</em>


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a pleasure to be in yourpany. My name is Eerikki Gildan, and as an Ound Count of the empire, I have had the honour of running thisnd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to meet you, Earl Gildan. Thank you for letting use so quickly.¡±


    Mia smiled like a princess and curtsied her head.


    ¡°As vassals, it is our rightful duty and highest honour to do what Your Highness asks of us. We Gildans are happy to do our jobs. But I have to ask: How exactly can I help?¡± asked the outcount, sounding confused.


    ¡°I heard you might cut down on your farnd to make room for new buildings,¡± Mia said, getting right to the point. ¡°I came to ask about that.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Gildan took a quick look at Balthazar, who was standing behind Mia, and smiled because he knew what was going on.


    ¡°I thought that might have something to do with it.¡±


    He stood up straight, put his hands together in front of him, and stared right at Mia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Your Highness already knows this, but because my domain is in the north of the empire, it is cold here, which makes it hard to grow crops. So, I¡¯m going to turn all thend that can¡¯t be used for farming into vacation vis or at least use it to start some new businesses. I¡¯m trying to get the locals to agree with me right now.¡±


    <em>I think it¡¯s about half true and half a lie.</em>


    Mia calmly thought about what he said. Most likely, it was true that it was hard to grow crops. Most likely, he really didn¡¯t think thisnd was good for farming. But the ideas of other nobles who were against agriculture probably had a bigger effect on his thinking.


    ¡°Mmm. I understand your intention. But I must say, shouldn¡¯t you preserve such a unique trait of your domain? So much farnd has been given to you. It would seem silly not to use it.¡±


    The reaction to her idea was cold.


    ¡°What a strange idea. What good is it to have a lot of farnd if the empire doesn¡¯t value it?¡±


    <em>So there you have it. I knew it would show its ugly face. Ugh¡­</em>


    She fought the urge to put her hands on her head in anger. Anti-agriculturalist ideas had taken root all over the empire, and it was amazing how strong their roots were. This problem would not be easy to solve. Even so, she kept going.


    ¡°A fair point. But worth can change quickly. How much are big, fancy buildings worth if nobody ever goes inside? Not any more than the dirt that was taken from farnds to build them. Are you sure that people woulde even if you built all these big stone structures like amphitheatres and yhouses? If they don¡¯t, you¡¯ll have ruined all your farnd and stopped being able to grow crops, leaving you with nothing but piles of useless rocks. That would be a terrible thing to see, and I don¡¯t want to see it.¡±


    She knew that Gildan hadn¡¯t just started this project on a whim. He had done his homework and knew the right way to get people to visit his site and make them spend money.


    But his idea wasn¡¯t a new one. Many other people were also doing the same things. Even if he spent a lot of money to build a tourist attraction way up in the north of the empire, would anyonee? Come all the way out to what was basically the middle of nowhere just to see some sights?


    Mia used this line of reasoning to try to shake him up a bit.


    It was a bit of a ¡°devil¡¯s advocate¡± move, but you can bet that if there was a ce where it wasn¡¯t too hot and there were amphitheatres and yhouses, Mia would go there every summer.


    <em>A nice, cool ce with a lot of fun things to do? That sounds really great! If I could also find some ice candies there, it would be the best ce in the world.</em>


    Even though she really wanted to hang out at Gildan¡¯s nned resort, she had to force herself to take the other side in this argument.


    Like a real leader, she gave up her own feelings for the good of the group.


    ¡°So, if you want to turn your domain into a resort and make it more appealing to tourists, I¡¯d rather you do that while keeping your current level of farming.¡±


    ¡°¡­And how would I go about doing that?¡± he asked, and the look in his eyes made it clear what he meant:<em> Okay, if you¡¯re so smart, tell me what your n is.</em>


    ¡°Good question. Let¡¯s see¡­ For example¡­¡±


    Mia suddenly saw a picture of Saint-garden Noel¡¯s in her mind. All of the flowers there were beautiful because Rafina took such good care of them. She thought that Tearmoon nobility was a little hypocritical when it came to doing things with soil¡­


    If she could persuade Gildan to nt flower fields, at least thend could still be used for farming. In the end, Mia¡¯s goal was to buy time.


    She only had to keep thend farmable until next year, when the famine would hit. Once people had a taste of that, they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to get rid of farnd.


    In light of this, she suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we nt some flowers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? You say, ¡®Flowers?¡¯¡±


    She gave a strong nod to the surprised Gildan, who was staring at her with wide eyes.


    ¡°There is a beautiful garden at Saint-Noel Academy. It would be well worth the trip just to see it. I have to stop myself a lot of times from telling everyone I meet about it. What if you made a garden here that was just as beautiful? One that everyone would want to share with their friends and family? You wouldn¡¯t have to destroy thend.¡±


    ¡°But¡­would that really be enough to get people to visit the domain?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it would depend on how pretty the flowers you nt are¡­ I¡¯m reminded that the Central Orthodox Church says that when we die, we go to heaven, which is full of beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see. People might be interested in this domain if you advertised it as a summer retreat for people who want to feel like they are in heaven on earth.¡±


    Gildan fell into a pensive silence. Then he looked up at her all of a sudden.


    ¡°I have one question for Your Highness. Why are you going to such trouble to keep this farnd from being built on?¡±


    Mia had troubleing up with an answer for a moment.


    <em>I can¡¯t just tell him that. I know there will be a famine soon, so I don¡¯t want to lose any farnd.</em>


    She had told people like Ludwig about her premonition in the past, but Outcount Gildan was a different story. You couldn¡¯t expect him to believe something so crazy.


    That gave her only one choice.


    She made her face into the most haughty smile she could and said, ¡°Because, of course, I want a garden as beautiful as Miss Rafina¡¯s! What else do I need to do it?¡±


    She used ¡°selfish princess¡± as an excuse.


    The card still worked because it was the first thing most people thought of when they thought of her.


    <em>Hah, it¡¯s easy to get someone to agree to something like this.</em>


    When the princess wants something, she gets it. Bow down to her title¡¯s power!


    Gildan watched as Mia walked up to him with her chest puffed out.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    He nodded slowly, like a person who had just learned something new.


    Mia had only made one mistake, which was to think that the man in front of her, Gildan, was just anothermon noble.


    He was, in fact, a very skilled person. He had been trying to find out everything he could about Mia, and he knew that some people called her the Great Wisdom of the Empire. So he read every space between the lines.


    Since he already knew what her nickname was, he came to the meeting ready to match wits with her and talk in the careful, foresight-based way that chess yers do. He thought about every word she said, trying to get through theyers of surface meanings to find the real meaning.


    He dug deeper and deeper until he struck gold. Or reach the bottom. At least he thought he¡¯d found gold.


    <em>I see. I¡¯ve heard that Princess Mia is very kind to us nobles from the ounds. She hase to tell me that my domain is in a terrible state and that I need to find a way to make things better for my people¡­</em>


    Gildan had, in fact, been working like crazy to keep everything going. Even with all he did, there were still farmers who didn¡¯t like him, and the smallest mistake could make them never trust him again. Also, the cost of building big things like amphitheatres was astronomical, and he didn¡¯t have anywhere near enough money to pay for them.


    So, if he went through with the n, he would end up with a lot of debt. This would put his back against the wall, and it would be a paper-thin wall with disaster on the other side if he failed.


    <em>If I went with a project that was simr to what she suggested, I wouldn¡¯t have to borrow money and the costs would be low. Moreover¡­</em>


    It would let him say that Mia paid for the project so she couldpete with Rafina. If he could say that Princess Mia rmended his resort, a lot of people would be interested. Even the Emperor might show up.


    <em>The central nobility would have to stop looking down on this domain like they do now. My people would have less to worry about if they just nted flowers in the summer. If that¡¯s enough, this ce could be a resort that brings in money from other countries.</em>..


    As he did calctions, numbers and equations popped into and out of his head quickly.


    Balthazar, who was standing next to Ludwig, was getting more and more surprised by what was going on. When it was over, he was speechless for a few seconds before he managed to say something in a shaky voice.


    ¡°When they aren¡¯t growing wheat, use that time to nt flowers and keep the soil healthy. Is that what she thinks?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean, Balthazar?¡± asked Ludwig, who didn¡¯t understand what Balthazar had said.


    Balthazar looked at him with wide, excited eyes and clenched fists, as if he was trying to calm down.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay that you don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know this until recently, but it seems that if you keep nting the same crop in the same ce, the soil gets worse and the crops get sick. It¡¯s called monocropping, and it can be dangerous.¡±


    He said what he was going to say in a whisper.


    ¡°I heard that¡¯s why they always nt two different kinds of crops on the same piece ofnd in Perujin Agricultural Country.It keeps the soil from getting that kind of damage.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?! Are you serious? Then why aren¡¯t we encouraging this in the empire?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, farmers tend to be conservative people who don¡¯t like making changes to their farnd. And then there¡¯s our old friend anti-agriculturalism, which made all the noble lords lose interest in agricultural reform. God, I hate that dumb idea.¡±


    Balthazar shook his head and muttered bitterly that this was the kind of situation where a bit of toughness from the ruling ss would usually help a lot.


    ¡°But then Her Highnesses along with this brilliant idea,¡± he said, his face lighting up again. ¡°The farmers in this domain have already taken the bitter pill of giving up their farnd. They¡¯ve gotten used to the idea, but you can bet they don¡¯t like it. If you tell them you¡¯ve found a way for them to keep theirnd and all they have to do is nt flowers between wheat harvests, they¡¯ll sing your praises for days. There won¡¯t be much resistance.¡±


    What about their lord? Even Gildan shouldn¡¯t be against the idea. As long as the proposed ¡°heaven on earth¡± garden made his domain a good ce for nobles to cool off in the summer, he wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it. If the domain was known to have Mia¡¯s official stamp of approval, it would make the deal even better. At this point, it was not likely that he would still insist on giving away his farnd.


    ¡°Which means that all that¡¯s left is to find the right flower that can be both the second crop and a lure for all the nobles,¡± said Ludwig, who nodded and now shared Balthazar¡¯s amazement.


    ¡°It makes you wonder¡­ Could Her Highness have nned this so well that she already has a certain kind of flower in mind?¡± Balthazar asked in a soft, ponderous voice before scoffing at the thought.


    ¡°No. She has led us to the water and shown us the way. We can¡¯t ask her to help us drink anything. Now is the time to do something useful. Let me choose the flowers then. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Ludwig looked at Balthazar from the side. He could see that Balthazar was full of new motivation.


    <em>Now that that¡¯s out of the way,</em> Ludwig thought, <em>it¡¯s clear that these northernnds aren¡¯t good for farming, but she still came all the way here. I can only guess that she¡¯s telling the nobility that farnd shouldn¡¯t be cut back, no matter where it is, even if it¡¯s in the cold north¡­</em>


    Ludwig¡¯s guessing about Mia¡¯s actions; and thinking he knew what she really wanted set him up for another jaw-dropping realisation in the future. This northernnd eventually gave birth to a breakthrough, and two brilliant researchers from Saint Mia Academy, Arshia and Cyril, were able to grow a new strain of wheat that could withstand the cold in its harsh soil.


    When he found out about this, he would be so shocked that he would almost fall over.


    ¡°How far¡­,¡± he¡¯d mutter through the dizziness brought on by surprise. ¡°How far can she see? Are you saying that even this was part of her n from the start?¡±


    So, he would spread his false beliefs like wings and fly higher and higher into the sky of his own false beliefs.

 Chapter 264

    <strong>Losing Weight¡­ Princess Mia Chronicles</strong>


    Mia was very tired by the time she left the Gildan domain and finally got back to the capital.


    ¡°Oh, for a trip for fun, this has sure worn me out¡­¡±


    Using this and a bunch of other excuses, she was able to stay in bed for about ten days. Unfortunately, the world wasn¡¯t nearly kind enough to let her stay in cker mode without getting in the way.


    Two days into her bedroom sabbatical, Ludwig started stopping by to tell her what was going on at home in the empire. Still, she didn¡¯t want to stop lounging, only getting up to hear what he had to say. She was a princess, after all, and princesses had rules.


    This was something to be proud of. She had decided to rx, so she was going to rx,e hell or high water.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ Who would have thought that the first emperor was to me for the empire¡¯s low rate of food self-sufficiency?¡± She thought to herself as she read Ludwig¡¯s most recent report.


    ¡°Then again, I guess he¡¯s not the only one to me. At least, Outcount Gildan¡¯s actions make sense given his situation.¡±


    The weather in his territory was not good for farming. He had given the problem a lot of thought and was working to make life better for his poor people. He had the right intentions.


    ¡°What about the other nobles, though? How can they look at the situation and still want to get rid of some of their farnd? If they keep doing what they¡¯re doing, it seems pretty clear that the empire will fall sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°What they don¡¯t want to see, they stop seeing in the end. Such is the nature of man, whose eyes see only what helps them.¡±


    Ludwig shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°If only everyone could listen with an open mind like Your Highness and take the information for what it is¡­¡±


    Mia also shook her head, but in a gentle way to say she didn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right¡­ I also sometimes turn away from things I don¡¯t want to see.¡±


    It was a sincere way to remember a painful time. She felt terrible about the fact that she had done the same thing. In her mind, she went to the memory archives and reached for the files from the past timeline. She kept reaching, too! And a long way! Her hand reached all the way to a journal from just a few days ago that talked about an experience she had on the deserted ind.


    <em>I was too shy to read the Princess Mia Chronicles, so I didn¡¯t really pay attention to it.</em>


    She had put herself away from bad things. She didn¡¯t trust the book because she thought the way it over-exaggerated things made it more like fiction than fact. Because she didn¡¯t care, what happened in the sea happened.


    <em>I never would have believed a monster fish like that could exist¡­ It was just in scary! Based on the size of the fin on its back, its mouth must be big enough to swallow a person whole¡­</em>


    In her mind, a picture of a huge sea monster with sharp teeth appeared.


    There was a piece of writing about that event. It was written in the book. I could have known ahead of time¡­ It was a bad mistake! I should have done more to get ready. I was lucky that it came after me, so I could fight it off with that magnificently decisive blow of mine. If it had gone after Anne or Esmeralda first¡­ Or, merciful moons, if it had eaten Abel¡­


    She shuddered at the thought of harming to the people she cared about.


    <em>This doesn¡¯t work. I must do better¡­ I won¡¯t let that happen again. I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. From now on, I promise I won¡¯t look away, no matter how ufortable the truth is.</em>


    ¡­Just in case you¡¯re getting caught up in the seriousness of the scene, the fish Mia beat wasn¡¯t a man-eating colossus. It was a moonbow, which is probably one of the most docile creatures to ever live in the open water.


    Still, Mia decided to go back to the Chronicles when she got back to the academy and read it carefully.


    Mia went back to Saint-Noel as her summer break wasing to an end. Bel was waiting for her in her room and was very happy to see her.


    ¡°Miss Mia, wee back!¡±


    Something looked a little different about the girl. Her skin looked healthy and fresh. Perhaps too good.


    Her cheeks seemed fuller. Her face is more round.


    Mia gave a little gasp.


    ¡°My, Bel. You¡¯ve put on some weight¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Did I? Are you sure about that? I don¡¯t believe so.¡±


    Bel grinned.


    Mia groaned.


    <em>She must have thought that without Anne around, she could eat a lot more sweets. Really, Lynsha is way too nice to her¡­</em>


    Mia thought again when she remembered how sad she looked when they first met. Being skinny was much worse than having a little extra fat.


    ¡°Bel, you should get some exercise. It will make you feel better. Go join the equestrian club, and we¡¯ll ride horses together. I¡¯ll also teach you how to dance.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to teach me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Now that I think about it, there will be dancing at the Holy Eve Festival when winteres. When my granddaughter gets on the dance floor, I want to make sure she doesn¡¯t look like a fool.¡±


    When Bel heard that Mia would teach her on her own, her eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°Really? Grandmother Mia, thank you so much! I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    Mia nodded at her in a teacherly way and said, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Bel, could you show me your copy of The Princess Mia Chronicles?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure, no problem¡­¡±


    Bel was abit confused but went straight to her bed and pulled a book out from under her pillow.


    ¡­How did it get there? Was she propping up the pillow with it? Had the cherished book been reduced to a height-adjusting device? There are some questions that won¡¯t be answered¡­


    <em>This girl can sometimes be messy in the strangest ways. I don¡¯t know where she gets it¡­</em>


    Mia tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Here it is.¡±


    Bel handed off the Princess Mia Chronicles.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Mia frowned as soon as she got it in her hands.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s odd¡­ Is it just me, or did this book get a little bit thinner?¡±


    She thought it had been heavier. At the moment, it weighed about half as much as her diary. She used her fingers to get an idea of how thick it was. It was much thinner than it had been before.


    ¡°How odd. Hey, Bel, are you sure this book doesn¡¯t have a page or ten missing?¡± she asked as she turned the book over and continued to look at it carefully.


    <em>I don¡¯t notice anything strange¡­</em>


    She thought that someone who knew the secret of the Chronicles had torn out some of the pages, but there were no signs of vandalism.


    If anything, it seemed more like a different, thinner book, as if it had been made that way and this version of the Chronicles had been written as a shorter book from the start.


    <em>So strange. I¡¯m curious about what happened to¡ª</em>


    When she opened the book, she stopped thinking because she knew right away how bad the problem was.


    The book she was holding, The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia, was a full ount of her life, from the beginning to the end.


    ¡°Wh-Wh-What the¡­¡±


    And if a book about her whole life was shorter than it used to be, that meant that her life was¡­


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m¡­going to die?! This winter?!¡±


    Mia Luna Tearmoon. Died when he was 13 years and 11 months old. On the night of the Holy Eve Festival, they were killed.

 Chapter 265

    <strong>Miabel Introduces a Friend to Grandma</strong>


    ¡°Wait¡­ But¡­ How? Huh?¡±


    Even though it was hard for her to say anything, her mind couldn¡¯t stop going.


    <em>Sweet moons¡­ But just how did I die?</em>


    Mia¡¯s tragic w was that she couldn¡¯t stop herself from looking up her own cause of death. After the guillotine and poison had been used, what was next?


    Would she go to sleep peacefully? Or one with a lot of violence? She was most interested in this part of her death.


    She looked through the book quickly. And at the end, she read, ¡°Bandits attacked me at night and killed me. Then wolves ate my body. This doesn¡¯t seem like a good way to go at all¡­¡±


    She gave a shiver. This picture wasn¡¯t much better than the one of someone dying from poison and bleeding from every hole in their body. It could be even worse than the first one, which at least happened in bed.


    ¡°W-Well, I guess if I die before I get eaten, at least getting eaten won¡¯t hurt¡­ Still, how in the world did I get murdered by bandits?¡±


    Mia was still the Princess of Tearmoon, even if she didn¡¯t tell everyone every day. Keeping her as a hostage would be useful, but there was no mention of a ransom demand.


    ¡°¡­So they must have killed me before they could catch me. Was an arrow shot at me? Or knifed in the back? Ugh¡­ Ooooh¡­ Just thinking about it makes me feel sick¡­¡±


    She walked shakily to her bed and fell face-first into it.


    ¡°¡­Why were bandits even after me in the first ce?¡±


    After reading the Chronicles again, she found out a few more things.


    First, she had sneaked off Saint-Noel Ind during the Holy Eve Festival and left. It seems that the bandits attacked her while she was galloping across the ins outside of the ind on a horse.


    ¡°I see¡­ Hm hm¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    She read the important pages over and over again and then let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Nope. I still don¡¯t know how any of this came about. What in the moons?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even think of a reason why she would sneak out of Saint-Noel on Holy Eve. It seemed like such a crazy thing to do. What could have gotten her to act that way?


    ¡°I have the feeling it was for something stupid and silly¡­ If I stay in the academy, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems, though. If I¡¯m careful and don¡¯t leave the ind, I should be fine¡­¡±


    Rafina made Saint-Noel Ind into a ce where people could be safe. It was not easy to trespass into it.


    Still, Mia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of worry that kepting back.


    It would happen on the day of the Holy Eve Festival, after all. The most people woulde and go from the ind at that time every year. Of course, to keep out would-be killers, everyone who came in would probably be closely watched.


    But what about the ones who are leaving? Couldn¡¯t you hide in some kind of vehicle that was going away? What if she gave some money to a merchant behind his back and asked to go for a horseback ride in the evening? Could she get off the ind by herself?


    Perhaps.


    But even if that is true, how did she die?


    ¡°In any case, it would be a fatal mistake for me to let down my guard. The best thing I can do is stay on the ind. Even so, I should still get ready for emergencies, just in case.¡±


    In this situation, the first thing she had to do was find out ahead of time what could happen during the Holy Eve Festival. Knowing was very important.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll have to ask Miss Rafina what she has nned for the festival. Time to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    She stopped talking and pursed her lips as she had another thought.


    ¡°Also, it says I leave on horseback, so I¡¯ll have to get better at that.¡±


    She was up against skilled thieves. And maybe even wolves. But as long as she rode a horse, she might be able to get away.


    ¡°The horse runs faster the less I weigh. I think I should give the horsemanship club my full attention for a while. Hm. Well, that¡¯s over with¡­¡±


    Now that she knew what she was going to do in the near future, she started to think about something else.


    Her death was the end of the Chronicles. So, it didn¡¯t tell her how the academy city project went, if a new strain of wheat was made, or what the effects of the famine were.


    The question, ¡°What about my kids?¡± was even more important.


    Bel especially¡­


    <em>Bel, who is supposed to be my descendant, couldn¡¯t have been born if I died so young¡­ How does that work?</em>


    She looked at Bel, who was scratching her head, and then she looked back at her. The girl didn¡¯t seem to have changed at all. The story in the book didn¡¯t seem to fit with that.


    <em>Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Did Bel tell me a lie? Is she really the killer, and she¡¯s been ying me all along?!</em>


    She looked at Bel straight in the eyes.


    She only got a few innocent blinks and a confused tilt of the head in return. Her full cheeks gave off apletely calm vibe that was too far from the violent images of assassins to make sense. She was also the one who gave me the Princess Mia Chronicles to begin with.


    <em>It would be odd to trust the book but not her. If I can trust one, I should also be able to trust the other. In other words, there must be something else going on if things don¡¯t fit together.</em>


    Mia looked back and forth between Bel and the book as she thought. She swivelled her head around a lot beforeing to a decision.


    ¡°Ah, now I get it. This is why. Whatever ¡°it¡± is, it gotzy¡­¡±


    There was a very satisfying moment when a piece fell into ce and she saw how everything fit together.


    In a nutshell, this is her logic.


    It probably wasn¡¯t too hard for her diary or the Chronicles to rewrite themselves. It was easy to do, so their contents changed often.


    Bel, on the other hand, was a different story. Rewriting a person¡¯s memories or even their very existence by making them go away ande back again was probably very hard.


    Whoever or whatever is doing this rewriting must find it very annoying that she keeps changing the whole fabric of reality every time she does something small. Even beings that could change the past got tired, right?


    <em>So God or whoever or whatever is in charge probably decided to wait until the direction of history is clear before making everything else fit.</em>


    The more she thought about it, the more it made sense and seemed easier. It was kind of like how the cafeteria worked. Changing the vour of the jam on her bread was easy, but if they kept changing the dinner menu, the kitchen staff would go crazy. They would tell her to figure everything out first before giving them the order.


    In fact, she had a vague memory of being told the same thing in the past.


    But that was back when she was still the selfish Princess of Tearmoon and could still get her way, so herint was worded in a very roundabout way.


    <em>Oh no, I¡¯m onto you. You want to do the least amount of work possible. Who would have thought that the gods could also bezy?</em>


    After giving this higher being a personality trait she didn¡¯t know much about, she felt a connection to it. She felt like she could pat it on the shoulder and say, ¡°I know how you feel, man.¡±


    But because she was working so hard on her thoughts, she didn¡¯t hear what Bel was saying.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Mia? Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, uh¡­ I wasn¡¯t, no. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    She sighed loudly and shook her head.


    ¡°So much is going on. I had to stop for a moment to get my thoughts in order. Could you tell me again what you were saying?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I was talking about how I became really good friends with someone I met over the summer. I¡¯d like to tell you about her.¡±


    ¡°My! Bel, you made a friend? Certainly. I¡¯d love to meet her.¡±


    Mia quickly got out of bed and put on a soft, grandmotherly smile. As soon as Bel opened the door, the smile turned into a strained, twitching half-grin.


    Especially since the young girl who walked in¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    She smiled in the nicest way.


    ¡°I am the daughter of Duke Yellowmoon, who is a loyal servant of His Imperial Majesty.


    I am Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note:


    * Setting disclosure for consideration


    Mia¡¯s reasoning is somewhat correct, but for the sake of those who want to think about it, some settings are disclosed. It will be a spoiler & it¡¯s not science fiction, so it¡¯s somewhat fuzzy¡­ but if you¡¯re interested, go ahead.


    ¡°Time Paradox and Resistance¡±


    Basically, if a time paradox urs in this story, correction power will work to correct it. The diary, the description of the princess, etc. have been rewritten with the correction power.


    And depending on the time-shifted objects, there are those that are susceptible to the corrective force and those that resist to some extent and try to maintain their current shape.


    Basically


    Written character <tool (existence) <living thing<? ? ?


    The resistance increases in the order of , and if it is a living thing, it will be almost unaffected. However, since it is notpletely cut off from his own time axis, if he dies¡­


    As for ¡°???¡±, it will continue to maintain its shape without being affected at all, but eventually it will be integrated into one time axis and processed as ~~, so the person in question will not notice it. ¡­¡­.

 Chapter 266

    <strong>Princess Mia, The Embodiment of Truth</strong>


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia was stunned by the girl. Her hair was golden and soft and wavy. Every time a breeze moved it, a pleasant floral scent spread through the air.


    She looked at Mia with a slight blush on her cheeks and a bright smile. But over time, her grey eyes began to show a bit of confusion. Which made sense, since Mia had been staring at her for a while without saying anything.


    <em>Oh no, that was a bad idea.</em>


    Mia suddenly came back to herself and quickly smiled back.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to meet you. I¡¯m Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    She said this with a polite tilt of her head.


    ¡°I have to say, though, that it feels strange to meet you for the first time now, since the Yellowmoons are our rtives.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m sorry. Even for Rina, this is a very sad thing. I wasn¡¯t healthy when I was born, and I¡¯ve been weak ever since¡­ I couldn¡¯t even go to a birthday party for Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°My, I see. I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t trying to be nosy.¡±


    Citrinaughed in a delicate way.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re being too nice. All of that is old history now.¡±


    She was happy. It was sweet, like a flower swaying in the wind or a bird singing in the trees.


    It was a perfect look from a perfect girl, who seemed to be the perfect daughter of a powerful noble in every way.


    She was sweet and friendly, and she smiled a lot. She had smooth edges and rounded corners, and nothing about her was sharp or rough. She was so nice that it was almost impossible to think badly of her.


    That¡¯s why Mia¡¯s rms were going off in her head.


    <em>Vring! Vring! After all this time, Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s daughter wants to talk to me? This smells very fishy! In fact, everything about them seems fishy! Why don¡¯t I even know this girl? What on earth is going on?</em>


    In both times, she didn¡¯t remember Citrina. Don¡¯t worry about Citrina; she couldn¡¯t remember much about anyone in the Yellowmoon family. That was very different from the other three Houses, which all left a strong impression on her.


    ¡°After all, we¡¯re only known for how old our family is, and we¡¯re the weakest of the Four Dukes¡­¡±


    She had heard someone say something like that at some point, but she couldn¡¯t remember much else. There was almost no information about the Yellowmoons.


    Bel kept talking while Mia, who was worried, tried to figure out how she got to be in this situation.


    ¡°Rina¡ªum, I mean, Miss Citrina and I met in the library, and we¡¯ve been studying together ever since.¡±


    ¡°Ah, uh¡­ W-Well, I see. How¡­kind of you, Citrina, to do that. Thank you. I hope this hasn¡¯t been too hard.¡±


    Mia looked at the young Yellowmoon, who bowed her head in a straightforward way.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty, not at all. Both of you are very wee. I only wish I had told you about myself sooner. Please let me know how sorry I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be. It didn¡¯t bother me much.¡±


    She kept reading about Citrina.


    <em>It¡¯s true that she hasn¡¯te to see me once since she started school here. So whye at this time? There must be a reason for this!</em>


    The reasons why the first emperor did what he did were shown, the Princess Mia Chronicles were cut down, and now someone from the House of Yellowmoon showed up out of the blue.


    Something told her that all of this was linked. She could almost feel how they were connected¡­


    This definitely looks fishy! Right now, this ce smells like a fish market.


    Great Detective Mia had a feeling that the girl standing in front of her was the one who did it.


    Mia thought, ¡°Maybe I should stand my ground and tell her to stay away.¡± She thought that being close to the girl was too dangerous.


    She thought about it for a while and decided¡­


    <em>No, if I push her away, she might do things behind my back, which is even scarier. I might as well keep her close to me. And right now, she¡¯s giving me a chance to do that. Whenever the enemy gives me a chance, I should take it. I¡¯ll get to know her better so I can keep an eye on her more easily.</em>


    She had used the same reasoning to get Sapphias to join the student council.


    Also, she looked over at Bel, who was smiling in a very innocent way. Mia didn¡¯t want to take away her granddaughter¡¯s joy as she introduced her new friend. Of course, she would probably still say something to Lynsha to make her be careful.


    ¡°Well, Citrina, I hope you¡¯ll keep being good friends with Bel.¡±


    ¡°Of course, yes. I¡¯m d to have met such a great person.¡±


    It was there again. The perfect smile of a flower in full bloom. It made Mia even more afraid.


    <em>Hmph, go ahead. Try to trick someone. I¡¯ll catch you in the act if you do </em>¡ª


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard that Your Highness is interested in herbs. Is that true?¡±


    Mia was surprised by Citrina¡¯s sudden question.


    ¡°Hm? My, I¡¯m shocked that you knew. Did Bel tell you?¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. Rina is also interested in wild grasses and flowers. I used to go on hunting trips in the Yellowmoon domain, and I read books to learn more.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really!¡±


    Mia took another look at Citrina. She was sure that the girl was the kind of creepy person who stayed in her room all day and nned all kinds of bad things.


    <em>I didn¡¯t think she was also interested in learning how to stay alive. That¡¯s too bad. If we weren¡¯t enemies, we might talk about how to stay alive during a revolution. That also sounds like a lot of fun¡­</em>


    She was a little bit sad when she realised this.


    ¡°Oh, and mushrooms, too,¡± the girl said. ¡°They¡¯re a lot of fun, right?¡±


    With those words¡­


    ¡°My! Citrina, you like mushrooms?!¡±


    ¡­Citrinapletely caught her bait.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve also been looking into mushroom stews, and I sometimes try new things with the mushrooms I pick. Stews are so great!¡±


    ¡°My! ¡­My! I¡¯ve always wanted to try making stewed mushrooms on my own. Could you tell me when?¡±


    Citrina flicked her rod up, and Mia came flopping out of the water on the end of the line.


    ¡°Of course. Then, let¡¯s go pick mushrooms together.¡±


    Mia¡¯s spine tingled with pure excitement. She had never heard of such an idea before. Picking mushrooms in the wild was always dangerous, so no one had ever been brave enough to invite her to do it.


    She almost smiled, and her level of friendship with Citrina went up to eleven.


    <em>What do you know? Maybe Citrina is just a nice girl at heart. Duke Yellowmoon, her dad, might be a useless conspirator, but she might not be a part of any of it¡­</em>


    Within seconds, her guard was lowered so far that it would take shovels to go any lower.


    People see what they want to see and don¡¯t see what they don¡¯t want to see. Mia was a living embodiment of this truth.

 Chapter 267

    <strong>The Expiration Date of That Grudge</strong>


    So, now¡­ Mia went to see Rafina in her room after she and Citrina talked a lot about mushrooms and grew closer as friends.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Rafina. It¡¯s been some time.¡±


    When Mia came to the door, Rafina¡¯s face changed into a bright smile.


    ¡°Oh my God, Miss Mia. It¡¯s true, hasn¡¯t it? ¡°Come in, please.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right. Then,ing in.¡±


    Mia¡¯s face, on the other hand, was as stiff as a rock. It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise, since she had to tell Rafina that the first emperor of Tearmoon was working with her mortal enemies, the Chaos Serpents, and was part of their plot.


    <em>Now, let¡¯s meet Miss Rafina. Surely, she of all people won¡¯t insist that sins from the past can be passed down¡­</em>


    Even so, making the report was not fun. Even worse, that wouldn¡¯t even be the main thing people talked about that day.


    <em>I need to know as much as I can about the Holy Eve Festival so that I can get ready. Fate has given me a second death sentence, and I need to find a way out of it¡­</em>


    Rafina must have seen how serious she was because she was silent for a few seconds while she looked at her face.


    ¡°Let me go make some tea. I also saved some berry pie for a time like this. I¡¯d be thrilled if you brought some with you.¡±


    ¡°You do? I¡¯d love some!¡±


    Mia¡¯s mood improved in a V-shaped way after that. She smiled as she bit into the deliciously crunchy crust and enjoyed the vour that tickled her tongue.


    ¡°Ah, this crust is just a little bit sweet, and it goes well with how sour the steberries are. This is a great match. This pie is a slice of happiness.¡±


    Rafina smiled when she saw her grin from ear to ear.


    ¡°Ha ha, I¡¯m d you feel better. So, how was your summer vacation?¡±


    The question woke Mia up from her epicurean daydream and reminded her why she was there.


    ¡°Well, it was¡­a very interesting summer break. I¡¯ll say at least that much.¡±


    She went on to talk about her summer, the ind, and what she did there.


    At first, the story seemed to be about an adventure on a tropical ind. But when the first emperor showed up, the story took a sharp turn. Even Rafina couldn¡¯t hide her surprise by the end.


    ¡°Wow, I get it¡­ Who would have thought that the Tearmoon Empire would have a secret like that?¡± Rafina thought to herself.


    She gave a small sigh.


    ¡°Let me make sure I understand. Basically, there was a bad cult that was kicked off the continent a very long time ago. They were the people who wouldter be the Chaos Serpents. They went into hiding on a small ind in the Galilee Sea, where they lived in secret.¡±


    ¡°What they did with that underground shrine was really something.¡±


    How much work must have gone into making that spooky lighting that let them work in the dark? It showed how smart the people who lived there were with technology.


    ¡°If you look into that ce, you might find out something about where the Serpents came from. Especially that shrine is worth looking at more closely. We can find out a lot, like when it was built by looking at its architectural style.¡±


    Rafina kept going after another period of quiet thought.


    ¡°When the tribe of hunters came to the ind, it was a turning point for the people who lived there. They were the people who came before the Tearmoon people of today. Under the leadership of the first emperor, they met the Chaos Serpents and found that their feelings and beliefs were simr to their own because they were also forced to leave their home country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the first emperor was the only one who went Serpent, or if the other nobles were also influenced.¡±


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s the question of how much influence. Did the first emperor really listen to what the Serpents told him? Did he really believe? Or did he just use them to get what he wanted?¡±


    Mia and Rafina were not new to conspiracies, and the fact that they had both been involved in one showed that anyone could be involved, from the White Crows to Jem.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to imagine that someone smart and powerful enough to build an empire as big as Tearmoon could just use the Serpents to get what he wants, using their doctrine, their logic, and even their followers. On the other hand, he built an entire empire to satisfy his own desires, so you could say he¡¯s so obsessed with his own wants that he¡¯s delusional. This suggests that he might also deeply believe in the Serpents¡¯ ideals.¡±


    Rafina stopped and made a sad face.


    ¡°I just thought of something. What about your father? Is this known to the current Emperor of Tearmoon?¡±


    ¡°My Father?¡±


    Mia thought of her dad¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Her response was quick and sure. She never lost faith in her father. She put all of her faith in him.


    ¡°All my dad thinks about is how he can make me like him more.¡±


    More specifically, she believed in how annoying he was all the time. A person who would use an imperial order to make his daughter call him ¡°dad¡± would never be part of a plot that could put her in danger.


    ¡°Ha ha, I see we both have it rough. The first emperor¡¯s ns were definitely thrown off by where some of the imperial family¡¯s descendants ended up. We canugh about this discovery now, of course, because of how strange your father is.¡±


    Rafina smiled, but the look on her face was a little strange. She didn¡¯t say anything else. Her brows furrowed and she fell into a thoughtful silence, as if a new worry had juste to her mind.


    ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t much bothering¡­ Well, I was just wondering if someone who was smart enough to start a country from scratch would have been blind to the fact that his children and grandchildren might not follow his original n.¡±


    She took a sip of tea and closed her eyes for a moment to think.


    Then she kept going.


    ¡°Bliss, Miss Mia, erases grudges. When happiness grows, anger fades. This is just the way things are. When people be emperors, do they really hold on to the anger of their ancestors and satisfy that ancient desire for revenge?¡±


    That was a very good question. For instance, a son might get even with his father if his father was wronged. That makes sense. A grandson might even try to get his grandfather¡¯s death avenged.


    What about a great-grandfather, though? Or an even more distant ancestor? How far could it go back? Was it really possible for people to still want revenge for ancestors they had never met?


    ¡°If you want to build a country, you have to rule over its people. It means that they have to rise to the highest position of power. The man in question did this and became the first emperor. He made sure that his position as emperor would be passed down to his children, just as it was passed down to your father and you. But if those descendants got to the throne themselves, would they keep to his n? Would the second and third emperors try to destroy the world with the power of their empire? Their life? When they¡¯re happy with their lives? Would they destroy everything just to make up with their ancestors?¡±


    It was likely that they would say, ¡°To hell with revenge!¡± at some point and decide to just live their lives. The first emperor¡¯s big n was always doomed to fail.


    ¡°It seems like a pretty big mistake¡­ Maybe a blind spot? Or was that even part of what he had in mind?¡±


    While Rafina thought about how big the first emperor¡¯s schemes were, Mia was busy holding a grudge against him.


    <em>No matter what they thought, they¡¯re all a pain! Everyone from the first emperor to the father! Why is everyone in my family so crazy? I¡¯m the only one who makes sense and knows what to do! This is why I never have a break¡­</em>


    She was angry that she was the unappreciated workhorse of her family, and in doing so, she showed the plight of all the smart, skilled, and unappreciated workhorses around her¡­ Keep going, Ludwig and Keithwood.


    Anyway¡­


    ¡°Uh, Miss Rafina, could I ask you to send some people from Belluga to check out that ind?¡±


    Normally, she would have preferred to send her own team of investigators from Tearmoon to search the area, but now that the first emperor¡¯s plot was known, she couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°After all, it can¡¯t be a child of the conspirator who takes charge¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. That ind might have important information about where the Chaos Serpents came from. Belluga can¡¯t afford to miss out on this.¡±


    Mia felt a little better when Rafina quickly agreed to do the job.


    ¡°Thank you again. I¡¯ll ask Esmeralda to send us some charts for sailing. Oh, and can I ask you something else?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s brows went up.


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s that?¡±


    Mia said nervously, ¡°About the Holy Eve Festival next winter¡­ Could you, um, tell me ahead of time what I need to do and how to get ready for it?¡±


    Her question made Rafina beam.


    ¡°Gosh, all this is going on, and you¡¯re still thinking about your responsibilities as president of the student council?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course! You gave the job to me, after all!¡±


    Mia smiled back, acting like that¡¯s what she¡¯d meant the whole time.

 Chapter 268

    <strong>Chicken Tactics</strong>


    ¡°Then, do you remember how the Holy Eve Festival wentst year?¡± Rafina asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I do.¡±


    Mia nodded as she thought about what had happened. The biggest event in Saint-Noel every year was the Holy Eve Festival. The festival was meant to show gratitude to His Holiness for the past year. It was based on the story of how the Holy Deity came down to earth and gave people the light of hope.


    Every year, it was held during the first week of thest month. It started with a solemn mass by candlelight and was followed by a lively party. During the mass, everyone stood around the altar with a woodenmp in their hands. Before Rafina spoke, a traditional list of hymns was sung.


    At the end, everyone would go outside and throw theirmps onto a bonfire, making it grow from a small me to a huge one. The ritual meant that God¡¯s light of hope was shining on the earth.


    After that, the party started, and the fun would keep going all night long. The event wasn¡¯t just at the academy, either. It took ce all over the ind, and students would wander through the town in bands, spreading cheer and fun.


    The year before, Mia and her friends had gone to the market for a long time and then stayed up all night talking in Chloe¡¯s room.


    If anyone wants to know how the festival went in the past Mia timeline, it went about as bad as you would have thought.


    She stayed in her room waiting until Sion woulde to ask her out. During the party, Esmeralda stopped by with a group of friends and asked her to join them. She turned them down because she thought she couldn¡¯t leave in case Sion showed up while she was gone.


    She wasn¡¯t waiting for a certain time, and she hadn¡¯t been promised anything. She just waited and waited, and the next thing she knew, birds were singing and she was awake.


    It was one of those times, yes.


    Her sad memories of the event, on the other hand, gavest year¡¯s festival a lot of contrast, which made an already enjoyable night into a night she¡¯d remember for the rest of her life.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Rafina. ¡°You know how the festival goes as a whole, right? Most of the student council¡¯s jobs are in the second half, when the party is going on. During that time, there will be a lot of peopleing and going from the academy. For example, merchants who usually aren¡¯t allowed in will be let in, but they¡¯ll have to be checked out first. There will also need to be changes to security routines. So, the student council won¡¯t be in charge of all of that at the minute level. Instead, the people in charge of the different tasks will send us reports, and it will be our job to check those reports and make sure there are no problems.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It sounds like there is a lot to do before the event. When does it happen?¡±


    ¡°The day of the festival itself is a pretty easy one for the student council. Not much will need to be done. As part of our nning, we set up systems that allow staff on-site to work in a flexible way without having to report every little problem.¡±


    <em>Mmm¡­ That does make sense. Miss Rafina can¡¯t just go wherever she wants that day, after all.</em>


    Rafina was also a saint of the Central Orthodox Church. She was the daughter of Duke Belluga. She was the school¡¯s chain on the day of the Holy Eve Festival. She had to go to the candlelight mass and then go from guest to guest to greet and talk to them. This kept her very busy. So, systems had to be set up ahead of time so that the festival could still go on even if she wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I know it sounds like a lot, but it happens every year, and both the person in charge of security and the person in charge of operations know how things work. I don¡¯t think it will be as hard as it sounds,¡± Rafina said with a soft, reassuring smile.


    Thisment didn¡¯t really make Mia feel better, of course. She was even more nervous because she had little or no work to do on the day of the festival.


    <em>I could go outside and leave the ind because there¡¯s not much stopping me.</em>


    It would have been better if she had been told that she had to run around the academy putting out operational fires or that she had to stay in the student council office and deal with a steady stream of work. That would make it almost impossible for her to sneak away and let bandits attack her.


    It was hard to imagine that she would be able to convince Rafina and the rest of the group to let her leave the ind on her own when she had a lot of work to do.


    Being able to move around freely made it much easier to leave the ind, which gave the Chronicles¡¯ prediction a lot of scary weight.


    <em>Oh, but the me in the Chronicles didn¡¯t know that leaving the ind would kill me, so maybe I just wanted to get some fresh air and didn¡¯t think much about it at the time¡­</em>


    She tried to picture herself deciding on a whim to go for a long ride and just walking off the ind with a horse. She seeded.


    <em>Okay, I could definitely see myself doing that.</em>


    She thought about what this thought meant. For example, she might have felt tense because of all the work she had to do to get ready for the festival. She might have been looking for a way to get rid of her anger and hoped that a long gallop would help her do that.


    Since the party was on the ind, she would have to go somewhere else to ride her horse. She would have to leave the ind. The more she thought about this situation, the more likely it seemed that it would happen.


    <em>In that case, however, the answer is easy. I just have to make sure I don¡¯t do the stupid thing and leave Saint-Noel, no matter how busy I am or how frustrated I feel. That¡¯s it. I might just spend the whole time in my room. I could even throw some kind of student council appreciation party at work and party there all night¡­ Huh, I like how that sounds. Maybe there will be mushroom stew at the party¡­</em>


    Even though her mind thought this was a good n, her stomach didn¡¯t seem to agree, and something in it kept fluttering. It bothered her, and she couldn¡¯t get rid of it for some reason.


    <em>A-Anyway, I should use this time to prepare as much as I can until the dayes. At least I know I can do something useful like that!</em>


    Where there is carelessness, death is not far behind. So Mia would stay away from both of them by never letting her guard down. She nned to win this battle by staying away from her enemy like the gue.


    As the saying goes: when you¡¯re a chicken, you should do what chickens do. So she is using Chicken Tactics.

 Chapter 269

    <strong>A Letter of Challenge from the Beautiful Daughter of Redmoon</strong>


    Mia didn¡¯t waste any time getting her n going. She turned up the intensity of her riding practise right away. After school the next day and every day after that, she went straight to the riding grounds and practised until it got dark. Because of this, her whole body hurt, but she didn¡¯t have time to worry about it.


    ¡°Hey, miss, you¡¯re also here today?¡±


    When she got close to the stable, Lin Malong came out and grinned at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re really giving it your all, aren¡¯t you? I think you¡¯ve been here more often than even the princes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. No, that¡¯s not true,¡± she said as she looked at face of her horse friends, which were bing more and more familiar to her.


    About twenty horses lived in Saint-Noel¡¯s stable. Mia¡¯s favourite was a white one that was friendly and calm. It was a good horse that even people with less experience could ride well, and she liked its beautiful hair the most.


    ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t me you for wanting to practise more, but¡­ Hey, miss, is this about that thing that¡¯sing up¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    The other girl cut Malong off with her strong voice.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Mia knew that voice. She turned around to face it.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡±


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon bowed her head in a respectful way, and her short red hair fluttered softly as she did so.


    ¡°Oh, Ruby¡­ Why are you here?


    Mia gave her a curious look. They knew each other, that¡¯s for sure. As princess, she had many chances to visit the Four Dukes at their homes. Even though Ruby was always a nice host when she did show up¡­


    <em>We haven¡¯t talked much¡­ At least not as friends. I don¡¯t think we are that close.</em>


    So, Mia didn¡¯t think much of Ruby, neither good nor bad. She didn¡¯t think much of the girl at all, to be honest.


    As for the Redmoons as a whole, the fact that they didn¡¯t help with the military in the previous timeline definitely made her think less of them.


    Back then, it was true that it was kind of ¡°every noble for himself.¡± Everyone was trying very hard to defend their own territory.


    <em>Still, the Redmoons are known to have a strong army of their own. If those soldiers had been sent to fight, the war might have ended differently¡­ Oh, but the enemy already had Sion and the killing machine Dion on their side by that time. I don¡¯t see how more troops from Redmoon would help much against people like them¡­</em>


    She was thinking so hard that she almost didn¡¯t hear what Ruby said next.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to challenge Your Highness to a duel.¡±


    ¡°¡­A duel? What?¡±


    Ruby walked toward the horse stalls with a smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been practising riding with a lot of energytely,¡± she said as she stroked the nose of a horse. The movement was smooth and practised, which showed that the person knew the creatures very well.


    Mia remembered hearing that the House of Redmoon made their daughters learn how to use swords and ride horses.


    In response to the question, she gave a nod.


    ¡°Well, you could say that, I guess. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I guess that means you¡¯re going to enter the Horsemanship Tournament in the fall?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Mia¡¯s head tilted. ¡°Horsemanship Tournament¡± did not sound like a very familiar phrase. She thought that Abel and Sion might have mentioned such an event and said that they wanted to take part at some point.


    That¡¯s probably why they¡¯ve beening here so oftentely. She had a lot on her mind, so it makes sense that she hadn¡¯t thought about it and didn¡¯t n to take part.


    ¡°Oh! I was right! ¡°I figured that was why you¡¯ve been practising so muchtely!¡± eximed a happy Malong.


    <em>Okay, people, hold on. So far, I haven¡¯t said yes to anything.</em>


    Before she could say it, Ruby said, ¡°I formally challenge Your Highness to a duel in the tournament¡¯s speedriding event.¡±


    Her calm face lit up with a fiery smile before she got down on one knee.


    ¡°Will you ept?¡±


    And with that, the challenge was made.


    Mia looked at Ruby, who was on her knees.


    <em>There isn¡¯t a single reason for me to ept this ¡°duel,¡± is there?</em>


    She had a strong urge to say no and send the girl away so she could get back to work. Mia didn¡¯t have to fight just because someone challenged her.


    Even though she liked Ruby¡¯s honesty, which was much better than Esmeralda¡¯s talk behind her back, she didn¡¯t want to deal with another problem. She already had a lot on her te.


    <em>Also, it¡¯s clear that this is about more than just a challenge¡­</em>


    Ruby could enter the Horsemanship Tournament if she only wanted to see who was better at riding horses. She thought that Mia was also going topete, so she thought that they would have to race each other.


    Instead, she would havee here and asked Mia to fight in a formal way. She wrinkled her nose at the word ¡°duel.¡± Something didn¡¯t seem right about that word.


    Mia¡¯s guess was right on the spot.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask that if I win this duel, I can have one of your soldiers as my own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You Redmoons and your headhunting. You always keep an eye out for good soldiers¡­¡± Mia muttered, feeling like a question that had been bothering her had been answered.


    With close ties to the military-run Ebony Moon Ministry, the House of Redmoon was always working to improve its own army. They spent a lot of time and money to find good soldiers from all over the country and the world. They did this so often that it became well-known and was even given a name: ¡°Redmoon Headhunting.¡±


    <em>But that¡¯s too bad. I have no reason to ept your challenge ¨C </em>


    ¡°Well, miss? What are you waiting for? This is a fair and honourable duel. When someone respectfully challenges you in this way, no good leader could say no, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    She looked at Malong, who was grinning like he knew she¡¯d say yes.


    ¡°Uh¡­ But¡­ Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said. ¡°Your back is covered by the Horsemanship Club. Abel will probably be there to cheer you on, too.¡±


    His smile got wider, and Mia felt helpless in a way she had felt before.


    <em>I¡­ I recognise this!</em>


    She just stood there dumbfounded, feeling like an invisible wave was rushing toward her and about to carry her away.


    <em>This is one of those moments! Where I can¡¯t say ¡°no.¡± We¡¯re back at it again¡­</em>


    She was always analysing the people she thought were important to her because she kept thinking about the mistakes she had made in the past.


    From what she knew, her senior ssmate Lin Malong had a serious soft spot for people who liked horses. Which made him very easy to control.


    She had also noticed that he looked at Ruby with affection when she stroked the horse¡¯s nose. That affected him deeply because he loved horses. He was also honest and a little bit chivalrous, so things like honourable duels and formal challenges made his eyes light up.


    So, if Mia quits Ruby¡¯s challenge right now, it would definitely hurt his opinion of her. His advice about riding horses was always good, which made it a great way for her to get better. Even more important than that, if her practise works, it could mean the difference between living and dying.


    She would rather stay on good terms with him as much as possible. He was also like Abel¡¯s older brother. If she wanted to flirt with Abel as much as she wanted, she needed Malong¡¯s unconditional approval.


    She then took some time to think in silence, during which she carefully weighed the risks and benefits.


    <em>Let¡¯s figure out what to do. If I say no to the challenge, I won¡¯t have to worry about losing my soldiers, but this will hurt my friendship with Malong. I¡¯d rather not do that if I can. What will happen if I say yes?</em>


    If she won the duel, she would keep her soldiers, of course. Plus, as her part of the deal, she would probably get a reward that hasn¡¯t been decided yet.


    For example, she could ask Redmoon¡¯s private army to send her some soldiers for her own use. What if she lost, though?


    <em>Most likely, Dion is the soldier Ruby has her eye on. I think it¡¯s pretty clear¡­</em>


    She had a quick mental picture of a knight with a mean smile and then of him cutting through a steel spear with ease. The man called himself ¡°The Empire¡¯s Finest,¡± and he was really good at what he did. It wasn¡¯t a big surprise that the Redmoons wanted him to join their army.


    She thought about how she felt about the knight and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ You know, if it¡¯s Dion, I think I might actually¡­¡±


    He did chop off her head after all. She wasn¡¯t sure if he would let Redmoon steal him away, but even if he did, she didn¡¯t think she would lose much sleep over it.


    Even so, she was still upset about something. Even though her reasoning made sense, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was forgetting something, as if losing this particr knight would be a terrible loss.


    <em>I guess, now that I think about it, he did save my life a few times¡­ If saving a life makes up for chopping off someone¡¯s head, then he has more than his fair share of redemption¡­ Now that I think about it, he might actually be¡­a pretty loyal subject? But I can¡¯t stand it when he stands next to me with a sword¡­ I feel like he could cut off my head at any time. So stressful¡­</em>


    Ruby frowned as she kept muttering her thoughts under her breath as she thought about what to do.


    ¡°Huh? Dion? Who is that?¡±


    She put her arms across her chest and pursed her lips for a second. Then she lightly hit her hand with her fist when she finally remembered the name.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I remember a guy with that name. I heard that he was a good knight¡­ Something about the best in the empire? I guess he¡¯s pretty well-known. But¡­¡±


    She gave Mia a hard look.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not after that person.¡±


    She looked at Mia with the fierceness of a seasoned warrior in the ring and said, ¡°I mean, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    Without a hint of shame, said¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s not too tall, is he?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Mia made a picture of Dion appear in her mind.


    ¡°Not¡­really? I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s taller than most men.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. Oh, Your Highness, you don¡¯t seem to get it. You see, knights have to be bigger. Big and strong. More muscle means a bigger heart. Their soul is the same size as their body. Being strong isn¡¯t enough. They must berge!¡±


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon dered thus.


    The beautiful daughter of the Duke of Redmoon, who had a lot of power over the army of the empire, said, ¡°They have to be big!¡±¡­


    ¡­was known to be crazy about big men and to love them more than anyone else.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    For those who are saying that the daughter of the Redmoon family is aiming for Mr. Dion¡­ That is wrong¡­


    As a result, the children of the four great dukes were endowed with the Mia attribute¡­<ol> <li>Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon</li> </ol>


    ¡úcoward(chicken heart)<ol> <li>Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon</li> </ol>


    ¡úNo catch (Wait until the person you like talks to you)


    *Refer to fishing field cover tactics.<ol> <li>Ruby Etoile Redmoon</li> </ol>


    ¡ú big man lover (muscle mania)<ol> <li>Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon</li> </ol>


    ¡ú Mushroom fellow. She also know a lot about herbs and medicinal nts.


    TN Notes:


    I didn¡¯t even realize those attributes before. Anyway¡­ big man lover, huh¡­ hmmm¡­

 Chapter 270

    <strong>Princess Mia epts the Duel with Pleasure</strong>


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We will update the activity report tonight


    ¡°¡­Oh, yes. Big. ¡°Of course,¡± Mia said, remembering slowly what she had heard about Ruby and what she liked to do.


    <em>Yes, now I remember. So she likes big guys, huh? If that¡¯s the case,</em>


    She thought about the Princess Guard members and tried to think of who might fit the bill.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about Vanos, right?¡±


    Just hearing the man¡¯s name almost made Ruby faint, and she nodded and spoke in a swoony drawl when she answered.


    ¡°Yes, him¡­ I¡¯m interested in him. Oh, if I could make him lead the private army of Redmoon, I would¡­¡±


    <em>B-But he¡¯s as close as Dion gets to having a conscience. He is not yours! He is the only one who can stop that crazy guy from bing a serial killer. If I lose him, I think I¡¯ll never be able to sleep again! No way! Out of question!</em>


    What could she ask for if she won this duel that would be worth the risk of losing Vanos? After a long time of thinking, she couldn¡¯te up with a good answer, and her inner scale of judgement quickly tipped toward saying no to the challenge.


    <em>Hnnngh¡­ B-But I need to keep Malong happy¡­ What do I do? I need some ideas¡­</em>


    As the boulder slowly pushed her back toward a very hard ce, her brain went into overdrive because she was so scared. Even though she only had time to think deeply for a few blinks, the Great Wisdom in her was able toe to a very important conclusion.


    By their very nature, duels can¡¯t take ce unless a certain condition is met. This was a requirement for allpetitions that involved betting. In fact, she had found the most important truth about ¡°equal stakes.¡±


    A contest wouldn¡¯t be fair unless all of the yers put something of equal value on the line. After all, no one was going to bet their life when the other yer had only put in a few small coins. If people were willing to risk their lives, the prize for winning had to be worth it.


    Or, perhaps, even more.


    Mia let out an exuberantugh. Now that she knew this basic truth, the rest was easy. All she had to do was make her brilliant escape.


    <em>I don¡¯t have to turn down this offer¡­ I¡¯ll just make her take it back! Oho ho, you better get ready, because I¡¯m about to knock the lights off you.</em>


    She quickly made a n of attack and went on the offensive with her words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind taking part in the duel itself, but what would happen if I won?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I would give you whatever you want.¡±


    Mia had to stop her evil grin from getting bigger. She looked Ruby in the eyes with a serious expression and said, ¡°Very well¡­ If that¡¯s the case, I want¡­your sword.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Ruby blinked, taken aback.


    ¡°What¡­could you be trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I really mean what I just said. The family of the House of Redmoon is in the army. Everyone who is born there, boy or girl, learns how to use a sword. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the sword is a source of pride for your family, right? It¡¯s the most important thing to you.¡±


    ¡°So if I lose, you¡¯re going to make me¡­ give up my sword,¡± she said.


    Ruby was very proud of her sword. By asking for it, Mia forced her to risk her most valuable possession.


    <em>Mmm hm hm. That¡¯s it! I bet that headhunting is just a hobby for you Redmoons, even though you make a lot of noise about it. You¡¯re just trophy hunters who want more awards to put on your shelves. I think it was the same when you challenged me. You came here to y something easy.</em>


    She looked at the situation with a cool head.


    This whole thing was kind of strange from the start. No daughter of a respected duke in her right mind would dare the princess of her empire to a duel in front of everyone.


    It just wasn¡¯t done because, at least for now, the emperor still hadplete power and influence in Tearmoon. Ruby would never challenge her to a serious, ¡°swear on my honour¡± fight. Given that, it was hard to figure out what she meant by ¡°duel.¡±


    <em>If she doesn¡¯t want a real fight, then this is just a game. She is just messing around to have fun.</em>


    If that¡¯s the case, this was just a small distraction that Ruby wanted to make seem more important by calling a ¡°duel.¡±


    In fact, it made more sense to Mia the more she thought about it.


    Ruby wanted Vanos. Even though the man was very important to Mia, he was just a simple soldier with nothing special about him.


    A fight over how to treat a simplemoner could not be more than a small distraction for the Four Dukes. Not even that much was at stake. She hadn¡¯t asked anyone to put themselves in danger.


    All that would happen is that his job would change from being in the imperial army to being in the duke¡¯s private army. It was just a matter of switching jobs.


    <em>She probably thought I was going to the Horsemanship Tournament and thought that messing with me would be a fun way to pass the time.</em>


    Ruby¡¯s sword was very important to her. It was as important to her as her own life. So, if Mia asked her to put her sword on the line, it would be the same as putting her life at risk.


    And what for? A mere game? She would have no other choice but to give up.


    There was even more!


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear what I think. Take it however you want. Just remember that every single one of my soldiers is a loyal subject of mine, and I value each and every one of them. To bet on them, to bet on them like they were just prizes¡­ I can¡¯t stand to even think about it. If you insist on taking one of them this way, you¡¯d better be willing to risk something of equal value,¡± Mia said, trying to stop anyone from saying she was being unreasonable.


    At this point an ¡°Are you crazy? You can¡¯t ask someone to do that because of a stupid game!¡± would have been a valid point. By saying that Vanos was very important to her, she could then ask for something else that was just as important.


    She was threatening her opponent with the ¡°This isn¡¯t just a game for me, buddy¡± card to get her to back down.


    <em>Hah! So, do you have the guts to risk something so important to you just to get one soldier? Go ahead. Try it. I dare you.</em>


    She thought she had just done what would be called a ¡°mic drop¡± in the future, so she basked in the moment, felt very proud of herself, and let out a smug breath of victory.


    Which was answered right away.


    ¡°¡­Well, then. So be it¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Ruby looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°I agree with you¡­ My sword is my pride. Its weight is right for my belief.¡±


    Her face became more determined-looking. She smiled with the smile of a warrior.


    ¡°A good bet for a fight of this quality. Then that¡¯s fine, Your Highness. I can see how determined you are, and I¡¯ll dly match it.¡±


    <em>Huh?! Sorry, but you¡¯ll do what?! What in the dark moons is wrong with you? I know you like big guys, but pull yourself together!</em>


    Mia tragically had the wrong idea about her opponent. She could never have guessed that what drove Ruby wasn¡¯t just a desire to collect. Unlike the King of Remno, it wasn¡¯t a hobby or something he liked to do.


    Her feeling was much stronger. Much purer.


    It burned like a sharp de of fire, cutting into her soul and giving her a sense of determination so strong that it almost tore her heart in two.


    ¡°All right, then. A duel, open and honest, fair and square. Your Majesty, I¡¯ll see you on your horse.¡±


    After saying this, Ruby Etoile Redmoon lowered her head in a deep bow, turned around, and walked away with long, graceful steps that almost looked like they were made for men.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia had no choice but to just stand there and stare nkly as her body moved away.


    <em>H-How did this happen?!</em>


    After being confused for a while, Mia¡¯s scattered thoughts slowly came together, giving her enough sense to panic.


    <em>Now that I think about it, the Yellowmoons are suspicious, but I don¡¯t know if I can trust the Duke of Redmoon either¡­</em>


    There was no way to know for sure that the Chaos Serpents were only linked to one of the four houses. In Bel¡¯s future, the Four Dukes fought each other two against two.


    <em>There¡¯s a good chance that the Redmoons are working with the Serpents to make it harder for me to fight back. If I lose Vanos now, not only will it make my forces much weaker, but I¡¯ll also lose my Dion moderator.</em>


    She let out a sad moan. And pain. She put her hands to her temples and groaned twice, which shows that she was mostly in pain.


    ¡°Oh, my head hurts¡­ Ugh, how did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Well done, miss. That girl had a lot of guts, but you¡¯re no pushover either. There, you told her, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Malong, who had been watching the two people talk,ughed out loud.


    ¡°Well, the horsemanship club has your back, so break a leg out there.¡±


    <em>Oooh, do you find this funny, Malong? Because I don¡¯t find it funny! I feel like I might literally break a leg out there! Hmph, it¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t think this is his problem¡­</em>


    Her frown didn¡¯t bother him, so he crossed his arms.


    ¡°However, if you want topete in speedriding, you¡¯ll need to learn how to ride moonhares.¡±


    ¡°¡­Moonhares¡¯? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A horse breed. They are said to be as fast as the rabbit on the moon, which is what the name means. Most of the famous knights from history that you hear about rode them. In fact, moonhares are usually what people mean when they talk about fast horses. We have two horses in our stable, but one is pregnant and can¡¯t move much.¡±


    ¡°What about the other one?¡±


    He stopped talking for a moment, then added with a sly smile, ¡°I think you¡¯ll get along just fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Yes, but why?¡±


    ¡°After all, you¡¯ve met him before. That horse that sneezed on you is the other moonhare we have.¡±


    She was reminded of that pretty bad thing that happened the day of the dance party for new students.


    ¡°Uh¡­ That horse¡­¡±


    She looked at the stalls with a strained smile.

 Chapter 271

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Ever-changing Mind</strong>


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Malong brought Mia a horse. She looked at it carefully.


    ¡°So this is a moonhare¡­ What is it called?¡±


    ¡°His name¡¯s Kun. It means ¡®wild storm.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Wild storm¡­ What a scary name!¡± she said as she looked at it.


    Kun looked back at her, snorted, and then pulled its big horsey lips back into a smile.


    ¡°¡­Did youugh? Did that horse just make fun of me?¡±


    Malong shrugged and said, ¡°Ha ha ha, I¡¯ve been around a lot of horses, but I¡¯ve never heard one of themugh.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. I guess that¡¯s right. But I feel like he¡¯s making fun of me for some reason¡­ Maybe it¡¯s just me,¡± she said to herself as she kept looking at it.


    At first nce, it looked like any other horse. It was about the size of a normal horse and didn¡¯t have any horns or wings. Everything about it was very¡­horsey in a boring way.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess you can¡¯t tell just by looking what a horse is made of. You have to ride on them.¡±


    She stopped because she had an idea.


    ¡°That reminds me, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever ridden this horse¡­¡±


    She cocked her head in a confused way, which made Malong grin in a sneaky way.


    ¡°I imagine you haven¡¯t. After all, this horse can really move. If an inexperienced student is allowed to ride him, an ident is sure to happen.¡±


    ¡°Huh! You don¡¯t say!¡±


    Mia looked at Kun, the moonhare, in a new way.


    <em>I get it¡­ So, Malong seems to be saying that he thinks I am now able to ride this horse.</em>


    Malong said, ¡°I think you look strong enough to take a fall or two without much trouble.¡± This made her smile even wider.


    ¡°¡­Hm? How odd. I think that was apliment, so why don¡¯t I feel very good about it?


    ¡°Ha ha ha, anyway. Jokes aside, how about it? Want to give this good boy a ride?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I should probably. It would probably be best to get used to riding him¡­¡±


    Even though Malong¡¯spliment was a double-edged sword, Mia was pretty sure of herself. She had been working on her skills more than ever.


    <em>Oho ho, Moonhare, do your worst. Then be amazed as I treat you with the most grace I can.</em>


    With an arrogant huff, she jumped on the horse. As the two of them galloped away, her hair blew in the wind in a regal way.


    At least, that¡¯s how she thought it would happen. The truth wasn¡¯t nearly as nice.


    <em>How weird¡­ This is not at all what I had in mind. How did I get into this mess?</em>


    She sat on Kun¡¯s back, wedged herself between the animal¡¯s neck and¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go, miss. Don¡¯t let go or you might fall,¡± said Malong, who held her from behind.


    <em>H- He treats me like I¡¯m a kid!</em>


    She wanted to protest this bad turn of events, so she said, ¡°Um, Malong? I don¡¯t mind riding in tandem, but thest time I did it with Abel, I sat in the back and held on to him in the front.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is how my n rides, in fact. Most of the time, it¡¯s easier to stay bnced if the rider with less experience is in the front.


    ¡°Oh? Is that true? Huh? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    She had thought that the tandem style she had used with Abel was the norm, so she cocked her head when she heard this new information.


    Malong smiled when she did that.


    ¡°Everyone in our n rides. There were old people, young people, men, and women. We do it as naturally as we walk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then you could have told Abel properly before he took me riding, you meanie.¡±


    She said, ¡°Hmph¡­¡± with a pout.


    <em>I was right! I¡¯ve always found it strange that I fell off. It was because of the way he rode.</em>


    ¡­And it wasn¡¯t because she had been too busy staring to notice. Right. Of course. Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s the case.


    <em>Malong really doesn¡¯t know what to do sometimes. Even after all this time, he forgot to mention something so important. Then again, Ruby was so easy to fool back then, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.</em>


    Mia¡¯s lips stuck out even more. Malong lost about one point in her eyes.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, sorry. I thought, though, that you¡¯d rather be in the back. It looked like a good ce for you. I mean, he must really like you, right?¡±


    He gave me a sly grin.


    ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°That way of riding in tandem is what we used to call ¡®couple¡¯s style.¡¯ This is how warriors ride into battle to protect their loved ones. The namees from a story about a great hero who was one of our ancestors. It says that he sat in front of his wife and kept an eye on her while he fought hundreds of enemies. Since then, it¡¯s kind of be the norm to think that a woman riding behind a man is his special someone.¡±


    He gave her a very clear wink.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it perfect for you and Abel?¡±


    <em>Malong really can be very thoughtful at times! In fact, because of the way I rode, I got to spend some good time with Abel. It¡¯s awesome! I love it! Long live the couple style! I mean, he might like Ruby a little too much, but the fact that she showed up made him show me this moonhare horse, so it was good in the end. I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down, Malong.</em>


    Her opinion of Malong went up by 120 points.


    Mia¡¯s mind was like an acrobat, or rather, it was an acrobat that could flip and spin in any way it wanted.


    ¡°But I have to say, I didn¡¯t really think you¡¯d fall. That scared the hell out of me. I guess I haven¡¯t apologised enough either, so let me do that now. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, oh no. I¡¯ve stopped letting it bother me, and you should do the same. Besides, it¡¯s not like you to dwell. There¡¯s no need to apologise, so just flip that thought out of your head,¡± she said, doing mental somersaults like a pro.


    Her old problems had already flown past the edge of her mind andnded on a thick mattress of forgotten memories. They didn¡¯t have to put in much effort.


    Again, one of Mia¡¯s few good points was that the horizon of her memories was just a stone¡¯s throw away.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Ha ha, good to hear that, miss. I can see that your heart is still as big as ever.¡±


    Malong¡¯s nicepliment to Mia didn¡¯t get to her because she had already stopped listening to him.


    <em>My, what a beautiful phrase! Couple¡¯s style. Like, Abel and I are a married couple¡­ Oho ho¡­ When we got on that horse together, it¡¯s like our lives became linked. What a sweet idea¡­</em>


    She was stuck in a romantic daydream, and her head was so full of thoughts like ¡°Abel is such a gentleman¡± and ¡°the way he held me to break my fall was so dreamy¡± that she couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    So, she didn¡¯t understand what Malong said next, which made her feel uneasy.


    ¡°This time, though, there¡¯s no couple¡¯s style. If I let you sit in the back, you might just fly out, which won¡¯t be fun for anyone. If that happened, Abel would have my head,¡± he said. Mia didn¡¯t catch the hidden warning.


    ¡°Okay, hold on tight, all right? Make sure you don¡¯t lose your bnce.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Uh-huh, sure. This won¡¯t be hard at all. I¡¯m sure I can take care of this horse without you. It¡¯s time for me to show what I¡¯ve been working on all this time.¡±


    After making that confident statement, they left. She had no idea that she would soon turn into wind.

 Chapter 272

    <strong>Princess Mia Bes the Wind</strong>


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!¡±


    Mia¡¯s high-pitched scream was heard all over the riding grounds. Air mmed into her like a wall, hitting her hard and constantly. It was so strong that it almost squashed her body. It was like galloping right into a storm!


    Malong¡¯s big body behind her was the only thing that saved her from flying away. The price of this safety was feeling like a thin paste stuck between two huge bs, one made of gas and the other of flesh.


    The constant wind made her hair whip around in little tornadoes, and she was afraid it would all fall out. She clung desperately to the reins, pushed her body forward, and tightened her muscles to stay on the horse. The tears in her eyes made the world around her go by in blurry streaks.


    Everything, including the fence around the grounds and the greenery around it, as well as the people who were watching them, had turned into smudges of colour thatsted only a second before disappearing from her view. She could just barely make out some leaves blowing in the air far away.


    The next thing she knew, those leaves made a scary shiiiick sound as it passed through her hair and were gone. She knew what the sound was. It was the same high-pitched sound of the arrows of the Lulu tribe shooting at her.


    ¡°Fwaaaaaaaah! Gyaaaaaaaaah!¡±


    She screamed as she started to feel bad about what she had just said.


    <em>Aaah, why did I have to go and say something like that? Why¡­</em>


    Going back a little bit¡­


    As soon as Mia and Malong got to the riding grounds, Mia got on the moonhare for her test ride with Malong. They went around the grounds twice, going faster than the first time Mia made her horse run away from her.


    The feeling of speed was so strong that it was almost violent, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to let out a muffled, teary squeal.


    Malong saw that she was ufortable and said, ¡°Well, that was a good warm-up. Do you want to stop for now? There¡¯s no need to hurry. You don¡¯t have to hurry to get used to it.¡±


    Mia had to work hard to turn her head toward him and smile.


    Of course, it was a very forced smile.


    <em>Get warm? So what you¡¯re saying is that this is just a warm-up?</em>


    She thought this, and was secretly scared of what it meant. She should have paid attention to the chicken in her. She should have just told the truth and said she was done for the day. She could have been done after the warm-up¡­


    She hadn¡¯t, though.


    ¡°Hah, I have no problem with this. You said this was a warm-up, right? Well, it had better be, because I¡¯m just getting started.¡±


    Her damn ego didn¡¯t let her. Not even after she said a lot of impressive things about how she could ride the horse even if Malong wasn¡¯t with her.


    It was already toote to turn back. Worse was that her mouth wouldn¡¯t stop moving.


    ¡°This is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Easy peasy. It looks like the speed of the moonhares is just talk,¡± she said, then put on a smug face and added, ¡°Well then. Now that I¡¯ve seen what this horse can do, I¡¯m not letting you off the hook for today.¡±


    She wanted to use it as a reason to give up and get off this four-legged speed demon, but before she could ask to get off, she noticed something odd.


    The horse¡¯s ears were turned at an odd angle, as if it were trying to listen to what they were saying.


    Momentster, Kun let out a rising whine that sounded like what a spinning machine might make when it starts to move faster.


    Behind her, she heard Malong make two sounds that were very scary.


    ¡°Uh oh¡ª¡±


    Before she could ask for more information, he yelled, ¡°Hang on, miss! And don¡¯t talk, or you¡¯ll bite your tongue!¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    His warning came at the same time as a second, stronger neigh.


    After a split second, Kun shot into action. With a loud boom, fast-moving air hit her eardrums, and she turned into wind.


    <em>I really need to stop being so cocky. It¡¯s one of my worst habits for sure¡­</em>


    Kun turned into a corner. She almost fell right off its back when it moved. She fought hard to stay on and held on to the reins by sheer force of will. She had to really try to open her eyes, but she did it.


    Kun¡¯s face was the first thing she saw. He had briefly turned his head toward her to show how his big, horsey lips parted in a wide grin.


    <em>The horse is¡­ Is he now making fun of me?! Seriously?! A horse is making fun of me?</em>


    Her anger made her forget how scared she was. Her eyes showed that she was ready to take on a challenge.


    <em>Okay, you stupid animal, if you think that this is all it will take for me to give up, you are dead wrong. This is nothingpared to the guillotine. Dion wanting your blood is a lot scarier. After that, I¡­ I-I can¡­ I can¡¯t, sorry! I apologise! I lied! Don¡¯t do it! Eeeeek! Release me! I can¡¯t take this anymore!</em>


    Mia¡¯s feet didn¡¯t find solid ground again until she had ridden a moonhare more than she could handle. Her legs were shaking so much that they couldn¡¯t support her weight, and she stumbled.


    ¡°Whoa, miss, are you okay?¡±


    Malong ran over to help her, but someone else got there first.


    ¡°Careful, Mia. Watch where you step.¡±


    ¡°That was a bit out of character for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    She found two arms on each side of her, and when she looked up, she saw the faces of two princes.


    ¡°My¡­ Abel and Sion¡­ What are you doing here, you two?¡±


    ¡°Horse riding practise, of course,¡± said Sion in a casual tone. ¡°But since we found you speedriding, we decided to watch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we caught your moonhare debut,¡± added Abel.


    ¡°How did it go? You don¡¯t look too sure of yourself. Are you okay?¡±


    She almost melted when he smiled at her, but she made her legs stay strong and put on the bravest face she could.


    ¡°Hah, like something like that could shake me up. I-It was a total piece of cake.¡±


    She was grateful to the two princes for helping her. Then, she walked over to Kun with slow, graceful steps and stroked the tip of its nose.


    ¡°You wereughing at me back there, weren¡¯t you?¡± she asked in a whisper. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve, you stupid horse. Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Kun took a big breath in, turned its head a little so that its nose was pointed at her head, and then let out a loud hack-a-pchoo.


    ¡°Gyaaaah!¡±


    She fell down after being hit by a storm of air, snot, and drool. She looked up in shock at the horse, then down at herself to see what the sneeze had done to her. She could feel the horse snot on her hair, which was stuck to her cheeks. It was wet and slimy on her shirt. It was all pretty gross.


    ¡°Oh, just letting you know, miss. Kun can understand some of what people say, so you might want to be careful about what you say around him. You don¡¯t want him to think that you¡¯re easy to get along with.¡±


    Kun grinned and looked down its nose at Mia, which was almost the same as what Malong had said.


    <em>He¡­ He does for sure! This stupid horse thinks I¡¯m a joke!</em>

 Chapter 273

    <strong>Princess Mia Turns Into A Vengeful Demon</strong>


    ¡°¡­Ugh, what a bad day!¡±


    Mia walked to the public baths with tired, squishy steps. Anne walked alongside her.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, mdy. We¡¯ll wash it off right away,¡± the maid said in a reassuring way. ¡°In no time, you¡¯ll be your usual beautiful self!¡±


    As she rolled up her sleeves, the fire in her eyes showed that she was ready to take on the challenge.


    The public baths in Saint-Noel were filled with water from hot springs, so they were always full and could be used at any time.


    ¡°Hnnngh, I¡¯m dripping with snot¡­¡±


    Mia took off her wet clothes, but she still felt disgustingly sticky on her face and in her hair, which made her feel bad. She walked into the bathing room with a long face¡­


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The smell of the room made her curious. Some kind of grass or herb smell could be smelled in the steam. It had a nice, rxing smell that seemed like it would be great for putting people to sleep.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It smells really good.¡±


    She looked around to see where the new smell wasing from.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Miss Mia? Why are you here?¡±


    There were voicesing from the pool. As she tried to see through the fog, she saw two people she knew.


    ¡°That¡¯s my question, Bel. And so with Citrina. What are you doing here, you two?¡±


    She looked at her granddaughter and her new friend.


    <em>Hmm¡­ Taking a bath together at this time of day seems a little strange.</em>


    Mia walked over to washing area and sat down on one of the wooden stools. She raised an eyebrow. Anne showed up right away and started to rinse her hair. Mia liked how it felt when the maid ran her fingers through her hair and scratched her scalp. She closed her eyes to enjoy the process. As the water washed away the slime, she could feel her hair bing smooth again.


    Mia talked to Citrina when Anne was almost done with her hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone like you here.¡± She looked at the girl and said, ¡°I thought Tearmoon nobles didn¡¯t like the public baths very much.¡±


    <em>You may think you¡¯ve won me over, but I¡¯m still looking at you.</em>


    Mia took a short, angry breath. The Yellowmoons were still a big threat, and Citrina was the daughter of their Duke. She wasn¡¯t going to let down her guard around them at all. She focused her eyes and got ready to strongly report any suspicious behaviour she saw.


    Citrina sat on the edge of the pool. Even though she was young, her thin arms and waist gave off an air of elegance. Even without clothes, she still looked like a doll, and a very good one at that. The skin on her arms and legs was as white as snow.


    Mia thought the girl was probably telling the truth when she said she was born sick. She looked very weak.


    <em>I think even I could beat her in a fight¡­</em>


    Mia felt a strange sense of confidence after giving her opponent the ¡°Mia once-over¡± and figuring out how she would do in battle.


    In the meantime, Citrina replied with a sweet smile.


    ¡°Actually, I just told Bel that we should invite Your Highness to join us.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you mean, Join you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know a little bit about herbs, so I asked Miss Rafina for permission to put some scented herbs in the bath,¡± said Citrina, grabbing a handful of water from the pool to show what she meant.


    ¡°Huh, did you now¡­?¡±


    Mia thought that the nice smell she had noticed when she walked into the room must havee from the herbs.


    After washing and rinsing, she got up from her seat and walked toward the pool. When she looked more closely, she saw a bag of dried flowers floating on the water.


    ¡°What nt is this?¡±


    ¡°This is a nt called moonbead. People say that moonbead can help loosen up stiff muscles. Pleasee in and check to see if it works for Your Highness.¡±


    Mia got into the water because Citrina¡¯s smile made her feel wee. She breathed a sigh of relief as the warm fluid wrapped around her.


    ¡°This¡­feels wonderful. I feel like all my stress is just leaving my body. So cosy and nice¡­¡±


    She slowly went deeper and deeper into the water until only her head was above the surface.


    She grunted and stretched her arms and legs as far as they would go. From her toes to her neck, she could feel the heat seeping into her pores.


    The ¡°Oof¡± she let out might have been a little too guttural for her royal image, but no one said anything about it.


    Citrina fell into the pool right next to Mia.


    ¡°Bel told me that Your Highness has been practising horseback riding a lottely, so I looked for ways to help you feel less tired. I hope it¡¯s useful.¡±


    When Mia saw this incredibly thoughtful act, she¡­


    ¡°My! What a nice thing to do!¡±


    ¡­ Was moved to the core!


    She felt so good that she almost started crying.


    Mia was usually easy to fool and liked anyone who seemed interested in bathing. Also, being in the bathhouse, where she felt most at home, had made her less cautious.


    Because of these two things, she had be an affection point pinata, which Citrina had just broken open by showing her care in the bath and taking all those valuable affection points for herself.


    If she had then given Mia a sweet that could be eaten in the bath, she would have probably been the official Princess¡¯s Soulmate by the time they left the bathhouse.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve made a wonderful friend,¡± said Mia, turning toward Bel.


    The two smiled at each other.


    ¡°Ha ha, Miss Mia, I¡¯m d you think so. I like Rina a lot too.¡±


    The grandmother and granddaughter thenughed together. It was a moment of family harmony.


    Mia said, ¡°Aaah, this is a great bath.¡±


    She lifted her right arm above the water and liked how the water dropped off her smooth, spotless skin. She took a handful of water in her hands and sshed it on her face. The way the warmth spread through her cheeks was simply divine.


    As a bath expert, Grandmother Mia liked ones that were a little bit hotter. Those gave her enough heat that she felt warm for a while after she went outside, even though she was no longer in the room.


    Citrina said quickly, ¡°By the way, Your Highness, since you¡¯re practising so much, does that mean you¡¯ll be in the Horsemanship Tournament in the fall?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess no one would be wrong to think that. The truth is that I never nned to do that, but the way things are going, I think I might have to¡­¡± she said, sighing as she thought about what had happened that day.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, is Rina wee toe watch you practise?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Citrina, are you also interested in horseback riding?¡±


    Mia¡¯s look of surprise turned into a smile very quickly.


    ¡°Then by all means. Come check it out. The horses are very cute. Well, at least most of them¡­¡±


    In her mind, she saw a certain horse sneezing with a smile on its face.


    <em>I¡¯ll never let that horse go¡­ Absolutely never! You¡¯ll pay for this, you arrogant jerk! Don¡¯t forget it!</em>


    She clenched her fist and vowed to get even with the horse who had hurt her so much. She would not stop until she got back at them.


    <em>Next time, I¡¯ll eat a whole piece of carrot cake right in front of you! We¡¯ll see what you think, you stupid horse!</em>


    On a different note, that carrot cake was one of the vegetable desserts that Tearmoon¡¯s head chef came up with. He sent over the recipe, and soon it would be on the menu at the academy¡¯s cafeteria.

 Chapter 274

    <strong>Even if That Love Burns You</strong>


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon met the love of her life when she was 10 years old. As the daughter of one of the empire¡¯s Four Dukes, her life as a Redmoon was incredibly privileged. She was very athletic and good at both swordsmanship and horsemanship. The Duke was happy that she was better with a sword than her three younger brothers.


    He would sometimes joke that instead of marrying her off, he would rather make her his heir and take in a son-inw. People who heard him knew he was bragging in an exaggerated way because he was a proud father, but something about the way he said things always made it hard for them to ignore everything he said.


    She knew what her father wanted from her and what he thought of her. Even though she was young, she worked hard to match and beat them. She was born with all the qualities of a hero, so the whole world should have been hers. The day she went with her dad to a routine army inspection, though, her life changed in a big way.


    ¡°Father, there are a lot of strong-looking people here.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, yes, of course. Look closely at them. Doesn¡¯t it get you pumped up to see these big men in all their powerful glory?¡±


    Her father¡¯s passion for finding good soldiers was so strong that it was called ¡°Redmoon Headhunting.¡± Like any good fan, the Duke would get as excited as a child with his favourite toy when he finally got to see what he was so interested in.


    They went on a tour of the army until her dad had to leave for a meeting with the army¡¯s top leaders. Before he left, he told her, ¡°If you get bored, ask them for a horse and ride it.¡±


    Ruby did what he told her to do and went to the riding grounds. Having done quite a bit of horseback riding, the idea of being on a horse was nothing new. She didn¡¯t give it much thought and just thought she¡¯d ride around as usual to pass the time.


    But something went wrong.


    The horse she was riding all of a sudden lost its mind and started acting crazy.


    ¡°H-Hey! You! S-Stop! I told you to stop!¡±


    She pulled on the reins with all her strength to try to stop the horse from running wild.


    The sudden tug scared the horse, and it reared up hard.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    She felt like she was taking off.


    The world turned around its centre.


    The sound stopped.


    As the ground got closer, time seemed to slow down to a crawl.


    She shut her eyes tightly, and her whole body went still.


    She had learned how to break a fall from the swordmaster she trained with, but everything happened too quickly.


    Too suddenly.


    She couldn¡¯t make her body move how she wanted it to.


    She couldn¡¯t do anything but clench her teeth and wait for the pain that she knew wasing.


    And then she stopped.


    Just¡­stopped, and her body hung in midair without moving.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand. She couldn¡¯t do anything but stare nkly at the still ground. Her body was still stiff, ready for the impact.


    ¡°Are you okay, girl?¡±


    She heard a man¡¯s voice, which was deep and loud. She slowly opened her eyes and saw him.


    <em>Wow, he¡¯s so big¡­.</em>


    Vanos was trying not to scare the girl he had just saved from a bad fall by giving her a cute, awkward smile.


    She would never forget that day.


    The things she felt, like her heart beating fast and her chest getting tight, never left her. It might not have been anything important. Just a silly crush from her childhood, just like many girls her age would have fleeting moments of love that were nothing like real love.


    A taste of love that wasn¡¯t real. But that feeling didn¡¯t turn into a sepia-toned memory of Ruby¡¯s childhood love for him.


    It grew. It shone. Like a golden treasure, its shine only gets brighter over time.


    <em>I¡¯m going to have to see him again. See him. Talk to him. Afterward¡­</em>


    Slowly and quietly, that one desire pushed out all the others and became her life¡¯s purpose.


    As she got older and learned more about how the military worked, she got involved in the business of the Ebony Moon Ministry.


    She had to know. The person who saved her¡­ What was his name? Was he still alive?


    She looked through the records of the ministry for clues. Things moved slowly. It took her years, but she finally found out who the man was.


    Vanos was the second-inmand of a hundred-person squad.


    The difficult part was over. Now that she knew who he was, she should be able to make him her own in a lot of ways. The easiest thing to do would be to put him in charge of the Redmoon¡¯s private army. It would be easy to get the Ebony Moon Ministry to do that.


    Since they knew her father liked to go ¡°headhunting,¡± they wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he showed interest in someone like Vanos. The n should get approved with little trouble. Then she could take her time getting close to him and getting to know him.


    The big difference in their social status would make it hard for them to be together. Their wedding woulde at the end of a difficult journey.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. Her love was so strong that if she had to, she was ready to leave her home and family behind.


    Ruby¡¯s love was the best there was. She liked big men, the bigger the better, but she also liked men who were good.


    Her love was fiery and came from the depths of her soul. Its heat came out of her as a fiery personality and burned her to a crisp inside. She would burn to the centre of her bones for love.


    For now, her biggest wish was to be close to him. Just a few steps away.


    But what she nned did not happen. Before she could do anything, he was taken by Princess Mia, who pulled him and his whole squad into the imperial guard.


    The squad had always been a bit like a private mercenarypany.


    Because of that and the fact that the princess already had a lot of power over its members, the Ebony Moon Ministry had no choice but to follow her orders.


    In the end, Mia took the man of Ruby¡¯s dreams away from her, leaving her with the broken pieces of a failed n.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re getting involved in people¡¯s love lives, are we? It looks like Her Highness can be a real fifth wheel,¡± she sputtered angrily at the sky.


    Even though she let out her anger, she did not dwell on it. The fight was still going on. She had been trying for years to get the man she loved. She was not going to stop now. There was no way she was giving up.


    Ruby has been waiting and watching for a chance to act ever since Mia started at Saint-Noel. When she thought the time was right, she moved quickly.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if her challenge would work, to be honest. Mia could just say no to the duel. The idea that a daughter of a duke would challenge a princess to a duel was almost too crazy to believe.


    In Tearmoon, someone would never do something like that. So she did it here, at Saint-Noel Academy, while they were there. Under the control of the Central Orthodox Church and Saint Rafina, the academy was less strict about breaking social rules.


    Since it was a ce where young people hung out, trouble and fights happened almost every day. It was just not possible to treat every fight like it was a matter of family or world importance.


    Also, based on what Esmeralda and Sapphias said, Princess Mia¡¯s personality seemed to have changed recently, and she had be a more patient person who quickly forgot small offences. In that case, there was a chance that she would ept Ruby¡¯s challenge.


    Setting up the challenge at the stables and choosing Lin Malong as the witness were also both well-thought-out moves.


    Malong caught Ruby¡¯s eye because of his personality, and she had already looked into who he was. The best way to make sure the terms of the duel didn¡¯t change was to challenge Mia at that specific ce with him there.


    Mia had been training hard for the Horsemanship Tournament, so she couldn¡¯t look Malong in the eye and suggest a different way to fight.


    So, Ruby was able to end the duel on her own terms. She had a huge advantage in the Horsemanship Tournament when shepeted in an event.


    A passage from a book about tactics that she had read before kept going through her mind.


    <em>Long before a battle starts, the tide starts to turn. Crossing swords is just a formality to show that the result is true. The real oue is decided in the stage before this one.</em>


    So, in battle, the chance of losing was not something to think about.


    But it wasn¡¯t just that¡­


    ¡°It is about him that we are talking. I¡¯m trying to get him for myself. I can¡¯t imagine doing that without risking a limb or two. Or more. Or my life? Or the survival of my house? I couldn¡¯t care less. All small prices to pay.¡±


    Even if she couldn¡¯t win, she would still do it.


    And with pleasure. It didn¡¯t hurt the most to lose. It was being kept from fighting.


    When the prize was the person she loved, nothing hurt more than not even being able to try to win. The burning desire that had erupted in her at that terrible moment still burned her heart and soul to this day.


    ¡°Sir Vanos, I¡¯ll get you on my side one way or another¡­¡±


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon, the proud daughter of the Duke of Redmoon, was a passionate girl who lived and loved like a forest fire.


    Mia, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on in Ruby¡¯s mind¡­


    ¡°Yay, they finally made it. I have my carrot cake. So far, everything is going as nned. Now I can make him watch right in front of its face as I eat. This isn¡¯t about getting even or anything else. That would be a very petty thing for me to do. It¡¯s to get better at horsemanship by teaching that horse to respect me!¡±


    She sang a happy song to herself as she walked to the stables.


    ¡°Hm hm, mmm hm hm¡­ Ah, this is such a tasty cake,¡± she said as she showed it off to her enemy.


    ¡°Just take a look. Doesn¡¯t it look tasty? Hm? You don¡¯t want any, do you? Well, you can¡¯t! Because I own it all! And I¡¯m going to eat it right here while you¡ªEek! Wai¡ª N-No! Stop! It¡¯s mine! Give it¡ª Aaaah! No! My cake!¡±


    So, like a true friend, Mia gave Kun some of her carrot cake, and they got to know each other a little bit better.


    The end.


    For her carrot cake revenge n, anyway.

 Chapter 275

    <strong>The Pegasus Princess Mia Struggles</strong>


    ¡°Okay, Kun, let¡¯s go,¡± Mia said as she got on the horse.


    In her free time over the past few days, she had been riding Kun, the moonhare. She stroked its neck softly and then gave its sides a light kick. She had been doing a lot of real work recently.


    Since she had been trying to get away from the guillotine timeline, she had always thought that horses were her only way out. She knew she couldn¡¯t skimp on horsemanship because it was a skill she needed to survive.


    She knew how important it was and had just finished a short period of intense, cram school-style training, which helped her figure out a basic truth.


    ¡°The most important thing about horseback riding, in the end, is to match the horse¡¯s rhythm. Like you¡¯re all trying to breathe at the same time. It¡¯s like dancing, where you have to step at the same time as your partner!¡±


    Slowly, the horse moved into a walk, and she kept giving it light taps to tell it what to do.


    Right, left, right, left, right, left¡­


    At this point, it was important to tap in a steady, easy-to-follow rhythm that the horse could follow. When there was a good rhythm, the horse was happy, and when the horse was happy, the ride went smoothly.


    When going faster, the same rule applied. The most important thing was to get back in bnce before the faster gait and match the horse¡¯s pace while showing it with your feet.


    <em>The trick is to move in time with the horse.</em>


    As soon as she realised that, everything else made sense. Getting along with her partner¡­ Moving together¡­ She knew all about those ideas like the back of her hand.


    She had to move to the beat of the music and match the steps and strides of her partner when she danced. Riding a horse and dancing the waltz were the same thing.


    Now, for those of you who have forgotten, which is understandable given Mia¡¯s many quirks, I¡¯ll remind you that Mia was actually a good dancer. Masterful, even. So, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to learn how to ride a horse.


    She had already mastered the basics of riding, and her skills were quickly moving from petent¡± to ¡°impressive.¡± She was so happy with herself that it went right to her head, making her think things like, ¡°I should definitely start calling myself The Pegasus Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s kind of like triple time at this speed. If we move a little faster, the gait will take four times as long. That means that I should start signalling when¡­,¡± she mumbled.


    You¡¯re right. Mia¡¯s [Dancing] skill finally led to a bonus branch in her skill tree. Horse Riding was now at a C- level for her.


    Given this progress, it makes sense that she thought she was close to being able to ride moonhares like a pro, but for some strange reason¡­


    ¡°Hnnngh¡­ Why¡­¡±


    She took Malong¡¯s advice and walked slowly with Kun, but she still couldn¡¯t help but groan in frustration.


    <em>The rhythm is a little off again. Howe every time I get into a good groove, it changes? I swore to you, this horse¡­</em>


    Her anger was understandable.


    When she got into a good rhythm, signalling when she needed to match the horse¡¯s pace, the horse would change its pace.


    And not all at once either, which was the worst part. It would happen slowly, a quarter beat every few seconds, until their rhythms were totally out of sync with each other.


    There was something uncannily bad and almost sneaky about how slowly it came on, as if she were slowly slipping into a syncopated state of madness.


    At a walking pace, the mismatches were still manageable, but they would be a much bigger problem when they sped up to a trot. At that speed, the horse¡¯s body would bob up and down more violently, forcing the rider to use a technique called ¡°posting,¡± which involved standing up and sitting down to soften the blows.


    When she tried to post this trot, she couldn¡¯t keep up with Kun¡¯s rhythm, so its back would m into her behind over and over again.


    ¡°Oh, my butt really hurts¡­ Aren¡¯t you doing this on purpose? I¡¯m sure of it!¡±


    As if it understood what she was saying, Kun quickly turned its head toward her and neighed while pulling its lips back.


    ¡°Y-You stupid¡­ Oh, I recognise this. This is what you get for making fun of you yesterday with that carrot cake, right? But you still ended up eating most of it!¡±


    She got off her horse while gnashing her teeth in anger.


    <em>I can¡¯t do anything with this horse. We don¡¯t get along at all. No, we don¡¯t get along at all. Why do I have to keep this thing? I like the ones that listen to me so much more. They are so quiet and cute¡­</em>


    It¡¯s important to note that almost everypetitor in the Horsemanship Tournament would be bringing their own horse from home.


    Ruby, like most of the other riders in the speedriding event, will be riding on a moonhare.


    <em>Grr¡­ I can¡¯t believe this is the only moonhare the horsemanship club has avable.</em>


    She couldn¡¯t ask for a horse to be sent from Tearmoon either. When she first joined the club, she tried to ask for a regr horse, but a very worried emperor cut her off and said, ¡°It would be a national tragedy if she got on such a big horse and fell off!¡±


    They sent her a small pony in the end.


    Very safe, but also a huge letdown.


    <em>What do I need to do¡­ At this rate, I¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t look like a total fool, let alone win the duel¡­</em>


    She crossed her arms and began to think about what she could do when she heard a voice.


    ¡°Hello, Mia. How are things?¡±


    When she looked up, a horse wasing toward her. Atop it sat Abel.


    ¡°My, Abel. You are also practising today?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m trying to win.¡±


    He wouldpete in the horseback swordsmanship category with Sion.


    ¡°I see. Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, Abel. You look like you¡¯re very at home on that horse of yours. It¡¯s a lot to take in.¡±


    ¡°Is it? I think you¡¯re pretty good yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a weakling by any means, but this horse¡ªEek!¡±


    Something hit her in the back, and she almost lost her bnce.


    ¡°What the heck?¡±


    She turned around and found that Kun¡¯s nose was where her back had been.


    <em>Flippin¡¯ moons! This animal! He must be pulling my leg!</em>


    She was angry. Abel also looked at it, but his face showed more thought.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder if the fact that we¡¯re always together bothers him. Maybe he¡¯s envious of you.¡±


    He scratched his chin.


    ¡°He seems to like you, Mia,¡± he said.


    ¡°He likes me? Huh¡­¡±


    She looked at the horse again, but this time, she was more interested.


    <em>He could be right¡­ I do remember that Anne told me that when a boy likes a girl, he acts mean to her because he wants her to notice him.</em>


    She looked at Kun with pursed lips. Kun smiled in its usual way. It made a very annoying move when it pulled its lips back to show its big horse teeth.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the way it is. I now understand what¡¯s going on. You¡ª Hm?¡±


    She noticed all of a sudden that Kun¡¯s nose was twitching. Based on what happened in the past, this kind of thing usually led to¡­


    ¡°Oh you¡¯d better not¡ª Wait, let me back away¡ª Gyaaaah!¡±


    There was a loud hack-a-pchoo, and then you could hear fluid hitting fabric.


    Mia fell backwards onto her already bruised buttocks when she sneezed so hard that the storm sirens went off.

 Chapter 276

    <strong>Princess Mia Cheers! ¡­ for the Horse.</strong>


    ¡°Nope! All done! That was thest thing! ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Mia yelled as she led Kun back to the stables in a rough way.


    She used a cloth to wipe off as much as she could, but some of the stuff was still on her hair. Gross stuff¡­


    ¡°Ugh, I need to take a bath right now¡­ But first, I need Malong to find me a different horse!¡±


    She decided to go find Malong, so she went to the special stable where he was supposed to be. But when she got there, it was empty.


    ¡°Huh? ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­¡±


    There were no people or horses there at all.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been here,¡± she said to herself as she looked around.


    When she got closer to the room, she saw that she was wrong. There was a horse in there that was out of sight. At the back of the building, it stood still.


    ¡°Oh my, what a beautiful horse¡­¡±


    Its beauty drew her in. Its body was covered in pure white hair, and it had the air of a queen. It looked right at her when it turned around.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Kayou. ¡°Like Kun, she¡¯s a moonhare.¡±


    Malong came up behind her with a huge pitchfork, which suggested that he had been moving hay for the horses while he was gone.


    ¡°A moonhare¡­ Oh, yes, I do remember you saying, ¡®There¡¯s a horse that can¡¯t be ridden because it¡¯s about to give birth.¡¯¡±


    The horse¡¯s body did look rounder than usual when you looked at it more closely.


    ¡°She is so pretty¡­¡±


    She gave Kayou a smile, and it looked at her quietly with a soft look in its eyes.


    ¡°Her eyes are so soft¡­¡±


    ¡°She sure does. One of the more tame moonhares for sure. I¡¯d let you ride her, but she can¡¯t run right now.¡±


    She thought about the new possibilities and said, ¡°Oh, what a terrible shame.¡±


    It won¡¯t be ready for the Horsemanship Tournament, but what aboutter? Like the cold season? Mia was said to have gone on a long ride on the night of the Holy Eve Festival, where she was killed by bandits.


    What if the horse she had been riding was reced by a faster one, like a moonhare? She might have been able to get through the situation. Kayou seemed like the kind of horse who would listen so that they could work together and run as one.


    The other horse was stupid, but¡­


    Mia looked at Malong with eyes that were bright and full of hope.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m just wondering: when exactly is this horse going to have a baby? How long before she can run?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. I might give her ten more days. She can run around on her own almost as soon as she gives birth, but if you want her to go full speed while carrying a rider, give her another week.¡±


    ¡°So just a little over two weeks? If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    It would be ready a long time before winter. She had a lot of time before the Holy Eve Festival started. She looked over Kayou again, this time with more interest. It kept looking at her with those beautiful, smart-looking eyes.


    <em>It¡¯s almost funny how different she is. Kun and his stupid face are on one side, and Kayou is on the other. Some people do say that moonhares are very smart horses. Seeing this one, I have no doubts. That dumb Kun must be the only one who doesn¡¯t fit in.</em>


    She thought that maybe he had been dropped on his head as a foal or something, becausepared this other one, she was so smart and majestic.


    <em>And if she¡¯s smart, that must mean she¡¯ll remember when someone does something nice for her. Even if Kun is annoying and doesn¡¯t know what to do, I bet Kayou will know what to do in return. In other words¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s instincts were telling her to make friends with this horse. To do so many nice things for her that she couldn¡¯t help but like her.


    She turned to Malong with a firm nod.


    ¡°Sorry, Malong, but I¡¯d like to help you take care of this horse. Would that be all right?¡±


    ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t know, sure I guess? About what kind of help are we talking?¡±


    ¡°Stuff like cleaning up the stable and washing the horse so she stays clean, among other things.¡±


    Even though Mia and her friends were in the horsemanship club, they did not take care of the horses. Staff at the academy took care of that. Since they came from a good family, they only had to worry about things that fit their status, like getting better at riding.


    Malong, who was from the Equestrian Kingdom, thought that taking care of horses was an important part of being a good horseman. This way of thinking had rubbed off on Abel, who often helped with the less important parts of the experience, like cleaning the stable. However, he was the exception, not the rule.


    The fact that the princess of a powerful empire like Tearmoon then asked to do the same was not just unusual; it was unthinkable. So, Malong waspletely caught off guard by the question, and all he could do was stare at it with his mouth wide open.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mia added, ¡°within reason.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to help. I don¡¯t know if I can get up so early every day, but you look like you need help here, so¡­ I mean, it¡¯s a hard thing to do, right? Having a baby?¡±


    Self-interest was a big part of why she did what she did, but it wasn¡¯t the only thing that drove her. Mia had been openly curious about how those big birds brought babies to people¡¯s houses until not too long ago.


    She knew more about the real world now that she didn¡¯t know such nonsense and had added real facts to her knowledge. It was a very important question for her, since the history book said she would have to have eight children.


    When she innocently asked Chloe where babies came from, her well-read friend gave her a long, silent stare and then gave her a book without saying a word. When asked what it was about, she said, ¡°It¡¯s all exined in there. Just¡­don¡¯t be too surprised.¡±


    Mia was a little scared by this strange order, so she carefully opened the book and read the truth. She now knew that giving birth was a very hard thing to do.


    <em>Am I going to be all right? E-Eight kids?</em>


    Her eyes went to Kayou¡¯s swollen stomach.


    She gave it a gentle rub.


    ¡°You can do it. I want the best for you. I hope you have a wonderful child.¡±


    She smiled at the horse and felt like she had a strange connection to it.

 Chapter 277

    <strong>Good News! Malong¡¯s Respect for Mia Reaches New Heights</strong>


    ¡°We of the Equestrian Kingdom are connected to our horses. We travel together through life and overnd. Horses free us from all ties and chains and let us ride forever into the great beyond, but they also keep us on the ground. Wherever we go, our horses keep us connected to the earth. Our soul is the horse. We must always treat them with the utmost respect because of this.¡±


    These were the words that Malong got from his grandfather, who was the leader of their n and whose teachings were deeply ingrained in him. The Central Orthodox Church had arge area of religious influence, and the Equestrian Kingdom was right in the middle of it. So, like everyone in the surrounding countries, his people also believed that the Holy Deity was the only true God and the only one who made the world.


    This also meant they didn¡¯t worship horses as gods.


    But they had a different view of the creatures than their neighbours, which made their whole set of beliefs a little bit different. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom saw God in horses, just like the Lulu of the Tearmoon Empire saw God in the trees of their forest.


    To them, horses were the most powerful thing God had given them. The creatures were both priceless treasures and the spiritual link that linked them to the person who made them. When preachers from the Central Orthodox Church read Bible verses about God¡¯s greatest gift, the people of the Equestrian Kingdom thought they were talking about horses.


    It was clear that they loved their horses more than anyone else, and Malong was no different. He had been taught to love horses since he was a child.


    So, when he heard one of the academy¡¯s noble girlsining that ¡°horses are so dirty¡± and ¡°it¡¯s ridiculous that they let those stinky animals roam around the academy,¡± he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to forgive her.


    When he first started at Saint-Noel, his anger got him into fight after fight, which made it hard for him to get along with his ssmates. Slowly, though, he realised that the girl¡¯s opinion was somon in this academy and the rest of the nations that it could be called mon sense.¡±


    People in the Equestrian Kingdom had horses with them from the time they were born. They treated horses like family and spent their whole lives with them.


    In other kingdoms, horses were just animals or were sometimes used as weapons. Men who rode their horses into battle might grow fond of the animal that protected them from swords and arrows. For merchants and farmers, horses were a good way to get work done, and they probably took good care of them. The daughters of nobles, on the other hand, thought horses were just smelly animals.


    Yes, these girls were often enchanted by young foals, but they loved them in the same way they loved a beautiful vase or a neighbor¡¯s pet: from afar.


    For them, the perfect object of affection should be sterile and free of bad smells and other physical ws. A picture, perhaps. Or something stuffed.


    It¡¯s pretty to look at and fun to y with, but it doesn¡¯t need to eat or sleep. As long as something lived, it had to eat and go to the bathroom. No matter how clean it was, it would smell. That¡¯s what it was like to be alive.


    Still, these people were so closed-minded that they couldn¡¯t even ept nature, which is full of the sights and smells that make life worth living.


    Before he realised it, he had already started to stay away from people like that. Mia¡¯s first visit to the horsemanship club had, of course, thrown him for a loop. At first, he was afraid of her because he thought she might hurt the horses.


    Once, a noble girl stepped in some horse dung and got so angry that she screamed at him and demanded that all the horses at the academy be killed. He had, of course,ughed off her hysteria, but it had not been a good time. He was worried that he might have to deal with the same stupidity again.


    Then what happened happened, and it wasn¡¯t even Mia¡¯s fault.


    She didn¡¯t step in horse dung because she wasn¡¯t paying attention; she was just going about her own business. It was the horse that had clopped over and sneezed hard, covering her in snot and ruining her clothes.


    Even though she had suffered more, Mia didn¡¯t yell or scream. She had smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± she said, brushing off the incident as if it were just a stray hair on her shoulder.


    It was surprising enough that she was willing to forgive the horse, but she went even further. She didn¡¯t let the slimy insult stop her from wanting to try riding. She even joined the horsemanship club.


    Since then, she had worked hard and honestly to improve her riding skills, which made him secretly proud. Recently, as he watched her practise routine get more and more serious, he had more respect for her.


    <em>This girl is pretty special¡­</em>


    She and Kun did the sneeze-and-scream routine so often that it was almost funny, but it never stopped her from getting on the horse. Time and again she would suffer a snotty fate, but again and again she would get up to ride the horse.


    Besides that¡­


    <em>She seems to be trying to read the horse and match his rhythm more and moretely.</em>


    She didn¡¯t get angry or feel bad that Kun didn¡¯t listen to her. She didn¡¯t moan about the problem; instead, she faced it head-on and tried to solve it. What he liked most about her was that she was honest about how she felt about horses.


    It made him feel a tender affection for her that he usually only had for his younger sisters back home. This affection now showed up in everything he did with her.


    Mia didn¡¯t stop there. She kept asking more questions, and she even asked if she could help take care of the horses.


    <em>I swear, it¡¯s almost as if she likes to surprise me or gets a kick out of it or something. This girl¡­</em>


    Normal noble girls wouldn¡¯t go near a horse stall even if it was attached to their house. They would say that it smelled bad. And icky. And a lot of other words that sound bad.


    As the princess of a powerful empire, Mia should be even more particr about cleanliness than them. Still, she asked if she could help take care of the horse because she knew it was hard for horses to give birth.


    He saw how her eyes were filled with tender concern as she asked Kayou. She was, of course, a total novice. There was no question that she wouldn¡¯t help much, if at all.


    But what mattered was the thought, and it was a thought that went right to his heart and made him feel very happy.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Why not? Sure. Then, let¡¯s have you help. Don¡¯t worry about it though. Do whatever you can.¡±


    In Malong¡¯s heart stirred a fullness of thanks and respect.


    Meanwhile, Mia¡­


    <em>Oho ho! Target was pleased! Mission aplished.</em>


    Also stirred, but in her case, it was her mind that was stirred by self-interest and calction.


    So, Mia was given the job of taking care of Kayou.

 Chapter 278

    <strong>What is Engraved in Her Soul</strong>


    Let us take a little detour. A short detour where we go back in time to tell a story that has been forgotten. It¡¯s a small story about love that wasn¡¯t returned and a person whose grief ate away at her soul.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    She felt like her legs were going to give out. Ruby Etoile Redmoon fell to the ground when she heard the bad news, which took all of her strength away.


    She finally found where her one and only love was after a long search. But the harvest was bitter.


    In its cruel sense of humour, fate had dealt her a bad hand. Vanos was in the Sealence Forest when the fight with the Lulu tribe from far away broke out.


    And he died there.


    Even though he had been hit by many arrows and their shafts stuck out of his back in a horrible way, he carried the bodies of two fallen soldiers out of the forest with him as his troops fled, but he fell at the gate of their camp and didn¡¯t get back up.


    Ruby saw a picture of his face in her mind, but it was fuzzy and hard to make out. She thought that his soft features would be bruised and bloody. She had loved him since she was a child.


    <em>He is gone. He really is gone. Dead. He won¡¯t be back. Not again, ever.</em>


    This truth started to sink in slowly.


    And it went in like a rock, like an arrowhead, with the weight of a ck hole, lodging into her core.


    ¡°But¡­ How did this happen? Why did all of this have to happen?¡±


    Lulu¡¯s home was in the forest. They knew it inside an out.


    Why did the troops go into a battlefield that was so disadvantageous? And, what¡¯s more important, what started the fight in the first ce? Why were they fighting against the people there?


    ¡°We were told that Viscount Berman caused it to start. But I¡¯ve heard that the Viscount followed orders from higher up.¡±


    ¡°Higher up?¡­ How high up?¡±


    The man, who said he was the only one left from his hundred-person squad, shrugged and said, ¡°The princess. Mia Luna Tearmoon, Her Highness. She wanted wood from that forest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Her Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°I think she wanted some kind of fancy chest or box with decorations, and she wanted it to be made out of those trees,¡± the man said.


    ¡°The Lulus tried to stop us, so our team went in to get rid of them. At least, that¡¯s what I heard.¡±


    His words slid into her ears so easily, it was almost like they were made just for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­it? All this¡­ for a little trinket?¡±


    A moment¡¯s emptiness.


    Then, anger.


    Tendrils of anger grew out of her heart and wrapped around her mind and body, controlling her.


    The seasons changed, and years went by. The empire was hit by the great famine. People in Tearmoon were dying of hunger and were very angry. The seeds of revolution grew in this rich soil.


    That¡¯s when she showed up. Mia Luna Tearmoon, the imperial princess, and one of her subordinates went to the House of Redmoon to ask them to send out their private army.


    The petition was a request for military help, but it was more important as a message to the people.


    To make the revolutionary army less determined, the Emperor and his nobles had to put on a public show of unity. This showed both friends and enemies that the Emperor and his nobles were a single unit, loyal to the empire and to each other.


    <em>There is still time¡­ We still have time to stop this from getting out of hand¡­</em>


    They might. She knew for sure.


    But she went to see her father anyway¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think now is the right time to do anything.¡±


    And she did everything she could to persuade him not to join the fight. She used every military theory she could find and every rhetorical trick she could think of to stop him from joining the fight.


    She was sessful, which helped the revolutionary army grow and helped them in a roundabout way.


    In the end, the capital of the empire fell, and the mes of the revolution burned proudly over its ruined remains.


    Fire, though, wasn¡¯t known for being calm. It spread through the empire, killing not only the emperor¡¯s family but also all the powerful nobles. Soon, the fire spread to all of Tearmoon.


    Even though the Redmoons¡¯ elite private army was well-trained and strong, it was not enough to stop the hot tide on its own. Withoutmunication with the main imperial army, both groups were on their own and easy targets for the enemy.


    The Redmoons fought hard because they were ready to fight until the end. Even though they tried hard, they couldn¡¯t stop the momentum of the revolutionary army.


    As their numbers dropped, her father took charge and rode out to war on horseback. He was soon joined on the battlefield by her younger brothers, who put on armour and helms.


    None returned.


    Ruby stood on the balcony and looked out over the sea of fire and ash that had been the heart of the Redmoon domain. She could see the enemy army¡¯s front line marching toward her.


    Her lips trembled.


    ¡°Is this what I wanted?¡± she asked in a low voice.


    ¡°What¡­did I want?¡±


    Lunatear had already fallen.


    The army of the empire was no longer able to put up any kind of organised resistance, so each noble was on his own. So, they shut down roads and tightened the borders, and they only used the soldiers they had to defend themselves. No effort was made to get everyone on the same page.


    After all, the most powerful military group, the Redmoons, didn¡¯t seem to care about anyone else but themselves. They didn¡¯t spare a single man for the rest of the empire. In that case, they had every right to take care of themselves in the same way.


    All of it could be traced back to Ruby, who told her father that Mia¡¯s request for help should be turned down. Those words had changed everything.


    Everything had worked out exactly as nned.


    Princess Mia, who had almost certainly ordered Vanos¡¯s death, was caught and killed by the revolutionary army. It was finished. She had her vengeance. Bnce restored.


    She had won. Victory was hers. And yet¡­


    ¡°This is not what I expected¡­¡±


    She could only hear echoes in her heart now. She was empty inside. Horribly and unbearably empty.


    She told her father to keep his troops back. That was the end. There¡¯s no more.


    She was furious but couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She couldn¡¯t attack the imperial family directly, and she couldn¡¯t even lead troops to kill the princess as revenge. The only thing she could do was stay in her domain and wait.


    So she had to wait. She decided not to fight. The person for whom she swore to fight for was already gone. Nothing more could be gained. No one to look out for. No more reason to fight.


    The sound was like thunder. The sound was the front door of the manor being broken into. They would soone to get her.


    Ruby drew her sword. It shined in the red light of the fire. She held it up, and the smooth de showed the skin on her neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been taught to fight since the day I was born. Trained with the sword, in how to lead, and in how to ride. Melted, forged, and sharpened. And I will die in the sheath in the end. Without even a chance to be drawn, fight, or risk my life for something I care about¡­¡±


    She was happy.


    It was a small, worn-out smile.


    ¡°If life is nothing but a cruel joke, what else is there to do butugh?¡±


    She drew her sword again. Not out, but across.


    As she fell to the ground, blood pooling under her, she saw a reflection of the empty, empty sky in her eyes. The world got darker, but her sadness got worse. Ruby¡¯s life ended in this all-consuming, meaningless ckness.


    ¡­Leaving behind a heart filled with sorrow. A soul that would always be grieving because she couldn¡¯t fight for the person she loved.

 Chapter 279

    <strong>Princess Mia: Invincible Mode Activated</strong>


    In general, Mia was not a morning person. If she could, she would love to sleep until noon and then stay in bed for a few more hours. In her world, beingzy and sloppy was the highest virtue.


    Her life had been changing slowly over the past few months, though.


    She had been practising horseback riding so hard that it was draining all of her energy. By the time she stumbled back to her room, she waspletely worn out. She was so tired that she slept like a rock, which, strangely enough, made for very restful nights. She slept deeply and steadily, and when she woke up the next morning, she was ready to go.


    Nights and mornings start early, and there¡¯s a lot of exercise. In spite of everything, Mia had be a role model for living a healthy life.


    She usually stayed in bed for a while after getting up or (re)read one of the books Elise had sent her. Now, she got up at the same time Anne did. That was great because¡­


    ¡°Well, I guess I should go see them since I woke up so early today¡­ I did say that I would go as soon as I could. I mean, I might not always keep my word, but I should at least be there the first morning after saying I will. I¡¯d feel bad if I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Like always, her thoughts smelled like chicken. Still, she got out of bed, quickly got dressed, and went to the stable, which was a good sign of discipline.


    Malong couldn¡¯t hide his surprise as he said, ¡°Wow, miss, you sure are early. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you at this hour¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw those words right back at you.¡±


    Mia sounded just as surprised as she did. ¡°I also didn¡¯t think you would be taking care of the horses at this time. Don¡¯t tell me you get up every day at this time.¡±


    ¡°Well, this one is going to have a baby soon, so I like to check on her more often. Also, it gives me time to quickly clean up the ce. I try to keep the stable as clean as I can.¡±


    ¡°Then, is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­ Do you want to help me clean up?¡±


    ¡°Good enough.¡±


    Malong gave Mia a long pitchfork that was used to build stalls. She took it and rolled her sleeves up.


    <em>Okay, if I¡¯m going to do this, I¡¯ll do a good job of it. I can¡¯t ck off because Malong and Anne are watching. Plus, this is my chance to get Kayou to like me.</em>


    Mia left the stables when she had done everything she was supposed to do.


    ¡°Whew! I¡¯m worn out, and my arms hurt. Ugh¡­¡±


    She felt a cool breeze on the back of her neck all of a sudden. The feeling was cool and refreshing on her sweaty skin. She stretched, letting her tired muscles loosen up. Then, as she jumped in surprise, all of her muscles tensed at once.


    ¡°Eeek! Wh- What was that? It¡¯s you!¡±


    Kun had walked up to her without her noticing and was now standing behind her. A breath was what she had just felt as a breeze. With this new information, the experience suddenly didn¡¯t feel as new and exciting.


    It put its nose close to her hair and twitched its nostrils, as it always did when her head was close enough to make it sneeze.


    Mia, however, did not run. Instead, she stood there with her arms in the air.


    ¡°Hah, too bad for you. No matter how dirty I get, I¡¯m about to take a shower in the morning. Go ahead, hurry up! Try your hardest!¡±


    You¡¯re right. Mia had turned on Invincible Mode when she went for after such morning exercise. She could no longer be hurt by dirt and grime. She had been sweating a lot after cleaning the stable, so she was on her way to the bathhouse. She thought that at this point, it didn¡¯t matter if someone dumped a tub of mud on her because she was going to wash it all off anyway.


    It was pretty much like putting honey on bread. That is if she was eating breakfast, and there was a loaf of bread and a jar of honey on the table. Mia, who was learning to be a bit of a gourmet, had a favourite way to eat bread with honey that she always stuck to. In particr, she would break the loaf in half to show its fluffy insides. Then she would spread honey on the parts that were showing. She would cover the inside with honey before taking a bite, so she could y with the honey before she ate. Like making art with honey.


    Or, at the very least, honey doodles. For example, she could write ¡°Mia-Abel¡± and giggle to herself for a while before covering the rest of the surface with honey to cover her tracks.


    Again, this is just a thought experiment.


    Even though it¡¯s true that she would often get more honey on her bread if she did this, and it sounds like something she would do all the time, it would be nder to say that she did this, and any reports of this should be seen as proof that fake news keeps getting spread.


    Mia decided that she didn¡¯t care how dirty she got because she was going to clean herself up in the bath anyway. This is called ¡°I¡¯ll just cover it with more honey after¡± or ¡°you can¡¯t prove I did it if I eat the evidence¡± thinking.


    Invincible Mode Mia had nothing to fear!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Please! Sneeze on me all you want! Go crazy! It won¡¯t bother me at all!¡± she said, taunting Kun as she almostughed.


    The show of arrogance was, to be honest, very annoying.


    Kun, on the other hand, just kind of¡­turned its back and walked away.


    ¡°Oho¡ªho? Huh? You won¡¯t sneeze, right?¡±


    She stared at its rump as it moved away, feeling awkwardly frustrated, as if the joke had been left unfinished. She looked like she was a little sad.


    ¡°Hnnngh, I can finally show that stupid horse who¡¯s boss by ignoring its sneezes, and he just ignores me? All those other times, did he do it on purpose? Or maybe he has finally decided to bow down to my power.¡±


    And Kun stopped right when she finished herst sentence. Her timing was so good that it was almost impossible to think of anything else but her understanding ofnguage.


    It looked at her, and the corners of its lips turned up¡­


    <em>Neigh-hee-hee¡­.</em>


    Andughed.


    Or at least Mia thought she heard. Laughter.


    ¡°W-What the¡ªYou¡ªDid you justugh at me? Grr, you stupid horse! You¡¯re doing this on purpose, for sure!¡±


    Kun didn¡¯t look at her again. It just shook its big, bushy tail at her instead.


    ¡°Augh! Quit it! Am I just a joke to you?¡±


    The horse¡¯s tail went swoosh, swoosh, in a way that was bothzy and also mocking.


    Trantor¡¯s Notes:


    Happy Christmas everyone! Enjoy the season!


    -MF

 Chapter 280

    <strong>Princess Mia Borrows the Power of a Horse</strong>


    ¡°Phew! I think that¡¯s thest of them.¡±


    Mia used her big pitchfork to give the clumpy pile of hay onest smack. It bounced back a little, but it was still a nice-looking pile. Since she started getting up early and going straight to Kayou in the morning, almost seven days had passed.


    At first, she only nned toe on the first day and then go back to getting a lot of sleep, but something strange kept hering back. After taking care of Kayou for the first time, riding Kun was a lot easier for some reason.


    As an experiment, she did the same thing again the next day, taking care of Kayou before going to Kun. Again, her horse had¡ªat least rtively¡ªbehaved well, and she¡¯d finished the session without getting a mucky makeover.


    ¡°What the moons is going on?¡±


    So she put on her detective cap. Then she ate a bunch of sweets. She chewed while thinking, thought while chewing, and chewed while chewing. She finally came to a conclusion!


    ¡°Ah, now I understand what¡¯s going on. Basically¡­¡±


    She turned toward an audience no one could see and opened her eyes in a dramatic way.


    ¡°Kayou is the leader of the herd!¡±


    She came to this conclusion because she noticed that Kayou had a stately elegance that Kun did not have. In fact, none of the other horses did either. Kayou looked like she was the queen of her kind. It was a real horse among horses. It was proud and had an air of royalty about it.


    ¡°That must mean Kun is afraid! He¡¯s being good because he knows his boss is nearby. Oho ho, despite his attitude, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s just a lowly flunky in the moonhare hierarchy.¡±


    The reasoning made sense based on what she knew from her own life. Real bosses didn¡¯t act too bossy very often. Usually, it was the little people who acted like they were big and important.


    In the previous timeline, she had seen a lot of nobles who seemed to be high and powerful, but when they saw her, their arrogance disappeared and was reced by grovelling.


    The horses were in exactly the same situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I picked up some of Kayou¡¯s scent when I was taking care of her. Then, when I went to Kun, he smelled his boss and got scared.¡±


    Everything made perfect sense to her. She could even rte to Kun because she felt the same way when she was around Rafina or Sion. There were some things in this world that should never be messed with under any circumstances. This seemed to be a truth of the universe that was true for both people and horses.


    If that¡¯s the case¡­


    ¡°I¡¯d be a fool not to take advantage of this!¡±


    Mia decided to use the power of a more powerful being after she realised this. She was going to be a sheep dressed as a wolf¡ªno, a horse!


    From then on, she stuck to her schedule to the letter and went to Kayou first thing in the morning. She worked hard to get as much of Kayou¡¯s scent on her as possible. She washed the horse¡¯s body, dried it off, and even startedbing its hair with Malong¡¯s help.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ There¡¯s something about this hair that seems familiar. It¡¯s so nice.¡± When she looked at it closely for the first time, she said to herself, ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    On the eighth day, Mia went to the stable like she always did.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Kayou. How are you?¡±


    Kayou answered her greeting by raising its head quietly.


    It was moving slowly. Just about too slow. She made a face.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t look quite right¡­ ¡°Hmm, I guess I should ask Malong to look at youter,¡± she said as she started to clean the stable like she always did.


    She was nowing to work in the right clothes. She covered her head with a cloth and wore clothes she didn¡¯t mind getting dirty. With her long-sleeved shirt and rough-looking pants, she worked quickly and well. She looked and felt like an experienced stable cleaner. No, more like a horse specialist with a lot of experience.


    At least, that¡¯s how she felt.


    ¡°Mm-hm, I don¡¯t know what it is about this kind of work, but it¡¯s kind of nice. It feels good to do too.¡±


    She ate and rode horses a lot. Then she worked a lot and ate a lot. Then she ate a lot and went to bed a lot. You could say that she had reached the top of healthy living.


    Of course, you could also say she was living on a knife¡¯s edge, since any zenith was also a precipice, and the slightest drop in exercise would send her plunging down the chasm of F.A.T.


    She cleaned the stall anyway, took a step back to look at what she had done, and felt an odd sense of aplishment. She smiled smugly.


    ¡°Well, they say that in Perujin, the king and queen go to the fields with their people to lead the harvest, and it seems that the Rudolvons do the same thing. I finally think I know why. There¡¯s something satisfying about a good day¡¯s sweat for a good day¡¯s work,¡± she said as she moved on to the next stall, sweat beads sparkling on her brow.


    ¡°Hi, Miss Mia.¡±


    ¡°I hope we aren¡¯t in the way, Your Highness.¡±


    Two cute, young voices could be heard at the door.


    ¡°My, Bel. And, uh, Rina. What are you both doing here? Oh, are you here for a tour?¡± Mia asked, remembering the conversation from the other day in the public bath. ¡°I do remember that you said you liked horses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were hoping to be shown around,¡± Citrina said with a sweet smile.


    Both girls were wearing their school uniforms, which screamed ¡°tourist¡± in this case. They were not at all good enough to wear into the stable. Mia gave a cocky hmph and a smile when she saw this.


    <em>Well, since I¡¯m the resident expert, I guess I should teach these newbies about horses.</em>


    Bel said to Mia as she walked toward Kayou, ¡°Wow, this horse is so beautiful, Miss Mia.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. The academy has quite a few horses, but that one is probably the most beautiful of them all.¡±


    <em>Not like someone else!</em>


    Mia added inwardly.


    <em>Stupid Kun¡­</em>


    Mia said, ¡°When I¡¯m done cleaning, you cane watch me ride too.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you! Hee hee. See, Rina? I said so. Miss Mia is a truly wonderful person. She is a master at rid ¨C Huh?¡± Bel took a moment to think before continuing in a worried way. ¡°I think something is wrong with this horse, Miss Mia. It looks like¡­ it¡¯s hurt somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    And so, Mia was in a situation she had never been in before.

 Chapter 281

    <strong>The Mystery of Life and a Strange Dejavu</strong>


    ¡°Wh-Wh-What¡¯s wrong, Kayou?¡±


    Mia ran over and saw that the horse was lying on its side, breathing hard and unsteady.


    ¡°Oh no! Oh no! Anne! Get Malong! Quick!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on it!¡±


    She watched Anne leave before going back to Kayou and getting on her knees.


    ¡°Hold on, Kayou.¡± She said in a reassuring way, ¡°Malong will be here any second now.¡±


    ¡°Once he gets here¡ª¡±


    She heard footstepsing from behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s the matter with Kayou?¡±


    Malong ran through the door in a hurry.


    When she saw him, she was so happy that she almost felt like her legs were going to go mushy. When she tried to move out of the way to make room for him next to the horse, she waddled awkwardly.


    Mia said, ¡°Kayou looks like she is in a lot of pain. But maybe all women give birth looking like this. I¡¯m not sure, so¡­¡±


    Her words lost their power as Malong¡¯s face became more tense.


    ¡°¡­Horses can usually have their babies on their own. They shouldn¡¯t have to ask for our help.¡±


    He sucked his teeth.


    ¡°Unless they run into trouble¡­¡±


    After a short moment of silence, he could be heard gulping. He looked Mia in the eyes.


    ¡°This could be a breech delivery.¡±


    ¡°A breech birth?¡±


    Malong tried to give an exnation, but Kayou cut him off with a loud, strained whine. At the same time, a small hind leg stuck out of Kayou¡¯s behind.


    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s moving too quickly. I told your attendant to go get the stable master, but they won¡¯t make it in time at this rate. We¡¯re going to have to do this ourselves. Help me out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand what was asked of her. She turned around and looked nkly around the stable, wondering who it could have been meant for before it came back like a boomerang and hit her.


    <em>Oh, really? Huh? Me? I-Is he speaking to me?!</em>


    She couldn¡¯t move because she was scared, but then she saw the other two girls. Citrina looked at her with a little bit of nervousness in her eyes. Bel, on the other hand, was so happy that she was almost glowing. This was a fight she couldn¡¯t get out of.


    ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    As she looked at the hurt mother horse, her face hardened like that of a warrior.


    <em>Kayou, don¡¯t be afraid. I want to help you. We will give you all the help you need!</em>


    Not like usual, she didn¡¯t then think about her debts and favours. Instead, it came from a ce of empathy.


    <em>In the future, I will be like this poor girl.</em>


    She felt a strong bond with the horse, so she rolled up her sleeves and was ready to do whatever it took to make sure the birth was safe for both mother and child.


    Everything else was a blur.


    Because she was nervous and kept trying desperately to follow Malong¡¯s instructions, her mind didn¡¯t have much room to store memories.


    She could only remember bits and pieces of what happened: waiting for Malong¡¯s signal, pulling with all her strength on the legs that stuck out, gasping for air, and grabbing the legs again for another try.


    As soon as she came to, she found herself lying on the ground, so tired that her arms and legs couldn¡¯t hold her weight. A baby horse was lying still in front of her, in the shadow of a kneeling Malong.


    His voice slowly crept into her mind.


    ¡°¡ªnot breathing!¡±


    He cursed, then wiped the baby¡¯s mouth with his shirt, then put his own to it. Mia just watched him do it because she was too tired to say anything.


    He let out a breath.


    Once, twice, three times, four¡­


    He kept going.


    Seconds and minutes ran into each other. How long had it been? How many breaths were there? She had lost track.


    Malong stood up straight and looked at the young horse.


    It was still.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he spat, biting his lip so hard with his teeth that it was a wonder he hadn¡¯t cut himself.


    Mia heard her own voice saying, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not possible¡­¡±


    She numbly looked at Kayou. The eyes of the horse seemed to show sadness.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not giving up. Something must be there. There must be more we can do.¡±


    She was surprised by how strong her reaction was. She didn¡¯t realise how strong and deep the bond she had formed with Kayou was.


    ¡°We must still be able to do something. Any way to help¡­¡±


    Her mind raced with hopelessness, but it didn¡¯t help. Then help came from thest ce she thought it would.


    ¡°¡­Try it out. It could be useful.¡±


    Citrina moved forward one step. She put her hand out. A small cloth bag was in her hand.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Malong asked with a frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s a medicinal nt,¡± she said with more seriousness than Mia had ever seen her show.


    ¡°To be exact, a cardiotonic. It¡¯s meant to get the heart pumping and give it back its strength.¡±


    Malong reached for the bag, stopped for a moment, and then shook himself out of it.


    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t do anything, this foal won¡¯t live. Might as well give it a try,¡± he muttered, but he was mostly talking to himself.


    After onest moment of doubt, he took the bag and dumped its contents into the mouth of the baby horse.


    Then there was a long pause.


    Then came a small cough.


    Malong pumped his fist and whooped with happiness.


    ¡°Yes! He is breathing!¡±


    As if on cue, the tiny foal started to shiver and move its legs to try to stand up. Mia took a deep breath in and then let it out. She felt the tension leave her body.


    ¡°We did it!¡±


    She turned to look at Citrina.


    ¡°Thank you, Rina, very much. You saved the life of this baby horse!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need to thank Rina. I¡¯m just d I was able to help.¡±


    Citrina smiled her usual sweet smile and didn¡¯t say anything else. Mia gave her a nod of acknowledgement and then turned to kneel next to Kayou.


    ¡°You did a great job¡­ You gave birth to a healthy little foal.¡±


    She gently touched the animal¡¯s neck. When it looked at her, its eyes were calm, but she thought she could see in them the confidence of someone who had just done something big.


    ¡°Mmm hm hm. Now, I think it¡¯s time for me to give the baby a good look. Everyone wants to take a look, so it looks like you will have to wait, Kayou.¡±


    Sheughed as she walked over to the young horse. She had a thought as she was going.


    <em>So, I¡¯m curious about who Kayou¡¯s partner is. No matter what kind of horse he is, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s great¡­</em>


    Mia¡¯s feelings for Kayou had grown so strong that they were almost like a spiritual connection. She felt so close to the horse that she couldn¡¯t tell where one ended and the other began. It was as if the girl and the horse were merging into one.


    When she looked at Kayou, it was like she was seeing her future self. So, she had no doubt that the mate Kayou had chosen for her was a very good horse.


    Why? Because Mia knew she knew what kind of men she liked. If Kayou was her soulmate horse, then¡­


    Her brow furrowed as she looked at the baby horse.


    ¡°Wow, something about this horse seems familiar¡­ I still can¡¯t put my finger on it¡­¡±


    She suddenly felt like she had been there before, but she couldn¡¯t figure out why. She leaned in and moved her face closer to get a better look.


    Then she saw that its tiny nostrils were moving.


    <em>Ker-choo!</em>


    It sneezed like a cute baby. She had a big realisation after getting a little bit of baby horse snot on her. Well, she would have if her brain hadn¡¯t shut down her ability to think logically in an effort to keep herself from understanding.


    After all, Mia cared a lot about Kayou, so much so that she thought of the horse as her future self. And she chose men very well. So there was no way Kayou would have chosen that stupid, useless jackass to be his mate.


    Faced with this logical problem, her subconscious took the reins and pped the horse of her thoughts, sending them soaring over the answer and galloping into the unknown horizon.


    ¡°¡­Hm, I wonder why horses keep sneezing on me. It could be a curse or something.¡±


    Sadly, it¡¯s in people¡¯s nature not to see what they don¡¯t want to see.

 Chapter 282

    <strong>A Horse as Red as the Setting Sun</strong>


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so exhausted¡­¡±


    Mia walked out of the stable with a face that showed how tired she was. A horse came up to her before she could leave. It was her training partner.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Kun¡­¡±


    It neighed. The sound didn¡¯t have as much life as usual. In fact, the horse¡¯s spirit seemed a little bit weak.


    ¡°My¡­ Did youe because your boss worries you? So, you¡¯re a thoughtful underling, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m kind of amazed.¡±


    She smiled softly as she stroked Kun¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Mmm hm hm, rx. Your boss is fine. Both mother and child are safe and sound.¡±


    Mia fundamentally had no regard for those who behaved obsequiously around her. The other timeline had shown her how quickly this kind of servile ttery could turn into cold indifference as soon as she lost her power and position.


    It didn¡¯t mean anything. There is no consistency. She refused to acknowledge any value in something so ethereal.


    What if, for example, the person they left behind came back and got more power? It was easy to see how people would think of them even worse than people who had always been their enemies.


    Mia didn¡¯t want or need to act in such a capricious behaviour. After all, in this world, time could be magically turned back after you died. This kind of conditional bootlicking wasn¡¯t nearly enough. She needed true friendship.


    Of course, she knew what it was like to bootlick someone with a lot of power. She knew what it meant very well. Heck, she frequently engaged in salivary polishing of footwear herself.


    And because she did that, she knew what it meant to bemitted.


    She didn¡¯t like sycophants who changed their minds on a dime. On the other hand, those lips stayed steadfast before powerful figures were people she considered like-minded friends. So¡­


    ¡°Even though your boss is weaker now that she¡¯s had a baby, you¡¯re still going to see her as usual. Maintaining a deferential attitude despite her vulnerability¡­ If I do say so myself, that was a very good show. You know, I think I¡¯ve been a little too hard on you, Kun.¡±


    She felt a strong bond with the horse and saw a kindred spirit in it. With this new understanding¡­


    ¡°Just so you know, Kun, my friends and I were in there the whole time helping your dear boss give birth. You can go talk to herter about it, but it was a very close call. The baby was very close to dying. We were able to save the child¡¯s life, though, because my friend thought of something quickly.¡±


    She decided to get as much good will as she could out of the event. She told Kun that not only was she liked by the boss, but she had also done a big favour for the horse who was next in line for the throne.


    She had already made friends with the horse leader of the next generation.


    ¡°So,¡± she said as Kun regarded her with its big, beady horse eyes, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate some help during the Horsemanship Tournament, if you know what I mean.¡±


    She patted the horse on the neck with the smile of a politician who knows how to take bribes.


    Kun, for its part, kept staring meekly at her, its long face unchanged. No one knew if it could understand her or not.


    Then, its ears moved, and it turned its head to look around.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mia said, looking confused.


    Even though Kun was smart, it was still a horse, so it didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, her answer was a steady clopping sound, followed by a greeting.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s not Your Highness. Greetings.¡±


    She turned her head toward the voice.


    ¡°What? Ruby. Greetings.¡±


    Ruby Etoile Redmoon jumped off her horse, walked over, and then bowed in a formal way.


    Mia asked, ¡°Are you going to the riding grounds? Also, that¡¯s a pretty impressive horse you have there¡­¡±


    She looked at Ruby¡¯s horse. It seemed to move very quickly. Its strong back legs had smooth arcs of muscle that stuck out. This showed how hard it could kick at the ground. Its torso was also very strong. Lean but strong, Ruby didn¡¯t feel the least bit of strain on it. But that wasn¡¯t the thing that stood out the most about it.


    ¡°I had no idea horses could have such red hair.¡±


    The red light of the setting sun seemed to set each strand on fire. Its shiny mane moved back and forth like the shimmering heat hazes of summer, as if its body was so hot that it warped the air around it. It looked like a monarch.


    ¡°Thank you for the praise, Your Highness. It¡¯s a big deal. Even for us, this horse is one of a kind. The moonhare that is the fastest and best.¡±


    Ruby ran her hand through the red hair on its head.


    ¡°It¡¯s the one and only Skyred Hare, which is said to be able to keep up with the moon and run at the very edge of nightfall, while the red skies chase after it but never catch up.¡±


    ¡°Skyred Hare¡­¡±


    The horse looked at Mia, its eyes shining with intelligence, and gave a short whinny, as if to say that it knew its name.


    <em>My, it¡¯s almost elegant in the way it looks. If noble horses existed, this one would be one of them.</em>


    Then she turned to look at her own horse¡­.


    <em>I don¡¯t think Kun will put up much of a fight.</em>


    She sighed and thought, ¡°This horse is too good for it.¡±


    Just then, she saw Skyred Hare make a strange move. When it was around Mia, it was kind and treated her with respect. But when it looked at Kun, it snorted. Mia just instinctively figured out what was going on.


    <em>Oh, this horse is a real jerk.</em>


    ¡°Now, I have to go,¡± Ruby said as she got back on her horse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the event. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    As they galloped toward the riding grounds, they became a whirl of red, just like their names. Mia and Kun could only see their small shapes through the cloud of dust they left behind. Mia knew her fate after seeing how fast Skyred Hare was.


    <em>So, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve lost. It doesn¡¯t matter if you practise more or get used to riding Kun. They¡¯re not the same.</em>


    She looked at her horse, which didn¡¯t look angry or sad. It just stood there and did nothing as Skyred Hare ran off into the distance.


    <em>Oh, so you¡¯ve also realized it. You¡¯re right. You have no chance at all. We both don¡¯t¡­</em>


    She let out a sigh of disappointment and felt her spirits drop. Only three days remained until the tournament.

 Chapter 283

    Princess Mia Stays True to Herself


    The rest of the time went by quickly, and before she knew it, it was time for the Horsemanship Tournament. Mia had always practised riding on the same grounds where the event would take ce. The sky was clear, and the air was cool and refreshing because it was fall.


    Mia stretched her arms up and out. Then she took a quick look around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡±


    The arena for the tournament, which would be the riding grounds, was a huge area ofnd. It was so big that it would take Mia probably half a day to walk all the way around it. And that¡¯s if she didn¡¯t give up in the middle.


    Malong said that eachp of the race course was a thousand moontales long, and the winner would be the first person to finish twops.


    Arge number of tents were set up in a circle some distance from the course. Several shops had also been set up, and the smellsing from them made Mia¡¯s nose twitch in a restless way.


    Not all of them were food stands either. Some sold clothes for horseback riding. One of the more unusual ones she¡¯d seen sold stuffed horses.


    ¡°Wow, this ce is busy¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile because she could feel how happy everyone else was. Still, she couldn¡¯t figure out one thought.


    <em>It¡¯s so weird. Howe I don¡¯t remember this?</em>


    She wondered as she read the reports that the organisers of the tournament had sent to the student council.


    <em>Was¡­this always the case?</em>


    She rubbed her chin.


    In the previous timeline, she should have seen this tournament at least twice. Even though it might have been cancelled when the empire started to fall apart, it should have happened for the first two years. Instead, she had nothing at all to say; she had no memory of this event at all.


    She poked Anne, who was next to her, because she didn¡¯t know what to do. She didn¡¯t ask the question directly because it was about a different time period. Instead, she asked it in a roundabout way.


    ¡°Tell me, Anne, did this tournament happen around this timest year as well?¡±


    ¡°Around this timest year, I think you were busy dealing with the trouble in Remno.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Mia nodded.


    ¡°I see.


    <em>I went to Remno right after summer break was over, so I guess the timing is right¡­ The tournament probably happened after I got home and while I was taking care of the aftermath.¡±</em>


    More specifically, it would have happened while she was rolling around in bed all day, because she was so tired from the ordeal that she had given Ludwig the job of cleaning up.


    <em>I was so sick that I barely had enough energy to go to ss, so I guess it¡¯s not surprising that I missed the tournament. Abel and Sion were both worried about what would happen in their own kingdoms, so it¡¯s likely that they didn¡¯t take part either.</em>


    She was thinking when she heard a voice she knew.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the only thing that makes it feel different. This year, it¡¯s a lot livelier than usual, and you¡¯re the reason why, miss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Malong,¡± she said when she turned around and saw him standing behind her.


    ¡°You¡ª Huh. You¡¯re looking pretty good today.¡±


    She took a step back so she could see his whole outfit better, then crossed her arms and hummed while appraising him.


    The most noticeable thing about his clothes was a big horse that was embroidered with a rainbow of colours. Natural colours like ck, gold, and red were woven together with blues, yellows, and greens in aplicated way. He wore long pants that reached his ankles and a shirt that looked like a robe and was folded across the front in an eastern style. A small round hat was on his head. Almost certainly, it was a type of clothing that people in the Equestrian Kingdom wore often.


    ¡°This is our n¡¯s dress clothes,¡± he said with a bigugh. ¡°Of all the days, this is the one where I must dress up.¡±


    He looked out over the big arena, his eyes getting teary.


    ¡°Look at all these people¡­ It¡¯s like everyone in the school is here. And what for? Apetition in horsemanship. I never thought I¡¯d see the day¡­ Talk about bucketlists¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand. You said that this happened because of me?¡±


    He grinned at her befuddled face.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t know? There have been more people riding horses in Saint-Noeltely.¡±


    She blinked.


    ¡°Is that true? I had no idea.¡±


    Even though she had seen some new faces in the horsemanship club and heard more about horses in ss, she thought it was because of the uing tournament.


    ¡°But why is it because of me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? When you were running for president of the student council, you rode a horse.¡±


    ¡°Ah, true. Yes, I do remember that.¡±


    It had happened so long ago that her goldfish memory could not remember it on its own.


    <em>I remember riding around the academy and thinking, ¡°What in the moons am I doing with my life?¡±</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard people say they joined because the new president likes to ride horses, so they wanted to try it for themselves,¡± Malong said. ¡°You seem to be very popr with the girls, especially. Many of them tell me that they really admire how you stayed true to yourself despite all the pressures during the campaign.¡±


    He didn¡¯t lie. Mia¡¯s friends were really impressed by the way she sat tall and proud on her horse.


    ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on,¡± she said in a thoughtful way.


    The fact that she had an effect on the academy that was unnoticed before is definitely a food for thought. Speaking of food¡­


    ¡°Those pastries with the sticks in them look so good¡­¡±


    Food for thought wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting as thinking about food, though. Since Mia was always herself, that¡¯s what she did.

 Chapter 284

    <strong>Premonition of Turmoil (Roughness)</strong>


    ¡°Hmm, I guess this will work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you look wonderful, mdy.¡±


    Mia changed into her riding clothes in a tent set up for that purpose. She wore a white blouse, a brown shirt, short pants, and shin-high boots. She put her hat on her head with a little style. For a moment, she gave off an air of horsey spirit, but her next words put an end to it.


    ¡°¡­Hmm, it¡¯s kind of tight around the middle.¡±


    She rubbed her stomach. It moved just a little bit.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have eaten so much at the stands¡­¡±


    Not one, not two, not even three, but SIX skewers were on the table next to her. Six skewers that used to hold cupcakes but now have nothing on them. She had eaten so much of the tasty food that Kun might just go on strike and refuse to carry what was now a human-shaped anvil on its back.


    ¡°Fwaaah¡­¡±


    She used her hand to cover a yawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m also starting to feel a little sleepy. I¡¯m not up for this. They smelled so good, though. Hmph, it wasn¡¯t my fault. Those pastries didn¡¯t y by the rules.¡±


    Someone knocked on the door p while she was making excuses to no one in particr.


    ¡°Excuse me? Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°My, Chloe. Pleasee in.¡±


    At Mia¡¯s call, Chloe walked into the tent, where she was met by a small army of male and female students.


    ¡°And Tiona? And who could you all be?¡±


    The group, which was led by Chloe and Tiona, was made up of Mia¡¯s supporters. They hade together again to cheer for her. Mia smiled wryly when she saw Tiona holding a skewer of cupcakes. This was the most obvious sign that the mood was a little different than before.


    <em>Well, things sure have changed. I guess we can¡¯t be in campaign mode all the time.</em>


    Yes, they were there to show their support for her, but this day was also meant to be fun and exciting. Obviously, they had been doing the second thing a lot more.


    When Mia looked at Tiona¡¯s hand, she quickly tried to hide it behind her back.


    ¡°Er, well, this is¡­ I just¡ª¡±


    Mia smiled and held up one of her own skewers, which no longer had a cupcake on it.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they hard to resist? When you see them, you immediately reach for your coin purse.¡±


    Theyughed awkwardly, like kids who got caught in the middle of a prank.


    ¡°Do your best, Your Highness. We all want the best for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tiona, and everyone else as well. I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    Mia gave a small bow to her fans. After all, they hade here to cheer her on, and that was something that should be acknowledged.


    <em>Of course, I¡¯m not worried about the support here¡­</em>


    Last time, her opponent had been Rafina. Things were different this time. No matter how powerful and influential her father and house were, Ruby¡¯s status was still lower than Mia¡¯s.


    As a princess and a fellow member of the student council, Sapphias was almost certain to back her. Even though they sometimes fight, Esmeralda would probably also side with her. Bel had even gotten Citrina to cheer for her.


    <em>Huh¡­ Wait a minute. Is it just me, or do I feel like I have a lot going for me in this tournament? I have the support of three of the Four Houses.</em>


    She also had the support of Rafina, who was a saint, as well as Sion and Abel. Even Malong of the Equestrian Kingdom was cheering for her. Her influence may have spread across the whole continent.


    Mia was doing great!


    <em>I¡¯d beat her in the voting booth! If there were polls where I could beat her, I would¡­</em>


    She smiled. It was a hollow empty smile, as empty as her ¡°victory.¡±


    <em>I won the poprity contest. Go me.</em>


    Her short attempt to escape her impending reality only brought more attention to it. She sighed in a sad way.


    <em>If only this were the vote for the student council¡­</em>


    Poprity didn¡¯t matter at all this time. The thing that was being tested was her riding skill and, perhaps more importantly, how fast her horse could go.


    <em>Was that red horse¡¯s name Skyred Hare? I don¡¯t think Kun can do much to fight against that¡­</em>


    She was almost ready to give up when Chloe told her what to do.


    ¡°So, as I was saying, Princess Mia, we looked at the course and¡­¡±


    She lifted her sses, which made them sh, and looked Mia in the eye.


    ¡°I think this tournament is going to be¡­rough.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? Rough?¡±


    Mia cocked her head, confused. Chloe nodded.


    ¡°Very rough. We looked at the course earlier and found that a lot of it is still muddy from the rain.¡±


    Today, there were no clouds and the weather was perfect for the tournament, but it rained all day yesterday. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to see mud and puddles.


    ¡°Rough, bumpy, and muddy, huh¡­¡±


    Mia said something with her lips pursed.


    <em>That sounds like it will make riding hard¡­</em>


    She might have had a chance if the ground had been the same as when she practised. Now that there is a new obstacle, one wrong move could cause the rider to fall and hurt himself.


    <em>So much for me being able to win. I didn¡¯t have much of a chance anyway. Even so, I can still forfeit.</em>


    She thought, ¡°Maybe I should just do that.¡± But she was getting more and more pessimistic about her chances of winning, Chloe smiled at her.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, and that will make things very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, the speed of the horse won¡¯t be the only thing that matters anymore. Now, it¡¯s more important how well you can handle your horse. There¡¯s room for strategy. Luck also ys a role.¡±


    Mia waspeting in the speedriding event for women, in which there were only two other riders. The recent craze among girls to ride horses hadn¡¯t quite turned the academy into a herd of cavali¨¨res. After all, interest has always grown much faster than skill.


    In fact, Malong¡¯s younger sister had nned to join them in the race, but¡­


    Malong had said, ¡°Ha ha ha, that¡¯s going to make for one hell of an unfair race. Those two can¡¯t beat you. They have a duel going on with stakes and everything, so why don¡¯t we just let them have their moment in the sun? ¡®The second person to cross the finish line wins¡¯ just doesn¡¯t sound as good.¡±


    On his advice, she entered the men¡¯s division instead. This set up a one-on-one match between Mia and Ruby, and most people thought Ruby would win.


    It wasn¡¯t the riders themselves who were the problem, but their horses.


    Skyred Hare, which Ruby had brought to the race, was one of the most famous horses on the continent, and most of the people there agreed that it was the best.


    ¡°The horses from Saint-Noel are very good, but they can¡¯t beat that horse, right?¡±


    ¡°Those Redmoons are so bad at having fun. I mean, really. Why would you bring that kind of horse to a school contest?¡±


    Such rumours didn¡¯t stop Chloe from being hopeful.


    She gave Mia a fist-shake of encouragement and told her, ¡°It¡¯s slim, but there¡¯s still a chance! You just might win!¡±


    Mia looked at her for a moment and then let out a sigh.


    <em>There is a chance, but it¡¯s very slim¡­</em>


    Happy New Year everyone!


    Here¡¯s to another year of Mia¡¯s antics!


    -Mermaid Fish

 Chapter 286

    <strong>Princess Mia Plunges Into the Mud</strong>


    ¡°All right, listen, Kun. We¡¯re giving it our all right from the start. Understand? We¡¯re giving it our all right from the start. Get ahead and stay ahead¡±


    Mia said in a loud voice that Ruby could hear. This was, of course, a trick. She was lying through her teeth on purpose to get Ruby to run headfirst into her own destruction.


    <em>This time, I don¡¯t have to scratch my brains. I just have to talk. Easy-peasy.</em>


    And talk she did, going on and on about how she was going to leave Ruby behind right away. She even hummed a song to make the point.


    Before, a trick like this wouldn¡¯t have worked because Kun might have thought she was giving it orders and done what she asked. She couldn¡¯t really teach the animal what bluffing meant.


    Kun was smart, but it was still a horse. She couldn¡¯t expect it to understand subtleties of verbal strategy, so she would have had to be very careful about what she said.


    But not any longer. Its uncontrobly fiery spirit had gone away, leaving a calm shadow of what it used to be. She said nothing to make it happen.


    Neither encouraging him nor making him angry was enough to make them want topete. So she was free to talk as much as she liked!


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kun. Listen up. We don¡¯t have to y by the rules. All we need to do is win. To win is to love! Life is all about winning! All that matters is to win! ¡°You get it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you hear me? It¡¯s all about the beginning. Victory will be decided at the start, so go as fast as you can down thisne as soon as you can!¡±


    She was telling Ruby that she didn¡¯t think she had to follow themon idea that she should hold back until the second half of the race. She was going to start running at full speed right away.


    Kun whined as soon as she finished her sentence. Slowly, it stretched its neck toward her and smiled as if to say, ¡°Gotcha, boss.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    Mia had a sudden bad feeling about her near future, but before she could think about it more, she was told to get in ce.


    So, Mia, who was riding Kun, and Ruby, who was riding Skyred Hare, lined up next to each other.


    ¡°So, Your Highness¡¯s n is to get in front and stay there?¡±


    With a smile, Ruby asked.


    ¡°Absolutely. I think the most important thing inpetitions like these is to get ahead early.¡±


    ¡°Hah. I did not expect you to be so brave.¡±


    Ruby gave the course a hard look.


    ¡°As for me, I¡¯m going to take it slow and steady. Going too fast at the start of a course like this will make it hard for you to finish.¡±


    So, Mia¡¯s n failed as soon as it was put into ce.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, really? You can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°On your marks,petitors! Get set! Go!¡±


    The start of the race was announced by a sharp voice and a quick swing of a g.


    Before she even had time to realise that her n had failed, the horses started moving. Ruby¡¯s horse moved more slowly and steadily, just as she said it would. Its steps were steady and sure, with no signs of fear or uncertainty.


    On the other hand, Kun¡­


    ¡°Wha¡ª Sto¡ª No, Kuo¡ª¡±


    Mia shouted, but it was hard for her to say anything because the wind was hitting her face so hard. Kun broke at full speed, just like she said she would.


    Faster, even. It broke at full speed, or even faster.


    ¡°Too fast! You are moving too fast! ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± she screamed in a primal voice of fear as her horse charged forward. To her horror, it kept getting faster and faster.


    In just a few seconds, a big space opened up between it and Skyred Hare.


    <em>Oh no, if we start out this fast, we¡¯ll get tired and lose too much speed by the end. Even if we make it to the end! We¡¯re going to trip over something if we keep going like this.</em>


    Then Kun did two things that she didn¡¯t expect to see.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing? Not that way!¡±


    She noticed all of a sudden that they were getting close to a big puddle of mud. In fact, it was <em>that</em> puddle of mud. Kun had, in fact, run down the course diagonally and was now in Skyred Hare¡¯sne.


    Mia¡¯s horse looked like it was out of control to anyone who saw it. She was even more confused by this because she had been getting better at taking care of Kun recently. Her thoughts moved as quickly as the scenery around her.


    She screamed, ¡°Why are you running in the harderne?¡± in between shrieks of terror.


    Kun took a quick look at her, blew some air out of its nose, and then jumped right into the mud.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaah!¡±


    As the hooves hit the ground, clumps of mud and muck shot up into the air. Mia stiffened and tightened her grip on the reins just as Kun reared up. Its back leaned forward, which made her fall toward its neck. The sudden movement almost made her fall off, and it took a lot of effort for her to stay on.


    She saw the mud being kicked up by Kun¡¯s strong back legs, as well as where it was going. Ruby and Skyred Hare were hit with pinpoint uracy by a jet of brown stters.


    The red horse neighed in surprise and slid to a stop, losing its sight and speed at the same time because mud was covering its eyes. Ruby, who was also hit by the sludgy projectile, just missed being thrown off.


    ¡°W-What the¡­¡±


    Mia stuttered in confusion until her mind caught up with her eyes and she realised what Kun was doing.


    <em>That mad dash so he could get in front of Skyred Hare and kick mud back at them, he ran like crazy. He must have nned to do this from the start.</em>


    That was all she could think before her horse started to move again. Now, it swerved around some of the puddles in front of it and jumped right over others as it sped down the course at a breakneck speed.


    It was, to be honest, a terrible example of good sportsmanship. After all, kicking mud at apetitor was pretty much the textbook definition of ying dirty.


    But the crowd didn¡¯t jeer her for it. Rather¡­


    ¡°Huh. Damn. You go, girl.¡±


    Malong spoke for almost all of the people who were watching.


    To understand how they felt, you have to think about what horsemanship is. What was horsemanship? Was it just pastime for the rich people? A sophisticated way for young noble girls to spend their free time?


    No! Definitely not!


    At its core, horsemanship was a martial skill. It was meant to be used in war, and its main goal was to defeat an enemy.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to just ride fast. It was to do everything possible to get the other person off their horse. To win the engagement.


    Many people in the crowd missed this point because they hade to see an imperial princess and a duke¡¯s daughter perform in a proper way. They thought it would be a quiet event with two girls who looked like they knew how to ride, weaving carefully around muddy spots and keeping their horses¡¯ energy up until the final stretch, where a straight-line sprint would decide the winner.


    Clean, normal, and without any colour at all.


    Mia¡¯s suicidal gambit was thest thing they were expecting. To their delight, Ruby had gotten over the surprise attack and was now chasing her with great speed. Right away, there was a lot of energy in the whole ce.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a fun way to ride!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bet on the princess!¡±


    ¡°However, don¡¯t count out the Redmoon girl. See how close she is staying? It¡¯s pretty great. There was some very rough riding there.¡±


    Even Mia¡¯s desperate shrieks and shaky riding¡ªshe often had to scramble to pull her behind back into the saddle after almost falling off¡ªseemed to be part of her n in their eyes.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t.


    But anyway¡­

 Chapter 287

    <strong>My Name is Mia Luna Seamoon</strong>


    Rubyughed as she wiped the mud off her face and said, ¡°Ha ha! It looks like Her Highness has a few tricks up her sleeve.¡±


    She licked her lips.


    ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s it. This is what I wanted.¡±


    Her heart was beating quickly. From exertion, yes, but she was far more excited about being able to fight for the person she loved.


    <em>Unlike that other time, when I¡­</em>


    She thought about the words briefly, and then they were gone. She made a face.


    ¡°That time? What¡­?¡±


    She tried to find the memory. But like a dream, it disappeared upon waking. There was nothing left.


    She knew for sure that this burning urge inside her was caused by regret. Suddenly she understood. Losing was painful, but not even getting the chance to fight was worse.


    It was a strange realisation, but she felt like she¡¯d known it all along, and it made her happy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, Your Highness, because this duel is just getting started. Let¡¯s go, Skyred Hare.¡±


    At her signal, her horse took off at a fast gallop. Even though it was fast, its steps were light and smooth. This smooth gallop shows that it did not get its good name for nothing. It shot down the length of the course like a redet, avoiding mud puddles and picking up speed as it went.


    People started to look at the person riding it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that horse is beautiful, but young Redmoon is no slouch either. That¡¯s some nice riding.¡±


    Voices of people who were impressed could be heard all over the ce.


    People who thought the event was just a fun thing for rich girls¡¯ daughters changed their minds after seeing how well Ruby handled Skyred Hare.


    Then Mia came along.


    Her embarrassingly loud shrieking had stopped. Now, she rode in silence and didn¡¯t care about Ruby¡¯s fast-approaching form.


    She didn¡¯t get scared. Even more, she didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    She didn¡¯t pass out or anything, just to be clear.


    Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, and her face was emotionless. She was peace itself, the calm centre of a storm. She rode with steady, calm confidence. This change in behaviour came about because she realised something soon after the race started.


    <em>I can no longer do anything about this, right? </em>


    How does a man at sea fight the waves when he is caught in a storm? Simple answer: no, he doesn¡¯t. He is unable.


    Then, what could Mia do to calm down Kun, the horse-shaped storm? Nothing.


    So what should she have done? She had actually figured out the answer over the summer: the back float!


    Before Mother Nature, man had no power. The anger of the open sea could not be stopped or won over. When facing a huge wave, you shouldn¡¯t try to fight it. Instead, you should rx and let it flow.


    <em>That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t do anything, just like those moon jellyfish that float around in the ocean. I should, in fact, learn from them. They know what they¡¯re doing for sure. Okay, think like jellyfish, be like jellyfish. I am jellyfish¡­ I am jellyfish¡­</em>


    So, she became one with the moons of the sea that were made of jelly. Mia Luna Seamoon was her new name.


    After using some of her mental energy to keep muttering spells about jellyfish, she used the rest to figure out Kun¡¯s rhythm and work her legs to match its steps. Atst, she had found her perfect way to ride: giving up all control.


    Her goal had always been to be the person who said yes to everything. To find people who could help her reach her goals so she could leave everything to them and go to bed.


    What does this have to do with riding? In a race, the goal was to be the first person to cross the finish line.


    So, who could have done this? In this way, she realised that she had been very wrong when she thought that she was the one who needed to reach this goal.


    It wasn¡¯t true. In the Horsemanship Tournament, it was the horse that did the running. Horses were fast runners. They knew more than she did. Then, her job was to give up control.


    The one that could run well was the horse. She just had to go along with what was going on. And she should never, ever stand in the way of the horse.


    So, Mia put all of her attention on trying to move like Kun.


    It would lose speed if she moved in different ways, so she did her best to keep that from happening. This would also keep her from falling off, which was probably even more important because falling off seemed like it would hurt a lot! Using this hands-off method, she was able to finish most of the course.


    She heard Ruby¡¯s voice as she turned thest corner of the firstp.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you better watch out.¡±


    Mia looked to the side and saw that she and Ruby were right next to her. She looked at her opponent and then back at her red horse. Skyred Hare¡¯s face, which was now covered in mud spots, looked nothing like it did before. Its eyes were burning with anger.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn,¡± Ruby said in a harsh tone.


    Mia knew right away what she meant by what she said.


    ¡°Ah! They¡¯re going to ram¡ªEek!¡±


    Her words ended when she screamed and felt her body tilt. After a heavy impact a split secondter, she saw Kun craning its neck toward her and pulling its lips back in a very proud smile.


    In fact, the horse knew that Skyred Hare was going to try to hit them with his body, so it hit them first.


    Ruby grunted as she tried to get back on her feet.


    ¡°Hah, not bad. You¡¯re a pretty rough yer.¡±


    The timing of the counterattack was perfect, hitting Ruby¡¯s horse right as it moved to attack. Skyred Hare had to work hard to keep its bnce after the surprise hit. In the meantime, Kun rushed forward and pulled away.


    After the firstp, there was a two-horse-length gap between the twopetitors. The second andstp of the race began as the crowd cheered loudly.

 Chapter 288

    <strong>Chapter 289 Whimpering Mia</strong>


    Skyred Hare got his revenge with a body m early in the second half. It had the same effect on Kun: it was caught off guard and fell into a mud puddle. It flew up and hit Mia in the face.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    She shrieked, and the shock made her lose her bnce. Kun looked back at her, which seemed like a sign of care. Then it smiled at her again like a horse.


    <em>Wait a minute¡­ That¡¯s not a face of worry! That¡¯s a ¡°Are you still on?¡± Because I¡¯m just beginning¡± face!</em>


    As soon as she realised what was going on, she tightened her grip on the reins. A momentter, she felt all of Kun¡¯s back muscles tighten.


    Skyred Hare tried to hit him again, but Kun met him head-on, making it into a push-off. Skyred Hare broke engagement because he wasn¡¯t ready to fight. It kepting back for another hit.


    Kun met it again. And again. And again.


    Three times, the two horses ran into each other, sending shockwaves through their riders.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Ruby winced and fought to keep control of her horse as the wind blew sweat drops off her forehead.


    Mia, on the other hand, did the opposite. Once she knew how to do the Way of the Seamoon, she got into Jellyfish Stance and used the first of its ultimate moves: pass-through. As the head of the student council, she had to deal with a wide range of issues. Every time someone did, she passed it on to someone else in a way that seemed as natural as breathing. It was almost as if the papers had never gotten to her desk. They just went right through her.


    Rafina would hear about what Chloe did right away. Documents from Sapphias found their way to Sion. Then, when the person she sent it to replied with a solution, all she had to do was hit the ¡°approve¡± button on their answer and send it back.


    Things kept going through her from left to right and east to west because she was so good at using pass-through. She bent and swayed with the flow, like clothes on a line or a flower petal in the wind. Her thin body didn¡¯t cause any friction or resistance.


    When two animals hit each other hard, she did the same thing. Her limp body twisted and turned like a ragdoll as the force of the collisions went through her. This (situationally, depending on your point of view) graceful way of riding made the crowd gasp in amazement.


    ¡°Go, Princess Mia! Go, Princess Mia!¡±


    She heard people cheering at the same time. She looked over her shoulder and saw her group of makeshift cheerleaders yelling at her. Many people in the crowd joined in because of what they were doing.


    She took one hand off the reins and waved as she went by them. This cocky show of calmness made the crowd cheer even louder.


    Mia was not really being arrogant, though. After all, she couldn¡¯t brag about being calm when she didn¡¯t have any left.


    In fact, the hand in the air was waving on its own! It had gotten loose from the reins and was pping in the wind, but the fingers were too weak to make a fist, so she was trying very hard to pull it back down.


    <em>Eeeeek! Help! Help! I¡¯m about to fall down! I¡¯m going to faaaaall!</em>


    She looked at the back of Kun¡¯s head with teary eyes, trying to get his attention by putting all of her remaining concentration on one spot.


    At that very moment, she had be the princess with the powerful look. Kun looked back at her all of a sudden.


    <em>Oh, thank you very much! I was able to do it!</em>


    A momentary break from worry.


    Then he smiled again like a horse. It looked like it was saying, ¡°Yeah, I know. We should win by any means we can, right? Just let me handle it. I¡¯ll show you what true speed looks like.¡±


    Which was basically the opposite of what she was trying to say.


    <em>Nope, I didn¡¯t! I could not reach it at all. Eeeeeeeek!</em>


    As more tears made it hard for her to see, she heard Ruby¡¯s voice next to her.


    ¡°So, are you done? If you don¡¯t have any more tricks, I¡¯ll just win this race,¡± Ruby said with a lot of confidence.


    <em>I have to give it to you. You made a good effort. But that¡¯s all.</em>


    Ruby looked at the other runner and thought¡­


    <em>The race is mine, Your Highness.</em>


    Both horses were almost in the same ce. It was set up so that she coulde from behind and win. They had just gone around thest turn, so they could go straight to the finish line.


    In a race of speed alone, she had nopetition. She had always nned to win in thisst part of the race. Even though she had fallen behind before, she knew that this was where she could catch up.


    She caught up to the other runner just as they got to thest leg of the race. At first, she was sure she would win, but then she had a rush of doubt.


    This was her opportunity. Her golden opportunity. It was too golden, though. Could thest part of a race like this really turn out so well?


    Ruby had learned about military tactics, so she knew that once in a very long time, a special kind of genius would appear who could make their opponents believe in their victory every step of the way¡ªuntil they died.


    The pages of history are full of examples of how smart and clever these strategists were. Each brilliant n was its own work of art. Ruby knew that a real genius would use a sneaky n.


    She also knew that the girl next to her was Mia Luna Tearmoon, who was known as the ¡°Great Wisdom of the Empire¡± by a number of powerful people. She finally noticed that Mia was looking intently at her own horse.


    Those eyes showed no sign of defeat.


    <em>So that was her n!</em>


    She found out way toote that she had failed. She had been taken in by Mia¡¯s bluff. Skyred Hare could win the race based on speed alone. So, her opponent didn¡¯t challenge her to a fair fight. Instead, she tried to win through trickery and chaos byunching surprise attacks, which is why there was mud-slinging and tackling.


    But what if that basic assumption turned out to be wrong?


    <em>What if her horse is only a little slower than mine at its fastest? Or¡­same?</em>


    Then her horse would have run exactly how she wanted it to, and we would have spent the whole race dealing with disruptions. Who would be more tired when it was all over?


    In that case, what has happened so far in the race hasn¡¯t been an attempt to close the gap between their horses¡¯ chances of winning, which are slim, but a nned way to make sure they win.


    Ruby swallowed as the race wasing to an end¡­.


    For the record, from Ruby¡¯s reasoning then it would be Mia should be the most tired of the four of them because she has had to deal with constant disruptions in the environment since the race began. All that ¡°pass-throughing¡± was taking a heavy toll.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ No more¡­ Can¡¯t get a grip¡­ Going to fall¡­¡±


    Her sobs were drowned out by the loud cheers of the crowd.

 Chapter 289

    <strong>Conclusion: Their Hearts Ovep (?)</strong>


    Both horses sped up at the same time in response to an invisible signal or perhaps an instinctual response. Their strong legs kicked the ground, making big puddles of mud fly up.


    <em>Craaack!</em>


    Skyred Hare was running fast when Ruby¡¯s crop hit the back of it.


    <em>Craaack!</em>


    Mia¡¯s reins snapped at the open air, telling her to get a better hold on them or they might get away from herpletely.


    ¡°Go, Skyred! Gooooo! Faster! Faster!¡±


    Ruby¡¯s strong voice was heard all over the stands.


    <em>Eeeeeeek! I¡¯m about to fall down! I¡¯m falling!</em>


    Mia¡¯s sad voice echoed in her heart.


    Her body swayed all over the ce. She could barely get her feet into the stirrups. She was dangerously close to falling off many times. She had tried many times to slow the horse down, but her desperate signals didn¡¯t make it slow down.


    She was now a sobbing mess with watery eyes and a runny nose. She gritted her teeth and tried very hard to tell herself that everything was fine.


    What would happen right now if she slowed down? Without a doubt, the Princess Mia Chronicles¡¯ vision of the future woulde true. If she tried to escape this fight¡­


    If she let herself think about running away even when she knew something bad was going to happen, she would never stop running away, no matter what.


    <em>¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ I must win this battle. I¡¯ll win, and then I¡¯ll be a better person. So I have to keep going at this speed¡ª Ah, never mind. I just can¡¯t do it. Stop! Stoooop!¡­</em>


    She tried to tell Kun to stop, but it wouldn¡¯t pay attention. She tried to tell herself to toughen up and keep going, but she didn¡¯t listen.


    She was already at her limit, and her own tears were making it hard for her to see. The only thing keeping her from going into full-on panic was that she was too tired.


    The end was getting closer. Thest straight stretch was almost over.


    It was getting close to the end, and Kun still had a small lead.


    ¡°No more¡­ Can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ Urrk¡­¡±


    She whimpered, and then she threw up. Her mouth was full of something sour. She couldn¡¯t see anything and felt like she was going around in circles.


    Kun¡¯s ear moved slightly. It quickly looked in her direction. She saw worry and an unspoken ¡°I¡¯ll stop if you really can¡¯t take it anymore¡± in its eyes.


    At least, that¡¯s what she thought.


    Even though they were in the middle of the final sprint, her horse still stopped to think about her. Kun had done its best during the whole race. Then why couldn¡¯t she do the same?


    She closed her eyes in a quiet way. She thought back to the time she¡¯d spent with Kun. She thought back to all the times she and he had run this course together. Every time she tried to keep up with his beat. And every time she had failed, it was because her rump hurt so much.


    One memory after another came back to me. She saw herself trying to pet Kun, and then he sneezed on her, and then he sneezed on her again, and then he sneezed on her again. Even the mucus from their practise sessions brought back memories that made them feel warm and fuzzy.


    She had felt like Kun was having fun at her expense more than once, but that didn¡¯t mean he was. Still, she knew he had always been looking out for her because she had never gotten seriously hurt while riding him.


    Serious mode Kun was no joke. If he hadn¡¯t cared about her, she would have fallen off many times by now.


    <em>He must have been looking out for me the whole time and I just didn¡¯t know it.</em>


    When they thought about that, the days they spent together practising suddenly seemed like a lot of fun. Memories of happier times shed before her eyes. They were bright and colourful, and they moved in a way that was uncannily simr to how people say they move when they are about to die.


    But anyway, forgetting about that particr point¡­


    Those memories were now very important to her, and if today was the result of all the hard times they had been through together, she couldn¡¯t stop. So, in a strained voice, she forced the words out of her.


    ¡°We¡¯reing to the end!¡± She yelled, ¡°Give it everything you¡¯ve got! Don¡¯t be afraid, Kun! Win by any means necessary!¡±


    As she talked, a young horse somewhere neighed, and the sound of its voice matched hers.


    Kun seemed to speed up when he heard the sound.


    <em>Go, Kun! Let¡¯s win this!</em>


    Mia felt like she and her horse were the same thing as they raced down the course. The event was powerful. So deep, even.


    She thought she finally knew what people meant when they said that riders and horses connected when their hearts and spirits touched.


    She could feel Skyred Hare¡¯s heavy breathing behind her. She knew it was keeping up because its steps were steady.


    Usually, this much pressure would have made her throw up again, but she waspletely calm.


    ¡°That horse won¡¯t beat you, right, Kun?¡±


    When she called out, she heard a loud whinny.


    It looked like it was saying, ¡°You bet I won¡¯t! We¡¯re going to keep running until we win! We¡¯ll keep running after that! As far as we want, to the fullest extent of our hearts, into the great beyond!¡±


    At that moment, she had the freeing thought that as long as Kun was with her, she could go anywhere and as far as she wanted. He would follow her to the end of the world and back.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    But her epiphanous moment didn¡¯tst.


    She looked back and saw that the finish line was getting farther away.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    After a second, the silence of concentration was broken, and the sounds of the venue came back in a rush.


    It was very loud. Huge crowds of people were yelling and cheering. In the middle of all the noise and excitement, she could hear her cheering squad.


    They yelled her name and praised her win.


    ¡°I¡­ I won?¡±


    Her wide, shocked eyes finallynded on her friends waving at her after she had looked around in shock. They had big smiles on.


    ¡°¡­I won! I did it! I really won!¡± she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air to show how happy she was. She then showed her friends those hands.


    She waved and waved, because that was the only way she could show how happy she was. During this process, the reins were, of course,pletely taken away from her hands.


    ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    She felt something strange.


    It was as if all of a sudden, her weight had left her. And it had, because she had forgotten something important.


    After two fullps at a full gallop, she was so used to Kun¡¯s breakneck speed that she thought it was going slowly when it slowed down after crossing the finish line.


    She was still going very fast, so it wasn¡¯t.


    So, physics said that if her horse stopped suddenly, she would still move forward at a very fast speed without it. Therefore¡­


    ¡°Oh? Oh?¡±


    As Kun¡¯s form stopped moving after digging its hooves into the ground, the world started to go around in a circle.


    And that¡¯s how Mia¡¯s first flight went. Again.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia was flying through the air with her mouth wide open. A person blew by her, a storm to her breeze, and crossed her path.


    ¡°Gotcha. Careful, miss.¡±


    Lin Malong was waiting near the finish line. He sped up his horse to match the speed of her parabolic flight and caught her in his arms like he did it all the time.


    He pulled her close to him and did anotherp around the course to ride out the rest of the momentum.


    ¡°When you¡¯re riding a horse, you can¡¯t let go of the reins and look around. Driving while distracted is dangerous. People will begin to wonder what I¡¯m trying to teach you.¡±


    Mia¡¯s shoulders dropped when he told her she was wrong.


    ¡°I feel terrible. That was very stupid of me,¡± she said, looking like a dog who had been told off.


    Even though her victoryp was awkward, the crowd was still very excited, and they cheered loudly for her.


    Mia¡¯s feet finally hit the ground when she crossed the finish line for the third time.


    ¡°Well, that was humiliating, to say the least. Ugh,¡± she moaned.


    As she looked around for her trusty horse, her face lit up a little.


    ¡°However, I have to say that was a lot of fun. Even more so in thosest few seconds when it felt like Kun and I were one. I told him to move faster, and he knew what I meant. We got together. I need to congratte him and give him a pat on the back.¡±


    A quick look around the area showed that there were three horses near the goal.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    One of them was Kayou, who was Kun¡¯s boss and hade to watch the race. Her little foal was next to her. Kun himself was the third. He was rubbing himself against the other two in a very loving way. The three almost looked like a loving family.


    ¡°Hey, Kun. Good job. Aren¡¯t you d you got to show off for your wife and child?¡± Malong said as he patted each one in turn.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Mia stared at Kun, whose happy tail was swinging from side to side, with her mouth wide open.


    <em>A-hm¡­ I guess that makes sense.</em>


    She reluctantly came to the conclusion that the little horse did look like Kun.


    ¡°Hm? That makes me think¡­ Isn¡¯t that where Kayou and her baby were standing when he sped up during the race? Was he really looking at them when he moved his head? Did he work so hard at the end because he wanted to impress his family?¡±


    She only thought about the idea for a short time before throwing it out.


    ¡°N-No way. I¡¯m acting stupid. Kun and I definitely merged into one. Because our hearts were joined, we won. Mm hm.¡±


    She thought that thinking about the possibility any more wouldn¡¯t be fun, so she crumpled it up and threw it over her horizon of memories, which was also a horizon of thought.


    She looked at the female horse with a feeling of pity and thought, ¡°Kayou¡­ I thought you were the future me, but you have terrible taste in men.¡±


    Kayou tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand what the look meant.


    Then¡­ ¡°Hm?¡±


    Mia felt a cool breeze on the back of her neck, which was something she knew well.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    When she turned around, the two barrels of Kun¡¯s mucusunchers were right in front of her. They red.


    ¡°E-Eeeeeeek!¡±


    And that¡¯s the story of how Mia triumphantly won the race. It was hard to say exactly how triumphant she was.

 Chapter 290

    <strong>Roar! Romance is In the Air.</strong>


    Ruby slowly closed her eyes as she crossed the finish line. She could hear the roar of the crowd. As they cheered loudly, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Mia in front of her.


    It was finished. She didn¡¯t make it. All that was left was to watch her opponent, a small woman, get farther and farther away.


    <em>That¡¯s all¡­ I¡¯ve lost.</em>


    It took a while for her to realise what was going on, but she was ready. She¡­should have been ready.


    No regrets. She had agreed with herself. After all, she had done everything she could and pushed herself as far as her body and time would allow. She had done everything she could, but she had lost.


    She had been given the chance. She had been able to fight¡ªreally fight, with all her heart and soul¡ªfor the person she loved.


    That was a wonderful thing to do. A blessing. So she had no reason to feel bad. No reason¡­to despair¡­


    ¡°It was a good fight. A good fight, for sure. And in a fight, someone loses. Sometimes I¡¯ll be the one. I know what to do. I¡ª¡±


    Her voice was shaky. She took a shaky breath in.


    ¡°I¡­ I can take it when I lose. I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Words turned into gasps of desperation. Her diaphragm turned against her and started shaking on its own. Her short, quick breaths squeezed the air out of her lungs.


    The world around her started to look like a kaleidoscope, but then it turned into a dull sea of colour. One tear after another fell from her eyes. She rubbed hard and desperately at them, but they wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Ruby cried. She cried like a young girl who had just lost something important to her.


    <em>I¡¯m the one who won, hnnngh! Me! So why do I have to go through this?</em>


    Not only did she do a victoryp like a sack of potatoes, but she also got hit in the face with another one of Kun¡¯s nasal cannons. She walked slowly toward the changing tent while cursing this bad turn of events.


    ¡°You were amazing, mdy! Absolutely amazing! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll clean you up and make you look nice in no time!¡±


    ¡°All right, Anne, thanks¡­ Ugh, my hair¡­¡±


    She saw Ruby off in the distance as she walked. She had her back turned from Mia.


    <em>Hm¡­ I might have made a few mistakes along the way, but a win is a win. She can no longer bother me about Sir Vanos. She might not like it, but she¡¯ll have to just deal with it.</em>


    Mia put her hands on her hips and made a huffing sound.


    <em>All of this was her fault. If she hadn¡¯t dragged me into this whole mess, I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through the shame of¡­all this! I need to say this out loud! Okay, Ruby, get ready, because I¡¯m going to brag a little bit!</em>


    She went up to Ruby and circled around her so she could get close so she couldugh off her anger.


    ¡°Who¡ª¡±


    She couldn¡¯t get the rest of her sentence out of her throat. Ruby was crying so hard that it sounded like her heart was breaking.


    <em>Huh? Excuse me? Why is this girl crying?!</em>


    Mia waspletely lost. Even worse¡­


    ¡°It was amazing how Her Majesty rode that horse.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it was. How exciting! She always does a good job.¡±


    ¡­ Her smart ears picked up the sounds of Tion and Rafinaing closer. It was the perfect timing. A very badly perfectly timed.


    <em>That is, very, very bad. Uh oh! If people see me like this with Ruby, they will think I made her cry. I¡¯ll look like a mean-spirited bully.</em>


    She decided quickly to grab Ruby¡¯s hand and lead her toward the changing tent.


    ¡°All right,e this way. In you go.¡±


    Malong¡¯s sister was the only other girl who had signed up for the tournament, so the changing tent was pretty much a private space for now.


    ¡°Anne, could I ask you to stand guard outside and make sure no one gets in?¡±


    Still, it doesn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful. Mia looked at Ruby after Anne nodded and left the tent. She had stopped crying, but she still had tears all over her face.


    Even so, Mia didn¡¯t look any better.


    The fact that the dried fluid on Ruby¡¯s face came from a human might have given her the edge in the ¡°who¡¯s dirtier¡±petition.


    ¡°Well, here.¡±


    She gave Ruby a small towel and said, ¡°Wipe your face first.¡±


    As she thought about why Ruby was crying, she was trying to figure out what was wrong.


    <em>Who am I kidding, right? As if I need to think about things a lot. It¡¯s pretty clear what to do. After all, I can be pretty smart when ites to things like this, if I do say so myself.</em>


    Mia had been reading a romance novel that Chloe had lent her and couldn¡¯t put down. She felt like she knew everything there was to know about rtionships after all that reading.


    When she saw this situation, her mind went straight to romance, and she was able to pinpoint with practised uracy the romantic conflict in the situation.


    She understood why Ruby was crying.


    ¡°Ruby, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but¡­you like Sir Vanos, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Then, when she had one of those moments of being able to see things clearly after being in a certain mood for too long, she changed her mind about what she had thought.


    She thought with a wry smile¡­


    <em>Well, that might be going a little too far. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s single, but there¡¯s a big difference in age and status between them¡­ Also, look at that face¡­ I mean, I know he¡¯s a nice guy, but his face looks a little too ¡°bandit.¡±</em>


    Mia thought about it some more and decided that Ruby probably cried because she was upset and angry about losing. In that case, the idea that she had a crush on Vanos would sound silly, but she thought it might help break the ice as long as Ruby thought it was a joke.


    Ruby did not take it as a stupid joke.


    ¡°¡­You really are as wise as people say. How did you know?¡±


    Instead, she gave a soft nod. Mia stood up when she saw how red she was getting.


    ¡°What?!¡± Mia yelled out in shock at this sudden turn of events.


    Then, when she realised that her reaction was different from what she had said before, she tried to exin it.


    ¡°Well, I thought the same thing, but I¡¯m surprised you admitted it. It¡¯s pretty brave of you to, you know, do that¡­¡±


    She changed the way she thought about the situation on the inside as she tried to make it seem like it made sense.


    <em>So what¡¯s going on is that Ruby likes Vanos and I¡¯m¡­in her way? Hold on, am I the bad guy here? Hm¡­ How do most of these situations turn out?</em>


    Mia looked through her mental library of books.


    <em>Uh oh. From what I¡¯ve learned, horses tend to kick people who get in the way of someone else¡¯s love. </em>


    She looked around nervously and saw what was without a doubt thergest group of horse hooves on the ind at that moment.


    Even though this was something she had learned from reading romance novels that Chloe had suggested, it didn¡¯t stop a chill from going up her spine.


    A-And, at the end of that one book, didn¡¯t the bad guy get stabbed?


    <em>If Ruby, who has a lot of experience with swords, decided to show her displeasure in the same</em> way, Mia wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    When he looked ufortably in Ruby¡¯s direction, he saw that she had bloodshot eyes, but they didn¡¯t seem angry.


    <em>I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re red because I¡¯ve been crying, but I can totally see the day when it will be because she wants to drink my blood.</em>


    Mia remembered that in her past life, she had gone to the Redmoons during the revolution to ask for help, but she was turned away.


    <em>If Vanos¡¯s death was the reason they didn¡¯t want to go, it would all make sense. If she thought I was to me for what happened in Sealence Forest, she would hold a grudge. She probably didn¡¯t help because of this.</em>


    With romance mode lubricating her brain, Mia¡¯s mind kept going and going, connecting random events into a web of sense.


    Ruby was at the centre of it all. She was the source, and her tragic love was the centre of everything. She kept looking into what thispletely new idea meant, which gave her confidence.


    <em>So, when I asked her for help to get revenge for the man she loved, she said no, even though it would bring her down. Love before life. The body may die, but the heart must stay loyal until the end¡­ Moons, that¡¯s such so romanti ¨C mean ¨C so dangerous way to act.</em>


    She thought it was too risky to leave Rubt alone, so she took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.


    ¡°Redmoon Etoile Ruby. You promised me something, and I¡¯ll make sure it is kept.¡±


    Ruby¡¯s shoulders were shaking. Mia paid it no mind.


    ¡°Please give me your sword,¡± she said, putting out her hand.


    Was she taking the sword away from a person who might kill? Symbolically taking away the pride of a brave noblewoman?


    No, not even close. When she asked for the sword, she wanted to get both the sword and the person who used it.


    ¡°I want you to pledge it to me so I can give entrust you with taking care of the Princess Guard.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Ruby blinked inplete surprise.


    ¡°You will be appointed adjutant to the current captain, Sir Vanos,¡± Mia said in the tone of a royal order. I¡¯m counting on you to help him run and watch over the Princess Guard.¡±


    When she said that, she did a quick calction.


    Still, Ruby might be a Chaos Serpent. She didn¡¯t want to believe that the girl¡¯s tears were a lie, but she knew that a Serpent could easily put on a show like that.


    <em>Given that, I need to figure out how likely it is that Ruby will be a Serpent in the future versus how likely it is that she is already one. This calls for extreme discretion¡­.</em>


    If she took Ruby¡¯s sword and caused her and Vanos to break up, she would break Ruby¡¯s heart. Would the Chaos Serpents pass up a soul that was so weak and ready to be taken?


    Unlikely.


    In the army, the House of Redmoon has a lot of power. If the Serpents want to take down the empire from the inside, Ruby would be a very useful pawn. Having a grudge against Ruby and seeing her turn into a Serpent was about the worst thing that could have happened.


    What if, instead, she put Ruby near Vanos? Assuming that the Serpents hadn¡¯t gotten to her yet, this n would make it very hard for them to get into her mind in the future. Besides that, she would have done her a huge favour.


    If, on the other hand, Ruby was already a Serpent and she lied about having a crush on Vanos to join Mia¡¯s faction¡­


    <em>I went through the same thing with Sapphias¡­ Better to keep her close to Vanos so he can watch over her.</em>


    So, if she really is a serpent, she won¡¯t be able to do anything. She said she loved Vanos, so she would have to stay close to him to keep up the act. She would be stuck being watched all the time because her front gave her no room toin. That¡¯s much better than just letting her go.


    <em>When I have control over someone, it¡¯s easier to deal with them.</em>


    That was the main point of the quick math she did.


    But she was also thinking about how much she wanted Ruby and Vanos to fall in love. Why, you ask?


    It¡¯s delicious to love someone from a different social ss! Because Mia was bing a romance nerd, and she liked dating people from different sses.


    One of the books she had borrowed from Chloe was a dramatic love story between a knight and a princess, and the idea of seeing one in real life made her mouth water. Plus, from a front-row seat!


    <em>I can¡¯t miss this!</em>


    At the end of the day, all of her thinking and nning was just an excuse for her love of romantic melodrama.


    Ruby, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m joining the Princess Guard?¡±


    Mia nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Just between us, Ruby, I want the Princess Guard to do some very important jobs in the future. They won¡¯t just be responsible for making sure I¡¯m safe. I want them to do what I say. My own army under my control.¡±


    During the Great Famine, Ludwig worked hard to prepare and send out food transports, but they were often attacked before they got to their destination.


    Hungry crowds and soldiers who were starving turned into bandits who attacked supply waggons. Sometimes the guards on the transports would go rogue and steal the food. Every time her troops betrayed her, Mia wanted them even more.


    <em>I wish I had a good team I could count on¡­ Soldiers who will never betray me and always do their jobs right.</em>


    She had learned that not having to worry about being betrayed at every turn was a great luxury. Knowing this, she had been wondering if her most trusted soldiers, the Princess Guard, could be used to protect these important food transports if they were needed.


    <em>It would be great if I could get Ruby to help¡­ Very nice indeed. With her on board, the Redmoons might even agree to send troops from their private elite army.</em>


    She really needed reinforcements in the previous timeline, and she might be able to get them now.


    <em>I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, that¡¯s true. Who knows? Maybe things won¡¯t go that well. For now, it¡¯s enough for me to see how this rtionship between Vanos and Ruby develops. Oh, I can¡¯t wait!</em>


    She thought with a smile as she imagined what might happen between the two of them.


    Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Empress of Tearmoon, is known to have a lot of friends.


    People like Saint Rafina Orca Belluga, the Etoiline Esmeralda Greenmoon, Chloe of Forkroad & Co., and Tiona Rudolvon, the daughter of the Outcount Rudolvon, are often named as some of her closest friends. Even though they came from different ces, these women became close friends with Empress Mia.


    So, what about her most loyal allies? Those who stayed close to her through both friendship and a promise to do right?


    Even though people have different ideas, I would like you to think about the name Ruby Etoile Redmoon.


    The fact that she was born into the House of Redmoon and was the daughter of one of Tearmoon¡¯s famous Four Dukes should have been enough to give her a ce in history.


    But as you know, her fame isn¡¯t because she was born into a wealthy family. Instead, it¡¯s because she was the first woman in Tearmoon¡¯s history to be the Ebony Moon Minister.


    As the head of the Ebony Moon Ministry, which is in charge of military matters, she used the power of her family and the help of Grand General Dion ia a lot. This gave her the ability to make big changes in the imperial army.


    She gave Tearmoon¡¯s military a new lease on life by getting rid of inefficient old practises and putting in ce new, effective systems that fit with the times. This was a big part of Empress Mia¡¯s n to reform the empire as a whole.


    It¡¯s interesting that no one knows for sure how she got so involved with military matters. Even though the House of Redmoon has had strong ties with the Ebony Moon Ministry for a long time, no one knows why the daughter of their duke chose to throw herself into the cruel world of war and bloodshed. There are no records of why she did what she did.


    Based on the fact that she started out as a soldier in the Princess Guard, it seems likely that at least some of the arrangement is due to the will of the then Princess Mia, but this is just a guess and probably always will be.


    A second mystery surrounds her, and it has something to do with her husband. In particr, the strange fact that there isn¡¯t much known about the man. The Four Dukes are the most powerful nobles in Tearmoon, after the empress herself. It seems impossible that we don¡¯t know the name of one of their sons-inw from history, but that¡¯s what we have to deal with.


    One theory is that she had a May-December romance and married a soldier from a normal family. She would have stayed with him for the rest of her life. Even though they were very different in age and social standing, the theory says that Empress Mia and her friends gave them the support they needed to pursue their love.


    This is, of course, pure spection, but the fact that people even think this way shows how interesting the mystery is. I think this story stuck around because all three of her sons grew up to be tall men, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any other noble men at the time who were as tall as her sons and fit her status.


    ¨C An excerpt from a historian¡¯s essay

 Chapter 291

    <strong>Intion x Influencer</strong>


    Ludwig¡¯s office was tucked away in a corner of the Golden Moon Ministry building. He was sitting there reading a report that Mia had sent him.


    ¡°How¡­ how in the moons did she win over Duke Redmoon¡¯s daughter?¡±


    After reading it, Ludwig leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath of surprise.


    ¡°Her charm really has no limits,¡± he said as he looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Everything fits together. If Ruby bes our friend, it will be much easier to get the military to change. And¡­ Well, duh. She is also thinking about how to make the Princess Guard stronger. I do wonder how she got the young Redmoon to side with her. I ought to talk to her about it¡­¡±


    He grinned like a daydreaming schoolboy at the thought of finding out how Mia¡¯s mind worked and seeing her genius methods in action. As someone who was always hungry for knowledge, he often made up stories that would satisfy that hunger. Clearly, the MG (Mia¡¯s Greatness) Index intion rate was steady and up. So, everything was fine on Ludwig. Furthermore¡­


    ¡°I know! After I ask her about it, I¡¯ll tell Balthazar about it the next time we go out for a drink. No, not just Balthazar. I¡¯ll also have the mastere. In fact, I might as well get everybody together. No Galvanus follower who cares about himself can avoid hearing about something like this. Then, they¡¯ll go tell even more people what they¡¯ve learned¡­¡±


    He thought right away of ways to reach more people, like a real influencer. The more people he could get toe to his camp (down his rabbit hole), the better. Ludwig was a real visionary.


    ¡°Well, well, it looks like someone is having fun.¡±


    A voice with a chuckle came from the door. Dion ia was leaning against the frame when he looked up.


    ¡°Want to tell that to the guys, too? The Guard can¡¯t get enough of hearing about the princess.¡±


    Dion walked into Ludwig¡¯s office, as he did every day, to talk about ¡°official military business.¡± Which, in Dion-speak, meant ¡°taking it easy.¡± He had been fired from his job as captain of a hundred-man squad and was now a ss three military official at the Ebony Moon Ministry. In other words, a government employee.


    In a broad sense, the Tearmoon military was made up of two groups. One was the imperial army, which was mostly the people with boots on the ground. The other person was in charge of nning, logistics, staffing, and everything else that was needed to get the right people on the right ground. The Ebony Moon Ministry did that.


    Dion used to be a member of the first group. He worked for thetter at the time. In the Tearmoon military, it was normal for someone to be moved from the front lines to a desk job.


    In the past, some knights were givenmanding positions because of how well they did on the battlefield. Then, as generals, they gave stupid orders that caused the army to lose a lot of people. Even though he was a good soldier, that didn¡¯t mean he was a goodmander. After these expensive lessons, the Tearmoon Empire decided to make administrative experience a requirement for higher-levelmand positions.


    Thousand-man squadron generals, who were a step up from hundred-man squad captains, couldn¡¯t get any higher in rank until they¡¯d spent some time in the Ebony Moon Ministry learning about how an army works, how supply lines work, and how to n strategically.


    Once they had learned how to see the bigger picture of war, they could go back to the front lines and take on the duties of highmand.


    Dion, on the other hand, thought ministry work was ¡°murderously boring¡± and had no ns to move up the ranks. However, at Mia¡¯s (conceived by Ludwig and voiced by Ludwig) request, he reluctantly agreed to be moved. He was getting ahead in life in every way, but you wouldn¡¯t know it from the way he keptining.


    ¡°She never tells you what she¡¯s going to do, does she?¡±


    With a shrug, Dion made a joke.


    ¡°When the princess is around, things tend to change in strange ways. Who would have thought I¡¯d ever get the floors of the Ebony Moon Ministry dirty?¡± he said with a sarcastic snort.


    ¡°True¡­¡±


    Ludwig nodded deeply.


    ¡°However, this does mean that you might be able to go back to the front lines.¡±


    Dion could go in two different directions. He could go back to the imperial army as a general and lead bigger groups of soldiers, or he could stay here as a military official and have a say in how the army as a whole is run.


    Ludwig wanted a reliable way to get in touch with the Ebony Moon Ministry, which meant a friend in a high military position. But Dion¡¯s role would change if the support of the House of Redmoon could achieve the same goal.


    Once they had real power in the ministry, his presence on the battlefield would have a much bigger effect on the troops.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯d like that,¡± Dion said, still in a sarcastic tone, but Ludwig¡¯s nextment made him raise his eyebrows.


    ¡°Also, I think we may need to shift your priorities a little bit. I don¡¯t think we need promotions right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯m paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Right now, there¡¯s something else that needs to be done, and I think it would be best if you took care of it¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®something else¡¯?¡±


    Dion stood against the wall with his arms crossed. His face changed a little bit. He was so sure of his guess that he didn¡¯t even bother to look at Ludwig¡¯s head nod.


    ¡°Have they moved at all? Summer seems like a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°People are looking into it, but so far I haven¡¯t heard anything. They¡¯re not going anywhere. They don¡¯t move at all, which makes me a little suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Ganudos has already sent them a message. I guess they can¡¯t do anything right now unless they want to start an open rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are being more careful, which means we¡¯ll have to look harder for information. My master can take care of the Academy City project, and Balthazar can take care of the financial reform. In other words, my schedule just so happens to be open right now.¡±


    Dionughed in a friendly way.


    ¡°Just so happens? You¡¯re not a ¡°just so happens¡± kind of guy. You sure you¡¯re not mixing up corrtion and cause?¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been doing some reading.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s lips turned up just a little bit in a smile, and then he shrugged.


    ¡°Yes, this is amon source of uncertainty in academia, and we¡¯ll just have to deal with it.¡±


    Again, Dionughed.


    ¡°Sure, say what you want.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we know that the Yellowmoons are probably sleeping with the Chaos Serpents, but it looks like Her Highness doesn¡¯t want to say that the whole house is bad. She probably doesn¡¯t want to hurt people who aren¡¯t directly involved. So that she can do this, she has given us the job of doing this investigation. You and I, Sir Dion, must live up to Her Highness¡¯s trust and give her the information she wants.¡±


    Ludwig put the bridge of his sses on a table and looked right at Dion.


    ¡°Can I count on your full help in this matter?¡±


    ¡°The House of Yellowmoon is the oldest of all the noble lines¡­¡±


    Dion huffing.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll send some killers who are worth my time.¡±


    He smiled like a wolf.


    Soon, Tearmoon¡¯s secret past would be out in the open.

 Chapter 292

    <strong>Sidestory: Bel¡¯s Small Slice of Happiness Part 3</strong>


    Themp flickered, and its weak light didn¡¯t do much to stop the darkness froming closer. Even though it was small and weak, Bel loved to watch the tiny me dance as shey in bed, the weight of the covers on her like sleep on her eyelids.


    Some of her favourite times were when she had nothing to do, because that meant it was time for a story.


    ¡°¡­Mother Elise, could you tell me a story?¡± Bel asked, looking up at a face that even in the dim light seemed to glow with kindness.


    She knew that Elise had one more thing to do, and that was to finish writing down what the Great Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon, had done so that people in the future could learn about her great deeds. Elise and Anne both thought it was the most important thing they had ever done. Bel was aware of this. When Elise was working, she knew she couldn¡¯t bother her.


    But this time right before bed was not the same. It was different. This was her favourite time, the time when she could be a little bit selfish.


    ¡°Hmm, let me think¡­ What kind of story should I tell tonight¡­?¡±


    As proof, Elise¡¯s face showed no sign of displeasure. She smiled at Bel¡¯s tired eyes and voice, then got up from her desk and walked over to lie down next to her. Right away, Bel got close to Elise and wrapped herself around her arm.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just talk about Mia? Oh yeah, I told you what she was good at. She was a good swimmer and a good horse rider, so I have to tell you this story as well.¡±


    She smiled at Bel like a child getting ready to tell a secret.


    ¡°Did you know that she could also dance like a pro?¡±


    Bel¡¯s small head moved back and forth.


    ¡°¡­Dancing? Really?¡±


    Elise gave a firm nod and said, ¡°Dancing.¡±


    ¡°You should remember this, so pay close attention. You are a princess because you have her blood in you. Ballroom dancing isn¡¯t just a hobby for princesses; it¡¯s also a tool and a weapon. Many lords and leaders gave Mia the upper hand in negotiations because of how good she was at dancing.¡±


    Then she closed her eyes for a while and thought about the past.


    ¡°It was a beautiful thing to see Mia dance. It was mesmerising to watch her glide and spin. People said it was like watching the moon goddesse down from the sky. I was once invited to an imperial ball, and that¡¯s where I saw her dance. She looked so beautiful when she was dancing. She lit up the room.¡±


    Bel gasped in shock because she didn¡¯t know how to tell the truth from a lie yet.


    ¡°Wow! I wish I had been there too.¡±


    Elise¡¯s sad-looking frown stood in stark contrast to her happy smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that if she were still alive, she would teach you how to dance too. If Anne or I only knew how¡­¡±


    Elise was sad that neither she nor her sister knew enough about dancing to teach people how to dance at a formal event.


    ¡°But what about Ludwig? Maybe we can ask him. You¡¯re an imperial princess, and you don¡¯t even know how to dance! What in the moons am I doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, Mother Elise, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    She looked up, first shocked by how strong Bel¡¯s voice was and then by how serious she looked.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to be here.¡±


    The little girl had a huge smile on her face.


    ¡°Every day of my life is full of happiness. Mother Anne wakes me up, I eat good food, Mr. Ludwig teaches me, and Mr. Eugen takes me home¡­¡±


    She made a list of all the small things that made her happy, one by one, on her fingers.


    ¡°Mother Elise, I love hearing your stories,¡± she said next.


    ¡°I love all of them, the ones about Grandma Mia and the ones you wrote yourself. I¡¯m a little sad that Grandmother Mia didn¡¯t teach me how to dance, and not being able to see my mother makes me feel lonely, but I¡¯m still very happy, so please don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    Elise¡¯s heart tightened when she heard what she said, out of both regret and pity.


    <em>She¡¯s so young still¡­ At her age, she should be asking for love and attention, but instead, she¡¯s looking out for our feelings while going through all this trouble¡­</em>


    Elise closed her eyes tightly. After a few seconds, her smile came back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the story. Where was I? Oh, yes, Mia¡¯s dancing.¡±


    She spoke clearly as she told the story. Bel didn¡¯t have to worry because it was bright enough.


    Soon, she could hear the slow, soft breathing of sleep. She stopped talking for a while and just looked at the peaceful face of the sleeping child.


    Then, she put her hand on Bel¡¯s cheek and whispered, ¡°Good night, Bel. Sweet dreams.¡±


    It was a quiet and simple part of her daily routine, but it was also a sincere and passionate prayer from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°May you be truly happy at least in your dreams¡­¡±


    Bel did dream that night, and in her dreams, her grandmother taught her how to dance. She gently told Bel what to do step by step as they turned and twirled together.


    It was an amazing dream.


    Bel had told the truth, but Elise would never know. The girl¡¯s dreams and she herself were both happy. Bel was enjoying a small but undeniably true piece of happiness as he slept peacefully in Elise¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 293

    <strong>Sidestory: Mia¡¯s Ballroom Dance Club (Part 1)</strong>


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡±


    Mia was taking it easy in her room three days after the Horsemanship Tournament. She no longer had the crippling muscle pain that had been bothering her, and she was back to being her normal, fully functional self. Unfortunately, something else was also adamant about being the same old thing¡­


    ¡°Ugh, nothing seems to have changed,¡± she said with a groan of disappointment.


    The Princess Chronicles that she had borrowed from Bel were still as thin as ever, which meant that her life was still short.


    ¡°This is awful. When I see this book, it makes me feel bad and I don¡¯t want to do anything.¡±


    She was about to give Bel the book back when she saw something else on his desk.


    ¡°This is¡­ My¡­¡±


    She had found the results of Bel¡¯s exams..


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right. She had to stay here and go to summer school over the holidays. I wonder what happened.¡±


    She turned the pages because she was curious. Luckily, Mia wasn¡¯t a cat for curiosity didn¡¯t kill her. Not yet, anyway¡­


    She was so shocked by what she saw that she held her chest and gasped for air. It was terrible.


    ¡°How on earth does that girl get to sleep at night with those grades?¡±


    But sleep she did. And also well. Mia was amazed by how strong her granddaughter¡¯s nerves were. And more scared than amazed, actually.


    Just then, she looked at a line and stopped.


    ¡°Her grade for dancing¡­is E?¡±


    Since dancing was the only thing Mia was good at, her granddaughter¡¯s terrible opinion hurt her even more.


    ¡°E?! That is awful! What did she do to get an E? Oh, no, wait¡­¡±


    Even though it took a while, she finally figured out why. Bel had never had a formal education like an imperial princess should have. Mia, on the other hand, had been taught how to dance, as well as all the rules of high society, such as how to behave and what to do. Their childhoods were very different.


    ¡°I might have been too hard on her¡­¡±


    Bel said that Ludwig had been teaching her, but it¡¯s likely that he didn¡¯t spend enough time teaching her important skills like dancing.


    ¡°¡­On the other hand, she¡¯s not doing much better in school either.¡±


    Even though there were still questions, Mia decided not to find out more.


    ¡°Anne and Elise could teach her etiquettes, but I guess she was out of luck when it came to dancing.¡±


    She remembered that she had said she would teach the girl how to dance at some point.


    ¡°Hm, I think it might be time for me to do my sweet granddaughter a favour,¡± she said, feeling a sudden rush of grandmaternal love.


    ¡°I did sign her up for Saint-Noel, after all. Miss Rafina might start giving me dirty looks if she keeps failing so badly at everything.¡±


    Even with the sudden increase, her grandmotherly love was only about 20% of what drove her. Like always, the rest was self-love.


    Mia went right ahead with her n once she had made up her mind.


    After dinner, Bel took a bath and was just about to go to bed when Mia asked her, ¡°Bel, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Uh, yes. What¡¯s the matter, Miss Mia?¡±


    She put Bel on the bed and looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°Tell me, Bel. Do you not like to dance?¡± she asked as a safety measure.


    Tearmoon princesses were expected to know a certain amount about their culture, and while she¡¯d like Bel to have as many of these skills as possible, she wouldn¡¯t make her do something she didn¡¯t want to.


    <em>Even though I didn¡¯t like vegetables, the head chef tried to make them taste good to me. Something like that should be done for Bel. If she doesn¡¯t like to dance, I¡¯ll have to find a way to make it more fun for her¡­</em>


    This thought, though, turned out not to be necessary.


    ¡°Hate dancing? Not really, no¡­ ¡°Why?¡± asked Bel, looking confused.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Mia, who was happy. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll teach you how to dance.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Teach me how to¡­dance?¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes got bigger.


    ¡°What do you mean, that dance? The legendary one¡­¡±


    Mia nodded.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what Bel meant when he said ¡°the legend,¡± but she nodded anyway.


    ¡°Yes, just like I promised you. Get ready, because I¡¯m going to make you remember it. As a member of the imperial family and a princess, you need to know a lot about dancing. We can¡¯t let you make a fool of yourself.¡±


    Bel straightened up right away and stood at attention like a soldier.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Mia, I get it. I¡¯ll do my best to learn your dance so I can live up to your name!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way to do it! I¡¯ll make you a dancer yet,¡± Mia said with a smug chuckle and crossed arms.


    The next day, Bel started taking dance lessons.


    Mia said, ¡°All right. First, we need to decide what our short-term goals are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have a short test on dance in ten days. What do you think?¡±


    After a short discussion, they decided that their first goal would be the practical exam.


    <em>So I have 10 days to get her in shape. I¡¯ll make sure she gets a perfect score on her next test. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see what her ssmates will be thinking when they watch her dance.</em>


    ¡°About these clothes, Miss Mia, by the way¡­¡±


    Bel pulled at the bottom of her half-sleeved shirt, which was paired with knee-length shorts.


    The sporty clothes she wore were perfect for the activity she was about to do, but¡­


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you wear beautiful dresses when you dance? With those long, flowing bottoms so you can strike good poses?¡±


    She looked at her shorts with her lips sticking out.


    ¡°The pretty dresses areing, Bel. Right now, you need those. Wear clothes that are easy to move around in. You only need a partner now. I¡¯d like to ask one of the boys for help, but¡­¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t want to do it because she cared about her granddaughter. A person who is just starting to learn how to dance isn¡¯t exactly a pretty sight. Even though Bel has pretty thick skin, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want a boy to watch her practise.


    <em>That would be terrible. It would be nice if someone who knows how to dance, like Sion, could help her, but I guess we¡¯ll have to wait until she¡¯s at least halfway good. After all, I don¡¯t want to make her feel bad.</em>


    Just so you know, Bel would have chosen the other option if she had been given the chance. She might have to deal with some shame, but she would get to dance with Sion. So, it was probably best that Mia didn¡¯t bring up this pointless thing she was thinking about.


    ¡°First and foremost. Fundamentals. When ites to dancing, the basics are the most important thing. I have to start by teaching you all the basics, and I know exactly where to start!¡±


    There was a dance called ¡°the Dance of Moonlight¡± that had been passed down through the royal family for generations.


    It was a well-made exercise piece that was made for dancers to practise their technique. It covered all the basic techniques of ballroom dancing and had parts that were hard on the body to strengthen the muscles.


    Mia usually solved most problems, whether they were rted to school or dancing, by using numbers (the former, of answers memorized, and thetter, of sheer mind-numbing repetition).


    Since she had been doing this dance since she was young, it was clear that she knew every step and twirl by heart.


    ¡°Bel, I¡¯m going to teach you a secret dance that only the royal family of Tearmoon knows. It¡¯s called the Moonlight Dance. First, I¡¯ll show you, so just watch.¡±


    Mia began the dance right away.


    ¡°The feet are where we start. Un, deux, trois¡­ Un, deux, trois¡­¡±


    She moved around easily, and the rhythm of her steps matched the rhythm of what she said.


    ¡°We turn here. Turn your right foot around and keep your left foot as still as you can,¡± she said, showing the move a few times.


    ¡°The hands are next. They should be in good shape. Elegant. Move them gently, like they¡¯re being blown by the wind.¡±


    After that, she did a series of graceful spins.


    ¡°When you spin, you have to get a sense of how far you¡¯re going. I¡¯ve heard that distance is also an important part of swordsmanship. They need to know where they are in rtion to their opponent and the rest of the area. In dancing, it¡¯s the same. You need to know how far away things are. How far you go with each step. What kind of room you have. Getting good at that takes a lot of work. If you keep doing it, it will start to get easier.¡±


    As she danced, she could feel Bel¡¯s intense gaze on her. Pleased by the girl¡¯s attention, she carefully demonstrated every movement, slowing down during fast parts and repeatingplicated passages for rity.


    When she was done, she shook her hair out and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it. It¡¯s not too hard, so you should be able to figure it out pretty quickly. Let¡¯s review the first few steps once more¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Bel stopped Mia in the middle of her story.


    ¡°I remember everything, Miss Mia. I believe I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because my veins are filled with Grandmother Mia¡¯s blood!¡±


    ¡°I¡­suppose it does.


    Well, go on.


    Then try it,¡± Mia said, hoping to be impressed.


    After all, the girl was her kin, and she seemed sure of herself. She might have been fine with just a few hints.


    Then, Bel did something she didn¡¯t expect. In the worst way that could happen. After she was done, she looked at Mia with excitement.


    ¡°I did it! What do you think, Grandmother Mia?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Hmmm¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she tried not to furrow them.


    ¡°I see, I see¡­ What was that?¡±


    She looked at her granddaughter¡¯s chest, which was proudly puffed out, and found herself¡­impressed.


    <em>Where does this girl get the nerve to tell me, ¡°I did it,¡± after putting on such a show?</em>


    It probably doesn¡¯t need to be said, but you can¡¯t just copy all the steps to a dance after seeing them once. Bel¡¯s performance was exactly what you would expect from someone on their first try.


    And yet, there she stood, very sure of herself and very proud of what she thought was without a doubt a great example of the Dance of Moonlight.


    <em>The guts alone were something to admire. With that smug look, she might be able to make a few people think she did pretty well, but she can¡¯t fool my eyes.</em>


    Mia cleared her throat in a showy way and said, ¡°It¡¯s not bad for your first try. You¡¯re going in the right direction.¡±


    So that her granddaughter wouldn¡¯t feel bad, she started by saying what she thought in a nice way.


    ¡°uracy will be the most important thing you need to work on,¡± she said. ¡°That is, making sure you do each move the right way.To dance well, you need to know the basics well, so take your time learning them.


    Don¡¯t get sloppy, or you¡¯ll regret itter.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Bel¡¯s strong nod made Mia happy, and she smiled.


    <em>There was still time. We didn¡¯t have to hurry.</em>


    She could take this race slowly and steadily, making Bel better and better as she went. The next thing she knew, three days had gone by, and she hadn¡¯t done much of anything.


    ¡°This is very odd¡­ Why are you still not able to do it right? It¡¯s just a light flick. You move your hand like this and swish swish¡­ See? Nice and stylish.¡±


    ¡°Hnnngh, Miss Mia, it¡¯s hard¡­¡±


    Bel hung her head in discouragement. Mia¡¯s head was turned back so far in confusion that it looked like it was going to break off.


    Unfortunately, Mia had no idea that all of her education and practise since she was a child had changed the way she thought about dancing and given her teaching style a ¡°genius¡± vibe. In other words, she taught in a way that was so hard to understand that only a genius could figure out what her vague descriptions meant.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think we should try something different¡­¡±


    Mia murmured while thinking. Bel¡¯s excitement was clear to see. At this rate, she might start to hate the idea of dancing, which would be terrible.


    Just as Mia started to think about it¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy.¡±


    ¡°My, Anne. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a guest. It¡¯s Princess Rania.¡±


    ¡°Rania? I wonder what she wants.¡±


    Mia took a quick look at Bel¡¯szy body.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just call it a day. Go take a shower and clean up, Bel. I need to talk for a while with Rania.¡±


    She left the dance lesson early after that and went back to her room.

 Chapter 294

    <strong>Sidestory: Mia¡¯s Ballroom Dance Club (Part 2)</strong>


    ¡°Good morning, Princess Mia. I¡¯m sorry for stopping by unannounced,¡± Rania said as Mia walked in and stood up to greet her. She stood out because of her beautiful ck hair and smooth, tanned skin.


    In particr, it hit Mia¡¯s stomach, which made a gurgling sound. Not because Mia¡¯s friend looked good enough to eat, of course. That would not be right.


    And a little bit scary.


    Instead, it was because Rania always brought tasty treats when she came to visit, so Mia¡¯s stomach was trained to grumble when she was around. By this point, it was just a habit. Mia kept talking in her usual tone, even though her body was doing something weird.


    ¡°I¡¯m also sorry that my gift is so simple. Today, I only brought in cookies¡­¡±


    Mia followed her gaze to a nearby table where the te of treats was sitting. Her smile got bigger.


    ¡°Those cookies¡­! My favourite kind!¡±


    They were the kind that kept well, just like the ones Anne had given her before. She liked how useful they were and how simple they tasted. Easy and nice. She could never get enough of the taste.


    Anne probably made the rest of the food on the table. She added ck tea to the cookies and a few of Mia¡¯s own sweets, along with some ck tea.


    <em>Moons, this is a bit of a feast for us!</em>


    As soon as Mia sat down next to Rania, Anne poured two cups of tea. It was just about room temperature, which was just right for Mia, who had worked up a sweat and wanted a drink that was more refreshing than hot.


    <em>Aaah, Anne does it again. She really cares.</em>


    She felt better after taking a sip of tea, so she asked Rania in a calm voice, ¡°So, Rania, what brought you here today?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to actually ask your advice about something.¡±


    ¡°Advice? What seems to be going on?¡±


    Mia asked as she ate her first cookie right away. With a satisfying crunch, it broke. As she chewed, the treat slowly broke down in her mouth, leaving a sweet taste behind.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ This simple sweetness and the satisfying taste of wheat¡­ Mmm, it¡¯s so good. I love them.¡±


    Its texture was nothing special, and it wasn¡¯t so good that you couldn¡¯t stop eating it. Its appeal probably came from a feeling of nostalgia.


    It had aforting taste, like a taste of home, and it was the perfect medicine for her mind, which was hurting from her constant worry about how thick the Chronicles were.


    <em>Oh, that¡¯s right on the mark. Right in the middle of my heart and soul. So simple, but so tasty¡­ Just what I was in need of¡­</em>


    Rania spoke slowly while Mia did her holistic cookie therapy.


    ¡°So, uh, about the advice¡­ It¡¯s more like I want to ask you for a favour.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A favour? Go ahead. As long as I can, I would be happy to help.¡±


    After biting her lips for a while, Rania finally got up the courage to ask for what she wanted.


    ¡°Um, I heard that you¡¯ve been teaching dance lessonstely.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ Where did you hear that?¡±


    She had been keeping the lessons a secret for Bel¡¯s sake.


    ¡°From Miss Bel. She seemed very happy and told everyone she met about it.¡±


    <em>Dark moons, that girl¡­</em>


    Mia scratched her head in anger. Bel didn¡¯t seem to care at all that people would find out that she was learning how to dance.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s good for her. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been giving Bel dance lessons in one of the school¡¯s special-purpose rooms. I think it¡¯s been three days now.¡±


    Rania¡¯s face lit up when she heard this.


    ¡°I- Then, could you, um, teach me, too?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±


    Mia made a face. She didn¡¯t know how many times Rania had danced before. Maybe she was having trouble with a certain move. Even so, she could just ask one of the teachers in Saint-Noel. It was strange to ask Mia for help.


    Rania asked, ¡°Do you know about the Thanksgiving Festival in Perujin?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The people of Perujin gather in the capital city for a big party to give thanks for the harvest. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s going to be a big party with lots of delicious food¡­¡±


    Mia knew about all the food events in the countries next to hers.


    She was thinking about going to one of Perujin¡¯s Thanksharvest Festivals if she ever had the chance.


    <em>All that fresh food from Perujin¡­ I¡¯m hungry just thinking about what they could make with it¡­</em>


    ¡°Then you must know what we Perujin princesses do at the festival,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I do. You do the Thanksgiving Dance as a gift to God, right?¡±


    As leaders of their people, Perujin princesses take care of the harvest themselves and work with the farmers. At the same time, they act as priestesses by giving thanks to God for providing them with food.


    After Ludwig told her she was stupid for forgetting Rania¡¯s name in the previous timeline, Mia made sure to do her homework. Because Perujin Agricultural Country was a source of food imports for Tearmoon, she had learned all the important facts about its princesses.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on? Is it because of the dance?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ If I¡¯m being honest¡ªoh, this is so embarrassing! I¡¯m not very good at dancing, so I¡¯ve never really been able to do it right¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, now I see what you mean¡­¡±


    Rania¡¯s request finally made sense. The teachers at the academy could teach her to dance, but only ballroom dancing. They didn¡¯t know how to do ritual dances. She had asked Mia for help because she was known to be a good dancer and thought she could teach Rania.


    ¡°But how did you do over the summer?¡±


    Mia thought that Rania had gone home to Perujin during the summer like she always did. This meant that she should have done all of her usual priestess duties.


    ¡°Most of the time, I was helping my sister Arshia. I¡¯m like her assistant. But I might have to do everything myself next summer¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, of course, since I asked Arshia toe to my academy¡­¡±


    Rania was worried that Arshia might be too busy teaching at Saint Mia Academy to go home for the Thanksgiving Festival. Without Arshia, the whole dance would have to revolve around her, which was a lot of pressure for anyone to take on.


    ¡°But she won¡¯t be tied to her desk or anything. I won¡¯t mind if she takes some time off to go to important events.¡±


    Rania gently but firmly shook her head.


    ¡°It would be fine if Arshia came back to enjoy the festival. I don¡¯t want her to have to miss work because of me, though.¡±


    Her voice was soft, but it sounded like she had made up her mind. Mia nodded to show that she understood.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the end of that. I¡¯ll just have to teach you how to dance.¡±


    Mia also thought it would be better for Arshia to focus on her wheat research. So what if that meant she had to add Rania to her list of students? For a possible faster breakthrough, taking more lessons was a small price to pay.


    Mia said, ¡°We should start soon. You can join me and Bel tomorrow, in fact. We¡¯ll both work on it.¡±


    Bel might also get some much-needed support from Rania¡¯s presence, which is a good thing. The girl had been feeling pretty sadtely.


    ¡°Oh, but I should be careful. I can be a tough teacher at times.¡±


    ¡°No problem! Try me out!¡±


    Mia¡¯s dance ss officially had more people after that.

 Chapter 295

    <strong>Sidestory: Mia¡¯s Ballroom Dance Club (Part 2)</strong>


    Now, going back a bit to the day before¡­


    ¡°This ce sure is quiet, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Keithwood thought to himself as he wandered aimlessly through the school¡¯s halls and corridors. He wasn¡¯t wasting time; he was on patrol. As Sion¡¯s servant/bodyguard, he looked out for any signs of trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too surprising, given how safe Saint-Noel is. I mean, I probably don¡¯t even need to do this. Never see anything strange, no matter what.¡±


    He kept walking around, and each autumn breeze made him feel more rxed. Then, as he turned a corner, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.


    One of his eyes started to move. He tried to smile, but it was hard.


    ¡°Okay, I talked too soon¡­¡±


    Mia came into view at the end of the hallway. She was acting in a way that is the textbook definition of suspicious. She stuck her head out from behind a pir, which was a bad ce to hide, and looked around nervously, like a small rodent.


    Keithwood didn¡¯t catch her eye, so she ran off to the special-purpose ssrooms.


    ¡°What in the name of the sun is she doing now?¡± he muttered as he started to follow her.


    Keithwood was, in general, a perfect gentleman. He acted with all the grace and decorum that a servant of the Crown Prince of Sunnd should. He also liked Mia. She was a good person for Sion to keep in touch with, and Keithwood liked being around her as well. If he hadn¡¯t already promised Sion his loyalty, he might have bowed down to her by now.


    So, under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t be caught dead doing something as rude as following a woman, let alone a princess he admired. But he did follow her because he couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that he would regret it if he didn¡¯t.


    Something stirred in the deepest part of his stomach. A gut feeling, maybe, that she was about to make a royal mess of things¡­ edible things¡­


    ¡°How can someone with as much talent as she has fail so badly at basic cooking? I guess this is just another of life¡¯s many mysteries¡­¡±


    Finding some strangefort in the presence of his old friends, the tired sigh and the exasperated grumble, he ducked into the shadows and crept between them, pausing when his target entered one of the ssrooms.


    ¡°Huh, a ssroom. I think that¡¯s a good thing. At least it isn¡¯t the lunchroom. Worst of all, the kitchen¡­ Still, I¡¯d better keep my guard up. I¡¯m going up against the Great Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Since she likes to think outside the box, this could still be an attempt to cook, but he didn¡¯t have the creative skills to see how. Just as he was getting ready to go down that mental hole, he stopped himself.


    ¡°Okay, no. Man, get a grip on yourself. This is Princess Mia. She might make some bad decisions sometimes, but she won¡¯t cook in a ssroom. I¡¯m just paranoid. Nothing is wrong. I won¡¯t wake up tomorrow to find half the school burned down¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment to think. Then he gave himself a nod.


    ¡°Okay. Everything is fine, and I¡¯m just worried,¡± he said as he hunkered down.


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with being scared, right? I¡¯ll just stay here and see what happens. Just in case.¡±


    He still went down the rabbit hole.


    The next day, things went downhill quickly.


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be¡­ Is that Princess Rania?¡±


    When he looked out from where he was hiding and saw the person walking with the person he was watching, a chill went down his spine.


    As Rania Tafrif Perujin, Princess of Perujin Agricultural Country, and Mia went into the ssroom, they smiled at each other with excitement. Rania, the princess of Perujin Agricultural Country, which is known for its many crops, was working on a secret project with Mia.


    Keithwood shook when he thought about it.


    He mumbled, ¡°What could Princess Mia and Princess Rania be doing together?¡±


    After all, he could just walk away and act like nothing had happened if he didn¡¯t know.


    He failed. With saying the question out loud, the answer became even more clear.


    ¡°What else?! Something to do with cooking, of course!¡±


    He scolded himself for being weak and looked around the ssroom. Only one thing could be going on in there.


    If this were a regr tea party, they wouldn¡¯t need to keep it secret. All that sneaking around made me think something was going on.


    He could smell it in the air, and it smelled like Mia¡¯s usual mix of harmless but damaging tricks.


    ¡°¡­At worst, she will ruin a lot of good Perujin crops with her cooking.¡±


    He clenched his teeth as images of terrible things went through his mind. Fresh vegetablesy in sloppy pieces, their tasty futures cruelly taken away. Mountains of fruit floated like bloated bodies in the stew. Two soft slices of bread struggled to hold a whole apple while their life and identity as a sandwich drained away.


    As his terrifying visions reached their worst point, his master was forced to eat these disgusting foods. Then, still hungry, they turned their sights on Keithwood himself¡­


    ¡°Gah! Suns that burn, I need to do something about this¡­¡±


    Keithwood was a good cook, but even he didn¡¯t know everything about Perujin food and couldn¡¯t be expected to make dishes out of their more unusual foods. So, what about the Great Wisdom?


    ¡°Princess Mia is an intelligent person. There¡¯s no reason she couldn¡¯t know something unusual about cooking.¡±


    If she could cook like she said she could, everything would be fine. The problem was that it was very likely that she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I can almost hear her talking about how she¡¯s going to make a fancy dish with mushrooms¡­ That would be a terrible nightmare for everyone.¡±


    He gulped and then put his hand on his stomach, which was starting to hurt from waiting.


    ¡°I should probably do something about this before it¡¯s toote¡­¡±


    He made a face.


    ¡°Ugh, I swore I¡¯d never go through something like that again, but¡­¡±


    He got up and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Oh well, I guess I have no choice.¡±


    He walked slowly toward the ssroom, not wanting to go there at all.


    Rania did her ritual dance for the first time in front of Mia and Bel. She danced with a cast in each hand while wearing baggy pants and a top with short sleeves.


    ck! Click and click!


    The instruments made a steady beat, and Rania danced to it by moving in time the rhythm of the percussion. Well, kind of, if you have a very broad idea of what ¡°in time¡± means.


    Mia thought, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really make sense,¡± as she watched Rania perform.


    <em>I think that those instruments are making her feel strange. She seems to be paying so much attention to them that her dancing is getting sloppy. Also, she doesn¡¯t stop when she should, so her movements don¡¯t have any punch. She probably can¡¯t hold a pose well because she¡¯s always thinking about her next move¡­</em>


    Mia kept looking thoughtful even after the dance was over because she was still thinking about it.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s it. Um, what do you think?¡± asked Rania, who was feeling nervous.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    She crossed her arms and, like a contest judge, said, ¡°You were pretty much wrong the whole time.¡± It was a brutally honestment.


    ¡°You started off well, but your cking and dancing got out of sync over time. It could be from being tired, but¡­¡±


    <em>It feels more like nerves to me.</em>


    Since her sister wasn¡¯t there, the pressure of having to do everything by herself must have been getting to her. It would exin why she had trouble keeping time and moved quickly, since people tend to move quickly when they are nervous. It¡¯s hard because she has to keep her own beat.


    This problem would be a lot easier to deal with if there were instruments to y along with the song, but Rania didn¡¯t have that option. So, her pace kept getting faster and faster until her body could no longer keep up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to tell you this, but I think I¡¯ll have to ask you to practise your basics with Bel.¡±


    Even without the mental pressure, her technique wasn¡¯t anything special. Mia decided that the best way to get ahead quickly was to start by getting good at the basics. With good technique came confidence, which was important for making more progress.


    Which really was true! In a rare turn of events and against all odds, Mia the Great Educator made a decision that was incredibly and undeniably right.


    So it was with Mia, who always took dance and mushrooms very seriously.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start¡ªOh?¡±


    Someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t know who that is.¡±


    As Anne opened the door, Mia looked over her shoulder. The familiar sight of Sion¡¯s servant stood in the hall.


    ¡°Hm, Keithwood? Why is he here?¡±


    He looked a little pale, which made her wonder even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to barge in, Princess Mia,¡± Keithwood said as he walked in. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been doing something with a lot of enthusiasmtely, and I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with¡ªHm?¡±


    He took a moment to look around the room. He turned to Bel and Rania with a confused look on his face and asked, ¡°Uh¡­ What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Well, Keithwood, I didn¡¯t expect you to show up. We tried to keep this a secret, but that¡¯s no longer possible.¡±


    Mia gave a big sigh and shook her head.


    ¡°If you have to know, I¡¯m teaching Bel and Rania how to dance.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dancing lessons?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bel, especially. She really needs them, and I didn¡¯t want people to find out before she was ready¡­¡±


    She took a quick look at Bel, who, bless her heart, was looking at the ground and blushing. Mia thought that if she couldn¡¯t dance well, it must be embarrassing for her.


    Bel hopped over to Mia and whispered, ¡°G-grandmother Mia, look! I-the It¡¯s loyal servant of the Libra King! Keithwood, the brilliant and steady swordsman!¡±


    Even though she stuttered, her voice showed that she was amazed.


    ¡°Wow¡­! Wow! I¡¯ve never been this close to him before. Right there is where he is. I could reach out and touch him!¡±


    She swung her arms around in excitement, and the redness in her cheeks looked less like embarrassment about her bad dancing and more like the flush of a fangirl who had just met her idol.


    Maniabel was now the name of Miabel!


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± said Mia. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Keithwood, on the other hand, didn¡¯t know this. He looked at Bel and moved around in an awkward way.


    ¡°I apologise. I shouldn¡¯t have just walked in. Please don¡¯t care that I¡¯m here. I¡¯m just the lowly servant of milord. If it makes you feel better, think of yourself as having been looked at by a dog,¡± he said in a serious voice.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia thought about him with her lips pursed.


    <em>I thought it would be easiest to also teach Rania the Dance of Moonlight, but then Bel wouldn¡¯t have anything to do. Bel¡¯s ultimate goal is to be a good ballroom dancer, and she¡¯ll need a partner sooner orter to get there. This could turn out to be a good chance. If she is paired up with Keithwood, she might be a little more eager to learn. After all, she seems to like him quite a bit¡­</em>


    She looked at him.


    ¡°Keithwood, do you happen to know how to dance well?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, I guess I know a few things,¡± he said with a shrug.


    <em>A few things, huh¡­ From what I¡¯ve seen, his ¡°one or two things¡± are usually more like ten or twenty. He looks like the kind of guy who would make girls fall in love with him everywhere on the dance floor.</em>


    The thought was strangely annoying, so she gave him a scowl before going on.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, as punishment for your nosiness, I need your help with this. You made a young girl feel bad when you found out she couldn¡¯t dance. Help me teach her¡ªthe that¡¯s least you can do to make up for it.¡±


    Mia stopped when her grandmotherly instincts told her to be careful.


    <em>Wait a minute¡­ This could be a dangerous n. What if Bel gets a lot of attention and all the boys want to be with her?</em>


    It didn¡¯t sound like a good idea to take private dance lessons from Keithwood, who had a long history of killing women. He would be really bad for her. She was about to take back her request when Bel spoke up, pulling the words out of her mouth and putting an official stamp on them.


    ¡°R-Really? Miss Mia, are you for real? I¡¯ll be dancing with Keithwood? Omigosh! Wow! That¡¯s¡­¡±


    The young girl threw her hands in the air and her face got even redder. Mia shook her head like a parent who didn¡¯t like something.


    She turned to Keithwood and said, ¡°I swear, there are days when I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re really rted.¡±


    ¡°All right, there you go. If it¡¯s not too much to ask, I¡¯d like you to dance with Bel and help her work on her moves. Six days from now, she has a dance test, and I want her to do well.


    ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case,¡± he said with a soft smile, ¡°then you can count yourself in, youngdy. I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you get better.¡±


    ¡°Thank-you! I¡¯ll also do my best!¡±


    Bel said this with a bow.


    <em>Ah, it¡¯s so much fun to learn to dance with Grandmother Mia.</em>


    Bely in the softness of her bed, unable to keep her eyes open as thest hours of the day passed. Her favourite time of day was the time between yesterday and tomorrow, when she could feel the gentle caress of sleep but hadn¡¯t yet fallen asleep.


    She fell asleep with her face on her pillow and let the memories of the day fill her mind. She went through them one by one, as if to reassure herself that yes, today had also been full of happiness.


    <em>I never thought I¡¯d get to dance with Keithwood, ha ha. That Keithwood! He was known for always being loyal. It¡¯s exactly like a dream.</em>


    Keithwood seemed like a character from a fairy tale to Bel, and dancing with him made her feel like a fairy tale character herself. She had a light feeling in her body, like she was about to float away. She tried to stay still, but her whole body wanted to move, spin, and dance. All in all, the whole thing had been a real treat. She breathed out a happy sigh.


    ¡°What a happy life this is¡­¡±


    She was serious. There was no question in her mind that she was happy every day. Saint-Noel felt like a magical wondend that hade straight out of her dreams. There was tasty food everywhere, and she could eat as much as she wanted, including sweets. Even though homework was sometimes hard, school could be a lot of fun.


    She had even met someone. It was just like a dream. Even though she didn¡¯t know when this dream would end, she was happy as could be while it was still going on.


    But there¡¯s a catch.


    She had never been sad. No matter what, she had never been less than she was, because her life was a gift that had a price. So many people had given up a lot in order to give it to her. So, that life had to be good. There was nothing else that would do.


    She would not and could not let her smile fade because of all the people who had loved her and put their lives at risk for her. She smiled even more. She was happy because of it. Always cheerful.


    ¡°I should be really happy right now, but¡­¡±


    It¡¯s true. Definitely. But she couldn¡¯t tell anyone, which made her feel a little bit alone. She wanted to tell her dear Mother Elise about all the great things that had happened to her today.


    She could picture the look of happiness on Mother Elise¡¯s face as she told about meeting her grandmother in person.


    But it didn¡¯t matter because the people who were important to Bel were no longer here. The person she most wanted to tell couldn¡¯t hear her anymore.


    ¡°Oh, how about a letter?¡±


    Bel had a sudden thought. She was still connected to Mother Elise in some way. Or rather, someone: Elise, who was still young. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the memories they had shared in the past, but¡­


    ¡°Yes, I should write a letter¡­ to Mother, no, to Elise,¡± she said.


    She put her hopes on that thin thread that connected the present to the past. She thought that as long as it held, her words would reach the source of that tender warmth from the past.


    A letter then. She would write about how beautiful her grandmother was today. That wouldn¡¯t be enough, though. She would continue to write. So many good things had happened today, and she would list them all one by one. That¡¯s what she would say.


    ¡°Right now, Mother Elise, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know when this dream would end, but she was happy every second of it, including right now.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Since I¡¯m already writing a letter, I might as well¡­¡±


    After 10 days, Mia was shaking as she held a piece of paper in one hand.


    The result of Bel¡¯s dance test was written on it.


    ¡°¡­This has to be wrong. I taught her for a long time. Keithwood even came to help. So why does she have a C?¡±


    To give you some idea, a C was just good enough to pass. It wasn¡¯t great, but it wasn¡¯t a failure either.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t okay with me!¡± she said.


    Afterining out loud and for a long time about how useless her efforts were, Mia looked at Bel, who didn¡¯t look the least bit upset. When she saw her granddaughter¡¯s happy smile, she felt down, and she let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well, at least it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re getting bullied for being bad at dancing. In that case, I guess it¡¯s okay even if your grades aren¡¯t that good¡­¡±


    Just when Mia was figuring out how to be a patient parent, Bel asked Miss Mia, ¡°By the way, when does the glowing start?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What?!¡±


    ¡°The glowing? When will my body start to shine?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia stared at the girl with wide eyes because her question was so strange.


    ¡°Mother Elise told me that you really shone when you danced. That¡¯s why I thought if I learned how to dance, I¡¯d start glowing too,¡± Bel said, emphasising her point with an enthusiastic but still clumsy twirl. Mia¡¯s head began to hurt right away.


    ¡°Elise¡­¡± she asked, ¡°What in the moons were you saying to this girl?¡±


    Still, she didn¡¯t think there was any reason to tell Bel the sad truth and crush her hopes. She quickly thought about it, then hit her palm with her fist as a sign of sudden insight.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that¡­ Do you remember what I taught you to dance?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Um, yes. It¡¯s called the Moonli Dance¡ªOh!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Do you get it now?¡± Mia asked, nodding slowly and with the air of someone telling a secret.


    ¡°So basically, once I can do the Dance of Moonlight perfectly, it¡¯ll happen to me too¡­¡±


    Bel gave a hopeful smile. Mia also smiled, but her smile wasn¡¯t as sweet.


    <em>Ohoho! That should make her want to improve her dancing even more.</em>


    She thought to herself, ¡°This is a great idea, even if I do say so myself.¡±


    After a few days¡­


    ¡°What the moons is this?!¡±


    Mia found the following passage while reading The Chronicles:


    Princess Mia was the best dancer in the world. She was an expert in all kinds of dance, and some say she even mastered a legendary dance that was only taught to people with imperial blood. When this dance was done well, the dancer would give off a glow like the moon.


    But this story is over, so you¡¯ll have to make up your own story about what happened after she passed out and what happened next.

 Chapter 296

    <strong>Sidechapter: Mia¡¯s Diary of Ind Incidents</strong>


    <strong><em>30th day of the 7th month.</em></strong>


    Today for lunch, I had grilled abalone.


    It was wonderful. I thought of mushrooms because of how chewy it was. It also smelled like fresh seafood, which is something I like.


    It had the right amount of salt, and the seaweed sd that came with it was nice and chewy. I like to chew. It really showed me that there is more to food than just taste.


    The most luxurious thing you can do is eat seafood on a boat. I didn¡¯t know, though, that shellfish are kind of like mushrooms and taste really good.


    I should tell the head chef and ask him to add them as soon as possible to the menu.


    Highly rmended. ?????


    I had a strange soup for dinner.


    The strange creature called ¡°Archdaemon¡¯s familiar¡± was cooked to make it. It has a lot of tentacles, which Esmeralda found disgusting, but I tried some and it was really good.


    It has suckers on its legs, and when you chew on them, they feel really different. These are really easy to get hooked on.


    Rmend. ????


    Note: I feel like most foods thate from the sea are chewy. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll get to the ind. I¡¯m excited to see what I¡¯ll be able to eat there.


    So, after reading it over, it looks like my diary has once again turned into a page of food reviews. I don¡¯t know how. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with it.


    Anyway, we got back to our boat in the end. It¡¯s been a crazy couple of days, but now that we¡¯re all home safely, I think I¡¯ll look back on this trip with fondness. I might as well write them down since I¡¯m already thinking about them.


    <strong><em>Day 1</em></strong>


    We got to the ind where Esmeralda likes to go on vacation. Just before we got tond, our rafts flipped over, but everything was fine. Abel and Sion came to help me, and with their help, I had no trouble getting onto the ind.


    As soon as we were settled on the ind, Esmeralda taught me how to swim. I learned right away how to swim. Everyone was surprised by how fast I could learn. Even Sion¡¯s eyes went wide.


    He said, ¡°You look like a mermaid!¡±


    I¡¯m sure he was a little over the top, but I appreciate the thought. The rest of the day went well as well. It was really fun.


    On the second day, things began to go wrong.


    <strong><em>Day Two</em></strong>


    When we woke up, it was storming.


    I thought I was going to be blown away by how strong the wind was. After all, I¡¯m not that heavy. When the wind is strong, people like me who are light need to be extra careful.


    Then I realized that the only people around were me, Esmeralda, Anne, Abel, Sion, Keithwood, and Nina. Everyone except the seven of us had disappeared! The Emerald Star was gone as well.


    I still remember being so surprised.


    <strong><em>Day 3</em></strong>


    The storm was over, but the Emerald Star did not return. We had no choice but to figure out how to live by ourselves on the ind.


    Everyone did what I said because I was the resident survival expert. We got food and made fires to send signals. Now, it¡¯s all a nice memory, but at the time, it was a lot of work, which was made worse when Esmeralda disappeared¡­


    I¡¯ll skip that part of the story to protect Esmeralda¡¯s good name.


    In any case, on day four, we finally got off the ind. But I had no idea that the most dangerous part of this adventure was right at the end.


    While we were swimming toward the Emerald Star, a man-eating fish appeared in front of us! It was out for blood, and it came at me with terrible speed, which was actually a relief. It was much better for it toe after me and not the others, because I was ready for it. So, once the massive man-eating monster of a fish got close enough, I pped it right on the nose and sent it whimpering away. Easy-peasy.


    I did, however, discover a terrible secret. My gut is telling me there will be lots of trouble down the road. Just thinking about how I¡¯m going to exin everything to Miss Rafina is giving me a headache. I¡¯m going to need to make so many excuses¡­ Ugh, my ancestors sure didn¡¯t make things easy for me.

 Chapter 297

    <strong>Bad News! The Deadly n is Finally Set in Motion!</strong>


    Now that the horsemanship tournament was over, autumn was in full swing. It was the time of year when there were lots of good things to eat. This would normally be Mia¡¯s favourite time of year.


    ¡°Oh, woe is me¡­¡±


    Instead, she was letting out a sad sigh at the moment.


    You might think that another episode of F.A.T. was keeping her from eating a whole bunch of sweets, but if you did, you¡¯d be¡­wrong!


    The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia was the cause of all of her trouble. Her brain had a tendency to forget bad memories, which was usually a good thing, but it wasn¡¯t going to forget that winter wasing, and with it, her predicted death.


    The Princess Chronicles, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t get back to its original size, even though it had an updated passage about how she won the horsemanship tournament. It even talked about how, during her victoryp, she ¡°flew around the spectator stands like a fairy.¡±


    <em>What kind of nonsense was Anne telling Elise?</em>


    Mia said, ¡°Hmm,¡± and her brows furrowed. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to ask for help from everyone¡­¡±


    The horsemanship tournament taught her how important it is to ask for help when you need it.


    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t just tell them about the Princess Chronicles, but¡­ Maybe I can say I heard about a n to kill me?¡±


    She could ask for help from one of the boys. She thought about Abel¡¯s face first, then Sion¡¯s and Keithwood¡¯s. They were all capable fighters. If she had them take turns guarding her around the clock, wouldn¡¯t she be able to fend off any attempts on her life?


    Even though the n made sense, it would not work out. The next morning, she decided to tell them about her n. Before she left, she checked the Princess Chronicles and saw that it had been updated to include both the talk she was about to have with them and how she¡¯d die afterward. The book says that Abel would keep a close eye on her as her bodyguard, but she managed to get away from him and sneak out of Saint-Noel.


    ¡°Gah! What in the moons was this future me thinking?¡±


    She screamed and held her head in anger. She couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy at the same time.


    ¡°The way things keep happening in the book makes me feel like I¡¯m being led to my own death. It¡¯s almost as if someone is controlling me.¡±


    She tried to picture herself leaving the academy without thinking, drawn away by the Serpents. She did well. Way too simple. The face she saw made her shiver. It was empty and clueless.


    ¡°Also, now that I think about it, even if I make it through the night of the Holy Eve Festival, it won¡¯t matter if they go ahead with their n to kill me soon after. This brings up another question. Are they really going to kill me?¡±


    It was theoretically possible for her to surround herself with guards to ward off assassins, but that was neither feasible in the long term nor did it solve the fundamental problem. As long as she didn¡¯t know who the killers were, she could only treat the symptoms and not the disease.


    The fact that she didn¡¯t even know what would happen was especially frustrating. She was the only witness, but she had been killed, so there were very few details. She had looked through the Princess Chronicles, but all it told her was that she would die.


    ¡°Well, it looks like I did learn something. I know now that I try to sneak past my own guards so I can die. So, hmm¡­ Maybe I should tie myself to a pir or lock myself in a dungeon for that one day. But that still feels like it¡¯s just dying the inevitable. Hmm,¡± she said as she walked past the library.


    Chloe, who happened to be at the door, said, ¡°Ah, Princess Mia!¡±


    ¡°My, Chloe. I guess you¡¯re looking for more books?¡±


    ¡°Yes. People do say that fall is the best time to read.¡±


    She smiled and showed Mia the books in her hands.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a nice time, for sure. It¡¯s neither too hot nor too cold. Great for getting lost in a book, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Mia agreed, but a dull thought kept her from being as excited as Chloe.


    <em>If I die in the winter, I won¡¯t be able to finish reading Elise¡¯s book. I do wonder what will happen to the prince and the dragon¡­ The end of that story hadn¡¯t been told yet.</em>


    She had heard the beginning of the story in the underground dungeon and wanted to read the rest.


    <em>Even so, I heard it at a time that is technically three years from now, and it won¡¯t be finished until then, so I guess I¡¯m out of luck.</em>


    For book lovers, not being able to finish a good story was one of the worst things that could happen. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about this sad thing until¡­


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Chloe handed her a book. The name of the book was Exotic Gastronomy 2.


    <em>Oh, I see now what¡¯s going on. So, you¡¯ve been reading things like that. I see that you are also a fellow cravings soldier!</em>


    Harvest time was in the fall. Unavoidably, it was also a time when people wanted to eat more.


    Mia said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a book that looks pretty tasty?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. The first volume of Exotic Gastronomy talked about tasty foods from all over the world, and now the second volume is out. This one focuses on seasonal dishes and¡­ Look! Here, it says that mushroom stew is especially good right now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes were sparkling.


    ¡°Mushroom stew¡­ How awfully appealing. Okay, I¡¯ll read this book all the way through!¡±


    Keithwood was about to have more bad things happen in the kitchen.

 Chapter 298

    <strong>Rafina¡¯s Anxiety</strong>


    ¡°Lady Rafina, here are the papers that exin how security works. Could you talk to the student council about them?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Thank you, Santeri, as always.¡±


    Santeri Bandler bowed his head in respect. He was getting close to old age and had been a guard-priest on Saint-Noel Ind for a long time. Since he started working there when he was twenty-five, he had never left the ind in the thirty-five years since then.


    He seemed like a true craftsman who was proud of his work, and for good reason. It was because of the strong system of police and security protocols he had created that the ind was known as the safest ce on the continent. On more than one asion, the Duke of Belluga gave him medals for his work.


    Rafina quickly looked over the papers he gave her¡­ and gave a small frown. Almost all of the steps are the same asst year¡­


    ¡°May I ask if any of the rules don¡¯t seem right?¡±


    After seeing her reaction, Santeri asked her nicely.


    ¡°I think that these rules are the best way to make sure that you are safe and that nothing bad happens that could hurt Belluga¡¯s good name.¡±


    He had a point. In the documents, the security measures were well thought out. People who wanted to go to the ind had always had to go through strict checks. It was almost impossible for someone with bad intentions to get in. Trying to bring in harmful things like poisons or weapons was just as pointless. You could try to swim across, but you might get caught in one of the water traps that surround the ind.


    If an assassin had the same skills and intelligence as Tearmoon¡¯s best knight, the famous Empire¡¯s Finest, they might be able to sneak in, but that was a very tall order for the average assassin. For all intents and purposes, Saint-Noel was an ind haven. Rafina thought the ind was a paradise because it was cut off from the rest of the world.


    During the Holy Eve Festival, there were also strict rules about what food students could eat. Ingredients were kept deep in the academy, where only the chef-priest could get to them, and they were prepared for the table under his strict watch. Food tasters would also be there, ready to try each dish before it was served.


    On the day of the Holy Eve Festival, the ind¡¯s security was even tighter than usual. This meant that nothing bad could happen.


    So believed Rafina. Or, rather, that¡¯s what she thought when she was stressed out by all the things she had to do as student council president.


    Mia was president now, though. Rafina had time to think when she wasn¡¯t busy with her job duties. And because she thought about it, she thought of something.


    <em>Even if our security measures are perfect, wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to never change them?</em>


    Imagine that the ind¡¯s security was perfect and that no one was able to get in, even though they tried. Would all of these spies be scared away for good? No, many would not give up.


    And if they did, wouldn¡¯t they n around the existing defences on the ind?


    borate patrol routes¡­ ced carefully, guards¡­ These were sure to work against foes who didn¡¯t know what they were doing.


    But what if the bad people they caught were with other bad people? If they were caught, their friends might learn about how those guards were carefully ced and howplicated their patrol routes were. This would help them n their next attack.


    <em>There might be a weak spot in our security. It¡¯s not impossible, though.</em>


    It was a vague worry about a vague threat. But even though it was vague, it made her feel like she had to act quickly. She knew in some way. There was going to be trouble.


    She asked the guard-priest about it because she had this feeling.


    ¡°Santeri, are you sure that these safety precautions are enough?¡±


    Stiff thinking was the most dangerous thing. People couldn¡¯t think critically about a system if they always believed in it, which made them blind to reasonable doubts about the system¡¯s effectiveness. When it came to safety, being too sure of yourself led to a fall.


    She was about to say that the rules should be looked at more carefully when Santeri spoke up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you mean.¡±


    His voice had the stiffness of pride that had been hurt.


    ¡°As you know, Lady Rafina, we¡¯ve always followed these rules, and they¡¯ve never let us down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but are you sure there aren¡¯t any mistakes? Any blind spots?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any. We, priests, who are in charge of protecting this ind put our honour and lives on the line for our work,¡± he said, before adding angrily, ¡°If yourdyship thinks my rules aren¡¯t good enough, you can fire me.¡±


    <em>Well, this is a bit of a mess.</em>


    The situation was getting worse and worse quickly. Without Santeri, it would be very hard to redesign the security protocols. Decades of protecting the ind had given him a wealth of knowledge that was very important.


    It was, of course, also making his mind less flexible, but she couldn¡¯t afford to lose that knowledge because she knew how useful it was.


    Problem is, there aren¡¯t any. At least, nothing real. His ns for security are very good. Even if I fire him and try to fix them myself, I can¡¯t be sure that I can do better. They could be a lot worse, though¡­


    It would be pointless to fix something just to break it again. She couldn¡¯t leave things as they were, though. She was sure, but she didn¡¯t know why.


    <em>If I tell him to, he¡¯ll probably make me a new security n, but¡­</em>


    There was also a problem with that, and it had to do with who took the lead. There was no way topare the quality of work that was done willingly and with passion to work that was done reluctantly and because someone told them to.


    If anything, that would just give the Serpents a chance to do something. They know how to take advantage of these kinds of psychological weaknesses. The Chaos Serpents could find sneaky ways to get into people¡¯s hearts. Even a small disagreement between Santeri and her would give them a chance to attack.


    So, what she needed was for him to feel the same way she did. She could only use his experience to its fullest by making him see the same danger she did.


    <em>Oh, this is really tough. I can¡¯t even figure out what I¡¯m worried about, let alone tell him about it¡­</em>


    If his security procedures had a clear w, she could just point it out and tell him to fix it. Unfortunately, her worry wasn¡¯t quite as clear-cut as that. It was more about being ready in your mind to look for ws than about any particr w. In his current state of mind, Santeri probably couldn¡¯t see any problems with the system he had made.


    Even if he did, she didn¡¯t think he would say so. Most likely, she would have to use the same protocols again this year. But the Serpents will definitely take advantage of a chance like that.


    Rafina¡¯s face stayed sad after Santeri left the room, and she kept thinking about the problem. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed in anger.


    When she opened her eyes again, she saw a red strip of cloth out of the corner of her eye. It was the sign that people who voted for Mia for student council wore.


    She whispered, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not very good, am I?¡± and then sheughed softly to herself. ¡°I¡¯m doing it again.¡±


    At that moment, Monica walked in.


    ¡°Hm? What are you up to again, Miss Rafina?¡±


    Rafina grimaced.


    ¡°Trying to take care of everything on my own. This is something that the student council should talk about. I need to get better at asking for advice.¡±


    She got up, moved her head from side to side, and then went to the student council office.

 Chapter 299

    Mia Opens Her Eys to the Ultimate Truth


    ¡°Huh? Mushroom¡­stew?¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s mind went nk for a second. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. Everything had been fine just a few minutes ago. It was now a real emergency. The suddenness was hard to understand.


    <em>What? But¡­how? We were talking about how to keep people safe during the Holy Eve Festival.</em>


    Rafina didn¡¯t usually talk about her frustrations, so when she did during the meeting, it caught everyone¡¯s attention. Her worries were also valid, and everyone agreed that more safety measures needed to be taken.


    <em>So why? Why do we want to talk about mushroom stew right now?</em>


    There was a crisis, and no one knew it wasing.


    It all started when the student council got together to talk about safety during the Holy Eve Festival.


    ¡°A lot of people will being and going from the ind that day, and many of them will be guests and people from other countries. I¡¯d like to reassure everyone that our security measures will be perfect, but¡­¡±


    Even though her tone made it clear that she was unsure, she went on to talk about the problems she was having.


    <em>Well then. I can see that nobody has an easy life.</em>


    Keithwood let out a quiet whistle of a sigh as he stood a few steps behind Sion. Everywhere it was the same. Until they had to learn new tricks, the old dogs were the most reliable. Expertise gained over a lifetime almost always led to mental hardening. The more experienced someone was, the less flexible their thinking was, and the more likely they were to make a big mistake. He said that he was sad that experience could be such a mixed blessing.


    The problem was that these old fossils still had value, but it had to be done carefully to get that value. No matter how rigid their skills were, they could be put to good use. Leaders had to be able to figure out how to use and distribute all human resources in the best way possible.


    <em>I sure don¡¯t want to be in her ce right now.</em>


    He thought, ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s even a good way to solve this problem,¡± with the kind of casual interest that only those who weren¡¯t in the hot seat could have.


    But this interest didn¡¯tst long as a side thing.


    ¡°Well then, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we go look for mushrooms?¡±


    The president of the student council then lit a fire right behind him.


    <em>Heck, her suggestion didn¡¯t even make any sense! What did she mean when she said ¡°well then¡±?</em>


    There was no way to make sense of what was going on. Keithwood swallowed hisints and told his mind to work harder. He did this to be polite.


    This was Mia after all. The renowned wisdom of the Empire.


    His own master, Sion, highly thought of her, and he had been impressed by her on more than one asion.


    <em>Surely, what she said had a lot of good sense. There must have been.</em>


    He hoped there would be from the sweet suns up in the sky. He prayed quietly for this unseen wisdom to be clear quickly because he couldn¡¯t get rid of the worry that it might not exist.


    Princess Mia tends to¡­lose her head when ites to mushrooms. She was crazy about mushrooms for some reason, which he didn¡¯t understand at all.


    <em>Is this some sort of ¡°the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach¡± thing? No, that¡¯s just too crazy¡­</em>


    He looked at her in silence with worried brows, waiting to see what would happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Mia, but could you maybe say more about what you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand,¡± Rafina said in the same way.


    Mia didn¡¯t exin anything. Instead, she just nodded and said, ¡°Please, just leave this to me. I promise you that a bowl of delicious mushroom stew is the key to victory!¡±


    <em>You have to grab someone by the gut if you want them to listen to you.</em>


    Mia thought back to a few lines she had just read in a book Chloe had let her borrow. It had said, ¡°Humans¡¯ most basic need is to eat. By controlling a person¡¯s hunger, one can gain power over that person.¡±


    The passage had struck her very deeply.


    ¡°This book tells us a basic truth about being human!¡±


    She ate up the book because of how deep it was. So, her brain went from being in ¡°romance mode¡± to ¡°gourmet mode,¡± which let her do ¡°mental fermentation.¡±


    The final distition of those efforts was the ultimate idea she just presented as a solution¡ªexquisite mushroom stew!


    That guy in charge of safety¡ªwas his name Santeri?


    He won¡¯t be able to beat mushroom stew.


    That wasn¡¯t all, though.


    The Great Gastronome of the Empire wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with a n that only had one goal. This had two parts. And feeding him will be a practise run for the night of the Holy Eve Festival, when we¡¯ll have a private stew party with the student council.


    The Princess Chronicles say that Mia would ask the princes to watch over her during the festival, but then she would get away from them and sneak off the ind.


    She had thought about what would make her do something like that and came up with a guess.


    ¡°Something¡¯s going to happen¡­and whatever it is, it¡¯s going to make me want to leave the ind.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she believed it herself, to be honest. She knew her own habits, so she didn¡¯t think it was likely that she would go for a horseback ride at midnight. She knew she was a careful, sensible person because she could look at herself without bias.


    Now, you could argue about whether or not both of those uses were true, but¡­


    ¡°Even if a caravan with the most exotic pastries stopped near theke, I¡¯m pretty sure I still wouldn¡¯t go. I know what I know, and I¡¯m pretty sure I wouldn¡¯t go,¡± she¡¯d said, thinking that she couldn¡¯t be tempted by just sweets.


    Then she read Chloe¡¯s book, and a cosmic truth became clear to her.


    ¡°Even someone with a lot of self-control like me might find that their willpower gives way to the primal desire to eat.¡±


    For example, if she tried a tasty treat the day before the festival and someone asked her to go back the next day for another bite, could she say no?


    What if it tasted good? Even more than the hare stew she had once?


    She scratched her stomach. She was full at the time. She could fight back. But what if, when the time came, she was incredibly hungry?


    Could she sneak out, thinking (wrongly) that now that she knew how to ride Kun well, she could get away from a thief or a wolf?


    ¡°I¡¯m not a glutton, but I¡¯m not sure if I could stop myself from eating. After all, I¡¯m going against a basic need. Raw human nature. In that situation, I bet a lot of people would end up going with their gut. And that¡­sounds just like something those sneaky Serpents would try to take advantage of. Hmph, you can¡¯t rx around them at all!¡±


    So, what could she do to get out of this mess? After giving it a lot of thought, she had an idea.


    ¡°If this problem happens because I choose to leave Saint-Noel, shouldn¡¯t I just make sure that what¡¯s going on inside is more interesting than what¡¯s going on outside?


    I could, for example, get them to make a lot of really good food at the academy, which would make me more likely to stay there¡­¡±


    So, she thought, ¡°The only way I can get out of this is to have a party with the student council and serve mushroom stew.¡±


    So, thanks to Mia, Project Mushroom Stew Party got started in a quiet way.

 Chapter 300

    <strong>Princess Mia Presents a Somewhat Reasonable Argument</strong>


    ¡°I promise you that a bowl of delicious mushroom stew is the key to victory!¡±


    The council members couldn¡¯t help but agree with her because of how sure she sounded. All but Keithwood, who spoke up right away because he was shocked that everyone seemed to lose all sense at the same time.


    ¡°H-Hold on a minute.¡±


    As Sion¡¯s servant, it was his job to stop his master from acting on bad decisions, even if it made Sion mad for a moment. He had a job to do, and now was the time to do it! He bravely stepped in front of Mia¡¯s fast-moving waggon of momentum because he was worried about Sion and knew this was a very bad idea.


    ¡°There are many kinds of mushrooms, some of which are poisonous and some of which are not. As far as I know, it is very hard to tell them apart. It doesn¡¯t seem wise to try to do it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Keithwood, I knew you¡¯d say that. You have always been careful when you are near mushrooms. That was smart. But don¡¯t worry, because what you¡¯re talking about has already been taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Huh? A solved problem? How exactly¡­if you don¡¯t mind my asking?¡±


    Mia smiled sneakily when he asked her that.


    ¡°Please think about what kind of ind you are standing on. Isn¡¯t it a God-blessed ind? If that¡¯s the case, nothing toxic could grow here or be brought in, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Keithwood couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. The safest ce on the continent¡­ Paradise on Earth¡­ People often used these words to describe Saint-Noel Ind because God had blessed it. Because the water in Noelige Lake was so clean and holy, nothing toxic, whether it was nts or animals, could live on the ind. It was such amon idea that it made sense.


    ¡°But¡­,¡± he said.


    He tried to argue back, but her quiet smile made him stop.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, and I get it. If a poisonous mushroom got past the ind¡¯s divine protection and onto our tes, which is very unlikely, we¡¯d be in a lot of trouble. Is that what you care about?¡±


    She talked slowly and in a way that seemed like she was talking to a small child. To be honest, it was a little annoying.


    ¡°To do this, we can just ask an expert toe with us, and I just so happened to meet one of these people recently.¡±


    ¡°You know someone who knows a lot about mushrooms? Who could it be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Citrina Yellowmoon, the daughter of one of the Empire¡¯s Four Dukes. She looks like she knows a lot about them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yellowmoon, the young one?¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in thought when he heard this name.


    ¡°But¡­isn¡¯t it possible that the House of Yellowmoon is working with the Chaos Serpents? ¡°Can we depend on them?¡±


    The question didn¡¯t make Mia lose her cool.


    ¡°Yes, the House is being looked at, but I don¡¯t think Citrina has anything to do with it. But let¡¯s say I was wrong to trust her and she really is a Serpent. Do you think she would do something so obviously in this case?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    In fact, it was a good argument. Duke Yellowmoon had to know that people were suspicious of him. He must know that his daughter Citrina is also being looked at.


    <em>He could try to get rid of the whole student council by sacrificing Citrina, but then we would already know it¡¯s him, so it¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯d all get a taste of the stew at the same time, and he must be aware of that¡­</em>


    If the first person to try the stew got sick, the others would probably stop eating it. Some kind of slow-acting poison could be used, but the chances of finding mushrooms with this kind of poison on the ind were, again, slim. Keithwood didn¡¯t think it would work as a n because too much of it depended on luck.


    ¡°Also,¡± Mia went on, ¡°I think that as members of the student council, we need to do more than just work together. We need to make friends, and it¡¯s my fault that I haven¡¯t had enough chances to do so so far. So, I¡¯d like to make up for it by using a big event like the Holy Eve Festival to throw a private party for the council so we can all have fun and get closer.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s very nice of you¡­¡±


    Her points were valid, but for some reason, Keithwood couldn¡¯t stand to hear them.


    The problem with them might have been that they were too good. They reminded Sion of the kind of reasoning he used to get ready to charge into danger.


    ¡°Bel and Citrina are also good friends, and they both said they wanted toe with us if we went mushroom hunting,¡± Mia said before turning her head.


    ¡°Miss Rafina, I think there might be a forest on the ind that would be perfect for this?¡±


    Rafina touched her chin with her finger and frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the east side of the ind has a small forest. I¡¯m not sure, though, if mushrooms grow there or not¡­¡±


    Mia waved her hand off this worry like it was nothing.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Citrina wille along. I¡¯ve also done some reading about the subject myself. Correct, Chloe?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes. You¡¯re right.¡±


    In recent weeks, Princess Mia has been reading books to figure out how to make the mushroom stew party a sess.


    <em>Oh, so this was premeditated. n instead of a whim.</em>


    Keithwood¡¯s exnation might have been a little too kind. Even so, he kept listening as Mia went on blithely with her story.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be on the peaceful ind of Saint-Noel, which is a blessed ce where nothing poisonous can grow. Citrina and I, both experienced mushroom guides, will show you around. How could something go wrong?¡±


    Keithwood looked at the self-proimed ¡°veteran mushroom guide¡¯s¡± confident stance.


    He couldn¡¯t think of a time when he was less sure of things.

 Chapter 301

    <strong>Fun and Leisure ns</strong>


    ¡°Okay, Rina, I brought a map.¡±


    After Mia talked Rafina into giving her a map, she went straight to see Citrina in her room. This, of course, was so they could make ns for their big trip to look for mushrooms.


    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty. Greetings.¡±


    The door was opened by Citrina¡¯s helper. She was an older woman, probably between fifty and sixty years old. Her face was nk, but her eyes were very sharp. Her reputation was that of a long-time servant who knew what to do but was also very set in her ways.


    ¡°Yes, hello, um, was it Ms. Barbara?¡± Mia asked with a frown. The old servant curtsied out of respect.


    ¡°It makes me feel very special that Your Highness remembers my name.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s good. Even so, it¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­¡±


    In reality, Mia did not feel veryfortable around people with stern faces like Barbara.


    <em>This woman reminds me of Ludwig. She seems like the kind of person who would tell people off if she caught them cking off.</em>


    Mia quickly walked past the olddy and into the room because she thought her presence was dangerous.


    Miabel was doing her homework inside with the help of Citrina. Lynsha was not far away.


    ¡°Hello, Rina. Thank you for treating Bel so well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty. That¡¯s nice of you to say. It¡¯s not much to be thankful for. After all, Bel is a close friend of Rina¡¯s,¡± said Citrina with a sweet smile.


    Belughed shyly and scratched her head. ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you to say, Rina. Thank you.¡±


    Mia¡¯s grandmother really came out in that scene. She smiled calmly as she watched the two young girls. She was happy to see that her granddaughter was getting along well with her friend. A quick look at Lynsha was enough to get a small nod.


    <em>It seems like everything is okay here¡­ It¡¯s nice to know that Lynsha is watching over them.</em>


    She gave a sigh of relief and then changed the subject.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get back to the student council trip we were talking about. I brought us a map.¡±


    This was her main reason foring. Citrina knew a lot about edible wild nts and herbs, but she also knew a lot about mushrooms, so Mia thought she would be the best person to talk to about making ns for mushroom hunting.


    ¡°Oh, thanks so much.Then let¡¯s start figuring out how to get there,¡± Citrina said as she took the map.


    On a side note, Citrina¡¯s room was set up the same way as Mia¡¯s. Only a writing desk and a bed, both of which were in, were in the room. Even Mia, who was always trying to save money, had made her room feel less harsh.


    ¡°Well, Citrina, I have to say, you didn¡¯t bring much from home, did you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Even though I was born to one of the Four Dukes, our house is known as the weakest and is only known for being the oldest. We can¡¯t buy as many luxuries as we¡¯d like, unfortunately.¡±


    Citrina said with a sorry grimace, ¡°I am sorry that my room is so boring.¡±


    Mia moved around ufortably because she felt like she had just said something hurtful.


    ¡°Oh, well, don¡¯t worry about it. To be honest, my room doesn¡¯t look all that different. What are you having trouble with¡­? Even though I don¡¯t have a lot of money to spend, I can buy your school books or some¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough just to think about it, Your Highness. I¡¯m all right. Rina can always go to the library when she wants to find out something.¡±


    Citrina pursed her lips in thought after putting Mia¡¯s worries to rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can put the map on the floor, so¡­ It¡¯s a little rude, but¡­¡±


    She stuck her tongue out yfully and put the map on her bed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That looks like fun!¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard the idea. She liked that making ns while huddled on a bed made her feel like she was up to something. It felt like a secret conversation between girls, which she loved. Her excitement, though, was tempered by worry.


    <em>Won¡¯t that Barbara woman scold us?</em>


    She looked toward the door and saw Barbara quietly watching them. The old woman didn¡¯t try to get close.


    <em>Huh, I didn¡¯t know that. I thought she would say at least one or two harsh words¡­</em>


    She gave the thought a quick raise of her eyebrow before turning around and jumping eagerly onto the bed.


    On the east side of Saint-Noel Ind was the forest where they nned to hunt.


    ¡°So, over there is a forest I¡¯ve never been,¡± said Mia.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very big forest, but there are a lot of mushrooms there, so it should be fun. We¡¯ll start looking for them as soon as we walk in, so everyone should have fun without going too far in.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds great!¡±


    She was happy that she could easily get to the mushrooms. Mia was a real cker, as you all know, so the less work she had to do, the better.


    ¡°We¡¯d also have to go deeper into the forest, but I know there¡¯s a spot where a lot of Belluga mushrooms grow,¡± said Citrina.


    ¡°My, Belluga mushrooms! They also grow here? I read about them in books written by Chloe. They are said to be good for stews.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Your Highness has read a lot, that¡¯s for sure. They¡¯re white mushrooms that taste very good, but¡­¡±


    Citrina frowned as she seemed to lose interest.


    ¡°Is something wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°There is another kind of mushroom called False Belluga Mushrooms that looks a lot like them, but it is poisonous.¡±


    ¡°My, poisonous, you say¡­¡±


    ¡°However, the poison isn¡¯t too strong. At worst, it could give you diarrhoea for three days and a bad stomachache, but it is said that even experts have trouble telling them apart.


    ¡°Hm¡­ experts,¡± Mia said with her arms crossed and her mouth moving.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we probably shouldn¡¯t pick any Belluga mushrooms,¡± said Citrina as she pointed to the map and drew a path that went into the forest from the south and stayed close to the edge.


    ¡°I think a path like this, where we don¡¯t go too far in, is a good idea. This way shouldn¡¯t have much danger.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mia looked at the map for a while, then straightened up and said, ¡°Hmm.¡±

 Chapter 302

    <strong>Handmade Charm</strong>


    Their talk came to an end just before dinner.


    ¡°We did surely talk for a long time, didn¡¯t we? We appreciate your time. You really helped. I¡¯ll repay youter.¡± said Mia.


    Citrina smiled back with her sweet smile.


    ¡°Please, Your Highness, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just happy that the student council is taking me out to look for mushrooms. It¡¯s a big deal for Rina.¡±


    The student council at Saint-Noel Academy was much more than just a school club. It had a lot of power and influence, which was made even stronger by the fact that its members were all very important people.


    For the average noble, just getting to know the Prince of Sunnd or the Holy Lady of Belluga would be cause for a party. So, even though Citrina offered to help Mia, she didn¡¯t ask for anything in return, because that¡¯s how people should act. It seemed natural to do¡­


    ¡°Well, by that logic, Bel should be in the same position, and you don¡¯t see her being so humble! Besides, you¡¯re with us as our official mushroom safety expert, so you should get something for your work,¡± Mia said.


    <em>A princess with a golden heart? If what people say is true¡­</em>


    Citrina gave another smile that was full of life.


    ¡°Thank you a lot, Your Majesty.¡±


    Right then, Bel spoke up.


    ¡°Miss Mia, you didn¡¯t bring anything to say thank you? That was pretty careless of you,¡± she said with a giggle, tilting her head back in a smug way. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I brought one.¡±


    Citrina wasn¡¯t ready for this. She didn¡¯t know what to say at first.


    Bel looked at her for a second, then held out her hands with pride.


    ¡°Here you go, Rina. I made this for you.¡±


    A small fluffy thing was in them.


    It turned out to be a stuffed animal when she looked at it more closely. It might have been a horse, but it was hard to be sure.


    ¡°Um, Bel? What¡­is it?¡±


    Bel grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s a toy horse! I got Malong to teach me in secret, and I did it myself. It¡¯s made of horse hair, and people in the Equestrian Kingdom think of it as a lucky charm.


    <em>A troya¡­ She is correct. This is a ssic charm from the Equestrian Kingdom.</em>


    Citrina was aware of them. One had been shown to her before by an Equestri. They were made by carefully weaving strands of hair into the shape that was wanted.


    Due to herck of experience, Bel¡¯s attempt didn¡¯t look much like a horse. It could have been a dog just as well, and that was being kind.


    Honestly, it looked a little bit scary, like a weird creature from a bad dream. It was not a gift that anyone would be happy to get. But it was still a gift, and the unexpected way in which it was given made Citrina feel a little something.


    ¡°Thank you, Bel. Thank you so much, this is a great gift,¡± she said with her usual head tilt and curled lip.


    It was a sweet, perfect smile that wasn¡¯t too emotional or too stiff. It was as beautiful as a flower in bloom, and everyone who saw it fell in love with it.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d you like it, Rina. Thank you for helping me study today.¡±


    Bel smiled, looking pure and warm. Citrina smiled back and tightened her face just enough to match her friend¡¯s enthusiasm.


    After saying goodbye to them, Citrina looked at the charm she was holding. She looked at it for a while, then with a dismissive flick of her wrist, she threw it into the corner of the room.


    Barbara walked over and picked it up from the ground without saying anything.


    ¡°So? What do you think, Barbara? Was that enough to get your attention?¡± Citrina asked.


    The old worker nodded in response, but her face didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°Yes, mdy. I do think you¡¯ve persuaded them not to go deep into the forest.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, they shouldn¡¯t be able to see anything they shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Citrina had a softugh. She was like a pretty little flower swaying in the wind. Then, her voice changed and took on a bit of worry.


    ¡°Tell me, Barbara. Will Rina¡¯s father now praise her? Will he tell Rina how nice I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have no doubt he will. Milord has a lot of respect for mdy. As long as the n works, he will praise you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Will he or won¡¯t he? Yes¡­ I¡¯ll carry out this n. It will work out. When it does, Rina¡¯s father will tell her how proud he is of her. Oh, I can hardly wait.¡±


    Citrinaughed as she spun around her room in a circle.


    Barbara stood and watched the dance in silence until she had an idea.


    ¡°By the way, mdy¡­¡±


    She showed the troya that Bel brought.


    ¡°What are you suggesting I do with this? Should I get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, throw it out? Hmm¡­¡±


    Citrina tilted her head in a cute way.


    ¡°That seems like a waste.¡±


    ¡°A waste, mdy?¡±


    She kept smiling at the person who was helping her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in lucky charms, but this will help me get to know Her Highness through Bel. Hold on to it for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡±


    After looking at Citrina for a long time, Barbara walked over to the desk and put the charm in a drawer.

 Chapter 303

    <strong>Meaning of Oldest and Weakest</strong>


    Ludwig and Dion were already looking into the Yellowmoons while Mia was busy talking on beds. The two men would eventually be close friends and be Empress Mia¡¯s most trusted retainers, but they had never worked alone together before.


    When Dion walked into Ludwig¡¯s office, he asked him right away, ¡°So, Ludwig, how do you n to do this? Round up the suspects and beat each one until they tell the truth? I¡¯d be up for that, but it sounds like a lot of work. If you want something quicker, we could just¡­¡±


    He made a sound with his tongue while moving his thumb across his throat.


    ¡°Take care of them without telling the princess. I¡¯m not crazy about this idea, but I¡¯ll do whatever needs to be done.¡±


    His sly grin was obviously meant to get a reaction.


    Ludwig didn¡¯t bite. Instead, he shook his head in a calm way.


    ¡°That would go against what Her Highness is trying to do. Such a n should only be used as ast resort,¡± Ludwig said with a shrug, making it clear that he didn¡¯t want to reject the idea right away.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think that we can stille up with more¡­civilized solutions.¡±


    He then went on in a more serious way.


    ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯ve told my men to keep an eye on the Yellowmoons ever since we got back from Ganudos. We are keeping an eye on the Duke¡¯s family, as well as his butlers, maids, and servants. I¡¯m also keeping a close eye on the Yellowmoon faction¡¯s most important nobles. But¡­for now, we don¡¯t have much to show for it. Nothing has happened. Not even an attempt to deter our agents. The Yellowmoons haven¡¯t done anything at all. No surveince system is perfect, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were taking steps but keeping them secret from us.¡±


    He stopped for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that Ganudos warned them and that they chose to stay put.¡±


    ¡°Probably. Still, they can stay quiet, but they must be able to talk to each other. Most likely, they are sending secret messages.¡±


    Ludwig agreed with the idea.


    ¡°Indeed. Letters are sent regrly to the Duke¡¯s daughter, who is currently at Saint-Noel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the school for the princess. Well, at least they¡¯re going in the right direction with their teeth. But you¡¯re telling me that those letters didn¡¯t have anything strange about them?¡±


    Dion said with a sharp gaze at Ludwig.


    ¡°Let me remind you that those are private letters from the Duke to his daughter, Sir Dion. Do you think I¡¯ve been reading such private letters?¡±


    ¡°I sure as hell do. Otherwise, I¡¯d say you weren¡¯t good at your job,¡± he said with a smile.


    Ludwig smiled back and put his hands wide apart.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll admit that I may have acted in a way that wasn¡¯t very gentlemanly. The letters were written by a father to his daughter who was in school, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise that they were about what you¡¯d expect. He asks her how she is doing and tells her to make the most of her time and skills.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I have to say, anyone who says I¡¯m a monster should take a good look at you. Getting a loving note from a father to his daughter? That¡¯s just disgusting,¡± Dion said in a mean way. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to, instead, choose ipetence?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Ludwig said with a straight face. ¡°Especially when Her Highness¡¯ safety is at stake. If that¡¯s what it takes to keep her safe, I¡¯ll go to hell and back.¡±


    Before going on, he stopped and took a deep breath.


    ¡°But despite my best efforts, I have nothing to show for it. To be honest, I¡¯m getting a little desperate for some useful information about the Yellowmoons¡­¡±


    Ludwig put his arms across his chest and let out a deep sigh.


    Dion was chuckling to himself about how deep the lines on the minister¡¯s forehead were when he had an idea.


    ¡°Huh. Question. Is it even possible that only a few family members could be part of the plot?¡±


    Dion asked in a snap.


    ¡°I think these kinds of big ns need everyone in the house to work together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I think it¡¯s quite possible that the Duke is the only one involved,¡± Ludwig said, putting his finger to the bridge of his sses in a ssic way.


    ¡°Oh yeah? How do you see it?¡±


    ¡°The thing about secrets is¡­the more people who know them, the easier it is for them to get out. It¡¯s a fact that can¡¯t be argued with.¡±


    ¡°Hah, and in the meantime, nothing is being said about the Yellowmoons. Not even a little bit of talk. The fact that they¡¯ve been able to keep quiet for so long shows that there aren¡¯t that many lips involved. Maybe only the Duke knows what¡¯s going on, and the rest of his family is clueless. So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Just about. Unless, of course, we¡¯re talking about a very unusual family¡­¡±


    Ludwig went quiet, which made Dion ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just now, I had a thought¡­ What do you think the House of Yellowmoon was supposed to do? What was supposed to be their role?¡±


    Dion raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°What do you mean by the word ¡®role¡¯?¡±


    ¡°For example,¡± Ludwig said in a calm voice, ¡°the House of Redmoon has a lot of power over the Ebony Moon Ministry. But with that kind of poweres the expectation that you have the right knowledge and can be counted on in an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± Dion said with his arms crossed and a nod.


    ¡°The same reasoning can be used for the House of Greenmoon, which has a lot of ties to other countries. By being the first to see how valuable goods and information from other countries were, they gained a lot of power in these areas. I don¡¯t like it when one group has too much power over education and schrship, but the Greenmoons deserve credit for what they¡¯ve done.


    ¡°Gotcha. So Duke Bluemoon is the empire¡¯s official ¡®cat-herder,¡¯¡± Dion joked. When Ludwig gave him a serious look, he said, ¡°He¡¯s the one who gets the powerful central nobility to work together so they¡¯re easier to control.¡±


    ¡°Yes, more or less. The point is that each of the Four Dukes has had a different role to y in our history. Then, what was Yellowmoon¡¯s?¡±


    Before Dion¡¯s thoughtful answer, there was a moment of silence.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The Four¡¯s oldest and weakest member¡­ If you take that at face value, it means that they have the longest history. They were there when the empire was made, and they shared the blood of the emperor and the hard work that went into making it. That might be it. All that glory in the past.¡±


    ¡°That might make sense today, but I don¡¯t think the first emperor lived by such nice rules. At the very least, he didn¡¯t sound like the type of person who would promote friends to noble ranks just because they were friends. This is just a guess, but¡­¡±


    For his own reasons, the man had tried to build an empire from the ground up. And he had done it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that a person of his stature would put up with waste. Out of gratitude, he wouldn¡¯t waste money on the Yellowmoons. There must have been something they did. Or¡­a role that they still y today. That might be the ce to look for answers.¡±


    ¡°So if it¡¯s not about being the oldest, is it the other part? Some kind of point to being the weakest?¡± Dion asked before giving a shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what good being weak does.¡±


    ¡°Well, it might be helpful¡­ Since they are the weakest, they can at least avoid getting a lot of attention. If they were as strong as you, Sir Dion, both friends and enemies would know about them. Then, having so many people watching them would make it harder to do some things.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s a good point.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve said that, I think I finally know what we need to do. We need to know. Not just about Duke Yellowmoon and about the these current times. We need to go further back in time to find out what part the Yellowmoons yed in the history of the empire. That should tell us something about our opponents¡­ Maybe then, we¡¯ll be able to tell Her Highness who in their house is really connected to the Serpents, as she had asked.¡±


    So, they made a decision about what to do for the time being. Ludwig and Dion would look into the dark past of the empire to find answers.


    Mia, on the other hand, was also about to go somewhere. In her case, though, she went into Saint-forest Noel¡¯s to look for groups of mushrooms that were easy to pick.

 Chapter 304

    <strong>Grandmother Mia Embellishes</strong>


    Mia took a bath and went back to her room after she and Citrina had finished nning. She sat there for a while, wearing soft clothes for sleeping, and did nothing.


    When she looked over at Bel, she saw that she was sitting on her bed and rubbing her face against the cuffs of her fluffy pyjamas with a big smile on her face. The little girl loved this set of pyjamas more than any other. Every time she put it on, she buried her face in the fabric and inhaled its smell.


    As Mia watched, her mind went back to happier times.


    <em>That makes me think¡­ I used to get like that as well.</em>


    A fluffy nket and a pair of pyjamas made from the soft, fuzzy wool of fullmoon sheep were enough to keep her grinning for hours as she enjoyed their wonderful feel.


    <em>So easily moved¡­ So happy and carefree¡­ Ah, the gift of youth¡­</em>


    Grandma Mia¡¯s face lit up with a warm smile when she saw her granddaughter.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go there yet! I¡¯m no grandma! I¡¯m still young myself!¡±


    Mia smacked the back of her inner grandmother¡¯s head and stomped on it, telling herself that she was still young as she did so.


    When she said that, Bel gave her a puzzled look.


    ¡°Huh? Miss Mia? What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t be worried. Also, I¡¯ve been wondering what you¡¯ve been doing by yourself all the timetely. Wasn¡¯t it that thing you gave Rina?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Malong and I became friends, and he showed me how to make it.


    Bel said with a big smile, ¡°Rina was the first friend I ever made, so I¡¯m d I got to give her a gift.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Mia¡¯s lips turned into a sweet smile when she saw that her granddaughter was making good friends. It had a very old-fashioned feel to it.


    Today, her inner grandmother showed how tough she was by wing her way back up and sticking her head out again.


    ¡°I have to say, I had no idea you were¡ª¡±


    Mia took a quick look at Bel¡¯s hands because she remembered how the troya had looked and saw that her index fingers were wrapped in bandages. The girl¡¯s failed sewing projects, presumably.


    She decided to act like nothing had happened.


    ¡°Oh, your hands are so good. Maybe you¡¯re going to be an artist.¡±


    Unfortunately, her inner grandmother had won.


    When Mia saw how happy Bel was that she had made a gift for her friend, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that the gift wasn¡¯t very good.


    She told a small white lie instead.


    ¡°I know, right? I know it doesn¡¯t look like it, but I¡¯m pretty good.¡±


    Bel puffed out her chest with pride.


    Then, she got a little sad and her eyes got a little narrower.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Mother Elise. She did a great job teaching. Oh, but it was hard because she didn¡¯t want to teach me how to clean at first. She told me that as a princess, I shouldn¡¯t do things like that. So I told her that all the other girls in town knew those things and that it would look strange if I didn¡¯t. That was enough to convince her.¡±


    ¡°Bel¡­¡±


    The story was short, but it made me think of how hard Bel¡¯s life used to be. She used to have to think on her feet ande up with convincing arguments to get even the simplest things she wanted.


    ¡°Heh, heh, Mr. Ludwig told me to tell Mother Elise that, and it worked.¡±


    ¡°¡­Bel.¡±


    Mia¡¯s face changed as she listened to Bel¡¯s method of persuasion. She thought about how the young girl¡¯s hard childhood must have forced her to always think on her feet.


    Mia¡¯s face changed right away when she saw that Bel was acting in a way that reminded her of herself.


    All of a sudden, the story didn¡¯t seem as sad.


    ¡°Once I got her to agree,¡± Bel went on, ¡°she taught me a lot of things. After things got really bad in the empire, she spent a lot of time teaching me cooking and sewing. She told me it was so I could live on my own¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Grandmother strength brought back. Mia thought about how hard Bel¡¯s life must have been. She was skilled with her hands (¡­or was she?) because she had to be. If she was good at sewing, which is a big ¡°if,¡± then that would also be because of her situation.


    It was hard to say who had it worse between Mia¡¯s year in a dungeon and Bel¡¯s life in hiding and on the run. She could say for sure, though, that Bel had been through a lot of trouble.


    Just as Mia¡¯s eyes were starting to tear up, Bel put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°I can do housework, too. Everything. In fact, I think I¡¯m more likely to get married than you are, Miss Mia. So, you¡¯ve never cooked, right?¡±


    ¡°M-Marri¡ªWha?¡±


    Mia groaned. Bel¡¯s words felt like a hammer to the gut for some reason.


    Deeper, even. It broke her heart.


    She didn¡¯t know what ¡°marriageability¡± meant. Being a princess, she had never thought about the skills that came with the title. She didn¡¯t have to be able to sew or cook. That¡¯s why there were servants. She could not know how to do any kind of housework, and that would be fine.


    There was nothing wrong with it. Not at all ashamed, but¡­


    <em>Hnnngh¡­ Getting married¡­</em>


    Her aching heart told her otherwise. Hearing that she wasn¡¯t good enough to get married felt like a rejection of her very identity as a young, healthy woman in the world.


    It made her feel old, like her inner grandmother wasn¡¯t as inner as she thought she was.


    <em>Th-This is not good! What if Abel stops caring about me? I¡¯ve been too busy trying to figure out how to get through this winter. When was thest time I told him what a pretty girl I am?</em>


    Mia was desperate, so she decided to show that she really was a good candidate for marriage. At least more than Bel.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to lose this contest.


    ¡°W-Well, when I want to, I can be pretty good for marriage. I made sandwiches not too long ago, did you know?¡±


    She said this as ast-ditch effort to make a different point.


    ¡°You did? Really?¡±


    Bel asked in genuine surprise.


    ¡°I certainly did! It was easy as pie!¡±


    Mia said it with certainty. She didn¡¯t stop there, though. She then added to the story, putting icing on her metaphorical cake.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just any sandwich, either. It looked like a horse!¡±


    ¡°H-Horse-shaped?!¡±


    She added more after seeing how well the first bit went over.


    ¡°Let me tell you, that sandwich was a work of art. The best kind of new ideas. It looked so grand that you might have thought it was about to gallop away at any second.¡±


    Then, because Bel¡¯s eyes were getting wider, Mia thought, ¡°Ah, what the hell,¡± and dumped the whole bowl of frosting on.


    ¡°And the taste. It was just¡­mwah! On the same level as the best imperial food. The smelly, juicy roasted meat, the crunchy vegetables, and the soft bread that holds it all together¡­ That was food that can change people¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Wow! Wow, Miss Mia, that¡¯s so amazing!¡±


    Bel jumped up and down with honest, naive wonder.


    ¡°I wish I had been able to try one. It¡¯s so nice to hear¡­¡±


    ¡°They sure were,¡± I said.


    Mia took a moment to enjoy the admiration in Bel¡¯s eyes before she had an idea.


    ¡°Huh. If that¡¯s the case, I should tell Abel to¡­ Hmm, I just had a great idea!¡±


    She smiled with great enthusiasm, not realising that her ¡°very good idea¡± would be a nightmare for a certain workhorse who had kept his yeasty friends from turning a pic into a massacre.

 Chapter 305

    <strong>Keithwood is Exposed to Waves of Attack</strong>


    The Sunnd prince, Sion Sol Sunnd, had a great young man named Keithwood as his servant. As a swordsman, he could stand up to Sion, who was a genius. As a gentleman, his good manners and reserved smile made many young women secretly like him.


    He was quick on his feet and in his mind, and he was a great bnce for Sion, whose desire to do the right thing sometimes made him act in a dangerous way. With calmness, smarts, and a reliable sword, he¡¯d kept his master safe through good times and bad. Even when things were bad, he usually faced problems with a calm smile.


    In fact, it has never failed. That is, until he came to Saint-Noel.


    <em>Howe these problems keep happening one after the other?</em>


    As he looked at the princess in front of him, he felt like his head was going to spin. The disaster smiled and said with a lot of excitement, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about making sandwiches like we did that other time. Could I ask you again for help?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªBut¡­ Huh?¡± he stuttered, too upset to say anything clear. He only knew that trouble was cooking and that he was in the pot with it.


    For some background, this conversation happened a few days after the mushroom hunting trip was set in stone. Keithwood went to the student council office because Mia asked him to. When he got there, he was told right away that Mia was making sandwiches and wanted him to help.


    At first, he thought he had misunderstood. Then he wished he had made a mistake.


    ¡°M- I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not sure I understand,¡± he said as he stared at her with a nk face.


    She didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going mushroom hunting soon, right? So I thought it would be fun to make sandwiches for lunch. I wanted you toe make them with us.¡±


    Keithwood used his fingers to stop his head from hurting. Something wasn¡¯t right about what was going on. It had to happen. But about half of his senses had been shocked away, leaving him to struggle through a fog of confusion with the few that were still there.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but could you exin this idea to me in more detail? I can¡¯t figure out which part is wrong.¡±


    ¡°How rude! There is nothing wrong with it. We decided to go mushroom hunting a few days ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, which makes me very sad.¡±


    He wished they hadn¡¯t, but he couldn¡¯t change what had happened. It was time for the mushroom trip.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have enough time to wander and just enjoy the forest, so I think we should go in the morning ande back in the afternoon. So, we won¡¯t have to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds like a good idea.¡±


    Using Rafina¡¯s map, they carefully drew out a good n for how to get there. It would be a slow enough pace that even Mia and Chloe, who aren¡¯t very athletic, could enjoy themselves.


    ¡°We¡¯ll spend most of the day in the forest. From this map, it looks like there¡¯s a nice pic spot in the middle of the forest. I think this is a good ce to eat lunch.¡±


    She showed where to go on the map.


    ¡°What is this ce? The purpose of the trip is for everyone to learn more about each other. So, having lunch in a forest clearing seems like a good way to meet new people.¡±


    It was a smart idea. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it. He gave a nod of approval.


    ¡°So I decided to make sandwiches and bring them with me.¡±


    Keithwood yelled ¡°Bingo!¡± as he felt a sense of victory overtake his usual politeness.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s where it was!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s what?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong! I found it atst. I get why you want to bring sandwiches, though. But, you see, the question is: why do you have to make them yourself?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the one making them. Anne and Chloe are going to help. I¡¯ll also have Tiona and Liora help.¡±


    Mia Rangers, get together! All of the actors who yed the Floundering Five in the first season came back for the second. They weren¡¯t exactly bad at what they did, but they weren¡¯t as good as the sum of their parts either.


    His headache got worse when he thought about the time he led the strange group of young women.


    ¡°Last time was our first try, and we all did such a great job,¡± Mia said, acting like she didn¡¯t know how hard Keithwood had to work to connect the first and second sentences.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do even better now that we have more experience. We could just ask the kitchen cooks to do it, but I bet they¡¯ll taste better if we do it ourselves.¡±


    Keithwood just about stopped himself from making a cutting remark. It was almost too much to handle how sure she looked without knowing anything.


    ¡°It gets even better, because guess what? This time, Miss Rafina will be with us!¡± she said with all the pomp of a divine decree.


    He wheezed in amazement.


    Well, Mia thought it was amazement, at least.


    In reality, it was more of a ¡°fight or flight¡± reaction to the sudden change from the Floundering Five to the Stress-Inducing Six.


    ¡°Lady¡­Rafina?¡± He stuttered as he tried to figure out what this new addition meant.


    ¡°Yes. I asked her toe along, and she said she would. I¡¯m so d that we¡¯ll have someone so trustworthy with us.¡±


    <em>¡­ Is that really the case? The Holy Lady of Belluga is wise, that much is clear. She looks pretty coordinated from what she does on the dance floor. I guess it¡¯s not too far-fetched to think that she cooks sometimes.</em>


    He couldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t possible. Still, that¡¯s like throwing a dart at a beach and hoping itnds on a certain grain of sand.


    <em>I can¡¯t believe something like that will happen.</em>


    The logical part of him was angry at the idea. It was a bet that was way too risky.


    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­surely a good sign. But let¡¯s not forget that these days, everyone is busy. Maybe it would be best to talk to the kitchen and, like, let the cooks do their job. I¡¯m also pretty busy, so I might not be able to supervise¡­,¡± he said, assuming that her n would fall apart without him.


    He thought way too highly of himself. Or maybe she didn¡¯t realise how foolish she was.


    ¡°Oh, that makes me sad. Well, don¡¯t worry about it if you¡¯re too busy. This time, we girls will handle it on our own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Never mind. I¡¯ll show up. Don¡¯t try anything without me there to watch.¡±


    He quickly changed his mind. Mia being left alone to make food without being watched was too much to handle, let alone her being with five other girls who didn¡¯t know what they were doing.


    <em>Suns that burn¡­ I was worried that Sion would die because of some poisonous mushrooms.He might not even make it that far, it seems.</em>


    Keithwood was about to give up when he heard a new voice that gave him hope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Keithwood. I¡¯m here to help because I heard the story.¡±


    Someone showed up at the door.

 Chapter 306

    <strong>A Passionate Friendship Grows</strong>


    Keithwood was about to give up when he heard a new voice that gave him hope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Keithwood. I¡¯m here to help because I heard the story.¡±


    Someone showed up at the door.


    ¡°Lord Sapphias?¡±


    Sapphias Etoile Bluemoon walked into the room with a smile. He was the son of a duke and the heir to the House of Bluemoon. He was also the official assistant to the secretary of the student council.


    Keithwood looked at him with a puzzled look on his face. Sapphias walked over and put aforting hand on his shoulder before turning to Mia.


    ¡°Oh? Why are you here, Sapphias? I don¡¯t think that we need your help. Or are you saying that something is wrong with my n?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to tell you this, Your Highness, but¡­¡±


    Sapphias shook his head and spoke in a serious way.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right with your n.¡±


    ¡°My! Is there something missing? From my n for perfection? And what could that possibly be?¡±


    Mia spoke up, surprised and angry at the same time. Keithwood gritted his teeth as his vision began to blur next to her.


    <em>Ugh, just¡­ Please don¡¯t give her any more crazy ideas, for the love of the sun¡­</em>


    Keithwood was very upset when Sapphias started to talk about his idea.


    ¡°Simple. It¡¯s the surprise factor, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°¡­Surprise?¡±


    Mia closed her eyes a few times. Sapphias kept going with a happy smile when he saw that his idea had caught her off guard.


    ¡°Absolutely. Surprise. You have to keep people guessing. Think about what kind of event you¡¯re nning. It¡¯s a trip to look for mushrooms. What a marvellously unique idea! One that is sure to be full of new things to try and fresh treats. But you want to start this special event by making sandwiches, which I know you¡¯ve done before. Don¡¯t you see? Whenpared to the excitement of something new and different, making a sandwich will seem boring. It won¡¯t be very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Novelty¡­¡±


    ¡°If I may be so bold, Your Highness¡¯s idea is as boring as tea made with used tea leaves.¡±


    ¡°Spent leaves?¡±


    Mia groaned. That was painful.


    ¡°I¡­ guess that¡¯s right. At the swordsmanship tournament, the sandwiches were so important because I wasn¡¯t supposed to make them, but I did anyway. This time, I won¡¯t be able to have that element of surprise¡­¡±


    She pped her hands once after giving it some thought.


    ¡°Okay, I see what you mean. So, sandwiches aren¡¯t really enough, right? I have to make something fancier!¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand me right,¡± Sapphias quickly said. ¡°What I mean is that since the girls made the sandwichesst time, I think you should let us boys do it this time.¡±


    ¡°You? Make sandwiches?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t like the idea, but Sapphias kept going. ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯m also going to ask for help from the princes. Oh, Keithwood, would you go get us a couple of aprons fit for a prince?¡±


    ¡°A-Aprons?!¡±


    Mia¡¯s frown went away when she heard about aprons.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your help, Lord Sapphias.¡±


    Keithwood said with a tired sigh after Mia left the room, ¡°Your help couldn¡¯t havee at a better time.¡±


    They had to work at it, but they finally got her to agree that she didn¡¯t need to help make any of the food. Sapphias shrugged in a funny way.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s all right. It doesn¡¯t bother me. Also, based on how white your knuckles were, I¡¯m guessing that Her Highness¡¯s cooking skills are¡­better not seen?¡±


    <em>Sweet sun up in the sky¡­ I¡¯m about to cry, I think¡­</em>


    Keithwood was pretty sure he now knew what it was like to be about to lose a battle and then see an allied army charging down the hill.


    It was nice. Even more so because the person who helped him was someone he had given up on. His feelings were really strong right now.


    Mia Luna Tearmoon had an incredible amount of charm. Those who saw it were quickly mesmerised and lost all sense of reason. Almost nobody could stay away from it. Even the Holy Lady Rafina couldn¡¯t help. Both his master, Sion, and the Remno prince, Abel, had made bad decisions because of how much they liked her.


    People were not all the same. They had different parts, and not every part was as good as the rest. No one could be good at everything. Still, people seemed willing to think that way about her for some reason. To think that everything would work out well as long as she had the idea. It had be normal for people to have this much faith in her abilities. But it was an irresponsible faith.


    The rule wasn¡¯t right. Because, at least when it came to cooking, Princess Mia was not to be trusted. Keithwood finally found a friend in the student council after all this time. A fellow sceptic who could still see a shadow of reasoned doubt in the face of her blinding light.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s because,¡± Sapphias said sheepishly as he scratched his head, ¡°I¡¯ve kind of been through the same thing. My now-fianc¨¦e used to be really into cooking. I mean, she¡¯s the daughter of a high-ranking noble, so I told her to calm down and let the servants handle it. But wouldn¡¯t you know it, she got even more stubborn and insisted on making her own meal, so¡­ Ha ha, this was a long time ago, but, well¡­ It¡¯s a funny story now, but I think I had nightmares for weeks after it happened.¡±


    He was happy. It was a realugh that didn¡¯te from any pain. Then he kept going.


    ¡°In general, I think that if someone you love cooks for you, you shouldn¡¯t leave any food on the te. But.¡±


    He paused to make a point, and then his voice got louder and more excited.


    ¡°Let me just say very clearly that this is only about food and nothing else. I don¡¯t think charcoal or raw meat are food either. If I bite something and it makes me look like I licked a chimney or tried to eat a live person, then¡ª¡±


    Keithwood coughed.


    ¡°¡­I think you¡¯ve made your point, Lord Sapphias,¡± he said, giving Sapphias a pointed look around before giving him a silent nod to remind him that he should keep this particrint to himself.


    ¡°R-Right. Anyway. The point is that what I did was the same thing I did to get her to stop back then. Women want to cook on their own, but they also want to watch men cook.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Wise words. They have been taken into ount.¡±


    Keithwood was usually pretty popr with thedies, but he had never been with one girl for a long time or gotten to know her well. As Sion¡¯s servant, he was much too busy for such things.


    So, he had a little bit of respect for Sapphias, who had been with his fianc¨¦e long enough to know all of her ws and was still willing to tell everyone that he loved her.


    Furthermore¡­


    ¡°So,¡± Sapphias said, ¡°what happened next was, in a nutshell, a fire test for me and her younger brother. We made food. A lot. It was kind of scary. We were literally fighting for our lives, because if we made something bad, she might decide that she should cook after all. We got pretty good at it in the end.¡±


    Keithwood probably wouldn¡¯t have expected Sapphias to have this skill, but since he did, the student council boys team is now more even. Even though Sion and Abel didn¡¯t know how to cook, they would have Keithwood and Sapphias to help them. If Sapphias¡¯s servant knew how to cook, they could get even more help. In general, things were looking a lot brighter.


    Keithwood let out a long breath. He felt like a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders.


    ¡°Okay, then. If that¡¯s true, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better n. I¡¯ll convince milord.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also talk to the other people. We¡¯ll get through this predicament together.¡±


    Sapphias put out his hand, and Keithwood took it firmly. This was the start of an interesting new friendship.


    This international friendship wouldst even after Sapphias graduated from the academy and went back to the empire. It was the basis for a rare episode of the Great Wisdom of the Empire, in which Mia Luna Tearmoon yed the bad guy.

 Chapter 307

    <strong>Sapphias Screams</strong>


    The talks went well. After Keithwood said a few choice words, Sion quickly agreed. Abel also put his name in, and he was very excited about it. With the two princes on board, it was officially decided that the pic sandwiches would be made by the boys of the student council.


    <em>Hnnngh¡­ This was also a great chance to show my marriageability. How did I let myself get talked into giving it up? I wish I could smack my past self in the head.</em>


    Now regretting her misstep, Mia made her way to the kitchen in the morning. They had reserved it and turned it into a private kitchen where the male members of the student council could make their sandwiches.


    ¡°Gosh, Mia. Wow, you¡¯re here early!¡± Rafina said as she greeted her. She was already in her uniform. Citrina told them that they would be going into the forest to look for mushrooms, but that they would be staying in a less dense part of the forest. She said it would be the same as a short hike, so their school uniforms would be enough to keep them safe. Consequently, the group decided that they¡¯d all wear their uniforms today.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Rafina. You¡¯re note riser yourself, it seems. Keithwood and the others haven¡¯t evene yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe I was a little too early. I just couldn¡¯t wait to see what everyone made. After all, I didn¡¯t get to participatest time. I felt like I didn¡¯t fit in, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Then, were you excited to make sandwiches?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. I thought I¡¯d finally get to cook with you and the other girls¡­¡±


    Mia was horrified to see that Rafina¡¯s shoulders sagged in disappointment.


    ¡°O-Oh no. I¡¯m so very sorry,¡± she said, waving her hands in a panicked way to say she was sorry.


    ¡°All of this is because I listened to Sapphias and changed the n¡­¡±


    She looked at Rafina whoughed.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just joking, Mia. I was a little sad that I couldn¡¯te with you, but I¡¯m not too upset about it.¡±


    Mia put her hand on her chest and felt better. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when¡­


    ¡°But, hm¡­ Sapphias, you say¡­ I see,¡± Rafina said in a voice that didn¡¯t sound as funny as it usually did.


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯d just pulled Sapphias into something by ident.


    Before she could figure out what, a few people walked into the kitchen, so she stopped thinking about it and turned her attention to them.


    ¡°My!¡± she eximed as she looked at the boys in front of her.


    Sapphias was in front, but she didn¡¯t look at him. Instead, she looked at the three people behind him.


    Keithwood was up next. A white apron was draped over his ck butler outfit. The apron didn¡¯t dull the woman-killer vibe he always gave off, but it did change it in a way that gave him a strange new appeal. If she had to choose a word for it, it would probably be ¡°hubbiness.¡±


    Sion, who was third in line, was also wearing an apron over his uniform. Usually, zers don¡¯t go with aprons, but the Sunnd prince was so charismatic that he didn¡¯t care about things like ¡°aesthetics¡± or ¡°coordination.¡± He managed to pull off the apron-on-zer look, and he looked great doing it. This showed Mia, who was amazed, that Sion could never look bad, no matter what he wore.


    <em>Ugh, he looks good in everything, and that makes me sad. Bel would scream with joy if she saw him right now.</em>


    Miaughed at her granddaughter¡¯s habit of sleeping in and thought, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s such a sleepyhead.¡±


    Finally, she turned her gaze to thest person.


    ¡°Hello, Mia. Are you also here to watch?¡±


    Abel smiled and waved his hand at her. He was also dressed in the aproned uniform like Sion. Mia, on the other hand, froze the moment she saw him.


    This upset Abel, who looked at her with a frown and asked, ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong? Do I look weird? I¡¯ve never worn anything like this before, so if you see anything strange, please let me know.¡±


    He scratched his cheek, which was starting to look a little pink.


    Mia couldn¡¯t say much in response to her charming sweetheart¡¯s cute, shy move. She could only say ¡°Can¡¯t¡­handle¡­¡± and make a small, happy squeal before her voice gave out.


    ¡°M-Mia?¡±


    Abel¡¯s confusion turned into worry as it grew.


    She quickly shook her head and tried to get her voice back.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. You, uh¡­ That looks great on you. Oh, but¡­¡±


    A piece of strand that was hanging down from behind Abel caught her eye. One of his apron¡¯s strings hade undone.


    She walked over because she thought she could fix it for him. She stopped as she was about to go behind him.


    Then, instead of stepping behind him, she stepped in front of him and gave him a spontaneous hug to tie the strings behind him.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s it. All fixed. Now you look great,¡± she said with a smile as she looked up at him lovingly.


    What a shameless way to flirt! The Great Seductress of the Empire is exactly what her name says she is. When she was on the receiving end, it was easy for Mia to give in to unexpected disys of love.


    When she was the one dishing them out though, she did so with theposure of adulthood, relishing the experience of toying with the delicate sensibilities of the young boy before her. She was not a model of a proper woman.


    ¡°Th-Thanks, Mia. I¡¯ll¡­try my best to make something good for you,¡± said Abel.


    When she saw his embarrassed smile, she realised that she liked the way things were right now.


    <em>Oh, he¡¯s so adorable! I just can¡¯t get enough! Mmm, good job, you got by me!</em>


    So, after deciding that her past self had made the right decision, she went on to enjoy the rest of the morning.


    Sapphias, on the other hand, had an apron on over his uniform as well.


    Even though Mia didn¡¯t notice him, someone else did.


    ¡°Oh my god, Sapphias.¡± Rafina put her hand to her mouth andughed in a short, unfunny way. ¡°You also look great in an apron. Also, Mia told me that you were the one who came up with the idea to have the boys cook today. Even though it doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to cooking or anything like that. I just thought it was¡­interesting.¡±


    ¡°E-Eeeeeeek!¡±


    Sapphias might have screamed in fear that day in the kitchen. It didn¡¯t really matter, really.

 Chapter 308

    <strong>Mushroom Master Mia, Summoned by the Forest</strong>


    ¡°Wow! Look, look, Miss Mia! The Libra King has an apron on!¡±


    Miabel squealed with delight as soon as she walked into the kitchen. Her big, bright eyes were drawn to Sion. It was clear that Maniabel was still alive and well.


    <em>I swear, there are times when I almost feel bad about Bel being my granddaughter. That girl is so embarrassing at times¡­</em>


    This, of course, wasing from the person who had looked at Sion for the first time in the previous timeline and said, ¡°My! He is it! My Prince, Prince Sion! And he has a uniform on! Moons, is there anything else in the world that is more beautiful? No, there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Maniabel Luna Tearmoon, meet Mania Luna Tearmoon, who is your grandmother. Given how bad her memory was, however, this particr event had long since passed the point where she could no longer remember it.


    Soon, a few more girls came into the kitchen.


    Chloe, Tiona, Liora, and even Lynsha had all arrived with the kind of excitement that usually happens right before a live idol show starts.


    Keithwood said, ¡°Now then, let¡¯s start making the sandwiches we¡¯ll eat for lunch today.¡±


    Even though their fans were talking excitedly, the team got to work.


    ¡°As usual, I¡¯ll be helping milord Sion. Could you please help Prince Abel, Lord Sapphias?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can. But what about the menu itself?¡± Sapphias asked, ¡°What kind of sandwiches should we make?¡± as he crossed his arms and looked at the ingredients Keithwood had set out.


    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s do the same thing we didst time to be safe. White sauce on grilled meat. Oh, and since we already have them, why not add some fried eggs?¡± suggested Keithwood.


    ¡°That seems good. But there are a lot of girls here today, and they might prefer some with more vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s true that a meal made of just meat can be pretty heavy. So, let¡¯s make several different kinds. One has vegetables and fried eggs, and the other has meat that has been grilled. Then, we¡¯ll add a third choice with thin slices of smoked meat on a bed of greens.¡±


    Mia¡¯s lips were pursed as she watched the two talk.


    <em>Hmm, not bad¡­ I didn¡¯t think Sapphias could keep up in a conversation about cooking with Keithwood. He¡¯s very good for getting married. So, I¡¯d better step up my game!</em>


    She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Are you sure you have enough hands there?¡± with a challenge in her tone. Since I don¡¯t have anything to do, I might as well help¡ª¡±


    Her dangerous idea was shot down with a lot of hostility. Keithwood would usually have to deal with such dangers on his own, but this time Sapphias was there to help. After both boys twitched at the mention of her encroachment, they didn¡¯t look at each other for more than a second beforeunching a quick and coordinated attack.


    Sapphias was the first one to attack.


    ¡°No, no, Your Majesty. We could never cause you so much trouble. Please feel free to stay where you are and keep watching us.¡±


    Keithwood didn¡¯t miss a beat and added the cross to Sapphias¡¯s first punch.


    ¡°This is milord and Prince Abel¡¯s chance to show you what they¡¯ve made. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t want to take away their chance to shine?¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Well, if that¡¯s the case, I guess¡­¡±


    Mia awkwardly scratched her head and went back to watching the royal cooking show as a spectator after the two people stopped her from getting closer.


    ¡°Okay, Prince Abel, let¡¯s chop up these vegetables. Hey, wait. Curl your fingers on the hand you use to hold them. Yes, yes, just like that. You won¡¯t cut yourself that way.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but stare as Sapphias taught Abel the basics of how to use a knife in a careful way.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    She stared at the two boys for a while, then she broke into a smile.


    <em>Oho ho, this is wonderful. Abel¡¯s so adorable. I love how clumsy he is with the knife, but how hard he tries to use it right. Ah, it¡¯s just too good!</em>


    She thought it was cute how hard he tried, and she liked watching him learn. That is, until she saw that his hand movements were getting faster and more practised.


    <em>W-Wait, is it just me, or does it look like he¡¯s better with the knife than I am now?</em>


    She was sorry she had seen. She couldn¡¯t stopparing herself to the others once she started thinking about it. Sion, being the perfect guy that he is, was kneading dough like a pro while the other girls looked at him.


    She knew that would happen. What she didn¡¯t expect was for Sapphias to be so skilled. He was also much better at cooking than she was.


    In other words, Mia, who was very good in the kitchen¡­ No, not just her, but all of the young, well-known women there¡­


    <em>We lost to the guys from the student council?!</em>


    She was shocked by this terrible news. The whole point of her making sandwiches was to show her marriageability.


    So, something very big had gone wrong with her ns.


    ¡°Oh, I just thought of something. Why don¡¯t we add more detail to the shape? Food should not only taste good but also look good. Last time, we made them in the shape of horses. This time, why don¡¯t we try making them in the shape of mushrooms?¡±


    Again, the dynamic duo moved quickly and cut her off before she could even finish her offer.


    Keithwood said very quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Sapphias said with an iron will.


    Furthermore¡­


    ¡°Yeah, rx, Mia. I understand that you¡¯re worried, but could you just let us handle this?¡±


    Even her best friend Abel spoke out against her, so she had to give up. In the end, she had no choice but to sit there and watch the princes show off in the kitchen. She feltpletely helpless after what happened.


    <em>I hate to say it, but it¡¯s clear that they¡¯re better than me¡­</em>


    Sion was not like other people, so he did not count. Even though Abel wasn¡¯t a genius, he was better at this than she was. Mia realised that she couldn¡¯t cook as well as they did, so she tried very hard toe up with a way to make it look like she could.


    She thought and thought, and finally came to a simple conclusion: she had been doing this wrong the whole time.


    You¡¯re right. Why did I do that?


    <em>I am not the Great Gastronome of the Empire; I am the Great Wisdom. I got too involved in all this talk about getting married. What should impress people about me is how wise I am. In particr, my experience as a guide for mushrooms!</em>


    Since most of what she knew about mushrooms was about how to eat them, the difference seemed a little off, but maybe some truths were better not known.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! For the sake of my delicious mushroom stew, I¡¯m going to hit this one out of the park! I¡¯m going to look for mushrooms!¡±


    Mia felt something stir inside her when she thought about how much better the boys would be as husbands. She didn¡¯t know if her strong feeling was motivation or desperation, but it drove her back to her room, where she told her trusted maid, ¡°Anne, get me a change of clothes. No self-respecting mushroom master would wear a school uniform into the woods!¡±


    ¡°Right away, mdy!¡±


    Both Mia¡¯s heart and body seemed to be drawn deeper into the forest, as if by an invisible force.

 Chapter 309

    <strong>A Mystery! Mushroom Princess Coming!</strong>


    After the sandwich-making went smoothly, the group was ready to go find some mushrooms. Each member of the student council went off to finish making anyst-minute ns before meeting at the front door of the academy.


    At the moment, everyone was there except Mia. When they saw it, the group was wondering where their president had gone. In the distance, the shape of¡­a mushroom wasing closer and closer.


    It was actually Mia, but a white mushroom cap-shaped hat was sitting on her round little head. She wore a thick top with long sleeves and thick pants that she tucked into a pair of hunting boots that were strong enough for mountain climbing.


    Someone said ¡°Huh?¡± in surprise. No one knew who did it, but the fact that they all looked just as confused made it likely that any of them did it. That was how weird her outfit was.


    ¡°Well, hello to all of you. Isn¡¯t it a great day for mushroom hunting?¡± Mia asked with a big smile on her face.


    The first person to speak was Citrina.


    She quickly asked the question that everyone was thinking about.


    ¡°Uh, Your Majesty? Wh-What is that outfit, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rina.¡±


    Mia looked at Citrina and smiled when she saw that she was wearing her regr uniform.


    ¡°You see, this summer has given me a rare chance to know what it¡¯s like to be stuck on a deserted ind.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You were stuck on an ind by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, while Esmeralda and I were on the cruise. It was¡­well, to say the least, a lesson. And a pretty tough one. But it did teach me a few things, like that bare skin is a big no-no when you¡¯re out and about in the mountains or forests,¡± Mia said with the patient smile of a teacher warning a child not to do something dangerous.


    ¡°If you let your skin show in the woods, it could get scratched or bitten by bugs, right? That¡¯s why it¡¯s smart to always wear long sleeves and long pants when going into a forest.¡±


    ¡°But, we¡¯ll be staying near the forest¡¯s entrance today¡­¡±


    ¡°The forest is still the entrance to the forest. It¡¯s impossible to be too careful. Underestimating how hard something is can lead to bad nning, and bad nning is how you get caught off guard by problems you didn¡¯t expect. To stay safe outside, you need to be smart and ready.¡±


    Even though what she said about safety was sensible, her outfit, which screamed ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m a veteran mushroom guide,¡± made it seem like she was making it up.


    Many people in the group guessed rightly that she nned to go deeper into the forest. One of them was Citrina. Her face went nk for a second, but then it went back to its usual smile.


    ¡°I see. Your Majesty is very smart. Yes, to care and nning?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. There is a n behind all of this. A deal between man and mushroom that was never said. You¡¯d be doing the mushrooms a disservice if you went in unprepared,¡± she said with an air of authority, as if she were some kind of fungi oracle here to speak for them.


    When Citrina looked up at the fake mushroom god, she wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    <em>She definitely wants to go deeper into the forest, but why? Is it because I told her about the Belluga mushrooms and she wants to see them? Or¡­because she learned about the other thing?</em>


    She kept her sweet smile on while she thought about this possibility.


    <em>No, that can¡¯t be the case. She probably just wants to know more about the Belluga mushrooms. If that¡¯s the case, I made a bad choice. I should not have brought them up.</em>


    You can also bring attention to something by telling someone to be careful around it or to stay away from it. The best way to hide something is sometimes to not talk about it.


    <em>Even so¡­ Oh well. I will always be with her. I¡¯ll gently point her in a different direction if she tries to go deeper into the forest. Those are also at the bottom of a cliff. She probably won¡¯t find them unless she knows exactly where to look¡­</em>


    Bel hopped over to her andughed, which made her stop thinking.


    ¡°Rina, are you excited? I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    She was also in her uniform, just like Citrina.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never gone mushroom hunting before. Have you?¡± asked Bel with a big smile.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve never been with so many people. This is also Rina¡¯s first time,¡± said Citrina, before she saw something on Bel¡¯s bag.


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    On its side was a small charm that looked just like the troya she got from the girl the other day.


    ¡°Oh. I thought it would be funny if we had charms that matched, so I made another one.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should have brought mine as well. Apologies for that. I put it in my drawer because I didn¡¯t want something so valuable to get dirty.¡±


    Bel looked at her funny andughed.


    ¡°Oh, Rina, you¡¯re so funny. Eventually, everything gets dirty, no matter how nice it is. Put it on and have a good time. Don¡¯t even worry. If it breaks or goes missing, I¡¯ll make you a new one.¡±


    She looked at Bel¡¯s smile, which was innocent and full of trust. Something moved inside of her.


    <em>Whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter.</em>


    She brushed off the feeling with a shake of her head.


    ¡°Thank you, Bel. When we go back, I¡¯ll start to use it.¡±


    As usual, she put on a smile that put people at ease.

 Chapter 310

    <strong>Mushroom First!</strong>


    After leaving the academy, the group took a short walk to their destination in the woods. When they got there, everyone let out a breath of wonder.


    They saw a sea of golden leaves. Light from the sun seeped through the leaves and dripped onto the yellow path. The whole forest was dyed a bright yellow, and it was brightly lit and very colourful.


    Mia said, ¡°What a strange forest¡­¡±


    Behind her, Rafina chuckled.


    ¡°Oh my, Mia. Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen autumn foliage?¡±


    ¡°¡®Autumn Foliage¡¯? Is that what you call these trees?¡±


    Previous-timeline Mia didn¡¯t care about forests at all. She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the life cycle of trees, so she was amazed by the strange colours on disy.


    ¡°No, no,¡± said Rafina, giggling.


    ¡°Autumn foliage are the changing colours of leaves in the fall. Some tree species¡¯ leaves turn red, but it looks like all of the ones here turn yellow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ What a strange thing¡­¡±


    Mia then started making up stories in her head.


    <em>Hm¡­ This forest is not too far from the school¡­ I might be able to get Abel toe back¡­ We¡¯ll be the only ones in this forest, and we can walk around and maybe even hold hands. Mm, that¡¯s a great idea!</em>


    She heard a soft murmur at that moment.


    ¡°A yellow forest¡­¡±


    When she turned to find out what was going on, she saw Citrina looking at the forest. Her usual perfect smile was gone, and it had been reced by¡­nothing. There was no way to tell what she was feeling from her face.


    ¡°Rina? Is there a problem?¡±


    Mia asked with a frown on her face.


    ¡°Hm? Oh no, nothing is wrong. I guess you could say I just felt a connection with these trees. I mean, I¡¯m a Yellowmoon, and these leaves are all yellow, see?¡± she said quickly, as if she were making an excuse on the spot.


    Then, her lips went back to their normal shape.


    ¡°Yes, I understand what you mean. If I were a member of the House of Yellowmoon, I would probably feel the same way about a forest that was only yellow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that, Your Highness. Now, let¡¯s move forward. Please follow Rina,¡± Citrina said as she took the lead.


    The forest was filled with golden tones. The glow of the yellow leaves above reflected off the amber leaves below, bathing the eyes in golden colours.


    ¡°Wow! Amazing! Wow, this ce is great!¡±


    Miabel was jumping up and down with excitement as she ran through the trees.


    ¡°Ah! Be careful, Bel. These fallen leaves are slippery.¡±


    Citrina ran after her quickly like a protective older sister, which made Lynsha shrug helplessly and jog after them both.


    ¡°So this is what the leaves look like in the fall. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it, too,¡± Chloe said as she looked at a yellow leaf she had just picked up.


    ¡°Yes, yellow leaves aren¡¯t something you see very often, are they?¡±


    Tiona agreed, and she also picked one up from the ground.


    ¡°I should put a few in a book and send them to Cyril as a gift.¡±


    ¡°Aaah¡­ This ce is so nice¡­ I¡¯ve been missing forests¡­ I had no idea there was a ce like this in Saint-Noel,¡± Liora said as she followed Tiona and hummed happily.


    The boys were also looking around to see what was going on.


    Anne stood next to Mia and looked at the group with a calm smile.


    ¡°This is such a beautiful ce, isn¡¯t it, mdy?¡± she asked, closing her eyes to take in the smells and sounds of nature.


    ¡°I really hope today is a lot of fun.¡±


    Everyone enjoyed the calm and pleasant mood. Everyone except Mia, who just said ¡°Yes, fun¡± when Anne said something.


    Her answer was short and to the point because she had barely heard Anne speak. Mia wasn¡¯t here to enjoy the golden beauty of autumn like the others. She wasn¡¯t a girl without ns. She was a hunter, and while her partner¡¯s eyes moved around the swaying branches and fallen leaves, hers were fixed on the bases of trees, moving from one to the next as she looked for her fungi prey.


    Mushrooms First! had be Mia¡¯s new guiding principle. She was now a fungus extremist who fought for fungi to be the best. She looked at the area with the sharp eyes of a hunter. Then, as her eyes got bigger, she pounced.


    <em>There! Found some! Mushrooms!</em>


    Mushroom Hunter Mia ran across the leafy ground with her ws out and her teeth bared to get to her prey. At that point, the woman and the mission were the same thing. Mushroom was her, and she was mushroom. Nothing else mattered. The rest of the world disappeared, leaving her alone with the mushrooms she so badly wanted.


    The problem, of course, was that the world was still there; not seeing something did not make it disappear. For example, that pile of leaves that looked like it would be slippery and was in her way stayed slippery. When she stepped on it, the leaves gave way in a very inconvenient way, sending her foot out in the wrong direction.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Her sudden kick made a geyser of yellow leaves, and the force of the movement threw her backward. Before her brain could start to figure out what had happened, she was already falling.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Her view turned so that she could only see the tops of the trees. She shut her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable blow.


    ¡°Whoa¡ª Gotcha. Be careful.¡±


    She heard a voice that was both soft and familiar. She felt her body fall into the soft arms of another person.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    When she opened her eyes¡­


    ¡°Are you okay, Mia?¡±


    Abel¡¯s face was just a few inches from hers!


    But wait! Mia was in the mood to look for mushrooms today. So, she wouldn¡¯t be scared when Abel hugged her. She was a mushroom, and mushroom was her. Nothing could get her away from Mushrooms. Mushroom First!


    <em>Oh moons¡­ He¡¯s so handsome and so dreamy! He looked so cute in that apron, and now¡ªOh, what a difference! It¡¯s so good!</em>


    ¡­Well, that¡¯s it for Mushrooms First.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s all right.¡±


    She quickly pulled away from him.


    ¡°Merciful moons, I¡¯ve been such an idiot¡­¡±


    Abel shook his head as her cheeks turned red.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Actually¡­¡±


    He reached for her hair while making a sly face.


    ¡°Huh? Wha¡ª¡±


    His hand came back from the side of her head with a leaf between his thumb and forefinger. This made her look at him with a confused look.


    He said with augh, ¡°In a way, I¡¯m d that happened. Now I know that whatever you do with your hair, you look good.¡±


    After saying that, he walked away.


    Mia was so confused that she could onlye up with a fourth ¡°¡­Eh?¡± when she was left alone.


    And so it was shown that, even though she believed in the supremacy of fungi, all it took was a hug from Abel to make her forget about mushrooms.


    Mia lied about being a Mushrooms Firster.

 Chapter 311

    <strong>Old Ludwig¡¯s Theological Reasoning</strong>


    Miabel asked Ludwig, ¡°Mr Ludwig, is there really a God?¡±


    Soon after she got to school that day, she asked Ludwig this question. He looked at her with interest through his sses.


    ¡°Hm? What is this, Your Majesty? Have you be interested in God all of a sudden?¡± he asked as he put some of the rare tea leaves he had found into a pot.


    ¡°On my way here, I saw someone selling something called a Jar of God, which gives you the knowledge of your ancestors. It was kind of expensive, but I thought if I used it, I might be able to borrow some of Grandmother Mia¡¯s wisdom,¡± she said, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes.


    He rubbed his chin and thought about what to say. He was worried about how trusting she was. The problem wasn¡¯ting up with an answer; that was easy. The empire was part of the religious sphere of the Central Orthodox Church. People who lived here had a simple and unquestioning faith that God existed. So, the most obvious thing to do was to just say yes. If she was able to get back to her position and power as princess, it would be better for her to believe that.


    But he took his time because he was worried about something. This was the easy way out. The one that was given. It would be easy to give it to her, but it wouldn¡¯t help her in the long run. He wanted her to be able to think for herself because he thought it was a valuable skill. So, he couldn¡¯t just tell her everything she needed to know. He wanted to get her to think.


    So, he answered in a series of logical steps.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. I think that the being we call God is real.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a very shocking statement, but he went on to exin why he thought that way.


    ¡°If that weren¡¯t the case, there would be too many things in the world that we couldn¡¯t exin.¡±


    ¡°What kinds of stuff?¡±


    Miabel tilted her head in confusion. He showed her where to sit and then moved his sses.


    ¡°Let me think¡­ You and I are easy to use as an example.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me and Mr. Ludwig?¡±


    He gave her a sly smile as she blinked confusedly and took off his sses, setting them down in front of her.


    ¡°Here are some sses. They¡¯re made very well, right? Has Your Highness ever thought about how they make things easier to see?¡±


    Bel picked them up and took a few quick looks through the lenses before shaking her head.


    ¡°sses work in a certain way because they follow certain rules. I won¡¯t get into the details right now, but let¡¯s just say that they came about when smart people tried to figure out how the human eye worked a long time ago. They looked at how it was built and how it worked. Then they started making something that would fix the problems with the eye. They did this by putting their minds and wills to work towards a goal. In other words, sses were made by smart people who wanted to make something like them. For example, say you took the ss and iron used to make these and put them on the ground outside. Would the rain make lenses out of the ss? Or let the wind make frames out of the iron? They don¡¯t want to do anything. It would be impossible to do that.¡±


    Ludwig put back on his sses and kept going.


    ¡°Then what about us people? The people who make these sses and use them? We are even moreplicated and well thought out than the crafts and works of art we make. So, Your Highness, how do you think God made us? Do you think rain, wind, and soil shaped us?¡±


    Miabel shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Ludwig was sure that there was a god, or something with more power and intelligence than the people who made the world. He came to this conclusion after giving it a lot of thought. Even though he didn¡¯t know how it worked, he believed it did. He thought that a being with a lot of intelligence and the will to make the world the way it was made people and the rest of the world.


    If you didn¡¯t believe this, you¡¯d be left with a lot of things that didn¡¯t make sense. Not just people, but also animals, nts, and even the smallest animals on Earth¡­ Someone must have nned and made them that way with care. He thought that was the only way to exin it.


    All of a sudden, the words of his old master came back to him.


    <em>¡°It is an insult to God, who made us humans to be able to think, to blindly attribute everything in the world to the divine or the devil. That goes against what we believe about how perfect and beautiful God¡¯s work is. Yet, it¡¯s also a sign of narrow-mindedness to think that good or bad things in the world have nothing to do with gods.¡±</em>


    Since he heard that piece of advice, he¡¯s tried to look at things with as much bnce as possible. He had promised himself to do it, and he wanted Miabel to learn to think critically in the same way.


    ¡°Then¡­does that mean that the jar is real?! Miabel¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she eximed, ¡°It really can do miracles!¡±


    ¡°No! Wait!¡±


    Ludwig quickly stopped her when he saw her look towards the door. He didn¡¯t want her to run out and buy the damn thing.


    ¡°Please, Your Majesty, calm down. God may exist, but the question of whether or not there is a jar of miracles is a whole different one.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She tilted her head again and asked, ¡°Why is that, Mr. Ludwig?¡±


    Ludwig wanted to ask, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®why?¡¯ What doesn¡¯t sound like a scam about it?¡±


    After forcing himself to think of a good answer, he actually said, ¡°Even though we don¡¯t know for sure, let¡¯s say for the sake of argument that God did make the world. That it was made with aplicated set of cosmic rules that control how it works. So, what is a miracle then? It would be something that goes against those rules, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    No one could talk to their ancestors who had died. That was how the world worked, and it was because of thews of the universe. The miracle that the jar is said to be able to do would go against these ideas.


    Bel thought for a moment about this line of thinking before straightening her neck and saying, ¡°Yes, it would be!¡±


    Her voice was a little too excited for him to believe that she actually got what he was saying. Still, he kept going, allowing himself only a brief grimace at the thought that what he was doing might be pointless.


    ¡°Why would God want to change the rules that govern this world after putting so much thought into them? If I were in charge, I wouldn¡¯t want to change the rules I¡¯d worked so hard to make.¡±


    By definition, miracles were very rare. Ludwig thought that if there was a good time for them to happen, it would be when the world itself was in danger of falling apart.


    If God had made the rules for the world too loose, then they might have been easy to break. But the more he learned about thews of the universe, the more he was amazed by how perfect they were. With that kind of reasoning, though, and the way the world is right now, it¡¯s possible that the time is right for a miracle¡­


    The reckless violence of Rafina the Empress Prte¡­ The crises in Sunnd and Tearmoon¡­ When so many people have died and history is falling apart right in front of our eyes, maybe it¡¯s time for a miracle to give us the wisdom of the Great Sage.


    He shook his head and tried to forget about the thought. Then he looked at Miabel directly.


    ¡°Miracles only happen when they have to. They are not something that can be gotten on the spot. Because of this, you should always be careful around people who talk about miracles that go against the rules of our world. There is never a shortage of people who use God¡¯s name to trick others¡­¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s mind was on other things as he looked at Miabel sleeping peacefully in the middle of his lecture. He thought about what they had said.


    ¡°Proposition one: There is a theory that can exin every event. Two, God¡¯s miracles don¡¯t happen all the time. Considering¡­ Hm¡­¡±


    His eyes grew distant.


    ¡°Miracles are rare¡­ I guess as rare asnds that God has blessed¡­¡±


    He thought of Saint-Noel Ind, where no poisonous nts could grow because God had blessed it. Also, it was protected by strict security measures that made it impossible for poisons to be brought in from the outside. Thend on Saint-Noel Ind was safe because God looked out for it.


    Saint-Noel Ind, where a mass poisoning at the academy caused a lot of damage. Many people died in that terrible event, which shook the continent and led to a lot of theories and guesses. Several well-known ideas were put forward, such as the possibility that the poison got in through a security hole or that a special substance that only worked as a poison in certain situations was used. To this day, though, none of them has be the answer that most people agree on.


    Soon after, the whole continent fell into a constant state of chaos, and the event was soon forgotten. Most likely, the truth was gone for good.


    It would probably be called the mystery of the century by historians in the future.


    But ¡°Assumptions¡± are scary things. That may be the real lesson of this terrible story. Ludwig Hewitt didn¡¯t do it, because he already knew the most likely method used in the mass murder.


    There was no way for someone to get in. No sophisticated poison that only works in certain situations.


    It wasn¡¯t like that at all. The answer was much less exciting. The people who did it just used a simple assumption to their advantage.


    ¡°No poisonous nts can grow in Saint-Noel because God¡¯s blessing has made the water clean. That idea was wrong from the beginning¡­¡±


    There was no particr story or myth that said Saint-Noel Ind was blessed by God. It was said that God had blessed the Holy Principality of Belluga. So, even if Saint-Noel was lucky, it must have been because the ind was a part of Belluga. Its supposed holiness could onlye from the fact that it is part of a bigger whole. So, did the blessed Belluga not have any nts that could kill it?


    Not at all.


    The fact that there were fake Belluga mushrooms was proof enough. As their name implies, the poisonous fungi were found all over the principality.


    In other words, even in and that God has blessed, poisonous nts could grow without stopping. Then, it would be silly to say that only Saint-Noel Ind didn¡¯t have any poisonous nts.


    ¡°If you think about it, the im that there are no poisonous nts in Saint-Noel has to be a lie.¡±


    What kind of lie was it, though? An innocent old belief? A useless old story? Perhaps.


    It was also possible, though, that the lie was told on purpose.


    For it to have a point. With the Jar of God, the goal was to make it worth more so it could be sold. The case of Saint-Noel Indes to mind.


    ¡°It seems most likely that guards could be made less alert.¡±


    Even if no one could bring poisons in from the outside, it wouldn¡¯t matter if there were already poisonous nts and animals on the ind. Still, the people in charge of security didn¡¯t pay any attention to the fact. They thought that all they had to do was tell people not to bring it in. They focused on what was outside of themselves and didn¡¯t think about what was inside.


    ¡°What made them blind was their faith in the ind¡¯s blessing as a miracle.¡±


    Ludwig decided to look into what had happened because the continent was in a mess. At the end, he had found something strange. The idea that Saint-Noel Ind didn¡¯t have any poisonous nts was pretty new. He didn¡¯t know exactly when it started, but when the academy first opened, no one had talked about this belief. Even the first students were told that the nts on the ind could be dangerous and that they should not eat them without taking precautions.


    Then, at some point, a weird belief grew up.


    What if the person who started the rumour was the person who found the terrible poison on the ind? This person could have found a ce where a powerful poison grew by a series of small idents.


    Then, to keep the authorities from finding out about this, the person made up a rumour about the dangers of imported poisons. A man named Santeri Bandler was in charge of security at the time of the incident. He had been doing this for 35 years.


    If the rumour had been spread before he was hired, ¡°Who could have done that?¡±


    Ludwig had already done research on the subject ande up with a theory. It just so happened that a certain man¡¯s daughter, who was bornte in his life, was at the academy when the murders happened.


    ¡°Duke Yellowmoon is the oldest and weakest of the nobles. What on earth was he trying to do?¡±


    He squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to see through the fog of time, and then sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point? The man is gone. Even if I find out the truth, what am I to do with it? Will it make her feel better? No, she can¡¯t be stopped now. What a terrible, terrible shame¡­¡±


    Bel kept snoozing.


    She never heard him quietly crying.

 Chapter 312

    Bliss! Mia Finally Picks Mushrooms!


    Now, let¡¯s go back to the forest¡­


    After having some fun flirting with Abel, Mia found out that even more happiness was on the way.


    ¡°O-Oooh my¡­¡±


    She moved towards the mushroom that had caught her eye in a trance-like way. She slowly reached out her arm, but stopped in the middle of the motion. She felt a sense of unease that she had grown used to. Someone would definitely get in the way again.


    The hunter Muzic helped out in Remno. Keithwood had cleverly blocked all of her moves on the deserted ind, and in the end, he only let her pick herbs. Even when she was back at home, the head chef told her very clearly not to eat mushrooms.


    Now, though¡­ Now! At longst!


    Her hand shook as it got closer to the mycological MacGuffin, but when it was just a hair¡¯s breadth away, it froze again.


    <em>She turned towards Citrina and thought about the red threat she had once seen. What did you call that thing? Smandrake, I think? Even touching that thing, it seems, can ruin your day¡­</em>


    She looked at Citrina with doubt, and she looked down at the thing in front of them.


    The young girl nodded.


    Mia¡¯s face quickly brightened up. She touched the mushroom with her hand.


    <em>Oh, so this is how it feels to eat mushrooms¡­ A little bit cold to touch. And rougher than I expected. But it¡¯s just a mushroom!</em>


    She carefully picked up her prize from the ground, moved by how important this moment was.


    It was a brown thing with rough edges that looked a lot like a rock.


    ¡°Well done, Your Highness.¡± Citrina said, ¡°That¡¯s a brown rock fungus.¡±


    ¡°The brown rock fungus¡­ Is it edible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit bitter, but you can eat it.¡±


    Mia felt a wave of feelinge over her.


    <em>Aaah¡­ I did it¡­ I finally picked a mushroom that I could eat myself.</em>


    After more than a year of stubbornly trying, she finally got to taste the forbidden fruit of mushroom hunting. And it was so great! She was ecstatic when she pulled her first fungus out of the ground and said, ¡°Wonderful! Then let¡¯s start picking!¡±


    She collected cap after cap with the quiet but intense focus of a master craftsman.


    Citrina gave her some advice when she brushed aside a patch of yellow leaves and pulled out a blue mushroom.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a kind of fungus that looks a lot like the brown rock fungus. It is called blue rock fungus, and it is very tough. If you simmer it for a long time, it should soften up a bit. But you can eat it.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I see. This looks like a blue rock fungus. I read about them in a book,¡± the self-proimed mushroom expert mumbled as she moved on to her next target.


    They were lucky to have a real mushroom guide with them.


    The path that Citrina had picked out for them turned out to be perfect for the situation. It took them through many different patches of mushrooms.


    Mia almost squealed when she saw how many different things were there.


    ¡°Look! There¡¯s something different over here!¡±


    The next mushroom she saw was a huge one that was as big as her hat.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s pretty cool, Your Highness. This big of a demonstone cap is hard toe by. It¡¯s technically edible, but it has a bitter taste and is otherwise pretty nd.¡±


    After that, she ran over to a blue mushroom that was just as big. Citrina came right after him and gave advice with the uracy and detail of a real veteran.


    ¡°And that is a blue demonstone cap. It is rted to the demonstone cap and has a bitter taste. Still, it¡¯s possible to eat it if you try hard enough.¡±


    ¡°What a haul!¡±


    Mia was almost walking on air after she had eaten all the mushrooms in the area. But then she had a sudden thought that brought her back to reality.


    <em>Hold on a minute¡­ Is it just me, or have I never been given a chance to show what I know?</em>


    She thought about what she had done so far that day and realised that she had mostly just run around picking mushrooms. She was supposed to show off the wisdom of the Great Wisdom of the Empire, but that hadn¡¯t happened at all.


    She decided that Citrina was to me because she always spoke before her.


    <em>Hm¡­ As a girl of the forest, I know a few things about mushrooms, but it¡¯s not my main job to study them. I guess it makes sense that I woulde in second when ites to pure knowledge¡­</em>


    Even though it wasn¡¯t Citrina¡¯s main job, but¡­


    She went to Citrina so that her pride as a girl of the forest wouldn¡¯t be hurt any more.


    ¡°Rina, just so you know, you don¡¯t have to spend the whole day with me. I¡¯m sure the others would also like some advice from a guide as knowledgeable as you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I know that.¡±


    Citrina¡¯s sweet smile came out.


    And¡­ just kept smiling.


    She didn¡¯t try to leave any mushrooms for herself or pick any. She almost looked like she was watching Mia for some reason.


    Like an officer.


    Since Citrina was the daughter of a noble Tearmoon, it was natural for her to stay with the Tearmoon princess. The problem was that her constant presence threw off the whole situation. It seemed like Mia was a rich little kid on a field trip, and Citrina was her wise guardian who had to keep her from hurting herself and keep her entertained.


    Mia thought of herself as a mushroom girl. She didn¡¯t need to be watched by an adult. Her pride would not let her put up with that. Not that Mia really was a mushroom girl.


    But anyway¡­


    The thought stopped her from being so excited about finding mushrooms. When she came to, she also realised something else.


    <em>Wait one more minute¡­ Is it just me, or do all of the mushrooms I picked look a little bit strange? All of them are a little bit bitter, tasteless, or hard to chew.</em>


    In fact, when I looked more closely, I saw that Citrina had used the word ¡°edible¡± for every single one of her mushrooms.


    <em>That wasn¡¯t a good way to talk about food! But no, I can¡¯t be to me for this. It has to be, because the only mushrooms that grow around here are strange ones. All I can say is that the location is bad.</em>


    Just then, she heard the voice of her granddaughter.


    Bel held up a mushroom and asked Rina, ¡°How about this one?¡±


    ¡°Well done, Bel. The name for that is caviar fungus. They taste great, especially when cooked in a stew. After just one sip, you¡¯ll want more for days.¡±


    <em>It¡¯s where it is! The ce is not good!</em>


    Grandmother Mia¡¯s pride was hurt in a terrible way.


    <em>Gah! Okay, it looks like I don¡¯t have a choice. Time to go deeper into the forest, where the better ones grow. I¡¯ming for you, tasty mushrooms!</em>

 Chapter 313

    <strong>Princess Mia is Unwavering Part 2</strong>


    ¡°Mia, do you want to stop soon for lunch?¡±


    Mia had beenpletely focused on the hunt until Rafina told her to stop. In fact, the way she was so focused was so scary that many people had tried to tell her to stop but had given up in the face of her quiet intensity.


    Rafina was the only one who was brave enough to bother her. So, Anne¡¯s basket, which she carried on her back, was now full of mushrooms.


    At least 60% of them were ¡°a little bitter but still good to eat. About 20% of them were just in bad. Only 10% were at least somewhat tasty.


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but grimace when she saw this strange collection. As a mushroom guide with years of experience, this was by no means okay.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Just a moment longer¡­¡±


    Rafina looked sad.


    ¡°I understand that as the person in charge of this event, you feel like you have to make sure it goes well, but I think we could all use a break. Look at poor Anne. She must be worn out.¡±


    Mia stopped, and the reminder made her eyes widen. She had forgotten about Anne because she was so focused on finding mushrooms. It was one thing to run around and pick, but it was a whole other thing to have to carry her haul around.


    ¡°Moons, you¡¯re right. Anne, I have been very careless.¡±


    Mia felt a tinge of regret.


    ¡°I apologise. You must be pretty worn out.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, mdy.¡± Anneughed and puffed out her chest as she said, ¡°I can do this all day long.¡±


    Then, the tone of her voice changed.


    ¡°That¡¯s me, though. I think you should stop working for a while, mdy. You won¡¯t get anywhere if you push yourself too hard.¡±


    Mia was moved when she saw the worry on her maid¡¯s face.


    <em>So much love¡­ Anne really is something special. Even after everything I¡¯ve done to her, she won¡¯t say anything bad about me.</em>


    She was so moved that¡­


    <em>Anne doesn¡¯t know much about forests. She must have had a very hard time keeping up with a forest girl like me¡­</em>


    That¡­ She should get something for her unwavering loyalty.


    <em>And I know exactly what to do. If it¡¯s thest thing I do, I¡¯ll make her a delicious mushroom stew.</em>


    ¡­ She was even more determined to find better mushrooms.


    When Mia got to the clearing, the rest of the group had already finished making lunch. On the ground, a mat was spread out, and her friends were sitting on it in a casual way and talking to each other. To her great surprise, her fake goal of bringing the student council members together through this event was working amazingly well.


    Who would¡¯ve guessed? At least not her!


    The boys¡¯ friendship was especially strong after the time they worked together to cook. This helped Sapphias the most, because they had always had trouble fitting in. Now, he was happily chatting with a casual air of confidence.


    The girls shouldn¡¯t have been hit, though. They talked as loudly and quickly as their counterparts, if not more so, because of the forest¡¯s enchanting atmosphere.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Mia said of the scene, ¡°Not a bad sight, if I do say so myself.¡±


    The natural friendship she saw was contagious, and she wanted to join in the fun more and more. Pics in the woods during lunchtime were not a part of her life in the past timeline, so that¡¯s not surprising.


    Rafina said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡±


    She had a soft smile, but her voice was full of feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful lunch to see everyone, nobles andmoners alike, sitting on the same level and eating sandwiches in a forest clearing. Mia, it¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    Bel waved excitedly when she saw that Mia had arrived.


    ¡°Come on, Miss Mia! Over here!¡±


    Mia did what she was told and sat down on the mat. Abel was on one side, and Sion was on the other.


    What, did you expect her to sit next to Bel? Of course not.


    Mia came to enjoy her youth. Even though it was fall, her spring was in full bloom. She was ready to have the time of her life when she found herself between two handsome boys.


    Before you start picturing this, though, let me remind you that Mia was still wearing her weird mushroom outfit. So, it looked more like Mushroom Princess Mia was being served by two handsome men who used to be princes of kingdoms that Mia¡¯s fungi had destroyed.


    Bel sat next to Sion, and Citrina sat next to Bel. Bel, on the other hand, was happy with how the seats were set up.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sion said to Mia as soon as she sat down, ¡°I think it¡¯s time topare our loot now that we¡¯ve fought the fungi well. Mia, how¡¯s yours? Will Tearmoon¡¯s honour stay the same?¡±


    Mia looked at him, thought about how rare it was for the Sunnd prince to say something funny, and smiled.


    <em>Oho ho. Sion! Sion! Sion! You try so hard to look grown-up all the time, but all it takes is a pic and some fun music, and you¡¯re right back to being a child.</em>


    Whether or not she was mentally mature enough to take such a condescending stance is debatable, but she replied with a snarl,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think it¡¯s better than Sunnd¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Really? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± he said, looking at his own basket.


    Mia looked where he was looking and saw a pile of mushrooms sticking out of the top.


    If she could remember right, most of them were ones that Citrina had said were ¡°tasty.¡±


    She huffed and looked at the big pile of mushrooms sticking out of her basket. Citrina had said that most of them were ¡°not poisonous.¡±


    ¡°You should know¡­ This battle is still going on. It¡¯s just getting started,¡± she said with a snarl.


    Sionughed with mirth


    ¡°All right. Then you should go to bed and get some rest so you can fight better in the afternoon.¡±


    Before she could get mad at his annoying behaviour again, a ss of water slid into view in front of her.


    ¡°Here, Mia, take a sip.¡±


    ¡°My, Abel. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that outfit of yours is pretty hot. I figured you¡¯d appreciate a drink.¡±


    ¡°Of course I would.¡±


    Some of her clothes were a bit warm. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and took a drink. Cool water ran down her throat, which felt good. She took a few more bites and let out a sigh of satisfaction.


    <em>I didn¡¯t realise it before, but I think I¡¯m pretty worn out.</em>


    As she looked at the food on disy, she thought, ¡°I really should get some rest before going for round two in the afternoon.¡±


    <em>But before I do that, I need to make some decisions. All right, boys, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.</em>


    She looked at the sandwiches with the kind of focus usually reserved for heroes who have finally caught the bad guy who killed their parents.


    She picked up one of the sandwiches and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to give these a try.¡±


    <em>Hm¡­ There¡¯s nothing interesting about the shape. It looks like any other loaf of bread¡­ Minus one point forck of originality.</em>


    After making that rude first judgement, she tore off a piece of just the bread and put it in her mouth.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ It¡¯s not bad. It has a soft sweetness that makes it very tasty.¡±


    Most of the time, Mia¡¯s taste buds were about the same age as she was. That is, she had the taste buds of a child, which meant she loved everything sweet.


    ¡°Ha ha, I¡¯m ttered that you think so highly of me.


    Sion smiled at her in a polite way.


    ¡°¡­Oh, yes. You did make the dough, right?¡±


    ¡°He sure did!¡±


    Bel piped up.


    ¡°He¡¯s good, isn¡¯t he, Miss Mia?¡±


    She looked coldly at her granddaughter.


    <em>All right, girl, calm down. All it is is bread. She can sometimes be such a fangirl. I mean, it¡¯s good bread, but it¡¯s still just bread. I¡¯m currently eating a sandwich. Sandwiches are all about how well the bread and the fillings go together. The filling and the bread! The whole is what the sum of the parts makes it!</em>


    She talked to herself about the essence of sandwiches with the arrogance of an armchair expert and the zeal of an overeager foodie.


    Then she took a bite, including the filling. Her eyes grew twice as big right away!


    <em>It¡¯s so tasty!</em>


    Fresh greens crunched under her teeth, and then she tasted the rich vour of fried egg, which wasplemented by a mild sourness, likely from white sauce, and the smell and taste of smoked meat.


    The inside of her mouth turned into a wonderful ce to eat.


    <em>H-How¡­ How did they get it to taste so good on the first try? This¡­ This just isn¡¯t right!</em>


    ¡°How is it? We did what we could, but¡­¡±


    She looked up and saw Abel¡¯s face full of worry. Sion, Keithwood, and Sapphias, who looked just as eager as he did, were also holding their breath as they waited to hear what she was thinking.


    As she looked from one surprised face to the next, she finally realised that she had lost. She realised that it wasn¡¯t about being able to get married. She had been trying to win the wrong war.


    They were clearly the real winners of the day because they were having a great time.


    So, after a short time of thinking, she said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ delicious. Absolutely delicious.¡±


    Her sincerepliment made people smile in the same way. She saw how proudly the boys looked at each other, and it made her a little bit envious.


    It sparked something in her that¡­


    <em>Well, since they worked so hard to make us a tasty lunch, I should do the same for them by making them some delicious mushroom stew. I¡¯ming for you, tasty mushrooms!</em>


    ¡­ Again, this only made her more determined.

 Chapter 314

    <strong>Grandmother Mia Says Cool Things</strong>


    <em>In fact, that makes me remember. This trip to look for mushrooms is not just for fun and games. My whole life depends on it¡­</em>


    The steady chewing of tasty sandwiches and the nutrients that came with them turned on her non-fungal thought centres again, which made her remember a very important fact. Why did she suggest a trip to look for mushrooms in the first ce? Had it been to eat a delicious pot of mushroom stew? Nay!


    So she wouldn¡¯t give in to the allure of other foods on the night of the Holy Eve Festival, when they were forbidden; she hoped that the Chaos Serpents wouldn¡¯t hurt her if she had a mushroom stew party with the student council. In particr, she was counting on the stew¡¯s mind-numbing mushroomy goodness to make her enemy give up on food.


    In fact, this trip was nned for a very important reason! She wasn¡¯t gathering mushrooms like it was thest day of her life. She was picking mushrooms because it really was a matter of life and death.


    So, from this point of view, how did her new finds look?


    If the Serpents attacked her with sweets from faraway ces, could the mushrooms in her basket stand up to their sugary strength?


    They are bitter and can be eaten ¡°technically.¡±


    How likely was it that they could keep her stomach empty while her enemy fed her dangerous treats?


    Unfortunately, the answer was 0. Zip, zilch, nada!


    She was going to need mushrooms that were more tasty. Much, much tastier¡­ Those that grew in the deepest parts of the forest. She had to have¡­Belluga mushrooms.


    How to get to them was the question.


    <em>I can¡¯t really talk to the others about the idea. They¡¯ll just fire it down. And then watch me even more closely. That will just make things more difficult. If I go, it will be just me¡­ Then I have to figure out how to get away quietly¡­ In particr¡­</em>


    She was looking at the girl next to Bel.


    <em>Citrina is being a good Tearmoon noble and sticking close to me, which is a shame. I¡¯ll have to give her a shake. However¡­ Mia, you need to think. What can I do to get mushrooms that taste better? Hm¡­</em>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Rafina asked Mia, ¡°What was that?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t hear because she was lost in her own thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, they taste good¡­ Want more, a lot more, and it tastes good¡­¡±


    Her mumbling brought her out of her trance, and Rafina asked her again, ¡°Mia? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mia came back to herself with the second question. She looked around and saw that she was the only one standing, and everyone was staring at her.


    ¡°Huh? O-Oh, um¡­ I just, uh¡­¡±


    She stuttered for a few seconds as she tried toe up with a good reason.


    <em>This is not good! I was so focused on getting deeper into the forest that my body moved on its own.</em>


    Panic rose. She could feel it moving up her throat, which was getting more and more dry, before it came out as ¡°F-Felt like going for a walk¡­ to, uh, pick some mushrooms¡­¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a good reason, though. It was the truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth. Which was the exact opposite of what she had wanted!


    <em>Gah! I just said it out loud! Now that they know I want to pick mushrooms in the deeper parts of the forest, they will stop me.</em>


    The thought centres in her brain didn¡¯t stay turned on for very long. Even though the sandwiches were healthy, they couldn¡¯t keep her brain going for long. If she wanted to really think, she would probably need what Mia needs: sugar. Sad to say, there were none.


    <em>Oh no, it¡¯s toote¡­ I can¡¯t think of any way to talk myself out of this¡­</em>


    Just as she was beginning to give up hope¡­


    ¡°Pick some mushrooms? What do you mean¡ªOh!¡±


    Someone, she didn¡¯t know who, asked a question that was cut off abruptly and ended with a realisation that everyone else in the room had at the same time.


    The group all said ¡°Ooooooh¡± at the same time to show that they got it. The boys awkwardly turned away. One of them said, ¡°Well, then, just keep an eye out.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay? Sure?¡±


    Mia scratched her head because she didn¡¯t know what to think of the answer. Anne was the only one who got up and got ready to follow her.


    ¡°Wait, Anne, it¡¯s okay.¡± Mia said quickly, ¡°Just stay here and get some rest.¡±


    <em>Anne doesn¡¯t know much about the forest, unlike me. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to force her toe along.</em>


    She gave Anne a smile to make her feel better.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine by myself.¡±


    Then she got up and left.


    Now, those of you who are a little slow might need a little more exnation.


    ¡°Going to pick some flowers¡± was amon way for women to say they had to go to the bathroom when they were outside.


    Everyone in the group knew, or at least thought they knew, what Mia meant by what she said. They thought she had used the opportunity to y with words and make the phrase sound more euphemistic.


    No one thought she would get up in the middle of lunch and run off by herself to pick mushrooms. That goes against allmon sense¡ªthe samemon sense that kept them from seeing what she was really up to.


    ¡°Oho ho! I can¡¯t believe it worked so well!¡±


    Mia hummed as she moved deeper into the forest. She was happy that she¡¯d been able to get away from the group.


    ¡°But I have to say, they sure made it easy on me. I don¡¯t know why.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense to her until she had a sudden idea.


    ¡°Oh, what was I talking about? It¡¯s so clear. I grew up in the woods. I can take care of myself. They¡¯re just nowing to understand that. I think it was the basket of mushrooms I brought back with me. Even if you don¡¯t like it, it was a pretty good haul, if I do say so myself.¡±


    She nodded to herself and kept going as she thought about it.


    ¡°Hm, the map says that if I go this way from the clearing, I should¡­¡± she said as she moved branches out of the way like a brave explorer.


    Soon, she came to a cliff that stopped her from going any further.


    ¡°Huh. The map didn¡¯t show this cliff.¡±


    She looked over the edge with her arms crossed as she thought. Yellow nts stuck out of the side of the cliff, blocking her view of what was below.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see the bottom. That¡¯s not good. Should I try to find some way to get down? Or should I go the other way? I wonder where those mushrooms would grow. This cliff¡­? Or somece beyond it¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t look like the cliff was very high. She could probably get down if she was careful. After giving it some thought, she went with her gut.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that going around is the right choice! My years of experience as a mushroom guide tell me so!¡±


    It was definitely what she felt in her gut. She was just doing what felt right to her. It had nothing to do with the fact that going down looked like a lot of work. Just saying.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try going along the edge to the left¡­¡±


    She started to walk with the cliff on her right. After just five steps, she heard her name being called.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    She stopped to see where the voice wasing from and saw Citrina running towards her. Her secret was out, and she couldn¡¯t do much about it. She waited for Citrina to catch up with her. The little girl stopped right in front of her and smiled as she always did.


    ¡°Jeez, Your Highness, you can¡¯t just run away like that. Not so far into the woods¡­¡±


    Citrina said, her sweet smile never leaving her face as she formed words with her lips.


    ¡°What if something bad happened to you, hm? Your Highness, what would you do?¡±


    She just¡­kept smiling. Even while she talked. Even as she suddenly tilted her head in a strange way, she moved like a puppet. Her smile stayed the same the whole time.


    It was really nice. So endearing. A cute thing that a young child does. Still, for some reason, it made Mia feel cold to the bone.


    <em>M-My¡­ Am I getting goosebumps? What¡¯s happening? I feel oddly cold¡­</em>


    ¡°Well? Your Majesty, what would you do? If something bad happened? Hm?¡±


    Citrina¡¯s big eyes, like those of a doll, looked up at Mia.


    Mia worried. She had a strong need to get away.


    Then another voice was heard¡­


    ¡°Miss Mia! Rina!¡±


    Bel ran up behind Citrina, waving her hand excitedly as she ran towards them.


    ¡°Oh, Bel¡­ I told you to wait¡­¡±


    Citrina said something quietly. Mia felt the chill that had been holding her loosen as she did this. What in the name of the moons was that? She frowned at the strange thing, but a high-pitched scream broke her train of thought.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    Bel stumbled forward and fell on the wet yellow leaves.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Both people who saw Bel fall had the same shocked sounde out of their mouths. A small object was thrown away from her by the movement. It went in an arc through the air.


    ¡°What is it? Mia just stood there dumbfounded as the thing flew past her. It turned out to be the small troya charm that Bel had worked so hard to make.


    It went over the edge, but before it fell, it caught on a branch of a tree that grew diagonally from the edge of the cliff.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Blessed moons¡­¡±


    Mia let out a breath she had been holding. It happened at the same time as another sound nearby. Citrina had done the same thing, it seemed.


    ¡°Well, how lucky,¡± said Citrina to Bel after she quickly got herself back together.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too crazy. It should be possible for us to get it back.¡±


    Bel, on the other hand, looked at the tree that stuck out before shaking her head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s too risky. If we fall, we¡¯ll go over the edge.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can always do it again. No matter how hard you try to hold on to something, you can¡¯t. It goes when it¡¯s time for it to go. That¡¯s the way things are.¡±


    A sad look at the hanging troya broke through her act of not caring.


    Mia chewed her lip. If she hadn¡¯t forced the issue and sneaked off into the forest herself, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Her sense of guilt began to weigh on her.


    She also knew that Bel had worked hard to make those charms so that she and Citrina would look good together. She could make another one, though. But that¡¯s not what was wrong.


    That¡¯s a one-of-a-kind charm. Bel put everything she had into making it. It couldn¡¯t just be reced by something else. So, it¡¯s too early to give up.


    The charm got stuck in a thick tree, which was lucky. It would take some careful climbing, but it seemed like it would be possible to get it. Even more so for Mia, who grew up in the forest.


    After she was sure that she knew what she was doing, she turned to Bel and spoke in a confident voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Bel. No matter how much you love something or how tightly you hold on to it, it will always leave when it¡¯s time. That¡¯s right. But.¡±


    She put her hand on the tree that held the charm.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a reason to give up before you even try.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Mia? What are you doing?¡± Bel asked with wide-open eyes.


    Mia turned around to face the tree and said, ¡°What I¡¯m doing is showing how important effort is. Just because you might lose something doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t try your hardest to keep it!¡±


    She then jumped onto the trunk.


    It went diagonally out from the edge of the cliff at an angle that was easy to climb.


    She crawled up, trying not to think about the fact that she couldn¡¯t see the ground below her.


    <em>It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m a forest veteran. Well, I¡¯ve been picking mushrooms for a long time, but that shouldn¡¯t make it hard for me to climb trees.</em>


    Even though her mushroom-forestparison didn¡¯t make sense, she was sure of herself.


    Grandmother Mia looked like a storybook hero as she smiled bravely at Bel, who was in awe of her. She was about to do something amazing that would make her granddaughter¡¯s jaw drop for the rest of her life.


    Then she lost her bnce and fell.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

 Chapter 315

    <strong>The Oldest and Weakest Loyal Retainer</strong>


    Ludwig used all of his connections to help him find out what was going on. He paid secret visits to his fellow ¡°disciples¡± and listened to everything they had to say.


    ¡°I thought I would start by looking more closely at what the House of Yellowmoon and its allies did. During this process, I heard that another student of my master wants to talk to me. He works for the Ministry of the Azure Moon.


    ¡°Who was it? You know, I¡¯m always surprised by how big this group of your students is,¡± said Dion.


    Ludwig smiled despite himself.


    ¡°They are a strange group, but in times like these, they can be very helpful.¡±


    The two were waiting in a private room of arge tavern on the edge of the capital.


    Soon, their visitor came.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good to see you again, dear senior student of our master. Too much time has passed.¡±


    A young man walked in and smiled warmly at Ludwig.


    Ludwig said with a grimace, ¡°Not long enough to get that smug look off your face.¡±


    Of course, it was a joke. Mostly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that you¡¯re still as annoyingly friendly as ever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a curse I don¡¯t want to live with,¡± the young man said with an even bigger smile than before.


    ¡°And you, old student, seem just as likely as ever to stick your nose into sticky situations. Oh? Could that handsome guy behind you be Her Majesty¡¯s sword? The one that¡¯s been going around in the rumour millstely?¡±


    The young man looked at Dion, and Dion gave him a shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be hanging from her belt, but for now I still am. Hi, I¡¯m Dion ia.¡±


    He looked at the young man with a sharp, careful eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to decide if I¡¯m d to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, you¡¯re just as scary as they say you are! Ludwig, how do you spend so much time with this nice guy without getting dirty every other minute?¡±


    Even though Dion had a scary vibe, the young man put out his hand.


    He said ¡°Gilbert Bouquet¡± with a flourish on the soft ¡°g.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Gil if you like. At least it¡¯ll make me happy.¡±


    Dion shook the man¡¯s hand and looked at Ludwig as he did so.


    ¡°Gotta say, Ludwig¡¯s friends are pretty cool.Are you as talented as the rest of the young people?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you make me feel good. I¡¯m just a lowly employee of the Ministry of the Azure Moon.¡± One of the five main parts of the Tearmoon government, the Azure Moon Ministry was mostly in charge of running the imperial capital. As you might expect from a ministry with such a broad goal, it had many different jobs to do. One of these jobs was to talk with the nobles in the centre.¡±


    It wasmon knowledge that the best way to find out about the important nobles in the empire was to ask someone from the Azure Moon Ministry.


    ¡°Man, I have to say that thest thing I expected was for the Great Detester of All Things Imperial to work for Her Highness. Why did you change your mind, Ludwig?¡±


    ¡°Hah. You¡¯d understand if you met her. Her Highness is someone who makes you feel like doing anything to keep serving her would be worth it. Even our master has made a firm promise to work for her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the most strange part. Not just you, but also that old rock too. I didn¡¯t think he could change his mind about anything anymore.¡±


    Gilbert pursed his lips and nodded, showing that he was interested in what was being said. So, The Great Wisdom Indoctrination Campaign went after the next person. Ludwig was its most devoted member, and he never stopped. He worked at any time and any ce. Every day of the week, on and off the clock, as long as there was a mind to be changed, he was there to do it.


    ¡°But, back to the point. You wanted to know more about the Yellowmoons?¡± Gilbert asked as a waiter brought drinks for everyone.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If you know anything interesting, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do have something, but it¡¯s more of a warning than information.¡±


    Gilbert took a moment to look around the room before whispering.


    ¡°By the way, it was smart of you to bring that Dion guy along. If you want to get close to Duke Yellowmoon, you can¡¯t be too careful.


    ¡°That bad, huh? From what I¡¯ve learned so far, I thought I¡¯d need to be more careful, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Just to be clear, I know that your idea of ¡®extra¡¯ is much bigger than most people¡¯s, but it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt to tighten it up a bit more.¡±


    Gilbert put his head down and shook it.


    ¡°I honestly can¡¯t think of a single reason why you would want to fight with these people¡­ Anyhow, where do I begin? Let¡¯s see¡­ Also, do you know why the Duke of Yellowmoon is called the ¡°weakest¡± noble?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Lord Georgia¡¯s uprising. Since then, it¡¯s been that way.¡±


    The thing he talked about happened almost 200 years ago. It was probably the biggest uprising in the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s history. Duke Georgia Etoile Yellowmoon had been in charge of the house at the time. He nned to rebel against the imperial family with the help of a number of powerful nobles. This revolt was so big and moving so fast that it threatened to split the empire in two and start a civil war there.


    Even though it started with a bang, the uprising ended with an incredibly sad whimper. Gardier, Lord Georgia¡¯s younger brother, killed him, and the rebel army fell apart soon after. All of the nobles who had nned the uprising were killed, and their families¡¯ names were ruined.


    It was especially interesting that Gardier, the younger brother, was put on a bed of thorns instead of a bed of glory, even though he was very important in stopping a costly rebellion. People started to talk badly about him because the Yellowmoons were the ones who caused the disaster in the first ce, and all he did was stop his own traitorous family from doing more damage.


    His request to spare the lives of those whose families were involved in the plot added fuel to the fire, even though most people knew that the price of treason was the death of one¡¯s whole house and n. Gardier got a lot of k for defending people who were guilty just by being around them. In the end, people had different thoughts about the two brothers.


    People came to see the older as a scary, ambitious person who had the guts and courage to challenge the empire to get what he wanted. The younger was called a traitor and a coward for betraying both the country and his own family.


    Even so, Gardier¡¯s petition saved a lot of lives, and people who lived in houses that were suspected gathered under the Yellowmoon banner to show their thanks. People came to think of the Yellowmoon faction as a group of losers because it was made up of people who lost the power struggle. Over time, more and more nobles in simr positions, like ound counts who were often looked down upon by the central nobility, joined them. So, a group of outcasts formed, and the Yellowmoons got the name ¡°the oldest and weakest of all.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the story in a nutshell, as everyone knows. But what if I said that everything was nned? That every step of the uprising was nned? Then, what would you think then?¡±


    Gilbert asked in the way a parent might ask a child a joke to make themugh.


    Ludwig crossed his arms and thought, ¡°You mean if the uprising wasn¡¯t just an uprising but a way to get somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°Then, a lure¡­ Like a light for moths¡­¡±


    When Ludwig replied, Gilbert shook his finger at him.


    ¡°Bingo. I knew you¡¯d get it. It¡¯s not hard to find out about this, but some of the nobles in the Yellowmoon faction have known the duke for a very long time. Even before they lost that power fight. For example, around the time of the uprising, there was a marquess whose power and influence were almost as great as the emperor¡¯s, but for some reason, he started losing heirs left and right. In particr, his sons were getting sick one after the other. Other nobles started to look at him funny because they thought he was bad luck. Eventually, he was cast out of high society. The Duke of Yellowmoon, an old friend of his, happened to be there at that time and asked him to join their group.¡±


    Gilbert smirked and took a sip of wine.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that smell like something is wrong?¡±


    ¡°I see. So what you¡¯re saying is that the Yellowmoons killed the marquess¡¯s sons to make him less powerful. They go up to people who bother the empire, win their trust, and then take away their power. The fact that they went after the marquess¡¯s sons instead of him directly and that the imperial family seemed to have mixed feelings about them kept them from being seriously suspected of wrongdoing.¡±


    ¡°On top of all that, the Yellowmoons know a lot about nts and herbs. It makes you wonder, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡®They have been interested in medicinal gardening for a long time,¡¯ would be a good exnation. But no. This is probably a case of medicine and poison being two sides of the same coin.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. The n of assassins known as the House of Yellowmoon uses poison to kill people who are a threat to the empire. ¡°That¡¯s my theory,¡± Gilbert said in a tone that had nothing to do with the seriousness of the subject.


    They tried to hide their fall from grace. The fact that they were called ¡°the weakest¡± hid the fact that they did something important for the emperor. At the same time, they were still a group, which made those plotting against the empire want to gather in their area of influence.


    The Yellowmoons¡¯ job was to act as a lure. They were both the light that drew in the bad moths of the empire and the fire that burned them to death. Someone had to do the dirty work for every emperor. It wasn¡¯t a very exciting job, but it was an important one that had to be done. It made perfect sense¡­for a normal empire.


    But Ludwig knew that Tearmoon wasn¡¯t like other empires. Taking into ount what he knew about the first emperor¡¯s ns¡­


    ¡°Being the weakest and farthest from the central nobility makes the Yellowmoons an attractive ally¡­to new nobles. Those who don¡¯t have anti-farming beliefs. It would be easier for people to talk to them, like outcounts. And if that new person turned out to be a problem, kill them. Is that what they want?¡±


    If this whole web of intrigue was nned to help the empire spread the idea that farming is bad, then the House of Yellowmoon would have yed a very important role. And by being able to do that¡­


    ¡°I see. So, the other versiones from that. The loyal ones who are the oldest and weakest¡­¡±


    ¡°The point is, look behind you. The Yellowmoons seem to be pretty good at killing people,¡± Gilbert said with an easy smirk.

 Chapter 316

    <strong>Yellow, White¡­ and¡­ Red</strong>


    ¡°Mm¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    Mia slowly opened her eyes with a quiet groan. Everything was a blur. She rubbed her eyes, closed them a few times, and then did it again. She finally got up and took a look around.


    ¡°This is¡­ Oh, my, where am I?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe how beautiful everything was. Thick yellow leaves swayed above, dropping small leaves that gently danced their way to the ground, which was covered in ayer of white as even as freshly fallen snow.


    ¡°Are these, like, white mushrooms?¡±


    She looked around again and gasped when she saw that she had been lying on a bed of white mushrooms. Her fall had been broken by the soft, squishy carpet.


    ¡°Yes, now I remember. I fell off the cliff, and these mushrooms kept me from hurting myself,¡± she said, gently stroking the cap of one of her tiny heroes.


    Then she realised that her right hand was tightly balled into a fist and that something was inside. When she straightened out her fingers, she saw the horse charm that Bel had made.


    ¡°Thank the heavens. I didn¡¯t lose it. If I dropped it here, it would be very hard for me to find it again¡­¡±


    She slowly got to her feet, bracing herself for any sudden pain that mighte.


    None came.


    She thought she wasn¡¯t hurt, but she wasn¡¯t sure. Her mushroom outfit probably also deserves some credit, since it was thick enough to serve as a cushion. As a maiden of the mushrooms, Mia had finallye into her own. She was now a real Mushroom Princess because they had blessed her. What¡¯s a Mushroom Princess, anyway?


    ¡°Well, this is exactly what a lucky mistake looks like¡­ I managed to get to the Belluga mushrooms by ident.¡±


    She smiled eagerly at the huge area of white around her.


    ¡°There are so many sweet moons¡­ Here, you can pick as many mushrooms as you want!¡±


    She remembered that Citrina had said there was a ce in the forest where many Belluga mushrooms grew, so she knew this was it.


    She¡¯d hit the jackpot. Well, let¡¯s just say that ¡°Belluga¡± and ¡°mushroom¡± were in the names of the things.


    ¡°Marvelous¡­ Absolutely marvellous! Everyone needs to know¡­¡±


    She looked around and stopped because she saw something strange.


    ¡°My¡­ What is that?¡±


    A few red mushrooms popped up here and there on the white carpet of mushrooms. It looked like blood had been spilled on a field of new snow. When she looked more closely, she saw that the strange colour came from something she¡¯d seen before¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia!¡±


    She heard two familiar voices of young people, then the sound of people going down the cliff.


    ¡°Oh, you found me¡­¡±


    When she saw that Bel and Citrina hade into view, she looked up.


    <em>If those two can get down here, I don¡¯t think the height will be too much of an issue. The other people in the group should also be able to get down. It won¡¯t be hard to pick the mushrooms themselves. The problem is that these mushrooms¡­</em>


    Her thoughts were broken up when a mass the size of Bel hit her.


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    The little girl almost tackled her down.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Mia-neesama, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Bel put her arms around Mia and gave her a tight squeeze.


    ¡°Oh, Bel, you silly girl¡­¡±


    Mia touched her granddaughter¡¯s head gently.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s your charm. I got it back for you.¡±


    She gently took Bel off of her and put the troya in Bel¡¯s tiny hands.


    ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°You really worked hard to make it, right? Make sure you tie a strong knot next time so it doesn¡¯t fly away again. I can¡¯t keep diving off cliffs to get it back,¡± Mia said in a very preachy way for someone whose dive waspletely unintentional and the result of a disastrous attempt to climb a tree.


    Her haughty behaviour, on the other hand, didn¡¯t bother Bel at all.


    ¡°¡­I really appreciate it, Miss Mia.¡±


    Bel just put her arms around Mia again and squeezed.


    ¡°Aww¡­¡±


    Mia was happy to see how much love was being shown.


    Bel hid her face for a while in her grandmother¡¯s chest. After enjoying a long hug to the fullest, she finally took a good look around her.


    ¡°Wow! This is such a beautiful ce, Miss Mia!¡±


    She ran off right away.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Mia quickly put out her hands in a sign of stopping.


    ¡°Hold it, Bel. You can¡¯t just walk over all of these mushrooms. They should taste very good.¡±


    She had a small panic attack when she thought about losing her hard-earned stash of Belluga mushrooms to a pair of tiny feet running amok.


    ¡°Okay, Miss Mia.¡±


    Bel stopped where she was, but she kept looking around eagerly, which made Mia nervous because she couldn¡¯t help but think that Bel¡¯s curiosity might make her start smashing mushrooms again at any moment.


    Bel¡¯s eyes grew big all of a sudden.


    ¡°Hey, Rina, do you see that red mushroom over there? What¡¯s that? I saw a red one hiding among the white ones, Is it tasty too?¡±


    Mia felt a twinge of sadness because her sweet granddaughter hadn¡¯t asked her the question.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure. My memory isn¡¯t the best, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    When Mia heard what Citrina said, she smiled.


    ¡°My, Citrina! A mushroom you have never seen before? Oh, but I guess I can¡¯t hold it against you. This one is a little out of the ordinary,¡± she said with the most arrogance.


    Then she turned to Bel and said, ¡°That¡¯s a smandrake, and it¡¯s very poisonous.¡± Somehow, this made Mia¡¯s smug even bigger. She was very happy.


    After being proud of herself for a while, she remembered to add, ¡°Oh, and by the way, it¡¯s dangerous to even touch, so stay away! Gah! Bel!¡±


    Bel was already on her way there.


    Mia took the girl by the cor and pulled her back.


    ¡°You should quit doing that. There are a lot of dangerous mushrooms, so you should listen to people who have done this before, like us, and do what we say. Right, Rina? Hm? Uh¡­Rina?¡±


    Mia found it strange that there was no answer, so she looked at Citrina. She was just standing there with her back to the wall and her hair falling over her face, making it hard to see what she was thinking.


    <em>M-My, how odd. Why do I feel so cold once more?</em>


    She felt like something cold was going through her whole body. But it onlysted a second before Citrina¡¯s cute giggle broke it up.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s amazing how much Your Highness knows about mushrooms. What an amazing skill!¡±


    Her usual smile was all that was left.


    It was sweet, perfect, and¡­ Mia thought it was a little scary.

 Chapter 317

    <strong>Mushroom Whispers of the Angel and Devil Mia</strong>


    ¡°Whatever the case, I think we should go back.¡±


    The three of them decided they couldn¡¯t keep hanging out at the bottom of the cliff, so they went back to the pic spot. When they got back, their friends, who had been looking for them, were happy to see them.


    ¡°Just so everyone knows, we found some poisonous mushrooms in the woods.¡±


    As soon as Mia said what she was going to do, everyone¡¯s faces changed into worried frowns.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure, Mia? They were really dangerous?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s forehead was touched by the deepest crease.


    Even though she was no longer in charge of the student council, she was still responsible for anything that happened on Saint-Noel Ind because she was the daughter of Duke Belluga. She couldn¡¯t ignore a safety issue like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m 100 percent sure. Very poisonous. They are called smandrakes, and they are these beautiful red mushrooms¡ª¡±


    Keithwood interrupted, ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia, but just to be sure, you didn¡¯t bring any back, did you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s dangerous to even touch them,¡± she said, remembering the look on the face of Muzic, the hunter she met in Remno, when she reached for one of them. Mia liked big men, and Muzic was pretty big, so she was willing to listen to what he had to say. The way he told her not to touch him with her bare hands made her think that it would not go well at all.


    ¡°R-Right,¡± he said. ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. If you were really smart, you wouldn¡¯t bring back something so dangerous.¡± Keithwood said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I asked,¡± but he sounded like he knew why he¡¯d asked.


    Mia made a mean face when she heard how ¡®happy¡¯ he was.


    She then joked, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have you know that they are very pretty mushrooms, and if I had gloves, I would have brought back a bunch.¡±


    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t, for the love of the sun!¡±


    Keithwood was not amused by the joke.


    Sheughed at how pale his face was, and a sneaky smile spread across her lips.


    <em>Oho ho, this could be fun, she thought, thrilled at the idea of making a young manugh about his worries. Yes, the worries are real, but they can still be eased.</em>


    The seductress Mia is at it again!


    ¡°Oh, now I remember. It must be him, right? The hunter we met then,¡± said Sion, nodding his head.


    ¡°Um, I read about that mushroom in a book with pictures,¡± Chloe said. ¡°It is said to be very dangerous. It¡¯s clear that eating one is dangerous, but it seems that just touching one can kill you, too.¡±


    ¡°That kind of mushroom on Saint-Noel¡­ But poisonous nts shouldn¡¯t be able to grow on this ind¡­¡± Rafina murmured as she thought about this.


    Next to speak was Keithwood. ¡°Then what do we do with the mushrooms we¡¯ve already picked? Some of them could also be dangerous. We can¡¯t take the chance.¡±


    Mia told him, ¡°Those are fine. That¡¯s why Rina is here with us. She can watch out for them. Correct, Rina?¡±


    Citrina nodded.


    ¡°Yes. So far, the mushrooms we¡¯ve picked don¡¯t look like any I know to be poisonous, so they should be safe to eat. I would also rmend getting confirmation from professional kitchen staff as an extra safety measure.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Keithwood moved his head to the side.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay if we get the opinion of a professional¡­¡±


    Mia sighed as she heard what was being said.


    <em>Well, this is a bit of a bummer. I finally found a ce where Belluga mushrooms grow, but it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll be able to go pick any. The way this conversation is going, we¡¯re definitely going to pack up and head back to the academy. This forest probably won¡¯t be open for a while either¡­</em>


    She¡¯de so close. She had touched them. But the treasure trove of Belluga mushrooms and their supposedly delicious taste kept escaping her taste buds.


    <em>It was a lot of trouble.</em>


    She let out another sad sigh and went to sit down, but stopped in the middle of the move.


    <em>Hm? What is it?</em>


    One of her pockets looked funny, like it was holding something that was being pushed out by the way she was sitting. She didn¡¯t know what was in that pocket, though.


    Slowly, she put her hand in to get the thing that was bothering her.


    <em>Oh¡­ Oh my¡­ Here¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s impossible¡­</em>


    She could hardly believe what she was seeing. She was holding a white mushroom. A Belluga mushroom?!


    <em>How? When?</em>


    She cocked her head and thought about what had happened that day.


    <em>I fell off the cliff, so it must have happened after that. It got into my pocket when I hit the ground. But even so, it¡¯s probably not a good idea to eat this, right? Hm¡­</em>


    A little Angel Mia dressed as a white mushroom spoke into her ear.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Didn¡¯t Rina tell us? False Belluga mushrooms are a poisonous species that looks a lot like Belluga mushrooms. Since the smandrake we found proved that poisonous mushrooms can grow on this ind, it¡¯s much too dangerous to eat this.¡±


    But her evil counterpart, who was dressed as a red mushroom, said no.


    ¡°About what are you talking? We¡¯ve got it atst. Right now, we¡¯re holding the beautiful Belluga mushroom, and you want to just throw it away? Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if it¡¯s a poisonous fake Belluga mushroom, all we¡¯ll get is a stomachache for a while,¡± said the Devil Mia, who was only a few inches tall.


    She kept whispering with all her heart into her master¡¯s ear.


    ¡°We know exactly what to do. We know what to do, and we just did it for ourselves. We know a lot about mushrooms now. Not only that, but we also found Belluga mushrooms. We did everything by ourselves! We¡¯re so good at this that we could totally call ourselves the Mushroom Princess! So, look closely at that mushroom. What does our mushroom sense tell us?¡±


    She looked at the white mushroom with narrowed eyes, like an antique dealer trying to figure out how much something is worth.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ My mushroom sense tells me that this one is good to eat!¡±


    So she went with her gut.


    Also, ¡°For it to show up like this in my pocket is nothing short of a miracle. This looks like God giving me the thumbs up, so I guess I should eat this mushroom!¡±


    ¡°Miracles don¡¯t happen that easily!¡± a voice that sounded a little like Ludwig may or may not have yelled from far away.


    Mia, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hear his warning from the grave.


    So, Mia followed her group out of the forest with an air of childlike innocence.

 Chapter 318

    <strong>Princess Mia Throws It In¡­ And Eats It</strong>


    So, Mia finally had everything she needed for the mushroom party she had wanted for a long time.


    In the cafeteria at Saint-Noel Academy, there were a few private rooms that could be used for dinner parties. Food would be brought in from the kitchen. Any student could book one for their own use, and the student council already had one booked.


    The mushrooms that Mia and her friends picked were brought to the kitchen, where they would be checked by experts to make sure they were safe to eat before being cooked in a stew.


    When they walked in, they were met by Santeri, who was in charge of security for Saint-Noel. He had an air of hard work and stubbornness about him, and when he looked in their direction, he bowed deeply with his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. As the ind¡¯s security supervisor, it makes me very happy to see that you¡¯vee back safe and sound. I do hope your trip to look for mushrooms was fun.¡±


    Mia spoke for everyone when she said, ¡°Thank you for caring, and yes, it was a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Also, I want to say how much I appreciate being asked toe to this stew party by the student council. It will be a great pleasure for me to be there.¡±


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re far too modest. Without people like you, we wouldn¡¯t have the peace of mind to enjoy school knowing that our safety is in good hands. It makes sense for us to show our gratitude. I hope you have fun at our little party.¡±


    After saying a few polite things to Santeri, Mia walked deeper into the kitchen, making sure her movements were casual enough that they didn¡¯t give away any clues about her ns or intentions.


    ¡°Ah, Princess Mia, wee back! Did you enjoy your trip to the forest?¡±


    She knew one of the women in the kitchen, and she was there to greet her.


    ¡°Yes, I had a great time outside. I¡¯m sorry, though, that we gave you more work to do.¡±


    They spoke to each other in a friendly way. Mia then said hello to each cook in a polite way. Everyone gave her a smile back.


    The whole staff knew Mia¡¯s face by now because she was in the kitchen so often. It¡¯s important to note that whenever she visited, she always took some food with her, but the people she stole from were surprisingly nice about it. This happened because Anne had worked hard to make a lot of connections.


    In general, Anne was the only person with whom Mia didn¡¯t n to be cheap. She always gave her maid a lot of money so that she could spend it on something fun in town. Anne, on the other hand, spent her money in a different way. Every time she got money, she would go into town and buy a bunch of gifts, which she would then send to different academy staff in Mia¡¯s name. Because of this, Mia became known as a kind princess who was liked by themon people.


    Well, let¡¯s go back to the kitchen.


    Mia walked over to her big basket of mushrooms on the counter after saying hello to everyone. The woman who was following her grimaced at what she saw.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given us a tall order, haven¡¯t you? It will be hard to put all of these mushrooms into a single stew. A lot of these mushrooms are also¡­ uhm¡­ a little hard to cook.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does seem so. By the way, and I¡¯m just asking out of pure intellectual curiosity, how would you cook a Belluga mushroom?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you also bring back any Belluga mushrooms?¡± the woman asked in a surprised tone.


    ¡°Of course not, no. I was just interested, like I said. We¡¯ll call it an academic point of interest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Well¡­ Hm¡­¡±


    The woman made a thinking face.


    ¡°Belluga mushrooms taste good, so I think you could get away with just giving them a quick wash, cutting them into two or three pieces, and stewing them for a while.¡±


    ¡°Hm, hm¡­ It¡¯s that simple, huh? That¡¯s good news for sure. In, um, a kind of academic way. Oh!¡±


    Mia opened her eyes in a very fake way, as if she suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Do you know where I might be able to wash my hands? They¡¯re not very clean.¡±


    She waved them around to show them.


    ¡°Oh, yes. They would be after a trip to the forest, wouldn¡¯t they? There, you can get some water.¡±


    Taking her question at face value, the woman made a point.


    ¡°By the way, how clean is the water? I have princess hands that need to be washed with clean water because they are so soft. As for how clean it is, let¡¯s say is it like the water you use to wash your food?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good to go. That is the water we use to wash our food, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Ah, excellent. Thank you.¡±


    She gave him a smile and put her hand in her pocket.


    <em>Hm, wash it, cut it into big pieces, and put them in the pot¡­ Sounds easy, but it¡¯s not so easy to do.</em>


    She washed the mushroom in the water while pretending to wash her hands. The mushroom was hidden in her palms. She scrubbed it all over with care, hoping to clean it so well that it would be safe to eat even if it was still raw. She kept it a secret the whole time.


    It was a feat of hand-eye coordination on par with the tricks of professional magicians. Mia was usually a little clumsy with her hands, but for some reason, when it came to mushrooms, her butterfingers got a lot more dexterous.


    It could have been a sign that her Mushroom Princess powers were finallying to life. What is a Mushroom Princess, even?


    She took a few sneaky looks left and right before creeping up to the pot of stew. She had just finished a thorough cleaning of the water. She cautiously looked around again as she stood over it.


    <em>That Santeri guy is the one I have to watch out for the most. Keep an eye on where he¡¯s looking¡­ Have to time it¡­ Now! Three, Two, One, Now!</em>


    She took off running so fast that her shape was hard to see.


    In the time it took to take a breath, she cut the mushroom into four pieces, threw them into the pot, and ran away.


    She whistled nonchntly as she walked, or rather, she blew breathy hisses out of her mouth because she couldn¡¯t whistle. Her heart was already beating fast, but she felt a sense of aplishment.


    After her mission was done, she went back to the private room and had a carefully timed conversation with herself before going back to the kitchen.


    Her n needed one more step.


    <em>It was time to hit the home run. If they find it before I do, they will make sure I don¡¯t eat it. Even though I know that¡¯s a real Belluga mushroom, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll listen. There¡¯s only one way for me to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.</em>


    She sneaked back in and went over to the pot.


    ¡°Ah! Princess Mia, no. It¡¯s still being cooked¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, oh no. I¡¯m just trying a little bit. It¡¯s just one sip.¡±


    She said, ¡°Just one sip,¡± as she lifted the lid of the pot.


    One of the white mushroom pieces jumped out at her right away. She quickly grabbed it and put it in her mouth before anyone could stop her.


    Her slightly bigger cheeks moved back and forth a few times. Then her face changed into one of pure happiness.


    Her tongue liked how juicy the mushroom was, and her nose liked how good it smelled.


    ¡°Mmmmm¡­ Now this really tastes good¡­ It¡¯s so deep that I can¡¯t even begin to exin it. Aaaah, it¡¯s so goo¡ª Mm?!¡±


    She felt it all of a sudden¡ªa problem with her stomach.


    It came fast and hit hard. Her stomach made a scary gurgle, and then it almost turned in on itself.


    ¡°Ow¡­ Ow ow ow! Ah, my stomach! I¡¯m in pain! Augh! Oooh!¡±


    She fell to her knees from the sharp pain.


    ¡°Ow! Ow! I can¡¯t¡­ This is¡­ Oh no¡ª¡±


    Her stomach rumbled, and she had the clear feeling that something wasing back up her throat.


    ¡°U-Urp¡­ I¡¯m going to¡­¡±


    She lost consciousness because she felt sick and her stomach hurt at the same time.

 Chapter 319

    <strong>Princess Mia Makes Anne Cry</strong>


    After what happened in the kitchen, where Mia ate a poisonous mushroom and passed out, she was told to rest for three days. A quick dose of an emetic made her throw up, which cleaned out her stomach and lessened the effects of the poison. Even though her pride was hurt badly, she was well on her way to getting better.


    This let her say that the whole thing happened because she wasn¡¯t paying attention, so it didn¡¯t be a big scandal that caused a lot of trouble for everyone. If she hadn¡¯t told Rafina that what happened was an ident, an army of anti-Chaos Serpent interrogation experts would be marching to the academy right now.


    That was fine and all, but¡­


    ¡°I hate being bored. I¡¯m so bored,¡± Mia said to herself as shey in her bed.


    The only bad thing about how quickly she got better was that she had way too much energy to stay in bed for three days. Even worse, her meals had been changed to a nd diet for the sick, taking away the only thing she could look forward to.


    There, locked in her room with nothing but her health to keep herpany, she realised what it meant for her world to be grey. Which probably made her look too good, since she was the one who did this to herself. She was really getting what she deserved.


    She tried to pass the time by rereading the story draughts that her court writer, Elise, had sent her. However, when Anne caught her ignoring her doctor¡¯s orders to stay in bed, she took the draughts away.


    In the end, she had nothing to do but sit around and be bored.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Could you tell me a good story, Anne?¡±


    To be honest, it was pretty unreasonable to ask someone to tell an interesting story off the top of their head. But, given her situation, she thought Anne would help her out. Anne, who was the most loyal person to her, would surely be kind to her. That¡¯s why¡­


    ¡°A-Anne? Um¡­¡±


    She was shocked when there was no answer.


    Anne just kept making the room clean. After a moment of awkward silence, she stole a look at Anne, but the maid only looked at her for a second before turning away.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Something was wrong for sure.


    rms started going off in her head as she kept asking, ¡°H-Hey, what¡¯s going on, Anne?¡± with growing unease.


    On her second try, she still didn¡¯t get any response. She could tell that Anne was mad at her, but she didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Wh-going What¡¯s on? What did I do to make you mad? I-I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Even though she didn¡¯t remember doing anything wrong, she got up and quickly folded her legs under her thighs in a respectful position.


    <em>I have no idea what is going on! What do I do?</em>


    Usually, it would be unthinkable for a servant to tell their master so directly how unhappy they were. But Mia and Anne had a unique rtionship that went beyond how theypared to each other.


    Anne was important to Mia. She thought of her as a close friend and never expected her to act like a typical attendant. It wasn¡¯t likely that Mia would be offended by such a clear sign of disapproval.


    However, Anne had never indulged herself. Even though Mia was kind, she had always Mia with the utmost respect.


    Anne was a great employee. A model of how to be a good leader. She hadn¡¯t even talked to Mia. Twice.


    She was so angry that she wouldn¡¯t even talk to her.


    Mia looked helplessly at her maid. She was upset and scared, and she knew this wasn¡¯t a joke. After that, there was a long, tense silence.


    Finally, Anne spoke.


    ¡°You¡­left me behind again¡­mdy.¡±


    Her voice was hoarse, and she didn¡¯t look at him.


    ¡°Huh? O-Oh¡­ Um, well¡­¡±


    Mia was about to say that Anne had looked tired at the time, but as soon as she saw the look on Anne¡¯s face, those words went right back down her throat.


    ¡°I thought my heart was going to stop when I heard you went deep into the forest and fell off a cliff.¡±


    Anne went over to the bed. She had tears in her eyes.


    ¡°A-Anne¡­¡±


    Mia was even more upset by what she saw. She realised that this was the first time she had ever made Anne cry, and she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°And so did the stew¡­ I¡¯m sure you had your reasons, and I trust you, so I won¡¯t ask why you chose a poisonous mushroom, why you put it in the pot, or why you had to eat it yourself, but¡­¡±


    When Anne¡¯s voice broke, so did her emotional wall. Her eyes were filled with tears. Even though she was crying, she was still able to speak.


    ¡°If¡­ If you ever do something dangerous again, I¡¯ll go with you¡­ I don¡¯t care where I go or what I do. I taught myself how to ride a horse. If I have to learn how to use a sword, I will also do so. So¡­don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t abandon me anymore¡­¡±


    When she was facing Mia, she bent at the waist. As she bowed her head, tears of sadness fell from it and hit the floor.


    ¡°Anne¡­ You¡­¡±


    Mia chewed her lip. She was speechless. She tried to stop the rush of feelings that were pushing against her face from inside by closing her eyes.


    There was silence for a few seconds. Then she spoke slowly so that her voice wouldn¡¯t show how unsteady it was.


    ¡°You¡­really are my most trustworthy and loyal subject, Anne.¡±


    The love her maid showed moved her to her very core. But she put a figurative hand on her shaky centre and kept it steady¡­


    ¡°I¡­understand now. Your feelings and the loyalty that drives them are a gift that I will always be grateful for.¡±


    She said that she was thankful. But a nomittal one. There were no oaths taken. No promises made. She knew that she was still on a dangerous path and that her life would end this winter. From what she knew, it would be a messed-up death that could very well hurt everyone close to her.


    <em>I hope it won¡¯t happen, but if I do die, I can¡¯t bring Anne along with me.</em>


    She deserved better after everything Anne had done for her, after all the love and kindness she had shown.


    Mia shook her head inside.


    <em>There¡¯s also Bel¡­ Who would take care of her sweet little granddaughter if she died?</em>


    Her future self, the one who had died from poison, shed through her mind.


    She thought that even though she was in pain, she must have died peacefully because she knew her children and grandchildren were safe with people she could trust.


    <em>Okay, enough with the sad thoughts. I¡¯m not putting myself in dangerous situations on purpose. I¡¯ll probably be fine. On that day, all I have to do is stay in my room. Yes, it will work out. I¡¯m sure of it.</em>


    Anne, on the other hand, just kept looking at Mia with teary eyes. She couldn¡¯t have known what Mia was going through on the inside, but her eyes were so sharp that¡­


    Mia said with a nervousugh, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me that way. You know me. I don¡¯t often put myself in harm¡¯s way.¡±


    Her smile didn¡¯t get a smile back from the other person.


    ¡­Those who found the conversation between the princess and her servant to be touching and heartwarming may not want to be reminded that Mia ate a poisonous mushroom because she was too eager and won¡¯t listen to anyone. If you¡¯re one of those people, you don¡¯t need to be told again. Even if someone had been there to remind them, no one was there.

 Chapter 320

    <strong>¡­ And Mia</strong>


    Mia thought she would be ready to seize the day after three days, when she was no longer locked up and her health had improved. Instead, she almost wanted to eat that mushroom again. That way, she would be able to stay in bed instead of¡­ going to Rafina¡¯s tea party.


    <em>Rafina¡¯s Tea Party!</em>


    When she saw when the invitation was sent, she knew right away that neither the tea nor the party was the main point. Instead, Rafina wanted to talk. Santeri, who is in charge of safety on the ind, would also be there. It was obvious that she was going to get a serious talking-to!


    ¡°Oh no, now I¡¯m in for it¡­ They must be really angry!¡±


    She shuddered when she thought about Rafina¡¯s red eyes during the election. Because things had been going well for hertely, she had bezy and forgotten an important fact: Rafina Orca Belluga was, in general, a very scary person. Her wrath would be uncontroble if someone did something stupid and random that made a lot of other people upset.


    Mia had just pulled one of them out. At least she was able to get the kitchen staff off the hook, but that wasn¡¯t much of a constion. It couldn¡¯t possibly keep her from getting a very harsh scolding.


    ¡°Ooooh, stupid me. Why did I have to do something so dangerous? Ugh¡­ I need toe up with a reason¡­¡±


    Her anxious muttering didn¡¯t stop until she reached the ce of the tea party, which, strangely, was the same private room in the cafeteria where her bad taste test had happened.


    Mia squeaked, ¡°Excuse me, Miss Rafina,¡± as she crept into the room, but she stiffened when she saw the people there. Rafina was with Monica, who used to be a Wind Crow, and a moody Santeri, who red at Mia as she walked in.


    <em>This is not going to be a chitchat session, that¡¯s for sure¡­ Oh no, my stomach is hurting again¡­</em>


    She rubbed her stomach out of habit, wincing at the stress-rted pain. Rafina looked at her with worry on her face.


    ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡±


    Mia quickly said, ¡°Oh, um, no, not that much¡­¡±


    She lost her train of thought because she had another idea.


    <em>I might have been better off saying I still don¡¯t feel good. That might have made her feel sorry for me enough to keep her from giving me a harsh scolding. Ah, but saying I¡¯m fine gives the impression that there wasn¡¯t much damage, so maybe I¡¯ll get off easier that way? It¡¯s hard to say¡­</em>


    Mia was in a very awkward ce because she was both the offender and the victim. She stared at the ground in silence because she didn¡¯t know what to say. Rafina¡¯s soft suggestion broke up her quiet thought, which surprised her.


    ¡°Mia, please don¡¯t overdo it. Here, sit down. I¡¯m so sorry I asked you toe here today. I know that you¡¯re still recovering. If it makes you feel better, I made some tea and sweets that are easy on the stomach. If you feel up to it, feel free to try some of them.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ I will. Thank you¡­¡±


    Mia sank down into a chair and gave a short sigh. Monica, who was now a maid, poured her some tea right away. It smelled strange and herbal. She drank a little.


    <em>Aaaah¡­ How rxing¡­</em>


    She gave a deeper, more rxed sigh. Her nerves calmed down enough for her to start nning how to get through the dangerous conversation that wasing up.


    <em>Okay, let¡¯s get started. I need to apologise. No matter what I do, I will always be to me. In that case, I should say I¡¯m sorry as much as I can. Just keep saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± over and over so I can figure out what to do next.</em>


    After deciding what to do, she turned to Rafina.


    ¡°I know that saying I¡¯m sorry won¡¯t make my actions more eptable, but I¡¯m sorry for my irresponsible behavior.¡± she said, putting her head down in shame.


    Rafina listened carefully while she nodded.


    ¡°An act of irresponsibility¡­ Yes, you were very careless to do that,¡± Rafina said with a serious nod. Then her face turned into a sad shape.


    ¡°But it was us who made you do it, and I¡¯m sorry about that too.¡±


    Mia was about to start her second round of apologies to buy more time, so this response caught her off guard.


    ¡°I can imagine how you struggled to make that choice, and how hard it must have been for you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Uh¡­ I, well¡­¡±


    Mia nodded along, trying to figure out what was being said.


    <em>So, I guess¡­ It¡¯s true that Rafina and the others would stop me if they caught me doing it, so I had to move quickly to sneak it into the pot and then into my mouth¡­ In that way, I guess you could say that they ¡°made me do it.¡± As for the struggle¡­ Well, when I found it, it was hard for me to tell if it was poisonous or not. Maybe she means just that?</em>


    She wasn¡¯t sure what Rafina was trying to say. But a momentter, an idea came to mind.


    <em>Aha! That¡¯s all! I now know what she is thinking. She feels like she¡¯s to me for the fact that I had to act on my own without asking anyone for help when I was making mushroom stew for everyone. Obviously, I wouldn¡¯t have done everything in secret if I didn¡¯t think they were going to stop me. I would have asked Citrina for a second opinion. I wouldn¡¯t have had to taste the food myself.</em>


    Mia felt like a way forward had be clear. It was a small, winding path, but it was the only way out of this maze.


    <em>If this path leads out, narrow or not, I¡¯m going to run down it at full speed!</em>


    She nodded as if she had made up her mind.


    ¡°In reality, it was a very hard choice, and I did struggle making it.¡±


    First, she made sure to say that her decision about the mushroom¡¯s possible poisonousness was not an easy one. It was an ordeal. She¡¯d done a lot of work that made people feel sorry for her. Furthermore¡­


    ¡°I did it because I thought it was best for everyone.¡±


    ¡­She made it clear that she had been trying to help people. She had done it for everyone else¡¯s good. It wasn¡¯t to satisfy her own hunger, for sure. Not at all! There was nothing selfish about this at all!


    So, she kept ying one ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± card after another, hoping to win the ¡°Extenuating circumstances¡± game. It was, to be honest, pretty low. But shame didn¡¯t pay the bills, so she kept going while sneaking nces at Rafina to see how she would react.


    She was happy to see that it seemed to be working.


    <em>I thought Miss Rafina would be a lot more angry than she seems to be. I¡­I think there might be a chance I can get out of this.</em>


    Just as she was beginning to feel better¡­


    ¡°Hmph, Princess Mia, with all due respect, you¡¯ve just made all of our lives harder.¡±


    Santeri spoke up in a harsh voice and gave her a cold look. If they were in Tearmoon, he would not have been allowed to treat her the way he did, but they were in Belluga. Here, the Holy Lady was the most important. Not only was Mia¡¯s power limited, but she also did things that should have gotten her in trouble. She had done such a bad job that there was nothing she could say to make up for it. She had to take any criticism with humility.


    So, she kept her head down, shut her mouth, and hunched her shoulders to give the impression that she was very sorry.


    ¡°Yes, you found that dangerous mushroom,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s good of you. We made a mistake by letting something so disgusting grow here. But what you did hurt the reputation and history of Saint-student Noel¡¯s council in a way that can¡¯t be fixed. You do know, I hope, that if we hadn¡¯t been lucky, this could have turned into a big international problem between Belluga and Tearmoon, right?¡±


    She took his criticism quietly because she knew she couldn¡¯t fight back. Ludwig probably would have given her an earful if he had known about what happened. Even though this was all kept secret and only a few people knew what was going on, it would be a disaster if Mia¡¯s father found out. A few wars would be getting off easy.


    So, Mia thought the only right thing to do was to slump her shoulders and ept that she would be raked over the coals.


    That¡¯s why¡­


    ¡°As the person in charge of keeping peace and order on Saint-Noel Ind and the person whose job it is to protect the academy¡¯s good name, I just can¡¯t ignore such destruction.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Santeri!¡±


    ¡­She had no idea that Rafina would say something that meant ¡°shut your damn trap,¡± but she did not expect to hear it.


    A shy look at the Holy Lady¡¯s eyes showed that they were scary. They were very angry, and their eyes were fixed on Santeri.


    ¡°Are you really that stupid? Do you not get what Mia¡¯s actions mean?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    This sudden outburst made Santeri drop his jaw to the floor. But that wasn¡¯t as bad as Mia, whose jaw went through the ground.


    Who knows what Rafina was talking about. If Santeri didn¡¯t know, Mia knew even less.

 Chapter 321

    <strong>The Mushroom Eating Saint, Princess Mia</strong>


    ¡°Princess Mia has been the perfect example of a saint through this whole thing. Do you not see how honest and good she was in how she lived her life?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Mia looked at Rafina, then at Santeri, and then back at Rafina.


    It didn¡¯t work, so she just kept blinking.


    ¡°A-A saint? What are you saying?¡±


    Santeri asked, which turned out to be good for Mia as well. Rafina looked at the confused man for a moment and then spoke in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Santeri, do you really think Mia did what she did because she was selfish? That she did those things to help herself?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that she didn¡¯t do it?¡±


    Rafina nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Of course, yes. Mia, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Mia¡¯s first reaction when she heard her own name was to copy Rafina¡¯s serious nod and agree with what had been said.


    Honestly, she had no idea what Rafina was talking about, but that didn¡¯t matter. She liked to ride waves, and there was no doubt that this was a wave. In typical Mia fashion, she gave up control to the forces around her and let them pull her in any way they wanted.


    Rafina smiled with satisfaction when she saw Mia¡¯s weak smile of agreement.


    ¡°Just as I thought. Mia would never do something so self-centered and stupid. She didn¡¯t say it as a joke or prank, either. Consider it. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that she took us mushroom hunting and then found poisonous mushrooms in the forest? Not only that, but she chose a slightly poisonous one to bring back with her, dropped it into the pot of stew without any of us noticing, and then ate it herself. What are the odds of that happening, hm? Should we think that all of these things happened by chance? Does that even sound a little bit possible to you?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, I suppose not¡­ When you look at it that way, it seems¡­nned.¡±


    ¡°Intentional. In other words, she did it on purpose to get sick. Does that sound like something people usually do?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t believe so¡­¡±


    Santeri said that Mia¡¯s strange behaviour was strange, so Rafina gave him onest push.


    ¡°Then why? Why would she do something so out of character? She needed a reason. She had a goal, an objective.¡± she said withplete certainty.


    ¡°An¡­ objective? What was it?¡±


    Santeri and Mia both asked the same question, though Mia asked it in silence. Mia waited with bated breath for Rafina¡¯s big reveal, which would be the first time she found out her own secret goal.


    ¡°Her goal,¡± Rafina said, ¡°is to change how we handle security for the Holy Eve Festival.¡±


    ¡°What?! What exactly do you mean? What¡¯s wrong with the way we protect ourselves?¡±


    Santeri yelled angrily, and his tone showed that he was sure of the quality of his own work.


    ¡°I think Mia already gave you an answer to your question. She got poison on an ind where it shouldn¡¯t be possible, added it to a pot of stew, and then ate it. Do you not think this is a security issue?¡±


    ¡°It¡­¡±


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head quickly.


    ¡°Very well. I will admit that what she found was important. We didn¡¯t think the ind would have poisonous mushrooms growing on it. But even if you could get poisonous mushrooms here that could kill you, getting past the guards and rules we have on the day of the festival to actually use the poison is a different story. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re the same thing.¡±


    Santeri¡¯s counterargument didn¡¯t change Rafina¡¯s mood, which remained grave.


    ¡°True¡­ It¡¯s probably not possible to add poison to the banquet feast. Our students will eat the food there, and we have put in ce strict rules to make sure they are safe. But what about their helpers? Is their food safe?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s eyes were fixed on Santeri as she thought.


    ¡°Which food, the food we got today as student council members or the food that will be served to people at the Holy Eve Festival, will be looked at more closely?¡±


    Possible killers didn¡¯t just try to kill people on the day of the festival. To make up for this, strict security measures were always in ce to make sure that people like Rafina and the people on her council were safe every day. So, Santeri had no choice but to say that the security around the food that was served to the attendants was less strict.


    ¡°But¡­ Hm, attendants, you say?¡±


    He made a puzzled face at the idea.


    ¡°I guess it would be possible to put poison in the food served to attendants, but why? What kind of killer would bother to do that?¡±


    ¡°You would be right if the assassin¡¯s goal was to kill powerful people in order to cause chaos in a country. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to aim at attendees. What if, instead, their goal was to make the academy look bad? To do, as you put it so well, ¡®irreparable damage to the reputation and legacy of Saint-Noel¡¯?¡±


    In fact, Santeri himself said that a scandal like this would make the student council look bad for a long time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that several guests from different countries were killed here in Saint-Noel,¡± Rafina said. ¡°Then what would happen? Belluga is currently trying to get people nearby to help fight the Chaos Serpents. Such a big mistake seems like it could break us up a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    She shut her eyes. Her voice grew quieter, but firmer.


    ¡°Mia could see the risk, but she knew she had to show it. Demonstrate it. So she did it herself.¡±


    ¡°What? Impossible¡­ A princess of the empire wouldn¡¯t go to such trouble to¡­¡±


    Santeri turned towards Mia with wide-open eyes. Mia didn¡¯t expect the conversation to turn so quickly towards her. She stood still for a moment while she thought about what to say. She thought it was better to be honest than to lie, so she started to wave her hands to say ¡°no,¡± but Rafina spoke up instead.


    ¡°Yes, she did. Since her name is Mia. She would rather hurt herself than someone else. That¡¯s just how she is.¡±


    As someone who was definitely not like that, Mia thought she should say something like, ¡°You give me way too much credit. I¡¯m nothing like that.¡±


    But what she really did was keep her mouth and hands to herself. After all, Mia¡¯s whole strategy was based on being pulled along by forces stronger than her.


    If Rafina said that¡¯s how she was, it must be true! No ifs, no buts, no maybes!


    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you know, Santeri, the Holy Book of the Central Orthodox Church says that there is no greater love than giving up your life for a close friend. We teach this every day, but how many people are able to follow it? How many people, if they knew there was a security w that could lead to poisonings that could kill, would eat a poisonous mushroom to show how dangerous it was? And who for? Attendants. Commoners. Who, Santeri, are those people whose needs are so often ignored? Who¡¯d do that?¡±


    Mia felt like she should get off this dangerously high wave because her reputation for being good and honest was going to new heights.


    But what she really did was hold her tongue still and close her mouth. If Rafina said that¡¯s how she was, then by golly, that¡¯s how she was!


    Mia is the kind of person who would dly eat poison mushrooms to protect others. She doesn¡¯t care about herself and is kind.


    <em>Rafina told me that I have this side, so I guess it must be true.</em>


    Mia started self-hypnosis so that she could keep her thoughts on Rafina. She wasn¡¯t very good at it, but she tried her best.


    ¡°Santeri, the truth is that I did bring up this issue with the student council. I told Mia that I was worried about safety at the Holy Eve Festival. She told me to leave it up to her. She suggested that we invite you to our stew party as soon as we got back from our trip, so I asked you to join us in the kitchen.¡±


    Rafina put her hand on her chest near her heart. Her voice took on a tone of quiet eptance.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­I¡¯m to me for the whole thing. If anyone should be med, it should be me.¡±


    <em>Selflessness, huh¡­ Now, that¡¯s a word that makes me think of¡­</em>


    As Santeri felt himself being pulled back into the past, Rafina¡¯s voice became less clear.


    He started to remember things from when he was in the army. He had been a strong believer in the Bible since he was a child. People around him were very impressed by how religious he was, and they thought he would make a great priest one day.


    But the path he chose in the end was to be a guard in the Belluga army. He thought that the guards, whose job it was to use their own bodies to protect important people from harm, were the perfect example of what the Holy Book said about the spirit of self-sacrifice.


    So, he worked hard at his job, and because of how hard he worked, he was eventually given the important job of chief of security on Saint-Noel Ind. He could say with a clear conscience that he had strived for excellence every single day for the past few decades.


    He took pride in his work. But when? When did that pride start to sound a little bit like cockiness?


    <em>I get it¡­I can see what I did wrong. I¡¯d always thought that my job of keeping people safe was a way to follow God¡¯s rules. But what started out as a way to get to the goal is now the goal itself. I used to see my work through God, but then I started to see my work as God.</em>


    Which, much to his dismay, led Santeri Bandler, a true believer in the spirit of selflessness, to force a young girl who hadn¡¯t even turned 18 yet to give up her health for their sake.


    <em>The shame I felt when I realised this was crushing.</em>


    He hung his head under its weight.


    He looked at Mia and said, ¡°I see now that I¡¯ve been a stubborn fool, and that my stubbornness has caused Princess Mia a lot of pain. There are no words to describe how sorry I am.¡±


    Then he turned to Rafina and bowed just as deeply as she had.


    ¡°Lady Rafina, I want you to officially fire me as chief of security¡­ I am also willing to take any punishments you think are fair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Santeri, but nothing like that will happen. Your request is denied.¡±


    To his surprise, his serious promise to deal with the consequences of his failure was turned down.


    ¡°¡­Why? Princess Mia had to eat the poisonous mushroom because of what I did. I have to take the me for that¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re willing to take responsibility and quit. If you feel bad about what you did, it makes sense that you would want to get punished. But Mia punishment is not what Mia desires.¡±


    Rafina then turned to look at Mia.


    ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Mia felt scared, even though she had no idea what anyone was talking about. She was so far behind in the conversation that its shape had long since faded into the horizon of talk, leaving her with no idea where to go.


    She picked up the cup of tea in front of her and took a slow sip to calm herself down. The soothing liquid helped her scattered idease together.


    <em>Well, I suppose I would feel bad if this guy lost his job because I ate a poisonous mushroom¡­ Even more so if they found out I did it for a pretty dumb reason. That would make me feel very bad¡­and look even worse.</em>


    Coward Tactics 101: Always n for the worst. There would be¡­consequences if Rafina ever found out that there was no grand n of selfless altruism and she had to fire one of her loyal subjects because Mia did something stupid.


    Angry Rafina consequences. That was a nightmaree true! She felt sick again just thinking about it.


    <em>I need to set things up so that if I get caught, it won¡¯t be too bad. If I don¡¯t stop worrying, the stress of it might kill me. At the same time, I¡¯d like to keep the whole thing quiet if I can. Still, if I can avoid getting caught in the first ce, that would be even better¡­</em>


    After doing some quick math in her head, she smiled like a saint.


    ¡°Miss Rafina has forgiven me for my sin, which was to eat a poisonous mushroom on my own free will.¡±


    First, she used a ssic ¡°done deal¡± opening. By saying ahead of time that she had been excused for her behaviour, she hoped to make it clear that it was true and take away any reason to dig deeper into why it happened.


    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t think she¡¯s done anything wrong to me, Miss Rafina seems to feel bad about herself. So, I think it¡¯s important to formally address this matter. I forgive Miss Rafina for anything she thinks she may have done to hurt me.¡±


    Next, she started making it hard for her opponent to move. She especially wanted to make sure Rafina didn¡¯t spend too much time thinking about her supposed mistake ande up with some strange ideas as a result. The matter was done. It was dead and buried. It should never be dug up again to be examined. It was like sweeping the elephant in the room under the rug, but she was going to do it! Mia was the best at hiding the truth when it was inconvenient.


    Then, as the third and final hit in her three-hitbination¡­


    ¡°And if Miss Rafina and I are to be forgiven, it is not fair at all for you to carry your sins alone and not be forgiven. I think we should all be a part of this forgiveness.¡±


    Putting all the me on Santeri at the end of this situation was a great way to start trouble. Those who had to take the me would feel angry. It would grow inside them, feeding those bad seeds until the time was right for them to grow. Then, their old anger might make them want to find out the hard truths from the past.


    In other words, it coulde back and bite her, and she didn¡¯t like the feeling of teeth on her soft behind.


    What she didn¡¯t want was clear exnations of the truth. Mia¡¯s dream was for everyone to lie together and hide the truth with so much buttery nonsense that no one could tell the truth from the lies even if they tried.


    She sat on the elephant-shaped bump under the rug and gave herself a satisfied nod.


    Then she looked at Santeri and saw that his face looked¡­different. Like the rare melting of snowy permafrost, his cold face gave way just a little bit, revealing the soft earth underneath.


    Mia quickly added a few more words because she could smell a chance.


    ¡°However, I¡¯d like to make one thing clear. I have nothing but the highest regard for the work you do.¡±


    First, apliment. Always start by being nice.


    ¡°And I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how hard you work to reach even higher levels of excellence.¡±


    The seeds came next. Not seeds of worry, but of hope.


    Mia¡¯s life was directly linked to what Santeri did for a living. It couldn¡¯t be stressed enough how important it was. The more he cared about it, the better her chances of survival.


    <em>Right now, it seems like he¡¯s a little more willing to listen. I think I might be able to persuade him to keep looking out for the safety of the ind. In fact, if I can get him even more fired up, he might be able to stop me from being killed¡­</em>


    Cowardly Strategy 102: Prepare early and prepare extensively.


    She did everything she could to increase her chances of making it through the Holy Eve Festival.


    ¡°You¡­ look forward¡­ I see¡­¡± Santeri¡¯s face was far away and almost nk for a long time.


    Then he said, ¡°I can see that you are worthy of being called a saint. I will remember what you said and use it to help me do my job better.¡±


    He got down on one knee in front of her and swore this.


    Santeri Bandler spent the rest of his life making sure that Saint-Noel Ind was safe. Even though he was old, the head of security was known for being eager to get advice from his younger coworkers and always giving what they said serious thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned that there are people who are smarter than me. I also know that at my age, experience tends to make people¡¯s minds more set in their ways. That¡¯s why I need to ask the young for help. Even though they have less experience, they have more open minds, and what they say is worth thinking about. By thinking about every point of view, I can see more. Only then can I hope to be ready for everything that could happen.¡±


    The old man¡¯s belief became the guiding principle of Saint-security Noel¡¯s force, making the ind safer and more peaceful than ever before.

 Chapter 322

    <strong>Citrina Has No Friends</strong>


    Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon was a sweet little girl.


    Her smile was as beautiful as a flower, and her voice was like the sound of birds singing. She was also a charming person who always knew what to say. She was important and loved, so there were always a lot of people around her. Every time she went to a high-society event, there was a crowd of people waiting to see her.


    Still, she didn¡¯t have any friends. Why, you ask? Well¡­


    ¡°That really surprised Rina. I didn¡¯t think Her Highness would be the one to eat the fake Belluga mushroom.¡±


    Citrina sat in her room getting her hairbed at the end of the day, when it was getting dark and sun-afraid bad people were getting ready to do bad things.


    Fwish. Fwish.


    The rhythmic friction of teeth on strands filled the room with their faint sound. Her beautiful hair was the handiwork of her attendant, Barbara, whose deft motions bespoke her age and experience as a maid.


    ¡°Oh no, this is terrible. I can¡¯t believe she found the smandrakes¡­¡±


    Citrina started to think about other things as shebed her hair and looked at herself in a hand mirror. Recently she¡¯d been bathing more often. So she could talk to Princess Mia, she went out to find herbs that could be used in baths. Frequently, she¡¯d taken baths herself, which she did with Bel, a girl that Mia seemed to treat like a younger sister. Her hair was shining like never before because she washed it so often.


    Not that it matters¡­


    She shut her eyes and kept going.


    ¡°Has father told you anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the princess¡¯s people have been watching us moretely. As a precaution, letters have been put on hold because they could be a focus of their investigation.¡±


    ¡°My, so rude! How dare they read private letters that a father¡¯s sweet daughter wrote to him.¡±


    When she had to write a letter with sensitive information, she used an old Yellowmoon cypher to hide the message. Still, they couldn¡¯t be too careful, because they were dealing with people who worked for the Great Wisdom of the Empire.


    ¡°I guess Rina won¡¯t get any letters until her father gets rid of these people. Oh, what a pain!¡±


    Her small lips let out a sigh.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill the princess right then and there?¡± Barbara asked in a voice without any emotion.


    ¡°At that spot? Do you mean Rina should have tried to kill them both by herself?¡±


    ¡°Madam, I do think that should have been possible with your skills.¡±


    Barbara looked at her in a curious way. Citrina smiled back at her.


    ¡°I suppose so. It would have been possible to kill them. But if I killed them there, people who went looking for them would have found the smandrakes. And it would make them think that Rina might be guilty. Given what we¡¯re trying to do, that seems a little backward, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Citrina could have done almost nothing at the time. She had to stop the student council members from looking for the smandrakes. If that didn¡¯t work, she had to keep them from finding out how dangerous the poison in the mushroom was.


    That was the only way they could be sure that their n to poison a lot of people on the day of the Holy Eve Festival would work.


    If you killed Mia, it would be like setting off a huge signal fire. Many people would talk about her death. Even if her death was faked to make it look like she fell off a cliff by ident, a full investigation would still be done at the scene.


    The emperor would be so angry and sad about the death of his beloved daughter that he would definitely order Belluga to find out everything about it, even if it meant turning the academy upside down.


    During this process, it wasn¡¯t impossible that Citrina would be suspected, and if that happened, their n would be over.


    ¡°Given what was going on, I didn¡¯t see any reason to kill her.¡± She asked with a curious tilt of the head, ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    Barbara just looked at her.


    ¡°I see. I wouldn¡¯t have thought less of you, madam. You made a good decision, and I admit that I was wrong.¡±


    The maid gave a slight nod. Then, without saying anything else, she went around Citrina¡¯s back and keptbing her hair.


    After a while, Barbara said, ¡°This does show, though, that Princess Mia is a hindrance for our ns, and sooner orter, she¡¯s going to be a big problem.¡±


    ¡°True. Rina had the same thought. We¡¯ll have to do something about her,¡± said Citrina, whose voice was as sweet as ever.


    ¡°Oh? So you agree, madam?¡± Barbara asked, her eyebrows just a little bit higher.


    ¡°Hm? Of course I do. Is that weird? She is making changes to the empire. First, she put an end to the revolution in Remno. Now, she is doing this. So many of our ns have fallen through because of her that I¡¯d be surprised if anyone didn¡¯t see her as a problem.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is a very good thing to hear. If that¡¯s the case, do you have any problems with changing our n for the Holy Eve Festival to kill the princess instead?¡±


    That caught Citrina off guard.


    ¡°Wow, you make it sound like a piece of cake. And how do you think I¡¯m supposed to kill her? In case you forgot, we just lost ess to our poison,¡± she said, craning her neck to look over her shoulder with a scowl.


    Barbara put her arm around Citrina¡¯s shoulders, as if she were going to give her a side hug.


    ¡°By doing this¡­¡±


    She tied a piece of string behind Citrina¡¯s head and then pulled away, leaving a small object hanging from the girl¡¯s neck.


    It was the troya that Bel gave to her as a gift.


    ¡°That girl¡­¡± said Barbara. ¡°The princess loves her very much, doesn¡¯t she? I think you told me, mdy, that you were going to use her. Then, show her. Show her how it looks on you. Make her happy¡­ Then, keep her in check. Use your sweet words to make your way into her heart. We Serpents know how to trick people. Smiths of the mind. Our words are our tools, and our hearts are our ore.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Citrina tried to say something, but she was cut off after just one word.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done this enough times before? This time is the same as always¡­¡±


    As if on cue, Citrina¡¯s face stopped showing emotion, and Barbara¡¯s began to show a slow, tight smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Everything will go ording to n. I¡¯ll make sure of it, madam,¡± she whispered in a harsh tone.


    Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon was a sweet little girl.


    But she had no friends, even though everyone should have loved and adored her. Why, you ask?


    Well, because all of her friends, the ones her father told her to make, had bad things happen to them. Their dads sometimes died. Their mothers sometimes died. There are times when they themselves¡­


    Citrina wasn¡¯t sad, though. Everyone she had made friends with was just like her. All of them were nobles. They should have known that every connection was part of a web of secrets and lies.


    Every gift was given after careful thought. They were aware of what they were getting into. They were forced to¡­


    So, even if they were gone, she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t feel sad. Her heart wasn¡¯t hurting. Over time, she got into a routine.


    When a friend left her life, she would throw away all the gifts she had gotten from that person.


    <em>I¡¯ve done this before many times¡­ Again, I¡¯ll just throw it away. I¡¯m fine with it.</em>


    She gripped the small horse charm that hung around her neck with both hands.

 Chapter 323

    <strong>Deadly Fight! ¡­Deadly Fight?</strong>


    Ludwig and Dion were travelling while Mia¡¯s mind was full of thoughts about poisonous mushrooms.


    When they met Gilbert, Ludwig was able to fully understand how dangerous the House of Yellowmoon was. When he realised this, he decided that intelligence alone wasn¡¯t enough. Instead, he would use a ¡°divide and conquer¡± strategy to put pressure on the enemy while still gathering information.


    This was a trick that was often used against big businesses. The more of them there are, the more different groups they belong to. Even if a group was very big, it couldn¡¯t be a monolith. There were always people in the group who could be pushed, tempted, or otherwise persuaded to leave.


    If the House of Yellowmoon was meant to attract people who were against the empire, it would be silly for him to think that everyone under its banner was his enemy. The first people he looked at as a possible non-enemy were the ound nobles, who were looked down upon by the central nobles. If they went to the Yellowmoons because they didn¡¯t have any other friends, he should be able to get them to leave by giving them another choice.


    With this in mind, Ludwig decided to go see Outcount Rudolvon in hopes that he could help convince the other ound nobles.


    ¡°The sun has set already¡­¡±


    From the window of his carriage, he sighed as he saw the sky getting darker. Even though the path to his destination wasn¡¯t too dangerous, it would still be risky to travel by moonlight. Usually, it¡¯s time to set up camp for the night.


    ¡°Slow down a little, but keep going. Time is running out,¡± he told the driver, telling him to keep going.


    Dion gave a nod to show he agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s best to go on.¡± He said with narrowed eyes, ¡°It¡¯s best to keep up the speed, too.¡±


    ¡°You mean what?¡±


    A wild animal¡¯s howl could be heard in the distance just seconds after Ludwig frowned at this.


    ¡°What was that in the world?¡±


    He got his answer when a guard rode up to the window.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Dion.


    ¡°Wolves, sir. They look like they¡¯reing for us.¡±


    The mounted soldier also gave a short answer. Short but clear, so there¡¯s no way to get it wrong. Still, Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but question what he was hearing.


    ¡°Wolves? Out here?¡±


    The soldier nodded and then shot an arrow of fire into the darkness behind them. It moved through the air in an arc of light. As soon as it hit the ground, it exploded with light that pushed away enough darkness to show the shapes of ck wolves. There were three of them, and they were very big.


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Ludwig was confused and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of wolf packs that attack people inside the empire¡¯s borders.¡±


    ¡°These aren¡¯t your average wolves.¡±


    Dion opened the door to the carriage and leaned out, squinting into the darkness behind them.


    ¡°I can faintly hear the sound of hooves.¡±


    In a smooth burst of movement, he got his bow ready and pulled the string tight. The string¡¯s creaking tension matched the tense mood in the carriage.


    A moment without a breath went by. Then, his fingers started to twitch, and his arm started to blur. With three sharp twangs, three bright arrows flew through the night.


    They saw a dim crescent shing in the middle of the wolves. Ludwig realised a beatter that it was the shine of a de in the moonlight.


    The guard fired another fire arrow at their enemies, but it was cut in half by another swing of the sword.


    Dion whistled.


    ¡°Hey, not bad.¡±


    Ludwig whispered as he looked backward from the carriage, ¡°Is that¡­a man on a ck horse?¡±


    ¡°A man on a ck horse who can knock arrows out of the air in the dark.¡±


    Dion grinned.


    ¡°I like the guy, I think.¡±


    ¡°Is he alone?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Well, I guess it depends on whether you count the furry friends he has protecting his nk.¡±


    ¡°A wolfmaster? Something you don¡¯t see very often¡­ Still, I think this means that we¡¯ve be a big enough problem for them to send assassins. Even though it seems strange to send just one person¡­¡±


    Ludwig was confused, but Dion didn¡¯t feel the same way. He just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, no. Right now, there are only about a dozen of us. If it were me, I could definitely kill them all and take your head on my horse. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if our enemy sent a person with the same level of skill.¡±


    Then he gave a sign to the three guards who were riding the closest to the carriage. All of them were great soldiers who had worked for him since the time he was in the Imperial Army. Even so¡­


    ¡°Stay with the carriage, you three. Go straight to Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s estate and ask him to protect you. Your only goal is to protect Ludwig. Make sure he gets there without getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Me? Ha ha, I¡¯ll have the time of my life keeping our fine assassin busy. Oh, give me one of your horses.¡±


    ¡°By yourself, sir? Are you sure? We can¡ª¡±


    With a shake of his head, Dion silenced the soldier.


    ¡°The enemy is an expert. The truth is that no one else has a chance.¡±


    Heughed after stealing a horse from one of the guards.


    ¡°All right. It¡¯s time to say goodbye, good Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine because I know you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll do that. Let¡¯s be honest: I¡¯m not really into carriage rides, and I¡¯ve been itching to get some exercise. This guy seems like he¡¯ll be a good fit,¡± Dion said with a smirk.


    ¡°You should worry more about your own head. Make sure you keep it while I¡¯m gone, okay? If not, it will be hard to work with you.¡±


    With that, he pulled out his sword and turned his horse around with the joy of a child who just got a new toy.


    After a few seconds, the three wolves ran down the path and attacked him.


    ¡°Sorry, dogs, but I¡¯ve fought too many wild animals to be interested in you. Get out of my way!¡±


    He moved easily through their snapping jaws and shot straight at the dark figure, who had sent his wolves after Dion and was now going in circles to catch the carriage.


    Both the horse and the assassin were covered from head to toe in ck. The horse was covered in fur, while the assassin wore a mask and a robe.


    Dion aimed at his masked opponent and hit him. His sword cut through the air with a deadly swing, threatening to tear apart anything in its path, whether it was metal or bone.


    The assassin quickly turned his body and managed to hang at such a dangerous angle that it looked like he should have fallen off. He barely avoided the blow. It seemed like the horse and rider were one.


    Dion yelled with joy at this show of horsemanship skill.


    ¡°Bloody good show! Also, you were smart to avoid my sword. If you tried to meet it, we¡¯d be done.¡±


    He turned his horse around again as heughed. The killer did the same thing, and both he and his horse did a perfect pirouette. They shed once, twice, three times, and four times. Sparks and loud nks filled the air, and Dion knew right away that he didn¡¯t have the upper hand.


    <em>Huh. Bugger me sideways. He¡¯s better when he¡¯s on a horse. I beat him in terms of strength, but he beats me in terms of speed. And he rides his horse like a bloody acrobat.</em>


    The assassin¡¯s sword shed as it was thrust with great force. After a breath, it went right through Dion, with half of it sticking out behind him.


    The movement was smooth and almost pretty.


    And, as Dion¡¯s sly smile showed, useless.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to fight on your own turf, is there?¡±


    In fact, the de barely touched his side and did little damage. But Dion now had the assassin¡¯s arm locked in his elbow.


    ¡°Would you like to exercise? You won¡¯t mind if you fall off a horse if it¡¯s a big guy like you, right?¡±


    He jumped off his horse andunched himself backward while holding his enemy¡¯s arm tightly.


    There was a brief feeling of not having any weight¡­ Their bodies fell off their horses tangled, but they didn¡¯t stay that way when they hit the ground.


    Instead, they split up in the air, each spinning away tond on their feet and strike with a spinning attack. They hit each other again before moving away.


    ¡°Okay, then. Enough with your tricks with four legs. Let¡¯s fight like real men with both feet on the ground. Slow down for now. We have all night to bleed each other dry, and I want to enjoy every minute of it,¡± Dion said as he pulled out his second sword with a smile.


    ¡°Before we start, do you mind telling me your name?¡±


    The killer in a mask replied with a quick thrust. Dion smacked away the simple strike and let out a whistle.


    ¡°That was not very interesting. Too obvious. Which is the point, since you want me to stop thinking about the wolves that are circling behind me. Good for you. You get extra points for having a real n.¡±


    Behind him, he heard a flurry of pawsteps that quickly got louder.


    Heughed as he heard their wild breaths getting closer.


    ¡°Bloody hell. How about that? I¡¯d really like to know how you keep the furballs under control.¡±


    He kicked his opponent without warning and used the force of the kick tounch himself backward.


    He shed horizontally with his sword as he turned in the air. In the moonlight, the de shed in a dangerous way. Even though they were dangerous animals, the wolves couldn¡¯t help but run away from him.


    Hended on his knees in front of them, looked at their scared faces, and then shrugged.


    ¡°Well, well, well, it looks like beasts will be beasts, for better or for worse. You were smart to stay away from me. Still, if you all had charged me, one of you might have caught something. There was a chance lost. Instinct can tell you when to avoid a sword to the face, but it can¡¯t teach you when to take one. And I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re just animals.¡±


    He gave the sword in his left hand a spin while the one in his right hand rested on his shoulder.


    ¡°Of course, if you had tried to attack me, I might have just killed you all instead.¡±


    He gave the wolves a hard look, and they ran away. At that moment, it was clear who was the leader, and it was him. For animals, there was no other way to see it. To challenge a clearly stronger enemy by sheer force of will was a mistake that only humans made.


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s out of the way, let¡¯s get back to talking,¡± Dion said as he faced his two-legged foe again.


    The killer took a sudden step back.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Dion raised an eyebrow, then smacked his head when he realised what was going on. Just then, a ck horse raced by, and the assassin flipped onto its back.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about the bloody horse¡­ Should have expected that. If he can get the strays to do what he wants, he must also know how to handle horses.¡±


    A quick look around showed that the wolves were no longer there.


    ¡°A clean retreat. Pretty impressive. But I think I bought everyone enough time. Now, Ludwig should be safe. I have to say, though, that guy wasn¡¯t very talkative. I was hoping to at least hear his voice, but he didn¡¯t say a single word. Also¡­¡±


    He moved his head from side to side and gave a shrug.


    ¡°What the hell happened to my horse?¡±

 Chapter 324

    <strong>Confessions of a Cowardly and Weak Conman</strong>


    Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s domain was east of the central nobility domains, on the edge of the imperial capital.


    His manor was in a remote part of his domain. It was a little on the small side for one of the Four Dukes to live in, but it was still much bigger than the homes of other nobles.


    It had a flower garden in its courtyard, and a man was standing in the middle of all the nts. He looked like he was in his mid-fifties, and his waist size backed that up. His shape reminded me of what a certain princess might have looked like if she hadn¡¯t been able to fight off her F.A.T. There were dark circles under his eyes, and they moved around like a small animal who is scared.


    ¡°No, but¡­ Not that way¡­ Even so, the poisonous mushrooms¡­¡±


    Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon walked around his garden nervously while muttering to himself.


    All of a sudden, I heard the sound of footstepsing closer. They rang with a steady rhythm, though he didn¡¯t seem to notice. An old butler appeared, who walked up to his master with the stately posture of a career attendant and respectfully bowed his head.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, sir.¡±


    Lorenz was caught off guard by the respectful greeting, and he jerked back before he looked in that direction.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Bisset!¡± he said with relief when he figured out who was talking.


    ¡°You surprised me. I was¡­absorbed in my thoughts.¡±


    The old butler was unmoved by his embarrassed smile.


    ¡°I apologise for disturbing your contemtion, milord. I have, however, urgent news that requires your ear¡­ Pardon my curiosity, but have you been here sincest night?¡±


    ¡°H-Hm? Well, I guess I have. After all, it¡¯s a very important matter.¡±


    Lorenz answered shyly, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to sleep,¡± and then he yawned.


    ¡°Then let me make you some tea to keep you from getting sleepy. The report can wait until then¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, all right. That¡¯s a good idea. Bisset, thank you¡­¡±


    Lorenz let out a deep sigh as he watched Bisset turn and walk away.


    ¡°But please, sir, you have to go to sleep. Even if just for a few hours. This way, your strength won¡¯tst.¡±


    When Bisset got back, he was quick to scold his tired master. Lorenz, on the other hand, did nothing but grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, Bisset. I would really¡­ But I¡¯m a con artist, and I¡¯m not very good at what I do. I have to use every bit of my brain to get what I want,¡± he said as he rubbed his tired eyes and pressed his fists into his face.


    ¡°Holy Eve Festival ising up. There isn¡¯t much time left for me to get out of this cursed head of mine the few ideas I have.¡±


    ¡°In fact, that¡¯s what this report is about.¡±


    Lorenz¡¯s shoulders moved in an ufortable way.


    ¡°The festival on Holy Eve? What¡¯s going on? Has something changed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The mushrooms in the forest that are dangerous to eat are the smandrakes. They have been found by Her Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡±


    Lorenz turned his face up towards the sky and leaned back. As his arms fell to his side, he seemed to lose what little strength he had left.


    ¡°So she has¡­ Ha ha¡­ How unfortunate. She really is the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Her Highness is not just a name for nothing¡­¡±


    His lips started to smile slowly. It was a smile of resignation, the kind thates after all other feelings have been used up.


    ¡°That girl is pretty cool. It took every bit of wisdom I had to do what I did, and all I did was put things off a little¡­ I even had to ask my daughter to help me clean up¡­ Bisset, I had to do what the demons told me to do in order to get this far. She, on the other hand, just¡­ She really is a wonder of a girl¡­ But I digress. Was there any more information? Does anyone know what happened next? What ns does Barbara have?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, none of these things are known to us. Her Highness¡¯s entourage is proving to be very skilled. Wind Crows being kicked out of the empire was a big blow to us. We can only see so much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Of course. That was also done by Her Highness, right? Remarkable. Really amazing,¡± Lorenz said as he shook his head and let out a long sigh.


    Bisset said, ¡°I have heard, though, that the wolfmaster has failed.¡±


    ¡°Moons, we¡¯ve been losing a lottely, haven¡¯t we? On the other hand, I guess this news isn¡¯t all that surprising. We already knew that Her Highness has a very good sword with her. I have to say, though, that the Serpents should be very proud of this wolfmaster. He failed, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re taking this news very well either.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they look pretty flustered. He almost died himself in the process, so they say¡­ I¡¯ve been told that they want to bring him back for now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see.¡±


    Still looking around nervously, Lorenz let out a sigh, but this time it was a sign of relief.


    ¡°All right then. We have no choice in the matter at all. Give them all the help they need to get him out¡ª¡±


    His face changed in an instant.


    ¡°If I remember¡­ Which means the direction is¡­ From Saint-Noel, through Belluga¡­¡±


    He started muttering again. Bisset didn¡¯t try to stop him. Instead, he just stood there and watched in silence. After a while, Lorenz stopped and smiled shyly again, as if he had noticed his butler¡¯s patient gaze.


    ¡°Ah, look at me. Again lost in my thoughts¡­ Apologies, Bisset. I must be giving you a lot of trouble. Also, you¡¯ve been here for a long time. You must miss home, right? You could have followed them back.¡±


    ¡°Your kindness is very much appreciated, sir, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be back until I¡¯ve paid you back. Moreover¡­¡±


    Bisset paused.


    Then, his face changed, as if he had changed his mind.


    ¡°Instead, I would like to ask to stay. It¡¯s a pleasure to serve you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Come on now. Stop trying to make me feel good. I¡¯m stupid, scared, and a liar. So, even if I just want something small, I have to drain my brain of all its limited knowledge.¡±


    Lorenz got lost in his thoughts again. He spoke again after a while.


    ¡°Unhappily, my mind isn¡¯t enough¡­ There are too many streams, and their flow is hard to understand. I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on. But at Saint-Noel, something could happen. Let¡¯s do everything we can to get ready¡­¡±

 Chapter 325

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Mncholy (Front)</strong>


    As the cold of winter crept up on the crispness of fall, the Holy Eve Festival was finally only a week away. On this day, Mia¡¯s friend Rania Tafrif Perujin stopped by her room.


    Every year, Perujin brought treats made from the fruit they grew to the Holy Eve Festival. Saint-Noel brought together a lot of rich young people from many different countries. Like Chloe, there were also a lot of students who came from merchant families. If any of them were interested in Perujin goods, it could open up a lot of business chances.


    So, around this time every year, Perujin princesses would work extra hard to get their peers to try their new sweets. Rania came today with a type of pastry she was going to show off at the Holy Eve Festival. The official reason for her visit was to let Mia try them and get some early thoughts on how good they were.


    But her real reason was¡­


    ¡°Um¡­ Anne, do you have a moment?¡±


    The tasting went well, and Rania had just left Mia¡¯s room when she stopped to whisper something to Anne, who was helping her leave.


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s that?¡±


    Rania was clearly nervous, so it took her a few seconds to get up the nerve to speak.


    ¡°I just thought Princess Mia looked, um, kind of sad. Is there a problem?¡±


    The real reason she came was because she was worried about Mia, who had been looking pretty sadtely. She always had a sad look on her face and would sigh when she was sad. Rania had brought her best food in the hopes of cheering up her friend who was sad, but¡­


    ¡°She didn¡¯t finish them at all. I¡¯ve never seen her do that. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing, it was so shocking¡­¡±


    Rania had just seen something that didn¡¯t happen very often. Mia had a tasty pastry, but she didn¡¯t finish it. This waspletely out of character for the princess, who always ate everyst bit of food on her te.


    It¡¯s important to note, though, that Rania¡¯s treat today was a fruit pie. Mia finished the soft, sweet filling. Instead, she didn¡¯t finish the crust, which had a tougher texture and probably wasn¡¯t as tasty. Even when she was sad, her sweet tooth won out.


    No matter what, a lot of people had already noticed that Mia hadn¡¯t been hungry for a while. Thest few times she went to the cafeteria, she always left a bite-sized piece of food on each te. This made the kitchen staff very worried.


    ¡°The poisonous mushroom did cause a lot of stomach problems for her. Maybe some of the effects are still around?¡±


    After one of her visits, a cook suggested this, and the kitchen staff quickly changed her meals to include more recipes that were easier to digest. To their disappointment, all of their additions that were easy on the stomach, Mia still left bite-sized leftovers. This was very unusual behaviour for Mia, who had always seemed to follow strict rules about finishing her meals.


    Now, people who are good at math may have already noticed that the math in this case is a little strange.


    Assuming that a bite-sized portion is 10%, and this is Mia¡¯s left over; this means that Mia actually ate 90% of the food. That is 90% of the regr food, and 90% of the ¡°stomach-friendly food.¡± This means that she is actually eating way more than she usually eats. Still, seeing her leave food on her te had such a big effect on everyone that no one paid attention to this mathematical fact.


    ¡°Thank you very much for caring, Princess Rania,¡± Anne said with a deep bow. Then she looked sad.


    ¡°But to be honest, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. I know it¡¯s sad, but I don¡¯t know what to do about it¡­ Mdy is clearly upset about something, but she won¡¯t tell me what.¡±


    Rania looked at the maid with sympathy and care.


    ¡°She must have her reasons. We are talking about Princess Mia, after all. So don¡¯t judge yourself too harshly. I¡¯ll keep trying to find ways to make her feel better. Just do what you can.¡±


    Anne¡¯s gratitude made her bow again as Rania walked away.


    Anne went back to her room and saw Mia staring out the window. The maid¡¯s heart stopped when Mia took a sad breath. Mia¡¯s sad face had already made the maid feel sad.


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Again, that terrible scene came into her mind. Again, she couldn¡¯t help but notice that Mia was falling over after eating the poisonous mushroom.


    <em>When we talked that day, she wouldn¡¯t promise me¡­ She didn¡¯t say that she would take me with her the next time she put her life in danger¡­</em>


    Anne had been paying close attention to what they were saying. She had remembered every single thing Mia had said.


    Because of this, she knew all too well that there was no promise in Mia¡¯s words; she had been careful to leave it out.


    She might be looking forward to something¡­ Something dangerous, like that terrible thing with the mushroom, and she¡¯s probably worried, but she doesn¡¯t want to involve me, so she¡¯s trying to handle it all by herself.


    Anne had noticed something else as well. Her skin hasn¡¯t been looking as healthy as it should betely.


    <em>Stress must be the cause. She probably isn¡¯t getting enough rest¡­</em>


    Since she hade to this conclusion, she had checked on Mia several times during the night, but Mia always seemed to be sound asleep.


    <em>But this is Princess Mia. The Princess Mia. She might be putting on a brave face so I won¡¯t worry about her. I know that she often does things like that.</em>


    Does she? Mia¡¯s behaviour in front of Anne wasn¡¯t always brave or a good show, but that might depend on how you look at it. Anne was worried, so it didn¡¯t matter how hard Mia tried to be a brave hero. Anne was really and truly worried.


    As for whether Mia was really so upset that she couldn¡¯t sleep, well, no. Actually, no.

 Chapter 326

    Mia¡¯s Mncholy (Secret) ¨C Princess Mia Decides to Reach the Peak of Decadence


    The truth is that Mia¡¯s mncholy, which had caused her friends a lot of worry, didn¡¯t exist at all! She wasn¡¯t up all night. She didn¡¯t put on a show. She wasn¡¯t even sad in the first ce.


    Her sighs, which seemed sad, had nothing to do with mental pain. In fact, their cause was more biological. To be exact, gastrointestinal.


    Those who watched this pretty princess more closely would have seen that every time she breathed out with a ¡°Phew,¡± she would put her hand on her stomach and rub it. In other words, she was always overeating, which is called hyperingestion.


    But it¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t have no worries at all. She did have some. She was worried about her possible death, but she soon got over it because she didn¡¯t think it was worth living in constant fear of prophesied death.


    <em>Why bother to think about it over and over again? Also, I¡¯ve already done almost everything I nned to do to make sure I don¡¯t die.</em>


    The student council party would be happening on the night of the Holy Eve Festival, which is when and where she was told she would die. She also got them to make the security better. She had done her best.


    Since she couldn¡¯t do anything about the rest, she told herself to stop thinking about it. Mia¡¯s strength was, after all, that she could change her mind quickly.


    So then, why was she acting so strangely?


    Simple.


    <em>If I don¡¯t make it, which is very unlikely, I want to make sure I don¡¯t have any regrets. If I¡¯m going to die anyway, why bother trying? I should be having a good time.</em>


    So, she decided that until the day of the Holy Eve Festival, she would have a party so wild that it would make lifelong hedonists feel bad. She was basically in ¡°If the world is going to end tomorrow, I can do whatever I want today¡± mode.


    Mia was now living in the present, as you can see. And the time told her that she had to start by debauchery every meal.


    <em>Only eat the good parts and leave the rest. So goes the n! Don¡¯t worry about being wasteful. Just eat one bite of everything¡¯s best part. That¡­ is the most luxurious way to eat.</em>


    Mia was the princess of a powerful empire, which many of you may have forgotten. She hadn¡¯t worked out her rich girl muscles in a long time, but it wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d forgotten how. She was a pro when it came to sensual pleasure.


    <em>Ohoho. It¡¯s time to reach the top of decadence! Look out, tasty foods: I¡¯ming for you!</em>


    So, she went after those tasty foods, just like she said she would.


    <em>But, hnnngh, it would be such a waste not to eat this¡­ Could I have one more bite? Oh, and this one is also really good. Okay, just two more bites, and then¡­ </em>


    That one couldn¡¯t just walk away from being frugality. She was always trying to save money, and it had be a habit. Now, she had a deep psychological dislike for wasting things.


    She had nned to only eat a little bit of everything. Instead, she ended up leaving only a small amount of each thing. So, the meal she ordered, which had more food than usual to make up for the fact that she likes to nibble, was way too much.


    She kept doing this, thinking she¡¯d be able to stick to the n next time, only to fail over and over again. As a result, the kitchen kept giving her extra food on top of what she ordered in the form of recipes that were easy on her stomach.


    She ate so much that she got acute F.A.T., which was a little bit scary. Her crazy eating habits showed in her skin, which started to lose its shine as a result of her bad eating habits.


    The situation was like someone who usually eats nd food suddenly eating a lot of rich food and having an upset stomach as a result.


    Mia didn¡¯t realise until now that all the healthy food she had been eating had taken away her body¡¯s ability for debauchery, leaving it with nothing but¡­well, healthiness.


    ¡°Okay, normal is best when ites to eating.¡± After her failed attempt to eat too much, she thought, ¡°I should just go back to what I usually eat.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to find another way to reach the peak of decadence. What else can I do? Hm¡­¡±


    She thought about what she could do.


    The first thing that came to mind was to run through the academy and write nonsense on every surface, like some kind of graffiti crazy person. This was a big version of how kids tend to mess up school property.


    She quickly gave up on the idea because she thought the cost would be too scary if the Princess Chronicles¡¯ prediction turned out to be wrong.


    Even though she was acting as if the world, or at least her world, was going to end soon, she was very aware that it might not. If that happened, even if the Chronicles didn¡¯t kill her, Rafina would when she saw how much damage she had done to property.


    No matter what she did to make the most of herst days, it couldn¡¯t be too crazy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even think writing on things is fun¡­ What do you know? It¡¯s tougher than I thought to have fun doing bad things.¡±


    It took guts to do bad things. Mia was a chicken at heart, so it was too much to expect her to find pleasure in doing wrong.


    After a long time of thinking, she finally pped her hands.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. If I¡¯m going to die anyway, I might as well have all the fun I can with Abel! I want to go on horseback dates, forest walks, and trips to town¡­¡±


    She liked the idea.


    ¡°I just realised something because of that. I¡¯ve been trying too hard to stay alivetely. My life hasn¡¯t brought me any happiness. I should have gone on more mushroom hunting trips with Abel and spent more time with him. Oh no, what a bad mistake! I have to make up for lost time¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to leave, she stopped to think about something.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure Abel has things to do¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to be a bother by taking him with me everywhere.¡±


    She changed her mind again after giving it more thought.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not something I need to worry about. I¡¯m going to die on the night of the Holy Eve Festival anyway, so I¡¯ll just do whatever I want!¡±


    She smiled, even though it was an oxymoron, because she had found the best way to reach peak decadence.


    ¡°Ohoho, I can¡¯t be stopped now! I¡¯m invincible!¡±


    So, Mia, proudly living at the moment, went to look for Abel.

 Chapter 327

    The Man who Disappeared in the Empire¡­ Moment-Living Princess Mia Attacks


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    A deep sigh escaped Abel as he walked down a hallway.


    The academy was busy because the Holy Eve Festival wasing up, but it didn¡¯t do much to make him feel better.


    ¡°I wish I could figure out what¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    He had also noticed how sad she had beentely. Why wouldn¡¯t he have? His only wish for a long time had been to catch up. To be the right person for her.


    And he was ready to do anything to get it. He tirelessly trained with the sword, hoping to be a dependable man who could protect her. He buried himself in books to try to learn as much as she did. He thought about her every day, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn¡¯t figure out what was bothering her.


    The worst part wasn¡¯t even that.


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s having some kind of trouble, but she won¡¯t tell me anything about it. I think that¡¯s the most painful part.¡±


    It was a pretty hard truth to ept. Mia did sometimes act quickly based on her brilliant whims. Her stunt with the poisonous mushroom a few days ago, which gave everyone a small heart attack, is a good example. She was definitely smart, but she didn¡¯t always take the time to exin what she was thinking to the people around her.


    He knew that was just how she was, but it hurt him anyway. He might have been upset that she didn¡¯t trust him enough to ask for his help. Or, her shyness could have made him feel alone, and he was just feeling sorry for himself. He was hoping it wasn¡¯t the second one. Even more painful might be having to admit that he had such small-minded thoughts.


    After days of trying to figure out how he felt, he finally decided to talk to Sion about it.


    ¡°Just because I don¡¯t know what¡¯s bothering her doesn¡¯t mean that no one else does. Maybe Sion saw something that I missed.¡±


    Sion Sol Sunnd looked like a wall to Abel. A tall wall that had to be climbed, but the top was still out of reach. Every time he looked up towards its invisible peak beyond the clouds and then down at the small amount of progress he¡¯d made, he felt like giving up right then and there. The gap between them seemed so big and the distance between them so far that just wanting to be on the same level as him seemed like a Herculean task.


    His ego hurt when he thought about asking this rival who was so much better than him for advice, but he forced it to shut up. Mia was more important than his pride.


    When he got to Sion¡¯s room, he was surprised to hear a voice.


    ¡°Prince Abel, ah. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Who¡¯s¡ª¡±


    When he turned to face the speaker, he saw a woman dressed as a maid.


    ¡°Oh, Monica. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be here. Have you been well?¡±


    During the time Monica worked as a secret agent in Remno, they got to know each other well. But they hadn¡¯t seen each other much since she moved to Saint-Noel.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m good. I hope the same is true for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Rafina has been very nice to me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I see. Good, good¡­ But, uh, what are you doing in Sion¡¯s room?¡±


    Sion stuck up his finger, but he was half hidden by a mess of papers on his desk.


    ¡°I did that. I asked her to help me with something, and she agreed,¡± he said, pointing to the papers. ¡°Why are you here, Abel? is a better question. Not that you¡¯re not wee, but you don¡¯te to my ce very often.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Why? Well, um¡­ I¡¯ve noticed that Mia has been looking kind of sadtely, and I was wondering if you knew why. If you¡¯re busy, I¡¯lle back another time.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. In fact, it¡¯s a good time. I just thought I should take a short break.¡±


    Sion stretched his arms out and leaned back as he yawned.


    ¡°Really? So, all right. But, uh¡­¡±


    When Abel looked at the papers, he looked confused.


    ¡°What is this all about? Why do you look so exhausted?¡±


    Sion rubbed his face and then held up one of the pages and said, ¡°Because. I¡¯ve been looking into this.¡±


    Abel picked up the page and read it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Jason, Lucas, Max, Thanasis, Bisset¡­¡±


    He cocked his head. He didn¡¯t recognise any of the names.


    ¡°Who are these supposed to be?¡±


    Sion didn¡¯t answer him straight away.


    Instead, he shrugged and said, ¡°You know, I¡¯ve also noticed that Mia hasn¡¯t been in the best of moods.¡±


    Abel looked at him, confused by this answer.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been worried, too,¡± Sion said, ¡°but I can¡¯t think of a way to cheer her up, no matter how hard I try. So, I¡¯ve decided that the best way to spend my time is to do what I can.¡±


    ¡°Doing what you can?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been taking another look at the Wind Crows over the past few days. Since I messed up in Remno, I¡¯ve been giving a lot of thought to how I can make up for it. Part of that effort would be this.¡±


    Abel thought about what Sion had said during the election for student council. Mia had asked Sion to run for office, but he turned her down, saying that he would have to earn the chance to make things right on his own.


    Sion pointed to the paper in Abel¡¯s hand and said, ¡°What you see there is the list of names that was used by a Wind Crow agent while working undercover in Tearmoon.¡±


    Abel asked, ¡°A Wind Crow agent?¡±


    ¡°You mean one of the agents you recalled?¡±


    ¡°No. An agent who went into hiding used them.¡±


    ¡°¡­went into hiding?¡±


    Something clicked in Abel¡¯s head all of a sudden. He spoke more quietly.


    ¡°Wait, I remember you telling me that you knew someone who told you about the Serpents. So, we found out that one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Dukes has something to do with them. Isn¡¯t it that person?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was smart of you. Yes, it¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°This man also taught me a lot,¡± Monica said.


    ¡°He was the one who set up the whole intelligencework that worked in Tearmoon. As the head of intelligence, he was in charge of all the people who worked with him on site. People called him the spymaster.¡±


    ¡°If that man is still alive, we can be sure he knows something that will help her. So I thought I¡¯d try to find him, but¡­¡±


    Sion gave a slight nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ming up empty, which is so frustrating.¡±


    ¡°You think someone has already killed him?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s the thing. I can only find out so much from here. After all, we brought back all the Wind Crows from Tearmoon. For what it¡¯s worth, I also asked Monica to try the Wind Crows¡¯ emergency contact method, but we haven¡¯t heard anything back yet.¡±


    Sion put his hands out in a helpless way.


    Even though the act was small, Abel was moved by it. Sion¡¯s feet are firmly on the ground. He doesn¡¯t know everything, but he¡¯s taking one step at a time to help Mia.


    <em>As for me, I¡¯m¡­ What the heck am I doing¡­</em>


    He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. Just then, he felt something hit him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Chin up, man,¡± said Sion. ¡°If Mia is sad, it¡¯s your job to make her feel better.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, that¡¯s a lot to ask of me right now¡­ but you¡¯re right. I should at least try.¡±


    It was hard, if not impossible, to figure out what was going on in Mia¡¯s head. He had no idea what she was going through.


    And, if she has her way, he might never know. He couldn¡¯t fix her problems or help her carry them. But he could at least give her emotional support, right?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing what I can¡­ Yes, that¡¯s a good ce to start.¡±


    Since the boys were having such serious conversations, the room had turned into a fortress of serious business, with hardening resolve and thoughtful thinking.


    Mia walked into this quiet time when it was going on.


    ¡°Oh, atst. Abel, there you are. I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute,¡± she said, wading in with all the tact of a cow that just broke a china vase.


    The Moment-Living Princess has begun her invasion. Would this pair of sentimental boys withstand her attack?

 Chapter 328

    <strong>Mia, the Heartthrob, Dances</strong>


    ¡°By the way, what are you doing in Sion¡¯s room?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Mia?¡± Abel asked her.


    Those who haven¡¯t yet figured out the social faux pas in this situation probably need an exnation. The strangeness of Mia¡¯s carefree attitude would be clear from a quick look at the situation.


    They were in Sion¡¯s room, which was in the dormitory for boys. Even though there wasn¡¯t a strict rule, everyone knew that girls weren¡¯t allowed in the boys¡¯ dorm.


    At the very least, you weren¡¯t supposed to walk in just to take your sweetheart out on a date.


    Debauchee Mia, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t care less about rules. After all, she was unbeatable at the moment!


    Nothing¡ªwell, almost nothing could stop her, since she wouldn¡¯t talk about things that were scary in and of themselves.


    Atst, her fear of taking risks had reached a higher level. It had jumped for the peaks of chickenheartedness, but its feet had scraped the edge. It couldn¡¯t hold on, so it fell back down to a lower ledge.


    She now had a pig¡¯s heart. It didn¡¯t squawk as much as it used to, but it also couldn¡¯t roar like a king. It just simply oinked.


    Hoped that her newfound porkiness would stay in her heart and not be used to describe her stomach¡­


    In any case, that was why Abel was surprised to see Mia, who was grinning.


    ¡°I need to borrow you for a little while. Will that be all right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? U-Uh, sure, I guess?¡±


    Abel looked at Sion, who was holding up his hands as if to say, ¡°This is yours.¡±


    ¡°The princess wants something, and she gets it. I think it¡¯s a gentleman¡¯s job to make sure there¡¯s a connection between the two,¡± Sion said with a wink.


    ¡°Well, then¡­ I¡¯m sorry to cut our conversation short, but I¡¯ll have to leave.¡±


    After Mia led a reluctant Abel out of the room, he asked, ¡°So, what exactly do you need me for?¡±


    This time, Mia had to think about what to do.


    ¡°Well, I guess you know¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know either, it turned out.


    If she had written down her n, it would have said ¡°Step 1: Find Abel, Step 2:???


    She thought about going to town for a candy tour, but as soon as she stepped out of the dorm, a cold breeze made her change her mind.


    <em>This¡­isn¡¯t really good weather for going outside. Too chilly.</em>


    Mia was the type of person who liked to stay inside on cold days. Going on a date outside in the cold wasn¡¯t even close to being a choice.


    <em>So, where does that leave us? Inside the academy?</em>


    At that moment, she heard a faint sound of music in the air. The sound was lively and came from the grand hall. Before she knew it, her feet started to move towards it.


    In the hall, people were getting ready for the big meal that would follow the candlelight mass on Holy Eve. Almost all of the decorating was done, and the hall looked great.


    Sacred paintings in gold frames were hung on the walls of the room, which was made of wood. They were only shown on these kinds of special asions. At the ce where the ceiling met the walls, bright red cloth hung down. This added to the party atmosphere. Rings of musicians were practising pieces for the uing ball at the front of the hall. Mia¡¯s mind went back to a time when she saw that thing.


    ¡°I know about the Holy Eve Festival and dancing.¡±


    She was reminded of the party where new students would be weed. She had danced with Abel that day, but for different reasons, they hadn¡¯t been able to dance together since.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go dancing. Before it¡¯s time for the ball, I want to see how good you¡¯ve gotten.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡ª¡±


    Mia told a member of the staff, ¡°Excuse me, but we¡¯re going to use that spot over there for a while.¡±


    ¡°What? Mia, wait¡ª¡±


    She grabbed Abel¡¯s arm and pulled him to a corner of the hall where there was no one else. Even though everyone around her was shocked, she moved closer to him anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Abel. Let¡¯s dance.¡±


    She told him to start with a graceful flutter of her skirt. He looked at her dumbfoundedly for a few seconds before he could bring himself to smile.


    ¡°Someone is being a bit pushy today, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Mia gave you a defiant grin when you said that.


    ¡°Oh? Then someone else is a little behind the times. Don¡¯t you know? People have always said that I¡¯m a very selfish princess.¡±


    ¡°Are you? So this is really who you are? So, I guess I have no choice but to do what you want.¡±


    He moved his body close to hers, and then they both started to glide around their makeshift stage.


    Even though people were running around getting ready for the festival, the couple danced as if the people were just a background to their romantic moment.


    But they were not.


    They had things to do, and a romantic couple twirling around the venue while they were trying to work was a huge distraction. It¡¯s likely that more than one person hissed a private ¡°Oh, just get a room. You¡¯re making things harder.¡±


    When they saw this public disy of affection, the orchestra members began to jibe. Not at them, but with them.


    They had always been good sports, and the fact that they yed with Mia on the spot showed that. After seeing her take over the dance floor that night, they were happy to y some music on the spot for the couple.


    ¡°Wow, it seems like we¡¯ve taken over the orchestra,¡± Mia said as she started to dance to their lively beat.


    Her movements were smooth and done with expert skill. Abel could also keep up with them. He didn¡¯t miss a beat.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve really improved at dancing, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, it¡¯s great to hear that you agree.¡± Abel said with a hint of pride, ¡°I never got a chance to show you, but I¡¯ve been practising more than just swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Have you now?¡± Mia asked with a bit of a challenge in her voice.


    ¡°Impressive. But can you keep up with steps that are harder?¡±


    Her movements got stronger. She gotpletely caught up in the moment as they moved from one step to the next as a single unit.


    She would pull away one second, then press herself against him the next. She went around and around him, twirling like a fairy at a party in the woods. She forgot where she was and when it was.


    Like in a dream. It was the best kind of dream, where she only felt happiness.


    Suddenly¡­


    ¡°Mia, say something to me¡­¡±


    She could hear Abel talking.


    ¡°Am I¡­not good enough in some way?¡±


    His face showed that he was serious.


    ¡°What¡¯s not enough?¡± She asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I know that something has been making you sadtely. I¡¯m worried about it. I have no idea what it is. Sion also doesn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve told anyone, as far as I know. It seems like you don¡¯t want anyone else to know. You are taking it on yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Abel¡­¡±


    She was speechless for a moment because of how much he cared. She could only look into his serious eyes.


    ¡°Is there any way I can¡­help you carry your load? I know I¡¯m no genius. I¡¯m pretty sure I can¡¯t help you solve your problems. But if I can help you in any way, even if it¡¯s just a little bit, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±


    She almost passed out from how sweet his words were. She had to use all of her self-control to keep from spilling everyst secret right then and there. She forced herself to smile in a sneaky way.


    ¡°Are you now? So¡­ what about this? If you ever get as good at dancing as I am, I¡¯ll tell you a valuable secret I¡¯ve been keeping to myself.¡±


    She was sure that telling them wouldn¡¯t help. She could tell them everything she knew and pour out her heart, but she would still sneak off Saint-Noel Ind when it was time. And if she told her secrets before she did that, the Princess Chronicles said that her future would be much worse.


    If Abel lost Mia, it would push him over the edge of being sane. Since he didn¡¯t care about his own safety, he would eventually die in a terrible way. Sion would also be hurt badly, and his actions would eventually bring down all of Sunnd. Everyone she knew would feel sad about her death for a long time. No one would be spared, and no one would ever be able to get away from the overwhelming grief.


    The parts of the Princess Chronicles that talk about these events were written to show how much power she had, but the bad things that happened made her speechless. In fact, they had taken away her ability to tell her peers what was in the book.


    <em>If I told them, things would only get worse. If they know it¡¯s going to happen, they¡¯ll feel even worse about it when they realise they couldn¡¯t protect me. I would doom Abel to pain¡­ If I did that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to die in peace.</em>


    She realised that even though she had taken many steps to try to stay alive, she was starting to ept her grim fate. That was a horrible thing to think, so she shook it out of her head.


    ¡°¡­ Right now, don¡¯t think about anything else. Just try to have fun at this dance.¡±


    She felt very happy when she was dancing. It felt like the first time in a long time that she couldugh her heart out.


    She had a great time. So much that she felt like she¡¯d be happy to die right now. Her body was filled with happiness, except for a small spot in her heart of hearts.


    <em>For some reason, I feel like there¡¯s still something I haven¡¯t done yet¡­ Something I could be sorry about¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡­</em>


    She wouldn¡¯t figure out what she hadn¡¯t done until a little whileter. After enjoying every sinful pleasure she could think of (snacking, pastries in bed, sweets for breakfast, etc.), there was only one thing left on her bucket list.


    She had no idea that thisst thing was the only way for her to make it through the Holy Eve Festival.

 Chapter 329

    <strong>Under the Banner of Princess Mia ~Friendship United~</strong>


    Ludwig went to see Outcount Rudolvon at his manor one day.


    He had asked Rudolvon to talk to other nobles in the Ounds, so he came to see how things were going.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re doing well, Ludwig.¡±


    Outcount Rudolvon greeted him with a warm smile that showed how much he cared. Technically, there was a big difference between Ludwig¡¯s status as amoner and that of the Outcount.


    Nobles from the Ounds were looked down upon by the central nobles, but they were still nobles. Ludwig worked for the central government and had Mia¡¯s full trust, but he was in no way the same as this man.


    Their behaviour, on the other hand, didn¡¯t show any of the shyness that would be expected between men of their different ranks.


    Rather, they had a strange bond with each other. It was like friendship and went beyond age and status. It was a sense of camaraderie that only those who stood behind Princess Mia had.


    Before Ludwig sat down in a guest chair, they gave each other a firm handshake.


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry to ask you to do something so hard,¡± he said.


    ¡°Absolutely not. I owe a lot to Her Highness. If she gives me a task, I¡¯ll do my best to finish it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m most obliged. Hearing that takes a load off my mind for sure¡­¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s attempts to split Yellowmoon from the inside were slowly starting to work. With the help of the Outcount, they were able to convince a number of ound nobles to switch sides and join the Rudolvons.


    Even though they didn¡¯t have enough people to be called a ¡°faction,¡± Ludwig hoped that this would eventually lead to the rise of a new group of nobles who weren¡¯t controlled by any of the Four Dukes. This new group could then be the core of a group that is loyal to Mia¡ªthe princess group, if you will.


    All that needs to be said is that in his head, all kinds of gears were turning and doing all kinds of calctions. All of that can still happenter.


    The problem right now is¡­


    Rudolvon asked, ¡°Based on the look on your face, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Ludwig grimaced.


    ¡°The nobles from the ounds areing around, but it¡¯s much harder than we thought to get the rest of them to leave.¡±


    Usually, a group¡¯s internal politics and loyalties are moreplicated the bigger it is. With a group like the Yellowmoons, whose members joined together out of desperation more than anything else, this should be even more true.


    They couldn¡¯t have much inmon. And yet¡­


    ¡°Well, yeah. When you know you¡¯ll be killed for betraying your side, you tend to think twice about switching.¡±


    Dion, who had been listening to the conversation, said, ¡°That makes sense to me.¡±


    Ludwig looked at his partner¡¯s casual attitude and shook his head.


    ¡°Not necessarily, no. Those who are held back by fear should also have a secret wish to get away from that fear. So, if someone with the power to protect them offers them a way out, there should be a good chance that they will take it.¡±


    He had slowly told people that he had been attacked by a skilled killer a few days ago. The idea was to spread the story that someone wanted to kill him because he was a loyal subject of Princess Mia. They sent a deadly assassin to kill him, but his friend Dion stopped him.


    It was a way to send a hidden message. Even though important details were kept secret, people who knew what was going on could tell that a statement was being made: they had the power to stop attacks from the Yellowmoon faction.


    The nobles of Yellowmoon would have heard the rumour, but no deserters had shown up.


    ¡°Everyone already knows about Her Highness¡¯s patience and wisdom. I made certain of it. Noble houses with power and pedigree would probably see her as a bother, but those with less power and loyalty should be practically salivating at the chance to leave.¡±


    In fact, Mia¡¯s situation should be saying all it needs to say. She was good friends with Duke Greenmoon¡¯s daughter and got Duke Bluemoon¡¯s son to join her side by inviting him to be on the student council. She even got Duke Redmoon¡¯s daughter to join her personal guard.


    Even though none of them were the leaders of their houses, it was still clear that three of the Four Houses were on good terms with Mia. She also had the Princess Guard, a small army of elite soldiers that she could send out whenever she wanted.


    With this powerful item in her possession and the indirect support of three groups of dukes, she was steadily bing a key figure in the empire whose power could not be ignored.


    ¡°Yet, talking to these Yellowmoon nobles is still like shouting into the void. There¡¯s something wrong here¡­¡±


    Ludwig started thinking quietly with his arms crossed.


    Rudolvon coughed in a polite way to wake him up from his thoughts before he spoke.


    In a quiet voice, he said, ¡°By the way, Ludwig, about that¡­prediction that Her Highness made¡­ It looks like it happened.¡±


    Ludwig jumped and looked up, blinking as he tried to figure out what this meant.


    ¡°You mean¡­ You¡¯re noticing the same things here?¡±


    Rudolvon took a sip of his tea before answering.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much wheat in my area. I asked the other nobles in the Ounds, and it seems like they are all in the same situation. Our crop yields are going to go down for sure in theing year. There¡¯s no way to know how long this willst, but¡­¡±


    The future was always a mystery, but Mia¡¯s prediction that wheat yields would be low this year hade true. She had also given Ludwig and his friends strict instructions to make sure they were ready for anything. And now¡­


    ¡°If we¡¯re ready for the worst and it doesn¡¯t happen, that¡¯s definitely a good thing. But if it does happen and we weren¡¯t ready, we¡¯ll have to take a lot of criticism,¡± Ludwig thought.


    ¡°Her Highness chose to tell us what she thought would happen. And told us to get ready for that. Then we should live up to the trust she has put in us,¡± Rudolvon said.


    So, the two of them spent some time figuring out the finer details of emergency supply ns in case dwindling food supplies led to a full-blown famine, as well as the convoys that would be needed for these routes.


    Ludwig then left the Rudolvon manor and went straight to Mia¡¯s academy city to see how things were going.


    There, he got a message, and when he looked at who sent it, he¡­

 Chapter 330

    <strong>Something Forgotten by Mia the Lazy</strong>


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve done everything on my list¡­but I also feel like I¡¯m forgetting something¡­¡±


    There were still two days until the Holy Eve Festival. There wasn¡¯t much time left, and the number of possible things she could do was shrinking. Mia rolled from one side of her bed to the other and back again as what could have been thest hours of her life passed before her eyes.


    In other words, she spent the day just lounging around. Was it because she decided to enjoy the moment she was in?


    Not really, no.


    That was just how she always acted. When this great Princess had some free time, she always chose to just lounge and do nothing.


    Sion¡¯s voice came after someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Mia, do you have a moment? I have something to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sion is going to the girls¡¯ dorm? You don¡¯t see that very often.¡±


    Mia rolled across her bed and jumped off in one smooth motion. Shended well on the floor. Then she looked down at herself and saw that her pyjamas were all wrinkly.


    <em>Hm¡­ Ah, so what? It¡¯s only Sion.</em>


    So much for getting marriageability. She still let him in and smiled at him when she opened the door. Sion took a moment to be surprised by how she was dressed.


    ¡°I saw that you were taking a nap. Please forgive me foring in,¡± he said with his head bowed.


    He must have thought that Mia¡¯s messy appearance meant that she had just gotten out of bed. Which wasn¡¯t wrong in and of itself, but he was wrong to think that ¡°just got out of bed¡± meant ¡°had been sleeping and woke up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be worried. Since you came all the way here, it must be important. But Anne isn¡¯t here today, so I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to have tea.¡±


    ¡°Come in. So, what were you going to say?¡±


    ¡°It has to do with one of your subjects. Ludwig, in particr. I would like him to do something.¡±


    ¡°Ludwig? What would you like him to do?¡±


    ¡°To make a long story short, I want him to try to find that Wind Crow agent I told him about before. The one who went missing while doing business in Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°In the empire, a Wind Crow went missing¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t say it, but her face almost said it for her.


    <em>Eh? Who was it we were talking about?</em>


    ¡°Even you don¡¯t remember, huh. I guess it¡¯s not too surprising, since it was just mentioned in passing. It¡¯s the person who told us that the Serpents are in touch with one of your Four Houses.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, yeah. That individual. Yes, now I remember.¡±


    She gave the impression that everything wasing back to her by nodding very hard. Of course, nothing came back. Not a thing. Mia¡¯s brain was really good at forgetting things she didn¡¯t have to remember, and the bar for ¡°have to remember¡± was pretty high.


    She asked, ¡°But why look for this person now?¡±


    Sion then told her why he thought that way, and she agreed with him.


    ¡°I see¡­ If we could get someone like that on our side, it would help a lot. Good idea, Sion. You¡¯re as brilliant as ever.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, remember when I said I¡¯d get a chance to make things right on my own terms?¡±


    He smiled in a yful way and then shrugged off his own jokes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty big goal, but here I am again asking for your help. It¡¯s embarrassing how little I can do on my own, and being stuck in the academy doesn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re being a little hard on yourself there. I think you should have more faith in yourself. What do you want Ludwig to look into, anyway?¡±


    ¡°These.¡±


    She was given a piece of paper by Sion. She looked serious as she read it.


    ¡°¡­Hm? Max, a businessman; Bisset, a servant; Thanasis, a local official; What are these supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°These are the fake names and identities our man has used in the past.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Interesting. So, this is it? Don¡¯t you know what he looks like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no. He is known for being very good at hiding who he is.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I should have known¡­¡± Mia mumbled as she looked at the page.


    <em>I have to say that this is pretty impressive. Back then, what Abel said was true. Sion has really been trying to figure out how to fight the Chaos Serpents.Oh!</em>


    She pped once when she had a thought.


    ¡°Sion, do you mind if I ask you some questions?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Sure, if you think I can help you figure something out, go ahead,¡± he said, raising one eyebrow.


    She gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m only doing this to satisfy my own intellectual curiosity, okay? It¡¯s just a thought experiment. But let¡¯s say you were going to die in two days. What are you going to do with them?¡±


    Even though this was a tough philosophical question, Sion crossed his arms and tried toe up with a good answer.


    ¡°Two days, huh¡­ There isn¡¯t much that can be done with that little time. I think¡­ First, I¡¯d probably formally thank the people who have helped me in the past,¡± he said in a quiet, thoughtful tone.


    ¡°After that, I think I¡¯d go to the people I¡¯ve made trouble for because I¡¯m immature and stubborn and apologise to them.¡±


    ¡°My! You also have people like those in your life?¡±


    Mia was shocked.


    Sion made a face.


    ¡°A couple, yes. If, over the course of one¡¯s life, one feels they owe no thanks or apologies to anyone around them, that is a sure sign of great arrogance,¡± he said, adding with a shrug, ¡°That¡¯s how I see it, at least.¡±


    <em>I see¡­ Well, I guess that¡¯s true for him.</em>


    She found that she agreed with what he said.


    <em>Unlike me. I haven¡¯t caused anyone any trouble, so I don¡¯t have to say I¡¯m sorry.</em>


    She agreed with what he said about her, which was a very arrogant thing to do.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting point of view.¡±


    She turned around to face him, stood up straight, and then bowed deeply with her head.


    ¡°Please let me tell you how thankful I am to you, Sion.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Abel told me that you were worried about me and that you were trying to help me in many different ways. I really do appreciate it, and I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.¡±


    Sion turned his head away and scowled at the wall.


    ¡°Damn Abel and his big mouth¡­¡±


    He let out a sigh of defeat and then turned back to her.


    ¡°Okay, just so you don¡¯t get the wrong idea, I want to make up for my past mistakes, and this is all part of that. In other words, I¡¯m doing this for me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I totally get it. You are only doing it because you want to. Still, I have to say thank you because I¡¯d feel awful if I didn¡¯t. And so, I have done so. I did my thing, and you did yours. Everything for our own good. This is just that.¡±


    Then she gave a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I want to do, too, so don¡¯t mind me, okay?¡±


    Sion stood still and looked at her for what seemed like a long time.


    He finally breathed out. He took a long, soft breath from the bottom of his lungs.


    ¡°Ah, damn it¡­ Why did I tell Abel that it was his job to cheer her up?,¡± he asked himself in a voice that no one else could hear.


    Little did Sion know¡­


    <em>I worry about owing Sion a favour. In the meantime, it doesn¡¯t cost me anything to tilt my head and say ¡°thanks.¡± And it makes us even! I¡¯d thank him, of course! I¡¯d always thank him¡­ This is a cheap way to get even.</em>


    Mia¡¯s feelings about the situation were not nearly as sincere.


    He also didn¡¯t know that some of the things he said to her would stay with her forever. Was there really no one she should have thanked or apologize to?


    If not now, then in the past?


    The question would stay with her, like a faint lighthouse whose light would eventually lead her to the one thing she¡¯d forgotten.

 Chapter 331

    <strong>This Time We Can Be Good Friends</strong>


    After seeing Sion off, Mia penned a quick letter to Ludwig before diving back into bed.


    ¡°Phew, I¡¯m worn out.¡±


    The heavybour of filling half a page with words had left her exhausted. She stretched her limbs, then sank into her mattress like a limp noodle.


    ¡°Sorry to people I¡¯ve made trouble for, huh?¡± she said to herself as she buried her face in her pillow.


    ¡°I guess he has a point. That does feel like something I have to do if I want to die without any regrets. The problem is, I don¡¯t have anyone like that¡­¡±


    The previous timeline was one thing, but in the current one, Mia¡¯s life has been one of redemption after redemption after redemption. The chef who was supposed to be fired was now happy to be the head chef at the imperial court. She would even thank her father for his service.


    Newmoon District, which had previously gonepletely neglected until it was toote, was now benefiting from constant reformative efforts. The once-deste townscape was steadily showing signs of renewed life.


    One by one, she¡¯d fixed the mistakes she¡¯d made in her past life. She might have done wrong in the past, but now she had made up for it. So why, then, did Sion¡¯s words gnaw at her conscience?


    ¡°Eh, maybe it¡¯s just me. If anything, I likely have to thank a lot more people. There¡¯s Anne and Ludwig¡­ Abel and Sion¡­ Chloe, and Miss Rafina too¡­ And Tiona probably counts¡ª¡±


    She stopped in her tracks as a sudden thought hit her.


    These thoughts she was having seemed strangely¡­foreign.


    She was nearing the end of her life, and of all the things that came to mind, thanking all her dear friends was one of them. It happened so easily, like it was just part of who she was. Even Sion, who had always been her worst enemy, was on the list. She was no longer even a little bit angry at him. She felt the same both for Keithwood and Liora. Whatever bad feelings there had been between her and them before were gone.


    Well, Dion was still just as scary as ever, but besides that one weird thing, she had be close with everyone else. They¡¯d get along well.


    But for some reason, one of those rtionships felt a little bit different, like there was still some tension there. A sense of being far away.


    They were friends, but they weren¡¯t very good friends.


    Tiona¡­ Something didn¡¯t feel right between her and Tiona, and that made it hard for them to get close. A sense of distance. What was it?


    The answer came quickly. It came from a memory she hadn¡¯t thought about in a long time. She saw visions and felt ghostly sensations at the same time.


    Her palm stung.


    A girl looked at her with wide eyes in confusion and shock. There were the grating jeers from her sycophantic entourage, as well as¡­


    <em>¡°You pauper of a noble! Who do you think you are being chummy with Prince Sion, huh? Learn your ce!¡±</em>


    Her own voice was so cruel and full of scorn. It was something she had done in a past life. She had forgotten about it for so long, but now she remembered.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I remember now. I need to say I¡¯m sorry for something. I have to apologise to Tiona for what I did to her before.¡±


    In the previous timeline, Mia had seen Tiona and Prince Sion grow closer to each other. Her loneliness and frustration, deepened by Sion¡¯s total disregard for her, had led her to act on her worst impulses.


    She¡¯d struck Tiona. Across the face. She could almost still feel the pain in her hand. It was the one thing she hadn¡¯t been able to make up for yet, she realised.


    A mistake yet unamended, because¡­


    ¡°That problem went away on its own. I didn¡¯t have to do anything¡­¡±


    It was an event that has been forgotten.


    History ate it up. Because it wasn¡¯t there, she had one sin that her time reset couldn¡¯t wash away because there was nothing left to wash.


    Of course, objectively speaking, Tiona was one of the people who¡¯d sent her to the guillotine. One could argue that a p on the cheek was a payback. At worst, they were even.


    It wasn¡¯t about making sense, though. Mia knew that what happened that day had stuck like a thorn in her heart, and no amount of reasoning could get it out. What hurt, hurt.


    With her death getting closer, she was quickly running out of things she could do in the time she had left. This wasn¡¯t the time for fragile egos. She had to do something.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I never really became friends with Tiona, and I think that¡¯s because of what happened.¡±


    If her second chance at life had basically made up for that sin, then her avoiding the guillotine should have been a sign that she was no longer angry at Tiona. Mia no longer had bad feelings towards the girl. If anything, Tiona had given Mia a lot of help both in Remno and during the election.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been the least bit surprising if we had be really good friends, but somewhere, somehow, it felt like there was a rift between us. And now that I know why, I need to do something about it because if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to die in peace.¡±


    She found the answer after a long time. She would never be able to say sorry to the real Tiona, who she had hurt.


    If she did that to Tiona now, who doesn¡¯t remember being hit, it would probably just confuse her.


    <em>Well, so what if it does? That wasn¡¯t important.</em>


    After all, Mia has always put herself first, and her decision to live in the moment makes that even more clear.


    <em>Moment-living-me-first didn¡¯t care what other people thought or felt.</em>


    She was going to have her way.


    ¡°I need to make things right with Tiona for what I did to her. That way, if I do die on the night of the Holy Eve Festival and by some miracle get another chance at life, I will have done the right thing.¡±


    When that happens, I¡¯ll know for sure that we can finally be good friends.¡±


    Mia nodded, and a weight that had been teetering for a long time finally fell into ce.


    ¡°Well, now that I know, there¡¯s no time to waste.¡±


    The next day, she promptly went to see Tiona, bringing a big box of fancy pastries with her as an apology gift.


    Let it be known that she did not do it because she wanted to eat them herself.

 Chapter 332

    <strong>Engraved Regret And¡­</strong>


    During the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s Revolutionary War, Tiona Rudolvon, a saint and the leader of the Revolutionary Army, never once stood on the front lines of battle. As a military leader and a living symbol of the revolution, her life was simply too important to risk. Most of the time, though, it was because she wasn¡¯t very good at using a sword.


    Even so, she wasn¡¯t happy to just stand by and let other people do the dirty work and get their hands covered in blood. She wanted to help people. So she could fight with her people.


    So, she gave it a lot of thought, and archery was the answer that came to her.


    She became an apprentice of Liora Lulu, the best archer in the Lulu tribe. With it, her skill with the bow grew. In the end, she became a great archer in her own right, and her arrows killed many enemies during the revolution.


    When the war was over. The royal family had lost power. The emperor had already been killed. Same thing would happen to his daughter, Princess Mia, in a matter of days.


    Atst, there were no more fights.


    Tiona, on the other hand, didn¡¯t let her archery skills get rusty. Every day, she shot at least a few hundred arrows at practise targets. She worked so hard that it was almost like she had to, as if every arrow she shot was a desperate attempt to hit some invisible vessel of miracles that, when broken, would let her get back something she had lost. Something that will never be reached.


    Her bowstring kept twanging day after day, week after week. One day, when her practise was over, a man came up to her.


    ¡°Ludwig Hewitt¡­ You¡­are the person Prince Sion mentioned. I believe you used to serve Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m d you let mee see you, Miss Tiona.¡±


    ¡°You had a horrible job to do at a horrible time. Prince Sion said that you were good at politics. I do hope that you will help us rebuild this empire.


    She pointed to a table and said, ¡°Please, have some tea.¡±


    Ludwig did not move. He was still and quiet as he looked at her for a moment before he spoke.


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m here today is to ask you for a favour.¡±


    Tiona kept quiet for the same amount of time, then slowly picked up her cup to take a sip. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, acting like she liked the smell of the tea.


    ¡°You¡¯re here with a request, then¡­ If you want me to pass it to Prince Sion, I will dly do so,¡± she said in a questioning way.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to talk to Her Majesty.¡±


    His words were clear, and there was nothing sneaky about the way he said them.


    ¡°For what? What is there to talk about at the moment? I can¡¯t see how a meeting like that would be helpful.¡±


    When she heard this, her voice became stiff.


    But his answer caught her off guard.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that when you went to Saint-Noel, Her Highness struck you on the cheek at one point.¡±


    ¡°¡­Excuse me? Wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Her Highness has told me that she has always wanted to say sorry to you for what she did that day. I¡¯m asking you to give her a chance.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Struck me? When?¡±


    She made a sad face as she tried to remember a simr event. Tiona had been bullied many times while she was at Saint-Noel Academy, so she had long since forgotten about this particr incident.


    Mia¡¯s weak p hadn¡¯t even been strong enough to stick in her mind. Mia hated pain so much that it would have been hard to expect her to hit with much force when it was her own palm that was hitting. The truth was that Tiona didn¡¯t feel anger or shame at the time. Instead, she was confused about how she was supposed to react to what felt like a slightly forceful pat on the cheek.


    Ludwig was then confused by her unexpected surprise, and for a moment, they both looked confused. He finally coughed and asked, ¡°Anyway, would you be able to see Her Highness? And talk to her face-to-face? It would ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Change nothing.¡±


    Her words cut through his hopes like an arrow through the air. She gave him a re.


    ¡°Even if she does, so what? How should I handle her apology now? What will be different? What will it do? It can¡¯t bring back my father or the many people who died while the imperial family and the old noble houses were in charge.¡±


    Then she drank some more tea.


    <em>Mia Luna Tearmoon¡­ must not be forgiven.</em>


    She etched this warning onto herself. Repeatedly making a pattern deeper in her mind.


    <em>You don¡¯t have to see her. No need to talk about her or try to figure out who she is. It¡¯s not necessary, so I won¡¯t.</em>


    Tiona was worried about what would happen at this meeting.


    If they talked, she would learn about Mia¡¯s personality. What if she felt sorry for him? Or wish to let her go?


    <em>So, what about the death of my father? Am I to overlook it? That is asking too much.</em>


    Yes, it¡¯s possible that the princess is sorry. Yes, if they talked to her, she might turn out to be a good person. She might even be the kind of person who can make up for mistakes.


    But that wouldn¡¯t bring her father back to life, and it also wouldn¡¯t fix the fact that his death was unfair. If Tiona failed, her poor father¡¯s soul would have no way to get justice.


    She couldn¡¯t let herself forgive Mia because of this.


    She was adamant: ¡°I will not forgive her.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask Prince Sion to let her live either. But¡­¡±


    At that, her tone became less firm.


    ¡°But¡­ I won¡¯t stop you from talking to Prince Sion if you want to.¡±


    Was it ast act of kindness?


    No, it was a way to get out. She didn¡¯t want to deal with Mia as a person or have any control over whether or not she lived or died. So, she ran away and tried not to see or think about Mia. So, her heart would stay at ease.


    Mercy couldn¡¯t get her to do anything wrong.


    Because of this¡­


    When it was found out that Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s death had not been done on the emperor¡¯s orders, some time after Mia was put to death, she felt the bitter sting of regret.


    ¡°If I had¡­ had talked to her back then, maybe¡­¡±


    The logical part of her mind told her that she was going to die anyway. No matter what she did, it was pretty obvious that she couldn¡¯t save Mia.


    But despite that, or maybe because of that, she knew for sure that she would never get another chance to talk to Mia again¡­


    Even though it was thest thing a woman on death row wanted, she wouldn¡¯t trade even one word. This is something she deeply regrets.


    It was a regret that burned into her soul, right on top of her own words of warning: ¡°Mia Luna Tearmoon must not be forgiven.¡± It covered the old pattern with a new one, making a deeper, more painful wound that would never heal.


    ¡°¡­That was a very strange dream.¡±


    A day before the Holy Eve Festival, Tiona was at Saint-Noel Academy¡¯s archery range.


    During the Remno incident, she had been made painfully aware of how bad she was with a sword. After a lot of deep thought, she decided to take up the bow.


    Liora, the person who helped her, was an expert archer. Tiona quickly learned that she was good at archery when she was taught by her, and she kept getting better over time.


    She had just finished her practise for the day and was wiping her forehead when someone came up to her.


    ¡°Tiona, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Huh? ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    The situation was eerily like her dream, except that it was Mia who showed up first instead.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about. Are you avable right now?¡±


    Tiona could only nod in response to the strange coincidence.

 Chapter 333

    <strong>Words that Reached¡­ and Wishes that Didn¡¯t Reach</strong>


    ¡°Uhm, Your Highness, I¡¯m so sorry. I just finished with archery practise, so I¡¯m probably stinky¡­ If, um, this is about a tea party or something, I¡¯ll go clean up and change first¡­¡±


    ¡°My, it looks like I¡¯vee at a pretty bad time.¡±


    Mia looked at Tiona. Tiona¡¯s hair did have a bit of a shine from sweat. It would probably be ufortable for her to stay like that for a long time.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we both go take a bath?¡±


    ¡°Take a¡ª Huh?¡±


    Tiona didn¡¯t understand a thing about what was said. The look of confusion on her face made Miaugh.


    ¡°Chloe just so happened to give me some interesting bath herbs not long ago. It seems that they are good for getting rid of tiredness. Since you just finished practising, why don¡¯t we go try them out?¡±


    Chloe had been worried about Mia, just like Rania had been, and the bath herbs were her way of showing it.


    Mia thought that she should try them out today because she might not get another chance.


    ¡°Yes, I think this is a great chance,¡± she said, ostensibly to herself, since Tiona didn¡¯t seem to understand. They then started walking towards the public baths.


    The early afternoon time worked out well for them because the baths were empty when they got there. Mia was so happy to find this out that she immediately dumped the whole bag of herbs into the water.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty? Are you sure you want to just toss them all in? Sh- Shouldn¡¯t we get permission first¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it at all!¡± said Mia with a lot of self-assurance. After all, she was living in the present. Even though she didn¡¯t have permission, she turned the public baths into her own spa.


    So she thought, until the herbs hit the water and gave off smoke right away. The strange thing almost made her heart jump out of her mouth. Soon, there was white smoke in every corner of the room. It was so thick that she couldn¡¯t even see Tiona a few steps away.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is all right¡­ Probably.¡±


    What had been a lot of confidence disappeared in an instant, and her heart went from being like a pig to being like a chicken.


    Just as she started to think, ¡°Oh, I did it now, and I¡¯m in so much trouble,¡± the smoke started to thin out. Still, it was a little too thick to be regr steam, but she could probably get away with it and no one would notice.


    After a few more murmuring that ¡°this is fine¡±, her inner chicken stopped quivering.


    As she took a deep breath of relief, it came to her that she knew the smelling from the water.


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this lucioluna grass?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree. It smells really good.¡±


    Tiona seemed to rx when she smelled the pleasant scent.


    Both of them quickly washed off and stepped into the tub. Mia sighed infort as the warm liquid wrapped around her. Chloe did say that it was supposed to be a calming herb. She was right about that, though. She could feel all the stress leaving her body. The raging storm of worry inside me calmed down to a nice lull.


    <em>We¡¯re both feeling calm because the water is nice and the herbs smell great. So, of course, it¡¯s time to talk now. Good going, Chloe! I was looking for just this.</em>


    She let out a guttural hmmm and spread out her arms and legs before sinking further into the water.


    A giggle entered her ears. She looked at Tiona with confusion, not sure what had made herugh.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡±


    She smiled and said, ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just noticed you got a little bit bigger.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Mia froze.


    The peaceful calm inside turned into a storm of worry very quickly. But¡­


    ¡°I was worried about you a little bit. After hearing that you lost your appetite, we all were,¡± Tiona said to exin.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I see what you mean. You worried that I wasn¡¯t eating well.¡±


    Mia nodded. She wasn¡¯t sure if the exnation helped or not, but she still nodded. Then she looked at her upper arm. She frowned and grabbed the meaty part.


    <em>Did I get fatter? I don¡¯t believe so. Hmm¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to be any jigglier. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s always been like this. Even before summer¡­ Wait. Doesn¡¯t this mean..?</em>


    ¡°So, um¡­ About what did you want to talk to me?¡±


    Mia was about to figure out something important when Tiona pulled her out of her thoughts and made her stop the train of thought she was on.


    ¡°Oh, yes. That. Uh¡­¡±


    Mia slightly straightened up and took a big breath.


    ¡°I need to apologise to you for something.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The statement came out of nowhere, so Tiona could only blink a few times showing how confused she was. Mia didn¡¯t let anything stop her.


    ¡°A long time ago, I did something to you. Something very cruel.¡±


    Her voice was softly heard in the bath room.


    ¡°Wha-what are you talking about? I don¡¯t¡­ Your Highness, you have always been nice to me. How could you have ever done something bad to me?¡±


    Tiona was taken aback by Mia¡¯s strange confession.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­totally unthinkable.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is it? I can also be mean sometimes. If someone tries to flirt with a boy I like, for instance¡­¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯ve never done anything like that to Prince Abel¡­¡±


    Tiona suddenly remembered a part of her dream from the night before. Mia said she wanted to say she was sorry. Tiona had pushed her away and refused to talk to her, but now she only has regrets.


    Of course, it was just a dream. A figment of her imagination.


    Her heart, on the other hand, hurt from the bitter patterns that were etched into its spiritual flesh. So, she got herself together.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but if Your Highness really did do something bad, and you¡¯ve apologised, which you just did, I¡¯m sure¡­¡±


    There had been a time and a ce where she thought she couldn¡¯t forgive Mia. Must not, not couldn¡¯t. And she paid a heavy price for it.


    <em>How terrible it must keep hating someone like that¡­</em>


    Tiona thought about the rest of the dream she had.


    She thought about the lost days of light and joy she had lost because she had grown to hate Mia. She thought about the moment she realised that her hatred had been misinterpreted and how badly she had wanted to talk to Mia after that.


    Because of these ideas, she turned towards the Mia who was still alive and looked her in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been forgiven. I¡¯d forgive you at least. I¡­ already did, in another life¡­¡±


    Even though she whispered herst few words, Mia¡¯s face changed when she heard them.


    ¡°You¡­did¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s face no longer looked as tense as it had before. She stared at nothing for a moment, as if the weight that had been lifted from her shoulders was so big that she didn¡¯t know how to deal with her newfound happiness.


    Then, she smiled again, showing that she was happy again.


    ¡°Aah¡­ Wonderful. That¡¯s¡­really wonderful. Now I have no more regrets.¡±


    This time, Mia¡¯sst words made Tiona feel uneasy, and she could feel it in her chest.


    ¡°Uh, Your Highness, I¡¯d also like to speak with you. Talk, I mean. I want to talk with you for longer.¡±


    She said what had been on her mind for a long time. In her dream, the wish was impossible, but now¡­it might stille true.


    Mia¡¯s face was hard to read for a second.


    She then said, ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Then, let¡¯s talk after the Holy Eve Festival is over. Then we can spend as much time as we want together.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Holy Eve Festival?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The holiday of Holy Eve. If I make it through without getting hurt, we¡¯ll get together and talk all night.¡±


    It made sense.


    As a member of the student council, they probably had a lot to do during the Holy Eve Festival and didn¡¯t have much time to rx until it was over. It made perfect sense to wait until then. But for some reason, Tiona¡¯s feeling of unease in her chest only got worse.


    ¡°Well, it looks like that¡¯s it for now.¡± Mia smiled as she got out of the pool and said, ¡°Thank you very much for your time today.¡±


    Tiona looked up at her as she was leaving, and her heart skipped a beat.


    There was an eerily ephemeral air to the princess, as if she were the moon who, though once the protagonist of the sky, was now being relieved of her role as the night waned. Maybe it was just the faint haze of the bath room that made it hard to see her, but¡­


    ¡°Your Hi ¨C ?¡±


    The way I felt didn¡¯tst long.


    When Bel and Citrina came in, they stopped Tiona¡¯s cry.


    ¡°Mia-neesama, oh. What a great timing.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    Mia asked, ¡°My, are you two here to take a bath?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Bel said. ¡°But why is it kind of foggy in here?¡± he asked, looking around.


    ¡°I tried some herbs that Chloe gave me for a bath. It was pretty fun, to be honest. When they hit the water, so much smoke came out.¡±


    Mia smiled. She was back to being the happy person she usually was, and the fleeting air around her was almost gone¡­


    Then it was time for the Holy Eve Festival.

 Chapter 334

    <strong>Holy Eve Festival Conspiracy in Action</strong>


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, Eight Bell (8:00 a.m.)</strong>


    The day that would determine Mia¡¯s future came quietly.


    As she woke up slowly from her sleep, she saw that it was a quiet morning. She went to the public baths with Anne by her side. There, she cleaned off the sweat from the night before, washed her face, and gave herself a hard smack on the cheeks to wake up. It wasn¡¯t often that Mia was so put together and ready to go in the morning.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow,dy, you¡¯re really fired up today,¡± Anne said with a hint of surprise.


    Mia smiled softly and said, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be a good idea today of all days¡­¡±


    After she ate breakfast, she went to the student council office.


    ¡°Ah, Mia. Hello!¡±


    Rafina was there to greet her when she came in.


    ¡°Miss Rafina? My¡­ Is there anything we need to do today at the office?¡±


    The student council had already gone over everything that would happen that day, from checking security procedures to making ns for the celebration banquet to checking how people get on and off the ind. In fact, the council wasn¡¯t supposed to do much at all on the day of the festival.


    ¡°Oh, no. If something happens, I¡¯ll tell everyone toe over¡­¡±


    Rafina let out a quick giggle.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think it wille to that. Since we talked, Santeri has been working so hard that there isn¡¯t much left for us to do.¡± She smiled and then said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right! You think too much of me.¡±


    She definitely gave Mia more credit than she deserved. Mia was just doing what her stomach told her, which was to eat a poisonous mushroom.


    ¡°Then, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just¡­thinking.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s lips curled into a sweet smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a year since I stopped being in charge of this room. A full 12 months¡­ It¡¯s a thought that sometimes still blows my mind.¡±


    Rafina then climbed up to the top of her desk and sat down. Mia was surprised by Rafina¡¯s action because she had always thought of her as a model of good manners. Sitting on a desk was not a very dignified thing to do.


    ¡°You know, I alwayse here on this day,¡± she said. ¡°Every year before the festival, before I washed myself and put on the holy clothes, I¡¯de in here and talk to myself. You might not realise it, but the rituals of the Holy Eve Festival can be pretty scary.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can imagine.¡±


    ¡°But things are different this year. It still makes me nervous, but just thinking about the party we¡¯re going to have with all the council members afterward makes me so excited.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s smile was full of the childlike joy of a child.


    ¡°Well, then, I think I should leave. But just so you know, I¡¯m looking forward to tonight¡¯s stew party a lot, okay?¡±


    Mia heard a quiet murmur as she watched Rafina leave the office.


    ¡°Oh, tonight¡­ You¡¯re right. This evening¡­¡±


    She still had no idea what would happen. But she knew one thing for sure: a stew party was waiting for her. All of her closest friends were going to get together and have a great time.


    In addition, the stew would have mushrooms in it. The mushroom stew will delicious! Exquisite! Mushroom!! Stew!!!


    <em>It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think anything could get me off the ind tonight. It just can¡¯t be done.</em>


    With that thought in mind, Mia also left the office.


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, Tenth Bell (10.00 a.m.)</strong>


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia!¡±


    Mia heard a voice as she walked by the grand hall where the banquet would soon be held.


    Rania Tafrif Perujin was waving at her when she turned around.


    ¡°Ah, Rania. Good day to you.¡±


    Mia walked over to Rania with a friendly smile, but as soon as she did, her eyes went straight to the things on the table next to Rania.


    ¡°My! Those look tasty!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stop licking her lips when she saw the sweets made by Perujin¡¯s best craftspeople. Because of what happened with the poison mushroom, Belluga put guards around everything that could be eaten. Under their careful watch, it was probably impossible to sneak a bite¡­


    ¡°They look¡­so incredibly tasty¡­¡±


    Rania was happy.


    ¡°Then you shoulde backter. I can¡¯t wait to hear your opinion on them.¡±


    With a soft smile, Mia said yes to her invitation.


    ¡°Thank you, Rania. All the time. I¡¯ve never had anything bad happen to me when I ate Perujin food. I¡¯ll do everything I can toe by.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say yes or no in her answer.


    Why, you ask?


    <em>Well, I¡¯m making mushroom stew for dinner tonight¡­ I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll have enough space.</em>


    She did the math on her budget for food, and it was going to be tight because she was going to eat a delicious mushroom stew tonight.


    Delicious! Let¡¯s all say it together: Mushroom Stew!


    With that on the list, it would be hard to add anything else.


    Rania looked at Mia for a moment, then grabbed a cupcake off the table and gave it to her with a spoon.


    ¡°Here take this.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°A sample. Try it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh, okay, thank you?¡±


    Mia did what she was asked, even though she didn¡¯t understand why. She tried a spoonful right away.


    ¡°Mmm! This is¡ª!¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s melting in my mouth, and I can taste all the vours¡­ So rich¡­ Wait, does this taste like honey chestnuts?¡±


    ¡°It is. Look at what we¡¯ve made. Chestnut cake with honey.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so I was right. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had honey chestnut, but it¡¯s just as good as I remember,¡± Mia said as she handed back the cup.


    Now, the way this is written, it might sound like she just tried a bite of the cupcake and gave the rest back, but anyone who knows Mia well knows that would be against her nature.


    In fact, she gave her back an empty cup.


    During their short conversation, she skillfully moved her spoon around the cup to get everyst bit of the cupcake and shoved it all into her mouth.


    No one should ever say that Mia ate too much.


    ¡°If this keeps up, Perujin will be able to sleep easy for many years toe.¡± She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯d wish you luck at tonight¡¯s banquet, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Rania didn¡¯t return it in kind. She looked at Mia for a few more seconds before she said,


    ¡°Uh, just so you know, there will be a lot more at the banquet. There are lots of tasty things. Not only at my table, but at every other table as well. Everyone has done the best they can. So¡­¡±


    Her voice had a hint of desperation in it.


    ¡°Come try them out. We all wanted to make you feel better, so we made you a lot of tasty food. Pleasee, all right?¡±


    She talked as if she wanted a promise badly. As if¡­if that promise hadn¡¯t been made, Mia would just drift away and never be seen again.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s that important to you¡­¡±


    Mia decided that she could probably spare a little less room in her stomach for the mushroom stew.


    <em>Besides, you always have room for dessert, as the saying goes, and idioms don¡¯te from nowhere. I¡¯ll probably be fine.</em>


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, Fourth Bell Second Sequence (4:00 p.m.)</strong>


    After seeing the whole school, Mia went back to her room and stayed there like a good little girl trying to avoid death.


    Later, she was surprised when someone knocked on the door. Anne went to answer the phone but soon came back frowning.


    ¡°Mdy, I¡¯m sorry, but could I be excused for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind. But what for?¡±


    ¡°They asked me if I could help set up the banquet for tonight because they need more people.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, after all, today is a special day. No one could be med for needing a couple more sets of hands. Hm¡­ Then go make me proud, Anne. Show them what you can do as a Tearmoon attendant.¡±


    Anne¡¯s face showed that she was a little worried.


    ¡°Understood. But, um, mdy¡­¡±


    She went on in a hesitant way.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡±


    She shook her head and said, ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s no big deal. So, I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Oh, could you tell Bel toe back to our room if you see her? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her this whole morning for some reason.¡±


    Bel was in a lower grade than Mia, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for them to not see each other for a whole day. Today, though, her absence was strangely strange.


    ¡°Miss Bel?¡±


    Anne looked confused for a second, but then she nodded.


    ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll see youter, mdy.¡±


    Mia looked around the empty room after Anne left and then went to Bel¡¯s bed.


    She pulled out the copy of The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia that was under there and opened it to look at the pages again.


    <em>I don¡¯t think any of it has changed, but¡­ I¡¯ll give the Chronicles onest look to see if¡ªHm?</em>


    A light knock on the door made her stop.


    ¡°Huh. Who could that be? Did Anne maybee back? No, I doubt it¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand, so she went over to see who it was.


    She was about to open the door when she looked down and saw a piece of paper that had been slipped under it. Her eyes scanned the page¡¯s first few words¡­


    <em>We have you dear sister Miabel in our custody. Come by yourself to the ce below if you still wish to see her alive.</em>

 Chapter 335

    <strong>Grandmother Mia¡¯s Do-or-Die Resolve</strong>


    ¡°O-Oh moons¡­¡± Mia¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡°So this is why¡­¡±


    The events in the Princess Chronicles happened finally fell into ce.


    ¡°Oh, I get it now. This is why I left the ind and rode away into the night.¡±


    The letter gave her very detailed instructions, like which merchant had been paid off to take her off the ind and where she should go to get a horse.


    After hearing Santeri talk about his new security measures, she knew that it was hard to get on the ind but not too hard to get off. This was especially true during the Holy Eve Festival, when more people wereing and going than usual. It was just not possible to carefully check out everyone who left. Therefore¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to kill someone on the ind, but it¡¯s easy to get someone off the ind.¡±


    Even so, it would still be hard to just kidnap someone away. Even if a merchant was willing to help, it seemed unlikely that he or she would be allowed in. But what if there were no signs that something was wrong?


    What if it was just a slightly unreasonable request from a princess, like asking to be taken off the ind for a quick horseback ride to enjoy the night air?


    Noelige Lake and the area around it were known to be safe, with very few criminals and dangerous animals. How risky could it be to go horseback riding there?


    It seemed likely that some people would say ¡°not very.¡±


    The people who did it made a situation that was right on the edge of what was eptable, and because it was right on the edge, there were probably a lot of people who would cross that line for money.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think many people would knowingly take part in this kind of plot, but I can see how some people would agree to a selfish request from a young, powerful noble¡­¡±


    At the end of the day, being a merchant meant being willing to put your own needs at risk as long as there was money to be made. Those whose only motivation was money would probably keep quiet if they found out they were involved in an assassination. Their motivation and level of resolve would not be strong enough for them to choose the truth over their own safety.


    That¡¯s why the Princess Chronicles said she¡¯d left on her own free will. Those who knew probably all agreed to spread a story that suited them better.


    Mia carefully read the letter again, checking each step that would lead her off the ind. She let out a breath when she realised that if she followed these instructions, she could definitely leave without almost anyone noticing. She couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    ¡°¡­Which means there is only one question left. How much do I value Bel¡¯s life?¡±


    There was no room for excuses. She couldn¡¯t me the letter for giving her a n that wouldn¡¯t work. She could have left the ind without any trouble.


    So, the situation came down to a simple yes or no question: Was she willing to trade her life for Bel¡¯s?


    ¡°This is a waste of time. Of course I¡¯m not leaving the ind,¡± she said under her breath. ¡°That¡¯s almost like asking to be killed. In fact, they did kill me, so that¡¯s exactly what it is.¡±


    The Princess Chronicles was a secret to her enemies. She knew that if she left the ind, she would die, but they didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°If I go, I die. And since there is nothing written about Bel in the Chronicles, it¡¯s likely that she died as well, so going didn¡¯t even help.¡±


    Mia shook her head because it seemed like she couldn¡¯t win the situation and took off her dress.


    ¡°Besides, if I die, wouldn¡¯t Bel end up not existing? That would be pointless. There¡¯s no reason to go at all. What a dumb idea. I have more important things to do. Like putting on my uniform for the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Now, where did I put it?¡±


    She said something dismissive as she went through her closet and pulled out an outfit that was definitely not for a special asion.


    ¡°Nonsense¡­ What a bunch of nonsense¡­¡±


    With her riding clothes in her hands, she closed her eyes, and a picture of Bel came into her mind. Bel had said that this world was like a dream¡ªa good dream¡ªso she was going to enjoy it as much as she could so she wouldn¡¯t have any regrets when she woke up.


    Mia watched as the image of a pure and happy Bel smiled. She heard her own voice telling her dear granddaughter <em>It¡¯s okay. This dream will never stop. The grandmother you have always respected¡­ she won¡¯t let it.</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ll just be dying in vain. This isplete nonsense¡­ But hnnnngh, I¡¯ll probably feel really bad if I don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    She was also beginning to worry about something else. What would happen if she didn¡¯t go and didn¡¯t tell anyone what had happened?


    She would probably live, but whoever these would-be killers were, they would still be at the academy. Going forward, any of them could kill her at any time.


    Worse, she couldn¡¯t imagine that they wouldn¡¯t tell everyone that she¡¯d left Bel to die and abandoned her. When they did, she would definitely lose the trust of the people around her. Anne, who was always loyal to her, would probably be very upset with her. In that case, the assassins might be doing her a favour bying quickly to finish the job. Otherwise, she would have to suffer botht he resentment of others and her own guilty conscience for the rest of her life.


    <em>And then how would I face Abel? How can I look him in the eyes and tell him I gave up on my¡­ our granddaughter?</em>


    What would happen if she went to save Bel? What would happen then? She would be killed.


    Even though Mia could be a bit full of herself at times, she hadn¡¯t yet reached the level of grandiose delusion she would need to think she could save Bel from this situation and get them both back safe and sound.


    But there was one little bit of hope¡­


    She would definitely die. But¡­


    What if she jumped back in time again? There¡¯s no way something like that could happen often, but if it could happen just once more¡­


    She swallowed¡­


    <em>Then actually going would be a good idea. I would find out a lot about the enemy this way.</em>


    If Mia showed up by herself, the people who wanted to kill her might rx and let themselves be seen. She would learn as much as she could about them, then die and take that information back to the past with her.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she would have to swim back up the stream of time again if she wanted to save Bel. She finally came to believe that it was the only way to get what she wanted. Basically, she had to stop this kidnapping from happening before it did.


    ¡°Ugh, if only there was another way¡­¡±


    As she put thest button on her outfit, she let out a quiet sigh.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I can only do this if I die and go back in time¡­¡±


    Mia always did what was best for herself. So, she hade up with a n to leave the empire so she wouldn¡¯t have to face the guillotine a second time.


    But on the day she avoided that fate, her goal had changed just a little bit.


    Now, Mia wanted to be happy, and she didn¡¯t want to give anything up. She wanted happiness that was pure and perfect. When she thought about how she could get this thing, she realised that the people around her would have to be happy as well. Her happiness on its own wasn¡¯t enough; she would only reach her goal when it wasbined with theirs.


    From an outsider¡¯s point of view, this was a very crazy wish, one in which the lives of everyone around her would have to bend to her arrogance.


    And she didn¡¯t care one bit! Mia was a princess who only cared about herself. Exorbitance and arrogance was business as usual for her.


    ¡°ording to the ransom note, I¡¯m supposed to go by myself. Then I can¡¯t ask for help from anyone¡­¡±


    She had no way of knowing if someone was watching her. If the enemy saw her with guards, they could kill Bel and also keep their identities secret. Avoid doing things that could make it harder for her to get information.


    But they didn¡¯t say anything about asking things that aren¡¯t people. She made her way to the stable with a sneaky grin on her face. There was a friend waiting for her. She had spent more time with this friend this fall than with anyone else.


    ¡°I mean, I know I¡¯m going to die, but I¡¯m not going to make it easy for them. Chaos Serpents, if you thought you could kill me for cheap, you should think again.¡±


    So, Mia¡¯s grandmother ran into battle to save her granddaughter.


    What Mia didn¡¯t know was that her determination right now had changed the way the Princess Chronicles were written. The step she took forward was like the flutter of a butterfly.


    Because of chance and chain reactions, the tiny air current it made would eventually go all the way around the world and cause a huge towering tornado. The snakes on Earth didn¡¯t know that this huge hydra in the sky would soon eat them with its whirling jaws.

 Chapter 336

    <strong>Loyalty Worth Two Silvers</strong>


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, Seventh Bell (7:00 a.m.)</strong>


    Rewinding the clock back a bit¡­


    ¡°Good morning, mdy Bel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Lynsha. Hello!¡±


    Bel was so excited on the morning of the Holy Eve Festival that it was clear to see.


    <em>Can¡¯t say I me her. The Holy Eve Festival is something that every child looks forward to, Lynsha thought as she smiled at the excited child.</em>


    She didn¡¯t have any younger sisters, but this is probably how it would have felt if she had.


    <em>But I do wonder. What is her exact rtionship to Mia?</em>


    Mia said that they were half-sisters, but Lynsha didn¡¯t believe her.


    <em>But they do look a lot alike. Maybe an old family member with aplicated story?</em>


    What Lynsha liked most about the girl was that she didn¡¯t need much from her. In general, it was hard to take care of noble children. Their servants had to do everything from change their clothes to give them baths. Bel, on the other hand, did everything on her own.


    <em>And it¡¯s not like she¡¯s a bad girl or anything, but I wish she wouldn¡¯t always give money to people who have helped her¡­</em>


    She didn¡¯t like that kind of behaviour. Thanking someone with cold, hard cash felt too much like settling a debt or putting things in order, as if all the goodwill the other person had shown you was done and cleared with this gift of money.


    People got to know each other by doing nice things for each other over and over again. If someone did you a good turn, you should do the same for them. Return kindness with kindness. Love by loving.


    Lynsha thought that was how it should always be, no matter if it was between friends, parents, or coworkers.


    What would happen if you added money to it? If kind acts were paid for with money? It would mean the end of the rtionship because it would turn it into a business transaction. After all, transactions came to an end.


    The only people left would be the one who offered money and the one who took it in exchange for something they thought was of equal value. She just couldn¡¯t see how that kind of interaction could lead to longsting bonds. What really bothered her, though, was¡­


    <em>It¡¯s almost as if she has a deep-seated fear. It¡¯s as if she thinks she won¡¯t always be here, so she¡¯s always preparing for that possibility by paying back every favour as soon as she can, so she can leave at any time and no one will lose out. And she does this with every rtionship¡­</em>


    It might have been a legitimate philosophy in life. Definitely stoic, and maybe even in some ways admirable. No one knew for sure if a person they met today would still be there tomorrow, so they always thanked them as soon as they could. Some people thought this was a good way to live.


    <em>The problem is that for her, it feels more like giving up. She acts like she knows she could die at any time and ns her life around that. </em>


    All of it felt like she had given up, and Lynsha didn¡¯t like that. She thinks that children should have wide-eyed faith in what the future holds. If not everywhere, at least here on Saint-Noel Ind.


    And yet¡­


    <em>Still, that¡¯s fine. When it¡¯s time to say goodbye, if she tries to give me money, I¡¯ll just put it back in her pocket. Then I¡¯ll give her a serious talk about how you should thank people with your words, not your money. As ast lesson, that should stick in your mind.</em>


    When Lynsha thought about that, she let out a happy sigh.


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, (8:00 a.m.)</strong>


    ¡°Greetings, Bel.¡±


    Bel was having breakfast in the cafeteria when Citrina walked up behind him. Lynsha looked at the face of the young Yellowmoon and frowned.


    <em>Something is wrong with her smile. It¡¯s always so sweet and charming, but today it seems a little stiff¡­</em>


    ¡°Hm? Why are you sad, Rina? You look a little down,¡± Bel said, as if she had also noticed the difference.


    ¡°Down? No, I¡¯m perfectly fine. What¡¯s more, look, Bel.¡±


    Citrina pointed to something small that was hanging around her neck.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d wear it since it¡¯s Holy Eve. How is it?¡±


    Bel was happy about the horse charm she¡¯d made.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the troya! Heh, heh, I¡¯m d you¡¯re wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, and I¡¯d like to thank you. Do you have time to go out for a walk with Rina today around noon?¡±


    ¡°Go out?¡±


    ¡°Mmhm. Remember thest time we had a pic in the woods? I thought that was a lot of fun, so I think we should do it again. There¡¯s nothing to do until the candlelight mass anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to go, but isn¡¯t the forest closed now?¡±


    ¡°This is where the poisonous mushrooms grow, but we can still get into the clearing near the entrance. I went there not too long ago to check.¡±


    Citrina had the most beautiful smile.


    ¡°This clearing is so beautiful, Bel. Why don¡¯t we go see it? Do you not want to go now?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, okay! Then let¡¯s go. Heh, this sounds like fun.¡±


    Bel also smiled.


    Lynsha did not. The two girls¡¯ conversation sent a slow chill up her spine. In fact, it had been making its way up her back ever since she met Citrina. She knew the girl¡¯s voice right away.


    Instead, she got what it was about. It was a lot like the seductive way her brother Lambert, who was a bit of a troublemaker, talked to people when he was trying to get them to do something.


    She spoke up because, deep down, she was afraid.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯lle with you, miss.¡±


    She looked at both Citrina and Barbara, as if she were trying to scare them away with her eyes.


    ¡°That would be very helpful. I just so happen to have ns for the afternoon.¡±


    Barbara made no attempt to object.


    Lynsha was shocked by thisck of care.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave Lady Citrina in your care,¡± the older woman said as she bowed her head to show respect.


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival, First Bell Second Sequence (1:00 p.m.)</strong>


    After lunch, Bel and Citrina went to the forest, and Lynsha went with them.


    Like the other said, the entrance through the woods was not guarded, so it was easy for the three of them to get to the clearing beyond. She hadn¡¯t been here in a long time, but since then, it had turned into full winter, giving the scenery a frosty look.


    <em>Maybe it¡¯s because no one else is here. After all, the festival is the reason why the town is so busy. Today, it¡¯s hard to think of anyone visiting a ce like this.</em>


    Citrina looked around and said, ¡°Hmm, it seems a little more lonely here than thest time we were here.¡±


    She groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad. What do you think, Bel? Let¡¯s go a little further into the forest.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Deeper? But if one of the patrols finds us, won¡¯t we get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We will be okay. We¡¯re not doing anything wrong, right?¡±


    Citrina grabbed Bel¡¯s hand and pulled it. At first, Bel was hesitant, but she finally agreed with a smile.


    Lynsha was excited as she watched the two people run towards the woods. She took a small sigh of relief and thought, ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±


    The faces of children should always look like that.


    She told the two girls toe over.


    ¡°Mdy, Miss Citrina, don¡¯t run too far away now. It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    The whole world shook.


    She felt the pain in a split second. Whatever had hit her in the head was heavy and made her weak. Her knees buckled.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even scream before she could no longer see anything.


    ¡°Miss Lynsha!¡±


    Bel¡¯s voice seemed toe from very far away.


    ¡°Mdy¡­run¡­¡±


    Even though she tried with everything she had left, she could only manage a hoarse whisper. It slipped out of her mouth and fell to the ground, where it was much too weak to reach Bel.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill Miss Lynsha!¡±


    The voice that Lynsha heard was still Bel¡¯s. But it came from right above her, and it was sharper and fiercer than anything else she had heard from the girl.


    Then there was a second voice. It was a dismissiveugh of an old woman.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, you won¡¯t let me? Who do you think you are? A princess? Think you could just tell me to stop?¡±


    The old womanughed in a quiet way.


    ¡°Silliness. Such silliness. What¡¯s the point of not killing her, hm?¡±


    The voice had a squeezing, thick quality to it. It wrapped itself around the listener like a tar worm. Bel¡¯s, on the other hand, was as clear as a bell.


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t kill Miss Lynsha, I won¡¯t make a fuss and will go with you. You¡¯re not trying to kill me, right? You want to use me as a pawn to get to Miss Mia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh? Little Miss Bel, you¡¯re smarter than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Right now, if you kill Miss Lynsha, I will fight you with everything I have. Then what do you n to do? You can knock me out, but I think that would cause you other problems¡­¡±


    The voice of the old woman cackled.


    ¡°Very smart indeed. In fact, it¡¯s too much. You surprise me. The original n was to drug you, but it¡¯s true that if you helped us get out of here, it would be much easier.¡±


    After a short pause, she went on, but all her words did was beat Bel¡¯s conscience.


    ¡°Very well. This girl will be okay. At least for now. She can¡¯t move or call for help because of the wound. She is probably going to die anyway. The harder she tries, the worse her pain gets. Right now, a quick death might be a mercy, but if that¡¯s what you want, too bad. What a shame. If she hadn¡¯t gotten involved with you, she wouldn¡¯t be in such a mess.¡±


    A deal had been made, and Lynsha thought she heard Bel crouching down next to her.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Miss Lynsha, for everything.¡±


    Then she felt something being pushed down her cor and heard a light rustle of fabric.


    It was freezing. Metallic.


    She immediately knew what it was.


    Two coins of silver.


    ¡°This is¡­all the thanks I can say right now. I apologise. I really feel bad about this. That this is how it had to end. I really hope everything will be okay.¡±


    The sound of footsteps got fainter as they got farther away.


    Then, thest bits of her consciousness left as well.


    ¡°Freaking hell, that stupid girl and her stupid coins¡­¡±


    When Lynsha woke up, she heard herself cussing. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been since she left.


    No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get her eyes to open. And the pain. The dried blood that had run down her forehead had stuck her eyes shut. Pain kepting back.


    Her head hurt, which made her clench her teeth.


    She tried to force herself up to her knees, but as soon as she did, she felt like she was floating. She then fell back down onto her side.


    She tried again, but when she fell, it hurt even more.


    On her third try, she got up, but three stepster, she tripped and fell hard.


    She realised that trying to move was making things worse as shey there confused and with more bruises. She might do better to wait until someonees to find her. To keep an eye on the poisonous mushrooms, patrols were set up. There was a good chance that someone would see her when they switched shifts.


    That wasn¡¯t fast enough, though.


    So she moved forward. She dragged her body along the ground and kept going.


    She steadied up the thick root of a tree, but mostly she crawled. She sat on it, out of breath, and felt anger rise up in her chest.


    ¡°Give¡­thanks? To hell¡­ with your thanks¡­ If you want to thank me¡­ do it the right way¡­ I¡¯m not interested¡­in your silver¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­take this job to get your money.¡±


    The anger hit her in the chest and pushed her forward. Her consciousness kepting and going. She growled at it, and it stilled, as if scared. She could only go on because of anger, so she fed it.


    The anger grew. Bel, yes, but mostly at herself for not being able to protect her. She kept going.


    ¡°I was¡­ there with her¡­ but¡­ it still happened¡­this way¡­¡±


    Even though she was supposed to be the guardian, it was Bel who kept her safe. To be taken care of and paid for her trouble¡­


    It made her mad. Sheughed without any humour all of a sudden.


    ¡°Well¡­but¡­then again¡­it¡¯s my fault.. I¡¯m the one who¡­ let her get taken¡­ Maybe¡­ I¡¯m worth exactly two silver coins¡­¡±


    She bit her teeth together. Even though her head was spinning and her jaw hurt, she did not stop.


    She dragged herself along the forest floor, inch by painful inch, driven by a fierce loyalty to her young mistress. It wasn¡¯t love, but it was just as strong.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me¡­ that my loyalty¡­ is only worth two silvers¡­ Okay¡­ I¡¯ll show you¡­ what you can buy¡­ with two silvers in this business¡­¡±


    She slowly disappeared into the thicket and headed for Saint-Noel Academy and help.


    Couldn¡¯t stop myself from adding that pic. Bel at her finest moment.

 Chapter 337

    <strong>Together With Her Beloved Steed¡­</strong>


    <strong>Day of the Holy Eve Festival. About half an hour after the Fourth Bell, Second Sequence (4:40 p.m.)</strong>


    The location stated on the ransom note was not too far from the shore of Noelige Lake.


    ¡°Past the grasnd, in a small abandoned¡­ Not a big surprise. That sounds like a good ce for something like this¡­¡±


    The n was probably to get her far away from Saint-Noel so that no one could stop what was going on.


    ¡°Based on the map, it looks like there¡¯s a long way to go¡­ I¡¯ll need a horse for sure.¡±


    The fact that Mia knew how to ride must have been taken into ount by the kidnappers because of how the horsemanship tournament went in the fall. If their main goal was to take her without anyone noticing, the easiest way to do that would be to get her to go out to meet them. Mia could ride a horse on her own, while most princesses would need a carriage, which might draw attention. So, they could tell her to go to ces that were much further away.


    Mia thought as she walked into the stable, ¡°They must have also set up for a horse to be sent to me, but I don¡¯t see why I should follow their n so closely.¡±


    She went straight to Kun¡¯s stall and took a look inside.


    ¡°Anybody home?¡±


    Kun was indeed home. He turned his head and smiled at her with the usual twitch of his nose. She got ready for the hail of mucus, but it never came.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s unusual. I was sure you were going to sneeze on me¡­¡±


    She walked up to him and started putting his harness on quietly. The movements were smooth and familiar. She made it a point to practise this in case she ever had to run away by herself in an emergency.


    She didn¡¯t think much of it because she saw it as a simple survival skill, but she didn¡¯t know that Malong thought it was a very important skill that she could outfit a horse on her own. He holds her in high regard.


    Kun was looking at her in a way that seemed to say, ¡°What, heading somewhere far?¡±


    She looked at him for a second, then tilted her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kun, but I need you to lend me some of your power. And, depending on how things go, maybe even your life¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if Kun would be able toe back to life after she died. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine a horse running away to save itself if its rider fell off, but she had a feeling Kun was made of true stuff. She had a feeling that this horse wouldn¡¯t leave her.


    So, she gently stroked his neck and spoke as seriously as she could, hoping that her tone, if not her words, would get her message across.


    ¡°Listen, Kun. I have no one else to talk to right now. You are the only one I can trust. So I have to ask you a favor¡­ Will youe with me?¡±


    When Kun heard this, he took two deep breaths through his nose. Then he gave one of his trademark smiles, as if he understood her and was saying, ¡°You bet, boss. No matter what they throw at you, I¡¯ll get you through it.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ That sounds good! Then I¡¯ll leave it up to you to take care of me.¡±


    She gave a softugh and then turned to another horse.


    ¡°And Kayou, please forgive me as well. I¡¯m going to borrow Kun for a while.¡±


    The mare didn¡¯t seem to say anything. She just stood there and looked at her, eyes shining with intelligence.


    Mia went to the harbour with Kun by her side. No one paid her any attention as she went. Since the festival was going on, the streets were full of people, and there were many merchants on their horses carrying goods.


    Even though she was naturally camouged, she couldn¡¯t help but worry that someone would find her and stop her, so she ended up sneaking the whole way there. Honestly, her sneaking around only made people pay more attention to her, but she made it to the harbour without any problems.


    Once she got there, it didn¡¯t take her long to find the boat she had been given. It wasn¡¯t very big, but it was more than big enough for her and Kun.


    She asked the man standing in front of the boat, ¡°Are you the merchant who is supposed to take me off the ind?¡±


    He was in his middle years and had the perfect smile of a merchant.


    ¡°Yes, miss, that¡¯s me. But, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s up with the horse.¡±


    He gave Kun a curious look.


    ¡°Of course, for riding. He¡¯s my favourite horse, and we¡¯re going on a long ride.¡±


    That made the merchant feel bad.


    ¡°Hold on a sec, miss. With you being a princess and all, taking you off the ind is already a risk¡­ I was also told that they already have a horse for you on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Whoever said that must have thought I¡¯d ride any old horse, but that¡¯s not simply the case.¡± She looked up at Kun and said, ¡°I¡¯ll only ride him, my own trusted mount.¡± At that moment, Kun did the unthinkable and worked with her, standing still and proud like a horse meant only for a royalty.


    ¡°But, even so, moving a horse is¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m sure. Especially if it will make your coin purse heavier. You can go to the people who helped you make this deal and ask for a surcharge for this service. A full bag of gold sounds like a fair way to make up for what happened.¡±


    Mia never missed a chance to pester her enemies, so she took their money right away for her negotiations. She found it very satisfying to get her enemies to give her a lot of money that wasn¡¯t hers. She did add the threat of a stick to her carrot, though, just to be sure.


    ¡°Or¡­would you rather defy me? If that¡¯s the case, I hope you know what will happen if you do that. I just want you to know that I know Miss Rafina very well.¡±


    She threatened the man like a Tearmoon princess should. And didn¡¯t feel the least bit bad about it. After all, this was someone who had agreed to take part in a bad n. She didn¡¯t care about people like that.


    ¡°Well? Which will it be? Give up the money and tell Miss Rafina about your part in this, or take me and my horse across theke?¡±


    So, Mia and Kun left Saint-Noel Ind, but Mia didn¡¯t know that her suspicious behavior was being watched¡­

 Chapter 338

    <strong>The First Loyal Subject and a New Friend</strong>


    Anne was taking boxes to the cathedral because she was asked to help get ready for the Holy Eve Festival.


    <em>I need to finish this quickly so I can get back to mydy, but good grief, there¡¯s still so much to do!</em>


    Belluga was in charge of Saint-Noel, so it was rare for her, a Tearmoon maid who worked for Mia, to be asked to do things for the academy as a whole.


    <em>I mean, I can see how they might be short-handed since it was the Holy Eve Festival, but¡­</em>


    She thought that Mia and the student council had done a great job getting ready for the day. So, it seemed strange that people needed her help so quickly. Furthermore¡­


    ¡°Ugh, what bad luck. It¡¯s crazy that we have to do things like this on the day of the festival. Hey, did you hear? Someone broke the candle stands in the cathedral, so we have to bring in new ones.¡±


    One of the other maids who worked with her grumbled, which made her worry even more.


    <em>Wrecking in the cathedral? Who in the school would do something like that?</em>


    The more she thought about it, the more nervous she got.


    <em>No matter what, let¡¯s finish this quickly¡­</em>


    Just as she picked up her pace, she saw someone she knew.


    ¡°Huh? Is that¡­Mdy?¡±


    She saw Mia, who had left the dorm and for some reason seemed to be going to the stables. Even though she only saw her face for a second, the look on it was clear: she was upset.


    ¡°What could possibly be bothering her?¡±


    Even though she was Mia¡¯s maid, they didn¡¯t spend every minute of the day together. Anne was often doing something, and Mia was often out with her ssmates. Saint-Noel Ind was a ce where people felt safe enough to do these things.


    Also, Mia was one of the few powerful princesses who also hadmon sense. She could do things like go shopping on her own. She would sneak away to town on her own to buy snacks when she didn¡¯t want Anne to watch her. Anne knew this, but she didn¡¯t care because she thought the number of times was low enough to let it go.


    Because of this, there was no real reason to worry when Mia went to town by herself. It was possible that all she wanted to do was a quick trip to the store.


    But what didn¡¯t make sense was the clothes.


    ¡°¡­why is she dressed for riding?¡±


    Since she looked like she was going to the stables, her clothes did make sense. The timing didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Soon it would be night, and the candlelight mass was about to begin. Students were supposed to prepare and put on their special clothes and meet at the cathedral. Mia was doing neither of those things.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going far away. That¡¯s toote now¡­¡±


    Anne kept walking towards the cathedral, but she was getting more and more nervous. Mia had refused to promise that she would take Anne with her if she ever got into trouble. She thought of Mia riding away into the distance and nevering back.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. It can¡¯t.¡±


    By any sensible standard, the idea was nonsense. Mia wouldn¡¯t just go away. Still, something about this didn¡¯t feel right. She had been filled with a strange aura for the past few days.


    On top of that, she had abruptly thanked Anne for her all her services yesterday¡­ Even though it was a Holy Eve tradition to thank people who had helped you in your daily life, the act itself was not a reason to be suspicious. However, when looking at the whole story¡­


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s heart started to feel full of a dark fear. She ran to the cathedral, put the box down, and ran straight to the stable.


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    She kept saying her mistress¡¯s name quietly, but it soon turned into a frantic cry.


    ¡°Mdy! Mia! Where did you go?!¡±


    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re running sote.¡±


    Tiona hurriedly walked to her dorm. After she was done practising archery, she didn¡¯t have much time to get ready for the ceremony.


    ¡°At this rate, we won¡¯t get there in time for mass. Let¡¯s run.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Liora nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    In spite of what she said, she stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Liora? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°A voice¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can hear¡­a voice¡­¡± Liora looked around her. ¡°That way.¡±


    She started running.


    ¡°Wait! Liora! What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Tiona quickly followed her servant convinced of the urgency.


    Soon, they found Anne, who was about to run out the gate of the academy.


    ¡°Anne? ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Miss Tiona!¡± Anne yelled, ¡°Miss Liora!¡± as she ran towards them.


    Tiona stiffened. Anne¡¯s face was so pale and her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°Did either of you see mdy? She should have been here¡­ With a horse, probably¡­¡± she asked, holding out her hands and sounding like she was about to panic.


    The sight also made Tiona feel uneasy. She had been feeling this way ever since she had a dream in which she regretted not talking to Mia before it was toote. Over the past few days, it had been slowly dying down, but now it started to burn again. She told herself to calm down and wait until the festival was over because they would have a lot of time to talk afterward¡­ If she really couldn¡¯t wait, she could do it tonight at the student council¡¯s stew party.


    <em>Why the rush? </em>Asked her mind.


    <em>This is why</em>, her heart replied.


    Reason gave way to unease, and she acted on thetter.


    ¡°Come on, Anne. We¡¯ll both look for her. Liora, go tell Miss Rafina. She might be busy, though. Then, Princes Abel and Sion. Even Keithwood. Whoever¡¯s free. Grab as many people as you can.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­ You should be careful, too, Miss Tiona,¡± Liora said as she ran away.


    Tiona looked at Anne again.


    ¡°Okay, then. We need to get going.¡±


    She led the way, but in her hurry, she forgot to take her quiver and bow off.

 Chapter 339

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Travelogue</strong>


    Mia got off the boat and was immediately scared by how dark it was. When she looked back, she saw the glow of a torch-lit Saint-Noel in the distance. Its shimmering shape was a stark reminder of the world she had lived in just a few hours before and the world she stood in now.


    Only the moon kept her from being in total darkness.


    Slowly, her eyes started to get used to the dim light.


    ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯ll manage¡­ Tell me something, you. Where exactly is this Bandoor Vige?¡±


    ¡°Bandoor Vige? That would be north of the grassy area. There¡¯s an old road that goes there, but no one lives there anymore. Buildings that are falling apart and¡­ Oh, but I guess that makes it a great ce for a secret date, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The merchant smiled like he was in on something. It was clear that his mind was having a good time swimming in the gutter.


    Mia, on the other hand, thought this was a great idea. So it¡¯s not surprising that he hadn¡¯t asked why her helper wasn¡¯t there. A princess who was only interested in herself and wanted to ck off would definitely avoid being with her servants. It really was the best excuse for her to sneak off the ind alone.


    In this merchant¡¯s eyes, she was the perfect picture of a young, infatuated princess with more heart than head. That was fine with her, because she didn¡¯t care what the man thought of her.


    She looked to the north and said, ¡°If I just have to follow a road, that seems doable.¡±


    ¡°You can use that horse if you¡¯re afraid of getting lost.¡± The man pointed. ¡°I was told that it knows how to get there.¡±


    Mia followed his finger and found a¡­not very impressive horse. It wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Kun. Which wasn¡¯t really a fair way to look at it. Since the fall, she had only seen moonhares, thanks to Kun, Kayou, and Skyred Hare. Because of this, she had probably be too picky about the quality of horses.


    The mushroom-meister is out, and the mount-meister is in.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°I appreciate the thought, but I¡¯ll ride my own horse, thank you.¡±


    <em>Hmph, I mean, it¡¯s probably not a bad horse, but Kun is definitely faster. I think they gave me this horse because they knew that even if I tried to run away, it would be easy for them to catch me. Nice try, but I know what you¡¯re up to.</em>


    ¡°Okay, then¡­¡±


    She patted Kun¡¯s neck, grabbed his saddle, and began pumping her legs rhythmically while chanting, ¡°And a one, and a two, and upsy-daisy,¡± in a very grandmotherly way. Then, with a veryboured grunt on the ¡°up,¡± she climbed onto its back.


    To her credit, she knew that it was a good idea to warm up before exertion. The chanting and grunting might have been unnecessary, but if it kept her from throwing out his back, well, good for her. Note that it wasn¡¯t because she had been out of shape for so long and was getting old. No one can deny that she was as fresh as a daisy.


    The shopkeeper didn¡¯t care about what she did.


    ¡°If you say so. Be careful out there.¡±


    He went back to the boat right away.


    Mia wondered if he had more passengers to ferry. Would he pick up any merchants who were waiting to leave? Or, since he now has more confidence, would he help get other students off the ind? There were plenty of couples who would jump at the chance to sneak off the ind on a date.


    <em>He would be stupid to do that. If Miss Rafina finds out, he will never forget it. But that¡¯s up to him. After all, everyone gets what they sow¡­</em>


    She neither had the desire nor the time to warn him. He had already made his choices, so whatever happened to him after that was just his due.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kun.¡±


    The rough whinny of her horse could be heard all over the moonlit grasnd.


    Mia soon found a road going north, just as the merchant had said. Guided by the faint glow of the moon, she followed the road towards the deserted town.


    ¡°This road looks just as deserted as the town.¡±


    She knew this would happen. These people were going to do some very bad things. They would choose a ce where they wouldn¡¯t be seen. Even though she knew this, it was still scary to travel through the grasnds by herself.


    ¡°Ooooh¡­ I¡¯ve heard that this area is pretty safe, but who knows if that¡¯s true? What if Ie across a wild animal? It sounds awful to be killed, but it sounds even worse to be eaten. I hate this so much¡­¡±


    The scary darkness ahead seemed like the perfect ce for dangerous animals to hide and wait to attack. As soon as she had this thought, everything started to look a lot scarier.


    Her scared heart looked forfort, and it found it in Kun¡¯s steady steps as he walked down the path without the least bit of worry. Matching the rhythm of his walk, which she¡¯d gotten used to after all the practise she¡¯d had, gave her something familiar to focus on, which kept her fear from growing.


    ¡°I want you to do well, Kun. We¡¯re leaving as soon as a scary beast shows up, okay?¡±


    ¡°Neeeigh.¡± Kun answered in Horse and turned his head towards her as if to say, ¡°Leave it to me, boss!¡±


    Mia smiled, feeling a little better about the situation.


    ¡°By the way, is it just me or do you seem a lot happiertely? Do things look good for Kayou?¡±


    ¡°Neee-ei-eigh.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Well, good for you. But remember to treat your child nicely, okay? And don¡¯t make them call you ¡®papa¡¯ if you don¡¯t want them to hate you.¡±


    s, the growing fear was too much for her, and she broke. She started talking to her horse as ast-ditch effort to get her mind off of things. Even Malong of the proud Kingdom of Equestria couldn¡¯t pull off such a wonderful feat ofmunication between different species. It was the kind of thing that made one worry if one day, she¡¯d find herself disgusted by the barbarism of humans and gallop away to join her brethren in thend of the horses.


    Her potential renunciation of membership in human society aside¡­


    She was having a nice conversation with Kun when suddenly a shadow jumped into view.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    Mia almost jumped out of her skin. When Kun started to run, the shadow stopped him by putting itself right in their way.


    The horse let out a low, rumbling grunt.


    While usually bold to the point of belligerence, he held his ground cautiously and refrained from any sudden movement, for he recognised the creature that stood before them¡­


    ¡°Is that a wolf?¡±


    And it was a big one.


    It stood as tall as Kun, and thick muscles wrapped around its body. It looked like power itself.


    Compared to the horse, it was a different beast¡ªliterally. The first one was built to run, but the second one was clearly made to jump and kill. The wolf looked at Mia with a predator¡¯s eye, which sent a chill up¡­well, nowhere.


    <em>My, how odd. It doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m very scared. A look from Dion is much scarier.</em>


    It turned out that her frequent interactions with the Empire¡¯s Finest Mia-Beheader had made her less sensitive to threatening and murderous looks.


    <em>On top of that, this wolf doesn¡¯t even look like it wants to attack us.</em>


    She¡¯d even developed the ability to distinguish between different vours of menacing res. A budding connoisseur of murderous intent, she was well on her way to bing a murder-meister!


    ¡­Maybe ¡°murder-meister¡± is not the best word. Anyway.


    The wolf looked at her face for a moment, then turned around and started to walk down the path. It looked like it was a guide.


    ¡°Perhaps this wolf is a follower of our enemy?¡±


    She thought back to the part in the Princess Chronicles that said she¡¯d been eaten by wolves. At first nce, the story made it sound like her enemies had just killed her and dumped her body in the woods.


    But based on how this wolf was acting, it seemed likely that her furry enemies had a hand in both her death and the hiding of the evidence afterward.


    ¡°No matter what, it doesn¡¯t look like it will attack us right away. For now, let¡¯s follow the wolf, Kun.¡±


    ¡°Nee-eigh.¡±


    As usual, Kun answered in Horse.

 Chapter 340

    The One Who Believes in Citrina¡¯s Pure Heart


    In the Holy Principality of Belluga, Bandoor Vige an abandoned vige. Sunset¡¯s red light seeped through the rows of falling-down buildings, giving the area a sad colour.


    It made Bel think of home. Her real home. It just seemed to mean that this wonderful dream was almost over.


    In the middle of the empty vige was an open space, which was probably the vige square where people used to gather. A man in a mask stood there by himself.


    Well, not really alone. A wolf was obediently lying down next to him.


    <em>Is that¡­a big dog? But I don¡¯t remember dogs¡¯ faces being so scary¡­</em>


    Bel was thinking about something when she heard a deepugh.


    ¡°We appreciate it very much that you kept your promise, Miss Bel. Thanks to your help, we had no trouble getting here,¡± said a happy Barbara from behind her.


    It made her think of Lynsha, who had been left for dead in the woods.


    ¡°I hope that Miss Lynsha is all right¡­¡±


    Her quiet murmur surprised Barbara.


    ¡°Oh? Worried about your servant? Why bother? You¡¯ll never see her again, so it shouldn¡¯t matter to you what happens to her.¡±


    Bel turned her head away.


    ¡°It is important to me. Even if I never see her again, if I¡¯m worried, I worry. Shouldn¡¯t that be how people act?¡±


    Ludwig, her teacher, had told her to be kind to those who had worked hard to help her. Also¡­


    <em>Mia-neesama would feel the same way. I¡¯m sure of it.</em>


    Barbara turned up her nose at how quickly and firmly she answered.


    ¡°Ugh, spare me your titudes. Really, it¡¯s like you¡¯re also a princess.¡±


    Then, the old woman¡¯s lips curled back into a smile that was even crueller than before, and she cupped Bel¡¯s face in her hands. The way she looked at her made him think of a snake that was about to strike its prey.


    ¡°So good¡­ So honourable¡­ You make me sick, you damned girl.¡±


    Bel suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders.


    It took her a moment to figure out that Barbara had seized them. She lost her bnce because of the force, and since her hands were tied behind her back, she fell backwards painfully.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± said Barbara with a hiss. ¡°Where¡¯s all your ss now?¡±


    Every word was full of malicious sarcasm. ¡°All the great honour that the order of this world has given you? You¡¯re such a sad sight. Or was all that regality just a show? Are you a fake princess?¡±


    Barbara put her face close to Bel¡¯s, grinning cruelly. Then she raised her hand as if she was going to hit.


    ¡°Stop it, Barbara.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rina¡­¡±


    Citrina went up to them, almost to defend Bel, and gave Barbara a hard look in the eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her in any way.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is this, mdy?¡±


    Barbara cocked her head.


    ¡°Do you n to keep up this appearance of friendship?¡±


    The old woman put her hand over her mouth to act surprised, thenughed.


    ¡°Do you really want to be her best friend until the end? Even after bringing her here?¡±


    Citrina¡¯s shoulders moved when she heard what was said. Then erasing all her feelings, Barbara moved her face close to Citrina¡¯s. She looked at the girl for a while with wide, scary eyes before whispering in her ear.


    ¡°Of course, Princess Mia won¡¯t be here for a while yet. Go ahead and y your little game until then. But I believe in you, mdy. I think you¡¯re a great Serpent who won¡¯t think twice about killing even her ¡®friends.¡¯ As long as you keep that in mind, you can entertain yourself in any way you like.¡±


    She pped once, as if she had just thought of a great idea.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you two some time to yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I have to go talk to the others about how we¡¯re going to kill the princess. In the meantime, I think it would be nice for you to talk to your friend. This is yourst chance, after all. Then I think you should be the one to kill her. That should be a nice little thing to remember.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait¡ª¡±


    As Barbara turned to leave, Citrina reached out, but her little hand only touched air.


    Her attendant talked with the wolf man for a few moments before they both walked away, leaving her alone with Bel. Her lips shook, and she watched Barbara leave with the helpless look of a kitten who has been left behind.


    Bel puffed out her cheeks at Barbara and thought, <em>She is a very mean person. I bet she¡¯s doing this because she knows Rina will feel bad about it. Just to be mean to her, she left us alone.</em>


    When Bel saw this, she decided to talk in a very casual way.


    ¡°Mmm. Hey, Rina, is it just me, or is it getting a bit chilly tonight?¡± She shuffled slowly towards the small fire in the middle of the square. After taking a moment to enjoy the way the fire was crackling, she turned towards Citrina.


    ¡°Heh heh. I was hoping to see the bonfire at the Holy Eve Festival, but this is a good substitute,¡± she said with the same bright smile she always wore.


    Citrina was shocked by how happy she sounded, and she didn¡¯t know what to say. Citrina gave a confused nod and said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­I guess nice.¡±


    Then she got herself back together and smiled her usual sweet smile.


    ¡°How about some tea, Bel? I¡¯ll go make some for us.¡±


    ¡°That sounds just right. We were supposed to have a pic here, now that you mention it, weren¡¯t we?¡±


    Bel looked up at the night sky and then continued with a voice that sounded like it came from someone much older.


    ¡°The moon is up, and it¡¯s so pretty. What do you know? It might be more fun to have a pic at night than I thought.¡±


    She kept staring at the cosmic canvas without saying anything for a while, and she only turned when Citrina came back.


    ¡°Hm? Rina?¡±


    The young Yellowmoon was standing next to her, holding a small knife.


    She got down behind Bel and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. After all, you can¡¯t drink tea this way.¡±


    Citrina smiled and cut the ropes that were around Bel¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°Well, thanks. They kept rubbing against me and were bing a bit of a bother.¡±


    Bel said to Rina as she massaged her reddened skin, ¡°You are so kind.¡±


    Citrina quickly nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that the water is getting warmer, why don¡¯t we talk for a while?¡±


    She sat down next to the fire and threw the knife on the ground near her.


    Bel frowned and said, ¡°Hey, Rina, you can¡¯t just leave knives like that. It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    Citrina didn¡¯t try to get the knife back, even though she was told to. Bel shrugged and walked over to it, then picked it up and held it out for Citrina to take.


    ¡°Listen, Bel¡­¡± Citrina said, but she still wouldn¡¯t look at the small de. ¡°I want to give you an opportunity. Because you¡¯re my friend. Use that knife if you want to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Bel blinked, puzzled. ¡°Use how?¡±


    ¡°For example, this¡­¡±


    As Citrina turned towards Bel, she had a strange, almost feverish sparkle in her eyes. She closed her hands around Bel¡¯s, around the hand that held the knife, and put the de to her own neck.


    ¡°You can hold Rina as a hostage and then leave.¡±


    She tilted her head and smiled in a way that made her look like a doll.


    <em>Well? What¡¯s holding you back?</em>


    ¡°Um, are you kidding?¡± Bel asked, getting stiff at the idea. ¡°Absolutely not. It¡¯s a long shot, but it beats sitting around and doing nothing, doesn¡¯t it? Or you could just shove it into my chest. After all, I did something awful to your servant. It would just be fair.¡±


    The eyes that looked up at Bel wererge, endearing, and entirely serious.


    ¡°It could work either way. Still, it¡¯s better than nothing. So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    From her friend¡¯s face to the knife, Bel looked. She held the t of the de between her fingers with her other hand and held out the handle to Citrina.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why is that? Didn¡¯t Her Highness tell you to hold on to the things you love? Should you then be so quick to let go? Giving up so easily? You do know that you¡¯ll be dead by the time Her Highnesses to save you, right?¡±


    No matter how small, it was Bel¡¯s only chance to live. She would have to give up her life if she turned down the chance.


    Or so Citrina thought.


    All Bel did was shake her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.¡± She put her eyes shut. ¡°And I¡¯m not letting go.¡±


    Her voice didn¡¯t sound like she was lying.


    No bitterness. The things she said were true and honest. She could tell that she hadn¡¯t given up because Citrina¡¯s hand was still in hers. She still held on to what she cared about.


    Then, Citrina asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take up arms and fight back? You might be able to get away if you hold Rina as a hostage.¡±


    ¡°Because I feel like if I do that, I won¡¯t ever get you back.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Citrina all but froze. ¡°Get¡­Rina back?¡±


    She just stared at the statement, not sure what it meant. Bel looked right at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Rina. Since a very long time ago. About how I can best hold on to the things I care about. Rina, I¡¯ve been thinking about how I can get you back because you¡¯re my friend¡­ Get back our friendship. I gave it a lot of thought, but¡­¡±


    Belughed in a shy way and rubbed her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not smart, so I still don¡¯t know. If I were Miss Mia, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d figure it out right away, but I still don¡¯t know.¡±


    Citrina¡¯s face turned into a mask, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.


    ¡°Friendship? Are you kidding me, Bel? Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on? I just made believe I was your friend. To get close to you. To manipte you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but I know it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Why? What made you so sure?¡±


    Bel put her hand on Citrina¡¯s chest without taking her eyes off of her.


    ¡°This is why, Rina. The charm I gave you is still on you.¡±


    The troya that Bel gave her as a gift did still hang around her neck.


    ¡°¡­Is that all? Bel, are you really that stupid? This was just a trick to get you to believe me.¡±


    Citrina smiled in her most viinous smile. It wasn¡¯t really close to one. It was betrayed by how tightly her fingers were wrapped around the charm. The protective motion was subconscious, revealing, and urgent.


    ¡°Even so, it still makes me happy.¡±


    Bel went on to talk. She kept trying, hoping that her words would reach Citrina¡¯s heart, like someone trying to get back something important.


    ¡°I was so d, Rina. You¡¯re the first person I ever made a friend with, and I got to give you something I made myself. And you kept it. And even wore it. I was so happy about it. I¡¯m still happy¡­¡±


    She took Citrina¡¯s hands in a gentle way.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m holding on as hard as I can. Because I value the friendship we have. And I won¡¯t ever let go.¡±


    The face of Citrina twitched. She looked like she was about to cry for a moment, but her smile won again. She used it as a shield to keep her own and other people¡¯s feelings at bay.


    ¡°Tell me, Bel. Do you get what I was trying to do? I tried to kill you, do you understand? Because I¡¯m a Serpent. I do just that. I kill people. Even my friends. Even Miss Mia, who you love.¡±


    Bel smiled yfully when she heard this confession.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll tell you a secret. It¡¯s a very secret secret, but since you¡¯re my friend, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    She dropped her voice to a whisper for effect.


    ¡°To tell the truth, I¡¯ve been this close to dying before. In fact, I might still be this close. When I wake up from this dream, a group of terrifying men I¡¯ve never met will kill me.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°This is why¡­ It doesn¡¯t bother me that much. If I have to put a weapon at my friend to stay alive, I¡¯d rather let her kill me, because I don¡¯t want to give up¡­ I¡¯d rather die than give up the things I care about. Besides¡­¡±


    And that¡¯s when her serious passion turned into humour.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about Grandmother Mia. I don¡¯t think she will die so easily. After all, she is the Great Wisdom of the Empire,¡± she said while puffing her chest, full of pride.

 Chapter 341

    <strong>The One Who Believes in Citrina¡¯s Mushroom Heart</strong>


    After following the wolf for a while, Mia found a creepy, deserted vige. ¡°This must be Bandoor Vige, then,¡± she thought. Beyond the broken-down houses, red mes flickered from the centre of the vige.


    ¡°That bonfire must be where Bel is being held,¡± she said with a heavy sigh as she got off her horse and patted Kun on the neck. ¡°Stay on your toes, Kun. Or whatever toes are called on a horse. I want you to be ready to run at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say thest part:


    <em>Not that we¡¯re likely to get the chance.</em>


    No matter how she imagined things going, rescuing Bel and riding away to safety with the two of them on Kun¡¯s back just didn¡¯t seem like a likely oue.


    <em>Which is fine, I guess¡­ In the end, my main goal here is to find out who is really behind all of this.</em>


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness. You¡¯re here!¡± All of a sudden, a voice as dark as the night came into her ears. It startled her. She turned to face the voice.


    ¡°Wee to our temporary abode. We¡¯re very happy to have you here. Oh? What kind of horse could that be?¡±


    A woman did a stiff curtsy, clear of its insincerity.


    ¡°You,¡± Mia said when she realised she knew the woman. ¡°You¡¯re Miss Barbara. Which means¡­¡±


    Barbaraughed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Please go this way. Oh, the horse can stay. You by yourself will be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not nning to have that wolf eat my horse, are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°The wolf is well-trained, and it has been told over and over again not to eat horses.¡±


    Mia reluctantly let go of Kun¡¯s reins and said, ¡°Well, I guess I should go. Listen, Kun. If things go south, you head south too, okay? Don¡¯t wait.¡±


    With that, she walked to the fire.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She saw Bel with her hands tied behind her back and a man in a mask standing next to a wolf.


    Mia¡¯s eyes, on the other hand, were drawn to the third person. ¡°Ah¡­ So it was you, Rina¡­¡±


    Citrina stood next to Bel and said, ¡°Hello, Your Highness,¡± with a sweet smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you made the long and hard trip here,¡± she said. She held her skirt delicately and curtsied.


    ¡°You¡¯re too modest,¡± Mia said. ¡°You went through a lot of trouble to invite me. The least I could do was to show up.¡±


    During this strange back-and-forth, she kept thinking about the conversation she¡¯d had with Ludwig at the end ofst summer.


    <em>She really fooled me. I was told that the Yellowmoons weren¡¯t to be trusted, but¡­ What a terrible mistake I made!</em>


    Even though she was embarrassed by how easily she had been tricked, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to dislike Citrina. She thought¡­


    <em>What if there were special circumstances? Wasn¡¯t it possible that she didn¡¯t have a choice but to do what bad people told her to do? When I think back, it was because of her that Kayou was able to have her foal.</em>


    Citrina saved the day in a big way. If she hadn¡¯t helped, things likely would have gone much worse.


    <em>Would someone like that¡­ choose to do bad things?</em>


    Even though everything pointed to Citrina being bad, Mia kept looking for reasons not to believe it.


    She grasped, but not because she was desperate but because of her conviction. After all¡­


    <em>Plus, Citrina likes mushrooms, and no one can be bad if they like mushrooms. So, she must be being forced to do this by something.</em>


    ¡­She was sure that one of these straws would support the weight of her conviction. As the Mushroom Princess, she thought it was obvious that everyone who liked mushrooms was a good person. And Citrina had to be extra good because she knew so much about fungal knowledge.


    Just so you know, Barbara wasn¡¯t on the trip to look for mushrooms, so she didn¡¯t count. Mia was sure that the old woman was evil all the way through.


    <em>But that means I have to make a hard choice¡­ Can I put my trust in Citrina right now?</em>


    Extenuation was not the same thing as absolution. Citrina was part of the plot to take Bel, even if she didn¡¯t want to be. But when it was time for her to make amends, her special circumstances would be important.


    After all, if she was good at heart, she might be persuaded to join the group. After a short but intense moment of thought, Mia made her decision.


    <em>Alright. I¡¯m giving it my all. No matter what happens, I¡¯m going to keep believing in Rina until the end.</em>


    Her reasoning was, again, very simple:


    <em>No one can be bad if they like mushrooms. It¡¯s not possible in the real world!</em>


    She knew this was true in her gut. It was like a sixth sense. You could call it a ¡°mushroom sense.¡± She spoke up because this made perfect sense.


    ¡°Rina, I know you have your reasons for doing this,¡± she said. ¡°That you don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    Her voice was calm and sure, as if it came from a deep well of certainty. Mia looked at Citrina with a steady gaze.


    <em>And if I¡¯m wrong and she¡¯s really rotten to the core, well¡­ Either way, I¡¯m going to die here, so it doesn¡¯t matter.</em>


    So, it became clear that her belief was based on the idea that decisions don¡¯t matter. The Mushroom Princess was as strong-willed as her name! That is, it¡¯s soft and squishy, and it¡¯s a great dish for people who don¡¯t have teeth!


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Citrina froze. Even though Mia¡¯s words were probably not true, that didn¡¯t make them less powerful.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Citrina said after a long pause, her look of confidence turning into worry.


    ¡°Why you too? Why do you say the same things to Rina too?¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask? Because you wouldn¡¯t do this on your own, of course. I believe in you, Rina.¡±


    No one can be bad if they like mushrooms. Mia kept talking with confidence because she was sure that mushrooms could reveal people¡¯s true selves.


    ¡°Talk to me, Rina,¡± she said. ¡°Exin why. Aren¡¯t you being forced to do this? I¡¯m sure of it. You¡¯re Bel¡¯s friend. You wouldn¡¯t do this on your own.¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia¡­¡± Bel¡¯s face lit up a little at Mia¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re right. I also thought it was strange. Rina wouldn¡¯t be able to do this on her own. She must be being forced to do it by bad people.¡±


    The young girl then red at Barbara, who just shrugged as the look bounced off her. ¡°Oh, how blessed are the ignorant. Mmm¡­ I wonder what you¡¯d think if you knew what mdy has done.¡±


    ¡°No! Barbara, don¡¯t!¡± begged a clearly upset Citrina.


    Barbara rolled her eyes and then turned to Mia and said, ¡°Why do you even ask such questions, Your Highness? Why would you want to know the answer? You won¡¯t get out of here alive, after all.¡±


    As she finished speaking, the wolf beside its master slowly stood up, like an executioner waiting for the signal. Mia¡¯s heart jumped when she saw it.


    She said the magic phrase quickly three times.


    <em>It¡¯s better than Dion¡­ It¡¯s better than what Dion did¡­ It¡¯s even better than Dion!</em>


    After that, she was a little less scared. Mia¡¯s little spell to get rid of fear seemed to work. It cost her a vision of Dion, whose eyebrow was raised in anger that his image was being used for her magic. She quickly pushed the scary image out of her mind.


    <em>Don¡¯t be afraid, me! Even though this is dangerous, it¡¯s nothingpared to Dion iaing for my head!</em>


    She gave Barbara a bold smile and said, ¡°My, that¡¯s presumptuous of you. I could die here, but that wouldn¡¯t be the end. I can do a lot with the answer after that.¡±


    The way she looked at the old woman was a silent statement: ¡°Like going back in time and ruining all your evil ns!¡±


    ¡°¡­Now, now. Your Highness, nobody likes a sore loser.¡±


    ¡°Am I being a sore loser, Barbara?¡±


    In a way, she was. At least, mostly. There was no guarantee that she could go back in time. But Mia wasn¡¯t a young bird without any feathers. She might be a chicken, but she had been to hell and back. So, she asked the question with her arms outstretched and her chest up.


    ¡°Maybe she was just ying for time then. But¡ª¡±


    Just as Barbara frowned in thought, she disappeared from view! No, not just her. Rather everything disappeared from her view. A suuden eruption of thick white smoke enveloped everything.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± said a confused Mia. Since she couldn¡¯t see, her nose picked out a smell in the white smoke. It was faint but she recognized it¡­ it was lucioluna grass. In particr, the herbs she¡¯d used in her bath.


    The next second, she was hit by something. ¡°Yeeow!¡±


    She shrieked and fell to the ground. When she looked up, she saw that the person who had hit her was¡­


    ¡°Bel?!¡±


    ¡°Mia-neesama?¡±


    ¡­Bel, and her arms weren¡¯t tied behind her anymore.

 Chapter 342

    <strong>Princess Mia Shines Brightly in the Dark Night</strong>


    In an instant, the area was filled with smoke, but Bel was watching at the time, so she saw everything. It all happened right in front of her in the blink of an eye.


    While Barbara was doing something else, Citrina walked over to the fire and picked up the water she had boiled for tea and put something in it. The next thing that happened was an explosion of white smoke. Soon, no one dared move because they couldn¡¯t see anything.


    At least, that¡¯s what Bel thought until she felt the rope around her arms loose.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    She was shocked by how quickly she was free, and she was about to turn around when someone pushed her back. This made her stumble forward.


    In the fog, she could hear a faint voice behind her.


    ¡°¡­Goodbye, Bel. Be well.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Rina?! Ri¡ª Ow!¡±


    She fell forward into someone else as she stumbled through the thick smoke.


    ¡°Yeeow!¡±


    The person screamed in an embarrassing way. It was, of course, the person who was supposed to help her.


    ¡°¡­Huh? Mia-neesama!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª Bel?! How?¡±


    Mia was shocked for a second, but then she quickly realised something else.


    <em>Don¡¯t miss this chance! Time to hurry up!</em>


    One of her strengths was being able to change her mind quickly, so she moved quickly.


    ¡°Kun!¡±


    She quickly called out her horse¡¯s name because she didn¡¯t have time to give it more instructions. Kun didn¡¯t need any. He ran into the smoke and stopped next to her.


    Mia skillfully turned over on his back and lifted Bel up in front of her. Well, that¡¯s how she thought it would be, at least.


    In reality, she did her usual routine of pumping her legs and chanting to get Bel ready to ride. After that, she had to work very hard and in a very ungainly way to pull Bel up onto the saddle.


    Still, the sheer urgency of the situation made Mia¡¯s physical strength even stronger, and she was able to get them both seated pretty quickly.


    Bel yelled, ¡°B-but Rina!¡± as she looked desperately into the smoke. ¡°She hasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°We cannot help her. Not at the moment. But¡­¡±


    Mia also stopped to look into the fog. Then she went on.


    ¡°We will. We¡¯ll find a way to get back and save her. But right now, we¡¯re going!¡±


    Then she told her steed what to do.


    ¡°Go, Kun! Get us out of here!¡±


    So began Mia¡¯s most dramatic escape, which would end in an epic race between hero and viin.


    When Mia told Kun to go, he almost exploded into action and broke into a full-speed gallop right away. She wrapped her arms around Bel and pushed their bodies forward to keep from being thrown off by the strong change in momentum.


    All around them was smoke, which made it hard for Mia to find her way. Which wasn¡¯t too much of a problem, since she had learned a powerful trick during her riding practise in the fall. Jellyfish Princess Mia had learned the Flotsam, a secret way to ride without reins in which the rider moves with the horse. In other words, she didn¡¯t get in Kun¡¯s way and just let him do whatever he wanted. They would be fine as long as the horse knew how to get back. She just had to sit there and stare into the distance for a while.


    They got through the smoke quickly. A quick look back showed that a big, brilliant white cloud had swallowed the whole vige. Brilliant, as in glowing.


    ¡°I think those are the same bath herbs Chloe gave me.¡±


    She thought back to the time when she and Tiona went to the bathhouse and Citrina showed up soon after.


    <em>Does that mean she asked Chloe for some? If that¡¯s the case, it would mean Rina saw thising and nned to help us from the start¡­</em>


    The thought almost made her start to think too much. She tried to forget about it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to think about it right now. What matters most is that we were able to get away. We can figure out how to save her once we¡¯re all back safe again. Oh, but to get back to the ind, we¡¯ll need a boat¡­ Almost certainly, that business person has left by now. So, I guess we¡¯ll have to find a ce to hide and wait until morning. Even though the moon is out tonight, it¡¯s still pretty dark out. It can¡¯t be hard to find a ce to hide, right? Hmm¡­¡±


    At that moment, Mia noticed something strange.


    For some reason, everything around her seemed¡­ brighter than it should have been. She looked up to see if the moon was getting brighter. It doesn¡¯t seem to have changed.


    She looked down once more. And that¡¯s when she realised that the brighter light wasing from¡­them! In particr, she and Bel were both glowing. Kun hadn¡¯t turned radiant.


    The pale light made their shapes stand out against the dark night, which made it look like they were floating. From far away, they looked like two fairies flying through the air.


    If a certain author of so-called nonfiction had seen it, she would have written a few more passages of spectacr nonsense for the Princess Chronicles.


    ¡°How¡ªWhat on the moons is this?¡±


    A moment of confusion, but then things became clear. To go off on a tangent for a moment, Mia¡¯s brain cells were pretty much always dormant, but there were a few words that could wake them up. For one, ¡°sweets.¡± ¡°Shrooms¡± as well. But there was something else¡­


    Whenever the word ¡°bath¡± was said, her mind would go crazy. And what did the bath have to do with recent events? Of course, the bath herbs and their pleasant smell. Lucioluna grass smells like¡­


    ¡°Lucioluna grass¡­ Lucioluna¡­ Wait, lucioluna? That sounds like it glows!¡±


    Mia hadn¡¯t thought of it until then, but the name¡¯s meaning made it clear. Lucioluna grass is a type of grass that shines when the moon is up. So, it makes sense that bath herbs made from it would also have the same effect.


    This fact had slipped her mind because its pale light was hard to see when it was bright outside. Too bad, because it wasn¡¯t very bright out right now, and its light wasn¡¯t hard to see.


    ¡°Okay, this mighte in handy when I¡¯m walking around at night, but how am I going to hide?¡± she whispered as her fear grew.


    Only for her fear to get three times worse when three glowing shapes came flying out of the white smoke behind her. All of them had the same light, so it was easy to tell who they were: a masked man on a horse and two huge wolves.


    ¡°Eeeeek! They¡¯re heading our way! Kun, they¡¯reing for us!¡±


    Even though she screamed, it didn¡¯t help because Kun had already sped up when he saw the peopleing after them.


    She almost bit her tongue off when the violent eleration hit her like an invisible wall. She hunkered down and grunted as her horse went from a fast gallop to a furious gallop.


    So, she turned into the wind again¡­. But it didn¡¯t blow fast enough!


    A scared shriek came after a quick nce backward.


    ¡°Eeeeeek! They¡¯re getting closer! They¡¯re catching up, Kun!¡±


    Even though she knew how fast Kun was, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. But it was clear that the man¡¯s horse was catching up to them.


    His glowing silhouette got closer and closer, like a ghostly knight of death. It was scary. He was so quick!


    Mia thought for a moment that the weight of both her and Bel might be slowing Kun down, but she quickly dismissed the idea.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be that heavy. Kun should have no trouble carrying both of us.¡±


    She was right, as the two wolves soon started to fall behind. Kun was not slow. The enemy¡¯s horse was just too fast!


    ¡°F-F-Faster, Kun! Come on, please hurry up!¡±


    She tried hard, but all she got was a short huff.


    It sounded a little annoyed, as if to say, ¡°Oh, shaddap, I¡¯m galloping here!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know it yet, but her desperate flight under the moonlight had just begun.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Thank you all for another year! Happy New Year!

 Chapter 343

    <strong>The Fruit of the Girls¡¯ Feelings</strong>


    <em>That¡¯s¡­a moonhare. Must be one of the horses that Equestria gave to Saint-Noel Academy. A good horse. But¡­</em>


    The wolfmaster looked at the princess and her horse as they ran away. She was glowing for some reason, maybe the smoke. This made it easy for him to see how she rode.


    <em>Princess Mia is an impressive rider. She is letting her horse do what it wants.</em>


    Even more doubly impressive was the fact that she didn¡¯t lose her bnce while helping a younger girl who wasn¡¯t used to riding. Triply, perhaps, given her gender and regal status¡­


    <em>Unfortunately for her, she can¡¯t just run faster than me.</em>


    He uttered a calmmand to his horse.


    ¡°¡­Go, Ei.¡±


    His horse, whose ck-and-silver hair was shining, let out a ¡°yes¡± whinny. It quickly picked up speed, leaving their pack of wolves behind.


    In a few seconds, the gap was almost gone. He got his sword ready. Its de caught the light of the moon and looked dangerous.


    ¡°¡­I shall have your head.¡±


    ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡±


    He was only three horse lengths away from his screaming prey. In response, the horse that was running away picked up its speed, and the gap grew again. It also kicked some dirt in his direction.


    <em>So, it¡¯s a smart horse. Very good.</em>


    The wolfmaster moved to the left to avoid the projectile, taking a short break from Mia. Then, to stop her, he made a half-circle back towards her while keeping his speed up. But as he got closer again, he saw something in the distance.


    <em>Hm? What is that?</em>


    In the darkness that was everywhere, there was a small red sh.


    It made a curve in the air and went straight for his head.


    ¡°Hngh!¡±


    He quickly used his sword to hit it. After the impact, there was a quick burst of mes nearby.


    ¡°A fire arrow?¡±


    Soon after, the night was filled with the sound of a girl¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    He looked into the darkness to see where the fireball hade from. The lighting from him was dim, but it was still making it hard for him to see. He could still see the shape of a horse with two riders on it. One held the reins, and the other held a bow.


    <em>Attendants, then. Here to rescue their princess. Very well.</em>


    Anne and Tiona were working hard to find out where Mia was on Saint-Noel Ind. Many people in the town knew Mia, so it didn¡¯t take long for them to figure out that she had left the ind by boat.


    The sight of a Saint-Noel student with a horse was strange enough to stand out, and because Anne worked hard to keep good rtionships with everyone in town, many people were willing to help the flustered maid.


    With this new information, they decided to leave the ind to follow Mia. With the help of a merchant that Anne knew well, they were able to get a boat.


    ¡°The problem is what we¡¯ll do when we get to the other side,¡± Tiona said as she looked worriedly across theke at the darkness.


    ¡°Mia left the ind¡± was thest line of their leads. The trail might go cold after that. Was it even possible to find out more by asking around?


    The merchant came up to the two girls and asked, ¡°Hey, Anne, do you have a second? Usually, I¡¯d take you to the dock on the other side, but people will get mad if they find out I took students off the ind, so I¡¯ll have to drop you off somewhere no one is looking.¡±


    The words of the merchant only made them feel worse. Whoever took Mia across theke would have done the same thing, for sure. It would be pointless to look for witnesses.


    Just then, they ran into another boat that was going the other way.


    ¡°Huh. Funny. Didn¡¯t think any other people woulde this way.¡±


    When the merchant spoke in a confused way, the two girls looked at each other.


    ¡°Do you think¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the boat where Her Highness was?¡±


    They ran to the back of the boat and looked at the ship that was heading towards Saint-Noel. No one could stop it and find out who was on board. But¡­


    Anne asked, ¡°Excuse me, but could you take us back to where the boat came from and let us off there?¡±


    Mia had gotten herself into a lot of trouble, which was clear to both of them. She wouldn¡¯t have just sat there fiddling with her thumbs after she got off the boat. Even though they knew this, all they could do was hope against hope that she would be there.


    ¡°Mdy¡­ please.¡±


    Anne¡¯s desperate prayer didn¡¯t work out in the end. When they got off the boat, they couldn¡¯t find Mia anywhere.


    Even though theirst bit of hope was being swallowed up by the darkness, they were still determined to search the area.


    Sadly, by the time the torch they got from the merchant gave off itsst flicker, Anne¡¯s tears of sadness were pouring down her face.


    ¡°Mdy, where did you go?¡± she gasped out between short sobs.


    ¡°Anne!¡± Tiona let out a gasp and pointed. ¡°Look!¡±


    Anne wiped her teary eyes with her hand and looked towards Tiona¡¯s outstretched arm.


    ¡°Huh? Is that true?¡±


    A horse¡¯s shape was clear from the way it was tied to a tree.


    ¡°Why is there a horse here?¡±


    Tiona looked at it with confusion. Anne did the same thing, but only for a second before her face hardened with determination.


    ¡°Miss Tiona, please follow me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Anne held on to the saddle¡¯s sides.


    Her fingers tightened as she thought about that day¡ªagain, because how could she forget?¡ªwhen they left her and went to the Kingdom of Remno.


    When she was abandoned.


    She would have done anything to be with Mia at all times. It was her biggest wish, but someone broke it. She didn¡¯t know how to use the thing she was holding at that moment. Because she wasn¡¯t able to ride.


    So, she started to practise, but the words never gave her the energy she needed to learn. She already felt as much regret as she could for the rest of her life. She wouldn¡¯t let the saddle take her away from Mia again.


    And now, there was a horse in front of her. Mia was definitely in a lot of trouble, and fate gave her a horse to help her out. It was very clear what she should do next.


    ¡°Mdy always lets the horse have its way when she rides. I should do what she does¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s equestrian role model was Mia. She had watched her mistress ride very carefully, and now she thought that the Flotsam was the best way to ride.


    Which wasn¡¯t quite right, but whatever¡­


    She had made up her mind. She was going to do things the same way and feel the same way as her dear mistress.


    ¡°Miss Tiona, hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, yes. Okay.¡± Tiona said, ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± and she quickly got her own act together. She followed Anne up onto the horse and sat behind the maid.


    Anne looked back onest time to make sure Tiona was sitting still behind her, and then she pushed the horse forward.


    She had no idea where she was going. She just let the horse do as it pleased. Of course, she had no idea that it was a horse that the Chaos Serpents had set up just to take Mia to where they were meeting.


    ¡°Anne! That way!¡±


    Tiona saw a light in the distance after a while of bumpy riding while holding Anne for support. It was a dim light, but the way it moved towards them made it look like a moon fairy flying through the night.


    When she looked at it, she saw that the light wasing from a person who was sitting on a horse.


    Someone who just so happened to¡­


    ¡°Eeeeeeeek!¡±


    She screamed as loud as she could in a voice that Tiona knew right away.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­Her Highness!¡± eximed Anne. They had finally found her. And it seemed like just in the nick of time.


    ¡°Is she in danger?¡±


    There was a sense of desperation to Mia¡¯s shrill cry.


    Tiona thought¡­


    <em>I¡¯ve never heard Her Highness let out a scream like that. She must be in a serious trouble!</em>


    Just that was enough to show her that Mia¡¯s life was in serious danger right away. Even though Mia often screamed and whimpered, Tiona thought she was the picture of poise and calmness.


    ¡°Hold us steady, Anne. I¡¯m going to provide her some cover fire.¡±


    She pulled an arrow out of a quiver that was on her back. It was a regr practise arrow, but the tip had been changed so that it would catch fire. She held the arrowhead up to the torch she had just bought, and it immediately burst into strong mes.


    <em>Amazing as always, Liora. It works like a charm.</em>


    She took a moment to silent thanks. Then she put the arrow in the nock.


    More than one person felt terrible about what they did during the revolution in Remno. Tiona, too, was angry when she thought back to that time.


    ¡°There was nothing I could do¡­¡±


    She was there before. Just next to Mia. She hadn¡¯t done anything, though. Useless from beginning to end. She decided to learn archery because she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what she should have done.


    Yes, she wanted to fight, but what she really wanted was to do something, anything, to help Mia. To be useful.


    She looked straight ahead.


    In the distance, there were two shimmering objects that both had the same pale light. Who tried to hurt Mia, and who was Mia? There was no way to know. Her arms got tight.


    One drop of sweat fell from her forehead.


    Her aim had to be right; even a small chance of hitting Mia was too much.


    How, though, could she know? With her hand, the bowstring shook.


    <em>Which one is Her Highness? Is my aim enough? Can I¡­ Really? Can I do this?</em>


    At that moment, one of the glowing figures turned to the side.


    Then, as it turned back towards the other, it went in a crescent shape. The sh came at that time. For one crucial moment, a stray moonbeam fell on the form that was following. There was a cold, harsh light inside its faint glow.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a sword!¡±


    The moon shone on the de of the enemy.


    She would never use a sword in a fight. And right now there is some space between them! From this angle¡­


    Tiona let the ming arrow fly with decisive skill.


    The burning missile was the result of all the girls¡¯ hard work. When pathos crystallized, it shot through the air like a shooting star. Anne would not have been enough on her own. She could have ridden to the scene, but she wouldn¡¯t have been much help afterward. Tiona could ride a horse or use a bow, but she couldn¡¯t do both at the same time.


    So, the fact that they were here showed that they had worked together. Theirbined determination got them to the stage just in time for the most important part of the y, which was Mia¡¯s daring escape.


    The fire arrow shot straight towards the enemy.

 Chapter 344

    <strong>Connecting The Thin Thread of Fate</strong>


    <em>Astray again. The attempts are gettingughable.</em>


    After the first shot, the rest of the arrows went well over the wolfmaster¡¯s head. Their aim was so bad that it wasughable. Even worse was the decision to use fire, because the ming points showed where they were going. This major w meant that even if they had reached their goal, he would have had little trouble taking them out. A concentrated volley to set the field on fire might have worked, but these pitiful attempts to hit the target while lighting the trails with fire were just in stupid.


    <em>If not stupidity, then maybe extreme care? So that the princess doesn¡¯t get hit by ident, the arrows are made to stand out¡­</em>


    They might have stopped the average thief from chasing after the person. For the wolfmaster, who had cut the Empire¡¯s Finest¡¯s arrows out of the air, they were just useless distractions.


    <em>But¡­ Even though they don¡¯t hurt me, they are still a bother. What is their purpose? With such bad aim, what if a shot goes in the wrong direction and hits the princess? She is definitely not a warrior. Even though these shots are clear, how do they know she won¡¯t get hit?</em>


    He was good at blocking arrows, but it seemed hard for the girls ahead of him to do the same.


    ¡­ A waste of time for someone whose head I¡¯m about to take. Then, thest rites. Consider yourself prayed for.


    He told his horse to go faster. He caught up to Mia quickly. He raised his sword and shed it across her neck.


    Rather, he was about to do it when he heard, ¡°On my cue!¡±


    The archer ahead spoke up. Her words gave him a little bit of doubt.


    <em>Cue? What for? Was she talking to the girl who had the reins in front of her? If so, what was she supposed to do when she was told? Did the message then have to do with the princess? What should she have done? The little bit of doubt he had turned into a cloud of doubt. Something didn¡¯t make sense.</em>


    After a split second, another fire arrow lit up in the distance.


    It flew in a shallow curve towards him.


    Maybe it was because they were closer, but this time the arrow hit where it was supposed to, making him swing his sword at the arrow instead of the princess.


    Then, in the middle of his swing, he heard a dissonance.


    Two sharp, clear whistles. Two fletchings cut through the air.


    He dove forward and ttened himself against his horse in an instant. He got hit in the shoulder by an arrowhead that went in the opposite direction of the other.


    His cloud of doubt finally lifted, and the answer became clear.


    <em>Gah¡­ That¡¯s good shot. So there was another archer¡­</em>


    ¡°Tsk¡­ No bullseye.¡±


    Liora Lulu clicked her tongue in anger as her small form stood out against the dark grasnd background.


    ¡°This time,¡± she said as she shot a second arrow, ¡°I won¡¯t miss.¡±


    When they were still on the ind, Tiona had told her to go find help. You might ask, ¡°Why was she here then?¡± Well, there were a few reasons, but they all boiled down to ¡°she was worried about Tiona.¡±


    Anne¡¯s agitation gave Liora a good idea of how serious the situation was, so she did just enough to technically follow Tiona¡¯s instructions. Only the bare minimum before going after Anne.


    When she got to the dock, a boat was just pulling in. It was the merchant¡¯s boat, of course, that had taken Mia across theke.


    He went back to make more quick money after his first job went well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to carry anything, there aren¡¯t many checks at the door, and I¡¯m paid in gold. All because one student needed a ride off the ind. This is great. I should turn this into a business.¡±


    His buoyant mood did notst long. The scythe of karma came quickly to bring him the bad results of his actions. Soon after hended, he was caught by people in the town who had seen Anne in trouble. As soon as they put two and two together, they gave him the worst beating of his life, which Liora was there to see.


    When she had enough information, it was much easier for her to figure out how to get across theke.


    She finally caught up with Anne and Tiona as they were running like crazy across the grasnd.


    Suspecting a battle wasing up from the merchant¡¯s confession, she made some makeshift fire arrows and blunted the points so that if one hit Mia by ident, it wouldn¡¯t kill her. They would still hurt, though. By a lot.


    But Liora went by the rule that ¡°if there isn¡¯t a hole in you that I can see through, you¡¯re probably fine.¡±


    She likes to get down and dirty. It adds to her appeal.


    On top of that, she had also given Tiona a part to y. Tiona was given a new torch and the improvised fire arrows. Her job was to keep the enemy busy and keep them from focusing on her. In the process, she had to do something that might have been more important: light up the area so Liora could aim better.


    When it came to her bow arm, Tiona was no pushover.


    But with so much at stake, even a small mistake could make the princess full of holes. So Liora had her mistress do the cover fire while she would be the one who would have to shoot to kill.


    Liora didn¡¯t have divine providence on her side, but she did have a lot of luck. It was still possible that she would hit Mia by ident. It was only slightly less than Tiona¡¯s.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m really sorry if I hit you.¡±


    ¡­Was Mia really going to get through this alive?


    ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡±


    Mia screamed in horror as a series of missiles that were on fire flew towards her.


    ¡°Gah! That was almost perfect! Eeep! Even that one! Kun, watch out! Dodge the¡ª Eeeek! I think that one hit me! Bel, don¡¯t look up, do you hear?¡±


    Objectively, the arrows didn¡¯te close to her, but they whistled as they went by, which was more than enough to get her inner chicken to start squawking.


    Bel, on the other hand, just sat there the whole time with her head down. Unlike Mia, this wasn¡¯t her first time being shot with arrows. She wasn¡¯t bothered by all the noise around her.


    What made her worry, ¡°Rina,¡­¡±


    Was the friend that they had left behind.


    She worried about her so much that neither the ming arrows in the sky nor the dangerous person following them could get her attention. And even when she was so close to her grandmother, she barely heard her squealing.


    ¡°Eeeeeeek! We¡¯re going to die! Here we are! We¡¯re going to die for sure!¡±


    Not even not that squal.


    So, Bel¡¯s idea of her grandmother as a strong and respectable person would live on. Rejoice, Mia!


    Now, after a while, even Mia, who was a coward, started to realise that the fire arrows weren¡¯t evening close to hitting her. This helped her calm down enough to look back.


    Her eyes grew wide as soon as she saw that her attacker¡¯s horse had fallen a long way behind them.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness¡ªOh, I know! He must have slowed down because of the fire arrows.¡±


    Needless to say, she didn¡¯t even notice how well Liora could shoot.


    ¡°Oho ho, what a wimp to be scared by these shots. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d ever hit us!¡± she said, bragging in a way that didn¡¯t match her behaviour just a few minutes before.


    But her brain just worked that way. It put convenience over truth. Thoughts that were inconvenient, even if they were true, were quickly thrown out.


    <em>I think I might be able to get away if things keep going like this. </em>


    Just as she was starting to feel better, something heavy hit them from the side and knocked them and her back down to the ground.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaah!¡±


    You should be able to figure out for yourselves who said what.


    Mia and Bel were thrown off their horses and rolled to the ground. Mia caught a glimpse of the huge shadow that had surrounded Kun as the world turned on its axis over and over again.


    A shadow that was nowing at her in a scary way.


    <em>O-Oh no¡­ I had forgotten all about the wolves.</em>


    Mia had also been distracted by the fire arrows and slowed down, just like the wolfmaster. So, the wolves caught up with her, and one of them knocked her off her horse.


    That was the end. Just a little bit of apse in attention. It had cost her a lot, too.


    ¡°Offer up your prayers.¡±


    The wolfmaster walked up from behind the wolves. He was already off his horse.


    <em>Oh, why did I get my hopes up? This is the end.</em>


    As she looked up at the sword in his hand, she thought¡­


    <em>This is where it ends. I-well, I guess it¡¯s okay. At least I found out who the bad guys are. I¡¯ll be able to do better the next time. If¡­this happens again¡­</em>


    He went up to her.


    She looked at them and counted how many steps were between them. Five more¡­ Four more¡­


    She tightly closed her eyes. She said a silent prayer with all the strength she could muster. You might ask, ¡°What did she pray for?¡±


    <em>Please! Don¡¯t let it hurt too much, please, please, please!</em>


    What do you think she was praying for?


    But the pain never came¡­


    Instead, there was a sharp ringing sound of metal on metal.


    ¡°Sorry, but those prayers won¡¯t be needed today. She¡¯s important to everyone, especially to me. I¡¯m not going to let you even touch her.¡±


    Hence, Liora¡¯s bare minimum had arrived.


    When she got back to school, the first person she ran into was¡­


    ¡°A-Abel!¡±


    Abel Remno felt embarrassed when Mia let out a loud gasp.

 Chapter 345

    <strong>The Decisive Battle in the Wilderness</strong>


    ¡°Oh, sweet moons! Abel! You are here! You came for me! Oh, thank the moons, Abel you¡¯re here to save me!¡±


    Abel didn¡¯t match Mia¡¯s excited shouts of joy. He never took his eyes off of his enemy. Every hair on his body stood up. He was so nervous that sweat ran down his palms. He was afraid of the man in front of him. Everything about him looked dangerous, from the way he stood to the way his sword was held.


    Abel tightened his grip on his sword because he knew he was about to fight someone as strong as Remno¡¯s champion, Bernardo Virgil the Adamantine Spear, or the Empire¡¯s Finest, Dion ia.


    <em>This man¡­knows how to kill very well. This much is for sure.</em>


    Abel looked around while being careful not to let the man out of his sight.


    The wolves make things hard.


    <em>I need to do something, but what?</em>


    Kun appeared out of nowhere behind them. He walked slowly to Mia¡¯s side and then red at the wolves and huffed angrily. Abel¡¯s horse, Kayou, joined him and stood in front of Mia as if to protect her.


    <em>We appreciate the thought, but horses against wolves? I¡¯m not sure¡­</em>


    He quickly had to change his mind when, to his surprise, the wolves red at the horses but stopped moving.


    <em>Huh. Son of a sword merchant. I understand what¡¯s happening.</em>


    It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out what was going on. Horses were assets. Valuable ones. A fast warsteed was worth a thousand pieces of gold.


    Most likely, the enemy¡¯s wolves had been taught not to hurt horses.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t have to worry about the wolves for the time being. Mia, stay close to those horses!¡±


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll be right here next to you. My, Kun, your nose is twitching like ¡ª Gaaah!¡±


    There was a loud hack-a-pchoo, then slime flew everywhere, and then Mia hit the ground with a dull thud.


    But Abel didn¡¯t dwell too much about this pstick sketch. He turned back quickly to look at the man in front of him.


    ¡°Thanks for doing such a good job training those wolves. Now all I have to do is knock you out.¡±


    ¡°Abel¡­ the Second Prince of Remno?¡± the man in the mask said to himself.


    ¡°Oh? You know who I am, right? I¡¯m honoured,¡± said Abel. There was no humor in his voice. Nor his re.


    He raised his sword in an overhead stance.


    In a strict sense, things hadn¡¯t changed much for the better. He still had to deal with an assassin who was as skilled as Dion ia. Even though the man hadn¡¯t attacked, it looked like his wolf friends were ready to pounce at any moment.


    Abel could try to attack with rage. If he didn¡¯t care about staying alive, he could trade blows and buy time by being very aggressive. It wasn¡¯t enough, though, to buy time.


    The only way for them to get out of this dangerous situation was for him to beat this strong enemy or at least make him run away.


    <em>Can I do that?</em>


    He was suddenly hit by a wave of worry. He let it in, feeling it move up through his chest and into his throat. Then¡­


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    He took a long breath and let it out. He was no longer distracted, so he was able to get his mind back on track.


    ¡°Here Ie!¡±


    His job was easy. Critical and important, but also easy. So, all that was left for him to do was act. He took a big step forward, and the sound of his foot hitting the ground almost made a hole.


    He swung at the same time. He had practised this move over and over again until he could do it without thinking. A move he knew and believed in.


    From high on his head, his de came crashing down in a deadly blur, leaving moonlit afterimages in its wake.


    It was a mesmerising hit, and the trail looked like the moon hade down to earth because it was such a perfect crescent. It was also a fierce attack, so fast and urate that even Sion Sol Sunnd, a genius, might not have been able to stop it in time.


    Ker-chaaang!


    A loud ng rang through the night.


    Two fighters stood under the pale celestial beacon with their swords locked.


    <em>Damn it. He hardly moved at all.</em>


    Abel clicked his tongue. He¡¯d put everything he had into that one strike, but it was blocked so easily that it was frustrating.


    The man in the mask looked at him through the des that were crossed and spoke in a cold voice.


    ¡°A fine strike. Not enough to kill me, though.¡±


    He shed back with a cut of his own.


    Abel was almost cut in half, but the t side of his sword saved him.


    Then the next sh arrived. And another after that. A constant attack that forced him to stay on the defensive.


    <em>Ugh, this guy is a monster. Not a big surprise, but damn.</em>


    Since his opponent was stronger and faster, he was unable topletely stop the furious attack. The masked man¡¯s de cut through many flesh, but it never made a fatal cut. There were spots of fresh red on the moonlit grasnd.


    Abel said with clenched teeth, ¡°I won¡¯t let you win!¡±


    Even though he was hurt, he didn¡¯t give in. He knew how important what he was protecting. She was behind him. Just thinking about that kept his sword up and his knees strong. He couldn¡¯t lose her in this ce. He couldn¡¯t afford to give up! He was as strong and true as steel in his decision. But¡ª


    Ka-chiing!


    A sharp sound came into his ears. It sounds like something snapping. He quickly moved back a few steps and put his sword up to defend himself, but what he saw made him grimace.


    The metal of the de was not as strong as his mind.


    ¡°What a fool you are to fight me with that toy of a sword,¡± the man in the mask said in a low, rumbling voice.


    Abel had brought a training sword with him. It was not sharp, and it wasn¡¯t even strong enough to be used in realbat. On the ind of Saint-Noel, there were strict rules about having weapons, and you had to get permission to have one.


    This kind of eptance took time, which he didn¡¯t have. He couldn¡¯t wait even a second longer.


    Liora told him that Mia was acting strangely, so he ran with his training sword to the stable, where he jumped on Kayou, the only horse that could catch up to Kun, and set off on his rescue mission right away.


    He and Liora only made it in time because they moved quickly, but in their hurry, they forgot to get the tools they needed to beat the wolfmaster.


    Even though they tried hard, the heavy doors of fate would not open. The bnce of luck didn¡¯t change. The thread of fate turned out to be an inch too short for them to get to the future they wanted.


    Until a determined girl grabbed the loose end of the thread and pulled it tight. The thin thread was pulled very tight, but it didn¡¯t break. It kept going until it was just long enough to touch the other end. She put two silver pieces worth of loyalty on the scale of fortune.


    And with that, the tides turned. Calling their strongest ally, Saint-Noel, to this crucial battleground. This ally¡¯s voice could be heard through the night.


    ¡°Catch, Abel!¡±


    At the same time, the man in the mask hit him in the side. Abel jumped into the air and folded his legs towards his chest to avoid the blow. He then raised his arm to the sky.


    As if he had called it there, a sword fell right into his hand.


    ¡°I owe you one, Sion!¡±


    He drew it while midair. Its ck shine showed that it was made of well-wrought steel. It wasn¡¯t a toy. It was a proper too to kill a lot of people on the battlefield. He put both hands on the hilt of the military-grade longsword and brought the de down on his opponent.


    After the loud ng of metal, the masked man gave a quiet,boured grunt. The huge force of Abel¡¯s blow caused him to fall backward.


    ¡°My condolences for your arms, sir. I¡¯m sure they feel pretty numb right now,¡± joked Sion. ¡°That boy swings like a lumberjack. And hits even harder.¡±


    He walked into the scene with a smile on his face and an easy pace. Sion Sol Sunnd, a sword prodigy, calmly and gracefully pulled out his weapon.


    He looked briefly at Kun, then at Mia, who stood in the shadow of the horse.


    She was a mess. Her clothes were soaked through and through, and dark mud spots covered her face and hair.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done our friend a great discourtesy. I hope you¡¯re ready for our retaliation,¡± he said, but his angry eyes gave away his cool tone.


    ¡­ Just for the record, Mia¡¯s messiness was mostly caused by her horse sneezing on her, which caused her to trip and fall into a mud puddle. She was knocked off her horse, then that said horse sneezed at her again.


    Sion didn¡¯t know these things, of course.

 Chapter 346

    <strong>Keithwood, the workhorse, and the unreasonable request</strong>


    <em>It looks like we just barely made it.</em>


    Keithwood looked around after he and Sion had arrived. Mia and Bel were right next to each other. Two horses stood on either side of them to protect them. Two wolves, probably servants of the enemy, circled the group, ready to attack at any moment.


    <em>Really, it¡¯s too close. Way too close.</em>


    He let out a sigh of relief, but it was quickly followed by a chill when he thought about how they¡¯d avoided disaster¡ªat least for now¡ªby the thinnest of whiskers.


    He was doing his usual rounds of the academy, as Sion had told him to, when he saw the bloody Lynsha near the back gate. As he ran to her side and got ready to take her to the hospital, she grabbed his arm and barely managed to say that Citrina and Barbara had taken Bel before she passed out. When he realised how important the situation was, he ran to tell Sion before running off to get help.


    But a search for Mia¡¯s usual friends turned up nothing; everyone who might have been important seemed to have disappeared.


    Also, he had found the ransom note lying on the floor of Mia¡¯s room.


    When they got back to Sion, he was already dressed for battle and had his sword on his hip. They decided quickly to leave the ind.


    The message from Lynsha made them realise how bad things were. Because of this, they acted more quickly than everyone else.


    Still, the fact that they got there with no time to spare will probably keep Keithwood up at night for days. Princess Mia is worth so much. Losing her would be like losing everything.


    <em>We made it just in time, thank the sun.</em>


    His thoughts were interrupted by Sion¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Keithwood, I¡¯ll leave the wolves in your care. If you can, get rid of them and make a way for us to escape.¡±


    Keithwood scowled when his master told him what to do.


    ¡°Seriously, milord? All of your requests are unreasonable, but this one is especially so,¡± he grumbled.


    After all, they were two wolves. And ones that are very big. The average person would run away in fear before they even tried to fight them.


    <em>That two legged-monster doesn¡¯t look like a pushover, either. I guess I¡¯ll have to do my part ¡­and then some more.</em>


    So, the workhorse picked up the extra heavy straw and threw it on his back, which was already full. Keithwood had watched the masked man fight back against Abel¡¯s crushing blow with great care. He could see that Abel¡¯s swings had a lot of power. He knew it was a bad idea to face it head on. If the receiving de doesn¡¯t break, then the arms might. Even moving quickly enough to defend oneself was a small miracle.


    Their enemy, on the other hand, had done it with no trouble at all. Whoever he was, he was an expert.


    <em>Sion probably also thinks that there aren¡¯t many chances for us to beat that man. Which doesn¡¯t give me a lot of room for error, does it? Okay, then. So, it¡¯s the wolves. I need to get rid of them quickly so that we can get away.</em>


    Even though they were very dangerous, wolves were still animals. They had to be easier to beat than a man with a weapon and a lot of skill. At least, that¡¯s what he thought until he pulled out his sword and one of the wolves attacked.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    It jumped out of nowhere, its jaws wide open. He quickly moved out of the way, but the wolf moved with him, its gaping mouth following the movement of his body as if it had known what he would do.


    ¡°Wait, what¡ª¡±


    In the tiny amount of time he had to think, he decided that he couldn¡¯t run away any longer. He stopped trying to defend himself and turned his sword towards the wolf¡¯s neck to thrust it up through its throat.


    <em>Put the sword in the neck. If I kill the thing as soon as it bites me, the damage will be less. The wolf for an arm. Should be a good exchange.</em>


    This bloody deal, however, did not happen.


    When the wolf looked into his eyes, it stopped in his tracks and turned away.


    ¡°What, in the scorching sun?¡± Keithwood yelled out in shock.


    The wolf jumped backwards again and again. Arrows fell on its paw prints a secondter. The other wolf didn¡¯t move as another arrow with a brightly burning tip flew towards him.


    It missed the mark by a long way.


    The wolves didn¡¯t care about fire, and they only moved out of the way when the arrows were on target.


    <em>We have an archer with us, huh? That¡¯s good. But¡­</em>


    Even though the threat was far away, the wolves kept an eye on Keithwood. He knew what had happened when he saw this.


    <em>It not only dodged the arrows easily, but it also knew I was going to let it bite me to kill it, so it moved away. These are not your average wolves. They are taught how to fight.</em>


    They stood like warriors in wolf form, and the way they moved showed that they knew how swordsmen usually move.


    Keithwood saw that he wasn¡¯t fighting a pair of huge wolves. He was fighting against two well-trained soldiers who used their teeth and ws to fight. Plus, they were fast and strong like wolves.


    <em>It¡¯s going to be hard work to beat them. In that case¡­</em>


    He spoke to Sion without turning his head or letting his guard down.


    ¡°Milord, these aren¡¯t your typical wolves. It doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be able to beat them. Can I change my strategy and just drag it out?¡±


    ¡°¡­All right. I guess we don¡¯t need to try to get away right away if it¡¯s not really possible. Then we¡¯ll take our time with this. Keep at it.¡±


    Keithwood smiled to himself when he heard what Sion said.


    <em>Good thing he understood what I meant. Now, let¡¯s see if our expert opponent bites.</em>


    A growl stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Sorry to make you both wait.¡±


    He shrugged and focused back at the wolves.


    ¡°Still, even stalling for time is dangerous with these guys. Let¡¯s hope Ie out of this without any broken bones¡­ I swear, I don¡¯t make enough money doing this.¡±


    Bel, who had been watching from the sidelines, let out a squeal of joy.


    ¡°Omigosh omigosh! Miss-neesama, look! He is here! The Libra King! Herees the Libra King to save us!¡±


    Sion Sol Sunnd, the person she looked up to, had saved her. It would be silly to think that she wouldn¡¯t go crazy with joy.


    ¡°Oh, and Grandfather Abel is here, too!¡± she said, adding that more as a courtesy.


    Poor Grandfather Abel. The crazy love that Maniabel had for him would never be his. In any case, the arrival of extra help had made her feel much better.


    ¡°Now that help hase, perhaps¡­¡±


    They might be able to go back and save Citrina. That thought gave her a new boost of happiness.


    Bel, on the other hand, didn¡¯t get as dirty when she fell off the horse as Mia did. She was still mostly presentable.


    She moved out of the way because she was smart enough to notice Kun¡¯s nostrils moving and did so quickly.


    Never say that Bel¡¯s grandmother didn¡¯t teach her anything. She changed the idea behind Mia First to fit Bel First, at least when it came to staying away from horse snot.


    ¡°Yaaaay! Go go Libra King! Mia-neesama,e on, let¡¯s cheer together. Yaaaay! Go go Libra King!¡±


    While Bel pumped her fists in the air like a cheerleader, Mia, the mud princess lifted hers unenthusiastically and said, ¡°Yaaaay¡­¡±

 Chapter 347

    <strong>A Barely Satisfying Ending</strong>


    <em>Ugh¡­ Why me?</em>


    Even though Mia was used to Kun¡¯s sneezes by this point, they still made her feel bad every time.


    <em>W-Well, he did help me in a lot of ways¡­ I guess I can¡¯tin. Abel is also here to save me, now that I think about it. I need to cheer him on.</em>


    She took a quick look at Bel, who was pumping her little fists in the air with excitement.


    <em>I would have liked to have done it in a more presentable way, though. This was supposed to be the big moment. The most important part of the story is when the knightes to save the princess. If only the princess wasn¡¯t drenched and covered in slime, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad¡­</em>


    She felt sorry for herself for a while, but then she decided to think more positively.


    <em>No, I¡¯m not doing this right. I¡¯m still the heroine in this story, no matter what, so I need to get my act together!</em>


    She smacked her cheeks to wake them up and raised her voice.


    ¡°Show them what you¡¯ve got! I¡¯m rooting for both of you!¡±


    With the self-proimed heroine cheering him on, Abel went on the attack.


    ¡°Take this!¡±


    Again, he used his signature move, which was an overhead stance. The motion was the same as before. The man in the mask almost rolled his eyes at the same old thing.


    ¡°Fool¡­¡±


    He huffed disdainfully and got ready to take a side step to avoid the vertical hit. Predictability was the bane of a swordsman, especially against an exceptionally skilled opponent.


    Abel knew this very well, of course. Even so, he was set on the overhead swing.


    Was it just being stubborn?


    Of course not. He did it because he knew his swings were deadly.


    ¡°Fool?¡± The word made Abel smile. ¡°We¡¯ll find out who¡¯s stupid.¡±


    His enemy had thought he was a fool, which gave him a chance.


    The next second, the man in the mask¡¯s eyes grew twice as big.


    ¡°How¡ª¡±


    The sword of Abel became a blur. It fell much harder and much faster than before.


    The man didn¡¯t get hurt because he sidestepped, but half of his mask flew off in the wind.


    It was Abel¡¯s most powerful swing ever, much stronger than hisst one. It was a pure offensive move, with no way to defend or move on if the opponent dodged. It left him wide open and unable to defend himself against an attack from his enemy. No smart fighter would do something like that without a good reason.


    Abel had a good reason to do it.


    ¡°It kind of leaves you hanging, doesn¡¯t it, Abel? Not the smartest thing to do, in my opinion.¡±


    Sion stepped in to fill the fatal hole left by the attack.


    The man in the mask, who was already moving to fight back, tsked and backed away.


    ¡°No. Not if you¡¯re not here, Sion,¡± Abel said with a quick smile. ¡°Which means I¡¯ll go all out the whole way.¡±


    People could take what he said as a sign that he trusts his friend. If he left himself open, he knew that Sion would cover for him.


    But it also meant something more than that. He also had faith that Sion would take his ce if he fell.


    Before, Abel¡¯s death would have meant that Mia would also die.


    Now, no longer. Now that Sion was there, Abel could try for more.


    If the man in the mask got away, he could try to kill Mia again. It would be better to stop the threat here, even if he had to risk going too far. After all, even if he died¡­


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± he said. Sion stopped him. ¡°Abel, if you think you can beat this guy at the cost of your own life, then you should back off.¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound joking at all.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s strange,¡± Mia said in a low voice.


    Both princes were fighting at the same time. They fought together and put their lives at risk to protect her. That was something to look forward to. Which she did, thinking silly things like¡­


    <em>Mmm¡­ It¡¯s nice to know that they¡¯re fighting for me.</em>


    Abel¡¯s face showed that he was very focused. Even that was a sight to see.


    But even Sion did everything he could to protect her. She felt like the main character in a love story. It all seemed like a dream, and that made her forget that her life was still very much in danger.


    She started to feel at ease with what was going on. In fact, it was a little too cosy.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong¡­¡±


    She frowned and tried to figure out what was making her feel strange. Almost like she didn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t fit in. She kept her eyes on the two princes.


    ¡°It kind of leaves you hanging, doesn¡¯t it, Abel? Not the smartest thing to do, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°No. Not if you¡¯re not here, Sion.¡±


    Friendship was on full disy in front of her, and it was a beautiful sight. Two handsome princes fought side by side, trusting each other and joking with each other. She watched, interested in what was going on, until she had an idea.


    <em>Wait! Wait! Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be the heroine in this story.</em>


    They were fighting for her. She was meant to be the star of the show. So why did she feel like she didn¡¯t fit in? Until just now, everything in the story pointed to the two knights in shining armour riding in to save the princess as the story¡¯s climax.


    Which had taken ce.


    Kind of.


    The knights came on horseback, but the princess left the stage. Now, everyone was looking at how well the two of them got along, and no one was paying any attention to her.


    <em>Wh-Why do I feel like I¡¯ve been in this situation before? When did it happenst? Hmm¡­ Oh, I remember! When we were making sandwiches at the time..</em>


    Memories of her marginalisation in the culinary taskforce resurfaced. She vowed to get back to being the heroine of the moment so she wouldn¡¯t have to go through that demoralising experience again.


    Then, remembering her present appearance, she promptly rescinded her oath and hung her head.


    <em>Well, yeah, I almost forgot. How can I be the heroine when I look like this?</em>


    She looked at the snot and mud on her clothes with a sad face.


    ¡°Abel, if you think you can beat this guy at the cost of your own life, then you should back off.¡± said Sion as he pressed his sword into the foe¡¯s.


    He pushed hard and got the wolfmaster to leave the other prince alone.


    Abel asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    He straightened up and was ready to join the attack as soon as a chance came up. But Sion didn¡¯t give him that chance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose sight of the goal. We aren¡¯t here to beat up on this guy. The goal is to get everyone back to Saint-Noel alive.¡±


    ¡°However, this man is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look at her! Do you see the expression on her face?¡±


    It took Abel a moment to figure out what he meant, but once he did, he turned quickly towards Mia. He didn¡¯t notice she had fallen silent.


    Not too long ago, she was cheering for them. Now, her eyes were sad, and she looked like she was about to cry.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see how sad she is?¡± Sion asked, ¡°Why do you think she feels that way? Because you don¡¯t care about your life!¡±


    The words cut Abel¡¯s heart more deeply and sharply than any sword ever could. Mia would never do or want something like trying to get an advantage at the cost of life. She hated the waste of life more than anything else.


    ¡°Man, think! Consider how she wants you to fight. Then, if you think you are able to do it¡­ If you can give her joy instead of sorrow, then,e and fight by my side.¡±


    Sion jumped away from the masked man, as if to give himself a break, but then he ran right back in. His unpredictable style and quick movements made it hard for his opponent to keep track of him.


    But just for a second.


    The masked man was ready for the feint and hit, and he hit back with his own blow.


    The night was filled with the sound of steel on steel.


    <em>I see. I¡­ I almost broke Mia¡¯s heart¡­</em>


    Abel looked at Mia, who smiled at him in a way that showed she liked him.


    <em>I let my anger take over, and then I couldn¡¯t see anything else. Luckily, Sion was here. I owe him one.</em>


    He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. Then he raised his voice.


    ¡°I am Abel Remno, and I fight to protect those I hold dear!¡±


    At this point, it¡¯s hardly worth mentioning that Mia hadn¡¯t all of a sudden be a master of martial arts as well.


    The way Abel was fighting made it clear that she couldn¡¯t figure out what was on his mind. Frankly, all his sword swings were just blurs to her eyes and therefore looked the same, no matter the motivation behind them.


    Sad to say, no one had the time to point out that Sion¡¯s reasoning was wrong in this obvious way. A missed opportunity, truly.


    The princes fought as a team because they had spent so much time training together. They knew each other¡¯s habits because they had practised together. The fact that their sword styles went well together helped them even more.


    Abel¡¯s blows were strong and well-nned. Their power was huge, but they couldn¡¯t do many different things. He didn¡¯t try to figure out how to beat his opponents. Instead, he just used a lot more force than they could handle. He had a simple style.


    Yes, his enemies were able to guess what he would do, but so were his allies.


    And on his side was Sion Sol Sunnd, a swordsman who was known for how many different ways he could use his skills. It was easy for him to change his style to match Abel¡¯s.


    Abel¡¯s crushing blows could break the opponent¡¯s guard, and then Sion¡¯s shifting blows would take advantage of the opening.


    Theirbined attack was perfect, never-ending, and very effective.


    ¡°Formidable¡­¡±


    The wolfmaster muttered a grudging acknowledgment. He wasn¡¯t really losing the fight. Neither prince was truly his equal in skill, and every two or three exchanges, his de would draw blood. The wounds he gave them did not stop them from attacking, though. They only added red mists in the shape of crescents to everything they did. If they kept fighting like this, he would definitely kill them both at some point. The problem was that it would take time. He wanted to call his wolves back, but Sion¡¯s servant was keeping them upied.


    ¡°¡­The situation has changed.¡±


    He looked up at the night sky and made a clicking sound with his tongue. The light of the morning just barely changed the colour of its starry canvas.


    He had kept his ears open even when he was in the middle of a battle. And he¡¯d heard the brief exchange between Sion and his attendant.


    <em>If they¡¯re stalling for time¡­then backup must be on the way.</em>


    It was hard to imagine there wouldn¡¯t be. This was an assassination attempt at the Tearmoon Princess. They would definitely respond with force.


    He was skilled, but it would be nothing but folly to challenge a furious retinue of imperial pursuers in directbat. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time here and risk capture.


    ¡°¡­Time to go.¡±


    He shouted amand at his wolves, prompting Abel to sh at him again.


    He met the blow with a heavy ng. As their swords shed, the prince red at him.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll just let you go like that?¡±


    The wolfmaster let out a snort.


    ¡°I am leaving. You may attempt to stop me, Second Prince of Remno, but know that it will cost you a limb or two.¡±


    He kicked the boy in the stomach and used the force of the kickback to move away from him.


    Swiveling, he leapt fluidly onto a shadowy form¡ªhis trusty steed¡ªthat had appeared out of the dawning blue.


    No one tried to pursue him as he rode away.


    No one went after him, because no one could. Abel and Sion watched as the wolfmaster got farther away.


    When the man¡¯s shape disappeared into the shadows around him, they fell to the ground.


    ¡°Scorching sun¡­ He finally left¡­ Ugh, it hurts everywhere.¡±


    Sion took a deep breath out. His body let go of all the stress. As soon as it was empty, a wave of pain came and filled the space.


    He grimaced.


    ¡°What a wild thing¡­ Don¡¯t you think that man could give Sir Dion a run for his money?¡± Abel asked with a wince. ¡°By the way, are there really more peopleing?¡±


    ¡°None at all.¡±


    They gave each other knowing looks.


    ¡°It was a bluff, of course,¡± said Sion with a shrug. ¡°There wasn¡¯t time. In fact, we need to head back to Saint-Noel soon so I can put together a pursuing party.¡±


    ¡°Are you two okay?!¡±


    Just then, he heard Mia¡¯s voice and then the sound of her feet moving quickly towards him.


    When he turned around, he saw Bel following her on a horse with Anne and Tiona. Thankfully, Bel wasn¡¯t able to take her. Behind them, a bow-carrying Liora was running towards them as well.


    He looked at the girlsing towards him for a second. Abel also did.


    Eventually, they shared a wryugh.


    Keithwood, who was also in a lot of pain, joked, ¡°Did the pain make you crazy, milord, or is there something funny about this situation that I¡¯m missing?¡±


    The teeth and ws had done damage to both flesh and fabric. He was just as much of a bloody mess as the princes.


    ¡°I promise you, Keithwood, my head is fine. And so is your sense of humour. I was just wondering how we fared in the eyes of our good princess with regard to the way in which we resolved this incident. I do think we¡¯ve done well enough to at least get a passing grade. Right, Abel?¡±


    The two princes shared anotherugh.


    This time it was far removed from the danger and bloodshed of the world.

 Chapter 348

    Barbara See¡¯s Through Mia¡¯s n (What n?)


    When the wolfmaster came back, the sun was just starting toe up. He got off the horse, he gave a quick and brief report.


    ¡°They escaped. We¡¯ve failed.¡±


    Barbara let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Bah, I knew it, but good grief¡­¡±


    She walked up to Citrina, who was standing alone and looking bored, and hit her in the face.


    ¡°Ow¡ª¡±


    It was a short, sharp sound. Caught off guard, Citrina lost her bnce. A violent tug on her arm put her back on her feet. Barbara pulled her close.


    ¡°Cursed child¡­ Useless¡­¡±


    She was going to hit her again when the wolfmaster stopped her.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time. The enemy is getting help. They¡¯ll soone after us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Helping? Do they now? Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°No one in particr. They talked about wasting time.¡±


    ¡°Stalling¡­ Since they said it where you could hear it, it¡¯s likely a trick. This is why I hate working with people who think with their swords instead of their brains. Stupid. So stupid,¡± Barbara spat, and then she pushed Citrina¡¯s shoulder hard.


    Citrina fell backwards andnded on her tailbone, which hurt. With one hand, she nursed the pain while the other held her swollen cheek.


    ¡°And you,dy, what a stupid thing you¡¯ve done. So stupid.¡±


    Barbara looked down at her full of contempt.


    Citrina made no reply. She instead spoke in a quiet whisper.


    ¡°So¡­ Bel got out of there safely¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you be sopletely stupid?¡± Barabara asked again. You¡¯ve been had, mdy. You fell for the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s clever words.¡±


    ¡°Did she? How so?¡± The wolfmaster asked the question.


    She gave him a roll of the eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that clear? The moral pressure was used by the princess. She exploited Mdy¡¯s sense of right and wrong to manipte her.¡±


    ¡°Exploited her? How?¡±


    ¡°Do you still not remember what the princess did? She looked at mdy straight in the eye and told her, ¡®I believe in you.¡¯ Right after she was shown irrefutable proof that Mdy had been lying to her the whole time. In that situation, who in their right mind would say that? No one. Unless they had a different reason. Don¡¯t you see? All of this is the princess¡¯s n. By giving mdyplete trust, she hoped to make her conscience so heavy that it would crack. And she did well. Because she saw how weak this worthless child¡¯s will is¡­¡±


    ¡°Barbara, that¡¯s not true¡­ It was not a trick. She had faith in Rina. She honestly bel¡ª Mmm!¡±


    A hand closed around Citrina¡¯s cheeks and stopped her. She didn¡¯t try to fight back when Barbara pulled her face close to hers and red at her. In the end, her look of resignation made the annoyed attendant sigh.


    ¡°Ugh, I should have stopped training you to be a Serpent a long time ago. A real Serpent wouldn¡¯t have cared about such things, of course. But a Serpent failure like you can¡¯t help but fall under her spell. Oh, you awful thing¡­ Oh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Barbara stopped and smiled as an idea came to her.


    ¡°That smoke¡­ How did you learn to do that? Did the princess teach you?¡±


    Citrina¡¯s silence after that was enough of an answer.


    Barbara shook her head.


    ¡°Which means that, because you helped her get away, the Great Wisdom of the Empire decided to let you off the hook in this case. By doing this, she¡¯s done you a bigger favour than you¡¯ve done her, and she ns to use this debt to get the House of Yellowmoon for herself. After all, the Duke of Yellowmoon is at best average and mediocre, just like you. I don¡¯t think it will be hard for the princess to persuade him.¡±


    The wolfmaster¡¯s eyes got narrow.


    ¡°Then what are we going to do with the girl? Kill her and give the wolves her body? We could also let everyone see the body. It will send a message. Traitors must be killed no matter what.¡±


    He reached for the handle of his sword, but Barbara stopped him by shaking her head slowly.


    ¡°People like you may not understand logic, but I can tell you that what you want to do is not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Why? Kill her to make a point. It will send a strong message to those who are against us.¡±


    ¡°Do you have those ears for show? Remember, if you can, how the princess said that even if she died here, that wouldn¡¯t be the end of her?¡±


    He looked at her with doubt.


    ¡°I do remember. But surely that¡¯s just the empty threat of a cornered prey.¡±


    Barbara shook her head again.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot wrong with the way you think. No, of course not. Or are you really saying that the Great Wisdom of the Empire, who put down the Tearmoon and Remno revolutions before they got started, would use thenguage of a sore loser?¡±


    She asked, and the sarcasm in her voice showed that she was sure of the answer.


    ¡°What did she mean then?¡±


    ¡°The wise know how to make use of death. There have been a few kings in history who were so smart that they even used their own deaths to help their grand ns move forward. I fear our particr Wise Princess was nning something simr. She almost certainly nned to use the fact that she was going to die soon in some way. The simplest possibility thates to mind would be¡­a banner, for example. Her death could strengthen the bonds between her allies¡­perhaps even rally them further against us in their anti-Serpent efforts. Even so, the princess was sure that her will would not die, even if her body did.¡±


    After all of that talking, Barbara put her hand around Citrina¡¯s thin neck.


    ¡°Nngh¡­¡±


    Her nails dug into the soft skin, making the person grimace.


    ¡°And those who would get something out of their own deaths would never let someone else¡¯s death go to waste, right? If mdy dies, the princess will have another weapon to use against us. Don¡¯t you see? If we kill mdy here, we will be giving her what she wants. She will use it to make people want to get even.¡±


    Barbara looked at Citrina straight in the eyes.


    ¡°The Duke of Yellowmoon loves his daughter a great deal. If you kill her, he wille after us. You can be sure that the Great Wisdom of the Empire won¡¯t miss out on such a great chance to build up her army.¡±


    ¡°What do we do then? Take her with us and teach her to be a killer?¡± the wolfmaster asked with furrowed brows.


    Barbara rolled her eyes.


    ¡°In case you forgot, that¡¯s what got us here in the first ce. We don¡¯t need a killer who can¡¯t even kill her own friend. She would only cause trouble.¡±


    She let go of Citrina quickly and casually, as if she hadn¡¯t just been trying to strangle the girl.


    ¡°But she isn¡¯t worthless. We can still use her, but we have to do it the right way. We will make this girl the knife that cuts the ties between Mia Luna Tearmoon and her friends.¡±


    She looked at Citrina again with a wicked smile.


    ¡°Traitors must be killed. That should be obvious. But we also need to make good use of their death. Any way you look at it, we should run away before they send men after us. Time is running out, and I¡¯ll need a lot of it to get everything ready¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, they did send men, so Barbara¡¯s ns would fall apart quickly. A lot sooner than she had thought. They didn¡¯t go after her, though.


    Instead, they were strategically ced somewhere else.


    Together with Citrina and the wolfmaster, Barbara left Belluga and headed north. Soon, they reached the border with Sunnd, but it was already guarded by Sunnd cavalry. The cement was so perfect that it was as if someone had known exactly where they were going to try to escape and put up a blockade to stop them.


    In fact, Mia and her friends did note up with this smart n. They didn¡¯t have enough time to go back to Saint-Noel and give the necessary orders. Even her reliable right hand, Anne, who worked hard behind the scenes and often set the stage for future sess, couldn¡¯t take credit for it.


    No, this is what her left hand, Ludwig, made.


    Barbara looked at how exactly their path to safety was being taken apart and smiled.


    ¡°Mia Luna Tearmoon, do you think you¡¯ve put us in a corner with this?¡±


    The patrol troops of Sunnd were not easy to beat. The wolfmaster might still be able to break through their lines on his own, but with her and Citrina along, it would be impossible.


    After quickly figuring out what was going on, Barbara made a choice.


    ¡°Well, since it¡¯se to this, I guess I don¡¯t have much of a choice¡­ I would give my life to make enemies of the Serpents fight each other.¡±


    So, the wolfmaster and Barbara went their separate ways. Barbara took Citrina with her as she went towards the Yellowmoon domain, which was the only ce that could still give them an advantage and a safe ce to stay.


    Barbara didn¡¯t know it, but the path to the Yellowmoons had been left unguarded on purpose. It was a hole in the capturing that was getting tighter and tighter.


    And Mia had no idea that her left hand had been especially busy in the background this time.


    Both of them didn¡¯t know that dawn was slowly breaking over the long night of conspiracy.

 Chapter 349

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Blissful Bath Time</strong>


    ¡°Phew!¡± The first thing Mia did when she got back to Saint-Noel was, of course, take a long bath.


    For her sake, it should be noted that she hadn¡¯t forgotten about Citrina. The boys took it upon themselves to put together a search party. When they saw how dirty she was, the three gentlemen told her to take a bath and rest.


    Mia didn¡¯t know much about military deployment andmand, so she would just get in the way if she stayed. She would have been better off letting them do all the work. Which she was happy to do.


    Before running straight to the bath, she had asked Bel to join her, but the younger girl was so worried about Citrina that she went with the boys instead.


    They were probably in a room with Rafina by now, talking about all kinds of serious things. Which made Mia even happier to be somewhere else.


    As she entered the bathing room, a cloud of steam surrounded her. ¡°Aaah¡­ Nothing calms a girl down like a warm bath¡ªHuh?¡±


    She frowned when she smelled something. It smelled good and came from the bath. ¡°This¡­smells like princess roses? Mmm, it smells pleasant. But from where does ite? Did someone put bath salt in it?¡±


    Mia¡¯s mind was already done for the day at this point. After a long night of near-death experiences, she was fully in ¡°epilogue mode,¡± which turned off all of her danger sensors.


    Which was too bad, because if she had left even a small crew on the bridge, they would have reminded her where princess roses were grown in Saint-Noel and what it would mean for her to meet the caretaker of that secret garden alone right now.


    She should have known these things, but her tired senses made her think about something else. ¡°Bath salt¡­ That reminds me, Rina gave me some once, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    The kind-hearted girl had given Mia a special blend of salts that helped with tiredness when she saw her tired after riding practise. Not too long ago, that girl got out of a bad situation by using the same herbs that make smoke.


    Citrina had saved her life for sure. She owed her a lot.


    ¡°This means that Barbara is probably the main bad guy in this situation, and Rina was forced to do what she did. Then, right at the end, she turned on Barbara to save me. That must have what happened.¡±


    In trying to figure out what happened, Mia came to the conclusion that Citrina, knowing what Barbara was trying to do, must have asked Chloe ahead of time to give her some smoke-making bath salt that she had kept for emergencies.


    ¡°I need to pay her back. And in order to do that, I must first save her. If not for me, then for Bel.¡± Citrina was the best friend of her beloved granddaughter. That was enough for Mia to want to save her.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± she muttered as she started to clean up before her bath. Usually, Anne would be standing nearby, ready to help at any time. Right now, though, she went back to their room to get a change of clothes, leaving Mia alone in the bath room.


    As she worked the soap into a goodther and started rubbing it all over her body, she suddenly noticed something. ¡°¡­My, how strange. My arms seems a little jigglier than they should be.¡±


    A quick review of recent events showed snapshots of the enemy rider easily catching up to her and Kun, followed by a montage of her ¡°living in the moment¡± phase and the diet it had required.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m probably just imagining things. Me? Jiggly? Nonsense. I¡¯m not jiggly. I can¡¯t get jiggly because of my body.¡±


    Her obsession with the word kept her from noticing something more important. How quickly her mind yed back recent memories, starting with Citrina, then riding Kun, and then moving on to the decadent glory of her days of living in the moment¡­


    It was scary, like how someone¡¯s life would sh before their eyes when they were about to die.


    Without this knowledge, she didn¡¯t know that her subconscious was trying to tell her that she was in grave and immediate danger. Just as she finished rinsing the shampoo out of her hair and was enjoying the feeling of being clean, the door to the chamber opened suddenly.


    She looked over when she heard a noise and thought Anne hade back.


    She was not ready for what she saw because she was not on guard.


    Anne wasn¡¯t the one who walked in, but¡­


    ¡°Gosh, Mia. Nice to see you,¡± Rafina Orca Belluga said with a smile.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good to see you, too, Miss Rafina.¡±


    In fact, Mia wasn¡¯t ready for anything, so she didn¡¯t do anything at all, whether it was fight or flight or something else. Even her instincts to stay alive had left her.


    <em>She must have been very busy with the ceremony and everything else. Then she probably had to deal with Abel and the others asking her to put together a search party¡­ Being the daughter of Duke Belluga isn¡¯t easy, is it?</em>


    Mia jumped into the pool as Rafina washed her hair. As she stepped into the water, a lovely scent filled her nose, which made the feeling even better.


    ¡°Ooof,¡± she groaned as she stretched out her arms and legs in her usual old man way.


    ¡°Aaaah,¡± she sighed.


    <em>It feels great. So good it¡¯s hard to exin. I can feel the stiffness melting away in my joints¡­ A good bath really is the best thing ever.</em>


    Rafina spoke as she took in the moment: ¡°So? How do you like my unique blend of bath salts?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is great. Did you make this?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Rafina said with a giggle. ¡°It helps a lot with tiredness. Just takes the tiredness right out of you¡­¡±


    For some reason, when she said this, Mia felt a chill go up her spine. It was an eerie experience. She was all wet from the bath. She felt the heat all over her body. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    <em>What on the moons was that?</em>


    Before she coulde up with anything else, Rafina said, ¡°After all, you look so tired today. So I put together this blend just for you.¡±


    She turned around as soon as she was done washing her hair and looked right at Mia.


    ¡°I heard that your day off the ind was very exciting. I think it had something to do with a death-defying adventure?¡±


    A slow, humourless smile crept across her lips, making Mia shudder again.


    <em>W-Wait¡­ I-Is she angry?</em>


    After a long time, she finally realised what her situation meant. She was alone in the bathhouse with Rafina, who for some reason was very angry.


    So, she was in a lot of trouble.

 Chapter 350

    <strong>It¡¯s Spreading¡­ Even Allies¡­</strong>


    Rafina got up after she was done washing her body. She walked towards the pool with measured steps and the air of a lion baring its teeth.


    <em>Eeeek! She is! She¡¯s definitely angry! Very very angry!</em>


    Just thinking about that was enough to wake her brain up. It worked quickly and furiously to try to figure out why Rafina sounded so angry. It soon came up with an answer.


    <em>Ye-Yes, that¡¯s right! Party time! Miss Rafina was excited about the stew party we were going to have today.</em>


    She thought back to how excited Rafina had been when she talked about the stew party that the student council had nned for tonight. That was obviously no longer happening.


    Mia figured that Rafina¡¯s anger must be about the loss of the stew party. Mia wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t her fault that the party was cancelled, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t help to try to reason with someone who was angry.


    <em>Granted, I don¡¯t me her for getting so angry. It¡¯s totally fine to lose your cool because a mushroom stew party didn¡¯t happen. After all, they¡¯re really tasty.</em>


    Mia thought.


    <em>Hm, this also makes me think that Miss Rafina is a secret foodie like me.</em>


    She took a quick look at Rafina¡¯s middle and gasped! Because Rafina¡¯s stomach was t as a pancake!


    <em>It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ If she likes food as much as I do, she wouldn¡¯t be¡­</em>


    Mia pinched her own sides. She shook her head and let out a sigh that was full of all the wrongs in the world.


    <em>But that doesn¡¯t matter.</em>


    She brought her thoughts back on track.


    <em>I¡¯ve made a terrible mistake. This was not the time to take a long bath. Before doing anything else, I should have gone with everyone to say sorry to Miss Rafina.</em>


    But it was toote to make up for that mistake. Even worse, she ran into Rafina in a ce where they would be alone. Totally unlucky.


    <em>No¡­ Not unlucky. This was on purpose. She herself said so. She owns the bath salt. So, this was her trap, and I fell right into it¡ªYep!</em>


    She jumped when she heard a small ssh. She looked in that direction with worry and saw Rafina getting into the water.


    ¡°Phew¡­ You are correct. It has a nice smell. Very¡­calming. For your head.¡±


    Rafina let out a soft sigh and stretched.


    <em>D- Doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s so angry she needs aromatherapy to calm down?</em>


    Mia also started to make sshing sounds, but hers were caused by her uncontroble shivers of fear.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s time for me to go then¡­¡±


    She tried to get away right away. No matter what happens, it can¡¯t be worse than being stuck here with an angry Rafina and no one else.


    ¡°Mia? Isn¡¯t it a little early to leave? Will you stay a little longer?¡±


    Mia¡¯s wrist was grabbed by a thin hand that reached up from the water. Then there was a quiet giggle.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great to take a bath with a friend? What¡¯s the big deal? Or am I¡­¡±


    Rafina quickly turned around to face Mia.


    She looked up at her with wide eyes and asked, ¡°Am I not your friend, Mia?¡±


    Her smile was no longer there. Her eyes were locked on you in what could only be called a fierce re.


    ¡°Of course, Miss Rafina, you are. You¡¯re my dear friend.¡±


    Mia jumped back into the pool quickly. She started to sweat, and it had nothing to do with how hot the room was.


    ¡°Am I? I could have been fooled¡­ I was sure you¡¯d stopped being friends with me¡­¡±


    Rafina said this with a strange head-tilt and a hand on her cheek.


    ¡°A-Absolutely not!¡±


    Mia said it very strongly.


    ¡°I like you, Miss Rafina! A friend who is very important!¡±


    ¡°Then why? Why did you walk alone into danger without telling me anything?¡±


    Mia then saw that Rafina¡¯s eyes had a clear sign of tears in them.


    ¡°Eh? U-Uh¡­ Miss Rafina?¡±


    ¡°You told me that I shouldn¡¯t keep everything. You told me to share my problems with others. But when it¡¯s your turn, you just¡­ How could you¡­ Do you know how scared I was?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s voice trembled with emotion.


    Mia¡¯s brain shook because she was so confused. When did she ever tell Rafina to help carry some of her load? If Rafina was taking care of everything and doing a good job, Mia would love for her to keep doing it so she could take it easy.


    But she didn¡¯t say this out loud. Now that her danger sensors were working again, she knew that saying it would lead to a situation with ¡°me and my stupid mouth.¡±


    <em>Okay, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but for now I should just do what she says. That seems safe. After all, it does seem like she really cared about me.</em>


    She agreed and said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about how things have turned out. Even though I didn¡¯t have much choice, it¡¯s true that I made you worry¡­¡±


    Silence ensued.


    The way Rafina looked at her made her hold her breath.


    Rafina finally shook her head.


    ¡°I know¡­ Of course I do. You are not to me. You had to go alone to save Miss Bel, so you had no choice. Even so, I wish you would have said something. Anything. I knew you were in a lot of troubletely, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to help. I couldn¡¯t do anything. It was awful, and I never want to feel like that again,¡± she said as she let out what seemed like a lifetime¡¯s worth of anger.


    ¡°Miss Rafina¡­¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel moved by this honest disy of feelings. She was happy to find out how much Rafina cared about her.


    ¡°Bel told me some of the story. I can only guess how you felt when you found out that someone was nning to kill you. You must have been totally stressed out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! It was awful. I¡¯m not sure how I got through it, to be honest¡­¡±


    Atst, someone knew how she¡¯d been feeling the past few days. She was so happy to have found someone who cared that she started to cry.


    However¡­


    ¡°You also couldn¡¯t tell anyone about it, right? For the sake of Miss Citrina. For the chance to bring her back from the brink.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    The conversation took a strange turn all of a sudden.


    <em>Bring her back from the brink? What in the moons does she mean?</em>


    Rafina didn¡¯t stop when Mia looked confused, she just kept going.


    ¡°By putting those bath salts in this pool that make smoke, you were showing Miss Citrina another way to go. You gave her a chance by leaving the door open. There was no way to know for sure if she could do it, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Your goal was to give her a chance to change her mind. And that¡¯s why you let the assassination plot happen, even though it meant you might die.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia became even more confused.


    In the meantime, Rafina¡¯s face became sad.


    ¡°Mia, you are a good person. How kind you are to other people and how willing you are to risk your life to help them are two of the best things about you. And I¡¯m even happier to be your friend because of it¡­ Still, it hurts. I feel bad that you left without saying goodbye. That I would let you. Even though I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to help you much if you hade to me, I still wish you had¡­¡±


    Rafina said, her voice getting softer and softer.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you can forget everything I just said. I apologise. It¡¯s just nonsense that a silly girl is mumbling. Mia, I¡¯m d you got home safely. That¡¯s more than enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Miss Rafina¡­¡±


    Mia was surprised by how honest her friend was being, and she took a deep breath.


    <em>What a relief! Thank the moons! It seems like she¡¯s not mad at all.</em>


    ¡°No, Mia, I won¡¯t give up. I¡¯ll keep improving. Until I be someone you¡¯d want to ask for advice. And the type of person who is qualified to give you that advice.¡±


    Rafina smiled.


    Even though it was a sweet smile, Mia felt a vague sense of dread when she saw it. She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on what was wrong, but she had the feeling that a serious misunderstanding had just urred. The kind of misunderstanding that caused her to have a lot of high hopes.


    Rafina gave her a reassuring nod when she gave her a worried look.


    ¡°Let us take care of the rest. Today, Mia, all you need to think about is getting a lot of rest. Monica is taking care of things right now, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. So, I guess I¡¯ll just go do that¡­¡±


    When Mia had the chance to turn off her brain, she did it right away. No matter what, she had made it through and was now safe and sound.


    <em>It¡¯s not like losing sleep over it will change much anyway.</em>


    She didn¡¯t lose sleep, either. After getting out of the pool, she went back to her room and crawled into bed. The heat from the bath was still on her body, so she slept like a rock for a whole day.


    ¡­Which was way too much sleep, but anyway.

 Chapter 351

    <strong>Breakfast Meeting</strong>


    ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia.¡± The sound of someone knocking and the mention of her name woke Mia up.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    She slowly got up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. She was happy to see her room, but something didn¡¯t feel right.


    <em>Huh, that¡¯s strange¡­ Anne would usually answer the door.</em>


    As she tried to get out of bed, she found out why.


    There was Anne, sleeping on the floor next to the bed in the fetal position.


    ¡°My¡­¡±


    The maid¡¯s soft, rhythmic breathing made Mia smile fondly.


    <em>She dide to my rescuest night, after all. She must be tired.</em>


    It should be said that Mia had a wrong idea about when things happened. It was morning the next day since that fateful night. She had slept for a whole day.


    During the Lost Day, Anne had worked as hard as she always did and hadn¡¯t cked off at all. But the time-bending princess didn¡¯t notice this.


    ¡°I do wonder, though. Why is she sleeping down there?¡±


    Of course, Anne normally slept in her own bed. Why was she sleeping on the ground next to Mia¡¯s house then?


    Mia pursed her lips in confusion, but then she had an idea: ¡°Maybe¡­because it¡¯s she¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll run away again.¡± Mia guessed that Anne had curled up next to her beloved princess without even changing into her pajamas.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mia thought about her options. She had made it a point to learn how to do most things on her own in case of an emergency. Tasks like putting on a new outfit were now easy. Usually, if Anne needed extra rest after a long day, she would let her sleep and get ready on her own before sending her out to greet the visitor.


    <em>But today¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should go off on my own. Anne might be upset if she wakes up and can¡¯t find me.</em>


    She shook Anne¡¯s shoulder and decided that she would y the selfish princess today out of consideration. So, after letting a sleepy-eyed Anne help her get dressed, Mia opened the door.


    Monica, Rafina¡¯s maid, came in with a message from her mistress.


    ¡°Mdy would like to invite you to a breakfast party, would you care to join.¡± Monica said.


    ¡°Did you say breakfast?¡± Mia rubbed her stomach to find out more.


    ¡°Hm¡­ I think I¡¯d like to eat something right now. This morning, my stomach feels more empty than usual. I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±


    The breakfast party was held in the Secret Gardens of the academy.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Rafina. Thank you very much for inviting me.¡± Mia said as she curtsied and looked around at the people who were there.


    All of the people who hade to help her were there. There was Abel and Sion. Also, Tiona and Bel. Keithwood and Liora were as well.


    Mia¡¯s mind went off when she saw this group of people. Getting these people together for breakfast means there¡¯s pretty much only one thing they¡¯ll talk about. She stayed alert until the food came.


    <em>Hmm, well. No matter what, I have to eat first. I am famished. I wonder why¡­</em>


    She reached across the table for the bread right away. She took a loaf and, with a satisfying crunch, broke it in half. From the middle, a wisp of hot air rose, carrying with it the sweet smell of freshly baked dough.


    She took a big gulp of air to show how hungry she was before tearing off a small piece and putting it in her mouth. The outside was crunchy, but the inside was soft and melted on her tongue.


    <em>Such delicious baking. The quality of the work is just amazing. Saint-Noel never fails to impress. Who would have thought that tasting a single piece of bread at Miss Rafina¡¯s breakfast party could have such profound experience?</em>


    Her mistaken fast for a day made everything taste five times better.


    Next, she took a big glob of the golden honey jam and spread it on the bread. A bite of fresh, crunchy sd went well with the extra sweetness. Then she took a sip of a rich soup with smoked meat and vegetables.


    Rafina spoke just as she finished putting a sweet piece of fruit in her mouth. ¡°Well, then, everyone, are we ready to get down to business? As I¡¯m sure you can all guess, the reason I brought you all here today is to talk about what happened on the day of the Holy Eve Festival. Monica?¡±


    On cue, Monica walked up to the table and bowed her head. ¡°First, I think it¡¯s time for an update on Lynsha,¡± the maid said. ¡°Luckily, her wounds were not too bad. She got treatment, and the next day she was able to go about her normal life.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I went to see her this morning.¡± Bel smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m so d she¡¯s okay.¡±


    Then she took a few breaths and lowered her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m d¡­at least Lynsha is okay.¡±


    ¡°Bel,¡± Mia whispered when she saw that the young girl hadn¡¯t touched her breakfast. She grabbed the jar of honey next to her and put it in front of Bel, then said, ¡°It¡¯s not time to give up yet. Rina¡¯s not a lost cause. We can still save her. So for now, eat up and keep your head up.¡±


    ¡°Mia-neesama¡­¡± Bel looked up, and when she saw how little food was left in front of Mia, her eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. When I went to see Lynsha, I snacked on a lot of Perujin fruits that were given to her, and I¡¯m really full now¡­¡± Sheughed shyly. ¡°Perujin berries are very tasty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Bel.¡± This made Mia sure that the girl in front of her was indeed rted to her.


    <em>You¡¯re right. Nothing beats sugar in the morning.</em>


    Like grandmother, like granddaughter. Both liked sweets in the morning. And despite how it seemed at first, both of them had perfectly good appetites.

 Chapter 352

    <strong>Mia Pandemic ¨C Monica Realizes the Terrible Truth</strong>


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to what we were talking about,¡± said Monica. ¡°Citrina Yellowmoon, her attendant Barbara, and the man who controls wolves nned together to kill Princess Mia. We heard that they tried to run away toward Sunnd, but they ran into a patrolling Sunnd cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So they tried to cross the border into my country. But what is this about patrolling Sunnd cavalry?¡±


    Sion asked, raising an eyebrow. Monica smiled and said, ¡°Ludwig told us ahead of time that the wolf assassin was involved.¡±


    <em>Ludwig? </em>Mia thought back to a message she had gotten. <em>Oh, now that she says it, I do remember that Ludwig said someone had tried to kill him back in Tearmoon. </em>


    Ludwig¡¯s neat handwriting came back to her mind. The letter did talk about a killer who used wolves. Which was old news by now, but all through the fall, Mia had been thinking about how she was going to be killed on the night of the Holy Eve Festival. She didn¡¯t have much extra brainpower to think about all the letter¡¯s details.


    <em>Oops, that was a mistake. If I had known the enemy would bring wolves, I would have brought a meaty bone with me. ¡°Keep your eyes on the bone, dogs. Now, go get it!¡±</em>


    It was a pleasant vision, so she stayed with it a little longer, only stopping when the conversation caught her attention again.


    ¡°Also, the day before the festival, Ludwig sent us an urgent message telling us that the killer with wolves would travel through Belluga and get close to the border with Sunnd.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t aware of that,¡± Mia said. ¡°I did ask Ludwig to look into what the House of Yellowmoon had to do with the Chaos Serpents. If he found something while doing that, I wouldn¡¯t have much say in how he handled it.¡±


    ¡°I see. The information might have been so important that it needed to be sent right away. We got a letter from a messenger pigeon that was very short and to the point. It told how the wolf-man could get away and where guards should be put.¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire and the Holy Principality of Belluga were not too far away from each other. Even so, regr mail, which Mia often sent by horse, took days to get to its destination. On the other hand, messenger pigeons could do the same thing in much less time.


    Monica was basically giving Mia an excuse for why she knew something that Mia didn¡¯t. In reality, though, Mia had given Ludwig free reign over his investigation and wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered by it. Ludwig was the best vassal for someone like her who believed that she could answer all of his reports with ¡°Yes!¡± She would never dare criticize the way he handled things.


    <em>I have to say, though, that Ludwig is so reliable. As usual, if I leave it up to him, everything works out fine.</em>


    Mia smiled at that thought.


    <em>Princess Mia is quite a character. I¡¯d always known it, but¡­</em>


    As Monica gave her report, she grew to admire the princess more and more.


    Usually, the smarter a powerful person was, the more they micromanaged the people who worked for them. At the very least, they would keep an eye on everything. When subordinates did things without consulting their bosses first, they usually got in trouble. Mia¡¯s response, on the other hand, went against all logic.


    She didn¡¯t look anything but happy. In a way, it was a subtle but deep show of faith, one that could not have been done by someone who didn¡¯t haveplete faith in her subordinates. She had confidence in her subjects, because she knew they would do the right thing, and confidence in her own ability to follow up on them if they fail.


    Monica looked at Mia and saw her in a new way before saying, ¡°We contacted Sunnd after Ludwig¡¯s report.¡±


    Officially, Sunnd¡¯s spy agency, the Wind Crows, hadn¡¯t been working since the Remno incident. They got rid of all the White Crows who worked for them and were in the process of reorganizing. Realistically, the Kingdom of Sunnd couldn¡¯t afford to shut down their entire intelligencework all at once.


    A small group of people stayed on call and ready to help in case of an emergency. Monica sent a message, hoping it would be picked up by a Wind Crow agent. It was, and they responded right away. Without asking for more information, they sent out their fastest cavalry right away.


    Following Ludwig¡¯s orders, they set up camp in the ces he told them to and waited. The n worked out well. The enemy fell for the trap.¡±


    ¡°Really? Does that mean¡­¡± Bel¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement.


    But Monica¡¯s shake of the head put out her fire, ¡°Unfortunately, the enemy got away. The wolf-man got through our lines and went away. The carriage carrying the youngdy of Yellowmoon and her servant Barbara turned around and headed for Belluga. We think they are going to the Tearmoon Empire. In particr, the Yellowmoon domain.¡±


    ¡°They went back home? Seriously? That seems¡­well, kind of dumb. Are you sure that¡¯s what they¡¯d do? Abel asked.


    ¡°They were led to do so. Ludwig told us not topletely encircle the enemy because an enemy who is trapped is a more dangerous enemy. Instead, we did what he told us to do and left a gap toward Tearmoon as our forces closed in.¡±


    Abel nodded, showing that he understood. ¡°I see. Makes sense. I wouldn¡¯t want to force that man to make ast stand either.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Soldiers who have nowhere to go and nothing to lose can sometimes do a lot of damage before they die. If that assassin is a good fighter, it would be dangerous to corner him without being well-prepared. The cavalry we had on patrol didn¡¯t even manage to corner him in the first ce.¡±


    It was still worth it, though, because it meant that the wolfmaster could escape on his own. This turned out to be important because it split up the enemy and put Citrina, the one they wanted to get back, back in reach.


    As Monica thought through the logic, she suddenly had a chilling realization¡­


    <em>It¡¯s like¡­I¡¯m having d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This is happening exactly the same way as that time in Remno.</em>


    When she worked in Remno for the White Crow, Graham, she saw how the Great Wisdom of the Empire took apart the White Crows¡¯ n piece by piece; all the while putting it back together in a way that worked better for her. It was like watching a sleight-of-hand trick on the scale of a whole kingdom.


    She couldn¡¯t believe how everything just fit together in the end. For example, Ludwig¡¯s instructions would not have worked if the assassination attempt hadn¡¯t happened. Without a sessful encirclement, it would have been easy for the assassins from Tearmoon to get away. But that wasn¡¯t what happened.


    The assassination attempt happened, and the blockade had worked. In the end, Mia got exactly what she had hoped for. Was this an example of careful nning?


    Monica didn¡¯t think it was anything else. Of course, a part of her mind begged for reason.


    She didn¡¯t think it was possible for someone to have control over so many different factors. That kind of calction just couldn¡¯t be done. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t deny that the facts in front of her showed otherwise.


    Mia had been acting nervouslytely. That was a pretty clear sign that she knew about the plot against her.


    Then, the way she showed Citrina how the smoke-making bath herbs worked in the public baths showed that she had already figured out that her fellow countrywoman was involved. Still, she hadn¡¯t tried to stop their n right then, probably out of concern for Citrina. It was her way of giving her a chance to change her mind and win back her loyalty.


    And now, no matter how unlikely it all seemed, the truth was that Mia had stopped Citrina from being taken far away and instead put her in a ce that was easy to reach. After that, it should be said that Citrina¡¯s actions showed that she wanted to make amends.


    <em>¡°Everything Miss Mia did, she did to save Rina. I¡¯m positive!¡±</em>


    Bel¡¯s sure statement yed over and over inside Monica¡¯s head. She found it hard to argue with the girl.


    <em>It would take a little too much willful ignorance to think that all of this was just a coincidence.</em>


    She slowly turned her gaze towards Mia with a look of respect.


    ¡°¡­Princess Mia, how many steps ahead do you think?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t answer, and all she did was smile.


    <em>I should ask Rafina what she thinks about itter¡­ Maybe she¡¯ll be able to judge the princess¡¯s actions with more objectivity.</em>


    Monica did talk about it with Rafina afterward, but it only made bolstered her respect for Mia even more. In other words, it was business as usual.

 Chapter 353

    <strong>A World Without Punchlines</strong>


    At Saint-Noel Academy, it was time for the winter break after the Holy Eve Festival. In previous years, Mia always left for Lunatear ten days after the festival, and then attend her birthday festival.


    This year, she left early because she had to do something. Mia and her group didn¡¯t go to the imperial capital, but instead to the Rudolvon Outcounty. On their way to Tearmoon, they went through the south of Belluga.


    As a bit of trivia about time travel, it was the same path that the Sunnd army had taken when the empire had been destroyed by a revolution.


    From there, they moved in secret toward the Yellowmoon domain.


    <em>You know, there¡¯s something really satisfying about marching down this path. This is what I call poetic justice.</em>


    After all, the Chaos Serpents had gotten Mia in a corner through this route. Now she was using the same route to corner them. Every step she took made her happy to get back at them.


    They went around the Sealence Forest, then headed straight north. Soon, they reached a vige near the Yellowmoon capital.


    There, they met Ludwig and the Princess Guard, who were standing in a line at the vige entrance to greet her.


    ¡°We are overjoyed that Your Highness has returned safely,¡± Ludwig said as Mia got out of the carriage.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to be back.¡± Even though Mia tried to get Ludwig to stand up, he stayed on his knees and kept his head down, which made Mia frown. ¡°Is there something else you want to say?¡±


    After a short period of silence, Ludwig said, ¡°No, Your Highness,¡± in a serious voice. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything to defend myself. I can¡¯t make up for the bluner I made, and all I can do is apologize.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A blunder, you say?¡±


    ¡°Even though I knew that assassin¡¯s path would take him through Belluga, I wasn¡¯t able to keep Your Highness out of harm¡¯s way,¡± he said with regret in his voice. Mia¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw what was happening.


    <em>My! A glum Ludwig? Now, you don¡¯t see that every day! Fascinating!</em>


    She had no choice but to look.


    After all the lectures and scoldings he had given her in the previous timeline, seeing him dejected was a real change.


    <em>However, I can¡¯t just leave him like this. He doesn¡¯t look very productive. Soon, there will still be a famine, and I¡¯ll need him to be at his best¡­</em>


    She nodded to herself in thought.


    Then, in a soft voice, she said, ¡°Please stand up. If not for you, then do it for me. Ludwig, you are not to me for what you have just said. There will always be things that go against our expectations. And as you can see, I am safe and sound. Isn¡¯t this enough?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± He stayed on his knees.


    When she saw this, she put her hand under his arm and gently pulled it, which made him look up.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have time to split hairs right now,¡± she said. ¡°We have to get Citrina out of danger as soon as possible. I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d join me in the carriage and fill me in on what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Ludwig looked at her for a moment, then let out a short sigh. ¡°I thank you, Your Highness, for giving me this chance to make up for my mistakes,¡± he said, bowing his head again.


    ¡°Enough with the mistakes,¡± Mia said. ¡°Less atoning, more rescuing. Come on, hurry up.¡±


    As Ludwig got into the carriage, he looked around to see who was there. Prince Sion, his servant Keithwood, and Prince Abel were there. These were familiar faces.


    The fourth person, on the other hand, said, ¡°Pleased to meet you, Ludwig Hewitt. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Princess Mia.¡±


    Monica Buendia gave him a polite smile while wearing her maid¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Me, too, Miss Monica. We really appreciate the help you¡¯ve been giving us with this,¡± Ludwig said, returning her smile.


    After saying hello to the other passengers, his face changed. ¡°Now, excuse me for being so direct, but let¡¯s get down to business. I have it on good authority that Lady Citrina and her servant Barbara have already returned to the Duke¡¯s home.¡±


    As soon as he said that, tension filled the room.


    ¡°When you say ¡®returned,¡¯ do you mean that they are still there, Ludwig?¡± asked Abel. ¡°They¡¯re staying at Yellowmoon manor?¡±


    ¡°They got there yesterday,¡± Ludwig said with a nod.


    ¡°A trap, then? It looks like they¡¯re waiting for us,¡± Abel said with his arms crossed. ¡°I thought for sure they¡¯d try to raise an army out of desperation.¡±


    By taking Citrina back to the Yellowmoon domain with her, Barbara had already limited her own choices. They could either start a civil war in the empire or uproot their whole n and go live in hiding somewhere else.


    ¡°I thought they¡¯d just disappear,¡± Sion said. ¡°They might be one of the four, but I don¡¯t see how an open revolt could lead to anything but their own deaths right now. What would make them stand up? How many men could they get together without a good reason? It would waste the lives of soldiers. I think they¡¯d be better off hiding somewhere and figuring out what to do next¡­¡±


    Sion thought about that for a while before falling silent.


    The Serpents were scary because they didn¡¯t know who they were. Because they had no shape and were mysterious, they could be anywhere, just out of sight. Fear came from uncertainty. Also frustrating was the fact that they seemed to work mostly as a loose group of individuals who didn¡¯t tend to gather in one ce.


    Getting rid of one or two of them didn¡¯t change much about the group as a whole. Once the identity of a single Serpent was known, it was no longer a big threat.


    In a way, they were like a swarm of locusts. Getting rid of the whole swarm is hard, but a single locust doesn¡¯t pose much of a threat.


    ¡°Given that they¡¯re noting out of the manor,¡± Sion finally said, ¡°it might be a trap¡­¡±


    It was a tough situation that made everyone in the carriage frown, including Mia. For her, it was moreplicated than that. In a situation like this, she would usually just tell her father that someone tried to kill her. In response, he would definitely call up the army of the empire.


    Even the most clever traps couldn¡¯t stop an army from burning down the whole manor. However, if she did that, Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s family would be sentenced to death for their part in setting up the incident. Barbara and the rest of Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s family would all be put to death for their part in setting up the event.


    <em>I won¡¯t be able to save Rina.</em>


    She was thinking about Bel, who was sitting in the carriage behind them. She had to bring Citrina back safe and sound for the sake of her granddaughter.


    <em>Also, if we got the army involved, Duke Yellowmoon would probably raise his own troops.</em>


    She knew that if it came to war, her side would win, but that wouldn¡¯t mean a good future. If Duke Yellowmoon died, there would be a lot of chaos in his domain. People would die. Thend would be on fire. And the next war would be even harder to win, because the next war would be against the great famine.


    In other words, Mia saw this whole thing as just a warm-up battle.


    It was important to get as many advantages as possible for the real battle that wasing.


    Because of this, she couldn¡¯t pay for a big military campaign. If a fight couldn¡¯t be avoided, it had to be small and over quickly.


    The only forces she could move freely with were the Princess Guard and¡­ Dion.


    <em>The Princess Guard and Dion?</em>


    She asked herself.


    <em>Well, I mean, Dion¡¯s pretty much a one-man army anyway.</em>


    It makes sense to put him in the same group. While she was saying that Dion was more like a military unit than a person.


    Ludwig said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If problemse up, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re taken care of.¡± His voice was soft, but there was no doubt in it. ¡°Members of the Chaos Serpents are already being caught by the Princess Guard in the empire.¡±


    This made a lot of people gasp. Everyone in the carriage, with the exception of one person, knew how hard it was to find Serpents hiding among the people.


    Everyone wanted to know how it was done, so all eyes turned to Mia, who asked, ¡°Are they now? That¡¯s very reassuring! You did a great job.¡±


    She didn¡¯t ask any more questions and only said a few words of thanks. Still, no oneined about theck of details because they thought her ¡°let it go¡± attitude meant she hadplete faith in Ludwig¡¯s ability to do the job. They thought they had a simple, unspoken agreement: she told him what she wanted, and he made it happen.


    She put her faith in him, and he lived up to it.


    So, he didn¡¯t need to exin. Or, as some people then inferred, maybe she didn¡¯t ask because she already knew, and Ludwig was just following her detailed instructions.


    The truth, though¡­


    <em>My, it sounds like finding Serpents is pretty easy. That reminds me, wasn¡¯t the Holy Book of the Central Orthodox Church supposed to make them tell the truth? They sound like pushovers, to be honest. Maybe next time I should try reading to them.</em>


    ¡­was that Mia didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what was going on.


    She didn¡¯t care at all about how hard her subjects worked. And they had no idea how ungrateful she was.


    The rest of the people in the carriage came to their own wrong conclusions. To be honest, it was hard to tell if anyone got anything right.


    The whole conversation was a long joke that needed a punchline.


    But, sad to say, nobody was there to deliver it.

 Chapter 354

    <strong>Citrina¡¯s Homing</strong>


    Some going back in the story.


    It was the middle of the night when Barbara and Citrina got to Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s house.


    Lorenz, who had been walking around aimlessly in the courtyard while thinking, was totally caught off guard by this. He had to rush to get ready to greet his daughter.


    ¡°Come in,e in.¡± He said. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Oh, you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    As Barbara and Citrina walked into the manor, they were followed by three other guys. They were all armed, and each wore a mask with the same striking snake-like design around the eyes. Lorenz was used to people wearing masks. They were members of the Chaos Serpents, the destroyers of order. They are those who are willing to give their lives to help it reach its goals.


    Lorenz couldn¡¯t help but make a face. The wolfmaster was not like these men. They had a dark look to them. They smelled like death and rot. The idea of his daughter being around guys like that was very upsetting to him.


    Citrina stood still and looked upset. The dirt on her face and the mess on her clothing showed how quickly they hade back. She didn¡¯t look like she was hurt badly, but Lorenz thought she was about to fall apart. She didn¡¯t try to look up, even though her head was down.


    When he saw how tired she was, it broke his heart. He ran to her side, but was stopped by a de that was aimed at his nose.


    ¡°What the heck does this mean?¡±


    ¡°This girl has betrayed us because she is a fool, sir. She betrayed the Serpents,¡± Barbara hissed as she pushed Citrina in the back.


    Citrina fell to her knees, looking like a doll whose strings had been cut.


    ¡°Well, mdy? Do you not think you need to say sorry to milord? Your stupidity has caused him a lot of trouble. How do you n to make up for it?¡±


    Citrina gave a shiver. She finally turned around to face him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Rina did something stupid when she thought about friendship. I put my silly feelings first, and in the end, I helped Her Highness get away.¡±


    Her eyes were like dying fires, and tears fell from them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been such a useless daughter,¡± she said.


    ¡°Rina¡­ Come on, let¡¯s get you on your feet first.¡± Lorenz touched her shoulders with his hands. ¡°Out there, what happened¡ª¡±


    Barbara spat, ¡°Mdy¡¯s silly whims made it impossible for us to kill Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°What the heck¡ªyou tried to kill Princess Mia?!¡±


    Lorenz was shocked and stared at Barbara, but she just sighed.


    ¡°What a waste. We¡¯ve shown our hands. If someone tries to kill the princess, they can¡¯t let anyone see it. Even though it¡¯s an easy idea, Mdy seems to have missed it because she was too busy ying make-believe. If you had done what the Serpents told you to do, you would have done well as a Yellowmoon, but instead¡­¡±


    Barbara continued being mean to Citrina. She yed with her hair and twisted it around her fingers.


    ¡°W-well, well, what¡¯s failed is failed,¡± Lorenz said quickly, trying to change the subject. ¡°We can¡¯t do much about that now. Then, let¡¯s hurry up and make ns to get away.¡±


    ¡°Escape? What escape?¡±


    ¡°Our escape, of course! You can¡¯t possibly think of rebelling against the empire through a revolt!


    ¡±Barbara waved her hand and said, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll beat us, and that will be the end of us. An entirely useless attempt.¡±


    Even with their special private army, the Redmoons couldn¡¯t hope to fight the Imperial Army on their own. It would be suicide for the Yellowmoons, whose group was more of a loose crowd than a united front.


    ¡°Then why¡ª¡±


    ¡°What, sir, do you have to gain by running away? What will you and your sad daughter do after that?¡±


    Barbara grabbed Citrina¡¯s hair and pulled her face roughly close to hers.


    ¡°Ow¡ª¡±


    Citrina held back a scream of pain and closed her eyes.


    ¡°What can you even do while you¡¯re running?¡± Barbara yelled. ¡°What good are you? Are we going to teach you how to kill people and let you try again with the princess?¡±


    She let Citrina go just as forcefully before giving a shrug.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think this girl will ever turn into a Serpent. Not as long as she keeps her silly interest in meaningless things like friendship.¡±


    ¡°Then, D-Do you think we should face them here at the manor?¡±


    ¡°Do I? Let us consider your question. Do you think these guys will be able to beat her? After she has already beaten the wolfmaster, who was our best asset? No, their des won¡¯t cut the princess¡¯s blood,¡± she told her followers, shaking her head. ¡°Or, sir, do you know someone who can fight better than that cursed Dion ia?¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t believe so.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s clear that¡¯s not what I¡¯m suggesting,¡± he said.


    Before she went on, Barbara gave an unsettlingly sweet smile.


    ¡°A small bug doesn¡¯t fight a lion by standing up to it. It will just be broken. The only way a bug can hurt a lion is from the inside.¡± She turned slowly toward Lorenz and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Yellowmoons, you¡¯re worms, right? Poisonous ones. As the oldest of the loyal ones, you shouldn¡¯t let the lion¡¯s paw kill you for no reason. Instead, you should act like the deadly worms you are and get torn apart and eaten so that your poison can spread through your enemies. With that poison, you will ruin the princess¡¯s image and help the Serpents reach their goal.¡±


    Her smile turned gentle.


    ¡°All right¡­ Let us prepare, milord. Mdy too. We need to get ready to meet the Great Wisdom of the Empire, and it would be rude to do so in such dirty clothes. We¡¯ll be very nice to her, be on our best behavior, and wear our best clothes when we meet her. Anything we can do to make them suffer more because they have to make a choice is¡ªOh?¡±


    She cocked her head. ¡°By the way, sir, where is Bisset?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­ He told me he had to go do something.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Barbara chuckled. ¡°Even your butler has finally given up on you. My apologies, milord. But don¡¯t worry, because I and all the other Serpents will be with you until the end.¡±

 Chapter 355

    <strong>Barbara¡¯s Trap</strong>


    ¡°Your Majesty, we have arrived. Please watch your steps.¡±


    Mia¡¯s carriage got to Foret-Jaune, the capital of Yellowmoon, without much trouble. Even though guards stopped them for a regr check, they had no other problems getting to the town center, where Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s manor was.


    ¡°I thought there would be some resistance or At least one or two problems,¡± Sion said.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kind of weird how easy this trip was. Smells even more like a trap,¡± agreed Abel.


    Mia started to feel a little uneasy after hearing what the princes said.


    <em>They are right¡­ I guess I feel like something bad is going to happen. But where is ¡®Mr. I¡¯ll Go Where There¡¯s Danger?¡¯</em>


    She took a quick look around.


    Ludwig said, almost telepathically, ¡°If it¡¯s Sir Dion you¡¯re looking for, he¡¯s on a different mission right now.¡±


    ¡°Is he now?¡± I see. Hm¡­¡± She was really worried about breaking into Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s front door without Dion.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, I¡¯m sure Your Highness would rather have Captain Dion with you, but don¡¯t worry. No one will be able to touch you. Give us a little credit, would you?¡±


    Vanos, who was now captain of the Princess Guard, smiled at her to make her feel better.


    ¡°¡­Obviously, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll depend on you to keep me safe then.¡±


    She gave him a nod, but quickly added, ¡°But not by throwing your own lives away, okay? Even if it¡¯s for me. I want you to treat your lives like they are important, because they are.¡±


    Thement was made because she thought of another duke¡¯s daughter who had red hair.


    <em>Ruby will be very upset with me if this man dies for me¡­ I¡¯d rather not have to worry about that.</em>


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, we know. You don¡¯t have a single man under yourmand who will ¡®throw his life away,¡¯¡± Vanosughed. Mia didn¡¯t feelpletely at ease. Vanos seems like the kind of person who would jump into danger. I¡¯m sure he would take a sword for me. Oh stars, I wish Dion were here when things are like this. He would charge into an army and then whistle his way back.


    She let out a sigh and looked toward the house. At that very moment, someone came to the front door.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±She looked at the figure with wide-open eyes.


    ¡°Wee Your Majesty. Inside, Milord and Mdy are waiting for you.¡± Barbara, a Yellowmoon maid , stood there with her head bowed too low to be polite.


    The two princes grabbed their swords right away.


    ¡°You have a lot of guts to just walk out here like that.¡±


    With a smile, Barbara brushed off the open hatred. ¡°Prince Sion, if you want Lady Citrina to be returned to you unharmed, you should be careful about what you do from now on.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you want us to put down our weapons?¡± Sion gave her a sharp look, but she didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°I would never do something like that. That would be a vition of a royal right. Pleasee in with your arms out. The ruler¡¯s sign is the sword. He has the right to wear it. After all, it¡¯s a sign of power to be able to use the sword however he wants and kill those who stand in their way, right?¡±


    Herment and theugh that followed it were met with a cool, quiet answer.


    ¡°A king should only use his sword to fight evil. Evil people like you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness! Is that how it works? Prince Sion, you spoke like a true defender of right and justice. Well, if that¡¯s the case, I guess I should be your viin.¡±


    Sheughed and kept talking in a condescending way.


    ¡°Then, think twice before drawing that sword if you want to get Mdy back without hurting her.¡±


    Her eyes moved from Sion to Abel and Keithwood, then back to Sion again. Then she said, ¡°Now, please doe in. But as guests of Duke Yellowmoon, I want to remind you to act properly.¡±


    Except for her sarcastic smile, she kept a polite attitude. She told them toe in and showed them the way.


    Mia and her friends didn¡¯t like how easy it was to get into the house, so they had to be careful as they stepped into their enemy¡¯sir.


    Inside, the decor was simple, which was different from the pomp and extravagance that strong nobles are often known for. A long hallway stretched out in front of them. It seemed like there were portraits of unknown people on every wall.


    <em>Is it just me, or do a lot of these pictures show boring old men? There is nothing at all that stands out about any of them.</em>


    Barbara stopped Mia¡¯s thinking when she saw her looking at the pictures.


    ¡°The heads of the House of Yellowmoon are shown on these walls. They and their cursed family have done the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s dirty work for many generations.¡±


    ¡°I see. Hm¡­¡± Mia gave an interested nod. She looked at the pictures again and thought that a lot of them did look pretty heartless. Mia, as you can see, was easy to persuade.


    The hallway led to a big garden with a lot of nts. Across it was¡­


    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Three men in masks stood over a man on his knees with their swords pointed at his neck. The man who was being held at swordpoint looked very proper. Beside him sat a young girl.


    ¡°Rina!¡± Bel yelled when she saw her friend.


    Citrina slowly turned her head to look at Bel. She had a nice smile, but it didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°¡­Bel.¡± Her nice front fell apart, showing a girl who was about to cry.


    Barbara took careful steps to get to her and then turned around to face the guests.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start, shall we? Now is the time for judgement. The sins of the House of Yellowmoon must be tried.¡±

 Chapter 356

    <strong>The Descent of Empress Magistratus Mia with her Arbitrary Judgements¡­ or not</strong>


    ¡°Judgment?¡± Mia asked, ¡°What do you mean? What will you do with them?¡±


    Barbara looked at her with happiness. ¡°What I will do with them? Nothing. Nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°This woman has guts. They weren¡¯t lying when they said that immorality makes people without shame,¡± Abel said.


    Barbara shrugged. ¡°Judge me however you want. When all of this is over, Prince Abel, you can do whatever you want to me. But I¡¯m not the one being judged right now.¡±


    She went up to Citrina from behind and put her hands on her shoulders. ¡°The members of the cursed house of Yellowmoon are the ones who need to condemned.¡±


    Mia repeated, ¡°The cursed house of Yellowmoon¡­¡± as she thought about the many Lord Yellowmoons who had lived there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that people with the Yellowmoon bloodline have worked in the shadows of Tearmoon¡¯s past for centuries, killing many important people and wiping out whole families of nobles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­,¡± Lorenz tried to fight back, but the cold metal on his neck was pressed even harder, making him stop. But his feelings that he didn¡¯t say didn¡¯t stay hidden. Ludwig picked up where he left off, as if he could read his thoughts.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very urate picture. They were just getting rid of dangers to the kingdom. If a country wants to grow, there will be power struggles that need to be fixed. In this way, what the House of Yellowmoon has done, while not exactly praiseworthy, is not bad enough to deserve a harsh trial,¡± he said as he fixed his sses.


    <em>Huh. That makes me think. I guess Ludwig did say something about the Yellowmoons doing bad things in his letter¡­</em>


    While Mia thought about what was in a letter that she had obviously not read very carefully, Barbara smiled in a serious way.


    ¡°I see. So you say that what they did was okay because they were trying to make their kingdom prosper. A fair point, maybe. But does it work for these two? In case you didn¡¯t know, both father and daughter are Serpents, and they¡¯ve killed a number of people on the Chaos Serpents¡¯ orders.¡±


    She put her hand on her face to act like she was thinking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ To name just a few¡­ The head of a noble family in the middle of nowhere had a lot of farnd in his property. He died from a special drug, his family was split up, and thend was taken over by the House of Yellowmoon. Then, a good person figured out what we Serpents were up to. Everyone in that family died. Oh, and about that¡­¡±


    Barbara looked at Citrina and pped her hands once.


    ¡°Mdy, it didn¡¯t go as well as before, but this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve tried to erase one of your friends, is it?¡±


    The pale eyes of Citrina popped open.


    ¡°N-No, Barbara. Stop.¡±


    A man next to her pushed her back down when she tried to stand up. She didn¡¯t give up and fought to get away from him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t¡­tell Bel¡­,¡± she begged, her voice full of sadness. This made Barbara happy, and she smiled in a cruel way.


    ¡°You make friends with them with that cute little smile of yours, then you charm their families, and then you poison them all. You poisoned your friend¡¯s drink, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The legs of Citrina gave out. She fell to the ground and put her hands over her ears as she didn¡¯t want to hear any more.


    Barbara chuckled. ¡°Did you know that the Yellowmoons are poison experts, my dear guests? For example, Milord knows so much about banes and venoms that it makes what I know look like child¡¯s y,¡± she said, turning back to Mia¡¯s group.


    ¡°So, royal keepers of all that is fair and right, when you look at the face of sin¡­¡± She made a fancy motion in the direction of the Yellowmoons. ¡°What will you do?¡±


    She spoke more eloquently as she looked at Mia and said, ¡°Surely, as the Wisdom of the Empire, Your Highness won¡¯t let evil go unchecked? So, go ahead. Yes, please. Bring down the gavel of justice on these bad people.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Or does Your Highness n to forgive these two bad people? Let both the father and the girl go free, even though they have done wrong.¡± Barbara¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°I guess that would be a good choice, too. What is royalty if not the power to get what you want? To stand tall and crush the protests of the lower crowd, which are based on good ideas but are inconvenient? But you might want to think twice before doing that, especially when your royal friend is around.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Prince Sion?¡± She turned her attention to him. ¡°Kings must keep thew. Isn¡¯t that what the royal family of Sunnd says? Those with power have a responsibility to use it in a moral and right way. Can you overlook amnesty granted just because you like the princess?¡±


    When he heard that, Sion¡¯s lips clenched.


    ¡°And what would Rafina, the saint, think of this?¡± Barbara kept talking, even though Sion looked upset. ¡°Would she be happy if a girl who had killed her own friend was found not guilty? And was involved in killing the friend¡¯s parents and ruining their family as a whole?¡±


    Every word and every phrase was filled with poison. That was what made Barbara¡¯s poision.


    She would have Mia judge and me Citrina and Lorenz for what they had done. Or, if that doesn¡¯t work, make the choice on purpose not to find them guilty.


    In the first case, she would be doing the right thing. But if she killed Citrina, it would definitely hurt her rtionship with Bel, who had grown close to the young Yellowmoon. Likely, the other people on the student council would also have mixed views about what happened. A result like that would hurt her heart and make it harder for her to be close to her friends.


    What if she picked the second one? And did forgive the Yellowmoons? Sion, who is known for standing up for justice, and Rafina, who preaches about the right way to live, would not like such a choice.


    So, not making a decision would cause trouble between them and Mia as well. The split that would happen might not be too big. At most, just a small crack. But it would make a small hole, which the Serpents would then use to get in.


    Even if Barbara was caught here, other Chaos Serpents woulde to poke and prod at it until they broke the bond between Mia and her friends.


    They did it. No, they had did this before. This method was what led to the mass poisoning at the Holy Eve Festival, which tormented Rafina to no end and turned her into the Empress Prte, a force of chaos. She then led the Serpents¡¯ fight against order without meaning to.


    This was how they did things. If they couldn¡¯t kill someone with an assassination, they would just go for the person¡¯s heart instead, because a soul with scars could easily be a hero of chaos.


    The poison from the Serpents was dangerous. It got into the brain without anyone noticing and poisoned the mind, making it just as deadly as a disease on the body. Faced with this insidious technique of an experienced Serpent, Mia¡­


    <em>Okay, is it just me, or has this old woman been really mean to Rina the whole time?</em>


    ¡­Was a little bit mad. She didn¡¯t like how Barbara kept picking on Citrina. Mia just couldn¡¯t look away from someone who was in trouble. No matter what Barbara said, she could only see Citrina as a poor little girl hugging her knees and not as a murderer who had done terrible things. That made her think¡­


    <em>Rina could not have done those things on her own. Look at her, I mean. Poor thing, it was clear that she was forced.</em>


    Even with everything, it was still true that she and Citrina had been through some of the most important things in life together. Like seeing a new lifee into the world when a foal is born. And going mushroom picking. Even though these two things might not have been equal, they were rted.


    <em>I¡¯m pretty sure Rina is not a bad person herself. I bet Barbara made her do those things by giving her a hard time. If that¡¯s the case, I might be able to save Rina without much trouble. If Miss Rafina asks, I can probably get away with it by saying that I saw a girl being bullied in front of me, so I stepped in to help her and that¡¯s all that happened.</em>


    At best, it was a weak case, but Mia couldn¡¯t care less because she had nothing to lose right now. Even if Barbara made a few bad decisions, she was still clearly bad guy. Duke Yellowmoon was also a good person to me if the situation called for it. Since she had nothing to do with this conversation about crimes passed down from generation to generation, she was almost impossible to me.


    She took a deep breath and let it out with confidence. She was getting more and more excited. She had nothing to lose, so she could say whatever she wanted and rate people however she wanted. Behold! Empress Magistratus Mia and Her Arbitrary Arbitrations is descending.


    <em>Okay, woman, you¡¯ve talked enough. Time for me to tell you what I think!</em>


    As the spirit of Empress Magistratus Mia entered her body, its hammer of justice was raised and ready to hit anyone who had the bad luck to make her angry.


    ¡°Hold on, Your Majesty. I humbly ask you to give me just a minute of your time.¡± Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon finally spoke up. And that¡¯s when things started to change.

 Chapter 357

    <strong>The Yellowmoon Fraudster is Chicken-Hearted</strong>


    ¡°Oh, could you please stop interjecting so much?¡± Barbara asked Lorenz as she held a knife to his throat. ¡°It took a lot of work, but we were able to bring you to Her Highness safe for trial. It would be a shame if someone got hurt along the way.¡±


    It¡¯s too bad for him and for Barbara. The whole point of not having an open fight and letting Mia¡¯s group in was to make this situation happen. If there was a fight, one of her employees might end up killing Lorenz. That would be pointless. Even if Mia put an already-dead Lorenz out of his suffering, that wouldn¡¯t be enough. He had to be healthy in mind and body and have decades of life left to live, but Mia¡¯s hand cut it all short. That was the point.


    Lorenz didn¡¯t show any sign of giving up.


    ¡°Good grief, we¡¯re getting pretty angry, aren¡¯t we, milord? I guess I have to try and calm you down a bit. Let¡¯s get some of that heat out of your blood.¡±


    She lifted her sword and shed at him.


    ¡°Father!¡± Citrina screamed as the dangerous weapon fell on his shoulder. But it failed to reach its target.


    ¡°What?!¡± Barbara¡¯s eyes got big as she looked from her de, which was now frozen in the air, to the face of an old man who had suddenly appeared next to her. His ck butler¡¯s outfit looked good with his neatly trimmed mustache.


    ¡°Now, now, Barbara. That¡¯s not the way a maid should act toward her boss.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ I thought you were already gone for good, Bisset. What have you been doing?¡± she asked the guy who was holding her arm back with a snide smile.


    Sion¡¯s eyebrows moved when he heard the name.


    ¡°Did she say Bisset?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why that name sounds so familiar.¡±


    At the same time, Empress Magistratus¡¯s spirit Mia, who was ready to give a masterwork of percussion justice, slowly put down her hammer and disappeared. Mia was a girl who could tell what was going on in a room. And the room was now different.


    ¡°Interrupting milord when he is talking is the most rude thing you can do. Barbara, if anyone should keep quiet, it¡¯s you.¡±


    He pulled the de out of Barbara¡¯s hand and bowed his head toward Lorenz.


    ¡°Please forgive me for beingte, sir. It took longer than I thought to get rid of the pests,¡± he said, giving each of the Serpents a look that told them not to dare touch his master.


    This turn of events made Barbara sigh. ¡°Hmph¡­ So it goes. There¡¯s not much to be gained by fighting here. Milord, go ahead. I don¡¯t think you have anything important to say, but you¡¯re wee to defend yourself.¡±


    She took a step back and made a the stage is yours sign without saying anything.


    Lorenz also sighed, but his was a sign of relief.


    ¡°Ah, mm, all right. So, if I may say what I think, Your Highness¡­¡±


    He looked at Mia, who, thinking that the talk would go on without her, was on the verge of jumping when her name was suddenly brought up. But she was used to being surprised by now, so she quickly gathered herself and got her mind ready for anything that could happen.


    ¡°Yes, Duke Yellowmoon? Please, feel free to talk.¡±


    Lorenz looked at her for a long time, as if he were studying her, and then he said something shocking.


    ¡°Everything Barbara said ispletely false. Neither I, nor my daughter Citrina, have ever killed another person.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    All of the people in the courtyard were speechless after hearing this shocking news. Barbara got up first, and her mockingugh broke the silence.


    ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d at least try to make your case look good. What is this crazy talk, milord? Have you lost your mind? Do you really think someone will believe such a crazy im?¡± Barbara gave a snort.


    Mia told the truth about what she thought.


    <em>Okay, enough already. That¡¯s a stretch, for sure¡­</em>


    But just as she was about to say this, she noticed something important: Ludwig, her faithful servant, was keeping quiet. Ludwig, who in the previous timeline had never missed a chance to correct her in an exasperated way whenever she said something even slightly wrong, was totally quiet. More than that, he didn¡¯t look like he had the slightest question. With his arms crossed, he seemed perfectly happy to let the duke talk.


    <em>Now¡­that¡¯s interesting¡­</em>


    Mia swallowed her words again and shut her mouth. She crossed her arms like Ludwig did and took a simr ¡°wait and see¡± approach, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of iing momentum waves she could ride.


    Lorenz took one more look at her, took a short breath, and then went on.


    ¡°As you all know, since the beginning of the Tearmoon Empire, we Yellowmoons have made it our mission to kill in secret anyone who stands in the way of our progress as an imperial country. We did this because we swore to do so to the first ruler. But, thest few decades have been surprisingly stable. Aside from that, His Imperial Majesty is a kind person. We have never been told to kill anyone.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Mia nodded because what Lorenz said was in line with what she thought she knew.


    <em>I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d call his personality ¡°gentle,¡± but I know that my dad doesn¡¯t care about anything that doesn¡¯t have my name on it. All that matters to him is that I like him. Also, as far as I know, there haven¡¯t been any wars in the empiretely.</em>


    Even though lords were always fighting with each other over politics, no threat had ever been so big that one of the Four Houses had to take action to get rid of it.


    ¡°Hah, are you even listening to yourself?¡± Barbara asked in a mocking way. ¡°That makes things even worse. With so much free time, you¡¯ve had plenty of time to do what the Chaos Serpents want.¡±


    She gave him a smug, proud grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what you did. You killed many wise people and people who stood up to the Serpents because you wanted to bring down the kingdom and curse thisnd with constant trouble. If you had killed those people as the empire¡¯s invisible sword, you might have been forgiven for your sins. But you didn¡¯t. You did something to help the Serpents¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a coward, Barbara.¡± Lorenz cut in, ¡°Unlike Her Highness. I don¡¯t have as much guts as she does. Assassination? Why, that¡¯s a terrible idea. I¡¯m scared just to think about it. I could never do something like that. That¡¯s why¡­ I lied to you.¡±


    ¡°Such drivel. Is your argument only made up of lies and fantasies? What do you get out of telling such clear lies?¡± She said this while shaking her head and looking disappointed. ¡°Yes, you are a coward, milord. I won¡¯t say otherwise. And that is exactly why you would never betray the Serpents. If you are in a simr position, with people who are against the Serpents, you might still be able to go against our will. But the present state of affairs is entirely the work of the great sage. You couldn¡¯t have let your victims live if you thought that the princess would cause this exact problem many, many yearster. That makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not often that you don¡¯t make sense, Barbara. It makes a lot of sense. You only need to think about it briefly. The Serpents have always told me to kill people who are dangerous to them,¡± Lorenz said in a strong voice. ¡°This means that they are people who could help fight against the Serpents. If I ever tried to fight against the Serpents, they would probably help me. I think that¡¯s a good enough reason to let them live.¡±


    Barbaraughed at his point of view.


    ¡°It¡¯s a funny theory, but it¡¯s just a theory. All of the people who work for you are ruled by us. Even the Wind Crows. In particr, the White Crows, who have been closely working with the Yellowmoons. They did what Jem told them to do. We couldn¡¯t help but notice everything you did. How do you think you could have pulled off this incredible lie by yourself? With so many people watching? You faked the deaths of your victims and then took them away to a safe ce? You, with all your arrogant stupidity?¡±


    The only response to Barbara¡¯s increasingly cruel jokes was a weak shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Lorenz said. ¡°It hurts to say that I¡¯m weak and useless. I don¡¯t have the strength to fight against your people or even to protect my own daughter from sadness. Every day, it breaks my heart¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath. As he looked at Barbara, his face became more calm.


    He pointed at Bisset and said, ¡°But he¡­isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And he is the most important thing you forgot.¡± At that point, Ludwig decided to join the chat and talk as if he had just remembered something interesting. ¡°On that note, Prince Sion, Ipletely forgot to tell you the answer to the question you asked.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What was the question again?¡±


    ¡°In fact, Her Highness was the one who told me about your question. Jason, Lucas, Max, Thanasis, and Bisset.¡±


    Sion¡¯s eyes got bigger as Ludwig went down the list.


    ¡°No way¡­ You mean¡­¡±


    Monica didn¡¯t share his surprise, so she nodded to say yes. ¡°Yes. The man there who goes by Bisset used to be called Wind Crow. The legendary architect who set up Sunnd¡¯s spywork in Tearmoon.¡±


    Bisset shook his head slightly to show that he didn¡¯t like what she said. ¡°Now, now. Exagerating things doesn¡¯t help anyone. All of that is old stuff now.¡±

 Chapter 358

    <strong>Duke Yellowmoon is Familiar with Poisons</strong>


    A man with no face or name, who had no shape and was hard to describe¡­ That was the old servant, who is now called Bisset. Meeting him changed Lorenz¡¯s life and the fate of the whole Yellowmoon family in a big way. From then on, good luck also kepting their way. Time and time again, Lorenz was able to thread the needle by listening to the Serpents¡¯ orders to kill people but never actually doing it.


    He knew about the Snakes. Knew how they slithered into people¡¯s hearts, took advantage of their weaknesses, and poked at their wounds. They were great at getting what they wanted. Both of his parents and grandparents had blood on their hands. Because of this, they became the Serpents¡¯ tools, and the Serpents used this against them until the very end. Murder can¡¯t be fixed like other crimes can. To kill someone, even just once, was to invite their stifling presence for the rest of your life. Even one death was too many.


    Lorenz didn¡¯t want to be ruled by their constricting methods. He didn¡¯t want to kill people either. As a man with a quiet heart, he hated pain and suffering with the same intensity. He lied and tricked himself out of every request because he already knew that if he took part in even one of their dangerous ns, there would be no turning back.


    But in the end, he got a job he couldn¡¯t get out of: he was told to kill Bisset. At the time, one of the Chaos Serpents¡¯ men had made it into Sunnd¡¯s intelligence organization. That was, of course, Jem. Bisset was a big problem for him when he tried to take over the Wind Crows because of how well-known and experienced he was. So, Jem tried to get rid of him. In the end, a friend¡¯s betrayal put Bisset in very bad shape. Then, Lorenz helped out and pretended Bisset had died to save him. Bisset had worked as Lorenz¡¯s butler ever since.


    Barbara was a cunning Serpent, but when it came to spying, she wasn¡¯t very good at it. As a previous member of the top intelligence group, Bisset found it easy to trick her. So, Lorenz got the most important things he needed: a way for important people to sneak out of the country and a friend who could help them do it.


    ¡°In the world of information, local partners are as valuable as gold. Because of this, even one¡¯s coworkers shouldn¡¯t know anything about them. I learned this from Master Bisset, and in line with what he taught, he never told anyone who his partner in Tearmoon was,¡± said one of the two girls standing behind Mia.


    <em>So that¡¯s Miss Monica, who used to be the Wind Crow¡­</em>


    Lorenz thought about what the reports said about the person in front of him, and then he nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. I couldn¡¯t do any of this on my own. Covertly moving people who could be killed to safer ces abroad¡­ Dropping their carriages off rocks to make it look like they had died¡­ These things were way out of my league. He did it all.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense¡­ Complete nonsense. That¡¯s not possible,¡± Barbara said, shaking her head from side to side even as the truth started to be clear.


    Since there were no dead bodies, they couldn¡¯t tell if their victims were dead or living. They could have sent detainment requests with personal details to nearby countries, but it¡¯s unlikely that anyone would have done that because it didn¡¯t seem necessary. None of them ever thought that they would be the ones who were being tricked. But then Barbara remembered something, which helped her get back on her feet.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Sir, you tell lies. I know you¡¯ve killed before. In fact, you killed him yourself with those special drugs you have. I saw the body myself. I even made sure it was gone.¡±


    ¡°My secret poisons, you say¡­ I guess that makes sense. I have used those in the past. After all, I know so much about them that¡­¡± He looked right at her. ¡°¡­it makes what you know look like a piece of cake.¡±


    Barbara opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her eyes grew wide as she suddenly got it. It wasn¡¯t very hard toe to that decision. If she had ever stopped to think about it, she would have thought of it on her own.


    Duke Yellowmoon was an expert on nts. And medicines. And poisons. That was something everyone knew. But how did he know all those things? How much of his vast knowledge would he need to kill if that was his only goal? Did a killer need to know everything there is to know about poison?


    No. If the goal was to kill, just a handful would do. For example, a single dose of smandrake was strong enough to kill. An assassin should be able to do their job with just a few drugs like these. The duke kept going, so why did he? Why did he keep digging when there were already poisons that could kill? Why did he study the effects of smaller poisons so carefully?


    To not to kill, of course.


    He studied them to find out the antidote that could counter their effects. And maybe how long he could wait to give them to the victims after they had supposedly died.


    ¡°Barbara, do you know why I¡¯m so crazy about poisons? So I can use ones you don¡¯t know and make it look like my victims have died. Poison is easier for me to use than other ways to kill because I can trick your people,¡± he said with a smile of cathartic pleasure.


    Everything had been a risk, of course. His work might not have paid off at all. Like Barbara said, the Yellowmoon faction couldn¡¯t fight back against the rest of the kingdom if they went to war. With their clever ways, the Serpents could have whispered in the emperor¡¯s ear and told him to get the army ready. They could have also killed him and his friends in secret. If any of those very likely things had happened, the ace he had up his sleeve would have been useless. But those things didn¡¯t happen, and he was able to put down his trump card.


    <em>Because she¡¯s here because¡­</em>


    Lorenz nced at Mia. Since she arrived, he had been paying close attention to her, trying to figure out if she was really as trustworthy as the reports said. His answer was in the way she looked when Barbara was being mean to Citrina and she red at the older woman in anger. Whether she wanted to or not, Citrina had helped someone try to kill her. How many people would be upset if someone who tried to kill them was treated badly? A mean ¡°gives you what you deserve¡± seemed like the most likely answer. But not Mia. Mia was upset about how people were treating Citrina.


    <em>Her Highness seems to have said that she believes in Citrina. Maybe¡­that alone should have been enough for me to trust youpletely.</em>


    It was this thought that finally made him give up on her and show her his long-hidden hand. After showing Mia his cards, he said, ¡°That¡¯s all, Your Highness. I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to say and am now waiting for your decision with humility.¡±


    Mia answered in the same way she always does when she gets a lot of new information at once.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± With a wide-open mouth and a deep look of confusion.

 Chapter 359

    <strong>The Descent of Empress Magistratus Mia with her Arbitrary Judgements¡­ Finally</strong>


    ¡°Huh? Uhhh¡­ Hmm. Hm hm hm. I, uh, see¡­¡±


    Mia tried not to look like she didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she was really scared.


    <em>Yeep! What is even happening?</em>


    The sudden change in the talk gave her whish. She was smart enough to realize that what Lorenz had said hadpletely changed the way things were going. This was no longer a hearing to find out if Lorenz and Citrina were guilty or not. There was no real wrongdoing. They hadn¡¯t killed anyone directly. Instead, they had been keeping the Serpents away from important people. If there was anything they were due, it was praise, not punishment.


    Still, this was a test. And there was still the question of me. The question now is whether or not children should be held responsible for the crimes of their parents. Should he and Citrina, as members of his cursed n, have to pay for what their ancestors did in the past?


    She would be in a very awkward position. After all, The First Tearmoon Emperor was the one who put this cursed weight on the Yellowmoons; thereby forcing every generation after him to serve the evil Chaos Serpents. If the Yellowmoons were thieves, then the first ruler was the most crooked person ever. If Lorenz and Citrina were guilty because they were rted to plotters, then Mia¡­ Well, she came from the same family as the main criminal.


    She was no longer just an observer who was happy to sit in the gallery with juice and snacks and watch. She was right in the middle of the courtroom! This was not the time to dream about being an Empress Magistratus and swinging a hammer.


    <em>I thought I was just supposed to watch. How did I get to be the one on trial? Hnnngh, what stupid ideas our ancestors had!</em>


    After she had a mental rant about the first emperor, she pushed herself to think, because her next step now required a lot of caution. Even if she wanted them to get a good flogging, she couldn¡¯t give them a harsh term because whatever punishment she gave them woulde back to her. A Serpent would probably step in if someone made that kind of careless choice. They would almost certainly start talking about how Mia should get the same punishment as the Yellowmoons.


    So, they won¡¯t be flogged. Not that she would have wanted to do it anyway. The better, and trickier, question was how far she should go in the other way. They couldn¡¯t get away with nothing, but that wasn¡¯t really a choice either. Her own view was that sins passed down through the generations should go choke on a mushroom.


    She didn¡¯t care what her ancestors did, and she wanted to tell Citrina and her father that. But the situation wouldn¡¯t let her. Since she might have been involved in the situation, if she gave them a quick and easy pardon, it could be seen as a way to save her own skin. Again, making bad decisions, the Serpent would get involved, and so on.


    <em>Ugh, Serpents are so stupid! They¡¯re making a big deal out of this.</em>


    The cruel smile she had just seen on Barbara¡¯s face was proof enough.


    She also felt Sion, Keithwood, and Monica¡¯s intensely focused looks on her back. They were all eager to hear her decision. A half-baked decision would almost certainly lead to a lot ofints.


    There was no room for mistakes. She needed a great answer, one that everyone would at least be able to deal with, if not like. She needed it right away. The only problem was¡­


    <em>This one is very tough¡­ Hnnngghhh¡­</em>


    Her mind wasn¡¯t in the game. Still, she didn¡¯t stop. To save Citrina and, more importantly, to make sure she doesn¡¯t identally damage herself. She thought and thought, and just when she thought she was going to pass out from thinking so much, the spirit of Empress Magistratus Mia came down again. She spoke with the wise knowledge she had.


    ¡°You have made your case, Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon, and I¡¯ve heard it.¡±


    The spiritually charged Mia held up her ¡°hammer of justice¡± in one hand¡­


    ¡°So, basically, what you¡¯re saying is that neither you nor Rina have ever done the job yourselves. Hm, hm. I see. Very fascinating. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    On the other hand, he put the chisel of justice against the problem with care. Then, she started to slowly chip away at it, hoping to find a middle ground that everyone could agree on. Stroke by nervous stroke, she felt its roughness like a sculptor who was forced to do surgery.


    ¡°Please, Your Highness,¡± asked Barbara, who was upset. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to believe the crap they¡¯re saying, are you?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t care what she said and kept the talk going with the utmost care. She thought that Lorenz didn¡¯t have much reason to lie. Even if he was able to trick her for a while, it would only put off his downfall. It would also hurt how people thought of him, which could put him in an even worse situation in the future. Therefore¡­


    ¡°Just to be sure, Ludwig, I want you to ask Bisset about the people he sent abroad and try to get in touch with them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already been done, Your Majesty. The messengers are already on the way.¡±


    ¡°Are they? Good. Your foresight is amazing as always.¡±


    Since proof was on the way, she chose to wait to decide if Lorenz¡¯s ims were true for now.


    ¡°If Rina and Lorenz haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± she stated, ¡°then I don¡¯t think either one of them is guilty.¡±


    That part was easy. They weren¡¯t guilty if they hadn¡¯t done it. Then came the hard part.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy to say that the House of Yellowmoon and, by extension, Lord Yellowmoon, arepletely innocent.¡±


    What the Yellowmoon House had done had really and tragically ruined families and lives. If something bad had happened, the Yellowmoons couldn¡¯t be foundpletely innocent. Therefore¡­


    ¡°You are the Duke of Yellowmoon, Lorenz. As its leader, I think you should be responsible for what your House does. Because of this¡­¡±


    She stopped. In the quiet that followed, she closed her eyes and thought about what to say with the air of a sculptor judging the quality of a work that was almost done. Then, she picked up her hammer and chisel of justice and started chipping away at it again, this time with all the ease and confidence of a nervous chipmunk, hoping to finally shape it into something that would make everyone happy.


    ¡°I believe,¡± she said in a respectful way, ¡°that you should make every effort to do everything in your power to save and protect those who have been hurt by the Chaos Serpents to make up for what the House of Yellowmoon has done to them.¡±


    Which sounded like a very noble and moral thing to say, but when you looked more closely, all she really wanted from Lorenz was a goal. Take note of the phrases ¡°make every effort¡± and ¡°do everything in your power,¡± which sound more like New Year¡¯s resolutions than a courtroom decision. In other words, she gave him the ¡°things didn¡¯t work out, but I tried my best¡± excuse.


    The good thing about this deal was that it was a two-way street¡ªwhatever she told Lorenz, she also did to herself. So, if someone tried to me her for what the first ruler did, she could just throw up her hands and say, ¡°I tried my best to make things better, honest! But this is the best I could do!¡±


    ¡°Also, be sure to finish your atonement while you are still alive. Under no circumstances should you let your daughter carry shoulder any guilt. I¡¯ll say it again: under no circumstances should Rina be burdened.¡±


    She said it twice because it was important, maybe the most important thing especially in future defense for herself. Even if the guilt of the first ruler could be passed down through the generations, it should stop with the current emperor. His poor daughter shouldn¡¯t have to deal with that crap at all.


    So, after a lot of careful work, the self-servingpromise verdict she made stood tall like a golden statue of Mia, shining with egotistical pride for all to see. Behold! The weight of justice is in the statue¡¯s right hand! And a bunch of sweets to its left! Which was a sign of wisdom! Probably!


    Then she made her best move, the finishing touch that gave its eyes their bright, light-beaming life.


    ¡°The first emperor¡ªor rather, my ancestors¡ªhave put you through a lot of trouble over the long history of our empire. But the days of being bound by old deals are over.¡±


    She then said very clearly, ¡°The old cursed oath between my family and yours, Duke Yellowmoon, is officially over as of right now! I, Mia Luna Tearmoon, say it so!¡±


    Her brave voice could be heard all over to the courtyard. As it went away, she let out the kind of sigh that people do when they feel like they¡¯ve done a great job. Now, she wouldn¡¯t be tied to anything crazy the Yellowmoons did in the future. They could kill as many people as they wanted, and she wouldn¡¯t lose any sleep over it.


    <em>Phew¡­ Now I can finally stop worrying¡­</em>


    As soon as she took a breath of relief, Lorenz looked at her with eyes filled with tears of gratefulness.

 Chapter 360

    <strong>Thus, the Old Covenant is Broken</strong>


    ¡°No¡­ No! Impossible! This is crazy! How can this be the end? This can¡¯t be how it ends¡­¡±


    Barbara snarled with a face full of hate and a voice so harsh that it made Mia¡¯s hair stand on end. The angry woman gave her a hard look, then did the same to Lorenz and Citrina.


    ¡°ursed princess¡­ Ha ha¡­ Ha ha ha¡­ I see. So this is the Great Wisdom of the Empire, then. Well done. Your group of princes also seems to be happy. But¡­¡±


    She slowly smiled in a mean way.


    ¡°Princess, things won¡¯t always go your way. No, they won¡¯t. Because I¡¯m going to cut these miserable Yellowmoon rebels¡¯ throats. We¡¯ll then see how well your n works.¡±


    The three men behind her moved quickly and surrounded their target in an attempt to stop their opponent from winning. From where they were, Mia and her friends couldn¡¯t get to the Yellowmoons in time. Bisset, the butler, was the only one close enough to help.


    The air smelled like violence was about to happen. Mia didn¡¯t care, though. Why? Because, in all practical ways, the fight was already over.


    <em>And¡­ there he is! I swear, it¡¯s like he can smell violence or something. Even though I don¡¯t want to admit it, I do feel safer when he¡¯s around.</em>


    Mia¡¯s eyes flew over Barbara¡¯s head andnded on the person sneaking up on her from behind.


    Dion ia had the big grin of a boy who had just pulled off a funny joke. A joke in which three men were hit in the face without their boss noticing. Then, as Barbara was still unaware, he stood behind her and put his de on her shoulder.


    As Mia watched, she thought,


    <em>Ugh, the way he does that scares the living daylights out of you. Makes you think your head is going to roll off your neck.</em>


    Mia was an unwilling veteran of beheadings, including Dion¡¯s signature sword-on-shoulder trick. She couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Barbara, but not enough to stop him. She was happy with just thinking of and praying for him.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Barbara couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on with the quick changes. She looked at the sword and then at Dion, who was grinning at her.


    ¡°You made a pretty bad choice at the end for a group that went out of its way to avoid fighting me. Got too greedy and hurt yourself. If you had stuck to your n to escape trouble, you would have saved these three guys a lot of trouble.¡±


    He shook his head and frowned.


    ¡°Got to figure out when to let go.¡±


    Barbara looked around quickly. When she saw her goons lying on the ground, dazed, she bared her teeth.


    ¡°Idiots! What idiots! Curse you, ia. You royal dog.¡±


    ¡°Dog, eh? Then I guess they¡¯ll have to call me ¡®Empire¡¯s Goodest Boy.¡¯¡±


    He smirked.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if a mutt cuts your throat.


    ¡°Mia quickly gave him a sign to stop at that point.


    ¡°Please bring her in alive. She might be able to tell us something useful, so I¡¯d like to give her to Miss Rafina.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Dion shrugged and tied Barbara¡¯s arms together. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯re being too nice to these people. Still, you¡¯re the brains here. I just woof.¡±


    Someone ran past Mia and toward the Yellowmoons, who were now free.


    ¡°Rina!¡±


    When Bel saw that the problem waspletely fixed, she ran straight to Citrina and gave her a running hug.


    ¡°Rina! Oh, Rina!¡±


    Citrina¡¯s eyes were closed as Bel¡¯s arms closed around the thin body and squeezed with all their strength. She just looked straight ahead with no emotion on her face, as if she couldn¡¯t figure out what had just happened. But then, slowly at first¡­


    ¡°¡­Bel?¡±


    ¡­She said the name of her friend. Her gray eyes were filled with tears, which soon turned into a shiny river of emotion that ran down her soft face.


    ¡°Bel¡­¡±


    Her lips quivered. Her mouth moved, then shut again. She had a lot of feelings that were trying to get out of her chest, but she couldn¡¯t find the words. In the end, her voice was shaking so much that she could only say the name of a close friend.


    ¡°Bel¡­¡±


    Then even that was gone, leaving her with nothing but the sudden, uncontrolled release of raw feeling. She cried her heart out.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rina¡­ I¡¯m here. And I will always be.¡±


    With only the softest touches, Bel gave her friend a pat on the back.


    ¡°Does¡­ Does this mean that it¡¯s over?¡±


    Lorenz was confused as he watched his daughter cry. His limbs didn¡¯t seem to be able to do anything. He was no longer in danger of being killed by enemy des. He was no longer being held down. Still, he stayed on the ground because the thought of forcing his legs to stand was too hard for his broken mind.


    In reality, only the current emperor could break the oath made with the first ruler. Lorenz knew this for sure, and he could only guess that Mia did as well. But she had already said it. And there was something important about that.


    <em>Her words were a shield. With them, I can turn down any future requests to kill people. Plus, His Imperial Majesty loves Her Highness very much. Should she ask him to, he might decide to back them.</em>


    Even though he knew that, it didn¡¯t make him feel any better. The chains around his soul had been there for too long, and their weight was made worse by how long the kingdom had been around. His was an old curse that was put on him before he was born. And that weight, with all of its crushing weight and effects, was no longer there? How about that? Without a single drop of blood being spilled? It didn¡¯t see, real. He could only stare in amazement as what was happening in front of him that seemed like a dream.


    ¡°You¡¯re cursed, Yellowmoons. The Serpents wille for you. One day, our teeth will be in your necks.¡±


    Barbara¡¯s voice, which was full of disdain, drifted into his ears. Strangely enough, it was the harshness of her words that drove the ghosts of his fears out of his mind, making room for the solid reality to take their ce. Then he realized it. Atst. At longst.


    ¡°Ah, Barbara, the embodiment of a Serpent¡­ Listen carefully, because I can finally say what¡¯s on my mind now that I¡¯ve lived and experienced fear.¡±


    The next thing he said, he said to Barbara, but the deep sadness in those words was surely not just for her to hear. Many people probably deserved them. Like the Chaos Serpents that had been bothering his family for generations. Or maybe it was the first ruler who did this to them. Whoever he was talking to, he said the words with energy.


    ¡°Eat s***, Chaos Serpents!¡± he yelled with the look of a man who had just been vindicated in a satisfying way. ¡°Eat a steaming s***, you first emperor!¡±


    It was the shout of victory that Yellowmoons had been holding on for years.


    So, the old covenant was broken. Its old chains were cut by the hands of a young princess whose veins ran with the blood of the first emperor.


    TN Note:


    I couldn¡¯t resist adding that pic. Now, it¡¯s about time to start finishing this arc.

 Chapter 361

    <strong>Meeting with Duke Yellowmoon</strong>


    The Princess Guard moved in quickly and took over the Yellowmoon house. Inside, they only found a few Serpents, and Dion had already knocked them out. Barbara had probably sent most of her helpers away ahead of time so that she could make ast fight here by herself.


    ¡°Huh. The Serpents might be crazy, but I guess there¡¯s a method to their madness,¡± said a shocked Mia. She had expected to see everyst underling used as a sacrifice in a cruel attempt to get away.


    After the noise stopped, Lorenz asked Mia toe to his room to talk.


    Sion said, ¡°I¡¯d like to know as much as possible about the Serpents, but it sounds like this will involve a lot of Tearmoon business, so we¡¯ll stay out of this conversation for now.¡±


    Abel nodded. ¡°Agreed. Someone probably needs to stay with Miss Bel and Miss Citrina as well. We¡¯ll go see them.¡±


    So, Mia said goodbye to Sion and Abel for a while. Keithwood and Monica came next.


    ¡°Hm¡­ So, I guess Anne, Ludwig, and Dion will being with me.¡±


    Even though Ludwig was with her, which was fine because he was the brains of the n, the thought of Dioning up behind her still made her nervous. Still, not having a trustworthy bodyguard made her worry even more, so she decided to put up with him, thinking that Anne would give her some mentalfort.


    Anne smiled when she caught her eye.


    ¡°Oh, mdy, you can count on me! I¡¯ll look out for you!¡±


    She gave a confident thump to her chest, clearly happy to be brought along. Perhaps a little too happy. Mia gave her a smile of resignation.


    ¡°Well, then, it looks like my back is in good hands. I¡¯m also counting on you, Ludwig, and you, Dion. I want you to keep an eye on Anne in particr so she doesn¡¯t get too excited and put herself in risk.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, that¡¯s such a mean thing to say!¡±


    The two girlsughed at each other¡¯s jokes all the way to Lorenz¡¯s room, where Mia was met by a nice smell when she opened the door.


    ¡°My¡­¡±


    She took a few sniffs. It smelled sweet and like it had juste out of the oven.


    <em>I think it was ck tea and a cookie¡­ there on the table. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that looks like a tart made with Perujin apples.</em>


    After looking at Lorenz for a moment in silence, she whispered to herself, ¡°Hm¡­ This man¡­knows what he¡¯s doing!¡±


    It only took her a second to figure out how strong her opponent was, which shows how well she could predict things¡­ when ites to sweets. Which was about the most pointless ability one could have, but whatever¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry to bother you during this busy time, but there are some things I need to bring to your attention.¡±


    Lorenz stood up and bent from the waist. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to talk about these things.¡±


    Mia gave him a sign to rx.


    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. I also wanted to ask a few questions, so this is a great time,¡± she said, still staring intently at the hot tart.


    <em>When they¡¯re new, they taste the best. I want to eat them right now!</em>


    She took a deep breath and quickly sat down.


    Then, in a tone that suggested she wanted to get things settled as soon as possible, she said, ¡°Oh, in case you were wondering, I¡¯ve chosen to forget about Rina trying to trick me into a trap. I don¡¯t want my dad to find out and make a big deal about it, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you kept quiet. Am I understood?¡±


    It was too easy to imagine how crazy the loving emperor would get if he found out that his beloved daughter was so close to dying. She had juste close to dying, but she was still alive. She didn¡¯t want to get a headache after that and die because of it. So, she made sure to tell everyone that what happened in Bandoor Vige stayed in Bandoor Vige.


    And don¡¯t forget, there was a tart waiting to be eaten, so the faster they could get this done, the better.


    She was no longer just the Mushroom Princess after this. She was Mia the Sweet Princess-cum-Reconciler! That¡¯s short for ¡°Sweet-Pri-Cu-Re-Mia.¡±


    Lorenz, on the other hand, was brought to tears by how casually she forgave the wrong that had been done to her.


    ¡°Your Highness, words can¡¯t express how grateful I am,¡± he said in a shaking voice.


    After talking about the more important things, Lorenz sat down again next to Mia as Bisset put the tart on the table and started to cut it.


    When his knife cut into the crust, it made a satisfying crunch and let out a waft of buttery steam. Then, the smell of apples filled the air.


    Mia spit out an amount of saliva when the smell reached her nose. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the tart. She looked at it as if her will alone could make it happen faster. She was so excited that her muscles tense up and her hands start to shake. Mia¡¯s mouth turned into a wry smile when she saw how her body was overreacting.


    <em>That reminds me, I haven¡¯t had anything sweet to eat since we rushed back from Belluga¡­</em>


    Her brain was already hungry for sugar, and then it had just done a hard workout. Her brain¡¯s sweet reserves were already depleted. It needed to be refuelled right away!


    She gulped again when her slice of tart was finally put in front of her on a te.


    As soon as Bisset took his hand away, she ate it up. She ate it like a chipmunk and enjoyed how crunchy it was as the top broke apart between her teeth. Its sweet filling flowed over her mouth, coating it in so much sweetness that it almost made her feel sick. The rush of sour apple afterward, on the other hand, toned it down just enough to hit the sweet spot.


    Her mouth was filled with pure happiness.


    ¡°Mmm! It¡¯s something I¡¯ve said before and will say again. ¡®Perujin fruits are the best!¡¯¡± she said as she smiled and ate a tart.


    Bisset couldn¡¯t believe what he saw.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you sure that was the right thing to do? To¡­just eat the tart? It hasn¡¯t been checked for poison yet. Even though it makes me sad to bring it up again, I must respectfully tell you that you are sitting in what was enemy territory just a few hours ago.¡±


    Mia¡¯s head was tilted in a way that showed she didn¡¯t understand what he was worried about.


    ¡°Hm? That¡¯s a strange thing to say. Poison? And mess up such a tasty tart? Who would do something like that? I don¡¯t get it, no one in their right mind would waste a good tart by doing something like that.¡±


    Which made sense to her because she wasn¡¯t thinking straight herself. Since she hadn¡¯t had any sweets in a long time, her brain had lost all sense and control. At this point, she would happily sell her pce for a cake. She was getting close to the point where a cake was worth a castle.


    ¡°I have to say, though, that I was surprised to learn that you used to be a Wind Crow. How you tricked those Serpents before was just brilliant. A great show of skill and wit.¡±


    After eating a delicious pie, Mia¡¯s mood improved a lot, and she was very nice to Bisset.


    ¡°I¡¯m most ttered, Your Highness,¡± Bisset said with a calm and polite smile.


    At that point, Ludwig cut in and interrupted.


    ¡°My deepest apologies, Your Highness. When Duke Yellowmoon talked to me, I should have told you right away. It is¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness, Ludwig-dono didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Lorenz put out his hand to make Ludwig feel better. ¡°I asked him to keep this whole thing a secret¡­ so I could find out what kind of person you are. For us Yellowmoons, finding out who you really were was a matter of life and death. We had to be sure of everything. Still, it¡¯s a huge insult that you were tried in this way. Please let me show how sorry I am.¡±


    He put his head down until it was only an inch from the table.


    Ludwig did the same and added, ¡°Lord Yellowmoon asked to see your true nature. To see if you would help them if you didn¡¯t know what they were up to. So that Lord Yellowmoon would trust me, I chose not to tell Your Highness about our letters. I¡¯m sorry that I had to keep such a secret, but I did so knowing that your wisdom would win out. Your Highness is, after all, the kind of person who can take one piece of information and use it to figure out ten more facts and see a hundred possible futures.¡±


    <em>Am I now?</em>


    ¡°Well¡­ In that case, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Mia nodded, her ego rising. She was the type of person who liked gettingpliments. She was also the type of person who could take a single piece of information and figure out maybe half a fact and then see a hundred sweets in her head because it took so much work.


    ¡°Anyway, now that there¡¯s no reason to keep things secret,¡± Mia told Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you told us the whole story.¡±


    She wanted to know a lot about the Serpents, the House of Yellowmoon, and all the stories that had happened behind the scenes of the empire¡¯s past that had never been told.


    ¡°All right. Where do I start?¡± Lorenz thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and then gave a nod. ¡°Perhaps it would be best to start at the beginning. When the House of Yellowmoon and the First Emperor swore an oath¡­¡±

 Chapter 362

    <strong>The System of the Tearmoon Empire and the Role of Yellowmoon</strong>


    Lorenz waspletely shocked by what Mia did.


    <em>There wasn¡¯t even thought of as a chance that the food could be poisoned.</em>


    She gobbled up the tart without a second thought and smiled as she said it was delicious. At this point, there was almost no chance that they would try to hurt Mia. As things stood, going against the princess would be suicidal for the House of Yellowmoon, and Lorenz and Citrina would likely die as well. This was a fact that was obvious and easy to see. So, she didn¡¯t have any doubts when she reached for the tart¡­


    <em>That¡¯s not right¡­</em>


    Lorenz knew better because he had seen proof that it wasn¡¯t true. Mia¡¯s hands were barely shaking, but his wary eyes caught it. Nor the way her eyes had followed Bisset¡¯s fingers with intense, unwavering focus.


    But, of course, a smart person wouldn¡¯t ignore the chance that something could be poisonous. Even though it¡¯s doubtful, the suspicion still stands. There¡¯s no way topletely ignore it. Only the most stupid people could not know about the risk.


    There wasn¡¯t ack of doubt. She had felt, fought, and gotten past her fear so that she could take the first bite of a tart that could kill her. Mia had not been unaware that she could have been poisoned. She had done it anyway, despite the risk, because she had to show that she trusted Lorenzpletely.


    <em>It wasn¡¯t being stupid. She weighed the risk of being poisoned against the chance of getting us Yellowmoons to trust her, and decided to win our trust. And that was after she had said that Citrina¡¯s terrible betrayal was a thing of the past. I can¡¯t believe how far she¡¯s willing to go.</em>


    He closed his eyes and thought about things from the past for a moment. He could see the face of his teacher, whom he owed so much as a teenager. ¡°If you want to do something, learn as much as you can about it. Even if you don¡¯t know what you want to work toward, don¡¯t stop learning. Learn and study as much as you can to get ready for the day when you will know. Then the only thing left to do is to wait for your chance toe up.¡±


    He opened his eyes, and the dream turned into the real world. The young girl stood in front of him. Her face looked so much like the one he remembered. He felt a rush of feelings in his chest, which he let out with a long breath.


    Then she said, ¡°Maybe¡­the beginning would be best. When the House of Yellowmoon and the first ruler swore an oath¡­¡±


    He then started telling the story.


    The story of how the House of Yellowmoon had been bound by a curse for a very long time.


    ¡°From what I know, the First Emperor and our ancestor Yellowmoon were rted. Both of them had given up on the world and nned to destroy it. Setting up anti-agriculturalism and starting the Tearmoon Empire were just ways to reach an original goal. It was an epic payback n that was meant to cause chaos all over the world.¡±


    ¡°The Yellowmoons had to do two things. The first, which Your Highness probably already knows, was to kill enemies of the kingdom and the Serpents in secret. The second¡­was to be the next imperial family.¡±


    Mia was confused and asked, ¡°The¡­ next imperial family? What exactly does that mean?¡±


    Lorenz shrugged.


    ¡°It means what it sounds like it means. In particr, when the current imperial family is overthrown by famine and revolution, our family is meant to im the throne, continuing the dynasty not in name but in fact. And we should always be making moves behind the scenes to get ready for this possibility. Then, if someone from our family bes the next boss, they will keep working to spread anti-agriculturalist ideas all over the country. We will rule until a revolution overthrows us. That¡¯s our job and our payoff.¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire was set up so that it would fail. The fall was not a mistake; it was a feature. Beliefs that are against farming would ruin a lot of farnd. The famine that followed would then spark a revolution, which would lead to a messy, long civil war in which many people would be killed and thend would be ruined. And it would happen again and again, like a curse that would never end, soaking this fertile crescent with tears of pain forever. The Tearmoon Empire was a machine that was designed to keep putting its victims through cycles of tragedy.


    Because of this, the next kingdom could not have a wise leader. The change had to be led by people who only wanted to cause chaos and destroy order. Those who wanted to bring about a new order by destroying the old one would not do.


    ¡°The Yellowmoons would rule after the Tearmoon line fell. And when the Yellowmoons fell, another person who likes chaos up would take over. So, thend would be stained with blood and death from one ruler to the next. This is what the first ruler came up with.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ But why would you keep taking part in such a terrible n?¡± Mia asked, looking confused. ¡°It would make sense if the imperial family was still following in the steps of the first emperor, but I¡¯d never heard of a n like that. I¡¯m pretty sure that His Majesty has no idea that any of this happened.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Since many years ago, the imperial family has forgotten about the first emperor¡¯s old will. We, on the other hand, have not. That first promise is now our dream. Our hope. The bright light at the end of a long, dark path that can¡¯t be ignored. Because of it, we¡¯ve kept moving in secret for thousands of years.¡±


    And that was the curse that the first ruler put on the Yellowmoons. The weakest and most mocked member of the Four Houses had to take over the broken throne. People who liked the way things were would never start a revolution to change them. So, year after year, generation after generation, the Yellowmoons had to deal with their friends making fun of them. Over time, the hurt and shame they had to deal with made them long for a future in which they were in charge.


    ¡®What we¡¯re going through is just a stepping stone! We put up with our weakness and shame right now so that we can do well in the future. When this kingdom falls, it will be the beginning of our time!¡¯ The more they held to this hope, the stronger their alliance with the Serpents became. ¡®Our moms and dads, grandparents, and rtives all went through hard times. And they all stuck it out. So that our kids and grandkids can live well. So that one of them takes the throne. Our ancestors went through shame for us. We can¡¯t waste their determination.¡¯


    Part of the curse was that they couldn¡¯t just give up. All of Yellowmoon¡¯s leaders had to answer the same question. Knowing that their n had been through a lot to get to this point, could they give up on the goal and destroy the result of a lifetime of work? How could they let a wish, an important hope, that their parents had and that they had passed on to them, go unfulfilled in their generation?


    ¡°Still, there have been other Yellowmoon leaders like me who didn¡¯t like the killing and damage. But¡­ none of them were able to get away from the Serpents. If you ever got blood on your hands, the Serpents would always use that against you. One murder turned into a permanent chain, and these good people got tired of fighting the snakes¡¯ demands even though they didn¡¯t work. They got tired and gave the Serpents control of their lives in exchange for peace of mind and the promise of future greatness, no matter how short-lived it might be. That¡¯s why Lorenz didn¡¯t want to help kill anyone.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what happened,¡± said a thoughtful Ludwig. ¡°Then it¡¯s even more amazing that you haven¡¯t killed anyone in all this time. If it were me, I think I would have given up a long time ago.¡±


    His serious tone made Lorenz smile in a rxed way.


    ¡°I was able to do it, Ludwig, because of the help I got from a certain person. This guy told me that I should learn things if I wanted to get something done. I should work hard and be hungry to find it. Then I should wait until my chancees.¡±


    He did what was told and worked hard on his studies.


    Mia was amazed and said, ¡°Wow, that person is so interesting.¡±


    Lorenz¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, your grandma was a very interesting person. Her Majesty was without a doubt unique.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ grandmother? I see. I didn¡¯t know her, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I can see parts of her in you. She was also very wise.¡±


    ¡°Wise like me, you say?¡± Mia pursed her lips and gave a serious nod. ¡°Hm, I wish I could have met her back then¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t try to deny the ¡°wise¡± part, which is important to remember. Although it might be presumptuous of her, Mia takes her win wherever she can get it.

 Chapter 363

    <strong>What Is A Snake?</strong>


    ¡°Ah, but I am getting off topic. Let¡¯s get back to what¡¯s important. I¡¯m sure you have a lot more questions for me.¡±


    ¡°True. Then, back to the point.¡± Lorenz¡¯sment made Mia straighten up and get back on track. ¡°Starting with the Chaos Serpents. I want you to tell us everything about them that you know. What kind of organisation are they?¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Lorenz said, and then he fell into quiet thought.


    ¡°Oh? Did I say something strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. But I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s fair to call the Chaos Serpents a ¡®organization.¡¯¡±


    Mia frowned and asked, ¡°Then¡­they¡¯re not an organization?¡±


    Lorenz also frowned. ¡°I guess it depends on how you define it, but at the very least, they have nothing inmon with the heretical groups we know. I¡¯m sure you already know this, but the Serpents don¡¯t work as a single unit like cults do. Each Serpent has its own goals and ns for how to reach them. They might work with other Serpents sometimes, but not in a way that is based on rank or power. They all move on their own, following their ownpass, which happen to all point in the same direction.¡±


    Lorenz took a moment to catch his breath, then continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I think of the Chaos Serpents as more of a trend than an organization.¡±


    ¡°A trend?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not the reed in the water that moves it, but the current. A stream that flows through history as a whole and tries to destroy order.¡±


    Mia pictured herself trying to stop a river, which helped her understand the image. No matter how hard she tried to stop it or how much water she scooped out, she couldn¡¯t. If Barbara and Jem were just small parts of that big river, stopping them might not matter in the end. The water would keep moving along.


    ¡°Pardon. I¡¯m getting more and more general. Let me give some specific examples. The Chaos Serpents are mostly made up of four types of people,¡± Lorenz said as he took a cookie from nearby and put it on the big te in front of him. The cookie was round, and in the middle was a small piece of fruit.


    <em>Whoa, where did thate from? I must have missed it because I was so interested in the tart. Mmm, it looks good¡­</em>


    All of this serious talk had used up all of the sugar she had gotten from the tart, and she was back to running on fumes. Anyway.


    ¡°First, there are people like me. People who didn¡¯t want to help but did because they were forced to. Next, people who are willing to help. Those who are trying to get what they want by using the Chaos Serpents. For example, the first emperor would be in this group, in my view. From what I could tell, he didn¡¯t seem to agree with the Serpents¡¯ ideas. Either he used their theory for his own purposes or he saw that their goals were simr to his, so it made sense for them to work together. Anyway, there are people who help the Serpents on their own,¡± he said as he put a second cookie on the te.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mia nodded while keeping her arms crossed. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the new cookie. It was also round, but it had a crisscross design on it.


    <em>What beautiful job. Was it also baked here? If that¡¯s the case, the Yellowmoons must have a pretty good baker on staff.</em>


    Know that her brain is to me if her ideas seem a little scattered. It wanted sweets, but couldn¡¯t get them. If the brain wasn¡¯t getting enough fuel, it would lose attention. Brains just worked that way.


    ¡°Then there are those who agree with what the Serpents believe and actively work to help them reach their goals. We call these people ¡®adherents.¡¯ Most likely, the three guys Barbara brought were adherents.¡±


    Lorenz brought out a third cookie. This one was covered in white powder, and it almost looked like snow was on it. Mia had never seen anything like it before, so it caught her attention right away.


    <em>Interesting ¡ª Oops. Okay, think. I need to pay attention to the talk¡­ Where did we leave off? Right, followers of the Serpent!</em>


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Lorenz took a fourth cookie, but he didn¡¯t put it down right away. It was big and looked like a leaf.


    <em>My¡­ It looks like that cookie is delicious. Both my eyes and my tongue will enjoy it. A work of art that was made by a real artist, without a doubt¡­ That makes me think. I wonder if they could make a cookie that looks like a horse. Or maybe a cookie in the shape of a mushroom. Oh! What if the bottom of the mushroom is a in cookie, but the cap is topped with chocte or jam? I think I¡¯m on the right track¡­</em>


    Her thought, even though it was about a very, very long time from now, was surprisingly urate, but she shook her head and told it to go away.


    <em>Oh,e on, pay attention! Right now, we¡¯re talking about the Serpents. Focus¡­ Focus¡­ Okay. So, there you have it. What are they doing again?</em>


    Lorenz kept talking about what was going on in front of him, which was a fierce fight between a brain and the allure of sweets.


    ¡°There are some people who preach about the Serpents¡¯ ideas. They go from ce to ce teaching what The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth says. These people are called ¡®Serpent Shamans.¡¯¡±


    Lorenz put the cookie in the shape of a leaf on the te.


    Then, as Mia looked at the four tasty treats, he grabbed them all at once and stuffed them all into his mouth. As he ate them, his face lit up with pure happiness, and his cheeks got even bigger than Mia¡¯s had.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ One thing I¡¯ve always thought about cookies is that nibbling on them isn¡¯t good for them,¡± he said after finishing one. ¡°Nothing feels better than biting into a big piece of doughy goodness.¡±


    Spoken like a true foodie. Lorenz had been living the F.A.T. way of life for a long time.


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡±Mia could only give a short answer before hanging her head in quiet. The sad truth that those cookies would never be hers broke her heart.


    <em>They looked so good too¡­ I wish I had been able to try them¡­</em>


    ¡°Serpent shamans¡­ Would it be right to think of these people as the Chaos Serpents¡¯ main body? Their real nature, if you will?¡± Ludwig asked who took over the talk when Mia went off to think quietly and didn¡¯t say much.


    ¡°No, not really, Ludwig-dono. This is just my view, but I think the true nature of the Serpents is something that flows in the deepest part of people¡¯s hearts. It joins them together.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡±


    ¡°By which I mean¡­the Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth, which is the Serpents¡¯ holy book.¡±

 Chapter 364

    <strong>¡­ Crunch</strong>


    Clink¡­


    The sudden clink disrupted Mia¡¯s thoughts.


    When she looked for the source of the sound, she saw a te being ced on the table in front of her.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    There were a colossal number of cookies on the tter and they were the ones that Lorenz was eating earlier! It appeared like Bisset had taken away her empty tart te and put a cookie tray in its ce.


    <em>What outstanding butlering! This person is very skilled at what he does!</em>


    She was ready to grab for them right away, but the unexpected realization dawned on her. There were several eyes on her, and this stopped her action. Even Dion was watching her intently. And a smile that strangely failed to express the same sense of humor that a frown would.


    <em>U-Uh oh. I have a feeling that this is not the time for ying around.</em>


    She groaned. She reluctantly forced her gaze away from the cookies.


    <em>It¡¯s alright. The cookies aren¡¯t going to flee. Later, I can always eat them. I just need to wait for the appropriate time. I need to practice patience right now.</em>


    Shepelled her brain¡¯s dormant clockwork to restart. It remembered the specifics of their continuous conversation as it did so with a crunch.


    The book is titled ¡°Those Who Crawl the Earth.¡± The title brought back memories.


    ¡°I recall Rafina-sama discussing that. Didn¡¯t that Jem guy have a copy with him? She didn¡¯t look through it personally, but she recalled being uneasy around it.¡±


    Even in her recollection, she couldn¡¯t help but get the chills whenever she thought back on the book. She was shaking her head when she heard a crunch.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lorenz replied. ¡°Although it wasn¡¯t the original, as you indicated, he did have a copy.¡±


    ¡°What kind of a book is it?¡±


    He gave a headshake.


    ¡°Sadly, I¡¯ve never actually seen the book. Only the transcription of ¡®Kingdombane¡¯ Jem used to have,¡± he added before chuckling wearily. ¡°Barbara never really trusted me enough to reveal any other details. Which, given the long-nned betrayal I just pulled on her, was definitely deserved.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s unfortunate. However, the way you describe it seems like magic because of the way it unites and subdues individuals.¡±


    Mia questioned, recalling that such things had urred in Elise¡¯s drafts.


    <em>Is The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth actually some sort of magical tome?</em>


    She pursed her lips in thinking, and then there was a¡­ <em>crunch</em>.


    ¡°Magic¡­ is it¡­¡± Lorenz scowled with surprise at the notion. But he quickly cracked a grin.


    ¡°Oh? Did you realize something?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Simply put, I was taken aback when Your Highness used the word ¡®magic.¡¯¡±


    Then, his expression turned grave.


    ¡°But, maybe you¡¯re right. Even wise to refer to the book as magical. It¡¯s close to bing the ideal description. It does, after all, have a really mystical effect on the psyche, turning regr people into order-destroyers. Given how profoundly it affects those it touches, it might be appropriate to think of such magic as power sorcery.¡±


    When he saw Ludwig¡¯s reaction, he held up his hands and said, ¡°Oh, Ludwig, please don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m not iming that wizards and warlocks exist. especially since it is entirely possible to influence people¡¯s hearts using considerably more worldly methods.¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡± Mia questioned, ¡°How would one go about achieving that?¡±


    Lorenzughed at her doubtful expression.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Your Highness reads books, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, I read for sure. I¡¯d say more than most.¡±


    She crunched the books she had just finished reading with her fingers. She replied, bing more animated as the conversation moved to a subject she was knowledgeable about, ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been enjoying a number of romance novels I borrowed from a friend. This one in particr about a knight and a princess falling in love is just¡ª Hnnngh! It¡¯s very good! There¡¯s this scene by ake.¡±


    ¡°I see, ha ha ha. Let me rephrase that. Did you ever wish you could experience such love for yourself when reading that book?¡±


    ¡°That would be really great, I suppose.¡± Mia pictured herself and Abel taking a moonlit stroll alongside ake, gazing up at the stars and moon as they engaged in sappy conversation.


    <em>Yes! Yes! Oh my moons, that sounds incredible!</em>


    The novel immediately and significantly influenced her.


    ¡°Now imagine a book that inspired everyone who read it to desire love. Could you therefore im that this book was a magical text with the ability to sway readers¡¯ thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well¡­¡± She was forced to give the query some serious thought. Regr novels would undoubtedly qualify as magical if having the power to sway people¡¯s minds was a requirement. Mia leaned back and dipped into her memories, which caused a crunch.


    Not just romance books, though. She was the best at understanding how even the most straightforward stories could leave an impression on someone¡¯s heart. Elise¡¯s story had been a dim but brilliant light in the gloom of her miserable stay in the prison. It had unquestionably changed her outlook on life, taking what had and would have continued to be endless days of sadness and making them slightly better.


    ¡°But without a doubt, itcks the ability to alter objective reality. It sounds a little over the top to call it magic.¡± Ludwig said.


    At this criticism, Lorenz grinned and shook his head.


    ¡°I believe, Ludwig, that you have a small misunderstanding. You also wouldn¡¯t be the first. The same mistake is made by a lot of intelligent people. The connections between our minds and the outside, objective universe are much greater than you would imagine.¡±


    He averted his gaze.


    ¡°Think about the. What makes it up? People. Towns are built. Then building kingdoms. Establish cultures. Gather information. What then serves as a guide? What influences how they behave? The way they think. Or you could say their beliefs, morals, and philosophies.¡±


    ¡°So you want to suggest that those who read this Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth, the Serpents¡¯ bible, have a desire to destroy order ingrained in their minds?¡± Ludwig scowled as he made his own remark.


    ¡°But hold on, if memory serves, the copy that Jem was holding was more of a methodology dissertation on how to overthrow a monarchy.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s copy was more of a how-to manual that described strategies for bringing down a monarchy. Nothing in it appeared to be an effort to brainwash the reader.


    This seeming conflict was easily confirmed by Lorenz.


    ¡°You¡¯re entirely correct. The actual procedures one should follow to overthrow the type of government we know as a kingdom were written in that text. It¡¯s a how-to, not a manifesto, as you pointed out. But Ludwig, think about this. Which approach do you think would be more likely to motivate you to act¡ªoffering you a sword and tempting you to kill someone you despise, or giving you nothing and just ordering you to do it?¡±


    It came down to effectiveness. Writing a call to action that amounted to ¡°go out there and wreck yourself some kingdoms¡± was one thing, but offering a thorough guide for how to do it was quite another. Thetter was unquestionably better.


    ¡°I see,¡± a reflective Mia responded. ¡°Who would have imagined such a thing existed? Where may these duplicates be?¡±


    ¡°It is reported that the Serpent Shamans I previously mentioned always carry a copy with them. Probably to be used when evangelizing their beliefs. However, they only include a section of theplete book. I¡¯ve also heard that the contents of the book have been learned and can be spoken off-hand by higher-ranking shamans. As for where the book is located exactly, it is still a mystery.¡±


    Mia was put off by this response, but she perked up when Lorenz proceeded in a softer but more persuasive voice.


    ¡°However, I¡¯ve heard that the Serpents also have their own icon who inspires the shamans, just as the Central Orthodox Church has Saint Rafina. The high priestess is the name given to her.¡±


    ¡°The Chaos Serpents¡¯ high priestess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I have a sneaking hunch that this person is in possession of the Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth¡¯s original manuscript.¡±


    Mia¡¯s hand moved across the table toward the te as she gasped at the foreboding information.


    <em>Gulp¡­</em>


    She may have gulped for other reasons.


    She deliberately avoided ncing down as she moved in order to avoid calling attention to herself. For the record, it wasn¡¯t because she had chosen the most advantageous time. She simply ran out of patience. She grabbed for the dish, thinking she had waited long enough to deserve at least one bite, but all she felt was empty space.


    <em>Huh? M-My¡­ That¡¯s odd. Where did all those cookies that looked so good go?</em>


    She looked at the tter with surprise, wondering where they could¡¯ve gone¡­


    ¡°Mdy¡­ You¡¯ve consumed way too much food,¡± Anne scowled. ¡°Five full cookies and a tart¡­ You had been crunching on them while on the conversation the entire time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Mia arched an inquiring brow.


    <em>Crunching? When?</em>


    It sounded ridiculous. At least, that is, until she touched the corner of her mouth and felt what felt eerily like a big crumb. She bit down after forcing it into her mouth. An audible crunch was heard.


    <em>However, how? What time did I¡ª?</em>


    ¡°If you continue to eat, you will begin to gain weight again¡­¡±


    She had eaten the cookies subconsciously and had no idea what they tasted like. A single cookie was offered to her just as her face started to grow sad.


    ¡°Oh, mdy,¡± Anne remarked in a sympathetic but slightly reprimanding tone. ¡°One more, okay?¡±


    She grinned. Mia smiled.


    ¡°Oh, Anne, you really are the best! My most reliable subject without a doubt!¡±


    ¡­Same old Mia, same old exchange. Some things never change.

 Chapter 365

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Debauchery Festival 1: I¡¯m not a Glutton, It¡¯s Just Appreciation</strong>


    After the events at the Yellowmoon mansion, Mia was in a hurry to return to the capital, Lunatear.


    Clip, clop, clip, clop¡­


    Mia sat in her carriage with her chin in her hand and her elbow on the sill as it moved slowly toward Lunatear, the imperial capital.


    She had a serious face.


    ¡°Oh, look, mdy.¡±


    Anne, who hadn¡¯t been back in a long time, was excited to see Lunatearing into view.


    Mia smiled at her excitement, but she was still thinking about Lorenz said.


    <em>At the end of the day, it looks like we¡¯re still a long way from finding out what¡¯s going on.</em>


    He had said that the Serpents had a high priestess, and it was likely that she had their holy book, The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth. That was it, though. In the end, all they really learned was that these things were real. That wasn¡¯t much of a step forward. Lorenz might have been able to get more information from the Serpents if he had been more involved with them. However, he admitted that he had been questionably cooperative from the start, so he never got to meet the high priestess in person.


    ¡°Moons,¡± Mia said in sorrow. ¡°I wonder how long it will take for us to make real progress against the Serpents¡­¡±


    ¡°Mdy?¡± When Mia looked up, Anne¡¯s worried face was only a few inches away. ¡°Is there something bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ No. Mia quickly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Nothing¡¯s bothering me.¡±


    Then she changed her thoughts.


    <em>In fact, I¡¯ve been giving Anne a lot of reasons to worrytely, haven¡¯t I? Maybe I should tell her the truth¡­</em>


    She couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that she had done something wrong, so she decided to say what was in her thoughts.


    ¡°Actually, Lord Yellowmoon told us some troubling things that showed how big and mysterious our enemy was, but he didn¡¯t tell us anything else that would help. We got a better idea of how hard this is going to be, but we didn¡¯t get any closer to solving it. It¡¯s sad, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡± Anne was quiet for a moment, but she quickly shook her head and gave Mia a thumbs-up sign with her fists.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself, mdy.¡±


    She said with confidence, ¡°Miss Citrina is safe and sound now. Neither Miss Citrina nor Lord Yellowmoon would have been saved if it weren¡¯t for you. So, please, be happy about what you¡¯ve done. You are allowed to be.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but look at the two carriages that were behind hers. Citrina and Bel rode in one. The first woman waspletely worn out from her fight with Barbara. Bel, who was always kind, offered to ride in the same carriage with her tired friend to keep herpany.


    <em>Hm¡­ I see. She is right. Maybe I¡¯m being too negative about how things are going. Just getting Rina out of danger should be enough of a victory. In fact, that was the goal from the beginning, so I should probably just think of the information we got as a bonus.</em>


    She saved her friend from dying. The two of them had be close over foals and mushrooms. She also had Duke Yellowmoon on her side. He had also been secretly sending talented Tearmoon nobles abroad, and if they could be called back, it would be a great help. Considering that the time of the great famine wasing up quickly, these were very good signs.


    <em>And I got to eat some tasty tarts and cookies, though I would have liked a couple more cookies. Nope, forget that. at least five or six more.</em>


    As soon as she started to think along these lines, her worries went away and her mood got better. If anyone has forgotten, one of Mia¡¯s strengths was that she didn¡¯t linger for too long.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Yes, it doesn¡¯t help to worry about it.¡± Mia gave Anne another smile, but this time it was sincere. ¡°Many thanks, Anne. I¡¯m starting to feel better.¡±


    ¡°Any time, mdy. After all, you don¡¯t look good with such a long face.¡±


    ¡°Then, all that¡¯s left is to see if Rafina can get Barbara to tell her something when she gets there¡­ Oh no, sermons every day¡­ I can only imagine how much she will dislike her¡ªHm?¡±


    The familiar cityscape of the capital jumped into view all at once, but this time it was buzzing with energy. Along the main street, there were stands with goods for sale. Buildings had been decorated. Also, there were more people out and about. Even more than usual, the capital city was always busy.


    ¡°Ah, I see that ns are already being made.¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire¡¯s winter is marked by Princess Mia¡¯s Birthday Festival, which takes ce at the end of the year. In the days before Christmas, work had always gone smoothly, and this year didn¡¯t seem to be any different. The main part of the festival wouldst five days, and it would be a very fancy party to which many nobles from other kingdoms were invited. Mia would have to meet and talk to a lot of these people in person. She was always busy because she was the clear star of the festival.


    This part of the experience had always bothered her a little. It was kind of a pain to run from noble to noble and listen to all their wishes and blessings. At least, that¡¯s what she used to think. Now she knew what a special treat it was to be treated this way. To have so many peoplee to her birthday party and feed her so much delicious food¡­ It was pure, pure happiness. And it was something she would never have noticed back when she took it for granted that high-quality food would always be delivered right to her fingertips.


    So, Mia¡¯s habit of stuffing her face with food wasn¡¯t really a sign of gluttony. Not at all. What she did was nothing more than an appreciation! How could she not eat the food when she knew how important it was? In fact, she ate everything on her te not because she was hungry but because she thought it was the right thing to do. As a true follower of F.A.T., she gave all of her foods the highest level of respect by eating them with gratitude.


    As a strict follower of non-leftoverism, her own birthday festival was a happy event for which she should be thankful, but there was also something about it that made her feel bad.


    It¡¯s a terrible waste of food¡­Mia knew that everywhere she went during her birthday festival, she would see mountains of food, most of which would be thrown away after she left. As she went from ce to ce to ept her many invitations, she would leave behind a trail of wasted food.


    What went wrong? Because nobles were full of themselves. They thought that the amount of food they gave her to wee her and, by extension, the amount they wasted after that showed how powerful and kind they were. During this time, every Tearmoon noble would try to be the best at this stupid game. They would try to outdo each other with extravagant feasts and banquets. Everyone wanted to celebrate her birthday, but everyone also wanted to show the emperor and Mia that they had the best party.


    <em>Speaking of which, I can¡¯t remember how many times I wished back then that we could have found a way to get back all the food we wasted at these festivals. There are definitely too many¡­</em>


    She was greeted by a memory from the previous timeline. It was like seeing an old friend. She let it fill her mind, and it took her back to a year and a half before she was taken by the revolutionary army.

 Chapter 366

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Debauchery Festival 2: Mia¡¯s Regret</strong>


    That day, Mia was taking a leisurely walk through the pce. She let out a deep sigh as she looked at its different parts.


    ¡°The Whitemoon Pce has always been so pretty¡­ I never thought it would look so¡­beaten up and abandoned.¡±


    A single person walked few steps behind her. It was the young minister Ludwig Hewitt, who wore sses. He watched as she went out on a balcony and looked down at the sprawling view of the capital. She let out another deep sigh when she saw the view.


    ¡°The capital city is also in pretty bad shape,¡± she said.


    Ludwig said, ¡°The biggest problem is that people don¡¯t see a way out. There was a big famine, then a gue, then a civil war with the Lulu Tribe, and then riots all over the country. Despair is so big that you can¡¯t see a bright future behind it. People are losing the will to live and giving in to their worst, most self-destructive tendencies.¡±


    As Mia listened to Ludwig talk about how bad things were now, she whispered, ¡°How could this have happened¡­? During my birthday party two years ago, there was so much food everywhere that we had to throw away most of it¡­ So much food was there¡­ What happened to it all?¡±


    Now, she could barely feed herself. Every day, she was a hungry Hungry Mia.


    ¡°All I can say is that it was a little toote when I realized there is no magic urn from which food flows forever.¡± Ludwig shook his head in a tired way. Things wouldn¡¯t have gotten as bad as they did if more nobles had understood this simple fact.


    ¡°Grrr¡­ I don¡¯t mind that they eat a lot, but why do they make so much extra food just to throw it away? What a terrible way to waste money! I don¡¯t know why I let them get away with that. Oh no, that was the worst mistake I¡¯ve ever made. I wish I could go back in time and give them some good advice.¡±


    Mia clenched her teeth in anger. Ludwig looked at her for a moment and then gave her a shrug.


    ¡°Even if it were possible to travel through time, I don¡¯t think it would be possible to do something like that. Sure, they would probably listen if they all knew what was going to happen. They didn¡¯t, though. No one knew that a famine of this size would happen. Could you really convince people if they don¡¯t have this important foresight?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I tell them to do it, then sure. What, are they going to go against what I tell them? I want to see who is brave enough to do it.¡±


    She gave Ludwig a hard look to make her point, but he just shook his head again.


    ¡°His Majesty gave an imperial order that Your Highness¡¯s birthday should be celebrated in the best way possible. Your words have weight, but not more than those of your father, right?¡±


    At that point, he stopped talking and fell into a deep silence. A thought came to his mind. It was just a silly thought that was more of a ¡°what if¡± scenario than anything else. In this case, though, it might be worth something. He could knock Mia¡¯s argument down with the cold, unbending hammer of pure logic, but what would that aplish? It would be better to use this conversation in a more useful way.


    Ludwig finished organising his thoughts and he had made up his mind.


    ¡°But, even so, if you don¡¯t directly contradict someone¡¯s wishes and instead try to steer them in a different direction, then maybe what you suggest is possible,¡± he said, giving her a quick nce as he spoke.


    This was also a part of his n to learn. When it was time to start rebuilding the empire in the future, Mia would have to deal with a lot of difficult negotiations. She would have to go to all of them in person. Usually, this would never happen. No empire would send its princess running from conference table to conference table across the continent. It was the job of people who worked for the ministry. Or the chief diplomat. Or an important noble. It shouldn¡¯t be the princess, no matter who it was.


    But this wasn¡¯t a typical time. If the princess¡¯s presence could solve a problem, there was no question that she would have to be there. Even though sheined, Mia never showed that she really didn¡¯t want to make the effort to travel and sit down at the negotiation table. She always paid attention to Ludwig and did what she could to do what he asked. At least she tried to do it. Because of this, he always found himself looking forward to seeing her grow as a person and giving her the educational support she needed to make that happen.


    ¡°Hmm, I see, I see¡­ Make them want something else,¡± she mumbled, crossing her arms in a way that seemed to show she was thinking. ¡°So, exactly what are we supposed to do?¡±


    He gave her a sideways look.


    <em>Frankly, it¡¯s not a very important observation, but I guess there¡¯s something to be said for how she arrived to that process. It should help her get into the habit of asking questions. Even so, she¡¯ll get plenty of practice soon enough, no matter what. Once this crisis is over and the empire is back on its feet, she will have plenty of opportunities to use her head.</em>


    He thought so. But, sadly, it didn¡¯t happen. The future he had pictured, in which his careful teaching would pay off and Mia¡¯s slow but steady efforts to learn would be rewarded, burned away in the mes of the revolution, leaving only cinder kes to cover the cold, sad dew on the guillotine¡¯s de.


    Even so, it wasn¡¯t all for nothing.


    A girl in a carriage would always remember the words they said to each other that day. Mia¡¯s heart was still full of those unfulfilled wishes from the past.


    <em>Hmm¡­ I see. He was right. I¡¯m putting myself in that situation right now, and I can see how telling someone to ¡°be more frugal¡± will be hard to do. Trying to convince my dad also feels like a dead end. I can¡¯t stand to see them throw away all that food. I must be able to do something.</em>


    Mia thought and thought.


    <em>The best way to make sure food doesn¡¯t go to waste is for me to eat it all myself, but there¡¯s just too much. Even for someone like me who doesn¡¯t eat a lot. Oh, how I hate my small stomach!</em>


    She couldn¡¯t use this method because she was told she had a small stomach, so she kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking.


    ¡°Shift their desires in a different direction, huh? So¡­,¡± she muttered as a thought came to her. ¡°Yes¡­ If all they want is to show off how much money they are willing to spend, why don¡¯t they just¡ª¡±


    The carriage pulled up in front of the Whitemoon Pce at that moment.


    ¡°Ah, now we¡¯re here.¡±


    She looked at the back carriage. The one with Citrina and Bel had split up in the middle of the trip and was going to Anne¡¯s old house, where the rest of Anne¡¯s family lived. That was a precaution, because the Emperor shouldn¡¯t be able to meet Bel in person. The other carriage came after her to this ce. The two princes, Abel and Sion, were inside.


    <em>They came with me all the way here in the end. I owe them a proper wee out ofmon courtesy. So, all right. Time to make some arrangements.</em>


    Not only did they go to the Yellowmoon manor with her, but they also agreed to help her celebrate her birthday by going to the festival with her. Mia was excited to have them there and ready to give them a big wee. She was so eager to start getting ready for the party that she didn¡¯t think about the fact that there might be a trap waiting for her in the middle of the capital. It was waiting right in front of the pce, and it caught her by surprise. As she got closer, it jumped out at her with all the deadly force of a knife pointed at her neck.


    Next time Mia dies¡­ out of shame.

 Chapter 367

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Debauchery Party 3: White Mia Towers the Pce</strong>


    ¡°Oh? ¡°My, what is this?¡±


    Mia¡¯s birthday party wasing up, so the Whitemoon Pce was going through a change in appearance. Large pieces of beautiful fabric were hung up on the walls of the pce. The name Mia Luna Tearmoon was stitched in big, bold letters across the fabric. It was all right. Every year, it was the same, so she was used to it. The trouble was somewhere else.


    A huge white statue of Mia was imposing, and stood almost as tall as the pce itself.


    ¡°¡±What¡­?¡±


    She made a twitching face as she looked at it.


    <em>What the moons is that supposed to be?! Even worse¡­</em>


    ¡°Come on, you need to cut away a little more around that part, or Mia¡¯s charm won¡¯te out. And be especially careful there. Notice how it¡¯s nice and round and has a little bit of a chub? Yes, that¡¯s very important! It¡¯s just like Mia. Make sure you don¡¯t mess it up.¡±


    His Imperial Majesty Matthias Luna Tearmoon, who is also the current emperor of the Tearmoon Empire, was in charge of the job site. Mia was horrified as she watched her father fight hard at the front lines, where he had to deal with sand and ke while he pointed his finger and shouted orders.


    She sputtered. She quickly got out of the carriage when she felt a sudden warmth in her cheeks. A quick look back showed that Abel and Sion were also getting off the carriage, but they would have to wait. First, she had to deal with the problem that was right in front of her.


    She hurriedly stomped her way toward the emperor. When he heard hering, he turned to look at her.


    ¡°Oh, Mia, you¡¯re back!¡± He ran over with a smile like a summer morning.


    ¡°Greetings, your highness. I¡¯vee back,¡± said Mia. She curtsied in a very good way. Even though it was done perfectly, Matthias was not happy.


    ¡°Moons! Your Highness?¡± He made a grunt that showed how upset he was. ¡°You hurt me, my dear darling daughter. Call me ¡®dad¡¯ like you always do! Come on. Let me hear you say dad.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, da¡ªI mean¡ªaugh! I do not call you dad all the time. Dad, stop making stuff up already!¡± she yelled, her face turning red. After all, this was a public ce. There were a lot of other people around. In particr, two princes who


    <em>¡ªOops!</em>


    Slowly and with a sense of dread, she craned her neck just enough to look behind her, where she saw the two people standing just a few steps away. Abel was just staring at her with his mouth wide open. Sion had his hand over his mouth, but that didn¡¯t hide how amused he was.


    <em>Hnnnnnngh! This is really embarrassing! Why should I have to deal with this kind of public shame¡­</em>


    Even though she wanted to leave the ce, she couldn¡¯t do so yet. She had to figure out what was going on with that thing.


    ¡°More importantly, father, what is this supposed to be?¡± she asked as she looked up at the huge white statue of herself.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? I had it made as a present for when you came back. I thought you¡¯d feel better when you saw it. It¡¯s a snow sculpture,¡± he said with pride as he looked at it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what you¡¯re doing out there, you know? The other day, Viscount Berman stopped by, and we had a short conversation. He told me all about the big wooden statue you¡¯re putting up of yourself at the Mia Academy.¡±


    ¡°What wooden statue?!¡± sheughed. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about this?¡±


    She remembered that Berman had wanted to build a huge golden statue in the past. She thought she had convinced him not to do it, but it was clear she was wrong.


    ¡°When I heard that, I decided that the capital should also have one. Then, by the way, I just happened to hear about snow statues at just the right time, so I looked into it.¡±


    When it was time to get down to serious business, the emperor could move very quickly. Mia just wished he would be as proactive about other things, like not making big snow sculptures of her.


    ¡°But¡­it hasn¡¯t snowed here in the capital yet, has it?¡±


    The most strange thing about the sculpture was that she didn¡¯t remember seeing a single snowke on the whole way here. It was cold enough for snow to stick to the ground, but it hadn¡¯t snowed yet. So where did her bigger, frosty copye from?


    Matthias smiled to himself andughed.


    ¡°Outcount Gildenes into y here. It¡¯s already snowing in the north, and I heard that you and the man get along well, so I asked him to bring some snow over. He really wanted to help.¡±


    Mia quickly went over the name in her mind. Gilden was the noble from the Ounds that she made friends with on the way back from Ganudos Port Country.


    <em>First Berman, now Gilden¡­ Ugh! Why can¡¯t they just do what they want? Unforgivable!</em>


    She red up at the snow sculpture while grinding her teeth very hard and trying very hard not to show it. It was only because she looked at it so closely that she realized how artistic it was. Mia, who was covered in snow, was dressed as a fairy, and the amount of emotion she was able to show through the fluffy outfit was, well, breathtaking. From the shape of her cheek to the angle of her jawline to every single hair on her head, there was a level of attention to detail that was on par with the best art.


    <em>To think that something like this could be made out of snow¡­ Art is amazing¡­</em>


    Her mind tried to escape by thinking about the art instead of the situation. It was a natural reaction, especially since the sculpture had made her look better in a subtle way. Basically, it made her look more beautiful than she was. If Mia, who was made of flesh and scones, was just about pretty enough, then Mia, who was made of snow, was very pretty. There was definitely some freedom taken with the art. She was also bigger than the sculpture. Much much bigger. Snow Mia was the same height as the pce and loomed over everyone in the area, as if it wanted as much attention as it could get. It was so damn tall that she wondered if everyone in the capital could see it if they knew where to look.


    She tried to keep the context out of her mind, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Imagine, if you will, a beautiful painting of a girl. It would be so beautiful that any sane person would wonder if the artist took a few too many liberties. Now picture this likeness as a huge sculpture as tall as a pce. Lastly, picture the poor girl, whose likeness was now on disy for everyone to see, standing there and staring at her own likeness while her own father yelled at his artists to fix her nose and make a dimple on her cheek. What does this girl think? How would she feel?


    She would be ready to die out of embarrassment. For a girl in her most sensitive years, this was deeply cringe-worthy. Back-bending, tummy-fluttering, and making you want to hiss.


    <em>I-I¡¯m going to die if Abel sees this!</em>


    Whoever saw this sculpture would probably think that Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Great Wisdom of the Empire, likes to show off. They¡¯d cringe when they heard about it. Then, after seeing how beautiful she was in the snow, they¡¯d see her in person, and they¡¯d no doubt smile at each other knowingly. ¡°Ah, so this is what the real Princess Mia looks like,¡± they would say. ¡°Mmm. Well, I guess art is art, but maybe they cleaned her up too much?¡±


    <em>I can¡¯t show this to the two of them. No way! Not even close!</em>


    She quickly turned on her heels and got her hands ready to use as blindfolds for the two princes. She was toote, though. She noticed that both of them had their heads tilted back, and their shocked eyes were fixed on her sculpture.


    Then Mia wished for the stars to fall from the sky and end the world. Her apocalyptic escape shows an important fact about the way the world works: just as cats die of curiosity, princesses die of embarrassment. If you or someone you know is a princess, please be kind and respectful to them.


    In any case, she quickly changed the subject when she realized that every second she spent looking at the sculpture was making her crazy.


    ¡°Well, anyway, fathe¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe back for so long. I think I deserve at least one ¡®dad.¡¯ How do you think I feel?¡±


    ¡°I want to have a serious conversation with you, dad. Prince Abel and Prince Sion are my ssmates,¡± she said, making a small turn to point at the two princes behind her. They came from far away to be at my birthday party.¡±


    Then she gave Matthias a pointed smile, which made him grunt.


    ¡°Ah. To go to the birthday party for my daughter. I see,¡± he said again, his face bing more serious. He walked up to the princes without saying more.


    ¡°Thank you very much foring all the way here. I am Matthias Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s eyes swept over them like a royal sword, stopping on Abel, who couldn¡¯t help but stumble backward. He caught himself and turned his step backwards into a respectful bow. The Emperor of Tearmoon is Mia¡¯s father.


    Abel took a quiet breath in. The man was both majestic and imposing in his appearance. It was different from the aura of his own warrior father, but it was just as impressive. Something about the emperor¡¯s careful, judging look made every muscle in Abel¡¯s body tense up, pulling his shoulders back and straightening his spine. He couldn¡¯t help but turn his eyes toward Sion. With a rush of shame, he focused them back.


    <em>Man, get a grip on yourself!</em>


    Because Sion was the most powerful person on the continent, it was expected that he would be the first to return the greeting. After all, the Kingdom of Remno did sit on a much lower rung. The only thing that could be said about the Tearmoon Empire that was also true of the Kingdom of Sunnd. Remno didn¡¯t fit anywhere in that setting. In addition, Abel was also a prince. In every way, he was worse than Sion, who was the crown prince of Sunnd and the heir to the throne.


    <em>What am I thinking? Who cares if what I am?</em>


    Mia said she believed in him, so Abel had to meet her expectations. That was all there was to it. This was not the time to be hesitant.


    ¡°I am Abel Remno, the second prince of the Kingdom of Remno. At school, Her Highness Princess Mia and I are both on the student council. We do things together. Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    After he was done introducing himself, he looked Matthias in the eye with confidence. After a pause, Sion also spoke.


    ¡°It is an equal honor for me to meet Your Majesty. I am Crown Prince Sion Sol Sunnd of the Kingdom of Sunnd. Like my friend, I¡¯m on the student council at Saint-Noel Academy.¡±


    When the two princes were done introducing themselves, Matthias crossed his arms in a quiet way.


    <em>Hm¡­ Abel Remno.</em> As he carefully measured the boy, he thought¡­


    <em>So this is the second prince of Remno. A sharp gaze. A strong but fair stance. I¡¯d say he¡¯s bing more of a knight. I heard that the army of the Kingdom of Remno is getting stronger. It seems that the first prince is a better swordsman than this one, but¡­ It looks like this one is just as good. That¡¯s not the look of a weak person.</em>


    Then he turned to look at Sion.


    <em>And this is Sion Sol Sunnd, the crown prince of Sunnd¡­ Handsome. Easygoing, but not weak. He seems like a nice and friendly young man. I can see now why nobles his age pay attention to him and are interested in him.</em>


    One by one, he matched what he saw to what he knew about each one. In fact, Matthias had learned the names of the sons of every king, queen, and powerful noble in the area. Why? Of course, to find Mia a good husband.


    <em>There are rumors that Remno¡¯s first prince is a mean person. From what I can tell, this Abel boy, on the other hand, is not like that. Mia is a nice girl, though. She will be more interested in people like me who are kind and gentle. She used to tell me that one day, she would marry me.</em>


    With a snort, he came to the end of his review and turned to Sion.


    <em>Which means that Prince Sion must be the one she really wants. But wait! Would she really fall for a boy who is so obviously loved by so many other girls? Is she really that uninteresting? Of course not. She used to tell me that one day, she would marry me. There¡¯s no question that she¡¯d rather be with someone who is more steady and loyal.</em>


    He gave himself a little nod as he thought.


    <em>Even if one of these two starts a rtionship with Mia, I¡¯ll have to make them work on being men for another five or ten years before they are good enough for her. They won¡¯t be able to beat her, but they¡¯ll have to be at least close to her level¡­</em>


    He thought about things that didn¡¯t matter much, but he still thought about them.


    ¡°Oh, father,¡± Mia said to stop him from thinking about nothing, ¡°about this year¡¯s birthday festival. I¡¯ve got a great idea.¡±

 Chapter 368

    <strong>Princess Mia¡¯s Debauchery Festival 4: Light of Hope, Miraculous Memories</strong>


    ¡°Do you now, Mia? What kind of a good idea is it?¡± Matthias asked, and his face went back to being soft.


    Mia smiled with a bit of arrogance and said, ¡°As a matter of fact, I want everyone to celebrate my birthday with me this year.¡±


    She was so proud of this idea that she put her chest out a little.


    ¡°Hm? Of course, everyone will join you in celebrating. I don¡¯t think it needs to be said.¡±


    Mia waving a finger left and right made Matthias frown.


    ¡°Not only the rich. Everyone. Everyone who lives in the empire, including men, women, and children. I want them all to have a great time at the festival and celebrate my birthday.¡±


    ¡°That¡­is stillmon sense, right? I can¡¯t think of anyone who wouldn¡¯t want to help you celebrate your birthday. That would be the rudest thing one could do. I can even make an order that all of these people should be put to death¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, daddy. A decree is just telling people what to do. I don¡¯t want that.¡± Mia shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Oh? Then, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard. I want everyone to get together and eat tasty food. That¡¯s enough,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°What I want for my birthday is an empire that is well-fed. Even the poorest peasant should be able to eat as much as they want as a subject of the empire. No one should ever have to go without food. Everyone should eat, drink, and have a good time.¡±


    Matthias watched her talk with wide eyes as she went on.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s been bothering me for the past few years. So much food is made for me by all the nobles, but it¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t eat all of it by myself. Even the guests can¡¯t eat it all, so there¡¯s always a lot left over. That doesn¡¯t make me happy one bit. I¡¯d rather see more smiles on our people¡¯s faces. I¡¯d be happy if that happened.¡±


    The tears came to the emperor¡¯s eyes as he listened with more and more interest.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make me happy to know that people throw away food for me. I¡¯d much rather give that food to everyone and see them eat it with big smiles on their faces. This would be a much better thing to do at a festival.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mia, you¡¯re so kind! My dearest, sweetest daughter is so perfect¡­ Well said! You¡¯ve made it clear what you want! I¡¯ll send messengers right away to all of the nobles. They will be told to throw open their doors and host a feast for their people. In the square of every town in every domain, a feast will be set up. There will be plenty of food, and everyone is wee. During the festival, no one will go hungry.¡±


    Mia thought about how happy she was when her father told him to do something.


    <em>Oho ho, we¡¯re off. Done! I can¡¯t believe it took me so long to think of something so simple¡­ Why throw away the food when I can just tell everyone to eat more? So, even if there is a shortage of supplies in the future, they can already stock up on eating!</em>


    ¡­you can¡¯t stock up on food by eating, which means this whole idea was doomed from the start. Luckily for her, and unfortunately for everyone else, there were no mind readers around to point out this obvious w in her thinking.


    <em>So, now¡­</em>


    Ludwig could feel a tearing as he watched Mia and her father talk. He was also bothered by the wasteful spending of nobles. Every birthday party meant that a lot of food was wasted. As Mia had said, the harvest for next year was showing clear signs of going down. If there really was a famineing, it would bepletely wrong to waste food.


    But how could this wasteful way of life be changed? Ludwig had no idea what was going on. Already, ns were being made for the uing banquets. At this point, asking for a cheaper menu would just mean that half-done ingredients would be left to go bad. It seemed impossible not to waste food. Also, because Mia¡¯s birthday was the reason for the party, the emperor himself was in charge. As long as he stood by the expensive tradition, not even Mia could fight against it. There was also the fact that all this extravagance caused a lot of money to change hands, which was a very important thing. Having merchants from all overe to the festival was good for the economy in a big way.


    So, Ludwig decided to give a shoulder shrug at the event. It had problems, but it also had good things. Even worse, he didn¡¯t seem to be able to do anything about it. It had be a yearly habit, and trying to change it would just cause chaos. He decided that keeping things as they were would be better than identally making the problem worse, so he gave up and gave in.


    Mia, on the other hand, made it clear that she didn¡¯t agree, and she did so by giving a brilliantly simple solution.


    <em>¡®If we¡¯re just going to throw the food away anyway, why not feed a lot of people with it.¡¯ Genius!</em>


    The nobles wanted to spend a lot of money to show off how rich they were. Mia fully understood this. Then, instead of going against what they wanted, she used it to her advantage, giving them the outlet they wanted. She was smart because she changed the angle of the outlet just a little bit, sending the nobles¡¯ energy in a better direction. It was a clever move that made Ludwig sigh long and hard in admiration.


    It makes more sense to me the more I think about it. Even if we told nobles to cut back on their spending, they would probably just keep all the extra food for themselves.


    <em>There was no guarantee that telling nobles off for wasting food would help people get more food. If that¡¯s the case, they might as well just let the nobles eat as much as they want and then give all the extra food to the people.</em>


    By saying herself that she wanted all imperial subjects to eat as much as they wanted, the nobles would try to please her by giving her lots of food, and the people would eat luxuriously filling meals.


    <em>This could be seen as a middle ground. This is not the best answer, but it is the second best. The best thing to do would be to save that food for the famine, but she knew that wouldn¡¯t work, so she moved quickly to do the next best thing. As always, she never runs out of wise things to say.</em>


    As always, Ludwig thought Mia was great. As always, the sky is blue, the sun rises in the east, etc., etc., etc.


    So began Princess Mia¡¯s birthday party, which wouldter be called ¡°Princess Mia¡¯s Festival of Debauchery.¡± The idea came from the main character Mia, who said, ¡°Why throw it away when we can all eat it together?¡± It turned out to have unexpected and longsting effects.


    Of course, no one was able to ¡°stock up¡± on food like Mia had hoped. That was a given, since it went against thews of nature. But people still thought about the festival. They remember good food and even better times. For most people, nobles were little more than people who took money from them. Few people had ever seen anything goode from the nobility. That changed because of this.


    At Princess Mia¡¯s request, everyone in the empire was invited to a free feast where food and drinks were served. The party was to celebrate Mia¡¯s birthday, and everyone there was told to have the best time they could. This instruction was actually an imperial decree, which made everyone nervously smile as they walked around trying to act festive in a ce where people were both curiously excited and sick to their stomachs. People who didn¡¯t like each other kept their mouths shut because they thought their heads were more important than a well-timed jeer. Whether it was forced or not, the festival made everyoneugh as they celebrated.


    At some point, maybe because he had had too many drinks, a man started to sing. The young people around him had to dance to the lively beat of his song. Because of the atmosphere, a businessman gave a barrel of wine to the cause. When another vendor saw the advertising potential of what had just happened, he joined the crowd and started selling snacks and sides. Soon, men, women, and children took extra food from their homes and gave it to strangers without being asked.


    In the middle of all the action, Mia, the main character of the day, would sometimes ride by in a carriage, adding to the excitement. Bad feelings from the past started to fall away under the weight of fake smiles, a weight that would eventually crush even the fake smiles, leaving only the real happiness they brought.


    It was¡­a strange event. One that was hard to exin. A short but wonderful festival that had never happened before in the empire. People remembered it most as a time when they had fun and were in a good mood. People from the town, the merchants, the rich, the poor, the friends, the foes, the old, the young, the men, the women, the boys, and the girls of every shape and color all came together to celebrate the birthday of a girl. And when it was all over, they had a happy memory of that day that would never leave them.


    It was a memory that gave people hope in dark times and gave them the strength to keep going, because they now knew that Princess Mia was a noble, but not just any noble. She was the only one who saw them. Somewhere in the hazy heights of aristocracy, there was a girl who didn¡¯t care about the difference in their social status and invited them all to her feast. So, they kept going because she was a kind, generous girl. Even though their lives might have gone back to the way they were before, if they kept going, that wonderful time mighte back. So, they kept walking with their heavy loads, hoping to get another taste of the short but beautiful miracle that Princess Mia would make for them.


    After that, bad things kept happening to the empire, but the people never gave up. They were scared, but they didn¡¯t give up. They kept going so that at the end of the year, they could celebrate again.


    The festival would be a long-standing tradition of the empire, but that¡¯s a story for another time.

 Chapter 369

    <strong>Dressed In Imperial Colors</strong>


    At the Whitemoon Pce, there was a beautiful ball on the first day of the Mia Birthday Festival. The pce halls were full of nobles who came to Lunatear to take part.


    At the entrance, before the gate, they saw the huge Mia snow sculpture, which was a beautiful sight.


    ¡°Wow, this is what we¡¯ve been hearing so much about¡­¡±


    It was a beautiful piece of art that didn¡¯t give in topromise. It was so tall that as they looked up toward the top, it seemed to get bigger. And it was very detailed. Even just the quality of the work was enough to draw attention, but what really wowed the nobles was something else.


    ¡°To make something like this¡­from snow. His Majesty is a real wonder.¡±


    The idea that it would be brave to make such a beautiful sculpture out of something that would just melt away when the weather got warmer struck a chord with the nobles. It also made them all think about art for a short time.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Of course. If this were made of gold, it would lose some of its beauty. Gold isn¡¯t as interesting. Itcks¡­ art,¡± the nobleman said as he thought.


    ¡°Take a look at this work. Its passing away. Its short-lived existence. It¡¯s so beautiful because it¡¯s so easy to break and will eventually fade.¡±


    ¡°To think that so much careful work went into something that will only be beautiful for a short time¡­ Aah, looking at it is like tasting art in its purest form, and what aplex taste it has!¡±


    Merchants were the only ones who could spend money and expect to get it back. The truly wealthy spent their money on things that didn¡¯tst, like fleeting dreams and moments.


    ¡°But the person we¡¯re talking about¡ªour dear princess¡ªseems to have said some very boring things, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she does. The people she wants to feed are not worth more than the food she ns to give them. We should get rid of both of them. Why does she seem to be so interested in them?¡±


    Nobles were confused when they heard about what was going to happen at Mia¡¯s birthday festival. This added to their growing list ofints about her seemingly crazy behavior. They think that the poor should be forgotten. They already had a safe ce to stay, which was the Newmoon District. Wasn¡¯t the point of that project to get rid of them and forget about them? Why would anyone want to get their hands dirty by putting them back in that hole? It seemed like a waste of time and money to give money and build hospitals.


    ¡°Surely a mistake made when he was young. She is still very young. Also, in the empire, it is usual for a male heir to take the throne. Lord Sapphias of Bluemoon seems to me to be the most likely candidate to be the next emperor.¡±


    ¡°Now, the Redmoons also have a lot of sons. Their military skills will help keep us safe for sure.¡±


    As they argued about their different points of view, the only name that never came up was Mia¡¯s. No one had the slightest doubt that the throne would go to a boy from one of the emperor¡¯s four bloodlines. Due to old traditions, the idea of trying to crown an empress was just unthinkable. They thought that Princess Mia should get married to someone from another kingdom. They only wished she¡¯d stop having such crazy ideas and start acting like a princess. As long as she did it before she got married, everything would be fine.


    The nobles walked into the ballroom after making some questionablements to each other.


    ¡°Well now¡­¡±


    Even though it happened every year, the sheer beauty of the sight never failed to leave people in awe. In the middle of the room was a huge round table with a lot of high-quality, showy dishes for the princess¡¯s birthday party. The head chef had put his heart and soul into every dish on the menu, making them not only delicious but also a feast for the eyes.


    ¡°Yes, it was a dinner banquet fit for Her Highness. Every year¡¯s show is awe-inspiring because of how much money they spend on it.¡±


    ¡°These are almost like edible works of art. So pretty.¡±


    ¡°I just ate one, and my goodness, the head chef has really outdone himself!¡±


    They allughed, but no one knew how far the head chef had gone to beat them. This year, Mia asked the head chef to cut the kitchen¡¯s budget for the banquet, which he did with great care. After a lot of work, he was able to make the menu on disy for half as much as it had cost in previous years. He also had at least three times as many headaches, but that¡¯s not important.


    Mia had said, ¡°I¡¯d like to try some cheap food that tastes good.¡± Okay, so the request itself wasn¡¯t put in a very strong way. In fact, she might have just brought it up out of the blue. The head chef, on the other hand, took it very seriously and promised to see it through. The dishes that came out of this were a series of culinary miracles that kept costs low and satisfied the taste buds of nobles. This either showed the hidden potential of cheap ingredients or how unreliable noble taste buds are.


    In any case, the lights in the room suddenly went out while the nobles were praising the head chef¡¯s delicious dishes.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The guests were all caught up in a wave of noise. The next second¡­


    ¡°Greetings everyone. I¡¯d like to thank everyone who came to my birthday party.¡±


    The evening¡¯s heroine had finally arrived.


    ¡°Oh sweet moons, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    As she walked into the ballroom, everyone let out a gasp of surprise. Mia Luna Tearmoon¡¯s body was so beautiful that no one could look away. Her white-gold hair glistened softly and moved like silk when she moved. Her soft, full cheeks went well with her thin neck, which was made even more noticeable by the shape of her corbones. All of them shone. The bath herbs that had saved her life on that fateful day not so long ago were the ones that gave her this glow all over her body.


    ¡°How interesting. This must be what it means to be beautiful.¡±


    ¡°What a goodparison¡­¡± said one of the people watching. The said onlooker was wrong. There was noparison. She looked like she was glowing.


    Even more interesting was the fact that her beauty now had a hint of maturity, not just the charm of a childishness.


    ¡°Wow, that dress is really well-fitted!¡±


    But what shocked the nobles most was the color of her dress. Mia usually liked to wear brighter colors, as shown by the cute children¡¯s dress she wore the year before. Today, however, she came wearing a beautiful purple dress. It was a powerful piece of clothing that everyone could feel.


    You¡¯re right. Mia was here this year to make a point. Not only did her silky hair and smooth skin shine, but so did the clothes she wore. She had never looked more like a princess in her life.


    The jaws of everyone in the ballroom dropped to the floor. They were quickly put back together, though. Their owners were shocked at first, but it didn¡¯tst long. After that, the room was filled with the quiet energy of many minds trying to solve the same puzzle: what did Mia¡¯s purple dress mean?


    Emperors wear purple. Since she was the daughter of the emperor, it wasn¡¯t too strange for her to wear it. In fact, it wasn¡¯t the dress itself that made the difference. She chose to wear the sublime color here, in front of a lot of nobles, on her birthday festival day. The nobles thought that had to mean something, and the most obvious thing would be a message of some kind. A statement.


    Was she saying that she wanted to take over the throne? A lot of them agreed. They didn¡¯t know that they would soon find out something even more shocking, which would confirm what they already thought and make them drop their jaws again.


    Now, let¡¯s take a look behind the scenes. The reason Mia¡¯s dress is purple today is because of the way she has been eatingtely. So, purple is a color that makes things smaller. There are many colors in the world. Some colors make things look bigger than they are, while others make things look smaller than they are.


    Mia¡¯s appetite came back after what happened at Yellowmoon manor, and it just kept getting bigger and bigger, which led to a little bit of overeating. Anne came up with the idea of using color tricks to stop this change.


    ¡°Mdy, I learned this from Miss Chloe, but there are colors that make you look thinner if you wear them.¡±


    Mia was ecstatic when she heard the news and was eager to give it a try.


    So, that¡¯s it. A clear exnation for a simple choice that no one in the ballroom could havee close to figuring out.

 Chapter 370

    <strong>Time to Step Forward! The Road to Empress!</strong>


    ¡°¡­ that dress¡­ that color¡­ could that mean?¡­¡±


    <em>Gulp¡­</em>


    The noble swallowed his saliva.


    No, it is just because it is a contractive color.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other reason¡­ wearing a dress with the imperial color on this day¡­ Her Highness¡­ does she really want to inherit the throne¡­¡±


    Another noble said in a tense voice.


    No. It is simply because Mia ate too much.


    ¡°Is she going to upend longstanding traditions? I never expected her to be that kind of a person¡­ Was she hiding such intentions from such long ago¡­¡±


    No, she is just hiding the expansion of her stomach.


    A quiet chaos started within the nobles, but before it could subside, they received a further shock from Mia¡¯s announcement¡­


    ¡°Today, there are some people that I would like to introduce to everyone gathered here today.¡±


    Saying that, Mia beckoned. And responding to that, two boys approached Mia.


    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t those¡­¡±


    Not many knew their faces. However, those who knew were at loss for words. Because the two were¡­


    ¡°These are my schoolmates. Prince Abel and Prince Sion. Prince Abel is the second prince of Remno Kingdom, and Prince Sion is the crown prince of Sunnd.¡±


    After Mia¡¯s announcement, the whole hall fell silent.


    ¡°They¡¯vee all the way here to celebrate my birthday.¡±


    Mia continued as if she didn¡¯t notice the noble¡¯s reactions.


    Since it was the princess birthday, it is not umon for guests and nobles from other neighboring kingdoms toe and celebrate. The royal family of Perujin Agricultural Country and Ganudos Port Town were well known royalties that attended her birthdays in the past.


    But¡­ no royal family has evere from a country as powerful as Sunnd. Moreover, Prince Sion, who Mia just introduced, wasn¡¯t just any royalty. He is the crown prince. The next expected sessor to the throne. This shows how much Sunnd values Mia.


    ¡°No way¡­ the prince of Sunnd¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the other prince.¡±


    Speaking of Remno Kingdom, although it is inferior to Tearmoon and Sunnd, it stillmands respect. Its military power could not be underestimated.


    Moreover, Abel is the second prince. Unlike Sion, who is first in line for session, Abel is fully qualified to be in the position to marry into the Tearmoon Empire¡­.


    Dressed in supreme imperial colors, and introducing the two princes from powerful neighboring kingdoms¡­. The nobles couldn¡¯t help but bewildered on what exactly could their princess be meaning¡­


    But their shock wasn¡¯t far from over¡­. Something greater was even in store that came right after.


    While the nobles were still processing what happened, the doors to the hall opened¡­


    ¡°My apologies for beingte, Mia-sama.¡±


    The one who appeared was Esmeralda, the daughter of Duke Greenmoon¡­.


    ¡­well, it didn¡¯t really matter much. It was amon knowledge that she was a good friend of Mia. It wouldn¡¯t have gotten any reaction from the nobles, if only it wasn¡¯t for the girl who was behind Esmeralda.


    It was a girl with pure smile. She seemed to be in the same age as Mia. Her light blue hair was as cool as a clear stream, and what was peeking out from between her hair was her translucent white skin. There was an air of divine beauty as she walked in.


    Not a single soul hadn¡¯t seen her before. If not personally, then through her portraits. It was the continent¡¯s leading Saint, the Holy Lady herself.


    ¡°Greetings Mia. And Happy Birthday.¡± She giggled.


    The appearance of Saint Rafina Orca Belluga changed the atmosphere of the hall once again. The existence of the two princes was something that could not be ignored. But Rafina was on a whole new other level. Turning her into an enemy is the same as turning multiple countries, including Sunnd, into enemies. All the nobles realized how much influence Rafina carries.


    And¡­ the fact that Rafina came all the way to the empire to celebrate Mia¡¯s birthday¡­


    Rafina headed towards Mia with light steps. The sheer intensity of the turn of events was too much for the stupefied nobles.


    ¡°Ra-Rafina-sama, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°On? Isn¡¯t it only natural to celebrate with your friend on her birthday?¡±


    Rafina said with a mischievous giggle at the surprised Mia.


    ¡°Fufufufu, it seems that I was able to surprise you. Seeing your reaction was worthing over here secretly.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ I¡¯m happy to hear that you¡¯re having fun.¡± Mia responded with the kind of tense deference one would exhibit when favored by someone much more important, ¡°This was a long way toe for a simple prank.¡±


    Every aristocrat in the room rolled their eyes silently at what they considered to be rather clumsy performance. As if Mia could have been oblivious of Rafina¡¯s desire to attend, they reasoned. They couldn¡¯t dispute its cleverness, but they also had to admit that it had a strong message. The overwhelming level of power and influence possessed by the present emperor¡¯s daughter was made in by the sight of Mia and Rafina joyously chirping as they took each other¡¯s hands.


    It wasmonly known that Mia felt her father¡¯s intense affection. Her recent charitable endeavors had also brought her a great deal of public favor. Despite the fact that this behavior was inappropriate, it nheless contributed to her power. She was also on very good terms with ound nobles, a group that naturally distanced themselves from the inner nobility, thanks to stories of her sympathetic attitude toward them. The nobility present had more or less known about all of these things.


    But they were unaware of how far she had extended her power internationally. She had some significant acquaintances, ranging from the prince of Sunnd, a country frequently seen as Tearmoon¡¯s equal, to the prince of Remno, a little but mighty nation that demanded respect. But Rafina Orca Belluga, with whom they were currently exchanging polite smiles, was superior to even this pair of handsome royals. Not only had Mia gained the favor of the rulers of two powerful kingdoms, but she had also developed a close friendship with the Holy Lady, whose dominance over the continent was unmatched.


    Had there ever been a person in the empire quite like Mia? Definitely not! She just demonstrated an enormous amount of political clout in a matter of minutes, which was more than enough to silence her detractors. The overwhelming understanding that they were in the presence of an utter goliath soon spread throughout the majority of the room. They knew they couldn¡¯t ever cross Mia, and they didn¡¯t want to. Just the emperor¡¯s affection made it foolish. However, given her extremely influential circle of friends today, it would be suicide. Many people¡¯s foreheads started to shine with perspiration.


    They then thought back to the emperor¡¯s imperial order, which had purportedly been the princess¡¯s wish. She had requested that everyone in the empire, including men, women, and children, celebrate her birthday by having a great time. Then, didn¡¯t that imply that they should ensure that actually happened?


    The terrified nobility returned to theirnds and immediately opened them to their people, greeting theirmon visitors with false smiles and forcedughter. They were motivated by this new, terrifying realization. But given their desperate situation, they couldn¡¯t afford to dy. Princess Mia¡¯s wrath would be courted if they didn¡¯t appease their people. If she had a problem with any of them¡­ The majority of nobility simply began shaking their guests¡¯ hands at that point without pausing to consider the horrible ramifications.


    The nobles consequently ended themselves eating and drinking with their subjects. They began to take pleasure in themselves as they performed the usual birthday song in unison to honor their princess.


    ¡°We have a very kind lord, I say.¡± The word was said by one of the guests. When their master heard it, he didn¡¯t find it very offensive. In fact, he enjoyed thepliments. Additionally, he reasoned that it would onlyst for five days. He would be safe if he could maintain a decent front for his people for only five days. He might as well enjoy what pleasure he could have in the interim. After all, the decree required it, and it also pertained to him.


    This left him with memories of the celebration as well. Fun times with his people, many of whom had previously just existed as names on a tax list but were now faces he¡¯d recognized over a cup of alcohol. They were enduring memories that would have a significant impact on both him and the numerous other nobles who also had a simr experience.


    There were however others who resisted the trend and obstinately followed long-standing traditions.


    ¡°What a distressing development¡­ Simply put, this is not the way. We should speak with Lord Sapphias and try to persuade him to take action.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Her lineup is strong. The average male has no chance. The House of Redmoon needs to be persuaded to take action against her. She needs to be restrained.¡±


    However, the current diplomatic situation involving the younger branch of the Four Dukes was unknown to these nefarious conspirators. Even in the homes they were trying to convince, seeds of that had identally fallen out of Mia¡¯s pocket while she was aimlessly wandering had grown into lively saplings with roots that sunk ever lower into the soil of friendship.


    Additionally, they were unaware that Mia would soon learn about their covert ns.


    Mia thus made her first triumphant step towards being an empress!


    A path that was pretty much obvious to everyone but her¡­

 Chapter 371

    <strong>Loyal Retainers Rejoice (Each One¡¯s Perspective)</strong>


    Ludwig paused to collect himself after sending Mia to the evening¡¯s banquet hall. He could already feel the passion rising in his chest and threatening to make his eyes water.


    ¡°All this time, but I never thought she¡¯d wear the colour on her own.¡±


    He got chills even thinking about the ramifications.


    <em>Her Highness has at longst dered her intention to rule Tearmoon as empress in a public and unambiguous manner.</em>


    It was his most sincere and profound wish. He hadn¡¯t given himself a minute of leisure since that fateful day when Mia had first spoken to him; instead, he had been continually rushing around the empire


    Although her initial goal had been to resolve the empire¡¯s financial issues, she had other goals as well. She wished to make everything right. Fundamentally reviving the empire was her aim. Ludwig therefore made every effort to help her. As he patientlymitted himself to her cause over time, a notion started to cross his mind more frequently.


    ¡°Is Her Highness not the most suitable candidate to rule this empire?¡±


    He hade at that decision through reasoning, not emotion. Objectively speaking, no one seemed more qualified to offer direction to the empire than Mia. But still¡­


    ¡°First Empress of Tearmoon, huh?¡±


    The mere act of speaking the words aloud made his heart race. He suddenly understood that, despite his best efforts to approach the situation with purely rational reasoning, he was unable to separate himself from his feelings. Mia might be the ideal candidate to head the empire, but his confidence in her wasn¡¯t wholly based on logic.


    He often imagined himself by Mia¡¯s side in a future in which she held the country¡¯s first-ever empress position. Actually, he never even imagined himself at her side because just helping her, no matter how far away, was more than enough to make him feel better.


    For some reason, the idea of having others help her achieve her objectives by serving as her arms and legs was deeply rewarding. Though he didn¡¯t know why, he felt a hazy tingling in the recesses of his mind. It gave off the impression that he had once ached for this with all of his heart and soul, like a dim reminiscence of a long-forgotten past. He allowed the sensation to vanish, reasoning that it was thest vestige of an old dream.


    ¡°Perhaps a fantasy, but one that was worthwhile to experience, no matter how ephemeral. What could be more rewarding than working at her side and witnessing her rise to the throne?¡±


    He frowned as he acknowledged that he was being overly sentimental.


    <em>Enough daydreaming, I say. There is still a lot to do and nothing has beenpleted.</em>


    He sighed and started to walk after receiving several hard ps on the cheeks.


    <em>I also need to get in touch with Master Galv, Gil and Balthazar. Then gather the remainder of the crew. We will require all the assistance we can obtain.</em>


    He moved steadily and deliberately because he was working towards a specific objective: to unite the group of young officials who had all studied under the old wise man.


    All was done to achieve the lofty objective of donning Mia in the imperial shade of purple.


    Anne nodded to herself with great satisfaction as she escorted Mia off in her purple dress, happy that the results of her research had been helpful to Mia.


    <em>She has recently put forth a lot of effort. It makes sense that she¡¯s gaining a little weight.</em>


    She couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of pressure Mia must have been dealing with. She only knew that Mia used sweets as a coping mechanism, which resulted in a minor filling out of her shape.


    Anne had made sure to arrange some time each day for research because she was determined to be helpful to her mistress during this busy time. Mia had taken a bath before the party, but that was Anne¡¯s creation. Herbs from Chloe that were said to help with weariness were used in its preparation. Mia was beaming with zest by the time she emerged. She was physically shining as well.


    Anne was tenacious in her search for fresh data. She aggressively asked attendants who looked after pupils from other kingdoms for advice. She also profited from Saint-Noel¡¯s reputation as the continent¡¯s premier intellectual hub, which drew a wide range of suppliers. When she had time, she would go to the town and peruse its various shops in quest of a useful item for Mia. In addition to all of this, she worked to improve her own abilities by experimenting with skincare routines andbing methods to enhance Mia¡¯s skin and hair. And throughout it all, she didn¡¯t let up on her studies, where she concentrated on finding ways to keep Mia¡¯s health.


    ¡°I must take every possible action for Mdy.¡±


    She never stated it, but she believed she was the one most in charge of keeping Mia¡¯s beauty, and she proudly carried that responsibility.


    Even by the lofty standards Anne had set for herself, Mia¡¯s beauty today had surpassed them. She was incredibly stunning. once more, both literally and metaphorically.


    ¡°For now, though, I believe that¡¯s sufficient.¡± She grinned internally.


    <em>I was able to properlyb her hair this time, unlike thest. I was so miserable when¡­ hmm? Wait, when was that? When was that again?</em>


    She grimaced. A fleeting thought that was too rapid to notice but too obvious to ignore flitted around in her head. She had oncebed Mia¡¯s hair. She had done it numerous times, but this specific instance had been significant for Mia. Possibly the most crucial, and Anne hadn¡¯t been sessful at it. She simply couldn¡¯t recall the date or the details of the event.


    ¡°Perhaps ites from a dream I once had,¡± She thought.


    She tried to recall, but nothing specific came to her. Even though it was ambiguous, she took it as a lesson to be careful. Mia was devastated at the notion of being unable to properlyb her hair on a significant day in her life. At some point in the future, Mia would undoubtedly get married, and she would hold her wedding in front of a sizable contingent of her subjects. It would be Anne¡¯s first and foremost responsibility to ensure that she looked her best when the time arrived. Only the best would do, and when the time came, Anne had every intention of giving it. She made an effort to develop at every free moment of her life because of this.


    <em>Let me see what I can finish before Mdy returns.</em>


    She thought as she crossed her arms.


    <em>She appears gorgeous today. She¡¯ll undoubtedly enjoy her time with the two princes, I wager. Therefore, she will probably be absent for a while. And when she returns, I¡¯ll guess she¡¯s fairly worn out.</em>


    Knowing how amazing Mia is at dancing, she would probably spend a lot of time spinning around. So, it was undoubtedly time for a soak before bed. In the belief that her mistress would value a warm bath infused with herbs upon her return, Anne gathered the required toiletries and made her way to the bath chamber.


    Everything was done to achieve the lofty goal of dressing Mia in the contractive color of purple.

 Chapter 372

    <strong>Mia is a Vessel</strong>


    Mia was having a st at the banquet back there thanks to Anne¡¯s photogenic shenanigans. She met a marquis¡¯s daughter, who introduced a friend, after shaking his hand. After admiring Mia¡¯s outfit, the friend said, ¡°Oh, Your Highness, you must try these. They are delectable.¡±


    Never one to refuse a culinary suggestion, Miaplied right away.


    Munch, Munch, Munch!


    She then greeted a count and skipped over to a nearby Rania, the younger princess of Perujin Agricultural Country for a chat after that conversation was ended.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness, I¡¯ve wanted to ask you to give this a shot. It¡¯s a brand-new cake that Perujin developed.¡±


    Munch, Munch, Munch!


    One of the central nobility came over to greet her as she was eating.


    <em>This man has terrible timing, ugh.</em>


    To disguise her irritation, she smiled extra politely in his direction.


    After eating the entire two slices of cake, she came upon some appetizing-looking saut¨¦ed mushrooms.


    Munch, Munch, Munch!


    A figure approached her after she had given her jaws a good workout.


    A courtly Sion said, ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia, but would you care to join me on the floor for a number or two?¡±


    As music started to y, people started to amuse themselves on the dance floor because they had run out of things to say.


    ¡°Sion, my¡­ already asked me to dance?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, I am. When we were introducing ourselves to your father, Abel got there first, and I¡¯m not quite that nice to give him the benefit of the doubt.¡±


    Abel was located halfway across the room when she swiftly looked around. At her helpless shrug, he gestured.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have it easy, do you¡ªEeek!¡±


    When Sion pulled her along by the hand, she let out a brief shriek. She murmured, agitated,


    ¡°M-my, someone¡¯s a little pushy today, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Mia was typically bad on defence. Her adversary, who had attractive appearance and a lovely personality, was one of the most formidable attackers in history. Any pathetic pretence of poise she had managed to muster immediately copsed under his attack.


    ¡°You are the star of this show after all, ha ha. I¡¯m utilising the time I have to the fullest because I can¡¯t exactly keep you to myself the entire night.¡±


    He quickly started moving, taking quick steps that matched the music. Despite her ongoing nervousness, Mia followed along without any issues.


    Do keep in mind that despite her shorings, Mia was unquestionably a brilliant dancer. She had recently added ¡°a decent rider¡± and ¡°a dangerous cook¡± to her list of aplishments. At least in terms of duration, her skill set was growing very impressive. Even Mia could get better with enough chance and time!


    ¡°Sion, my. Are my perceptions off, or are your steps even more precise than before?¡±


    ¡°They are? Or is it yours that have be a little rusty?¡± he asked with a wink.


    Mia was able to regain part of herposure as a result of this minor provocation. She responded with an outgoing smile.


    ¡°Well, pardon me for being concerned about embarrassing you in front of so many people. Should I let go of my reserve?¡±


    She exchanged words with him, but there was no malice in them. Mia had no animosity towards Sion tonight. She was only concerned about having fun with their dance. The resentment she had previously harboured had long since vanished. The two of them astounded the visitors with a magnificent demonstration of rhythmic oneness as they were freed from its shackles and were able to move freely, treating Sion as a partner rather than an adversary. Mia had a great time with each other when they were on the dance floor. Her enjoyment was matched by Sion¡¯s. Maybe that¡¯s why his chest somewhat constricted as he gave Abel her hand.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Girls flocked to Sion as he emerged off the dance floor. His dance fascinated many, but his title mesmerised even more people. Few men could be more alluring to a youngdy from a noble family than the crown prince of Sunnd. He had the ability to promise strength that wasparable to Mia¡¯s with just a word of affection.


    Usually, he would smile and wink in response to their advances. But tonight, he had trouble being patient. For some reason, it was very alluring to consider asking Keithwood to intervene and shoo them away. Sadly, only nobles were there; their attendants were not allowed to join the event. He was by himself.


    <em>Okay, well then¡­ How can I leave this ce?</em>


    He felt himself suddenly feeling quite tired of their looks, each of which so inadequately concealed their selfish calctions that it could have been written across their foreheads. He scowled in disdain before scowling at the fact that he had scowled. Only then¡­


    ¡°Please excuse me, uh.¡±


    Unfazed by the ensuing torrent ofints, a person waded through the crowd of girls. He recognized the face.


    ¡°Oh? You are Tiona.¡±


    The daughter of an outcount, Tiona Rudolvon, had also been invited to Mia¡¯s feast.¡±


    ¡°Please excuse you, you country bumpkin! What gives you the idea that you can just butt in?¡± yelled a girl standing nearby.


    Tiona gave her no attention. She epted Sion¡¯s hand without even the least hesitation.


    ¡°Prince Sion, would you minding with me? Rafina-sama wishes to speak with you.¡±


    She pushed him through the ballroom¡¯s centre and out the door without even waiting for a response.


    ¡°Ahem. Miss Tiona, may I draw your attention to the fact that leaving the room seems to be rather ineffective if Miss Rafina wants to speak to me?¡±


    Sion said with amusing irony as he peered back through the doorway and saw Rafina standing in the centre of the space mingling with a throng of Tearmoon nobility.


    When Tiona realised her error, she gasped, but Sion reassured her by smiling.


    ¡°But, I must admit, the atmosphere in the ballroom is a little exhausting, and I do find myself eager to get outside.¡±


    He picked up the pace and brought her along behind him. They moved towards a balcony. His exposed skin, which was still warm from dancing, appreciated the cooling breeze.


    It was a deserted area. Few, if any, were bold enough to leave the princess¡¯ birthday banquet undetected.


    He took a long breath and let winter rx his lungs before exhaling. He turned around and apologised to Tiona.


    ¡°You saved me from a precarious situation there, but it¡¯s doubtful that your peers will think well of you for leaving me behind in that manner.¡±


    Tiona grinned subtly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have anything to lose. After all, it can¡¯t be any worse than this.¡±


    Considering the subject of her speech, she spoke with a surprising degree of dignity. There was no undue self-deprecation or humility. Just a calm assertion of the truth.


    ¡°But even that¡¯s beginning to improve greatly now, due to Her Highness,¡± she said. ¡°In Saint-Noeltely, I haven¡¯t experienced any bullying at all, and ever since the election, many people havee to me to make amends for their previous deeds.¡±


    She closed her eyes and cupped her palms to her chest as though remembering a priceless memory.


    ¡°I¡­see. That¡¯s encouraging.¡± Sion noticed himself be reflective as he looked at her reflective face.


    <em>We are hence simr. We can both thank Mia for saving us.</em>


    ¡°However, Prince Sion, I realise I may be stepping outside of my bounds by asking this, but¡­¡±


    Tiona stopped to gather her thoughts. She then asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡± with fresh conviction.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Okay with what?¡±


    Sion raised an eyebrow in confusion at her query.


    ¡°With what you did back there. You seemed to be having a great time dancing with Her Highness, I guess.¡± The more she spoke, the weaker her voice be. ¡°I had the impression that you could be, hmm, intrigued by Her Highness. I don¡¯t mean you like her. However, you instantly gave her to Prince Abel after that.¡±


    His other brow, which was now equally arched, also became confused.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Abel was anxiously anticipating his opportunity and would have been disappointed if I had kept her to myself the entire evening. After all, there is a protocol for these situations.¡±


    Sion answered, and then frowned. His statements¡¯ ring insincerity immediately became obvious to both him and her¡ªat least, that¡¯s what Tiona¡¯s piercing nce suggested.


    <em>Suns, she looks right through me. My continued avoidance of the query would be detrimental.</em>


    He let out a head-shaking sigh, smoothed his hair, and changed his tone.


    ¡°All right, OK, so perhaps I am attracted to her. But I blew my opportunity. And in a painful way, too.¡±


    His conscience was troubled by Sunnd¡¯s Wind Crows¡¯ failure. The sins he hadmitted despite dering hismitment to defending justice were even heavier. They were like tar on his soul.


    ¡°What right do I have? What nerve? Besides¡­ I¡¯m also Sunnd¡¯s crown prince, after all. Even if I did have feelings of adoration for Mia, they are in vain. It can¡¯t bear fruit.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t care about any of that.¡±


    Her remarks had the strength and sharpness of a razor. They pierced right through his cloud of insecurity.


    ¡°Her Highness is a great vessel, sort of. Because she can hold so much, she is kind and giving, and little things like these don¡¯t bother her.¡±


    ¡°Is she really?¡± Sion questioned, even though he knew it was unnecessary. He understood the truth of the statement.


    Tiona continued after giving a strong nod.


    ¡°Prince Sion, you¡¯re going to regret this, with all due respect. Chat with her. As soon as you can, express your feelings to her. Or¡­¡±


    Sion could tell that she was speaking from experience. Only those who had tasted remorse could speak these words. Perhaps there was a time when Tiona clung to her words¡­and would never again have the opportunity to speak them.


    ¡°Tell her while I still have the chance, huh?¡±


    Sion started to consider his own emotions¡ªand how they changed when Mia was around¡ªfor the first time in his life.


    While Sion is sorting out his feelings, let¡¯s go back to the girl who is the source of his frustrations, and what she is doing.


    ¡°This cake is extremely gorgeous, I must say. You ought to attempt some as well, Abel!¡±


    Well, she was showing off the superiority of her vessel by packing a tonne of food inside of it. She had already eaten three rounds of food. She ate a lot, reasoning that after dancing, she would feel recharged. She continued eating even after she had ingested enough to make up for the energy she had used, reasoning that since it would all be gone when the famine hit, she might as well stock up on food now.


    Mia was a fantastic vessel, no doubt. She simply resembled a vat rather than a vase in shape.

 Chapter 373

    <strong>The Long-Awaited Time</strong>


    ¡°Mia, how was the banquet?¡±


    A recognisable voice entered her ears just as Mia was considering the notion that she had perhaps eaten a little too much due to her bloated stomach.


    Rafina was standing just behind her when she turned around.


    ¡°Oh, Rafina-sama!¡±


    Mia hurriedly got up from her seat. After their initial wee when she had arrived, she had been too preupied shaking hands to talk to her. Well, shaking hands, dancing, and stuffing her face with cake with Sion and Abel. She was busy, that much is clear.


    Mia immediately assumed the smile of a customer service representative dealing with a very important client, but she was still concerned that Rafina wouldn¡¯t find that line of reasoning particrly persuasive.


    Rafina sat down and motioned for Mia to follow suit. She then lowered her voice and leaned forward.


    <em>By the way, Mia, I don¡¯t think I got an invite to your birthday party. I sincerely hope my presence didn¡¯t create any issues.</em>


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mia¡¯s mind went nk for a second. She remained speechless as Rafina spoke.


    ¡°Could it be that you didn¡¯t want me to attend and didn¡¯t send me an invitation as a result?¡±


    Rafina looked up and questioned.


    ¡°Ever since I arrived here, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and the more I thought about it, the more frightened I got. I might not be wee here after all. Apparently, I was the only one who wasn¡¯t invited.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mia¡¯s back was covered with sweat and goosebumps at the same time.


    Rafina had a point. She was the sole member of the student council who wasn¡¯t formally invited. Chloe wasn¡¯t either, but her status as amoner prevented her from attending. Everyone else was there, including Sapphias, Abel, Tiona, and Sion. Rafina was the only noble who hadn¡¯t received an invitation to the celebration.


    Rafina was thest person Mia invited to her birthday party! If the two of them didn¡¯t know one other extremely well, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Sending Rafina an invitation in that situation would appear too overtly political. In that scenario, it could even look better on Mia as a sign of humility and principle to purposely leave her off the guest list. Rafina would have thought so, at the very least.


    But they were acquainted. In fact, really well. In this case, their friendship¡ªwhich is generally a blessing¡ªwas a curse because it meant Mia had essentially refused to invite a friend to her birthday celebration. There were only a few possible interpretations of that, and none of them were constructive.


    Her wweating increased and the chills intensified.


    ¡°U-Um¡­¡± Mia remarked in a shaky voice, ¡°You, um, seemed so busy, Rafina-sama. I-I wanted to not annoy you. Since you would have to travell quite a distance to get here, I didn¡¯t want to obligate you with an invitation. Without a doubt, it wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want you to attend. Never even urred to me. In actuality, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here! I¡¯m literally shaking with joy.¡±


    She wasrgely telling the truth, to be fair. Mia has never wanted to stop Rafina froming. She simply chose to leave out the part where she sort of forgot to send her an invitation since she got sidetracked by other things.


    Straight into her eyes, Rafina looked.


    ¡°Is it possible that you forgot?¡±


    Mia¡¯s face expression was frozen. Fortunately, it came in the form of a smile, which was able to hide the other possible expression¡ªabsurd fear.


    <em>Eeeeek! This is not good. This is terrible! M-I shouldn¡¯t dwell on how I forgot because Miss Rafina has been known to read minds on asion. I didn¡¯t forget, I promise! I most certainly didn¡¯t forget! No forgetting of any kind has taken ce!</em>


    Until she began to believe it, she desperately repeated the mantra to herself. Yes, Mia didn¡¯t disregard Rafina at all! She decided not to invite Rafina since she thought she was too busy.


    <em>I didn¡¯t forget. I didn¡¯t forget. I didn¡¯t forge¡ª</em>


    A chuckle cut off Mia¡¯s mental chanting as she let her guard down.


    ¡°Oh Mia. I¡¯m just kidding. You didn¡¯t need to treat it seriously, really.¡±


    She shed Mia a friendly smile, but something about her eyes gave Mia the impression that it was only partially sincere.


    <em>Oh no, I made a terrible error. I¡¯ll now have to invite Miss Rafina each and every year. Also¡­ She presumably left the academy before Barbara arrived, so I¡¯ll have a bit of exining to do.</em>


    She had written Belluga a letter (read: list of justifications) together with Barbara in which she made a point of stating unequivocally that she had no desire to assist the first emperor¡¯s agenda.


    <em>I must immediately bring her up to speed if she didn¡¯t have a chance to read the letter. She must hear the same speech I delivered to Duke Yellowmoon in particr so that she won¡¯t demand that I bear responsibility for the first emperor¡¯s foolishness. Is there a nice location nearby where we might conduct this discussion?</em>


    She considered her alternatives as the banquet wasing to an end.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡±


    She noticed Esmeralda standing over her when she looked up


    ¡°Esmeralda, my. I didn¡¯t have time to express my gratitude for your attendance today.¡±


    No need. Of course I¡¯m here¡ªit¡¯s my best friend¡¯s birthday celebration!¡±


    Esmeralda smiled brightly, ¡°I have to go now, but do look forward to the celebration we¡¯ll be holding at the Greenmoon residence. Oh, and could you please let Miss Rafina, Prince Sion, and Prince Abel know that they are all invited as well?¡±


    Mia spent five days touring the several key noble domains outside the capital city for her birthday festivities. There was no predetermined list of locations. Her annual trip was chosen after taking advice from the Moon ministries. She was required to attend all of the Four Dukes¡¯ dinners after the five days, which were hosted by each of them individually. Therefore, it was not surprising that Esmeralda, a member of the Greenmoon family, had invited her to a subsequent gathering.


    <em>I¡¯ll be staying in the capital for a while because, if I remember correctly, the Greenmoons normally host their feast at a vi in the city rather than their primary residence.</em>


    A thought urred to her, and she pped her hands.


    ¡°Oh, I had a thought just now. Could you help me, Esmeralda, with a favour?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then, shall we?¡±


    Esmeralda grinned with delight at being trusted.


    Mia gave her a casual look and said, ¡°I¡¯d like you to keep your promise this winter.¡±


    ¡°My¡­promise?¡± A brief frown was followed by understanding. Her demeanour became more tense, and her cheeks clenched slightly.


    Mia gave her reassurance and smiled softly. ¡°Yes. Remember the tea party you promised to throw for me?¡±


    She referred to a promise made a few months prior on the isted ind, but whose origins went much further up the arcane streams of time.


    ¡°You were going to treat me to some delicious, sugary cakes,¡± she remarked. ¡°Please bring Citrina, Ruby, and Sapphias as well. There, at the event, we¡¯ll make a joint oath.¡±


    She paused, giving her subsequent statements more emphasis during the void.


    ¡°We will take an oath to serve the empire and ensure the welfare of all of its subjects.¡±


    Esmeralda¡¯s eyes widened, and there was more silence.


    This particr moment had been long-time awaited for Esmeralda. She had patiently awaited the full realisation of her goal since she was the assembly¡¯s inception. Finally, the stars were arranged in a circle around the moon and were about to be one.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Part 3 will end with this week¡¯s post.


    After a week off, we¡¯re nning to start Part 4¡­

 Chapter 374

    <strong>The Tea Party of the Moon and the Stars</strong>


    Members of the Four Houses and Princess Mia were the only guests at the ir de Lune, an elite tea gathering. The event, which Esmeralda had originally conceived, had already been held at Saint-Noel Academy a number of times, but never had all of its prospective members been there.


    Citrina, the daughter of Duke Yellowmoon, was unable to attend until she had enrolled in the school, which was partially to me, but the scions of the other Houses were frequently preupied with their own hectic schedules, which was more to me. Esmeralda was the only one with a wless attendance record. Ruby and Sapphias both consistently denied requests, iming issues with their schedules. But on this day¡­


    The three Etoilines and one Etoilin had atst gathered, sitting at a wide round table in the midst of a lush, spacious room of the Greenmoon home. There was a rxed chatter in the air.


    ¡°However, I must admit that I never imagined that the ir de Lune would truly bring all of its members together, especially at this particr time. I initially assumed you may have finally lost it when I first got the letter because of how busy we are all at the moment.¡±


    Sapphias¡¯s remark caused Esmeralda to frown at him.


    ¡°My, Sapphias, how impolite. Are you saying I¡¯m a simpleton?¡±


    Ruby responded in her usual nonchnt way, ¡°Actually, I have to agree with Bluemoon this time. Yes, yes, I can¡¯t believe I just said that either, but calling a session on Her Highness¡¯ birthday festival¡¯s second day is definitely up there on the list of early signs of insanity.¡±


    She drank some tea.


    ¡°This tea is actually rather good. Some sort of ck from Perujin?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Esmeralda replied. ¡°Mia-sama gave them to me. She was gracious enough to give me some. Apparently, Princess Rania gave them to me¡ª hmm? What does that expression mean, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± Ruby said. ¡°It¡¯s only¡­ You¡¯ve undergone some transformation. So to speak, lost some thorns.¡±


    ¡°My, what a peculiar remark.¡± Esmeralda asked in a feign surprised tone, ¡°When have I ever had thorns? I suppose in a sense, I am indeed trying to change¡­ into someone who can live up to the title of Mia-sama¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Ruby made a squeak that seemed to indicate she nearly choked on her tea. Esmeralda had been sincerely sincere, which was perplexing.


    ¡°I see, I see,¡± Ruby remarked as she collected herself. ¡°It seems to me that Her Highness has affected each of our lives in some way. Gives ¡°ir de Lune¡± apletely new meaning, doesn¡¯t it? The same applies to you, O Lady of Yellowmoon, right?¡±


    She turned to face the final tea party guest, who was silently taking her ce. The young girl looked up with a charming grin as her hair floated softly like a flower in the breeze.


    ¡°Yes, Rina experiences the same things,¡± answered Citrina. ¡°Perhaps even more so.¡±


    Esmeralda became enraged and eximed, ¡°Well excuse me, but are you suggesting that my experiences are somehow less important than yours?¡±


    Even Ruby, who also added her two cents, gave a rare pout in response to thement.


    ¡°I agree with that. If we¡¯re talking about showing gratitude to Her Highness, I have nobody to fear.¡±


    Each of the two girls had, in their own way, benefited from a favour from Mia that had profoundly affected them, whether it had been for friendship or romance.


    ¡°All rightdies, calm down. It is not a contest. Additionally, Her Highness will arrive soon. Let¡¯s all be civil to one another.¡±


    After shaking his head, Sapphias tried to appease the irate Etoilines. He thought that putting himself in the middle of arguingdies was vulgar and unnecessary masochistic, but¡­


    <em>Circumstances are circumstances. This is probably what they mean by ¡°life experiences.¡± It makes sense that having more is better. Maybe my ability to break up catfights would be useful in the future. In addition, if they fight endlessly, that will be an issue. It seems like the subject today is going to be rather serious. Something about those Chaos Serpents¡­</em>


    Although the phrase hade up frequently in the student council, he was still unsure of its veracity.


    <em>Rafina-sama hasn¡¯t voiced any scepticism. The two princes appear to agree that it is urate as well. Which, I suppose, means that, at the very least, this group does in fact exist.</em>


    Up until recently, the student council dealt with the organisation on their own. They were about to disclose the specifics of the threat to the Four Houses and forge an alliance against their foe. At least, that¡¯s what Sapphias believed Mia meant to aplish that at this encounter.


    <em>Then we can¡¯t afford any internal strife. The key is to maintain unity. The empire may fall if we are unable to maintain a united front.</em>


    He had been under pressure to act maturely since he believed he was one of a small group of people with ess to important and private information.


    ¡°Sure, that. You¡¯re right.¡± Esmeraldaplied when Sapphias warned her and nodded humbly.


    ¡°Right. I also became too agitated. Ruby appeared to be attempting to calm herself as she sat back and sipped her tea.¡±


    ¡°I apologise. Rina also contributed to this. I should not have used such crudenguage.¡± Tension dissipated as Citrina bowed her head and apologised as well.


    Regarding the end result of hisbour, Sapphias nodded happily.


    <em>Hey, I think I¡¯m doing pretty well here! Professional dispute mediator Sapphias Bluemoon. Hah. I suppose that being bullied in the student council is beginning to pay off. I¡¯ve progressed on the road to adulthood by one more step!</em>


    Although Sapphias was enjoying his self-confidence, he had little to do with the girls¡¯ dispute¡¯s quick resolution. The actual cause was quite straightforward. Everyone else had figured out that Mia was going to discuss some really significant topics; Sapphias wasn¡¯t the only one to figure out so.


    Esmeralda was aware. She had been present on the barren ind when they had learned the shocking secret of the empire.


    Ruby was aware. She had helped transform the Princess Guard into a force capable of effectivelybating the impending widespread years-long famine that Mia had foreseen.


    Finally, Citrina also understood. It was Mia who cut the bonds that had bound her and her family together for so long.


    As if on cue, the door to the room opened.


    ¡°Good day, everyone. I appreciate youing today. Let¡¯s get the tea party going.¡±


    Mia entered with a smile.

 Chapter 375

    <strong>The Tea Party of the Moon and the Stars</strong>


    ¡°I have to apologize to everyone first.¡±


    Mia bowed her head and went on.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware that the ir de Lune often only allows the Four Dukes¡¯ children and myself to enter, but on this particr asion, I¡¯d want to request permission for the participation of two more people.¡±


    She turned around and motioned for someone to enter from behind. A girl with aqua hair that flowed like crystal-clear spring water appeared at the door.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ruby replied with wide eyes, ¡°That¡¯s¡­Miss Rafina?¡±


    But she was not as surprised as the other three people seated at the table.


    Rafina greeted everyone with a little chuckle.


    ¡°Wow, meeting with you all outside of Saint-Noel is a very novel experience.¡±


    She gave the four regrs a courteous grin. Mia, who was standing to one side and watching her, couldn¡¯t help but tremble a little because she was aware of the extent of the horror that smile could instill in its victims.


    <em>Who in their right mind would ever defy Miss Rafina? Granted, I doubt she ever genuinely required permission to attend, but whatever.</em>


    Only one person, who ironically referred to himself as the Empire¡¯s Finest, came to Mia¡¯s mind as having the guts and being sufficiently insane to attempt such a thing.


    Mia was pleased to learn that Rafina¡¯s inclusion encountered zero pushback, even though it was to be expected. After all, the main reason for this gathering was to put on a show for Rafina; otherwise, the objective would be lost.


    ¡°As for the other individual, it would be my trusted advisor Ludwig Hewitt. I would also like to invite him to this tea party.¡±


    She closed her eyes for a short while. It was one thing to request Rafina¡¯s approval. For Ludwig, it was very different to do the same thing. His attendance at such a gathering as amoner was, quite obviously, uneptable. Even still, she needed him there; without his counsel, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape any of the messes she managed to get herself into.


    Her eyes jerked open once again. They became more determined as she continued to defend Ludwig¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I see Ludwig as an extension of myself. He is the source of my wisdom as well as my arm and mind. Most significantly, he understands my dreams and visions. Because he is my soul in a different body, treat him as you would treat me.¡±


    She gave Ludwig a quick look. Before making a deep bow to the nobles in the room, he gave his sses a gentle nudge.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ludwig Hewitt, as Her Highness said when she introduced me, and while the trust she has shown in me is unjustified, I will do all in my power to earn it.¡±


    <em>My, is Ludwig fired up today, or is that just me? I suppose that¡¯s good for him, but I wonder why¡­</em>


    Then Mia looked around the room, taking in everyone¡¯s faces. None appeared to want to object.


    <em>I guess I was expecting one or twoints, but everyone seems remarkably amodating today. Oh my, I should have brought Sion and Abel as well! I wish I had known¡­</em>


    She grimaced internally at the lost chance.


    ¡°All right, then, let¡¯s begin this tea party. Esmeralda, would you kindly do the honors? Mia said as she took a seat and awaited the arrival of cake and sweets.


    They did. In actuality, a lot of them did. Just the cakes came in three different vors! One of them was a baked apple tart-like pastry. Another appeared in the form of a mountain, its summit generously thered with cream made from sweetmoon melon. The next item was a pancake with a nectar ring on top.


    <em>My¡­ Sweets before serious discussion, huh? Esmeralda seemed to be aware of the situation¡­ Extremely impressive.</em>


    Mia increased her excitement score by 90 and her confidence in Esmeralda by 100!


    ¡°Okay, well then.¡± After devouring the entire cake in front of her, Mia started. ¡°Should we start on our business?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, Mia-sama.¡± As if Mia were her little sister, Esmeralda approached and used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her lips. ¡°You¡¯re all set. You are now prepared for business.¡±


    She may have been a little lonely not being able to spend time with Mia at the Holy Eve Festival, so she waspensating by acting like a big sister. After several grumbling protests to this humiliating treatment, Mia finally responded, ¡°Okay, there. But now is the time to get down to business. Hm¡­ But where do I start?¡±


    Ludwig, who caught her sight, nodded in agreement. ¡°Your Highness, if I may¡­ Please let me start the conversation. It would be preferable, in my opinion, to recount the events in chronological sequence, so let¡¯s start with the attempted revolution in the Kingdom of Remno.¡±


    He started to narrate the story. He mentioned the presence of mysterious yers who were involved in the Remno event. He discussed the Wind Crows, its White Crow group, and the Serpent infiltration of Sunnd¡¯s intelligence agency.


    ¡°Chaos Serpents, eh? And you¡¯re suggesting that these folks were involved in all of this?¡± Ruby asked, sounding perplexed.


    Esmeralda expressed the same rm, ¡°What a shocking revtion¡­ I had no idea that the Remno riots had so much going on beneath the surface.¡±


    ¡°The intelligencework Sunnd had built up throughout the empire waspletely destroyed as a result, which is, I suppose, a silver lining. Wind Crows and White Crows equally were sent back home,¡± Mia said, taking a drink of tea before continuing. ¡°Next, I believe we should discuss what transpired over the summer vacation.¡±


    Esmeralda tightened up a little but nodded as she turned to face her.


    ¡°Well then. In actuality, Mia-sama and I took a cruise over the summer. Oh, and Prince Sion and Prince Abel were with us as well,¡± Esmeralda said, her tone shifting to one of pride in thest phrase. ¡°And while on the cruise, we madendfall on an uninhabited ind and found something thatpletely astounded us.¡±


    ¡°Something thatpletely floored you?¡± Ruby asked with a suspicious expression.


    ¡°We discovered an inscription left by Tearmoon¡¯s first emperor,¡± Mia nodded dramatically. ¡°It discussed the rise of the empire and its ties to the Chaos Serpents.¡±


    She then went on to describe the precise motivation for the founding of the Tearmoon Empire, his goal to curse this region, and how this had resulted in the widespread anti-agriculturalist views that gued the empire. She appeared to have practiced her speech numerous times as she talked with confidence and ease. Which she naturally had. She had Ludwig write a script for her, which she then began to memorize. She had specifically written down her speech on pancakes with honey, and she would eat it once she sessfullymitted one pancake¡¯s worth of sentences to memory. This memorization technique seemed absurd, but despite that, it had somehow been extremely effective. In fact, it had been so sessful that she chose to call it the ¡°pancake technique¡± for memorizing. Anyway, leaving this tangent behind¡­


    ¡°The very first emperor¡­¡± Ruby mused.


    ¡°That¡­does exin a lot,¡± Sapphias stated. ¡°Upon reflection, there does appear to be a pervasive bias towards agriculture throughout our ranks. The central nobles, including those who support the Bluemoon cause, are aware of it. It makes me feel bad to admit that I used to consider farmers to be the offspring of serfs.¡±


    The admission made him frown.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the House of Yellowmoon, who were given a covert mission by the first emperor.¡± said Mia. ¡°Okay, Rina?¡±


    She looked at Citrina, who tensed up a little before agreeing.


    ¡°Yes. The first emperor gave a particr order to us Yellowmoons.¡±


    Citrina began rting the tale of the secret that the House of Yellowmoon and its sessive Dukes had kept. The depth of its grief and the enormity of its scope left everyone in the room stunned.


    Mia motioned for another cup of tea as the audience was still in shock over this historical revtion, and she immediately started adding sugar to the milky bliss.


    A whisper stopped the move, which was natural and almost mindless.


    ¡°Your Highness, I beg your indulgence, but Miss Anne has asked me to restrict your sugar intake.¡±


    Her ear picked up Ludwig¡¯s reprimanding voice, which caused her to groan in agony. She set the sugar dispenser straight with some hesitation.


    Citrina eventuallypleted her narrative. She exhaled and then shut her eyes. She had a tranquility about her¡ªalmost an inner calm¡ªthat reminded one of a condemned person who hadpleted confessing to her crimes and was now only awaiting the executioner¡¯s sword.


    Everyone in the conference was ufortable staring at the girl who was a member of the Chaos Serpents. A girl who knew everything there was to know about poisons, and had plotted to kill Mia. Nobody knew what to make of her at first.


    ¡°Let me be clear, I do not think Rina is personally guilty, to clear up any possible misunderstandings. She carried out her actions as directed by the first emperor. I do, however, realize that releasing the entire House of Yellowmoon from any liability would be unpopr with many people, therefore some sort of atonement is required. I¡¯ve delegated the specifics of that atonement to the present Lord Yellowmoon, but whatever the results, Rina shouldn¡¯t be harmed in any way. I must stress once more that this is a closed case. I firmly advise everyone to desist from bringing it up again since it has been buried.¡±


    Or, to put it another way: <em>I realize the first emperor made a royal mess of things, but can we just get on with it?</em>


    All of the Four Dukes¡¯ families were blood rtions of the emperor, thus any insinuation that Mia bore me for the first emperor¡¯s transgressions would bring the other young scions in the room into disrepute. Most likely, their interests coincided with hers.


    Rafina was the only uncontroble factor that rmed her, yet a stealthy glimpse revealed no discernible signs of rage in her face. Instead, she had a soft smile on her face as she watched Mia! Even still, Mia trembled in terror because her cowardice would not be subdued by a simple grin. She collected herself and turned to Ruby.


    ¡°Instead of dwelling on the past, I feel that we must band together to face what the future holds for us.¡±


    ¡°What exactly lies in store for us in the future?¡± Sapphias questioned.


    ¡°Something for which I¡¯ve already ordered Ruby to begin preparing, in fact. But now I¡¯ll impart this information to everyone. The entire continent will soon experience a severe famine that will persist for years.¡±


    Sapphias stumbled after being startled by her assertive tone, ¡°W-wait, but¡­ Are you iming to be able to predict the future?¡±


    ¡°No, not all of it, but there¡¯s no denying that we¡¯re getting low yields everywhere.¡±


    Mia used her eyes to signal Ludwig.


    With a nod, he acknowledged, ¡°That is urate. We already expect crops to significantly fall the following year. This year¡¯s crop growth has been hindered by the cold weather.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± The fear in Citrina¡¯s voice made it tremble. She knew the tactics and objectives of the Chaos Serpents like the back of her hand, and she knew all too well what would happen if a famine befell the empire. ¡°Your Highness, are you sure? If it urs¡­¡±


    ¡°Rina, don¡¯t worry. Although it will happen, we are ready for it. Right, Ludwig?¡±


    Mia gave Ludwig another visual hint.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, this time nodding more firmly. ¡°Under Her Highness¡¯s direction, we made every effort to assemble food supplies. In the event of a famine, we ought to prepare sufficient supplies to withstand the effects. The Forkroads buying wheat from abroad, Ganudos Port Country, and Perujin Agricultural Country¡­ Our people won¡¯t go hungry as long as these food acquisition methods are maintained.¡±


    ¡°And to make sure those acquisition channels are protected,¡± Mia added, ¡°I¡¯ve ordered Ruby to create an operations n for the Princess Guard. Food shortage rumors will cause uneasiness, which could lead to riots. Transport carts might be attacked by irate mobs. Additionally, the Chaos Serpents will undoubtedly exploit the circumstance to wreck even more havoc and destruction.¡±


    Mia kept on cueing, this time turning her attention to Ruby.


    Ruby nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve worked with the Princess Guard to fence off this possibility. We Redmoons are also willing to use a portion of our private army to increase our operational capacity if necessary.¡±


    Sapphias stood up as a result.


    ¡°Brilliant! In that case, you must inform us of your strategy afterwards. We Bluemoons definitely have something to contribute.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll send someone with the information.¡± Ruby said.


    Esmeralda joined the effort next to her while crossing her arms.


    ¡°We must also prevent Ganudos from developing any amusing ideas. Perhaps a stern reminder would be helpful. Could the Yellowmoons send a messenger their way, Miss Citrina? I presume your residence has long-standing links with them, right?¡±


    The proposal received an okay from Citrina.


    No one appeared to question the uracy of Mia¡¯s forecast as the conversation continued. She must be right if she said there would be a famine. The discussion was conducted under the premise that her assertion was urate.


    Mia watched from the sidelines for a while before once more pleading for attention with a p of her palms.


    ¡°Then, I believe it¡¯s time for us to move on to the day¡¯s most crucial subject.¡±

 Chapter 376

    <strong>Thus the Oath is Not Concluded</strong>


    ¡°What might be this most important topic, Mia-sama?¡± Speaking for the group as a whole was Esmeralda.


    Mia responded by taking a slow sip of tea to try to rx.


    <em>Unsweetened milk tea really doesn¡¯t measure up, does it? At best, it tastes only half as good.</em>


    Her thoughts were certainly free of anything pertinent to the conversation. After taking a long breath, she was finally ready to talk¡ªabout why she had scheduled a meeting at this location on this particr day. She did, in fact, have apelling argument.


    ¡°My, Esmeralda, I assumed you would know of all people. Don¡¯t you recall that I requested that you organize a tea party?¡±


    She referred to a promise that was so long ago but still so clear in her mind when she questioned, ¡°And what I wished for us to swear together? I want us to take an oath together to serve the empire. What empire though? What kind of empire are we going to pledge our allegiance to?¡±


    Her query rmed her audience.


    ¡°What¡­empire¡­?¡±


    The whispered remarks came from many different mouths. Their features were troubled because they had just learned the terrible foundation upon which this empire had been built. It was made to shed tears of pain over the lush, crescent-shaped terrain. Civil conflicts would break out, gallons of blood would be shed, and the nation as a whole would experience a devastating end as a result of the anti-agriculturalism blight. How could they pledge allegiance to such an evil ideal?


    Esmeralda was the onlyposed noble among the rmed nobles. She had already caught a peek of Mia¡¯s main ideas regarding the ind.


    Mia nced around the room before giving them a slow nod.


    ¡°I am aware of your thoughts. You¡¯re correct, too. We would be crazy to swear allegiance to such an empire.¡±


    Thest word was spat out. Her head had once rolled as a result of her scorn, therefore there was excellent justification for it. She had put up with Ludwig¡¯s never-ending nagging while working through sweat and tears in an effort to right the empire, only for it to fall apart in the end. Saying that she had a strong resentment would be an understatement, given that the first emperor was the underlying cause of this unsettling development.


    ¡°Preposterous.¡± She echoed, fighting the impulse to start stomping around the floor in an irate tantrum, ¡°Truly and absolutely preposterous!¡±


    She eventually regained control and exhaled deeply.


    ¡°But the point is that I¡¯ve already made up my mind. And I have the intention of dismantling our ancestors¡¯ absurd setup. Regardless of the oath they made, it is now over and over with.¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at Rafina. She had originally called her here in order for her to hear this spiel. The idea was to make it clear that she had formally broken any vows she had made to the first emperor. Therefore, going forward, she would have nothing to do with any nobles acting foolishly to carry out the first emperor¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Not just the Yellowmoons, though. As you are no doubt aware, every Tearmoon noble who ascends to the position of head of his house is required to swear an oath to serve the empire. All of those oaths are now formally dered to be invalid by me, here and now. You are no longer required to swear allegiance to the empire.¡±


    ¡°What? However, Your Highness, that is¡­¡± Sapphias, startled, blinked at Mia, who discreetly grinned back at him.


    ¡°I do have a request for you, though. I request that you take a fresh oath with me after your previous responsibilities have been cancelled.¡±


    ¡°A brand-new oath?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not an old one that will send our moon-shaped country into tears of pain. I want a new oath where we swear allegiance to an empire whose aim is the peace and prosperity of everyone.¡±


    Mia slid her eyes shut. Her subsequent statements carried more weight because of the pause.


    ¡°And by all, I mean. Not just all nobility, but also all the people under the empire. We will strive to create a Tearmoon in which every person who lives in our moon-shaped country weeps with happiness, covering the crescent. That is the empire to which I beg your allegiance. And that is the pledge I want you to make with me.¡±


    Thus, Mia¡¯s wish was made clear. A country exists to ensure the welfare of its citizens. That should be obvious. However, some nobles defined ¡°people¡± in a way that left out the general popce. These nobles have just their own financial security in mind. Additionally, they were more than happy to trample their prey in the process.


    However, that wouldn¡¯t work. Mia was acutely aware that these lords were essentially a guillotine ma¡ªshe previously had the scar to prove it. If she let them do their thing, she would soon find a terrible wooden figure moving very quickly in her direction. She made it clear that her dominion will exist for the prosperity of all of its subjects by saying so explicitly. It was the icing on the dishonest discourse cake, making sure no one could purposefully misunderstand what she had said. Additionally, it was to prevent her from ending up in that coffin.


    ¡°Of course, this would be a personal, secret oath that we would take. Normally, His Majesty and the current leaders of each house would have to make a covenant like this and each of them would have to swear the oath in turn, but¡ª¡±


    Esmeralda abruptly got up and walked over to her, interrupting her.


    ¡°Mia-sama, please.¡± She knelt down and lowered herself. ¡°I, Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, do hereby swear this oath with Her Highness Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    The other Etoiles gradually followed suit. In turn, Citrina, Sapphias, and Ruby knelt before Mia and swore.


    ¡°Everyone¡­¡± Mia muttered.


    The sound of apuding roused them up. When they turned to look at the source, Rafina was smiling and cheering them on.


    ¡°Fantastic, Mia. That was fantastic in every way! Together with their princess, Etoilin and Etoilines took a new oath that was made between the moon and the stars. You may rely on me, Rafina Orca Belluga, as your witness.¡±


    She said a silent prayer while cing her hands on her chest.


    ¡°May the Lord bless and grant you holy favor on the oath you have just taken.¡±


    The end of this unique ir de Lune was signaled by her soft, saintly words.


    As the ir de Lune came to an end, Mia went back to her room and fell right into bed.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so worn out. And the birthday festival is only halfway over.¡±


    She patted her stomach and mumbled into her pillow, ¡°I didn¡¯t see thising, but this whole thing has taken a significant mental toll.¡±


    She had no idea that her gastrointestinal system was actually the cause of her weariness. She had eaten so much that her stomach was worn out.


    The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia cover, which she had stolen from Bel but neglected to return, jumped into view as she turned her head.


    <em>Ah, that brings up memories. I borrowed it with the intention of returning it. Perhaps I should actually take that action.</em>


    She pushed herself up and snatched the book with a struggle. She looked at it and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That also makes me think¡­ In the end, I will still be murdered unless I be the empress.¡±


    Actually, she had been quite happy with her achievements up to that point. The unpleasant truth was that the cause of her death¡¯s primary causes was still unknown.


    ¡°But Tearmoon has never before had an empress, so¡­¡±


    She then started ranting in frustration before falling back onto her pillow.


    ¡°At some time, I¡¯ll have to dere my desire to seed my mother as emperor, won¡¯t I? The timing is crucial, that much I can say with certainty. My aspirations of bing an empress are doomed if I mess up the timing¡­ But perhaps there is still a solution. Maybe things will work out without me bing empress if I pull the appropriate strings. I wish someone would just inform me of the ropes I need to pull.¡±


    She started to open up the book in the hopes that it would make reference to something along simr lines but was stopped by a pounding at her door.


    Anne walked in and announced, ¡°Mdy, Ludwig is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ludwig? I wonder what he wants.¡± Mia¡¯s lips were pursed.


    <em>He said nothing at the tea party earlier. Why would he need to see me now? Oh, but since he¡¯s here, I might as well ask for his assistance ining up with a solution so that I can avoid bing empress.</em>


    Mia didn¡¯t cut any corners when it came to truancy. She did not ck off when it came to cking off.


    ¡°Then let him in. Actually, I want to talk to him as well.¡±


    She stood up, shuffled off the bed, and made her way to her personal chamber with the agility and quickness of a sluggish


    She had a separate chamber next to her bedroom that served as her main residence. Arge table in the centre of the room had been set up just for eating, allowing her to instantly sate her appetite. This area was very private and was off-limits to visitors. Additionally, it made it ideal for private meetings.


    ¡°Your Highness, pardon my hasty intrusion,¡± said Ludwig.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s actually perfect timing because I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you a couple questions as well. But let¡¯s start with you.¡±


    Mia raised Anne¡¯s freshly made cup of tea to her lips.


    <em>Mmm, Anne¡¯s ck tea brewing skills are improving.</em>


    In a serious voice, Ludwig said, ¡°First, I must offer my sincerepliments for your performance at the ir de Lune. It was genuinely inspiring. I never imagined the Four Houses coulde together in such a way.¡±


    Mia grinned happily.


    ¡°Oh please! It¡¯s not a much, really. Additionally, coborating with the Four Houses will make future challenges much simpler.¡±


    She was relying on the support of the Four Houses to fight the starvation, despite the Rafina-focused propaganda. It couldn¡¯t hurt to instill a sense of urgency among them. Ludwig¡¯spliment was only the cherry on top. However, the icing was delicious, and she was eager to gulp down more of it.


    ¡°The imperial color you wore on top of the majestic way you wore it¡­ My eyes were¡­ so unbelievable. My chest tightens with emotion at the remembrance even now. Wonderful, Your Highness¡­ amazing in every way.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel that Ludwig¡¯s unbridled joy was a touch off-putting as he proceeded to gush.


    ¡°¡­Uh, just to make sure we¡¯re on the same page, I assume you¡¯re referring to the dress I wore? The one that Anne prepared for me?¡±


    <em>¡®The imperial color¡¯ I¡¯m curious as to what he means by it.</em>


    ¡°Indeed. Nothing makes me happier than to know that our hearts are in the same ce in terms of aspiration and vision.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia gave him a nk stare.


    <em>Our hearts are in agreement? Exactly what is he talking about?</em>


    She received a strong nod from Ludwig, as if to ay her concerns.


    ¡°You can be sure that many people in the empire want to see you in power, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    He spoke with growing zeal as he fixed intense eyes on her.


    ¡°Our top priority right now is seeing you be empress. My colleagues and I are prepared to go above and beyond what is required to see it through. Balthazar has already offered assistance, and I¡¯m working to enlist the aid of my ssmates who studied under Master Galv. I¡¯ve alsopiled a list of promising officials from the several moon ministries.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Under her feet, a tidal wave was developing, and it intended to carry her all the way to the imperial throne.


    Thus, a fresh oath was taken in the presence of the moon and stars, forging a fresh path for history¡¯s current to follow.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Even Mia, who took great pleasure in her esophageal prowess, found this abrupt chain of events difficult to handle. However, there was no such reservation in the gullet of fate. She and her misgivings were both consumed by it, sending them hurtling down the new route. Where would she end up amid these raging waters?


    Only time would tell¡­


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We are closed next week.


    Part 4 is scheduled to start on March 9th.


    I would appreciate it if you could meet me again.


    This ends the arc ¡®A New Oath Between the Moon and Stars¡±


    Next would be the arc ¡®To the Moon-Led Morrow¡¯

 Chapter 377

    <strong>Prologue: Starting with a Mushroom Stew</strong>


    ¡°Ooh¡­ Ooooh¡­¡±


    The sound of a pot cooking. The softening of vegetables over time. The delicious smell of chicken that has been well-cooked. The base of the dish is Ambermoon tomato soup. All of these were great, but none of them couldpare to the beautiful little caps sticking out of the middle of the pot.


    These were mushrooms, and there were many different kinds.


    There were ck ones with frills. They were white and have caps about the size of a small dish. They were small and grew in groups. There were mushrooms everywhere. There were a lot of mushrooms.


    None of them were anything special. They weren¡¯t ¡°premium¡± mushrooms that smelled so good that they could draw a nose from across the room. These were themon types that forest hunters liked to use in their dinner stews. Perfect for Mia, in fact, because she liked the taste of these more homey kinds so much!


    Now, Mia wasn¡¯t a mushroom-ist (racist?). She knew that every mushroom was the same. There were no mycological sses, and no fungus was better than any other fungus by nature. She knew that premium mushrooms were tasty in their own premium way, and she liked that. But there were other mushrooms that made the stew taste better.


    Mia¡¯s food preferences have changed a lot since she tried the hare stew. Stews are now at the top of her list of favorite foods. In other words, what was in front of her wasn¡¯t a pot ofmon mushrooms; it was a taste of heaven. She absolutely loved it!


    As a side note, as she worked on her survival skills, she also learned about edible mountain nts. This meant that her taste buds were slowly bing like those of¡­old country grandmas. Do what you want with that.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Ooooh¡­ Ooooooooh¡­¡±


    Her hand shook as she put her fork over one of the delicious dishes that was still cooking. She took a deep breath and poked it with a pin. In the stew, the white form moved back and forth. She almost started drooling because the movement was so tempting.


    With her eyes on the Belluga mushroom, she pushed the fork into its ivory flesh and pulled it up. It was shaking. She brought it to her mouth slowly, and then ate it all in one bite.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Mmmmmph¡­¡±


    Belluga mushrooms were known for having a great taste, which she could taste now. She turned it around in her mouth while blowing hot breaths. Her taste buds were in heaven when the soup and drink went together so well.


    She bit into it when it was cool. There was a chewiness that made it possible to eat it. It made the event better. As she took in the wonderful texture, she felt a deep feeling of satisfaction.


    ¡°Oh, this is so nice¡­ So this is what it tastes like to eat mushroom stew. Just perfect!¡±


    You¡¯re right. Mia¡¯s mushroom stew party, which she¡¯d been nning for a long time, finally happened at the start of the new year. It was held at Anne¡¯s old house, where she and her family still live.


    Bel, the shrewd little thing, had tagged along on the trip and was now sitting next to Mia with the same look on her face and the same puffy cheeks.


    Mia really wanted the student council members to help her throw the party, but they were all too busy. Sion, Abel, and Rafina all went back to where they lived.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s a shame¡­ We couldn¡¯t have a party during the Holy Eve Festival, so I was looking forward to this one to make up for it.¡±


    Even so, the mushroom stew was still tasty. That didn¡¯t change because some people didn¡¯t show up to the party. Her pleasure, however, did.


    However, today¡¯s party wasn¡¯t boring. Miabel and Anne¡¯s family were there. Tiona and Lynsha were there, too. Lynsha was still wearing a bandage on her head. Chloe happened to be in town at the same time, so she was added to the list. There was plenty of fun at the party itself.


    Marco Forkroad, Chloe¡¯s dad, was in the capital to work on some wheat deals when he heard about Mia¡¯s love of mushrooms. He sent Chloe a bunch of different kinds of mushrooms as a gift, which led to the mushroom stew party.


    ¡°My! A mushroom with some crunch is the best. It¡¯s tough enough, but not too much.¡±


    Bel imitated Mia¡¯s one-bite-hot-breath method as she ate a mushroom. She said, ¡°It really is, isn¡¯t it, Gran? I mean, Mia-neesama?¡±


    Mia looked at the happy faces around the pot and gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°This is what a mushroom stew is all about.¡± There was more to mushroom stew than just the stew. It needed theughter and the small talk, and the finishing touch was the joy. She gave Chloe a smile and turned to face her. ¡°Thanks, Chloe. And please thank your dad for me. We all owe him a lot for this great present.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank us! It¡¯s our pleasure!¡± Chloe said with her hands held high.


    Mia shook her head. ¡°Chloe, I think that gratitude begets gratitude. Your dad did us a big favor, so I¡¯d like to do something nice for him.¡±


    ¡°If you think about it that way, I owe you a lot too, so my dad¡¯s gift should be seen as us paying you back. We¡¯re even now, so don¡¯t worry,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Also, I was treated so well here in the city, and I got to talk a lot about my favorite books. And¡­¡±


    She stopped for a second and looked at Elise. ¡°I got to meet your court author. My hands are still shaking. What an amazing experience!¡±


    Mia giggled. ¡°Wow, you must have talked to Elise for a long time. I¡¯m d you found a new book buddy.¡±


    Mia knew how Chloe felt because she also liked to read. It was fun to hear Elise talk about books. Even if she didn¡¯t have them written down, her ideas were enough to keep people interested. Most of them, at least. Mia had to give herself a second look when she read in an old romance book by Elise that a girl used ¡°Operation Handkerchief Drop¡± to get a boy¡¯s attention. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that yet. But that was not the norm. Most of the time, meeting an author was a priceless event that made book fans squeal with joy.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m d you¡¯re having fun,¡± Mia said next. ¡°But even so, thanks should be given where thanks are due. At the very least, let Sir Marco know that he can talk to me if he ever needs help. I¡¯d be d to lend a hand.¡±


    After all, the wheat distribution routes that Forkroad & Co. controlled were Mia¡¯s only way to stay alive. She definitely wanted to know as soon as possible if there was a problem with them. In all honesty, these political concerns were at best extra. She mostly wanted to thank him because she was so happy to get his mushroom basket, which made her feel like giving more than usual.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­¡± Chloe said, moved by what Mia had said. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    Just then¡­


    ¡°Uh, excuse me, Princess Mia,¡± Lynsha interrupted. ¡°Have you got a minute? I¡¯d like to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°My, Lynsha. Certainly. But I must say¡­¡± Mia had a smallugh at Lynsha¡¯s serious face. ¡°It will take some getting used to for you to act so formal around me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia, stop it already!¡± Lynsha let out a sigh, which helped her rx a little. She spoke in a tone that was just above a whisper. ¡°It has to do with Lady Bel.

 Chapter 378

    <strong>Okay¡­ Probably</strong>


    ¡°I believe I may have eaten too much, Mmm.¡±


    Mia gave her tummy a pat. She then let out a belch.


    <em>Does my belly feel a little different, or is it just me?</em>


    She didn¡¯t like how puffy it was.


    <em>Okay¡­ Probably it¡¯s fine. Chloe was correct when she said that animals store food for the winter. The same is true for me. I gained a little weight over the winter, but I¡¯ll lose itter. It is simply that. Just going with the flow of nature, that¡¯s all. Probably.</em>


    She would undoubtedly be back to her trim self by spring. It made perfect sense. Probably.


    This questionable logic reassuring her, Mia turned around and motioned for Lynsha to enter.


    ¡°Okay,e on in.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely appreciate it.¡±


    Lynsha entered Mia¡¯s room with a sense of anxiety. She then gave the room a quizzical look before frowning and pouting her lips.


    ¡°Hm? Mia retraced Lynsha¡¯s visual steps and inquired, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± but she didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    <em>Nothing inappropriate or offensive¡­ Nothing strange at all. To be fair, I had intended to hang a mushroom bed as d¨¦cor, but Anne wasn¡¯t having it. There is probably nothing out of ce. Maybe¡­</em>


    For the record, a group of sickle moon radishes with the tops only submerged in water on the windowsill qualified as ¡°out of the ordinary.¡± This was because of a book that had provided her a solution to the looming food scarcity in the empire. Whether or not the concept was practical, it made for an intriguing piece of furniture.


    Lynsha took her time examining the interior of the space. She finally positioned her arms on her hips.


    ¡°Well,¡± she remarked, nodding inwardly. ¡°You truly are a princess, I suppose.¡±


    Mia furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I apologize? What do you¡­?¡± She came to a stop, realizing as she took a look at her own clothing. ¡°Oh, yeah. When we initially met, my attire was a little more straightforward. You might have wondered if I really was a princess, so I guess I can¡¯t me you.¡±


    She started to question whether her preparations for an empire-wide revolt were overly extensive as one thought led to another. It can be sufficient to simply dress like a peasant to make a quick getaway.


    ¡°Not exactly what I meant, but¡­¡±


    Lynsha looked like she was going to borate, but she eventually just shook her head and bowed.


    ¡°I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today.¡±


    ¡°Formalities are not required.¡± Mia replied, grimacing as she took a look at the bandages covering Lynsha¡¯s head.


    ¡°If anything, I should be thanking you,¡± she said. ¡°You were harmed as a result of Bel¡­ I¡¯m really sorry that urred to you.¡±


    She bowed.


    ¡°Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make up for it. I¡¯ll spare no expense.¡± she said in a stern voice.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s OK, I¡¯m sorry. The injury is not very severe. Simply because it was on my head, it bled a lot. Lynsha shook her head and smiled narrowly. ¡°To be really honest, I¡¯m most angry with myself. How is it that all it took to render me inactive was a quick blow to the head? It¡¯s shameful, ugh.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ At least I¡¯m grateful you weren¡¯t seriously wounded.¡±


    Lynsha took a seat across from Mia as she took a seat at a table. Anne arrived right away with two cups of ck tea, the ideal libation for conversation after a meal.


    ¡°Okay. So let¡¯s hear it.¡± Mia questioned, ¡°What did you want to talk about? Oh my, please don¡¯t tell me that Bel would have to repeat a year.¡±


    ¡°Bel? Oh, she¡¯s doing great¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°<em>You think</em>?¡± The dyed reaction gave Mia a strange d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling. ¡°Sh-She¡¯s giving it her all.¡± Lynsha quickly tacked on. ¡°She is, in fact. She will be fine, I¡¯m very sure of that¡­ Probably.¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably.¡± Mia held her tongue despite feeling more and more certain that Bel would probably not be okay. Instead, she made the decision to have faith in Bel¡¯s safety. And Mia, well, she would lose weight once spring arrived. Both of these woulde to pass. Probably. She ended the digression with an exaggerated, almost frantic, optimism before returning to the main subject.


    ¡°Anyway¡­ What did you want to talk about if that wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lynsha didn¡¯t respond right away. She swirled her tea as if she were admiring its hue. After taking a sip and taking a breath, she finally fixed Mia with a determined expression.


    ¡°Are you aware of Mdy¡¯s¡­habit, Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°Her habit?¡± Mia blinked in response to the unexpected query. ¡°Well, she certainly has a lot of strange behaviors¡­ What exactly is bothering you?


    ¡°She keeps on rewarding people with gold. Actually, a lot of it,¡± Lynsha said in a t, unflinching voice.


    ¡°My! Are you serious?¡± When she realized this, Mia eximed, her eyes widening. ¡°B-Bel likes to give people a lot of gold!¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t aware. I assumed as much.¡±


    Shaking her head, Lynsha continued. ¡°Bel stated that she was confident you wouldn¡¯t object to her doing it, so I assumed she hadn¡¯t asked directly.¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t, for sure! I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this before.!


    Mia would be in big trouble if what Lynsha imed was urate. A squandered cent a day keeps the guillotineing your way, as the proverb says.


    ¡­ not there¡¯s no such proverrb, but the point still stands.


    ¡°Are you certain Bel has been acting that way?¡±


    ¡°Yes. With the allowance you provide her, I¡¯ve already witnessed her doing it a few times.¡±


    It was true that Mia had been giving Bel a small amount of cash in case of emergencies, but¡­


    <em>I had no idea that she was such a money waster! What good is it for me tobor so hard to save money if she just gives it all away?</em>


    Even more puzzling was the cause of this behavior. What on earth could possibly motivate Bel to act in such a way? There was no way that gold coins could have been given out as rewards in the future from which she had emerged. Nobody, future or not, actually distributed money in that manner. Where had she even picked up the skill?


    Lynsha scowled, ¡°Mdy did mention it¡¯s something she absolutely has to do, no matter what¡­¡±


    Mia grunted in frustration. ¡°Absolutely has to, you say?¡­ I suppose it¡¯s time for a conversation.¡±

 Chapter 379

    Mia Speaking Facts


    After talking with Lynsha, Mia decided to find out what was going on the next day. She didn¡¯t want to call Bel to the pce, but that meant she had to go to where Anne¡¯s folks lived.


    She decided against this choice after she looked out the window. It snowed, which means it was cold. Mia hated being cold.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can¡¯t keep Bel hidden forever. Maybe I should use this time to tell my dad about her¡­¡± She thought about the idea. ¡°Well, I could ask Miss Rafina or even Sion to help her, but if I want her to be able to move around the empire, I should at least get father to acknowledge her existence. I can tell him that she is my sister by blood. Or, since she gets along well with Rina, I can ask Duke Yellowmoon¡ªoh, but it¡¯s dangerous there with all the poisonous nts and stuff. She could be amoner and stay at Anne¡¯s ce for a while. This might be the easiest solution.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to talk to her about all of these things.¡±


    She decided to call Bel to the pce when she had enough excuses to hide the fact that they were really just reasons not to go out into the cold. At the end of the day, Mia just wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would see snow and want to jump right into it. She liked going to bed much more. So, she told Anne to fetch Bel for her.


    ¡°But I do wonder¡­ What is wrong with her? Why does she spend so much money on nothing?¡±


    Bel should have been raised by Anne and Elise, and Ludwig should have taught her.


    ¡°She also told me how much she loves her grandma Mia, who is me. If she likes me, it doesn¡¯t make sense for her to give people gold coins as a reward.¡±


    It showed a certain way of thinking, which was that money could solve any problem. Mia knew where this line of thought would lead. The more someone used money to solve problems, the more money they needed. Nothing could stop it. It was a hard lesson for her to learn, especially since she had to sweat and work hard to find food when she was hungry during the famine days.


    Ludwig, who always looked for the most logical way to do things, could, in theory, see it as a means to an end. Mia couldn¡¯t imagine that he would tell Bel to act that way. He would have had to think twice about what was right and wrong because of that. Anne and Elise, well¡­ They were more likely to get angry if they found out about Bel¡¯s little habit.


    No one could have taught it. This was an idea that Bel had on her own. Mia was thinking about these things as she told the stand-in helper to make enough sweets and hot tea for herself, Bel, Anne, and Lynsha. Supply lines had to be protected as a matter of strategy, and Mia was bing a very good strategist¡ªat least when it came to getting sugar. As she waited for her guests to arrive, all was quiet on the food front. tes were set out and cups were filled.


    Eventually, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy.¡± Anne bowed. ¡°I have Miss Bel with me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good. Pleasee in.¡±


    Mia let the three people into her room when they came in.


    ¡°Many thanks, Anne. Bel and Lynsha, you too. It was probably cold outside. Let¡¯s start by making you some tea to warm you up. We also have sweets. She pointed to the table and said, ¡°Feel free to try some.¡±


    ¡°Wow! The cakes look good to eat. ¡°Thank you, Mia-neesama!¡± said Bel, who was very happy.


    Mia smiled at her granddaughter as she looked at her.


    After having a lot of tea and sweets to fill her stomach, Mia turned her attention to Bel.


    ¡°By the way, Bel, I heard that when you go shopping at the market, you give people gold coins and tell them to keep the change as a thank you.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia, but I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯ve also been given silver coins as thanks before,¡± Lynsha said as she showed Princess Mia the proof. ¡°Mdy gave these to me after that old witch hit me over the head in the forest the other day. She said it was a repayment for all I had done for her¡­ So I¡¯m giving it to you again. I don¡¯t like being thanked or paid back in this way. I already get paid by Miss Rafina straight for what I do.¡±


    As she put the silver in Bel¡¯s small hands, Lynsha gave her a smile.


    Mia looked at Lynsha¡¯s face. <em>Yes, she is a little bit angry.</em>


    It was kind of scary that Lynsha¡¯s smile didn¡¯t match the way her eyes. Mia didn¡¯t want to get in trouble, so she started questioning Bel.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± Mia said next. ¡°Do you want to exin this yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, sure,¡± Bel started nervously. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡±


    Bel quickly looked at Anne and Lynsha before leaning into Mia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°When I was younger, the people I gave gold coins to were the ones who helped me a lot. I wanted to thank them in some way, and gold was the most important thing I could give them, so I did that,¡± Bel said in a whisper.


    ¡°When you were younger¡­¡± Mia put her arms together.


    <em>I see¡­ So, this was in the future of the empire when the civil war was happening, and the people who ran these shops must have treated her well back then.</em>


    In the world of her future, Bel was both on the run and a young child with no power. Even if she really appreciated how kind people were to her, she couldn¡¯t pay them back. Mia was used to feeling thankful for others and wanting to do something nice for them. She had gotten so much from Anne, but she didn¡¯t have anything to give back. She felt just as much sorrow now as she did when the guillotine de dropped. If she had anything she could give Anne that day, even a broken piece of gold, she would have tried to force it into her hands as payment.


    Because of this, she felt sorry for Bel. It even struck a chord with her. Yet¡­


    ¡°Money means the same thing to everyone,¡± said Bel. ¡°It¡¯s simple to use, and they can buy whatever they want with it. It¡¯s the best way for me to say thank you.¡±


    ¡°Bel¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also no guarantee that I¡¯ll see them again, so I make sure to repay any kindness I get right away.¡±


    Mia finally realized that Bel¡¯s tendency for charity came from a deep-seated fear hidden deep in her mind. If someone didn¡¯t think they would always be there, they would insist on paying back kindness right away. It was a precaution meant to make sure that she always paid back her debts of thanks so that if, or maybe when, she disappeared, she wouldn¡¯t have any regrets.


    The ces Bel had been and the life she had led¡­ It wasn¡¯t one where she could be careless and say, ¡°I¡¯ll thank them tomorrow.¡± And she probably had to experience a lot to figure this out after saying many times, ¡°If only I¡¯d said it then¡­¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but groan when she thought about how heartbreaking the situation was. She wanted to talk to Bel about how she spent her money, but she couldn¡¯t find the right words. She had no choice but to change how she did things.


    ¡°Even so, I still don¡¯t like how you use money to pay back everything.¡± Mia said, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your idea that money has the same value for everyone. Money can¡¯t solve every problem.¡±


    It was a very sensible thing to say. Mia said it, which makes it even more unbelievable. The moon might have been blue. Who can say?


    ¡°Really? Am I wrong¡­really?¡± Bel didn¡¯t seempletely sure. Mia wasn¡¯t surprised by that. Even though what she said was true, itcked power because it was borrowed knowledge. Hearts couldn¡¯t be moved by words that didn¡¯te from the heart.


    Mia frowned and thought, <em>Well, this is really getting tough.</em>


    She put a sweet snack in her mouth, but to her disappointment, no wise words came out.

 Chapter 380

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Papa¡¯s Pure Heart</strong>


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move on for now. Bel, I¡¯m going to introduce you to the emperor today.¡±


    Mia decided to shift the subject because she couldn¡¯t think of an effective method to get Bel to stop being so frivolous.


    ¡°Huh? Bel was taken aback when she heard, ¡°So I¡¯m going to meet my great¡ª I mean, your father?¡±


    Mia solemnly nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s urate. His Imperial Majesty Matthias Luna Tearmoon will be introduced to you.


    She sat with her arms folded, looking thoughtful.


    <em>But after giving it some thought, I think that this might be a little challenging.</em>


    Despite all of his ipetence, the man was still in charge of the vast Tearmoon empire. She was unable to just approach him and request that he say hello to his great-granddaughter. Bel would therefore have to be, at most, amoner¡¯s daughter. She might, at worst,e across as suspicious.


    Since I¡¯ve never heard of an assassination attempt on my father, I assume that they have stringent security measures in ce to foil such attempts. He wouldn¡¯t likely consent to meet with someone whose past ispletely unknown. What can I say to deceive him?


    She was pensive the entire way to his office.


    ¡°Pardon me, dad. Have you got a second?¡±


    ¡°Oh my Mia! I do, of course! What is the issue?¡±


    Being the emperor, Mia¡¯s father was frequently busy. However, there was a little window before meals when he frequently sat back in his office. This period of his day had a clear cause. He made an effort to eat with Mia whenever possible. Because of this, he nned all of his official business¡ªmeetings with the imperial council, reports from the moon ministries, and whatever else he needed to do¡ªso that he would finish it well before his mealtimes. Nothing in the world was more blissful to him than sharing a dinner and a chat with his adored daughter.


    The experience asionally bothered Mia, but that wasn¡¯t crucial just now. She told Bel to wait outside the room and then entered the space herself.


    ¡°What a magnificent and umon fortune this is. You arrived without being invited.¡±


    At her, the emperor smiled. ¡°Are youing to lunch with me today?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, I guess. However, father, there is someone I really want you to meet.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Someone you want me to get to know, do you say?¡± The emperor rubbed his chin and smiled, ¡°Maybe this is the friend of yours that you¡¯ve been showing around. I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s a young girl who resembles you more than just a little bit. I¡¯ve been wanting to see her for myself.


    ¡°You keep up with the news, by the way, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mia thought her father¡¯s response was impressive.


    <em>I¡¯m curious if he keeps an eye on everyone who enters the Whitemoon Pce. Oh, I didn¡¯t realize how much my father valued knowledge. Maybe he¡¯s not quite as stupid as he appears to be.</em>


    Thought the person who had previously been chastised by Ludwig for not knowing the names of even one dignitary who had visited the pce. She understood the significance of gathering knowledge in advance as a result of that. That was guaranteed by the experience¡¯s visceral agony.


    ¡°Of course I do, ho ho ho. Did you really think I¡¯d be that careless as to not look into your friend group? I¡¯ve done research on everyone, including your ssmates, members of the riding club, the student council, and even your dorm neighbors.¡±


    The emperor puffed out his chest like a youngster who has just informed his parents that he had finished all of his schoolwork early. Mia strained to keep a straight look while her face twitched.


    ¡°I-I see. Well, uh, congrattions. I¡¯d like to present her to you, though. Before that, father, I¡¯m sorry for being so abrupt, but would you happen to have any children I¡¯m not aware of? Illegitimate kids, for instance?¡±


    It was not a particrly bright idea and was more the product of indolence than of knowledge. She simply reasoned that she could make Bel one of his fake babies and end the situation if he did have any. She wasn¡¯t having troubleing up with an eptable identity. There were other methods to pass her off, such as a girl she picked up from the streets or the daughter of a foreign royal. The simplest answer, one that would justify her existing ¡°younger sister¡± setup, was to have an illegitimate child.


    Unfortunately¡­


    ¡°Absolutely not. That is not physically possible.¡±


    The emperor shook his head without the smallest hesitation.


    ¡°Oh? Howe? You know, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll yell at you. It makes sense that, as emperor, you would be considering your sessors. Ipletely understand if you, you know, had a little fun when you were younger, so¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s extremely kind of you, but the problem is that I¡¯ve only ever known your mother as a woman.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    She gaped at her father, who was beaming broadly at her.


    ¡°Woman came before women, to put it simply. I fell in love with your mother before I even had a chance to learn about the lovely world of skirt-chasing. It was love at first sight. Upon reflection, I probably could have yed about a bit more. ¡°Bah, ha, ha!¡±


    So what exactly is a girl meant to do when her father tells her that she has never interacted with a woman aside from her mother? Laugh? Cry?


    Mia wasn¡¯t sure how to take in this new revtion about her father¡¯s crude and obsessive fascination with her mother as his daughter. The emperor left the chamber without asking permission and began to scan the area as she struggled with her emotions.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one, then. Intriguing. You obviously have a lot of Mia in you! What¡¯s that? You go by Miabel, right? Moons! Even your name sounds alike. Oh, oh, oh. I bet the child Mia would have would resemble you exactly.¡±


    They connected right away. They started speaking merrily in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Wait, Father! What? You cannot simply approach her in that manner. Mia sighed. Despite the fact that she is my friend, please use caution.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of worry for her father¡¯s safety when she saw how openly he epted Miabel. The Tearmoon Emperor wasn¡¯t just enjoyed by the Chaos Serpents as a fantastic target practice. They were not alone in their interest; many assassins were.


    ¡°Caution? Why is caution necessary? Mia, you are amazing. Then everybody who resembles you is magnificent,¡± the emperor continued, as if he had just proved a mathematical principle beyond all doubt. ¡°I trust her because she looks like you,¡± said the doting father.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I do. How could it not be? It¡¯s true that you shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for people. However, you are not people. You are Mia! The ultimate jewel that is you can only be created when both inner and outer beauty coexist in harmony.¡±


    He exhaled a loudugh.


    <em>I tell you what. I am in awe of my father for the first time ever. And a little scared, too. At this pace, I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if he was genuinely thinking about creating some sort of enormous golden statue of me.</em>


    Although the emperor may have ignored caution, Mia did and she immediately incorporated it to her view of her father.

 Chapter 381

    <strong>Grudges About Food Are Scary</strong>


    The seasons kept changing. There were five days left until she had to go back for Saint-Noel as Miazily passed the winter break. She was in her room today while Ludwig gave her a usual report.


    ¡°Balthazar just told me that food prices had started to rise.¡±


    Mia returned the cup of tea she had just taken up to the table after learning this information.


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s finally here.¡± Her voice was about to tremble. She halted it before it could.


    The sporadic reports of crop failures from the previous year had finally culminated, seeming as an unmistakable sign of impending famine. She had dreaded this situation. Yes, she had prepared for it, but she also hoped it wouldn¡¯t happen. That optimism had been definitively destroyed.


    Ludwig stated, ¡°At the moment, it¡¯s not a problem, but in the near future, we¡¯ll probably start to see people going hungry.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ And? What is the strategy then?¡±


    Before her, he set a bundle of parchment.


    ¡°Please take a moment to review these first.¡±


    The results of Ludwig¡¯s two years of nonstop work were condensed onto the pages. It provided a wealth of information, including estimates of the quantities of food needed to feed the empire¡¯s subjects, market prices for food currently avable, predicted intion, and the likelihood that each administrative region would face famine. The figures were very specific as well.


    It wasn¡¯t as simple as distributing their stockpile and calling it a day to end a famine of this magnitude. That was far from sufficient. In addition to allocating the foreign imports, they also had to take into ount the meager but still important local harvests. They could only start addressing the issue of how to divide their reserved supplies optimally after taking everything into ount.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Before moving on to the next parchment, Mia held up the first one and made sure to thoroughly scratch her chin. For all the other pages, she followed the same pattern. She appeared to be closely examining each and every piece of info from the outside. She wasn¡¯t looking at all on the inside.


    ¡°I see. Interesting.¡±


    Saying she didn¡¯tprehend the material would be a huge understatement. Even worse, she wasn¡¯t even aware of what she didn¡¯t understand. It was a typical scenario that had perplexed innumerable students and instructors over the years. Ludwig had actually given her a lot of solid reprimands in the past for being in a predicament like this. But could she really be held ountable? After all, tables of numbers may as well be written in code or anothernguage. And Mia undoubtedly really found it undecipherable.


    Sheid the big stack of parchment down after flicking through it and sighed in disappointment as she remarked, ¡°I¡­still have no idea.¡±


    She bowed her head and waved the white g of truth. It was either her second-best or second-worst choice. It certainly wasn¡¯t the worst choice, though. She had learned the hard way that pretending to know something when she didn¡¯t was the worst thing she could do when speaking to knowledgeable people like Ludwig. Even while she didn¡¯t enjoy the inevitable series of furiousints that would follow, it was better than being in the dark.


    She then made the decision toe clean, to which Ludwig responded, ¡°My heartfelt apologies. I understand that the data is not perfect.¡±


    He bowed his head and grimaced bitterly.


    ¡°Sadly, there is a lot of uncertainty in the information obtained from the different nobility across the empire¡­ Although we now have a good idea of the amount of their stockpiles, it is just impossible to forecast how they will use them. Although it¡¯s not ideal, there is a lot of uncertainty in our predictions of the poption¡¯s impact. We will be able to survive this famine, I am confident of that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see, That¡¯s encouraging news.¡±


    Even if the figures were still perplexing, she now understood what they indicated. Instead, she was content with the fact that she understood what Ludwig had imed they meant.


    ¡°Ludwig, there is one thing I would want to add.¡±


    She gave him her full attention.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡±


    She looked genuinely wise, as if she were articting a universal truth, and urged, ¡°Don¡¯t make any enemies in the process of doing this.¡±


    Mia understood the horrible price of wronging someone through food. She regarded herself as a kind-hearted, refined princess. She frequently identified herself as being gentle, merciful, and kind. She probably ought to add ¡°ack of self-awareness¡± to the list as well. The key aspect is that she believed she was generally a lovely person. However, even someone as friendly as herself was helpless in the face of the all-consuming indignation of food shortages. She would have a tantrum if her cake was dropped on the ground in front of her, and if she was then told it was thest one, she would just erupt in a fit of utter rage.


    She cautioned Ludwig because of this. Just one person being harmed by food was wrong enough. It would be a nightmare to mislead the entire public.


    ¡°In fact, I¡¯d prefer it if you made friends over the food. As many as is practical. Ideally, all of them.¡±


    She was speaking honestly. She had really taken to the sentiment after learning from her history. She was aware that this was the best strategy for avoiding the guillotine.


    She added, bing petty out of worry, ¡°Please bear this in mind. You must never, ever allow yourself to forget this fact.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make sure to engrave it to memory.¡±


    As he bowed, she grinned blissfully.


    ¡°Okay, then. So that¡¯s it. Prior to returning to Saint-Noel, I don¡¯t believe there is anything more to do.¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. Your Highness, feel free to head back whenever you like. This is the route that the Princess Guard nned to take. Please have a look.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Mia pursed her lips as she read the parchment.


    <em>Ludwig ims that everything is under control and that the famine hasn¡¯t yet begun, but I would be lying if I imed I wasn¡¯t still concerned.</em>


    There was a strong, primal fear of having nothing to eat. A scarcity of food caused severe anxiety. Mia¡¯s stomach ached at the mere thought of it. And it wasn¡¯t because she had just eaten too much. Well, that wasn¡¯t the only reason.


    They would need people to have faith that the harvest would be just as good as it was this year if they wanted to relieve that concern. People could only savor the food on their tables today if they had faith that it would be equally filled tomorrow.


    <em>I can¡¯t keep taking money out of my savings if I want peace of mind. That would be too stressful. Naturally, we¡¯ll be relying on Perujin and Chloe¡¯s father to do their best, but I think there should be more. Some sort of¡­</em>


    ¡°¡­Fundamental solution that¡¯ll give me peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Please exin, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, nothing at all. On the way back to Saint-Noel, I¡¯d like to take a diversion, therefore this schedule will need to be modified, I was just considering.¡±


    ¡°A diversion to where?¡±


    ¡°To the domain of Viscount Berman.¡±


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow, ¡°Viscount Berman¡­ You¡¯re going to the academy city then?¡±


    Nodding, Mia replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have a topic I want to discuss with Arshia.¡±

 Chapter 382

    <strong>The Birth of the Empress Faction 1: Mia¡¯s Hand Moves of its Own Again</strong>


    The day after his meeting with Mia, Ludwig entered an old home that was tucked away in a city neighborhood. A covert meeting was going on right here. Eight faces were illuminated by a flickering me inside. Men and women of various genders conversed at length while sitting idly around a table. They included the likenesses of Balthazar and Gilbert, two of Ludwig¡¯s associates. Everyone else in the room shared what the three men had inmon. Undoubtedly, the Galvanus cohort was present.


    Others were representatives of the capital administration from the Azure Moon Ministry, while others were diplomats from the Jade Moon Ministry or the same Golden Moon Ministry that Ludwig worked in. Even one of the central nobility had a particrly odd person following them about as a member of their close retinue,rgely for personal entertainment. Even while the posts¡¯ content varied, their importance remained the same. They all had important roles that required expertise, which they all disyed in a big way.


    ¡°I must admit that I didn¡¯t know this. I had no notion one or more of those nobility was still living somewhere. They have some tremendous talent. Frankly, it got to the point where I assumed they had already been butchered.¡±


    Despite the significance of the discovery, the present topic of conversation was Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s secret activities, which was brought up in an air of casual conversation.


    ¡°And now they¡¯re returning? Really?¡± Another participant shrugged in response.


    ¡°When the empire ultimately copses, I was counting on them to take me out of here. So much for my getaway strategy.¡±


    His sarcastic grin gave the impression that he had been aware of Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s schemes the entire time. Known, but kept quiet to others. He had kept his hand extremely close to his chest, holding onto them for a time when they coulde in handy¡ªfor him and him alone.


    There is little doubt that these were not average minds. They were without a doubt great; shrewd andpetent. But they also actively avoided constraint and werepletely free. The empire did not bind them and never would. They excelled, so they could travel to any country and prosper. As a result, they would just go if the empire were to crumble under the weight of its own rot. They had learned from their old master¡¯s repeated lectures that they did not need to sacrifice themselves for the sake of ignorant nobility. These people would jump to another ship at the first sign of a breached hull rather than sink with the ship.


    <em>But,</em> thought Ludwig, <em>I¡¯m going to need even more assistance from people like them if I want to make Empress Mia a reality. Although cooperation from nobles is a given, government officials are crucial to advancing a country.</em>


    Mia was pulling in the young scions of the Four Houses and other nobles, while Ludwig was left to organize the business end of things. At all costs, he had to gain the respect of his fellow pupils.


    Ludwig said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see everyone.¡±


    Everyone was looking at him.


    ¡°Let me start by saying that I¡¯m sorry for asking you to take time out of your hectic schedules toe here.¡±


    ¡°Ludwig, there¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s not like we even gave refusal a thought. Not now, not at this time. Right?¡± Gilbert smiled and looked around the space. Nobody objected. ¡°After all, the patron saint of our beloved older student just announced in a grand manner her ambition to assume the throne. The ¡®Team Galv assemble¡¯ horn is then blown by the older student. Who in their right mind would miss something this exciting?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, I suppose that¡¯s promising.¡±


    After looking each person in the eye, Ludwig adjusted his sses.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get right to it. I want each and every one of you to put your weight behind Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°My weight, huh?¡± One of the men said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got plenty of that to throw around.¡± He smacked his stomach humorously before his look became usatory. ¡°Is she really worth it? I mistakenly believed that the ipetence of all the lords anddies of this empire and His and Her High and Mightinesses characterised them. Princess Mia, you¡¯re telling me, is an exception?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. But feel free to make your own decisions,¡± Ludwig retorted, pulling out a bundle of parchment. Tabtions of numbers covered the pages.


    ¡°What are those supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Something I¡¯d like for you all to see.¡± As Ludwig inhaled deeply, his audience waited in silence. He turned to face each of them individually before continuing in a solemn manner. The start of a severe famine will ur this year.¡±


    He had made up his mind even before he arrived that he would use the impending crisis to gain the support of his group. The advantages were dual and cumtive. He might persuade his fellow students to assist him by emting Mia¡¯s wisdom in foreseeing the situation, and by winning their support, he would be able to use their abilities tobat the famine. Additionally, it would bind them, keeping them from abandoning ship at the first indication of disaster.


    How would he specifically bring them on board? Being Master Galv¡¯s students, these individuals had a lot of intense curiosity. What would they think if he told them the famine wouldst for three years while simultaneously presenting them with evidence indicating the famine was imminent? None of them could possibly resist the impulse to stick around and see how his prophecy yed out. He was familiar with them and was aware of their mentality. A statement of this kind was like catnip for the minds of Master Galv¡¯s former students since it properly bnced the realms of reason and ultism.


    ¡°A famine, you say? The drop in wheat output from the previous year is just one of the indications.¡± One of the group murmured, ¡°I also hear that recent early-spring reports of crop growth aren¡¯t looking too hot either.¡±


    ¡°The Scarlet Moon Ministry¡¯s unofficial, but maybe official, position is that the empire will have lower crop yields this year across the board,¡± Balthazar interjected. ¡°The colder temperatures we¡¯ve been experiencing sincest summer are probably a factor.¡±


    He was followed by another voice. ¡°The Jade Moon Ministry believes that there is a fair amount of chance of a famine. It¡¯s not just the empire that has subpar crops. Imports from nearby kingdoms are bing more expensive. It hasn¡¯t yet gotten very bad, but¡­It can be the beginning of a downward spiral. The cost of food was going up, and the poor were starving. The number of able-bodied workers would decline as soon as some of the starving started to die. The yields for the following year would probably continue to drop if there was a manpower shortage.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point, though? That¡¯s all really intriguing. We can also read reports.¡± Another participant added in a slightly sarcastic voice, ¡°I¡¯m very sure everyone here already saw thising.¡±


    ¡°You did, I¡¯m certain.¡± Ludwig questioned, ¡°But did you see iting two years ago? Because Her Highness made her prediction at that time. Since then, I have been getting ready.¡±


    ¡°Two years ago? No way are you serious.¡±


    One of the men, who had been reclining on his chair, leaped to his feet and started studying the parchments.


    Ludwig said, ¡°I have spent the previous two years growing the empire¡¯s food stockpiles while also enhancing its financial health under Her Highness¡¯s direction. Her Highness has also devised ways for importing wheat from far-off countries in order to ount for the risk of crop failures happening both within the empire and in neighboring kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Long-distance import of wheat operated through the Forkroads,¡± one individual said after considering the circumstance. ¡°Additionally, with set prices, hmm.¡±


    Another person added, ¡°Makes sense. By spending more than usual, she¡¯s insuring a reasonable supply during emergencies. Actually, a fairly good concept. In fact, shouldn¡¯t merchant guilds put this idea into practice?¡±


    The entire room was filled with thoughtfulpliments.


    ¡°But was it really possible for her to foresee this course of events? Are you saying the princess has prophetic powers? That she knows the future?¡±


    Ludwig didn¡¯t answer right away. He poked the bridge of his sses while he thought about his response. It wouldn¡¯t be overstating things to say that Mia¡¯s insight was prophetic. The word was more than appropriate given how well she predicted. But he didn¡¯t think there were any otherworldly powers at work.


    Ludwig answered, ¡°I¡­certainly do not grasp everything that passes through Her Highness¡¯s mind. However, in response to your query, I personally think that her activities are motivated by effort rather than supernatural providence. Hard, relentless, mentalbor.¡±


    ¡°So, brain work. You¡¯re iming that huge quantities of observation and prediction made with brainwork may finally forecast the future? A valid point, I think. If you think about it, famines also follow certain patterns. They take ce in cycles. We can get a general notion of when they might attack by studying history.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± a different participant said. ¡°She undoubtedly understands the situation of the empire extremely well. She must have been able to spot the early indicators of problems because of it. Be it starvation, trade restrictions imposed by other countries, or even war¡­ Any dramatic societal upheaval is apanied by clear warning signs.¡±


    After exchanging nods with one another, they turned to face Ludwig.


    ¡°I understand your point of view on this. The idea is to utilize the famine to permanently unite the masses behind her. You¡¯re going to appear like heroes in shining armor and start distributing food once the famine actually begins to spread. You can expose the local rulers as evildoers and win support from the popce if they are being stingy. Simr to divide and conquer, but with lords separated from their subjects. This statecraft is really impressive.¡±


    Ludwig gave a headshake. ¡°You¡¯re not seeing the big picture. Her Highness is attempting something that is far more grander in scope.¡±

 Chapter 383

    <strong>The Birth of Empress Faction 2: Ludwig¡¯s Speech ¡®Mia¡¯s Law, Mia¡¯s Governance.¡±</strong>


    Mia¡¯s figurative hand then grinned with unwavering assurance.


    An unconvinced listener asked ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What I mean,¡± Ludwig said, ¡°is that Her Highness gave me amand¡­ And that order is ¡®don¡¯t make any enemies.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Do not create any enemies. What in the name of fairies is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but smirk wryly as he observed their confused expressions. <em>Oh, it¡¯s like seeing my former self. Like them, I waspletely unable toprehend Her Highness¡¯ genuine motives when we first met.</em>


    In reality, he had a problem that was bothering him when he went to report to Mia. He was unsure about the best way to divide the food supplies. Fortunately, the stockpiling procedure itself was going without a hitch. They already had plenty of freedom to maneuver if their objective was just to ensure the survival of their poption.


    However, things had changed. Ludwig waspelled to change his perspective after Mia¡¯s ¡°Deration of Session¡± the other day. It was now more important to figure out how to benefit from the famine than how to end it. To remove the nobility who might stand in Mia¡¯s way of the throne was the simplest course of action. The impending crisis presented a perfect chance to remove anyone having bad intentions toward a potential Empress Mia as well as any ipetent liabilities from their ranks. They were expected to be able to crush opposition with brutal effectiveness by winning people¡¯s affections away from their local lords and toward Mia. Without a doubt, that would be advantageous for the Empress Mia project.


    But something about that strategy just didn¡¯t feel right. Simply put, that wasn¡¯t how Mia operated. He battled with this uncertainty all the way inside her chamber, where she gave him the order to avoid making enemies. Although vague and more of a direction than a destination, it was sufficient. The time and the situation could only suggest that she meant¡­


    He turned to the audience and said, ¡°Let me ask you all a question. I brought certain paperwork, which you have all read. Did anything fall short? Is the datacking in some way? Would you have any trouble if you were given this and told to use the divide and conquer tactic you yourself previously described? No? Her Highness admitted to me that she was still unsure when she saw this information. In other words, there is not enough information. Tell me, please, what exactly iscking in this situation. Any answers?¡±


    The audience exchanged puzzled expressions. After letting them talk for a while, Ludwig called for their attention and turned to face each of them individually.


    ¡°The solution is straightforward: It does not list the food stocks in each noble domain.¡±


    When Mia quickly nced through the parchments as Ludwig handed them to her, she remarked, ¡°I still have no idea.¡± In the meantime, this group of talented and knowledgeable young elites had carefully read the material and had not raised a single objection regarding its appropriateness. What then had caused the Great Wisdom of the Empire to make such a statement? What did she think is missing? Ludwig understood the exnation since it urately captured Mia¡¯s philosophy.


    One of the attendees said, ¡°Well, now I have no idea. A domain-by-domain breakdown of food stocks? Sure, having it would be good, but what could possible be worth the absurd amount of work needed to obtain such data?¡±


    The doubt was justified. even urate in some ways. The amount of provisions preserved in each domain would be unimportant if the aim was to separate lords from their subjects. The idea would work as long as the lord in issue didn¡¯t really use the stash. The idea was to portray the appearance that the local aristocrats wouldn¡¯t offer any assistance, but that Mia woulde to their aid right away. Exact figures were secondary to the story, which was what really mattered.


    It was also simple to convey the idea since a corrupt noble would desert the masses irrespective of the extent of their riches. They continued to believe that ¡°the more the merrier¡± when it came to food during a famine, even if it meant that their people would perish. For the most part, this ideology defined the noble experience.


    Even though it was possible to remove bad actors and use their provisions more effectively, there was no assurance that they hadn¡¯t already been spent up. The entire strategy was unreliable because there was a chance that a lord may be forcibly removed only to find that his stockpile was empty. Such a contradiction should not have been added to the design. The precise numbers in each cache should be treated as trivia rather than facts if Mia was really nning to divide and conquer.


    She didn¡¯t, though. She stated that she was still unsure, indicating that a crucial piece of information was left out of Ludwig¡¯s report. What implied that? He was aware of Mia¡¯s treatment of Viscount Berman as well as her treatment of the young aristocrats at Saint-Noel Academy who had offended Tiona. With this information in hand, he quickly figured out the solution.


    ¡°You inquire as to the necessity of a breakdown of food stockpiles by domain? It¡¯s simple. Her Highness ns to drag the nobles as well in the effort tobat this famine.


    ¡°Drag the nobles in?¡± a perplexed voice asked. ¡°What is she trying to achieve?¡±


    ¡°Nothingplicated,¡± Ludwig replied. ¡°Duty follows privilege. Noble dutiese with being a noble. She merely wants those duties to be carried out.¡±


    Taxes were taken from nobles¡¯ subjects. In exchange, they owed it to their people to defend them against starvation and pestilence in addition to outside attackers. This arrangement had a moral foundation, but it also had a practicalponent. The ability of a lord¡¯s subjects to work would decline if he failed to maintain a high quality of living for them, which would lead to lower tax revenue and finally, a financial catastrophe for the ruler. Whether regarded from the perspective of realism or idealism, nobles had duties to their subjects.


    ¡°In my opinion, Her Highness is attempting to get nobility to take on their duties of defending their subjects, said Ludwig. She will make them use the food they hoarded first. She will supply them with food only if it is insufficient.¡±


    She had warned him against foe-making for this reason. Her instruction¡¯s timing was quite telling. She was well aware that they had enough food on hand to feed everyone. She was guiding him on how to use those reserves, which was the logical next step.


    ¡°That seems like a dubious strategy. I find it difficult to envisage all the lords anddies overnight turning into morally upright small toddlers.¡±


    In response to the doubter, Ludwig shook his head. ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t do it voluntarily; pressure will be put on them. Let me exin in clearer terms. Her Highness¡¯missioning of the hospital in the Newmoon District and her most recent birthday festival serve as examples of how she has up to now consistently maintained a generous attitude toward the general popce.¡±


    <em>The birthday festival was probably a part of the n,</em> he suddenly realized in wonder while he was speaking. He was preupied with his emotions as she made her revtion, but she had already started to move.


    He added, ¡°Could someone like her, who loves her people so fiercely, ever have a positive opinion of nobility who would desert their people to advance their own interests? Without a doubt. She would pressure them. She would also offer them a way out at the same time. If they made every effort to assist their people, she would pick up the ck when their supplies ran low. The carrot to her stick, as it were. Keep your people nourished, and I¡¯ll keep you fed, is essentially what she is saying to them.¡±


    To put it another way, Mia wouldn¡¯t give the people food directly. She would send the food to the ruling nobles, and have them distribute the supply.


    ¡°You¡¯ll realize that the recent birthday festival was actually setting the foundation for this big scheme. It served as a trial run for food distribution throughout their territories and built ties between nobility andmoners.¡±


    Nobles learned very important information about how many people they controlled over and how much food was required by taking part in the celebration.


    ¡°It isbor-intensive and ineffective for the central government to oversee every part of this distribution. Additionally, it increasesplexity, creating barriers that obstruct the free flow of food. People will perish if food does not flow. It is therefore preferable to use current channels that the local authorities have already created.¡±


    The empire had a huge territory. It was too big for any one person to manage¡ªnot even Mia. She was unable to directly take care of the needs of a farmer in a far-offnd. But she may ask the lord of that farmer to do it; it was his responsibility. The reasoning was really straightforward.


    In this manner, the rulers will also leave a favorable image on their people. Her Highness would strike a chasm between them if she entered the fray on her own and offered assistance. She would essentially be sowing resentment among the popce, making them despise their rulers.


    Which, of course, was the divide and conquer strategy¡¯s main goal.


    ¡°Her Highness doesn¡¯t want make enemies of the nobility. If anything, she wants to take advantage of this to win them around to her cause.¡±


    ¡°However, that isn¡¯t how things are done! It¡¯s absurd,¡± cried one of the onlookers.


    ¡°True,¡± Ludwig replied. ¡°The logical course of action would be to wait for an ineffective ruler to falter and lose power before assuming control and governing the realm effectively. It may even be the best course of action. Less effort and more effective.¡±


    This technique worked well for getting rid of both opponents and ineffective people. It was very conceivable that ipetent nobility would also present a barrier in the way of Mia bing empress. Ludwig shook his head, though.


    ¡°Recing the top is unquestionably the most sensible move if the objective is to rule effectively. But that¡¯s not how she operates. Her preferred course of action when a sword¡¯s de has be dull and useless is to resharpen it in order to restore its usability rather than discard it and purchase a new one. Instead of getting rid of unproductive individuals, she finds ways to use them. Her method is that.¡±


    Simr to how she persuaded Berman to change from a bitter foe to a steadfast ally.


    Another voice cautioned, ¡°But that also gives more power to local rulers. Some of them might have less than honorable ns for using that power,¡± he said.


    Divide and conquer is the exact reverse of what Ludwig was advocating. It urged local leaders to rule kindly and gave them the resources to do so. They would benefit from greater political influence and closer ties to their popce. With their increased might, they might band together to fight Mia. That wasn¡¯t a hypothetical situation, but it was one that had been considered as well.


    A third voice countered, ¡°Eh, so what? She is already taking care of that. Nobody is going to oppose her at this time. Not in light of the prank shemitted in the pce. With Saint Rafina, Prince Sion of Sunnd, and Prince Abel of Remno, she formed a strong friendship. She is in charge of the Princess Guard, the most prestigious unit in the empire. Additionally, Duke Redmoon¡¯s daughter serves as the Vice Captain of the Guard, giving her considerable military influence. In addition, I¡¯ve heard she gets along well with Duke Greenmoon¡¯s daughter and even managed to win over Duke Bluemoon¡¯s son by getting him elected to the student council.¡±


    Mia was no ordinary princess at this time. Her political influence had reached such astounding heights that it was, for the most part, impossible to challenge her. With thergest domain in the empire, a superior private army, and unwavering support from their popce, one would need to exercise caution if they want to challenge her. She had exhibited authority throughout the festival by that disy, and the nobles there had been appropriately subdued.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± A person who was perplexed remarked, ¡°You¡¯re saying it was all calcted? That she had anticipated all of this beforehand and, on top of that, made the decision to appear in that dress? It was a calcted power y to force the nobles into submission?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that Her Highness¡¯s vision is based on what we¡¯ve just discussed,¡± ording to Ludwig. ¡°I intend to carry out her ns now that we¡¯ve rified them. I¡¯d like to ask that you all use your stations¡¯ power to help usher in the famine for the time being. While you do, I hope you will determine for yourselves if Her Highness is deserving of the title of empress.¡±


    Ludwig then quietly bowed.

 Chapter 384

    <strong>The Birth of the Empress Faction 3: When Master and Servant Hearts¡¯ Ovep</strong>


    ¡°I already mentioned this before, but I¡¯ll say it again. She is a truly remarkable individual, isn¡¯t she?¡± Gilbert let out a sigh and gave a mocking headshake. ¡°To be honest, there are times when I think she can handle everything by herself. I¡¯m not even certain that she needs our assistance as mere mortals.¡±


    Ludwig gave a headshake. ¡°No, Her Highness understands how society works.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it? Let me exin. Yes, Her Highness is extremelypetent, and it¡¯s possible that she couldplete most tasks on her own. She is typically able to do any mental work on her own, but she is aware that an empire cannot run solely on cerebralbor.¡±


    ¡°Ah. And that¡¯s why she employs individuals like you and me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the only cause,¡± he replied.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Gilbert blinked and questioned, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of the project for Academy City? Her Highness is passionate about developing young talent who have the potential to lead the empire in the future. She intends to stop in Princess Town on her way back to Saint-Noel to see how the academy city is progressing.¡±


    A man close to them said, ¡°Oh, that reminds me. I¡¯ve heard that the master will take over as the school¡¯s headmaster. Is that true, Ludwig?¡±


    ¡°It is. In fact, I¡¯ve asked a few of his students to serve as lecturers already. In essence, Her Highness is trying to create people like us through the official educational system of an academy; she doesn¡¯t care about status or riches; she aims to offer education to anyone who has the potential.¡±


    There was a burst of puzzled whispering in the space. They had never considered duplicating the interactions between students and teachers that Galvanus had with his pupils in a methodical way.


    Gilbert finally smiled after some thought, like a guy who had just epted a challenge. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t that just light a fire under our asses? We need to stop sitting back and enjoying ourselves because otherwise, a horde of tiny Galvs will soon engulf us.¡±


    ¡°Each of them will be our equal in talent, but probably our superior in loyalty,¡± Ludwig continued.


    As ramifications began to light on the group¡¯s spinning heads, the room became silent. Up until recently, the term ¡°Great Wisdom of the Empire¡± was often associated with spectacle rather than fact. They finally understood that it wasn¡¯t being overstated.


    ¡°So¡­¡± The stillness was broken after a protracted period by Balthazar, who had not yet spoken during the discussion. ¡°The question ¡®What should we call ourselves?¡¯¡±


    Gilbert joked, ¡°What, are we turning this into a whole thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can copy what the insurgents in Remno did. We will all wear the color of our choice. We could dubbed ourselves the Purple Scarves as she wore purple to the ball.¡±


    Ludwig scowled before giving a slow head shake. ¡°No¡­ Her Highness has made her position obvious and what she believes. Therefore, we must act in a simr manner. We¡¯ll be called the Empress Faction.¡±


    ¡°The Empress Faction¡­¡±


    There was a noticeable tension in the room as the words descended.


    ¡°The first empress of Tearmoon and The Empress Faction.¡±


    ¡°Hah. That¡¯s something worth working toward. I enjoy it.¡±


    The newly created Empress Faction gathered around Ludwig in the shadowy corners of an old house and took its first breath.


    Mia left for Viscount Berman¡¯s estate while Ludwig was busy plotting in the capital. It was intended that she would take her detour first, then go to Belluga via the Sealence Forest and Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s realm. The n did not include for dealing with an irritable emperor who incessantlyined that she ¡°doesn¡¯t have to leave so early¡± and ¡°could at least let Bel stay a little longer, or even just leave her here.¡± She managed the problem nheless, albeit not without some irritation.


    ¡°Besides Bel also continues to be fed with sweets. She¡¯ll bloat up if I let her stay here much longer.¡±


    When F.A.T. affects other people, it¡¯s simple to worry about it. This is how the phenomenon works. The two girls left together after removing Bel¡¯s grousing great-grandfather from her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mia mused as her carriage rumbled down the road, ¡°Isn¡¯t there quite a distance to Viscount Berman¡¯s domain?¡±


    She was bing more and more conscious of the empire¡¯snds¡¯ extreme size.


    ¡°It will be difficult to send food from the capital to all of those outlying areas. Additionally, it implies that if a location runs out of food, it will take some time before word of the situation ever reaches us.¡±


    In that situation, going without food for a few meals was essentially inevitable. She scowled, her stomach turning viscerally at the idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s awful to have to go through life without food. They would not have to wait for the meal to arrive, if only.¡±


    Mia had already traveled around the empire on an inspection and visitation tour in order to assess local conditions and persuade soldiers to stay at their stations. She had witnessed the suffering caused by the famine, as well as the rage and hatred of her people, firsthand on the journey. Fury over food is fury well-incensed. Finally, she had developed a profound awareness of how hunger robbed individuals of theirposure. Ludwig deserves praise for including practical instruction!


    ¡°And Ludwig being Ludwig, he¡¯ll undoubtedly send me a never-ending stream of in-depth reports. That will offer me a ton of work! I wonder whether there¡¯s a solution to this issue.¡±


    The only time Mia didn¡¯t generally ck off was when she figuring out how to ck off.


    ¡°The more I think about it, the more I wish everyone just handled things for me voluntarily, like Outcount Rudolvon did. That would make everything so much simpler.¡± she bemoaned.


    ¡°Furthermore, food would go faster to all of his adjacent regions if it were being sent from his jurisdiction. Hm¡­ I believe one solution might be to assist local leaders in creating their own systems for distributing food. The concept looks sound, but I can find someone to work out the specificster. After all, no one is more familiar with a region than its ruler. Not making use of that would be wasteful. In reality, we must make them function! What gives people the idea that they can just sit about doing nothing while I do all the work?¡± Mia sighed. ¡°Okay, I made a decision! I have to get Ludwig to begin considering this.¡±


    The princess¡¯s and her vassal¡¯s hearts had thus united by some cosmic miracle! Despite their initial motivations, Mia and Ludwig had independently decided on the same overall objective.


    She kept thinking about it, and before she knew it, Princess Town wasing into view and requiring her attention.


    Little did the freshly assembled Empress Faction members realize that the princess they had united behind would soon drop their jaws to the floor once more. Even Ludwig, the group¡¯s leader and Mia¡¯s devoted autonomous appendage, failed to see iting.

 Chapter 385

    <strong>Berman Gains Mia¡¯s Trust</strong>


    Mia arrived at Viscount Berman¡¯s estate and wasvishly weed.


    ¡°It is a great honor for Your Highness to visit our small territory.¡± The viscount said, ¡°I and my people alike are moved to tears by this joyous asion,¡± in a statement that seemed exaggerated but, to Mia¡¯s bewilderment, proved to be anything but.


    The townspeople¡¯s joy in weing her was, to put it mildly.


    This is a little unnerving, I must admit.


    People of all ages poured out of their homes and into the streets. Her carriage was given ess to a single path that waspletely bordered by a flower bed. Chants of ¡°Long live the Great Wisdom of the Empire!¡± burst from all directions as the carriage moved down the path. Even some of the spectators¡¯ cheeks were literally covered in tears. Here, Mia was practically worshipped.


    Since the wintertime celebration of her birthday, Mia¡¯s standing in the empire had soared to astounding new heights. She was immensely beloved by Berman¡¯s people, more so than the emperor himself, in part because Princess Town was built in their viscounty.


    Bel, on the other hand, did not appear as shocked as Mia did and instead appeared a little smug.


    ¡°The residents of Viscount Berman¡¯s territory were referred to as, oh, I believe ¡®pro-princess hardliners.¡¯ Throughout the civil war, they were a big support to me,¡± Bel said.


    ¡°Pro-princess hardliners, huh? I see. I suppose that¡¯s good but also a little creepy.¡±


    Mia had experienced all kinds of verbal abuse when she had been to famine-stricken regions in the previous timeline, so she wasn¡¯t ustomed to such overt demonstrations of admiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a terrible thing. I hope my actions from now on will enable me to keep receiving warm wees like today,¡± Mia said reflectively.


    Mia was treated to avish meal that evening. The mountains of opulent food that were stacked on the tables caused them to moan under their weight. She had to break herself free of the enchantment cast by the delicious meals as she felt her entire body being drawn toward them.


    ¡°I appreciate your kind wee, Viscount Berman.¡± Without seeming overly excited, she said, ¡°I have no doubt that I¡¯ll have a good time tonight.¡±


    ¡°It is our absolute pleasure, Your Highness.¡±


    She was reluctant to dampen Berman¡¯s joy because of how brightly he was beaming at her. Sadly, her purpose took precedence over good manners, and she decided to spoil his party.


    ¡°But I have to beg that you stop wasting food going forward,¡± Mia remarked.


    ¡°I¡­ Huh?¡± Berman gaped in confusion as he continued to stare. Mia made an effort to speak in an unagitated manner.


    ¡°Listen, just between the two of us, there¡¯s a very good probability that this summer will start off with food shortages in different sections of the empire,¡± Mia said softly. ¡°I want you to start being frugal in order to get ready for this possibility.¡±


    Actually, Mia hadn¡¯t counted on Berman¡¯s willing cooperation. Vehement resistance was more likely to ur given his personality.


    <em>However, I must inform him otherwise I¡¯ll feel guilty. Ah, and¡­</em>


    She immediately made another request.


    ¡°And don¡¯t tell anyone, all right? I¡¯d prefer to keep it a secret that only a select few are aware of.¡±


    The matter¡¯s anonymity seemed to be a point that needed to be emphasized. Berman wasn¡¯t exactly seen as being reserved. This was the person who, at one point, engaged in a heated argument with Outcount Rudolvon about the extent of their respective domains. He had a fair probability of using the knowledge he had just learned to boost his ego, which would be dangerous.


    Berman mumbled, ¡°Only a select few¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And I personally chose a couple of them. After all, nobody typically has the ability to anticipate the future. If word gets out, strange ideas may start to circte.¡±


    She sternly red at him, meaning, ¡°And those strange notions will apply to you too! Keep your lips shut and start saving food if you don¡¯t want people to assume you¡¯ve joined a cult.¡±


    <em>Okay, so that should stop him from bbing about it to everyone. I¡¯m not sure whether he¡¯ll truly take my advice and cut down on waste, but whatever.</em>


    Mia was too focused on herself to hear the trembling, quiet whisper that escaped Berman¡¯s lips. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m one of the few people you can trust with this information, you say.¡±


    She said, ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m counting on you for Princess Town,¡± as the idea came to her. ¡°We can¡¯t let the kids go hungry.¡±


    To her astonishment, Berman gave her a somber nod.


    ¡°Without a doubt, Your Highness. That should be obvious. Before I allow Princess Town to suffer any harm, I shall sacrifice my life.¡±


    He was so devoted, Mia shook her head. Viscount Berman: ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, but if something happens, I¡¯d much rather you let me know than make any selfless sacrifices. Contacting Ludwig is always wee because he is always in the capital.¡±


    Although it wasforting to know he was willing to risk his life, she would actually be happier if he simply kept her informed of any new information as quickly as possible. The sooner she became aware of a problem, the simpler it would probably be to resolve. That was a universal truth. He might make a mistake that was beyond fix if he attempted to be a martyr too hard. Thest thing she needed was that.


    She believed that you should never pretend to grasp something if you don¡¯t. You must inform others as soon as possible if you don¡¯t understand something!


    <em>On the other hand, from here it seems quicker to approach Outcount Rudolvon for assistance as opposed to traveling all the way to the capital. However, given their past difficulties, I doubt Berman would be all that keen to do that. Hmm¡­</em>


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± She was in deep thought when Berman¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    ¡°Hm? Ah, nothing at all. Let¡¯s eat some of this food, then.¡±


    Unnecessary excess was undoubtedly an issue, but Mia wasn¡¯t about to turn down a delicious feast that was there in front of her. She had to maintain her reputation as the gourmand princess. Principles couldeter.


    ¡°By the way,¡± she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be going on our nned inspection of the academy tomorrow. I¡¯m eager to chat with Headmaster Galv. And Princess Arshia, of course. She must be doing well as a lecturer, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Guards and a carriage are already on the schedule. The only thing left is for Your Highness to unwind in my modest home,¡± Berman responded with a respectful bow. ¡°I appreciate your confidence in me to keep this amazing secret. I am sincerely grateful and will do everything in my power to live up to your expectations.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt that you will,¡± Mia answered casually. Her focus had already wandered to another area. On the table was a pot of stew that was overflowing with mushrooms. It seemed scrumptious.


    <em>Mushrooms! Stew with mushrooms! There is clearly a skilled chef here. Good job, Berman! Not bad at all!</em>


    Mia¡¯s confidence in Berman increased by 100 percent! She now has a ss specialty! She was now known as ¡°Gourmand Princess: Type Mushroom.¡±

 Chapter 386

    Princess Mia Levels Up: The Statue of Proof of Friendship


    The next morning, Mia left the Berman manor before daybreak. Mia was in fact quite the morning person, rising early and going to bed early. When she didn¡¯t choose to take one or more morning naps, that is.


    Her carriage moved toward Princess Town, which was located at the border of the Sealence Forest, apanied by a squadron of soldiers. After some trundling, a row of trees became visible.


    ¡°Aaah, I haven¡¯t visited this ce in a long time. Moons, doesn¡¯t this ce look different now?¡± she remarked with obvious amazement, ¡°I hardly recognize it.¡±


    In front of the woond stood a huge building. Of course, it was nothingpared to the Whitemoon Pce. Even the main building of Saint-Noel wasrger. It did, however,pete favorably with the typical noble manor. Large farnd areas were located all around the structure. She had the impression that she was traveling through farnd to get to school because these fields surrounded the route they went toward the academy.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t present the previous time, were they? Are they being utilized in agricultural research?¡±


    The fields were lush and verdant despite the lingering chill in the air.


    ¡°Those don¡¯t appear to be weeds; they are developing in orderly rows. There must be someone caring for them. I wonder whether that little home there is some sort of surveince post. Wow, all of this is really impressive.¡±


    The creation of a wheat strain that could withstand the cold was, after all, the academy¡¯s main goal. Mia couldn¡¯t help but beam with happiness as she noticed that consistent advancement was being made. Just then¡­


    ¡°Is that Saint Mia Academy, wow?¡± Bel shouted with delight as she hugged the carriage window. Mia was startled out of her thoughts by the noise.


    ¡°Right, Saint Mia Academy was the name of the institution.¡±


    Even though it was already toote for Mia to be fussing, she still wasn¡¯t fullyfortable with the name.


    <em>Whatever. I¡¯ll overlook it. After all, it¡¯s just a name¡­</em>


    She would, regrettably, only briefly embrace the academy¡¯s branding.


    The tiny houses had been erected in a rough circle around the school, Mia noticed as her carriage drew closer to it. Even if they were still too few to constitute a town, she didn¡¯t care. Wheat research was her major goal. Everything was fine as long as that was moving forward.


    The carriage eventually came to a stop in front of the school. Mia exited and looked at the structure in front of her. She felt uneasy as soon as she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. At the entrance to the school, there was an odd building that resembled a shed. It only had walls and a roof on three of its sides. The final side was really open. Any type of human home was impossible due to the strange architecture. It appeared to be more of a refuge from the weather. Or perhaps a protected shrine.


    She focused her attention on the building and saw that something whitish was enshrined inside. It appeared to be a statue. Mia looked up and noticed, then looked aside. She was in full ¡°please don¡¯t let that be what I think it is¡± mood at this point. Her spine was racing with chills. She really didn¡¯t want to look at it again for fear that her worries woulde true, but she was forced to. It couldn¡¯t be avoided. She therefore looked at the enshrined thing with much hesitation.


    ¡°Gah! What the?¡±


    She was in awe of an iridescent sculpture that was twice her height. She had to stretch her neck back to see the top, where a horn of something horsey could be seen. The unicorn had a hand on its neck that belonged to a young girl who had a beaming smile on her face. More than a passing resemnce could be seen between Mia and the girl.


    <em>That girl kind of reminds me of someone, which is fascinating. I wonder if¡­ Ack no! No, I have to face the facts! That most certainly is me!</em>


    She was reminded of what her father had said at the her birthday celebration.


    <em>He undoubtedly made reference to the statue that Viscount Berman was erecting. Consequently, this is the crime scene¡­</em>


    This wouldn¡¯t vanish as quickly as the enormous snow sculpture from the event, which would melt as the weather warmed up. She was unsure about the lifespan of wooden sculptures, but she assumed it was at least years.


    <em>Viscount Berman made noments regarding this. Was this a surprise? I most certainly don¡¯t require such a surprise!</em>


    The Mia in the sculpture was dressed in a one-piece that resembled a woond fairy¡¯s outfit. She didn¡¯t simply look like a fairy, though. She was a fairy! Her back was really sprouting wings!


    <em>This is pushing things too far, don¡¯t you think? Now that we¡¯ve entered pure fiction. It¡¯s kind of embarrassing, to be honest.</em>


    There have always been powerful individuals who viewed themselves as gods in history. Although it was obviously selfish, their desire to be regarded as almighty gods was understandable. However, those who presented themselves as adorable fairies were much lessmon. This too wasprehensible. It was, after all, rather embarrassing. Even more cringe-worthy was the wide-eyed ¡°look at me, I¡¯m so innocent and charming¡± smile on the face of her avian counterpart.


    Then came the killer: everyone who saw this sculpture would automatically think she hadmissioned it and had expressly asked to be shown in this way. The idea almost caused her insides to curl around on themselves. She started to shake.


    ¡°What do you think, Your Highness? Do you like it?¡±


    Mia was about to spiral further into cringe-induced craziness when a soothing voice intervened. The Saint Mia Academy¡¯s headmaster was approaching when she turned around.


    ¡°Wiseman Galv, ah. Good to see you.¡± She curtsied politely as she greeted him. ¡°I appreciate all of your assistance in establishing this academy.¡±


    ¡°No, no, thankfulness works the other way. I must express my gratitude for giving this old sack of bones a chance to experience life once more. Being a part of such a noble initiative is a huge honor.¡±


    After introducing the headmaster to Bel, Mia returned her attention to the sculpture.


    ¡°However, I must say, this sculpture¡­¡±


    Galv exined, ¡°It was created by the Lulus as a token of their devotion to Your Highness. It¡¯s lovely, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She nodded. The old man was correct. Leaving her visage aside, the sculpture¡¯s artistic value was evident. Every curve and groove radiated the artists¡¯ unbridled ardour. The person who carved this must have had a strong admiration for Mia or really loved fairies.


    Galv remarked, ¡°I dissuaded them from that n by stressing to them that Your Highness is not fond of extravagant disys of self-praise and would not enjoy such a massive sculpture. Originally, it was supposed to be three times the current size.¡±


    <em>Thank the moons that this guy understands! It makes sense why they describe him as wise. Well done, Galv!</em>


    ¡°I therefore instructed them to keep it to twice their actual size.¡±


    <em>So close! You were so close, ugh! Why didn¡¯t you just tell them to stop building it right away?</em>


    Mia was only just able to contain her scream. It was all the more frustrating because he had almost made the ideal decision.


    ¡°It was ultimately agreed that some artistic liberty to conceal the identity of the female in the sculpture would best suit our objectives. There was also the suggestion that the sculpture should be created in your identical likeness. To reflect your preferences in literature, we subsequently incorporated certain fantasyponents.¡±


    <em>I don¡¯t know whether we have different definitions of the word ¡°conceal,¡± but it¡¯s obvious who the sculpture depicts¡ªthat¡¯s me. For shouting out loud, the academy bears my name! But wait, for the love of the moon, look at the que below! The title is ¡°The Frolicking of Saint Mia and a Unicorn¡± as well.</em>


    So much for artistic liberty. There was absolutely no ¡®concealing¡¯ urring in this situation.


    <em>Ugh, is there any way I can get this removed?</em>


    The sculpture¡¯s rainbow-colored glitter made it obvious that it was from the same wood as the unicorn hairpin. Both were constructed from the forest¡¯s trees, whose wood, when stripped of its bark, radiated a simple, earthy beauty.


    She was inspecting the sculpture closely, Galv noticed and remarked, ¡°They carved it from an ancient tree that grew deep in the forest. It has probably existed for ages. Unquestionably a priceless treasure, especially in light of the Lulus¡¯ belief that trees are gifts from the heavenly realm. However, they stated that they would be delighted to give us the wood if it were to be used to create a sculpture of Your Highness.¡±


    <em>Hnnngh¡­ Undoubtedly, the Lulus give a lot of thought to the trees in their forest. I only kicked one, but they nearly punched holes in me as a result. If that¡¯s how they respond to typical trees, imagine how they¡¯d react to one that¡¯s hundreds of years old. Oh my goodness, the amount of kindness! It¡¯s excessive.</em>


    ¡°After the Lulus had shaped the wood,¡± Galv said, ¡°Viscount Berman had arranged for its surface to be treated using the most cutting-edge woodworking methods avable in the empire. This sculpture is a wonderfully moving representation of how two parties can put aside their previous problems ande together to support Your Highness.¡±


    <em>Augh! The backstory is just too heartwarming! Why is this damn sculpture full of significance!? How am I expected to request its removal at this point?</em>


    Mia was sadly beginning to understand that this sculpture was here to stay. She breathed slowly as she closed her eyes.


    She said the words ¡°W-Wow,¡± in the rigid monotone of a disinterested actor. ¡°Being the subject of such a sculpture is such an honor. I¡¯m so thrilled that I might cry.¡±


    She nearly did, but she choked back her cries of joy out of respect for decency.

 Chapter 387

    Her Highness Princess Mia Encourages the Children


    Miaposed herself as she entered the school, despite the fact that the sight of her ebullient wooden effigy had reduced her mental condition to shavings. Children had formed queues to wee her inside and were waiting in line to do so. There were some recognizable faces in the first row.


    ¡°My, you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Wagul? Is that you? Moons, a while has passed.¡±


    The grandson of the Lulu chieftain spoke first. She nearly didn¡¯t recognize him due to his outfit and nicely trimmed hair.


    She smiled and said, ¡°Have you been well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been doing fine. However, schoolwork is challenging.¡±


    <em>Of course. Wagul, I understand what you mean.</em>


    She softly grinned, her heart breaking for the boy. Studying was difficult. Pain is pain, even if it is necessary agony. Nobody with a clear mind would voluntarily do that¡ª


    The girl next to Wagul said, ¡°And as for me, I¡¯ve kept up with all of my studies as promised. I appreciate the opportunity to spend time in school, so thank you so much.¡±


    As Mia turned to face the orphanage prodigy, who weed her with a deep bow, her smile started to flutter. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s good to hear, I suppose. Selia, I¡¯m delighted you¡¯re working hard.¡± she said, a cold sweat forming on the back of her neck.


    After all, she had spitefully enrolled this girl in the academy under the guise that ¡°If I¡¯m going down, then you¡¯re going down with me, buddy.¡± She had further added salt to the wound by cing Selia in a particr ss where Galv would provide one-on-one tuition. And yet, until this particr moment, she had forgotten everything.


    She looked at the girl and considered whether her remark had been ironic. She chose to smile cautiously because she was unable to tell.


    ¡°But, um, altogether, how do you feel?¡± She asked, feeling slightly bad for subjecting the girl to Galv¡¯s rigorous academic torture, ¡°Is there anything that¡¯s stressing you out?¡±


    Ludwig the teacher had been awful enough when she was a student. Ludwig¡¯s teacher could not have been a worse teacher. ¡°Let me know if you ever feel like, you know, it¡¯s all getting a little much, okay? I¡¯ll take action in the matter.¡±


    Mia was familiar with the idea of reaping what you sow. She provided Selia a way out as a means of covering her own back after realizing that she had nted a rather nasty seed here. She was trying to prevent Selia from bringing the scythe of retaliation by being especially kind. Mia was a coward and would do anything to assault Selia¡¯s conscience and avoid those consequences. The brave would merely face the results of one¡¯s conduct.


    Selia then immediately started crying.


    <em>Eek! Why¡¯s she crying? Are Galv¡¯s lessons really so bad? Or is she crying because she despises me so much?</em>


    Just as fear started to take hold¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m OK, Your Highness. Thank you. I get to learn a lot here, and the teachers are incredibly pleasant to me. It feels like a dream.¡±


    Selia wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and then grinned once again, adding, ¡°I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? Okay, uh¡­ So keep it up. But just don¡¯t be afraid to let me know if you feel like you have too much on your te, alright?¡±


    Mia then looked at another boy.


    ¡°And¡­ Good day, Cyril.¡± With all the politeness she could summon, she said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Her face almost burst into bloom. Obviously, it was all a ruse, but she was going all out because Cyril was important to her n. His whims may very well determine whether the new wheat strain is sessfully developed. She had to maintain his motivation and happiness.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s good to see you too.¡± Cyril bowed. Though the gesture was absolutely polite, she couldn¡¯t help but feel some stiffness.


    ¡°Hm? Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Absolutely nothing.¡±


    The words he spoke did not match the pout on his lips. Selia quickly leaned down and muttered in a voice that wasn¡¯t especially gentle as Mia scowled in perplexity.


    ¡°He apparently thinks you¡¯re really close with Wagul and me, but always stiff with him, and he¡¯s envious of that.¡±


    ¡°S-Selia!¡± Cyril, who was now agitated, said, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    As he pulled her away from Mia, his hot cheeks were made visible.


    <em>My! How absolutely adorable!</em>


    His puerile soul¡¯s slight emotional instability struck a thrilling chord across her heartstrings. This sort of thing was her favorite. Mia, who was technically 22 years old, was very interested in young boys and their vulnerabilities. One should never judge another person based on their preferences, but Mia could certainly afford to adjust the age range she prefers by a little bit.


    <em>Oh, I seem to recall Abel saying something simr years ago. I guess all boys are the same after all!</em>


    She chuckled a little and let out a tender smile. She spoke with friendliness instead of her customary formality, saying, ¡°Looks like someone feels a little left out, doesn¡¯t he? Let¡¯s correct that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She gave Cyril¡¯s hair a nice pat and caressed his head as he gaped. ¡°You know, I was afraid you¡¯d feel lonely here. or be ill. Your good health makes me happy.¡±


    She pointed at Selia and remarked, ¡°And that you seem to have made a really excellent friend who pays attention to you.¡±


    The color of Cyril¡¯s cheeks darkened.


    ¡°Your Highness, I thank you for your concern.¡±


    He averted his gaze downwards. The kind deed made Mia happy.


    <em>Oh boy, I¡¯ll give him a pat on the head all day if that¡¯s all it takes to make him happy. After all, if he¡¯s not at his best, we won¡¯t ever obtain our new wheat strain. Boy, I¡¯m depending on you.</em>


    She grinned while thinking about something far less benign.


    She then turned her gaze away from them and toward the other kids.


    ¡°And who are the young ones standing behind you?¡±


    There were approximately a dozen of them, and as they saw Mia¡¯s eyes on them, they all tensed.


    ¡°Most of them were enrolled on a rmendation from the priest in the Newmoon District.¡± Galv said. ¡°There were a handful from Outcount Rudolvon and a few more from surrounding ound nobility. Unfortunately, no youngster from the central nobility has applied because so many of our facilities are still under construction and because anti-agriculturalist ideas are spreading among their ranks.¡±


    Mia raised an eyebrow before shrugging. ¡°Is that true? So forget about them. They won¡¯te if they choose not to do so.¡±


    She really didn¡¯t give a damn. This academy¡¯s main goal was to aid Cyril Rudolvon in his development of cold-resistant wheat. She didn¡¯t want a group of pretentious, aristocratic kids strutting around. They would at best be useless and at worst be a major distraction. She added a secondment to her initial assertion after deciding it was too disparaging. In addition, if the academy establishes a reputation for its high caliber of instruction, students wille naturally.


    Thisment served a dual purpose. First of all, it was ttery aimed at Galv; any academic sess would undoubtedly be his doing. It was also a way for her to distance herself from the academy¡¯s performance, allowing her to escape ountability if the idea failed.


    The justification was as follows:


    use: People would swarm to the academy if it performed well and got well-known.


    Corory: if there was ack of interest, it was likely due to the academy¡¯s poor performance.


    Conclusion: she was in no way to me for the academy¡¯sck of poprity.


    A woman approached her as she was about to covertly smuggle over her deft¡ªandpletely selfish¡ªexecution of defensive argument.


    ¡°Wee, Princess Mia. We appreciate you traveling so far to visit us.¡±


    Mia answered, ¡°Ah, greetings to you too, Princess Arshia,¡± before quickly looking at Arshia¡¯s clothing again.


    ¡°Yes, I am aware. I apologise for how I look.¡± Arshia frowned as she regarded her own attire. ¡°They were constructed of a cheap-looking, heavilyyered fabric that resembled whatmoners would often wear. They are working clothes. Farmers from Perujin always dress like this. After all, I can¡¯t go to the fields wearing a dress.¡±


    ¡°My, how fascinating. May I touch it? Oh, I see. Despite the poor presentation, this is very quality fabric. It has a pleasant, sturdy feel. When I go mushroom hunting again, I should think about purchasing some.¡±


    Mia¡¯s curious intellect was always on the prowl for fresh and intriguing facts. Whenever her addiction to mushrooms was involved, that is.

 Chapter 388

    <strong>Cowards Win Through Numbers</strong>


    ¡°For such a short period of time, this is some really excellent work.¡±mented Mia. Mia set out to look at the nearby fields that had recently been tilled for farming, apanied by Arshia and Cyril. But not before requesting and changing into a set of Arshia¡¯s working clothes. Mia didn¡¯t cut corners when it came to safeguarding herself.


    <em>These feel a little stuffy, but I suppose thates with the territory. They certainly appear to be able to withstand some deterioration. In all honesty, it would be best to wear these when entering the forest¡­</em>


    She looked across the fields, discreetly evaluating the quality of her clothes.


    ¡°The soil in Tearmoon was already suitable for farming, so it only required a small amount of effort to prepare it for usage,¡± ording to Arshia. ¡°Some of the Lulus were persuaded to assist us by Headmaster Galv.¡±


    ¡°Oh? The Lulus? That was incredibly kind of them to do it.¡± Mia raised a thoughtful finger to her chin, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to think of a way to repay them in some way.¡±


    Cyril gave her a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to be concerned about it. The Lulus are a hunting tribe that primarily relies on the forest for food, but recently, with the assistance of my family, they have begun using the crops. The tribe¡¯s members are bing more interested in farming, therefore they are beginning to have high hopes for Wagul.¡±


    ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡±


    Geographically, Saint Mia Academy was adjacent to the Lulus¡¯ vige, making the tribe¡¯s support for the endeavor crucial. Mia was awestruck by the fields¡¯ beauty after taking a guided tour of them. The plots were organized nicely and the ground had been well-tilled. There was a lot of it as well. It was clear how carefully their nurturing had been done. She took in the amazing scene, her confidence rising.


    <em>See how many fields there are? There are countless! We won¡¯t have any trouble addressing the famine with this much crond!</em>


    She questioned Arshia, ¡°So, how¡¯s the cold-resistant wheat research going? Have you recently made any breakthroughs?¡±


    The query caused Arshia to stiffen up. ¡°We still don¡¯t truly know. We investigated a lot of alternativesst fall and nted several seed varieties that appeared promising, but we won¡¯t know for sure until they can be harvested, which won¡¯t be for a little while. We¡¯re still investigating in the interim, looking through literature and things, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. I assume there are no surprises there. After all, it is how farming operates.¡±


    It took a long time for wheat to grow. Mia was undoubtedly conscious of this reality. She simply hadn¡¯t given the ramifications any thought up until this point.


    <em>Wait a second. Does this imply that we¡¯ll all be in big trouble even with one bad attempt?</em>


    Despite being overdue, her worry was justified. Trial and error was a keyponent of research, but there were very few trials in farming. There was only one cycle of seasons per year, and every attempt had to go through each one. Her inner chicken started to stir right away. The huge expanses of agriculture that had up to that point seemed nearly excessive suddenly felt worrisomely insufficient.


    <em>Much morend will be required if we can only do one trial annually. Much more. So that we can continually test more!</em>


    The coward in her was speaking at the time. The perception of the scenario by said coward was also¡­exactly right! Only one attempt. One shot. No excuses, no retries. To put it another way, it wasparable to taking a test at Saint-Noel.


    <em>Which suggests that we ought to use the same strategy.</em>


    Mia, the proud princess of Tearmoon, handled challenges in a way that belied the grandeur and scope of her empire¡ªby outnumbering the adversary. In this instance, the sheer volume of remembered answers. She memorized the entirety of the testable material before to each exam. She would then be prepared for everything the exam would throw at her. It was a foolproof strategy for passing the exam!


    This simr idea may undoubtedly be used to create new wheat strains.


    They had to jam as many experiments into it as they could if they only had one shot to get it properly. The key word here was breadth. How would you identify the one cake that was tasty if there were 100 and only one was? Mia¡¯s response was to consume each one.


    She would triumph simply because of numbers.


    <em>For that, we¡¯ll require much more acreage. This is far from sufficient. I must look for folks who can assist me. Outcount Rudolvon without a doubt. The central nobility will very likely decline. Then, hmm. Can anyone else help me? Ah!</em>


    A memory from her summer vacation came to mind. She had made a brief halt there while en route home from Ganudos.


    ¡°Perhaps I can ask him for assistance. Outcount Gilden.¡±


    Her lips were pursed. In terms of location, Outcount Gilden¡¯s jurisdiction was on the northern edge of the empire, opposite that of Outcount Rudolvon. He might quickly consent to loaning her his farnd, in contrast to the central nobles.


    ¡°Hm? Is there a problem?¡± questioned Arshia. She frowned at Mia, who was muttering to herself.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I just had the thought that perhaps I knew someone who could assist us with our wheat issue. The territory of Outcount Gilden is in the north.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t want to wait, even though they could certainly create cold-resistant wheat if they spent a few years doing experiments on the academy¡¯s farms. Their stash would diminish with each unsessful year, as would her mental stability.


    <em>Even though Ludwig said we should be alright, still¡­</em>


    In general, Mia trusted what Ludwig told her, but the idea of a continuously dwindling food supply made her think of the guillotine. If she had to be reminded of that on a daily basis¡­


    I don¡¯t have to be a prophet to know that I don¡¯t want to be in that kind of circumstance. This stress is way too much!


    Cold-resistant wheat was what she needed. Yes, to feed the empire, but also to keep her from going insane. She needed to acquire morend in order to carry out bigger experiments, so she did.


    <em>Having said that, I have no idea how the trials are actually carried out, therefore I ought to send them there personally so they can see the terrain for themselves.</em>


    She nodded to herself and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s a ce with some good farnd.¡± having made up her mind. ¡°I would appreciate it if you could visit and look around.¡±


    That is how Arshia Tafrif Perujin and Cyril Rudolvon first saw a variety of farming practices that were strange to what they were used to in the southern heat and were developed by those who cultivated the hard northern terrain.

 Chapter 389

    Shout-out to Ixxilus


    Here is your bonus chapter, Enjoy~


    <strong>Sidestory: Why is that Flower?</strong>


    Author¡¯s Note: This time, it¡¯s a story that slightly deviates from the timeline within the work¡­ It¡¯s just a tiny glimpse into the future, so consider it as an extra episode. Since the timeline may be unclear due to the shifting of events, I thought I should mention it just in case¡­


    Young Cyril Rudolvon had a passion for gardening and nts.


    <em>Why is this flower red?</em>


    Why does this one be fuzzy when it spreads seeds?


    Why is this grass tall, and that one short?


    He enjoyed dwelling on such questions while quietly observing the surrounding grasses, trees, and flowers. He adored reading books and discovering new information about umon flora. There were many unusual and magnificent flora in the world. There were flowers that bloom only in the morning; flowers that only show up at night. Grass that could feed itself insects. Trees that tower over castles. The exotic floral beauties never ceased to pique his interest.


    His interest in nts changed over time from conceptual to practical. He used to be pleased to read about them, but now he was driven by a strong desire to develop them himself. To experience their distinctive qualities with his own senses.


    The most rare flora were out of his reach, but that didn¡¯t matter. He could locate marvels and miracles in his own backyard because they were everywhere. Even though they belonged to the same species, each individual blossom was different, and he enjoyed identifying each one. He soon found that his favorite activity was growing the flowers he loved in his own garden.


    He was expected to behave correctly as a noble because he was a nobleman¡¯s son. He needed to develop skills in leadership, horsemanship, and swordy. He was under a great deal of stress as a result of them. Fortunately, nobles enjoyed gardening just as much as everybody else. Additionally, the Rudolvon family had a long history of farming. Given these facts, he believed he could continue engaging in horticulture, at the very least as a pastime.


    He had no idea that his encounter with Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Great Wisdom of the Empire, would alter the course of his entire existence.


    <em>Rattle, rattle¡­ rattle, rattle.</em>


    As it moved along the road, the carriage swayed back and forth. The same ruralndscape stretched as far as the eye could see here at the empire¡¯s outskirts, with shoddy roads that frequently fell into disrepair.


    Cyril was traveling with Arshia toward the north, where they would eventually arrive at Outcount Gilden¡¯s territory. Wheat harvesting season had arrived in the empire at the start of the summer. A trickle of unsettling news that had started out little was now turning into a torrent of anxiety.


    ¡°How is the yield on the Rudolvonnds doing, Cyril?¡±


    Grimness was the reply to Arshia¡¯s query.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard bad things. Evidently worse than previous year.


    ¡°I see¡­ The same is true in Perujin. And the reason¡­¡±


    Arshia¡¯s eyes were squinted as she looked up towards the sky.


    ¡°¡­is very likely up there. The blessings from the sun wasn¡¯t as abundant.¡±


    ¡°The sun.¡± Cyril followed her look skyward, where, as usual, a dazzling sphere of light hung, dripping an endless stream of light into the ground. It didn¡¯t feel any cooler with its light. And yet¡­


    ¡°A cold-resistant wheat.¡±The sun had been sparing in bestowing its favor. That indicated that temperatures had been lower. Like the previous year, this one was looking cool. Crop yields would undoubtedly decline.


    ¡°Princess Mia anticipated this. That must be the reason she sent us here,¡± Arshia muttered, drawing Cyril¡¯s nod.


    Numerous courses were avable at Saint Mia Academy. Cyril had decided to be Arshia¡¯s apprentice while concentrating on botany. He had gained a considerable lot of knowledge about Perujin farming practices during the process, many of which were far superior to Tearmoon¡¯s methods. The process of ¡°selective breeding,¡± which allowed different aspects of a crop to be, well, selectively improved, was the result of years and years of assiduous research and development. He wouldn¡¯t soon forget his awe at the enormous diversity of wheat they had managed to create, each of which was suitable for a different use. But nevertheless¡­


    ¡°None of them worked.¡± Arshia bemoaned the fact that Perujincked any wheat varieties that could thrive in the cold temperatures.


    She had tested various strains in the fields near the academy, but the oues weren¡¯t particrly promising. The grown wheat was weak and readily bent by the wind. The ears were empty and emaciated; hollow kernels aremon. These were well-known effects of not having the sun¡¯s blessing. They were getting worse than they werest year. The fields around the academy appeared from a distance to be just another year¡¯s agriculture, with endless rows of stalks. However, the astute eye recognized them as empty husks¡ªwithering remnants of wheat that had died but had not yet fallen. It was actually quite morbid.


    Cyril attempted to uplift Arshia by saying, ¡°But that¡¯s to be expected, right? Who has ever heard of wheat that can grow in the cold, after all?¡±


    Mia¡¯s fascination with cold-resistant wheat was logical given the current weather patterns. It was even necessary. But necessity did not give rise to inevitable oues. He had been conducting research with Arshia the entire time, but he was still unsure of whether such a thing existed or even how to find it swiftly.


    No living thing could avoid dying. Fish cannot survive onnd. No person could survive without food. Perhaps no wheat could grow healthily without sufficient blessing of the sun, much like these immutable principles. Some things were merely universal constants that could not be changed by human volition.


    Cyril felt like he was walking in the dark despite his reassuring remarks. There was nothing to guide him¡ªno beacon, no sign. He had absolutely no sense of direction and was lost and roaming. What was his goal? Even so, was it reachable? Or will the looming doom and his increasing fear always be his entire reality?


    He muttered helplessly, ¡°Does cold-resistant wheat¡­really exist?¡±


    Arshia gave him a nce. She surprised him with aforting smile.


    ¡°Cyril, I understand that you feel lost, but I want you to keep in mind something. We have a challenging issue to address, but the most crucial thing is that we are aware of it. The issue itself will direct us.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Once the issue has been located, we may move on to devising a solution. We will hone our methods along the process. That¡¯s how the Perujin people improved their farming methods, and that¡¯s how we¡¯ll advance as well,¡± Arshia stated before her tone changed to one of reflection. ¡°I nearly gave up. I nearly gave up moving forward. But once I met Princess Mia, I was brought back to a long-forgotten dream. My ideal world is one in which nobody goes hungry. She gave me this duty to encourage me to move forward. I¡¯ll take the first step toward achieving my dream by finishing this. Because of this, I¡¯ll never give up. Never. That is my dream.¡±


    Cyril couldn¡¯t stop staring at Arshia as she exuded a hardened resolve that transfixed his attention. It had the firm conviction of a monk seeking the truth, or even the unwavering focus of a knight mounted forbat.


    ¡°Arshia-sama¡­¡±


    The road crested a rise just as he mouthed her name, revealing wide tracts of countryside on each side.


    ¡°Is that Outcount Gilden¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°Exactly as she stated, these fields are reallyrge. Let¡¯s go see them now.¡±


    Arshia halted the carriage and disembarked. Cyril hurried after her as she entered the fields.


    ¡°It looks like they are in the same situation. The crops are also sickly and undersized,¡± she sighed as her eyes shifted away. ¡°It must be as a result of the sun¡¯s blessing also being in little supply here.¡±


    Cyril also regarded the nts with rm. He casually touched a nearby ear of wheat and then frowned.


    ¡°Hm? The kernels¡­are developing normally. Why is that?¡±


    He heard his own voice in his head.


    <em>Why is one grass tall while the other is short?</em>


    His interest piqued. The wheat was so short, why? Why was it generating grains despite having a sickly appearance?


    ¡°Do shorter ones thrive better in the colder climates? No, hold on.¡±


    He kept staring at it with wide, unwavering eyes. Arshia walked over after noticing that he had entirely stopped moving.


    ¡°Cyril? What¡¯s the matter? Have you discovered anything on that wheat stalk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that this is the same wheat that we cultivate in Tearmoon, Arshia-sama. It belongs to another species.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The wheat in this area appeared identical at first nce, albeit unhealthy. The differences in appearance were hardly noticeable. These crooked specimens of wheat would have been written off as a bad croppared to the other wheats grown well throughout the empire. However, there were variations, and thanks to his years of regr observation, Cyril¡¯s eyes did not fail to detect them. Neither did they resemble any of the Perujin strains nor were they the same variety of wheat that the Rudolvons had nted. He knew it for a fact.


    ¡°Could this wheat variety be the one Her Highness was hoping we would find? Is that the reason she sent us to this frigid location?¡±


    Flowers because being red was helpful in their habitat.


    Because they benefited more from the sun¡¯s light, trees were tall.


    The fact that this wheat flourished in frigid climates made it resistant to the cold.


    The physical characteristics of living organisms were adapted to the environment in which they developed. On that basis¡­


    ¡°I-It¡¯s so obvious¡­ I¡¯m shocked that I didn¡¯t consider it earlier. We need to look for wheat that is already flourishing in cold climates if we want it to be cold-resistant.¡±


    Thend and climate of Perujin and the Rudolvon area were both ideal for agriculture. Naturally, they were unaware of wheats that could withstand chilly conditions and shoot roots deep into cool soil. They never had to think about such things.


    Cyril came to this conclusion while trembling subtly. He might in fact be useful to Mia. The useless information he had acquired from his excessive reading¡ªa mere curiosity-sating pastime that no one had ever found interesting, save for his sister¡ªwas somehow¡­helpful?


    He murmured in startlingprehension, ¡°So that¡¯s why Her Highness¡­ She believed it would be beneficial. She had assumed as much from the beginning. She sent me here for that reason. She was demonstrating for me how to utilize what I already knew.¡±


    He recalled the day sheplimented him after seeing one of the flowers he had grown. She had recognized his potential through that flower, and now she was giving him the chance to realize it.


    The road at his feet was illuminated by a ray of light that cut through the night. It moved ahead. There was only one thing left to do¡­ walk it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s obtain some samples of this wheat, Arshia-sama.¡± His eyes, like those of his Perujin guru, shone with the same hardened resolve as he said those words.

 Chapter 390

    <strong>Princess Mia Rxes</strong>


    Let¡¯s go back in time a bit.


    Mia dly headed for the bathhouse as soon as she arrived at Saint-Noel Academy after leaving Saint Mia Academy to relieve her travel fatigue. In case anyone was curious, Anne had also made a beeline, but she went to several acquaintances in the academy to quickly let them know that Mia had returned. Mia was a passionate fan of girl-chat powered by a hot bath, so her maid¡¯s absence left her feeling more than a little let down.


    She continued as Bel followed her into the bathroom, ¡°By the way, Bel, you were getting along with the kids back there, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was! They were so adorable.¡±


    Bel was ecstatic to have been given the opportunity to assume the position of big sister. Mia smiled at her when she saw her grinning.


    ¡°However, simply visiting the location was the most incredible thing. After all, it¡¯s the legendary Saint Mia Academy! I never imagined that I would get to walk on it. What a memorable event that was.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, I¡¯m delighted you enjoyed it so much. At least they were performing quality work there.¡±


    If all they had to show for was thatrge, expensive building and that wooden sculpture, she might have immediately lost it when she arrived.


    ¡°But the experiments didn¡¯t seem to be very promising,¡± she added. ¡°Arshia and Cyril are undoubtedly making an effort, but at this pace, it¡¯s unclear when we will actually obtain a few kernels of the wheat in question.¡±


    Mia clenched her lips in reflection.


    ¡°It would seem that I should maintain excellent rtions with both Perujin and Chloe¡¯s father.¡±


    It could be argued that Ganudos Port Country was important as well, but they ought to continue cooperating as long as the empire was running smoothly. Probably.


    ¡°Hm. It might be a good idea to pay Chloe and Rania a cordial visit.¡±


    She muttered as she stepped into the changing room, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to do some catching up with the two of them.¡±


    ¡°My! What a fortunate moment.¡± When she caught sight of the person she had been envisioning, her eyes glistened. ¡°Rania, it¡¯s been awhile.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Princess Mia, oh my! It certainly has,¡± a happily surprised Rania replied.


    Mia questioned, ¡°Are you here for a bath too?¡±


    Rania chuckled. ¡°I am, but it is not that important right now. I reserved the use of the public baths because I wanted to try amon type of bathing in Perujin.¡±


    ¡°Now, did you? Fascinating!¡±


    Mia was, to put it simply, a bath freak. She enjoyed long soaks almost as much as she enjoyed eating and sleeping. She believed that the trio made up the perfect ¡®pleasure trifecta.¡¯ Therefore, she was going to give any suggestion for enhancing her bathing experience her full and undivided attention. It was a fundamental aspect of her existence.


    ¡°Chloe gave me some bath herbs a while back, and when I used them, they produced a lot of smoke. Is Perujin¡¯s of the same caliber?¡±


    ¡°Smoke isn¡¯t a part of the experience. Why don¡¯t you actually take a look for yourself?¡±


    She swiftly undid her clothes and entered the bath area as Rania motioned for her to do so. As soon as she did, something else along with the warm, musky aroma of the vapors entered her nostrils.


    ¡°Do I smell some sort of fruit, my?¡± As she looked through the cloud of steam, she slowly saw the bath.


    ¡°Is that what you think it is¡­?¡± She blinked. ¡°It is! There are floating fruits in there!¡±


    Several yellow fruits with an oval form floated up and down in the water. Although she had seen a fair number of fruits in the forest, Mia had never seen anything like these despite her significant experience in jungle survival. She used to have fantasies about living off the forest¡¯s wild fruit. Her past experience had served as a sobering reality check.


    Now she knew, and have realized how difficult it was to find a single edible fruit in a jungle. She had concentrated her learning on edible nts, mushrooms, and a little bit of fish as a result. She had be ustomed to the staple meals of the woond survival scenario by this point. She was arguably a modest expert aspared to the average nobility. However, she hadn¡¯t used the same strict methodology of meticulous memorizing as her other subjects because, at the end of the day, it was still more of a hobby than anything more.


    Mia enquired, ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°They are referred to as southstar lemons. They are extremely sour and are grown further south of Perujin.¡±


    Following her inside, Rania picked up one of the floating fruits and extended it to her.


    ¡°Notice how it smells bying here.¡± As directed, Mia gave it a sniff.


    ¡°I see. It smells really strongly.¡±


    ¡°Southstar lemons are frequently used as spice in food, but if you put them in a bath like this, it¡¯s thought they help cure weariness.¡±


    ¡°My! What then are we holding out for? Let¡¯s try them out.¡±


    Mia hurried over to the shower room and scrubbed herself clean. Her moves were rehearsed and effective, defying the stereotype of pampered princesses who were bathed by their servants and instead, she was giving off the vibe of a seasoned bather. She cleaned up quickly and was prepared to soak. So she did, lowering herself into the warm embrace of the pool¡¯s water and initiating the immersion with that guttural ooof shared by grandparents everywhere who enjoy taking baths. She might have been getting a little too experienced in the bathroom.


    Every pore in her body radiated heat. Her muscles rxed from the tension. She had the impression that all of her previous exhaustion was leaking out of her. It would be wise to keep in mind that, despite the fact that she may have appeared to be a youngster, she was actually older than twenty. She had to cope with adult issues like stiff necks and hurting backs as a working adult, but wait, twenty-year-olds don¡¯t get those kinds of difficulties. She was yet in some of her most innocent years.


    She was just out of shape, which meant there was really only one other possible exnation.


    In any event, she was charmed with the soothing effect.


    ¡°What a wonder these fruits are!¡±


    A beaming Bel who was soaking next to her gushed, ¡°It feels so nice, Mia-neesama!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it does. Fruits floating in a bath was a concept I had never heard of. Fascinating.¡±


    A southstar lemon that had drifted close by and Mia picked it up. The ovoid fruit caught her smiling.


    ¡°I must admit, Rania, I find it surprising that Perujin royalty enjoys bathing as well. I had no idea you were conducting this kind of study.¡±


    Thest person to enter, Rania, shook her head.


    ¡°No, bathing is not a practice that is especiallymon among Perujin royalty. We simply clean ourselves before calling it a day.¡±


    She grinned.


    ¡°This is more of an export item. We¡¯re continuously looking into new crops and ways to market them so that our nation can be wealthier. It is the Perujin method.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but notice a hint of sadness in that smile for some reason.

 Chapter 391

    <strong>Princess Mia Entertains</strong>


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Mia stretched in the pool. She had taken a swim in the chilly water after rxing in the pool before diving back in. She was able topletely appreciate the pleasure of submersion in warm water once more when the cold restored her body¡¯s senses. She was using the idea of pte cleansing like a seasoned wine taster. Mia is a bath sommelier!


    ¡°This¡­is really a bliss! Very good. Right now, I¡¯m making the call. This is undoubtedly going to catch on.¡±


    Mia the bath sommelier came to this conclusion in her assessment of the lemon bath.


    ¡°It certainly is, Mia-neesama.¡±


    Bel, who had just followed Mia¡¯s lead and had a dip in the refreshing water, added, ¡°I hope we can do this again and have Rina join us next time.¡±


    She dove into the water and kicked at it amusingly. Mia¡¯s love of baths has been passed down gically through two generations, judging by the absolute delight on her face.


    ¡°Next time, we can invite Rina, but behave yourself, Bel. One must behave properly anddylikel while bathing,¡± said Mia.


    She must have considered guttural ooofs eptable in her concept of dylike.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Grand¡ªMia-neesama, I¡¯ll work hard to be a properdy like you.¡±


    Nobody was present to tsukkomi¡­ It was truly peaceful, and sad.


    However, it did result in lots of sweet smiles, which was great.


    ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Mia became aware that something was awry at that point. There wasn¡¯t just the two of them. They were joined by a third person, who had been silent for some time.


    <em>Rania seems to be feeling a little gloomy, or is it just me?</em>


    Only her thin legs were in the water as the Perujin princess sat on the pool¡¯s edge. Even though she periodically kicked up a few sshes, her eyes were downcast. She seemed to be doing it idly instead of enjoying herself.


    It¡¯s true that taking a hot bath has a danger of over-soaking, which can cause lightheadedness. Mia was ready to let it go lightly when an alert went off in her thoughts.


    <em>No, wait a moment. She has an unsettling air about her.</em>


    She couldn¡¯t ce it, yet it was the haziest of feelings. But this was the Rania Tafrif Perujin she so sorely needed to help her get through the hunger. Any crack in their bond, however small, may be disastrous. Her chicken sensor had started to go off since it was programmed to squawk at even the tiniest sign of danger. She began to speak so as not to ignore the bird¡¯s warning.


    ¡°Rania?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m pleased you¡¯re enjoying the lemon bath,¡± she responded startledly, masking her expression. ¡°It¡¯s not only the bath, either. I also have new treats. I¡¯d love for you to visit and try them whenever you have time. You¡¯ll definitely enjoy them, I believe.¡±


    ¡°My! new Perujin confections Consider me in.¡±


    She started to think of a lot of fancy foods. She thought of unusual Perujin cakes, creative biscuits, and a long row of silhouettes with question signs, signifying even more fantastic foods that exceeded her imagination. She brushed a thread of saliva from her lips¡¯ corner.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident about the lineup this time,¡± Rania continued. She then said in a cautios manner, ¡°By the way¡­is my sister doing well?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Do you mean Arshia? She is doing well, no doubt. Before returning to Saint-Noel, I met with her and she looked fantastic. She has finished preparing the fields and has begun experimenting by sowing various wheat varieties. Oh, she¡¯s also rather well-liked by the kids. They truly admire her,¡± Mia said.


    Then inspiration arrived.


    <em>Aha! I know the issue now. Oh, Rania, I think I understand youpletely. You¡¯re feeling lonely now that your sister has moved to Tearmoon! You appeared a little dejected because of this.</em>


    Mia gave her a sympathetic nce after supposedly solving the Case of the Sad Rania. Sheughed softly, ¡°The two of you are really close, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Rania answered, despite her ufortable smile masking her words, ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not true. She¡¯s simply my big sister, that¡¯s all. And I¡¯m pleased that she¡¯s fine. I have no concerns whatsoever about her, but asionally¡­I just want to know how she is faring in Tearmoon on her own. Assuming she is caring for herself. She writes to me, after all, but¡­¡±


    <em>An understandable sentiment, mm-hmm.</em>


    ¡°Would you have any free time after this, Rania?¡± Mia asked while crossing her.


    ¡°Huh? I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Good. thene to my room. Let¡¯s have a good, lengthy conversation over tea as I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about some things.¡±


    Mia could have told Rania about her sister in there, which would have been simpler. But Rania was a VIP, so she reasoned that it couldn¡¯t harm to make an extra effort. As a result, Mia decided to act as the nice host. The idea was to provide Rania with an abundance of tea and treats before slowly exining Arshia¡¯s situation to give her time to feel the euphoric effects of the food and drink. Tearmoon and Perujin¡¯s rtionships would undoubtedly improve if she changed her opinion on Mia.


    In fact, Mia¡¯s cordial offer was wholly political.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had Perujin treats in such a long time! I definitely want to try some. Moons, I can hardly wait.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s a little political. At least a quarter of it. For the rest, it was because of her sweet tooth speaking.


    Rania blinked her yes. Then her tone then became more cheerful.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go get the sweets now.¡±

 Chapter 392

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Life Consultation</strong>


    Rania finished her bath and immediately went to get the sweets. She then proceeded to Mia¡¯s room. She brought some sunblessed treats, a Perujin specialty prepared with sun-dried fruits from her area. She delivered these sweets with her father¡¯s express instructions to ¡°go and advertise these in Saint-Noel.¡±


    Her father¡¯s advice kepting back to her. ¡°It¡¯s all for the good of our nation.¡± Her entire life had been hammered with his lessons. They produced crops, traded them for money with stronger countries, and helped their country grow. Rania had a duty as a princess to devote her life to following that Perujin route to prosperity. Year after year, generation after generation, they would carry on in this manner¡­until the day they could get back those greater powers. She had always carried out her mission, ever since she could remember.


    <em>Did Princess Mia saw right through me?</em>


    She kept thinking about Mia¡¯s expression when she had been in the bathhouse. Her stare had have a piercing quality. She had something gently corrective in her eyes. Her grin had appeared to be all-knowing. Then she invited Rania to tea.


    ¡°She noticed. Definitely¡­ that I have been feeling down from the start.¡±


    Rania inhaled deeply as she knocked on Mia¡¯s door.


    ¡°Rania, that¡¯s good timing. Just now I prepared the tea. Should we start?¡±


    Mia remarked while grinning warmly and subtly. Her look suggested that she was intentionally trying to uplift a friend who was feeling down.


    ¡°Are those the brand-new Perujin sweets? Please show me now.¡±


    Her sparkling voice was filled with unbridled joy. She seemed really excited to try the desserts from the way she said it.


    ¡°We refer to them as sunblessed treats.¡± Rania held up a tter and said, ¡°Here, take a look. They are prepared from fruits, but since the fruits in this instance have been dried, theyst a long time. Additionally, it makes them considerably tastier and less tart.¡±


    ¡°Hm, hm. I get it now.¡±


    Mia narrowed her eyes as she looked at the food on the dish. ¡°They resemble withered fruits, sort of. To be honest, they don¡¯t seem too appetizing.¡±


    ¡°Try one.¡±


    Mia took the knife and fork, cut off a piece, and brings it to her mouth.


    Her expression burst into full joy as soon as the piece made contact with her tongue.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ It¡¯s so sweet! Additionally, it has a gumminess that enhances the vor.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, we made sure they were sweet, but we also worked hard to retain the fruit¡¯s original vor. I believe that it¡¯s also important to appreciate the scent.¡±


    ¡°It is! Definitely! The vor is still present even if they are entirely dried out. How did you aplish that? Some type of undiscovered drying method?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s moreplicated than just leaving it in the sun. I¡¯ll make that clear. The procedure is somewhat challenging.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Mia looked at each of the sun-blessed delicacies in turn, clearly impressed, before giggling.


    ¡°Rania, I have to admit that you¡¯re quite the salesperson. Even just hearing your description made them seem more appetizing.¡±


    The praise worked, and Rania couldn¡¯t help butugh as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased that you like them.¡±


    After tasting two more treats, Mia finally leaned back and sipped her tea with satisfaction.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk about Arshia,¡± she continued after pausing for a moment. ¡°You are probably aware that she is a lecturer, but she also has another very essential job that I have given her.¡±


    ¡°What kind of work is it?¡±


    Rania had not actually heard from Arshia regarding the specifics of her position. The letters had stated that she had been directed by Mia to work on a specific project and that her days were very rewarding, but they had also stated that she was not permitted to discuss the project¡¯s specifics with anybody, not even family.


    Arshia was subject to a secrecy use, while Mia was undoubtedly exempt from it. After all, Mia was the one who initially issued the condition. Everything was fine as long as she was open to speaking. Rania looked at Mia with an interest she had never had before, excited to finally have the chance to learn more.


    ¡°I tasked Arshia with creating a new wheat variety that can withstand the cold.¡±


    ¡°Wheat that can resist the cold?¡± she asked perplexed. ¡°I suppose I do recall my father discussing how the weather this year is particrly concerning, but¡­cold-resistant wheat? Is that even a thing?¡±


    As a result of her upbringing as a Perujin princess, Rania has a profound grasp of the level of destruction that a year without sunlight can cause. The grains would be little and hollow without any indication of any kernels. In Perujin, it was epted wisdom that the only option if a year like that arrived was to simply throw one¡¯s hands in the air and give up.


    They were aware of the foundations of selective breeding. In search of strains that tasted better and produced more kernels, they actually treated them repeatedly. However, they had never looked into developing a breed that could tolerate the asional cold snap that would drastically reduce production. None of them had even considered conducting such research in their imaginations.


    ¡°It can exist,¡± stated Mia as she turned to face Rania. ¡°We¡¯ll make it happen. I promise it.¡±


    She spoke without the slightest hint of uncertainty. How was it possible for her to speak so passionately about something whose existence was still unproven?


    <em>Wow, Princess Mia truly has faith in Arshia.</em>


    Since it was based on Mia¡¯s unfailing faith in Rania¡¯s sister, it wasn¡¯t unfounded. Rania let out a soft awe-filled gasp. People would no longer go hungry thanks to the creation of a breed of wheat that could thrive with only a modest amount of sr assistance. That was not her sister¡¯s dream, was it? When they were younger, Arshia had talked about it regrly, if not constantly.


    ¡°Must be nice.¡± Before she realized it, the words had already left her mouth.


    ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± Mia asked with an arched brow.


    Rania caught herself and responded, ¡°Oh, sorry, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just that Arshia¡¯s out there doing fantastic things.¡± She said, grimacing.


    ¡°Items that are beneficial to everyone and handy¡­ And after seeing that, I start to doubt my life¡¯s purpose. I feel like I¡¯m squandering time more and more. Everything seems so pointless.¡±


    ¡°My, that assessment seems too critical. You¡¯re not just sitting around doing nothing, right? In fact, as we speak, you are assisting Perujin in exporting its delectable confections to another country. I feel like I need to purchase a few boxes every time based on the way you exin your products. That seems like a perfectly worthwhile endeavor, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Rania¡¯s mood was not improved by Mia¡¯s praise. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care about using trade to improve the lives of Perujin citizens. No, that was definitely worthwhile. But the way her father operated¡­ His disposition¡­ It had started to annoy hertely. She couldn¡¯t help but pick up on the hints that only Perujin¡¯s prosperity counted and that of every other country was unimportant. There was something vengeful about it, more ego thanpassion, as if retaliating against more powerful people was the real goal and affluence was only a means to that end. She had started to believe that everything she did was just helping to further this dubious objective. And now, in contrast to her sister¡¯s initiatives to stop starving underprivileged youngsters¡­ Everything was too much. She felt so¡­


    <em>¡­small and hollow. This is it? Am I destined to spend the rest of my life working in such a senseless job?</em>


    For the first time, Rania was doubting her own way of life. She wondered how much simpler it would have been if Mia had followed the expectations of a girl in her position. If only she had been self-centered, conceited, and all-around dreadful like strong princesses were expected to be. Then, Rania could easily retaliate against her. She considered Arshia and pondered how much easier life would have been if she had obediently followed their father¡¯s instructions and wed herself to some foreign monarch for the benefit of their nation. If only she hadmitted her entire life to Perujin¡¯s sess¡­


    However, neither of them met these preconceived notions, and their dignity only served to emphasize the triviality of Rania¡¯s own troubles. She had to reflect on herself as a result. Was her sole goal to deliver national retribution? Was her sole motivation to retaliate against Mia and the Tearmoon Empire? Would she ever be able to look her sister in the eye again if that happened?


    Mia gave a thoughtful ¡°hmm¡± in response to Rania¡¯s uncertain tone and then remarked, ¡°I see you¡¯re not convinced. If so, then¡­ Oh, I just had a thought! Why don¡¯t you tell other countries about Arshia¡¯s wheat development? You handle the marketing, she conducts the research.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rania¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the startling advice.


    ¡°You do acknowledge the worth of her work, after all,¡± Mia said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you support her by telling your friends and neighbors about it? You clearly have a talent for pepping people¡¯s interest in stuff.¡±


    She appeared to be immensely satisfied by the brilliance of her own inspiration as she pped her hands together.


    ¡°If I do say so myself, this is a really great idea.¡±


    ¡°You want me to assist Arshia, right?¡± Rania mumbled as she thought about the possibilities.


    <em>She was aware then. She saw right through me. She already understood what was bothering me, and she¡¯s now providing me with a resolution.</em>


    Rania reasoned that this must be the reason Mia had been so adamant about trying the brand-new Perujin sweets at this tea party. Mia mightpliment her eloquence by listening to her talk about the sweets and use the situation to make a proposal to her. All of it was a setup, but it was a sessful one because it created a persuasive chain of reasoning that showed she had what it took to truly assist her sister.


    <em>Perhaps I¡¯m overanalyzing this, and she didn¡¯t mean to say it that way at all. However, even so¡­</em>


    She had the impression that she had discovered a way forward¡ªno, <em>the</em> way forward¡ªthat would enable her to follow her heart and feel good about herself in the process. She would be able to do the work and look forward to doing it. Instead of feeling ashamed, she could present her sister¡¯s work with joy.


    Rania started to consider her life seriously for the first time.


    Rania was undoubtedly overanalyzing the situation, but it scarcely seemed important to note. Mia and introspection did not mix well.


    Even if Arshia and Cyril are sessful in creating a new strain of wheat, There was the issue of where to nt it.


    Mia wanted to make wheat less expensive. She needed to expand the total amount in cirction to do that. She would have to nt a lot of them, assuming they were able to create wheat that could withstand the cold. The Rudolvon and Gildennds by themselves probably wouldn¡¯t be enough. It didn¡¯t seem like enough to include even all the fields surrounding Saint Mia Academy. The new wheat would ideally be grown throughout the empire. However, doing so would require convincing numerous Tearmoon aristocrats, and Mia, quite frankly, couldn¡¯t be bothered to cope with their heads¡¯ extreme density. She would eventually have to deal with the problem of raising domestic output, but given the choice, she would prefer to do soter. Giving seeds to nearby countries like Perujin and asking them to grow the things was much simpler at this time.


    ¡°You want me to assist Arshia, right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. The task will likely be highly meaningful to you, in my opinion. Don¡¯t you think so, too?¡± she asked with the biggest smile.


    Her objective was to disperse the new wheat over the continent. In this manner, the cost of importing wheat into the empire would unavoidably decrease. She was essentially borrowingnd from other countries to drive down the cost of wheat in her own.


    <em>I¡¯ll save so much time and work if I can get Rania to join me!</em> Mia smiled. She was experiencing sess and was eating treats. Life was good.

 Chapter 393

    <strong>Oh? Actually, at that time¡­?</strong>


    ¡°What? Greeting the freshmen?¡±


    Spring was rapidlying at Saint-Noel Academy. Mia was in attendance of a student council meeting on this day of warm sunshine and sweetmoon cherry blossoms. The typical crowd was present in the workce. The entry ceremony was the subject that was currently on their minds after they had talked about a number of other things.


    Mia questioned, ¡°But¡­aren¡¯t you the one who usually wees the new students?¡±


    Rafina answered with a kind smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be speaking at the ceremony too, of course, but I think our new students would appreciate a few words from the student council president as well.¡±


    ¡°So, it falls under the purview of the president¡¯s duties. Hm¡­ What ought I to say?¡±


    Rafina made a brief giggling noise.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t stress yourself out too much. Just be honest and express your thoughts.¡±


    Her remark initially appearedforting, but Mia knew otherwise.


    <em>I can¡¯t ept this kind of suggestion at face value, for sure.</em>


    She wasn¡¯t that stupid; she knew she couldn¡¯t just blurt out whatever came to her. Rafina had given her the presidency of the student council voluntarily. There were expectations to meet. There were expectations that would be grievously disappointed if she stood at the stage and discussed her favorite desserts.


    Rafina added, ¡°There¡¯s no rush, so give it some time. Later, I¡¯ll provide you the draft of my speech from the previous year so you can review it as well.¡±


    ¡°All right, then.¡± Mia waspelled to nod. Rafina had made a direct request, and she couldn¡¯t afford to refuse it.


    <em>I guess. It¡¯s not too bad, I suppose. It¡¯s not like I have to risk my neck for this, she reasoned to herself as she tried to feel better. No, most likely not.</em>


    Rafina called out, ¡°All right, everyone,¡± while pping her hands. ¡°Although we had a great time talking, I think it¡¯s time to get to work.¡±


    Her face became grave. ¡°Serious matter. Although I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been on everyone¡¯s mind, Ms. Barbara, I was able to get some information from that Serpent.¡±


    <em>I see, Barbara. Didn¡¯t I send her to Miss Rafina? I totally forgot about it.</em>


    ¡°Yes, I have undoubtedly been curious. So? What did you learn?¡± questioned Abel.


    Sion remained silent but leaned forward while steepling his hands. Both princes, in contrast to Mia, appeared to have been anticipating this time. She started exining the background of the impending topic to the members who weren¡¯t present, taking particr care to usenguage that suggested she had been considering the matter as well. She did this out of fear that herck of attention would be discovered.


    ¡°So I requested that they be given to Rafina-sama once we apprehended Barbara and herckeys,¡± she said in her conclusion. For good measure, she continued, ¡°They¡¯ve definitely been on my mind ever since.¡± She then drank some tea and let out the satisfied sigh of someone who has just sessfully concealed a huge error.


    Rafina immediately continued the narrative. ¡°As soon as I got back from Miss Mia¡¯s birthday festival, I started the interogation. Oh, I say ¡®interrogation,¡¯ but of course I did nothing violent.¡±


    Looking at Mia, she added, ¡°I personally believe they should be punished for the awful injustice they caused you, but I figured you¡¯d be angry if I was too harsh with them. I treated them simrly to how I treated Jem.¡±


    Mia saw the expression was a little unsettling and immediately grinned back to cover her apprehension.


    Rafina added, turning her attention to the other people in the room, ¡°That did get them to talk, but very little of what they had to say was fresh knowledge. They discussed how a person they refer to as a high priestess leads the Chaos Serpents and that shamans disseminate the Serpents¡¯ teachings. Oh, and the wolfmaster was referenced as well.¡±


    Mia uttered ¡°The wolfmaster¡± once again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rafina agreed, ¡°the assassin known as the wolfmaster is a superb fighter and appears to ept orders straight from the high priestess.¡±


    ¡°A superb warrior? I-I-I was targeted by someone like that? Sweet moons¡­¡±


    Her frantic horseback dash over the cold ins came rushing back in her mind. As she recalled the swooshes of air she had felt as the assassin¡¯s de had missed her by what seemed to be a hair, the skin on the back of her neck tingled. Her spine tingled as a result.


    <em>It¡¯s a miracle¡­ that my head is still on my shoulders. Is that right¡ªit¡¯s still resting on my shoulders? I¡¯m not dead, but I don¡¯t know it, so this isn¡¯t some type of nightmare situation, is it? Aren¡¯t you all speaking to me? That proves my existence, right?</em> In a fit of irrational panic, she feared that if she nced up at anything reflective, she would see nothing but empty space above her neck.


    Rafina continued to exin while Mia preupied herself with such ridiculous thoughts.


    She remarked, turning to face Mia, ¡°By the way, I read the letter you sent me, and its contents helped me put together a working theory of sorts. Could you please tell us about the various types of Chaos Serpents, Miss Mia?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re referring to what Duke Yellowmoon was discussing?¡± She responded, feeling incredibly d to be spoken to because it proved she wasn¡¯t actually dead.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure he said the Chaos Serpents can be grouped into four types of people,¡± she remarked. ¡°There are individuals who interact with the Serpents inactively, those who actively work with the Serpents in an effort to employ them for their own ends, those who resonate with the Serpents¡¯ teachings and turn into adherents, and shamans who teach and guide those adherents. That¡¯s how it went, I believe.¡±


    Recalling the four cookies the duke had set out on the table, Mia connected the words with cookies since she found it difficult to recall only the words. It was Mia¡¯s memorization technique.


    ¡°Yes, you did write that in the letter. That ssification leads me to believe the men we apprehended are adherents.¡±


    Mia pursed her lips as she thought of Barbara¡¯sckeys¡¯ appearances.


    ¡°I believe you are correct. Those people undoubtedly exude a cult-like, malevolent vibe. They appear to be the kind who would sacrifice their lives for a diabolical philosophy.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I think those who react unfavorably to the Holy Book are the adherents and shamans.¡±


    Sion remarked, ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± and he nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve always found it odd that they didn¡¯t all respond the same way to the Holy Book. That would exin it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Whether they ept the Serpents¡¯ teachings as gospel will depend on it. Or, if they consider the serpents to be divine or only useful tools. The Holy Book would be the teachings of their deadliest enemy for those who revere the Serpents. They must find it repulsive. They fundamentally reject something that is totally intolerable. They reacted so strongly to it because of that.¡± Rafina stopped. Her voice took on a hesitant quality. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why do you say that?¡± Mia tilted her head in a perplexed manner and inquired, ¡°Did something change your mind?¡±


    ¡°It is Ms. Barbara. She somehow seemed different. She didn¡¯t just reject me, that¡¯s what I felt from her. There was undoubtedly some of that, but hate predominated much more. A deep-seated hatred of us¡ªnobles, royalty, everyone¡ªnot just the Lord but also me and everyone who is simr to me.¡±


    ¡°A deep-seated hatred?¡± Mia recalled the asions when she had seen Barbara. ¡°Now that you bring it up, I do recall Bel mentioning Rina was treated fairly harshly. For some reason, she also appeared to detest Duke Yellowmoon a great deal.¡±


    ¡°One exnation for her actions is that she sincerely adheres to the Serpents¡¯ beliefs and, as a result, despises the authority of nobles and the society order it supports. That makes perfect logic, but I think there¡¯s something more.¡±


    After Rafina¡¯s thought, there was a moment of silence that was finally broken by Abel¡¯s faint murmur. ¡°We don¡¯t really know anything about these people. I¡¯m genuinely curious in this high priestess of the serpents.¡±


    For some reason, Abel¡¯s remark lingered in Mia¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 394

    <strong>Those Who Knew, Knew</strong>


    <em>Phew. . . What a meeting! It looks like things are going to get hard.</em>


    Mia also didn¡¯t expect to be given a homework, and as she left the student council office, she sighed at the thought.


    Rafina, who was also going back to the girls¡¯ dorm, walked next to Mia with her normal polite smile on her face.


    ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± Rafina said in a soothing voice. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but for me it¡¯s a big deal. I¡¯m not very good at this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Just be honest. Go tell the students how you feel, and I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡±


    Mia liked Rafina¡¯s words of support, but she didn¡¯t think they would work. Just as she was about to tell her she was wrong, she had a thought that made herugh instead.


    <em>To worry about something like this¡­ At this time¡­ While Miss Rafina was encouraging me¡­ It¡¯s a blessing, though, isn¡¯t it? I really should be thankful.</em>


    Mia¡¯s attitude was getting better now that she was back at Saint-Noel Academy.


    <em>After all, Ludwig said we¡¯ll be fine no matter what. As nned, we¡¯ve stocked up on more food. I guess I¡¯ll just have to stop worrying at some point. The only thing that worried me was whether or not Cyril would figure out how to grow wheat that could handle the cold. But even if that doesn¡¯t happen, things will probably still work out, right?</em>


    They set up routes for food and supplies and filled up storehouses. The reserves were getting bigger, and growth was steady. Since she had been through famine before, she thought she knew how bad things would get and how much nning was needed.


    They were surely ready now. She fell into the trap of experience, forgetting that circumstances could change and make her past information useless. The result of herck of care would happen quickly and suddenly, right in front of her as she and Rafina walked down a hallway.


    ¡°My, what are they doing over there?¡±


    A group of older students was encircling a girl who looked like a new student. This made them stop talking. One of the older students pushed the girl on the shoulder, which made her lose her bnce and fall to the ground. She stayed face down on her hands and knees as the circle of attackers started to insult her. Mia looked at the bullies quickly and sighed.


    <em>These young nobles, who were acting crazy in front of Rafina, had to be out of their minds. At least none of them were from the empire.</em>


    Then, with a spring in her step, she went up to the group of people who were bullying the girl.


    ¡°Pardon me, but could you please stop picking on the weak? It¡¯s not a very nice thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Who are you? Oh¡­.¡±


    One of the bullies turned around with an aggressive answer, but then choked it back down in the middle of what she was saying.


    They couldn¡¯t afford offending the person talking.


    ¡°P-Princess Mia. . . and Rafina-sama? !¡±


    ¡°It seems like we have a problem in our hands. It¡¯s not okay for students at this academy to pick on new students,¡± said Mia.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. She¡¯s one of ours. Amoner from our kingdom. We thought it must have been a mistake for her to go to Saint-Noel Academy, which has such a noble name.¡±


    Rafina quietly walked up to the student who was making excuses and said with the softest smile, ¡°Mia, the head of our student council, doesn¡¯t like this kind of behavior at all. As do I. No matter what country you are from, it is never okay for a big group to pick on one person. Is that right, Miss Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course it is.¡±


    Rafina¡¯s fearsome presence scared not only her victims, but also Mia, who flinched just a little bit before regaining herposure. ¡°Your parents and ce of origin don¡¯t matter,¡± Mia said as she crossed her arms and nodded. ¡°This kind of unfairness is not okay, and I won¡¯t let it go unanswered.¡±


    She gave the bullies her most threatening look, which didn¡¯t have as much of an effect as Rafina¡¯s but still made them back away in fear. Mia was currently the most powerful person in Saint-Noel, so it made sense that they were scared. She was the princess of a powerful empire, and the Holy Lady supported her, so she was at the top of the list of people you shouldn¡¯t cross if you want to stay in this school.


    ¡°Fortunately for you,¡± Mia said, ¡°I believe in second chances. As long as you change, I won¡¯t bother you about this any more. Do not harass her again ever. If you im to be a noble, you should act like one. Be respectful and noble in how you act. Get away from bad things like bullying the weak. You should use your power to help the weak, if anything.¡±


    Then, after a <em>hmm</em>, she said, ¡°You said you were all from the same kingdom as her, right? In that case, I¡¯ll put you in charge of her safety.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°From now on, if I hear that she is being bullied again, I will make you all answer for it, even if you had nothing to do with it. And a warning, in case you ever want to do something behind my back: don¡¯t underestimate how good my eyes and ears are.¡±


    Then, in a moment of mischief, she decided to copy Rafina¡¯s smile. The end was a great sess. With a terrified scream, the bullies ran away.


    <em>Hm, hm. I see. People can sometimes be scared by the way you smile. </em>


    She thought it was interesting as she reached out to help the girl on the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I think so. Um, thank you a lot. But, uh, why would you help someone like me?¡± began the girl, who was feeling awkward.


    Mia had augh. ¡°Why should I not? It just makes sense to do it.¡±


    After all, Rafina was there. It was never a choice not to help. She felt a chill at that moment. It took her a while to understand why. Slowly, another idea came to her as she thought about being forced to help. She thought that, with the famineing, she might be in a simr position again, but this time on a much bigger scale. In the past, she never had to think about this problem because the kingdom was too busy taking care of its own people.


    Now, things had changed. The empire had everything it needed. They had more than enough food to get through a year-long famine. But the hunger wouldst much longer than a year¡ªit wouldst for many years. No one else knew that except Mia. She was ready for a long drought, but it¡¯s likely that the other countries weren¡¯t. Most likely, they would think it was just a bad year. Then, how would they feel when they looked to the empire after their hopes were dashed and saw huge food stores that couldst for years in case of a famine?


    What¡¯s more important is how Rafina and Sion would feel. She had already told Sion, and she nned to tell Rafina as well. At the moment, though, everything she said was at best guesswork. What if there was a famine and they came to her for help? Asked her to save some of what seemed to be Tearmoon¡¯s many supplies? She¡¯d have to swat away their begging hands and say no to their sincere and desperate pleas for help, all because of something that was at best just foresight and at worst just a guess.


    Another thing she hadn¡¯t thought about was the fact that her group of friends was getting bigger. As president of the student council, she had met all kinds of people from all over the continent. As part of her job, she had gotten to know a number of them very well, to the point where she was friends with many of them. What if one of these friends came to her for help, and she had the means to help them?


    <em>If another country ends up in the same situation as my empire in a past life, could I keep our stockpile and just let them suffer?</em>


    Mia¡¯s worry was a real and important problem, which may have surprised some people. She was now in a whole new kind of trouble because she had nned for a famine that wouldst for years. She was ready to sit back and rx because she thought it was time to cruise. This sad realization caught her by surprise. So, Mia unwillingly waved goodbye to her mental hammock and put her brain back into work mode. The next thing she had to do was meet the new students at the opening ceremony.

 Chapter 395

    <strong>The Bread-Cake Deration</strong>


    Atst, the day of the entrance ceremony hade. The entrance ceremony was like all other Saint-Noel Academy events in that it was both a school event and a ritual. Mia walked into the church, which was full of students, sat in the first row, and closed her eyes. The ritual started after a while. First, a song of praise to the Lord was sung. The next step was the Rite of Incense, which was a very important part of bringing new students into the school. It had to do with the students putting on blessed aromatic oils and, while inhaling their divine scent,mitting to act in a way that met the standards of Saint-Noel Academy.


    Rafina finally walked into the church, dressed in all white. Its high-quality fabric was beautifully shown off by the lighting in the church, which also brought out the few spots of shiny skin that were showing. Mia had mixed feelings about how she looked like an angel because it reminded her of a sculpture she had seen at Saint Mia Academy before.


    Rafina took the torch from the priest and walked to the front of the church, where a huge silver chalice was sitting on a table for ceremonies. Inside the bowl was the best-smelling oil, and she slowly brought the torch to it. Then there was a loud crack and a burst of fire. Soon, the church was filled with a sweet smell.


    <em>Huh. I don¡¯t really care, but I guess the premium fragrance oils should smell sweet. Makes sense.</em>


    As a young sweets fan with one foot in the door of the sugar cult, Mia thought that the quality of an aromatic oil and the sweetness of its fragrance were directly rted. At this rate, she might start to worry that Rafina might try her for treason one day. Anyway¡­


    ¡°Now then,¡± Rafina said when the rituals were done, ¡°Mia-sama, the president of the student council, would like to greet our new students.¡±


    Mia stood up and took a small breath when Rafina told her to. She stood at the front of the cathedral, and the smelly me behind her lit up like a halo. She looked out over the huge room and watched her audience. Take another, deeper breath. After she had taken in enough sweet gas, she spoke in a soft voice.


    ¡°Greetings, everyone. I¡¯m your student council president, Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    Surprisingly, her heartbeat was steady and her mind was calm. She had thought and thought about this moment, and she hade to a certain decision.


    Most likely, the kingdom won¡¯t be able to keep all of its supplies to itself.


    She had thought of a lot of possible reasons, but in the end, she just gave up. Even if she lied about how many supplies they had and managed to trick both Sion and Rafina, she didn¡¯t think she could keep the truth from the sneaky Serpents. Also¡­


    <em>It would leave a bad taste in my mouth.</em>


    She had been turned down a lot in the past, so she couldn¡¯t help but think about how the other person would feel if she turned down their request for help. If she did that, she would be sure to have a bad night¡¯s sleep and then feel sick all day.


    <em>Then I might as well assume right away that we¡¯ll be sharing our food with other countries.</em>


    That meant the n had to be changed.


    ¡°What I want to talk about today is the spirit of helping each other!¡±


    She was going to make it everyone else¡¯s problem instead of her own.


    ¡°In other words, helping each other out when we¡¯re in trouble. We who are in charge must take care of the people we are in charge of. When things are hard and our people need a lot of help, we must all work together to help them, no matter where we live or what borders we have.¡±


    Even if she had to give up some of her stash, that was fine. But by golly, she wasn¡¯t doing it by herself! The main point she was trying to make was, ¡®If a kingdom asks for help, the empire will help, but the rest of you should do what you can, too.¡¯ But her n didn¡¯t end there. Another goal was to make sure that she didn¡¯t end up with the short end of the stick in a pinch.


    ¡°It is very important for nations to be able to help each other and be helped in return.¡±


    She spoke with emotion and determination, but if you look past her words and focus on what she was trying to say, ites down to this: ¡®Sure, the empire will give you food during a famine, but if the empire gets into trouble in the future, you¡¯d better help us out.¡¯


    Mia¡¯s idea of what it meant to help each other in times of need was: ¡®I¡¯ll help you when you¡¯re in trouble, so help me when I¡¯m in trouble!¡¯


    When she realized she couldn¡¯t keep all of her hoards to herself, she chose to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be the only one to lose. If her cupboard had to go empty, so did everyone else¡¯s. The most important part of this process was making this official in front of Rafina and a room full of young nobles from many different nations. Past Mia had made a lot of mistakes because she didn¡¯t know any better. Present Mia was very clear and explicit, so no one else could do the same. fter what she had been through, she wasn¡¯t going to let anyone use ignorance as an excuse.


    ¡°That¡¯s the manner I want you to conduct yourselves. I hope very much that you will be the kind of people who¡­¡±


    She stopped for a moment and looked around the room.


    ¡°¡­if you see a starving man and has no bread today, you will give him the cake you¡¯ve been looking forward to eating tomorrow. We¡¯d all rather have all the cake for ourselves, but you can¡¯t let that want make you forget about the poor.¡±


    She did not tell them to take the cake they were looking forward to eating and give it all to the person who was hungry. Since the same rule applied to her, too, and she wanted cake, Mia didn¡¯t argue. She was only willing to settle as far as eating a little less and sharing what was left over. Not one more step. Also, if there was a strawberry on her piece of cake, you can bet that she would keep it. Strawberries were not up for discussion.


    Mia took a breath before going on.


    ¡°It is my belief that that a lot will happen on the continent in theing years. Several countries will probably face hard times. On the other hand, we all attend Saint-Noel. We have all inhaled this wonderful smell. And we all share the samend. May we all remember that even when we¡¯ve gone back to our own countries.¡±


    Then she closed her eyes and seemed to pray. She was, in fact, praying.


    <em>If anyone up there is listening, please¡­ Let Cyril and Arshia figure out how to make cold-resistant wheat. If they don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be enough food for everyone.</em>


    Mia¡¯s speech that day would go down in history as the ¡°Bread-Cake Deration.¡± The words she said were very extraordinary because they seemed like cheap beer but had aged like good wine. When they were first said, they were definitely clich¨¦d. Words that had lost their meaning and that everyone in the room knew and they had heard a million times before. ¡°Help each other when we¡¯re in trouble¡±? ¡°The spirit of helping each other¡±? Who would really believe such clich¨¦s? They were treated with the greatest respect, but behind every smile and bow was a snort or a snicker.


    But as time went on, those words started to shine. Time wore away their old, worn-out surface, showing a golden center.


    They shone because they were spoken by Mia Luna Tearmoon, who not only said them, but also lived by them. She was the first one to follow their rules, which set a strong standard for everyone who came after her.


    They glowed because the food help sent by the Tearmoon Empire saved a lot of lives. Mia didn¡¯t swat away the begging hands of those in need, just like she said she wouldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t leave anyone who was suffering alone, and she sent material help to every failing country. Then, other people started to do what she did.


    At first, it was the countries where her friends lived. And finally, their neighbors. Eventually, it became a huge force that spread across the whole continent. In the end, this huge stream of public sentiment became the basis for a certain system. Chloe Forkroad, a friend of Mia¡¯s, would go on to be the driving force behind the creation of what people in the future would call the ¡°Mi.¡± This was a hugework of interconnected channels that worked as a mutual food-aid system for many countries. It was often credited with ending starvation deaths on the continent. The Golden Rule, which was proimed in the Bread-Cake Deration and would be used by philosophers and educators of every era and ce afterward, was the basis of the Mi.


    ¡­ Mia had, in the end, just stood up and talked about cakes for her speech at the entrance ceremony, but no one had said anything bad about it.


    So, it all worked out well.

 Chapter 396

    <strong>The Merchant¡¯s Rule</strong>


    Southeast of the Tearmoon Empire, past a group of small countries,y a huge port. The Holy Principality of Belluga¡¯s harbor city of St. Baleine was an independent port city that was proud and quiet. When neighboring countries kept fighting over who had the right to use the harbor, the Belluga stepped in. They took over the surroundingnds and let traders from all the nearby ces use the harbor. Then, they got a number of businesses to form a group called a ¡°merchant¡¯s guild.¡± This group was in charge of maintaining and improving the facilities of both the harbor and the town. Belluga had made the town its territory in name only. They set up a system to make sure that all material gains were shared with other countries in the area.


    At first, this change was met with a never-ending stream ofints from the neighbors. All the people involved wanted to control the port¡¯s possibility for making money. But as time went on and they started to see the benefits of Belluga¡¯s method, the voices against it got quieter. Business activity in and of itself was a good thing. Regional yers quickly figured out that the current setup might be better than having one person own the port alone. Having a fountain of gold in your own garden made you a very obvious target, and it wasn¡¯t cheap to protect it. It could save everyone money if it wasn¡¯t in anyone¡¯s yard. So, the port of peace grew and became one of the most important trade hubs on the continent. It was known as a merchant¡¯s paradise.


    There, at this huge port, was Marco Forkroad looked up at the Auro Vangelo, a bigmercial ship owned by hispany, and sighed. ¡°Who would have guessed¡­?¡±


    The ship was going to a country across the ocean where there was a lot of wheat. Mia Luna Tearmoon, princess of the Tearmoon Empire, had hired the ship to go there.


    ¡°The way things are now¡­ Did the princess know this would happen? If she did, that makes her a very scary person.¡±


    Marco remembered the face of the princess who had be close friends with his daughter. He smiled in a way that showed both pride and worry. ¡°God, Chloe, what kind of person did you make friends with?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well, if it¡¯s not Marco of Forkroad & Co.¡±


    When Marco heard his name, he turned around to see a man with a big belly and a curly beard standing in front of him. The man greeted him with a huge smile, but it was clear that it was only on the surface. Marco knew him well. He was a man who had never smiled from the heart.


    ¡°Hello, Shalloak! It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Shalloak Cornrogue was a wealthy trader whose business was so big that it covered the whole continent. He traded everything from food to silk goods to weapons. No matter what it was or where it fit, if there was money to be made, he sold it. Marco didn¡¯t like being around him because of how ruthlessly he focused on making money in business. Shalloak was a very ruthless businessman, which worried him because Shalloak was right. As a businessman, Marco knew that being ruthless was the right thing to do. He also knew that he didn¡¯t have that ability.


    Well, it had made him feel bad. Now, all of that was in the past because Marco had found something more brilliant and more wonderful than the right way to do business.


    <em>How amazingly interesting! Whenever I was with him, I felt like a fool, but now¡­</em>


    He shook his head and smiled again in a sarcastic way.


    Shalloak said, ¡°Oh ho ho, I know that grin,¡± as he twisted his moustache. ¡°That smile is from someone who just made his enemies look likeplete fools. Well done. When you first started trading in wheat from other countries, I thought you had gone crazy. I remember calling it the height of stupidity. And now look at you, your wheat must be worth three times what you paid for it. How does it feel to have made us all look bad, hm?¡±


    Marco gave a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re interested in this, but the selling price of the wheat I recently brought in was already set before I brought it in.¡±


    ¡° Oh?¡± Shalloak asked with a knowing smile, ¡°Would that be through a contract with the so-called Great Wisdom of the Empire?¡±


    ¡° How did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho, but I know, of course. Keep your ears open, and whispers wille from everywhere.¡±


    Information is a very important tool for traders. Because of this, Marco had made sure that as few people as possible knew about his deal with Mia. But still¡­


    After giving it some thought, Marco let out a sigh of resignation. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no point in trying to hide it now. As you said, it is a part of my agreement with Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to follow this agreement? To the word?¡±


    ¡°Of course. For us traders, contracts are holy and can¡¯t be broken. Do you think I should go back on what I said I would do?¡±


    ¡°Now,e on. It¡¯s not a matter of right or wrong, but of how to do things. There are many ways to do it. You can, for example, first sell some to another kingdom for a better price. The empire can wait.¡±


    Marco, who was usually a nice guy, gave Shalloak a hard look. His voice started to sound a little angry. ¡°You can¡¯t really mean that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why can¡¯t I? I have never been more serious than I am right now. This is, if anything, what makes us traders, isn¡¯t it? We only stick to contracts because they help us keep customers for longer, which means we make more money than if we didn¡¯t. But if there is a way to make even more money,¡± Shalloak said, narrowing his eyes, ¡°you should use every bit of knowledge you have to find a way out of that stupid contract. Due tost year¡¯s bad harvest, wheat costs have gone through the roof. It would be a shame if you didn¡¯t make the most of this. We¡¯re business people. The heart of business is being loyal to money. We¡¯ll find a way to sell the ashes if war burns thisnd to the ground. That¡¯s what it means to be a business owner.¡±


    ¡°Lord above all¡­ I don¡¯t think Shalloak and I will ever agree on anything. I hope that your business does well for a long time. At least I can do that much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. When you¡¯re running a business, every little bit helps.¡± Marco turned around and walked away. Shalloak gave him a smile that wasn¡¯t quite friendly as he left.

 Chapter 397

    <strong>Grandmother Mia is Passionate About Education</strong>


    Back at Saint-Noel, ten days had passed since Mia¡¯s speech about bread and cake at the entrance ceremony. She was in the library at the moment. Was it to look for information that could help Cyril with his study on wheat? It wasn¡¯t, no. She came to help Bel do her homework.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much free time this summer, so we should start getting ready for your tests as soon as possible. It¡¯s time for you to get serious about your studies.¡±


    Now that she knew Bel¡¯s grades were iffy, she crossed her arms and hardened her heart. Right now, sympathy wouldn¡¯t help Bel.


    ¡°Oooooh,¡± Bel moaned as she put her chin on the table and pouted. ¡°Mia-neesama is now a homework police. There¡¯s still a lot of time before the tests¡­¡±


    ¡°You do know that Lynsha tells me things, right? You¡¯ve been putting things off again, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But why do I have to study so much, Mia-neesama? Is it useful?¡± Bel asked Mia, looking up at her.


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Mia said this with her chest puffed out. ¡°If you do well in school, one day you¡¯ll be able to give that smug four-eyes a piece of your mind. I mean, go to your intellectually enthusiastic vassals and get back at them for¡ªGah! Look, what I mean is that you¡¯ll be able to impress people, all right? It will feel great.¡±


    Even though Mia¡¯s honest thoughts came out more than once, Bel was too busy pouting to pay attention.


    ¡°Reaaaally? Will it really help me?¡± she asked herself as she reluctantly opened her workbook and began to read.


    Mia put down her own book next to hers. It was titled ¡°Hundred Mushroom Delicacies,¡± and it had recipes for unusual mushrooms from all over the world. The author was a famous explorer who was known for saying, ¡°If poisonous mushrooms don¡¯t kill you, you can eat them!¡± In other words, he was a little off his rocker.


    Mia looked deep in thought as she opened this crazy man¡¯s book. <em>But, really. What do I need to do?</em>


    She had no choice but to worry. Obviously not about which recipe to make. Bel was the cause of her worry. Mia was, in the end, a good girl. The future of her granddaughter was more important than mushrooms. But just barely.


    At the end of the day, Bel¡¯s ¡°I could leave at any time¡± attitude is the cause of both her dislike of learning and her wasteful spending habits. Her attitude of giving up is the main problem. The fact that Bel thought this way made Mia feel sorry for her. Mia didn¡¯t have no heart; she cared about the girl. <em>But I can¡¯t keep letting her waste money this way. The axe is always close¡­ If I don¡¯t watch out, it will catch up to me before I know it!</em>


    She had a picture in her head of a two-legged guillotine running toward her, and every gold coin she threw away made it move forward a hundred steps. The guillotine used by Tearmoon was known for how fast and far it could move. She had learned that the hard way. She had to find a way to get Bel to change her ways.


    <em>Also, Bel needs to go to school if she wants to keep living in this world. I have to find a way to get her to work harder on her school work¡­ Even so, if I talked to father, I could probably get him to give her a peerage and somend. It looks like that would be enough for her to live a pretty good life¡­</em>


    She¡¯d never say that out loud, though. Moons knows that the girl didn¡¯t need any more reasons not to do her homework. In general, Mia wasn¡¯t too bothered by people who cked off, whether it was her or someone else. But when it came to her granddaughter, she couldn¡¯t let it go for some reason.


    <em>If I did that, I¡¯d be letting Bel¡¯s mom down¡­ The mother of Bel is my daughter.</em>


    Grandma Mia was a passionate educator.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this, Mia-neesama.¡±


    ¡°Moons, Bel. Okay, so which part? Let me see.¡±


    Bel pushed her book toward Mia, who took it.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Then there was a time of deep thought.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Then there was a time of tapping on temples.


    Mia made her brain work harder by pushing it. Mia¡¯s way of learning was winning by sheer numbers, so that¡¯s not a surprise. That is, of what was learned by heart. She tried to remember everything that could be tested. Not surprisingly, this kind of learning to remember things didn¡¯tst very long. Most of it would be gone pretty quickly after the test was over. Bel was also learning math, which was one of Mia¡¯s weaker subjects. This made things even moreplicated.


    <em>Anne¡­ Where is she?</em>


    Before Mia knew it, she was looking for her trusted advisor, but Bel¡¯s sparkling, eager eyes made her stop. The unspoken message in those eyes was clear: ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t wait to see how the esteemed Great Wisdom of the Empire solves this problem!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    She went back to making sounds like she was thinking. Given the situation, it wasn¡¯t possible to have Anne solve it instead. She tried even harder to stare at the book.


    <em>No problem. I¡¯m good at this. With my memory, I can definitely¡­</em>


    You¡¯re right. Some things were just too important for Mia to forget. She might forget the pages and pages of useless information she learned for tests, but she would never forget information that was vital to her survival, or the shame she¡¯d felt in the past.


    <em>I swear that stupid four-eyes taught me this at some point! Again, what did he say? Something about how you need to be good at math to make deals¡­ That¡¯s right, that¡¯s when¡­</em>


    If she knew something that could be used to get back at Ludwig, she kept it by writing it over and over in her notebook with a vengeful passion. She kept telling herself that over and over again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget this, Bel. When ites to these kinds of questions, there are almost always practice questions right next to them. So, look at how the practice questions are answered and then use that information to¡­¡±


    She then stole Ludwig¡¯s ideas almost word for word. It was educational giarism. She did it by memorizing a lot of information, which was an amazing feat. So, she looked like a smart teacher who kept the answer from her student to get her to think for herself. The difference was that smart teachers usually already knew the answer. Mia was only acting. If her student really couldn¡¯t figure it out, she wouldn¡¯t give an answer. Still, she looked like the part pretty well, so that¡¯s something!


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help to just remember what someone tells you when they teach you something. You have to think about it and understand the ideas behind it,¡± said the person who was just repeating things she had learned without understanding a thing.


    ¡°Wow, everything Grandma Mia says is so wise! Okay, I¡¯ll try to figure it out on my own,¡± Bel said with a serious nod as she put her textbook back on the table for another try.


    Mia sighed and looked up. When she did, she saw Chloe standing in front of a bookshelf with her head down.


    ¡°My, Chloe. You¡¯vee back?¡±


    The merchant caravan from Forkroad & Co. was moving through Saint-Noel at the time, so Chloe left the ind for a while to see her father. Mia smiled at a friend she hadn¡¯t seen in a few days and was eager to talk to.


    ¡°Is Sir Marc¡ªor rather, is your father doing well?¡±


    Chloe didn¡¯t reply. She didn¡¯t move and kept her head down. Mia got up and walked over because she wasn¡¯t sure if she had heard her.


    ¡°¡­Chloe?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia¡­,¡± she said.


    This time, Chloe paid attention. She turned to face Mia, and Mia frowned when she saw how upset her friend looked.


    ¡°Chloe? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like someone who has nothing wrong. Why are you hesitating? We¡¯re book buddies, aren¡¯t we? You can tell me the truth.¡± Mia grabbed Chloe¡¯s hands. ¡°How about we go to my room first? I think I have some sweets over there¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Mia, I¡¯m free to go! Let me handle it!¡± Bel jumped up from her seat and ran out of the library. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and tell them to make something,¡± she said.


    Don¡¯t ever say that Bel wasn¡¯t smart. She took advantage of opportunities as soon as they came up.

 Chapter 398

    <strong>Alone</strong>


    Mia took Chloe into her room by the hand. Inside, they found Anne still cleaning, with a dust cloth in one hand.


    ¡°Anne, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your cleaning, but Chloe and I are having a tea party right now. You can stop for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, mdy. After that, I¡¯ll go make the tea¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. Bel is off to get it from the restaurant as we speak¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mia-neesama, I¡¯m back!¡± Bel came back right on time. She held a tray with five cups on it. The cups gave off a sweet smell of hot chocte.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Bel, I told you tea was fine¡­ Also, how many cups are these? Only you, me, and Chloe are here. Why do we have extras? Did you get some for Anne and Lynsha?¡±


    Anne was in the room, but Lynsha wasn¡¯t there. Mia cocked her head when she saw how many cups there were. Bel grinned.


    ¡°Of course, the extra one is for me to fill up!¡± Bel said this without any shame.


    ¡°Bel¡­¡± Mia waited for Bel to put the tray down on the table before pinching the girl¡¯s upper arm. One of the side effects of F.A.T. was that the skin between the shoulder and elbow was loose.


    ¡°Whoa, what?¡± Her jaw dropped. There wasn¡¯t any jigglyness! She tried her own arm quickly. It moved around more than Bel¡¯s. What a shame! She tried again on Bel because she couldn¡¯t believe the world could be so unfair. To her great disappointment, it only confirmed what she had already found.


    ¡°U-Um¡­ Mia-neesama? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing, I guess. Don¡¯t mind me. Bel, what are you doing? Are you¡­working out? When I¡¯m not paying attention?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m practicing the dance moves you showed me. Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes. We should start doing those things again as a group. It¡¯s time I took another look at your practice to make sure you¡¯re doing it right.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After that long and unnecessary exchange, Mia turned to Chloe.


    ¡°Anyway, enough going off topic. Chloe, what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Still unsure, Chloe looked at Mia¡¯s face and then at the cup she was holding in her hands. She didn¡¯t say a word. Mia sighed briefly and put her hand on her chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re my friend, Chloe,¡± she told her with a smile. ¡°And a very valuable one, too. I¡¯d like to know if there¡¯s something on your mind. I can¡¯t even enjoy this delicious cup of hot chocte because you look so sad.¡± Even though herst im might not be true, she kept going.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s important for friends to be honest with each other. So, if you also consider me a friend, please talk to me. I¡¯ll help in any way I can.¡±


    ¡°P-Princess Mia¡­ Ooooh¡­¡± Chloe made a soft whimpering sound. It was like a crack in a wall, because it didn¡¯t take long for her to show how upset she was. Her eyes filled with tears. She soon had tears running down her face.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mia nodded, took out a handkerchief, and walked over to where the Chloe was. ¡°Here. Use this. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    She gave Chloe the handkerchief and gave her back a gentle pat. At that time, she looked like a saint. She was calm and kind. But just for that moment.


    ¡°Oh, Princess Mia, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I-It¡¯s my dad. He¡­ He fell to the ground and¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mia stopped when she realized what Chloe¡¯s sobbing statement meant. Her holy smile was gone in an instant.


    ¡°Wha¡ª Wait, you can¡¯t be¡ª Huh? Your dad? Y-You mean¡­Sir Marco? He¡­copsed?¡±


    Mia almost passed out right there, too. And with good cause. Marco Forkroad, Chloe¡¯s father, ran Forkroad & Co. As it looked like there wouldn¡¯t be enough food, their business was actually saving the empire. If it broke, Ganudos would definitely have a chance to move against the kingdom. They couldn¡¯t miss out on a chance like that.


    Crunch, crackle, crunch, crunch.She could hear the sound of somethinging toward her. She turned around and saw a cliff with the obvious wooden frame of a guillotine climbing up it toward her.


    <em>Eeeeek! No, no, no, no! This is wrong!</em>


    On her back, a thinyer of cold sweat formed. She drank a big mouthful of hot chocte and let out a breath. It helped her rx. After that, she gave Chloe a serious look.


    ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s going on. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Chloe looked at her for a second before nodding.


    ¡°Anotherpany is actuallying after us. In terms of business, I mean.¡±


    She then started telling her story. Someone went on a full-scale attack against Forkroad & Co., going after all the businesses that did business with them. This person was Shalloak Cornrogue, a rich merchant. As an aggressively hostile rival, he had used his business power to destroy every single trade channel that the Forkroads ran. In response, Marco worked day and night to try to find a way out of this terrible position, but he eventually copsed because he was too tired.


    ¡°U-Unforgivable.¡± Mia said, ¡°How dare he pick a fight with Chloe¡¯s dad!¡± through clenched teeth.


    The nerve of this thug of a shopkeeper made her visibly shake with anger. Forkroad & Co. was very important to the empire¡¯s ability to get through the famine. In fact, after Mia¡¯s big promise at the entrance ceremony, their part became even more important. She couldn¡¯t let the Forkroads run out of wheat, because the wheat stocks were looking dangerously low now that demand had gone up.


    This famine is already a code-G situation, merciful moons. Right now, thest thing I need is more trouble. Who is this jerk who wants to fight me?


    Yes, you¡¯re right¡­ At this moment, attacking Forkroad & Co. was the same as attacking Mia herself. Code-G, which meant ¡°guillotine,¡± was no joke. She wasn¡¯t going to sit down and take this.


    ¡°Thank you, Chloe,¡± she said, giving her a nod of approval. ¡°And good for you. I¡¯m d you told me about this, because I¡¯m the right person to talk to about it. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ First, I need to talk to Ludwig. I don¡¯t know much about merchants, but I think hees from a family of traders.¡± Mia said to herself, ¡°He should have some good ideas about how to handle this.¡±


    Then, she showed an evil smil.


    ¡°Oh, ho, ho! Whoever this guy is, he¡¯ll be sorry he picked a fight with me!¡±

 Chapter 399

    Shout-out to Ixxilus. Thanks for your support.


    Here is your bonus chapter. Enjoy~


    <strong>Ludwig¡¯s Education</strong>


    Mia started writing to Ludwig the next day as soon as she heard Chloe¡¯s story.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably busy with a lot of things, but it¡¯s better to have him here. Hmm¡­ That makes me think. Wasn¡¯t he also Bel¡¯s teacher? I should ask him to teach her how to do math too. He¡¯s going to be here for a while.¡±


    She added ¡°please help Bel in her studying¡± to her letter and sent it out. Again, Grandmother Mia was passionate about education. After that, she got ready to leave the ind and went to the town where Chloe said the Forkroad caravan was parked to see her father. Marco would be resting there for a while, as luck would have it. If Mia wanted to talk to him, now was the time.


    As she was leaving, Bel asked, ¡°Um, Mia-neesama, can I go with you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, why would you want to do that? I don¡¯t think anything exciting will happen.¡± ¡°I want to be there when your heroic actions save the day! I¡¯d remember something like that for the rest of my life. I want to see it for myself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be any actions or heroing, but let me think¡­¡± Mia crossed her arms.


    <em>Merchants and math go together like peanut butter and jelly. If she got to see real businesses, it might make her want to learn more.</em>


    Grandma Mia loved learning so much that she couldn¡¯t get enough of it.


    ¡°You cane with us.¡±


    So, the two of them left together and went to the town where the Forkroads were staying.


    ¡°Lord almighty, Your Highness¡­¡±


    When Mia walked into Marco Forkroad¡¯s inn room, he looked at her with wide eyes and said, ¡°What are you¡­? You didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    He quickly tried to get out of bed, but she stopped him by putting her hand up.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re getting better,¡± she said with a soft smile. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°So you talked to my daughter, right? I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marco said, lowering his head, ¡°but it¡¯s not that important. I just put in a little too much effort. Nothing that would make Your Highness want to pay a personal visit.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so humble, Sir Marco. I want to be here, so I am. We can¡¯t say enough about how important you are to the kingdom. You are literally the only thing that keeps us alive,¡± she said. Then, her smile became a bit more childlike. ¡°On top of that, you¡¯re the father of a close book friend of mine. If you¡¯re sick, I can¡¯t have fun talking with her, which is no fun at all.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Marco bowed very low to her. ¡°Your kindness is deeply valued. If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, please let me know. I¡¯m here to help. Really, Your Highness, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. I¡¯m just having problems with my job.¡±


    ¡°I heard, though, that someone is trying to hurt you. You were hurt, right? Have they used violence? Don¡¯t tell me they hired robbers or something!¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing like that,¡± Marco quickly said, shaking his head. Mia looked at him with a confused frown. Just then¡­


    ¡°Sir Marco, Her Highness is smart and observant. I think it would be very helpful for you to exin what¡¯s going on with yourpany right now.¡±


    A familiar voice floated into the room. Mia turned around and saw her loyal servant standing in the doorway. ¡°Ah, Ludwig,¡± she said. She said in a happy voice, ¡°I¡¯m d you made it.¡±


    She was starting to worry that she wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with Marco alone, so hearing that her troops had arrived was a huge relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness,¡± Ludwig said, bowing deeply from the waist. He then looked at Marco. ¡°All right¡­ If you find it hard to talk openly about the details of your business, it might be easier for me to make assumptions instead. If that¡¯s the case, I ask that you just listen for now.¡±


    He touched his sses.


    ¡°First, let me clear up a misunderstanding that Her Highness just brought up. Disputes between traders can sometimes lead to the hiring of bandits and direct acts of violence, but this doesn¡¯t happen very often at all. It almost never happens at bigpanies like Forkroad & Co.,¡±


    Mia tilted her head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because people who do wrong will get what they deserve. A person who has been hurt by a crime has the right to ask the government to help. Also, big businesses usually have security steps in ce. So, using direct violence is a bad idea because it is not only dangerous but also easy to stop.¡±


    ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Merchants have special ways to attack in their field. Let mee up with one¡­ Ah, lowering prices too much to hurt apetitor in the market would be easy to understand,¡± Ludwig said as he adjusted his sses. When Marco heard his answer, he grimaced in pain.


    ¡°Huh? Bringing down prices?¡± asked a confused Bel.


    Ludwig gave her a quick nce and chuckled. ¡°I can see that was too hard for Miss Bel to understand. Hmm¡­¡± He thought for a while before he spoke again. ¡°Well, how about this? Miss Bel, let¡¯s say you see two kinds of baked goods being sold. They are both the same size and taste, but one costs one copper and the other two. Which one would you choose?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, I guess the one that costs a penny.¡±


    ¡°Right. As a customer, it makes sense to think that. You would get the one that costs less. That¡¯s why you can hurt an enemy merchant¡¯s business by dropping your prices below theirs and getting people to buy your goods instead of theirs. This is a typical way to fight in merchant wars.¡±


    To put things in perspective, what Ludwig said was justmon sense. Even Mia knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°When this method is used in a malicious way, it¡¯s possible to ignore profit margins totally and sell things at prices that are too low. For example, something bought for one silver can be sold for one copper.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But why would you want to do that? You¡¯d just lose money.¡±


    Ludwig answered with a serious shake of the head. ¡°The point¡ªand it¡¯s a very good point¡ªis that a wealthy merchant with enough financial muscle can crush all hispetitors¡­and monopolize the market.¡±


    While Ludwig was giving Bel his Business 101 lesson, Mia munched on the sweets Marco had set out.


    <em>Hm¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this kind before. I wonder if he got these from another country. This ck paste seems to be made of beans, and it has a taste that is both sweet and cool. I think this would go well with some cream.</em>


    Mia the Sweets Connoisseur¡¯s eyes were sparkling.

 Chapter 400

    <strong>A Merchant¡¯s Respect</strong>


    ¡°And once he establishes a monopoly, which means he¡¯s the only one selling the product in question,¡± Ludwig continued, ¡°he¡¯s free to set the price however he wants. After all, you can¡¯t buy it anywhere else. He can make it as expensive as he wants.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± In a moment of understanding, Bel put her hands together. Ludwig had done a good job of exining. Still, he looked at Mia to make sure.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± When he saw her nodding happily and nibbling on a sweet, Ludwig let out a sigh of relief. He thought she was happy with his performance.


    <em>I see. She thought that Miss Bel could learn something from this situation and wanted to take advantage of it. In her message to him asking him toe, she said, ¡°Please Bel in her studying.¡± She probably wanted Bel to learn how to deal with traders.</em>


    Ludwig kept talking about what he meant. ¡°In this case, though, I think the goal is not to get a monopoly on the market but to fight yourpany directly. Also, if I had to guess, the method being used is to take over Forkroad & Co.¡¯s market by severely lowering their prices. Do you agree?¡±


    Marco sagged a little and shook his head to show that he was giving up.


    ¡°I see that I can¡¯t keep anything from you. But what gave you that idea? Was it really that clear?¡±


    Ludwig smirked. ¡°My apologies. I might have put on a little bit of a show. In fact, there is something I know that helped me figure out what to do.¡±


    He turned to Mia. ¡°Shalloak Cornrogue contacted me and asked me to end our business rtionship with Forkroad and sign a new contract with hispany,¡± he said. He then took a letter out of his pocket and gave it to her.


    ¡°The details are written here, but in short, he¡¯s offering to ship wheat in bigger amounts and for less money than Forkroad.¡±


    In other words, Shalloak was making it clear that he didn¡¯t dislike the empire, but rather Forkroad. The terms he was offering were also pretty good¡ªgood enough to make getting out of Forkroad¡¯s deal a real option. That was cause enough to be careful. Ludwig thought that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.


    <em>Also, the main point of this deal is to get us to break our promise to Forkroad. Chances are, Her Highness won¡¯t agree to do something as betrayal.</em>


    That¡¯s why Ludwig liked the offer so much. It was a very clever n. By selling all of Forkroad¡¯s products for much less than they were worth, even if it meant losing a lot of money, Shalloak had essentially killed thepany¡¯s business. Right now, Forkroad couldn¡¯t sell anything except wheat. In particr, the wheat that was meant to be sent straight to Tearmoon. Could Forkroad resist the urge to touch the wheat that was going to the empire when profits were going down and demand was high? If thepany can sell the wheat to other buyers for more than what was agreed upon in the deal, it might still be able to stay in business. All that would be needed is some lying. If Forkroad gave in to desire and broke their promise, they would be the first ones to do so, which would give the empire a good reason to end their contract.


    <em>Luckily, Sir Marco has kept his word. The deal hasn¡¯t been broken, so Her Highness can thank him for his loyalty in good faith.</em> Ludwig told him what was in Shalloak¡¯s letter because he knew Marco was loyal to them.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Hm, Cornrogue?¡±, Mia asked herself as she read the letter. ¡°Well, I do wonder¡­¡±


    Marco jumped up in a panic when he saw Mia¡¯s pursed lips as she was thinking.


    ¡°Y-Your Highness, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, Sir Marco,¡± she said gently, motioning for him to sit back down. ¡°Rx. I won¡¯t sell out my book friend for money. The only problem is that this Shalloak guy¡­ Isn¡¯t hisst name Cornrogue?¡±


    Her voice made him think, so he asked, ¡°Have you heard of him before, Your Highness?¡±


    Mia¡¯s gaze grew faraway. ¡°I¡­ most definitely have. I don¡¯t forget him at all. The King of the Merchants, Cornrogue. I thought he wouldn¡¯t show up for a while longer¡­ So he¡¯s going toe to me, right? Oho ho!¡±


    She smiled like a child who was nning a joke. ¡°Oh, and on that note, Ludwig, the Forkroads are being harassed right now. Is there anything we can do to help? Have the empire buy up all the things they have in stock, for example.¡±


    Shalloak Cornrogue wasn¡¯t really trying to fight with the empire. He was really justpeting with Forkroad & Co. over prices. The only thing the empire could do to help was buy Forkroad¡¯s dead stock.


    ¡°Good question. Let me think¡­¡± said Ludwig. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out the right answer. He wasn¡¯t trying to figure out if a buyout was a good idea, but rather what Mia meant by asking this question. As if to tease him, she went on. ¡°Or would it be wasteful to buy left-over things from apany just because the owner is the father of my friend? Will I get in trouble if I pay more for something when it can be bought cheaper somewhere else?¡±


    She took a quick look at Ludwig. He knew he was right because of the way she looked at him. <em>I was right¡ªHer Highness has already decided what to do. These questions are all about what one should do. She¡¯s just going through the motions to teach Miss Bel right now.</em>


    He gave her a knowing nod and said, ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with that. Even if the more expensive thing can be found elsewhere for less money, if the price is fair, buying it would not be a waste of money.¡±


    ¡°Really? Ludwig-sensei, why is that? Could you tell me? Please?¡±


    With begging eyes, Bel looked up at him. As expected, that got Bel¡¯s attention. He was happy to see that she was interested, so he smiled and said, ¡°Of course I will. You don¡¯t have to beg. Let me see¡­ How do I describe this? Hm¡­ I think it¡¯s wrong to think that everything is better when it¡¯s cheaper. This is because money is what you get in exchange for your work. In other words, it shows the value ofbor.¡±


    ¡°What is the value ofbor?¡± Bel parroted.


    Ludwig nodded deeply. ¡°Everything a seller sells is the result of someone¡¯s work. Farms are where cropse from. Crafts made by craftspeople. From cooks, food. All of them are the result of work. Putting a price on a product, then, is the same as putting a value on the work that went into making it.¡±


    As the topic got moreplicated, Bel¡¯s brows furrowed. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t getting the logic, but it was also clear that she was still trying. Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw how hard she was thinking by the way her face was scrunched up.


    ¡°This means that merchants must price their goods in a way that reflects the work that went into making them. From my point of view, selling things too cheaply devaluesbor and, by extension, insults the work of those who made them.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s smile grew wry as he tried to make his point. He thought back to how his own father had taught him the same thing. Merchants can¡¯t cut their prices more than they can handle. Doing this just topete with another seller is a terrible thing for the people who make the goods¡­


    <em>It¡¯s just as he said.</em> It made him realize again that what his father had said was true. He turned to Bel, who was clearly thinking. ¡°This kind of behavior hurts more than just your mind. There is also harm to the body. For instance, let¡¯s say a seller sold cookies that cost two silver to make but only brought in one silver. He would lose one silver, but if it helped him get more people, it might be worth it. But if he keeps doing this, what do you think other retailers will think? He would take business away from them. Would they also drop the price to a coin to get them to draw them back?¡±


    Bel, with her face scrunched up in concentration, listened carefully and answered honestly, ¡°Yes, I think they would.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it? But in reality, it¡¯s likely that no one else would buy at a loss. Still, they would try to get the price down. How? By making the people who made it work harder. The traders would go to their cookie supplier and say that the cookies won¡¯t sell for two silvers, so they need to be made cheap enough to sell for one silver. So that they couldpete with the first merchant, the other merchants tried to make craftsmen¡¯s work less valuable.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Does that mean that people who ask craftsmen to do things that aren¡¯t fair are bad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely true, but I think careless customers who buy cheap things without thinking about the price are also to me. The frustrating part, and what makes this a very hard situation, is that workers also prefer cheaper things. They get paid for the work they do, and then they use that money to buy things, which makes them buyers. By looking for cheap products, they end up making their own work less valuable.¡±


    Ludwig paused to let his answer sink in. After that, he went on.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, in my view, a seller whose prices are fair is more trustworthy than one whose prices are too low. Merchants lower prices because customers think cheap things are worth more, but you shouldn¡¯t always go for the cheapest option. Customers should realize that this world isn¡¯t set up so that they can put a high value on their own work while putting a low value on everyone else¡¯s.¡±


    Finally, he turned to Mia and said, ¡°Therefore, I think it¡¯s okay to go ahead with the purchase you¡¯re talking about, as long as it doesn¡¯t include useless luxury items or goods that are too expensive. It will also help keep the flow of money.¡±


    After nodding in agreement with Ludwig¡¯s impromptu theory on market dynamics, Mia turned to look at Marco Forkroad.


    ¡°Well, there it is, Sir Marco. We will buy your leftover stock at the right price for the market. If the empire has troubleing up with the money, hm¡­ So, I¡¯ll just ask a few of my friends to help me. You don¡¯t have to cut the prices too much just because they are leftovers. Let¡¯s deal with each other with trust and respect.¡±


    She smiled after saying that.

 Chapter 401

    <strong>Eating Too Much, and Still¡­</strong>


    The Merchant King, Shalloak Cornrogue, had built up a vast amount of wealth during the great famine. While the continent¡¯s people suffered, he¡¯d managed to turn disaster into opportunity, eventually going so far as to call himself a king.


    Mia had met the man before. This encounter had urred in the previous timeline, when the empire was beginning to crumble under the crushing weight of the famine. Together with Ludwig, she¡¯d set out on a journey to seek assistance, and this man was one of the potential sources.


    Financial pressures had manifested themselves in the carriage they took, which was now considerably less luxurious. It also conveyed the bumpiness of the road far more faithfully.


    ¡°Was there seriously no better carriage we could have taken?¡± Mia grumbled as she rubbed her tender buttocks. ¡°One that doesn¡¯t assault its rider like this?¡±


    ¡°It costs money to maintain non-assaultive carriages. Money that you might have noticed we¡¯recking right now.¡± Ludwig¡¯s merciless rebuttal stuffed the rest of herints back down her throat. She scowled darkly at him. ¡°Feel free to glower at me as much as you wish, but I implore you to put on an agreeable face when we¡¯re in front of our potential business partner.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know. What was the fellow called again? Merchant King Cornrogue? That¡¯s a pretty pretentious name¡­¡±


    ¡°It certainly is. To be honest, he¡¯s not the kind of person I like asking favors of¡­ Debts with his type tend to umte interest.¡±


    ¡°My,ing from a four¡ª Ahem. Coming from you, that¡¯s quite thement. He must be pretty bad.¡±


    ¡°For the millionth time, Your Highness, you really should stop calling me that. It¡¯s notnguage befitting your station.¡± Ludwig shook his head and shrugged wearily, clearly used to having his admonishment ignored. Then, his expression turned serious again. ¡°But seriously, do be careful around him. The man built up a veritable empire of wealth in a single generation. And I mean that literally¡ªhe¡¯s richer than some kings. I suspect he¡¯s going to be quite the entric one.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re good to go then. After all, I have plenty of experience with entric people.¡± Mia eyed him and smiled.


    To their mutual dismay, the meeting that day would prove futile. They weren¡¯t even taken seriously, suffering not only disappointment but the humiliation of being effectively turned away at the door.


    The carriage stopped at a vige near the empire¡¯s border. Mia and Ludwig stepped out and followed the directions they¡¯d been given. Expecting to be led to an inn or tavern where they¡¯d hold their meeting, they instead found another carriage. This was Shalloak¡¯s personal coach, and it was luxurious. Stepping in, Mia couldn¡¯t help but ogle its resplendent interior decor, which was every bit the equal of how her private room in the Whitemoon Pce had once looked.


    ¡°What a gorgeous carriage this is, Mr. Cornrogue,¡± said Mia, greeting the owner of the vehicle. ¡°¡®Merchant King¡¯ indeed.¡¯¡±


    Shalloak Cornrogue twirled his curly mustache and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d it pleases you, Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. Your approval is no small honor. It makes all the money I spent on this thing worth it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very much fit for a king,¡± said Mia, voicing her honest thoughts.


    She¡¯d intended the phrase to be a casualpliment, but Shalloak¡¯s smile gained a snarky edge. ¡°But not, I assume, for a lowly merchant who has the audacity to call himself one? Does it offend you for me to be called a king? Me, who has no citizens, army, ornd. The name Merchant King must seem unbearably pretentious to you.¡± He was dead-on. So much so that it left her fumbling for words. The sight amused him, and he chuckled. ¡°I get the same reaction from everyone. But know this¡ªI am a king. However high and mighty you aristocrats are, I am equally so.¡±


    He stood up and reached into a nearby bag, from which he withdrew a handful of objects. ¡°These are my subjects. They are my army. My soldiers and forts. My fields and livestock. The source of my wealth. And the god I worship.¡± Holding his hand before her palm down, he released his grip. The objects fell to the ground, scattering haphazardly at her feet in a cacophony of metallic clinks. She nced down, eyes drawn by their aureate glow.


    ¡°My¡­ Are these¡­gold coins?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Gold is our god. This is the power that governs the world. Simple, right?¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­ I suppose so¡­¡±


    Mia fought hard to keep up a smile through Shalloak¡¯s theatrics. Despite her best efforts, her cheeks twitched. The Merchant King, meanwhile, paid her no mind and plunked casually back down on his seat¡ªno, his throne.


    ¡°Good.¡± He grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then, Princess Mia. What, pray tell, do you seek from my kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­we were wondering if you could help us with something¡­¡±Mia shot a sideward nce at Ludwig, who picked up where she left off. ¡°Our empire is currently in need of foodstuffs. We¡¯d like to purchase a supply of wheat from you.¡±


    ¡°Wheat? Of course. I certainly have wheat for sale. But do you have the money to pay for it?¡±


    Shalloak handed him a piece of parchment. On it was written the selling price of wheat. When Ludwig saw the number, he let out a choking sound. Mia, in her curiosity, took a peek, only to have the same reaction.


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± She stared at the price in shock. ¡°Huh? How?! Wheat can¡¯t possibly be this expensive! This is price gouging!¡± Mia¡¯s furiousints bounced impotently off Shalloak, who smiled at her with a vexing amount ofposure.


    ¡°With all due respect, Princess Mia, that is how the world works. When the number of people who want something increases, so does its price.¡±


    ¡°But this is too much! It¡¯s way, way more than it should be. We¡¯re not trying to build a castle here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed you are not. In fact, no one is. All this means is that we live in a time where wheat is more in-demand than castles. You can¡¯t eat castles, after all. Bah ha ha.¡± He chortled at his own joke before picking up a cookie from a nearby snack tray. Mia¡¯s eyes became glued on the tasty-looking treat, following it from the tray into his mouth. ¡°Mmmm. Perhaps you¡¯re too young to understand this, but the world runs on money. Money is power. Money is my god, and I¡¯m an ardent believer. I pray to it. Pour my faith into it. And I ask it to bring more of itself to me. Therefore, so long as you have money, I¡¯m willing to do whatever you ask of me.¡±


    Mia gnashed her teeth and growled, which wasn¡¯t a very productive reply, so Ludwig answered instead. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll pay. We only ask that you wait for us to procure the funds. The empire is currently in a difficult situation, but once we pull through, I promise that we¡¯ll reimburse you for the wheat.¡±


    ¡°Promise, you say? You can promise me the world, and it still won¡¯t be worth a penny. I have no need for empty words. If your empire were well on its way to recovery, then perhaps some consideration would be possible, but it¡¯s no mystery why Tearmoon¡¯s finances are in tatters. The only reason I agreed to this meeting today was to see if there¡¯s anything I could squeeze out of your empire before it copsed for good, but¡­¡± Shalloak nced pointedly at Mia and shrugged. ¡°Judging by your carriage and that cheap dress the princess is wearing¡­ I¡¯m clearly toote. Oh, but that hairpin of yours is a fine item.¡± His smile suddenly took on a different color. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to trade you a box of cookies for it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough. This is ridiculous.¡± Ludwig shot down his offer before Mia¡¯s resolve had the chance to falter at the allure of cookies. ¡°People are starving. They¡¯re dying. People are the pirs of a nation. It¡¯s their work that props up society. We need a healthy popce. You¡¯re a merchant. Surely, you do too.¡±


    ¡°Ludwig, was it? Hah. I see that you¡¯re a man of loyalty. And you¡¯ve got a heart of gold to boot. I can tell that you truly wish to save your people from starvation. I have no doubt you¡¯re an exceptionallypetent man, Ludwig, but unfortunately, you don¡¯t seem to have the makings of a good merchant.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean¡­is that it¡¯s difficult to extract the gold in one¡¯s heart. Yourpassion might make you a wise and virtuous person, but it won¡¯t make you rich. You need to see the pain and suffering of others as chances to make money. Sometimes, even their deaths. Everything is a business opportunity. That¡¯s the creed you must subscribe to if you wish to be an adherent of the golden lord.¡± Shalloak leaned back and shrugged. ¡°In other words, Ludwig, I couldn¡¯t care less how many people in Tearmoon starve. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, this famine won¡¯t kill everyst person on the continent. The question, therefore, is how to make the most money from this situation. Granted, you can¡¯t do business with dead bodies, so I won¡¯t let the whole nation perish, but setting aside profit to save every living soul is not business. It¡¯s charity.¡±


    ¡°Oooh you¡¯ve done it now!¡± said Mia, piping up. ¡°I heard you loud and clear! When I tell Miss Rafina about what you just said, I think she¡¯ll be rather upset.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Tell her all about it. We¡¯ll see whose word the world chooses to believe. That of an unpopr princess, or a known phnthropist who has already invested in a track record of giving money to charitable activities. I¡¯m quite eager to find out which of our images will win out in the end. It¡¯ll make for an amusing diversion.¡± He scoffed at her.


    ¡°Hnnnngh.¡± Mia gnashed her teeth. ¡°If you think you can solve everything by throwing money at it¡­ Well, you¡¯d better think again!¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia, if I may be so bold, allow me to offer you one piece of advice. Don¡¯t be a sore loser. It only makes you look worse.¡± He looked down his nose at her with what almost felt like pity. ¡°Now then, if you have no other matters to discuss, then please leave. I¡¯m a busy man, and I have many more important matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡­They¡¯d been effectively turned away at the door.


    <em>I¡¯ll have you know, I haven¡¯t forgotten the humiliation I suffered that day¡­ Well, I mean, I guess I did forget, but I ate some food and it all came back to me, so it¡¯s fine! Also, this sweet bean paste is absolutely delicious! Not that it matters right now, but it is!</em>


    Feeling her anger rise again, Mia took another bite of the pastry. Its sweetness pushed the wave of resentment back down, allowing her to keep a clear head.


    <em>Hmm, what should I do next? That¡¯s the question. For the time being, I should tell Sir Marco to sell us some of these sweet bean¡ª Oh wait, in order to do that, I have to save hispany first. And if I want to save hispany¡­I might have to fight that Shalloak fellow?</em>


    ording to Ludwig, Shalloak¡¯s antagonism was directed specifically at Forkroad & Co. His attitude toward the empire was, if anything, positive and eager to do business. That made it difficult for them to throw the first punch.


    <em>Chloe looks downright miserable, so I can¡¯t afford to just stand by and watch¡­ Nor do I want to, honestly. This whole thing rubs me the wrong way. In that case¡­</em>


    Mia turned to Ludwig.


    ¡°Ludwig,¡± she asked, ¡°since the Forkroads are being harassed right now, isn¡¯t there anything we can do to help? Have the empire buy up the goods they have in stock, for example.¡±


    Their enemy was willing to lose money to stop the Forkroads from selling their goods. What they needed to do, then, was to prevent the ¡°Forkroads can¡¯t sell anything¡± situation from urring.


    <em>Oho ho, now this is what I call two birds with one stone. We¡¯ll be helping the Forkroads while also sticking it to that bast¡ª I mean, that unpleasant man. When he realizes his ns were ruined¡­ Oooh, I¡¯m looking forward to tasting his frustration. I bet it¡¯ll be delicious.</em>


    One problem remained, though. She wasn¡¯t sure whether this idea would constitute wasteful spending. She nced inquiringly at Ludwig.


    ¡°Or would buying leftover goods from apany just because the owner is my friend¡¯s father be a form of wasteful spending? Am I going to get scolded if I buy things at a higher price when they can be gotten cheaper somewhere else?¡±


    Her heart beat a nervous rhythm as she awaited his answer. Yes? No? What would it be? The hair on the back of her neck stood in anticipation. She gulped. Feeling a dryness in her mouth, she reached for her remedy¡ªanother pastry!


    She was definitely overeating.


    ¡°I see no issue in doing so.¡±


    Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, she reached for her reward¡ªonly to be thwarted by Anne.


    She¡¯d already overeaten.


    <em>Hm. I suppose it¡¯s important to observe the principle of moderation in all matters. It¡¯s the same as what Ludwig is talking about right now. It¡¯s important to have an appropriate price for products, just like how it¡¯s important to eat an appropriate amount of sweets. Yes, it all makes sense now.</em>


    This thought of hers would sound far more convincing if she wasn¡¯t already guilty of overeating. Regardless, she continued.


    ¡°And there you have it, Sir Marco. We shall purchase your remaining inventory at the appropriate market price. If the empire has difficulty producing the funds, hm¡­ Well, I¡¯ll just ask some of my friends for assistance. There¡¯s no need to lower your prices excessively just because they¡¯re leftovers. Let us deal in good faith and mutual respect.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­Your Highness, I can¡¯t possibly ask you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sir Marco, not long ago, there was an entrance ceremony at Saint-Noel Academy. During the ceremony, I spoke of the importance of the spirit of mutual aid. You¡¯ve been helping us, so now, it¡¯s only natural that I repay the favor.¡± She paused for a moment of thought, then added, ¡°And this is for Chloe too. So if you feel like you owe me something, then consider our debts settled, because I¡¯ll be borrowing your daughter extensively. Her time is payment enough.¡±


    Chloe was an invaluable book buddy. Mia was looking forward to spending a lot more time with her throughout the rest of her school life, so maintaining a good rtionship was essential. As a closing remark, ¡°Her time is payment enough¡± was perhaps on the triter side, but it got the job done.


    A few dayster, Marco heard from Chloe the details of Mia¡¯s speech during the entrance ceremony. The words of the eventually-to-be-famed Bread-Cake Deration caused his thoughts to stir. As he pondered its meaning, he considered her subsequent actions, as well as her desire to ¡°borrow his daughter extensively,¡± and¡­put two and two together! Into three! Or maybe five! But whatever it was, it sure wasn¡¯t four, because he felt like he finallyprehended Mia¡¯s true intentions, and everyone knows where that feeling leads.


    In her entrance ceremony speech, he saw the inklings of a continent-spanning mutual food-aidwork. Her statement about borrowing Chloe, then, had been a request for assistance. She wanted Chloe to help her make this grand vision a reality. That was why Mia hade to him.


    ¡°Ha ha, Lord almighty, what have you gotten yourself into, Chloe¡­? This is going to be the project of the century,¡± he whispered in awe.


    It made him worried. It also made him immensely proud. When this endeavor of the Great Wisdom of the Empire took off, Chloe would be right there with her doing great things for the world.


    ¡°Well, I can hardly sit around and twiddle my thumbs while my daughter¡¯s off solving world hunger. I¡¯d better get back on my feet and do my part to help.¡±


    And so, little by little, the way was paved for the creation of the Mi.

 Chapter 402

    <strong>Small Revenge ~Preparations~</strong>


    ¡°By the way, Your Highness,¡± Ludwig said, ¡°I have no problem turning down Shalloak¡¯s offer, but how do you want me to do it?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean ¡®how¡¯ you do it?¡± Mia said to Ludwig.


    ¡°Would you like to send a messenger?¡± Or tell him face-to-face?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she said. Then she thought about her choices. ¡°Oho ho¡­ Since he brought it up, let¡¯s get him toe to us,¡± she said.


    She had a lot to say to him. She had a sneaky smile on her face when she thought about doing that to his face. Since she had gone out of her way to visit him in the past, only to be turned away at the door, she was going to throw back at him what he had said to her then. It was her way of getting even a little bit of revenge.


    ¡°I also think that would be the best choice, especially since he may have ties to the Serpents.¡±


    ¡°The Serpents? Huh¡­¡± She nodded. She hadn¡¯t thought about it, but it was possible. This whole thing might be another of their sneaky ns. However¡­ ¡°True. Well, I guess we should look into that possibility a little bit more.¡±


    In reality, she wasn¡¯t too worried about Shalloak being a Serpent. She didn¡¯t know why, but the man didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would break the rules. He seemed more like a money junkie. Or maybe a crazy cultist. After all, the way he worships money is kind of crazy. She had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t a Serpent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send for him. I¡¯ll stay here in Belluga while things are being set up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯ll be a big help,¡± she said, folding her arms. ¡°Hm¡­ So, I should do a good background check on the man.¡±


    So she did.


    Shalloak¡¯s business was based in the exve port city of St. Baleine, but he wasn¡¯t born there. His home was in the Kingdom of Miranada, west of St. Baleine. Miranada was a small kingdom that even Remno, let alone Tearmoon, was bigger than. Despite being small, it was rich for its size. Its wealth came from the trade that went on in busy St. Baleine. In Miranada, this meant that merchants were respected by most people.


    ¡°I was going to say some pretty mean things to his face, but I need to find out what ties he has first. Just to be safe.¡±


    If it turned out that Shalloak was friends with important nobles from Miranada or other countries, it would be a problem in the future. Luckily, there were people from Miranada in Saint-Noel. She should just ask one of them.


    ¡°Hm, natives of Miranada, natives of Miranada¡­ I think Ludwig mentioned someone before.¡±


    Before Mia started school at Saint-Noel Academy, she did someworking. In particr, she was looking for possible people to get close to so that if she had to run away, she would have somewhere to go. The Kingdom of Miranada was one of the countries she looked into as a possible refuge. It looked good because it had a port. If she could use that to get out of Tearmoon, she wouldn¡¯t have to face the mes of the revolution.


    As a side note, after being told to see if anyone had connections with Miranada, Ludwig had whispered, ¡°So atst, Her Highness seeks a port¡­¡± to himself in awe.


    ¡°If I remember right, there should be a few young nobles around here who fit the bill¡­¡±


    Her thinking led her to an upper-years¡¯ ssroom, where one of the students said, ¡°I think they went to one of the lower-years ssrooms.¡±


    Following the lead, she went to the lower years and saw some slightly familiar faces.


    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°Eeep!¡±


    Three boys looked at her and jumped when they saw her. A girl who looked like she didn¡¯t want to be there stood between them. Mia couldn¡¯t remember exactly where she had seen the boys, so she looked at the girl. Her hair was a dark gray color, and her eyes were a deep green color. Overall, she gave off the kind of ¡°aww, that¡¯s so cute¡± vibe that many small animals do. Mia wanted to pat her on the head. The boys around her looked even more nervous than she did. Mia looked at each of them in turn. ¡°You boys¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you were bullying her?¡±


    ¡°No, not even close! There wasn¡¯t any bullying at all!¡±


    They were, in fact, the same boys she had just yelled at in the hallway a few days earlier. The girl they hurt was the same one.


    ¡°Really. What were you doing then?¡±


    ¡°W-We were protecting her because you told us to, President Mia!¡±


    That made her remember that she had said something simr. She gave the girl a look. ¡°And you? Were you not being picked on? Uh, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Tatiana, uh, President Mia. I really respect what you did for me before. Since you told them to, they¡¯ve been protecting me in this way.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s good,¡± Mia said, though she felt a little sorry for the girl. It didn¡¯t seemfortable to be surrounded all day by three bigger boys.


    ¡°B-By the way, President Mia, why are you here today?¡±


    Asked one of the boys. She pped her hands to remind herself of what she was supposed to do.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I¡¯d like to ask you something. All of you were born there, right? Do you know a trader who lives in your kingdom? He is called Shalloak Cornrogue.¡±


    ¡°Shalloak Cornrogue? Oh, you mean Money-Grubber Shalloak,¡± one of the boys said with a disgusted look. Mia raised an eyebrow. That was a pretty bad name for the book. ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s done a lot of things and made a lot of money from them. I¡¯m sure he also knows a lot of nobles.¡±


    After asking a few questions, she found out that Shalloak wasn¡¯tpletely cut off from the nobles, but that none of his connections were important enough for her to worry about. Whether it was good or bad, it seemed like most of his ties were only about making money. No one he knew seemed likely to help him if it meant getting in trouble with the empire.


    <em>It would be a problem if he was friends with important people in Sunnd or Belluga, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. I think it¡¯s safe for me to make fun of him as much as I want. And right in his face!</em>


    She was too busy putting on her best evil grin to notice that Tatiana¡¯s face had changed.


    ¡°¡­ Master Shalloak Cornrogue?¡± She also didn¡¯t hear the little whisper the girl made.


    Author¡¯s Note: The other day, I said that the firl that was helped in the hallway was a mob character¡­. That was a lie.

 Chapter 403

    <strong>Laughing at Fools</strong>


    After getting a lot of information, which took her about an hour, eating some snacks, rolling around in bed for a week or so, and doing other things to waste time, Ludwig sent her a message telling her that Shalloak was on his way. She went straight to the town where Ludwig was staying.


    As nned, she got there a day before Shalloak arrived, which gave her and Ludwig a lot of time to get ready. She got a room at an inn to stay the night so that he would feel wee and she could get back at him for what he did that day. The small town didn¡¯t have anything close to luxury lodging, and it took some work to convince the poor innkeeper to give her the room. He kept apologizing that he ¡°can¡¯t possibly amodate someone like Your Highness here.¡± In the end, she convinced him that he had nothing to worry about as long as he ran a clean, normal business. Mia cared most about whether or not the inn had a ce to take a bath. Luckily, it did, and she took a refreshing dip before going to bed.


    The next day, she was rested and ready to meet Shalloak at the inn, where she showed him to her room. It wasn¡¯t very big, and there were already a lot of people inside. Ludwig stood beside Mia. Anne was on the other side of her. Bel, who had asked toe along so she could see Mia¡¯s heroic actions, sat down in a corner of the room to watch.


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to thank you foring all the way here,¡± Mia said with a smile that showed she was in control. She stood up and curtsied elegantly. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. ¡°I¡¯m Mia Luna Tearmoon, princess of the Tearmoon Empire,¡± she said to him in a way that couldn¡¯t have been more polite. Thest time she went to see him, he didn¡¯t even get out of his chair. He greeted her while he was sitting on his throne with all the arrogance of a king meeting a serf.


    Mia was different, though. True majesty doesn¡¯t need to show off. Bluffing and blustering would only bring down the respect that is already there. On the contrary, one¡¯s high status was shown by how well they followed rules and etiquette. So Mia acted with the greatest dignity, as if to contrast the crudeness of his previous performance.


    <em>Oh, I can¡¯t wait! This will be a lot of fun!</em>


    She was anything but calm on the inside. She was so happy that she could hardly hold it in. She wanted to say so many many things to him. She was so eager to start a talk that she ended up introducing herself first, even though she had nned to just wait and see.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s such a pleasure to be weed with such warmth. My name is Shalloak Cornrogue, and it is my pleasure, Your Highness.¡± He got down on one knee, and she nodded to show that she understood.


    ¡°Please sit down. We¡¯re not in a hurry, so let¡¯s start by having some tea.¡± She pointed to a tea set and a variety of tea cakes. In particr, she had asked Rania to make her a collection of the best Perujin cookies. Shalloak hadn¡¯t given her even a crumb in the previous reality, but Mia was different. She was going to crush him under the weight of her kindness to show him how much better she was. She wasn¡¯t doing it for small reasons, like to avoid Anne¡¯s warnings about overeating by saying she was snacking as a sign of respect for their friend. That would be nder.


    ¡°I must say, though,¡± Shalloak said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that the princess of Tearmoon is staying in such a¡­¡± He looked around the room, but stopped when he saw something in Mia¡¯s hair. ¡°Excuse me, but the hairpin you¡¯re wearing is very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this?¡±¡° With a smile, she took it out of her hair. ¡°It¡¯s made from a beautiful tree called the ¡®Unicorn¡¯s Horn,¡¯ which grows in one of the empire¡¯s woods.¡±


    ¡°Ah. A tree. I see,¡± he said, and his attention level dropped a bit. Mia gave him a sweet smile.


    ¡°Does it seem strange to you?¡± She asked with a smallugh. ¡°That I, a princess of a powerful kingdom, wear a wooden hairpin? Also, you didn¡¯t finish yourst phrase, but I¡¯ll guess that you think it¡¯s strange that I¡¯d choose to stay in an inn like this. Do you agree?¡±


    Shalloak¡¯s eyes got a bit bigger. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right. In fact, a person of your stature doesn¡¯t belong in a tiny ce like this. I worry about what people might say about it. It would be bad for your reputation. Don¡¯t you think your carriage would be better than this ce? I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being too forward, but I saw the carriage Your Highness has parked in front, and it¡¯s beautifully made. Now that¡¯s a coach fit for a princess!¡± he said.


    Mia smiled in satisfaction at his statement. ¡°Yes, the carriage is nice, but it doesn¡¯t have a bath.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shalloak frowned in confusion.


    ¡°This inn, on the other hand, has a great bath. Even one of the best. Few things are better than soaking in a warm spring and then gulping from it.¡±


    Belluga was known for its many water sources. It was said that people could be beautiful just by drinking from its springs.


    ¡°If you want to see the best of a ce, you should stay in its inns and talk to its people. Isn¡¯t that how it works? Only real locals can lead you to real riches.¡±


    In fact, Mia knew the golden rule of pleasure-seeking: keep an open mind. Mushrooms from Tearmoon grew in Tearmoon. In Belluga, Belluga¡¯s mushrooms. In Remno, Remno¡¯s. It was stupid to go to other countries and still think that the best food was made up of only the mushrooms you knew from home. Mushrooms from the area were best for making meals. So, the best way to have fun was to keep looking for the best mushrooms that grew in the area. This concept of fungal fulfillment could also be applied to other things. Her carriage was nice, but to turn down a local inn because it wasfortable and familiar would be the height of stupidity and a sign of extreme narrow-mindedness. In the same way, it was silly to judge the value of everything by the thing you knew best, like money. And she was really trying to get across thatst point.


    ¡°Also, about this hairpin¡­ It was made by a certain kid who gave it to me.¡± Mia said, ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorites because it was made with love and care.¡±


    She closed her eyes in a quiet way. ¡°I don¡¯t need expensive hair essories whose only value is how much they cost. After all, I¡¯m in a position where I can decide for myself what things are worth.¡±


    When Shalloak heard this proud statement, he shrank a little and said, ¡°I¡­see. Th-That¡¯s a wonderful way to see things. I didn¡¯t think Your Highness would do anything less. So, does this mean you¡¯ll take me up on my offer?¡±


    ¡°Offer? Oh¡­ Yes, that thing.¡±


    ¡°I did my best to make it as kind as I could.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d guess so. I think you¡¯re giving about a third of what Forkroad is asking?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Marco of Forkroad & Co. has a daughter, and that she is a good friend of Your Highness. Consider the discount a payment for the friendship.¡±


    ¡°A payment for the friendship, you say¡­¡± Mia narrowed her eyes at Shalloak as he put on a groveling smile.


    ¡°The deal will end up breaking up a valuable friendship. I thought you would need arge amount of money to be happy with the deal, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m offering now.¡±


    She smiled back at him. ¡°So I see. Mr. Shalloak Cornrogue, this is a very good deal for us. Well, the thing is¡­¡± She stopped and gave him a re. ¡°I¡¯ve been dying to tell you something, and I¡¯d like to say it now.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m ready to listen, Your Highness.¡±


    She looked at him and his confused face, then took a deep breath.


    ¡°If you think money can solve all your problems, you should think again!¡± She smiled with pleasure. ¡°As I said before, money doesn¡¯t matter to me. I value friendship far more. Trust, loyalty, and gratitude¡­ All of these things are much more important to me than money. Only a fool would throw them away for money.¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Shalloak stepped back, shaking.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was out of shock or anger. She didn¡¯t care either. ¡°It is stupid to think that money can solve every problem in the world. That kind of thinking is what makes people lose sight of what things are really worth.¡±


    Having told him what she¡¯d wanted to say in the previous timeline, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Stupid? Here, the only stupid mistake is¡­ Hmph, I came here to see what the Great Wisdom of the Empire knew about life, and this is what I find?¡±


    Mia paid him no mind. Even Shalloak¡¯s bitter grapes tasted sweet when he got what he deserved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, but I have to say something. Trust and friendship¡­ These are traps. It¡¯s a sign of weakness to fall for such emotional wishful thinking and get confused about what you stand to gain and lose. By denying that money is irrational, you give in to the trap of your feelings. What a sad sight.¡±


    ¡°Be careful what you say. You¡¯re talking to the princess of Tearmoon,¡± Ludwig said angrily.


    Mia waved him back. Then¡­


    ¡°No matter what you say, Shalloak Cornrogue, I am not going to change my mind. I will do everything I can to help Forkroad and Company. Sir Marco had faith in me and stuck to the rules of our agreement. So, I have to earn back his trust. To make him your enemy is to make me your enemy. I want you to remember that.¡±


    Shended the final hit and grinned with pure joy.

 Chapter 404

    <strong>The Splendid Life of Shalloak Cornrogue, the Merchant King</strong>


    Shalloak Cornrogue the King of Merchants.


    When the great famine hit, he saw a once-in-a-lifetime business chance and took it, taking over the food deliverywork for the whole continent in one fell swoop. He started calling himself the Merchant King after he bought a lot ofpanies and got power over a lot of independent merchants.


    The next part of his life was full of wealth and beauty. He was without a question a very smart businessman, and if there was a god of money and greed, he must have been blessed by him as well. His wealth kept growing, taking him to heights of wealth that no one before him had ever reached. He was both a hero and a viin, a rogue and a champion. He was a warrior of fortune who took fame from the mouths of chaos and did well in times of trouble.


    Whates next is the ending of this story, which shows how Shalloak Cornrogue¡¯s long and interesting life came to an end.


    Shalloak Cornrogue copsed on his way to make a business deal. Years of overeating and not getting enough exercise had put too much stress on his body. Even though he was unable to move, he lived, but his body didn¡¯t. His limbs no longer belonged to him. He couldn¡¯t move or talk anymore, so all he could do was lie in bed and watch the world go by. Since he didn¡¯t have a wife, children, or even brothers, thew said that his fortune should go to his top servant.


    His ¡°god¡± didn¡¯t help him out of his trouble. Instead, it left him little by little as his chief assistant wasted his money. Shalloak¡¯s subordinates did not get his business sense, which is a shame.


    ¡°You¡¯re a ming idiot!¡± He wanted to scream at the man over and over again. Shalloak thought it was clear when the top attendant agreed to deals that he should have known better. He was so angry about how stupid everyone was. If only he could say how angry he was.


    Even so, his anger didn¡¯tst for very long. Soon, the life he had been given started to go out, too. Then, the richest king who ever lived took hisst breath while sleeping in a beautiful bed in a room fit for a king. The room¡¯s furnishings were worth more than a person¡¯s lifetime¡¯s wages. He died alone, and he didn¡¯t want anyone to be there to see it.


    So, the story of his life came to an end. It was a sad and empty one.


    ¡­Then he woke up.


    Shalloak said, ¡°Hmph, what a stupid dream,¡± as the noise of the carriage came back into focus.


    In his dream, he saw how his life would end if he reached the top, which was the highest goal for a merchant. It showed him how a man who had made money his god lived hisst days. For a dream, it felt too real to be a dream, leaving behind a bitter taste of sorrow.


    ¡°Everything is due to what that girl said. Such nonsense¡­¡± He snorted, and the sound made him feel better. Still, Mia Luna Tearmoon¡¯s words kept going over and over in his head. ¡°¡®More important than money¡¯¡­Friendship. Loyalty. Trust. Gratitude. These are the things that the princess said were worth more than money. Mere cliches. The mindless chatter of a child.¡±


    He had given up on those ideas a long time ago. No, he¡¯d already sold them. Even though they were dirt cheap, they still cost money.


    Friendship? One gold made for a good deal. Gratitude? He could get everything he could ever want and still not be any better off. He thought that people who said that money wasn¡¯t everything and that there were things more important than money were just repeating the tired chant of losers. But¡­


    ¡°That damn girl¡­¡± He bit his teeth together. Even though the Great Wisdom of the Empire had a lot of money and power, she believed what she said. Even though she was a live example of unimaginable wealth, she said that some things are much more important than money. Hearing her say those things made him feel like he had wasted his whole life. It scared him more than he could have imagined.


    ¡°I heard something stupid, and it gave me a stupid dream. So, that¡¯s it. Great Wisdom? Hah, give me a break. Who would have thought she would be so stupid that she can¡¯t even see the value in such a kind offer¡­? Tearmoon is about to die if it holds up a girl like that as a wise person.¡± The words came out of his mouth like bile. Then he tried to smile in a mean way, but failed. Something in him rang the bell. It was trying so hard to convince him that the dream was real. That at some point in the far future, he would die a cold, angry death like the one he just saw. Despite the fact that¡­


    ¡°Then what? I¡¯ve been this way for too long to change now.¡± He was over the age of 50. Was he supposed to change his whole way of life now? It couldn¡¯t happen.


    Shalloak had given up a lot of things in his life to make money, but the one thing he couldn¡¯t give up was the ¡°way of life¡± he had been so careful to follow. Even though the Merchant King was very smart, he couldn¡¯t win this one time. Because of this¡­


    ¡°I will never agree to a way of life that doesn¡¯t understand the value of money.¡±


    Forkroad was one of the things that made him sad. Even though he was a fellow business owner, the man ran his business with making money as a secondary goal. It went against everything that Shalloak stood for. Mia Luna Tearmoon was even more of a pain.


    ¡°Money is strength. Money is my god. Who does that girl think she is, saying that there are things more important?¡±


    She t-out didn¡¯t agree with his values, so he didn¡¯t agree with hers either.


    ¡°Uneptable. Completely uneptable.¡±


    The fact that he was good at business told him that the famine was not something that would go away soon; it was here to stay. So, the trade routes that Forkroad used to bring foreign wheat into the country would be worth their weight in gold. If they could control how much wheat got on the market and slow it down just enough to make demand go up, they could make a lot of money.


    Sure, it would mean that some people would go hungry, but that¡¯s fine. The news that a few people have died from hunger could even make the situation worse. People would lose their sense of right and wrong because they were afraid of dying. This made it possible for a bag of wheat to sell for the price of a castle.


    So, a strategy of giving enough wheat to the continent to meet demand and keeping prices from going too high was fundamentally ipatible with what he wanted to do. It would mean that he would have to bring more food on each trip, which would raise his shipping costs and force him to sell the food for less.


    And, for some strange reason, Forkroad was eager to go along with this crazy n the princess was trying to make happen. He made fun of them in his mind for being so stupid.


    He had to, so he did. Anything else was just too much to bear.


    ¡°Tearmoon has a low chance of being able to feed itself. That shows that Perujin Agricultural Country is relied on a lot. As far as I can remember, the king there is¡­¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t know that the next plot was already in the works.

 Chapter 405

    <strong>Loyal Retainer Anne Hardens Her Heart</strong>


    It was a nice day inte spring, with warm sunshine that meant summer wasing and the wheat harvest wasing up soon. Anne stood in Mia¡¯s room and watched her roll around in bed as she usually did. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. It was something that had been bothering her ever since Esmeralda¡¯s trip the summer before. What had really upset her were the things that had happened before the trip. Mia, who had gotten a bit of a belly pooch, had to sweat and work hard for a long time.


    <em>Miss Esmeralda might ask her back someday. Maybe it would be best for her to start working out more often.</em>


    Anne didn¡¯t think Mia was overweight. She was beautiful just the way she was. If anything, a little extra weight made her more cute.


    ¡­which was a dangerous way to think.


    Regardless of how she felt about it, it was clear that Mia hadn¡¯t been getting much exercisetely, which the head chef said was bad for her health¡­


    So, Anne made up her mind: ¡°Mdy. Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm? Anne, what is it?¡±


    Mia moved around on the bed to look up at Anne. It moved in a way that would be expected of a sea creature that got stuck onnd. A mermaid, perhaps. Something that can¡¯t walk on two legs or any legs at all. Thezy sight might have been thest straw for Anne.


    All the important talks, student council chores, and fighting with a secret cult that Mia had to deal with every day were no doubt exhausting. Anne knew how hard these things were to carry. So, she had always taken the position that Mia could be aszy as she wanted in the quiet of her own room.


    But there had to be limits, so Anne hardened her heart.


    ¡°Mdy, you haven¡¯t been taking dance lessonstely, have you? Why don¡¯t you invite Prince Abel or Prince Sion to join you?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t hate physical exercise in general. She just wasn¡¯t interested in doing it on her own time. If you left her alone for a few days, she would soon go into energy-saving mode and stop working. Anne had to warn her because she was her right hand. As her friend, she preferred to do it as quietly as possible.


    ¡°Dance?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Interesting. I haven¡¯t danced in a long time. It might be a good idea to invite Abel. In that case, I might as well get the student council involved and n something like a dinner party where everyonees. But it¡¯ll be a dance-and-cake party.¡±


    ¡°H-Hold on, mdy.¡±


    When Anne heard that Mia¡¯s train of thought was getting off track, she stopped her. Dancing was fine, but it wouldn¡¯t help if she ate a lot of cake while she was doing it. And it would be a lot. Anne knew that herdy loved food and had a big appetite.


    ¡°That sounds like it would take a long time to set up. What about¡­a long horse ride instead?¡±


    Mia¡¯s ¡°right arm¡± skillfully changed the subject. If only her body was as flexible as her mind.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s also an interesting idea. I haven¡¯t been going to the riding club either. I¡¯m curious about Kun and the others¡­ Yes, I think I¡¯d enjoy getting back into long horse rides.¡±


    Luckily, the switch worked, and Mia quickly turned her attention to the new idea. One of her strengths was that she was ready to give in to outside forces.


    ¡°Oh, can I go too?¡± Bel, who had been listening to what was being said, put up her hand. ¡°I want to see if the baby horse is healthy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good point. You were also there back then. Well, I don¡¯t mind if youe along, but¡­¡± Mia thought for a while and then snapped her fingers. ¡°I know! Then we should ask Rina toe with us.¡±


    ¡°Rina too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If we didn¡¯t, she might feel left out, which would be a shame, right?¡± Mia said, then smiled in a sneaky way. ¡°That way, you can both join the equestrian club together.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± You want me to join the equestrian club?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When we were going across the ins, you did pretty well. I think you¡¯ll be galloping around in no time if you practice.¡±


    Anne, catching on to what Mia had said, added.


    ¡°Yes, I agree. Even I was able to figure it out after enough practice. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out very quickly, Miss Bel.¡±


    Just so you know, Anne had two left feet in general, and it took her a lot of work to get to the point where she could ride. She didn¡¯t say this, though, because she knew that keeping Mia healthy meant sacrificing the truth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t call yourself a good princess until you can ride a horse, Bel. And you want to be a good princess like me, right?¡±


    There were so many things wrong with what she said. Sad to say, no one there would point it out.


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    Mia pursed her lips and said ¡°Hmm¡± again.


    She then looked at Anne and whispered something in Bel¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I know you think you could be sent back to your home world at any time, and if that happens, all of this would have been for nothing. That¡¯s easy to understand. But listen, Bel. Even if you get sent back, you should learn how to ride a horse before you leave. It makes running away a lot easier¡­¡±


    She smiled and winked.


    ¡°Besides, horses are adorable creatures, aren¡¯t they? I think riding with Citrina will make it more fun.¡±


    Anne added.

 Chapter 406

    <strong>Long Time No See!</strong>


    <em>Oho ho, good one, Anne. You found the best way to do it. I knew I could count on you.</em>


    Mia smiled happily as she led Citrina to the stable.


    <em>The answer is hobbies. If Bel finds something to do, she might stop thinking about how short her time here might be. Once she has something fun to look forward to, she won¡¯t care as much about getting ready for death. At least, let¡¯s hope. I mean, if I were her, I¡¯d do everything I could to stay alive.</em>


    Now that she pretty much knew why Bel spent so much money on useless things, she knew the answer wouldn¡¯t be easy. Still, she had to try again and again. Bel didn¡¯t have many choices, so the idea of giving her a hobby <em>was</em> a good one that she hadn¡¯t thought of before.


    <em>Eventually, I¡¯ll probably want her to take up some more sophisticated hobbies. Like mushroom hunting. I¡¯m good in it myself, after all. But for now, horseback riding will do. Horses are cute, so she should have a lot of fun with them.</em>


    As she thought, her eyes went to the figure next to Bel who was smiling sweetly.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, Rina, do you know how to ride?¡±


    Citrina tilted her head and looked confused. The act was sweet, and her face was so cute that it put well-made dolls to shame. Just by looking at her now, it was easy to forget that she had been part of the Chaos Serpents before. It was probably a lot easier to get involved in plots when people could ride horses. Mia thought that Citrina might already know how.


    ¡°No. This will be Rina¡¯s first time.¡± Citrina smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Oh, riding with Bel is going to be so much fun!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mia crossed her arms and thought for a moment.


    <em>If neither of them has done it before, it may be hard for me to teach them on my own. I may be a great horse rider, but¡­</em>


    She created the Flotsam method of horse riding, so in a way, that was true. Mia was a master rider, but she knew her boundaries. When they got to the stable, she saw someone she knew.


    ¡°My, you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, miss. Long time, no see.¡± Lin Malong, who was in the stable taking care of the horses, came out to her with a joyfulugh.


    ¡°Long time, Malong. You finished school at Saint-Noel in the spring, right?¡± She thought he had gone back to the Equestrian Kingdom already. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came back because you miss the horses,¡± she added with a smile.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure the horses would be fine. But I¡¯m not sure about you and Abel, so I came back to check on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Well, I¡¯m d you¡¯re worried. We¡¯re actually doing fine, so you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, that¡¯s good to hear. But jokes aside, Rafina asked me toe back asionally to take care of the horses. Gives me a chance to see how the riding club is doing, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re still a ball of horse-loving energy,¡± she said with a friendlyugh. After chatting with Malong some more, Mia took a look inside the stable.


    ¡°Hello, Kayou. How are things with you? I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been around more often to see you.¡±


    Thest time she had seen the horse was in the winter. She hadn¡¯t had enough free time to go horseback riding since then. She was worried for a moment that Kayou had forgotten about her, but the friendly nose-huff he gave her when he saw her put that worry to rest.


    ¡°Mmm hm hm, yes, I haven¡¯t seen you in too long. And so are you!¡±


    She looked at the young horse next to Kayou. Its tiny ears moved when it heard her voice. Its face showed signs of Kayou¡¯s gentleness and respect.


    ¡°His name is ¡®Gingetsu.¡¯ Means ¡°silver moon,¡± Malong said as he came up behind him.


    ¡°Silver moon! I like the way that sounds. Gingetsu is a great name, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The more she looked at the foal, the more she thought she had found her soul horse. She promised she¡¯d ride it when it got a little bigger.


    ¡°Wow, it grew so much!¡± Bel said as she ran up to her.


    ¡°Yes, it did,¡± agreed Citrina. ¡°Thest time we saw it, it was so small,¡± the two girls said to each other as they pointed at Gingetsu, who seemed to remember them. It moved slowly toward them and wiggled its nose.


    It was a very nice scene, and Mia watched them lovingly until she had a thought that made her frown.


    ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°Kun is missing. Was he taken for a ride by someone?¡±


    Something was missing from her usual time with horses: she couldn¡¯t feel Kun¡¯s smug look on the back of her neck. She had been very ufortable around the horse for a long time, but after they risked their lives to get away from certain death that night, she had grown to like it.


    Its constant arrogance used to drive me crazy, but now I find itforting. She trusted it as much as she would a longtime soldier friend.


    ¡°Oh, Abel¡¯s riding him right now, and¡ª Looks like he¡¯s back.¡±


    Mia turned just in time to see Abel walk in with Kun¡¯s leads in his hand.


    ¡°Hey, Mia. Did youe to do some riding?¡±


    He smiled at her with his usual ease.


    ¡°Yes, in fact. I thought I¡¯de because it¡¯s a nice, sunny afternoon. So¡­¡±


    She looked him over from head to toe. ¡°You¡¯re a real mess, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    There were bits of dirt on his face. When she looked more closely, she saw that his riding clothes were also dirty. He smiled in a strange way. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a baptism by mud. This horse is something!¡±


    ¡°Really? You could have picked a different horse if you just wanted to ride for a while.¡±


    Kun¡¯s personality was a bit wild. It wasn¡¯t an easy horse to ride at all. There were better horses to stroll around with. Kayoues to mind. She didn¡¯t understand his choice.


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t get too discouraged. Kun is hard to get used to,¡± she said.


    ¡°But you rode him like it was nothing. If I can¡¯t, it will make me look bad,¡± he said, pouting his lips just a little bit. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out how to ride him. Just you watch. I haven¡¯t quite figured him out yet, but I¡¯ll keep trying until I do.¡±


    Mia looked at him and knew right away what she was seeing. <em>My! So this is what people mean when they say that boys can be stubborn. How cute!</em>


    She had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from grinning. Even though Abel was bing an amazing young man quickly, his heart was growing much faster than his brain. His figurative tiptoeing to look more adult was so cute it made me want to swoon.


    <em>One of his cuter qualities is the way he sometimes gets so stuck on something and won¡¯t admit defeat. Hm? She had a sudden feeling that something was wrong. How odd. Why do I have the feeling that I¡¯m forgetting something important? Something that I should not forget. </em>


    At least, that¡¯s what she thought. Something¡­was missing in this scene. Something that hadn¡¯t happened yet.


    She felt a puff of air on the back of her neck at that very moment. Instead of wind, it felt like¡­


    ¡°M-My¡­ such a nostalgia. I wonder what it is¡­¡±


    She turned around and saw Kun standing there. More specifically, Kun¡¯s noses that were wide open.


    ¡°A-Ah. Kun. I don¡¯t remember thest time I¡ªGyaaah!¡±


    Kun¡¯s nose cannon¡¯s thunderous roar blotted out her shameful scream. For some reason¡ªmaybe because it had been so long since thest one¡ªthe sneeze was even stronger than normal.

 Chapter 407

    <strong>Happy Delusion</strong>


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡±


    After making a promise to meet again, Mia started walking back to the dorm to wash off the horse slime.


    She walked slowly out of the stable, then picked up her pace to a fast walk. A hundred stepster, she started running at full speed. She ran like the wind to get to the public baths.


    While Anne went to get her another outfit, she quickly took off the ones she was wearing and jumped into the pool. Just as she got a good froth going with the soap that was there, Anne came in with Mia¡¯s favorite horse shampoo and started washing her hair right away. Anne worked quickly but carefully, and she was done just as Mia finished cleaning up. Then Mia quickly got dressed and ran back to the riding ground.


    She ran like the wind again until she was only a few steps away, and then she mmed on the brakes and stopped. After a moment, she started walking again at a slow pace to let her breath catch up.


    ¡°Hello, Abel.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that was quick!¡± Abel jumped off the fence he was sitting on when he saw here back. His slim, athletic body was covered by a brand-new shirt and ck pants with a rxed look.


    <em>Hmm¡­ Even though this outfit isn¡¯t exactly fit for a prince, it¡¯s still pretty good.</em>


    The difference between his normal look and this more casual outfit was very wee. He had also washed his ck hair and let the clean strands blow freely in the wind. The fresh scent of soap wafted from it and tickled her nose, making her sigh with happiness.


    <em>Abel is always so handsome.</em>


    ¡°Hmm? What are you looking at?¡±


    Her long look made him raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± she said. ¡°More importantly, let¡¯s go into the riding ground.


    Inside, Bel and Citrina were already taking lessons from Malong.


    ¡°Wow, the back of a horse is so high up. I didn¡¯t notice before, but now that I have time to look around, it¡¯s really obvious.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, it sure is. At this height, it feels great to gallop across a stretch of fields. If you evere to the Equestrian Kingdom, I¡¯d love to take you for a long ride.¡±


    ¡°Please, yes! That sounds really cool!¡±


    Bel seemed to be enjoying herself.


    ¡°You brought those two with you today, right?¡± said Abel.


    ¡°Yes. I wanted to ride myself, of course, but my main goal is for Bel to learn how to ride.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Teaching Miss Bel how to ride¡­¡±


    Abel crossed his arms and watched as Malong started to walk forward, leading the horse behind him. Bel swayed back and forth on its back. Mia thought of her younger self when she saw Bel¡¯s face as she tried hard to stay upright and looked a little desperate.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty good,¡± she said with a smile of happy memory.


    Abel said, ¡°She might be a natural.¡±


    ¡°You may be right. Back when the Holy Eve Festival was going on, she rode pretty well, too. Who can say? Maybe she¡¯ll surprise us all with how quickly she learns.¡±


    They both smiled softly as they watched Bel try to ride.


    ¡°Once she learns to ride, a lot of doors will open for her. Things will be easier to deal with in general. Not that I ever want to get her involved in something like that again, but¡­¡± Mia knew that no matter how careful she was, she would eventually put Bel in danger again. It didn¡¯t seem avoidable. When that timees, riding a horse should be a very useful skill.


    Mia was thinking about these surprisingly important things until it urred to her to think about her own situation. Specifically, where she was standing next to Abel and how things were going around them.


    It was nice. She was standing next to her beloved prince and watching her wobbly granddaughter ride a horse with a mix of love and worry, sometimes shouting words of support. There was no rush or thrill, only quiet happiness. A simple one, asmon as a pebble on the side of the road, but still a happiness.


    She realized at that moment that she had never imagined a future like this, one with so much everyday happiness.


    <em>I¡¯ve just been desperately trying to avoid bad futures the whole time. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. What if I got married to Abel? What would happen next if that ured?</em>


    She hadn¡¯t thought of it before. What if she got married to this sweet boy standing next to her? Her thoughts got out of hand. She imagined a nice day like this one, when they¡¯d take their kids on a long ride and then have a pic lunch of horse-shaped mushroom sandwiches¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    When she came back to the real world, Abel was looking at her with interest. He gave a soft smile. She had to hold back a gasp of awe.


    ¡°What? Um, it¡¯s nothing. Oho ho. So, why don¡¯t we all go for a ride?¡±


    She looked around quickly. Bel had just finished her ride and was getting off her horse by chance. She ran toward themughing and waving her hands, showing that she had liked the experience.


    <em>Mmm hm hm, look at her go! She¡¯s so happy. It¡¯s good to know she¡¯s having fun.</em>


    Just as Mia was enjoying watching Bel, her granddaughter tripped and fell in a spectacr way.


    ¡°Bel!¡± Mia yelled. <em>Oh, this is what happens when you get too excited</em>, thought Mia as she ran over to help Bel get up. ¡°Moons, Bel, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay.¡± Bel let out an embarrassedugh. ¡°Wow, I really fell there!¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well, I guess you¡¯re okay if you canugh about it,¡± said Mia as she looked at the girl.


    When she turned her head and looked down, she saw¡­<em>the sight</em>. Bel¡¯s soft knee was covered in red, red blood. It was a terrible sight.


    ¡°B-Bel¡­ You¡¯re¡­,¡± was all she could say before Bel¡¯s body fell out of sight. But it was her body that fell backward.


    ¡°O-Ooooh¡­¡±


    ¡°Mia!¡±


    Abel¡¯s frantic voice was thest thing she heard before everything went dark. Mia was the kind of person who would pass out if she saw blood. Blood meant pain, and she couldn¡¯t handle neither pain nor seeing it.

 Chapter 408

    <strong>Mia Recognizes her F.A.T.</strong>


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Mia woke up and saw she was in a clean bed. ¡°Where¡­? Ah, I¡¯m in the treatment room.¡±


    Saint-Noel Academy, where young nobles from all the nearby countries went to school, had an excellent system for medical care. This shouldn¡¯t be a surprise, since it was the Central Orthodox Church that set up treatment centers all over the continent, making it possible for more people to get medical care.


    As its home country, the Holy Principality of Belluga had a lot of medical knowledge that had been built up over time. Mia may have felt so good after getting such cutting-edge care that she jumped out of bed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I have to say that Saint-Noel Academy did a great job. Their medical care is excellent.¡±


    ¡­Or it could be that she didn¡¯t need any care in the first ce. She passed out when she saw the blood, but Abel grabbed her as she fell. They just put her on a bed, even though she didn¡¯t seem to be hurt.


    A girl walked over when she noticed that Mia was waking up.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. President Mia, how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Mia¡¯s eyes got bigger. ¡°My, you¡¯re¡­Tatiana? What are you doing in this kind of ce?¡±


    Tatiana gave her an awkward smile in response to her surprise.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m actually taking part in an experiential program here at the treatment center. My dad was a doctor, so I¡¯m curious about the facilities here¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, your dad is a doctor? I see¡­ Oh, that makes me remember! Where is Bel.¡±


    She quickly took a look around.


    ¡°Ah, Grand- Mia-neesama, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    As if on cue, Bel, Citrina, and Anne walked in, following Bel. They were waiting in the room next door.


    ¡°Hee hee, look, Mia-neesama. I asked Tatiana to fix my wounds. She was really good at it.¡±


    She happily pointed to her knee, which was wrapped in a neat bandage.


    Mia asked, ¡°Are you going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious. You¡¯re such a worrier,¡± Bel said with augh


    Mia wasn¡¯t quite sure. She thought that the fact that bandages were used meant that the injury was bad enough to need them.


    ¡°It bled a little, but the bone is fine and the wound wasn¡¯t that deep,¡± Tatiana said. Her voice wasn¡¯t as shy as it usually was; instead, it was full of confidence.


    ¡°Well, I can see your father in you for sure. Did he teach you all of this?¡± Mia asked.


    There was a short pause before Tatiana replied, ¡°My father died when I was five, so he didn¡¯t teach me much. I taught myself everything I know now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that¡­¡± Mia said, ¡°It must have been a lot of work.¡± and nodded sympatehically.


    Tatiana, on the other hand, didn¡¯t look sad. Instead, it hardened with resolve.


    ¡°President Mia, there¡¯s something I want you to know.¡± She then told the story of how she met and her rtionship with Shalloak Cornrogue.


    ¡°I came to Saint-Noel because I wanted to be a doctor like my father, or at least do something rted to medicine. My family was poor, though¡­ Way, way too poor.¡±


    Tatiana put her hand to her chest as she spoke.


    ¡°Coming here should have been an impossible dream. However, Master Shalloak¡¯s grant program made it possible for me to study here. He even wrote a reference letter for me to the academy.¡±


    ¡°My! Are you serious?¡±


    That surprised Mia.


    <em>I wouldn¡¯t have thought someone like him would be so kind</em>. I mean, he thinks money is god. Oh, but <em>he did say something about giving money to charity in order to keep up his reputation¡­ That¡¯s something that a lot of rich people do.</em>


    As she said again how she didn¡¯t like Shalloak, Tatiana shook her head as if she could read her mind.


    ¡°I know a lot of people don¡¯t like Master Shalloak. People say bad things about him all the time. They all think he¡¯s doing it to improve his image.¡±


    Mia huffed, impressed by how smart thement was.


    ¡°But,¡± Tatiana said, ¡°he started his schrship program when he was much younger. He was still a new merchant at the time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think he had much extra money back then. That must have been a hard cost to handle.¡±


    ¡°It was, but he did it anyway. He said he was thankful for the good business he got to do, so he wanted to give back with his own money. Many people, like me, had their lives changed by him. He helped us. Because they admire him so much, some of us who have already graduated hope to be merchants one day.¡±


    <em>Now, this is some very helpful information. Oho ho!</em>


    Mia kept listening nicely, but she wasughing like a madwoman inside. What she had just heard was, as far as she could tell, embarrassing stuff from Shalloak¡¯s past. It was like seeing a pirate who looked tough talk baby talk to his favorite little kitten. This was a great thing to use as ckmail! Horrible stuff, for sure! The Shalloak of today would probably think this was the height of foolishness when he was young. It would be a part of his past that he would try very hard not to remember because it was so different from what he believes now. He had nothing to do with setting up a schrship scheme for the children of poor families. And paying for it himself, even though he wasn¡¯t very wealthy? What else could such a thing mean butpassion? Or kindness? Or sentimentality?


    <em>For someone who talked a lot about sentimental wish-washing and the dangers of letting feelings get in the way, he sure did a lot of wish-washing and falling into emotional traps back in the day, didn¡¯t he? How dare he tell me what to do!</em>


    Shalloak was supposed to be a superhuman who was coldly calcting, born for money, and would die for it. However, it turned out that he was neither super nor coldly calcting. He was just a normal man with normal weaknesses and feelings. From what he said, he had ws. Weaknesses that Mia knew about and could use at any time.


    She smiled and nodded in satisfaction.


    <em>He didn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would give up easily. I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle back. When that happens, oho ho¡­ I¡¯m going to poke him right where it hurts! He¡¯s such a nice guy. Oho ho ho ho!</em>


    If she had been alone, she would haveughed out loudly in her most evil way.


    ¡°Please, Princess Mia,¡± Tatiana said in a polite way. ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything too cruel to Master Shalloak.¡±


    The sincerity of her plea made Mia smell danger. The idea that they are ¡°grateful for his schrship program¡± might not work. After all, he used his own money to help smart but poor kids get education.


    Knowledge was a tool, and there were people with very sharp weapons who were very thankful to Shalloak. If Mia says bad things about him, she could end up making some very dangerous friends.


    Only now did shee to the sad understanding that Tatiana herself could be a danger. The girl seemed to want to be a doctor. Mia¡¯s time with Citrina taught her that medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin; how they are used makes all the difference. If she could turn someone like that against her¡­


    The paragraphs about how she¡¯d killed herself with poison came back to her mind.


    <em>I thought it was Rina who did it, but I just realized that someone else could have done it, too.</em>


    Finally, Mia realized that she¡¯d be toofortable.


    <em>Ugh, stupid me. I let all of my guard down. I already know that I have to be alert and on my toes all the time.</em>


    She thought back on what happened beforest summer.


    <em>When I didn¡¯t work out as much as I should have, my body got a little bby, which I didn¡¯t like.</em>


    Her swimsuit had trouble fitting her new F.A.T., and now it was doing the same thing again.


    <em>Oh no, I did it. I let myself get too used to things and let F.A.T. sneak up on me. It hit my brain! I¡¯ve gone mentally bby!</em>


    So, after giving it some thought, Mia decided to change her n.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she finally said in response to Tatiana. ¡°It all depends on how he chooses to act.¡±


    First, she made it clear that Shalloak was the only one who could decide how she would treat him. In a way, this wasn¡¯t a lie. She didn¡¯t want to have a fight with the man, much less make things worse between them. The joker in her thought it might be fun to bother him with the dirt she had just dug up, but she wasn¡¯t set on it. With the great famineing, this was a very important time. If he wanted to stay out of danger and stay out of sight, she would be happy to let him.


    However, she had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. If Shalloak kept getting in the way of Forkroad & Co.¡¯s business, she would have to back Forkroad, which would keep her at odds with Shalloak.


    <em>It¡¯s probably not a good idea to keep a small fight like this going with him forever. If only there was a way to just¡­break him.</em>


    Mia snapped her fingers to make a point.


    <em>If he would just do that and ept defeat, the problem would be solved¡­ Oh, I get it!</em>


    When she looked at Tatiana¡¯s face, she had a sh of an idea.


    ¡°Give me a moment¡­ You know, there might be a way to avoid useless fights, but I can only do it if you help me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tatiana blinked. ¡°You want my help?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mia said, nodding with a sneaky evil grin.


    <em>Even if I expose him to his face, he might still deny it. But if I bring her along, I will have much more power. So, I can really make him ufortable. After all, he can¡¯t act like he doesn¡¯t know when one of the kids he helped is right next to me! Oh, you nice, nice man. What will you do when I tell people that Tatiana is my friend? Oho ho¡­ I¡¯m going to put you in a corner, and then I¡¯ll slowly put pressure on you until you break.</em>


    Shalloak made his grant program when he was weak; he gave in to his emotions. Mia was looking at the bad thing that happened because she didn¡¯t think things through. She¡¯d be crazy not to take advantage of it. This also made it easy for Tatiana to take on some of the work. If her fight with Shalloak got worse, she could avoid Tatiana¡¯s anger by saying that she was also to me. It was all part of her n to avoid me.


    <em>Oho ho, with so many things going my way, Shalloak will probably understand it¡¯s best to back off while his wounds are still shallow. If he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯ll face much more shame.</em>


    In war, the most deaths happen when both sides are about the same strength. If one side is much stronger than the other from the start, talks could lead to one side giving up and going home without any fighting. As the princess of a powerful empire, Mia nned to go into war right away with a muchrger army. General Mia the Great had woken up and was showing off her military skills.


    <em>I have enough to do with the famine. A quick, clear win is the only way to go in this case. Just charge in and wipe out the enemy! If, of course, he does try to start a fight with me. No matter what, it doesn¡¯t hurt to be ready.</em>


    So, Mia got Tatiana¡¯s help as a trump card. But she didn¡¯t expect to have to y it so quickly.

 Chapter 409

    <strong>Inverse Proportion of Mind and Body</strong>


    A few dayster, an urgent message from Princess Rania of Perujin Agricultural Country arrived.


    ¡°Mdy, you have a letter from Princess Rania of Perujin Agricultural Country.¡±


    ¡°My, from Rania?¡± Mia tilted her head in a confused way. Rania Tafrif Perujin was now back in Perujin. As their princess, she had to go home every year around this time to take charge of the crop and act as a priestess for their Thanksharvest Festival.


    ¡°Hm¡­ I wonder if it has to do with her ritual dance¡­¡±


    This year, Mia was meant to go see Rania do the ritual dance to honor the Lord at the Thanksharvest Festival. In fact, she had never been asked to the event before. Through her friendship with Rania, her founding of Saint Mia Academy, and her offer of a job to Second Princess Arshia, she had grown closer to the Perujin, which would be very important in theing years when famine hit the continent. Mia would have liked to talk to the king if she could. It would be nice to meet the man in person.


    All of these are good reasons to go to Perujin, but they only tell a one-tenths of the story about why she really wants to go. The other nine-tenths was, of course¡­


    <em>Oho ho, I can¡¯t wait to try all the Perujin food!</em>


    ¡­Food. No one should be surprised by this.


    <em>Perujin is the Holy Land of food. Also, the festival is meant to be a way to show gratitude for the harvest, so there should be a lot of great food. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll even be able to describe how good everything tastes.</em>


    She was already salivating just thinking about all the delicious foods that would be there. She had to gulp down keep from her saliva from leaking. She eagerly opened the letter and was stunned by what it said. Shalloak Cornrogue, a trader, had apparently tried to make a deal with Perujin, and Rania thought he was up to no good.


    ¡°That jerk!¡± He doesn¡¯t learn anything, does he?!¡±


    Mia clenched her teeth as she quickly thought about how dangerous this turn of events was. At first look, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. In contrast to the other scenario, she got along pretty well with Perujin. She was close enough to Princess Rania that they could write each other letters like this, and getting Princess Arshia to teach had made their rtionship even stronger. Still, she thought:


    ¡°I should probably go see Perujin right away.¡±


    It had only been a few days since she realized how much mental F.A.T. she had gained because of her carelessness. If she put too much faith in the personal ties she had made and didn¡¯t do anything, she would surely regret it. Her new way of thinking told her that this was too dangerous to ignore. If it turns out that she was wrong about how dangerous it was, so be it. But if what she said was true, this could be a disaster that brings down the empire.


    ¡°Plus, everyone sees things differently. This can also be thought of as ¡®the earlier I go, the more Peruvian food I get to eat.¡¯ This might be a good thing after all!¡±


    The way a person¡¯s mind changed was sometimes the opposite of how a person¡¯s body changed.


    ¡°Can I go, too, Mia-neesama?¡± Bel, the little pixie who liked to listen in, flew over to Mia and gave her a look that was surprisingly serious.


    ¡°Oh? Why do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I want to go see that trader named Shalloak. I¡¯m a little interested in how he thinks.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Mia pursed her lips and said, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    <em>To be honest, he¡¯s not the kind of person I want Bel to hang out with, but it¡¯s unusual for her to show interest in something like this. Even if I don¡¯t like him, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s a great businessman¡­ She thought it might help her to see how I trick a seasoned businessman like him.</em>


    With this in mind, she looked at Bel¡¯s face. When she saw that Bel¡¯s face was very serious, she nodded.


    ¡°I thought you might be using this as an excuse to skip your tests before the summer, but I see I was wrong. You seem to have a good reason for doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Huh? O-Oh, uh, o-o-of course I do. Aha!,¡± Bel said after clearing her throat. ¡°Oh, please, Grandmother Mia. I would never try to escape an exam. I really want to avoid taking refresher tests this summer so I can spend more time with Rina, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll run away from my problems. As a princess who is rted to the Great Wisdom of the Empire, it would be shameful for me to do that. Also, I think the tests are a big chance for me to show how much I¡¯ve learned from the study sessions you¡¯ve been doing with me¡­¡±


    Bel spoke quickly, like someone who is making up a lot of excuses on the spot. Mia was reminded of herself when she saw how much her granddaughter stuck to the idea that ¡°when pushes to shove, just run away.¡± She chewed on it. It was a time of confused emotions.


    ¡°Okay, okay, fine. But just so you know, you¡¯re still going to have to take your tests.¡± she said in a way that sounded final, but then she thought of something else.


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡± I also need to bring Tatiana.¡±


    It made her feel bad to ask Tatiana to give up her studying time toe with her on the trip, but she couldn¡¯t leave her trump card behind.


    ¡°He seems to be important to her, and I¡¯m asking her toe along to reduce the amount of fighting I¡¯ll have to do with him, so it should be fine¡­¡±


    Mia, Bel, and Tatiana left Saint-Noel together. Ludwig met her on the way, and they all went to Perujin Agricultural Country together.

 Chapter 410

    <strong>Bamboo Friends</strong>


    Perujin Agricultural Country, which said that ¡°no piece ofnd was left unfarmed,¡± had nothing even close to a standing force. Even though the king and his family were secured by royal guards, they were far outnumbered by both the imperial army and the private armies of many Tearmoon nobles. Also, up to 80% of their royal guards were farmers, not trained fighters. Their army was so small that if there was ever a fight, the only thing that could happen to the Perujin was total defeat.


    Even though Perujin couldn¡¯t defend itself, it still stood. The power of the Central Orthodox Church and Perujin¡¯s consistent attitude of total submission to the Tearmoon Empire were the main reasons why it had never been invaded and could stay a sovereign state. The moral fabric that the Church wove through the continent and that all countries shared was a strong deterrent against silly attempts to take over other countries through war. On top of that, Perujin had the support of Tearmoon¡¯s troops, which made it less likely that anyone would try to take advantage of the situation.


    This fact of geopolitics did not stop Perujin from being ambitious, though.


    ¡°The way we will take over the continent is through food.¡±


    That was the big n that an ancient Perujin monarch put forward. Generations of royal families did what they were told and put a lot of Perujin¡¯s resources into making agriculture better. They turned their weakness into an advantage by realizing that not being good at war also meant they didn¡¯t need to be. Instead of spending money on an army, they put their money into farming. Their people came together behind the inspiring goal of making Perujin richer by growing a wide range of high-quality crops. This idea made it clear that they would not always be a vassal state. That if they worked hard enough, they would one day get even with all the other countries. They worked, and worked, and worked¡­


    But none of their hard work paid off. Why? Because the farmer-hating Tearmoon Empire was their neighbor and a key source of military help. Being a vassal state of Tearmoon had kept Perujin safe, but their protector didn¡¯t see the worth in Perujin¡¯s best asset, which was agriculture. Instead, the empire only gave them condescending looks, as if they didn¡¯t want to see dirty Perujin people working thend.


    Between Perujin and Tearmoon, there was a huge gap in culture and knowledge that was almost impossible to cross.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please ept my deepest thanks for letting me talk to you. It¡¯s a real pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Shalloak Cornrogue was kneeling in front of the King of Perujin.


    ¡°As king of a vassal state,¡± he said with a grimace, ¡°I only have majesty in name. This level of protocol is not necessary. But tell me. What do you, a famous businessman, want from a ce like this?¡±


    The king knew that pride and respect were worth their weight in gold to the upper ss, but traders only wanted the gold. When it was good for them in a business deal, that was the only time they followed the rules of royalty. Kneeling was just a way for traders to get to their goal.


    ¡°Ah, Your Majesty really is as wise as people say. I can see that a few nice things won¡¯t be enough to win your trust.¡±


    ¡°¡®Wise¡¯? You say odd words. I¡¯m just a simple man who runs a small country in the countryside,¡± the king said as he motioned for Shalloak to sit down.


    ¡°¡®Simple¡¯? Then it looks like we both like to use strange words. My opinion is that Your Majesty not only has a weapon that can kill even the strongest powers on the continent, but also keeps sharpening it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A tool, you say? So, could you tell me what kind of weapon I have when there are no forces in my country? Do you think I¡¯ve been building up a secret army?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty jests. Armies? Soldiers? Don¡¯t bother yourself with such things. To keep peace in your country, all you have to do is ask Belluga. No¡­ You have something that is much more important. Something that can hurt people to the core of their being.¡± Shalloak smiled with his whole mouth. ¡°Your Majesty, you have food.¡±


    When Shalloak said that, the king¡¯s brow moved in a suspicious way. ¡°I see¡­ Even though my country has put a lot of work into agriculture, I think calling it a weapon is a bit much, don¡¯t you? It seems like an odd choice of words to me.¡±


    He tried to get away byughing, but Shalloak wouldn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°As a country that depends so much on farming, you must feel iting. There are signs that a famine ising: crops are failing and harvests are bad. And what is useful during times of famine? Not gold, not gems. Food.¡± Shalloak stared directly at the king. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it get under your skin, Your Majesty? How does it mean that your country is a satellite state of Tearmoon? Perujin is very good at farming, but as long as the empire is still around, your country will always be a vassal state.¡±


    Thisment did get under the king¡¯s skin. In fact, it went right to his heart and bent the thorn that was already there, because it touched the cursed chains that had been holding Perujin down for a very long time.


    The king said, ¡°That will change when the people are in charge. I¡¯ve heard that the Tearmoon princess knows a lot about food. We can be sure that her presence will make things better for us.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty wants a young girl to feel sorry for you? That sounds like¡­a very hopeless way of thinking.¡±


    The king¡¯s whole upper body twitched this time. He knew that Perujin¡¯s knowledge and experience were real because they had been earned by the sweat and blood of many techs and farmers. The cost was hard to figure out. Even more so, the value. And yet, their prize was to be relying on the kindness of one princess? When it was put like that, it was a very hard pill to swallow.


    Even so, he could still eat it if he was the only one who was upset. His children say that Princess Mia was a good person. She was also working to get more of Tearmoon¡¯s governmental power into her own hands. No matter what she did with it, Perujin would be better off because of it.


    But the hunched figures of his people, with their backs to the hot sun and their sweat wetting the ground, were burned into the king¡¯s thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them. Some of them weren¡¯t there anymore; they were the ghosts of workers from the past who had put the future of the country on their shoulders.


    How could he let the seeds they had worked so hard to nt grow in such a way? To thank them for what they did by giving them a Perujin like this?


    A sultry voice kepting back to him. Crops were used to fight. They could have been turned into dangerous weapons that could kill the kingdom. Those who looked down on them could be hurt by what their ancestors had worked generations to build up. The thought made the king¡¯s heart flutter.


    ¡°What exactly do you want to do? If we don¡¯t send out enough of our crops, Tearmoon will be at my door in a week.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s very easy. Simply raise your prices. But not by a ridiculous amount. Keep it eptable, or maybe even a little bit more than that. Not enough for Tearmoon to think about sending troops down to force you to give in. You just need to slightly raise the price. Then, when they¡¯re used to the new price, raise it again.¡± Shalloak shrunk his eyes. ¡°By the way, Your Majesty, do you know how to cook the eight-limbed fish that is known as Archdemon¡¯s familiar without killing it?¡±


    The king¡¯s eyebrows went up at this unexpected question.


    ¡°It¡¯s also very simple,¡± Shalloak said. ¡°It will get out if you drop it quickly into a pot of hot water. Instead, you heat the water slowly. So, by the time it figures out what¡¯s going on, it will already be cooked.¡±


    He grinned.


    ¡°What matters is how quickly you fan the me. And making these kinds of small changes is what we retailers do best. So, Your Majesty, what do you think? Can I be given the job of dealing with Tearmoon?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you want, huh? I understand now. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t answer you right away¡­ Mr. Cornrogue, will you be going to the Thanksgiving Festival?¡±


    ¡°I will for sure, and I hope to make a good profit, too.¡±


    ¡°Then I will answer your question after the festival is over.¡±


    So they stopped talking. The princess was hiding close by, but neither side knew she was there. They also didn¡¯t know that she and her Tearmoon counterpart were much more linked than they seemed on the surface, like two bamboo shoots that grow from the same underground rhizome.


    <em>This doesn¡¯t sound at all good¡­ What do I do?</em>


    Rania hid in a room next to the room where the crowd was, telling her breathing to slow down. She was used to the room. When they were kids, she and her sister used to y here a lot. There was a crack in the wall between the room and the audience hall. When they were young, they would press their ears to the crack and listen in. Normally, a person with royal blood would never do something like this, but because Perujin was a smaller country, its rules were less strict and allowed for some natural freedom.


    <em>I mean, I don¡¯t think my dad will really do what he said, but¡­ </em>


    No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong. What if it had been her before she met Mia listening to the man? Could she have said no to what he was offering? Her heart beats faster.


    <em>If father agrees with the idea, it will be a big problem. Princess Mia must find out. But¡­do I need to tell her?</em>


    What her father was thinking about would have been a clear act of disrespect toward Tearmoon. If things went wrong, he might make Mia upset. That could lead to nothing good. After thinking about it for a while, she decided to act right away. She had to tell Mia as soon as she could.


    <em>Princess Mia needs to know. She¡¯ll figure it out!</em>


    Her faith in Mia was the only thing that didn¡¯t waver.

 Chapter 411

    <strong>Princess Mia Enjoys Fruit Picking</strong>


    A day¡¯s travel from Tearmoon¡¯s border was a small town where Mia¡¯s group waited for Rania. The whole town grew fruit, and there were only a few houses in the middle of therge areas of farnd. Fields surrounded the town. With harvest time in full swing, the branches were heavy with fruit and swayed slightly in the wind.


    Needless to say, Mia was like, ¡°My, look at this one. It looks ready to eat, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡­In the middle of having a fruit-picking session, Mia looked like a professional fruit picker. She was wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and work clothes with long-sleeves and long-legged-pants that she had borrowed from the vigers.


    ¡°They are like gems you can eat, really. Mmm¡­ They smell so good!¡±


    Mia, a sweets sommelier, twisted a fruit off its branch, held it to her nose, and inhaled its pleasant scent. Then she held it up to the light and looked closely at its color.


    ¡°Hm,¡± she said, ¡°it has been blessed by the sun a lot. Almost ready¡­ Maybe a little too ripe, but that often makes fruit tastier. This one should be a treat for the mouth.¡±


    Fruits called rubyfruits hung in front of Mia and her group. They were red, oval, and had a big pit in the middle that was surrounded by a thinyer of flesh. After peeling the skin, they were usually eaten by biting pieces off with the front teeth. It had a delicious taste that was a mix of sweet and sour.


    ¡°Oh, Tatiana, look! There¡¯s also a lot over here.¡±


    Bel smiled and waved at the younger girl from a distance.


    ¡°S-Slow down, Miss Bel. If you keep running like that, you¡¯ll trip again,¡± Tatiana said as she ran after her quickly. When they were in the carriage, they started talking and quickly became friends. Mia smiled as she watched them y.


    <em>It¡¯s good to see that after Citrina, Bel has made another friend.</em>


    Mia¡¯s inner grandma was happy.


    ¡°All right, you two, keep your eyes open! Make sure to pick all the ones that are ripe. It would be a shame to miss any.¡±


    Mia was also having a great time.


    ¡°Great moons, this is such a unique event. Taking fresh fruits from the trees and eating them there and then. That¡¯s what I call a real treat!¡±


    She had already talked to Ludwig about her n to eat their gains during break, and he gave her the go-ahead. Mia was very careful when it came to things like this.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait. I don¡¯t want to wait! Oh, I can¡¯t wait for break time!¡±


    At first, Anne hade up with the idea of going fruit picking. Anne was afraid that Mia is stressed and would eat too much sugar. She had suggested a fruit-picking trip so that herdy could get some exercise before the tough negotiations ahead. Mia was willing to eat as many fresh fruits as she could, so it seems likely that she didn¡¯t know what her loyal subject was really up to.


    As it turned out, the fruit-picking session had a surprising side effect: it changed how the locals thought of Mia. People in the vige smiled more and more as they saw her stroll through the fields. The reason they liked her so much was, of course, because she helped them with their harvest.


    Mia was a princess. Her skills at farm work were, to be honest, terrible. It could be said that by joining in, she actually slowed down the locals. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, she was a terrible worker. The fact that she was helping, though, meant a lot to the locals.


    To them, a princess was someone who worked hard like they did. During the harvest, they were someone who led them both in spirit and by what they did. And Mia did that very thing. The princess of powerful Tearmoon did the same work as them, which was farming, which was what their country was known for. And that wasn¡¯t all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± said the mayor of the vige. ¡°Princess Mia, are you sure you want to eat these?¡± he asked nervously.


    The mayor was right to be worried. Even though rubyfruits were wonderful, they were a little hard to eat. The skin was too thin to cut with a knife, so the person eating it had to peel it off by hand. Since this was a very juicy fruit, it was inevitable that the hands would get sticky. Also, since there was only a thinyer of flesh covering therge pit, it wasn¡¯t possible to cut off the edible part with a knife and put it on a te. Instead, the person eating the rubyfruit had to bite into the flesh with their teeth.


    In other words, eating a rubyfruit required a bit of bad table manners. This made them easy to make fun of by Tearmoon nobles who didn¡¯t know how to eat them. They thought the fruits and the people who ate them were crude and uneducated. The mayor¡¯s worry that Mia wouldn¡¯t be willing to deal with the awkward process of eating rubyfruits turned out to be unfounded.


    ¡°Yes! Finally! I¡¯ve been looking forward to this!¡±


    Mia picked up a rubyfruit, grinned from ear to ear, happily peeled off the skin, and bit right into the fruit¡¯s flesh without a second thought. She chewed her way down to the seed while sucking on the juices that came out. Her childlike indifference to how sticky everything was immediately made everyone feel better.


    ¡°My, what¡¯s wrong, everyone?¡± She asked, noticing that people were looking at her with interest. ¡°Am I eating it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about us,¡± said the mayor with a soft smile. ¡°We do it exactly the same way. This is the best way to enjoy rubyfruit. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve met some Tearmoon nobles who refused to eat them because it made their hands dirty or because they thought the way was uncouth, etc.¡±


    ¡°Huh. They¡¯re missing out, though. The best part is getting your hands dirty! It makes eating these so much more fun,¡± she said as she sucked the juice off her fingers. It was a strange coincidence, but Rania used to do the same thing.


    ¡°Quite right,¡± he said. ¡°Now I see that Tearmoon¡¯s princesses aren¡¯t that different from ours,¡± the mayor said, saying what everyone else in the vige was thinking. They will always remember the sight as a sign of how much they liked Mia. It got rid of all the bad ideas they had about her station, leaving only love for one of their own princess¡¯s best friends.


    Anyone who can change the minds of a group of people all by themselves should be proud of themselves, but Mia wasn¡¯t. Was it being humble? Of course not. It was a total ignorance. She thought she was just having a nice day picking rubyfruits and eating them.


    Ludwig and Anne watched from a distance.


    ¡°As usual, Her Highness leaves mepletely speechless. The people in the vige already like her. I was pretty sure she agreed to pick fruit for Miss Bel and Miss Tatiana, but I had no idea she was going to do it this way¡­¡± Ludwig sighed in amazement, but soon his eyebrows pinched with worry. ¡°That being said, I know it¡¯s important to win their trust, but I can¡¯t help but worry about Her Highness¡¯s health. I hope she doesn¡¯t force herself to eat more than she needs to.¡±


    Anne shook her head to reassure him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think you can eat too many rubyfruits.¡±


    She said in a way that made Ludwig raise an eyebrow. He looked at her with suspicion, then back at Mia.


    ¡°Wait, is she¡­¡±


    Mia was peeling her third rubyfruit, but it was clear that her movements didn¡¯t have the same energy as the first. At that rate, it didn¡¯t seem likely that there would be a fourth one.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with my younger brothers. When they eat things that are hard to prepare, they end up feeling full just from the work,¡± Anne said. That¡¯s why she suggested they pick rubyfruits after hearing from the locals that they were hard to peel. A point for Mia¡¯s right hand against her stomach.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ludwig looked pleased as he said, ¡°That was very clever, Miss Anne.¡±


    Anne shed the quickest of smug smiles as she walked over to Mia.


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy,¡± she said as she wiped Mia¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°My, thank you,¡± Mia said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat and try one? These are really good.¡±


    After a bit more chitchat¡­


    ¡°Princess Mia? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Rania. You¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡­Rania Tafrif Perujin, princess of Agricultural Country Perujin, arrived.

 Chapter 412

    <strong>The Great Mia, Taster of Peruvian Cuisine</strong>


    ¡°I see¡­ Picking fruit with the vigers?¡± Rania asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mia smiled and said, ¡°I worry about getting in the way, though.¡±


    Mia was on a roll right now, all those fruit juices has started her brain working.


    After meeting up with Rania, they went to the mayor¡¯s house for lunch.


    ¡°Wow, so this is the famous Peruvian dish, the tahkoe.¡± It took a while, but Mia¡¯s patience was rewarded when a thin wrap of yellowish bread filled with meat and vegetables was brought to the table. It was traditional Peruvian food.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­ This looks like a small tbread. Or how about a cr¨ºpe? The dryness reminds me of the bread they make for rituals that doesn¡¯t have any leaveners.¡±


    After a first look, she bit off a piece to try it. When the spicy spices hit her mouth, they quickly melted away, leaving behind the soft sweetness of well-baked dough.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she said. ¡°It has its own special taste and sweetness. Now, let¡¯s try the whole thing.¡±


    Mia took a big bite in the middle, being careful not to let the filling fall out. There was a burst of vors. The ambermoon tomatoes were sour. Sharp red mustard strings on her tongue. She couldn¡¯t name the spices in the mix. Then there were the delicious juices of roasted meat. The bitter taste from the crunchy greens added anotheryer to theplex taste.


    ¡°Wow, that was a very unique culinary experience. Oho ho. Since Rania told me about them, I¡¯ve been wanting to try them. They are, in fact, very good.¡±


    For the record, Mia could handle her spice, which may surprise some people. She could not only eat spicy food, but she could also enjoy it to the fullest. This was thanks to the head chef, who had been giving her all kinds of different foods because he thought that a wide range of vors was a good thing. Mia¡¯s tongue had been through a lot of different tastes, from bitter to sweet, sour to hot. At first, she had trouble eating a lot of things, but now she could enjoy even foods that were very bitter. You could say that her taste buds had grown up.


    You could also say that her taste buds were like those of the average grandma, but not everything that could be said should be said.


    The point is that Mia could now enjoy spicy foods just fine. Along with sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and any other vors that were out there. She could like any taste. Which, if you think about it in terms of body weight, was a pretty dangerous ability. On the bright side, it did make her very open-minded about how people from other countries eat. She tried new foods with an open mind and an even more open stomach.


    ¡°I must say, though, this bread is very interesting. If I just look at the filling, I might as well be eating a sandwich, but for some reason, wrapping it in this bread makes it taste totally different.¡±


    ¡°The dough is made from the flour of a type of grain called fullmoon corn. It¡¯s rted to wheat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not wheat flour. That makes sense,¡± Mia said to herself as she took another bite.


    ¡°Mmm, but it¡¯s very good for sure. I see. It has different properties than wheat flour, so it makes sense that there are different ways to prepare it. Instead of making it into the bread I¡¯m used to, this kind of tbread seems to make better use of its taste.¡±


    Every ce is best enjoyed in the way that is best for it, and food is no different. Assuming that mushrooms taste good no matter how they are cooked shows that you haven¡¯t paid enough attention or done enough work. The real pleasure of mushroom foodes from carefully considering the unique qualities of each species anding up with ways to cook them that work well together.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that if I want to really enjoy all the different crops I can find in Perujin, I¡¯ll also need to learn how to cook them. And to do that, I¡¯ll have to eat more.¡±


    What had started out as a reasonable thought turned out to be a bit scary.


    When Mia had finished eating all the food, Rania slowly lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry things turned out this way, Princess Mia. I¡¯m sorry that my father has put us in this situation¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Rania. I¡¯d be grateful if you could tell me what¡¯s going on, though. What really happened? You said in your letter that Shalloak Cornrogue is going to cause trouble¡­.¡± Mia stole a look at Tatiana and saw that she was grimly looking at the ground.


    Mia told Rania to tell her more.


    ¡°A little while ago, this merchant named Shalloak Cornrogue showed up,¡± Rania said. ¡°It¡¯s the time of year for Thanksgiving, so there are more merchantsing and going than normal. Sometimes it leads to new business deals, so father takes the time to directly answer each one. Shalloak was one of those merchants.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Rania had overheard that unsettling talk, either. Mia had asked Rania to help spread the word about her sister¡¯s study across the continent, so Rania had been looking for good people to connect with. Saint-Noel was a ce where many foreign aristocrats met, so it was a good ce to spread the word about her sister¡¯s finding. Rania knew, though, that that alone would not be enough. A lot of nobles didn¡¯t care what happened on the farms in theirnds, and royalty was often so far away from farming that talking about it was pointless. Even if she was able to convince some people of what she was saying, the knowledge would at best only be spread in their own countries. If she really wanted to fulfill Mia¡¯s dream of spreading information about cold-resistant wheat across the whole continent, she would have to reach out to apletely different group of people.


    So, she set her sights on traders who do business across borders. There were, of course, some traders who only cared about making money and tried to keep the information to themselves. Those people were bad. She needed people who understood why spreading the knowledge was important and were ready to help her do it.


    Because of this, she kept a close eye on the merchantsing into Perujin during the Thanksgiving season. Not just an eye, but also ears. She listened closely to the crack in the wall where her father talked to his guests.


    Never say that Rania doesn¡¯t have a sneaky side.


    As a result, she found out about a n to harm Tearmoon.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Princess Mia. All of this is because of my father¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mia shook her head and told Rania to stop saying she was sorry over and over again. ¡°If anyone should say sorry, it should be me. This is a mess that the empire made, and Perujin just got caught up in it. I¡¯m sorry for making everyone so worried. I also understand how your father feels¡­more than a little confused about his rtionship with the kingdom. As the King of Perujin, he can¡¯t possibly like the way our nobles treat his country.¡±


    Of course, Mia¡¯s ancestors were the ones who started this whole mess, so she made sure to me the way Tearmoon nobles treated Perujin. She was good at moving me, after all.


    Then she sighed and said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to talk to the king about this in person.¡±


    Her voice was firm.

 Chapter 413

    <strong>Castle-Shaped Cake = Cake-Shaped Castle</strong>


    Mia went to the capital of Perujin after she met up with Rania. She stopped in a few small towns along the way. At each one, she made sure to pick fruit with the locals to help them with their crops. After her experience with the rubyfruit, she tried a bite or two of everything she helped gather, making sure to keep her taste buds happy the whole time. Anne and Ludwig also did everything they could at each stop to keep her from eating too much.


    They kept going this way until they were close to the city. Mia looked out of the carriage and saw that the scenery had changed. Deep shades of green had turned into a soft gold that looked like the moon. The change in color was sorge that it was like someone had put clear ss right in front of her eyes.


    Mia was interested and asked, ¡°I guess they aren¡¯t done harvesting the wheat here yet?¡±


    Rania smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. The wheat that grows near the castle is usually picked over the course of six days. If a family¡¯s oldest child is over 10 years old, they alle here and help with the harvest together. When they are done, the Thanksharvest Festival will start.¡±


    The purpose of Perujin¡¯s Thanksharvest Festival was to give thanks to the Lord, but it was also a way to count people. Every year, the oldest kid of each family would go to the capital and report on any changes, like new babies, that had happened in their family. Then, a few people from the group would be chosen to be the king¡¯s special guards for two years. After that, they would go back to their own viges and start farming again while also trying to keep order in their own towns.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a festival for the whole kingdom then.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Miss Mia, look! I can now see it!¡±


    Mia looked forward, drawn by Bel¡¯s excited voice.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Auro Ardea, the capital city of the Perujin¡­¡±


    She took another look around her.


    ¡°Auro Ardea is the ¡®skyward vige of gold.¡¯ I can see where the namees from.¡±


    Once upon a time, a Tearmoon nobleman was said to havee to Perujin and called the city ¡°an abject failure to live up to its name¡± and ¡°little more than a small town in a poor vassal state.¡± The nobleman spat as he left, asking where the gold was.


    Mia thought that if the nobleman hade during harvest time, the story would have been different because the thing he was upset about would have been in in sight, just as it was now. Gold was definitely used to decorate the vige. Wheat that was almost ready to harvest grew in sloping fields. From far away, it looked like a long set of golden stairs with a rectangr building at the top.


    <em>Huh, that¡¯s an interesting shape. Where have I seen that kind of thing¡­?</em>


    ¡°Are you looking at the castle?¡± Rania asked Mia when she saw her looking at the building.


    ¡°Yes. It has such an odd shape. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t look much like a castle.¡±


    ¡°It sure doesn¡¯t,¡± Rania said with augh. ¡°That¡¯s because buildings in Perujin aren¡¯t made for fighting. There are no walls or buildings for guards. The walls are made of wood and are thin. Maybe that¡¯s why so many people like it. We even have a ssic cake that looks like our castle.¡±


    <em>Oh, cakes! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s what I think of when I look at the structure. Even more so the color. It looks just like a freshly baked cake. No wonder so many people like it! And rumor has it that there are even cakes in the shape of it? I¡¯m curious what they are like. Could the size of the cakes match that of the real thing?</em>


    ¡°Does it interest you?¡± Rania asked.


    ¡°It most certainly does!¡± Mia happily nodded.


    <em>As I expected, Her Highness is interested in the castle and what the Perujin royalty who lives there thinks¡­</em>


    Ludwig had hoped that Mia would be interested in the situation. He didn¡¯t find it strange that Perujin buildings had their own style. He knew that they were built without thinking about how they could be used in battle, which was a very unusual way to do things.


    The Whitemoon Pce was Lunatear¡¯s pride and joy. It was built with the idea that beauty was more important than anything else, but it still had all the features of a defensive fortress. In the end, castles were built to protect people, and some of their basic features have always stayed the same.


    But not in Perujin. All of that went out the window when they built their castles. The building on top of the sloping fields was so exposed that it felt like it had nothing on it. There was none of the roughness that is often found in buildings that are meant to look powerful and scary. Instead, it was just¡­simple. Innocent. Almost cheerful. As for where this idea came from¡­


    Rania said in a casual way, ¡°It¡¯s a weird castle, don¡¯t you think? If there was ever a fight, it would probably be burned down in a sh. But war would also burn all the fields, so in the end it doesn¡¯t matter. What good is a big, beautiful castle if there is nothing else to do?¡±


    What she said was basically the national n of the Perujin, who have a lot of farms but not much else. In the game of war, their rules for winning were very different from those of the other yers. They couldn¡¯t afford to have their ownnd be a battlefield. Unlike most small countries, they couldn¡¯t even buy time and wait for help from countries that supported them. As soon as war came to their countries, they lost.


    In fact, they had never nned to fight wars to begin with. ¡°Stay out and stay away¡± was the main goal of their n when it came to war. The unwritten conclusion of this n was that if war broke out anyway, despite their best efforts, they would just ept that they couldn¡¯t stop it.


    The more they did to get ready for war, the more they wasted. In that case, it would have been better not to do anything.


    Of course, having Tearmoon¡¯s army on their side scared people away, and the Holy Principality of Belluga¡¯s moral code made it hard to start a war. Both of these things helped Perujin. These two things were important to their country¡¯s safety. So, most of Perujin¡¯s political moves were aimed at getting the most out of them.


    Even so, Ludwig just couldn¡¯t believe that Perujin waspletely confident in this defensive n. He didn¡¯t think people were smart enough to do it. He thought that giving up if war broke out was the same as saying, ¡°There¡¯s no point in stockpiling food because no amount of food would be enough during a great famine.¡±


    So, he must have been as interested as Mia seemed to be. How did Princess Rania feel about it all?


    ¡°Is it really possible to give up that easily? Everything will be lost if there is ever a war. Can anyone really admit that, just ept that nothing can be done and therefore nothing should be done?¡±


    It was awkward for him to jump into the princesses¡¯ talk without being asked, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. When he asked her the question, Rania took a moment to think before replying.


    ¡°I agree with you that there is an element of ¡®giving up,¡¯ but I think that my ancestors built the castle that way because that was their ideal¡­¡±


    ¡°Their¡­ideal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That there woulde a time when buildings built for war would no longer be necessary¡­ That once everyone had enough food to eat, there would be peace, and looming monsters meant to scare people would be a thing of the past. I think they dreamed of a time when all the houses in the world would look like peaceful buildings.¡± Raniaughed in an awkward way. ¡°It¡¯s just one of my pet ideas, though. I¡¯m sorry that I got off track. That must have sounded like a lot of nonsense.¡±


    That¡¯s true. From Ludwig¡¯s point of view, it was just a childish dream. He did know, though, that the person he worked for was not someone whoughed at the words of dreams. When he turned to face her, he saw that, as he¡¯d thought,¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not at all silly. I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    ¡­Mia had the kindest smile.


    <em>I expected her to say that.</em>


    Mia would never put down the work that went into a dream or an ideal, no matter how far from reality they were. At the same time, Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but think that if Mia was involved, maybe reality would be persuaded to ept those dreams and goals.


    As he looked at Mia with awe, she happened tough and say, ¡°A castle in the shape of a cake. What a fantastic idea!¡±


    Ludwig thought that she must mean a cake in the shape of a castle. Not the other way around. But all he did was smile. He may have joined in their talk, but he wasn¡¯t so rude as to call attention to a small slip of a tongue.


    Was it a slip of the tongue, though?

 Chapter 414

    <strong>The Two Princesses Walk Up the Golden Slope</strong>


    ¡°My¡­ What is this?¡±


    The road into the capital city went up a smooth slope through terraced fields. Mia saw something that made her raise an eyebrow as the carriage turned toward it. It wasn¡¯t that the road was lined with people¡ªshe was used to that¡ªand it wasn¡¯t strange that the Tearmoon princess would be greeted with a big party when she arrived. The problem was that the hill they were about to climb looked like it was made of gold.


    ¡°Is it just me,¡± Mia asked as she looked around, ¡°or is the path up to the capital the same color as the field around it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s ayer of wheat on the path,¡± Rania said. ¡°When important people from other countriese to visit, we clean the whole path going up to the capital. Then, we ¡®paint it with gold,¡¯ as we say. This is how we greet visitors in Perujin.¡±


    ¡°What?! That¡¯s all wheat?!¡± Mia did a double take.


    ¡°Yes. Perujin thinks that our best wheat is our most valuable asset, so we use it to decorate the way to the capital.¡±


    <em>What an awful waste!</em>


    Half of Mia wanted to scream. Half of her wanted to sigh. She realized that this was the kind of greeting that tickled nobles¡¯ fancies. For them, weing nobles was apetition to see who could waste more money. They gave value to being careless. The more time and money that was spent to wee them, the more respect they were shown. So, past Mia wouldn¡¯t have thought anything of such a wee; it would have seemed normal to her.


    But Mia from the past was gone. Mia knew bitter taste of regret when she found out there was no more food. She knew it was pointless to wish she ¡°could get back all the food that was wasted back then¡± when her stomach had been rumbling for days. Even just one time of feeling that hungry was enough tost a lifetime. So¡­


    ¡°Stop the carriage.¡±


    She told the driver to stop right before they got to the golden slope.


    ¡°Huh? Princess Mia? What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the confused Rania.


    Mia gave her a little smile. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a quick walk.¡±


    After saying this, she got out of the coach. Her sudden appearance shocked the crowds on either side. She looked at all of them and smiled happily.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon of the Tearmoon Empire,¡± she said as she bowed. ¡°Please let me tell you how much I appreciate this great wee you¡¯ve set up for me. It¡¯s an incredible act of kindness, and I¡¯ll happily ept the message of goodwill.¡±


    Then, after a short moment of quiet, she slowly looked up the golden slope toward the castle at the top.


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to trample on such beautiful grains because I don¡¯t want to ruin them.¡±


    She took her shoes off in a quiet way.


    ¡°Wheat should be turned into food. We can only get its real value by eating it. When I get to the top of this hill, please get this wheat and do what you need to do to make it edible. If you really want to make me happy, I¡¯d love to see this wheat made into one of those cakes in the shape of a castle that I¡¯ve heard so much about. That would make me very happy.¡±


    After her speech was over, she started walking up the golden hill without any fear or doubt. She thought the wheat mattress would be hard and sharp, but it turned out to be much softer and surprisingly gentle on her skin.


    ¡°Princess Mia!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe too, Rania? I¡¯d love for you to take me to your home. Everyone else, wait until the wheat is gone, and then bring up the carriage, okay?¡±


    ¡°O-Okay, I¡¯ming!¡± Rania kicked off her shoes and walked over to Mia, who was already waiting. The two princesses then took the next step up the slope together.


    People were shocked by what Princess Mia had done. People were in awe when they heard the news, which spread quickly. No worthy person had ever climbed the golden slope of wheat on their own two feet. Some people made fun of the show, calling it the groveling actions of a poor country. Others didn¡¯t even say anything because they thought it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. Even lords with a conscience didn¡¯t do anything about it because it was a necessary part of a stately wee. They had always stayed in their carriage as they went up the hill.


    Farmers who were called to these events always felt sad and angry as their wheat was crushed by expensive coaches. No one liked to see the results of their hard work get ruined in this way. Still, they did what they were told for the sake of their country. They did not want to, but they worked hard to cover the road with their best wheat.


    This princess, on the other hand, didn¡¯t want to throw away the hard-earned crops of farmers. Not only that, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt them so much that she took off her shoes. After that, she got to enjoy the warm wee of slope-climbing.


    If you didn¡¯t use a road that the Perujins had decorated so beautifully, it would be like rejecting their goodwill. So she went walking. But she did it without shoes, showing her seriousness and respect by asking her carriage and group of people with shoes to stay behind.


    She also asked to try some cake in the shape of a castle. The unsaid part of this request was clear to everyone who heard her. She asked the Perujin people to use the wheat they were so proud of to make a cake in the shape of the castle in their capital, which was their symbol and where their royal family lived. It was a sign of great respect for the Perujin way of life.


    There were cheers from the crowd. One excited cheer led to another, and soon it was followed by a wave of cheers. People weren¡¯t putting on a show; they were just showing how much they cared about an important guest and a close friend of their own princess.


    People cheered on Mia and Rania walked into Perujin¡¯s city, Auro Ardea, the golden vige in the sky.


    As the two princesses walked up the golden slope side by side, there was a certain energy in the air. The closeness of their shapes seemed to signal a new era for Tearmoon and Perujin. It was a subtle, intangible thing that couldn¡¯t be put into words. However, a farmer who was there at the time painted a beautiful picture called ¡°Two Princesses Walk the Golden Path¡± that perfectly caught the feeling. Its somber majesty gave it a ce in the history of fine art that willst forever. Along with it, a story about two barefoot princesses climbing the golden slope was born. This story would be told and retold for generations toe. Even though the story would change slightly as it was told by different people and over time, it would continue to be a popr one for many ages toe.

 Chapter 415

    <strong>You Can¡¯t Escape from The Wisdom of the Empire</strong>


    ¡°So that¡¯s Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡­¡±


    Yuhal Tafrif Perujin, the King of Perujin, watched as his people cheered as Mia climbed the golden hill. He could tell that their feelings were real. People who had been annoyed when he told them to get together for the Tearmoon princess¡¯s wee were now very happy to see her.


    ¡°A very clever way to change the people¡¯s minds¡­ That is very impressive. I can see that the Great Wisdom of the Empire doesn¡¯t have to follow pointless noble traditions. Instead, she¡¯s a realist with an eye for what works.¡±


    She waspletely ready to ignore the rules of polite society in order to win people¡¯s hearts, which was a lot like how merchants work. Yuhal gave a disgusted snort.


    ¡°With her heart, she looks down on us, but with her eyes, she looks up at us. Such a clever girl¡­¡±


    He knew that the nobles did not all think the same way. There were people among the dumb glory-seekers who were always logical and lived by the idea that ¡°pride is worth nothingpared to material gain.¡± From his point of view, Princess Mia was definitely one of these rare animals. He thought she was a realist who would put money before pride.


    ¡°But does she know anything about the properties of our wheat?¡±


    Normal wheat was sharp and hurt when you touched it with bare hands, and it often made your skin itch for a while afterward. Through selective breeding, most of the thorns on Perujin wheat were taken off, but that shouldn¡¯t be clear to someone who doesn¡¯t know much about nts. If she had stepped on them knowing they were safe, then her sharp mind and senses were something to be careful of, if not afraid of.


    ¡°Or maybe she didn¡¯t care one way or the other?¡±


    His eyebrows moved as he realized something. If she had hurt her feet by stepping on the wheat, she could have used that as a way to get more money. Maybe she had always nned to do that. She didn¡¯t think Perujin would be careless with their preparations, but if they were, she wouldn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Either she knew about our wheat ahead of time, or she had faith in how much we cared about our guests, or she knew she could y either hand, thorns or not.¡±


    No matter what she was thinking, her behaviors had to be nned. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. He might have thought that because he didn¡¯t want to see it as anything else. He had sworn to get even with the empire¡¯s princess, so she had to be a dangerous person. A dangerous enemy with ice in her heart. She had to be a cruel opponent who would crush his people at any chance, or she had to pretend to be kind to the masses until the situation suited her inner cruelty. He had to have her. Because if not, what would that say about him? And all the risks he took?


    He would fight for what was owed to him. It was time to make things fair.


    Yuhal saw only what he wanted to see. He believed what he wanted to believe. His world was a fabrication that made sense at the time.


    ¡°Still, who would have thought that the first time a member of Tearmoon¡¯s royal family came to Auro Ardea, she would walk up the slope herself? Some things are just impossible to predict¡­¡±


    As he said those words, he felt something strange go through his head. It brought back an old memory that was more of a feeling than a thought.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible¡­ The queen consort, who was her mother¡­ She¡¯s been here before, right? Wait, did I just remember a dream?¡±


    In the pool of his thoughts, ethereal pieces gently rose to the surface, but they were too faint to tell if they were real or not. Yuhal made a funny face at how fuzzy this memory was. He finally gave up and shook his head.


    ¡°Am I now mixing my dreams with reality? I can see that getting older is bad for memory.¡± He made a dry, gravelly sound as heughed bitterly.


    ¡°It means a lot to us that you made the long trip here to see us in person, Princess Mia.¡±


    Yuhal came out to meet Mia just as she reached the top of the golden hill.


    ¡°I am Yuhal Tafrif Perujin, King of Perujin. It makes me very happy to meet you.¡±


    Then, he knelt down on one knee. This was not something a king should do with the princess of Tearmoon. Yuhal, on the other hand, was also able to put his pride aside when he had to. A wee from the king of a vassal state should be done with a lot of humility, especially if the king needs to draw attention away from his evil ns.


    ¡°My, Your Majesty, that was very kind of you. My name is Mia Luna Tearmoon, and it¡¯s nice to meet you as well.¡± She curtsied in return.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been really nice to my daughters I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say thank you in person sooner. Even though it¡¯s not much, we¡¯ve set up a wee feast in your honor for tonight. If you are not too tired from the trip, it would be great if you could be there.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds great. I will definitely be at this party. I will never pass up a chance to try more Peruvian food, no matter how tired I am or how full I am. The food here is just perfect! I can¡¯t wait to have a good time tonight.¡±


    After the normalpliments, Mia put a finger to her chin in a curious way.


    ¡°On that note, I do have a request.¡±


    ¡°A request? What is it?¡±


    ¡°This feast is a wee one for me¡­ Could I request that Shalloak Cornrogue also be invited?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Yuhal was surprised when the unmentioned name popped up out of the blue. He took a quick look at Rania, who refused to look at him, and held back a sigh.


    <em>So that¡¯s how the secret got out¡­ I didn¡¯t think my own kid would betray me.</em>


    He though, without changing a thing about his face, ¡°But he¡¯s just an average merchant. I don¡¯t see how he would be a good fit for your evening dinner party. What do you find interesting about him?¡±


    Even though it wasn¡¯t said outright, it was clear that a trader shouldn¡¯t have been invited to a banquet to wee the princess of Tearmoon. Mia, on the other hand, smiled and said, ¡°As a matter of fact¡­¡±


    Her answer was cut off when her carriage pulled up. Two girls about the same age as her walked out, then a maid and a young guy with sses. Mia turned to face them and said it again.


    ¡°In fact,¡± she said, ¡°my friend Tatiana is very thankful to this Shalloak guy and would love to meet him and thank him in person.¡±


    When she looked at Tatiana, the girl tensed up because she didn¡¯t expect the attention.


    <em>I see. She has already prepared the excuse. Well, I guess that¡¯s what I¡¯d expect from someone of her level¡­</em>


    Yuhal looked at Mia, who was younger than his own children, and decided to be even more careful around her.


    ¡°Oho ho,¡± Miaughed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s a very kind man, and I can¡¯t wait to hear about everything he¡¯s done for her.¡±


    He gave a careful nod, noting that her smile was strange.


    ¡°Is that true? I guess I¡¯ll make arrangements for it then.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t get out of the request, so he fought the urge to grimace and did what was asked.

 Chapter 416

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Big Negative Campaign</strong>


    ¡°Oho ho, if I do say so myself, that went great. I was able to get Shalloak toe to the dinner.¡±


    Mia was shown to a room in the castle to rest after her first meeting with the King of Perujin. Anne, Ludwig, Bel, Rania, and Tatiana were with her. She gave them a happy smile.


    Ludwig adjusted his sses and asked, ¡°What should we do next? We can certainly use veiled threats to get him to keep doing business with the empire, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, the fact that you said that out loud while Rania was in the room tells me that you¡¯re not really seriously considering it,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Am I not? I might be trying to do this on purpose. After all, having Princess Rania here could add to the pressure.¡±


    She gave Rania a quick nce. Ludwig¡¯sment didn¡¯t seem to bother the Perujin princess, which was a good sign. Mia turned around to face him again.


    ¡°In that case, let me be clear about one thing: I can¡¯t change what happened in the past, but now that I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t n to force Perujin to obey us by force.¡±


    In the past, the empire had tried to do this¡­and failed. When someone was held down with force, the person being held down could easily get back up and fight back once the force was gone. In this case, the opponent would not only strike back when they could, but they would also try to slowly chip away at the empire¡¯s power. They could also borrow enough power from another country to match that of the empire.


    That just wouldn¡¯t work. Mia¡¯s little chicken heart couldn¡¯t take knowing that such scary things were going to happen in the future. Therefore¡­


    ¡°Our n to convince Perujin Agricultural Country is summed up in one word: trust. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Just like Rania sent her message because she trusted Mia when the empire had a problem it couldn¡¯t fix on its own, it wouldn¡¯t help an empire that forced it into submission. Only kingdoms that trust each other would help each other. Then how was she going to earn this trust?


    Mia¡¯s n was very easy to understand. She thought that trust was rtive, and all she had to do to hurt her enemy was take away some of his trust. Because of what Tearmoon lords have done in the past in this country, it was probably hard to build trusting rtionships. She might have liked Rania and Arshia as people, but it would take a long time for that kind of friendship to spread to arge group.


    <em>I swear, all my ancestors have done is cause me trouble. If they hadn¡¯te up with this whole ¡°let¡¯s hate on the farmers¡± thing, none of this would be a problem. Ugh, they¡¯re so stupid with their discrimniation!</em>


    Both changing people¡¯s attitudes in the empire and earning Perujin¡¯s trust took a lot of time. So, Mia decided to flip the problem on its head. If she couldn¡¯t get the Perujin to trust her more, she could try to get them to trust Shalloak less.


    In other words, it was time to start advertising in a bad way. She was going to tell the Perujin king the truth about Shalloak.


    The man was attractive because he stuck to the idea that ¡°money is more important than anything else.¡± Because he was ready to do anything to make money, he seemed like a man with huge potential. People would look at him and think, ¡°Hell, maybe this guy can really do it.¡±


    And that was the mask she was going to rip off with no mercy, revealing him to be a softy. She wanted to show everyone that he was just like everyone else, with the same feelings andck of experience. By doing this, she would break the Perujin king¡¯s crazy n to get his revenge by trusting Shalloak.


    ¡°Oho ho, I¡¯ll pull the wool over his eyes.¡± She looked at her ace in the hole. ¡°Tatiana, this is where youe in.¡±


    Tatiana was the only person who knew about the old Shalloak. Mia would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t have at least a couple of doubts about the girl. Tatiana felt like she owed Shalloak something. She probably wouldn¡¯t like it if Mia made him look bad in front of her.


    <em>It would be bad if she refused to testify because of that.</em>


    Most likely, it was smart to give her one more push. To be safe.


    Mia asked, ¡°Remember how I said it would depend on Shalloak and how he acts?¡±


    First, the moving of me. It had to be shown that this was all his fault from the start, since none of this would have happened if he had just stayed put. Mia was in no way to me. She only did what she did because she had to.


    ¡°We¡¯re also doing this for him.¡±


    Shalloak wouldn¡¯t gain anything by making a long-term enemy of the empire. He had already done something bad to the empire. He might be better off if he doesn¡¯t try to open the wound up more. Mia was trying to ease Tatiana¡¯s mind by making it sound like her help would be good for Shalloak in the long run. To be honest, it was kind of a cheap shot. Then, before her target could get back on their feet and realize she had been sneaky, she gave them the final blow.


    ¡°This is why you don¡¯t need to lie. Don¡¯t be shy. Just go give his cheek the best figurative smack you can!¡±


    That was thest thing she did to finish up Operation Mudslinging.¡±


    ¡°¡­Uhm, Princess Mia, how are your feet? I mean the skin.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡±


    Mia looked confused when Rania asked her a question.


    ¡°Did you step on the wheat? Does anything hurt or itch on your feet?¡±


    ¡°I guess they do, now that you bring it up. I think a little bit of both.¡±


    ¡°I figured¡­¡±


    Rania got on her knees in front of her and told her to sit down.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said as she took Mia¡¯s shoes off quickly. ¡°You see, Princess Mia, wheat has tiny thorns that hurt and itch when they get into your skin. The wheat we used to cover the path is a special Perujin strain that was made through selective breeding. It doesn¡¯t normally cause any pain, but if we had used a different strain, things would have been very different. If you try something like that again, please be very careful.¡±


    ¡°My! Is that true? It¡¯s no wonder they felt a little sharp¡­¡± Mia shuddered when she remembered about the fact that there were mushrooms that burned the skin. ¡°Moons, I¡¯m so sorry Rania that I made you walk over them too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I¡¯m used to it. I¡¯m sorry, too, that I didn¡¯t warn you ahead of time. Even so, you didn¡¯t give me much time.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea. From now on, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±


    Hearing that she could have hurt herself badly, Mia thought about how hasty she had been and decided to be more careful in the future. While the rest of the room¡­


    ¡°But¡­ you would have done it anyway, right? Even if you were aware.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Even if you knew it was dangerous, you¡¯d do it if there was no other way to show the farmers you were sincere, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I might? Uh¡­¡± Mia was about to say ¡°no,¡± but a quick look around the room showed her that she was in the very small minority on this point. Everyone else seemed to agree with Rania. So, she changed tack. ¡°Well, I guess I probably would. If I had to, I would do it. Probably.¡±


    She ended up agreeing because she was swayed by the general feeling in the room, only to find out¡­ <em>W-Wait a minute¡­ Does this mean that if I¡¯m in the same position again, I¡¯ll just have to take it and let my feet hurt and itch?</em>


    While she tried to deal with this scary thought, Rania looked at her feet carefully and then said, ¡°I think we should treat it a bit.¡±


    Tatiana, who wanted to be a doctor, asked, ¡°Is there some kind of cure for this?¡± She was quickly interested.


    Rania nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ce called Crolio Pond here in the city. The water there is said to be good for your health. It can stop itching and heal small cuts when you soak in it. People also use it as a sort of natural bath, so this could be a good chance for everyone to wash off the dust and sweat from the trip.¡±

 Chapter 417

    <strong>Mia Gets Stabbed by Tatiana (Mentally)</strong>


    ¡°Is this Crolio Pond¡­ It¡¯s a very pretty ce.¡±


    Rania led the group to a man-made pond. In contrast to the castle, which was mostly made of wood, this was made ofyers of stone. It was also well-kept, and the sound of the clear water flowing made it a peaceful ce where people could fall asleep.


    ¡°I told everyone else not toe in so we could wash off here.¡±


    The pond was surrounded on all four sides, giving us plenty of privacy.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It almost looks like a bathroom. Theck of a roof worries me a little, but it¡¯ll do for washing.¡±


    Mia took off her shoes and clothes and threw them on the ground. She quickly changed into a one-piece swimming suit with the help of Anne.


    ¡°Come on, Bel. You¡¯re also going to take a swim; as well as Tatiana. We¡¯re going to a banquet tonight, so make sure you¡¯re both clean and nice,¡± she said, acting like the older sister of the two girls.


    Her act of maturitysted only a few seconds, until she saw the pile of fabric at Bel¡¯s feet. <em>The carefully folded stack of fabric</em>.


    ¡°All right, Mia-neesama!¡±


    Bel has already taken off all of her clothes. Tatiana, next to her, was still changing, but she was also folding each piece of clothing she had taken off. In fact, her pile was even neater than Bel¡¯s, which may have been because she was interested in medicine. Mia looked down at her own messy pile of clothes, on top of which was a carelessly crumpled dress. It should be said again that Mia was the princess of Tearmoon. As a proud member of the royal family, she was used to having servants take care of her. She had never had to worry about what would happen to her clothes after she took them off. She knew Anne would clean them up, because Anne always did.


    But Mia quickly and quietly straightened up her own pile.


    It wasn¡¯t because she needs to. It was about being an older sibling to two younger sisters. It was important for her ego to be safe.


    ¡°Okay, now that you¡¯re ready, it¡¯s time to jump in!¡±


    She said it as if she had been waiting all this time for the girls to finish folding their clothes. Then, after getting rid of all the evidence of her carelessness, she walked boldly toward the edge of the pond. She put her toe in the water first. It wasn¡¯t as cold as she thought it would be. She put both of her feet in. Her skin, which had been warmed by the sun, felt cool and pleasant. Then she put her legs in the water up to the knees. The itching and stinging on her feet was already starting to go away. The water started to work so quickly that it was almost like magic.


    ¡°Wow, this really does wonders. What is with the water here?¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s because this spring water has substances that heal wounds and tiredness,¡± Tatiana said as she walked up to the edge.


    ¡°Wow, therapeutic substances.¡± Mia said as she pulled one foot out of the water and looked at it.


    From what she could see, it didn¡¯t look like anything special.


    <em>It still hurts a little, but it doesn¡¯t worry me that much. Even more so since I¡¯ve already cut my feet on the basement floor. Those rocks were pretty sharp. For Mia, who had been through prisons and guillotines to build her character, wheat-induced dermatitis wasn¡¯t much to worry about.</em>


    ¡°How do you feel, mdy? Should I perhaps¡­¡± Anne said, leaning in with worry.


    At that moment, Tatiana put up her hand. ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s okay, I could take a look.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right. You know some medicine, right?¡± said Mia. ¡°So, Anne, could you take care of Bel for me? Clean her up, all right? I don¡¯t just want her to look nice, but I also want her to be clean.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Okay, I get it.¡± For a brief moment, Anne seemed to take a deep breath. Then she gave a nod.


    <em>Hm? That was strange. Mia noticed that Anne didn¡¯t seem very happy at that time. I hope she¡¯s just tired¡­ In either case, I should pay attention to this. I¡¯ll ask her about it when I¡¯m done with my bath.</em>


    A quick answer seemed wise. Shalloak was still waiting for herter in the evening, when she would have to face him. Then, she would rather not be caught off guard by a problem in her own camp. As she thought about her choices, she lifted one foot for Tatiana to look at. The younger girl looked at the bottom of her foot for a while, then squeezed her calf. Her eyes furrowed, and the corners of her lips stuck out.


    ¡°Oh? Is it all the way up there swollen? No, I think it¡¯s stiff from all the walking,¡± Tatiana said as she rubbed it harder.


    ¡°My, you can also give massages? It feels good.¡± As a test, Mia tried to squeeze her other calf in the same way. It felt a little bit more meaty than she remembered, but she thought that was just her mind ying tricks on her.


    Then Tatiana said, ¡°Um, Your Highness, I know that¡¯s a very rude thing to say, but if I may be so bold¡­¡±


    Mia looked up and saw Tatiana looking at her very seriously. She felt sick to her stomach when she thought that the sharp wheat had caused more damage than she had expected.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on your diet since the beginning of this trip, and I think you¡¯re eating too much.¡±


    Mia¡¯s jaw dropped. She just sat there, speechless, as Tatiana continued to rub her legs. After what must have been enough pressing, she finally nodded in a way that looked like a doctor making a final diagnosis.


    <em>What¡¯s with that nod? She figured out what?!</em>


    ¡°If you eat too many sweets, it will hurt your body. Obesity is bad for your health.¡±


    ¡°D-Did you just say¡­obesity?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We haven¡¯t reached that point yet, but if you eat too many sweets, you¡¯ll gain too much weight and hurt your health.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t reached that point yet. In that remark was the implication that she might do someday. She hadn¡¯t gone too far, but she was getting close enough to be worth mentioning. Mia was shocked by the harsh ruling. As she worriedly thought about what the girl had said, each word reverberating like thunder, she gave Bel¡¯s upper arm just below the elbow a squeeze.


    ¡°Eeek! M-Mia-neesama, that makes meugh!¡±


    Mia ignored her granddaughter¡¯sughing squeal and squeezed the same part of her own upper arm. When shepared how fat they were, she gasped when she learned that¡­hers was fatter. She had no more reasons to hide behind, so she had to face the harsh truth that she¡¯d made a mistake: she¡¯d been eating too much.


    ¡°I strongly suggest that Your Highness pay more attention to what and how much you eat. Your health is very important, after all,¡± Tatiana said in a more serious tone.


    ¡°Of course, of course, of course. You are correct. I¡­appreciate that you are ready to correct people when they need it. It takes guts to do that, and it¡¯s a very important trait for doctors to have,¡± Mia said, trying not to shake too much as she spoke. ¡°I-I admire your honesty, and I hope you never lose this important part of your personality. If you ever get in trouble for saying what you think in this way, pleasee to me. I will help you.¡±


    In general, Mia was a person who could listen to advice. But if someone said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re getting a little fat, so you should watch what you eat!¡± was a little hard to take. At the end of the day, this wisdom only hurt her. It wasn¡¯t fair that the pain was so unevenly spread! If she had to take a knife, then everyone else should too. So she gave Tatiana a friendly push and told her to keep giving her honest, heartbreaking advice to whoever was next. When it came to pain, Mia was a big fan of sharing, even if it meant forcing people to share whether they liked it or not.


    <em>I bet Esmeralda and her friends are also secret overeaters. I¡¯m sure of it! Everyone must have some parts that are too big. Hmph, I¡¯ll show them all how bad it feels to be me!</em>


    Then she had another thought.


    <em>Hmm¡­ Perujin veggies are very fresh, and their fruits look very healthy to eat because they are all nice, juicy things¡­ There is still time before the dinner party. Maybe a short snack break won¡¯t do much harm. I¡¯ve traveled all the way to the capital, which is known for its delicious snacks. I wouldn¡¯t want to disrespect their culture.</em>


    Before long, she was thinking of thoughts that went against what Tatiana had said.

 Chapter 418

    Shout-out to Ixxilus. Thanks for your support.


    Here is your bonus chapter. Enjoy~


    <strong>Individual Ranking Up</strong>


    Mia went back to her room after her bath in the pond. She left Tatiana with Bel, who wanted to see the sights, and asked Ludwig to take them on a tour. Being Mia, she also told them to look up the local specialties and report back to her.


    <em>It¡¯s important to know which ones I can take back home and which ones I need to try while I¡¯m here.</em>


    She had already gotten over the shock of being told she ate too much. For the record, Mia was someone who would take advice that was honest and true. Tatiana was right when she said that she had eaten too much on this trip. She agreed with that. It was bad for her health and made her upper arm feel soft in a way that she didn¡¯t like. She humbly agreed with all of this. That¡¯s why she decided to make things better¡­when this trip was over.


    <em>You only go on trips once in a while, and you can only eat certain sweets or have certain experiences here in Perujin. It would be silly not to enjoy them now.</em>


    That was the best she could do. During this trip, she would shut off her feeling of guilt. For something that was supposed to make her more determined, it sounded a lot like the usual ¡°I¡¯ll do it tomorrow¡± excuse thatzy people use, but it did make her more determined.


    Before she could go any further, she had one more thing to take care of.


    ¡°Anne, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes? What¡¯s up, mdy?¡±


    Anne looked at her with interest as shebed her wet hair. Anne hadn¡¯t looked like herself at the pond, though it wasn¡¯t as obvious. Now seemed like a good time to ask if something was bugging her, but a happier mood might be better for a heartfelt conversation. Mia thought about what she could do.


    ¡°Would you mind if we went shopping for a while? Before the dinner in the evening?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work! Your feet are still hurt. Please stay here and rest until it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Anne¡¯s refusal was unusually firm, which surprised Mia.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±Anne seemed just as surprised by her own outburst. Both of them stopped moving for a second. Then, after Anne¡¯s lips quivered, her head dropped in shame, pulling her upper body down with it. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    She spun on her heels and made to leave the room.


    ¡°Wait, Anne! Stop!¡±


    In a hurry, Mia grabbed Anne¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just leave on your own.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    This wasn¡¯t Saint-Noel or Lunatear. They were strange people in a different country. She knew that if she went out on her own, she would get lost and get stuck. She looked back at Mia with wide eyes, and Mia gave her a soft giggle and a small smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so reliabletely, I almost forgot that you¡¯re clumsy at heart. You were very reckless to do that, you know?¡± said Mia. She shut her eyes before she went on. ¡°But, well, you make a good point. If you tell me to take a break here, I will take a break here. Could you finish styling my hair?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Anne bowed again and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Her voice went back to being blue again.


    ¡°Tell me, Anne. Are you upset about something? You¡¯ve been looking down for a while.¡±


    This made Anne stop breathing. A few secondster, she slowly started to speak.


    ¡°When you started walking on the wheat, I couldn¡¯t stop you. Because of this, your feet are¡­ And I didn¡¯t even notice¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s, uh, true. I¡¯m very sorry if I made you worry too much. I¡¯ve thought about what I¡¯ve done, and I do admit that I¡¯ve been a little too careless this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not all¡­¡± Anne¡¯s voice also started to shake. ¡°That¡¯s what Miss Tatiana told you¡­ I should have said something about it. It¡¯s my job to keep Mdy from eating too much. But I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t do what I was supposed to do.¡± Her eyes started to fill with tears. ¡°I need to do better¡­ I should be like Miss Tatiana and take care of your health.¡±


    Mia put a gentle hand on her shoulder.


    <em>This is not a good thing!</em>


    Inside, fear was starting to set in. It took everything she had not to dig her fingers into Anne¡¯s skin.


    <em>If Anne startsparing herself to Tatiana, she might stop letting me have any sweets. That would be the worst thing ever!</em>


    Mia knew it could be dangerous to hang out with people who only told her what she wanted to hear. She wanted Anne to say what was on her mind and, if necessary, be honest with her. But she also wanted Anne to treat her a little bit like a princess. The perfect Anne would be brave enough to warn her when she needed to, but in all other cases, she would be nice and understanding when it came to Mia¡¯s habits. Anne¡¯s thoughts were going in a very bad way. She had to get Anne to stop thinking about bing like Tatiana, so Mia racked her brain for ideas.


    She soon began to smile. It was the same smile she always put on when she was trying to get out of a tough situation.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne, for telling me what you think. I¡¯m so d you care so much about me. Even so, there¡¯s something I have to say.¡±


    Her brain was working at full speed as she tried desperately to put together what she had to say. ¡°Tell me something, Anne. You¡­who are you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re yourself. You¡¯re neither Tatiana nor Ludwig. You are Anne. Anne my right hand, my confidant, and the person I trust more than any other.¡±


    Anne was not Tatiana; they were different. So Anne shouldn¡¯t have been so strict about eating sweets. Mia really wanted to get this point across.


    ¡°I want you to be yourself and stand by my side like you always have.¡± I won¡¯t stop you from getting better at math, cooking, riding horses, or anything else. But there¡¯s no reason for you to change.¡±


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s eyes blinked a few times, letting out the tears that had been building up inside. Mia softly brushed them off her cheeks.


    ¡°Just be yourself, Anne. Nothing could make me happier.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, mdy! ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Anne said, her voice shaking with emotion.


    Mia sighed to herself, thinking her job was done.


    But it wasn¡¯t that easy.


    ¡°Your Highness, we have finished our trip.¡±


    Ludwig came back with Bel and Tatiana under a red sky.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re all back. Did you have fun?¡±


    Bel waved her arms around excitedly and said, ¡°It was so much fun, Mia-neesama! I¡¯ve never had anything so good before. I¡¯m so full.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? What about the dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± Bel asked as if it were the weirdest thing in the world. ¡°Oh, you mean my tummy? Come on, Mia-neesama, everybody knows there¡¯s always room for dinner.¡±


    Mia instinctively pinched the underside of Bel¡¯s upper arm and pulled at the soft skin with her fingers.


    ¡°Eeek! That¡¯s ticklish!¡±


    ¡°This makes no sense¡­ Is it because she keeps moving her arms back and forth? Ugh, this is so sad,¡± she said under her breath. Then she turned to Ludwig and asked, ¡°So, you went to check on the crops, right? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Very well. As I expected Perujin to do, I found a lot of things I¡¯d never seen before,¡± Ludwig said with a grimace on his face. ¡°I also learned a lot of things that I didn¡¯t know before. My master was right when he said that there are many things in the world that you can¡¯t understand unless you see them for yourself. I¡­have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how I was acting earlier, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t know what the characteristics of wheat was like.¡±


    He hung his head, which made Mia jump back a little. ¡°Moons, what¡¯s going on?¡± Now you, after Anne?


    ¡°¡­Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Mia shook her head and said, ¡°Uh, never mind.¡±


    Then she let out a long, thoughtful hmph.


    <em>Huh. A dejected Ludwig. That¡¯s a rare thing to see. It¡¯s kind of funny to watch him beat himself up, but I do need him to get involved in whates next. More importantly,</em> she stole a look at him as a feeling of dread crept up on her. <em>I have a bad feeling about all of this for some reason.</em>


    Ludwig was always interested in learning. Even though he did a great job as a government official, he was really a schr who loved to learn. In and of itself, that wasn¡¯t a worry. The problem was that he also liked to teach others, and Mia knew who he usually taught when he chose to y teacher.


    <em>What happened before wouldn¡¯t have been possible if anyone had known what wheat was like. Oh, no! I already know how this will turn out. He is going to make me learn a lot of different things so I don¡¯t take another risk like this. I need to stop him from thinking in that way!</em>


    ¡°Ludwig, I think it¡¯s impossible for a normal person to know everything there is to know about the world.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that even someone as wise as you has some things you don¡¯t know. I also know it¡¯s my job to fill those gaps, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, Ludwig. I came to you to learn from you. That¡¯s right. But I¡¯ve never asked you to be a person who can see everything. I know there¡¯s not much I can do by myself.¡±


    Mia put her hand on her chest and said, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t expect you to be able to do everything, nor would I ever ask that of you. Of course, I won¡¯t stop you from learning more because you love it. I, on the other hand¡­ My goal has never been to be a being that knows everything and can do everything. I don¡¯t mind relying on other people to make up for my own ws. Do you get what I¡¯m trying to tell you?¡±


    In Mia-speak, she was basically telling Ludwig that he could hide himself in books and study himself to death if that¡¯s what he wanted to do. She, on the other hand, was just going to save herself some trouble and take other people¡¯s advice.


    It was a bold statement, and she made it with style.


    It took Ludwig a few seconds toe back to himself. Mia¡¯sment hit him like a ton of bricks. It made him think about something he had never thought about before. He had always thought that it didn¡¯t matter what he did as long as he could work for Mia. If it would help Mia, he would do anything, no matter how small or hard it was. That was and was still how he did things. He had made himself her all-around helper by running back and forth to help with whatever needed his attention at the time. But¡­


    <em>Is Her Highness saying that the job she wants me to do isn¡¯t as an all-around assistant?</em>


    Mia instead hinted at someone who didn¡¯t want specialized knowledge but wanted to be able to gather and handle people who did have it, like a conductor of a group of experts with their own skills.


    <em>In other words, she wants me to take on a more powerful role. To take charge of something. That of chancellor, for instance¡­</em>


    Ludwig had spent so much time thinking about how to help Mia be queen that it sounded like she wanted a promise. It was a ¡°are you with me?¡± moment. She seemed to be asking him if he was ready to be someone who depended on other people to make up for his ws. Not one of the empire¡¯s many smart and skilled experts or officials, but the one in charge?


    <em>Traditionally, only people with peerage could be Chancellor of the Empire.</em>


    Even with Mia¡¯s help, it would be very hard for amoner like Ludwig to get the title. Also, he would have to first prove to the group of students he had gathered that he was the right person to lead them. They did not put up with failure from those in charge. If he wanted to be in charge of them, he would have to show that he was worth it.


    That might have been even harder than being Mia¡¯s hands and feet. No longer would hard work and determination be enough. He had to be good with people, show leadership, and deal with his subordinates with kindness and tolerance.


    <em>I asked Sir Dion to rank up. To climb higher the dangerous steps to power. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to do the same.</em>


    Future historians will look back on this as the time when Ludwig Hewitt, the famous Chancellor of the Empire, first set his sights on the job.


    So, after many choice words, Mia was able to increase Anne¡¯s loyalty, Ludwig¡¯s determination, and her own hunger.


    <em>Ugh, there goes my chance to go on a shopping and snacking spree¡­ Now I can only do one thing. I¡¯ll make up for it by eating enough at the wee dinner.</em>


    Mia got ready (stomach wise) to go to a fateful banquet.

 Chapter 419

    <strong>Three Cuisines of Mushrooms Iing</strong>


    That night, Mia went to the King of Perujin¡¯s banquet. When she walked into therge g room of the cake-shaped castle, she saw long tables of delicious food. She gulped.


    In the middle of the edible show were the fresh vegetables, which stood out with their bright green color. Floral designs were carefully carved into the leaves, showing how skilled the cooks were with their hands. There were more veggies around them. Some were much bigger than the nt-based container and were used to hold sauces. Others were cooked and ced around the nt-based container. Most likely, the second one was meant to be put into the first one. The smell of cooked food made her stomach rumble.


    Even the tahkoes she had the other day were there, but this time there were mushrooms on top of the tbread.


    <em>Those are Perujin mushrooms, huh? Oh, I¡¯m so excited to try them. I¡¯m curious about how they taste¡­</em>


    She swallowed her saliva and her excitement at the same time. Then, she met the king with grace.


    ¡°Your Majesty is very kind to have set up such a wonderful feast for me. Please ept my thanks.¡±


    ¡°You tter me, Princess Mia. It¡¯s just a small way to show how grateful we are. We hope it is satisfactory.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re way too humble. Satisfactory? I can hardly keep my heart from racing when I see this beautiful spread of delightful treats.¡±


    Technically, it was probably her stomach that was racing. Since it hadn¡¯t been able to go on a shopping and snacking spree, it was almost hungry for a way to make up for it. Through her sses of hunger, everything on the tables looked delicious.


    The queen consort stood by the king, and Rania and her younger brother stood next to them. He looked even younger than Bel and Tatiana, which means he couldn¡¯t be older than ten. It was cute how his eyes were fixed on the food in front of him and his tiny lips moved like they were trying to stop a wave of saliva froming out.


    <em>So, those are Rania¡¯s mother and brother, huh? They do look a little bit like her.</em>


    Mia was an only child, and her mother had died already. Her only family was the emperor, who was her father. She hadn¡¯t felt lonely because of that, but when she saw Rania with so many family members, she couldn¡¯t help but say to herself, ¡°It must be nice.¡±


    But the food was better, so she quickly went to her ce, which was next to the king and across from his wife. The seat next to Mia was for Bel, and the spot next to that was for Tatiana. Anne and Ludwig, who were also there, stood behind her and gave her more support. She thought it was a nearly perfect formation and the best way to begint the game that was about to start.


    <em>So then. We have everything ready to go. Where does Shalloak seem to be? Isn¡¯t he already here?</em>


    Based on how things are now, Shalloak would most likely sit next to Rania¡¯s brother. She looked at the empty chair and waited until¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Shalloak then showed up. She gave him a small nod to say hello.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again, Shalloak. Hasn¡¯t a long time passed? Frankly, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d meet again.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, indeed. It¡¯s a huge honor to be asked to a party like this. Please ept my deepest thanks, Princess Mia.¡±


    Shalloak Cornrogue lived up to his image as a trader with a lot of experience. His businesslike smile didn¡¯t show the least bit of anger from thest time they had a fight.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, though¡­ What made you invite a lowly merchant like myself to an event like this?¡±


    Mia put up her hand to stop him from asking.


    ¡°I would rather eat first. Let¡¯s get this party started, shall we?¡±


    It came down to what was most important. First, they stuffed their faces, and then they beat Shalloak. The second could be done at any time, but the first was time-sensitive. Plus, the cooks had worked hard to make all this delicious food, and letting it go cold would be both rude and a waste. The most important thing was that her gut had had enough. It needed to be fixed right away.


    ¡°The young prince there looks pretty hungry, after all,¡± she said, turning her attention to Rania¡¯s little brother.


    She wanted to start snorting as soon as possible, but she wasn¡¯t going to say that because she had to keep up appearances. Poor boy, he didn¡¯t know he was Mia¡¯s tool in her n to save face. He looked down and blushed. The tension between the princess and the trader quickly went away when they heard a gurgling sound.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Yuhal. ¡°Let the party start!¡±


    In a stately voice, the king told everyone that the banquet has started.


    Mia reached for food before Yuhal had even finished his phrase. She started by taking the tahkoes. The yellowish tbread had been cut into small pieces, each of which had ayer of cooked mushrooms on top. She picked one up and put it in her mouth. When she bit down, the crisp bread gave way with a pleasant crunch. The first thing that touched her mouth was a savory mushroom, then a thick sauce. The three tastes made her tongue dance with joy.


    Next, she got a stick with ck mushrooms that were bigger than the ones in the tahkoe and put them on it. As she leaned in to take a sniff, an indescribably rich smell tickled her nose. She bit into a cap with her front teeth and liked how springy it was. The meat had a little bounce before it broke. The only thing that seemed to be used as a seasoning was salt, which let the subtle butplex taste of the mushrooms stand out.


    She kept going after that. In her fight against eating food she hadn¡¯t tried before, she moved on to a roasted dish with mushrooms in between two pieces of meat. As she ate, juices from the mushrooms that had just been grilled poured out, highlighting how hard and slightly crunchy they were. It wasn¡¯t just food; it was an adventure. She was so focused on chewing that she was only vaguely aware of her own voice.


    ¡°What exquisite taste¡­ Please tell the cook my highest regards.¡±


    Her tone was so haughty that you might have thought she was going to make a ¡°mwah¡± sign with her hand.


    By the time she finished everything and came to, she realized she¡¯d eaten three cuisines in three gulps: mushroom, mushroom, and mushroom. She¡¯d followed the old drinking rule that you should drink three drinks to start a party. In this case, there are three mushrooms, but oh well. By doing this, she used the first of her secret methods, called the positive-feedback loop. No matter what reasoning or physiology said, the more mushrooms she ate, the more hungry she got.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ It tastes great. All of them are so good¡­ I can¡¯t take it!¡±


    ¡°My goodness, Princess Mia, you look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun,¡± the queen consort said with a smile.¡±


    ¡°I am for sure, because the food is so good. The veggies are also very fresh, and the mushrooms are to die for.¡±


    Mia said to Shalloak, ¡°I hope to have a longsting friendship with a country like Perujin, which has so many good things to offer.¡±


    The merchant didn¡¯t pay her any attention because he was too busy eating the food in front of him. Food that was made up of only meat.


    ¡­Tatiana looked at him with a very unhappy frown.

 Chapter 420

    <strong>Like a Thorn Stuck in the Heart</strong>


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have to thank you again for setting up such a wonderful dinner banquet,¡± Mia said. She was ready to fight now that her stomach was full. It was time to get in the ring, and she couldn¡¯t have been more ready to give a show that would knock everyone out. She also had her trusted helpers Ludwig and Anne with her. If it came down to it, Rania would probably side with her too. Then, on top of everything else, she had Tatiana as her ace in the hole.


    Even the queen consort and her young son liked her after seeing how fiercely she attacked her food.


    <em>I¡¯ve got this in the bag! I can¡¯t possibly lose!</em>


    She thought she was a great general who had circled a force of 10,000 with a force of 100,000. Moments away from destroying the enemy totally, she looked at Yuhal with the confidence of someone who was sure she would win.


    ¡°You are too kind,¡± said Yuhal. ¡°This is the least we can do to thank you foring to see us during the Thanksharvest Festival.¡±


    Mia said with a smile to the always humble king. ¡°You are too modest. Like Princess Rania and I, Tearmoon and Perujin have a connection. I also owe a lot to Princess Arshia. I¡¯ve always known I¡¯d attend. I only hope that my visit will make the mutual trust we already have in each other even stronger.¡±


    She used a bit of charm in her small talk, bringing up how friendly the two countries have been so far. It also made to coax the king not to work with Shalloak. She had hoped that herment would do just that.


    ¡°Mutual trust, you say¡­ Indeed, mutual trust¡­¡± The king, however, scowled.


    Mia didn¡¯t like the way he looked, but she couldn¡¯t stop now.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the basis of our friendly rtions. But I have to say that I¡¯ve heard some bad rumorstely that have made me very worried. There are rumors that the price of wheat sold to Tearmoon could go up because of a famine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there? How strange. I don¡¯t know the first thing about that. I¡¯ve heard people talk about a famine, but isn¡¯t it true that no one can be sure if one ising or not?¡±, Yuhal asked with a fake look of surprise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get right to the point, Your Majesty. We both lose when we act like we don¡¯t know something. Surely Perujin has seen the signs by now. Am I wrong? Sincest year, the amount of wheat grown has been going down. It is true that right now there is a chance to raise prices and make a lot of money, but people will go hungry if that happens. I can¡¯t say for sure where this idea came from, but if it came from that Shalloak guy, I must tell you that he is¡ª¡±


    She was about to say ¡°unreliable, because he¡¯s actually a big softie at heart!¡±, but the king interrupted her with augh.


    ¡°Hahaha, I see, I see. Princess Mia, your love for your people is a beautiful thing to see. How very noble of you.¡±


    His words surprised her. She could only blink back.


    ¡°Saint indeed,¡± he said. ¡°Kind and caring, and thinks about her people. You keep up a good picture. What you didst winter was also a really smart move. So much so that you even seem to have gotten my daughter to trust you with it. The way things went with the wheat earlier¡­ Princess Mia, you seem to be able to change hearts whenever you want. Given your age, that¡¯s an amazing skill. The young shouldn¡¯t be taken for granted, right? Hah!¡±


    Yuhalughed softly and then asked, ¡°Is that it? To make sure that nobody goes hungry? That is a good reason why you want to tie us together. Did you think I would just smile and nod if you told me it was for a good cause?¡±


    <em>Hm¡­</em>


    Mia saw that his words were sharp. In fact, they had been difficult ever since she brought up trust between them. It wasn¡¯t a direct attack like a sword¡¯s point, but more like a spike. Thorns. Too small and thin to get much attention. If what he said was the wheat, then this was the weeds. They were dangerous thorns that would cause her a lot of pain and trouble if she stepped on them without being careful. She had to be very careful and move slowly toward them.


    With her danger rms going off in her head, Mia reached her hand across the table, toward a big pile of fruits. As normal, the n was for her to eat sweets to refuel her brain. She took a bite of some Perujin berries. Their sweet-and-sour taste woke up any parts of her brain that were still sleeping. Freshly sugared, she looked at Yuhal and Shalloak¡¯s faces with more concentration.


    She had a thought: What if the empire had an even worse reputation than she thought? She thought that most people didn¡¯t trust the empire any more than they would trust a shady trader like Shalloak. Because of this, she thought that if she could get them to trust him less, it would tip the bnce in her favor and keep them from betraying Tearmoon. Had she been too hopeful in her guess?


    She chewed on it. If that¡¯s the case, it would be an extreme case of being too sure of yourself. The war was not won by making optimistic assumptions. Her band of 100,000 people turned out to be mostly new recruits and inexperienced first-timers. There were only a few real troops, about the same number as her enemy. They were about the same when it came to fighting power.


    Worse still, she had ridden to this fight with no more of a n than, ¡°I¡¯ll just swoop in and grab victory.¡±


    <em>What a terrible mistake! This isn¡¯t a good sign!</em>


    She tried to think of a way out of this mess, but Yuhal didn¡¯t give her enough time toe up with a n.


    ¡°Trust? For the people? There¡¯s no need to talk like this. If you want to make me do what you want, go ahead and try. Bring your army and make us do what you want. We both know Perujin isn¡¯t strong enough to stand up to you.¡±


    <em>Ah, but that would be missing the point. If I use force to hold someone down, as soon as I let go, they will turn on me. They¡¯ll turn against me when I¡¯m at my weakest, which is the worst thing that could happen. Grrr¡­ Stupid Tearmoon lords. I¡¯ve always known they were jerks, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d do this much damage!</em>


    When she was suddenly put in a bad position, she quietly cursed her fellow aristocrats and worried about how their bad behavior had hurt her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, father.¡±


    Just then, reinforcements came from thest ce she expected them toe from. At the entry to the banquet hall, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Arshia? Are you back?¡±


    The second princess of Perujin, Arshia Tafrif Perujin, stood in the doorway.

 Chapter 421

    Princesses Sisters vs. King Yuhal


    ¡°Greetings, father. It has been awhile.¡±


    Rania let out a sigh of relief when her sister showed up, because it was her sister who had asked her toe.


    Arshia had originally nned to skip her return this summer. Her job as a teacher at Saint Mia Academy kept her very busy, and Mia had also given her a very important task: study on selective breeding to improve wheat strains. The Thanksharvest Festival was a big deal in Perujin, but Rania could dance at the event. She thought she¡¯d let her little sister take care of things this year, so she wrote a letter saying she wouldn¡¯t being home. What she got back was a surprise.


    <em>Father was acting strange, so I thought I¡¯d ask her toe back just in case.</em>


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯vee home. I¡¯m so d. I see you¡¯re doing well,¡± Yuhal said, shocked. ¡°But you didn¡¯t let us know you wouldn¡¯t be able toe back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I need to talk to you about something, so I came back.¡±


    ¡°You need to talk to me, you say?¡±


    Rania ignored her father¡¯s scolding look and put a piece of fruit in her mouth as if she didn¡¯t know what was going on. Also, she didn¡¯t think she did anything wrong.


    <em>I mean, no matter how you look at it, we¡¯re much better off with Princess Mia on our side.</em>


    She was sure of that. She thought back to what they had said earlier in the room. Mia had said that their method to persuasion came down to one word: trust. She had said very clearly that she had no ns to force Perujin to do what she wanted. Rania had been there and heard it herself. She then turned to look at the young guy standing behind Mia. Even though his sses partly blocked his view, his eyes were still sharp and focused. Ludwig was one of the people Mia trusted the most, and he was one of the first to speak. When she first heard what he had to say, she was so shocked she could hardly speak. Soon after, there was a hot wave of anger. She had to force herself to stay quiet, but inside she was seething, <em>thinking that a man like this, who would suggest using threats against us, doesn¡¯t deserve to be Mia¡¯s subject!</em>


    Now, though, she could see very clearly what he had been trying to do. He had made her angry on purpose so she could hear what Mia really thought. So, Mia had made her position very clear, leaving no room for question in Rania¡¯s mind.


    <em>A man smart enough to serve so closely by her side¡­ I wonder what he can see when he wears those sses. It must be some unshakeable truths.</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching agriculture to children at Princess Mia¡¯s academy, father.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard? Then, have you heard that she told me to find out how to grow wheat that can withstand cold?¡±


    ¡°Wheat¡­ that can withstand the cold weather?¡±


    Yuhal stepped back, looking as confused as all the other Perujin there. Even Shalloak just stood there staring.


    Arshia gave a deep bow and then turned to Mia.


    ¡°Princess Mia, I¡¯m sorry to ask after the fact, but is it okay for me to tell my father about my research?¡±


    The way her sister went out of her way to ask a strange question reminded Rania so much of the scene she was thinking about that she made the connection without even thinking about it.


    <em>Oh, I recognize this¡­ Ludwig and Arshia are both trying to do the same thing.</em>


    Arshia already knew what Mia wanted. She knew what made her want to work on making wheat that could withstand the cold. She even knew what she was going to do with the information she learned.


    Wheat that can withstand in cold¡­ If something like this exists, it would be a very powerful weapon to have during cold-damaged crop-caused famines. While other countries had trouble getting crops to grow, the one with this strain would have normal amounts. So, knowing about this would usually be a secret, and it was definitely not something that should be talked about in a ce like this.


    At least, that¡¯s what Perujinmon sense said.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t that be okay?¡±


    Mia raised an eyebrow, even though her calm response waspletely out of ce given that very sensitive information about Tearmoon¡¯s national interest had just been revealed. She was so calm that it almost looked like she didn¡¯t realize how serious what had just happened was. After making sure Yuhal could see Mia¡¯s confused face, Arshia continued.


    ¡°With the help of my students at the school, I¡¯ve been looking into wheat strains that can grow in the cold. Every step we take toward ending hunger in the world brings me closer to my childhood dream. I believe it¡¯s very important work.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense¡­ Wheat that can grow in cold temperatures? There¡¯s no way something like that could exist.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange thing to say,¡± Mia said, jumping into the conversation. ¡°Cold-resistant wheat definitely exists, and Arshia and Cyril will find a way to grow it.¡±


    She said this with conviction, no, confidence, as if she knew what would happen in the future. It showed that they had a lot of faith in Arshia¡¯s skills. Yuhal felt embarrassed when he found out that a Tearmoon princess seemed to trust his daughter more than he did.


    ¡°But no matter what, it only helps Tearmoon. Yes, it is true that people will buy cold-resistant wheat to stay alive if it is made. There will be a lot of demand, and since Tearmoon is the only country with that wheat, it will be easy for them to get all of the profits.¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia ns to teach all of the neighboring countries about the wheat.¡± Arshia answered her father¡¯s point right away. ¡°What will it take to make you see that what she is doing is for the best? Why do you think she is letting me do all the talking?¡±


    ¡°Arshia is right.¡± Rania said.


    She stood up, understanding that if there was ever a time to talk about what Mia had done for her, it was now.


    ¡°Princess Mia was an enlightening presence for me, too. She told me that once Arshia gets the wheat to grow, I should help get the word out about it all over the continent. When I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, she showed me how to move forward in a worthwhile way.¡±


    Rania could still see the bright path in her mind. It was a path she could be proud of taking because it led to a better life. Above it, the light of the Great Wisdom of the Empire shone, which would always be a guide for her.


    ¡°Why would¡ªthat¡¯s stupid¡­ Even if it were possible to make wheat that doesn¡¯t freeze, no leader would just give that knowledge to other countries. It matters too much¡­ Impossible¡­¡±


    Yuhal¡¯s goal had always been to make Perujin rich through farming, so this didn¡¯t make sense to him. The Perujin¡¯s knowledge of farming was worth a lot; it was both their prize and their weapon. He couldn¡¯t believe that Tearmoon would be willing to give away something so important.


    ¡°If necessary, she can take the results of her research back to Perujin,¡± said Mia. ¡°After all, Arshia is a Perujin Princess. If she finds something useful in Tearmoon, it would make sense for her to want to use it in the farming in her own country. ¡°


    Her smile was rxed. Compassionate almost.


    ¡°This is just an idea for now, but if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d also like to borrow some Perujinnd and grow wheat that can withstand cold weather. Working together on this research project will be good for both of our countries, in my opinion.¡±


    At this point, even Yuhal had to admit that Mia was serious about making sure that people didn¡¯t go hungry¡ªnot just her own people, but people from all the nearby countries as well.


    <em>He¡¯ll understand it. He has to. This must have convinced him</em>


    But Rania¡¯s hope would note true.


    ¡°If you really are a princess who cares about everyone, then why? Why do you keep silent? Why do you let Tearmoon treat Perujin the way it does? Is it because you really want us to stay the way we are, as ves to your empire?¡± asked the King of Perujin, whose voice was shaky as he spoke through clenched teeth.

 Chapter 422

    <strong>Could You Please ce Your Trust In Me?</strong>


    Ludwig knew that the king¡¯s quiet protest was the feeling left over from a terrifying scream that came from deep inside the king¡¯s heart. He could feel the pain and anger in Yuhal¡¯s words because he knew there was a treaty between the empire and the Perujin that was unfair to the Perujin. He knew there was something wrong. He saw how unfair it was. Still, he chose to close his eyes because he didn¡¯t know what else to do. He couldn¡¯t figure out how to fix it.


    That was, by definition, a Tearmoon point of view. The way Peruvians felt about the problem was very different.


    ¡°Because of our pact with Tearmoon, we¡¯ve had to sell you our wheat for too little money for a long time. As long as your kingdom stands, people willugh at us and call us serfs. You can say whatever you want, but no amount of high-sounding words will change this fact.¡±


    It was indeed a fact that could not be changed. It was impossible to change Perujin¡¯s mind about the problem. Getting their trust, even more so. There was nothing that could be done¡­ except to sigh and turn away.


    Unless you¡¯re Mia, it seems.


    ¡°I see¡­ There¡¯s a treaty just like that¡­¡± Mia didn¡¯t think for more than a single breath. ¡°Then this treaty should be thrown out.¡±


    She said it like it was the most normal thing ever. As if it wasn¡¯t soplicated and involved so many important national issues that only a clueless fool would suggest it so quickly. Or maybe¡­as if it was so obvious that it was the right thing to do that any other response was impossible.


    Mia said that the contract should be thrown out. Half of the room froze when she spoke. Yuhal, Shalloak, and even Ludwig were among those who turned to stone. Ludwig was the first to get back to normal.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you must understand¡­¡±


    Mia looked at him and gave him a nod.


    ¡°Of course, yes. I know that I don¡¯t have the power to decide about something like this. ¡°The most I can do is push for it to be abolished at home.¡±


    Then she turned back to him and asked, ¡°Can it be done, Ludwig?¡±


    <em>You¡¯re asking me?!</em>


    How did this suddenly be <em>his</em> job? Half of his brain wanted to scream and flip a table. To keep some sense of calm, the other half beat it until it gave up. After fighting the sudden urge to throw things around, he forced himself to think to figure out what Mia meant by what she said. The job they talked about was not something he could do at all, but she still told him it. It had to make sense.


    First, he thought about what was right and wrong. In this way, what she said was without a doubt right. There was a contract between Tearmoon and Perujin that was definitely unfair and turned the people of Perujin into serfs. Even though this is a bit of an oversimplification, you could say that the main reason for the pact was to make sure that the empire could always buy wheat from Perujin at a good price. Every year, the empire and Perujin would go through the motions of discussing prices, but because their armies were so different, the empire really set the prices and Perujin had no choice but to go along with them.


    Shalloak had been looking for just this kind of situation. His n was to slowly raise prices over time, but each rise would be small enough not to cause Tearmoon to send in the army. Then, when Tearmoon started to run out of food, Perujin could start to get them to give in.


    Overall, the Perujin thought that a lot of theirnd was being used by the Tearmoon to grow wheat for them, which the Perujin then bought for very little money. After selling the wheat for a small profit, they had to deal with the empire making fun of the results of all their hard work. In this way, letting this situation go on without changing it was clearly wrong.


    Mia¡¯s goal was to build trust between herself and Perujin. In this way, the pact was also a clear roadblock. In that way, getting rid of it was the easiest and most reasonable thing to do.


    <em>The trouble is that it¡¯s not possible¡­</em>


    Mia had already said that she didn¡¯t have the power to break treaties; that was the job of the top offices of both sides. The emperor¡¯s intense zeal was a strong card, but it did not go beyond what she could do as a princess. No matter how spoiled they were, princesses did not decide what happened in the world.


    But Mia wasn¡¯t just another princess. Her power was almost unmatched, not just in the kingdom but on the whole continent. Prince Sion of Sunnd, Prince Abel of Remno, Saint Rafina of Belluga¡­ As long as Mia tried to do what was right, they would all back her up no matter what. If they were asked, the young members of the Four Houses would probably also back her. Also, Mia was very popr with the people at the moment.


    If she tried to get something done, it wouldn¡¯t just be because she was the princess of Tearmoon. Behind her, all of her friends stood tall and powerful. It wouldn¡¯t matter if she had the technical power to make a policy or not. She had more influential power than the moon ministers, the chancellor, and in some cases, even the emperor himself.


    There was no doubt that it was possible.


    <em>The most important thing is that the empire needs to be reformed¡­</em>


    As he went through his arguments, Ludwig had to admit that he was starting to make sense to himself. If they wanted to change things for the better in the kingdom, they had to do what Mia suggested. The reason was easy to understand: as long as the treaty with Perujin was in ce, Tearmoon lords wouldn¡¯t bother farming more of theirnd. Why would they do that if they could get cheap wheat from Perujin? If this idea couldn¡¯t be put to rest for good, it would be impossible to make the country more self-sufficient in food. Getting less dependent on Perujin was, therefore, the quickest way to change the empire¡¯s farming habits.


    <em>It seems to make so much sense. The kind that makes them happy¡­</em>


    He thought about the other people in his group, the ones he had just gathered to ask for help. If he could help the students of Wiseman Galv understand what Mia was thinking and persuade them that it was important, they would definitely put all of their administrative power behind the effort. It would be a perfect match. These were people who couldn¡¯t wait to use their skills. He would only have to worry about making sure they ate and slept while they were busy.


    There was a good chance that sooner orter, the momentum they built up would get to the people who could make and break treaties.


    <em>So, if she wants to know if it can be done or not, the answer is yes, it can.</em>


    There was both a moral and a practical reason to do it. They even have the power to do it too.


    <em>This is why¡­ This is why she brought it up now of all times.</em>


    Ludwig knew thatrge-scale changes were always met with strong opposition. Peace in normal life was good, but a state of peace thatsted was also a stoppage. The same kind of days and years just kept happening over and over again in a loop of inert monotony. People found peace and relief in the idea that things didn¡¯t change and that the world stayed the same.


    Shaking things up, or putting motion into a system that is still, would always be met with resistance. A life that didn¡¯t change wasfortable and gave people peace of mind. Change was a step into the unknown, and there was never a promise that what was at the end was better. Even if it was better, fairer, andpletely right, there would still be a big, very loud group of people who disagreed with it. People were generally very rigid and afraid of change.


    So, he didn¡¯t want to do it. Just a few minutes ago, he had many reasons to disagree with this idea. It was easy to see that what Mia was trying to do would make both elites andmoners angry. But¡­and this was a big but¡­


    <em>Right now¡­ Exactly right now, at this very moment, the reasons I had for not liking the idea don¡¯t matter.</em>


    It was hard to force change into the calm rhythm of normal life. Change also happened on its own. In fact, it was happening without Mia¡¯s help right at that moment. Time itself was changing, and hunger was the cause. Soon, every country on the continent would be forced to change. Change would have to happen anyway, so Mia¡¯s idea would¡­


    <em>She is going with the flow. We¡¯re about to go through a time of chaos when lots of things will change, and she wants to use this time to fix the whole kingdom at once.</em>


    She wasn¡¯t going to take a broken country that was suffering from famine and bring it back to its former greatness. She wanted to make something new out of it. They wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with half-hearted efforts; they¡¯d just get stuck. He could now see that this was true. No, it had always been there, but it was just dim enough in the back of his mind for him to pretend it wasn¡¯t there. Then Mia poked a hole in the roof, letting the light of truth shine into every corner. There was no ce left for him to hide his stupidity.


    <em>Everyone, from elites tomoners, will have to think about how to get food on their own because of the famine. It will make you feel like you need to act now. She has no doubt that she wants to get everything done at once while the issue is still at the top of people¡¯s minds.</em>


    As Mia¡¯s big picture came into his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but feel dizzy as he thought about how big it was. Nothing was too big for her to think about, not the world, not the times, not even the flow of events.


    <em>Trust other people. Use the skills of other people. I now understand why she told me to do that. A n of this size and scope is not something I could do on my own.</em>


    As soon as he got his thoughts in order, he spoke.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pushing for morend to be turned into farms in the empire right now. If the empire has more farnd, it will have less need to purchase wheat. It will take time, but it should be possible to change the contents of the treaty with Perujin. Slowly, we can cut back on how much wheat we demand¡­¡±


    Ludwig then went on to exin his thoughts and ideas, being very careful with his words. He thought that the kind of change he wanted to see would take years. But over time, Perujin¡¯s exports to the empire would go down, which would let them sell more wheat to other countries at market price. Perujin would make more money, and things between the two countries should calm down. Since they didn¡¯t need as muchnd to grow wheat for the empire, they could also use it for something else.


    <em>What to do with theirnd would be up to the Perujin people.</em>


    He had no idea how things would end up when this long process of change was over. Since Perujin doesn¡¯t have a strong army, they might continue to be at a disadvantage in talks because they need Tearmoon to protect them. So, changing a country should always be done in small steps. It was unrealistic to think that every wrong would be made right right away. Still, things would get better, and that gave people hope. As long as things got better year after year, even if it was just a little bit, it would give Perujin¡¯s farmers a lot of hope. They would finally get out of the long rut they had been in. They would start to move forward as their hope grew. Even though they moved slowly, each step they took was important to the march of progress.


    In the end, both Perujin Agricultural Country and the Tearmoon Empire would benefit from working together. Mia¡¯s big n for the two countries was for them to work together in a way that was beneficial for both of them.


    After Ludwig was done exining, Yuhal¡¯s jaw hung open. He stayed that way until Mia¡¯s calm voice woke him up from his stunned silence.


    ¡°But¡­ none of this is going to happen soon. As I said before, there will be a hunger, and it willst for years. Even if we added more farnd to the kingdom, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have enough time to get to the right scale¡­¡±


    She looked Yuhal in the eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Because of this, all I can do right now is make a promise. So, I¡¯d like to ask you for a big favor. Your Majesty, could you please put your trust in me?¡±


    She wanted to know if he would take her at her word and, eventually, if he was willing to start over and build a new trusting rtionship with the empire.

 Chapter 423

    <strong>General Mia Takes No Prisoners Alive</strong>


    <em>Huh? Well, I guess I did it.</em>


    Mia looked at Yuhal¡¯s face and tried hard not to smile. She hade here ready to beat Shalloak badly because she thought that was the only way she could get what she wanted. But the way things were going, it didn¡¯t even seem like a good idea. She looked like she was about to win the whole thing.


    <em>The help from Arshia and Rania was very important in turning the tide. Moons, there are so many people who want to help me. It must be because I am honest and good. I¡¯m so charismatic that I sometimes scare myself!</em>


    The smug smile on her face probably came from the fact that she was honest and had good morals.


    Also, it hardly needs to be said, but she didn¡¯t have anyplicated ns or big ideas. She had never thought about anything Ludwig talked about. Mia¡¯s thoughts were always very straightforward. No matter how far it seemed to go, it was always easy. The highest level of Mianess was to think in terms of multiples, but each part was equal to one. One multiplied by itself is still one. And the only thing on her simple mind was whether or not Tearmoon and Perujin could trust each other.


    Perujin had a lot of crops, so even when the harvest was bad, they always had enough to share. Keeping in good terms with a neighbor who had a lot of food coulde in handy in a pinch. But there was a contract that made it hard for these two countries to get along. What should be done? How would Mia handle this problem? Simple, of course. If a rock got in her way, she would kick it. Sure, that rock could hit someone on the head and make a lot of trouble for everyone, but that was a problem for future Mia to deal with. Heck, it was really Ludwig¡¯s problem, since future Mia would probably just pass it on to him. Easy is always the best!


    Because she used this rule, the king¡¯s mood seemed to be changing for the better. Surely, this meant that she was now making progress. Just as she was about to ride the waves as usual, though¡­


    ¡°No agreement, no written promise. Nothing but a verbal promise¡­ Surely, the King of Perujin wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to act on blind faith?¡±


    Shalloak¡¯s angry words reverberated through the hall, and the wave began to weaken.


    Shalloak was as shocked as Yuhal, if not more so. He didn¡¯t know any of this was going to happen like the king did. From Princess Mia¡¯s early arrival to her invitation to this dinner, everything about what was going on caught him by surprise. When he thought about it, he realized that the offer smelled fishy from the moment he got it. No, he just didn¡¯t want to go in the first ce, because if he did, it would show that Mia had caught on to all of his secret moves and was already nning a way to win over the Perujin King.


    This very serious talk didn¡¯t even need to happen. All the king had to do was say that he would keep doing business with Tearmoon the same way as before and add an easy use that if there was famine and prices went up, they would be able to renegotiate to some degree. A short conversation like that would have been enough to end the problem for now.


    Instead, the king was very interested in what she had proposed, and it was clear that it was because of something she had said.


    Friendly rtionships are built on trust.


    It was hard to believe how shameless the phrase was. It was the kind of nonsense that no sensible person who knew how Tearmoon and Perujin worked would say out loud for fear of looking like a fool. Hearing it from the princess of Tearmoon made it even more fake to the point of being mean. Yuhal couldn¡¯t look past that; it made him feel bad in a lot of ways.


    The king should have put on a fake smile to hide his anger. His best choice was probably to gloss over the problem. If a plot is only in someone¡¯s head, it can¡¯t be proven. Don¡¯t give any hints. Let nothing slip. Talk about things that don¡¯t matter. That was the way to get things done.


    But the princess didn¡¯t spare prisoners on her road to sess. She cut away at his front like a cook and did it on purpose to make him angry. When an emotional Yuhal walked onto the field, the game was over for Mia. Shalloak couldn¡¯t say anything because allies were talking over him all the time.


    Shalloak understood, to his own frustration, that the difference between him and the princess was that they had different ns. He came to watch and enjoy a good meal while avoiding some awkward questions. He was, in a sense, running the timer. But Mia hade to the fight with only one thing in mind: to win by knockout.


    She did fight, attacking every reason the king didn¡¯t trust Tearmoon, which were the most important parts of Shalloak¡¯s n, until they fell. Then she went straight for the throat.


    ¡°Your Majesty, could you please put your trust in me?¡±


    She asked him to believe her. To have him trust her. To believe that she is honest.


    ¡°Surely, the King of Perujin wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to act on blind faith?¡±


    Even Shalloak couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying. He knew the king was already under the spell of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. It was a very tempting spell because it was made with the light of hope.


    <em>She does the worst things at the worst times. So that¡¯s how the Great Wisdom works¡­ Well done.</em>


    ¡°Oh, Shalloak? I would like to talk to you as well.¡± She turned her attention to him all of a sudden. ¡°Do you remember when we talked before and I said that money isn¡¯t everything? So, what did you say to me in response?¡±


    She put a finger to her cheek and turned her head to make a point.


    ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t it something about how doing things that don¡¯t make money is a sign of being caught up in emotional wish-wash? That it means you¡¯re weak?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, you are right. People who work in business put their faith in money. It has the power to control everything in the world, and it is our god.¡±


    Shalloak could tell that he was getting angrier even as he answered. He knew why, too. Mia¡¯s words and deeds showed that she didn¡¯t think money was everything. It went against everything he thought was right. It went against everything he believed in. And most importantly, it hurt like salt on a small wound in the back of his head. The pain kept reminding him that maybe, just maybe, he¡¯d been wrong about everything¡­


    Even though he knew he was being manipted in the same way Yuhal had, there was nothing he could do to stop himself.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t merchants believe this? No, everyone should believe this. People work. For what, then, do they work? Money, for sure. So, it is obviously right for them to do everything they can to make as much money as possible.¡±


    He had spent his whole life making money, and all merchants should do the same. Using all of one¡¯s strength and intelligence to get on the most efficient path to the most money¡­ That was why people went into business. It was a must.


    It was a terrible act of sphemy to share information that could make money, like the fact that cold-resistant wheat was being made.


    ¡°Is it objectively right? How strange¡­ I¡¯ve heard from a good source that you used to be quite the¡ªOh? Is there something wrong?¡±


    Mia frowned. Shalloak did too. He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant for a moment. The next second, a terrible pain shot through his chest like a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°Augh! Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Shalloak!¡±


    He heard a young girl scream. Then he didn¡¯t hear anything else.

 Chapter 424

    <strong>Princess Mia Pumps Her Arms</strong>


    When Shalloak Cornrogue started to fall, Tatiana was the first to help. She ran to his side and tried to hold up his big body, but she couldn¡¯t. He fell down, taking her with him, but she made sure to put her arms between the ground and his head as they went down. Then she got out from under him and tilted his head to keep his airway open. Then she gave a quick series of orders to the people around her, telling them to help with first aid. Mia couldn¡¯t stop looking at her in amazement at how fast and sure she had moved.


    The fact that things changed quickly also didn¡¯t help. Mia had put Shalloak in a tight spot and was ready to kill his image with a brilliant ¡°coup de grace.¡± She didn¡¯t expect her opponent to fall before she could taste blood after she went for his neck. She turned to Tatiana as she watched four guys work together to carry him away.


    ¡°Do you think that he¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, probably¡­ I think this is just a transient attack. His breathing has slowed down, so as long as he rests¡­¡±


    ¡°An attack? Is it a sickness of some kind?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know if it¡¯s a disease until we check it out. I have heard about attacks like this, though. There was a rich noble in some country who died after a very simr thing happened. They ate a lot of rich foods, stayed inside all the time, and didn¡¯t exercise at all.¡±


    Tatiana made a sad face and crossed her arms.


    ¡°In other words, this kind of illness is caused by eating too much and not exercising enough.¡±


    Mia paid close attention while unconsciously rubbing her stomach.


    <em>Too much food¡­and not enough exercise?</em>


    ¡°Thank goodness, it¡¯s still not toote. I, um¡­ May I be excused, Your Highness? I want to find out about Master Shalloak.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure,¡± Mia said as she jumped back to attention. ¡°Of course, you¡¯d want to check on him. Go ahead.¡±


    She quickly said ¡°yes¡± and felt her belly again.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Tell me, where is the room where they took Shalloak to get treated? Oh, it¡¯s in the castle, but it¡¯s not too close. Hm, hm, I see¡­ What a good thing. Yes, definitely check on him¡­¡±


    She kept nodding, but now it looked like she was thinking.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Tatiana, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You will? Why?¡±


    Tatiana looked at Mia in shock, and Mia quickly turned her body to hide her stomach from the girl¡¯s innocent but interested eyes.


    ¡°Why? Well, how do I say this¡­?¡±


    There was no way to tell the truth. She wasn¡¯t about to say that she had suddenly be interested in working out before bed. Her sense of pride wouldn¡¯t let her. But because she couldn¡¯t tell her, she had no reason to check on Shalloak. There was nothing she could do to help him, and they were rivals to boot. She was not obligated toe. Unless she had a very good reason to leave, it made sense for her to stay here and keep talking with Yuhal. After wrinkling her face and pursing her lips, she gave her reason.


    ¡°Because Shalloak is getting weaker.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Great General Mia knew that in war, there was no room for kindness. Every chance the enemy gives you should be seized and used to the fullest. Shalloak was in a bad spot at the moment. So, now was the time to kill him for good and make sure he would never again be a threat to the country.


    She didn¡¯t do it because she wanted to work out. No, this was Mia walking with determination toward herst battle! At least, that¡¯s what she told herself.


    ¡°Which is to say¡­¡± She smiled at the thing she kept hidden. ¡°Tatiana, it looks like it¡¯s finally your time to shine.¡±


    She had brought the girl with her because she was thest nail in Shalloak¡¯s coffin, and now it was time to drive her in. Mia would hold her up in front of him and say: Look, Shalloak! Her existence disproves everything you say! You have no right to call yourself a coldly logical business person. You¡¯re just a regr person with the same weakness, emotion, and kindness as everyone else.


    Tatiana would have to help out for this dramatic climax to work, so Mia looked her in the eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Tatiana. Make me proud.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    Tatiana felt like a missing piece of a puzzle fell into ce when she heard Mia¡¯s words. Everything Mia had told her¡­ Now everything made sense.


    She saw that Master Shalloak¡¯s health was getting worse and wanted to see him in person to wish him well.


    From what they said to each other before, it was clear that Mia and Shalloak did not agree on much. Instead, they looked like they were going to fight. Tatiana had thought that Mia would use her against him as a tool. But it wasn¡¯t like that.


    <em>She is trying to save Master Shalloak.</em>


    What had been a bunch of separate events came together all at once, showing a full, connected pattern. Back at Crolio Pond, Mia had said that she liked how Tatiana wasn¡¯t afraid to correct people when she needed to. She liked how honest she was. Then she told Tatiana that if she ever got into trouble, she shoulde to her. Tatiana could now see that Mia had been trying to push her forward by giving her encouragement.


    She began to remember more of what Mia had said. She had said that everything would depend on what Shalloak did. How prescient she¡¯d been! She was obviously talking about this exact thing. Mia always knew that Shalloak¡¯s health would get worse if he didn¡¯t change what he ate. So, she brought Tatiana with her to tell him what he needed to hear and try to get him to live a better life.


    <em>That¡¯s not all, either. She might be trying to remind Master Shalloak of¡­</em>


    Mia wanted to do two things. She wanted to warn him about his health and save his life through Tatiana. She did this because she wanted him to remember all the great things he had done in the past. The health of both the body and the mind. She wanted to give him both back.


    Tatiana couldn¡¯t help but think that she had found out Mia¡¯s real ns.


    <em>She says that everything depends on how he acts, but behind the scenes, she is doing everything she can to stop Master Shalloak from hurting himself and get him back on the right road.</em>


    She thought that this way of doing things was a lot like how doctors work. Shalloak is the only one who can decide if he wants to live a moderate life. His health and how long he lived were eventually determined by the decisions he made.


    ¡°But decisions can be influenced.¡±


    There was no reason to just stop trying. People who didn¡¯t want to listen could still be told over and over. With enough time, they might finally change their minds one day. Not because they were moved by how serious you were, but because they were sick of hearing the same advice over and over again and just wanted it to stop.


    <em>It¡¯s up to Master Shalloak¡­ Her Highness¡¯s words sound cold and heartless at first¡­</em>


    But now, Tatiana was very thankful. She wanted to thank Mia from the bottom of her heart for bringing her to this crucial crossroads and giving her the chance to save Shalloak Cornrogue, the guy who had changed her life.


    ¡°Okay, Your Highness. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When she looked at Mia, she saw that she was pumping her arms. It was strangely like a move that the other young girl following her, Bel, did all the time, and there was something strangely¡­exercise-like about it.


    TN¡¯s Note: This is exactly how one bes a member of the Cult of Mia.

 Chapter 425

    <strong>Thread</strong>


    Shalloak kept going down and down into a deep into a never-ending darkness. It was a world with no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste, and not even any feeling.


    <em>I see¡­ So this is how it feels to be dead¡­</em>


    He was at the veryst stop. Now, his life was over. It would all be over. What he had nned for tomorrow, what he was getting ready to sell¡­ It would be all for nothing. Cut off from life for good. When Shalloak saw this, he was surprised to find himself shaken.


    He knew what his death would feel like. That¡¯s what his dream told him. He knew this day woulde. But it was always going to happen. Some day. Eventually. He didn¡¯t think it woulde so quickly. He was no longer the calm and emotionless trader. He was scared. He was filled with feelings. Anxiety, fear, and worry coiled around his heart like shapeless vines.


    He was sure that the way he had lived his life was right because of his pride. But pride had no power in the face of death¡¯s endless nothingness. It took away his mask and left him with nothing but sorrow. Undeniable, inescapable sorrow.


    He could hear his own words echoing.


    <em>I see. So I failed, and then I didn¡¯t admit that I had failed. And every time I had a chance to make things right, I messed up and let those chances go.</em>


    He was stubborn his whole life and chose to fail until the very end. His soul started to be eaten away by despair. He knew now that the dream hade true. As it said, he would never wake up again. As hisst bit of strength left him, he could feel himself sinking. Down below, he was surrounded by a thick, murky fog.


    Then he saw it: a strange white thread that was very thin. It hung down and, as it moved toward him, broke up the ck around it. The thread looked like it could break with just a little pull. He reached for it anyway, but he didn¡¯t know why or what he hoped to achieve. He reached for it with his arm, hand, and even the tips of his fingers, like a dying person grabbing at a straw.


    He woke up then.


    ¡°Huh? Where¡­¡±


    It was all white. He heard a voice in his ear.


    ¡°Master Shalloak, it looks like you¡¯re awake.¡±


    He looked in the direction of the voice. As soon as he could see again, a young girl came into view. He knew who she was.


    ¡°You were with Princess Mia, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tatiana. I¡¯m attending at Saint-Noel Academy right now because of the grant program you set up.¡±


    ¡°Whuh? Hold on, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Tatiana¡¯s voice was followed by what seemed to be a strange voice, but his mind was already too foggy to think about it any further.


    ¡°Schrship? What¡¯s that?¡±


    A memory from when he was just starting out as a trader came back to him. He had, in fact, made something like that after finishing his first big job well. Back then, he was still so naive that he said he wanted to use his money for the good of other people and society.


    <em>So stupid. So dumb. I didn¡¯t know how hard the world was or how nasty people could be. It was a stupid thing that a stupid man did.</em>


    Program for schrships? He wouldugh if he had the energy. It was a waste of time and didn¡¯t earn a single gold coin.


    <em>Nothing but a bunch of silly feelings. It doesn¡¯t matter¡­</em>


    He took a moment to think about the idea again. His mouth moved into a sarcastic smile.


    ¡°Which, I guess, says it all about my life, too.¡±


    He had lost his way because he had looked into the core of his life and found that it had no purpose or value. He didn¡¯t know what was right anymore.


    ¡°I see you¡¯vee back to us.¡±


    When he heard another voice, he turned to look in that direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that you¡¯re safe, even if you¡¯re not 100% healthy.¡±


    He was in front of the princess of Tearmoon.


    ¡°¡­ Your Majesty? What are you doing here? I don¡¯t think you came to wish me a quick recovery.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t answer right away. She quickly looked at Tatiana as if she wanted to make sure, but all she did was shake her head. Then she smiled at him with her teeth showing.


    ¡°Well, actually, no. I came to this ce to finish you off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how dangerous. Then, what will it be? Poison, perhaps?¡±


    Shalloak tried to get out of bed, but Mia stopped him by putting her hand up.


    ¡°Ease up, don¡¯t hurt yourself. I mean, if you pass out again, it will be a problem. I¡¯d like it if you just stayed in bed.¡±


    If this had been the old Shalloak, he would have risen no matter what. He thought that getting in the right position was one of the most important parts of being able to negotiate well. Was it more sessful for him to stand up straight and look down his nose, or to sit down and act like he knew everything? It all depended on what was going on. Sometimes, a person should bend at the knees or even get down on all fours. No matter what, he made a choice based on what he thought was best. This time, though, he just did what Mia told him to do. After his close call with death, he had no desire or reason to put on a show.


    ¡°Yes, yes, just like that. It¡¯s great when folks just pay attention. Still, to answer your question, no, it won¡¯t be poison. I don¡¯t have to do anything at all, in fact.¡± Mia gave him a calm smile. ¡°We all get what we nt. The things that will kill you are the seeds you nted yourself.¡±


    Shalloak looked at the im and blinked once. Then, he made a face that showed he understood.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Well said. I agree with youpletely.¡±


    When he thought about what was making him sad, he realized that everything she said was true. He would die from something that wasn¡¯t poison.


    ¡°In a way, it could even be said that you¡¯ve already met your end.¡±


    If that was death, thatplete feeling of hopelessness, and being eaten by it was just a matter of time, then he might have died already. He already knew ¡°how¡± he was going to die. What did the ¡°when¡± have to do with anything? Her cuttingment hit him in the chest and shook him to the core.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that you shouldn¡¯t go around nting seeds you can¡¯t handle, but I guess my advice is too little, toote, isn¡¯t it? Shalloak, you bring about your own death.¡±


    ¡°It does seem to be, doesn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    He shook his head slowly.


    <em>Where did I make a mistake¡­?</em>


    He must have, if that dark pit of misery was thest ce he went in his life¡­


    Maybe the end of everyone¡¯s trip was a death without hope or salvation. Maybe, in the end, the void came for all of them. But at that time, it was hard for him to think that way because the girl in front of him, who had risen to be the Great Wisdom of the Empire, didn¡¯t seem to fit in. He just couldn¡¯t see her ending up in the same empty ce.


    <em>Sowing seeds I can¡¯t handle, huh¡­ So then, there are people who can find peace in that bottomless pit of despair? I guess so, but I don¡¯t have the strength to be one of them. But what should I do now that I know this? Was I ever supposed to do anything?</em>


    Mia watched as he had a rare moment of deep thought and sadness. For some reason, she looked at him with sympathy.

 Chapter 426

    <strong>Mushroom Princess Mia Encourages</strong>


    In reality, Mia had lost her desire to fight Shalloak.


    Yes, she hade here to put him under so much stress until she breaks him. She had thought of all kinds of bad things to do to him on the way here, but when she saw him lying in bed tired and weak, she lost interest. He was a shady businessman with no morals, and he was her enemy. Even so, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to kick someone when they were down. Also, she saw herself in Shalloak all of a sudden. Wasn¡¯t the sight of this man, who was lying there because he ate too much and didn¡¯t control himself, a glimpse of what would happen to her if she kept behaving in the same way?


    <em>No, I¡¯m not going to end up in this bad of shape.</em>


    Even though she disagreed with herself, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her stomach to be sure. She was d to see that she had a long way to go before she could match his size.


    Either way, she had a feeling, maybe even a gut feeling, that she shouldn¡¯t fight this guy. It just didn¡¯t feel right.


    <em>I almost feel sorry for him. He did nothing but eat a lot of tasty food and lie around a lot. So what does he get in return? If this is how the world works, then the world is wrong!</em>


    She started to care about Shalloak¡¯s problem with F.A.T. because it made her feel angry for him. So, she decided what to do. She would wait for him to wake up. After she made sure he was okay, she would leave him alone.


    Her n was going well until, to her surprise, Tatiana chose all of a sudden to start telling everyone about his embarrassing past.


    <em>Tatiana, what in the name of the moons are you doing?! Are you sure about this?</em>


    The question was almost out of her mouth when she stopped and thought about something.


    <em>You¡¯re¡­trying to make things as good as possible for everyone, right?</em>


    From that point of view, what Tatiana did made sense. Sometimes it was necessary to kick a fallen opponent until they gave up. If you let them get back up, the fight would go on longer and more people would get hurt. It was true for Shalloak. He was vulnerable to her right now, but if he was given time to heal, he would go back to being stubborn. So, they should take advantage of how weak he is right now and beat him up so badly that he stops being bad for good.


    <em>He will be better off in the long run if we make him stop plotting and retire. Isn¡¯t that what you are thinking, Tatiana?</em>


    Mia stood up straight when she realized that much. Tatiana had been brought along as a favor at first, but the girl had certainly earned her ce. Mia decided that she owed her at least some help because she was so determined to repay the man who had changed her life.


    <em>So it goes. I¡¯ll be the bad guy then.</em>


    She made an evil smile as she thought about the bad girl in one of Elise¡¯s stories.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that you shouldn¡¯t go around nting seeds you can¡¯t handle, but I guess my advice is too little, toote, isn¡¯t it? Shalloak, you bring about your own death.¡±


    After all that blustering and acting like he was better than everyone else, he turned out to be as cold and calcted as a doting uncle. The shame! Still, Mia turned her heart into stone and got ready to break the will of the guy she saw in herself. It was time for kicking!


    <em>Shalloak, this is for your own good! We¡¯ll keep you healthy enough that you can spend the rest of your life just being a nice person.</em>


    She gritted her teeth and hoped that was a good enough reason for her to convince herself. Then Shalloak¡¯s eyes opened just a little bit.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ May I¡­ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, please¡­¡± He struggled to get up and sit down. ¡°If you ever found yourself at the end of a road that had been wrong for a long time and you had no choice but to admit it was wrong¡­ What do you do?¡±


    Mia looked confused because the question caught her off guard.


    <em>What a weird and sudden question! I wonder if, by changing the subject, he¡¯s trying to avoid the problem. Hmph, you¡¯re not getting away. I¡¯m going to beat all your fighting spirit out of you right now. You won¡¯t be able to do anything but be an emotional old sop.</em>


    She blew out some air through her nose and replies.


    ¡°What would I do? Simple: I¡¯d go back to where I was before I took my first wrong turn and look for the right way to go. What else can we do?¡±


    Mia knew what to do if she ever got lost in a forest while looking for mushrooms. The right thing to do was easy: she should go back to the ce where she started to get her bearings. She read this in a book that she had been reading over and over againtely. It was written by an adventurer who wrote about good foods. It was called ¡°Hundred Mushroom Delicacies.¡±


    If you know you¡¯re lost, thest thing you should do is spend time thinking about how wrong the road was. Yes, you¡¯vee a long way, but you can¡¯t let sunk costs cloud your judgment. The more you wander around without a n, the more lost you¡¯ll get and the more energy you¡¯ll lose. The only way out is to go all the way back.


    Mia knew this truth about picking mushrooms, and she thought it was true about life in general. She had tried to find mushroom recipes in the past, but she gave up when people around her told her not to. Before she even touched it, the door to her never-ending quest to perfect saut¨¦ed horse-shaped mushrooms and mushroom sweets was already shut.


    But now she felt like she¡¯d done something very wrong.


    <em>Even after everything, I still love mushrooms.</em>


    Reading One Hundred Mushroom Delights had made her more sure of her decision.


    <em>No matter what, I¡¯m going to make Abel and the other members of the student council the best full-course mushroom meal ever! And I¡¯m going to cook it myself!</em>


    She proudly announced to the world, in her mind, what she wanted to do by holding up a purple mushroom that looked like a royal crown. Even though there wasn¡¯t anything obvious to see, it was an important moment when Mushroom Princess Mia took her first step toward bing Mushroom Empress.


    Okay, let¡¯s get back to the important stuff.


    ¡°I see. Before you took your first wrong turn. What an interesting idea! If only I had that choice¡­¡± Shalloak muttered.


    Mia stayed on the attack when she saw that her opponent wasn¡¯t hitting back.


    <em>You think that saying strange things to yourself will get you out of trouble? You¡¯d better change your mind! Now that I¡¯ve answered your question, it¡¯s my turn to talk. And I¡¯m going to bring this talk right back to where we started and end it!</em>


    She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smug smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s time, Shalloak, for you to face the cold, hard fact that she will bring you down. Tatiana is a seed you nted yourself, and she is a part of you that can¡¯t be taken away.¡±


    She stressed the point to make sure that Shalloak wouldn¡¯t try to brush it off as a mistake made by a young person. No, what he did for Tatiana had to be an important part of who he was.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tatiana said, blinking in shock.


    ¡°She is the one who saved your life!¡±


    ¡°Wh-What? That¡¯s not¡­¡± Tatiana was so scared that she shook her hands and head. ¡°No one¡¯s life was saved by me. Also, this isn¡¯t something that¡¯s easy to cure. Oh, but¡­¡±


    Tatiana got a hold of herself. She looked at Shalloak for a moment, then said, ¡°If you eat a lot of sweet or fatty foods and don¡¯t exercise¡­ These things will make your health worse. The heart has to work harder when a person is overweight, which makes it easier to pass out. There is a chance that your situation could get worse. So, I think you should really pay more attention to what you eat.¡±


    She finished her advice to Shalloak, who couldn¡¯t say anything. Mia spoke up a second after that.


    ¡°Tatiana is being humble, just so you know. When you fell down, she was the first person toe over and help you. Even as you fell on her, she held your head in her arms so it wouldn¡¯t hit the ground. From my point of view, she saved your life, and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Tatiana¡¯sck of attention to detail hurt her attacking power, which just wouldn¡¯t do. Mia was very clear and specific about the fact that Shalloak owed his life to the girl. That made her next move possible.


    ¡°Let me share a short story with you. Tatiana¡¯s father was a doctor, but he died when she was still a child. She wanted to be a doctor so she could honor her father. But she didn¡¯t have any money, so she had to give up on this dream. Oh, what a sad story! Doesn¡¯t it make your heart break?¡±


    Mia spoke a little more loudly and melodramatically as she spoke to make her point.


    ¡°But wait! Something came along just in time and helped her out of her trouble. This was a program for giving out schrships. Your program for schrships, Shalloak! The one that didn¡¯t even make you a penny!¡±


    The man who acted so tough and said he only did things for money and would even take advantage of other people¡¯s bad luck to make money for himself was saved by a foolish act of kindness he¡¯d done in the past.


    <em>The tougher he acts, the more this kind of thing hurts, and he has been acting pretty tough. Honestly, if I were him, I would die of shame.</em>


    She put her hand on his back.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯ve been doing this for a long time. Don¡¯t hold on to it. You tell everyone that money is the only thing you care about. That money is all that matters and that it is your god. But in the end, the fact that you spent money saved you. Shouldn¡¯t you ept that there¡¯s more to life than money?¡± From her smile, it looked like pure kindness wasing out.


    ¡°All this plotting, scheming, and nning¡­ It makes no sense. Even more so when it¡¯s cutting your life short. Stop and take a break. Tatiana will be happy to help you if you need it. Listen to what she says and get your health back. Am I understood?¡±


    When she said that, she heard Shalloak¡¯s weakening will snap. At the same time, she gave Tatiana a way to repay him for how he had changed her life. She gave onest word of support in silence, with the look of someone who had just done a great job and knew it.


    <em>Do get better, Shalloak. Let¡¯s take care of ourselves and make sure we both live long, healthy lives.</em>


    It was a sincere message to someone who had gone down the thorny road of F.A.T. before her.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Aaah¡­ I see.¡±


    The voice of Shalloak shook. He did make a mistake. Everything in his life had gone wrong. But¡­not everything had been wasted.


    There was a guy in the future who was known as the Merchant King. Because he was so determined to make money, he thought that many things, including the words of the weak and needy and those who were sorry, were not important. Shalloak was finally able to hear those words, which he had tried to ignore in the past.


    ¡°Oh, is that it? I didn¡¯t know that it was so easy¡­¡±


    He only had to go back to where he was before he got lost. Instead, he had covered up his self-hatred with a thinyer of self-reflection. Which after a while, he decided to ept himself the way he was, but he was really just giving up. Eventually, the fact that he was lost started to slip from his mind. He would sometimes wake up and realize that he waspletely lost in the middle of a strange forest. Every time, though, he wouldugh sarcastically and keep moving forward because he thought it was toote to go back.


    Mia, on the other hand, didn¡¯t agree. She found him in the woods and told him to go back, even though she knew how far off the road he was. He was wrong to think that money was everything, so before he gave inpletely, he should just go backwards until he found the right way.


    He thought back to a time when he left his boss to be a merchant on his own. Then a lot of things happened quickly. Children with bright eyes yed with strange toys from faraway ces. Young women were amazed by quilts with designs that looked foreign and beautiful. Husbands are eager to try smoking pipes from other countries because they are curious. People were happy because of the things he carried, and when he saw their smiles, he felt a little bit of pride.


    Then, when he finished his first big job sessfully, he was so happy that he wanted to do something good for the world. Because of this desire, he set up a schrship program, which made his fellow tradersugh at him.


    <em>I was so naive, but I was also so honest. I was happy to do my job because I really liked it.</em>


    When did everything change? When did the money be more important to him than the work itself? And his pride, not because of his job but because of his money? Most likely, it didn¡¯t happen all at once but over a period of time. Over time, the stresses of being a merchant shifted his focus from making customers happy to making more money. A basic rule of business, he used the idea of minimizing costs and maximizing results in every part of his life. If he was trying to save money, could he also do less work? And if the goal was to get the most money back, what about happiness? Before he knew it, he had tied his happiness to the money he made from his job, not the work itself.


    ¡°Master Shalloak¡­¡±


    When he looked up, he saw that Tatiana was looking right at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get discouraged. You can still get better; it¡¯s not toote. I will help you, so let¡¯s both do our best.¡±


    She probably meant that his health could still get better, but Shalloak took it as a deeper message that he shouldn¡¯t give up on himself and that it wasn¡¯t toote to go back and find a new way to live.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, right? I can still¡­¡±


    With his eyes closed, he took a slow breath in and felt the air fill his lungs. He thought it was the first real breath he¡¯d taken in a long time. He let it out, and a weight that he couldn¡¯t see went with it.


    He opened his eyes again and Shalloak felt a sense of clearness that he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.

 Chapter 427

    <strong>A Perujin Night</strong>


    After Mia¡¯s wee dinner was over that night, King Yuhal and his wife went back to their chambers.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the fall of that poor merchant earlier make it hard to understand what was being discussed?¡± asked the worried queen. ¡°Is everything going to be okay?¡±


    Yuhal sighed and gave her a nod to make her feel better. ¡°I believe it will. In fact, I think Princess Mia left things open on purpose so we could think about it¡­¡±


    Shalloak¡¯s fall was definitely a big problem, but there was no reason for her to follow him. After the initial disturbance stopped, she could have easily picked up where they left off and pushed him for an answer. She had instead left the party.


    ¡°I guess she is sure that her idea is the best¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, Dad.¡±


    Yuhal turned around when he heard an unexpected voice and saw both of his daughters standing at the door.


    ¡°Arshia¡­ Rania¡­¡±


    ¡°Please excuse our sudden entrance.¡±


    Even though they caught him off guard, Yuhal wasn¡¯t too surprised by their look. He was sure that they would stop by before the night was over.


    ¡°Father, can we have a moment of your time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may. Maybe you¡¯vee at the right time. I¡¯ve also been wanting to talk to you both.¡±


    He told his girls toe in, and then he bent his head to look at them.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about the treaty with Tearmoon.¡±


    The treaty between the two countries had been in ce since the beginning of Perujin. As a reaction to the Tearmoon Empire taking over the Fertile Crescent, the Agricultural Country of Perujin was made. The tribe of hunters who had been living on thend took control of it, and the farmers whose houses and fields had been taken over became serfs. People who didn¡¯t want to be ruled by the kingdom went south to live in more free ces. There, they started the country of Perujin.


    The people who started Perujin thought that Tearmoon would eventually try to take over their country if nothing was done to stop it. So, they tried to make a deal with Tearmoon before it did so. They asked that their authority be recognized in exchange for Tearmoon getting the right to a certain amount of their wheat every year. The deal was made when the first Tearmoon emperor agreed to their terms.


    Yuhal couldn¡¯t figure out what the emperor hoped to get out of this deal. He could have said no, but he chose instant annexation and vebor instead. Even so, the deal was made, and Perujin was able to keep its freedom, but it had to give Tearmoon more power. In effect, the founders gave up one part of their sovereignty to keep the rest. Since then, Perujin had to depend on Tearmoon, which let Tearmoon keep getting cheap wheat from them, but never enough to leave them without food. It was a long-term form of exploitation, but both sides agreed to it.


    This was always a closely guarded secret that only the royal family and a small group of close friends knew about. If the people¡¯s anger toward the empire ever got bad enough to start a war, that would be the end of Perujin. The troops of the empire would march in. It would be a quick and decisive invasion. In the end, Tearmoon would have gotten bigger, and Perujin would be a relic of the past.


    Those who knew or were told stories about being forced to leave the Fertile Crescent felt this fear the most. If the empire had just one reason to attack, everyone would wake up the next morning as serfs. Based on this idea, they moved very carefully and did everything they could to get things done without making the empire angry.


    In the past, when Perujin kings wanted to get their country out of poverty, they didn¡¯t try to renegotiate the treaty with Tearmoon. Instead, they focused on getting better at farming. In order to achieve this goal, this founding treaty was kept hidden. Every year, only a few members of the royal family and a small group of representatives met with the empire to negotiate a price. The price they finally agreed on was never made public. The two princesses were among the people who didn¡¯t know what was going on. Yuhal had never talked about the treaty with them. Instead, he told them that the empire was a long-time and important customer whose business was very important for their agricultural industry.


    In general, the statement wasn¡¯t wrong. More than just wheat changed hands between the two countries. Tearmoon bought a lot of farming goods from Perujin every year. Those whose prices were not limited by the treaty made Tearmoon a lot of money. Given this situation, people¡¯s feelings about Tearmoon were, to put it mildly,plex.


    ¡°Since your marriages will send you both abroad, I didn¡¯t want to bother you with this information, but¡ª¡±


    With a shake of her head, Arshia stopped him.


    ¡°It has happened, so let¡¯s leave it alone. I don¡¯t have anything to say about this subject right now. I do want to know what you n to do with the idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question, and I¡¯d like to know the answer myself.¡±


    If they got rid of the contract with the empire, they could use a lot of theirnd to grow crops that would make them more money. That much was true. They could also keep growing wheat there and sell it to countries in other parts of the continent. Either way, the country¡¯s policy would need to change in a big way.


    ¡°In exchange for being free of wheat obligations, we will no longer be able to depend on the imperial army for all of our defense. Most likely, our profits will go up, but some of them will have to go to war costs to protect our newfound wealth.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t fight as well as the empire, but they¡¯d have to at least be as good as their neighbors. It made sense, even seemed normal, to think so. But¡­


    ¡°Would you like to say something? Go ahead and tell me what you think,¡± Yuhal said when he saw that Rania¡¯s face showed a bit of disagreement.


    He didn¡¯t realize he had asked his daughter for her view until after he had asked her. He had never even thought about it before.


    <em>So Princess Mia has even influenced me¡­</em>


    It got to him. At the same time, it caught his attention. The Great Wisdom of the Empire had talked to him about the future of his country over a single meal. So, what could his girls, who had spent so much time with her, say about the situation? Could they also surprise him with an answer he didn¡¯t expect? He had to know.


    Rania paused because her father¡¯s sudden interest in what she thought was new to her. She shook her head to calm down and then said, ¡°That¡¯s not how our ancestors thought when they built this ¡°cake-shaped castle, in my opinion.¡±


    She was telling a fairy tale that only kids could enjoy. It made one think of a world without war, with buildings that weren¡¯t made for fighting. It was a dream that would always be far in the future. Even though what she said was silly, her voice was steady and calm. Yuhal understood why.


    It was because of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Rania had talked so seriously about a fantasy future because she couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe, just maybe, it could happen with Princess Mia in charge.


    It was crazy. Or maybe not. What if she was right and a world like that was actually possible? Then, what should the people of Perujin do to move forward?


    ¡°We are a people of thend,¡± Rania said. ¡°We work it, farm it, and give its fruit to other people as a gift. We see ourselves like this. It¡¯s who we are and makes us proud. Isn¡¯t it important to keep that in mind?¡±


    Her words had a sense of honor. A self-assurance that was more than just pride. It was a strong sense of self-worth that came from the Perujin people, their generations of hard work, and the clear worth of what they had done.


    Yuhal blinked. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that Rania was giving off a faint glow. There was, in a way. Rania got some of the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s brightness as they walked up that golden slope together. Now, even when Mia wasn¡¯t there, it still gave off asting glow.


    Yuhal stared at her for a long time with his eyes wide open. Then, he smiled just a little bit.


    <em>My girls are all grown up now¡­</em>


    He retreated into his thoughts. As princesses of Perujin, Rania and Arshia were both doing a great job of doing what they were supposed to do. His girls did their fair share. What about him?


    Rania asked her father, ¡°Father, do you know what Princess Mia said at the opening ceremony for Saint-Noel Academy?¡±


    Yuhal gave her a quizical look. The Bread-Cake Deration was what she was talking about, and he knew about it.


    ¡°I do. She talked about how nations help each other out when there is a famine. To be honest, if it came from anyone else, I¡¯d worry about how real they were,¡± he said.


    Arshia continued Rania¡¯s point by saying, ¡°Princess Mia is a rule-breaker in every sense of the word. It¡¯s like we all think in a box, but she thinks outside of it. She wants to help people. Not just her own, but everyone on the continent, and everyone the same. I was going to say no when she first asked me to teach at her school. I agreed because I understood that my dream had never been to keep people from starving in Perujin. That would never be enough¡­¡±


    When Arshia looked him in the eye, he couldn¡¯t breathe. He felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Gone was the young girl who tried hard to hide her desire to be rebellious. The person in front of him was a researcher who, despite being young, carried the weight of her big task with confidence.


    Arshia went on, ¡°I still remember the day Princess Mia became a light for me. And when I heard about her Bread-Cake Deration, I felt her light again. Her leading light helped me figure out what my real dream should be.¡±


    ¡°The Bread-Cake Deration¡­ The need for cold-resistant wheat and a spokesperson¡­ The emancipation of Perujin as a country¡­¡± Yuhal spoke in a thoughtful way. ¡°Huh, a new way to go¡­ I finally think I get what Princess Mia wants from us and what you two are trying to say.¡±


    Heughed then. It wasn¡¯t his normalugh because it didn¡¯t sound forced or weak like it usually did. This one came from the heart and was full of the joy of a child.


    ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s a lot of fun.¡±


    Getting involved with Mia when he could have freed his country from Tearmoon¡¯s control seemed a little backwards. But¡­


    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not it¡­ We¡¯ll be free, for real. Both from problems in the present and from things left over from the past. No matter what, we must change the way things are. So, putting our faith in Princess Mia should be¡­well, to say the least, interesting.¡±


    He felt something in his heart that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time: excitement. Soon after, hope and expectation came. He felt like a kid making ns for a joke.


    ¡°All right. Then I have to ask Princess Mia to do something for me in return¡­¡±


    His girls looked at each other puzzled, not sure what he meant.

 Chapter 428

    <strong>The People Dragged by Mia into Her ns</strong>


    ¡°So this is what Perujin, the Agricultural Country, looks like¡­¡±


    Chloe Forkroad looked out the window of her carriage as it went by a huge field.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was true. But it never ends. There is nothing but field after field.¡±


    ¡°¡¯Not an acre of ournd left untillled¡¯ is, after all, their national slogan,¡± Marco said.


    ¡°There are so many fields, and they are so big. This is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡±


    As a child, Chloe went with her father on work trips that took them to many different countries. But Perujin was a new experience for her.


    Marco had always thought that Perujin was a pretty dull ce to visit. He found their farming methods interesting and could watch them work for hours, but he never brought Chloe with him because he thought a child would soon lose interest. This trip, on the other hand, was Chloe¡¯s idea, and she made him go with her. Since he had just passed out from working too hard, she probably wanted to make sure he wouldn¡¯t do it again.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on working myself back into a hospital bed, but she wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer,¡± he said to himself.


    He was going to the Thanksharvest Festival, so he would spend most of his time meeting and greeting new people. If he found some good crops, he would pick up a few boxes, but he nned to take it easy overall. It felt more like a holiday than a trip for work. Still, he didn¡¯t hesitate to let here with him.


    Was it because he didn¡¯t want to discourage his daughter when she looked out for his health? The truth is that it wasn¡¯t. He brought her along because he knew something was going to change. He could feel it in the air, like a rumble that meant a huge current wasing. If Chloe was going to be pulled into this current and get involved with Princess Mia¡¯s grand n for a new world order for how food is distributed, she might as well learn the supply routes now.


    <em>Also, businessworking is important, and if I want her to take over Forkroad & Co. one day, she needs to start making her own links. King Yuhal of Perujin is a nice guy, which is good. He doesn¡¯t look down on regr people, so I think I can talk to him. It will be a great chance to introduce him to Chloe.</em>


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Princess Rania dance¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s getting ready. Hee hee¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    Marco did a double take. When Chloe said the name of the princess, he almost thought she was talking about a friend.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I can¡¯t wait to see Princess Rania perform. We¡¯ve be pretty good friends since we met at Saint-Noel. She¡¯s going to do the Thanksharvest Dance at the festival, and I told her I¡¯d go watch.¡±


    Chloe giggled.


    Marco just stared, trying to figure out how his daughter was not only friends with the third princess of Perujin, but also close enough to her that they were making secret ns to meet up. On the other hand, he might not be so surprised. Chloe often hung out with rich and powerful people, like Mia and Rafina and the big-wig aristocrats on the student council. Her group of friends was full of people he would have a hard time even seeing, let alone talking to. In this way, Chloe¡¯s friendship with a Perujin princess might not have been worth mentioning. What surprised Marco the most, though, was how many people she knew. She probably met all of these people through Mia, but Chloe didn¡¯t just keep them as second-degree acquaintances. Instead, she took it a step further and became friends with them. The fact that she said she woulde to the dance was proof.


    Marco was surprised by the fact that she took the initiative. Chloe had always been a quiet, shy girl who liked to be alone. He couldn¡¯t keep track of how many times he asked her to meet someone and she ran away behind his back. When she came home from Saint-Noel for the first couple of times, he thought she was still the same person.


    <em>But now I get it. You¡¯re different now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve¡­grown up.</em>


    The Great Wisdom of the Empire probably had something to do with how his daughter changed.


    I have the feeling that Princess Mia is dragging Chloe along with her, and she¡¯s going to take my daughter to ces I could never have imagined¡­


    Children are like young birds that leave their homes to fly even higher. Marco was aware of this. But that knowledge wasn¡¯t a shield. Still, he felt like he was getting more and more alone.


    ¡°Father? What¡¯s going on? Oh no, are you sick again?¡±


    When he looked up from his thoughts, he saw Chloe¡¯s worried face.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t be worried.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t about to say that seeing how much his daughter had grown made him feel lonely. Unfortunately, his vague answer made her worry even more.


    ¡°Listen, father. I know you¡¯ll want to talk about work, but please keep it to a minimum, okay? I can step in if you need me to¡­¡±


    She spoke with the power thates from being mature and skilled. Since he was already feeling emotional, this emotional roundhouse hit him even harder. It took a lot of strength not to cry.


    ¡°F-Father?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s no big deal. Well, you¡¯re right, but¡­ I can¡¯t just stay away from them, but I think it would be good for you to get some hands-on practice with business talks,¡± he said, nodding thoughtfully to himself.


    He finally smiled after a while.


    ¡°Chloe, do you like school?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­yes. I really enjoy the time I spend there.¡±


    ¡°So I see¡­¡±


    As he watched her face light up with happiness when he talked about her school, he finally decided to throw in the towel.


    <em>I think it¡¯s time for me to start seriously thinking about retiring¡­</em>


    Marco didn¡¯t know it at the time, but he¡¯d made a big mistake and would have to pick up the towel again. He thought he was just watching, but the flow he felt was much stronger than he thought. It would swallow everyone around Mia, including him, and pull them all into her ns.


    Mia had nted seeds all over thend, and some of them had grown, and one was about to bear fruit.


    Dawn was breaking over Perujin¡¯s night.

 Chapter 429

    <strong>A Request From King Yuhal</strong>


    ¡°Huh? You want me to dance the Thanksgiving Dance with you?¡±


    Mia frowned when she heard the idea out of the blue. She was rxing in the guest room of Perujin Agricultural Country¡¯s famous cake-shaped castle. She thought that after surviving King Yuhal¡¯s dinner party and beating the rich merchant Shalloakst night, she had taken care of all her problems for now and deserved a break.


    This idea was wrongly thought to be true when Princess Rania showed up and asked Princess Mia right away, ¡°Princess Mia, would you like to dance the Thanksgiving Dance with me?¡±


    Mia was surprised by how quickly she asked and how serious she looked.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that something that only Perujin princesses are allowed to do?¡±


    Mia thought that the dance was a religious ceremony that Perujin women did to thank the gods on behalf of their people.


    ¡°Usually, yes. But this time, we have a special dance called the Visitant¡¯s Dance to wee important people to our country.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s arms were crossed as she thought.


    <em>I guess I could be called an eminent guest since I¡¯m the princess of a powerful neighboring kingdom¡­</em>


    She did meet the standards.


    ¡°But it¡¯s participatory, right? I don¡¯t know the dance, so I don¡¯t know if I can keep up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. You helped me figure out the dance steps that one time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, now that you mention it, I do remember that.¡±


    Rania once asked Mia for help because she knew that dancing was her (only) skill. Rania had to do the Thanksharvest Dance at the festival every year, but she had a terrible sense of rhythm. Mia remembers that the process of teaching her had been especially hard.


    ¡°Also, you got here before you were supposed to, so you can take your time learning the steps.¡±


    There was still a week until the show, so she would have plenty of time to practice.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I guess it¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    Dancing was her (and only) strong suit, so she wasn¡¯t too worried about learning the steps. Tatiana had also been trying to get her to work out more.


    <em>During this event, I¡¯m likely to eat a lot, so I¡¯ll have to find a way to burn it off. This dance practice might be just what I need after all.</em>


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Rania,¡± she added when she had another thought. ¡°May I take Bel? I won¡¯t ask her to be part of the real thing, but could she at least practice with us?¡±


    Bel was also no slouch when it came to stuffing her face since she arrived in Perujin. She had to do the exercises she was told to do or she would end up like Shalloak.


    ¡°I see no reason why not. ¡°I think Bel is your rtive, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my gr¡­ sister, little sister?¡±


    Rania took her speech stutter as a nervous but honest answer, and gave her the kind of sympathetic nod that people usually give when they don¡¯t want to say something awkward about family.


    ¡°Understood. Since she is a member of the royal family, she might even be allowed to take part in the performance. People say that about ten people used to perform the Visitant¡¯s Dance back in the day. We¡¯ll let her work with us. Then, if she¡¯s okay with it, she can join us for the real thing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Bel jumped out of her bed and asked, ¡°Mia-sama, are you talking about me?¡±


    The hammock in the middle of the room, which was attached to two poles, shook when she moved.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    She fell off the swaying cloth.


    The night before, when Mia hade back from Shalloak¡¯s treatment room, she had found Bel sleeping peacefully in a hammock.


    ¡°Stop, Grandma Mia! I can¡¯t eat any more¡­¡±


    The happy smile on her face and the mumbledment she made showed that she was having a good dream. The bottom of her pants were turned up, so her belly button was showing.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this girl¡­¡± Mia put her head down. ¡°She needs to remember that she is the princess of a huge kingdom. This doesn¡¯t look good at all¡­¡±


    Mia actually has a good sleeping posture, just so you know. Her own sleep-vice was that she would sometimes just get out of bed in the middle of the night. Most of the time, this happened after she heard ghost stories, and Anne would find her in her bed the next morning.


    She pulled Bel¡¯s clothes back over her stomach and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll never figure out who this girl took after¡­¡± As she did this, she saw that the tummy really was quite round!


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had anything so delicious¡­ Ha ha, I could eat this forever¡­¡±


    Bel¡¯s sleep-talking came in as if on cue. Mia felt like she was looking into a mirror all of a sudden. This girl, like herself, was a victim of the same terrible, melodic curse: the curse of an endless hunger when faced with delicious food. This would be bad for their health in the future. Mia finally knew how to fight back against its evil power. The answer was to work out. And exercising on a regr schedule!


    ¡°I need to get Bel to exercise more¡­¡±


    Bel¡¯s big belly gave Mia a new sense of purpose, which is why Rania¡¯s offer was like a gift from heaven.


    ¡°Bel,¡± Mia said, ¡°you need to work off every delicious thing you eat by working out. You¡¯reing to dance ss with me.¡±


    Bel jumped to her feet and put her back straight.


    ¡°Okay, Grand¡­Mia-sama! If you want me to practice, I will do that.¡±


    She was a good girl.


    ¡°Oh, but the performance is in a few days, so I¡¯ll have to spend less time studying with Professor Ludwig¡­¡±


    A cheeky little rascal but she is still a good girl.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It will be for your own good.¡±


    Bel sighed.


    ¡°Ooooh, Mia-sama¡­ Why are you always so mean to me?¡±


    She started crying and whining right away. Mia looked at the fake crying and let out a sigh.


    <em>I can¡¯t believe how brave this girl is¡­ She was born to be a seductress. If it were father, she would control him like a puppet. It¡¯s scary to think about what she¡¯ll be like in the future.</em>


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be happy or worried.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    I feel like the Perujin arc will finish in a week. I won¡¯t be posting for a week because it is the Golden Week. I will post this week by Friday.


    Posts will continue every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We are still more than hundreds of chapters away to catch up.


    But I¡¯m on holiday at the moment.

 Chapter 430

    <strong>Princess Mia Dedicates Herself to Dancing</strong>


    Mia started learning the Thanksgiving Dance as soon as she said yes to Rania¡¯s request. As part of the routine, Perujin dancers held wooden ppers called ¡°naruko,¡± which looked like paddles, in each hand and rattled them in a rhythmic way. Mia had no trouble with this, and she was able to copy the exercise she was shown almost perfectly in the end. Her smooth, graceful moves were so beautiful that it looked like she had been dancing for as long as she could remember. Even though she was a good dancer to begin with, she had to put in a lot of hard work to get to where she was.


    You might ask, ¡°What made her work so hard?¡± Well¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll have you do a simplified version of the dance,¡± Rania said, ¡°since the full version is prettyplicated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m fine with doing the whole thing.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to say that, but Bel, who was standing behind her, looked up at her with wide eyes and said, ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see Grand¡ª Mia-neesama dance!¡±


    Sincere praise for her granddaughter tickled her ego just enough to get her to say what she wanted to say before her brain could stop her. She even added, ¡°Oho ho, then get ready to be amazed, because my dancing will be breathtaking!¡±


    Her brain really needed a break.


    After saying out loud that she was going to amaze her audience, she could no longer fail. She didn¡¯t have the guts to wing it on stage, so she gave in to her inner chicken and did what was safe. So, she kept practicing over and over. Then she did more practice. During this time, she had dreams every night about messing up badly on stage. Still, she did what she had to do. After all, Mia thought that she could win by sheer numbers. That is, the amount of time spent learning or practicing. So, she was able to build up the muscle memory she needed to learn the choreography. She then used this newfound skill to teach Bel.


    ¡°Hold on, Bel. This is not how that part goes. It¡¯s more like a whoomph, and then you go whoosh with the spin, and then you just shooo to a stop.¡±


    A guest, however, stopped her from teaching in a way that no one could understand.


    ¡°Hello, Princess Mia. It has been a while?¡±


    ¡°My, Chloe. I didn¡¯t know you were also here.¡±


    Mia¡¯s dear book friend made her smile when she saw her. She missed her.


    ¡°I must say,¡± she said, tilting her head in a strange way, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe with Tatiana. It¡¯s not often that I see you both together.¡±


    Tatiana also showed up. She had been taking care of Shalloak for the past few days. In fact, she should have been with him, so why was she here?


    ¡°Mr. Cornrogue said he wanted to talk to my dad, so¡­¡± Chloe said as she looked at the ground with fear in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Mia said with a soft smile that quickly turned arrogant. ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to him. Right, Tatiana?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Master Shalloak has been different ever since he talked to Her Highness. He¡¯s changed into a whole new person.¡±


    Shalloak¡¯s stubborn personality went away the day Mia talked to him, and he became a much calmer person as a result. She thought that most of the credit should go to herself, even though he was determined to rest his sick body.


    <em>Oho ho, and you can thank me for it all. I broke that man up to help him. He should be happy that I was willing to be his bad guy.</em>


    ¡°Not only that, but Tatiana has been making him medicines to take.¡±


    Mia gave a sneaky grin.


    <em>Tatiana isn¡¯t a slouch, is she? She not only makes Shalloak work out and eat better, but she also changes his attitude. She did tell him that she was giving him medicine to thin his blood. How clever to make a man happy by making his blood happy. The girl is good at what she does!</em>


    People with thick, sticky blood were touchy and quick to anger. Mia was a strong believer in the (pseudo)science of blood-based temperance, so this made perfect sense to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t worry. He probably won¡¯t do anything bad.¡±


    <em>He probably just wants to apologize.</em>


    She had no idea that the talk would be about a lot more than just saying sorry.


    ¡°Lord almighty, Shalloak. Look at you. This must¡¯ve been a big ordeal?¡±


    As Marco walked into Shalloak Cornrogue¡¯s treatment room, he was shocked.


    ¡°Hello, Marco. You came. I wish I could have talked to the head of Forkroad & Co. with a little more respect, but¡­¡±


    Shalloak made a grimace, which made the lines on his face look even older. At the same time, he seemed calmer, like a big weight had been taken off his shoulders.


    ¡°All the business deals I had nned to make here have also gone up in smoke. I really have hit bottom.¡±


    ¡°For a man who has hit rock bottom, you seem pretty happy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess¡­ A close call with death can change a person. I¡¯ve been thinking about a lottely.¡±


    He met Marco¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I have done you wrong, Marco. If you can forgive me, please ept my apology.¡±


    Marco¡¯s eyes got bigger as he was shocked by both the apology and how sincere it was. It really seems like he¡¯s a different person. In fact, it¡¯s so strange that it¡¯s spooky.


    He gave a sad smile and a shoulder shrug.


    ¡°Everything was just business. You don¡¯t have to say you¡¯re sorry. I¡¯m still interested, though¡­ What made her suddenly change her mind? Was it Her Highness?¡±


    ¡°I guess it was. You could say that she showed me something. To the kind of death that woulde at the end of a life lived for nothing but money, and to the sorrow I¡¯d feel if I did that.¡±


    Shalloak turned his head down.


    ¡°It scared me, so I freaked out. Can you even think of that? A young girl told a grown man something that made him very scared. But now we¡¯re here. I¡¯m still scared, and it makes me want to do something¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Again, Marco¡¯s eyes got bigger as he was shocked by the revtion. He knew a Shalloak who was known for being bold and focused on making money in business. That old Shalloak was nowhere to be found, and Mia Luna Tearmoon was to me¡­


    <em>No wonder Chloe have changed so much? No, she¡¯s not the only one. I, too, have¡­</em>


    Since he heard about Mia¡¯s Bread-Cake Deration and how, at least in his mind, it wouldy the groundwork for a big n to end hunger on the whole continent, the thought stuck with him. Before he knew it, he was alreadying up with ideas for how he could help with the project. He would ask himself if this wasn¡¯t his chance to really use his business skills.


    ¡°Hm? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no. I just had a thought¡­¡±


    The look on Marco¡¯s face changed.


    ¡°Well, then, Shalloak, I have a pretty good idea for you. Now, I haven¡¯t heard anything from Her Highness, so I¡¯m just guessing, but I think she¡¯s going to¡­¡±


    So, the Thanksharvest Festival in Perujin began in earnest, setting the stage for a lot of different goals and ns toe true.

 Chapter 431

    <strong>Dance at Dawn</strong>


    The Perujin Thanksharvest Festival was a big event that began early in the evening and went on through the night. In the middle of the capital, Auro Ardea, there was a town square with an altar where people could make offerings. Here was where the first wheat was offered. It was a lively event that was both a ritual and a feast. Some of the first wheat harvest of the year, which had been saved just for this reason, would be put on the altar. This meant that the event had started for real.


    As the party was going on, Mia was¡­


    ¡°Oh, this tahkoe is so amazing. I had no idea that mushrooms went so well with a spicy tang. I mean, mushrooms are tasty enough on their own, but when you add other things to them, they really bring out a lot more taste. Mushrooms are so interesting. So much more needs to be known about them.¡±


    She took another bite and was almost scared by how good it was. The thin bread wrapper held a big bunch of crisp, leafy greens that had a bit of a hot kick from a red sauce. Mia¡¯s favorite food, mushrooms, went well with them. The crunchy texture of the veggies went well with the soft texture of the bread, and both were made even better by the chewy texture of the mushrooms. The three tastes made her taste buds happy.


    ¡°Oh, it tastes great! What a surprise that Perujin had such a good crop. I won¡¯t be able to eat any of this when I get home, so I should eat as much as I can now. I need to remember the taste of them.¡±


    Just as the idea of not being able to eat Peruvian food made her think abouting here once a year, Rania¡¯sdy assistant showed up.


    ¡°Princess Mia, please, it¡¯s about time¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then it¡¯s our time to shine! Come on, Bel!¡±


    Mia stood up with confidence. She gave off an air of self-assurance. She was ready to go after eating a lot of tasty meals with mushrooms.


    <em>The sheer amount of delicious food I got to eat here makes it clear that I should be thankful. I need to thank the divine for letting such delicious mushrooms grow and the people of Perujin for making so many tasty meals with them. This dance is a great way for me to show how much I appreciate them.</em>


    She went into a building and got the clothes she needed to wear as a visitor. It was a strange set of clothes. The top was a single piece of fabric that went around the body and was tightened with a sash. The bottom looked like pants with very wide legs. She hadn¡¯t seen anything like it before.


    Anne helped her put them on right away, but the process was harder than she thought it would be.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I think this part goes like this? Wait¡­ Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Anne. It is, after all, strange clothes. So it¡¯s not surprising that we¡¯re having trouble figuring it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m still sorry it¡¯s taking so long¡­ I¡¯ll go ask someone from Perujin for help.¡±


    Anne ran away and soon came back with Rania¡¯s helper. With the extra help, she slowly figured out how to put on the clothes and fixed Mia¡¯s look. There was no stress in her movements, and she didn¡¯t look worried like she did when she was trying to be more like Tatiana. Anne¡¯s inferiorityplex was gone, and she was back to her usual, hardworking self. She learned a new skill in her usual, hardworking way. She finally took a step back and nodded to herself, showing that she was happy with what she had done.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m done. You¡¯re good to go, mdy.¡±


    When Mia saw that Anne was back on her feet, she took a deep breath, smiled, and said, ¡°Thank you, Anne. Off I go.¡±


    As the event built up to its peak, there was a short calm before the storm while the princesses went backstage to get ready for the dance. The happy talk of the people at the feast, which was made louder by the alcohol, started to die down as people got ready for the peak. For a short time, there was silence at the event.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Yuhal was taking a quiet sip of his drink when he was addressed.


    ¡°Hm? You work for Princess Mia, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My name is Ludwig Hewitt. I work at Tearmoon¡¯s Golden Moon Ministry. I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but could I be so bold as to ask you for a minute?¡±


    He had good reason to act with respect. Normaly, for a minister like him to talk to the king without being asked would be a very rude thing to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Tonight is a party night. Tonight, everyone is happy because we are giving thanks to the Lord. Before the Lord¡¯s power, we are all pretty much the same. Say what you want to say.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Your Majesty is very kind,¡± said Ludwig as he sat down respectfully next to Yuhal.


    He went on in a quiet voice a few secondster.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Your Majesty, I¡¯d like to know why you let Her Highness take part in the Thanksharvest Dance.¡±


    Yuhal didn¡¯t answer right away. He just moved his drink around in his cup. He didn¡¯t seem surprised or insulted by the question. He finally answered in a voice that was just as soft.


    ¡°It was nothing but a whim. No particr reason¡­¡±


    Ludwig asked the king, ¡°Was it to set up a staged debut?¡± and almost got the king to change his mind.


    Yuhal raised an eyebrow at how sharp the question was, and then he smiled.


    ¡°Oho. So you already know the answer. I can see that the princess¡¯s top servants do their jobs well.¡±


    Ludwig kept asking questions when he saw that the answer to his question was good.


    ¡°I can see how this way of introducing Her Highness to the Perujin people would make a big effect, but why do it? This will have a big impact on the futures of both of our countries. What made you decide to do this?¡±


    Yuhal didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he asked his own question.


    ¡°Tell me, Ludwig. Do you know what happened at the entrance event for Saint-Noel Academy?¡±


    Obviously, he has. Ludwig had heard about Mia¡¯s Bread-Cake Deration for a long time, and he had already figured out what it seemed to be building up to.


    ¡°Yes, I am, and if I had to think of a way for that deration to be put into action, it would be a huge anti-famine organization that covers all over the continent.¡±


    ¡°Correct. And this kind of group would need a ce to run its business. A ce for its base of operations. Also, for it to work, it would need people who know a lot about farming and food that can be moved quickly. I think that Perujin is in a great spot to put itself forward for this job.¡±


    And that was the whole n King Yuhal had for his country¡¯s future. On the other hand¡­


    ¡°Perujin doesn¡¯t n to put its trust in the empire as a whole. But we¡¯re willing to trust Princess Mia as a person, and we¡¯ll do everything we can to help her reach her big goal. Having her make asting impact on my people is the first step I¡¯m taking toward this goal.¡±


    ¡­It was his answer to himself as well. As the king of a group of people who had made a castle in the shape of a cake, he thought this was the best future for them. So, he asked Mia to take part in such a big event.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but may we join this conversation? The topic is also very interesting to us.¡±


    When he heard a new voice, he turned around and saw two very sessful tradersing toward him: Shalloak Cornrogue and Marco Forkroad.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Cornrogue. Is your health better now?¡±


    ¡°Enough to get me going, and that¡¯s good enough for me. I can¡¯t really afford to sleep at such a crucial time.¡±


    <em>ck! -ck!</em>


    The crowd noise was quieted by the sound of wood hitting wood.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s about to start. We can talk about this some other time. Let¡¯s treat our artists with the respect they deserve for now.¡±


    The girls then started to dance. The performance would be remembered by the future generations as the dance that brought dawn to Perujin.

 Chapter 432

    <strong>The Dawn of Perujin ~The Destiantion of the Cake-Shaped Castle~</strong>


    <em>ck! ck-ck!</em>


    It broke the silences.


    <em>ck! ck-ck!</em>


    It shook the night air.


    <em>ck! ck-ck!</em>


    The dance began.


    The fire-lit altar shone in the square, and the mes dancing in the wind lit up the princesses and danced with them.


    Arshia and Rania danced smoothly around the altar, swaying like wheat in the fall breeze. Their faces were hidden by a thin veil that moved in the wind. Their well-rehearsed moves were smooth as silk and made the people watching smile.


    ¡°Remember how Rania¡¯s dance was a little roughst year? She¡¯s grown so much!¡±


    ¡°She really has. I¡¯m so happy for her!¡±


    The way people talked in the audience was like proud parents watching their growing children perfrom. Year after year, they came to this spot and saw the same thing. They had seen the two sisters dancing around and around the altar so many times that it had be a symbol of the season, giving them a sense offort and nostalgia because it never changed.


    But things were different this year.


    <em>ck-ck! -ck! -ck!</em>


    They heard a beat that was new to them. Then, in the dark, a third set of wooden ppers rang out, as if in response to the strange rhythm.


    <em>ck-ck! -ck! -ck!</em>


    When people looked toward the sound, they couldn¡¯t say a word about what they saw. Soon, everyone was looking at the new person and her beautiful clothes. Dressed in the clothes of visitants, which were made to look like the clothes worn by people from far away in the east, she almost forced people to look at her. Wheat-shaped gold thread was sewn into her long, sky-blue sleeves. A beautiful sash wrapped around her hips. It was embroidered with a series of shapes that showed the life of a fruit from sprout to harvest.


    But what really shocked them was who was wearing the clothes. Her tinum blonde hair left no mistake even from afar. It was Mia Luna Tearmoon, the famous princess. They thought the person behind her was her helper. Or maybe a family member. The cute little girl did have the same color hair as her, after all. Slowly, the two walked toward the altar in perfect time with the beat.


    Someone in the crowd said, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s the guests from Tearmoon who will be doing the Visitant¡¯s Dance this time,¡± and the tone showed how the crowd felt in general. At least, they all thought they knew what to expect.


    Mia started moving quickly right in front of their stunned eyes.


    When she got to the altar, she changed her pace. The steady andante, which was a sign of peace and quiet, suddenly turned into a fast and furious allegro, like a bolt of lightning. The new beat, which was fast and full of emotion, gave off a feeling of pure joy.


    The Visitant¡¯s Dance came from an old practice that was around before Perujin was built. Once upon a time, the dry dirt on thisnd made it hard for the farmers who lived there to grow crops. Then, a visitor told them about better ce to live and took them there. The dance was made to show how happy, excited, and thankful people were at the time.


    Its fast pace andplex rhythms were too hard for Bel to handle, so the routine naturally focused on Mia, whose excellent dance skills let her perform with style.


    <em>I really hope we have a good crop again next year. And grow a lot of tasty mushrooms. Also, wheat. After all, we need wheat to make cake. Fruits, too, and please make them sweet and delicious.</em>


    The fact that her personal desire fit with the theme of the choreography gave her dance more realism and made it more artistic. She quickly and gracefully threw her hands up, letting her long, billowing sleeves fall behind them in a slower, smoother arc. Before the sleeves fell, she quickly turned in a half-circle to wrap them around her body. Then she stopped and quickly turned the other way.


    The way her kic beauty and statuesque stillness worked together was synergistic. The movement of her kic beauty brought out the beauty of her outline in her statuesque stillness. Then she broke up the peace again by starting her next set. The dancer went from slow steps and spins to fiery flourishes very quickly. She put her leg up in the air. She put it back down with a thud, and her other leg gave her a small jump. Shended in a twirl and struck a pose while her wooden ppers rang out.


    <em>-ck!</em>


    Her dance was so full of emotion and so well done that the people watching were glued to their seats, staring with wide eyes as if they were seeing something divine. They had already seen the Visitant¡¯s Dance before. But they had never seen it done with so much heart and passion! Previous guests had only tried half-heartedly, and their simple routines were more of a participation than a performance. And that was all right. No one ever expected anything more.


    But this princess didn¡¯t settle for just fine. She had as much feeling and energy as her Perujin peers, and in some cases even more. Through Mia, the sacred dance came to life and fulfilled its purpose as a holy prayer celebrating and giving thanks for the crops of the Perujin people.


    <em>Mushrooms, mushrooms, oh my, mushrooms are so tasty! Lots of tahkoes, cakes, and veggies. May I be able to eat it all again next year with everyone.</em>


    She danced and danced with such holy(?) prayers in her heart. Rania came up behind her and danced just as hard. They moved away from each other and then back together again and again, like two skrks ying their game. When people saw them smiling together, they thought back to a day not too long ago, when the two princesses walked up the golden slope hand in hand. They had walked together. Now they both danced together. The Tearmoon princess had shown them the most respect she could. So, they were just as excited as she was.


    People went crazy. The crowd was more excited than ever before because of the dance, the harvest, and the memory of that day at the slope. There had never been a year with so much energy, as far as they could remember.


    The dance came to an end atst. As the crowd cheered over and over, King Yuhal stepped forward at the right moment to make the most of the drama.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give thanks for the harvest of the year. Praise the Lord for this kind gift!¡± he shouted before the altar in a loud voice.


    The crowd shouted, ¡°Praise the Lord!¡±


    ¡°Praise Princess Mia, too, for how honest and sincere she was when she talked to us. She deserves my gratitude, and I¡¯d like to show it to her.¡±


    He walked toward Mia, who was standing there with a ¡°well done¡± look on her face and shoulders that were still shaking from the hard work.


    ¡°Please ept my deepest gratitude for your magnificent dance, Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, you are very wee. I¡¯m d you think I did a good job.¡±


    Mia looked at Bel and smiled when she saw that she was looking at her with awe.


    ¡°On that note,¡± Yuhal went on, ¡°do you remember the question you asked me a few days ago? Would it bother you if I gave my answer right away?¡±


    After Mia gave him her approval, he went back to his people.


    ¡°People of Perujin, I have a favor to ask of you: please remember what happened today. All the sights, sounds, thrills, and feelings. Don¡¯t forget them. Keep them and the wonder you felt that day on the golden slope close to your heart.¡±


    Even though he spoke quietly, everyone could hear him.


    ¡°Everyone has seen for themselves. Princess Mia, who is standing in front of you, is not like the other noble Tearmoon people we have met. She deals with us in good faith and doesn¡¯t want subordination from us. Instead, she wants us to trust her.¡±


    People in the crowd murmured things like ¡°Wow!¡± and ¡°Yes!¡± For them, the word ¡°trust¡± was a soothing balm after hearing words like ¡°vassal state¡± and ¡°lowly serfs.¡± Even though it was just a word, the fact that it came from a princess of Tearmoon gave it weight. They knew it meant something because the person who said it had and have always shown through her deeds that she meant what she said. Trust goes both ways, and she had already done her part to earn theirs.


    ¡°Because of this, I want to give it to her. To connect her with our people, we need to build this bridge. No matter what the Tearmoon nobles say, we will trust Princess Mia. She will never turn against us. In return, we will always be true to her. All of you who are here with me today, I want you to swear with me. No matter how hard things get in the days ahead, we will never stop trusting Princess Mia.¡±


    He was met with shouts of approval. What started as a burst of excitement in the town square spread like a seismic wave through the city and shook all of Auro Ardea.


    This day wouldter be known as the Day of Perujin¡¯s Dawn. It was a turning point in Perujin¡¯s history that decided the country¡¯s fate as a whole.


    Perujin Agricultural Country, which is south of Tearmoon, has been seen by the empire for a long time as a vassal state. It had no real standing army and no military fortifications on itsnd, so it could almost never defend itself against a foreign invasion. Instead, it relied on the empire for protection.


    That never changed.


    What did change was how its people were seen. They would never be called serfs by people who lived after them. They thought Perujin was an important country because it was home to the headquarters of the Mi, a group of famine-fighting organizations that worked together across borders. Even so, experts couldn¡¯t agree on when it started, despite how important it was. It started officially three years after the Day of Perujin¡¯s Dawn, when summer got hot again, but the idea of it as a way for people to help each other started much earlier.


    Some people thought that the Mi was born this year, during the Thanksharvest Festival. They had good reason to be excited, because this was the first time that the core members of the Mi had all met in the ce that would be its home.


    First, there was Chloe Forkroad, who was the official leader of the Mi. In the end, her skills were essential to getting the operation off the ground. Then there was Marco Forkroad and Shalloak Cornrogue, who got together with many merchants and worked with them to set up a strong transportationwork that moved food quickly back and forth. Next, Rania Tafrif Perujin, whose hard work helped spread agricultural knowledge across the continent and create ways to make sure crops could be grown and picked consistently. Tatiana, the holy angel in white, pushed for different kinds of medical change, focusing on the continent¡¯s poorer countries. This led to better ess to healthcare.


    All of these important people in history fought for Mia Luna Tearmoon¡¯s Bread-Cake Deration. Together with her friends, the Great Wisdom of the Empire worked hard to get rid of gue and hunger. And the people of Perujin stood by them the whole time. For a long time, the cake-shaped castle would be the symbol and home for these messengers of peace and prosperity.


    All of those, however, are events that are still to be told.


    ¡ªFrom ¡°The Day of Perujin¡¯s Dawn¡± in <em>The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia.</em>


    TN¡¯s Note: Couldn¡¯t resist adding the pic.

 Chapter 433

    <strong>That is Bel¡¯s Way of Life</strong>


    <em>I may have eaten a little bit too muchst night¡­</em>


    Mia sighed as her carriage rolled down the road. She was on her way home two days after the Thanksharvest Festival. If she had gone to Saint-Noel, it would have been summer break by the time she got there, so she chose to go back to Lunatear right away.


    Shalloak and the two Forkroads all said they had more work to do in Perujin, so they decided to stay longer. Tatiana also stayed to be with Shalloak.


    <em>I told Chloe that we would go back to Saint-Noel together, so I guess this is fine.</em>


    The people who stayed in Perujin were in the middle of negotiations that would change the whole direction of history, but Mia had no idea what was going on, so she had no idea how important this moment was. Instead, she climbed into her carriage with Ludwig, Anne, and Bel and left Perujin.


    Since Chloe, Tatiana, and Rania weren¡¯t there, the car was much quieter.


    ¡°Well, somehow it feels a little lonely.¡± Mia mused.


    There was a marked mncholy in the air¡ªthe kind thickest following a festive celebration.


    ¡°Yes. I agree that that trip with Miss Tatiana was a lot of fun,¡± Anne said in a simr tone.


    ¡°It surely was.¡±


    Picking fruit, seeing the city for the first time, spending days in Auro Ardea¡¯s cake-shaped castle, practicing dance¡­ As each memory came to her, they all came together to make a shining mosaic of summer thoughts.


    ¡°Indeed. We had a great time here,¡± Ludwig said, putting his finger to his sses in a standard toasting way. ¡°If it were at all possible, I would have liked to stay a little longer¡­¡±


    Even he seemed to be having an emotional moment.


    <em>My, my, I didn¡¯t expect him to say something like that. I thought he wouldn¡¯t be interested in summer memories and like that.</em>


    Mia thought with a curious tilt of her head.


    She looked over at Bel.


    ¡°You must also be happy, Bel. This year, you¡¯ll be spending the summer in Lunatear, so you¡¯ll have a lot of time to spend with Rina.¡±


    Last year, to Bel¡¯s great dismay, she¡¯d lost her summer to supplementary exams. Since she wasn¡¯t going back this year, she didn¡¯t have to take any tests before the holidays. The price was, of course, a series of terrible make-up tests after the break. But based on how Bel lived her life¡ªin the moment¡ªMia thought she probably didn¡¯t care too much. Bel¡¯s reaction, however¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ Mia-neesama, I think I get it now,¡± the little girl said, looking surprisingly serious.


    ¡°Huh? Understand what?¡±


    ¡°I understand it¡¯s risky to thank someone by giving them money.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±


    When Mia looked into Bel¡¯s steady eyes, she was at a loss for words for a moment. So, she crossed her arms and gave Bel a look that said, ¡°Go on,¡± to hide the fact that her mind was nk.


    ¡°Mr. Shalloak, that man¡­ The lure of money got to him,¡± Bel said. ¡°It led him wrong and made him think it was the most important thing. The whole point of his work was to make money.¡±


    ¡°True. An imbnce between work and pay makes people less likely to work,¡± Ludwig added. ¡°Those who gain too great a sum of wealth too easily end up wanting ways to gain simr sums with simr ease. Their goal is to make as much money as they can with as little work as possible.¡±


    Bel nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why we shouldn¡¯t give people a lot of money without thinking, because it could bring them misfortune. I finally see what you mean.¡± She refocused her gaze at Mia. ¡°You¡¯ve always told me that money isn¡¯t what¡¯s important, and you¡¯ve shown me that¡¯s true.¡±


    Mia thought about what she had done.


    <em>I guess I did say that money isn¡¯t everything, but that was just to make Shalloak mad.</em>


    She didn¡¯t feelfortable telling her granddaughter what her real reason was.


    ¡°You were doing that ¡®actions speak louder than words¡¯ thing, right? And trying to tell me how I should act as an imperial princess?¡± Bel asked.


    <em>Was I? I¡¯m pretty sure I wasn¡¯t.</em>


    She raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then, when she realized what the look meant, she quickly arched the other eye and pressed both of them shut. When the movements were put together, they looked like an intentional nod.


    ¡°So you were¡­ I believed so.¡±


    Ludwig said, ¡°If I may be so bold, Bel-sama, you should know that Her Highness often acts this way. At times, she thinks in so many dimensions that our original interpretations of her behavior can be misleading. When you¡¯re not sure, I think it¡¯s best to err on the side of caution and confirm your idea aloud.¡±


    He pushed up his sses. As the first Mia trantor, he spoke from a ce of having a lot of first-hand knowledge.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that, Professor Ludwig,¡± said Bel, easily adding an honorific before his name. Then she looked at Mia again.


    ¡°Mia-neesama, what you¡¯re trying to tell me is that as a princess of the empire, I should act in a way that matches the kindness and care I¡¯ve received from others. Am I right?¡± She put her hands over her chest and closed her eyes. ¡°That dance, the change to the treaty between Tearmoon and Perujin, and the start of a new friendship between the two¡­ I can now see that everything I did was part of making up for what the Perujin people did for us. We should remember how well they treated us and act ordingly, which is exactly what you did.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but look away from her because of how intensely she was looking at her.


    ¡°Uh-huh. R-Right, you¡¯re right. Of course. Oho ho.¡±


    ¡°But, uh, Bel, I do think that, in the end, ites down to that. You¡¯ve been helped by a lot of people, so you should try to live the best life you can. Live for yourself and live up to their goodness. Find your own way to be happy. That¡¯s what the people who helped you would want to see, in my opinion.¡±


    Mia wasn¡¯t a philosopher, but when she looked at Bel, she couldn¡¯t help but think that the Annes, Ludwigs, Elises, and everyone else from all those futures who loved and cared for Bel would want nothing more than for her to be happy.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much about it. Even if you don¡¯t pay everyone back, I¡¯ll do it for you by improving this kingdom. So rx a little and take it easy. Everything will be fine.¡±


    She gave Bel a soft smile, and Bel replied with a perky ¡°Okay, Mia-neesama!¡± and a rxed, grinning nod that a girl her age would do.


    Author¡¯s Note: We will restart from today.

 Chapter 434

    <strong>Wheat¡¯s Untold History ~The Illusory Great Famine~</strong>


    There is no room in history for ¡°what ifs.¡± Still, it¡¯s in a person¡¯s nature to spread their wings of thought and fly through the skies of possibilities, dreaming about what could have been. What if that person from history was still alive today? What if a different country won that war? There are many ¡°what ifs¡± that go through the minds of experts, but there is one that keeps them all up at night: what if cold-resistant wheat hadn¡¯t been discovered at that crucial time? Wouldn¡¯t a famine on a scale that had never been seen before have destroyed the whole continent?


    The ¡°Mia No. 5¡± is one of the most popr types grown all over the continent. It was made from seeds that Arshia Tafrif Perujin and Cyril Rudolvon found and worked on. The two made their big break just as the continent started to have cold weather for a long time. When they found a potential type of wheat in Outcount Gilden¡¯s domain near the northern border of the Tearmoon Empire, they started to improve it right away by using a process called ¡°selective breeding.¡± Two yearster, a type of wheat called ¡°Mia No. 2¡± hit the market, but people weren¡¯t very excited about it at first¡­


    ¡°Oh,e on. Why does wheat cost so much?¡±


    The man groaned loudly when he saw the grains for sale in the market of the imperial capital. Wheat prices were 1.5 times higher than they had been in the past. This wasn¡¯t so expensive that it was unaffordable, but it was still enough to make people groan.


    ¡°I heard that harvests aren¡¯t any better this year. There are shortages everywhere, so if anything, prices will keep going up,¡± the store owner before him joked.


    ¡°How is a man meant to feed himself and his family? Huh? Why does this wheat cost so cheap?


    ¡±The man looked at a bag of wheat with a price tag that had a number that matched the prices he had known before.


    ¡°Oh, those are unique. Supplied by the government directly.¡±


    ¡°The government is supplying wheat?¡±


    The shopkeeper gave him a wry smile at his confusion.


    ¡°A lot of it is out there, but the quality is kind of¡­you know.¡±


    From the way the seller waved his hand, the man guessed, ¡°Not great, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not when made into bread, at least. It¡¯s too sticky, and when you bake it, it gets too hard. The taste isn¡¯t very good either.¡±


    The man gave an eye roll.


    ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t you know¡­? I swear, there are times when you wonder if the people in charge are all just clowns. What did they think they were doing when they put this kind of stuff in¡­¡±


    When he saw the name on the bag of wheat, he stopped bad-mouthing.


    ¡°Mia No. 2? What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the name of the wheat,¡± said the trader. ¡°Word is that they made it in Her Highness¡¯s academy city.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Her Highness, you say¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s mind shed on a vision of the princess and how kind she was. He thought back to the Birthday Festivalst winter and the food that the nobles had brought out. Scenes of bloated bellies and happy singing kepting back to him as drunken birthday wishes yed over and over in his head.


    ¡°Wheat made by Her Highness, huh?¡±


    His eyes got warmer.


    ¡°Hm? Something wrong?¡± asked the store owner.


    ¡°Wha? Oh, no. Nothing¡±


    He swallowed his somewhat offensivement about the Princess¡¯ wheat because he was afraid he would be charged with l¨¨se-majest¨¦. If he was honest, though, something about the wheat and how it could be eaten but wasn¡¯t very tasty made him think of the princess. The way her kindness was marred¡­ or maybe¡­ there was this growing feeling that underneath the princess¡¯ regal exterior was just a loving fool¡­ It was oddly cute, just like this wheat. He couldn¡¯t say that out loud, though.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than nothing, I guess, right? It sure beats dying of hunger, that¡¯s for sure.¡± The manughed and then bought a bag of Mia No. 2 wheat. It wasn¡¯t just him. Others also felt the same way. Because they all liked their princess, they all decided to take a sack of wheat with her mark on it.


    So, Mia No. 2 slowly made its way into the hands of buyers, who bought it more for its name than for its quality. This didn¡¯tst long, though, because soon after the wheat hit the market, a very dedicated man decided to fix what he saw as a terrible wrong.


    ¡°I won¡¯t put up with this! A strain of wheat with Her Highness¡¯s name on it shouldn¡¯t be looked down on! This awful situation needs to be fixed right away!¡±


    Musta Waggman, who was the head chef of the imperial court and the most skilled cook in the kingdom, was up to the task. He was sure that the reason food didn¡¯t taste good wasn¡¯t because of the ingredients but because of how it was made, so he tried to find a new way to use wheat. If it didn¡¯t go well with bread, it might go well with something else¡­


    He didn¡¯t follow the rules of traditional cooking. Instead, he thought freely and experimented a lot. In the end, he found the answer. Mia No. 2 wheat was best when it was boiled, not when it was baked. Something white with a wonderful springy feel came out of the pot.


    The head cook was very excited to show Mia what he had made. She took a bite and said something so casually that it blew his mind.


    ¡°I think this would go well with that sweet bean paste I had the other time.¡±


    Even though they had ordered some sweet beans from Forkroad & Co. a while ago, Musta had never thought to mix the paste with this new dish. He tried it right away and saw that this was the right answer. His work was finally finished!


    So, the head chef¡¯s Wheat Project with Mia led to a dish called the fullmoon dango, which was a dumpling. It spread like mes from the market to the kitchen to the table and was soon called Mia dangos. The sweet bean paste spread on top of the dango went well with its white, bouncy, and deliciously sticky texture, and made it a hit with people of all ages.


    This seemed to be a contradiction, which made people talk about it at dinner for a while. The people of Tearmoon couldn¡¯t understand why, even though they were supposed to be in the middle of a wheat shortage, they were all eating this tasty new food and not going hungry.


    Not long after that, Arshia and Cyril put out another type called Mia No. 3. Mia No. 4 came out soon after. Through careful breeding, these younger strains of the Mia series had gained traits that made them more like traditional wheat. Even so, Mia No. 2 was a family favorite, and its poprity didn¡¯t change much when itster siblings came out.


    ¡°Asking Outcount Gilden for help¡­Sending Cyril Rudolvon and Princess Arshia up north, where they found cold-resistant wheat and started their selective breeding project¡­Buying sweet beans from Forkroad & Co¡­¡±


    Ludwig wrote down each event from five years ago, sighing deeply as he did so. People in Tearmoon were happy with their lives and didn¡¯t know, and might never know, how close the empire hade to disaster. Once a real and terrible threat to everyone¡¯s life and prosperity, the Great Famine had turned into a story about a future that would never happen. No matter how wispy it got, he couldn¡¯t stop seeing it.


    ¡°If Her Highness hadn¡¯t done every single one of those things¡­¡±


    If they hadn¡¯t stocked up on food and made sure they could get food from far awaynds, a lot of people would have died of hunger. They could have decided to save their own, but that would have probably led to wars with neighboring countries over food, which would have drained the funds of everyone involved and caused more suffering for their people.


    ¡°I still remember how hard it was for me when Her Highness said we should help poor countries even if it meant taking from our own supplies. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should back her up or tell her off¡­¡±


    In the end, the Mia No. 2 strain solved the looming food problem, so they didn¡¯t have to deal with it at all. When Ludwig first heard that a cold-resistant strain of wheat had been created through selective breeding and that the first finding had been made in Outcount Gilden¡¯s domain, it took him a good few minutes to pick his jaw up off the floor. All of his friends reacted the same way. Mia didn¡¯t just solve the empire¡¯s food problems; she also stopped a huge famine from happening in all the nearby countries.


    ¡°If Princess Mia hadn¡¯t been there, there would have been arge-scale famine, and this continent¡¯s history would have taken a very sad turn.¡± He shook his head when he thought about it.


    There is no room in history for ¡°what ifs.¡±


    Even so, Ludwig couldn¡¯t help but wonder. What if Mia Luna Tearmoon, the genius who lived in his time, hadn¡¯t been there? What would the world have been like?


    There is no room in history for ¡°what ifs.¡±


    Because of this, the Tearmoon Empire could only go in the direction of a new kind of sweet.


    People still couldn¡¯t help but let their imaginations fly. What if things turned out that way? What could have happened?


    But conjecture would always be just that: conjecture. The wheat that put an end to the Great Famine and turned it into a myth would leave a longsting mark on history.


    This well-known wheat type was called Mia No. 2. It was named after the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Coincidentally, it also bore the name of Tearmoon Empire¡¯s very first ¨C

 Chapter 435

    <strong>Each One¡¯s Summer</strong>


    Ludwig started talking when they were halfway back to the imperial capital.


    ¡°Your Highness, I want to formally thank you for how well you solved the problem with the Perujin.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Well, thank you, but it wasn¡¯t that big deal to me. Really, I didn¡¯t even have to do much,¡± Mia said with a lot of pride.


    Don¡¯t forget that she didn¡¯t really do much. She picked some fruits, walked up a hill barefoot, danced, and met the father of her friend. That was pretty much it. For her, it was pretty much a typical summer break. And a pretty fun one, at that! Anyway¡­


    ¡°On a simr note,¡± Ludwig said, ¡°about the question of bing empress¡­ To do this, you would definitely need the help of important people from other nations. In this way, getting along well with the Perujin should be very helpful. Even though Perujin is small, it is a close neighbor and friend. The backing of their royal family could very well tip the scales in our favor.¡±


    The way people got along at Saint-Noel Academy was a small version of how nations got along in the cultural sphere that focused on the Holy Principality of Belluga. Rtionships between students were often so close that they made it hard to breathe. This is a lot like rtionships between people in the same country. Nobles did not only make friends with people from their own country. Mia had hoped to make friends at the school with people from all over the continent who could help her make connections across borders.


    ¡°Because of this, it would be smart to keep building rtionships with powerful people in other nations until the day of your coronation.¡±


    ¡°True. After all, if I want to be Tearmoon¡¯s first empress, I¡¯ll need a lot of personal ties,¡± Mia agreed, hoping that the coronation would never actually happen.


    ¡°That said, I think it was very important that you were able to get Lady Rafina and Prince Sion¡¯s backing. It let us make a statement to all the nobles at the Birthday Festival. It really was a stroke of genius.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re giving me way too much credit.¡±


    He was, but¡­


    <em>Now that I think about it¡­ At this rate, I might not be so far from bing empress after all. I mean, Miss Rafina has my back. Sion is also there, and he will be the next king of Sunnd. With that much political backing, it¡¯s possible that¡­</em>


    The whole ¡°empress¡± thing became a lot more interesting when she realized that most of the hard work might have already been done.


    <em>Well, that makes me think. I haven¡¯t read the Chronicles in a while. I should go back and look again when I get home.</em>


    So, Mia and her friends went back to the capital.


    At Saint-Noel Academy, Rafina Orca Belluga was in her private room with a book in hand waiting for a visitor. She had time to read a few good books before someone knocked on her door.


    A young man walked in. He was full of the rough energy of a man who loves the outdoors. His long, ck hair was tied back, and his strong, lean, but firm body was almost hypnotic to look at.


    Rafina gave Lin Malong a smile.


    ¡°Hello, Malong. We haven¡¯t seen each other in a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rafina-sama, it sure has.¡± He held out his hand and smiled at her in his usualid-back way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask you toe back after you graduate, but I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could keep taking care of the horses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. To be honest, I was starting to miss them too. Was nning to see how they were doing at some point. Also, the Equestrian Kingdom doesn¡¯t always stay in the same ce. It¡¯s no problem to stop by the camp whenever we¡¯re close.¡±


    Rafina told him to sit across her, so he did. On his side of the table was a cup of skyred tea, which is a popr drink among Equestrians. He drank the slightly hot drink in one gulp and then looked at her. He didn¡¯t even hesitate.


    ¡°¡­Well? Then let¡¯s hear it. What¡¯s the real reason you called me here?¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh, what does that mean? Can¡¯t a girl just have tea with a good friend?¡±


    ¡°Most girls can do it, but you can¡¯t. I¡¯ve known you for too long to believe you have spare time to drink tea with someone like me.¡±


    ¡°Is that right, Lin Malong, next in line to be chief of the Forest Lins, the most powerful n in the Equestrian Kingdom? I think it would be good for politics if we just sat down together.¡±


    Rafina let a short pause pass before she spoke again.


    ¡°But, I guess time is valuable, and I know you¡¯re busy, so I¡¯ll get right to the point.¡± She looked at him in a calm way. ¡°Did you hear that someone tried to kill Princess Miast winter?¡±


    ¡°Someone asked for the little miss to be killed? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± he said, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise. ¡°Thest time I saw her, she looked as healthy as a horse.¡±


    ¡°Thank the Lord, she got away without getting hurt, but her attacker was a man on a horse that could run faster than Kun, a Skyred Hare. He was also very good with a sword, and he was in charge of two wolves.¡±


    ¡°Huh, a horse as good as Kun and a rider who trains wolves.¡±


    He had his arms crossed. His usual aloofness was gone, and a serious frown had taken its ce.


    ¡°Yes, and I was wondering if you might know who the man is,¡± Rafina told her. She took a sip of her tea while looking at his face the whole time. ¡°Because I remember hearing about a lost n in the Equestrian Kingdom a long time ago¡­¡±


    Malong nodded slowly.


    ¡°So, this past winter, huh? Bandits causing trouble near the edge of Sunnd might have something to do with it, then¡­¡±

 Chapter 436

    <strong>Sion¡¯s Crisis and Mia¡¯s Considerations</strong>


    Mia opened the copy of the Chronicles that Bel had given her as soon as she got back to the capital.


    To be clear, she only nned to quickly look over it. Nothing important. Ludwig had told her how important it was to get backing from the nobles of neighboring countries, so she thought she was set. After all, she already knew Rafina and Sion pretty well. As long as they, two of the most powerful people on the continent, asked for her help, backs would surely bend toward her like reeds in the wind. At that time, the path to bing empress seemed like a short walk in the park.


    Sad to say, trust led to being careless. As she picked up the book, she was already imagining sections about a future where she survived the poison and became empress. At the same time, though, she also thought that nothing would change. She had already been disappointed before. It was best not to raise her hopes too much. Most likely, it was still the same old pages about the same old death. She only wanted to read half as much when she thought about reading about how she died, but she forced herself to open the book anyway. She had to force herself to open her eyes after that. What she saw when she opened it¡­


    ¡°H-Huh?! What in the moons is this supposed to be?!¡±


    The Chronicles read: ¡°Sion Sol Sunnd died when he was young¡±


    It hit her head like a hammer. They made her mind spin.


    ¡°What? But¡­ but how? Sion was meant to be the King of Sunnd, wasn¡¯t he? And stuff like get ame nickname? What happened? Is it the King of Libra or something?¡±


    She quickly read through the changed parts and found that Sion had been killed in a fight with a group of bandits.¡±


    Huh?! What in the moons was that kid thinking? Why on moons would he go out there on his own? Just leave it to the soldiers!¡± she moaned before she saw something else that scared her. ¡°Hold on¡­ What? It¡¯s only been thirty days until this happens?!¡±


    After she got over her original anger, she changed her mind and realized that this was exactly the kind of thing Sion would do. Since he seemed to think of himself as a kind of symbol of justice, hearing that a group of thieves was making trouble could very well get him to leave his safe ce. Worse, she had heard that the idea that ¡°justice is best served personally¡± wasmon in Sunnd, which made it even more likely that this would happen. In that kingdom, it was a given that royalty set an example for the rest of the people and should always lead the way in war. When they were in trouble, they couldn¡¯t just hide in a safe room in the castle. Also, when bandits were a threat to their people, both royals and nobles were expected to be the first ones there, with troops following close behind. If they didn¡¯t live up to this image, it would make people question their sense of justice and, by extension, their high standing.


    Remno had the same lifestyle. There, people expected kings to be brave and bold. No one could sit on the throne who wasn¡¯t in charge of an army. Because of this mindset, Abel had once led an army himself to put down a rebellion.


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that someone in Sunnd could take advantage of this hope to trick Sion into putting his life in danger.¡±


    Maybe the bandits¡¯ actions were a trap from the beginning, and Sion was set up. Mia crossed her arms and started to think deeply.


    ¡°Hold on, I need to think about this¡­ Maybe this is okay after all? I-I mean, I don¡¯t really care if Sion dies or not. He did once cut off my head. And sometimes he¡¯s so annoying. Besides¡­¡±


    Deep thinking didn¡¯tst even a minute before she gave in.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let him die on his own. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t known about it, things would be different. She couldn¡¯t stand the thought of being able to stop it from happening but choosing not to.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had our disagreements, but when I needed help, he came to my aid. I owe that to him. Oh, and I guess I can¡¯t be sure that whoever takes his ce on the throne will back me. And Bel likes him a lot too¡­¡±


    She decided soon after.


    ¡°Right. I think I need to do something about this.¡±


    If this was just a mistake, she could just send a message to Sion or Keithwood to send more soldiers or increase protection.


    ¡°I probably can¡¯t stop them from sending Sion out in the first ce, though¡­¡±


    That would be getting too involved in family matters, and a simple warning didn¡¯t seem like it would work with Sion¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible that this is a plot by the Serpent.¡±


    That was a better way to think about it. It didn¡¯t seem likely that Sion would die because he fought with a couple of bandits.


    ¡°His sword arm is pretty strong, and Keithwood is with him. There¡¯s no way a random bandit would be able to kill him.¡±


    And if the Serpents were involved, that would make things much more difficult.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather send Dion over if we have to deal with Serpents, but I think that would hurt Sunnd¡¯s pride¡­¡±


    The Empire¡¯s Finest would definitely foil any bad ns they had, but she had no good reason to send him from a strategic point of view. A small country might have been able to deal withints, but the Kingdom of Sunnd was the same size and strength as the kingdom. If they were asked to add a possible Tearmoon spy to the group that was supposed to protect their crown prince, they probably wouldn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure Sunnd has a lot of good soldiers, but I can¡¯t just tell them to follow Sion.¡±


    In the empire, she could often get her way with these kinds of ns. If only this wasn¡¯t happening in another nation.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so annoying that I can¡¯t just tell people what I know is going to happen. I must be able to do something¡­ Think, just think¡­¡±


    At this point, she could do nothing but tell him to be careful. Maybe just telling him that there might be a plot would be enough. Or maybe it wouldn¡¯t be like that. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was ready to put all of her eggs in that unstable basket. Especially since Sion might use that as a chance to put himself in danger on purpose so he can find the person in charge of everything.


    Finally¡­


    ¡°Hnnngh, this is giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, mdy. Lady Esmeralda is here¡­¡±


    Mia was stuck in her thoughts when she heard Anne¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh? Esmeralda? Hm¡­¡±


    Mia scratched her stomach.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I have a lot of thinking to do, and sugar helps you think, so I think it¡¯s time to refuel!¡±


    For now, she thought about the tasty treats Esmeralda had probably brought with her.

 Chapter 437

    <strong>All Aboard the Imperial Majesty¡¯s Mia Ship</strong>


    ¡°Mia-sama! Oh, you won¡¯t believe what just happened to me!¡±


    Esmeralda eximed as she walked into the room.


    ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mia asked Esmeralda, ¡°Why do you look so upset?¡± as she stole a look at her hand, which was empty.


    <em>No tasty treats!</em>


    Anne poked her head in and announced, ¡°Mdy, Lady Esmeralda brought some baked sweets as a gift, so I¡¯m going to prepare them now.¡±


    ¡°My! Esmeralda, is that true? You don¡¯t have to, you know,¡± Mia said, instantly getting up again. Her mood depended on whether or not she had something to eat.


    ¡°Oh ho, I can¡¯t show up empty-handed now, can I? To be honest, a merchant brought it to us when he came to see us,¡± Esmeralda said in a sorry voice.


    Mia, on the other hand, liked that the gift was recycled. It seemed to show that Esmeralda had listened to her warning about wasting money and decided not to buy high-end sweets.


    ¡°And to tell you the truth, Esmeralda, good for you. I told you to cut back on your spending, and you did just that. I¡¯m so happy to hear that!¡±


    Mia thought that all sweets were the same, and that some were not better than others. It didn¡¯t matter at all how or where they came from. In fact, the fact that they were bought cheaply and with care only made them better.


    Once they were both settled at the table and a few teacakes were put in front of them, Esmeralda went back to what she had been talking about.


    ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, you won¡¯t believe what happened to me, Mia-sama!¡± she yelled. ¡°My father is terrible!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, what happened to your dad? Mia asked with a half-smile, ¡°I thought you were on good terms with him.¡± Really, only half-heartedly. The teacakes were where the rest of her heart was. They had such a sweet smell. So sweet. Just as her nose started to twitch with excitement¡­


    ¡°Good terms?! No longer, no! He says I should get married! How could that be? He has everything nned out!¡± Esmeralda was furious, ¡°It¡¯spletely unforgivable!¡±


    ¡°My¡­ Well, congrattions, then¡­?¡±


    A possible marriage was a very important thing for women of the elite. Even though Esmeralda was still in school at Saint-Noel, she was old enough to get asked out on dates.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here to be happy about! ¡°He wants to set me up with a Sunnd noble!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sunnd, I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but even if I end up going to Sunnd,¡± Esmeralda quickly added when she saw Mia¡¯s quiet response, ¡°you can still count on me to keep my promise to you, Mia-sama.¡±


    Even so, she was met with silence.


    ¡°You¡¯ll no longer be in Tearmoon¡­ This ce is going to get lonely¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes were still downcast. It just so happened that the angle lined them up perfectly with the teacakes on the table, but that might have been a total fluke. After all, she liked the treats that Esmeralda always brought her, and she always looked forward to their tea parties. Also, she didn¡¯t know many other wealthy girls her age with whom she could have an honest conversation. Esmeralda was like an older cousin, and she didn¡¯t have many other options. If she got married and moved to Sunnd, she wouldn¡¯t be able to go to as many tea parties. That was a pretty depressing idea.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡±


    When Mia looked up, she was surprised to see Esmeralda with tears in her eyes, but her face soon became more determined.


    ¡°B-But don¡¯t worry, because of course I¡¯ll turn it down! I¡¯ve always nned to.¡± She said with a firm pump of her fists, ¡°I¡¯d never leave my best friend behind to get married off to some foreign kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You can marry if you want to. It¡¯s not like that¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I made up my mind! I¡¯m going to tell them to stop! I¡¯ll do it today, in fact! I¡¯ve been asked to a party at the royal castle in Sunnd, but they can stuff their party¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop! Hold it.¡± Mia heard a word that she couldn¡¯t forget. She looked at her friend in a strange way. ¡°Please exin.¡±


    ¡°Hm? I was asked toe to their castle. Since I¡¯ll be closer to their royal family if I get married, they threw me a party to break the ice. Even though it doesn¡¯t matter, since I¡¯m not going¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by saying you won¡¯t go? That would be a waste. They spent a lot of time and work setting it up, didn¡¯t they? You might as well go have fun,¡± Mia said as she started to think of a n. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, in fact.¡±


    How could she keep Sion from dying? Definitely, it was to protect him. Most likely by having Dion ia hang out with him all the time. But even if she stopped one attack, would that change what would happen to him?


    <em>Most likely not¡­</em>


    Her body told her no. Since winter, the Serpents had been very quiet, but she didn¡¯t think for a second that they¡¯d stopped being sneaky. If they really were the ones who killed Sion¡­


    <em>Stopping them once can¡¯t be enough. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find something else in the Chronicles that says he died in a different way.</em>


    It was good that she knew this, but as long as she stayed in Tearmoon, she couldn¡¯t do anything about the whole thing. Then what should she do? The answer was obvious.


    <em>I have to find a way to get to Sunnd. That¡¯s the best way to do it. Since I¡¯ll need protection, that gives me a reason to bring Dion with me. Hm¡­ Maybe I should also invite Citrina, who is an expert on poison. After all, poison is often used to kill people. Also, I¡¯ll probably have to stay there for a few nights, and I¡¯ll feel better if I have some protection who can stay close by, so I¡¯ll ask Tiona and Liora as well¡­</em>


    Standard etiquette said that a Tearmoon princess couldn¡¯t just say out of the blue that she was going to Sunnd and expect to leave soon. Guard convoys needed to be set up, and Sunnd also needed time to get things ready. Her trip to Perujin happened earlier than nned, but that wasn¡¯t the point¡ªit had been nned all along. They just moved the n around a bit. As for the time she went to Remno, she broke all the rules to get there, so it wasn¡¯t exactly a good example. If she wanted to get close enough to Sion to protect him, she couldn¡¯t sneak into Sunnd. That meant she had to go through the right channels to get into their kingdom.


    <em>Lucky for me, it might work if I say I¡¯m going as a member of Esmeralda¡¯s entourage. Instead of the princess of Tearmoon making an official visit, an Etoiline is there, and I¡¯m just along for the ride.</em>


    Only Mia was more famous than Esmeralda in Tearmoon. When a daughter of the Four Dukes went abroad, she had to do a lot of the same things that a princess did. Most importantly, those ns had already been made. They only had to make a little more effort to keep people safe.


    When everything was taken into ount, it seemed¡­surprisingly possible. At least to her. Anyone in charge of making this sudden change was in for a nightmare, but Mia didn¡¯t hear their screams of anger because they were in the future. She didn¡¯t realize there was a difference between what was happening and what she thought would happen, so she kept nning the next steps of her n. This is called ¡°counting unhatched chickens.¡±


    <em>Once I save Sion, the whole Sunnd royal family will owe me a big favor. That will help me a lot when I do this empress thing.</em>


    She folded her arms and gave herself a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you, so make room for me¡ªWait, what?¡±


    When she turned back to Esmeralda, she saw that her friend was crying again.


    ¡°Oh, Nina¡­¡± Esmeralda cried and looked over at her servant. ¡°Did you hear that? Mia-sama told me she¡¯sing to help me get out of my marriage¡­ She¡¯ll tell them right to their faces!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard you very well, madam.¡± Nina said, ¡°I¡¯m d for you¡± in her usual dispassionate way as she held out a handkerchief.


    Esmeralda took the cloth and wiped her eyes with it.


    ¡°Thank you, Mia-sama. This is a big deal. Really, it does. To know that you¡¯d go so far for me¡­¡±


    Mia felt a little bad because her friend was so happy, so she decided to help her out. She put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be willing to. We¡¯re the best of friends, right? Since I¡¯ming with you, you can rest easy knowing that Captain Mia is in charge!¡±


    So, Her Imperial Majesty¡¯s Ship set sail with Esmeralda and Sion¡¯s futures on board. Did the captain, who rode the waves, have what it takes to steer the ship through the dangerous seas ahead? Only time would tell.

 Chapter 438

    <strong>Ludwig Guesses</strong>


    Mia quickly began getting ready for her trip to Sunnd once she had made up her mind. She first called Ludwig and told him to set up her guard convoy.


    ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll put together a team of our most skilled Princess Guard.¡± He let out a defeated sigh. He had been dealing with Mia¡¯s sudden whims for a long time and was used to them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you then. Oh, and I¡¯d also like to bring Dion along. Will that be okay?¡±


    ¡°Dion-dono, so you say¡­¡± Ludwig thought about her as he tapped the bridge of his sses. ¡°Should I take that to mean that this trip is dangerous enough to require him to be there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s a safety measure.¡± She gave a shrug. ¡°The best-case situation is, of course, that it turns out to bepletely safe, but you never know, and I can¡¯t exactly bring an army into Sunnd with me. A small group of top guards is the only choice that makes sense.¡±


    She also couldn¡¯t say for sure that she would stop Sion from being killed. Mia knew she had been taking a lot of riskstely because Ludwig was so scared of her risky behavior this past winter. Even though her n was to stop the crown prince of Sunnd from being killed, Mia didn¡¯t think Ludwig would just let her go. So, she chose to lie about why she did what she did.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    To her difort, he looked at her for a while before making that unsettlingly prating look while fixing his sses.


    ¡°If that is the case, I will go to Sunnd with Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Sudden changes like this often lead to problems that no one sawing. My being there could be helpful. I¡¯ve also been meaning to talk with Sunnd¡¯s government in secret.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll leave now. Before we leave, I need to find people to do my work for me.¡±


    Before Mia could say anything else, he left.


    ¡°Huh. Well, I guess having him along can¡¯t hurt. Maybe this is a good thing.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like she could figure out the plot on her own. Her participation was just a way to get Dion, her best yer, into Sunnd. That took care of the strength part of the problem, but she still needed some brains. The only thing that worried them was how Ludwig¡¯s absence would affect all the problems he was dealing with in the kingdom at the time.


    ¡°If I know him, though, I think he¡¯ll make sure everything keeps going smoothly,¡± she said to herself.


    She turned her attention to the next part of her ns and wrote a message to Tiona in the Rudolvon domain. She had faith that Ludwig would take care of everything on his side. The winter before had shown Mia that both Tiona and Liora could be very useful in war.


    ¡°They¡¯ll make me feel a lot safer. After all, there are many ces where men can¡¯t follow me, and Anne isn¡¯t much of a fighter.¡±


    She would have liked to bring one more person, someone who could be very helpful in a pinch.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes, I definitely should bring her,¡± Mia thought. ¡°Anne, I need to leave for a while, so could you get things ready for me?¡±


    ¡°Right away, mdy, but could I ask where we¡¯re going?¡± asked her maid, who seemed a little worried.


    Mia was happy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to downtown Lunatear where the nobles live.¡±


    Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon lived in a vi in Lunatear, the imperial city. As for why Mia knew this, it¡¯s because¡­ Well, that¡¯s because Citrina came to see Bel this morning. She went to the Whitemoon Pce in a good mood after hearing that her friend had returned from Perujin and invited Bel to her house.


    <em>She said they were going to study, but I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if they didn¡¯t even open a book.</em>


    Mia knew her granddaughter. She would never study if she didn¡¯t have a strict monitor watching over her.


    ¡°Lynsha has gone home for a while, so I guess I¡¯ll have to fill her shoes for now.¡±


    It was a big mansion, bigger than most nobles¡¯ homes, and Mia found herself looking in awe at the walls covered in vines and the front yard that looked like a jungle.


    As she walked into the building with her guards, she thought, ¡°I-I wonder if all of these are poisonous.¡±


    Inside, they were led to arge garden. Here, well-kept flowers adorned a yard that was much less wild. Citrina could be seen sitting at a table in the far corner. Bel was¡­


    Bel was dancing in front of her!


    ¡°And then, right there, you hit the ppers.¡±


    She hit them together with her hands as if they were ppers. She must have been showing Citrina the dance she had done in Perujin. or at least trying to.


    ¡°After that, do this!¡± She turned around a few times, pped, and then posed in a proud way.


    ¡°Oh moons, she did literally every step wrong,¡± Mia muttered.


    The way the girl danced was just¡­sort of¡­


    <em>It¡¯s hard to say what¡¯s wrong, but something just doesn¡¯t feel right. Also, what is it about this girl that she can mess up the dance in every way and still act like she just did the coolest thing ever? It¡¯s pretty amazing, actually. I might want to be more like her¡­</em>


    She walked over with a newfound admiration for her granddaughter.


    ¡°Mia-neesama, oh. You are are!¡± When Bel saw her, she smiled.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. Wee to Yellowmoon Vi.¡± Citrina stood up and curtsied. She smiled as she did it, and the move was as sweet and beautiful as spring flowers.


    <em>And this girl is still very cute¡­</em>


    ¡°Good morning to you, Rina. How¡¯s your father doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s doing well, and he says hello.¡±


    ¡°Good. Oh, but tell him to stop eating so many cookies, OK? Because eating too many sweets will actually make you shorten your lifespan. Did you know?¡± Mia felt a little overwhelmed by the others, so she quickly shared this piece of preventive wisdom that she stole shamelessly from Tatiana. The young¡¯uns were impressed enough for Mia to sh a triumphant smug grin, as if she had aplished something great.

 Chapter 439

    <strong>Princess Mia¡­ Starts Her True Job!</strong>


    ¡°By the way, Bel, this is just a friendly reminder,¡± said Mia. ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away.¡±


    ¡°Carried away? But how?¡± Bel asked with his head tilted in a curious way.


    ¡°You just showed the dance we did in Perujin, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was. Rina was very interested in seeing it.¡± Bel made a sign to her friend.


    ¡°I did ask her to show Rina,¡± Citrina said. ¡°I was curious about what kind of dance it was.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± Mia looked at Citrina out of the corner of her eye and said, ¡°The thing is, Bel, you were getting a lot of it wrong. If you¡¯re going to show someone, make sure to do it right.¡±


    <em>I see what¡¯s happening here. Rina is sad that she didn¡¯t get to go with Bel to Perujin. It would be stupid of me not to use this. ¡°Shoot the horse to kill the rider,¡± as the saying goes. I only have to bring Bel if I want Rina toe with me.</em>


    She turned to Bel after quickly figuring out where her opponent was weak.


    ¡°Oh, and Bel, I know it¡¯s short notice, but Esmeralda and I might go to Sunnd.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You are going to Sunnd?!¡±


    She smiled at the sudden rush of energy. Mia knew that Bel was short for ¡°Maniabel,¡± not ¡°Miabel.¡± Controlling her granddaughter was like taking a candy from a baby.


    <em>She would never pass up the chance to go to Sion¡¯s home country. I really have her.</em>


    As expected, when asked if she wanted toe along, Bel gave a strong ¡°yes.¡± Citrina¡¯s shoulders sagged when she saw her response.


    ¡°There were so many games that I wanted to y with you¡­¡±


    Mia held back from yelling: <em>I was right! I knew you wouldn¡¯t study!</em> instead she said, ¡°Well, Rina, why don¡¯t youe with us?¡±


    Citrina opened her eyes wide in shock. ¡°Huh? Can Ie, too?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Mia said with a smile and a nod. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re free¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can go! I¡¯m totally free! Your Highness, thank you for inviting Rina. Wow!¡± as she bowed deeply. ¡°I will always be grateful and admire you.¡±


    ¡°Eternal gratitude and respect sounds like something you should save for a big event, but I guess it¡¯s okay. But shouldn¡¯t we first talk to your father?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± she said. ¡°Father is crazy about Rina. He¡¯d never say no to a request like this,¡± she said with a smile that, while still sweet and flowery, reminded her more of flytrap nts than yard daisies.


    ¡°Uh¡­ All right. If you say so. Oh, and just so you know¡­¡± Mia got close to her and whispered in her ear. ¡°Could you bring some antidotes with you? Most likely the ones used to treat poisons that are often used to for assassinations.¡±


    ¡°¡­Antidotes? Not the poisons?¡± asked Citrina with a frown.


    ¡°No.¡± Mia put her head down. ¡°The antidotes, please. And let me be clear about one thing: I think murders are a terrible way to get what you want. I will never ask you to poison someone, nor will I ever let anyone do it.¡±


    After all, it would be a nightmare if she killed someone and that person did the same time jump backwards.


    <em>I¡¯m a kind and forgiving person, so I wouldn¡¯t try to get back at Sion or Tiona, but there¡¯s no promise that the person I killed would be so nice to me¡­</em>


    Since killing someone is always dangerous, she didn¡¯t even consider it. She even tried to avoid making things happen that would give her that choice in the first ce. ¡°Don¡¯t make enemies¡± was her guiding principle in life. You never know where or when someone will pull a Mia, and she didn¡¯t want to be the target of their revenge if they did.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯d never ask a friend of Bel¡¯s to get blood on her hands,¡± she said with confidence. ¡°But I¡¯d appreciate it if you could help me stop any bloodshed. This time, the situation is a little bit concerning.¡±


    ¡°Concerning¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s about time that the Serpents did something. I would rather be sure than sorry. In order to do this, I need the help of Yellowmoon. Will you lend it to me?¡±


    When she heard the formal wording, Citrina¡¯s back straightened. ¡°Consider it lent, Your Highness. You can use every bit of information in the Yellowmoon reservoir. Command Rina to do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Rina. I can ask for nothing more.¡±


    Mia¡¯s dream team was pretty much done when Citrina joined. She had Dion and the Princess Guard to protect her from physical attacks, whether they came from a gang of bandits or not. She also had Ludwig to foil bad ns and Citrina to stop people from killing her with poison. It would be great if Tatiana could join as a doctor, but she was too far away to be called in time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be too greedy. This line-up is already pretty great. All I have to do now is my part¡­¡±


    So, Mia started doing the work that was only hers¡ªher real job.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­ What are Sunnd¡¯s local specialties, and how many of them have mushrooms¡­?¡±


    Mia¡¯s Sunnd Sojourn to Savor Save Sion had begun.


    Mia had visited so many people, but she forgot to see her father, Matthias Luna Tearmoon, who was the most important person she should have seen.


    ¡°You are going to Sunnd?!¡± When the ruler heard about her ns, he was very angry. ¡°But what about our time together as father and daughter? I had a lot of ns for the summer. Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll spend the summer there too! I¡¯ll be there with¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, daddy! Please! I¡¯m trying to keep everything as low-key as possible!¡±


    Even though she eventually got her father to stay put, she had to talk to him about it every day until the day she left.


    TN¡¯s Note:


    New Phrase: <em>do a Mia</em> ¨C to jump back in time.


    I don¡¯t know if that will catch on.

 Chapter 440

    <strong>Maybe¡­ Probably¡­</strong>


    <em>Since we chose to go to Sunnd, Her Highness hasn¡¯t been like herself.</em>


    Ludwig frowned as he looked into a room in the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s Grand Library where Mia was sitting and muttering to herself.


    <em>It must be like I thought. This trip has a lot more to it than meets the eye. And this is a very important thing.</em>


    When she told him she was going to Sunnd for the first time, he thought of two possible reasons.


    The first was, of course, making political friends by talking to people to set the stage for future projects. The Kingdom of Sunnd was stronger and bigger than Tearmoon. If Mia wanted to be empress, she needed more than just Sion¡¯s help.


    The second was Esmeralda¡¯s marriage proposal. She was one of Mia¡¯s best friends, and she was an Etoiline. Mia had good ties with the other scions of the Four Houses as well, but the youngdy of Greenmoon was the only one she could really trust. Esmeralda would always be a very important asset as long as the backing of the Four Dukes was needed to keep control of the central nobility.


    Now, someone or a group of someones were trying to get her out of Tearmoon.


    <em>There are things going on that make it clear a force opposes Her Highness bing an empress¡­ This must be a way for them to try to hurt her faction.</em>


    That much was both clear and easy for him to understand. He also knew that Mia¡¯s trip to Sunnd was a way to fight back. It would make the opposition in her own country think twice before making any more ns, and it would also let her look into their ties in Sunnd. It was also a way to show support for Esmeralda. The problem was that¡­


    <em>She is going to bring Dion. That is something to think about.</em>


    He agreed that it was important to have some strength for safety, but he thought the Princess Guard should have been enough. Why bring Dion ia, who was a one-man army? Why was an overwhelming presence needed?


    ¡°The only thing that makes sense is that whatever is in the shadows warrants enough for him to be there. If that¡¯s the case, I should also get ready,¡± he thought to himself as he walked over to Mia.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ludwig. Are you here to find out something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The other day, it became painfully clear to me that Miss Bel is missing a lot of basics in her schooling.¡±


    Ludwig nned to give Bel a crash course on¡­well, pretty much everything before they left for Sunnd. He had heard that Bel would be going with them. But that wasn¡¯t why he was here. He came to see how Mia was doing. But admitting his worry was an act of emotional honesty that was way above him.


    ¡°Judging by how she¡¯s doing, I can tell that she¡¯s getting some help, but I¡¯m worried that her teacher may not be up to the task. It¡¯s possible that the way they teach isn¡¯t as good as it could be. It¡¯s important to know when to be strict and when to be easy on someone. Integrating the two well is important for schooling.¡±


    Mia¡¯s reply was to purse her lips, but it wasn¡¯t clear what that meant.


    ¡°¡­Okay. Then do what you think is best. But don¡¯t go crazy, okay? For the sake of sanity.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If a teacher does something to hurt a student¡¯s mind, it shows that they are very bad at what they do.¡±


    ¡°I was talking about your sense of sanity¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t give a clear answer. She instead puckered her lips and said, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll let you decide.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Ludwig agreed and then asked, ¡°May I ask if Your Highness is also doing research?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, sure, I guess so. After all, we are going to Sunnd, so I thought I¡¯d¡­read up on them first. You know, figure out what¡¯s going on there. So I can make travel ns.¡±


    A map of the whole kingdom of Sunnd was spread out on her table. Around it were many open books about the businesses and towns of different parts of the kingdom.


    ¡°I see. Your Highness is always amazing.¡±


    Mia is going to Sunnd with a clear and important goal in mind, but it looks like that wasn¡¯t her only goal. She seemed to want to go on a tour of the country, which made perfect sense. They might as well use the chance to find out as much information as they can. It was amazing to see how much she was paying attention to and how logically she used her time to get the most out of it.


    <em>Food is the basis of all businesses, and its production is important for the empire¡¯s growth in the future. She is definitely learning more about food in other countries so that she can make better decisions when she is empress. She is the Great Wisdom of the Empire because she has a never-ending thirst for information and a strong sense of reason. In fact, Her Highness never fails to amaze¡­</em>


    <em>Never fails to amaze? I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s so great about it¡­</em>


    Mia cocked her head in surprise at thement, then went back to reading the book she was holding. It talked about the specialties of each part of Sunnd and the most famous dishes in each town. There was nothing in it that seemed like it would be amazing to Ludwig.


    <em>But on the other hand, I am doing something worth praising, so I will happily ept the praise.</em>


    She was right, too! In fact, Mia had been thinking and thinking about really important things! After a lot of thought, she chose not to tell Sunnd that she would be traveling with Esmeralda. She was just going to show up with her entourage. The goal of this secret was to get rid of as many unknowns as possible. As a longtime reader of books about the future, Mia knew that the future was surprisingly fragile and could be changed in ways she couldn¡¯t predict. In her case, this meant that the exact details of Sion¡¯s death, such as where and when, were very likely to change.


    <em>For example, if I told him I was going as a student, he might feel like he had to let me in. Meet me at the border, if you want. That might keep him from getting into trouble, but it might not. I have no way of knowing how he will treat me, so he could still die the same way.</em>


    Also, his trip to the border could put him in danger in ways he doesn¡¯t know about yet. If he did this, he might be able to avoid an easy fight with bandits, but aplicated plot to kill him could very well follow him everywhere he went.


    <em>That would only make things harder. I¡¯d rather things go the way they are written about in the book.</em>


    So, she had been racking her brains for the past few days, trying to think of a way to put herself into the story so that she would be with Sion on the day he will be killed, without changing any of the other facts too much. Even though putting Dion next to Sion was more important, because he was Sion¡¯s defender, the difference could be overlooked.


    <em>And I need to take a detour somewhere to do that. So where?!</em>


    That question gave her the most trouble. Esmeralda had nned a route that would not take them through the ce where Sion was killed. Fate didn¡¯t want to make things that easy for her, it seems.


    <em>The detour should take me to ces with lots of good food and unusual mushrooms. If I can also pick some veggies and look for mushrooms, that would be great.</em>


    Even though some of the things she thought about were questionable, the choice was still hard. It was important to choose a departure that made sense for her to ask for; otherwise, it would be unnatural. People would have a lot of questions if you asked to stay for a few days in the middle of nowhere. Even worse, Esmeralda might get bored, and an Esmeralda who was bored was a dangerous Esmeralda.


    <em>What are some famous Sunnd dishes? Well, well¡­ I see. They have good water fish. So I can add this town on a river to the list. Then¡­</em>


    She did all of that so she could save Sion without acting weird. She didn¡¯t n her route so carefully because she secretly wanted to turn the trip into a sightseeing and food-eating vacation through Sunnd. She must have been thinking about very serious and important things¡­


    ¡°Oh, these dried mushrooms are something Sunnd is known for? I wonder where I can buy some.¡±


    Probably¡­

 Chapter 441

    <strong>The Royal Council</strong>


    In the royal house of the Kingdom of Sunnd, Solecsudo castle, there was a room with a rectangr table. Around it sat seven men. The person who was sitting in the middle was tall and strong, with gray hair and sharp eyes. The way he dressed showed that he was King Abram Sol Sunnd.


    Abram frowned as he heard his headmaster give a report.


    ¡°You say that a group of thieves that are unusually good on horses¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, that¡¯s right. They were able to get away from our best mounted troops. These are not your average thieves. I think they are working for that wandering Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Sion, tell me what you think about it.¡±


    Sion sat up straight when his father looked at him.


    ¡°Yes, your highness. I think we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions too quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­And why are you being careful?¡±


    ¡°Many people will suffer because of wars between countries. It is too soon to say that the Equestrian Kingdom is to me. I don¡¯t think they would attack us just for fun, and they have no other reason to.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness is wise, but still young,¡± said Count Lampron, a nobleman who loved Sunnd and was very loyal to his king. Heughed out loud. ¡°Not all rulers have as much knowledge as Your Highness. You shouldn¡¯t think that other countries will act as wisely as our glorious one.¡±


    ¡°The actions of many countries are driven by mindless expansionism. There are plenty of stupid rulers who will attack other countries for no good reason just to get morend.¡±


    ¡°Your words are a little bit too rude for these calm times, Count Lampron. To some ears, they might sound like the words of someone who wants to start a war,¡± said another speaker.


    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think that woulde from you of all people.¡±


    The Royal Council was a group of nobles who got together to talk about politics. Sion had no ns to get involved in government until he graduated from Saint-Noel, so he never really cared much about the assembly. But his time at school had made him see things a little differently. He was most influenced by the princess of Tearmoon, who was the same age as him and was actively trying to change things in her kingdom.


    <em>What are Mia and the others doing right now?</em>


    In his mind, he saw her again, dressed in purple. But the voice of a different girl reached his ears.


    <em>If I don¡¯t tell her now, I¡¯ll be sorryter, huh¡­?</em>


    The words of Tiona, which were so serious and important, rang in his head. There were definitely things he wanted to say to her.


    <em>Based on how often Mia is on my mind, I¡¯m probably¡­ But do I have the right to tell her how I feel as I am right now?</em>


    His mistake in Remno still makes him feel bad. Bitter regret, made even worse by the fact that he knew he was immature, pushed down on his chest like an anvil, stopping him from saying anything.


    <em>I¡¯ll make up for my mistakes, but I¡¯ll have to work for the chance. I said that, and I still believe it to be true. But¡­</em>


    A rapid change in the mood of the room stopped him from thinking. The whole council was upset by what one member said.


    ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve heard that Equestrian troops have been wandering around near the border. They can¡¯t have nothing to do with each other. For the sake of the people who live there, we have to send in the army right away, even if it¡¯s just to calm the fears of the people in Sunnd,¡± said a more and more angry Lampron.


    He was on the conservative end of the political spectrum, which values tradition and supported Sunnd expansionism. They said that it was better for people to be ruled by the King of Sunnd, who, in his great wisdom, would bring them closer to wealth, than by a king who wasn¡¯t good at his job. It was, by the way, the same idea that the White Crow, Graham, held. By their very nature, these expansionists often didn¡¯t care about the authority of other countries.


    Sion let out a quiet sigh before saying in a strong voice. ¡°Your Majesty, there is no need to involve the army at the moment. If you give me leave, I¡¯ll put together a group of soldiers and lead them there to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    There were many different goals and interests that fought at the Royal Council, both on top of and under the table. It was politics at its best, and the people who took part had to deal with both good and bad feelings. To stay alive, you had to eat honey with your bile. To use it, you have to swallow quickly. Sion still found it hard to swallow, but he kept doing it because he never forgot why he was there.


    Was it his conviction? His dedication to doing what was just and fair? It wasn¡¯t, no. The sad things that happened that day tipped the beam of his justice scale.


    <em>What would Mia do?</em>


    The Great Wisdom of the Empire re-calibrated his scale, even though he didn¡¯t want to or know how to. Now it had the right values, so he could weigh events against the philosophical masses to figure out what was really fair.


    ¡°The sword of justice we were given is very sharp. It cuts quickly and well, but it can¡¯t fix anything. If we use it wrong, many people will be hurt,¡± he said as he looked at his father.


    ¡°Is it not too dangerous for Your Highness to go in person?¡± asked a noble who was there.


    Sion shook his head when warned to be careful. ¡°The Sunnd royal family is weakened by the carelessness of people who are suffering. It hurts our right to be in charge. But we must also be careful not to carelessly cause more pain by the things we do. It¡¯s important to find out the truth, and I¡¯m asking again, Your Majesty, for permission to do so.¡±


    He got up, walked over to his father, and got down on one knee while bowing his head. The king looked at him with a smile on his face.


    ¡°I see¡­ Very well,¡± said the king with a hard nod. ¡°Your wish has been granted. You have been given an official order to lead a group of soldiers and put down the bandits in question.¡±


    So, it was decided that Sion would be in charge of a newly formed armed unit whose job would be to eliminate the bandits.


    ¡°Another ten out of ten on the scale of being careless.¡± Keithwood was very upset when he heard about Sion¡¯s new job. ¡°Have you ever thought about not putting yourself in danger all the time? Have you ever thought about what would happen if something bad happened to you? I¡¯m sure you have, which makes it all the more strange¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Keithwood,e on. Get a grip. People say things like, ¡®The road to a good king is paved with nervous servants.¡¯¡±


    ¡°They most definitely don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Sion smiled at him to make him feel better. It didn¡¯t do what it was supposed to do.


    Keithwood thought¡­


    <em>It¡¯s because of how he¡¯s been actingtely. He seems to be in a hurry to get something done. There¡¯s a strange feeling of worry, even desperation¡­</em>


    Keithwood could even say when Sion¡¯s behavior had started to change. Last winter, it happened. In particr, after they had gone to Princess Mia¡¯s birthday party in the city of Tearmoon.


    <em>That day, did something happen? I can¡¯t think of anything in particr, but¡­</em>


    Just then, as they were getting ready for Sion to leave¡­


    ¡°Sion!¡±


    A young boy who wasn¡¯t quite a teen ran toward them. His hair was the same silver color as Sion¡¯s, but he didn¡¯t look as tough as Sion¡¯s because he didn¡¯t train regrly. He seemed more fragile and delicate than the older boy.


    Echard Sol Sunnd was the second prince of Sunnd and Sion¡¯s younger brother. He turned ten this year.


    ¡°I heard the news, Sion.¡± Echard asked with worry in his eyes, ¡°Are you really going to eliminate the bandits yourself?¡±


    Sion smiled to try to make his brother feel better. ¡°You¡¯re right. And only the best of our men will be with me. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll rx my guard, though. Also, Keithwood is going to be there. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But if something bad were to happen to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, Lord Echard, you worry too much. When Your Highness was your age, he was already better at swordy than grown men,¡± a nearby old knight joked.


    The troops around him all started praising his skills.


    ¡°His Highness is a master at using a sword. No thief will be able to beat him.¡±


    ¡°Lord Echard, you¡¯d know if you learned from him. Why don¡¯t you ask His Majesty to teach you something?¡±


    Echard gave the knights a strange smile as theyughed.


    <em>That doesn¡¯t do the boy any good at all¡­</em> Keithwood bit his lip as he looked at the conversation from the side. He could see that Echard was going through a lot of stress, most of which was caused by his intense jealousy of his brother. Nobles who are interested in politics could use disagreements between the two princes to help their own parties. <em>But I can¡¯t really get into this. I shouldn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s not my ce to speak</em>.


    The two princes had a small but clear disagreement, and Keithwood could only hope that it wouldn¡¯t get worse.

 Chapter 442

    <strong>Girls Talk¡­ Girls Talk?</strong>


    Pilgrimage Road was an important route that linked the Holy Principality of Belluga to many other nations on the continent. It was a real example of the old saying ¡°All roads lead to Belluga.¡± Even though there was a lot of traffic on it, the Central Orthodox Church kept it well-paved and wide. There was enough room for horse wagons to go by each other without having to stop.


    Mia¡¯s group took this path to get to Sunnd. They went through Belluga on the way. After meeting Tiona¡¯s group halfway, they became quite a sight on the road, with seven carriages and a lot of troops to protect them. Even though the princess of Tearmoon was in one of the wagons, it was, if anything, still on the less important side.


    ¡°Ugh, my father was sure a tough nut to crack.¡±In the moving carriage, Mia let out a deep sigh. Her father was adamant about going with her, and she couldn¡¯t get him to change his mind until she pleaded with him, ¡°I love you, dad, so pretty please?¡± Even though it was said in a boring cadence, it worked.


    ¡°That was a tremendous effort to get someone to agree. Moons, he¡¯s so stubborn,¡± she grumbled, and her face showed that she was tired.


    Esmeralda shook her head. ¡°Oh, stop saying that. His Majesty the Emperor cares a lot about you.¡±


    She smiled softly at Mia and then sighed in the same way that Mia did.


    ¡°Besides, if we¡¯re talking about stubborn dads, I¡¯ve got you beat hands down. I told mine that I wasn¡¯t interested in getting married, and he was having none of it. He didn¡¯t care about anything I said. You were always right. Going to turn down the offer right away is definitely the right choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good that you think that. But isn¡¯t it possible that the possible groom could turn out to be a nice guy? And if hees from a line of Dukes, it might even be a good match. Who can say? Mia said in a scolding way, ¡°Maybe Lord Greenmoon is really looking out for you.¡±


    But what she said didn¡¯t match what she was thinking.


    <em>I wonder if Lord Greenmoon is trying to get Esmeralda away from her family¡­</em>


    Esmeralda did have a younger brother who was five years younger than her. The boy didn¡¯t think he was better than his much bigger sister; he loved her very much. So much that it¡¯s too much. At times, the way he followed her around was like an employee following a boss he looked up to. Or a dog running after his owner because he loves him.


    <em>Esmeralda isn¡¯t always easy to deal with, but she is a kind person. I can see why he¡¯d like her, even though she can be selfish and hard to understand. Still, she can be a real pain in the neck sometimes¡­</em>


    At this rate, the next leader of the Greenmoons would end up being a weakling who cares too much about his sister. It should also be said that this softie was once thought to be Mia¡¯s future husband, but the ns fell through in the end.


    <em>When blood is too thick, it gets dirty and brings disaster.</em>


    Because of this old saying, most people in the Tearmoon Empire didn¡¯t marry close family members. Even though the connection between Esmeralda¡¯s brother and Mia was on the edge of what was allowed, it was not illegal. However¡­


    <em>¡°My brother is hardly a match for Miss Mia.¡± Esmeralda had been very against the n. ¡°Mia-sama is a princess of the empire. She deserves¡ªno, she needs¡ªa partner who is a good match for her in every way. My little brother¡­ if I¡¯m being honest¡­ falls short of her standards. Very short!¡±</em>


    She is a connoisseur of good-looking men, so she had high standards for young men, even those in her own family. Given that she did these things, Duke Greenmoon might not have wanted her to stay at home forever. At least, that¡¯s what Mia thought.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Esmeralda, if he turns out to be a very handsome man?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting question. I guess I can make room in my bodyguard team for him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be good enough, though. People who are good enough for an Etoile are hard to find.¡± Esmeraldaughed and hit her hand when she got an idea. ¡°Oh, I get it! Since we¡¯re alreadying this far, why not give them a choice instead of just saying no? If they want me to marry into the Sunnd family, they¡¯ll have to bring me a prince!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Sion? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t. He¡¯s not a person you can deal with.¡±


    She tried to picture Sion getting married to Esmeralda. It didn¡¯t happen. She literally couldn¡¯t imagine it.


    ¡°The only people I can think of who have the same personality as Sion are Miss Rafina and, um¡­ Hm¡­¡±


    She suddenly thought of the name of a girl. At the moment, the girl was sitting in a carriage behind her, but she had once driven Mia from wealth to poverty and then to the gallows. Tiona Rudolvon was the first saint of Tearmoon.


    <em>Well, that makes me think. I wonder if Sion and Tiona got together after I died¡­</em>


    She never cared enough to think about what happened after her death, but in the previous timeline, the two of them seemed like the right match. Even Mia thought so when she wasn¡¯t running for her life. She was gripped with intense curiosity. What happenned to the two after that? Did their fates eventually cross paths?


    Esmeralda was irritated by her faraway look, so she followed it. When she did, she found nothing but another carriage


    ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand why you asked Tiona toe with us. Do you want her to do something?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, I shouldn¡¯t have to say this, but I¡¯ll say it anyway: Tiona is my friend.¡± Mia said ahead of time, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any nonsense about how her being an Ound noble makes her less of a noble.¡±


    Esmeralda nodded to show that she knew.


    ¡°Well, yes. Nothing could be more clear. Your friend is my friend.¡± She said, ¡°If anyone bothers her, I¡¯ll be by her side to help her.¡±


    Then, after taking a breath, she said, ¡°Because we¡¯re best friends, and as your best friend, I¡¯d never do something that makes you sad! That¡¯s what the best friends are like!¡±


    ¡°I-I get it. Well. Good. Well, then, keep doing that.¡±


    Mia felt a little uneasy with her best friend¡¯s confidence.

 Chapter 443

    <strong>A Gathering of Rabid Fans</strong>


    ¡°Well, this is not going so well.¡±


    Ludwig looked at the country scenery from the window of his carriage. The morning sun, which had been shining softly on the quiet country road, was slowly getting hotter as noon approached. The time they were supposed to leave had passed, but the carriage showed no signs of moving.


    The carriage door opened all of a sudden, and Dion ia stepped inside. He took the sword out of his belt and sat down on the seat.


    ¡°It looks like they won¡¯t be able to fix it for a while. The carriage broke down at a good time, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    The trouble started the morning after Mia¡¯s group left the vige where they had been staying. Not long after getting on the road, a wheel on one of the carriages broke. Even though they quickly thought about sending the rest of the crew on ahead, they decided to wait until the repairs were done because the damaged vehicle was an expensive Greenmoon carriage. They could see for miles in all directions, so it was unlikely that someone would sneak up on them. At the very least, waiting here didn¡¯t put their safety at much risk.


    ¡°And? What did the patrol say?¡±


    ¡°No problem. I wouldn¡¯t worry. We got the Princess Guard, and the Greenmoons sent a good-sized group as well. Also, Sunnd did what they should have done. After all, they are meeting the daughter of one of the Four Dukes. If I were a thief, I wouldn¡¯t evene near us, let alone try to rob us.¡±


    Dion¡¯s eyes were narrowed as he looked out the same window.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the princess also knows that, so whatever¡¯s out there isn¡¯t robbers. It¡¯s moreplicated than that. Something that you can¡¯t handle even if you have a lot of forces with you.¡±


    Ludwig nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We¡¯re also going in the same direction as where the wolfmaster ran.¡±


    Before he was forced to run away, the wolfmaster, a Chaos Serpent killer, hade dangerously close to killing Mia. Ludwig had told a group of people to go after him, but they lost track of him. He had gone missing on the edges of Sunnd, which was a big deal. Since then, no one had seen him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Dion, ¡°and if that bad boy shows up, normal guards won¡¯t be able to stop him. We¡¯re going to need hordes of men to deal with him, and that¡¯s not even taking into ount his dogs. I understand why the princess is so careful.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ludwig said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave security things up to you. Do what you have to so we can stay safe. Most of all, Her Highness. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d exin it to everyone if something bad happened to her.¡±


    ¡°You mean your friends in the Empress Faction?¡±


    ¡°Yes. About that, I haven¡¯t introduced you to any of them except Gil. I¡¯ve wanted to do it, but¡­¡± Ludwig remembered the time he got together with a few of them to talk about who would do what while he was away.


    On that day, Ludwig rushed to an empty mansion in the capital where he and the other members of his faction had decided to meet. When he got to the house and went into a room, he heard a familiar voice.


    Balthazar said, ¡°Damn, Ludwig, you finally made it! Well? Out with it. Let¡¯s hear all the tasty details of your trip to Perujin.¡±


    Gilbert was there, along with about a dozen other people.


    ¡°For the love of God, man, just let me sit down. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ludwig frowned. Balthazar was usually a very calm and quiet person who rarely spoke up.


    ¡°What is wrong with me? I can¡¯t stand you and your princess. What is this about a possible change in the pact with Perujin? That¡¯s the kind of thing that goes down in the books!¡±


    ¡°All right. News sure gets around quickly. Yes, you heard the thing right. Her Highness has said that she wants to change the treaty between our nations because it is unfair. She hopes that this will be the start of a new rtionship between them. One that is built on the trust we earn and keep.¡± Ludwig looked up while looking through his sses. ¡°How do you feel? Is it the wish of a foolhardy idealist?¡±


    Balthazar kept his lips together for a while before giving a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know that the idea is so bold that it throws me for a loop. If Her Highness is really serious about this, I apud her courage and passion, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Who gives a damn about your cheers?¡± One of the people in the room yelled, ¡°Tell us the juicy details already!¡±


    Just as more people joined in, an older person spoke quietly from the back of the room to stop them.


    ¡°Now, now, boys and girls, keep your knickers on. Let the guy speak.¡± There was Galv, sitting and smiling.


    Ludwig bowed very low to his old teacher.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure in every way, my dear student.¡± Galv said, ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°You too, master,¡± Ludwig said, then looked at the old man¡¯s clothes with a curious look in his eyes. He was now dressed like a high-ranking official, which was different from when he was in the forest.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, yes. I¡¯ve changed my clothes, as you can see. Even by my standards, my old clothes were a little too country for a teacher.¡±


    Ludwig took a deep breath of relief when he saw Galv¡¯s friendly smile. As his name suggests, the Wandering Wiseman Galv was not known to stay in one ce for long. Ludwig had been worried about this, so he was d that his worries were finally put to rest.


    ¡°That reminds me: when we were in Perujin, Princess Arshia helped us out at just the right time.¡±


    Ludwig asked Galv about Arshia, who was a teacher at the same school as the wiseman. ¡°Did you give her any of your wisdom?¡± he asked.


    Galv had augh. ¡°Now there¡¯s a girl who can make her own decisions. I¡¯m worried that you don¡¯t give the good girl enough credit. She didn¡¯t ask for my advice, and she doesn¡¯t need it to find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Ludwig said as he walked to the back of the room and sat down at Galv¡¯s table, as his friends motioned for him to do so. He picked up the ss of wine in front of him and took a slow sip, letting the smell of the wine rx his mouth and throat.


    ¡°All right.¡± Galv said, ¡°That should be enough small talk for everyone to getfortable. Tell us your story now, good student. Tell us about the Great Wisdom of the Empire, our princess, and what she did in Perujin.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Ludwig put the ss of wine back on the table. ¡°The first thing Her Highness did was eat some of the fruits that had just been picked.¡±


    He started with Mia¡¯s time picking rubyfruit, during which she picked and ate until she was full.


    ¡°I see. By working hard alongside the people, she tried to gain their trust¡­ I heard that during the harvest, Perujin princesses are the first to go to the fields and show their farmers how to work. It¡¯s clear that Her Highness chose to act like them.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s more. She also ate like everyone else. When she was given a rubyfruit, she ate it right away.¡±


    A man in the room gasped when he heard that.


    ¡°You can¡¯t really mean that! Rubyfruits taste good, but they are very messy to eat. The juice makes your hands sticky. It has a bad reputation among noblewomen, and none of them woulde within three feet of it.¡±


    Ludwig looked at his clueless coworker and, as the person in the room who knew the most about Mia, said in a teaching tone, ¡°Her Highness is not one to be bothered by things like this.¡±


    Mia was the kind of person who didn¡¯t mind getting her hands dirty, as long as she got to eat delicious foods. In this way, Ludwig was right. He wasn¡¯t exactly right, but he wasn¡¯t wrong, either.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± said a different voice. ¡°It was given as a gratitude for all she had done. You could say it¡¯s a sign of friendship. By working together, she had made them feel like she was one of them.¡±


    ¡°And by eating it,¡± said someone else, ¡°she showed that the eptance was mutual¡­ The central nobility, who see Perujin as a vassal state, would never agree to this kind of exchange.¡±


    The responses kept getting more and more wrong.


    ¡°The next episode is about the golden slope,¡± Ludwig said. ¡°Does anyone among you know how Perujin treats nobles from the empire? Master Galv, you must be.¡±


    Galv spat, ¡°Yes, I do, and it¡¯s a stupid one. They put a nket of newly harvested wheat on the slope leading to the capital and let the carriages roll over it. Someone from Tearmoon with no brains probably came up with the idea a long time ago, and it stuck. Its only reason for being is to physically step on Perujin pride. The height of stupidity, for sure.¡±


    After expressing his dislike for the practice, he turned to Ludwig and said, ¡°At the same time, it is a sign of wee, and as a guest, she can¡¯t afford to ignore it. So, I¡¯m very interested to know how Her Highness handled the situation.¡±


    Ludwig smiled arrogantly when his master looked at him with an interested look. Gilbert, however, spoke up before he could.


    ¡°Oh, I get it! Didn¡¯t she get out of the coach and walked up?¡±


    Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Very clever,¡± said one of the younger people. ¡°If the wagon rolled up, it would ruin all that hard-grown wheat, but walking up would do less damage. So, she shows her thanks for their wee without wasting what they worked hard to make. It¡¯s the best of both worlds!¡±


    Other members of about the same age all agreed and seemed proud that they had found the right answer.


    On the other hand, Ludwig shook his head. ¡°No. At least, it¡¯s not the best solution, because that¡¯s only half of it. Her Highness did walk up, but she took her shoes off and did it barefoot.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really mean that! Her shoes off?!¡±


    ¡°Not at all! This is the princess we are talking about!¡±


    Mia¡¯s friends (fanatics), who were already crazy about her, let out a round of amazed gasps. In the middle of their excited talk, Ludwig puffed with pride and kept telling his story.

 Chapter 444

    <strong>The Abyssal Depth of the Great Wisdom of the Empire</strong>


    ¡°And now we¡¯ve reached the highlight of the Thanksharvest Festival,¡± Ludwig said, ¡°Her Highness danced for the crowd.¡±


    He said this as if he were telling a great myth. He then closed his eyes as he remembered about what had happened.


    ¡°It really was a stunning show. The artistry¡­ The meanings¡­ I could almost see Tearmoon and Perujin bing friends right in front of my eyes. I knew that Her Highness was good at dancing, but I couldn¡¯t have guessed just how good she was¡­ It was almost a religious experience to see it happen in person.¡±


    He talked in a way that passionate minstrels often do when they sing. Or drunks who talk too much. Considering how much wine he had already drunk, the second option might be more possible. Even though Galv seemed drunk, he nodded his head a lot when he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. People say that dance shows what¡¯s inside a person. In Her Highness¡¯s heart, it¡¯s clear that she wants everyone to be happy and at peace. The beauty of her virtue was reflected in the beauty of her performance,¡± the wise man said, his tone almost making fun of how drunk his student was.


    No one brought up this difference. Instead, everyone else in the room simply nodded and said things like ¡°well said¡± and ¡°indeed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! She was beautiful from the inside out.¡± Ludwig jumped on the praise train with the same excitement that Mia showed for riding waves. Her ability to sense the momentum might have rubbed off on Ludwig. ¡°When she was done dancing, His Majesty King Yuhal made a formal announcement that Perujin would trust Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean that the Perujin king ended up stealing all of her thunder?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think Her Highness felt the need to dispute any credit for the achievement. She gave him the floor on purpose because she valued Perujin¡¯s trust much more,¡± Ludwig said, shivering as he remembered the hope in the eyes of the crowd, their cheers of joy, his own speechless joy, and most of all, the deep satisfaction on Mia¡¯s face. He would remember that expression for the rest of his life.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± he said after that. ¡°Her Majesty was after something bigger. Something more¡±


    ¡°What? What could be more?¡±


    ¡°We are now making assumptions, but I have a feeling that¡­¡±


    Ludwig outlined his theory, which he had put together based on a lot of clues. He talked about a big n for a mutual aidwork that would stretch across borders and bring food to poor areas all over the continent. People were amazed by how big and important this overstated feat was. Galv¡¯s childish wonder and the energy of all the young officials in the room made the air buzz with excitement.


    ¡°You can¡¯t really mean that! Even Shalloak Cornrogue, not just Forkroad? How did she get him to do this?¡±


    People who had dealt with the Merchant King before knew how much he cared about money. When they heard that Shalloak had changed, the shock on their faces was clear as day. They never would have thought that he would give so much of himself to charity.


    ¡°It was like a lot of talented peopleing together. Great minds from all walks of life gathered under her banner and were brought together by the Bread-Cake Deration,¡± Ludwig said as he drank another ss of wine. He had lost track of how many he¡¯d had. He was slurring his words so much now that he might as well have been singing.


    Galv gave another strong nod when he saw that his student was clearly drunk.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Galv replied. ¡°It is said that there are words that can move people¡¯s hearts. It¡¯s clear that Her Highness¡¯s words have this kind of power.¡±


    The way he talked made others wonder if he was really drunk. The other people in the room (should they even be mentioned at this point?) also nodded in agreement.


    One person even got up from his seat.


    ¡°Ludwig, I want to be a part of this project you¡¯re working on!¡±


    The young officials in the room were smart, driven, and eager to do their jobs well. They had talent but didn¡¯t know what to do with it. When the Great Wisdom of the Empire (through Ludwig) showed them a vision of an organization that was bigger and smarter than anything they had done before, they werepletely drawn in.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I hoped you¡¯d say that,¡± Ludwig said. ¡°The project needs some talent from Tearmoon, and your help will be very important.¡±


    Soon after the man signed up, a lot of other people did the same. Ludwig told them that he would show them his ns when the time was right.


    ¡°We also need people to help breed wheat, but all the experts in that field have given up on the empire and moved elsewhere,¡± Galv said with a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m trying to call them back, but the best in the business is currently working overseas¡­¡±


    Ludwig shook his head to show that he understood.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. We can only do the best we can. Even for us, it¡¯s not always easy to understand how Her Highness thinks. Her speed and quickness often surprise us.¡±


    That got him a round of nods and mumbles of agreement.


    ¡°I have to say, though,¡± one member said, ¡°the way Her Highness thinks, it¡¯s almost as if she knows what¡¯s going to happen¡­ She prepares many steps ahead¡­ it¡¯s so uncanny¡­ Almost makes you doubt if she¡¯s really a human¡­¡±


    Gilbert asked, ¡°And which do you think is scarier? If she¡¯s not or if she is? I would say the second one personally.¡±


    Someone else made fun of him. ¡°What are you saying, dude? It would be much scarier if she had no idea what she was doing and this was literally a crazy chain of coincidences. Reality itself would have to be breaking down for that to happen.¡±


    Gilbert looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Eh, well, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Everyone in the roomughed and took a sip of wine. If they had found out the truth right then, they would have all choked to death. For their sake, may they never found out¡­


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s the gist of our current ns,¡± Ludwig said.


    ¡°So, you want to strengthen the base before you grow the faction, right? That makes sense,¡± Dion said. ¡°However, time doesn¡¯t favor anyone. Our foes will also get stronger.¡±


    ¡°They will, and there¡¯s no way in hell they¡¯ll wait until we¡¯re ready. They will attack us when and where we are weakest.¡±


    Ludwig adjusted his sses. ¡°That should be obvious. Nobles tend to be conservative. A long time has passed since the day in winter when Her Highness wore purple. It¡¯s about time that the opposition did something.¡±


    ¡°Which means, even though Duke Greenmoon has a daughter, we should assume he is against the idea of a princess bing an empress?¡±


    ¡°If Her Highness doesn¡¯t get the throne, a Greenmoon heir could. There are many ways in which our goals are different and not many where they are the same. I can¡¯t say for sure, but the situation speaks for itself.¡± Ludwig folded his arms together. ¡°On the other hand, he might just be trying to find a good husband for his daughter. The heart of a person is always a puzzle. At times, it seems to go on forever, but then you find out that it was just a shadow on the shallow floor.¡±


    For a moment, it looked like he was about to figure out what was going on. He was almost able to see the trickery of light behind the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s great depth. Then a second went by, and heughed.


    ¡°No matter what, our job right now is to keep Her Highness safe from all of her enemies, whether they are Serpents, anti-empress groups, or something else we don¡¯t know about. That should be the main point of¡ªUm? What¡¯s up?¡±


    Ludwig looked up at Dion, who was suddenly standing up.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much. Just heard something. Or someone,¡± he said, reaching for the de at his waist. ¡°And it¡¯s getting closer.¡±


    He got off the carriage, but not before giving a shrug and saying, ¡°Sounds like a small fry. Too bad. Was hoping to see some action.¡±

 Chapter 445

    <strong>Shout-out to RaigonZelo & Ixxilus. </strong>Thanks for your support.


    Here is your bonus chapter. Enjoy~


    <strong>Tour Guide Mia</strong>


    ¡°Hnnngh¡­¡±


    Mia¡¯s unhappy mumbling could be heard in her carriage. The difficult part of the Chronicles kepting back to her thoughts, and it was making her feel bad.


    ¡°Oh, Mia-sama, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She looked up and saw Esmeralda looking worried. Behind her stood Tiona, Citrina, and Bel, who all had the same worried look on their faces.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me. I just¡­didn¡¯t sleep muchst night, so I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    Mia stretched. It really was a yawn. Last night really had been one with no sleep. After joining two of Greenmoon¡¯s luxury coaches to make one big room, all the girls¡ªMia, Esmeralda, Tiona, Bel, Citrina, and even the servants Anne, Liora, and Nina¡ªgot together for the mother of all girl talks, an all-night, no-holds-barred chat fest supreme. The night was filled with giggles and gasps as the talk moved from Liora¡¯s scary forest stories to Tiona¡¯s stories about ghost towns, and then to Citrina¡¯s story that took the cake.


    Mia didn¡¯t know what was said because her mind wouldn¡¯t let her remember things that were so scary. Mia was really scared, unlike Bel, who munched on snacks while listening with great interest. Usually, she would cling to Anne for support, but Nina had taken away her maid, and the two were chatting away. Mia was left alone because no one was ready to help her. Alone with her fears, she was kept awake.


    In fact, she did feel sleepy. The lie was because of how dour she was.


    <em>The book says that the fight with the bandits who stole from caravans happened just a little north of here, and that¡¯s where he died.</em>


    She was sad because of what happened to Sion. So far, their trip had gone pretty well, but¡­


    <em>This broken carriage wasn¡¯t part of the n. Even if we leave right away, we probably won¡¯t get there in time if we keep going in the same course. Ugh, I guess I won¡¯t be able to go to the nearby town to buy tasty gifts¡­</em>


    She thought like a seasoned tour guide as she worked quickly to keep as much of the n as possible while making up for the dy. She was sad to decide that she didn¡¯t have time to stop and shop. Just as she was about to give up hope and ept this terrible news, someone knocked on the door of her carriage.


    ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia. Could I talk to you for a minute?¡±


    The captain of Sunnd¡¯s guard came in at her bidding. Count Lampron sent him and his group here as Esmeralda¡¯s escorts.


    Most of Sunnd¡¯s standing troops could be put into two groups. One was the army of the king, which made up half of its total size. The private troops of local nobles made up the other half of the army. The group that was sent to watch over Esmeralda was made up of people from Count Lampron¡¯s secret army.


    Mia smiled at the man who was bowing.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain, for your hard work. We are very grateful for the safety you and your men give us.¡±


    The captain gave her a startled look when she thanked him instead of being angry.


    ¡°Well? Go ahead,¡± she said, tilting her head in surprise at his surprise. ¡°I think you wanted to talk about something with me?¡±


    Mia had totally forgotten how she had ended up in Esmeralda¡¯s group of followers. She used the ¡°selfish princess¡± card and showed up without warning, saying, ¡°I, Mia Luna Tearmoon, will be Esmeralda¡¯s friend, and that¡¯s that!¡± The captain¡¯s face at the time said, ¡°This is the worst day of my life.¡± It was a sight she wouldn¡¯t soon forget. She thought that, at least. She forgot it pretty quickly, it turned out. Mia is good at having a flexible mind, among other things.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯d like to tell you that a caravan of merchants just went by not far from here.¡±


    ¡°Huh. A group of merchants, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They look like they are going to the capital. I know you were nning to go shopping. If you¡¯d like, I can ask them to wait, and you might want to take a look at what they¡¯re selling. We won¡¯t be able to leave again for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see. Not a bad idea at all. Even so, I was getting bored here.¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t care where she got local favorites from Sunnd, as long as she got them. If thepany was good enough, that would be fine. Sunnd was also known for its silverwork, so the other girls who were also sitting in their cars with nothing to do might find it fun to look at the goods for sale.


    <em>Of course, they could be thieves pretending to be merchants¡­</em>


    She was aware of the chance, but she wasn¡¯t worried because she had Dion ia with her. A man who could easily break metal in half stood just a foot away from her. She would wish anyone who tried to swing a sword around him good luck. They would need it, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Since the Sunnd captain was the one who told her about the traders, it seems likely that Dion was keeping an eye on them himself.


    <em>I¡¯ll also be bringing Ludwig¡­ This is the safest thing that can happen.</em>


    ¡°What do you think, Esmeralda?¡± she asked, making sure to ask the most important person at the party.


    ¡°I really like the idea! Let¡¯s go and see what it has for sale!¡± Esmeralda was all for the n.


    ¡°Good. This couldn¡¯te at a better time. Then, let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    Mia did forget the part of the chapter about Sion¡¯s death that said what the bandits who killed him were attacking in the first ce¡­

 Chapter 446

    <strong>Princess Mia Begins Her Mushroom Connoisseurship</strong>


    ¡°It is a great honor for us to have Your Highness, Princess Mia, visit our humble caravan.¡±


    ¡°My, that¡¯s very kind of you to say that,¡± Mia said with a smile as she curtsied to the hunched merchant. ¡°I¡¯m d that we ran into pilgrimage merchants here.¡±


    Pilgrimage merchants were merchants who traveled and did most of their business along Pilgrimage Road. Their routes took them through the whole traffic flow and from country to country. In addition to distributing goods across the continent, which was an important job, they also gave pilgrims things they needed on their journeys, which made them respected by all countries.


    ¡°Could you tell us where you¡¯re going at the moment?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Mia said. ¡°We are on our way to Sunnd¡¯s capital city right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you as well? What a funny thing. We are, too.¡± Even though he smiled when she said that, his face looked tense. ¡°It¡¯s a happy ident, and we¡¯re all happy about it. There seem to be a lot of bad luck happening here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°We had heard that there were bandits in this area, but none of us could afford to change our ns much. We were just talking about what to do if we saw any when your men showed up.¡±


    The caravan was small. It was made up of three horse-drawn wagons, each of which belonged to a different dealer. They didn¡¯t know each other, and the only reason they were moving together was because they were going to the same ce. Obviously, none of them had enough money to hire the right kind of guards.


    ¡°Sunnd is known to be a pretty safe kingdom, but there are bandits everywhere,¡± the merchant said with a sigh.


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡±


    Mia thought with pursed lips that these thieves they were talking about might be the ones who would kill Sion.


    ¡°Uh, is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, I was just thinking that we should take advantage of this good luck since we¡¯ve been given it. Could we look at your goods?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. We have a lot of high-quality items, so feel free to look around.¡±


    The shopkeeper put on a business smile right away and rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°Oh, Mia-sama, take a look at this fabric! The quality is very good.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I love the feel of it.¡±


    While Esmeralda almost squealed with happiness, Mia just smiled like a princess. Mia could act like a princess when she felt like it. She wasn¡¯t just like a princess, she was one. A real, official princess of the Tearmoon Empire! She just had to be herself, and her natural princess-ness woulde out of her like a dam breaking.


    It wasn¡¯t breaking this time, though, for some reason. The dam might have been empty or something.


    <em>Everyone seems to be having a good time. Good.</em>


    Tiona and Citrina were happy to look at all the things for sale. Bel, who was following her friend, looked like she was having a great time too. Mia was happy to see that all of her friends were enjoying the chance to shop, so she nodded to herself and then looked at a strange item on disy.


    ¡°My, these dried purple mushrooms are shiitake, aren¡¯t they? They don¡¯t grow near here, so I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find them on this trip. This was a nice surprise!¡±


    In the eastern parts of Sunnd, you could find the purple mushrooms. Drying them made their vor richer, and people from the upper ss liked to eat them. This made their name particrly fitting, since it described both the mushroom and the people who ate it.


    ¡°My! And these must be matsutake mushrooms!¡± A second happy cry was made when someone saw a green fungus. ¡°When made into tea, I think they have a very unique smell.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Your Highness sure knows a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I do know a few things about mushrooms,¡± she said, happy to be able to show off what she had learned. ¡°I think these mushrooms are shimeji. They look very tasty.¡±


    She was thinking about taking some home for Abel to tryter when the shopkeeperughed in amusement. ¡°Ha ha, it was close, but no cigar. Those are shimeji that are red. They are dangerous.¡±


    Mia, the living joke, has done it again! She was almost ready to kill her boyfriend. If Abel had a sixth sense, he might have felt a chill at that moment.


    ¡°P-Poisonous?! What in the world are you doing selling poisonous mushrooms?¡± she asked.


    Citrina came in right away to give an exnation.


    ¡°You can get rid of the poison in these mushrooms by cooking them. I¡¯ve heard that they are a treat to eat in some ces. Also, their poison is called ¡°shadowbane,¡± and it can be used as a cure for ¡°lightbane,¡± which is another poison. Still, a red shimeji¡¯s shadowbane is very strong, so there aren¡¯t many toxins that are strong enough to need it as a counter.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it looks like there¡¯s another expert on mushrooms here. You are correct. ¡°These aren¡¯t used as antidotes very often these days,¡± the shopkeeper said. ¡°They were a lot moremon back when poisoned arrows were still used for hunting. Back then, sometimes you would identally poke yourself in the finger or get poison from an arrow in your mouth, and you would use this as a cure.¡±


    ¡°Rina, you really know a lot!¡± Bel called out.


    Citrina said, ¡°Not that much,¡± but it was clear that she was happy with the praise.


    Mia, on the other hand, waspletely overshadowed¡­


    ¡°Huh? Is that right¡­?¡±


    ¡­Wasn¡¯t upset at all! Instead, she nodded as if she was really interested. That¡¯s right, Mushroom Empress Mia respected and paid attention to anyone who could teach her something new about mushrooms.


    <em>As expected of Rina. She really is a fountain of knowledge.</em>


    Mia thought, with her arms crossed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I might want to buy some¡­¡±


    Even though she learned more from the mushrooms, she still seemed toe up with very bad ideas.


    <em>I mean, it seems to be a tasty treat. I just have to try it. Plus, Rina is with me, and she¡¯s an expert, so I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about preparing it right¡­</em>


    Even though it was a good thing that she was open to new things, it was a very bad idea.


    ¡°Rina, are you able to handle these properly?¡± she asked, giving the girl a hungry look that made it clear what she meant by ¡°handle.¡±


    Citrina nodded with a serious look on her face. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I think I can.¡±


    Mia quickly went to look at other items after buying a supply. Getting a new treat made her feel great, and she smiled as she looked around. Soon after, it was decided that they would travel to the same ce with the merchants she had just made friends with.

 Chapter 447

    <strong>Wisdom Strategist Mia</strong>


    <em>Oho, ho, it all worked out great.</em>


    Before this trip, Mia had actually done some nning and put together a prettyplicated schedule that would put Dion in the right ce at the right time to solve her ¡°don¡¯t let Sion die¡± problem. To her joy, everything was going pretty much as nned, with the broken carriage wheel being the only small problem. Because the carriage waste, she had to cancel her buying trip along the way, but the apanying merchant caravan made up for it.


    Now, she was getting close to the end of her n.


    <em>So, let¡¯s go¡­ There¡¯s one more thing I need to figure out, and that¡¯s how to get Dion to where Sion is. I¡¯ll have to make up a reason to send him in¡­ Maybe I could have him leave first and say he¡¯s checking out the area¡­</em>


    Mia wanted Sion to be under Dion ia¡¯s care. It wasn¡¯t to protect the prince herself, that¡¯s for sure. No, she didn¡¯t want to put herself in danger, which would be the opposite of what she wanted to do. Even if she did go, she probably wouldn¡¯t be very helpful.


    Mia, on the other hand, thought of herself as more of a nner.


    <em>Yes¡­ I am, after all, the Great Wisdom. What do wise people do? They make ns. They run things from behind the scenes and make things happen¡­ Ohoh ho¡­</em>


    Mia felt like she was on top of the world when everything went her way. Unfortunately, being on top of the world made it hard for her to pay attention to problems on Earth, and she missed a very important one: what goes up muste down.


    Mia was already really high up at the moment. The only thing left was the fall.


    It was very dramatic, as screaming could be heard right away up ahead.


    ¡°Bandits! Bandits are attacking!¡±


    Mia¡¯s Great-Wisdom nning was over after that.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    The feeling she had of being in charge of the situation didn¡¯tst long at all.


    ¡°Bandits, huh?¡± Dion calmly stood still and watched as the peopleing toward him split up to surround Mia¡¯s group. ¡°I think they¡¯re a little too well-trained to be thieves¡­¡±


    The bandits on horses rode as well as cavalrymen¡ªno, better than cavalrymen. Many trained troops would have been embarrassed by how well they kept formation.


    ¡°First surround, then ask questions. A good n used well. Way to go, crooks!¡± Dion apuded.


    ¡°Captain Dion!¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not Captain for you,¡± he joked to the guard who was yelling. He had worked with him in the past. ¡°We¡¯re no longer in a squad.¡±


    The guard gave him a salute as a sign of respect.


    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s up with the guard situation?¡± Dion spoke up.


    ¡°The guards of the wagon are¡­ Well, they are just like you¡¯d think. It¡¯s not much better at Greenmoon. But the men who work for Count Lampron look like they might be worth their salt. should at least be able to keep up with us.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Got it. That should be enough to stop most thieves¡­ It¡¯s too bad that¡ª¡±


    Before he could say ¡°not dealing with regr ones,¡± the bandits got off their horses and encircled them blocking their way of escape.


    ¡°Should we go out and try to soften them first?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe if Vanos was here¡­ But on the other hand, there might be too many deaths¡­ Tough choice.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Not often. I kind of thought you¡¯d already be out there killing people on your own, Captain.¡±


    Dion gave his surprised subordinate a pointed look. The subordinate just shrugged and saluted again. He tapped his head and said, ¡°Look, even I have to use this sometimes. Consider it. Why would the princess want me to be here?¡±


    ¡°Dealing with situations like this one¡± might seem like a good reason to someone who doesn¡¯t know you well. ¡°In case the wolfmaster shows up¡± could also be a good answer. But¡­


    <em>Our princess doesn¡¯t like it when people die. If that¡¯s why she wants me toe along¡­</em>


    He talked about how she handled the change in Remno so well that not a single drop of blood was shed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say she expects the same thing from me this time. And let¡¯s say there¡¯s some link between old Wolfie and these bandits¡­¡± The decision he came to made him shake his head. ¡°Holy crap¡­¡±


    ¡°Orders, Captain? We¡¯re all set for action.¡±


    ¡°Oh, action¡­ Whoa, what was that again? Something about how the best way to win is without drawing your sword? Let¡¯s see if that proverb is true. Hurry up!¡± Dion took off. He called out to the rest of the Princess Guard before they could follow. ¡°The rest of you have to look after the princess! If a man with dogs shows up, give me a shout right away and guardthe girl. I want you to protect her with your lives, even if you have to die trying. Then keep an eye on her again!¡±


    The guards whistled and cheered.


    ¡°Yeah, right! That¡¯s the captain we know!¡±


    ¡°Ruthless to his own. Love to see it!¡±


    With the force of an arrow, Dion shot toward the thieves as his men cheered like a bowstring being pulled back. He pulled out his sword while sitting high on his horse.


    ¡°Put down your weapons!¡± one of the bandits yelled. ¡°Give us your stuff, and you can go home alive!¡±


    Right away, the same thief shot an arrow. It made a loud shriek that cut through the air. Dion¡¯s eyes were fixed on the arrow, and he smiled at the thought of fighting.


    ¡°Oh, what the hell, I love a good fight. I can¡¯t get enough of it!¡±


    His sword moved back and forth. Two halves of a shaft fell to the ground at his sides with a sharp shiiick.


    ¡°And you, my good bandit friends, should not put down your weapons at all! If you keep shooting those arrows, you might be able to get away alive. You¡¯d better hurry up until I¡¯m close enough to chop off your head!¡±


    His provocation was met with silence.


    And a deadly volley of arrows.

 Chapter 448

    <strong>As the Sword of the Great Wisdom of the Empire</strong>


    ¡°Well, not bad at all.¡±


    Dion whistled as the volley of arrows came closer. They flew as a single unit, straight toward their goal. He gave a satisfied nod. Even though he kept his horse going at the same speed on purpose to make himself an easy target, that¡¯s nitpicking. These people were definitely good at shooting bows. None of their shots would even hit his horse, let alone miss it.


    ¡°Thanks for firing all of them at me. It makes it easier to handle.¡±


    He chose to stand his ground and didn¡¯t try to get away. His de shed again, and this time he made a pattern that was even harder and took even less time. All of the arrows went flying away, as if they had hit a force field, with a level of uracy that was almost like foresight. He rushed through the attack without getting hurt. His shield was made out of pure skill.


    ¡°But you have to give it to them. This kind of uracy while riding a horse is amazing. I¡¯m ready to bet that even the Imperial Cavalry wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.¡±


    Archery from a horse is a very hard skill to learn. Archers in the Tearmoon military were either snipers who stayed in one ce and shot precisely from far away, or formation bowmen whose less urate shooting was made up for by theirrge numbers.


    ¡°These guys can shoot as well as snipers. While riding. Bandits, my ass. These are pros!¡±


    The left hand of Dion blurred. When it stopped next to his neck, it was holding an arrow.


    ¡°The shot was dyed. Damn, these guys aren¡¯t just good at sniping¡ªthey¡¯ve got other skills too.¡± His eyes got smaller as he looked at the slimy, sap-like material on the tip of the arrow. ¡°They use poison, too. It¡¯s probably safe to think that a scratch will kill you. Most soldiers would have died at least three times already¡­ But this makes things a lot easier for me.¡±


    He threw back his head andughed. Then, after giving the thieves a scary look, he threw the arrow he had just taken into the air.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Dion ia! Sword of Her Majesty Princess Mia, the Great Wisdom of the Empire! Don¡¯t waste you arrows! They won¡¯t help you! Come trade your life for mine if you want my life!¡± he yelled as he swung at the falling missile.


    Its shaft had three lines of metal. Four parts that had been cut off fell to the ground. Before turning back to his enemies, he made a show of looking at each of them with a sharp gaze.


    ¡°Those who don¡¯t care if they die the same way,e at me two at a time. No, make that three. I like killing people, but I don¡¯t like to waste them. I want you to fight hard for me before you die, okay?¡±


    He red at the bandits because he knew that the mere mention of his name had caused a stir among them. It was very subtle, but he caught on to it.


    <em>It looks like they know who I am¡­ I must have been right when I said they were working with old Wolfie. Or¡­ Hah, maybe I¡¯m also a famous person in Sunnd now.</em>


    He told them who he was for two reasons: The first step was to find out if the thieves knew anything about the wolfmaster. The second was to scare off his rivals.


    <em>If I were old wolfie, I¡¯d tell them to stay as far away as possible from a guy named Dion ia. Unless, of course, they are very sure of how well they can use a sword.</em>


    No matter what, they should think twice when they hear his name. Maybe it could even get them to stop.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m afraid to cross swords, of course,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°Hell, I could probably beat them to a pulp.¡±


    As a soldier, that would be the best thing that could happen. Those who charged into fight knew they had won if they killed, scattered, or even made their opponent run away. As amander, though, that was no longer the best thing to do, because at the end of a fight, even the soldiers who won were tired. Strength could be regained. Wounds got better. But death was always the end. Same goes for maiming. Every battle cost lives, which were paid for in the form of troops. Valuable troops who had been trained with care and attention on both sides¡ªlosing them was never a small thing. So, for an army, the decision to go to battle was already a bad choice by its very nature.


    <em>To win without drawing your sword, huh¡­? Who would have thought that one day I¡¯d be thinking about these things? At this rate, I might be a leader after all. I should start working on my beer belly. After all, I have to look the part.</em>


    As a single soldier, he only needed to worry about his own skills in battle. As long as he beat his foes, everything was fine. But that wasn¡¯t enough for the Sword of the Great Wisdom of the Empire.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s about all I can do¡­ If they still decide toe, we will win even if we have our swords out. And I have no problem with that at all.¡±


    The bandits gave no sign that they were going to leave. Nor attacking. They kept spreading out and slowly got closer to the wagon. Dion¡­really didn¡¯t me them.


    ¡°They probably thought it would be better for them if we had to watch out for the wagons while we fought. Or maybe they think they have a chance of getting me while I¡¯m alone out here. The head of Dion ia would be a great prize for them. I can see why. The other option is that their person of interest is actually in one of the other carriages in the back.¡±


    No matter what their reasons were, they would still choose death.


    ¡°Old Wolfie has been gone for a long time. That person knows when to stop. Oh, but I guess if he showed up, I¡¯d be in there too, slicing like crazy. It¡¯s way too much fun to pass up a fight with him.¡±


    Just as he decided to wait a little longer to see what would happen, the situation changed quickly.


    ¡°The royal army has arrived!¡±


    Someone let out a high-pitched squeal. Everyone turned their heads at once toward the distance, where a cloud of dust showed that a lot of feet were moving. There was a steady, deep rumble of army feet. Soon, it was clear that a line of horse wasing into view.


    The bandits weren¡¯t so brave as to try to fight both the Empire¡¯s Finest and the royal army at the same time. Dion could tell right away that they were acting differently. Today, there wouldn¡¯t be any more fighting. Shortly after that, the horses¡¯ heads all turned at the same time. They quickly left with the same synchronized speed as they hade. When Dion saw it, he couldn¡¯t help but whistle.


    ¡°What an act. I have to give it to them. It might not be worth it to try to catch them¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir Dion!¡±


    He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a boy he knew leading the royal army.


    ¡°Wow, Prince Sion is leading the troops himself. Very gant. Putting Prince Abel a run for his money. Now, the most important question is¡­ Was even this part of what the princess¡¯ n?¡±


    He said as he put his de away.

 Chapter 449

    <strong>Princess Mia Feels Extremely Tolerant</strong>


    ¡°Bandits! Bandits are attacking!¡±


    Mia knew she had done something very wrong as soon as she heard the frantic cry from outside.


    <em>Oh, moons I did wrong. I was meant to just watch, but I¡¯ve made to take part.</em>


    The fact that she had Dion ia was the only thing that kept her from having a nervous breakdown right there. The best and scariest of the Empire was here, and was on her side to boot! As someone who had been hunted by Dion before, Mia knew how important thest point was.


    <em>Things should go well. Bandits are all that are involved. They can¡¯t be that bad, can they?</em>


    The n worked! For once, she didn¡¯t run away as soon as she smelled danger.


    <em>Sion, with his big head, might be careless around bandits and get himself killed, but not me. I never let down my guard. Ooh oh! I may have walked right into the middle of a very scary situation by ident, but that¡¯s okay!</em>


    Mia was very sure of herself even though she was in a dangerous situation. She had done all of her work. She was ready for anything that might happen on this trip. except for this one. But other than that, everything was going great. Not only that, but she was able to buy some rare treats, which wasn¡¯t even on the n. She just needed to fix this tiny hole in her n, and she would be good to go. It can¡¯t be that hard, right?


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡±


    She heard someone say her name in a voice full of worry. When she turned toward it, she saw a scared Esmeralda almost holding on to Nina. To be honest, it was a pretty sad sight.


    <em>I know she¡¯s afraid, but why is she hugging her maid like that? How incredibly childish.</em>


    Mia gave Anne a quick look. Her own maid was clearly worried, but she wasn¡¯t about to lose her cool.


    <em>No matter how scared I was, I know I¡¯d never act like that. I do hug Anne sometimes, but it¡¯s to help her calm down.</em>


    She shook her head.


    <em>I do it for her, never for myself. Esmeralda really can be such a chicken sometimes. No woman who cares about herself should ever do something so embarrassing in public.</em>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Esmeralda,¡± Mia said with a smile to reassure her. ¡°My guards won¡¯t have any trouble with bandits like these. Before you know it, it¡¯ll be over.¡±


    <em>But I do wonder¡­ What if I were not here? How would things have gone?</em>


    Most likely, the pilgrimage traders would have passed Esmeralda¡¯s group and gone on ahead, where the bandits would have attacked them. Sion would have died during that fight.


    <em>But hold on. Esmeralda¡¯s trip ns changed from what they used to be. I made the fix myself. We¡¯re a few days off than the first one¡­So, the bandits shouldn¡¯t havee at such a good time. Still, they were going the same way, so¡­Something bothers me about this. Esmeralda is from one of the Four Houses, so I can see why people might want to get her¡­</em>


    She made a serious frown as she tried to figure out what this line of thought meant.


    <em>Was Sion forced in some way to go on the hunt for bandits? Or would things have been different if he hadn¡¯t gotten involved? I thought that these bandits were trying to kill Sion, but maybe they just want Esmeralda.</em>


    Only the fact that Sion had died was written in the Chronicles. There was no way to find out what had happened before this happened.


    <em>I have the feeling that whatever is going on behind the scenes is prettyplicated¡ªHuh?</em>


    She was lost in her thoughts when she felt a sudden weight on her chest. Esmeralda had jumped on Mia out of the blue.


    ¡°What? Esmeralda? What are you doing?¡±


    She had to fight with Esmeralda a bit to get her to let go of her. Only then did she notice that her friend had tears in her eyes. This didn¡¯t stop Esmeralda, though, from putting on the least believable brave act anyone has seen in a while.


    ¡°Just so you know, Mia-sama¡­ I-It¡¯s okay to be scared! I¡¯m here to help you. I¡¯ll protect you with my life if anything bad happens. As an Etoiline, I swear on my honor. So do my troops. I know they will put their lives at risk for us. Most likely¡­ So, don¡¯t worry¡ªEeek!¡±


    When the carriage creaked, Esmeralda almost jumped, but she tried her best to get back to her ¡°you can count on me¡± self. Mia could almost see the big sister part of her and the scared little sister part of her fighting over who was in charge.


    <em>What if Esmeralda hade with me during the revolution? If we had both tried to run away? Would it have felt a bit like this?</em>


    Mia was curious.


    In the earlier timeline, the Greenmoons had already left the country, making it impossible for the two to leave together. Fear and doubt were the only things Mia had with her when she tried to leave on her own. If she had been with a stressed-out Esmeralda, it might have helped her rx¡­


    <em>So be it. This isn¡¯t too bad, I guess. I mean, she¡¯s definitely invading my space, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s scared, so I¡¯ll let it slide.</em>


    Mia was in a very tolerant mood because of what had happened. Something you don¡¯t see very often.


    While the people in Mia¡¯s wagon were saying, ¡°Are you scared? Because of I¡¯m not scared,¡± the mood in the car next to them was very different. Tiona and Liora were checking their bows and arrows. They were the main people (ording to Mia) who pulled their weight in battle.


    ¡°Can you hit them from here, Liora?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Liora gave a confident smile and nod.


    ¡°Good. If I have to, I¡¯ll also help. I think I should be able to hit, at least¡­¡±


    ¡°Target the body¡­ They might have protection on¡­ But when you¡¯re far away, it¡¯s easy to hit¡­ And if it goes down their throat, well, you¡¯re lucky.¡±


    Then, in the next carriage, the mood was yet again different. The people on board were talking about less serious things.


    ¡°Wow! Do you mean I¡¯ll get to see General Dion fight?¡±


    ¡°Hm? You know who Dion is?¡± asked a confused Citrina.


    Bel threw her hands up in the air with joy.


    ¡°Yes, of course! He¡¯s the best! He helped me so much!¡±


    ¡°Did he? Huh. So, I guess I¡¯m happy for you then.¡±


    Citrina didn¡¯t agree with Bel¡¯s answer, but she shook her head to get the thought out of her head. Her study didn¡¯t match up with what Bel said, but that didn¡¯t matter. The truth of those stories could wait for now. Right now, her best friend was about to talk about her past, which was much more important. Citrina had to choose between looking into a possible intelligence failure and talking with her friend. She picked thetter. Her sense of right and wrong hadpletely changed into that of a true noble girl.


    ¡°So, Bel, do you like strong men like him?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Strong men? Well, if I had to choose, I guess I would say yes. I like people who are strong and look cool.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Who are the kind of people who are strong and look cool? Do you mean like Prince Abel?¡±


    ¡°Hee hee, just between you and me, I¡¯m more into Libra¨C, I mean Prince Sion.¡±


    ¡­May Grandpa Abel¡¯s soul rest in peace.

 Chapter 450

    <strong>Mia¡¯s Trust is Unwavering!</strong>


    After the first warning that bandits wereing, the carriages stopped all of a sudden. Esmeralda held her breath. Mia, on the other hand, let hers out because she thought it was finally over.


    <em>After all, it¡¯s been a while since Dion ran off by himself. Most likely, we¡¯re done. But still¡­ I don¡¯t want to see what¡¯s going on outside. It must look like a sea of blood!</em>


    Mia and the others couldn¡¯t see what was going on outside because the arrow screens had been put down to protect them. Mia¡¯s unshakable faith in Dion, on the other hand, made her sure that what was going on outside was a scene right out of hell. Dion ia was a one-man killing machine. The average group of bandits didn¡¯t stand a chance against him. There wouldn¡¯t have been a fight at all. It was pure, brutal murder, done in a very measured way. She didn¡¯t have any doubts. Again, Mia¡¯s trust in Dion is unwavering.


    Eventually, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty.¡±


    The voice belonged to the man himself, Dion ia.


    Mia looked at Nina, who was sitting near the door, before she took off the barrier that kept her from seeing what was going on outside. The maid had the same worried look on her face as Esmeralda.


    Mia smiled at them to cheer them up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It is Dion. Let him in.¡±


    Nina opened the carriage door after hesitating for a moment. As expected, the man who took over was the best in the Empire. Mia, whose eyes had been fixed on the wall across from the door, took a slow breath, steeled herself, and then turned her gaze toward him. As soon as she saw him, he was covered from head to toe in¡­nothing. He and his armor were bothpletely clean.


    <em>My, so he not only killed all those bandits, but he also did it without getting any blood on himself. As always, this is so scarily good!</em>


    Mia¡¯s trust in Dion waspletely unwavering!


    ¡°Greetings, Dion. So, I¡¯m going to assume that you¡¯ve solved the problem. Tell me, how many victims¡ªI mean, casualties were there?¡±


    She thought there would be a lot of dead bodies behind him. Horses and humans probably had their bodies and limbs spread out across the ground. Pieces of armor that had been left out in the sun probably still had parts of the person who wore them. Whatever was out there, it was sure to keep her up at night for days.


    Dion¡¯s answer was veryid-back. ¡°Zero. For us and for them. We were able to avoid a fight because the Sunnd army stepped in at the right time.¡±


    ¡°An interference? Don¡¯t tell me you left the Sunnd army to fight the bandits and pulled out our own people?¡±


    That would be very bad. Mia almost jumped up when she thought about it.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we never even got to try. The bandits just ran away. I saw them leave,¡± someone outside said.


    Mia jerked her head forward to look behind Dion when she heard a voice she knew.


    ¡°Sion¡­ My¡­¡±


    The boy smiled at her in his usual calm way.


    ¡°Moons, you¡¯re safe. Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± She quickly got out of the carriage and walked over to make sure.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, what did you really expect? Just bandits, that¡¯s all. All the time, things like this happen. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    He said it in such a casual, amused way, as if the smallness of the situation made her worry funny. That Mia almost wanted to p him right there and then.


    ¡°Even if they are just bandits, Prince Sion,¡± she said with anger in her voice, ¡°you can¡¯t ride out to fight them yourself. Think about who you are! What if something bad happened?¡±


    Keithwood, who was standing further back, nodded so hard that he might have pulled a muscle in his neck.


    Sion, on the other hand, justughed.


    ¡°Thanks for what you said. I¡¯ll do my best to follow your instructions.¡±


    Since Sion was a gentleman, he didn¡¯t say the second part of the sentence: ¡°rather than as you do.¡± Still, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from giving her a ¡°et tu¡± look.


    Sion then said to Mia and Esmeralda, ¡°Now that we¡¯re all done judging me, I¡¯d like to say that it¡¯s great to see you again. It has been awhile. I have missed everyone.¡±


    Esmeralda almost lost it when he smiled at her.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a nice surprise to see you here, Prince Sion!¡±


    The tension from the bandits went away right away, and it was reced by fiery joy when her favorite thing¡ªhandsome young men¡ªcame into view.


    <em>Moons, she¡¯s such a simple person. She could be shaking in her shoes one minute and then</em>¡­ Mia shook her head. <em>She can be so hard to deal with at times. It¡¯s almost too funny. As a young woman from a noble family, she should really act with more ss¡­</em>


    She was about to roll her eyes at how her friend was acting when a small figure jumped out of a nearby carriage.


    ¡°Prince Sion! I really missed you! Are you all right?!¡± Bel ran up to him and smiled from one pink cheek to the next. She seemed to have the same amount of energy as Esmeralda, which made Mia do a facepalm.


    <em>Bel, bel, bel¡­ Who taught you to be like that?</em>


    They were soon joined by Citrina, Tiona, and Liora.


    ¡°Tiona, you too?¡± Sion asked, surprised by how many noble girls were there. ¡°What brings so many of you here to Sunnd?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­ We are here as Esmeralda¡¯s entourage. I think she will talk about getting married with the oldest son of one of your Dukes.¡±


    ¡°A Duke¡¯s oldest son?¡± Sion looked sad. ¡°That¡¯s strange. We only have a certain number of Dukes¡¯ oldest sons, and all of those who are old enough to get married are already married.¡±


    ¡°My, that¡¯s odd,¡± Esmeralda said, sharing his surprise. ¡°My father told me that it was a young person with a lot of promise who might one day get a title even more prestigious than Duke.¡±


    ¡°More prestigious than Duke? And in the end, at that?¡± Sion¡¯s scowl got even worse. ¡°Do you know who came up with the idea of proposing marriage in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s Count Lampron. At least, that¡¯s what my father told me¡­¡± Her mumbled voice suggested that she hadn¡¯t been told much about what was going on, which wasn¡¯t too shocking. When lords got married, it was important to the whole country because it brought together two important families. There were times when the bride and groom didn¡¯t meet until the day of the wedding. Having said that¡­


    <em>At least we should know what family the possible groom is from¡­ At least they must have told us that much.</em>


    Mia looked at Esmeralda, who shifted ufortably on her feet and said, ¡°I-It¡¯s not my fault! We¡¯re going to turn them down no matter who they are, so what does it matter? Also, what if that person is a really good choice? If I had known that before, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say no!¡±


    In other words, Esmeralda didn¡¯t pay attention to what her father said because she had already chosen to say no to the proposal.


    Mia asked, ¡°By the way, could this Count Lampron be someone whose words should be taken with a pinch of salt?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I would say. The Lamprons are an old family with a good name. Even though the count is a bit self-righteous, I don¡¯t think he would do something like that to hurt the honor of his house. Well, this is a mystery that will be solved in time. Let¡¯s move on to more important things. You don¡¯t seem to need extra protection right now, so I¡¯ll send my men after the bandits¡ª¡±


    ¡°N-No! No, you can¡¯t!¡± Mia said it out loud, then quickly corrected herself. ¡°Uh, I mean, we definitely need more protection, so you, Sion, are going to go with us to the capital!¡±


    When Sion said he was going, she almost had a heart attack. If they went their separate ways here, he might die in another fight with the bandits. That would go against the whole point of this trip. She needed him toe with her, and if she had to pull a few strings to get him to agree, so be it.


    ¡°Huh? But you don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your kingdom, Sion? And am I not a guest? Do you think it¡¯s okay for me, a guest from Tearmoon, to be in danger?¡±


    Sion gave her a few blinks of his eye.


    ¡°I¡­guess you¡¯re right. All right. Then let me take you to where Count Lampron lives in the capital.¡±


    He smiled at her warmly, which made the guard captain¡¯s blood run cold right away. ¡°A duke¡¯s daughter, a princess¡­and now Prince Sion?¡±


    Only one person noticed that the captain¡¯s skin was getting pale. Keithwood, who had been Sion¡¯s servant and sufferer for a long time, quietly said a prayer of sympathy.

 Chapter 451

    The Flowers of Love Withers


    First loves always end up dying.


    This is the general truth, and it¡¯s even more true among nobles. So, this is not a very interesting story. It¡¯s not even a very umon one. It¡¯s just a story, like a hundred others, about a love that blooms and then dies because of the careless flow of history.


    Tiona Rudolvon met Sion Sol Sunnd for the first time at Saint-Noel Academy. She and her servant, Liora, had just arrived at the school, and a group of noble girls quickly surrounded them to make fun of them. Then Sion came and saved her, just like the story about the knight in shining armor. He put out his hand, both literally and figuratively, and she took it. He showed them around the ind. For her, the event was nothing less than a way to be saved.


    He helped her again at the party for new students and many more times after that. His kind, well-timed visits left a mark on her heart and may have made it almost inevitable that she would fall for him.


    Every time her hand touched his, her heart would beat faster. His look, which was as clear as ss, always made her cheeks flush. Almost certainly, he was her first real love.


    Sion was a nice boy, but his smile was even nicer. Kind, noble, and always honest, he was the perfect example of a good soon-to-be-king. As a prince, he knew that with his power came both a privilege and a job. He had very high standards for himself and thought that he could and should act in the right way. He turned into hero. And by doing so, he made the faults of the nobles in her own country even more clear.


    Over time, she started to form a set of views, which were strengthened when she met Rafina Orca Belluga. As a noble, she wanted to be strong, but she wanted it to be righteous. Her new ideas were put to the test right away by the great famine that hit the continent.


    There was a lot of diseases, the economy fell apart, people rebelled, and in the end, there was a revolution.


    The voices of change came for her, and she had no choice but to listen. Her father¡¯s death at the hands of plot pushed her to move forward, and she threw herself into the flow of change, despite being afraid.


    Sion Sol Sunnd felt the same way. He got rid of a family that was corrupt to the core. He got rid of all the important people in the kingdom. He worked hard day and night to make a new country that would help people. What he did to and for Tearmoon seemed right and fair to her.


    When though? When did things start to get different? As she stood next to him and watched him, she felt a strange¡­distance. She didn¡¯t know the Sion she thought she knew. She got it, and she knew why. A wounded heart wasn¡¯t healed by the balm of justice. Princess Mia, a ssmate of theirs who was executed, left a mark on his mind.


    Sion was strong and worked hard to stay that way. Because of his strength, he had to hide his pain from his servants. He may have even tried to hide it from himself. He wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t say that he was hurt. But Tiona was aware. She already knew too much.


    Because she looked up to him. Because she thought he was the best. Because¡­she had loved him for a very long time.


    ¡°He¡¯s hurt, and I need to help him.¡±


    She kept telling herself that over and over. She never had the guts to do anything. Sion was the great Kingdom of Sunnd¡¯s crown prince. She was pretty much no one. He was too good for her. The truth was clear. Her role as head of the revolution and her work in Tearmoon¡¯s politics were impressive, but they didn¡¯t make her his equal.


    But when it came down to it, those were just reasons. She was hesitant because she knew that Sion had killed Mia for her. This was the real, most important reason. The people who supported the ruler were the ones who killed Tiona¡¯s father. To make up for this wrong, he took up his sword and went to war, putting his life and limbs at risk. He got hurt in that war, and it was because he was fighting for her. What right did she have to try to fix him when she was the one who hurt him? Even, how could she? Was she so selfish and mean that she needed to scratch at his still-hurting scar to feel better? How many times had he seen her face and then thought of Mia¡¯s, which was bloody and dead? How much of his pain was caused by her? How much more pain would she cause?


    Her worries slowed her down, and her age made it even harder for her to move. She wasn¡¯t a kid. Even though her love was hot, it couldn¡¯t break out of its icy cage of restraint. Rebuilding after a revolution wasn¡¯t a walk in the park either, and she forgot about it in the end because she had so many things to do. All of it. Fear, heartbreak, and love itself. Then, when Sion moved back to Sunnd, his home country, they grew even farther apart. Even though they wrote to each other sometimes, theirnguage changed. It used to be so casual that it was almost personal. Now, it is more formal and polite.


    When Tiona heard that Sion was going to marry a young woman from Sunnd, her heart didn¡¯t flinch. It didn¡¯t move¡­at all. No regrets. No jealousy. Only her slow, suffocating loneliness and the sad but sincere hope that the girl to whom he swore would love her could heal that old, painful scar.


    ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡±


    Tiona woke up. Still fuzzy from sleep, her mind tried to remember the dream she had just had. It seemed like an important dream. She shouldn¡¯t forget it. She grabbed it and tried desperately to hold on to its shapeless contents, but they kept slipping through her fingers, just like dreams often did. Soon, it was gone, and all that was left was the irritating knowledge that something had been there.


    She woke up and whispered, ¡°What a strange dream¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t remember all of the details, but it had been strange. That was all she still remembered. Still, she put her hands on her chest and found a restless, aching heart with a fast, almost dangerous beat. What she thought would be a nice nap turned out to be much less restful than she had hoped.


    She thought, ¡°I¡¯m probably still not used to sleeping here.¡± It had been three days since she and Mia¡¯s group had arrived at Count Lampron¡¯s house.


    She put on a dress and left her guest room, but when she did, she saw that the door to a closed room was also open.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness¡­¡±


    Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon, who had been beheaded in a dream she had forgotten, came through the door with a scared look on her face.

 Chapter 452

    <h4>Chapter 452 </h4>


    <strong>Detective Mia Cheats to Find the Culprit</strong>


    Mia finally had some time to herself when she got to Count Lampron¡¯s house. She could finally read the Princess Chronicles without being bothered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Esmeralda¡¯s fault, but it¡¯s hard to read this right now because she¡¯s always around¡­¡±


    She quickly turned the page to the part about Sion¡¯s death and read it line by line. Details had changed, as was to be expected.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Well, that¡¯s not surprising,¡± she said at the end of the first line. ¡°The question is what happened.¡±


    She had been able to keep Sion from getting into a fight with the bandits. Had that really fixed the problem? Or would Sion die in another way? She inhaled deeply and kept reading.


    Soon, the words everyone feared came. The Chronicles say that Sion¡¯s new fate was to be killed by poison.


    ¡°That does show that the first bandit attack was probably meant for him. I mean, I guess it¡¯s still possible that it¡¯s just a chance, but¡­¡±


    She stopped muttering when she got to a very important line. This time, the book told her who did it, which made her very happy.


    ¡°Yes! This is great, oh my! It¡¯s almost as good as over!¡±


    After a moment of happiness, she realized what this meant and went back to thinking. The guilty person¡¯s name was Echard Sol Sunnd, which means¡­


    ¡°Sunnd¡¯s second prince, Echard. That¡¯s the little brother of Sion. Why him, of all the people¡­?¡±


    It made no sense at all. As she thought about it more, her head hurt more and more. Mia had, for the most part, made an effort to get to know all the important people in nearby countries who were politically important to Tearmoon. This included royal families and peers. Echard, on the other hand, was only a name to her. She had no idea why he might have killed his brother.


    ¡°This¡­just became a lot harder. If it were some random knight, that would be fine, but it¡¯s the second prince of Sunnd¡­¡±


    Until just now, Mia thought that if things got really bad, she could always use herst option, which was to use Dion on the bad guy. She didn¡¯t want to do it, but knowing that she could was very reassuring. But it wasn¡¯t anymore.


    ¡°I mean, I never really nned to get that violent, so I guess it¡¯s not that bad¡­ But there is a bright side to this. On the day of the murder, Esmeralda is going to the ball at the royal house. I can still try to stop it by being there in person and going with what feels right. It won¡¯t be easy, but it won¡¯t be impossible. But it will be close¡­ Hnnngh¡­¡±


    She crossed her arms and thought so hard that, if the room were cold enough, steam would being out of her head. She fell face-first onto the bed after a period of hard thinking.


    ¡°Nope! No, no, and no! No idea at all! What do I need to do? I wish I had something sweet right now. All done! Yes, I can¡¯t think without sweets!¡±


    She left her room to get something to think about. Something much better than fuel was walking down the hallway toward her at the same time. It was a thought engine.


    ¡°What was I thinking? This is exactly why I brought Ludwig along!¡±


    She quickly did what she was best at, which was delegating tasks to arge number of people. She had, after all, arrived ready. She had Ludwig, who was smart, Dion, who was strong, and Citrina, who was poisonous. It would be silly not to use her many tools. She didn¡¯t wait any longer before she called Ludwig into her room.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Prince Echard, you say?¡± asked Ludwig, who didn¡¯t understand.


    Mia asked him the question as soon as he walked into the room.


    ¡°Yes. Echard, Prince. He is Sion¡¯s younger brother. Do you know anything about him?¡±


    Ludwig crossed his arms and looked serious. He shook his head after being quiet for a while.


    ¡°I am sorry. I don¡¯t know of anything in particr that should be talked about. If it¡¯s necessary, I can look into the situation.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then, please do so.¡±


    Unfortunately, they wouldn¡¯t have time to do that, because not even a second after she asked¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama! Oh, Mia-sama¡­!


    The door flew open, and a startled Esmeralda ran in.


    ¡°Moons, Esmeralda, what¡¯s wrong with you? You look as if you¡¯ve seen a ghost!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more likely to believe in a ghost!¡± she stuttered. ¡°I saw the person I¡¯m supposed to marry, and it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Mia waited a second, and when she saw that Esmeralda¡¯s mouth was open but she wasn¡¯t saying anything, she sighed and pushed her.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting. Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ Ooooooh¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down, sweet moons. Moon¡¯s sake, your name is Esmeralda Greenmoon. The Duke¡¯s daughter. There should be nothing in the world that would make you lose your mind like this.¡±


    ¡°P-Prince Echard! I¡¯m supposed to be marrying Prince Echard!¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia just looked at her with her mouth wide open. It was a very rude thing to do in front of Ludwig, but shock was more important than proper behavior. But if she had thought to look, she would have seen three open mouths in the room.


    ¡ª


    Ludwig was so shocked by the news that he didn¡¯t even notice Mia¡¯s shock. Now was the first time that everything made sense in his head, and it hit him like a boulder. He finally got what Mia had been trying to do all along.


    Echard Sol Sunnd, the second prince of his country, was to marry Esmeralda Greenmoon, the daughter of one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Dukes. Count Lampron, who is known for his strict views, was the one who helped make the deal happen¡­ How would the political power map change if the marriage went through?


    <i>It would make the House of Greenmoon and Prince Echard the leaders of a powerful group that would work against the alliance between Her Majesty and Prince Sion.</i>


    Mia and the Four Houses had already formed a united front, but the Greenmoons would tear it apart. Then, people who didn¡¯t like the empress could gather around the split house. Even worse, Duke Greenmoon had a son. If Mia¡¯s bid for the throne fails, he would be next in line. Then the effects in Sunnd came into y. Sion¡¯s cautious approach to expansionism would face a strong new enemy in the form of an alliance of conservatives that would be led by his brother.


    <i>So it makes sense that Her Highness asked me to find out about Prince Echard¡­ Now everything makes sense!</i>


    Ludwig chewed on his lip. His important discovery came toote.


    <i>If only I had thought about it a little more¡­ If I had just looked at Sunnd¡¯s power map and internal situation one more time¡­ With hindsight, the timing and the yers make it so clear. Why else would a noble from Etoiline and a noble from Sunnd talk about getting married now?</i>


    Ludwig hung his head in shame over his own mistake.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Highness. I should have expected this. This is a horrible mistake on my part.¡±


    ¡°A mistake? I¡¯m not sure I get what you¡¯re saying, but¡­¡±


    Mia looked at him with a raised lip, almost as if she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. He took a bite, feeling both regret and thanks.


    <i>She ys the fool instead of criticizing me for myck of skill¡­</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m depending on you, Ludwig, so don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    When he saw her smile, he couldn¡¯t help but put his head down again.

 Chapter 453

    <h4>Chapter 453 </h4>


    <strong>Princess Mia at the Edge of the Ring¡­ Takes a Stray Arrow</strong>


    ¡°Prince Echard! I¡¯m supposed to be marrying Prince Echard!¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia was stunned by what Esmeralda just said.


    <i>H-How? What in the moons is going on?</i>


    Before she could figure out what to say, Ludwig spoke up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I should have expected this. This is a horrible mistake on my part.¡±


    He even bowed his head as if he had done something very wrong. This made things even more confusing, and Mia wanted to scream out loud in her anger. She didn¡¯t, which is a miracle. Even though she was teetering on the edge of the ring, she managed to keep her bnce and stay in the fight.


    .


    <i>Wait! Not so fast! If I say the wrong thing here, I could send Ludwig into a downward slide and make him useless.</i>


    Just for a second¡­ Then another¡­ Then another. After many seconds passed, she still couldn¡¯t figure out what Ludwig could have done wrong. So, she told the truth.


    ¡°A mistake? I¡¯m not sure I get what you¡¯re saying, but¡­¡±


    If you¡¯re not sure, ask. She didn¡¯t act like she knew what was going on. In front of Ludwig, that was especially dangerous.


    To her shock, he didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and kept his head down, as if he was trying to hold back some strong feeling.


    <i>M-Moons¡­ You have to tell me what you did wrong, or else I won¡¯t know! Ugh, I already have too much to do with Esmeralda, this marriage, and the assassination. I don¡¯t need anymore mysteries!</i>


    Again, she fought against the voice in her head to give a calmer answer. She put one foot down in the ring and got her bnce back.


    ¡°I¡¯m depending on you, Ludwig, so don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense to cry over spilled milk. She didn¡¯t know what kind of milk he¡¯d spilled, but he shouldn¡¯t have been upset about it. She needed him to be alert and able to do his job. So, that¡¯s what she told him.


    She looked at Esmeralda then.


    ¡°Okay, well, could you tell me what happened? This time, slowly?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. Okay.¡± Esmeralda gave a nod. ¡°So, this morning, I got a message from Count Lampron asking me toe see him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡±


    It was natural for the count to want to talk to her. Mia could still remember the look on his face when she told him who she was when she went to his house with Sion¡¯s guards. He seemed like he could have passed out right there. Mia¡¯s detective skills kicked in at that moment.


    ¡°Aha, I know what¡¯s going on here,¡± she said to herself. ¡°He is nning something with Esmeralda that he doesn¡¯t want me to know about.¡±


    Since the average response to the princess of Tearmoon showing up unannounced on someone¡¯s doorstep was something close to fainting, it was hard to say how good her detective skills were.


    ¡°He said that he wanted to talk to me about some things about the marriage proposal. So I went to him to tell him no. I told him that if he wanted me to marry into the Sunnd family, he should bring me at least a prince. I said that, and then¡­¡±


    It looks like Count Lampron almost smiled at her answer.


    ¡°He said, ¡®But of course,¡¯ and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right on the money. The daughter of one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Dukes would not be a good match for a simple nobleman. I¡¯d like to set up a marriage between you and His Highness Prince Echard. Both His Majesty and the prince have already given me their blessing.¡±


    Esmeralda made a point of making the same smug face he had made back then.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d really bring me a prince,¡± she muttered, her face turning red and her hands twitching.


    It was clear that the idea of marrying a prince made her feel the same way most girls do when they hear a fairy tale. She was losing her cool because things from fairy tales were bing a reality. Out with the big sister and in with the young woman who is in love.


    ¡°Oh, I see. If Sion bes king, Echard would be like an Archduke. In that way, I guess you really are being given a title higher than Duke.¡±


    Not only that, but if something happened to Sion, her possible husband could easily be king.


    <i>Taking into ount what happened in the Princess Chronicles, does this mean Echard did it on purpose? He killed Sion to be king. That could be the reason¡­ Or maybe Echard really doesn¡¯t want to marry Esmeralda and this is a very extreme way for him to say so?</i>


    Echard might have been relieved that this incredibly negative picture of his character was soon taken down.


    No, that¡¯s not it. After all, Esmeralda is rted to me, and she has the looks to prove it. She is a pretty young woman. So long as she stays quiet and keeps her ego in check. But he couldn¡¯t have known that ahead of time¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia woke up from her thoughts to see Esmeralda acting so shy that she seemed to be the younger sister.


    ¡°What¡­ What do you suggest I do?¡±


    Her usual courage was gone.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to get married, you should just tell them no.¡±


    Ludwig stopped their talk by shaking his head grimly and saying, ¡°That might be difficult. Could you tell me what His Imperial Majesty thinks about this?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mia had stayed inside the edge of the ring, but now a stray arrow went flying straight for her.

 Chapter 454

    <h4>Chapter 454 </h4>


    <strong>No Sweets, Only Jelly</strong>


    <strong>?</strong>


    Mia had just a few days ago thought, <i>¡°Really, Esmeralda? You didn¡¯t even ask where your possible husband¡¯s family is from, did you? How scatterbrained can you be?¡±</i>


    Even if she was sure she was going to turn down the offer, she still had to do some research. Definitely, knowing the guy¡¯s name was a part of that. This carelessness was embarrassing for a young woman who had been raised in a noble family.


    Now, this thought wasing back at her like a boomerang.


    ¡°Y-You want to know what father said? Uh¡­¡±


    Even though Esmeralda made mistakes, she was still a proud Etoile. It was a big deal for her to be asked to marry. It was right and likely that the emperor had already been asked for his opinion and given it. On the other hand, if the ruler didn¡¯t know, that would throw a lot of doubt on the whole thing. In the same way, before turning down such an offer, one should also talk to the emperor.


    In fact, Mia had not talked to the emperor. In her defense, she had been fighting hard against his stubborn desire to go on the trip with her, so she didn¡¯t have much time or brain power to think about other things.


    <i>That¡¯s no good reason! I can¡¯t believe I was so careless.</i>


    She realized that this was her own fault, so she thought about what she could do. It was a big no-no to lie to Ludwig. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t just say that she hadn¡¯t told the emperor about the problem.


    ¡°I, uh, wasn¡¯t able to get that information out of him.¡±


    Her answer was right on the line between saying she was wrong and saying she was right. It could mean ¡°because I didn¡¯t ask¡± or ¡°I asked, but I still couldn¡¯t.¡± At least, it wasn¡¯t a straight-up lie. She stole a look at Ludwig while feeling safe behind a wall of possible lies.


    ¡°Which could mean that His Imperial Majesty wasn¡¯t told,¡± he mumbled with his arms folded. ¡°Or¡­the emperor doesn¡¯t want Your Highness to be empress himself? No, that¡¯s impossible¡­ He dotes on you so much. Why would he fight against his own child? Unless¡­this love is stronger. As a dad, he doesn¡¯t want his dear daughter to walk the same thorny path to power that he did.¡±


    Mia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ludwig was no longer interested in her.


    ¡°But what did you mean when you said, ¡®That may be hard,¡¯ Ludwig?¡±


    ¡­Esmeralda brought the conversation right back on track.


    <i>I couldn¡¯t believe she knew his name. Does that mean she thinks he¡¯s pretty enough for her to notice?</i>


    It wasn¡¯t a secret that Esmeralda liked pretty boys a lot. Even her usually huge ego shrank a little when she was with them.


    <i>I mean, Ludwig isn¡¯t that bad-looking, but she really should be more picky.</i>


    Mia frowned at her friend and then looked at Ludwig, who was still looking sad.


    ¡°A wedding between an Etoiline and the second prince is important for the whole nation. You can¡¯t say enough about how important this union would be for international rtions. It means that Tearmoon and Sunnd are getting closer to each other.¡±


    In other words, the size of the problem made it so that Esmeralda¡¯s feelings and Mia¡¯s political views didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°And, as I¡¯m sure Your Highness already knows, our enemies n to use this to their advantage. The fact that they picked this moment to reveal the identity of the suitor is enough proof. Given our situation, it¡¯s hard to say no to this marriage offer now,¡± Ludwig said before turning to Mia. ¡°I think you asked me to look into Prince Echard because of this, right?¡±


    Mia knew it wasn¡¯t, but she still agreed.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes.¡±


    Mia¡¯s inner jellyfish was smart enough to see that a wave wasing and decide to ride it. As much as a jellyfish could ride, in any case. Most of the time, it was just going with the flow.


    Ludwig didn¡¯t know that Mia¡¯s answer was made of gtin, so he took it at face value.


    ¡°It goes without saying that, as things are now, letting this marriage happen would deal a major, if not fatal, blow to our empress group. How Lady Esmeralda feels about Your Highness is very important.¡± He turned toward her. ¡°I believe we can put all of our faith in you, Lady Esmeralda.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I wouldn¡¯t betray Mia-sama. That would never happen!¡± she said, putting her hand on her chest and tilting her chin up.


    If this was the old Esmeralda, Mia would have taken what she said with a grain of salt, buttely, she had been starting to trust her friend more. Enough to make her stop and think about the possibility of putting a lot of her hopes on Esmeralda.


    ¡°Even if I do get married, I¡¯ll do my best to influence my father and brother, but I can¡¯t promise they¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°Then we should try to stop the marriage talks from going any further. We¡¯ll need to make a n. And since Your Highness asked me to look into Prince Echard, I¡¯m guessing you already have one in mind,¡± Ludwig said as he turned back to Mia.


    ¡°Oh, really? Mia-sama, you do?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh¡­ Well, kind of¡­¡±


    With so many people looking at her, Mia had no choice but to be a jellyfish.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll try to find out as much as I can about Prince Echard. Your Highness can move forward with your n as you see fit in the meantime.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s eyes shone with a respect that was almost awe, while Esmeralda¡¯s shone with a deep confidence. Mia looked at each of them for a split second.


    ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ll leave you to your work,¡± she said with a slow nod before adding, ¡°I think I¡¯ll go for a quick walk¡­¡±


    After saying that, she quietly left the room.


    <i>What¨Cwhat should I do now? I told them that I had a n, but I don¡¯t have one. I really need to clear my head, but I don¡¯t have any sweets! I need sweets!</i>


    She started to walk slowly down the hall because she was too tired to think during the long talk.


    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    She looked up when she heard a voice.


    ¡°My, you¡¯re awake, Tiona. How did your nap go?¡±


    Most of the time, the Rudolvons worked likeborers. They got up early in the morning and went to the fields with their farmers, where they oversaw the work and sometimes did it themselves. Then they¡¯d take a short nap in the middle of the day. Even after she started at Saint-Noel, Tiona stuck to this routine and took naps every day at noon.


    ¡°It was good, thank you. I got a lot of sleep.¡±


    .


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. Oh, well, if that¡¯s the case, do you happen to have some time to spare? I¡¯m thinking about going to town to clear my head, and I¡¯d love for you toe with me.¡±


    So, Mia took Tiona and Liora with her to look for sweets, which are good for the brain.

 Chapter 455

    <h4>Chapter 455 </h4>


    <strong>Actors Assemble</strong>


    Sol Saliente: the sun-blessed capital of the kingdom of Sunnd. From a distance, the city looked like one huge castle. Solecsudo Castle, the real castle, was at the top of the hill. Built for war, the highly fortified building was in the middle of the city and looked out over the capital. The city was made of solid stone and had a solemn beauty. It was protected by a thick wall that stood taller than any would-be invaders.


    <i>Wow¡­ If Tearmoon and Sunnd ever went to war, this would be one tough base to take down. I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯d storm this ce, even with Remno¡¯s aid.</i>


    Even Mia, who didn¡¯t know much about the military, could see that Sol Saliente wouldn¡¯t be easy to beat.


    <i>This makes saving Sion even more important. I want him to stay living as long as possible so that our countries can stay friends¡­</i>


    She was thinking about the effects of international fallout when she noticed that Tiona was acting strangely. She kept moving her head from side to side, like a tourist. She let her be and walked next to her on a beautiful stone-paved road. Soon, she started to feel very strange.


    <i>Who knew that one day I¡¯d be walking with Tiona through the city of Sunnd? And we are doing it to save Sion¡¯s life.</i>


    If it had been said to Mia while she was tied to the guillotine, it would have seemed like the craziest pipe dream. When she looked back, she saw Anne and Liora talking to each other like crazy. One of them was her most loyal friend. The other one was a Lulu who wanted her blood. As her chest filled with emotions, Mia thought about how amazing it was that she was living her life right now.


    <i>I never would have thought that such a scene could happen. When I walk with them like this, I feel like I¡¯ve reallye a long way¡­</i>


    ¡°That was quite the journey, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she said with a smile that was distant and almost wry. She then turned to Tiona and said, ¡°I sure didn¡¯t expect bandits to attack us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was a tough time¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I keep putting you in this kind of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What? No! That has nothing to do with you!¡± Tiona gave a nod. ¡°Even if you knew there might be trouble, all that means is that you thought it was important to bring me along anyway. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m d to be here.¡±


    Mia¡¯s conscience was hit like a hammer by the way she looked at her. She almost let out a grunt. ¡°I-I get it. I mean, I guess you¡¯re right. Now that we¡¯re friends, it should be okay for me to ask for your help. If that¡¯s the case, then consider this myte request. Oho ho!¡±


    Theyughed together, which gave Mia time to gather her thoughts. After all, she had set out to do just that in the first ce.


    <i>Okay, then. Let¡¯s think, since that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. The thing is, the more I think about it, the harder it seems to stop Esmeralda and Prince Echard from getting married¡­</i>


    At best, the rtionship between Tearmoon and Sunnd was just okay. Mia and Sion got along well, which was helpful, but that wasn¡¯t nearly enough to build a foreign policy on. A marriage between one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Houses and Prince Echard was the kind of thing that could really cement diplomatic ties. Like Ludwig said, it was a matter of great importance to the whole nation. It would be hard to turn it around.


    <i>Huh. When you mention Tearmoon and Sunnd, it makes me think of¡­ If Sion and Tiona had gotten married in the old time, Tearmoon would have been safe¡­ They seemed to get along pretty well, and it was good for politics for them to work together, so I don¡¯t see how anything could go wrong¡­</i>


    Then she thought of something.


    ¡°Except for how the two people in question really feel. Huh.¡±


    It was a very important thought that got to the heart of the whole problem.


    <i>Knowing Esmeralda and how much she likes cute boys, I can see why she would like Prince Echard¡­</i>


    Currently, Esmeralda was 18 and Prince Echard was 10. There were eight years between them, which was a lot but not unusual for marriages between nobles.


    <i>Yes, she would like him for sure. She only cares about how she looks, and Sion is so good-looking that it makes her mad, so she¡¯d probably be fine with his little brother based on his future chances alone.</i>


    Because of this, Mia didn¡¯t want to stop the marriage just for political reasons. That left only one thing to think about: Sion¡¯s assassination. If she could find a way to keep Sion safe, she wasn¡¯t really against Esmeralda getting a husband.


    <i>The problem is that all of this plotting against Sion smells like the Serpent, and even if they¡¯re not behind it, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be okay with Esmeralda marrying someone who tried to kill Sion.</i>


    Her walk was giving her a lot to think about; she was getting to the heart of the problem.


    ¡°Huh? Basically, if the people on the other side of this marriage are good people and not snakes, I don¡¯t mind if they go ahead¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Mia, is that you?¡±


    Mia turned around when she heard her name and saw someone she didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°Uh, Rafina-sama? What are you doing here? Is that¡­?¡±


    Mia was even more shocked by the person next to Rafina.


    ¡°Abel! What in the moons are you two doing in Sunnd?¡±

 Chapter 456

    <h4>Chapter 456 </h4>


    <strong>Annoyingly Cute</strong>


    A well-furnished inn stood on the main street of Sol Saliente. Its first floor was set up as a restaurant, so it could serve people who didn¡¯t n to spend the night there.


    ¡°This is one of my favorite ces.¡± Rafina said with a big smile, ¡°The food here is just amazing. A trip to Sol Saliente wouldn¡¯t beplete without eating here.¡±


    Mia knew this ce meant business when the middle-aged man helping them smiled back at her.


    ¡°Now, really¡­ That sounds good,¡± she said to herself as she looked over the menu. ¡°By the way, do you serve anything with mushrooms?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes shed with a sharp light.


    ¡°Oh, sure. In fact, we knew Lady Rafina would be here today, so we cooked some Belluga mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m so lucky. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to eat some Belluga mushrooms here in Sunnd.¡±


    ¡°We also have matsutake mushrooms that have been cooked in a pot. This is a traditional dish from the East. The stock really brings out the vor of the matsutake, making the taste richer and more concentrated.¡±


    ¡°My! Are you telling me that you made a soup taste even more like mushrooms? I have never heard of anything like that!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s still not all¡­¡±


    Mia let the man go after they talked for a long time about how wonderful mushroom dishes are.


    She turned back to Rafina and Abel and said, ¡°Now then¡­¡±


    ¡°What a strange chance it is that we should meet you two here. I hope you both have been doing well.¡±


    Rafina giggled and said, ¡°We sure have, and I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re in a good mood. Did you also get an invite to the royal ball?¡±


    Mia shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here with Esmeralda to talk about the possibility of her getting married. Sunnd made a proposal to her¡­¡±


    She stopped talking because she felt like something wasn¡¯t right.


    <i>Rafina-sama was asked to a royal ball, so it must be the same one Esmeralda is going to, right? When that happens¡­</i>


    She moved the different pieces of information around in her head to try to get them to fit together. ¡°Abel, is that why you¡¯re also here?¡±


    Abel gave a shrug. ¡°It seems that way, but I¡¯m really just filling in for my brother. On the way to the city, I ran into Miss Rafina¡¯s group, so we made thest part of the trip together.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you and Rafina-sama were taking a nice walk through the streets of Sol Saliente. Hmmm. I see.¡±


    She gave him a sharp look.


    ¡°What? W-Wait, just a second. I don¡¯t think you have the right idea. That¡¯s not the case.¡±


    He shook his head quickly. His hands, too. She burst outughing when she saw the frightened move. ¡°Ah, calm down, Abel. It was meant to be a joke. I could not be happier to see you here.¡±


    Mia, who is an adult, just made fun of a boy for her amusement. Abel wasn¡¯tughing. He turned his head quickly away. As he did it, Mia saw a hint of a pout on his face.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said with a sour face. ¡°It was a joke. That¡¯s kind of disappointing.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I felt good about myself because I thought you were jealous. I believed you cared. Then someone tells me it¡¯s all a joke. Which hurts a lot, just so you know. So, could you leave me alone for a little while? Thank you¡±


    He let out a sad sigh that cooled the air in the room. This time, Mia was the one who lost it.


    ¡°Uh, Abel? Come on. That¡¯s not what I meant. It was a joke, but not like a joke, do you get what I mean? And why did you think I would care? Yes, I do care. What does that have to do with being jealous?¡±


    She stopped when Abel turned back to her with the biggest smile she¡¯d ever seen on his face. ¡°And now we¡¯re both even. A joke for a joke. I¡¯m so d to see you, too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?!¡±


    Mia made that gasp that people often make when they are very angry or hurt.


    ¡°You know me,¡± he said with a joke. ¡°I¡¯ve always been sure that things should be fair.¡±


    Mia is an adult woman, but a boy just picked on her to his amusement.


    ¡°You are¡­ You¡­are so bad! Oh, Abel, I can¡¯t believe you!¡±


    She protested by shaking her fists up and down. For a child, that would have been a sweet thing to do. It was somewhere between annoying and cute for someone Mia¡¯s age. It was annoyingly cute. Luckily, most of the people around her seemed to think thetter, and they watched her with loving looks on their faces. Rafina and Anne smiled at her as if she were a little sister who was acting out in a cute and harmless way. Abel almost spoiled her. Even Tiona and Liora were taken aback by Mia¡¯s unusually childish behavior. They all let out a deep sigh that warmed the air in the room.


    Don¡¯t forget that Mia was at least twenty-something years old. Even though no one in the room knew that, it¡¯s still important fact to be remembered.


    After she was done flirting in public, Mia¡¯s mind finally put all the pieces together, possibly by ident, and she figured out what that nagging feeling was about.


    <i>So, both Rafina-sama and Abel will be at the ball¡­ Wait. Hm? Then why didn¡¯t they invite me?</i>


    That was the question worth a million coins. Why on earth had everyone but her been invited?


    <i>How odd¡­ I wonder why¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have an idea.</i>


    In her mind, she shed back to a time when she was not asked to a dance party and was dancing alone. She pushed it back out quickly. She didn¡¯t need to go through that pain again.

 Chapter 457

    <h4>Chapter 457 </h4>


    <strong>The Terrifying Truth¡­ (of Terror)</strong>


    After Mia and Abel were done with their public disy of affection, the talk went back to being more serious.


    ¡°By the way, Mia, what did you say about being asked to marry? Does it have anything to do with our friends here?¡± Rafina asked, pointing to Tiona and Liora.


    ¡°Actually, it does,¡± Mia said, then looked around suspiciously.


    Rafina saw what was going on and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The owner of this business is a trustworthy person who doesn¡¯t say much. We can say what we want here.¡±


    The owner of said business walked in just in time to hear her praise. Heughed awkwardly and put some tes of food on the table.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your kind words, Lady Rafina. I made sure to reserve the whole ce for you ahead of time, so no one else is here today. When I¡¯m done serving all the food, I¡¯ll go to the back room so you can haveplete privacy,¡± he said, showing that he was used to her requests.


    Rafina got close to Mia and spoke quietly in her ear.


    ¡°You know, he¡¯s really a spy for the Belluga.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Mia was almost choked from her own saliva. She thought that the whole point of spies was to hide who they were. Even though they were partners in the fight against the Chaos Serpents, diplomacy and getting information from other countries were on a whole other level. Even though they were friends, that didn¡¯t mean it was okay for them to talk about these things with anyone. Mia was about to question whether Rafina¡¯sment was appropriate when she saw the smile on Rafina¡¯s face. It was the smile of someone who had just pulled off a good joke.


    ¡°But his work doesn¡¯t involve other nations,¡± she said. ¡°He is a special spy because he¡¯s part of our intelligence war against the Serpents.¡±


    Mia nodded. The Chaos Serpents were, in fact, a group that was hard to find. It made sense for each country to send out agents to spy to find them out.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    She decided to tell them what was going on. She wasn¡¯t sure how to start talking about it at first, but once she did, the words came quickly and easily. Even though it wasplicated, it was still about a friendship at its core. Mia, being a girl, loved hearing and telling stories about rtionships. At least, she liked them much more than scary stories. She talked like a schr as she told how Esmeralda and Sunnd¡¯s second prince were talking about getting married, how Count Lampron had started the talks, and how it all fit into Tearmoon¡¯s anti-empress group.


    It was, of course, 99% repeating what Ludwig had said; she was just repeating what he had said. To her credit, she didn¡¯t say anything about Echard trying to kill Sion. That was dangerous information, and she had to be very careful about sharing it.


    ¡°So, just to make sure I understand you right, you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a group in Tearmoon that doesn¡¯t like you, and they¡¯re trying to work with the group in Sunnd that doesn¡¯t like Sion,¡± Rafina said.


    Her recap, which was short and to the point, was a very good job. Mia was a little bit of a parrot, and she had left out a lot of important information. Still, Rafina was able to put all the pieces together and see the big picture.


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right,¡± said Mia. ¡°Aside from that, Rafina-sama¡­ Do you know anything about what kind of person Count Lampron is?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me think¡­¡± Rafina made a pouty face. ¡°He reminds me of a normal old-fashioned Sunnd noble, I¡¯d say. I¡¯m sure you know that Sunnd¡¯s royal family cares about truth and justice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. I¡¯ve seen it for myself firsthand.¡± To be exact, it was Firstneck. She would always think of the smell of moldy wood and rusty iron when she heard those words.


    ¡°Sunnd is not the only ce with this attitude. The Central Orthodox Church also stands for the same things.¡±


    The Church thought that lords were people whom God had given the power to rule. The nobles were led by kings, who kept peace and order in their countries. To help them do this, they were given even more power to rule. All of this was done to make sure that the people they were protecting could live safe, happy lives. Whether they were nobles or royalty, if they had power, they had to use it in a fair and just way to fight evil. In fact, these sayings were in the holy books of the Church, and the elite used them to im power over theirnds and the people who lived in them.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Rafina said, ¡°these values are sometimes misunderstood for the sake of personal gain. There are lords who say that God gave them the power to rule, so they can do whatever they want with it. Some of them even treat their own people badly. Even royalty is no different. There are definitely evil kings who do terrible things. All of these need to be fixed. But there¡¯s more. Sometimes the goal is good, but the skills aren¡¯t there. Rulers who don¡¯t have the skills to run their countries well should also be punished ordingly.¡±


    Kings, queens, dukes, and duchesses were all the same in the Lord¡¯s eyes. They were all in charge of keeping peace and order in their countries. As long as their power came from the scriptures, not following its rules would lead to punishments that would be carried out by other sovereignties that were part of the Church.


    ¡°And in Sunnd¡¯s case,¡± Rafina said, ¡°They¡¯ve always thought that the royal families of all other countries are corrupt, so bringing them under the righteous rule of the King of Sunnd, whether through negotiation or force, is actually doing their people a favor. It¡¯s a prettymon way of thinking around here. Ask anyone, and they¡¯ll probably say that having a righteous king is the quickest way to have good government.¡±


    The White Crows then took this idea to an even more extreme height.


    ¡°This kind of reasoning has been used to excuse invasions of other countries from time to time, and Count Lampron has used it, but I¡¯ve never thought of him as wanting to be the most powerful person in the world. He always seemed like the kind of person who would believe what Sunnd said. I think he really thinks he is working for fairness and the good of society as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s¡­ inconvenient.¡±


    You could still talk to an eager hegemonist, because you could still find a middle ground. A believer was different, because then the problem went from being about something interesting to being about something moral, which made it hard, if not impossible, to convince them.


    ¡°Prince Sion probably lost faith in Sunnd¡¯s ways after what happened in Remno,¡± Rafina said. ¡°That has made him more careful about getting involved in foreign affairs, but I can¡¯t see Count Lampron agreeing with that.¡±


    <i>So Sion is getting in their way, right? Maybe there¡¯s someone else behind Prince Echard, and that person is Count Lampron? Or is Prince Echard driven by his own ambition?</i>


    Mia crossed her arms in thought.


    <i>Count Lampron doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would try to kill a member of the royal family based on what Sion and Miss Rafina have said about him. I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if he messed with politics, but I don¡¯t think he is capable of murder.</i>


    She could tell that the guy wasn¡¯t going to give up easily. The kind of stubbornness that often went along with ipetence.


    <i>And, I mean, it¡¯s always possible that the Serpents are using him. Hm¡­</i>


    ¡ª


    Now is the time to tell a terrifying truth. Mia, believe it or not, had done the most research and knew the most about Sion¡¯s uing assassination at this time.


    Mia was the first one! She was ahead of the pack! Give that some time to sink in.


    Then, after the initial shock of that statement wears off, you¡¯ll probably learn that no one but the killers knew an assassination was being nned, and the aplishment will seem much less impressive. No matter what, it was a time when Mia knew more than all the other actors, and that¡¯s something worth noting.


    Also, it¡¯s lucky that Sion or, god forbid, Keithwood would never find out about this dangerous situation. The first group would likely be terrified, while the second group might just pass out.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Until August 20th (Thursday), ¡°Tear Moon Empire Story¡±


    The first character vote¡± is being held.


    The results will be announced at the end of Volume 5, which will be released on the 10th and 10th.


    We are also running a campaign where you can get a postcard of the character that won first ce drawn by Gilse, so if you like it, please check it out.


    I¡¯m excited about who will be from now on.


    Oh, by the way, the reason Mia¡¯s mother is in the ranking is because she appears in theic¡¯s extra SS. If you don¡¯t mind theic, please check it out.


    TN¡¯s Note:


    That was three years ago. And I don¡¯t think we actually heard alot about Mia¡¯s mother. Aside from the dress chapter.

 Chapter 458

    <h4>Chapter 458 </h4>


    <strong>Two Scents</strong>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mia asked, ¡°Rafina-sama, do you mind if I ask your opinion on the matter?¡±


    She had just thought of a question.


    ¡°Do you see things the same way as Count Lampron? That crooked nobles should be taken out, even if it means using force?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s head was tilted in thought. She was about to answer, but changed her mind and averted her gaze. She finally spoke after a short pause.


    ¡°Once,¡± she said. After another pause, she added, ¡°And still do sometimes, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    <i>S-Seriously?!</i>


    Mia¡¯s hands went to her head to make sure it was still there.


    Most of the time, Mia saw Rafina as a friend. In fact, this was a fairly recent change. It took her a long time to get over the pain from her past. She liked not having to worry all the time about being found out and put to death. That relief didn¡¯tst nearly long enough.


    <i>Oh, moons¡­ Rafina-sama¡¯s wrath is still incurable. I should be careful not to hurt anyone by ident¡­ I could die with the smallest mistake¡­</i>


    Friends can forgive each other, but they can only do so much. A few jokes could beughed off, but what if you broke something important to them? Like getting in the way of them eating a cake? Yes, some things can just go too far.


    In the case of Rafina, her anger was caused by selfish or cruel actions by the nobles. She was also often irritated by being toozy. Mia had already figured out that this was a part of her own personality. Mia also knew that she herself could be a little self-centered at times. Also bossy, which was like a mild form of control. As for beingzy¡­ Maybe just a little bit of that, too. Because of this, Rafina¡¯s confession made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Even so¡­


    ¡°But, Mia, ever since we became friends, I¡¯ve noticed that I¡¯ve changed. Tiona, you too. Since I¡¯ve known you, I¡¯ve started to see things differently.¡±


    Tiona was surprised and said, ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think that the talk would suddenly turn to her.


    ¡°I heard that during the race for student council, you forgave the people that harassed you. Not only forgave them, but also worked with them to help Mia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, I guess that really did happen¡­¡± Mia muttered as she thought about what had happened in ss that day.


    <i>I was going to do some sneaky things behind Rafina¡¯s back to beat her in the election, but now that I look back, I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t. If I had done something wrong, Miss Rafina might have never liked me again.</i>


    She shook when she thought about it.


    <i>Moons¡­ I didn¡¯t know it at the time how close I was to losing my head.</i>


    Rafina gave her a soft smile and went on. ¡°That was the moment when I finally got it¡­ I remember thinking, ¡®Oh, so this is the kind of world she is working towards. This¡­was what she had always seen when she looked far away.¡¯¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyebrow raised. She didn¡¯t know where she was going or what was at the end of her look.


    Rafina didn¡¯t notice the response because her eyes were filled with longing. ¡°Do you remember what happened at the dance party on the day of the new student wee ceremony, and how you came to me afterward to ask for their forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Mia said, ¡°I remember it like it was yesterday.¡± She nodded quickly to hide the fact that she did remember it like it was yesterday¡¯s homework, which she often forgot.


    ¡°When you showed up, I was pleased, but to be honest, I was also disappointed. I felt like you were too easy on them.¡± Rafina shook her head. ¡°But no more. When I look back, I can see that what you did would test of my patience, but if it worked, it would lead to a much better future.¡±


    That forgiveness led to a lot more. If she had kicked the troublemakers out of Saint-Noel at that time, none of the things that followed would have happened. Instead, those who were kicked out would have been angry for a long time, and Mia¡¯s side wouldn¡¯t have gotten as much support during the election.


    ¡°It seemed like you were trying to tell me something with what you did, Mia. I thought about it. I still do.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About our opponents and whether it¡¯s right to write them off as hopeless¡­ Maybe it would be better to try to get them to change for the better instead¡­¡±


    Mia had a hard time believing what Rafina was saying. She did want to hear more, though, because they were good words.


    <i>Yes, you got it! That¡¯s a good way to think, Rafina-sama!</i>


    She was so happy that she had to stop herself from pumping her hand.


    If Rafina was really thinking of such an approach, it would show a big change in how she thinks. If Rafina was more forgiving, Mia wouldn¡¯t be put on trial or worse, have her head cut off after one mistake.


    <i>I¡¯m not perfect, after all. I make tiny mistakes sometimes, but it doesn¡¯t happen very often. So it¡¯s a good thing for Miss Rafina to think about these kinds of things.</i>


    Mia decided right away to be easier on herself when she realized she was on better terms with Rafina than she had thought. She was always on guard, you see. Her watchfulness was just a way for her to take it easy.


    Rafina added, ¡°Also, and this is just a gut feeling, I think that being too hard on people gives the Serpents chances to take advantage of¡­¡±


    ¡°The Chaos Serpents, huh?¡±


    Mia thought about what Bel had told her about the future. In it, Rafina was the Empress Prte and terrorized the whole world. She had said that all enemies should be killed, and her emphasis on this extreme solution was almost obsessive. Even though her unchecked anger worked against the Serpents, she ran the risk of being used by them in return. While this was going on, the dead just kept piling up.


    Mia thought Rafina¡¯s guess was right, even though it was just a gut feeling.


    ¡°Oh bother. I was just about to¡­ But I can see you¡¯re already very busy,¡± Rafina said with a sigh of disappointment.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What would you do if I wasn¡¯t busy?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, I didn¡¯te to Sunnd just for the ball. I heard some¡­bad news about the Equestrian Kingdom from Malong a few days ago, and I¡¯m here to talk to the king about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Equestrian Kingdom¡­¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I really hoped you could help me, but I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do. After all, you already have a lot on your te.¡±


    <i>Hmm, am I the only one who¡­</i>


    Mia smelled two different scents. The first was a sense of danger, which was everywhere. Rafina had made the trip to Sunnd on her own. That alone told a lot about how worried she was. No matter what the problem was, it was bad news.


    As if Sion being killed and Esmeralda asking to get married weren¡¯t bad enough. She didn¡¯t want to give herself another problem. Mia usually tried to stay out of danger as much as possible.


    <i>Is this something I should never, ever touch¡­? Yes, this is not the time to be curious. As the saying goes, ¡®curiosity killed the princess.¡¯</i>


    It didn¡¯t take her long to decide that the best thing to do was to stay out of it.


    We all know she would get involved in the end anyway, because she wouldn¡¯t be Mia otherwise. But for now, just let her have this.


    The second scent is¡­


    ¡°It looks like our food ising, so let¡¯s eat first and talk more afterward.¡±


    It had to do with food. When an earthenware pot was put on the table in front of her, she let out a happy gasp.


    ¡°My! This must be the matsutake cooked in a pot! Aaah¡­ What a wonderful smell¡­¡±


    So, after eating a delicious meal of foods that Rafina approved of, Mia went back to Count Lampron¡¯s house, full in both body and mind.


    What happened? You might ask, ¡°What about Esmeralda¡¯s wedding?¡± And what¡¯s the truth about Sion¡¯s nned murder?


    Well, let¡¯s just say that ¡°eat first and talk moreter¡± put more stress on eating than talking.

 Chapter 459

    <h4>Chapter 459 </h4>


    <strong>A Hard Worker and Two Ladies</strong>


    ¡°Hey, Bel, do you want to go for a walk? I thought we could go sightseeing in the city.¡±


    After a lot ofining and crying, her friend had finally finished the work Ludwig had given her, so Citrina suggested they do something fun.


    The two of them were in the guest room of Count Lampron. Even though Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s daughter was there, she didn¡¯t bring any of her servants. She didn¡¯t even bring guards with her. This wasn¡¯t a sign that Yellowmoon was going downhill. Lorenz did this because he wanted to be safe; if Yellowmoon was too obvious, it might draw unwanted attention. Mia wouldn¡¯t mind, but Esmeralda and Tiona might not be as open-minded. In order to do this, he didn¡¯t send any of his own men, putting his daughter¡¯s safety in the hands of Mia and her protection.


    Usually, one of Mia¡¯s more experienced maids would be sent with her on the trip, but Citrina had turned down the offer.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no need to n so carefully for Rina,¡± she¡¯d said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own, so you don¡¯t have to put up more guards than you have to.¡±


    Did her attitudee from the stress of always being watched by Barbara? No, in fact. In no way. On this trip, it was pushed by a strong desire to get certain things done. Things like¡­let¡¯s go for a walk! Together, let¡¯s go shopping! Hide under the sheets and talk all night long!


    You¡¯re right. This was Citrina¡¯s first trip with a real friend, one where they didn¡¯t n and scheme, and she was going to have the time of her life. People following her around would be very annoying, so she tried to get rid of anything that could get in the way of her ns.


    A trip with Bel was a serious business.


    So, as soon as she saw Bel finish herst question, she¡¯d suggest going somewhere. And Bel, being Bel, said, ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    This was where her favorite Libra King lived. She had no intention of staying inside.


    So, the two smiling girls went out the door. But someone saw them leave, and that person didn¡¯t like it!


    ¡ª


    When Count Lampron¡¯s guard captain, Connery Caldwell, saw the two young girls walk out of the main door of the house, he sighed in the way that people do when they¡¯ve had enough.


    As a bit of background, this man was in charge of the group that followed Mia to the city and kept an eye on her. Because of how hard he worked, the count hadplete faith in him. Which, to be honest, just gave him more work, but he did it like the hard worker he was. He had just finished the nerve-wracking job of keeping a group of super-VIPs safe on their way to Sunnd and was winding down with some less stressful work. But it was not peaceful at all.


    When he got there, he was told to take care of the guests as their assistant. But he was used to this kind of thing, so he didn¡¯t mind it.


    Earlier, he almost had a heart attack when he saw the Tearmoon princess and one of her female friends leave the Lampron house with only two of her own men. That went against everything that makes sense. Even though the royal city wasn¡¯t dangerous at all, this was the Tearmoon princess, for crying out loud! Even though the odds of something going wrong were very small,e on. Most likely, two guards would be enough, but in his line of work, he didn¡¯t want to take chances.


    He¡¯d run out the door and managed to convince her to let him get two more men from Lampron¡¯s private army to go with her, but only after swearing they¡¯d stay out of her sight as much as possible.


    Before she left, Mia said with a raised eyebrow, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you even bother. I mean, I¡¯ve already brought my own guards¡­¡±


    The look of pure confusion on her face had been very frustrating.


    He said to himself:<i> I bother because you¡¯re the Princess of Tearmoon, but I guess only one of us realizes that.</i>


    Two more young noble girls were now trying to sneak out. If he had a penny for every sigh he let out on this job, he¡¯d be rich.


    Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon was one of the girls. She was the daughter of one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Dukes. The fact that she was born to one of the highest-ranking nobles in the kingdom caused him a lot of stress. And then there was the girl she was with, who was even worse. <i>Who in the suns even was she?</i>


    <i>Her name is the only thing I know about her. What¡¯s up with this girl who is a mystery? She looks just like Princess Mia, and she has the same attitude. The girl is hanging out with the daughter of a Duke like she belongs there. And I¡¯ve seen her talk to the princess in a normal way more than once. Who is she, anyway?!</i>


    He got the creeps from Miabel because there was something strange about her. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like his head would roll if something bad happened to her. In a sense. That fear made him stand up. Being a man of action, he quickly did what he thought was right.


    ¡°Excuse me, Lady Citrina and Lady Miabel,¡± Connery said to stop the two girls from leaving.


    They just stared at him in surprise. Given that they more or less held his life in their questionably smart hands, he saw something on their young faces that looked more like horns than a halo.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, may I ask where you¡¯re going?¡± he asked with a heavy hint of sarcasm. ¡°Because if it¡¯s not that important, could you two youngdies please just stay put in this nice big mansion?¡±


    ¡°Sure! We¡¯re going to walk around the capital and see all the cool things this city has to offer!¡± said Bel, who was excitedly bobbing up and down.


    It¡¯s clear that his suggested message did not get through.


    <i>Yep. I knew that one wasing. So, let¡¯s go¡­</i>


    He felt his stomach turn.


    <i>I guess that damn thing is acting up again.</i>


    He wasn¡¯t shocked, though. Since he started this job, it had been giving him trouble.


    ¡°In that case, will you allow me to go with you to make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±

 Chapter 460

    <h4>Chapter 460 </h4>


    <strong>Invitation to Dinner</strong>


    By the time Mia got back to the Lampron residence, it was getting dark. Soon after she went into her room, Esmeralda and Ludwig came to see her.


    ¡°My, where did the time go?¡± Mia said, ¡°I must have talked with Rafina-sama for a long time.¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s eyes got very big. ¡°Lady Rafina? Is she here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To go to theing ball, it seems. Abel is also with her.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Hm¡­ Well, with Lady Rafina¡­¡± A sh of light from his sses showed a sharp look behind them. Mia took a small step back. She didn¡¯t like how sharp it was.


    <i>Uh-oh. I haven¡¯t thought about Esmeralda¡¯s request to get married or Sion¡¯s death. I ate and talked with Miss Rafina all day long. Alright, I need a reason. Mia, think, think¡­</i>


    She thought about it for a while and then came up with one.


    ¡°And, before you ask, yes, I did learn some things.¡±


    She had heard a description of Count Lampron¡¯s personality. That had to be worth something. Also, she had learned how to use traditional pottery to steam food in a pot. That was a way to cook that no one in Tearmoon had ever heard of.


    <i>Those mushrooms that were steamed in a pot were really something! I¡¯m so happy I figured out how to make them!</i>


    If she told the head chef how it was done and had him do more study on the method, she could make a real contribution to Tearmoon¡¯s food culture. That would be a good use of time.


    <i>I didn¡¯t just eat ande back! I had to do a job, and I did it!</i>


    She looked at Ludwig after she had convinced herself that she hadn¡¯t just wasted a whole day.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She sighed. Looking at him was a bad idea.


    ¡°I see. Always one step ahead. Your Highness is always amazing.¡± The way he looked at her with pure respect hurt her feelings, so she had to look away.


    ¡°I fully agree with your approach,¡± he said next. ¡°We need more information if we want to get back in charge of this situation. In order to do this, I have set up a dinner with King Abram for this evening. I¡¯m sorry for the short notice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Mia was shocked by this quick turn of events. She didn¡¯t feel ready to meet the king.


    But Ludwig spoke again before she could even say anything to object. ¡°I think it¡¯s very important to ask the Sunnd king what he thinks about this marriage proposal.¡±


    It was indeed very important! She couldn¡¯t say anything to argue against that.


    ¡°¡­Oh, okay. So, you went ahead and made ns for this dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Keithwood put me in touch with Prince Sion. Lady Esmeralda, who could be Prince Echard¡¯s future wife, is also invited. As Prince Sion¡¯s peer, Miss Tiona will also be able toe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Tiona as well? Hm¡­¡± Mia gave Esmeralda a quick look.


    ¡°Uh-oh, moons¡­ Mia-sama, what should I do? My heart isn¡¯t ready for this¡­¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t getfort from her friend, who looked even more upset than she did.


    <i>I¡¯d feel a lot better if Ludwig and Anne came with me to dinner with the king, but I doubt that servants will be allowed. That means that, at worst, Esmeralda might be the only person who can help me fight him.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the mostforting thought. She was a strong believer that ¡°strength in numbers¡± was the best way to deal with any problem, so she wanted as many people as possible on her side.


    <i>Still, they were the ones who came up with this idea in the first ce. Also, I can bring Tiona, which I¡¯m happy to do. In light of¡­</i>


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see him so soon. Oh, my heart¡­¡±, stammered Esmeralda.


    Mia looked at her friend, who was getting more and more nervous, and was surprised by how strongly she was reacting. Esmeralda was used to getting what she wanted, regardless of the rules. At least, that¡¯s how Mia saw her.


    The Esmeralda of today, on the other hand, seemed to have lost all of her edge.


    I bet it¡¯s because the man she¡¯s seeing might be her father-inw. Oh, Esmeralda, just calm down!


    With a firm ¡®hmph¡¯, Mia gave her friend a pep talk.


    ¡°Okay, Esmeralda, listen up. Who are you? You are a proud Etoile and the daughter of one of Tearmoon¡¯s famous Four Dukes, Lord Greenmoon. You should act like a proud Etoile. People should be scared just by being near you, like¡­ Like the Emerald Star! Isn¡¯t that yacht a sight to behold? Be like the Emerald Star says!¡±


    ¡°Emerald Star?¡±


    Mia nodded and was very proud of herparison.


    Let¡¯s just forget the fact that Mia wasn¡¯t very impressed by the ship when she first saw it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Mia-sama. I¡¯ll be like the Emerald Star!¡±


    It did seem to work, though, because Esmeralda was moved to tears by it.


    ¡ª


    <i>I wish someone would encourage me right now¡­</i>


    After saying goodbye to Esmeralda, Mia changed quickly with Anne¡¯s help. Then she gave a sigh. <i>This is all easier to say than to do¡­</i>


    The doorbell rang at that moment.


    ¡°Excuse us, Mia-sama.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re back.¡±


    When the door opened, Bel and Citrina were there.


    ¡°My, both of you went out too?¡±


    Mia acknowledged them and then quickly went back to her own thoughts.


    <i>I¡¯m curious about what kind of person Sion¡¯s father is¡­ I mean, he¡¯s Sion¡¯s dad, so it looks like I have my work cut out for me. I really hope I can find out something useful from him¡­</i>


    The king wasn¡¯t the worst thing she had to deal with.


    ¡°¡­Prince Echard is the real problem, isn¡¯t he?¡± she murmured.


    Citrina¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    ¡°Then you¡­already know. Wow,¡± she said, clearly amazed. ¡°What should I do next?¡±


    Mia made a face. She didn¡¯t know what Citrina was talking about, but she was thinking so much about herself that she might have missed something she said. She didn¡¯t want to look like she wasn¡¯t paying attention, so she said¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    She thought it probably had something to do with taking Bel to that market thing or something.


    She then whispered, ¡°Honestly, our dear friend has been looking a little boredtely, so go ahead and do your thing together if you want. I don¡¯t particrly mind.¡±


    Citrina¡¯s skills were very useful, but they weren¡¯t needed untilter, and even then, it was more of a safety measure than anything else. In the meantime, she thought it would be best to keep Bel busy. Citrina, on the other hand, gave a serious nod.


    ¡°Okay, I get it. It will be done, or I¡¯ll die trying¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Alright. That¡¯s a bit intense, but okay.¡±


    Mia looked at her awkwardly and wondered what it was about Bel that made this girl fall so hard for her. She was either going to have fun with Bel or die trying? Weird.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Sorry. We will be closed for Obon next week.


    I¡¯m going to take a break¡­ while saying that, I¡¯m going to withdraw and clean up the backlogged work.

 Chapter 461

    <h4>Chapter 461 </h4>


    <strong>Syrup Jellyfish</strong>


    ¡°Wow¡­ So this is Sunnd¡¯s royal castle¡­,¡± Anne whispered as she looked up at the towering ramparts.


    It looked like it couldn¡¯t be attacked at all because it was made of solid stone, but it wasn¡¯t very wide. Even though Mia walks slowly, she could walk from one end to the other in less than ten minutes. This showed a pragmatic view that was almost the exact opposite of the Whitemoon Pce. The walls of the royal castle weren¡¯t made to look good; they were built as a military building to keep out invaders, and that goal shaped every part of their design.


    ¡°That¡¯s Solecsudo Castle. It¡¯s my first timeing here too.¡± Mia said.


    Even in her past life, this was the first time she had ever been to Sunnd, and the royal castle made a big impression on her.


    <i>Even from far away, it looks very grand. Even though I¡¯m not from Sunnd, I almost feel proud to see it.</i>


    She was beginning to understand why Sunnd¡¯s nobles were so arrogant. She could see how having such a beautiful building in their country would make people proud of it. Once the pride was there, it didn¡¯t take long for people to start thinking that everyone would be better off living in its glory.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Anne was still looking at the keep, so Mia raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no mdy¡­ The only thing is¡­ Hearing that this is also your first time here makes me feel like I¡¯m part of something very special. Already, the fact that I get to work in the Whitemoon Pce of the powerful Tearmoon Empire is a miracle. The fact that I also get to go to Saint-Noel Academy is an even bigger wonder. Then you took me to the castle in Perujin, and now you¡¯re taking me to Sunnd as well.¡±


    Anne smiled as she thought about it. Mia nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, these are probably not the kinds of things that a normal person would do.¡±


    Anne had probably lived her whole life in the Tearmoon capital in the previous reality. She might have gone to a few ces, but they would have all been inside the kingdom. She was now out and about in Sunnd. She had traveled a long way. A long way away from her family, Mia realized.


    ¡°Hey, um, Anne?¡± she asked, suddenly worried. ¡°Uh¡­are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, mdy?¡± Anne was confused.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen your family in a while, have you? I know I asked you toe to Saint-Noel with me, but you don¡¯t have to follow me everywhere else. I¡¯d like it if you stayed with me when I¡¯m in Belluga, but you can leave when I¡¯m not there and if you miss home.¡±


    ¡°No mdy. Thank you, but that¡¯s never going to happen.¡± Anne shook her head very hard. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to travel with you, mdy. I¡¯m always happy to be with you. Also, whenever I see Elise, I get to tell her all kinds of stories, which she loves.¡± She gave a grin. ¡°So don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be with you no matter where you go. Always. Even if you say I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Anne¡­¡± Miaughed softly and gave up. ¡°Oh, you would, of course. Since you are Anne. I wouldn¡¯t want it to be any other way.¡± She looked up at the castle of Solecsudo. ¡°All right, let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside this ce!¡±


    She walked with her head held high and Esmeralda and Tiona by her side into the castle. Sadly, her confidence didn¡¯tst long. When she met the king, it ended not with a bang but with a whimper.


    ¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon of the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    She and her friends went to the king¡¯s viewing room to say their greetings. Each of them, including Mia, curtsied much more deeply than normal. Sunnd was on the same level as Tearmoon, so anything less than the top level of respect would be rude. Mia didn¡¯t have any trouble with this, though. She was used to this kind of thing, so she put on her perfect princess smile right away.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, Princess of Tearmoon. You¡¯vee a long way, and I¡¯m thankful for that.¡± Abram Sol Sunnd, the king of Sunnd, smiled.


    Mia looked at him. He looked about the same age as her father, and his smart-looking beard made him look even smarter. At first look, his smile was friendly, but it was also a little bit scary, that she shuffled ufortably.


    <i>S-So this is the king of Sunnd¡­ He has a lot going for him. Even Father isn¡¯t half as scary as him¡­</i>


    Even the air around him seemed purer and more royal. When Mia breathed it in, it made her head spin.


    Who could me her? Mia was, after all, part jellyfish. And not just any jellyfish, but a rare breed that lives in sugar water. She was a Syrup Jellyfish. Syrup Jellyfishes could not live in fresh water. Or any water for that matter, since they don¡¯t really exist, but anyway¡­


    <i>Gah, pull yourself together! This is not the time to shrivel!</i>


    She smiled back and tried to be like her friend Rafina, who she had just had lunch with. She thought Rafina wouldn¡¯t be scared of this king. Rafina would keep her sense of honor. Mia did the best she could.


    ¡°Please extend my greetings to your son, Prince Sion. He has been an amazing friend.¡±


    ¡°I shall. I¡¯ve noticed that your greater wisdom seems to have had a good effect on him, so I¡¯ve been interested in who you are. I am d that I get to meet you so soon.¡±


    Then King Abram looked at Tiona. ¡°I think you are Tiona Rudolvon. On behalf of my son, thank you for your work on the student council at Saint-Noel Academy.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re most wee, Your Majesty.¡± Tiona had no idea what to say when he suddenly brought her up, so that was all she could say before she bowed her head.


    The king¡¯s eyes moved again, this time from Mia to Esmeralda.


    ¡°You must be Lady Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Esmeralda was about to jump.


    On the other hand, Mia felt a sense of calme over her. Seeing how nervous her friend has actually helped her own jitters settle down.


    <i>So, it looks like I¡¯ll be the one to do all the heavy work here.</i>


    Mia became fired up. It was her turn to do something for her troublesome <i>big sister.</i>

 Chapter 462

    <h4>Chapter 462 </h4>


    <strong>Mia¡¯s Mind Spins</strong>


    ¡°I-It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Esmeralda¡¯s dropped from her shoulders to her hips. Then she put them down even more. She finally pinched. She curtsied so nervously that her fingers shook and her movements were all over the ce, like an old doll. Her skirt also shook.


    ¡°I¡¯m the oldest daughter of House Greenmoon. M-my name is Esmedal:¡±


    This led to a spectacr fail in which she messed up her own name. After a short moment of silence, she turned her head toward Mia. Her eyes filled with tears.


    <i>Esmeralda, oh¡­</i>


    Mia shook her head and let out a sigh of disappointment.


    How embarrassing to mess up on the big stage! Getting your own name wrong? Unvelievable. I¡¯ll show her how to do it.


    She opened her mouth with great ease.


    ¡°Allow me, Your Majesty. She is my rtive. An Etoiline who was born to one of the Four Dukes of our kingdom. She goes by the name Esmerlda: ¡±


    And fumbled too!


    ¡°¡ªEtoile Greenmoon!¡±


    But she pushed through to the end of her sentence and smiled like nothing had happened. It was, to be honest, pretty cool. After all, Mia wasn¡¯t a newbie when it came to messing up her lines. She had been a botcher for a long time. She was a stout old bird who had seen some droppings. She wouldn¡¯t be upset by a simple slip of the tongue.


    ¡°On my friend¡¯s behalf, I¡¯d like to say sorry for how she acted. She is still shocked by the sudden news of her marriage proposal. So please understand.¡±


    He had a goodugh.


    ¡°Be at ease. Today, we are all here for a special event.¡± He gave Esmeralda a nod. ¡°Lady Esmeralda, there¡¯s no need to be too proper. This is just a simple get-together to get to know each other. I¡¯d like you to take it easy and have a good meal.¡±


    When King Abram smiled, the strongly righteous air around him grew less strong. Mia took a deep breath almost out of habit. It was as if he had taken off a piece of the thick shell that was his royal image to show a glimpse of the human inside.


    <i>I really didn¡¯t think he could smile like that.</i>


    Mia felt some of the tightness in her muscles go away when she saw that he had a less scary side.


    Esmeralda was not like that at all. ¡°A: As youmand, Your Majesty. Yes, I will do that.¡±


    She was as nervous as ever, to the point where it made Mia feel bad.


    <i>Esmeralda, moons. How could you be such a wimp? Come on! Show some backbone!</i>


    The kingughed. ¡°Whatever the case, let¡¯s start eating. We can talk while we eat.¡±


    With a look, he told the middle-aged butler next to him to step forward. He did, and the girls quickly followed his lead. ¡°Please follow me.¡±


    They moved from the room where people were sitting to a room nearby. It was about half as big as a ssroom at Saint-Noel and could fit at most a dozen people. The table in the middle of the room was round, which was interesting. During formal dinners, it wasmon for people to sit where their social status told them to. A round table made it impossible to do this. Just as the group stopped because they didn¡¯t know where to sit, they heard a new voice.


    ¡°Wee everyone, pleasee in.¡±


    It was calm and gentle, like the sun in the fall. The voice belonged to a plump woman with gray hair who was smiling and had lines on her face that showed she usually had a kind face. Mia felt thest of her stress leave her body as she was soothed even more.


    ¡°Hello. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mia Luna Tearmoon, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    Next, Esmeralda and Tiona each greeted the woman, who looked at them, listened, and smiled before saying she was the queen consort.


    ¡°Thank you all for taking such good care of Sion,¡± she said, her voice now full of the warmth of spring.


    Then Sion and his brother, who were with King Abram, stepped in. The younger prince had the same gray hair, which was well-kept and looked beautiful. His long forelocks fell over his eyes, which cautiously peered through the strands.


    ¡°I think everyone here knows Sion well enough,¡± the king said as he looked at Echard. ¡°Okay, then. Go ahead and introduce yourself.¡±


    The young boy stepped forward and bowed gracefully when he was told to. ¡°Hello. My name is Echard Sol Sunnd.¡±


    He fidgeted a bit before he managed a endearing, forced smile. It almost made Mia like him right away.


    <i>He¡¯s so adorable¡­ No, wait! </i>She stopped herself just in time.<i> He is the one behind Sion¡¯s assassination. I can¡¯t let down my guard.</i>


    She couldn¡¯t help but look at him with suspicion. She looked at his cute haircut, then his cute eyes, then the cute way he tilted his head when he was confused¡­


    Nope! He was way too cute for wariness.


    <i>I mean, now that I think about it, a cute kid like him couldn¡¯t possibly be nning to kill someone. Most likely, that Lampron guy is using him to get what he wants¡­</i>


    ¡°Ah, by the way, Princess Mia,¡± the king added. ¡°Count Lampron told me that you like mushroom dishes, so I had one made for you today. Even though there is only one dish, I hope you will like it.¡±


    ¡°Have you! My, I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    What do you know? It sounds like Count Lampron is a nice guy. Most likely, he has nothing to do with what happened. It would be a huge mistake to think of him as a bad guy.


    Mia changed her mind right away. Since she changed her mind so often, she should really think about bing a head surgeon.

 Chapter 463

    <h4>Chapter 463 </h4>


    <strong>Citrina Killing Time</strong>


    ¡°My, both of you went out too?¡±


    Mia asked Bel a question, and Bel smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, and we found out about a really cool ce. It¡¯s called an open market.¡±


    Citrina heard Bel talk about their trip. As she did this, she thought about how to use what she had learned.


    <i>A market that all businesses in the area can use for free¡­ Prince Echard went missing in a ce where there was probably a lot of shadying and going. It was only for a brief moment, but he did vanish. That brings up a lot of questions¡­</i>


    If he had just gotten lost, that would have been fine, but what if he had met the Chaos Serpents? Citrina thought the risk was too big to ignore, so she asked Mia what to do. She waited until Bel was done telling her story and started walking around the room before whispering something to Mia.


    ¡°Your Highness, I was wondering about the open market, and how¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­Prince Echard is the real problem, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    The answer that Mia mumbled took the breath out of Citrina¡¯s lungs. She just stared at her in shock. She felt like someone had just read her mind.


    <i>She¡­knows already?</i>


    It was true that they had been in the city for a few days. That was enough time for her to find out on her own what she needed to know. Even so¡­


    <i>Connery sure isn¡¯t keeping his mouth shut for someone who made me swear not to tell anyone else.</i>


    Citrina remembered the man who had been with them the whole time. He looked like the kind of person whose hard work only got him more work. She was worried about the man.


    Citrina had kept all of her rtionships on the emotional edge for most of her life. She could get orders to kill a friend at any time, so she tried to block out any feelings she had for the people around her. Mia, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t ask her to kill anyone. She had said it very clearly. When this restriction was taken away, Citrina automatically started to make friends and show kindness and care to those who had done the same for her. Especially Connery had helped her get a lot of time to y with Bel. To be honest, it was harder to ask her to not like him.


    In any event¡­


    ¡°What should I do next?¡±


    Citrina asked Mia for directions without giving it much thought. She had always lived this way: she would ask for direction and then do what she wasmanded. She had done this for both Barbara and her father. Now, it was Mia telling her what to do. So, that¡¯s it. No other changes had happened. Most importantly, she was still an ex-Chaos Serpent, no matter how much she had changed. Even worse, she had tried to kill Mia. How could she have any control over what she did? She should and could only do what Mia told her to.


    At least, that¡¯s what she thought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    Mia ceded the decision making, which was the opposite of what she thought would happen. Mia was relying on her good sense. Giving her information about the Serpent. She had to decide.


    ¡°Okay, I get it. It will be done, or I¡¯ll die trying¡­¡±


    Citrina felt her feelings rising as she looked into Mia¡¯s trusting eyes. She felt the weight of duty on her shoulders and did her best to carry it.


    ¡ª


    Citrina sneaked out of the Lampron house by using the information she got from Connery to avoid the guards.


    <i>Connery definitely needs to keep his mouth shut. Before I leave, I probably should lecture him on how to keep his mouth shut.</i>


    She walked down a path with the confidence of someone who lived there. During the day, when she went around town with Bel, she got to know how the city was set up. After getting some distance from the house, she lit a handheldntern. The night was pushed back by a yellow glow.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    She slipped from dark alley to dark alley on her way to the open market. Even though the streets of the royal city were busy during the day, they were empty at night. A few guards evaded, but she had already left District One, which was close to the royal house. As she moved forward, the tall castle faded into the distance, and the smell of the air started to change. It had a light scent of perfume. At times, she smelled something stronger and more intoxicating: hard liquor, the kind that is used to get people to drink even when they don¡¯t want to. Danger was in the air that night. It wasn¡¯t a ce for a girl of her ss.


    Unlike the man who appeared from the shadows. He looked like he should have been there.


    ¡°Hey, what do we have here? How did a young noble end up in this part of town?¡±


    He walked into the light from herntern, showing a badly scarred face and a thug¡¯s grin. She stole a quick look behind her. Behind her, there was a second man.


    ¡°Heh, heh, heh, you shouldn¡¯t be out there by yourself. See, it¡¯s dangerous here? How about letting me and my friend protect you from the bad guys in town?¡±


    He looked at her like a wolf. Based on how he knew at first nce that she was a noble¡­


    <i>Connery was right. It was a thief or maybe a human trafficker. This area is not a good ce to live.</i>


    Citrina made these observations without sounding worried. She wasn¡¯t very good at fighting, and she wasn¡¯t any better at acrobatics than the normal noble girl her age. No matter how good she was at killing people, it wouldn¡¯t help her in this position. Things that happened around her showed that she should be scared. But if she should have been, why wasn¡¯t she?


    That¡¯s not even the right question, though. The first question to ask is why she was holding antern in the first ce. Citrina knew that weak people shouldn¡¯t carry lights when going around in the dark. It would show where the carrier was, which could attract predators. Whatever bonus is there for having a light, is totally useless in a brawl. If there was enough moonlight to see, there was no need for candles. So why was she holding it?


    Well, she was actually trying to get a predator toe to her. And not just any predator. One who probably knew this open market like the back of his hand and could get guys like these two to fall asleep in a ditch for the rest of the night.


    That¡¯s right. Mia herself had said so. Their good friend had been looking a little boredtely, so she didn¡¯t mind if Citrina did her thing with that friend. Also, this friend didn¡¯te with Mia to eat with the Sunnd king, which was very handy. If this were a game, the answers would be too easy to figure out.


    She had nned to do that. To keep her from getting hurt. Mia gave Citrina the best sword she had.


    So, Citrina did nothing. She just waited, hoping that the man would not be so bored that he would let the Yellowmoon girl sneak away in a very suspicious way while he did nothing.


    <i>I know his kind. If you ask them for help, they will say no. Tell them to leave you alone, and they will follow you around all day.</i>


    She didn¡¯t have any proof that she was right. She came here on conviction alone. Conviction and a little bit of consideration: that¡¯s why she brought antern.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude to keep ady waiting, you know,¡± she said into the dark and empty gloom. ¡°Or is this pair not even worth your time?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you saying, girl?¡±


    ¡°I really hope it¡¯s not because you¡¯re a sick person who likes to see girls like Rina scared and crying.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you talking¡ªUgh!¡± The man cried out in pain and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Well, well, well, well¡­ It looks like I gave you exactly what you wanted. That really gets under my skin. Also, just so you know, I saw you cry a lot at the Yellowmoon house, but I didn¡¯t really care. I¡¯d rather make the princess cry than any other person. It sounds way more fun to watch her lose her head.¡±


    Where the bad guy used to stand, the man Citrina had been waiting for came out of the darkness. Dion ia, one of the best soldiers in the Empire, hade.


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to satisfy your tastes. Could I make it up to you with some conversation? I¡¯m sure it will keep you from getting bored. I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you for a long time.¡± Citrina smiled at him with one of her best smiles and tilted her head like a cute cherry. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen that you and Bel seem to know each other pretty well, and I was wondering¡­ What¡¯s the big idea, hmm?¡±

 Chapter 464

    <h4>Chapter 464 </h4>


    <strong>A Heart Ny-Seven Percent Pure</strong>


    ¡°Princess Mia, on that note¡­ Even though it¡¯s been a while, I¡¯d like to offer my apologies for what happened in the Kingdom of Remno. It seems to me that my kingdom has given you a lot of grief.¡± King Abram lowered his head.


    Mia replied by shaking hers in a quiet way.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise to me, Your Majesty. We no longer have any problems with Remno because of what happened. Prince Sion has already apologised to me, too. It¡¯s already happened, so let¡¯s not keep going after it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to go through any trouble, and Prince Sion¡¯s help was essential to solving the problem. There¡¯s really no need to apologise.¡±


    Abram sighed when he saw how kind she was.


    ¡°All right. Sion told me that Princess Mia of Tearmoon has a very big heart. I now realize that he was right.¡±


    The queen consort seemed to agree with him, and they both gave a satisfied nod. So, it goes without saying that their assessment was a little off. Not Mia¡¯s heart, but her stomach, was big. Right now, said gut was also very empty, and apologies wouldn¡¯t fill it up. She was interested in the food, not apologies! Especially the kind with mushrooms!


    ¡°So, enough with the business stuff. Let¡¯s eat. Due to how quickly this party came together, we could only make a few easy dishes. I really hope you¡¯ll like them.¡±


    Dinner was served when the king said so. Mia realized quickly that when he said ¡°simple dishes,¡± he was being very, very modest.


    ¡°Wow, this is a great menu!¡± Mia let out a happy cry as dish after dish of gourmet creations were put on the table. Each dish was as good as or better than the food served at the Whitemoon Pce. The Sunnd bread was just right when it came out of the oven. Since this kind of bread was known to get hard over time, it was best to eat it right away to enjoy its crisp texture and slightly sweet smell. But her favorite, and maybe even the best part of the whole meal, was one of the first dishes she ate.


    ¡°For the appetizers, we have sunshine tomato gtin sd and salt-fried champignons du soleil,¡± the cook said before putting the dishes on the table.


    For the former, red, ripe tomatoes were cut into small pieces and used to make an aspic. It looked like a gem on the te because it was clear and gtinous. But the champignons du soleil were even more beautiful. Mia¡¯s palm-sized mushrooms had been cut into thin pieces and fried with salt. That was all. The simplicity of the cooking process felt to her like a challenge from the chef.


    <i>No difficult handiwork, and no showy tricks. I understand what they¡¯re trying to do. The idea is to cook the food as little as possible to bring out as much of its natural taste as possible.</i>


    Mia¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. First, she grabbed a nearby ss of water and drank a little of it to wet her taste buds. Next, she took her fork and, using smooth, measured movements, pushed the prongs into a slice of champignon.


    <i>A beginner would probably cut this mushroom slice in half and eat one half. Nope, not me. As an expert, I know how to eat these properly.</i>


    The piece looked a little too big to eat all at once. But Mia was smarter than that.


    <i>This was made by a cook who was ready to go into the ring with just heat and salt. I refuse to believe that no thought was given to how it would taste.</i>


    Simply put, she hade to the conclusion that this slice, no matter how big it looked, had been carefully cut not only to fit her mouth but also to taste best when eaten in one bite. So, she picked up the piece and ate it all by herself.


    Her eyes filled with tears of happiness. She could taste a hint of saltiness, but it was just right. It was just the right amount to go with the simple but delicate taste of the mushrooms. She felt like she¡¯d tasted the earth¡¯s goodness. When she bit down, a soft barrier met her teeth. As she chewed more, she heard a soft snap, which was a very pleasant sound. She kept going until the flesh gave way. The mushroom had been fried just right. It was neither hard nor soft. Then she smelled something delicious, which made her nose tingle. Finally, the experience came to an end, leaving her with a sweet taste on her lips.


    ¡°Exquisite¡­ Absolutely exquisite work,¡± she said in a voice that made her sound like she was in a trance. Her mind was filled with images of woods and mushrooms slowly growing.


    Mia, who knew a lot about mushrooms, had the highest respect for the chef. King Abram smiled when he saw how happy she was.


    ¡°I¡¯d heard that the princess of Tearmoon was really interested in food. It looks like the story is true.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I do like to eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°Then, mostly true. Good enough. I think you also went to Perujin in thest few months?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. If there was a famine, Perujin would be a very important food source for us. I thought it was important to build a rtionship with mutual trust with them.¡±


    Abram¡¯s eyes lit up with a sharp glint.


    ¡°Princess Mia, tell me something. Sion told me that you had predicted that there wouldn¡¯t be enough food. Not only that, but you also said that bad yields would keep happening for years toe, which would lead to arge-scale famine. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°I said those words, that¡¯s true. As for their veracity, I do not know. No one knows what the future will bring. I can only tell you that our kingdom is getting ready for a famine. We have ways to make sure our people don¡¯t go hungry.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ To be honest, I have a number of retainers who think Tearmoon is stockpiling food for a fight to expand its territory.¡±


    ¡°What? Father, that¡¯s a crazy idea! Who said that?¡± Sion asked, clearly upset by what he had just heard.


    ¡°Common sense would suggest,¡± Abram said in a calm voice, ¡°that the most likely reason for such strange behavior is not that she knows the world¡¯s worst famine ising, but that they are preparing for a military operation.¡±


    He looked at Mia, who answered in a way that sounded more like a thought than a sentence. ¡°My, what a phappy way of thinking¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? You say¡¯phappy¡¯?¡± Abram¡¯s eyebrow rose.


    ¡°Yes. phappy.¡±


    Having lived through the hell that was the Great Famine, she didn¡¯t know how else to describe how people felt. It was the worst kind of beingzy.


    ¡°War¡­¡± she strarted again. ¡°In times of abundance, maybe¡­ But when famine is knocking on my door, I don¡¯t have much money to waste on such nonsense.¡±


    It made no sense to go to war right now, so she didn¡¯t even bother to think about it. Some people might suggest an attack to get more food, but no one would give up theirnd or crops for free. A war would destroy good farms, kill a lot of people who worked on them, and make everyone hungry the next year.


    <i>Even so, it might be worth it if we were so strong that we could scare our enemies into giving up before they got desperate and burned their fields¡­</i>


    For example, letting a hundred Dion ias loose in a nation might do the job. She had a short moment of fun by imagining how that would happen.


    <i>He is already a one-man army, so sending him would be like sending a hundred armies. In fact, I¡¯m not sure I could look at a hundred Dion creatures all at once and not faint from fear¡­</i>


    In the end, she thought that war was not the answer to hunger. It was only good for a short time and didn¡¯t solve anything; it just put things off untilter. If it didn¡¯t fix the problem, it wasn¡¯t a good choice.


    ¡°If you have enough food and enough people, you might be able to seek fame and conquest. But the next time will be one of hunger andck. Now is not the time to fight. Right now, we can¡¯t afford to be killing people and destroying the fields.¡±


    A thought suddenly urred to her and she added, ¡°Oh, but using that as an excuse could be very useful.¡±


    ¡°An excuse? What excuse?¡±


    ¡°Using what I just said. Tell your people that there may be an invasion nned by the Tearmoon Empire. Use this as an excuse to start stockpiling food. That¡¯s my honest advice for you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ So you know for sure, Princess Mia, that there will be a famine,¡± the king said. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, you should be busy. So, why did you bring yourself here to Sunnd? Is there anything more important?¡±


    ¡°Why, yes, there most certainly is¡­¡±


    Mia thought for a moment about how to take advantage of a chance that came up out of the blue. This was the best chance to find out more about Prince Echard and why Sion was killed. She couldn¡¯t say everything, of course, but she had a good reason to say just enough to get things going.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because one of my best friends, Esmeralda, had received a marriage proposal, and I wanted to find out how good her potential groom is,¡± she said with pride.


    Her voice was clear and pure. There was neither guilt nor deception. It was the truth. Just that¡­ it wasn¡¯t all of the truth. Esmeralda was important to her in some way. No matter what other reasons she might have, they couldn¡¯t ount for more than, say, 3% of the whole. The mistake in that number could be in the dozens, but that doesn¡¯t matter. It was 3 percent. So, at that moment, Mia¡¯s heart was as pure as a jellyfish is water, which is to say that it was 97% pure.

 Chapter 465

    <h4>Chapter 465 </h4>


    <strong>One of my Best Friends: One of = Best Friend?</strong>


    <i>Wow, that¡¯s the person Sion goes to school with¡­ Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡­</i>


    Echard was shocked by how mature and calm she was. She was polite when the king apologized, and then she went right back to eating as if nothing had happened.


    <i>If father was watching them eat, most people would be lucky not to throw up. How can she keep her cool?</i>


    Echard had never left the country. He thought that the Kingdom of Sunnd was the whole world, and that its king was the most powerful person in the world. No one who had ever eaten with his father had beenpletely at ease. There was always some strain that could be felt. For nobles like Count Lampron, who cared about custom, it went even further and almost reached a level of respect. Even Echard, the king¡¯s own son, would sometimes avoid him because he was so scary.


    <i>Look at her, though. She is only eating. And having fun! Like this was just another meal!</i>


    As the talk went on, his surprise would soon turn into amazement.


    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I have a few retainers who think Tearmoon is stockpiling food for a war to take over morend.¡±


    When his father, the King of Sunnd, said that, he might as well have drawn a sword. It was definitely a challenge, and it wasn¡¯t a friendly one.


    Mia¡¯s answer was simple: ¡°That¡¯s a phappy way of thinking.¡± For her, war was phappy. She had also meant it. She didn¡¯t sound or act like she had any doubts.


    <i>The Great Wisdom of the Empire¡­Count Lampron alwaysined that what happened with the Wind Crows was just a series of idents, but¡­ </i>


    Echard tried to sneak a quick look at what his father was thinking. He saw interest and kindness.


    <i>Father thinks of her highly¡­</i>


    His brother Sion thought of this person as a friend. Sion, with all his gifts and skills, thought she was smart and praised her without any reservations. Sion¡­was most likely right. Echard had just seen how smart and witty she was for himself.


    He grimaced at it. His inferiorityplex filled his mind and heart like a dark ooze. He turned away from her with a sad sigh and looked at another girl at the table.


    <i>And this¡­is my soon-to-be-fiancee,</i> he thought as he looked at Esmeralda, who was a bundle of jitters.


    <i>¡°She is a member of one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Houses. She is a good match for Your Highness because she is an Etoiline.¡±</i> That¡¯s what Count Lampron told him with great pride. In a sense, it was true. Once Sion took over the throne, Echard would be given the title of duke, making them both the same level of power.


    <i>¡°At eighteen, she is a bit older, but I still think she will make a great consort.¡±</i>


    As someone with noble blood, having children was always a very important job. In this case, an eight-year gap was definitely not a good thing. Even so, these kinds of unequal marriages were often set up for political reasons. This was how royals got married. Echard had learned this when he was young, and it was already a part of his life. He didn¡¯t mind much that the girl he might marry was a lot older than him. Even so¡­


    Esmeralda¡¯s nervousness stood out in contrast to Mia¡¯s calmness. She almost hid like a small, scared animal, which was, to be honest, a little sad. Even the third girl, Tiona Rudolvon, carried herself more respectfully. To be so weak that the daughter of an outcount seemed strong inparison¡­


    Echard bit his lip.


    <i>If this was Sion¡¯s wedding, would anyone have thought she was good enough?</i>


    The thought came to him on its own. The person chosen to be his brother¡¯s wife would without a doubt be a very smart and brave person. A person like Princess Mia¡­ He knew it was wrong topare siblings in this way, to think of one as better or worse than the other. But he had no choice.


    <i>Sion has everything¡­ Was born with everything, and then more was added. On the other hand, I¡­ What do I stand a chance of?</i>


    Words that were once whispered in his ear kepting back to him.


    <i>¡°Listen, you don¡¯t have to make it look fancy. Just a small joke. To beat him. Show him who¡¯s boss. Really, it¡¯s for his own good. No one can deal with being perfect. Make him look a little worse. It will help him.¡±</i> With a soft, sweet, and almost snake-like voice¡­ <i>¡°Here, take this drug and put it in something he drinks. It just hurts a little in the stomach. Nothing important. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t say it yet, okay? Look, just throw it away if you change your mind after I leave. There¡¯s no harm done.¡±</i>


    They had been in his heart for a long time. Just then¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m here because one of my best friends, Esmeralda, has been asked to marry someone, and I thought it was important to find out how good he is.¡±


    His dark thoughts were interrupted by a clear voice. He looked in that direction to find the light of the moon.


    <i>She thinks of her as a close friend¡­</i>


    No matter how he looked at Esmeralda, he couldn¡¯t see how she could be good enough to be a friend of the Great Wisdom of the Empire. Mia had said it anyway, even though it might not have been true. The princess was here to judge the man Esmeralda might marry. She had traveled this far to for her friend. The world seemed to split in two all of a sudden. The chosen ones stood in all their glory in one ce that was filled with light. In the other, the people who didn¡¯t have much huddled together in the dark.


    <i>Craaaack!</i>


    He thought he could hear the sound of broken ss. The zing brightness of his brother and this young wisdom had finally melted thest lock in his heart. The dam gave way. Out came defeat, and with it came contempt.


    Only one phrase could be heard in the silence¡­


    <i>¡°Put him in his ce. Really, it¡¯s for his sake.¡±</i>


    ¡ª


    <i>Oh, I just can¡¯t anymore¡­ I¡¯m feeling bad¡­</i>


    At the same time, Esmeralda was so worried that she was about to pass out. As soon as she felt the king¡¯s intimidating presence, her scared heart began to beat fast, and it hadn¡¯t stopped since. For all she knew, the food could have been tes of sand. She didn¡¯t even know where she was or what she was eating. She couldn¡¯t breathe because of the fear, doubt, and confusion that were pressing on her chest.


    <i>Oh no, I feel like I¡¯m going to pass out¡­</i>


    Just as she was about to lose thest bit of control she had, she heard Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because one of my best friends, Esmeralda, has been asked to marry someone, and I thought it was important to find out how good he is.¡±


    The beat in her heart skipped. Had she been fooled by her ears? No, she had heard it for sure. Mia clearly said she was her ¡°best friend.¡±


    <i>I¡¯m Miss Mia¡¯s best friend, that¡¯s right!</i>


    That thought cleared her mind like a fresh breeze in the morning. She remembered all of a sudden who she was and why she was there.


    What a shame! Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, get a grip on yourself! You¡¯re a proud Etoiline, the oldest girl in your family, and, most importantly, Mia-sama¡¯s best friend. This is not the time to act like a fool.


    She got a hold of herself literally by holding herself at the hips with her arms out in front of her. Then she looked at the person who might be her husband for the first time.


    <i>He has such a cute face! He also seems very smart. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s staring in the space like that¡­ He must be shy, that¡¯s why. Oh, that¡¯s so cute. I have to say that this boy has a lot of promise. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll look as good as his brother does one day.</i>


    Esmeralda, lover of good looks, was back in action!

 Chapter 466

    <h4>Chapter 466 </h4>


    <strong>Esmeralda, Lover of Good Looks; and Mia, Lover of Good Food.</strong>


    <i>How should I proceed¡­?</i>


    Mia thought about what she could do. She needed to know more about Echard¡¯s reasons, but she didn¡¯t know how to do that. Asking him if he hates Sion or if he ns to put poison in someone¡¯s drink soon was probably not going to work. While she thought, Esmeralda, the self-appointed leader of the Tearmoon team, had already started to make her first move.


    ¡°My, Prince Echard, don¡¯t you like those mushrooms?¡±


    The fear that had made her face pale had gone away. Even better than usual, it seemed.


    <i>Oh? Has Esmeralda finally picked up herself again?</i>


    Mia was happy and felt better. She was proud to say that Esmeralda was her friend, even though she knew that this deal with Sunnd was probably a sign that her family was trying to get the throne. That was enough for Mia to believe her, and after a moment of thought, she decided to leave everything up to her. Esmeralda wasn¡¯t always steady, but the most important things had to be taken care of. For example, this food wouldn¡¯t stay hot for ever. Eating it shoulde first.


    ¡ª


    Even though Mia didn¡¯t think much of Esmeralda, she was actually pretty good with people. She was educated as a noble, so she could use a lot of wit in her talks. She wasn¡¯t as good at dancing as Mia, but she could do a few spins without making a fool of herself. On top of that, she had experience with men, which was another tool she could use. Boys, more so. Growing up with little brothers gave her an unconsciously easy way to make friends with young boys. She looked at them with the skill of a master artist when she judged them, and she used that skill to the fullest. Within seconds, she found a way in: the mushrooms that were sitting on the edge of his te, untouched.


    <i>Strange-tasting mushrooms are hard for a lot of kids to eat. The same is true of my little brothers. What spoiled brats¡­</i>


    If anyone is asking, Mia would have said, ¡°Oh, what a waste,¡± if she had been the one to notice. I¡¯ll eat them for you right here.¡± That¡¯s all.


    Esmeralda would start by asking him why he didn¡¯t like a certain food. Then she would talk about foods he did like, which she would use as a springboard to talk about other things. Talking about seafood could be turned into an interesting story about swimming in the ocean. If you talk about red meat, you might talk about exotic foods from other countries.


    As a house of diplomats, the Greenmoons knew firsthand how important knowledge was. They thought that there was no such thing as useless information and that even useless facts could be used to spice up a conversation and make it more interesting. By talking about both known and unfamiliar things, they made themselves greatmunicators, and Esmeralda was a master at this skill.


    Her opener, on the other hand, didn¡¯t quite get the response she was hoping for. Echard gave Sion a quick look before shaking his head in answer to her question.


    ¡°No, everything is fine¡­ I don¡¯t mind them too much,¡± he said as he put one in his mouth.


    <i>Oh? How strange. Did I get him wrong?</i> Esmeralda frowned. He might have been the type to save the best forst. <i>But, no¡­ Hmm¡­</i>


    She believed her eyes, and she knew that they had seen hesitation in his eyes. What was happening?


    ¡ª


    Mia was the type to eat her favorite food first, in case anyone was still asking. Then, when she was done eating everything else on her te, she would ask for more. In other words, she began with her favorite and finished with it. That¡¯s what Mia did.


    Thank you for reading thispletely pointless paragraph that only showed how hungry she was. On with the story.


    ¡ª


    Echard¡¯s cheeks bobbed up and down. Probably chewing. This went on for a while, and he finally got it down with a hard gulp. This made Esmeralda even more sure of what she thought. The boy didn¡¯t like mushrooms at all.


    She asked, ¡°So, what do you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°I have no preference. We should and will eat everything that our farmers put their hearts and souls into growing and that the earth blessed.¡±


    .


    The way he said this was so indifferent that it shocked her. Most royal children were spoiled as kids, which made them very self-centered as adults. The worst signs of this were often fixed when the child was a teenager, but being picky about what they ate was not seen as a big deal and was often left alone. Echard¡¯s answer was about the furthest thing you could get from being self-centered. She was surprised by this strange sign of growth. Andfound it ?adorable.


    <i>I think I understand what¡¯s going on here. He wants to look like a grown-up. Oh, that¡¯s so cute.</i>


    She kept thinking about the young prince more and more.


    ¡ª


    What Mia thought about the conversation was¡­


    Well, I¡¯m d Esmeralda calmed down, but I¡¯m starting to worry that she¡¯s bing too much like herself. I hope she remembers why we¡¯re here. I don¡¯t mind that she likes cute boys and stuff, but she shouldn¡¯t let that get in the way of things that are more important: ?Oh moons, this is so good¡­ Mmm¡­ What was I thinking again?


    They were both lovers of different things, but they are of same nature.

 Chapter 467

    <h4>Chapter 467 </h4>


    <strong>By the Way, Have You Noticed?</strong>


    Now, for a change of pace and setting¡­


    It was night, and the alley was even darker. Citrina began to question the man who had a mark on his cheek in the shape of Dion¡¯s fist. She did this while standing in the shadows. Dion had done the same thing to the other man, but he was still unconscious, so he didn¡¯t have to be questioned.


    Her target wasn¡¯t tied down at all, but fear or pain had stopped him from moving his legs. He sat hopelessly on his backside as she came up slowly.


    ¡°Okay, I think you know what to do. Let¡¯s hear what you have to say,¡± she said as she put her face close to his.


    The man almost squealed when she smiled. He then gave his unconscious partner an angry look. If they had both stayed awake, they could have flipped a coin to decide who would be questioned.


    When Dion saw this, he beamed. ¡°You did get lucky, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the only one awake, so I can¡¯t beat you until you¡¯re unconscious. If you were both awake, I could use one of you as an example to get the other to talk.¡± Dion moved closer and spoke in a whisper. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather be the example? I can wait until your friend gets up.¡±


    The man did squeal this time.


    ¡°Dion ia, could you please be a little less rude?¡± Citrina gave a warning while still keeping her smile. ¡°If you scare him too much, it will make the tortur: I mean, questioning less effective.¡±


    She said this in the most charming way. It made the man feel as cold as ice. He was so scared that he didn¡¯t know who this girl was. And how did she stay so calm while standing next to this man who seemed like he liked to cut off heads for fun?


    People tend to be afraid of things that aren¡¯t normal, and this girl was just that. The way she made him feel was like running into a stunningly beautiful woman at midnight in the middle of a graveyard. It would be great in a bar. At a cemetery, it made people wet their pants. Sadly, he had already lost his chance. If he had thought about how strange it was for a rich girl to be walking around in a dangerous part of town at night, none of this would have happened. Regret can¡¯t be fixed by looking back, though. Now he had to look at a smiling Citrina, whose voice was getting more and more melodious.


    ¡°Tell me, you¡¯re not one of those bad people who specializes in human trafficking or kidnapping, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tehee, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to act. Lies will only waste time. Yours and mine. I honestly don¡¯t care if you did those things or not right now. I¡¯m a little curious about what you were going to do to Rina, but I¡¯ll make an exception and ignore that,¡± she said, holding her fingers to her cheek in a cute way.


    After that, her smile went away.


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m thinking about how you can be useful to Rina, and you should be thinking about the same thing. Have you thought of anything?¡±


    She looked up at his face while her head was at the same level as his chest. Her big gray eyes that didn¡¯t blink made him gasp.


    ¡°I suggest that you think very, very carefully before answering.¡±


    Her smile came back all of a sudden, and she began to talk in a slow, serious way.


    ¡°To help you out, let Rina tell you that Prince Echard was in this area not too long ago, and I¡¯m looking for the people he talked to. If you happen to know anything about them¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m so nice, I¡¯ll even warn you again. ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ is thest thing I want to hear. If you don¡¯t know, you should tell me who does, or I won¡¯t have any reason to be nice to you anymore.¡±


    The man let out a desperate scream as his face turned white, and she smiled even sweeter.


    ¡°Well, now is the time to answer. Do you happen to know the people who talked to Prince Echard?¡± She asked in a way that showed she was enjoying the conversation a lot.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Hmm¡­ A man with an equestrian ent¡­ I wonder if he¡¯s still hiding somewhere nearby,¡± Citrina murmured after she was done questioning him. ¡°Most likely not¡­ But, just in case¡­,¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but what do you want me to do with these two?¡± Dion asked, looking down at the two guys tied together at his feet.


    ¡°Hmm, interesting question. I¡¯m not a Sunnd noble, so keeping this capital safe is thest thing on my mind. But Bel is here right now, and I don¡¯t want her to get in trouble, so let¡¯s tell some castle guards,¡± she said, pping her palm. ¡°Oh, forget that! What¡¯s your deal with Bel? That¡¯s more important. She talks about you so much that you¡¯d think you were best friends or something.¡±


    Dion¡¯s eyebrows went up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again. I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I know the girl, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    That made sense based on what Citrina had learned. Also, Dion ia wasn¡¯t exactly the type to trust people. Because of who he is and the fact that Bel¡¯s past is a bit of a secret, he would keep an extra close eye on her. He would never be best friends with her.


    All of that was circumstantial proof, though, and she didn¡¯t care about that right now. She heard about it from her friend. For Citrina, there couldn¡¯t be any bigger truth. So, anything Dion said that went against what Bel said could only be wrong, no matter how true it sounded. This made her think that the way he was acting now was very strange.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to act like a fool, huh? That can only mean you¡¯re trying to hide something. What is it? Oh no, don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡± She gave him a hard look.


    ¡°Dion ia,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the kind of person who likes young women, right? You¡¯re after Bel.¡±


    ¡°Bah ha ha. Oh,e on. Twenty is the limit for me,¡± he said, dismissing her im. ¡°It¡¯s said that iron sharpens iron, but people also sharpen each other. I¡¯d rather be whetted by a girl made of steel. After all, crossing a dull de is no fun. If we¡¯re going to dance, let¡¯s do it on the edge of a knife. Sorry to break it to you, but in that way, I don¡¯t see any difference between you, the princess, and the Greenmoon girl. If you want my love, you¡¯ll have to be much tougher.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure we¡¯re talking about the same thing? Rtionships and love? Why do I get the feeling that you want to cut off someone¡¯s head instead?¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it true that love is love? Who cares what de it¡¯s told through?¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have many friends, do you?¡± asked Citrina, horrified.


    Dion looked at her, then gave a shrug. ¡°Not very many, but probably more than you, little miss Yellowmoon.¡±


    Citrina¡¯s face went totally nk as soon as he said that. She looked at the ground below her. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I have Bel. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Dion scratched his head strangely because he knew he had brought up a hard subject for the girl.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I know what you mean. It¡¯s enough to have one soul mate. Friends, on the other hand, are good to have more of. And you don¡¯t have to hurry, so just take your time finding them. Might as well, now that your family isn¡¯t holding you back,¡± he said, giving her a sideways look before looking away again.


    Citrina gave him a look of surprise.


    ¡°Dion ia, you sneaky man. Were you trying to hide a heart behind that murder-happy persona the whole time?¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, and it also beats. I don¡¯t wear my heart on my sleeve, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe sometimes you should. With kids, being honest goes a long way. And it looks like you¡¯re pretty good with them. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to do something like bing a teacher?¡± Citrina said in a teasing tone.


    He made a face. ¡°No way. Unless you want to kill me through boredom.¡±


    .


    ¡°You sure? I think it would work out pretty well for you. Even more so if you do it for Her Highness. Being bored doesn¡¯tst long when she¡¯s around.¡±


    He tried to answer her joke, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. He scrunched up his face and shook his head.


    ¡ª


    Also, did anyone notice that he put one girl on his list of young girls who was definitely over twenty, at least on the inside?

 Chapter 468

    <h4>Chapter 468 </h4>


    <strong>Slurp! Is this¡­ Poison?</strong>


    Mia was about to start eating the main course, which was a hot te of Sunnd beef tenderloin, when she noticed something.


    <i>Wait¡­ I thought I was supposed to gather facts.</i>


    She had done nothing of the sort. Ludwig worked hard to give her this chance, and it wouldn¡¯t be smart to waste it. It was time to get down to business. So, she took a ribeye piece and put it in her mouth. Her mouth and nose enjoyed the rich sauce, whose taste and smell were enhanced by the natural moisture of the meat. She enjoyed it, and then she did it again with another piece. When she had eaten about half of the food, she finally stopped looking at it and started looking around.


    <i>Esmeralda seems to be doing her part of getting information pretty well. She has a lot of feelings for Prince Echard. I guess I need to look at it from a different point of view.</i>


    Someone here must know something important about Sion¡¯s possible murder, and she was going to find out who it was. She finished the other half of her steak and then used a piece of bread to scoop up the rest of the sauce. For cooks, sauces were the pinnacle of their skills, putting all of their knowledge into a single, liquid form. Mia¡¯s way of showing respect was to drink up everyst drop.


    Anyway, once the food-rted issues were settled, she went right after Sion.


    ¡°I have to say, Prince Sion, that I¡¯m a little sad that you didn¡¯t tell me anything about this thing between your brother and Esmeralda. I was hoping for a little more candor.¡±


    Sion gave a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I didn¡¯t know that either. I only just found out about it.¡±


    ¡°My! You didn¡¯t either?¡±


    It seemed like very important information! Mia¡¯s eyes got bigger when she saw a chance¡­


    <i>Hold on a second¡­</i>


    Then got smaller again.


    <i>That doesn¡¯te as a surprise at all. This marriage was set up to make me and Sion look bad from a political point of view. No, they wouldn¡¯t tell him before hand. But, hmm, I wonder if he knows about Count Lampron¡¯s role and what that means. If he knows what the count wants, that would mean he¡¯s letting this marriage happen on purpose¡­</i>


    She chewed on that thought some more. It was pretty tasty. Same as bread. It was actually bread. And they were really chewy. No matter what, she came to the conclusion that Sion couldn¡¯t be unaware of what was going on. Her reasoning? Because no one knew about it, the whole thing. After all, this was Sion. Perfection on legs. He didn¡¯t know ahead of time that his own brother might be getting married. Was she to think that he would just scratch his head and shrug when he found out about such a clear attempt to get rid of him?


    <i>Not at all. He has definitely looked into it, and either he¡¯s letting it happen on purpose or he has no other choice. Hmm¡­ I wonder what King Abram thinks about this.</i>


    She looked at the king. ¡°In any case, Prince Echard¡¯s marriage to Esmeralda will definitely make ties between Tearmoon and Sunnd stronger, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. It makes me happy to think that our nations will be brought closer together.¡± He gave a friendly smile. ¡°It¡¯s good for us and probably good for the whole continent. If this great famine you talk about really happens, then all countries must work together to stop it. Then we can do what we need to do for our people.¡±


    Mia smiled in return. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have my words believed.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even have time to finish the statement before she felt something strange.


    <i>Oh? How odd¡­ My stomach feels kind of¡­</i>


    It came quickly and hard, and it hit her right in the stomach. It felt like¡­I had an upset stomach. When she realized what it meant, she looked up with a gasp and licked her lips, which tasted like sauce. Sauce that is strong enough to cover up other tastes. She felt a chill go down her back.


    <i>Is this¡­ Is this poison?!</i>


    No. It was just heartburn from eating too much. Let there be no question that she was going to suffer because she didn¡¯t know how to control how much she ate.


    That¡¯s right. All the talk about her gut before was a lie! She didn¡¯t have a big heart or a big gut. The only thing big about her was that she thought her guts were big. She thought that her stomach could eat anything as long as it was tasty, but that was just her opinion. There was a physical limit to how much her stomach could hold, and she couldn¡¯t get around it. During her lunch with Rafina, her stomach had already taken in a lot of food. Now that it had to eat even more for dinner, it could no longer handle it and raised the pain g.


    Also, it wasn¡¯t that Mia hadn¡¯t thought, ¡°Oh no, I might have eaten too much,¡± but she didn¡¯t say it. As a way to avoid feeling ashamed, her brain had just chosen escape. She would rather say that her episode was caused by poison than by eating too much.


    The trouble was that stomachaches hurt, and she couldn¡¯t get away from the real pain she was starting to feel no matter how much she tried to think about something else. The reason could have been poison, overeating, or anything else, but the way it happened was unique.


    <i>It¡¯s a terrible faux pas to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of a formal dinner, but ow, ow, ow! I have no choice.</i>


    She got up from her seat with a sad determination.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, but I¡¯ll need to be excused for a few moments.¡±


    She quickly made her way out of the dining room with a beautiful curtsy. She quickly got where she was going after getting directions from a maid who was waiting in the hallway.


    ¡ª


    After she was done and got out of the toilet, a young man walked up to her.


    ¡°Princess Mia,¡±


    It was no other than Keithwood, Sion¡¯s attendant.


    ¡°My, Keithwood? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    When she asked what was wrong, he gave her a very serious look. ¡°I thought there was something you should know¡­ But first, have you been able to get in touch with Ludwig?¡±


    <i>Huh? What did he say about Ludwig?</i>


    She was about to answer with a confused frown on her face when it hit her. Keithwood thought that she had left instructions for Ludwig what to do. That was good. But her answer was a little tricky. If she tells a clear lie, he might get suspicious. She lied about the real reason, which was that she had eaten herself sick. She didn¡¯t want him to find out the embarrassing truth.


    ¡°Oho ho. You know me. I¡¯d never do that,¡± she said in a way that could be taken to mean almost anything.¡±


    This made him nod.


    ¡°Ah. Good enough. We¡¯ll end it there.¡±


    ¡°What did you want to tell me most of all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that¡­¡± He said it in a secretive whisper, ¡°There¡¯s something you should know about Prince Sion and Prince Echard.¡±

 Chapter 469

    <h4>Chapter 469 </h4>


    <strong>Keithwood¡¯s Confidential Information</strong>


    ¡°This is just a guess, but do you happen to be curious about what Prince Sion thinks of this marriage proposal?¡±


    ¡°My, that¡¯s shrewd of you. I certainly am.¡±


    If information could be hunted, Mia would have found it right away. Sion¡¯s closest servant was Keithwood, and he was one of the few people he could be honest with. In other words, Keithwood could be a gold mine of important information.


    <i>Sion doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who has many friends. I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if Keithwood is the only person he can be honest with¡­</i>


    Mia felt a little sorry for Sion, which he was sure to find very annoying. ¡°I assume Sion knows what¡¯s going on with the politics of this?¡±


    Keithwood gave a nod. ¡°Yes. He knows that Count Lampron wants to make a strong political alliance between Prince Echard and the House of Greenmoon to fight against the power of Prince Sion and you both.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So what does Sion think about all of this?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t directly asked him, but I don¡¯t think he threw his hands up in support of the idea.¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a surprise. In the end, it makes his political opponents stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. But I also don¡¯t think he¡¯ll say he doesn¡¯t like the n.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So why?¡±


    Keithwood grimaced.


    ¡°Siblings¡­are hard to understand. I¡¯m sure you already know that His Highness is a great person. His uniqueness shows in his skill with a sword, but it also includes his intelligence, grace, guts, and willingness to stand up for what is right and fair. He has every trait that a king should have. As the heir to the throne, he is perfect in every way.¡±


    Mia wanted to say something mean to bnce out all the nice things he said about Sion, but he said things that were all true. Sion really did have all the traits that would make a good king.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s Prince Echard, who was alwayspared to his brother as he grew up.¡±


    Mia almost said a swear word out loud. <i>Oh, what a poor kid! I really feel bad for him. Sion being his brother¡­ Moons, how scary to think about it!</i>


    The thought was so scary that she couldn¡¯t help but y it out in her mind with a strange interest.


    ===


    <i>¡°I made some tea, Sion. Do you want some?¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°Oh, Mia, my dear sister. As nice and thoughtful as always. I¡¯ll have some tea, for sure.¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°Oh, and can you help me do my homework? I don¡¯t know what to do here¡­¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°Well, yes. How about¡­¡±</i>


    ===


    ¡°¡­Hm? Is it just me, or does it not sound so bad to have Sion as a brother?¡±


    Maybe it was a good thing to have an older brother who was very smart and especially very handsome. Mia was no Esmeralda, but she wasn¡¯t immune to the power of beauty either.


    Oh, but I think I would have to think of him as my sister. What would it be like if Sion were my older sister¡­


    Round two of the simtion. This time, rece the outside with Esmeralda, and leave the inside the same.


    ===


    <i>¡°Mia, my dear sister, my next idea might be building a hospital in the slums. How do you feel about it?¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°My! That¡¯s a great idea, in my opinion.¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°I¡¯m also thinking that we should build a school for the people. What say you?¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°Yes, I say! Esmeralda, you never have anything but good ideas!¡±</i>


    ===


    ¡°Wow, that sounds incredible!¡±


    All she had to do was say ¡°yes¡± to every question, and all the problems would be solved. That was Mia¡¯s dreame true! She had a sudden pang of envy for everyone in the world who had older brothers who were very smart.


    <i>In that way, it doesn¡¯t sound too bad to have Sion as a big brother¡­ But it could be hard if Prince Echard is verypetitive and doesn¡¯t like to lose. I think he¡¯s still young, too. He¡¯s not as grown up as I am, so he doesn¡¯t know how lucky he is. After all, you need a big heart to be able to look past the bad and enjoy the good, and thates with age.</i>


    Again, bigness, delusions, etc., etc., etc.


    ¡°His Highness has always kept an eye on Prince Echard. He can see his pain and knows how much it hurts him to bepared to others.¡±


    ¡°I see. What do they call this again? The curse of the talented, or something like that?¡±


    It was a feeling that was hard for Mia to understand. To be honest, it seemed like a problem that was nice to have. Still, she knew that it didn¡¯t matter if the person was privileged or not; the problem was still hard for them.


    ¡°And then,¡± Keithwood went on, ¡°his poor little brother is set up with a bride. The bride is a Tearmoon Duke¡¯s daughter. The difference in age is big, but her standing is more than enough. Also, the union would be good for Sunnd¡¯s interests. How can he say no to something like that?¡±


    .


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, that¡¯s aplicated issue.¡± Mia groaned. Now that she knew what was going on, she couldn¡¯t me him for not talking. Even well-intentioned advice could be misunderstood.


    ===


    <i>¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too soon for you to get married?¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°What, do you think you¡¯re some kind of hotshot because you¡¯re getting married before me, you little punk?¡± </i>


    <i> ¡°Look in the mirror. In every way, you¡¯re worse than me. What makes you think you are good enough for her?¡±</i>


    ===


    Inferiorityplexes have a way of amplifying the unconscious barbs in other people¡¯s words, whether they are just a little bit of worry or a vicious attack. People in pain would sometimes make uppletely false stories to victimize themselves. Sion was smart enough not to feed fodder to his brother.


    ¡°Even if he spoke out against it, he¡¯d be shutting down political opposition to him,¡± she mused.


    He would be acting in his own best interests. He couldn¡¯t take away a good marriage proposal for his brother just to help his own political standing.


    ¡°How does King Abram feel? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as easy as saying, ¡®It makes me happy to know that our nations will be brought closer together,¡¯ as the king did,¡± said Mia.


    ¡°There perhaps are some truth to his words. Some people think that you are going to invade Tearmoon because you are stockpiling food. This would help His Majesty control these ims.¡±


    ¡°I see. If the Greenmoons got married, it would be a strong point against the invasion case.¡±


    Keithwood gave a serious nod. ¡°I think that another part of his n is to put a member of the royal family close to Count Lampron and his group of conservative nobles.¡±


    ¡°Hm, hm.¡± Mia crossed her arms and thought about all of this information.


    Keithwood said with some hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s all the information I can give.¡±


    She gave him a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. You¡¯ve helped a lot. But, are you sure it¡¯s okay to tell me so much about what goes on inside the royal family?¡±


    He gave a shrug. ¡°I was hoping you could help us get the royal family back on track. We vassals are the only ones with limited power. So I¡¯vee to you, the Great Wisdom of the Empire, to ask for your advice.¡±


    ¡°My! Well, that knowledge won¡¯t be free, you know? I hope you have something good in mind to make up for it,¡± she said with a yful smile that made him smile back with a wry one.


    ¡°All right. So, let me give you another piece of information, and this one is a big one. The royal cook said that today¡¯s dessert could be his best work ever.¡±


    ¡°My! That is¡­¡± Mia rubbed her tummy. ¡°That is definitely a useful piece of information!¡±


    She went back to her seat at the table quickly.

 Chapter 470

    <h4>Chapter 470 </h4>


    <strong>Miabel is Brainwashed: Part 1</strong>


    ¡°Okay, Bel-sama,¡± he said. Ludwig held up a piece of paper and said, ¡°This is your homework for tonight.¡±


    Bel looked at him with a puzzled look. She didn¡¯t know why, but it looked like he was in a hurry.


    ¡°Um, Ludwig-sensei, are you going somewhere?¡± she asked in a childlike way.


    He grimaced. ¡°Please stop calling me ¡®sensei.¡¯ But you¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to leave soon.¡± He stopped for a moment. ¡°That reminds me, where¡¯s Miss Citrina?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she also went out. Right now, I¡¯m the only one here.¡±


    ¡°I get it¡­ Huh?¡± A thought made him frown. All of the Princess Guards were in the mansion, except for the ones who were with Mia. This meant that¡­


    ¡°Oh, I was wondering where Sir Dion is. That makes sense.¡±


    As Ludwig nodded to himself, Bel said, ¡°Um, Ludwig-sensei, if it¡¯s okay, could I go with you?¡±


    Ludwig frowned when she used the academic term over and over again. ¡°Give me a moment¡­¡±


    He thought about what she asked. He wished she would stay here and do her homework, but he wasn¡¯t so foolish to think that would happen without him. Mia also cared a lot about her, and Count Lampron was definitely not a friend. He would make sure that a few imperial guards stayed with her, but even so, he would be leaving her in what was essentially enemy territory. That was something to worry about.


    <i>It might be good for her to see real politics take ce in front of her.</i>


    Ludwig didn¡¯t believe for a second that Bel was Mia¡¯s half-sister. Still, it was clear that the girl looked a little like her. Maybe a long-lost cousin. That seemed usible.


    <i>Not only does Her Highness trust herpletely, but she is also close with Duke Yellowmoon¡¯s daughter and a number of other people at Saint-Noel. It looks like Her Highness has a n for her in the future¡­</i>


    Before he decided, he asked her a question to make sure. ¡°Bel-sama, you are acquainted with Lady Rafina, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m good friends with her. In a way, you could even say that my fate and hers are tied together forever!¡± she said with her arms akimbo.


    Ludwig raised an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Your fate? What do you mean?¡±


    .


    ¡°Uh¡­ Oh well. I just mean that we¡¯re good friends,¡± Bel said quickly, understanding that what she had said didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    He looked at her for a moment, then gave her a shrug and said, ¡°Because she¡¯s the person we¡¯re going to see.¡±


    After that, they left the Lampron house and went to the Solecsudo Castle. What are they for? To meet up with Anne first. She had gotten orders ahead of time, so she was already at the gate waiting for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Anne that you had to wait.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind at all. But why are we here?¡± she asked with a confused look on her face.


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing. Why are we going to see Miss Rafina?¡± said Bel, who was just as confused.


    ¡°Excellent question. I¡¯m not sure myself, to be honest, except for¡­ When I brought up Lady Rafina in a conversation with Her Highness earlier, her face changed, almost as if a troubling secret had been revealed.¡±


    When Ludwig heard that Rafina was in Sunnd, he thought of a possible way out of their problem right away. If they could get the Holy Lady of Belluga to work with them, it would send a strong message to the Greenmoon-Echard group.


    <i>But Her Highness did not even attempt¡­ Why?</i>


    He couldn¡¯t help but think that her strange look was the answer. She seemed surprised that he knew Rafina was in Sunnd, which made it seem like she didn¡¯t want him to ask Rafina for help. But for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    So he went to see what was going on.


    After hearing him exin, Anne nodded.


    ¡°I see¡­ Mdy does tend to keep her problems to herself, that much is clear. We should look into it for sure.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Ludwig-sensei,¡± Bel said, putting up her hand. ¡°I want to know something.¡±


    Ludwig gave a sigh of defeat. ¡°Yes, Bel-sama?¡±


    He quit because he had given up trying to stop Bel from calling him ¡®Sensei.¡¯


    ¡°Mia-sama is the Great Wisdom of the Empire, so she must know about everything, right? If that¡¯s the case, why wouldn¡¯t she just tell us what to do if there¡¯s something that needs to be done?¡± she asked, genuinely confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Ludwig said, moving to a more instructive tone. ¡°Don¡¯t forget this, Bel-sama. It¡¯s a sign of negligences to only do what you¡¯re told. I think it¡¯s a betrayal of Her Highness¡¯s trust.¡±


    ¡°A betrayal of trust?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since Her Highness asked us to go with her on this trip, it means she has high hopes for us. Bel-sama, each of us has a mind that can think on its own. Even if we are not told, we are supposed to exercise it. Not doing so would be a sign of negligence and a betrayal of trust.¡±


    ¡°Even if we are not told¡­¡± Bel muttered to herself and then nodded as if she heard a private revtion. ¡°When you say it like that¡­ I think I get it¡­ That¡¯s how everyone was¡­ Everyone did what they thought would be best¡­ for me.¡±


    The question of who ¡°everyone¡± meant was left open. Bel just looked up to meet his eyes without saying anything else. At that moment, something seemed to rush out of her, something like an aura. Something that is truly and incorruptibly noble. Ludwig stopped his breath for a second because he felt like he was in the presence of a sovereign.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Bel said, her voice carrying a sense of dignity and power that was just as impressive as Mia¡¯s.

 Chapter 471

    <h4>Chapter 471 </h4>


    <strong>Miabel is Brainwashed: Part 2</strong>


    They had no idea where Rafina was staying. But Anne knew someone who might be able to help: the owner of the restaurant-cum-inn where they had had lunch.


    ¡°Wee¡ªwait, what? You were with Princess Mia, right?¡± The owner frowned at Anne and then looked at Ludwig with suspicion.


    ¡°Hi there. I work for Her Highness Princess Mia as a vassal. I go by the name Ludwig Hewitt. I need to talk to Lady Rafina right away, and I¡¯d like your help getting in touch with her.¡±


    Anne had told Ludwig that the man in front of him was a spy for the Belluga. It didn¡¯t seem likely that he would tell a stranger like Ludwig anything, but¡­


    ¡°Is that so? Very well. This way, please.¡± The owner agreed right away.


    ¡°Thank you for helping us. But¡­are you sure?¡± asked Ludwig, who was surprised by the man¡¯s frankness.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡¯s servants will get all the help I can give,¡± the owner said with a smile. ¡°If I don¡¯t, Lady Rafina is going to give me a good scolding.¡±


    The second floor was shown to them.


    <i>I thought she would be staying somewhere in the city in a church.</i> As Ludwig followed the owner, he thought, <i>This will save us a lot of trouble.</i>


    They stopped in front of the door to the room at the end of the hall. The owner knocked. The door opened soon after.¡±


    ¡°Hm? ¡°Gosh, this group is pretty interesting.¡±


    Rafina appeared and smiled at them. Then, she looked around and said, ¡°I see that Princess Mia isn¡¯t with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. I¡¯m sorry, but Her Highness is at a dinner party with the King of Sunnd,¡± said Ludwig.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s too bad. So,e on in.¡± She showed them the way in. It would be both a metaphor and an understatement to say that the room was small. Only a bed and a simple chair were there, which didn¡¯t seem right for a person of her standing.


    ¡°I feel terrible. It seems a little tight, doesn¡¯t it? I think the three of you can fit, though.¡±


    She told Anne and Bel to sit on the bed. Ludwig sat in a second chair that the owner brought in. She sat in her own chair. Bel kept looking around with wide, amazed eyes, showing that she didn¡¯t expect this kind of wee. Rafina gave her a wry smile.


    ¡°I guess you think this room is a little too in for the Saint of Belluga?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem¡­¡± Bel shook her head quickly and unconvincingly, which made Ludwig step in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple room that¡¯s just right for the Holy Lady. We were just taken by surprise. We thought you were going to stay in a church.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I could have, but¡­¡± Her face became a little less clear. ¡°Sunnd is a very religious ce. Just as much as Belluga. Because of this, every time I show up, I¡¯m asked to have my portrait drawn.¡±


    ¡°Portraits, you say¡­¡±


    ¡°They seem to sell very well. Since the money is given to charity to help the poor, I don¡¯t mind too much, but¡­ I¡¯m sure you get it, right? Imagine a picture of yourself with big wingsing out of your back. You¡¯re standing on a scary-looking monster, like a holy fighter. Would you want to be the subject of something like this? I find it¡­ difficult to endure.¡±


    Her gaze seemed distant, and for a split second, she seemed ten years older. The moment was over, and she went back to being herself.


    ¡°Oh, my. Look at how much I¡¯m talking. Sorry about that. I don¡¯t usually talk a lot, but I know you¡¯re friends with Mia, so¡­¡± She chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯te at this time just to hear mein. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ We havee to ask for your advice.¡±


    ¡°Oh? About what?¡± she asked, interested.


    Ludwig looked at her for a moment before going on. ¡°Sorry to be so direct, Lady Rafina, but how much do you know about what¡¯s going on with Her Highness right now?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ she told me that she¡¯s here because of the marriage proposal between Miss Esmeralda and Prince Echard ¡±


    Rafina talked about what she had heard earlier in the day. After each topic, she paused to think before moving on to the next. Near the end, she stopped to think about something.


    ¡°That makes me think¡­ Mia asked me what Count Lampron and the other Sunnd lords thought. She was also interested in what I thought of them.¡±


    Ludwig gave a grunt. ¡°Ah, so she was thinking about asking you for help¡­¡±


    Then, why did Mia ask those questions? Was she not sure if Rafina would agree with the older lords of Sunnd on this issue? It must have been to make sure. If Rafina shared the same ideas as the traditional conservatives, Mia would not be able to ask for her help.


    ¡°Oh, if only she had asked. I¡¯m her friend. I¡¯d help her, of course¡­¡± Rafina sighed in a sad way. ¡°But of course, she chose not to because we¡¯re friends, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    Ludwig gave a somber nod because he knew what she was going through.


    Friendship could sometimes be used as a bargaining chip, even if it was done in a sneaky way. If Mia had asked, Rafina would have been sure to answer. But Mia didn¡¯t do that because she wanted to make sure that the people who helped her did so because they really wanted to and not because they were unintentionally manipted. So, she had asked her about her thoughts ahead of time, because Mia was the kind of person who cared not only about her friends but also about keeping their friendships strong. At least in Ludwig¡¯s world.


    ¡°I did tell her, though, that I don¡¯t always agree with Count Lampron¡­ I see, though¡­¡± She sighed again, but this time her sigh was even louder. ¡°I told her about the problem with the Equestrian Kingdom, isn¡¯t that why? I told her I was having so much trouble I hoped she could help me¡­ When she heard that, she must have shelved her own request to not burden me further.¡±


    Her hypothesis received a resounding nod of approval from one of the listeners.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s exactly what happened, Lady Rafina,¡± said Anne, Mia¡¯s most reliable servant. She spoke with a lot of self-assurance. ¡°Mdy is a person who is very kind and caring. I doubt she¡¯d ask you for help if she knew you were already busy with your own things. She would be more likely to think of ways to help you.¡±


    Despite her utter confidence, she was, of course, very wrong. Unfortunately, no one was there to fix her terrible mistake. Because of this, the talk slowly turned into a praise of worship for Mia.


    After giving her all the praise they could, they finally went back to what they were talking about before.


    ¡°Oh, I wish I knew how to help her,¡± Rafina said. ¡°Ludwig, do you know? Could you please tell me what to do? What does Mia want me to do for her?¡±


    ¡°If I were to try to figure out what Her Highness wants, I think it would be¡­¡±


    So, Ludwig went on to talk about how Mia¡¯s mind and thinking were so vast and deep that they couldn¡¯t be measured. Rafina was impressed. Anne was thrilled. And Bel¡­


    ¡°Wow, Grandmother Mia is so amazing!¡±


    Bel was totally andpletely brainwashed.

 Chapter 472

    <h4>Chapter 472 </h4>


    <strong>Another Sister</strong>


    While Mia was busy getting important information out of Keithwood, the other members were having a friendly conversation in the dining room.


    ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right, I remember that she knows Keithwood. Then¡­¡± said King Abram in a low voice.


    Tiona Rudolvon was bored as she watched him think quietly. At first, she was nervous and stressed because she was going to a dinner party with the royalty. She was afraid of offending someone by chance, so she made sure to be as polite as possible. As the dinner went on, however, the friendly environment made her feel better. Anxiety stoppeding to mind, and discipline took over.


    As a way to get back at the haughty central nobles, Tiona had trained herself from a young age to meet or even exceed all of society¡¯s standards. She had learned everything from courtly manners to academic knowledge. She even practiced swordsmanship so that haughty lords wouldn¡¯t look down on her.


    Today, all of that hard work to get better has paid off in a big way. Once she got over her fears, her true personality came out and gave off a unique vibe that was unlike anyone else in the room. Tiona was more of a spectator;pared to Esmeralda, who is a potential bride, and Mia, for whom the marriage could have had big effects. She had nothing to lose, so she could look at the scene from her own unique point of view.


    She looked away from the king and toward Sion. <i>Prince Sion seems to care a lot about Prince Echard.</i>


    She agreed with Sion¡¯s point of view very much. Esmeralda didn¡¯t have to be the only older sister there. Tiona had a younger brother, too. On top of that, Cyril, who had been a shy child who didn¡¯t have much confidence for a long time, was a lot like Echard. She knew all too well how he felt as she watched his brother get rattled trying to answer Esmeralda¡¯s questions while she threw in a few careful words here and there to take the pressure off the poor boy without hurting his fragile pride. The line between being too watchful and being too careless was thin, and Tiona could see on Sion¡¯s face how hard it was for him to walk it. In some ways, it was endearing to see.


    She thought, ¡°<i>Boys can be such a handful</i>.¡± She felt a twinge of guilt when she realized that she liked more than just the younger prince. It was endearing to see Sion, who was always so perfect and could do no wrong, struggle so much. The thing that stuck with her the most was when the king was talking to Mia and Echard was trying his best to understand what was being said. Sion had taken a quick look at his brother at that time, and Tiona saw the pride in Sion¡¯s eyes. It was something he was very proud of.


    <i>I know how you feel. He probably hopes that a little bit of Her Majesty will rub off on his brother.</i>


    It was clear that Mia and the king would have important talks. Sion probably wanted Echard to learn something from the conversation by letting him listen in.


    <i>I had the same feelings for Cyril¡­</i>


    Since that day when he met Mia, Cyril had changed. Before she knew it, her shy, quiet brother had changed into an important part of Mia¡¯s team who worked with the princess of a neighboring nation for the good of all. Tiona was very proud of her brother because she had helped him ever since she could remember. She also couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit of jealousy toward Mia. Mia had done in one meeting what she hadn¡¯t been able to do her whole life. Even though she was happy with the results, that was still hard to take¡­


    <i>Comforting him¡­ Nursing his broken heart¡­ That still falls to me in the end, doesn¡¯t it?</i>


    Cyril had a crush on Mia. That was almost for sure. Just as sure was that it wasn¡¯t fair. It was an impossible love, and she had tofort her brother when he had to face the truth of how he felt. In fact, this was something that she thought about quite often.


    No matter what, the point was that Tiona knew what it was like to have problems with her little brother. Sion probably hoped that Echard would be changed for the better by meeting Mia, like he had been and maybe like everyone else whose life she had touched.


    <i>I guess it¡¯s the same for everyone, now that I think about it, isn¡¯t it? Her Majesty is really something else¡­</i>


    Whenever Mia crossed paths with someone, that person¡¯s life would get better. They grow as a person. Just like Tiona did. As she thought about the lunch with Rafina, she was reminded of the time she had faced the people who had locked her up¡­ and forgiven them. Once upon a time, there was a Tiona who wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t forget. That Tiona only cared about getting back at the central nobles, whom she hated so much.


    <i>All of us changed after we met Her Highness¡­</i>


    It seemed like when Mia touched something, the world itself would change. As if she were a lighthouse for change, a new, brighter, warmer world slowly grew from her to rece the old one. But the that begged a question.


    What would have happened if she hadn¡¯t met Mia? How would her life have turned out? How far would she have gone to get even with the central nobility because she was so eager to get her revenge? She would have sworn to never forgive them if her anger and frustration had filled her with bitter hate. What did that version of herself have in store?


    She saw a strange scene appear before her eyes all at once. She saw a big square that was lit up by the red light of the setting sun. Victory rang through the air, hollow and empty. What she had worked so hard to get rid of was in front of her, stuck in red and impossible to get back. It had been lost. She was too. All that was left was bone-weary indifference.


    It was a scene that couldn¡¯t have happened. It was too fantastical to be real, but too real to be a dream. Maybe a nightmare from a sleepless night that came back to life¡­


    Just then, the door to the dining room opened, and Mia came back smiling like a big weight had been taken off her shoulders¡­or her bowels.


    <i>When she left, Her Highness looked very upset, but now she seems to be in a much better mood. I wonder if she¡¯s found a way to deal with the problem with Miss Esmeralda¡­</i>


    That must have been it.


    <i>She is always so amazing. Maybe she¡¯ll figure out Prince Sion¡¯s trouble along the way¡­</i>


    She could see the rift between Sion and Echard, and it had been bothering her the whole time she was eating. Even worse was the fact that it was being used by other nobles for political gain, which made Sion¡¯s already tough situation even worse. It was a hard problem, and Tiona couldn¡¯t think of a way to solve it. But if Mia took on the problem, she would surely solve it easily, just like every other problem she had ever faced.


    <i>Is that¡­all right?</i>


    She thought she heard a small voice. Mia might be able to make things better after all. Did that mean that Tiona could just stand there and do nothing?


    <i>Do you think that¡¯s okay? No remorse?</i>


    If the problem was fixed, but not by her¡­


    <i>You can still talk to him now. You can still reach him¡­</i>


    The voice, which was hers but wasn¡¯t, turned into a far-off echo and then went away, leaving her heart full of frustrating doubt. She ate some of the dessert. The taste escaped her.


    ¡ª


    Keithwood¡¯s words were true, though, for those who were paying attention, and the dessert really was a great!


    ¡°Th-This¡­ Moons, this can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    So much so that Mia couldn¡¯t say anything when she first saw it. A fact that doesn¡¯t matter, but is still a fact.

 Chapter 473

    <h4>Chapter 473 </h4>


    <strong>Reporting Session</strong>


    ¡°Whew, that was a good meal.¡± Mia said ¡°I¡¯m so stuffed. I probably shouldn¡¯t eat so much, though. It¡¯s not good for my health. After this trip to Sunnd, I¡¯d better start reigning it in.¡± In other words, she was going to keep eating while she was still in Sunnd. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m tired because I¡¯m so full¡­¡±


    As she left the royal house, her eyelids started to droop, and she tried not to yawn. Anne was waiting outside the gate, and she waved to greet her.


    ¡°Ah, there you are. Sorry to keep you waiting¡­ Oh?¡± She stopped when she realized Anne wasn¡¯t by herself. ¡°My! Ludwig and Bel? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    She looked at them confused.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll exinter. For now, let¡¯s hurry back to Count Lampron¡¯s house,¡± Anne said.


    ¡°Mm. Okay, then.¡±


    She was ready to go to bed because she was tired, but it was too early to go to sleep. She still had to put together all the new information she¡¯d learned earlier. No time could be wasted. Keeping this in mind, she tried to make her eyes stay open a little longer.


    ¡ª


    When she got back to the Lampron house, she went straight to Esmeralda¡¯s room to see her.


    ¡°My! Mia-sama! How nice that you came. Here, let me make us some tea.¡±


    Mia was soon given a cup of hot ck tea, which she sweetened with milk and a lot of sugar. Then she took a sip and let out a happy sigh. Then she said, ¡°Okay, Esmeralda, tell us what you think. What are your thoughts on Prince Echard?¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a good question¡­¡± Esmeralda put her arms together. ¡°He has a long way to go, but I think he will get there in the end. His face is most definitely a ten. Still young, especially around the eyes and the bridge of the nose, so the overall image is still more cute than handsome. If you give him some time, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll look as handsome as Prince Sion or his father. We also talked a little, and he seemed fine as a person as well. He might be a little shy, but that could change as he gets older.¡±


    Esmeralda, a professional boy evaluator, came to this conclusion.


    ¡°A true diamond in the rough, that boy!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s going to take some effort, but he¡¯s worth it!¡±


    It seemed like the prince had met Esmeralda¡¯s standard of attractiveness.


    ¡°I guess the only thing that worries me is that he has an exceptional brother,¡± Esmeralda said as she thought about it. ¡°When I brought up Prince Sion, he looked a little sad for a second. I wonder if his rtionship with his brother has left him with some kind of emotional scar.¡±


    This exnation made a big impression on Mia. It was exactly the same as what Keithwood had told her.


    <i>Wow, she got all of that from just one dinner? Give credit where it¡¯s due. She has a great eye for things like this. Also, Esmeralda must have really liked the prince, since she was giving him so much thought. If she really likes him, I can¡¯t just get in the way of this marriage proposal anymore.</i>


    Of course, letting it happen would probably help her enemies and make it harder for her to be empress.


    Esmeralda said, ¡°I wish there was some way I could help heal that wound of his.¡±


    Mia, too busy with her own thoughts, paid little attention.


    <i>But then again, Esmeralda acts like a queen when she is at home. Her little brothers can¡¯t beat her at anything. And those little brothers will have to challenge me if they want to be emperor, so¡­</i>


    <i>Maybe it wasn¡¯t even that bad.</i>


    Mia grumbled to herself, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that,¡± and then she looked Esmeralda in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that side of things up to you, Esmeralda.¡±


    Esmeralda looked at her with her mouth wide open. ¡°Huh? You¡­are leaving it up to me?¡±


    Mia quickly grabbed her shoulder and shook it. ¡°What¡¯s up with that dumb look? Get your act together. You can do this.¡±


    She meant to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you always get what you want? Don¡¯t stop doing that.¡± As long as Esmeralda was in charge, everything would be fine in the Greenmoon family.


    As for whether Esmeralda got the message of this right¡­


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­ I had no idea you put so much faith in me¡­ Okay, then, just leave it to me.¡±


    She did, at least, nod back.


    ¡ª


    Mia crossed her arms in thought after leaving Esmeralda¡¯s room. She headed to her guest room.


    <i>Now then¡­ I think I¡¯m in control of the political side of things. The trouble right now is the whole thing about the assassination. I need to do something about Echard¡¯s inferiorityplex, or he¡¯ll probably keep going after Sion. Not as easy as it sounds. Since Esmeralda is the one getting married, she should be in charge of this. However, even though she talks a lot about handsome boys, she hasn¡¯t actually had any romantic experiences¡­</i>


    Then she came to a very important realization.


    ¡°Hold on a sec¡­ Am I the one with more experience? I¡¯ve been on long rides with a few guys, and I¡¯ve also danced with Abel a few times. Even Sion and I have danced together¡­ Well, what do you know? I do know more about guys than women. ¡°I¡¯m probably the only one who can heal Prince Echard¡¯s psychological scar,¡± she said to herself as she went into her room.


    Anne, Bel, and Ludwig were waiting for her inside.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for making you all wait. Is something the matter?¡± She raised an eyebrow. Bel raised both in return.


    ¡°As a matter of fact,¡± the young girl said with excitement, ¡°we talked to Rafina-sama.¡±


    ¡°My, Rafina-sama?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We asked her for help, so we went to her,¡± Ludwig said. ¡°I thought we could use the scheme of our enemy against them.¡±


    <i>Huh? What scheme? And we have something to use against them? What?</i>


    Her head began to tilt in that normal way that people do when they are confused. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled it back into ce right away.


    <i>Phew, that was close¡­ I almost let slip that I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about! Which makes sense, since I¡¯m tired and my brain isn¡¯t working as well as it should.</i>


    ¡°I know that Your Highness doesn¡¯t want to burden Lady Rafina with our problems, but we chose to talk to her anyway,¡± Ludwig said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mdy. I took them to Lady Rafina. If that wasn¡¯t what you wanted, then I¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anne said, her face getting more worried as her voice.


    Mia smiled at her tofort her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what she should have been worried about, but oh well.


    <i>I wonder what he means by ¡°burden¡±¡­ And what was Rafina-sama asked to do?</i>


    She looked at Ludwig, hoping to figure out what was going on. The only answer she got was a hard nod. It looked like it was saying, ¡°Trust us. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got this.¡±


    <i>Hmm¡­ It looks like Ludwig has a n. What the heck. Even so, we need more allies more than ever right now. Having Rafina-sama on our side can¡¯t hurt. But didn¡¯t Rafina-sama say that she was having some problems? I wonder if this means that I¡¯ll have to help her with that in return¡­</i>


    After all, these kinds of deals usually involved both parties giving and taking. She would have to scratch Rafina¡¯s back if Rafina scratched hers.


    <i>What did she say again? I think it has something to do with the Equestrian Kingdom?</i>


    At that moment, Bel spoke up with a frown. ¡°Mia-neesama, by the way, do you know anything about Rina? She left a long time ago and hasn¡¯te back yet.¡±


    Trantor¡¯s Note: Tomorrow is the first day on stage!

 Chapter 474

    <h4>Chapter 474 </h4>


    <strong>Return of Citrina</strong>


    ¡°My, Rina? She went out at night by herself?¡± Mia was surprised.


    As Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon¡¯s only daughter, she was his pride and joy. She was the apple of his eye. Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon also knew how to make poisons. So, it was clear that if something bad happened to Citrina, Mia might soon end up eating something poisonous in the future.


    She got up quickly out of panic. Or rather, she would have if Ludwig hadn¡¯t said, ¡°Talking about that, I haven¡¯t seen Sir Dion around here either. I think he might have gone after her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Dion is with her, is he not? If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Mia took a deep breath of relief. The numbers worked out well for her. Citrina could be attacked by a whole army and still be fine. After all, she¡¯d have an army plus one if Dion was with her. Mia thought that his being a ¡°one-man army¡± was bing a mathematically true way to describe how powerful he was. The only thing that could worry them now was that Dion might rub off on Citrina. She had a feeling that Duke Yellowmoon wouldn¡¯t be happy if his daughter liked to kill people by stabbing them. If he was angry, he might take revenge in kind, and Mia didn¡¯t want daggersing out of the dark at her.


    Regardless, Citrina was safe for the time being.


    Mia said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything to worry about.¡±


    Bel agreed. ¡°Yes, I do. If General Dion is with her, she is perfectly safe.¡±


    Then there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty. I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Rina!¡±


    As soon as the door opened and she saw her best friend, Bel ran over.


    ¡°Hm? Bel, why are you still up at this time?¡± asked Citrina, who looked around the room in wonder. ¡°Oh, no¡­ Don¡¯t tell me they made you do your homework at night because you didn¡¯t do it during the day¡­¡± She red at Ludwig.


    Bel, on the other hand, puffed up her cheeks. ¡°Hey! Rina, you¡¯re not very nice to think I didn¡¯t do my chores because you aren¡¯t here. That makes it look like I can¡¯t do my own homework!¡±


    Which was true, you know, but¡­


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it that way, Bel,¡± said Citrina quickly. ¡°I know that you can get things done if you put your mind to it.¡±


    She looked ufortably at Bel, whose face was still doing the pufferfish thing for a few more seconds before she started tough.


    ¡°Ha ha, gotcha! I was joking, Rina!¡± said Bel, sticking her tongue out in a yful way.


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s awful! When you¡¯re mean, Bel, I don¡¯t like it!¡± Citrina made a sad pout with her lips. But it didn¡¯t take long for the two girls to startughing again, and their innocent smiles came back.


    It¡¯s important to note that Citrina¡¯s ount of Bel could also be interpreted as pletely incapable of getting anything done if she doesn¡¯t put her mind to it.¡± But nobody in the room was really rude enough to say that. They just looked at the two girls with loving eyes as they shared a moment of pure friendship. After they hadughed until they were crying, Citrina walked over to Mia. The girl now had her regr flower-like smile on her face.


    <i>It¡¯s really amazing how she can just change her face like that. It¡¯s like flipping a switch¡­</i>


    Citrina then told what she had learned.


    ¡°I looked into the open market this evening. Sir Dion ia was kind enough to offer to help, so I brought him along.¡±


    <i>Huh. The open market?</i>


    Mia tightened the muscles in her neck to stop herself from tilting her head. She needed to look serious, not like she had no idea. She folded her arms to help her blend in more.


    ¡°Hm¡­ So you and Dion went to the open market¡­ Did you find anything in that ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To cut a long story short, someone there had been in touch with Prince Echard in the past.¡±


    ¡°With Prince Echard, you say¡­¡± Mia hummed in a thoughtful way to hide the fact that she was starting to sweat a lot. She didn¡¯t know what Citrina was talking about at all. Even the idea of an open market was foreign to her. It was out of the question to say that, but the problem seemed too dangerous to ignore. Citrina leaned in and stared her in the face as she tried to think of a subtle way to get answers.


    ¡°Uh, Your Highness?¡±


    Mia almost jumped because she thought that her secret had been blown, but¡­


    ¡°Is it okay for Ludwig and Anne to know about this?¡± asked Citrina, pointing toward them.


    ¡°Well, of course. They¡¯re¡­¡±, Mia said but then she stopped. She thought of a great idea. One that could totally change the course of this battle she was losing because she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°They are the most reliable people I have. I don¡¯t hide anything from them, and there¡¯s no reason for me to. By all means, please tell them what your present discoveries mean. I think all this talk about the uh open¡­ market? Could be a little hard to understand for them.¡±


    She gave Ludwig a quick look, and he gave a deep nod.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. We¡¯d also like the chance to fully understand what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Citrina also agreed. ¡°Okay, I get it. If that¡¯s the case, Your Highness, is it okay if we call Dion ia here? I¡¯d also like him to say something about what happened tonight.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Go on.¡± Mia gave the final nod, which was a good way to hide the fact that she was about to yawn.


    It was already midnight. A new day was just around the corner.

 Chapter 475

    <h4>Chapter 475 </h4>


    <strong>Great Detective Mia¡¯s Challenge</strong>


    Citrina told the other people in the room what she had learned from Connery while they waited for Dion. She said that the open market was in a pretty rough part of town and that Prince Echard had gone missing there for a while.


    ¡°I see. The open market. Chaos is good for markets. Businesses do better when there are fewer rules to follow. Also, because it¡¯s so far from the castle, I guess it¡¯s inevitable that the police won¡¯t keep an eye on it as well as they should,¡± Ludwig said as he nodded along with the reasoning.


    ¡°However,¡± Citrina went on, ¡°therge number of people going into and out of the open market makes it easy for Serpents to hide. I thought it was too strange that the Second Prince went missing in a ce like that, so I went to check it out myself. Luckily, it didn¡¯t take long to find what I was looking for. It seems that Prince Echard had talked to a strange man¡­¡±


    Citrina had looked around the outside of the open market after getting the information she needed from her attackers-turned-victims. Connery said that it was full of people who seemed to be linked to the criminal side of society. Which was just what she had hoped for. At her request, Dion began tapping on every shoulder he saw and asking the people who owned those shoulders some questions. When we say ¡°ask,¡± we mean ¡°interrogate,¡± and when we say ¡°tap,¡± we mean ¡°use his sword.¡± He didn¡¯t have much trouble, so that¡¯s not a surprise.


    Mia thought right away, <i>Yes, that¡¯s very much like Dion. I really feel bad for the people he met. They may think they are tough, but no one is tougher than Dion.</i>


    In the meantime, Citrina kept talking. ¡°As we talked to the people we met, we got some information that led us to what we thought was the strange man¡¯s hiding ce. So we went there to check it out.¡±


    ¡ª


    Citrina looked up at the sky in silence. The moon was hidden by clouds, making thend darker than ever. Since there was a lot of shade over the open market, it was very quiet. All of the sounds of business that were heard during the day were gone, like customers haggling and the jingling of goods and money. Even though there was no sound, the quiet was full of a restless energy. Citrina knew just how this felt. It was the quiet of being looked at by a lot of eyes.


    ¡°Huh. So this is the open market then.¡± She looked around before saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want toe here even when it¡¯s bright out.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a good ce for Bel to go. Also, it didn¡¯t seem interesting enough to walk around solo.


    ¡°A good number of them are far away and watching us.¡± Dion said, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go find a few of them.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t need to do that. Most likely, they¡¯ll just tell us the same thing.¡± Citrina shook her head.


    All of the men they ¡°questioned¡± told them the same two things: the person who tried to get in touch with Prince Echard spoke with an Equestrian ent, and they were hiding out in a building near the open market.


    ¡°A few of them also said that they didn¡¯t know when the man moved to Sunnd and that they haven¡¯t seen him in a while,¡± Citrina said in a low voice. It wasn¡¯t hard to get any of them to talk, so the process of gathering information went pretty fast. Even so¡­


    She pursed her lips together and hummed in a mildly annoyed way.


    <i>This looks like a trap. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get any information from these people that they weren¡¯t supposed to give us.</i>


    She groaned. At least, though, there was a guy standing behind her. Dion ia, one of the best soldiers in the Empire, was there, which was a huge boost. The person was Princess Mia¡¯s best sword and acted like he walked into traps for fun.


    So she decided to try to do just that.


    As soon as they were done with the open market, the building in question came into view. With almost perfect timing, the clouds broke up, letting silver moonlight shine on its outside. It was a simple stone building that didn¡¯t look or work much different from its neighbors. There was a wooden door with two closed windows on either side. The moonlight wouldn¡¯te inside with them.


    ¡°Dion ia, how good is your night vision?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I guess it¡¯s okay? As good as anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Citrina thought about what the word ¡°okay¡± meant in the Empire¡¯s Finest<i>. He seems like the kind of guy who could probably beat four or five people while being blindfolded, so¡­</i>


    From the few times she had dealt with the wolfmaster before, she knew he was a skilled fighter who could fight well even though he couldn¡¯t see properly. If he could do it, Dion could probably do it too.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, ¡°then let¡¯s see¡­ Let¡¯s take a good look around, and then we¡¯ll break down that wooden door.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go in? It looks like a clear trap.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll protect Rina if anything bad happens, right, Sir Empire¡¯s Finest?¡± She gave him a taunting smile, which made him shake his head.


    ¡°First it was the princess, and now it¡¯s you. I swear, I don¡¯t know what it is about young Tearmoon noblewomen and how they love to recklessly rush into danger without thinking?¡±


    He made a joke, but Citrina didn¡¯t answer. She got close to the building quietly and looked inside through a crack in the window. She was met by quiet darkness.


    ¡°Dion ia,¡± she said. ¡°I want you to know that I don¡¯t like how you called what I did ¡®reckless.¡¯ Even if they set this building on fire, there is enough ce for us to get out. If a lot of them surprise us inside, you can take care of them. There¡¯s nothing reckless about this at all.¡±


    She moved back a step and pointed toward the door. Dion sighed and did as she asked. After a quick sh, the door was no longer there. All that was left were two broken pieces of wood. As expected, the inside waspletely dark.


    ¡°Just so you know, Lady Yellowmoon, danger doesn¡¯t care what you call it. If you don¡¯t think this is recklesss, that¡¯s fine. But from now on, you should be extra careful not to be extra reckless. Best case scenario: hide behind me. If you¡¯re not careful, you might not make it out of here alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯ve already made your point. Since you¡¯re worried, can I hold your hand?¡±


    Even though she was rude about it, she did what he said. She stayed close behind him as he cautiously looked around and slowly walked in.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like anyone¡¯s home,¡± he said with a little bit of disappiontment. ¡°What now, Lady Yellowmoon? If we want to look around, we¡¯ll need a light.¡±


    Then they heard a heavy thump, and the air was filled with some kind of powder.


    Dion snorted. ¡°Holy crap! Is it poison?¡±


    He wrapped Citrina¡¯s head in his coat, covered his face with one arm, and picked her up with the other. With just a few quick steps, they were back outside.


    ¡°Dion ia, no.¡± Citrina, who was hanging from his arm, said, ¡°It probably isn¡¯t. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t put it all over the whole building. It would be silly. Also, it stands out too much. Using poison would be pointless if it was so clear.¡±


    .


    As he ran out the door, his sword jumped out of its sheath. He looked around left and right. There was no sign of anyoneing to attack them. Still, he stayed on guard and kept his sword drawn. He didn¡¯t stop being on guard until it had been quiet for a long time.


    He spat on the ground and said, ¡°Not poison, huh? Well, what the hell was that meant to be? A joke?¡± He put his sword back in its sheath and brushed the powder out of his hair.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right either.¡±


    Citrina raised her back and stretched, then put out her hand and waved it at him a few times. He took a quick look at her and, when he saw her hand outstretched, knelt down so she could reach his head. She ran her fingers through a piece of his hair and picked up a little bit of powder. She messed around with it a bit before putting it close to her nose. Then she licked some off the end of her finger.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Dion yelled out of the blue.


    She gave him a sideways look, then drank from the water sk she had brought with her and rinsed her mouth.


    ¡°Ease up. All it is is flour. Flour that has gone bad.¡±


    ¡°What? Flour? What did they want to happen when they threw a ton of flour into the room? Did they drop it on purpose or by mistake?¡± He looked at her with doubt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that if you fill a room with this powder and set it on fire, it will burn quickly and violently. It looks like a bomb, but it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Huh. They tried to kill us with flour bombs? Why do these guys have so much time on their hands? Couldn¡¯t they think of an easier way to kill us?¡± Heughed.


    Citrina just looked at the ground for a few seconds before she said something. ¡°Dion ia, do you know what the best poison would be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m baffled. One that will kill you as soon as you drink it?¡±


    She gave a head shake.


    ¡°The best poison, in my opinion, is one that leaves no sign that it was used. The best way to kill someone is to make it look like they died of natural causes, so no one suspects anything. The second best way to kill someone is to do it in a way that makes it clear what poison was used. A poison that kills in a very clear way can be used to throw off suspicion or point out fake suspects,¡± exined Citrina. ¡°As for this flour, I think it¡¯s just a fancy farewell present. If their goal was to find their attackers and make them unable to catch them, they could have used poisons that make people weak or blind. As long as they keep us still, they can do whatever they want to us after that, whether it¡¯s asking questions or torturing us. This, on the other hand, is just a simple goodbye gift. They knew we were looking for them, so they made a fake trail for us to follow that led to a simple device that would get rid of us for good.¡±


    ¡°They faked a trail that was easy to follow to hide the real one, huh?¡±


    ¡°If we look really hard, we might be able to find some signs of the real trail, but if they throw us a bone, we might as well eat it, right? Even more so when we¡¯re short on time. Even a fake path is still a path.¡±


    Dion hmph¡¯d and crossed his arms. ¡°And that bone led us to this building, which was supposed to blow up while we were searching it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It wouldn¡¯t catch anyone¡¯s eye. All that would be left would be some burned pieces of wood and flour. Which would make you more suspicious: that or a room full of poison with two dead bodies in it? This thing is like poisons that kill without leaving a sign and look like death by natural causes. Except it looks like an ident this time,¡± said Citrina as she looked at the building.


    ¡°Well, in any case, it looks like we didn¡¯t find anything. We don¡¯t have any clear proof that this has to do with the Serpent, and at this point, the whole ¡®Equestrian ent¡¯ thing sounds pretty strange as well,¡± Dion said with a shrug.


    Citrina smiled at him in a sweet way.


    ¡°Dion ia, you don¡¯t have to be too sad. Almost certainly, the Serpents are behind this.¡±


    ¡°And, Detective Yellowmoon, what makes you say that?¡±


    She smiled even nicer. ¡°Simple, my good knight. Did you know that you can blow up a building with flour? Did you even think about the chance of such a trap before I told you about it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I see.¡±


    ¡°Once this trap is set off, it will look like a building falling down or, at most, an idental fire. If not triggered, a room full of flour is the only sign. Most people wouldn¡¯t understand what that means. For someone who knows, like Rina, it¡¯s a clever trick set by someone else who knows the same thing. A secret that only a few people know is a great way to hide proof, but to someone who knows what to look for, it might as well be a name tag. After all, only a certain number of people can make such things.¡±


    She stopped for a moment and thought for a while before going on.


    ¡°That being said, the Equestrian ent is also not useless information.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    The sweetness in her smile became as thick and sticky as honey. ¡°Because there are only so many poisons they can use to make it look like the Equestrian Kingdom is behind this.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of my story on what happened tonight. Dion ia, do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Except, I guess, to tell Your Highness not to make enemies with the Yellowmoons,¡± he shrugged.


    Bel gave a grin. ¡°That¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no way Rina could ever turn against us.¡±


    ¡°Bel¡­¡±


    Mia took a deep breath, definitely not a yawn, and asked Rina, ¡°Are you able to deal with all the poisons thate from the area around the Equestrian Kingdom?¡±


    This stopped the two girls from making another public show of their love.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, each and every one,¡± Citrina said with a bow.


    ¡°However, I do have to say that the Equestrian Kingdom¡­ Recently, this word has been used quite a bit¡­ Miss Rafina said she came here because of something that also had to do with them¡­ I wonder if that means anything,¡± Mia said in a low voice.


    She didn¡¯t yawn this time.


    With that, Mia was done collecting information. With all the pieces at her disposal, could the Great Wisdom of the Empire put the puzzle together and lead the situation to a good end?


    ¡°Fwaaaah¡­ No, I can¡¯t do this anymore. I¡¯m too tired.¡±


    Would she have to do it while she was sleeping?


    Time would have to tell.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Everybody loves dust explosion!

 Chapter 476

    <strong>Fair and Impartial King of Justice</strong>


    Sion Sol Sunnd, the Penal King, had a lot of enemies. People who didn¡¯t like him would often say bad things about him, both in public and in private. But even his harshest enemies couldn¡¯t deny one thing about him: that he made fair judgements. He did the right thing. They did this without stopping, regardless of their own feelings or interests. Whenever he was talked about, everyone would always say the same thing.


    ¡°His Majesty the Penal King is fair and right. There is no question about it. If he thinks you are guilty, he will kill you, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. After all, he did the same thing to his own brothers, one by birth and one by nurture. His royal sibling. His most reliable attendant. Both of them were killed by him. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing, but he did it.¡±


    On that day, an old nobleman went to see the king.


    Sion quietly looked up as a servant told him that a guest had arrived. He had known the face of the man in front of him for most of his life.


    ¡°Count Lampron. How have you been all these years?¡±


    The count smiled. Sion noticed that his cheeks were tense from nervousness. ¡°All right, Your Majesty. I¡¯m d to see that you are healthy, too.¡±


    Count Lampron used to be leader of the most conservative lords in Sunnd. He was Echard¡¯s teacher for a while as well. Not too long ago, he finally stopped being in the middle of politics and went into what was basically a half-retirement. In the process, he seemed to lose his authoritative air and attitude, leaving behind an old man with a much calmer personality.


    Sion looked at him with interest, wondering what business the old count might have. ¡°All right. But why are you here right now? If you want to talk about old times, I would be happy to if there wasn¡¯t a rebellion going on. There is still a lot of work to do to clean up the mess. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time for small talk.¡±


    In one part of Sunnd, there was a revolt ten days ago. Fed up with Sion¡¯s strict rule, a group of lords gathered around Echard, the former second prince, and used him as a g to try to start arge-scale uprising. They had picked a bad fight, though, because their opponent was Sion Sol Sunnd, who was a king, a genius, and a cruel defender of justice. As soon as he heard about the plot, he sent his personal army against the people who were nning it. It didn¡¯t take long to catch everyone under his direct guidance. All of the criminals were sent to the underground prison. Echard, his own brother, was one of them.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about the uprising, Your Majesty.¡± Before he looked at Sion, Lampron bowed out of respect. ¡°Please think again about killing His Highness Prince Echard. He couldn¡¯t have agreed to do this on his own. I¡¯m sure he did everything he could to stop the other leaders frommitting crime.¡±


    ¡°You say¡­ But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Echard has always thought of himself as inferior to me, and he has fought a lot with this idea. He could have been convinced by the others, and he could have jumped at the chance to get rid of me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°In either case, what he did brought useless chaos to the kingdom. Because of this, innocent blood was spilled. He needs to be held responsible for what he has done.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, he¡¯s your brother! You¡¯re rted to him¡ª¡±


    The Penal King cut him off, which took away hisst chance. ¡°Even so, no, even more so. Because he is rted to me, Count Lampron, he should not get a lighter sentence. Lampron, don¡¯t you see? You spent your whole life arguing that Sunnd¡¯s king must rule in a fair and just way. You of all people should be able to get it. I am the king.¡±


    Absolute power must be used in a totally fair way. As the king, he can¡¯t let his own feelings and goals affect how he rules. If someone does something that is punishable by death, they must be put to death, no matter who they are. That was what being fair meant.


    ¡°I see¡­ All right. As is, so shall it be¡­¡±


    Count Lampron went away without saying anything else.


    That night, an incident happened. There was an effort to get Echard and a few of his fellow plotters out of jail. When it was found out that Count Lampron was the main culprit, Sion didn¡¯t feel much of anything. Nothing surprising or moving. Echard was taught by Lampron when he was young, and they have been friends ever since. It was natural for the old man to like the boy who used to be his student. This sort of thing happened. It was obvious.


    Given these mitigating factors, it might be possible to reduce the count¡¯s term out ofpassion. As he thought about how this might affect thew, a second report came in. He didn¡¯t take this one with the sameck of care. Keithwood, his friend and trusted vassal, was one of the people caught when they tried to free Echard.


    He went down to the dungeons the next morning and stopped in front of Keithwood¡¯s cell. He made a small frown when he saw his childhood friend, who was dirty and worn. His bottom lip twitched a little because the pressure of his teeth hurt it. The man behind the mask seemed to show himself for a split second. His eyes were shiny, which looked like tears. Then the moment was over, and the king came back with all of his strict dignity.


    ¡°You did something stupid, Keithwood¡­¡± He spoke in a soft way. Steady. Too cold to feel.


    Keithwood smiled, looking tired as ever. ¡°Yes, I think I have. I had no way to stop you.¡± He gave a shrug. It made him look happier, but couldn¡¯t hide the deep sadness in his voice.


    ¡°You¡­ let me down, Keithwood. I wanted you to be my right hand for a long time toe¡­¡± Sion told us. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. Not me. This kingdom is based on the king¡¯s right behavior. It is the foundation of Sunnd, both as a country and as an ideal. It is who we are. Echard has to go. If you don¡¯t do this, you¡¯re letting justice fail.¡±


    He was the king. He had to be a good person. Be the one to stand up for what¡¯s fair and right.


    ¡°And if justice isn¡¯t done¡­¡±


    He saw it once more. He thought about that scene. It was always there on the edge of his vision, always ready to be seen. It looked like the world was bathed in the red light of the setting sun. Bitter anger rang through the air,ing from many mouths. They fell on a single person who was hunched over the guillotine. Her head fell with the de. No¡­ He let the de fall. He killed the princess.


    She had to die. The death penalty had to be used. And right. It was a must. He just had to. Justice, his justice, can¡¯t be shaky. No matter what it takes.


    He gave a head shake.


    Keithwood told the king, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ If words can still move you, could you spare His Highness Echard¡¯s life in exchange for mine?¡±


    Sion looked sad.


    ¡°Why? What do you see in Echard? You weren¡¯t close. Why do this for him?¡±


    ¡°Because if you kill him¡­ If you kill your own brother, Your Majesty, you¡¯ll really be¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am already the king, Keithwood. I have a responsibility to rule Sunnd in a fair and just way. ¡°That duty says I have to kill Echard, so I have to,¡± said Sion. ¡°In addition¡­¡±


    Then there was a short period of quiet, which was broken by a soft, steady, and very cold voice.


    ¡°Goodbye, Keithwood. ¡°Thanks for everything.¡±


    So, Sion became a great example of a king. He stopped being biased in his decisions. He got rid of all emotion. He made himself into a righteous vessel that only cared about how fair its choices were. So he ruled, always fair but less of a man than an ideal one. When people saw him, they turned away from him. This could have been because people respected and feared his unwavering morality.


    Sion never got married.


    People needed other people. Not kings. He was always alone, as if to prove that being with other people was too expensive luxury for a King of Justice.


    Tragedyes in many ways, and its roots are just as varied. One of them was Sion¡¯s life. As long as the seed stayed in the royal family of Sunnd, disasters would keep happening. They might change how they look and when theye, but they would alwayse. The assassination was a bad fruit, but it was still a fruit. The event could be stopped, but the seed would still be there¡­


    Who could dig deep into Sunnd¡¯s dirt and find the seed of misfortune? Who else but our princess, who doesn¡¯t know anything, and her group of happy friends? She and her friends were right in the middle of dealing with the tangled web of trouble in the Sunnd royal family. Could they finally pull the unlucky seedling out of the ground?


    ¡°Hm¡­ Is it just me, or does this dress feel a bit snug around my waist? Did they get the measurement wrong?¡±


    Good question? That is, the one with the nt. Not the one about measurement.


    ¡°How very strange. I had it made too just a few days ago¡­ Oh wait. Oh, I get it. It¡¯s the weather here! I heard that things can get smaller when it¡¯s cold. That must be the case here¡­¡±


    It was indeed an excellent question.


    This must be another timeline. In Mia¡¯s timeline, Dion was the one who guillotined her.


    And in Tiona¡¯s timeline, Sion got married to a Sunnd noble.

 Chapter 477

    <h4>Chapter 477 </h4>


    <strong>The Secret of That Dress¡­</strong>


    Mia was getting ready for the party in Count Lampron¡¯s guest room, which was her temporary home in the Kingdom of Sunnd. Anne was helping her put on a dress that wasn¡¯t quite fitting right around the waist. She took a quick breath to clear her mind. The tightening of her stomach made it easy for the dress to fit perfectly. After putting on her clothes, she closed her eyes to get her thoughts in order.


    <i>I thought a lot about things while I was in bed yesterday, and I have to say that things are pretty difficult right now.</i>


    Thinker-in-bed Mia then went to her favorite ce to think and lowered herself. She started going through the huge amount of information she had just discovered while her eyes were still closed. She put them back together in her mind one piece at a time so she could think about them more.


    To add on to that, it seems that brains order the memories while asleep. This might have something to do with Mia¡¯s chosen way of thinking, but it¡¯s not clear.


    In any case, she came to a decision after going over everything she knew and giving it a lot of thought: <i>This time, it seems like the easiest thing to do would be to tell Sion about it and have him fix it. And he has Keithwood too. Even if both of them are looking out for it, they won¡¯t be able to poison Sion¡­</i>


    Mia¡¯s understanding of what was going on was no longer limited to what she had read in the Chronicles. She also had ess to Citrina¡¯s research results, which made it pretty clear that Echard had been in touch with the Serpents and might have been nning to poison someone. Sion and Keithwood would definitelye to the same conclusion and take steps to stop the n if they had the same facts.


    Mia didn¡¯t want to go through with the n, though, for some reason. <i>How strange¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to do what I know is the best thing to do¡­ Like if I do that, something bad will happen¡­ I wonder why?</i>


    ¡°Uh, mdy?¡±


    Anne¡¯s voice woke her up from her thoughts. When she turned around, Anne had already stepped back, her job done. She got up and walked over to a mirror.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She turned around in a circle to look at herself and nodded happily. It¡¯s perfect.


    Mia wore the same simple dress to the new students dance party at St. Noel¡¯s. That dress was too short for her now that she had grown a little. But that wasn¡¯t all. She was really going this time in full gear. She had a bow on her head. A chain with a pendant around her neck and small earrings sparkled on her ears. Lastly, a scarf that was see-through added an extra touch of ss.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne. Great job on your work.¡±


    ¡°Mdy, it¡¯s always an honor.¡± Anne bowed her head politely.


    Miaughed. ¡°Look at you now, all grown up and in charge. You look like a maid who knows what she is doing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great that you think that, mdy. I learned how to bake bread and ride a horse. Now, I¡¯m not sure if riding horses is usually part of a maid¡¯s job, though.¡±


    Theyughed and gave each other a knowing look. After that, Anne¡¯s face showed a hint of worry upon seeing Mia¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mdy. Is something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°The whole time you¡¯ve been looking down. I can tell because I¡¯m a good maid who knows what she is doing,¡± Anne said with a wry grin. ¡°And the person they serve is the one thing maids know better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve really learned how to talk.¡± I guess you¡¯re right, though. I can¡¯t keep anything from you.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Since I¡¯m your maid, you can¡¯t hide anything from me. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯ll be okay too. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll always be here for you if something goes wrong. Do what you believe is right and give it your all.¡± Anne clenched her hands and huffed to cheer her on. ¡°I will always have your back, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Anne¡­¡± Mia smiled when she saw her maid¡¯s touching act of love.


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to go out there and give it my all.¡±


    Whatever Anne saw in Mia¡¯s face made her feel better, and her face became less serious.


    ¡°All right, mdy, I think it¡¯s time for me to go help Miss Bel and Lady Citrina get ready.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Sure, go ahead. While I don¡¯t know about Rina, I think Bel hasn¡¯t worn many dresses before.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    This time, Esmeralda was there when the door opened again just as Anne was leaving.


    ¡°Hello, Mia-sama.¡±


    She looked beautiful in a dress, and she wore it well, turning its extravagance into grace with poise like ady. It was a beautiful shade of emerald green and had lots of frills. Golden thread was used to make Greenmoon family crests in different ces.


    Mia took a good look at her. She then looked at her stomach and saw that it was slim and firm.


    <i>I see that she has a corset on, right? It looks like a corset. Poor girl, she won¡¯t be able to eat much with that corset on¡­</i> She gave herself a nod and looked at her friend with sadness.


    Esmeralda looked at Mia¡¯s dress and said, ¡°My, Mia-sama, that dress¡­¡±


    ¡°You know what it is? It is one of my favorites.¡±


    The dress made her remember many happy times every time she wore it.


    <i>I hope today I can dance with Abel¡­</i> She smiled to herself in thought, <i>Oho ho, it¡¯ll be like living that time all over again.</i>


    Esmeralda¡¯s unexpected answer cut her off in the middle of her dreams.


    ¡°Yes, of course I do¡­ Isn¡¯t that the one your mother, Her Imperial Majesty Adide, made?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mia looked nkly in shock. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? It came from one of the tailors that my family often works with. I remember her telling me that she was scared to change the fit because your mom made it. It looks like her hands were shaking the whole time.¡±


    ¡°No one ever told me that!¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve also heard that mothers give their children handmade clothes as a gift in Her Imperial Majesty¡¯s home country¡­¡±


    ¡°Do they? Huh¡­¡± Mia said something in a trance-like voice and then looked down at her dress. As she ran her fingers over it, her face turned serious and thoughtful. ¡°This is from mom¡­ That¡¯s why¡­ I understand why my dad was so pleased when he heard I wore it¡­¡±


    She remembered the time she told her dad she wore the dress to the dance party for new students. He was so happy he almost burst.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Are you sure? You wore that dress!¡± he had cried, then asked for all the details, which she had reluctantly given.


    ¡°Yes, the dress is very nice. I really like it¡ªOh, I was going to wear the dress you got me at first, but it got dirty for some reason, so I switched to this one.¡±


    It was a lie, but her dad didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°I see¡­ I see!¡±


    Even harder to exin was his happiness afterward.


    ¡°So you wore that dress, right?¡± He said, ¡°My dear little Mia, wearing that dress¡­¡± with the funniest grin ever.


    <i>What in the moons? He chose the dress, so I thought he would get mad that I didn¡¯t wear it¡­ All of this makes no sense¡­</i>


    What¡¯s more, when she told him that she¡¯d grown out of the dress a bit (vertically, in case anyone was asking), he had it resized right away so she could wear it whenever she wanted. Besides that¡­


    ¡°Since we¡¯re already recing the dress, why not add some essories that go with it? Cost doesn¡¯t matter. We will have the best on the continent¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, dad. Do not do that. That would be a waste¡ªum¡­ Oh! They wouldn¡¯t go with the dress. I¡¯d rather the dress stand out, so let¡¯s wear some ents that aren¡¯t too shy. The best ones would be the ones without any gems!¡±


    ¡°Really then? But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yeah, I¡¯ll pick out the extras, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ If you say so¡­ By the way, Mia, there¡¯s something about that dress that you should know, uh¡­¡± the emperor said in a mumbled voice.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    When Mia raised an eyebrow at her dad, he slowly shook his head.


    ¡°¡­No. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s great that you like the dress. Please take good care of it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes, of course I will. After all, I like it.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Silly dad¡­ He could have told me¡­¡± Mia whispered. ¡°He had to feel embarassed about it. He acts like a child sometimes¡­¡±


    She shook her head, but it was more of a fond gesture than frustrations. Then she slowly closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t remember much about her mother. Still, the soft, delicate grain of the fabric made her feel very nostalgic.


    ¡°Thank you, mom¡­ Please keep an eye on me, okay?¡±


    Something shed in front of her eyes as she breathed the words. It looked like a faint image of her mother¡¯s face with the look mothers would wear when they loved their kids but thought they needed too much help from them. Because she was being gently told off, Mia could feel her back straighten. She looked more serious and focused in her eyes.


    ¡°Okay then. Time to leave. Look alive now. Mom is watching.¡±


    Her voice had a new sense of purpose in it.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Theicalized SS received good reviews.


    I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t help but write about it¡­ I have no regrets¡­.


    And yesterday, I updated the activity report.


    I¡¯m sure there are some surprising images, but please don¡¯t jump to conclusions.

 Chapter 478

    <h4>Chapter 478 </h4>


    <strong>Princess Mia Thinks¡­ and Thinks¡­</strong>


    Mia pped her face a few times as she got ready to ride out to war in a metaphorical sense.


    She was lucky that this time she had a lot of pieces to y with. She was in charge of Esmeralda, Citrina, and Tiona, who together made a strong front line. This setup was even stronger because Ludwig was smart, and she also had Rafina on her side. Anne, who could walk and talk, was with her, and Bel had alsoe along. The second one mostly because she was a huge Sion fan, but still.


    <i>Okay, then. Let¡¯s get to work. I know what I need to do.</i>


    She went over her thoughts onest time while giving herself the prebat pep talk.


    <i>I need to take care of two issues: The first is that if Esmeralda marries Prince Echard, it will make my political opponents stronger. The second is that someone is going to poison Sion¡­ In fact, no.</i>


    She turned her head away.


    <i>The problem of the political opposition is not something I should think about. He said he had some thoughts on it, so I should let him handle it. Sion¡¯s safety is the most important thing I need to think about right now. If I can¡¯t keep him living, nothing else will matter.</i>


    After more thought, she became more sure of her position.


    <i>Also, Esmeralda can help me with my political work. Also, I can get Sion to back me up after I tell him that I saved his life.</i>


    Right now, her only job was to keep Sion away from the poison.


    <i>The Chronicles say that Sion died from poison. And Rina¡¯s research shows that it¡¯s very likely that the Chaos Serpents gave Prince Echard some kind of poison¡­</i>


    The text from the Chronicles did not exin how such a young prince got his hands on such strong poison. The gap had been filled by Citrina¡¯s ount.


    <i>It looks like she has the antidote ready too¡­</i>


    Mia gave Citrina a quick look and a nod.


    ¡°Do not be afraid, Your Highness. That item is already in our possession.


    ¡°Um, what item?¡±


    ¡°It was the dried mushrooms. They were picked up on the way to Sunnd by you.¡±


    ¡°The dried mushrooms¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It has been done for a long time in the Equestrian Kingdom to hunt with a yin-type poison. That¡¯s the poison I¡¯d use to kill someone and make it look like the Equestrians did it. The nts you picked earlier have a yang-type poison that works against it, so they can be used as an antidote..¡± Citrina stopped for a second and raised one eyebrow. ¡°But I thought you already knew all of this?¡±


    Mia took a big breath, causing the reflexive She almost said, ¡°Of course I did!¡± She could lie her way through this question, which would make Citrina trust her even more, but¡­


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know as much about poisons as I¡¯d like to.


    Being honest was the better choice for her because she knew it didn¡¯t pay to act smart, especially when poisons were involved.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t n to buy those mushrooms.¡± She stated, ¡°The fact that we have them now is just a coincidence. In the same way I said before, I believe poison will be used at some point. Rina, I am counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Understood, got it. There is one thing you should remember, Your Highness, even though I will do everything I can. It is hard to fight poisons, and there is no perfect remedy. There is never a promise.¡±


    ¡°I see. Making sure the poison doesn¡¯t reach him in the first ce is the best thing that can be done. Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, are we not going to tell Prince Sion about this?¡±


    When she heard the question, Mia screwed up her face.


    ¡°I have thought about the option, but¡­¡±


    In fact, she had already asked Dion to tell Keithwood about the strange things that were going on with Prince Echard. Since Citrina¡¯s story was at best only a hint of what happened, using the prince directly of nning to kill someone would be, to say the least, foolish. That being said, she also couldn¡¯t say nothing. Keithwood was a tactful person, thank goodness. He was the only person who could handle the political nightmare that was looking into a Sunnd prince based on a tip from a foreign nation. Technically, Sion should also be able to do that, but Mia really didn¡¯t want to tell him, and she was starting to understand why. The dress she was wearing gave her away.


    <i>Sion¡¯s little brother is the one who is going to kill him..</i>


    That was why she didn¡¯t want to do it, she realized. What would happen if Sion found out about the n and told his brother about it? Because what happened was criminal in nature, he would probably have to ask for a trial. And punishment.


    ".


    <i>Sion has changed, that¡¯s true. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d want to do that. But how can he refuse in the first ce? Would Sunnd let him?</i>


    She thought she knew Sion pretty well as a person after everything they had been through together. Of course, because she was Mia, she might not have fully understood, but she had a good idea of how he saw the promised crown on his head and the standards he held himself to. She thought that the Remno event had brought his almost crazy interest in justice and fairness down to a more reasonable level ofmitment. He was not the same Sion as before.


    But that was when they were on trips and his home country didn¡¯t have much control over what he did. This is the middle of Sunnd, where people value fair and just leaders very highly. If someone tried to kill their crown prince, there would be a huge demand for a fair trial and justice. Punishment that is fair, neutral, andpletely unforgiving.


    <i>He would have to kill his own brother¡­ That would definitely scar him for life¡­</i>


    Mia¡¯s fingers got tighter around her neck scarf. She had no siblings. Her father, the emperor, was the only family member she knew. She didn¡¯t even really like him. She actually thought he was pretty annoying. He felt different when he saw her in this dress, which her mother¡ªhis wife¡ªhad made herself. The glowing happiness that he had given off was, well, adorable. It didn¡¯t make him less annoying, but¡­ In the past, when she heard that he was going to be put to death before her, it really scared her. He was annoying, but not really¡­


    Also, she didn¡¯t remember her mother, but she would have loved to get to know her. And if possible, have her with her. That was one¡¯s family. They were too valuable to exin. She couldn¡¯t think of any other way Sion could be feeling.


    <i>Even though he¡¯s great and knows way too much, I¡¯m sure it hurts him to have to put a family member to death.</i>


    It could have been because she was wearing a dress that her mother had made. For some reason, Mia couldn¡¯t stand the thought of Sion and Echard¡¯s rtionship going so badly wrong. There was nothing wrong with killing a few killers, but if one of them was Sion¡¯s brother, she wasn¡¯t sure if telling him would help him or hurt him.


    <i>So, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so important that no other nobles find out about this.</i>


    For Sion, not telling anyone about what happened would keep him from having to kill his brother for the sake of justice.


    <i>But let¡¯s say Sion forgives Echard and no one else finds out. How would Echard feel about Sion?</i>


    She couldn¡¯t help but think that it would make the younger prince even angrier, especially after hearing Keithwood talk about how he felt like he wasn¡¯t good enough. The brothers were more and more open to being manipted by the Serpents as the gap between them grew.


    ¡°Which would be even worse. To be honest, I¡¯d rather deal with killers.


    One thing that made the Serpents so dangerous was that they could use good people as pawns. Vital pieces of the intricate system that was society would be corrupted, but their function would be no less vital. If Sion killed a normal killer, it wouldn¡¯t hurt his conscience too much, but killing a brother who had be an assassin would hurt him a lot more.


    The situation at hand would need to be handled with the greatest finesse.


    ¡°I feel like this time, saving Sion¡¯s life won¡¯t be the most important thing for me.¡±


    The Princess Chronicles didn¡¯t promise to tell her about every looming danger. It would be best to stop a problem before it gets worse if she saw oneing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say I have Rina follow Sion around. Esmeralda can stick with Prince Echard. As for Tiona, I think I should also put her with Sion.¡±


    As she thought about how to use her forces at the party, she forgot about one thing.


    It really does pour when it rains.


    Bad luck neveres by itself.


    Bad thingse in three.


    She didn¡¯t think about what these well-known proverbs meant. With the Serpents involved and the princess at odds with each other, a third round of trouble was sure toe along like the two-legged guillotine of her dreams.

 Chapter 479

    <h4>Chapter 479 </h4>


    <strong>Mia Isn¡¯t Living a Lie</strong>


    The ball took ce in Solecsudo Castle¡¯s main hall. The beautifully designed room was packed with people at the moment.


    Ludwig said in a quick whisper, ¡°Your Highness, in addition to Sunnd nobility, there are, as we expected, a great many foreign dignitaries.¡± He looked around the hall.


    Mia asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A number of people have been found who fit Balthazar¡¯s descriptions.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Well, I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be a normal party since Rafina-sama and Abel were invited¡­¡±


    The royal family of Sunnd was hosting the event, and Esmeralda, a member of one of Tearmoon¡¯s Four Houses, was one of the main guests. This meant that the party could not have been small.


    <i>However, I still do not understand what this party is meant to be about. What are we even celebrating about?</i> As she looked around, she thought.


    ¡°Hi, Mia.¡±


    A person came up behind her and stopped her from looking around. Rafina Orca Belluga walked up dressed for a fancy ball. Her hair floated softly behind her, smooth and silky against skin as clean as snow. Her dress was a light blue color with a shimmering sheen that made me think of the beauty of mountain streams.


    ¡°Hello, Rafina-sama. It¡¯s great to see you again.¡± Mia showed the greatest respect by bowing. ¡°Thanks for inviting me to lunch the other day. It was great.¡±


    ¡°That makes me so happy. As a food lover, I was afraid the food might not live up to your expectations¡­¡±


    The lords around them started talking as soon as they started talking.


    ¡°Hey¡­ That person talking to Lady Rafina¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand what you mean, and you¡¯re most likely right. It¡¯s the princess of Tearmoon¡­¡±


    Mia kept looking around until she found Abel on the other side of the room. She wasn¡¯t worried by the sudden attention she was getting.


    ¡°Hey, Abel! This way!¡± Right away, she waved her hand as far as it would go.


    As soon as Abel saw, he walked over. ¡°Well, someone looks beautiful today, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abel, you tter me so much! Also, feel free to tter me even more!¡±


    She forgot why she came here in an instant and started chatting with Abel, so it might have been a good thing that someone made an announcement and told them to stop.


    ¡°Everyone! Wee to this ball put on by our great kingdom of Sunnd. Thank you to everyone foring.¡± It was Count Lampron, meeting the guests in a proper way.


    <i>That brings to mind¡­ His job today is to be the master of ceremonies.</i>


    Mia did nothing but watch him give his speech. She found nothing interesting in it at all. Untilsomething unexpected happened¡­


    ¡°In fact, I have the honor of sharing some wonderful news with our esteemed guests here. The second prince of our country, His Highness Echard Sol Sunnd, is officially engaged to Lady Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon of the Tearmoon Empire. A public announcement will be made soon, but for now I¡¯m announce to this.¡±


    People cheered when Count Lampron made his loud statement.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    When Esmeralda noticed this sudden turn of events, she couldn¡¯t help but cry out in shock. Mia was also shocked by the news, but her shock was quickly reced by a feeling of relief. Why? You may ask?


    <i>I see! That¡¯s why this party is happening. I understand why they invited Rafina-sama, Abel, and all the other nobles but not me¡­ It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t want me to get in the way of their ns, not because I¡¯m disliked, nor they hate me, nor all my friendships are fake and I¡¯m really very, very alone¡­ Phew! That¡¯s great!</i>


    It was finally clear to Mia what Count Lampron was up to. It was the old ¡°fait apli¡± trick: by saying ahead of time that the engagement was official, he made it hard for anyone to say otherwise.


    <i>He¡¯s basically forcing Esmeralda to a position that she can¡¯t say no any longer. Hm, hm. He made a very smart choice here. Esmeralda can be a tyrant at home, but she can be such a wimp when she¡¯s outside.</i>


    That¡¯s not to say Mia was a paragon of mental fortitude or anything, but anyway¡­


    <i>He¡¯s likely already talked this over with the Greenmoons. It¡¯s likely that only Esmeralda doesn¡¯t know. Oh, poor girl¡­</i> Mia felt bad for her friend and thought, <i>They set her up. But hold on. Should I really do something about this?</i>


    Esmeralda didn¡¯t really dislike Echard. She even seemed to be fond of him a little.


    ".


    <i>I may miss her a little, but having Esmeralda marry into Sunnd¡¯s royal family should make it easier to handle Sion and Echard¡¯s bond.</i>


    After all, stopping tonight¡¯s murder wouldn¡¯t make their rtionship better. Echard¡¯s problems with his brother were going to stay with him. So, she should have left someone she could trust with them, like Esmeralda¡­


    Someone talking next to her stopped her in the middle of her thoughts.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Rafina put her hands on her chest and said, ¡°I wish the bride and groom all the best, and I hope that this marriage will strengthen the bond between the two nations. I know that my good friend Mia Luna Tearmoon is also thrilled to witness this. Mia, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Mia whispered, ¡°Uh¡­¡± when she saw Rafina¡¯s smiling, polite smile that made her feel cold.


    Mia realized at that moment that Rafina was doing what Ludwig asked. This was the countermeasure he had nned. It was ying out as they spoke. The problem¡­ was that it revolved around her.

 Chapter 480

    <h4>Chapter 480 </h4>


    <strong>Nod¡­ Nod¡­ Nod?</strong>


    Mia¡¯s mind started working again after a short nk. The room¡¯s attention had been drawn from Lampron to Mia by Rafina¡¯s beautiful voice.


    <i>What in the moons is going on right now?!</i>


    She wasn¡¯t sure what Rafina wanted her to say, but she knew she had to say something. After a moment of doubt, determination set in.


    <i>I have to get through this! I don¡¯t know where this wave is going, but I think I won¡¯t drown if I ride with it like a jellyfish.</i>


    She took a quick breath. The next second, she had a huge smile on her face.


    ¡°Yes, it is great news that the House of Greenmoon and the royal family of Sunnd are getting married. Prince Echard is a wonderful person. I¡¯m so happy for my good friend Esmeralda that she found such a great man.¡±


    The feelings with which she spoke were real. When people get married, they often grow. For Echard to be a more mature person through this agreement, he might not want to n any more murders. Mia could, in theory, gain from this marriage because it would let her speak her truth. At least for this part of the meeting.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Rafina said in the end. ¡°May the Lord fill their days together with love and joy.¡±


    As soon as Rafina said her greeting, everyone in the hall started talking. Count Lampron smiled at the hurriedly talking lords, and his face looked a little smug. He had even nned for Rafina to be there because of this very reason. Getting approval from the Saint of Belluga gave the nned marriage legitimacy that made it hard, if not impossible, to annul. There were also a lot of important people from other countries there, all of whom could attest to her support. The point of this party was to finally seal the deal on this marriage.


    Rafina turned to Mia and said, ¡°It is truly wonderful that marriage has brought the Kingdom of Sunnd and the Tearmoon Empire closer together. They are two of the most important countries on our continent. I¡¯m sure it will also help you a lot with what you¡¯re trying to do Mia, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Mia wasn¡¯t sure what Rafina meant at first. The good news is that she realized the answer before she made any signs of being confused. In this case, what Mia was trying to do was to keep fooding in during a general famine. She had, after all, asked for open and mutual food aid between countries during the opening event. In this way, getting along better with Sunnd was definitely a good thing.


    <i>Because of how Sion acts, he probably won¡¯t say no to food aid. Still, having more safety is always a good thing, and Esmeralda bing his inw will do that nicely. That being said, this marriage is a pretty good deal. That is, when the hungeres, no one will have time for political games anyway.</i>


    But was the deal really that good? Ludwig, Rafina, and Anne were the three Mia fanatics who came up with this n. Was that really the only thing they had in mind? No, of course not. Their n was much bigger.


    ¡°This past few months, you¡¯ve been too busy that you have been keeping to yourself.¡± Rafina went on. ¡°I heard about your great performance in Perujin.¡±


    Before Mia could answer, a close Sunnd noble spoke up.


    ¡°Oh?¡± He asked out loud, making it clear that he wanted other people to hear him. ¡°Could that have anything to do with the news that Tearmoon is increasing their food reserves?¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence. We were wondering the same thing too.¡±


    More nobles joined the chat.


    ¡°Concerns have been raised that Tearmoon is storing food in preparation for an invasion.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve actually talked to His Majesty¡ª¡± Mia stopped when she saw that Ludwig, her loyal subject, was quietly walking toward them and was much better able to answer their questions. That¡¯s correct. Again, Mia was ready. She had not only her right hand with her, but also her brains. It does make one wonder, ¡°How much of Mia was really Mia if her right hand and brains were all other people?¡± It¡¯s too bad there wasn¡¯t time for such deep intellectual thought.


    <i>Hm¡­ Yes, I should really let him handle this. He is going to do a much better job.</i>


    To avoid making things even more suspicious, the answer had to be carefully worded. That¡¯s why it made sense to use her brains, in other words, Ludwig.


    ¡°Regarding that, I know there are a lot of misunderstandings going on. I¡¯m fortunate to have one of my most trusted vassals here with me. I would like to introduce you to Ludwig. He will tell you the truth about what¡¯s going on,¡± Mia said, expecting him to give her a perfect answer that left no room for question.


    That¡¯s what he did. His answer made it very clear what he meant without room for doubt.


    ¡ª


    Ludwig nodded after Mia gave him the metaphorical baton.


    ¡°I think you all want to know why Her Majesty went to Perujin¡­¡± He tapped his sses. ¡°The reason for her trip was to set up a continent-wide system of mutual food aid that would not be limited by borders and sovereignties.¡±


    When she heard this answer, Mia folded her arms and nodded happily.


    ¡°And for her vision toe true,¡± Ludwig went on, ¡°she needed the help of a number of merchantpanies to set up the organization that would oversee this work.¡±


    Mia kept crossing her arms and nodding her head, but her eyebrows started to tilt in a strange way.


    ¡°Forkroad & Co. and the famous merchant Shalloak Cornrogue will help with this.¡±


    The lords were very upset when they heard the name of the second person.


    ¡°What? Cornrogue? Wasn¡¯t he greed on legs? He was brought on by her?¡±


    People might have been less impressed with the statement if Cornrogue had made it by himself. Shalloak Cornrogue often used bold business strategies that made a lot of people dislike him. That being said¡­


    ¡°Well, Forkroad is also a part of the n¡­¡± Even though Forkroad wasn¡¯t as big as Cornrogue, he was known as a trustworthy and honest trader. Even nations that were close by knew that he was known for being fair and honest in business.


    ¡°Also, weren¡¯t those two fighting a lottely?¡± Many lords frowned in confusion when they heard that Cornrogue was targetting Forkroad.


    No matter what, if Mia was able to get their backing, it could only mean one thing: she had not only made peace between them, but also won them both over. People who had only heard of the Great Wisdom of the Empire by name were shocked. What people said about her and her feats was no longer just a story. Now, they were seeing one of her amazing aplishments for themselves. Plus it¡¯s in real time. The experience was a lot stronger.


    But Ludwig wasn¡¯t finished yet. They wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe again until he was done.


    ¡°If possible, Her Highness wants to end all famine on thend for good. That¡¯s why she¡¯s putting together this group. That¡¯s why she went to Perujin.¡±


    Someone in the crowd asked, ¡°What does Perujin have to do with this? Aren¡¯t they a vassal state?¡±


    Ludwig gave the questioner a nod.


    ¡°A good question. There is no denying that the rtionship between the empire and Perujin Agricultural Country are the targets of a lot of criticism, and that criticism is certainly valid. That being said, changing our current n isn¡¯t easy because Perujin doesn¡¯t have any military force. It wouldn¡¯t take long for an unfriendly country to try to take them over. To do that, they need the empire¡¯s armed power to keep them safe. Because of thisplicated rtionship and all the problems and baggage thates with it, I hope you can all see that the criticism of Perujin¡¯s status as an empire vassal is true, but there is no easy way to fix it,¡± Ludwig said, getting more and more talkative as he spoke. ¡°However, even though Her Highness knew this was a tough situation, she looked at the arrangement¡­and turned it down!¡±


    Passion filled every word he spoke. He made hand motions. His speech sped up, but it didn¡¯t lose any of its beauty. His whole body seemed to be buzzing with energy, and he felt waves of happiness running through him. He was basically going through what geeks do when they can talk about their favorite thing.


    He was filled with pride at the princess he served with historic sess and said, ¡°That¡¯s why Her Highness went to Perujin! To show the way forward in what she belives in! A road that isn¡¯t cut by knives. Not burned by war. But it was made with care. She didn¡¯t go to fight, but to teach how to fight! She taught them how to fight for themselves and stay safe without weapons by putting the offices of the merchants¡¯ organization in Perujin!¡±


    Anywhere there could be a food shortage. It could happen to any nation. Who would make an enemy of the country that offered help if it did happen? If that country was then attacked by enemies who wouldn¡¯t offer help in return.


    ¡°The real enemy of Her Highness, the one she ns to go to war with¡­is a foe no one has even thought of before. She wants to fight hunger itself! She is building an organization that will help people from different nations, cultures, and regions do that. This big idea will start to take shape in Perujin!¡± At the end of Ludwig¡¯s speech, there was dead quiet.


    After a beat, Rafina spoke. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ truly unbelievable. Being friends with Princess Mia makes me proud like never before.¡± She looked at Mia. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, and my doubts about whether I deserve it grow every day.¡±


    By giving her sign of approval to Mia¡¯s big idea, the Saint of Belluga set the record straight for how great her achievements were. That¡¯s what Ludwig wanted. In a way, it was an attack on Sunnd¡¯s ¡°justice.¡± What kind of organization was Mia building? What did it represent?


    It was a group that worked for peace. A truly fair group that would fight famine, which is a threat to all people.


    ¡°Her Highness is trying to uphold a justice that is not limited by borders. One that is universal for all nations¡± is a good way to sum up Ludwig¡¯s speech. In any way, its rightousness was even greater than what Sunnd expected from its leaders. He was challenging the kind of justice favored by Count Lampron and his friends by offering a different one and, after showing them how much better it was, daring them to fight it. In this fight, would they stand against her? Choose the side of famine?


    Without a doubt not. As long as they couldn¡¯t fight against Mia¡¯s justice, Esmeralda and Echard¡¯s marriage would help Mia. Sunnd was a kingdom of justice. If Mia¡¯s justice was more true, they would have to follow her.


    Ludwig had done a great thing when he used Sunnd¡¯s values against them to further their own values. In this fight, he used justice against justice, and made it better.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    As you might expect, Mia had no idea what had just happened.

 Chapter 481

    <h4>Chapter 481 </h4>


    <strong>Nostalgic Memories of a Loyal Retainer (Damned sses)</strong>


    <strong>?</strong>


    ¡°I¡¯m moved to tears. Your service to the people¡­ Not just Tearmoon¡¯s, but everyone on thisnd¡­ It¡¯s truly amazing. I really hope that the new rtionship you¡¯ve made with Sunnd will help your efforts a lot.¡± Rafina spoke after Ludwig, and her excitement was just as strong, if not stronger than Ludwig¡¯s.


    And it¡¯s not her fault. After all, she had been pretty much ignored during the whole thing. Even though she was her friend¡ªno, because she was her friend¡ªMia hadn¡¯t asked her for help. She was very upset that she couldn¡¯t help Mia, and now was her chance to make up for it. She was eager to go!


    ¡°You¡¯ve done so great,¡± Rafina told Mia, taking her hand in hers. ¡°And so should you. In the history books, this is an important event. You only need to ask Belluga what we can do to help you.¡±


    Because she couldn¡¯t hold back her praise, Sunnd¡¯s lords started to panic. The Holy was known for not liking being favored or to favor. That person wasn¡¯t someone they could buy or sweet talk, or so they thought. But she was willing and eager to help her friends in a very biased way.


    Right now, Rafina, who was hard to convince, was praising Mia for how great she was. That is very important and cannot be stressed enough. On a basic level, the Holy Lady was agreeing with Mia¡¯s judgment that she was right.


    <i>I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on¡­</i>


    Mia didn¡¯t know what to do. Based on how well Ludwig and Rafina worked together, this was probably part of their n. It was a problem that Mia had already stopped helping. She thought she could take a step (or three) back and let Esmeralda finish the heavy work. Instead, she was back at the center of the situation. She was scared at first, but as she thought about what was going on, she became confused. She didn¡¯t understand why this group thing was even being brought up. She knew she had to tell Sunnd¡¯s nobles why she had gone to Perujin, but what did that have to do with this marriage engagement and how it would affect her political opposition?


    <i>Why is this all happening? What is Ludwig doing?</i>


    That¡¯s when it hit her.


    <i>I see what you mean now¡­ Is this n B?</i>


    It dawned on her that not even Ludwig could find a way to back out of this engagement. He chose to make the most of the situation instead and find some new talent for their new organization


    <i>I¡¯m sure he has ns to get Sunnd to provide some useful staff for the organization!</i>


    She couldn¡¯t be more wrong.


    <i>That¡¯s why he joined forces with Rafina. He asked her to help him pressure Sunnd.</i>


    Not only Sunnd lords were with them, but also many important people from other countries. It was a big deal to have Rafina promise her support in front of so many people. This made Sunnd feel like she had to give help too.


    <i>But I have to say, I¡¯m pleased. Ludwig was building an organization like that behind the scenes, I didn¡¯t know.</i>


    She pursed her lips and thought.


    <i>A mutualwork of people with food banks that works across nations, huh? I never even thought about that. It¡¯s true that group like that would be very helpful for the empire during the famine, now that I think about it. People won¡¯t likely put me to death as long as there is food for everyone. Hm¡­ At first, I was scared because I had no idea what he was talking about, but wow, this is all really well thought out.</i>


    She looked at Ludwig with increased respect, and he proudly said, ¡°For the sake of convenience, we¡¯ve decided to name this organization after the person who first came up with the idea. I¡¯m officially announcing that the Mi has been set up.¡±


    <i>I also didn¡¯t know that Ludwig wasing up with such bad names behind the scenes. ¡°Mi¡±? That¡¯s it?</i>


    She thought she was getting a headache.


    <i>Okay, so let¡¯s say I tell him to change the nameter¡­ Still, this is pretty good. He really should be praised for making the best of a bad situation.</i>


    The fight might not go their way, but the war could still be won. Though this time, their enemies would win, but Mia still had Esmeralda, and what she did next could change things in her favor.


    <i>That¡¯s why I wanted to leave it to Esmeralda at first, but Ludwig was able to use it to our advantage and get some points. Hey, good job, you not-so-stupid four-eyes! That¡¯s why you were able to keep an empire that was falling apart going for so long.</i>


    She thought back to thest days of the empire that was falling apart, almost with fondness. Ludwig told her to spend most of her time on the road, desperately going from ce to ce to try to keep the empire from falling. He had been with her the whole time. He and those silly sses. Every step of the way to the guillotine.


    <i>Good job. I¡¯ll y his part again. A pawn in his n. When ites to losing fights, this is nothing. Especially whenpared to that time.</i>


    Mia stepped forward with more energy, enjoying the short wave of memories.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Ludwig. That was an incredibly clear exnation. It must have made things much clearer for everyone.¡±


    After that, she gave Rafina a smile. It was both a performance (to make it look like they were close) and an act of thanks. No matter what the situation was, Rafina¡¯s act of support was appreciated.


    She stressed her name again to make the point clear: ¡°I¡¯ve always meant to talk to you about the effort at some point and ask for your help, Rafina-sama. But¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to agree so quickly. Still, I¡¯m d you did. Thank you.¡±


    Finally, she spoke to the people in the hall.


    ¡°As you heard from my retainer, I think it¡¯s best for the continent to set up a way to fight famine, and I n to ask every country to work with me on this.¡± Of course, that includes your great kingdom of Sunnd¡­¡±


    Mia did her best to help Ludwig with his staffing problems once she got the main idea of his n. Even though they were looking for helpful people to work on the definitely-yet-to-be-officially-named Mi, epting help from anyone could have caused chaos within the organization. She didn¡¯t have to worry about that with this source, though, and Rafina was the reason for that. Her impact was felt all over the continent, but it may have been strongest here in Sunnd, where the Holy Book of the Central Orthodox Church was the basis for its government. What would happen if the staff given by a Sunnd noble turned out to be a problem?


    Mia would definitely tell on them! There was no way she wasn¡¯t going to have Rafina scold them. That would probably make the noble look bad. Not having bad thoughts should be easy for them since the Holy Lady is always ready to punish them.


    <i>That¡¯s why he asked Rafina for help! That was smart, Ludwig!</i>


    So, the princess and the subject worked together, with their efforts lined up on everything except for the most important parts. Their diversely united show was cut short, though, by someone who couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°With all due respect, Princess Mia, I must protest!¡±

 Chapter 482

    <h4>Chapter 482 </h4>


    <strong>Princess Mia has a Slight ent</strong>


    ¡°As the leader of this Mi group, are you telling all of us Sunnd nobles to obey you?¡±


    A stern voice cut through the noise in the hall. It belonged to Count Lampron, who was nning the event and running it. He stole a quick look at King Abram, but the king of Sunnd didn¡¯t seem ready to talk. The fact that didn¡¯t surprise Lampron. The idea that Princess Mia put forward was good for regr people. It did what was right. Without a doubt. Even so, he couldn¡¯t give it any credibility.


    <i>We have no way of proving that Princess Mia is lying if she really believes what that servant of hers is saying. If you disagree with her, you are against justice. It goes against everything we stand for.</i>


    Peace is kept safe by a king who is fair and good¡­ That was the most important thing about Sunnd as a nation, and it was also the main reason they wanted to expand. They couldn¡¯t go against Mia¡¯s idea as long as their sign said ¡°peace for the people.¡±


    <i>But wait, there¡¯s more¡­ It¡¯s not all that¡­</i>


    He felt a chill go down his spine when he understood that Mia was a much greater threat¡ªa justice that was as strong as or even stronger than the King of Sunnd¡¯s. One of the main points of the Sunnd conservatives was that the King of Sunnd was the most capable person to lead everyone in virtuous fashion. There was, however, a condition that was naturally necessary for this case to work. The King of Sunnd couldn¡¯t be less virtuous than any foreign noble; it had to be clear that he was better. If people thought of Princess Mia as a leader with the same skills and morals as King Abram¡­


    Lampron clenched his teeth. It was not possible for that to happen. His n had toe together quickly.


    <i>That¡¯s not what I thought. I thought all the talk about the Great Wisdom of the Empire was just lies. Who knew it had some real substance?</i>


    She took the initiative to invite herself as a friend of the Greenmoon bride. She was smart enough to turn the party¡¯s mood in her favor, and she had the guts to make something real from just words and empty promises. She defied all his expectations. He now knew that Princess Mia wasn¡¯t just a faraway dream. She was a Goliath. Towering, very powerful, and very real. He still couldn¡¯t give up. He had to fight even though the odds were against him. As he looked at her, he felt like he was in her shade, and he worked hard toe up with a way to refute what she said.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry? Subject yourselves to me? Since I¡¯m the organization¡¯s leader? I really don¡¯t want you to do that. It would be so anno: arrogant of me.¡±


    The politeest ¡°oho ho¡± she could manage was used to hide her slip of the tongue.


    ¡°Neither I nor the King of Perujin should be in charge of the group. It¡¯s also not the King of Sunnd. It¡¯s not even Miss Rafina. No, that field¡¯s experts should be in charge of it.¡±


    ¡°By which you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I think that either Forkroad or Cornrogue should choose someone to do the job.¡±


    Her answer made sense and was easy to understand. Since merchants are experts at getting things to people, they would know how to set up the best supply lines. Also, they would have a good idea of how much food was in each nation. Those were the problems the organization needed to solve, so she shouldn¡¯t be in charge. Instead, someone with a lot of experience in those areas should.


    ¡°You¡¯d give up the honor and fame for someone else? Even to amoner from another nation?¡±


    ¡°Dear Count Lampron, I believe that always being able to eat tasty, filling meals is a great blessing. There is no bigger glory than giving that to everyone. To know that there will always be bread in the morning, so everyone can sleep well at night.¡±


    It was right there. The right answer. Pretty close, though. There was a little something off about the way she said ¡°arrogant¡±¡ªit was just a detail.


    <i>I guess I have to agree with this point. Making a fuss would only make me look stupid.</i>


    He red at her with his teeth clenched and got the nicest smile in return. The young princess looked absolutely lovely as she stood there in that beautiful dress that seemed to radiate the goodness and purity of her soul.


    ¡°Hunger kills nations. The people who live there are killed, along with their kings and rulers. It is our shared enemy. So, shouldn¡¯t we all work together to fight this threat?¡±


    As she hit him onest time, Lampron felt thest of his fight leave him. He had to work hard to stay standing because his legs felt weak all of a sudden. What Mia was trying to do was a historic event that would be told over and over again for generations. When faced with opposition, she didn¡¯t just ignore him as an enemy; she kept offering her hand in good faith.


    There was no more fighting. He searched deep inside himself but couldn¡¯t find any other ways to stay her enemy. He was through. Not beaten at all. He hadn¡¯t given up because of the difference in power. He had no longer any desire to fight. At the same time, he understood why Sion had changed. Sion had always supported the idea of prosperity under the rule of the righteous Sunnd king. It was because he met her, the Empire¡¯s Great Wisdom.


    ¡°Enough, Count Lampron. There shouldn¡¯t have been any more questions from our guests. We are now in agreement.¡±


    King Abram finally spoke. He looked at Mia with narrowed eyes, as if he were seeing something too bright.


    ¡°Princess Mia, I am truly amazed by how clever you are. It would be an honor to help you make this big dreame true,¡± he said with a royal smile. ¡°And I¡¯d like to take a moment to thank you officially for being friends with my son Sion. May it keep blessing him for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, of course he will. But it¡¯s not just friendship. Esmeralda is my kin. We will be rted once she marries Prince Echard. Tearmoon and Sunnd will both share blood.¡± Mia looked at the crowd. ¡°Please forgive me, everyone. I have taken up your time. I¡¯m not the guest of honor for this assion; it¡¯s Prince Echard and my best friend Esmeralda. They have been brought together because of a marriage proposal, and I wish them the best. May this wonderful arrangement go off with the ease and joy it deserves.¡±


    The beautiful smile on her face was something that everyone there would never forget.

 Chapter 483

    <h4>Chapter 483 </h4>


    <strong>Spark</strong>


    <i>As always, Mia never fails to impress¡­</i> A very sad sigh came from Sion<i>. Forget Count Lampron. She¡¯s strong enough to stand up to my father. </i>The gap in their skills only seemed to get bigger over time. <i>The Great Wisdom of the Empire, huh?</i>


    ¡°Hey Sion. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    When he came out of his thinking, an old friend was staring at him. ¡°Oh, Abel. Yes, for a long time. I had nned to say hello at school, but things don¡¯t always work out that way.¡±


    It was already the start of the semester at Saint-Noel. Sion should have been in Belluga by now, but he put off leaving to go to this party. There were times like this before, though, at the school. A lot of nobles went to Saint-Noel, and students often had to miss ss because of big events at home. In these situations, longer absences were allowed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Things like this do happen,¡± Abel said with a shrug. ¡°Besides that, isn¡¯t it interesting that the student council is meeting here in Sunnd? You didn¡¯t need toe. The council came to you.¡±


    Sion shook his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s interesting, but it¡¯s also kind of embarrassing because I have to introduce you all to my family.¡±


    Echard walked over and asked, ¡°Sion? Who could this be?¡±


    ¡°Hm? You forget? I think you saw him before, but I guess you were too young. His name is Abel Remno. Second prince of the Kingdom of Remno, fellow member of the Saint-Noel student council, and my friend.¡±


    Abel scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed by what he said.


    ¡°What, ¡®friend¡¯?¡± He asked, ¡°To whom do I owe the honor?¡± He was kidding, but his difort was clear. After that, he spoke to Echard.


    ¡°Abel Remno. It¡¯s great to meet you, Prince Echard. I¡¯m here on behalf of my country to wish the best of luck with this engagement.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Prince Abel,¡± Echard replied. ¡°I¡¯m still a little shaken because it happened so quickly, but I¡¯ll do my best for Sunnd¡¯s sake.¡±


    Abel looked at that with shock in his eyes. ¡°For Sunnd¡¯s sake? You¡¯re a much better prince than I am. I surely wasn¡¯t smart enough to think about my kingdom when I was your age.¡±


    Heughed out loud. There was no sign of the haughty yboy from before.


    <i>You look very different now, don¡¯t you?</i>


    Sion thought back to the first time he had been to Saint-Noel. At that time, Abel sometimes gave off an air of not caring, as if he had given up on himself. <i>Not any longer. You¡¯ve gotten over feeling bad about yourself around your brother. Now that it¡¯s off of you, you¡¯re a prouder man.</i>


    Sion looked at his sure-of-himself friend and admired his bravery, honesty, and slowly improving swordsmanship. After that, he looked at his own brother. He thought about whether Echard would one day turn into Abel. Could this meeting between them make things better? After that, he looked around. Not just Abel. Everyone around Mia was a good person, from her servants to her friends. He hoped Echard would catch their spirit. Their power over him could only be good.


    If only they could do to Echard what they had done to him. Free him from the old, stuck-in-the-past beliefs that were holding him back.


    ¡°But I have to say, Mia is really unique.¡±


    Abel¡¯s statement woke him up from his thought. ¡°Yes, she is¡­ She never fails to amaze me.¡±


    He agreed and looked at the girl, who was the same age as him but could handle her own in politics with his father.


    ¡°That vision she had is the stuff for history. It will change the future of this whole continent,¡± Sion said in a low voice.


    It was more than just a way to stop hunger. Its real valuey in its power to change the way people thought. People would see the world differently after that.


    Most of the continent followed the beliefs of the Central Orthodox Church. While the specifics were different from one country to the next, everyone generally agreed on what was right and wrong. As an example, most people agreed on basic morals like ¡°help those in need¡± and ¡°nobles have the power to keep the peace and safety of their people.¡±


    But that agreement was mostly on the surface. Are the people who live in strange and faraway ces really the same as us? What if they are terrible devils on the inside but only look alike?


    People have always had these kinds of worries, even if they were vague. Since they had never met. Because they had never talked before. There was doubt all the time. It seemed like you couldn¡¯t trust them. It was easy for people from other countries to look more and more like enemies because of this. Yes, they believed in the same god and fought for the same cause of justice. But they were the ones who said it. It was never easy to trust someone, even if they looked a lot alike.


    If Mia¡¯s dream came true, though, it would actually change the world. Both the amount and consistency of the flow of people and things would get better. As new trade routes between countries opened up, they also opened up new ways for people to talk to each other. There would be new bonds. A lot of people would see for themselves that those people who lived in strange and faraway ces were really the same.


    Then Sion said, ¡°Mia could really afford to be a little more arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Just what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Smoldering suns, she¡¯s the Great Wisdom of the Empire! Could there be anyone better to lead that kind of organization than her?¡±


    Abel said, ¡°You make a good point. But¡­¡± and thenughed for a short time.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just thought about what she said. Could have been nerves, but do you remember how she said ¡®anno-arrogant¡¯? It makes meugh that even the Great Wisdom of the Empire can get tongue-tied from time to time.¡±


    Sion pressed his lips together. That moment was sweet because it showed the girl behind the wisdom of the empire. That being said¡­


    ¡°Was it nerves¡­or tact?¡±


    Echard, not Abel, was the one to answer this time.


    ¡°Tact?¡± He made a face. ¡°Do you mean that she did that to make her more approachable? Because of that saying: Most people follow charismatic person, but no one follows a perfect person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I thought, For someone as smart as Mia, maybe it¡¯s possible to trip her up on purpose for effect.¡±


    Echard made a bigger frown.


    ¡°Is that really something you can do on purpose?¡±


    ¡°I believe the answer is yes for her. When you think about some of the other things she¡¯s done, it seems pretty easy,¡± Sion said, looking Echard in the eyes. ¡°If Mia has that kind of vision in mind, then your marriage to Lady Esmeralda will likely be very important. As prince of Sunnd, you¡¯ll have a role to y, so do your best to make everyone proud.¡±


    He added hope to his voice because he knew how hard things were for Echard. He knew his pain, sweat, and hard work. Even though Echard worked hard to be a good prince, beingpared to Sion all the time hurt him deeply.


    ".


    <i>He doesn¡¯t need to try to be me, but he is. He is free to set his own goals. The way he lives.</i>


    Each person had their own unique skills and gifts. The same way that Sion had good and bad points, so did Echard. Echard was the only one who could do certain things. He prayed that Mia¡¯s dream would give him ideas. Make him look at things differently. After that, maybe one day they can work on this big project together. How wonderful it would be if they could help her make her dreame true as brothers.


    That was his true dream. And that¡¯s what he wanted to say.


    Sion said, ¡°As a fellow prince of Sunnd, I¡¯ll do my best to help Princess Mia too. Let¡¯s both do our best.¡±


    ¡°Sure, of course.¡±


    Echard¡¯s answer was softer, and he said it with a sad face. The expression on his face was hidden.

 Chapter 484

    <h4>Chapter 484 </h4>


    <strong>A World of F.A.T.</strong>


    Mia didn¡¯t know what to say when Count Lampron suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Subject yourselves to me? As the leader of the organization? Please, that¡¯s just about thest think I¡¯d want to do. It would be so anno-arrogant of me.¡±


    She oho-ho¡¯d reflexively as a cold drop of sweat ran down her back.


    <i>Sweet moons, I almost said ¡°annoying¡±¡­ I need to get my act together now.</i>


    When she realized that the talk had taken a new turn, she tried to keep her mind on it and go with it.


    <i>My ¡°arrogant¡± save covered me on the humility font, but that leaves me with responsibilities¡­</i>


    It was normal to think that the person who came up with the idea would be responsible for carrying it out. Since Mia came up with the idea for the organization, she may be responsible for running and leading it. That would be a lot of work, though! She needed an excuse to be free her from having to do such work.


    It hit her then. With a smug smile she said, ¡°I think the job should go to someone chosen by either Forkroad or Cornrogue.¡±


    <i>If I may say so myself, this is a great idea! Some people might be upset if I chose someone from my own kingdom, but no one can say I¡¯m ying favoritism if the nominationes from a merchant who is an expert in the field. Also, if the person does something wrong, it won¡¯t be my fault.</i>


    ¡°You would give the glory and prestige to someone else?¡± asked Count Lampron, shocked.


    This question made her brows twitch.


    She said in a low voice, ¡°Prestige and glory¡­¡± These words would taste bad if they had taste.


    Mia was used to glory She was well aware of the prestige thating from being princess of the Tearmoon Empire. She also knew about the beheading, though. Glory, prestige, and social status¡­ Those things wouldn¡¯t stop a de from going through her neck. It was much better to have a fast horse. She¡¯d even be willing to give up all her glory for a carrot cake. At least she could give Kun the carrot cake and keep him moving.


    Also, the fact that she ran away meant that her head was already about to roll. She would much rather not have the guillotinee after her in the first ce. How could that be done best?


    She looked at Count Lampron and spoke slowly and slightly condescendingly, like someone would when trying to exin something to a very smart child. ¡°Count Lampron, I believe that always being able to eat tasty, filling meals is a great blessing.¡±


    That¡¯s correct. The executioner will note for you if you eat every day. Today you can eat cake because you know tomorrow you will have mushroom stew. That is a blessing bigger than any glory. For that cake to be truly enjoyable, however, everyone nearby had also to be full. The sight of hungry people outside the castle walls took away the sweetness of the cake faster than anything else.


    ¡°What greater glory is there than to provide for all people? To know that there will always be bread in the morning, so everyone can sleep well at night?¡±


    Glory did not stop the scythe; gorged guts did. It was important for people to know they could eat as much as they wanted today and still have plenty of food tomorrow. That really kept people¡¯s heads from dropping, because what did people do after eating that much? Foodas. People start to feel like a pig, and lie on their back after eating too much. They get tired. Their mind and body slow down. As long as they can get a good night¡¯s sleep and another good meal tomorrow, they don¡¯t care as much about things, like princesses who might not be very smart. She didn¡¯t care as much, and she wasn¡¯t that different from everyone else, at least.


    That was Mia¡¯s perfect world. A ce where everyone was pleased. And not worried. And with a very high chance of getting F.A.T.


    While thinking about this, she smiled at the people in the hall, making her face as friendly as it could be to hide any breakthrough smugness, and said, ¡°Hunger kills nations. It kills the people along with their kings and rulers. It is our shared enemy. So, shouldn¡¯t we all work together to fight this threat?¡±


    Hunger was the enemy. In the same way, it was the same for everyone. It was the same for emperors, kings, Sunnd, and Tearmoon. Also, the enemy of an enemy had to be a friend. That¡¯s what she really meant with what she said: she wanted to get some good people from Sunnd to work for the group. As soon as she finished her speech, she knew she had won¡­


    ¡°Princess Mia, I am truly amazed by how wiseyou are. It would be an honor to help you make this big dreame true.¡±


    ¡­ Abram, King of Sunnd, spoke out in support of her cause. Her smile was friendly but speaking to the hall, she had a hint of smugness about her.


    ¡°Please forgive me, everyone. I have taken up your time. I¡¯m not the guest of honor this time; it¡¯s Prince Echard and my best friend Esmeralda. They¡¯re together because of a marriage proposal, and I wish them the best.¡±


    By quickly turning the attention to Esmeralda, she was trying to send a message to those who were against her. That¡¯s right, she couldn¡¯t stop the wedding. In that way, she had lost the battle. They should enjoy their win while itsts, though, because she still hasn¡¯t lost the war. Mia made it clear that Esmeralda was her best friend and that everything that happened after this depended on her.


    ¡°May this wonderful arrangement go off with all the ease and joy it deserves.¡±


    Thatst line was just extra, and she meant it as a kind of ¡°Go ahead, get married. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Then she stomped off on her heels with what she thought was an air of sophistication instead of, well, sour grapes.


    She walked toward some grapes, but they were not sour at all. Nor was anything else near her either. She ran straight for the desserts on the serving table.


    <i>That was way too much work to do. I¡¯m beginning to feel dizzy. I need sugar.</i>


    The events had used up all of her energy, and her body was in desperate need of sugar.


    Mia kept walking, and each step brought her closer to her perfect world. Literally. To the table that was full of F.A.T. waiting for her.

 Chapter 485

    <h4>Chapter 485 </h4>


    <strong>Mia, the Seductress</strong>


    <i>Food¡­ I need to eat¡­ Cakes would be great. Where can I get some cakes?</i>


    Mia took a quick look around her. It had not yet worn off how shocking her words were. The event had moved on to dancing and dining at Lampron¡¯s request, but there was still an anxious feeling in the hall. A lot of people were whispering to each other, and not many people, even those who were whispering, seemed to pay much attention to the dancing.


    The hall was mostly split into two sections. There was a big open area for dancing, and there were tables with food and drinks all along one wall. The dining area was put next to the deck so that people could enjoy a ss of wine while looking at the stars.


    That didn¡¯t interest Mia at all. She would rather know where her friends are. One of them was alreadying toward her, so she didn¡¯t need to look.


    ¡°Good job, Mia.¡±


    Abel came up to her holding two wine sses.


    ¡°My, Abel. Is that for me? Thank you very much.¡±


    She picked up one of the ss and drank from it slowly. It was actually juice. It seemed like it was made from apples because it was slightly sweet and had a good tartness to it. She took a swallow and enjoyed how cool the drink felt as it went down her throat. Soon, she could feel the sugar going into her brain, and she let out a happy breath.


    She looked at the ss for a moment as she had a thought.


    <i>I wonder if this is how they gave Sion poison. By putting it in this kind of drink.</i>


    In case anyone forgot, her main job in Sunnd was still ongoing. Going along with Ludwig¡¯s n was a good thing, but it didn¡¯t do anything to stop Sion from being assassinated.


    <i>What am I going to do?</i>


    A macaron was close, so she grabbed one and popped it in her mouth to keep the sugaring. Even though she was chewing, she looked around again. There were a lot of different foods in the eating area. If the poison was hidden in any of them, it would be very hard to stay away from them. Sion should really not eat or drink anything all night, but¡­


    ¡°Do you have something on your mind?¡±


    When she looked up, Abel was tense. As she looked at his face, she thought, <i>This is interesting. Abel has really long eyshes. Also, they¡¯re so straight. And his eyes look like they could be dreams. The same as him¡­</i>


    ¡­She hadn¡¯t thought of anything positive at all. In fact, her brain had already turned to rtionship mode, which made it harder for her toe up with any ns.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Mia, could you please look in a different direction every once in a while?¡± Abel said as he awkwardly turned his eyes away. ¡°That way of staring is kind of embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? Oh, my. I¡¯m truly sorry. I was, um, thinking, and for a second I got lost.¡±


    <i>Uh-oh. It¡¯s not good. If he asks me to dance, I might lose my mind. I have to do something¡ªOh, that¡¯s it! A dance!</i>


    An idea struck her like lightning.


    <i>Could I ask Sion to dance with me? And made him dance the whole time so he couldn¡¯t drink?</i>


    Sion, no matter how extraordinary he is, couldn¡¯t drink and dance at the same time. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat either.


    <i>Let¡¯s give this some thought. He most likely won¡¯t say no if I ask him to dance. And since it¡¯s him, as soon as I get him on the dance floor, everyone will be waiting to be his next partner. He can still get drinks in between dances, but I¡¯ll make sure that¡¯s the only time he does it¡­</i>


    Mia bowed her head and turned to face Abel.


    ¡°To show respect, I¡¯d like to ask Sion to dance first this time. I¡¯m sorry, Abel. Is that okay with you?¡± Then she gave him those sad puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°Hm? Yes, of course. Sure, go ahead. Dances are part of diplomacy, after all. Anyone who sees that you¡¯re friendly with Sion will be wary of you as an enemy.¡±


    Abel gave her a soft smile. He didn¡¯t look at all worried in that look. There was no pain. His reaction was almost like he didn¡¯t think it was strange that she will be dancing with Sion and that she was the one who was weird for asking. That made her a little mad.


    <i>Are you sure, Abel?</i> She felt a pang of jealousy as she thought. <i>You¡¯re okay with me dancing with Sion?</i>


    Rtionship-mode Mia roared to life, and all the annoying details and feelings that young loves often throw at each other came with it. She was ready for some pushback when she talked to other boys. Not too much, but just enough for her to enjoy the glimmer of love that she could see through the anger. Yes, she would turn into that kind of girl.


    ¡°Abel, are you sure? Just to be clear,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to dance with another boy.¡± She even emphasized thest part of her sentence.


    Abel gave her an answer with a straight face. ¡°Am I sure? Hm¡­ I would be lying if I said it didn¡¯t bother me¡­ But I¡¯ve already decided. That being said, I¡¯m not going to demand your love. I¡¯ll earn it by bing someone who is worthy of it.¡±


    Mia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she looked into his pure, honest eyes.


    ¡°Abel¡­¡±


    ¡°That is why¡­ It¡¯s okay if you ever feel like you want to be with someone else. I will fight them no matter who they are. Even if it¡¯s Sion, a friend. I¡¯m going to fight him for your love, and I¡¯ll win. I will prove that I deserve to be with you.¡±


    She felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe after hearing this strong deration of love. She could feel her face getting hot, and her thoughts were all over the ce. It felt like someone put their hand on her back and then gave her a gentle push.


    ¡°Go for it. It¡¯s all right. It would be rude to make everyone wait for Sion to start dancing with other girls before you ask him to.¡±


    ording to etiquette, one shouldn¡¯t start dancing before someone of higher rank. When it came to standing, Mia and Rafina were without a doubt the most important women there. Rafina had the power to start the ball rolling, but she seemed to be holding back. Sion probably kept smiling at all the girls who came up to him because of this. It seemed like everyone was waiting for Mia to approach.


    ¡°I-I guess so. Okay then¡­¡±


    She took a big breath, let it out, and calmed down.


    <i>Let¡¯s get clear. Focus! Stopping Sion¡¯s assassination is the most important thing right now!</i>


    ¡ª


    Abel saw Mia leave. She went into the crowd, and he let out a quiet sigh.


    <i>It looks like I still have a long way to go.</i> He turned his head away.


    His guess was that the bluff had worked, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was lying. He was feeling a lot worse inside than what he was showing.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a dance. I¡¯m letting someone else be her first partner. And I am already upset by this much?¡± He mumbled and held up his tight tight.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ if I had more faith in myself¡­ Oh well, that is easier said than done.¡±


    Mia had unleashed her inner seductress and yed with a boy¡¯s feelings without even realizing it!


    Hello everyone.


    Just in case you don¡¯t know. Tearmoon Empire Anime just started airing.


    Mermaid Fish

 Chapter 486

    <h4>Chapter 486 </h4>


    <strong>A Dream-like Dance, and¡­</strong>


    Mia went right to Sion after leaving Abel. Like shethought, he was surrounded by a huge group of young women. When she saw him, she frowned. He was an ind in a sea of damsels.


    <i>Moons, I have to swim through that to get to him? Ugh¡­</i>


    It made her tired just to think about it. But as she got closer, the sea split open in front of her like she was a prophet. After the girls all moved out of the way, she walked down the newly parted path. Sion smiled at her as he turned to face her.


    ¡°Greetings, Princess Mia.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Prince Sion. May I have the honor of your first dance tonight?¡± She asked with a lovely smile.


    ¡°Oh? You are wee to, and the honor is mine. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d ask.¡±


    ¡°My, but how would we start if I didn¡¯t ask? You¡¯ve never been one to give your attention without being asked, have you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sion raised an eyebrow at the remark, which made Miaugh, and she then carefully put out her hand.


    Mia knew something very important about life. To wait is to waste time; one has to act, so that one can acquire. Don¡¯t look at someone over and over and hope they see you. People will not pay attention to you unless you go get it! So, she put out her hand. Tonight, there won¡¯t be any ambushes here. That was her going on the attack.


    Sion carefully picked her hand and led her with ease to the dance area.


    ¡°Okay, Princess Mia. Should we start?¡± He stood up straight, put his hand on his chest, and bowed.


    In answer, Mia curtsied and gently pulled on her skirt. ¡°Yes, Prince Sion. Let¡¯s enjoy this dance.¡±


    The musicians in the hall knew they were there. The current piece went away quickly. A short break was followed by a new tune that was just the right speed for dancing.


    ¡°Wow, this is¡­¡±


    Mia knew this number. It was often used to work on basic skills. To put it another way, it was a simple piece for newbies.


    <i>Wow, they¡¯re really being careful, aren¡¯t they? I don¡¯t me them. The princess of Tearmoon and their crown prince are dancing. Someone making them look bad is thest thing they¡¯d want.</i>


    She took a quick look at Sion. He smiled slightly, showing that he was well aware of the unexpected kindness.


    Mia has recently had flings with swimming, horseback riding, and cooking (with mixed results with thest one), so it¡¯s not hard to forget that she does have a real hobby. But let¡¯s remember that her real talent was dancing! It was one of her strong points. No matter the style or rhythm of the song, she could dance to it with ease!


    ¡°I appreciate their consideration, but it¡¯s really not necessary. I think that point needs to be made clear. Sion, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a very bad thing to think too little of the Tearmoon princess. Okay, then. I will do everything you ask of me.¡±


    They looked at each other, took a quick breath together, and then started moving in steps that were the exact same length and time. The whole hall was naturally interested in the dance between Sunnd¡¯s crown prince and Tearmoon¡¯s princess. The people in the room looked at first with mostly curious eyes. Pretty soon, they turned into admiration and surprise.


    The lords of Sunnd knew how good Sion was at dancing, but they werepletely shocked by how good Mia was. Some of them were still angry about what happened earlier that night and were nning to scoff at her. These would-be bad guys were forced to keep their mouths shut.


    The way Mia moved was perfect. They knew all of Sion¡¯s moves inside and out and matched them. Every move she made, with her arm or wrist, was exact and nned. It seemed like she had control over every nerve and muscle, which had all been used to make her act more beautiful. When people saw her, they let out long, awed sighs that left them gasping for air.


    ¡°That¡¯s Princess Mia then¡­¡±


    ¡°Magnificent¡­ just magnificent.¡±


    As the music stopped, Sion looked at the musicians in a meaningful gaze. The conductor nodded and sped up the beat of the baton.


    ¡°Wow, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you have a point to make, right? I thought that one piece wouldn¡¯t be enough to make you famous. Let¡¯s show them something with a little more¡­oomph now that we¡¯re warmed up.¡±


    Miaughed. ¡°Okay, go ahead. I will dance either allegro or andante if you want.¡±


    <i>He¡¯s very kind to keep dancing, which is very helpful. I¡¯ll just need a few more girls to keep him busy after this. It will be a sess if they keep him busy for the rest of the night!</i>


    ¡ª


    Mia finally got tired after a few more numbers, so she took a break from Sion. She thought the other girls would step in right away to fill the void, but¡­


    ¡°Sion, are you thirsty? You can have this drink if you¡¯d like.


    Echard was the one who came up. He held a ss of juice made fromte-harvest grapes.


    <i>Whoa! It¡¯s hard for me to believe that wasn¡¯t nned!</i>


    She quickly turned back to him and asked, ¡°Uh, Sion, how about one more? I¡¯m still not ready to stop dancing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Sion gave her a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what about Abel?¡±


    He looked around for Abel but stopped to bite his lip first. He let out a breath, as if he had reached a decision inside himself.


    ¡°Hey, you know what?¡± He looked thoughtfully out into the crowd and said, ¡°I¡¯m not quite ready to hand you over either. In the end, giving up all the time doesn¡¯t help anyone.¡±


    He then looked at Echard.


    ¡°Excuse me, Echard. Could you hold that for me? I¡¯ll drink it after I¡¯m done dancing.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But it¡¯s really cold now. If you wait¡ª¡±


    The ss was taken away from him before he could finish.


    ¡°Come on, Echard. You should never stand between a young man and a young woman who need to do business together.¡± With a ss in his hand, King Abram smiled at his son. ¡°When he¡¯s done, you can get him another ss. I¡¯ll enjoy this one by myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    King Abram drank the juice before Mia could say anything. After a few seconds¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    A grunt came out of his mouth. His royal shape began to move. A few shaky steps brought him to the balcony. He reached out for the bars and grabbed one, but missed. He was about to fall when his body bent over the banister.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The sound of a girl screaming broke the silence. Mia was shocked and couldn¡¯t do anything but watch as a woman ran toward the ailing king.

 Chapter 487

    <h4>Chapter 487 </h4>


    <strong>ckout</strong>


    <strong>?</strong>


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Tiona was the first person to get to Abram. Her quick reaction wasn¡¯t because she knew what would happen next; it was just a coincidence. She stayed as close to Sion as she could because Mia told her to, but when he started dancing with Mia, she had nothing to do.


    ¡ª


    <i>What do I do now? Where are the other people from the student council? She heard a voice from behind just as she turned around to look.</i>


    ¡°Oh? You must be¡­¡±


    She quickly turned around, caught off guard.


    ¡°Your Majesty?!¡±


    King Abram, Sion¡¯s father, was in front of her. He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s leaving his friend all by herself like this¡­ It¡¯s clear that my son still has a long way to go. He talked to his group. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to the friend of my son. Please give us some space so the girl can rx.¡±


    The men around him, who were probably all important Sunnd officials, bowed their heads and moved away. King Abram smiled at her when they were no longer there. At that moment, the air of royalty faded just a bit.


    ¡°Now then¡­ Miss Rudolvon, right? Your dad is an outcount of the Tearmoon Empire?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.¡±


    Tiona curtsied. It was a little stiffer than she¡¯d really liked. She had been with both Mia and Esmeralda at dinner. Now, she was talking to him alone. There was no way to avoid feeling a little nervous.


    ¡°If I were ten or twenty years younger, I would have asked for your hand in a dance, but s¡­You and my son are the same age. I¡¯m married. People would be very angry about His Majesty¡¯s out-of-control sciousness if they saw him on the floor with you. In order to keep my wife from getting upset, I kindly request that we only talk.¡±


    Tiona¡¯s shoulders felt less tense when she heard his joking voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty, thank you very much for your kind words. But I am only a noble in name. Because I grew up in the country, I don¡¯t know much about dance.¡±


    ¡°I think the Rudolvons are in the southern part of Tearmoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. My house is a long way from the capital.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ve heard that newly appointed nobles from faraway ces are looked down upon in your kingdom¡­ Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes it is. There¡¯s no doubt that people look down on us¡­ The Princess, however, is not like that. She is not bound by conventions. She tried to reach out to me. Talked to me like a friend. And when I was having trouble, she helped me right away.¡±


    Tiona talked about the things that happened to her when she first started at Saint-Noel. She talked about how daughters of high-ranking lords had been bothering her and how Mia had helped her. After that, she talked about the wee ceremony and the dance party that followed.


    ¡°I used to hate the central nobles. That hate shaped me. Because of Her Highness, I no longer have to carry that weight. She cares very much about fairness and won¡¯t stand for injustice. One way to describe her is like Prince Sion.¡±


    Yes, it¡¯s like pyrite and gold, but it¡¯s too bad no one was there to make this cleverment.


    ¡°You say they¡¯re alike? I see,¡± Abram said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the two dancing people. ¡°That boy harbors an unrequited love then. Really a shame.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean,¡± Tiona said, confused by what was said.


    Abram thought about what to say for a moment before he spoke.


    ¡°Princess Mia is without a doubt a unique person. The question is whether Sion would be happy to be second fiddle to her. To be with her but hold her up instead of pulling her along? How to be a leader¡­ What it takes to be king¡­ He has everything, from skills to a good personality. His gift may not be as great as Princess Mia¡¯s, but it is still too great to let die. Because of this, he could never ept life in her shadow.¡±


    Abram¡¯s words had the quiet depth of a wise man who had seen a greater truth.


    ¡°Sion was born to be king, but he can¡¯t be anything else. His skills would only sh with hers, no matter how hard he tries or even if he were to beat her through sheer determination and hard work.¡±


    At that point, Abram¡¯s face showed a hint of surprise. ¡°You look¡­ upset. Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tiona¡¯s lips got tighter. ¡°That¡¯s awful, in my opinion. I feel bad for Prince Sion.¡±


    Tiona Rudolvon had worked hard her whole life. She worked hard to improve herself because she wanted to get back at the central nobility. She hoped for at least some recognition that her hard work was worth it. That it meant something. And Mia had given her that.


    Then what about Sion? From her spot on the ind of reward, she could see him swimming and struggling in vain across the seas of endeavor. Realizing that all of his hard work would never pay off¡­ It was way too much.


    Abram gave her a soft smile when he saw the pain in her face.


    ¡°I can tell you have a good heart¡­ Do not put that much thought on it. The heart of boys are meant to be broken. By putting the pieces back together, they grow and mature.


    That¡¯s when Abram¡¯s eyes got narrow and his face turned grim.


    ¡°That has to be¡­¡±


    .


    His words turned into a long sigh.


    ¡ª


    A conflicted Tiona was left behind when Abram left. She looked back at Sion and Mia and watched them finish their dance while she thought about how she felt. She saw Sion turned down Echard¡¯s offer of a drink because he wanted to dance one more number. Abram took the ss and drank from it. Then she watched as the king walked slowly toward the balcony. His steps seemed to float in the air.


    She noticed that he walked in a strange way because she had been studying him. As he reached for the handrail, time seemed to slow down. She saw that his center of weight moved and that his body began to tilt outward, into the air.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    She quickly ran to his side just in time for her to wrap her arms around his waist. She tried to hold on to him, but his bigger body pulled her forward. Both of them started to fall.


    ¡°Liora!¡± She yelled the subject¡¯s name, who she trusted the most.


    ¡°Miss Tiona!¡± Liora Lulu, her maid and friend, answered. She was right next to Abram in the blink of an eye, her feet firmly on the ground and her fingers tightly around his clothes.


    ¡°Hnngggh!¡±


    As Liora heaved the king back over the wall, she could almost feel the strong muscles in her back getting stronger. Things got worse, though. As they put the king back on the solid floor, they saw that his face was like ashen dead!


    ¡°Do not move him!¡±


    There was a sharp voice in the hall. When Tiona looked up, she saw a girling toward her through the crowd. She recognised the floral air.

 Chapter 488

    <h4>Chapter 488 </h4>


    <strong>An Ancient Poison: A Chance Encounter</strong>


    While everyone was focused watching the king fall, Citrina got to work. She had been following Echard around the whole time because Mia told her to in order to prevent this situation, but King Abram had caught her by surprise.


    <i>Who would have thought he¡¯d do that?</i>


    It was definitely the fact that his behavior was so out of the blue that took her longer to respond, not the fact that she was thinking about Bel¡¯s worryingly long trip to the bathroom. Being honest. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to react in time to the king¡¯s move even if she had been fully alert. Sudden, but not unreasonable. His younger son had offered his older son a drink, but the older son couldn¡¯t drink it right now, so he took it. His son tried to kill his brother, how could he have known? That the poison was in the ss he was holding?


    His behaviors werepletely logical, which means they were expected. She ought to have been ready.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He could still be saved¡­¡± Citrina whispered.


    She had made a mistake, but it wasn¡¯t fatal. She still had time to fix this. She had to, after all. Mia had been getting ready for just this kind of thing. That¡¯s why she brought Citrina with her.


    <i>I might as well never be helpful if I can¡¯t be here. It¡¯s time for me to do my part.</i> Her lips got tighter. <i>Okay, think. What do I need to do¡­?</i>


    A young boy stood alone in the hall, out of sight of everyone else. He was shocked in silence. She walked up to him quietly.


    ¡°Prince Echard, we need to get to the point quickly. How much did you put in the drink?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Echard shook his shoulders. Almost all of the color in his face had gone away.


    Citrina spoke in a low but firm voice, ¡°Tell me if you don¡¯t want patricide to be added to your list of aplishments. What amount?¡±


    She put quiet pressure on the boy, and he broke. His voice was shaking as he replied, ¡°O-One pinch.¡±


    As she walked toward the king, Citrina thought about what he had said. She waded through the crowd of people who were watching, most of whom had now noticed what was going on, and knelt down next to the lying king with Tiona by her side.


    She told them in a strong voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move him!¡± to stop them from doing anything that would make things worse.


    After that, she looked at the king¡¯s face. Half of it had turned a horrible ck color, like death was beginning to seep through the skin.


    <i>That¡¯s proof enough. Without a doubt, this is the sign of Shadowbane. It¡¯s moving along quickly. Things are already going badly with ecliptic toxicosis.</i>


    When someone ate shadowbane, they got a condition called ecliptic toxicosis. The namees from the way the skin on their face would darken from side to side, looking like the moon going dark. To put it simply, it was poisonous and caused a loss of stamina, heart weakness, and poor cirction, which in turn broke down many important body functions. People used to be afraid of Shadowbane because it was so good at making the faces of many masters in history look ck. However, it was an old drug that no one remembered and had been forgotten. The reason was simple: it was easy to treat by giving the right amount of lightbane, which is the opposite of poison.


    Lightbane caused prominence toxicosis, which got its name from the fact that it was stimting and poisonous. It would greatly stimte the heart, making it beat twice or three times faster after being eaten. Along with this, there would be a rush of energy that made people hyperactive. The intense pressure would soon break blood vessels, and the victim would die struggling as blood leaked out of every hole and pore. The dramatic end looked like the bright spots on the sun that you see during sr eclipses, which is how the name came about.


    Treatment, on the other hand, was also easy. One only had to give the right amount of shadowbane, which is its counter. Because they cancelled each other out, they weren¡¯t useful against prepared people, so they weren¡¯t good for murders. They were forgotten over time. Only a small group of people now knew what the two banes really were.


    <i>I¡¯ve heard that even the Equestris, who used to hunt with shadowbane all the time, don¡¯t touch it anymore.</i>


    It was the first time Citrina had ever seen a shadowbane. The Yellowmoon stock did not have any. Lightbane was the same way¡ªshe only knew it by name. It would not have been possible for her to fix the poison if they hadn¡¯t found those mushrooms on their way to Sunnd.


    <i>The only thing that can stop these two diseases is each other¡­ We were lucky to meet that trader on the way here. If not¡­</i> she thought as she took out a small bottle that had lightbane in it.


    Echard said that he had put in one pich. That matched how much of the skin was ck.


    <i>In this case, the antidote amount would need to be¡­</i>


    ¡°What in the sun¡¯s name?¡±


    As she was about to give the lightbane, the Sunnd nobles who had started to crowd around her turned away in fear when they saw the dark spot on the king¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hold on, is that Shadowbane?¡±


    Some nervous whispers got through to Citrina. It looks like some of the nobles knew about the poison. It made sense; people whose jobs put them at risk of being killed would have probably learned about these kinds of things.


    ¡°The physician! Please send someone to get the physician!¡±


    Citrina looked at Tiona instead of listening to the yelling that started.


    ¡°Miss Tiona, please keep your hands on His Majesty and hold him steady,¡± Citrina said as she poured lightbane into a wine ss to get the exact amount needed to cancel one pinch of shadowbane.


    ¡°You! Are you crazy? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Stupid girl! Take your hands off right away! That¡¯s an insult to His Majesty!¡±


    She didn¡¯t care about them. Theirck of knowledge was clear from the pointlessness of their anger. Her worries were for the people who knew better and knew that their king had just been poisoned. She was only a little girl, and she was from another country. They would not want someone like her near their ailing ruler right now.


    But she had to be here because she was sure no one else could save Abram¡¯s life. She looked all the way across the hall for someone who could keep the nobles away. Someone whose understanding of what was going on was better than everyone else¡¯s¡­


    ¡ª


    As someone who could use powerful gazes herself, Mia was sensitive to them. That might be why she felt it right away and turned to meet it even though she knew she shouldn¡¯t have.


    Even though she was just as shocked as everyone else at first, she felt a little better after seeing Tiona and Liora pull the king back over the wall. Then she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Citrina, the local poison expert, rush over. She thought everything was safe.


    Which made it even more disturbing when their eyes met.


    <i>No way. Seriously? Are you going to throw this at me? Now?</i>


    The fear that was going away changed its course.


    <i>Moons! Okay, think about it¡­ How can I get out of this? I need to be careful with what I say¡­</i>She didn¡¯t want to get her brain back to work, but just as she did, she felt someone looking at her. That one was much closer. It actually came from next to her.


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    At first look, she couldn¡¯t say anything. Sion Sol Sunnd, the royal ideal of perfection, was looking at her with eyes so full of doubt and fear that he almost begged her to help him. As soon as she sensed his fear, she naturally nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Sion. It¡¯s okay,¡± she heard herself say, then she turned to the crowd and said, ¡°This girl is my vassal,¡± with such confidence that she was shocked herself.


    ¡°She is one of the best experts in the kingdom, so please leave this in her capable hands.¡±


    People, including Sion, did a double take at her when she spoke, but what she said made him take a deep breath and calm down. Then he spoke to the crowd as well.


    ¡°All right, everyone. You heard the princess. Leave the girl to do her job.¡± He told the people watching, ¡°And go get a physician right away,¡± and his authority made everyone but Mia think he was fine and really in control.


    She was the only one who saw the tiny tremors in his tightly clenched hands.


    Trantor¡¯s Note:


    I had a hard time tranting this chapter. But basically:


    Shadowbane = makes your heart and body functions slow down; symptom is that your face will slowly cken.


    Lightbane = makes your heart and body functions overwork; symptom is that blood wille pouring out of your body.


    They cancel each other out.


    MF

 Chapter 489

    <h4>Chapter 489 </h4>


    <strong>Two Angry Young Ladies¡­ and One Person Who Gets Excited Watching Them</strong>


    <strong>?</strong>


    Citrina took enough powdered lightbane from the bottle and mixed it with water. Then, she poured the mixture into the king¡¯s mouth without any hesitation.


    With her eyes wide open, Tiona watched the process while the king¡¯s head sat on herp. Some of the liquid came out of his mouth and stained her skirt. It didn¡¯t bother her; she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. She looked at the king¡¯s face the whole time.


    Mia stood back and watched the treatment while she thought about what was going on. She had a thought all of a sudden.


    <i>Hold on¡­ Isn¡¯t it my fault if this doesn¡¯t work out? I mean, Rina is trying to help him right now, but if King Abram doesn¡¯t make it, they could say we poisoned him¡­</i>


    This was a scary discovery. She quickly did a tactical study of the room and made a list of her allies in case things went badly at any time. Liora, who was great at archery, and Tiona, who was good with swords, were on her side. She knew that Abel and probably Sion would look out for her.


    <i>I¡¯ll be fine, really. Dion is with me, after all. Most things shouldn¡¯t go wrong as long as he¡¯s here¡­</i>


    <i>¡°Dion ia is my friend¡±</i> she said as a mantra three times. That¡¯s when she felt some calme back. Now that she was calm again, she looked at Abram again.


    ¡°How is he, Rina?¡±


    Citrina got up. She held an empty wine ss in her hand. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± She gave a nod and added, ¡°Probably.¡±


    Mia felt thatst word deep down inside her. The desire to add grammatical caveats to ims was something shepletely understood. Sadly, this time it was her turn to hear the word, and no amount of pity could change how upsetting it was.


    /p>


    Citrina said, ¡°But I did everything I could, so¡­¡±


    Her words were true, and the dark spot on the king¡¯s face started to fade. His face got better as they talked. At that point, a group of physicians finally showed up. They were just as shocked and confused as everyone else when they saw the king lying down. Citrina walked up to one of them and told them what had happened. She went into great detail about how the king had been poisoned with shadowbane and then given lightbane to counteract it. As soon as she was sure that the physicians knew enough to take over, she went back to Mia.


    Mia smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Rina. That was some great work.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is very wee. I¡¯m happy to have lived up to your expectations.¡± Citrina smiled back, but it wasn¡¯t her normal flowery smile. It was a smile of relief. It seemed more real and true. ¡°So, I already knew for sure that the poison was shadowbane. All I had to do was pay attention to how much medicine to give. It wasn¡¯t really that amazing.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You should never give too much lightbane because it makes things worse. It makes you very hyperactive, and when you die, bloodes out of every hole in your body.¡±


    ¡°My, that¡¯s terrible. There¡¯s blooding out of every hole¡ªHmm?¡±


    Mia made a face. The statement sounded like it had been heard before.


    <i>Is it just me, or did I read about that kind of death in the Chronicles? Hm¡­</i>


    Before she had time to think about it more¡­


    ¡°Poison? Did you say poison?¡±


    After pleading with a physician to describe the king¡¯s condition, one of the younger nobles raised his voice in rm.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that His Majesty was targeted for assassination through poison?¡±


    Right away, there was a lot of noise in the hall.


    ¡°Assassination?¡±


    ¡°Someone poisoned the king!¡±


    Mia made a face when she heard the frantic whispers. She didn¡¯t like what was going to happen next.


    <i>Okay, then. It¡¯s time to point the finger¡­</i>


    Everyone in the hall suddenly felt sick to their stomachs because they knew that any of them could have eaten something poisonous. The tension in the air got so thick that you could feel it. The young nobleman who first raised his voice did speak again in the end.


    He looked around and said, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like anyone else has been poisoned. So the one that seems the most fishy is¡­¡±


    Mia tsked. Since Echard gave the wine ss to the king, he was the most likely suspect, but what he said would make things much more difficult. She was shocked when the young lord turned toward her.


    ¡°You! You said you were taking care of His Majesty, but what if you poisoned him in secret?¡± He pointed a finger at Citrina.


    Mia huffed as she looked from Citrina, who was standing next to her, to the noble who was ming her. His goal was clear right away.


    <i>Pfft. I understand what he is doing. He doesn¡¯t even want to find the real culprit. He¡¯s only using this to attack us.</i>


    After all, this meeting was meant to break up the partnership between her and Sion. Even though King Abram¡¯s sudden copse had made things moreplicated, it didn¡¯t seem to stop the conservatives in Sunnd from going after their original goal.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not true what you said. This young woman definitely took care of the king.¡± Someone with a calm voice replied, and it came from the strangest ce.


    ¡°There is a poison called shadowbane that was used on His Majesty. Younger nobles like you might not know,¡± Count Lampron said. ¡°It gives you a unique ck shadow across your face after you eat it. The shade could be seen before she got close to His Majesty. I can vouch for that.¡±


    Even though the count testified, there was still disagreement, but this time it came from a different direction.


    ¡°But the timing was just right. It looks like it was nned. Could this not be a trick pulled by the ¡®Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    It was easy to see why Count Lampron kept quiet after that. It was clear that Shadowbane was an old poison, which made people wonder why a guest from Tearmoon had the cure with them. Even people who don¡¯t know much about poisons could tell that the ident didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°The fact that she had the cure shows that she was guilty! What else could be a better proof? How in the name of the sun could this girl have the cure for this ancient evil when and already knows how to identify it? And here of all ces?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± One more lord joined in. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right! It can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡±


    <i>Oh no, the tides have changed in a worrying direction¡­</i>


    Mia started to panic. It wasn¡¯t because she was scared for her own safety. It was much, much worse. She was afraid¡­ of Rafina. A quick look in her direction showed¡­


    ¡°Eep!¡±


    Mia quickly put her hands over her mouth to stop a scared squeal. Rafina was just as shocked as everyone else when the king fell, but she slowly calmed down as she watched what was happening. Now¡­


    She was angry. Her teeth were digging into her lips, and the milky color on her face had turned a fiery red. Her eyes were like fires of anger.


    <i>Uh-oh. This is not good. This is really, really bad. Miss Rafina is going to lose it!</i>


    This was the most angry Rafina had been since the election for student council. She had just recently learned that Rafina apparently thought of her as a friend¡ªa close friend, at that! Even though this was good news, it felt like a ho¡¯s nest at the moment.


    <i>It¡¯s pretty clear that the stupid noble who med me just spoke badly about someone the Holy Lady considers a very good friend.</i>


    He was also very rude about it. Even Mia was furious about what he said, but she didn¡¯t say anything to protect herself. She didn¡¯t want to officially use Sion¡¯s brother of trying to kill her father because that would mean she had to name the real killer. That would make things more difficult, and she didn¡¯t have any proof. Mia wanted the same thing that all weak-willed people want: problems to be small until they go away. With the king being poisoned, this problem was already very big. Thest thing she wanted to do was add more charges to the mix.


    <i>The good news is that the Chaos Serpents are involved, so I can put all the me on them and their killers. All I need is for everyone to stop ming us and stay cool as long as I have the Serpent card.</i>


    She was shocked to see that things were getting much less calm. There could be a fight between Rafina and Sion if she lost her cool. In turn, that could make things worse between Belluga and Sunnd. Cracks like those were great for snakes.


    <i>Moons, how can I stop this from getting out of hand?</i>


    She tried to think of something but couldn¡¯t. At the exact moment that her fear hit its peak, a very angry cry resounded through the hall.


    ¡°Be quiet, you barbarian! That¡¯s enough! I won¡¯t stand for it!¡±


    The voice rang out like a whip, telling everyone to pay attention. Everyone turned to listen to the speaker. Esmeralda stood in the middle of all the attention, her chin raised in pride and anger. She looked angry all the way down the hall.


    ¡°Do not dare to say anything bad about Mia Luna Tearmoon, my dear friend and princess. You will have to answer to me if you do!¡±


    Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, who was proud to be an Etoiline of the empire and to be married to the second prince of Sunnd, let everyone know how she felt VERY loudly and VERY angrily. She was used to getting what she wanted because her mother was a tyrant when she was young. She was not the type to hold her anger in, so she took it out on the lords by acting like a lion. There was, however, one that did not draw back. Echard was looking at her with big interested eyes because she was so mesmerizing that he couldn¡¯t react.


    Esmeralda¡¯s words made room for a second person to walk onto the stage. When there was a moment of silence, another Etoiline spoke up. She was the one who was the target of the attacks.

 Chapter 490

    <h4>Chapter 490 </h4>


    <strong>Citrina Finally Sees the Depth of the Empire¡¯s Wisdom¡­ or Does She?</strong>


    Citrina said, ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s nothing strange about it at all.¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t scared or angry; it was even. She spoke in the sweet way she always does.


    The person who started the me game spoke up again. ¡°Stop it! Saying that the fact that you happened to have the exact cure with you was just a luck? Not unless you want to say that the Great Wisdom of the Empire can see into the future, which doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. As far as I know, it is impossible for a person to see into the future.¡±


    It was also not how the Great Wisdom did things. Yes, Citrina knew that. Mia wasn¡¯t a god. She had no power over reality and didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. She could not always count on things going as nned. If not, she would have stopped this harm from happening in the first ce.


    But the truth was that not even Mia, who was very wise, could see this series of eventsing together. That being said, how was it that she could still react so quickly and urately? How was it that she was able to fight the Serpents so well? Because she was ready. That was all there was to it.


    Mia was able to do well because she worked hard to prepare. She didn¡¯t know exactly what she had to do, but she knew she could handle anything. Citrina had fullye to understand the truth of this statement during this trip. The fact that she was brought along was only one part of getting ready.


    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯d rather not do this,¡± Citrina said next. ¡°But I guess my honor is a small price to pay¡­¡±


    In spite of what she said, she carried herself without any shame at all, smoothly lifting the bottom of her skirt above her waist. A real curtsy would have been nice if it hadn¡¯t shown too much. Everyone could see her delicate legs¡¯ pale skin, the shapely bulges of her tiny knees, and the leather belts that didn¡¯t look right around her thin thighs. Each belt had a lot of slots that held a crazy number of tiny jars the size of fingers. The liquid inside them sparkled iridescently in the hall light.


    She took out one vial and clinked it onto the table in front of her. ¡°This is a cure for poison that paralyzes.¡± She took out another one and put it next to the first one. ¡°And this is an emetic to make you throw up.¡± Then came a third. ¡°This is also¡­¡±


    She filled up the slots on her belts one vial at a time. As the row of antidotes and other simr things got longer, the noise level dropped. When she put down thest vial, there was silence in the hall. The nobles looked at the horrifying disy and couldn¡¯t find the right words. It seemed like time stopped until she spoke again.


    ¡°Her Highness Princess Mia is irreceable for us. Nothing bad is allowed to happen to her, no matter the time or ce. It is not only required, but also clearly clear that we would prepare thoroughly for every possible oue. It was not lucky for me that I had the exact cure on hand. In fact, I have a lot of them. That means I can handle any poison.¡±


    The weapons she carried were just a few examples of Yellowmoon¡¯s many years of experience making poisons. After using thousands of banes and studying thousands more, they were able to carefully choose the most useful chemicals based on what they knew about the mostmon poisons found in Sunnd. But even though Citrina was smart, she hadn¡¯t thought that lightbane and shadowbane would be involved.


    <i>That¡¯s what¡¯s so great about Her Highness. Along the way, she saw some mushrooms and learned that they could be used as medicine, so she bought some right away.</i>


    Mia was genius enough to not only think ahead, but also act on what she saw. Citrina was amazed at how she could just go with the flow and trust Citrina to make her own judgment to make choices on the spot.


    <i>That doesn¡¯t matter now, though.</i>


    Citrina smiled sweetly at her audience as she put out all of her vials on the table.


    ¡°Being ready in this way makes sense, given how important Her Highness is. I thought you protected your leaders the same way here in Sunnd, but based on how you reacted, I guess I was wrong.¡±


    ¡­before making fun of them like a boss. That made her understand something.


    <i>Oh, am I¡­ angry?</i>


    She thought for a second, trying to figure out what was making her so angry. After saving the king¡¯s life, she felt pretty good. She had never done something good with her skills before. They ruined the feeling before she could even enjoy it, though, with their small charges. She must have been hurt by that. Should she be making fun of people when she¡¯s feeling so angry? What would happen if she went too far? For a split second, she thought about being calm.


    ¡°So now that everyone has had a good time, who is going to take responsibility for making a young woman like Rina do something embarrassing, hmm?¡± She smiled. She chose to let go of restraint like a lemon. She nned to make them feel awful about themselves. In the end, they made her mad. It was their mistake for starting it.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct! You should feel bad! Every one of you! Miss Citrina did what any person in her situation would do. She helped someone who needed it. But you made her feel bad instead of thanking her! That was a terrible insult you made her go through.¡±


    To Citrina¡¯s surprise, Esmeralda was the first person to take her bait.


    ¡°Be proud of yourself, Citrina,¡± she said next. ¡°What you did was nothing but admirable. As the principal Etoiline, I want to give you my highest praise. Each of us pretty maidens has a secret, and I can only imagine how embarrassing it must be to have them found out. Being shamed so badly¡­ Oh, the humanity! Do not give up, Miss Citrina!¡±


    Citrina didn¡¯t say anything as she watched the outpouring of sympathy. She fought the desire to say something like, ¡°Since when were you the principal Etoiline?¡± ¡°What ?secret?¡± To carry my antidotes, I just wear belts on my legs. But there was one thing she couldn¡¯t ignore about the passionate speech.


    ].


    ¡°Um¡­ Miss Esmeralda, Rina didn¡¯t really have to deal with that. You don¡¯t need to make it sound so indecent¡­¡±


    Even if she meant well, she didn¡¯t want the whole hall to hear over and over how she had been ¡°thoroughly humiliated,¡± as if she had been forced to go naked in public or something. Also, going to the beach every summer with a bunch of hot young guardians seemed like a much worse example of being immoral.


    Esmeralda said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rina,¡± but she clearly didn¡¯t get the point. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know this is a tough subject for you. Such shame¡­ Such humiliation¡­ Oh, poor girl!¡±


    She then grabbed Citrina tightly and held her there.


    ¡°I said it wasn¡¯t that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough already! You did great out there! Good for you!¡±


    <i>Oh, no. I provoked the wrong person¡­</i>


    Esmeralda¡¯s overbearing behavior and sudden invasion of personal space were, to be honest, very annoying. But then she said¡­


    ¡°You did the great job Miss Mia asked for, and I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    Citrina felt what she said in her heart. She was expecting anger, but what she found was love. Citrina had only thought of the other three dukes and their families as potential targets. She might have to kill them one day. So, she stayed away from them because she didn¡¯t know any of their Etoiler friends, she just knows <i>of </i>them.


    <i>Esmeralda is the young Greenmoon. A simple girl who acts based on her feelings. Easy to anger and possibly just as easy to control.</i> Citrina thought, <i>She really does seem like a pushover. The things she knew about Esmeralda¡¯s personality fit her behavior perfectly. A simple girl but not a bad one.</i>


    Citrina didn¡¯tpletely hate the girl¡¯s sincerity and kindness, since she was so simple and sweet.


    <i>Would it feel this way if I had a moth¡ªno, a sister?</i>


    For her part, Citrina wasn¡¯t a bad girl either; she was kind enough to fix herself when she thought something wrong. Her friend, on the other hand, still couldn¡¯t stop calling someone grandma!


    <i>I think I¡¯ll start going to the ir de Lune parties more often!</i>


    When ites to pushovers, Esmeralda was not the only one.


    ¡ª


    The Sunnd lords were hit with cold water when they saw Esmeralda embracing the younger Citrina close. The calm ones quickly understood that the people they were criticizing were actually young girls who had just saved their king¡¯s life and should be protected as guests. The hall was dead quiet until someone screamed in rm.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The people who worked closely with King Abram helped him stand up. His back was straight, his teeth were clenched, and he walked slowly toward Citrina. His face was twisted in pain, and his steps were swaying in a way that worried her.


    ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯m so grateful that you saved my life.¡± I can only say sorry for how rude some of my fellow nobles were, and I beg your forgiveness.¡±


    Citrina responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Your Majesty. Please don¡¯t worry. You need to get some rest.¡±


    The smile she gave Abram wasn¡¯t as sweet; it was more tender. He looked a little less tense as a sense of rxation crossed his face.


    ¡°Count Lampron, take care of the rest. Make sure that our guests are treated with the greatest respect.¡±


    He then left the hall with Sion and Echard by his side.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Phew¡­ It looks like everyone will be okay.


    Mia jumped when she heard thement from behind her. When she turned around to find Abel, he was right next to her. He had his right hand tightly over the neck of a wine bottle, and she had no idea when he hade up to her.


    ¡°Oh, Abel¡­ Why are you holding a bottle?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh? I just thought you might be thirsty. What do you think? Do you want something to drink?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abel, you rascal. Are you going to ply me with wine?¡±


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not¡ª Uh¡­¡±


    His shaky answer made herugh.


    <i>He must have thought it was a juice bottle¡­ His thought to bring me a drink is very kind, but he can be such a cute klutz at times.</i>


    Sheughed. Because big-sister Mia never got tired of making fun of little boys for no reason.


    Ludwig walked up and said, ¡°You really know how to use words well, Your Highness. But putting aside the jokes, it is very good that the problem was solved peacefully.¡±


    As Mia looked at him, she saw that he was also carrying a wine bottle. She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°My, that¡¯s not what I thought I would see.¡±


    For some reason, she didn¡¯t think Ludwig would drink at these events.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± he said, sounding shocked and almost hurt by what she said. ¡°So when pushes to shove, I¡¯m also a man. At the very least, I think I can find a way out¡­¡±


    Sadly, she could only hear the first half of his mumbled protest.


    <i>Oh, is that true? So, ¡°when pushes to shove,¡± huh? The wine that the royal family of Sunnd provided must be pretty rare. It¡¯s okay for him to sneak a sip or three.</i>


    She thought it must have been the same feeling she got when she was given rare sweets or strange mushrooms. She pursed her lips because she felt like she understood Ludwig better now that she knew a new side of him.


    ¡°Where is Anne by the way?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°To keep her safe, I told Miss Anne to stay with the guards. Just in case,¡± Ludwig replied.


    ¡°In case¡­ I see. Good decision. I knew I could depend on you.¡±


    ¡°But I have to say,¡± Abel said, ¡°I¡¯m shocked Sion didn¡¯t say anything? There was no way I wasn¡¯t sure he was going to scold those nobles. He must have been really upset when he saw his father fall down.¡±


    ¡°That¡­is probably not the reason,¡± Ludwig said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Mia agreed with Ludwig.


    <i>It¡¯s likely Sion realized that his brother put the poison in the drink. That¡¯s not something he would want his court to hear in public. He is probably still upset about the fact that both his brother tried to kill him and his father was poisoned.</i> She had a thought and grunted. <i>But what are we going to do about Prince Echard?</i>


    It was possible to hide the fact that Echard had made the drink poisonous. Honestly, they could just say that the Serpents were to me for everything. It wouldn¡¯t be hard; she was good at shifting credit. In a way, the Serpents were already to me. They were the ones who gave Echard the poison. Operation Snake me would go ahead as long as she could get Abram and Sion on board.


    It helped her even more that she was in Sunnd. The Wind Crows, who were the pride and joy of the kingdom¡¯s intelligencework, had given in to the Snake¡¯s control in the past. If they brought that up, they would have to think about whether a Wind Crow could have done this kind of poisoning. Having seen what a former Wind Crow who was now working as a Yellowmoon butler could do¡­


    <i>It seems likely, especially for someone like him¡­</i>


    The argument made sense, and if it was possible for a Wind Crow, it had to be possible for the Serpents too, since they had already shown they could trick the organization. It¡¯s possible that the killer put poison in the drink, then left the hall pretending to be a guest. Since Sunnd had dealt with the Serpents before, it shouldn¡¯t have been too hard to get this answer through.


    <i>But now I worry about what King Abram and Sion will think. What Prince Echard will think as well. Hm¡­ Hmmm¡­</i>


    A guard came up to her and stopped her from thinking.


    ¡°Excuse me, Princess Mia. His Majesty would like to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡ª


    Mia had no idea that the real fight was just beginning.

 Chapter 491

    <h4>Chapter 491 </h4>


    <strong>Miabel Goes on an Adven-Tour of the Castle</strong>


    Rewinding back in time¡­


    ¡°Wow, what a trip¡­ I¡¯m so d it¡¯s almost over. Things should calm down at the end of the day.¡±


    As he walked around the outside of the hall, Connery, who was Count Lampron¡¯s guard captain, let out a tired breath. He had been wound tighter than a spring ever since he went to Tearmoon to get the guest of honor from the Greenmoons. In a way, an Etoiline was a higher rank than his boss. One or two stress ulcers would have been enough for him, but then her ¡°friend¡± showed up and turned a bad situation into a living nightmare. Now he had to watch over more than one very important girl. One of them might have been the most important girl in all of Tearmoon. Talk about unexpected problems¡­


    ¡°The girl from Greenmoon should be going home to Tearmoon after the ball. Most likely, her other friends will do the same.¡±


    That thought made him feel a lot better, but also a hint of regret. Things were again going to get very quiet.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Walking around town with a princess and a duke¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t half bad as a souvenir when everything is said and done.¡±


    As he walked around, he made nice small talk with castle guards he saw and felt a wave of affection. Just as he turned a corner, though, a person ran across his path. He almost got himself to believe that he hadn¡¯t seen anything, but his conscience made him stop, which made his stomach hurt even more. He used up all of his mental strength and turned to look at the figure.


    The figure ran down the hall, with long hair the color of white gold trailing behind her. Even though she was dressed in fancy clothes, she had the mischievousness of a child who lived on the streets. Connery knew who she was.


    <i>That is¡­one of the girls Princess Mia brought with her. Wasn¡¯t her name Miabel?</i>


    His feeling about this was very bad, like when you see something you know you should not have seen. At this point, he wanted to act like he had been temporarily blind¡­


    ¡°Oh, scorching suns¡­ I can¡¯t just ignore her.¡±


    The knights of Sunnd would be ashamed if he turned away from a lost girl in the castle. They stood up for justice, and part of that meant being kind to women and kids.


    <i>It is my job as a knight of Sunnd to help Count Lampron. I must not do anything that would hurt milord¡¯s image.</i> He gave it more thought. Then he followed after her.


    ¡°Miss Bel¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sir Connery.¡±


    When she heard his voice, she turned around and smiled. He didn¡¯t feel much affection for her, about as much as he felt affection for nose warts. The pure innocence of her face hurt his conscience.


    ¡°Why would you be here? Have you lost your way? If you want, I can take you back to the hall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m on an adven: tour right now. I am looking around castle. For the purpose of studying.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the shame he had felt toward her was gone. Something like, <i>¡°Did you really just try to cover ¡°adventure¡± with ¡°adven-tour¡±?¡±</i> was going through his mind. <i>You do know that what you said was pretty much the same, right? Also, who in the suns goes on an adventure in a castle?</i>


    Outwardly he said, ¡°I see, I see. But there is a ball going on right now, and I think everyone expects you there. If they don¡¯t see you, they¡¯ll be very worried.¡±


    Connery put his thumb on the bridge of his nose and forced himself to stay cool. He desperately tried to convince himself that kids were naturally curious. Because of this, it made sense for them to go on adventures. This castle was the right ce for the chance. How could they say no? He had been the same anyway, right?


    <i>As a child, I loved going on trips too¡­ I think young nobles girls are the same. Are they?</i>


    He stopped thinking about it because he thought it would only make him more confused.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go back to the hall, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Oh, actually¡­ I saw General Dion and Keithwood while I was adven-touring the castle, so I started to follow them. I was in the middle of doing that.¡±


    He thought about the two names for a while. The first was a guard for Princess Mia. Even though Connery didn¡¯t think of himself as a very experienced fighter, he could tell that Dion was a whole other level.


    <i>In his prime, King Abram was a beast with a sword, but Dion might have been stronger than him. I¡¯m not even sure which of our Sunnd heroes is better than him.</i>


    In addition¡­


    ¡°So you say Keithwood¡­¡±


    Keithwood, a young man who works for Sion. Helper, friend, and an arrow in the prince¡¯s bow. He also had a lot of trust from the king. It wasn¡¯t too strange for someone like him to be walking around the castle with someone like Dion ia, but Connery couldn¡¯t help but smell something fishy.


    <i>The fact that she is with the princess makes it likely that the Great Wisdom of the Empire liked her. The girl from the Four Dukes named Citrina seemed smart, so this girl from Bel might also have something nned. She may have thought of something when she saw Keithwood and Dion together.</i>


    Even though her childlike joy made it look like she wasn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Where are those two, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ they¡¯re that way.¡±


    She began to walk down the hall. Connery followed her, his brows furrowed as he thought about what wasing up that way.


    The private room of Prince Echard is that way¡­


    The bad feeling came back even worse than before.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    We have updated the activity page.

 Chapter 492

    <h4>Chapter 492 </h4>


    <strong>Time of Judgement: Friend of Foe</strong>


    Along with Citrina, Esmeralda, and Rafina, Mia was called to the King of Sunnd¡¯s private rooms.


    <i>Rina was the one who gave the medicine. Esmeralda is the main guest at the party. What about Miss Rafina¡¯s? Since she is the Holy Lady, it¡¯s hard not to include her if she¡¯s around.</i>


    Ludwig¡¯s and Anne¡¯s appearance was not asked for. Abel also wasn¡¯t called. It was easy to understand. Even though he was getting better, the king¡¯s health was not good enough for him to meet a lot of people.


    Tiona had followed Abram out into the hall, maybe by ident because she was taking care of the king while he was being treated.


    <i>She might be getting a new outfit because her dress got dirty¡­ What in the moons! Echard is the most important thing right now. In the worst case, he would be found to be the criminal, which would almost likely mean his death. I have to stop that at all costs.</i>


    She grabbed a nearby cookie and popped it in her mouth as she walked down the hall. Sugar level, check. Brain activity, check. As soon as she could think clearly again, she made a n: <i>The main idea is to put the me on the Chaos Serpents for everything. Actually, it¡¯s not wrong to say that the Serpents are to me since they were the ones who gave him the poison in the first ce. So, I think Miss Rafina should be able to find out.</i>


    She had nowe up with a good reason in case Rafinater found out the truth. Mia knew it was always a good idea to have an extra reason on hand because she was used to giving them.


    <i>Then there¡¯s the question of ¡°friend or foe.¡± I need to be very sure of who is on my side¡­</i>


    The next problem wouldn¡¯t be as clear-cut as the one in the party hall. Her friends might not always be on her side.


    The ¡°see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil¡± way of dealing with problems was very important to Mia. She would like it if everyone just made up, shook hands, and decided not to talk about it again. Since the Serpents made the poison, why not put the me on one of their dangerous killers? That way, Echard could be a victim and was tricked and used against his will. For everyone, that seemed like a much better way to understand it. It was too bad that it depended on the help of people who didn¡¯t want to settle in that way.


    <i>If this was something we could just wave away, I guess none of us would be here.</i>


    Sion, for one, wasn¡¯t likely to agree with her approach to responsibility that was based on what was easiest for her. Abram did the same. Heck, she wasn¡¯t sure if Rafina would even agree with her. Tiona was also a bit of a surprise.


    <i>Esmeralda and Citrina are the only ones who will definitely side with me¡­</i>


    Mia took a quick look at the two Etoilines. It was fine with Citrina. She could trust her to keep secrets and speak deftly because she used to be a Serpent. Esmeralda, on the other hand, had Mia¡¯s full trust. Her trust in Esmeralda¡¯s love for cute boys was stronger. With Echard¡¯s charm, Esmeralda would never say anything bad about him or to him.


    <i>Or me. At least not likely. We are friends after all¡­</i>


    In fact, Mia was very moved when Esmeralda yelled in anger. The fact that she was willing to defend Citrina so directly in front of a hall full of guests was a good sign that she would be loyal. In fact, she was still mad.


    Esmeralda cried, ¡°I can¡¯t believe how rude they were! That¡¯s so rude!¡± Who do they think they are to say that Miss Mia and Miss Citrina did something wrong? That¡¯s not right! Not at all eptable!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the fact that they reacted so strongly can be seen as a sign of their loyalty. It shows how important His Majesty King Abram is to them,¡± Rafina said in a calm voice. ¡°They are used to letting their king decide everything, thinking that since he can¡¯t make a mistake, all they have to do is do what he says¡­ Because of this, they freaked out when they had to use their own sense to tell the difference between good and evil and right and wrong. They lost control and direction, so they stuck to their original n to attack Mia because that was all they had¡­ That pretty much sums up what happened in the hall, in my opinion.¡±


    <i>Hmmm¡­ That¡¯s why they turned on us, even though it was probably going to make things worse. It makes sense. But I should make sure father never hears about this. That means I need to talk to Esmeralda about thister.</i>


    While Mia thought about what this meant back at home, Rafina said something very scary. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean their actions are okay in any way¡­¡±


    As Mia looked over at Rafina, she saw that she was smiling. Mia broke out in a cold sweat because the smile was so diplomatic.


    <i>Eeek! Rafina-sama is still angry! She¡¯s furious! I should also talk to her!</i>


    ¡°B-but you know,¡± Mia said, realizing she needed to do something before things got out of hand, ¡°King Abram will probably punish them properly. We shouldn¡¯t be too upset about it, in my opinion. If things get worse within Sunnd, it will open the door for the Serpents. It looks like they were the ones who made the poison that was used¡­¡±


    Mia steered the talk as hard as she could toward the person they both loathed.


    With a sudden understanding, Rafina¡¯s eyes grew very big. ¡°The Chaos Serpents?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are strong signs that they are involved. Right, Rina?¡±


    Citrina replied with a nod and exined her reasoning.


    ¡°An Equestri¡­ Or rather, a man who looked like one¡­ I see,¡± Rafina said after some thought.


    Mia let out a happy sigh when she saw that Rafina¡¯s face had be serious<i>. That¡¯s fine. She is more careful now. That should keep her from going too far down the rabbit hole. On the other hand, I really wish Ludwig was here. Not being able to use his knowledge is really crippling. Anne as well¡­</i>


    Being without her reliable targets made her feel a little helpless. She didn¡¯t have both her right hands, woman nor man.


    As she walked up to the door to the king¡¯s room, she thought, <i>I have no idea what the other people think about this problem, nor do I know what Echard will do. I¡¯ll just have to deal with whateveres.</i>


    She took a deep breath and stepped in.


    She went inside and found King Abram in bed. Only an old physician standing nearby was the only healer that could be seen. It was clear that Citrina¡¯s cure worked. His wife and Tiona, who had changed into a new dress, were standing next to the king. After seeing Mia, Tiona took a deep breath and felt better. It was clear that the heavy environment had worn her down. She quickly bowed and joined Mia and her friends, going by Sion, who turned around to stand with his father. Soon after, Echard, who was then with Count Lampron, and an old man who said he was the chancellor joined him. When they got there, the cast wasplete, and the king decided to speak.


    Abram said, ¡°Thank you all foring here.¡± His voice was still weak and tired. But his look was anything but; it had be as sharp as usual. ¡°First, let me say I¡¯m sorry for all the rude things I did to you. Miss Citrina Yellowmoon, please know how much I appreciate you saving my life.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is no reason to be thankful. Your good health is a gift to all of us,¡± Citrina said. After looking at the king for a moment, she turned to the physician. ¡°What is the state of His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The shadowbane¡¯s effects have been mostly taken away thanks to your quick treatment.¡±


    The doctor bowed very low. ¡°Please ept my deepest thanks for saving our king as well.¡±


    The queen consort did the same thing. The chancellor, Sion, Echard, and Count Lampron all bowed their heads. Citrina had a rare moment of shocked uncertainty because of how solemn and formal it was, and not being used to being thanked by other people was new to her.


    When the king straightened up again, his face was serious. ¡°So Echard, what do you have to say?¡±


    It was clear that the young prince¡¯s shoulders were twitching. He tried to stop shaking by making his hands tighter, but it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father¡­ I don¡¯t have anything to defend myself. This happened because I was stupid.¡±


    His small voice echoed in the room.

 Chapter 493

    <h4>Chapter 493 </h4>


    <strong>Breakthrough: Princess Mia Rides the Waves.</strong>


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry, father¡­¡±


    Echard got down on his knees. His head bowed.


    ¡°I put poison in the drink for my brother. It was I. I take all the me.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Esmeralda let out a shocked cry.


    <i>Yes, I see. I guess I didn¡¯t tell Esmeralda.</i> Mia thought,


    Citrina moved forward.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Majesty. I would like to ask permission to speak.¡± She waited for Abram to nod before going on.


    ¡°If it were Rina¡ªum, if it were me giving His Highness the poison, I wouldn¡¯t tell him it was poison. Or else, I would tell him it was just a small toxin that wouldn¡¯t hurt his health much. There is some doubt in my mind that His Highness knew that the substance he used could kill.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Abram began, ¡°the fact remains that he put an unknown poison in the crown prince¡¯s drink with the intent to harm him. I presume that¡¯s why Echard isn¡¯t defending himself.¡±


    ¡°This is all my fault. What I did is uneptable,¡± Echard said over and over, his voice shaking and his head still just inches off the ground.


    Even though Citrina¡¯s case was good, it didn¡¯t matter much if the criminal wouldn¡¯t ept it. On the other hand, Echard¡¯s im of ignorance would sound like an attempt to avoid responsibility at this point, even if he did do it.


    <i>It¡¯s likely that what Rina said is true, but it¡¯s almost impossible to prove</i>. Mia let out a soft sigh.


    ¡°In Sunnd¡¯s history, poisoning a king has never happened. But if we were to follow the examples of most other kingdoms, it would be a crime punishable by death. The person being used is a prince in this case¡­¡± As he looked at the chancellor with doubt, the king¡¯s voice trailed off.


    The Chancellor said ¡°You¡¯re right, Your Majesty. Even if the person being charged is a prince¡­¡±


    ¡°Abram ¡­¡± The queen¡¯s face turned pale.


    When she took a step toward her husband, a cold, hard look stopped her. The air around him seemed to push back, making it impossible to get close. All of a sudden, the king felt very far away. The friendly hints he showed at the ball were gone, along with any signs that he cared about his son. All that was left was his royal power, and nothing else. The kingy there in all his glory, untouched by anything. He was pure and righteous, more fair than any person.


    The chancellor said nervously, ¡°Even if it¡¯s your son, Your Majesty¡­ It hurts me to say this, but giving him a lighter sentence is¡­¡±


    It felt like Abram¡¯s nod was heavy and slow, like his helmet was made of lead instead of gold.


    ¡°Especially if it¡¯s my son, good chancellor,¡± he said. ¡°I think the sentence should be the harshest possible. If I let my family members enjoy undeserved pardon, our kingdom¡¯s justice will fall apart.¡±


    <i>Uh-oh. I don¡¯t like where this is going¡­</i>


    Mia was very aware that the conversation had gone in a very bad direction. It was impossible for her to stop it. There was no way for her to say anything. By this time, she knew that Abram hadn¡¯t called them here to ask for help. They were only there to watch and make sure that a fair decision had been made about this terrible case. That thew had been followed.


    They had already talked for a long time before she got there. She was only supposed to show the world that Abram¡¯s decision and Echard¡¯s punishment were moral. The young prince¡­would not get a break.


    <i>I don¡¯t feel anything. There is no tide. There are no waves.</i>


    She didn¡¯t even feel like she was in the water. Because of how Abram approached her, she was just a witness. She could only watch from the shore. And some of her friends, like Rafina, met her on the beach. The Holy Lady¡¯s input wasn¡¯t even asked. In horror, Mia couldn¡¯t say a word as she saw the righteous king of Sunnd raise his sword of justice and, without any outside advice or warning,y it on his son¡¯s neck. That was right then¡­


    ¡°This is wrong!¡±


    ¡­That a sharp voice cut through the thick air. Even though it shook a little, Tiona Rudolvon looked Abram straight in the eyes, her gaze unwavering and determined.


    ¡°All this talk about harsher punishments and tighter judgments because he¡¯s family¡­ That¡¯s crazy!¡±


    She had no right to speak. She didn¡¯t have the duty or business to do that. She didn¡¯t care, though. If she had something to say, she was going to say it, no matter what! It took a lot of nerve for Tiona to do what she did.


    <i>Wow, she¡¯s not reading the room at all! I like it though! You go girl!</i>


    This was a problem with Sunnd at its core. Besides that, King Abram and his children were having a family problem. There was nothing at all to do with Mia or Tiona. People didn¡¯t care about what Mia and her friends had to say. It was so heavy in the air that anyone who spoke out might have been scolded harshly and told to shut up and watch events unfold.


    Not Tiona, though. Tiona didn¡¯t care about the air in the room at all. She chose not to read it. She was aware of it, felt it, and refused to ept it. She chose to say what she thought was right instead of what she thought was eptable.


    It might have been bound to happen. This Tiona was the kind of person who was called the Saint of the Revolution in the old timeline. It was kind of her thing to break rules and traditions.


    But her bravery wasn¡¯t based on recklessness; it was based onmitment.


    <i>¡°Family is precious, and you would give your life to protect it.¡±</i>


    The words her father had said to her many times. Before he became an outcount, Rudolvon was a head farmer. He didn¡¯t be a noble until muchter in life. He taught her that as a noble, it was your job to make sure that the people who lived in your domain had a happy life. They were their own people. Their family.


    Tiona thought of the people who lived in her area as her family. Was she then going to be stricter with all of her people? Should they have all been given heavier sentences? She couldn¡¯t agree with the thinking that was being shown. She would give up anything, even her own life, to protect her family.


    Her unwavering bravery, like an arrow of pure will, pierced through the thick wall of rejection that kept them from taking part. Mia saw hope through that hole. A breakthrough. It hit her. There was a wave that went through the hole. She would ride it even though it was still small and only reached her legs. That was the Way of the Seamoon. It doesn¡¯t matter what shape or size the wave is; a recognized practitioner of the Flotsam would never let it drift alone.


    So, Mia took a deep breath and opened her mouth, ready to be carried away by the small wave.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is a w with your decision.¡±


    ¡°You say it has a w?¡±


    Abram gave her a sharp look. She tensed a little.


    <i>That¡¯s fine. I can handle it. It¡¯s not as bad as when Dion ia looks at me meanly. Not quite as bad as it could have been¡­</i>


    She was able to keep her cool with that thought.


    ¡°Yes. It could also be called an injustice.¡±


    ¡°Injustice?¡±


    Mia didn¡¯t know who blurted that word out, and she didn¡¯t want to find out. She only gave herself a second to breathe and gather her thoughts before she quickly remembered what had happened in the previous timeline.


    Tiona Rudolvon was not the one who put Mia to death by guillotine. She was the leader of the revolution. It wasn¡¯t even one of the rebels. He who chose Mia¡¯s fate was Sion, prince of a different country. The reason was easy to understand: to keep the punisher away from the punished. People who had a personal grudge against her might have asked for a heavier punishment than was necessary. In this case, justice would turn into revenge.


    <i>That¡¯s not like him to worry about things like that. He had to make sure that everyone, inside and outside of Tearmoon, thought the whole thing was righteous.</i>


    It didn¡¯t help Mia, though, because her head still went flying! In any case¡­


    <i>Hey, Sion, thanks for the idea¡ªI¡¯m going to use it myself!</i>


    In other words, Mia stole someone else¡¯s work without any shame. She made a fierce battle squeal and swung the sword of rhetoric at Abram. The sword of rhetoric had been used by her enemy Sion.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I need to remind you that you are the victim. You have suffered because of this. Would it not be possible to see your harsher judgment as an abuse of your power because you hold a personal grudge against the person who did wrong?¡±


    She didn¡¯t lie about it. It was ¡°what if people think I¡¯m being unfairly lenient because he¡¯s family?¡± that got them. ¡°What if people think you¡¯re being unfairly harsh because you¡¯re the victim?¡± she asked back. When she matched him, she did something unfair against something unfair. There were two possible lines of thinking, so she bnced one with its opposite and equal.


    ¡°By the ignorant at least,¡± she said. ¡°But gossip is still gossip.¡±


    Most likely, she meant that she didn¡¯t think that, but other people might. It was Mia, after all. She wasn¡¯t going to start a fight without being sure she had a way to avoid getting hurt. Of course, she was able to take the g of justice away from Abram in the process.


    After that, there was silence, and Abram closed his eyes. He broke it after some thought. ¡°All right. Princess Mia, your case is strong, and I think it should be taken into ount. So, what do you think I should do? What sentence do I need to say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy. Nothing, Your Majesty,¡± Mia said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything; your good son can do it instead.¡±


    She looked at Sion. ¡°I think Prince Sion is the best person to make a decision about this.¡±


    He looked at her, and she held his gaze. Maybe¡­ she had just found Sion guilty of killing his own brother. After putting a knife to his heart, maybe all that was left was for the skin to give way and a deep wound to form. Still, she had faith in him.


    She had faith because she had seen him repent in Remno and determined at Saint-Noel.


    He had sworn that he would make things right on his own. She trusted Sion Sol Sunnd because he was her friend.


    <i>I am counting on you, Sion!</i>


    She looked at him with hope¡­


    <i>I am leaving everything to you.</i>


    She then passed the whole problem to him!

 Chapter 494

    <h4>Chapter 494 </h4>


    <strong>Woosh!</strong>


    Sion was shocked and asked, ¡°Uh¡­ Me?¡±


    <i>Why in the suns would she think that?</i>


    The way Mia smiled at him made him feel like she was rooting for him. As he looked at her face, something clicked.


    ].


    <i>I see¡­ She¡¯s giving me the chance I¡¯ve been looking for¡­ To earn my redemption.</i>


    He found Bisset, the lost Wind Crow agent, in Tearmoon, but he didn¡¯t really think that was enough to make up for what he had done. Despite his continued search for a way to make things right, he had not anticipated to discover it in this state. He had a shback to what happened in Remno.


    <i>¡°No one lives a perfect life. So, we forgive so that everyone has a chance to make things right.¡±</i>


    He could still hear what Mia had said before. With that kick, she gave him one. The thought of failing had driven through his body and into his heart.


    <i>Justice and fairness, huh? How simple it was to say them and how hard it was to keep them¡­ </i>


    ¡°Father,¡± he asked, looking straight at the king, ¡°if I may be so bold, I ask that you give me the job of deciding Echard¡¯s case.¡±


    Abram looked at his older son in silence and then nodded.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to leave this up to you, Sion.¡±


    Sion closed his eyes and let out a breath. He turned back to Mia and her friends.


    ¡°I need information. You said earlier, Miss Citrina, that you know where the poison came from. Could you exin this more fully?¡±


    ¡ª


    <i>Oh? He starts by asking other people for help. That¡¯s interesting.</i>


    In private, Mia raised an eyebrow at Sion. She thought he would start telling everyone what he thought right away. Instead, he was moving much more carefully.


    <i>Not too bad. He made a good move there.</i>


    Mia tried to be the perfect ¡°yes¡± girl, so Sion¡¯s eagerness to know more struck a chord with her. She gave a haughty nod of approval.


    Citrina looked at Mia and asked, ¡°May I?¡±


    Mia thought about what her request meant.


    <i>I see. She is worried about people who might be Serpents among us.</i>


    In addition to her friends, King Abram, Echard, Count Lampron, and the chancellor were also there¡­ A fair question was how much she could say about the Chaos Serpents without being too dangerous. She did not know the answer to this question. She then looked directly at Rafina, which was like doing a diverting twirl that sent the question flying off in a different direction.


    <i>Woosh!</i> Question redirected.


    ¡°Good question¡­ How about using what happened to the Wind Crows as an example to exin?¡± Rafina asked after a moment of thought.


    Mia struck her hand to show that she agreed. The royal family of Sunnd knew that the Wind Crows had been partly taken over during the Remno incident. Putting the current event in the same light seemed like a safe way to share information without giving away anything important to any snake-like ears that might be listening.


    ¡°But just to be safe¡­¡± In prayer, Rafina closed her eyes and put her hands together in front of her chest.


    Her voice was sweet and clear as she read a verse from the Holy Book.


    <i>¡¡Blessings be upon you, blessings upon you. Glory to God on this earth.</i>


    <i>¡¡God¡¯s wisdom to the sword-bearing king.</i>


    <i>¡¡Blessings be upon you, blessings upon you. Glory to God on this earth.</i>


    <i>¡¡Rule the people with just judgment and establish peace in thend.</i>


    The room was stunned for a second by the Saint of Belluga¡¯s sudden prayer. Soon, everyone¡¯s eyes were shut.


    ¡°Excuse me, Lady Rafina, but may I ask what that was for?¡± Lampron asked her gently after her voice had died down.


    ¡°A calm heart is needed to make important choices. To be with the Lord, is to find wisdom and truth. So, I read a text from the Holy Book. I pray that my prayer helps us make the right choice.¡±


    She smiled at him. But her eyes stayed sharp as she carefully observed everyone in the room. She looked at each person and then said, ¡°I think we should be fine as long as we speak carefully.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mia gave Citrina a sharp look as she nodded. ¡°All right, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Twirl and deflect. <i>Woosh!</i>


    Mia skillfully deflected the messages back and forth, being careful not to get involved in the chat while she did it. After hearing the message and telling someone else about it, she shut up. Her only bravery was her discretion.


    ¡°I get it,¡± Citrina said, moving forward. ¡°Let Rina¡ªNo, let me exin. As I¡¯m sure you know, people with bad intentions have been inside Sunnd¡¯s intelligence service, the Wind Crows. We think that the person who gave the poison to His Highness Prince Echard has ties to those infiltrators.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The news made many people in the room stunned.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve learned,¡± she went on, ¡°a suspicious person with traits simr to those of the Equestrian Kingdom was seen at the open market quite often. We think this person is the criminal we¡¯re looking for because someone tried to kill me while I was investigating.¡±


    ¡°No! In the capital?¡±


    ¡°An Equesttri, you say?¡±


    Count Lampron and the chancellor both said, shocked. Abram, on the other hand, did not move. He kept his eyes and ears open.


    ¡°Miss Citrina Yellowmoon, are you sure that the criminal is from the Equestrian Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°To be more specific, it was someone who looked like they came from the Equestrian Kingdom. It is a bit odd for someone to wear something so noticeable, but that person was seen going in and out of the open market,¡± Citrina answered, quickly adding, ¡°Our enemies are very good at tricks. For example, they could put the poison in an envelope and slip it into the pocket of their coat without being seen. Or, they could slip it into a bag of groceries. They can get the poison to people in a lot of different ways. They probably would have tried to talk to the prince even if he was never left alone.¡±


    <i>My, Rina looks a little scared. What the heck is wrong with her?</i> Mia tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°We are dealing with master maniptors,¡± Citrina said. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be easy for them to use any worries Prince Echard might have to get him to poison Prince Sion. For the same reason I already said, they could have given you something without even telling you it was poison.¡±


    She finished on a strong note and took a step back, but she stopped to make one more point.


    ¡°Sorry for the long speech, but I also think it¡¯s important to point out that our enemies have probably thought about Prince Echard¡¯s sentence when they used him as a tool. In Sunnd, if we decide this case exactly ording to Sunnd rules, we might be giving them what they want. That¡¯s all.¡±


    After saying that, she withdrew, but not before giving Echard a small, sad look.


    <i>Rina¡­ She must see the old her in him.</i> As Mia thought about it, Prince Echard¡¯s situation might have been too close to home for young Yellowmoon.


    ¡ª


    Sion did not speak at all during Citrina¡¯s speech. He kept thinking quietly with his eyes closed for a long time after she was done. Atst, he turned to look at Rafina.


    ¡°Lady Rafina¡­ Could I hear what you have to say?¡± He asked the Holy Lady for advice.


    Almost every country on the continent agreed with the Central Orthodox Church¡¯s morals. Since everyone used the Holy Book to decide what was good and bad, it made sense to ask Rafina what she thought.


    ¡°These are my thoughts¡­¡±


    Her eyes became farther away, as if she were looking through thick fog and mist to find some truth far away. In a quiet, thought-filled voice, she said after a long pause, ¡°Those who have power must use it right. Because of this, the strong should be judged by a higher and stricter standard than the weak.¡±


    Rafina would not stand for cruelty as the Holy Lady. God had given those people power, and they had to live up to that gift through their actions. She could not and would never change her mind about this.


    ¡°However, this case is not about power being abused. The victim is also the father of the person who hurt him. So, I think we should look at this not through the lens of high duty but through the lens of what is right and wrong for people in general. We learned from the Holy Book that since the beginning of time, justice should be based on the concept of reciprocity. Those who robs an arm will have it cut off, and those who steal an eye will have it gouged out.¡± She took a moment to look slowly from face to face, then said in a serious voice, ¡°And suffer no more. The concept says what the limit and the extent are.¡±


    The old saying ¡°an eye for an eye¡± means that someone should get the same amount of harm in return. Not less, not more. After making her point, Rafina quietly turned to face Abram.


    ¡°So, if I were to judge the fairness of the decision that was about to be given, I would only look at one question. Did His Majesty die?¡±


    That is, she came to the conclusion that putting Echard to death would be too harsh a sentence if the event was only judged by what the facts showed.


    ¡°That being said,¡± she went on, ¡°my criticism is only about whether the punishment was fair. No one is not guilty because of it. It doesn¡¯t matter at all what His Majesty talked about. Additionally, I believe we should also think about the reason for the poisoning. But¡­¡±


    At this point, Rafina wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted to do. In a past life, she would have definitely thought that Echard should have been put to death for what he did. He had acted in a way that was tantly inappropriate for a member of the royal family, showing that hecked the basic traits needed to properly use power. The Rafina of now put her hand over her chest quietly.


    ¡°Prince Echard is still pretty young. It¡¯s understandable that he has a hard time with his bigger brother, if not admirable. It¡¯s a very normal w. I can¡¯t help but wonder if we would be better off if he got better instead of dead, so that he could one day learn the wisdom and discipline that are right for his job.¡±


    As she talked, she thought back to the amazing day in Saint-Noel when Mia swung the hammer of justice. To give the Tearmoon lords who had done wrong a chance to make things right, she didn¡¯t kill them. Instead, she propped them up. She helped them grow, and they did.


    <i>It must be the same this time. It¡¯s for Prince Echard that she does this. I think I finally understand a little of how she feels now.</i>


    She felt good because she knew she could rte to her friend. Her deepest and strongest wish was for Echard to be given a chance to make things right.


    ¡ª


    Mia kept sneaking nces at King Abram while she was waiting for Citrina and Rafina to answer the questions she had wooshed to them. During the whole conversation, she thought his face was always very serious.


    <i>He¡¯s a tough nut to crack, isn¡¯t he? I was sure he¡¯d be ready to forgive Echard after hearing them talk¡­ He likely only needs one more push. If only there is another wave¡­</i>


    As if to answer her call, someone knocked on the door.

 Chapter 495

    <h4>Chapter 495 </h4>


    <strong>Miabel¡¯s Question and Answer: What is a King?</strong>


    ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty. Keithwood desperately requests an audience right away.¡± A guard who walked into the room asked, ¡°Should I let him in?¡±


    As soon as the king gave him leave, Keithwood, Dion, and Connery, who looked tense and sweaty, walked in. They were all lead by Bel.


    ¡°My, Bel? Where were you all this time?¡±


    ¡°In fact, Mia-neesama, I went on an adven-tour of the castle!¡±


    <i>That¡¯s almost the worst word fix I¡¯ve ever heard. She really should have just said ¡°adventure.¡±</i>


    Mia shook her head at how badly her granddaughter was using words.


    <i>She¡¯ll have a lot of trouble in the future. She should really think about what she says. That being said, it doesn¡¯t seem to have stopped her from getting along with Dion, which I cannot understand¡­</i>


    Mia could never understand how the girl could act so easily around the man, who she thought was only one mistake away from cutting off her head.


    Keithwood also gave Bel a wry smile before getting down on his knees in front of Abram. ¡°It makes me feel so much better to see Your Majesty again.¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia and these lovely young women have made us all feel better,¡± the king said, giving Tiona and Citrina a friendly smile. ¡°But let¡¯s not waste time. Keithwood, speak up. What important matter has brought you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I got a tip from Princess Mia, and because I thought the risks of doing nothing were high, I searched Prince Echard¡¯s room without permission. I¡¯m sorry for the wrongdoing, but I think it was necessary in that situation.¡±


    Abram closed his eyes and looked pensive.


    The resulting silence made Keithwood speak again. ¡°I am sorry for acting on my own. I couldn¡¯t find a chance to ask for your directions.¡±


    ¡°And no one should expect you to have. The fact that Echard chose to act today is a terrible stroke of misfortune.¡± Abram finally said with a long sigh.


    Mia turned her attention from the king to her granddaughter. ¡°Bel, why were you with them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, about that¡­¡±


    So, Bel began to tell her story, her adven-tour of the castle.


    ¡ª


    ¡°This direction.¡±


    ].


    Bel walked Connery through the castle halls one after the other. In normal circumstances, guards would have stopped her a long time ago, but Connery¡¯s presence had let her through. Because of his job, the captain knew a lot of the castle¡¯s guards.


    As Connery followed, he thought that maybe everything was a mistake. Keithwood¡¯s behavior was, however, clearly strange. It wasn¡¯t a very good reason for him to let the girl go on her adven-tour through the castle, but it would do for now.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way, Sir Connery. Have you worked for Count Lampron for a long time?¡± asked Bel.


    Because she was so interested, he sighed and said, ¡°Yes, I guess so. I¡¯ve worked for milord since I was a kid. However, I have to say that young Connery didn¡¯t know he would meet a prince one day.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. You must also have known Prince Echard for a long time, right? He learned from Count Lampron for a while, right? Then may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What is a king?¡±


    Connery stopped moving because he couldn¡¯t figure out what the question meant.


    ¡°What is a king?¡± He said it while blinking in shock. ¡°Did you mean His Majesty, King Abram?¡±


    ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± She pursed her lips for a while and then changed the way she asked the question. ¡°I¡¯m interested in emperors and kings. People who are in charge of other people. As well as princes and princesses. I¡¯m interested in them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Connery said. He thought that this girl was probably interested in royalty after meeting Princess Mia and Prince Sion. He could now understand what she meant by her question. That didn¡¯t change the fact that it was still a really tough question, and he had a hard timeing up with an answer.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t say for other people¡­ But for me, a king is like a servant of God. Almost like a proxy.¡±


    ¡°A proxy?¡±


    He gave a firm nod. ¡°The people who live on this continent trust God. Because of this, all of our moralse from what the Holy Book says. There are some problems, though, that the Holy Book can¡¯t solve. There are times when we have to make tough decisions and it doesn¡¯t give us any help. In those situations, the king decides what to do. I believe that a king is someone who acts for God and makes moral decisions using the power that God has given him. That¡¯s why we haveplete faith in His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what a king in Sunnd does¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Bel put her hands together and gave a thought-filled nod. But soon, she let out a scream.


    ¡°Eeek!¡±


    When he turned around to see her, she was being pulled away by the arm.


    ¡°Halt! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    He ran to help her right away, but he stopped when he realized who was holding her.


    ¡°My duty,¡± said Dion ia, Princess Mia¡¯s sharpest sword. He poked fun at her. ¡°What about you?¡±


    He had Keithwood by his side, who also looked confused.


    ¡°Sir Connery, what are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 496

    <h4>Chapter 496 </h4>


    <strong>Princess Mia is Bereft¡­</strong>


    Connery let out a short sigh when he saw the two men. ¡°I think they are looking for you. This young woman said she saw you two walking around.¡±


    He shrugged. It¡¯s okay if his secret was found out. He wasn¡¯t trying to be sneaky or anything. He thought it would be fun to follow her and see what the two men were doing.


    <i>That¡¯s as far as shadowing goes. I think it¡¯s time for me to leave with the girl.</i>


    During her adven-tour of the castle, he kept an eye on the girl. He had done what he needed to do here. He felt a little better after thinking about it, maybe too much, because the next thing that happened caught him off guard.


    ¡°I see¡­ What do you know? This is actually perfect,¡± Keithwood said. ¡°Going in by ourselves would have led to trouble in the long run. But now that you¡¯re here, we¡¯ll have the testimony of the captain of Count Lampron¡¯s guard.¡±


    He had hoped for an easy escape, but fate wasn¡¯t going to let him off the hook that quickly.


    ¡°A testimony? I am not sure what you mean.¡±


    As Keithwood spoke in a rxed tone, ¡°Testimony, yes. Because we¡¯re going to search Prince Echard¡¯s room right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As Connery thought about what he had just heard, he got a bad feeling rising in his stomach. He understood now that he had put himself in the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I¡¯m not very good at jokes, you see. It looks like I missed the funny part. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s even close to right. Keithwood, it¡¯s not like you to say things like that.¡±


    When Keithwood¡¯s face stayed disturbingly serious, his pointlessughing sounded even hollow. He wasn¡¯t joking. While Dion was smiling, which made him look scary. Connery realized right away that the smile he was seeing wasn¡¯t that of someone enjoying a crude joke, but of someone who liked being in trouble and danger. <i>I think this man would still be smiling if he had gone up against an army by himself</i>.


    Connery¡¯sst hope was the girl that the Great Wisdom of the Empire had thought was important enough to bring with her.


    The girl said, ¡°Wow¡­ Are we really sneaking into a prince¡¯s room? ?That sounds like an adventure! Plus I get to do it with Keithwood, the Libra King¡¯s most loyal knight! Also General Dion! Wow, this is amazing!¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes were shining with joy.


    <i>Nope. There¡¯s no hope there. So I guess we¡¯re going to do this¡­</i> Connery thought this as he felt five times worse than he did a minute ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for Miss Bel to go with us, but we don¡¯t have time to wait. We¡¯ll have to take a chance. Sir Connery, please stay with us and keep Miss Bel safe.¡± Keithwood held up a mask and said, ¡°Also, put this on.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Cover. In case. It¡¯s better not to show your face.¡±


    ¡°This makes me think of a rumor I heard. It seems that there is a masked pair that is taking out small groups of thieves in the area.¡±


    ¡°Milord has a strong sense of right and wrong, as you know. It keeps me pretty busy.¡±


    Keithwood just shrugged, but Connery felt a little sorry for the attendant.


    ¡ª


    The group got to Prince Echard¡¯s room without too many problems because Keithwood knew exactly where the guards were stationed and how to avoid them. The closest call they got was when Bel tripped and fell, screaming and calling for a bunch of guards, who Keithwood and Dion quickly engaged. What happened was less of a fight and more of a show of how skilled the two were. They knocked out the guards and left them unable to do anything. With great skill, they made sure that the guards only unconscious and nothing else.


    After the fight, Dion looked at Bel. Belughed in embarassment, which made the knight sigh in frustration.


    ¡°Bloody moon¡­ You make me think of a certain princess in a certain forest.¡± He then looked at Keithwood and said, ?¡°But I have to say, you have a great sword arm. Prince Sion is very good, but you¡¯re not bad either.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±


    ¡°How about a few rounds? It would make a nice gift for me.


    ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t think I couldst even three seconds. I¡¯ll get you a real gift instead.¡±


    Keithwoodughed happily and turned around to hide the cold sweat that was running down the back of his neck. There is no doubt that Dion ia was a monster. It made his hair stand on end because he could feel it in the man¡¯s energy. Even if he only had three seconds, he would have to be very tough to draw his sword when his whole body would be telling him to run away as soon as Dion appeared. The sheer fear was¡­familiar, to be honest. He had the same reaction when Mia cooked for him.


    <i>It¡¯s also very important that Princess Mia never cooks, especially with mushrooms¡­ It¡¯s just as important that Dion ia never sees us as enemies. It would be very bad if we went to war with Tearmoon. I should do everything I can to stop it¡­ Ugh, why are things never easy.</i>


    He grimaced as he his old friend, the headache, came.


    ¡ª


    As soon as Connery got into Echard¡¯s room, he had to say something to warn him.


    ¡°Keithwood, I need to remind you that even someone in your position¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is not allowed. Yes, I am aware of that.¡±


    Keithwood smiled wryly when he saw the guard captain¡¯s serious face.


    ¡°But certain times need unique responses. The well-being of the royal family is at risk, so this is a very important time.¡±


    ¡°What about the royal family?¡±


    ¡°It seems,¡± Dion said, taking over for Keithwood, ¡°a very suspicious man was seen talking to your second prince. And most likely gave the boy poison.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª? Poison?¡±


    ¡°Yep. So the story goes, at least.¡±


    He blinked a few times and then shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. So it¡¯s just a story. That doesn¡¯t make this behavior okay at all¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it seems very likely,¡± Dion said, cutting Connery off. ¡°The guy was seen hanging out in the open market, which is probably where he gave the poison to the second prince. Does any of that sound familiar?¡±


    One of Connery¡¯s cheeks twitched.


    ¡°You say the open market¡­¡±


    His voice had a little shake to it. His eyes started to jump around. Connery wasn¡¯t able to keep things a secret.


    ¡°Sir Connery, is something wrong?¡± Keithwood asked, noticing that he had changed the way he acted.


    ¡°No.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t say anything, Dion put a hard hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Is that the sound of joy I hear? Being honest will probably help you a lot if you know something. ¡°Just a thought.¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡­ At any rate¡­¡± He looked at Bel, who tilted her head to look at him with interest. His fate was sealed by her big, innocent eyes.


    ¡°You see¡­¡±


    He told the truth. Connery wasn¡¯t the type of person who could lie to kids. In general, he was a good, honest person.


    ¡°A while ago, when I went to the open market with His Highness, I lost sight of him for a short time¡­¡±


    Dionughed out loud when he told the truth.


    ¡°Ha ha ha! You would notst two seconds if someone interrogated you. Connery, you¡¯re a good man, and I like that you¡¯re honest. Try to keep your mouth shut around other people, though, okay? For your own good.¡±


    ¡°¡­should I? But¡­¡±


    ¡°No, really, just shut up. Heads rolling bothers our princess a lot. I don¡¯t want to give her any bad dreams.¡±


    Connery had to nod because of the seriousness in his voice.


    ¡°By the way, that¡¯s one more reason to include you in this operation,¡± Keithwood said. You will help yourself and His Highness.


    ¡°All right,¡± Connery said after a long pause. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have many options. I¡¯ll join.¡± He sighed and tried to remember more about that day.


    ¡°As far as I can remember, I don¡¯t remember him holding anything. It probably can¡¯t be too big for what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡ª


    Echard¡¯s room was surprisingly big. Since Solecsudo Castle was built for war, it put utility over luxury, and its inner rooms were not very big. Unless you group three of them together.


    The first sub-room looked like a small library, with lots of books lined up on the shelves. It also had a desk where people could read and write. There were religious drawings on the walls of the second sub-room. Based on the furniture that was there, it was probably used for things like afternoon tea. There was a huge canopy bed in the third.


    ¡°This is one hell of a room to look through¡­¡± Dion sighed as he looked around the room. ¡°We have no idea what we¡¯re looking for. The kid might even be keeping it from him. Where should we look to find it?¡±


    Keithwood just shook his head at his whining.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be the center of attention at the party today, so I doubt he¡¯d bring it. So it¡¯s likely that we won¡¯t be able to find anything. He might have thrown it away. Still, we¡ª Excuse me, Miss Bel? What are you doing?¡±


    Bel crawled on all fours and peered out from under the bed. Keithwood looked at her.


    ¡°Rina told me that noble boys hide things under their bed that they don¡¯t want other people to see¡­¡±


    She looked over her shoulder at him and said with a guilt-freeugh.


    ¡°Rina is very smart. She understands everything. She also told me that if you say ¡®I know what you did,¡¯ they¡¯ll freak out and tell you all sorts of things, even if you don¡¯t know what they¡¯re hiding. There¡¯s more¡­¡±


    Connery thought of the girl whose name was Citrina. Even though she was nice and sweet, he remembered that there was something strange about her.


    <i>It makes sense. It¡¯s likely that girl has something nned. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from someone who works for Princess Mia.</i>


    Bel stood up, and he watched with his arms and brows knit together in thought. She looked at the bed.


    She pursed her lips and put her hand under the pillow after a while.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She pulled her arm back and showed what she was holding with a shocked cry. Keithwood jumped in to get a better look. He wrinkled his brows.


    ¡°A troya? Why would a charm be here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made troyas like these before,¡± Bel sounded very proud. ¡°First, you roll up some stuffing for the stomach. Then, you wrap the thread around it. When you¡¯re done, you can take out the stuffing and there¡¯ll be a pocket inside.¡±


    She opened the belly of the horse-shaped charm.


    ¡°See? You can hide things in this,¡± she said, taking out a small ck powder vial.


    ¡ª


    To which Mia replied, ¡°So you found this in Prince Echard¡¯s room¡­¡± She let out a sigh of sorrow.


    <i>If Keithwood had found this before the party today, it¡¯s possible to avoid this whole mess¡­</i>


    But it didn¡¯t help to cry over spilled milk. Even more so when the milk made up for the mess. The poisoning gave them permission to search Echard¡¯s room without his permission. They would have just broken into the privacy of a prince without the incident. In the end, there was no solid proof that he had it. Mia was sure, but she would have to use irvoyance to back up her story, which was iffy at best in a court ofw.


    <i>Of course, the cause-and-effect thing isn¡¯t helping me. There wasn¡¯t any real murder, though. That¡¯s something to be thankful for.</i>


    She thought that Bel¡¯s finding, even though it was new, wouldn¡¯t really change anything. What kind of poison was used, and they knew there had been an attack. The only thing that had changed was that they now had the powder.


    ¡°May I take a look?¡± asked Citrina as she stepped up. She took the vial and quickly shook it.


    ¡°I see. If it¡¯s okay with you, I think this is strong proof that Prince Echard did not mean to kill anyone.¡±


    ¡°Exin.¡± asked Sion, surprised.


    ¡°Earlier, I asked Prince Echard how much poison he had put in the wine ss. ¡®One pinch,¡¯ was his answer.¡± Citrina held the bottle up to the light, which showed what was inside. ¡°We can see that there is still a lot of powder inside, which means that he chose to use only one pinch. He would have put in more if he had meant to kill. With poison, there¡¯s no reason to risk the person living because the amount is too low. Especially if he nned to bring the poisoned drink to the party himself, because of all the noise and chaos, he would only have one chance. So, I think that the contents of this vial show that he wasn¡¯t trying to kill anyone.¡±


    This answer helped Mia understand a lot better. The vial looked like a sugar shaker, which let her use a much moremon way of thinking to figure out what was going on. She would want to use it less often when the shaker was half full so it wouldn¡¯t run out. Her shakes would get softer and less frequent on their own. But if you gave her a full shaker, she¡¯d put a good cube¡¯s worth of it in her tea. From her point of view, who wouldn¡¯t want their tea to be too sweet instead of not sweet enough?


    Without a doubt, poison was the same. It was possible that Echard would only use a pinch of powder if the bottle held a very small amount. But since it held a lot, he only used a little.


    <i>That clearly means he thought it would be bad if he put in too much. He might have been hoping for a mild reaction so that he wouldn¡¯t have to show too much, but even so, one pinch seems too little¡­ Well, this argument seems convincing.</i>


    ¡°Since you have so much, it makes sense to try it on something like a mouse first. At least I would,¡± Citrina said, but her tone was stiff, which didn¡¯t match what she was saying. ¡°That way I¡¯ll understand what it does. It¡¯s likely that Prince Echard didn¡¯t even do that much. His actions were very careless, which makes me think he was acting on instinct. Someone who didn¡¯t care if they found outter. After all, you would do everything you could to hide your participation in the killing, right? Maybe you wouldn¡¯t care about being seen, but you¡¯d still make sure you used enough to kill the target.¡±


    With a sweet smile, she won over her listeners. It was even more disturbing that her analysis was so morbid. Then she came to her conclusion.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s clear to me that Prince Echard did what he did without nning to¡± He didn¡¯t think this was poison either, and he wasn¡¯t going to use it at the party. It was a random chance that the poison was avable and a whim that made him do it.


    There was something strangely convincing about her case. It could have been because she knew a lot about the subject. Her level of expertise meant that she knew a lot about both the tools and the people who use them.


    Mia agreed and nodded. If she could, she would cheer. Citrina had made it possible for people to have reasonable doubts about Echard¡¯s intentions.


    <i>This is nice. Miss Rafina came first, then Citrina. There are signs that the case for a lighter punishment will be favored. Surely, not even Sion could ask for a death in this setting!</i>


    She took a deep breath and thought that all that was left was to wait for Sion to agree to a less harsh sentence. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t correctly understand the next question.


    ¡°Mia, what do you think?¡±


    <i>That¡¯s it. It¡¯s time for thest word. Mia, do it. Tell Sion what to say. We¡¯re all waiting for you to finish, Mi¡ªWait¡­ Mia?</i>


    Mia didn¡¯t notice that Sion hadn¡¯t tried to take charge of the conversation until after the series of expert opinions. He kept his distance and watched her without saying a word. Her!


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    While the rest of her body was frozen in shock, her mouth would have dropped. There were eyes everywhere in the room on her, waiting for her decision.


    <i>Huh? What, me? Uh¡­ How do I¡­?</i>


    She took a deep breath in and got ready to speak. As soon as she opened her mouth, her throat hurt in a strange way. It was rough and dry. Her breath left her as a cough instead of words.


    <i>What is it? No¡­ It¡¯s not possible¡­ Is this poison?!</i>


    It most certainly wasn¡¯t. It was just the cookie she swiped as she left the hall. The dry, crumbly pieces of it were making her throat hurt.


    Being without her voice, Mia was going through the worst hour of her life.

 Chapter 497

    <h4>Chapter 497 </h4>


    <strong>A Loyal Retainer¡¯s Gift</strong>


    A change of view: Going back to the Ballroom.


    The once tumultuous crowd had finally found some semnce of calm, although a faint undercurrent of unease lingered in the air. It was into this atmosphere that Anne returned, slightly out of breath.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back,¡± Ludwig greeted her, his brow furrowing with curiosity. ¡°Did you encounter any issues? You were gone for quite some time.¡±


    Ludwig observed Anne, puzzled by her visible exertion. The guards she had been sent to fetch had already stationed themselves outside the hall¡¯s entrance, ready to act in case of any trouble. But the situation seemed to be under control. Sunnd¡¯s soldiers were efficiently maintaining order, and the people inside the hall had regained theirposure.


    <i>The ballroom security is in the capable hands of Count Lampron, isn¡¯t it? His men are well-trained.</i>


    However, his concerny with Anne. ording to the guards, after instructing them to gather outside the hall, she had hurriedly left the castle. Her unexpected behavior had left him apprehensive.


    ¡°Um¡­ Do you happen to know where Mia-sama went?¡± Anne inquired. ¡°I thought she might be thirsty after all that dancing¡­¡± She held out a bottle. ¡°So, I went to fetch some juice from the innkeeper who¡¯s familiar with Lady Rafina.¡± Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, which she wiped away with a smile, adding, ¡°The drinks in the hall should be safe, but¡­¡±


    Ludwig nodded, understanding her concern. After all, a poisoned drink had been intended for the king, and it was reasonable to assume that other drinks might also bepromised. If there was even a slight chance that Mia might have consumed something harmful, Anne¡¯s decision to run this minor marathon was entirely justified.


    ¡°Miss Anne, your dedication is truly admirable.¡±


    While he admired her unwavering loyalty, it also sparked a hint of envy within him. She had identified a potential threat to Mia that had eluded his notice.


    <i>It¡¯s safe to assume that Her Highness may be thirsty after dancing. However, it¡¯s best to avoid the drinks in the hall. She recognized Her Highness¡¯s needs, assessed the situation, and acted promptly to find an optimal solution. She is indeed a remarkable attendant.</i>


    Ludwig had no knowledge of Mia indulging in potentially poisoned cookies as she left the ballroom, but even if he had seen it, he would likely havee up with a convoluted exnation for it, attributing it to Mia¡¯s character.


    Anne blushed at his praise and shook her head. ¡°I still have a long way to go to be a worthydy¡¯s maid to Mia-sama. I hope this helps a bit. It¡¯s the least I can do for her¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough,¡± Ludwig assured her. ¡°As long as we do our best to assist Her Highness, we will undoubtedly be valuable to her. She doesn¡¯t let effort go to waste. I¡¯m certain that every bit of help we provide will be incorporated into her ns.¡± He concluded with a characteristic gesture of pushing his sses up. ¡°Let¡¯s continue to support her, as we always have.¡±


    Anne beamed at him. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. Thank you for your kind words.¡±


    The two loyal subjects exchanged nods, their camaraderie deepening as devoted followers of their beloved princess.


    ¡°Now, I apologize for the abrupt change of subject,¡± Ludwig began, ¡°but can you take care of Her Highness on your own? Prince Abel and I find ourselves somewhat¡­ upied.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that you need to stay here to ensure the culprit doesn¡¯t escape?¡± Anne inquired.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, yes,¡± Ludwig replied cautiously, ncing around the room. ¡°While it may appear calm in the hall right now, it¡¯s actually quite precarious here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As you might have gathered from my request to bring our guards, there¡¯s no guarantee that the hall won¡¯t descend into chaos again. King Abram is a spiritual pir for the people of Sunnd. Presently, the nobles and guards are rtively calm, but if emotions run high once more¡­ someone needs to be capable of maintaining order.¡± Ludwig gestured toward Abel. ¡°I¡¯d prefer Prince Abel to be in a safer location, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, Ludwig, but I can assure you, I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± Abel chimed in with a good-natured smile. ¡°I¡¯ve probably endured more punches than you, and you are one of Mia¡¯s most important subjects. I can¡¯t leave you here alone. Additionally, if I can help maintain order there, it would be a great service to her. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want to see unnecessary violence either. Not to brag, but between a Tearmoonmoner and a Remno prince, I believe thetter has a bit more influence over people.¡±


    Ludwig chuckled. ¡°Well then, that settles it,¡± he said, turning to Anne. ¡°Can you look after Her Highness?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Anne affirmed.


    As she left to search for Mia, she was fortunate enough to encounter Keithwood, who led her to the king¡¯s chamber. She patiently waited outside for their conversation to conclude, but upon hearing Mia cough, she quickly entered the room.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mia-sama.¡±

 Chapter 498

    <h4>Chapter 498 </h4>


    <strong>Princess Mia Finally Decides to Take Revenge</strong>


    Uh-oh. This is not good.


    As she coughed some more, the dull, familiar feeling of fear started to creep back in. She almost finished. It was almost time for her to cross the finish line. But in the end, she was the one who held the hot potato. As thest person to speak, it was her job to give the most important word. And her throat was scratchy on top of that!


    <i>I think I can make this into something good. If I cough like this, maybe someone else will talk for me.</i>


    A wave went by! She only had to understand it. She was almost ready to jump on the likely helpful wave when a knock was heard on the door.


    It was Anne, her most loyal servant, who came in.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mia-sama. I brought you a drink because I thought you might be thirsty from dancing.¡±


    A ss of juice was sitting on a te she held out.


    ¡°My goodness, Anne, what perfect time! Hack, that was really nice of you!¡±


    Even though her throat hurt, Mia hesitated as she looked at the ss. Her throat would feel better if she drank the juice, even though it looked good. She would have to talk if she didn¡¯t cough. Then she has to choose what to do with Echard.


    <i>I can¡¯t get out of this mess. I should have thought about this while everyone was still talking. I wish I knew¡­</i>


    She took the ss from Anne and very slowly drank. She could stall for longer if she drank more slowly. A cool, sour but pleasant taste spread across her mouth. A lemon smell caught her attention. She enjoyed the moment.


    <i>This tastes like a sip of dew from a flower deep in the forest that was just waking up to the spring weather¡­ The cool sweetness makes me think of mushrooms</i>¡ª


    She stopped herself before she added ¡°juice¡± to her list of people who would like to be experts.


    <i>Okay, calm down. Now is not the time to be poetic. I need to think of a clever thing to say to get Sion and King Abram to shorten Echard¡¯s term¡­</i>


    She raised an eyebrow in thought, then took it back in surprise when Anne spoke again.


    ¡°Mia-sama, Ludwig has a message for you.¡± Anne¡¯s face showed that she was very serious.


    ¡°My¡­ What is it?¡±


    .


    ¡°He said, ¡®Go ahead and do what you think is right; we¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡¯¡± Anne put her hand on her chest slowly. ¡°I¡¯m of same opinion here, mdy. Do whatever you think you need to do. We¡¯ve got your back no matter what happens after that.¡±


    ¡°Anne¡­¡±


    She told her helper and four-eyes thank you in a soft voice, but she kept that one to herself. As she closed her eyes, she thought about Anne¡¯sst act of loyalty all those years ago and Ludwig¡¯s unwavering desire to save the empire. She heard an echo of his ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it¡± phrase, which he used for every situation and never grimaced.


    <i>Wait! He did grimace. He also scowled alot. And frowned. And red. Oho ho, that¡¯s so nostalgic.</i> Sheughed softly. <i>We sure did travel a lot. All over the kingdom. Even though I did most of the work, I guess I should give the stupid four-eyes some credit. He also helped. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a six-four split between us¡­</i>


    Really, it was more like two-eight. Then again, she was a real pain sometimes, so maybe one? Still, more than zero, for sure! She really did help! From time to time!


    It was too bad that her attempts were not going to pay off. The seeds that she and Ludwig worked so hard to nt had died in the ground.


    <i>Huh. You know what? It makes me mad to think about this. I did a lot of work. It¡¯s not right!</i>


    She felt a wave of anger rise up in her chest. She felt something that was a mix of anger and frustration. She thought at that moment that this might be her chance to get back at him.


    <i>Yes, that is true¡­ This kind of chance doesn¡¯te up very often. I should get back at you! Okay, let¡¯s even things out!</i>


    Once Mia established her goal, she felt quickly better. She took one more sip of juice to make sure her throat was perfectly clear.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne. Thank you very much for the drink.¡±


    She put the ss back on the dish and turned back to face the crowd. They kept quiet until she spoke. She put her hand to her chin and let out a huff with what she thought was stately grandeur.


    Her voice was serious as she said, ¡°We must all reap what we sow¡­¡±


    That was the most important thing she had ever learned and would never forget it.


    ¡°We must reap the fruits of ourbor, no matter what kind of seeds they are or whether they grow into fortune or tragedy.¡± That¡¯s how things are. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you agree?¡± She looked at Abram to make sure.


    The king looked very wise in his eyes. ¡°Yes. That really is the way things work¡­¡±


    When she heard him confirm that what she said was true, she felt a strong emotion: anger. She was mad. Why wouldn¡¯t she be? It was so not fair! What does that mean? If she nts a bad seed, she will have to reap whatever terrible thing grows from it? Even though she knew it would ruin her life? There are no second chances. No making things right. Only her destruction, which was unavoidable.


    <i>That can¡¯t be right!</i>


    It was a repudiation in anything she had done to change her life. To hell with it, she went so far as to jump back in time. To find out that all your hard work was for nothing¡­ That made her very angry.


    So, she looked at the outlet of her revenge. Cut Echard¡¯s sentence down and end the case? Everyone shakes hands, and this is never brought up again, right? No! Such vague answers would no longer make her happy. She wanted satisfaction! She wanted payback!


    She spoke with her eyes closed and a voice filled with a religious seriousness. ¡°It is certainly true that one must reap what they sow¡­ But now is not the time to reap.¡±


    She stopped, giving her words a sense ofpletion, and then she went on.


    ¡°Every flower, no matter what it looks like or what it smells like, starts as a seed. After the seed is nted, it needs to sprout, grow, and bloom before it can bear food that is useful. But it takes time to do that. We should give Prince Echard some time. He will get what he has sown one day, but we should let that daye, right?¡±


    She asked for more time.


    ¡°So, you want to suggest¡­a suspended sentence?¡± Sion asked.


    Mia gave him a nod that said, <i>That took the words right out of my mouth.</i>


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I mean.¡±


    But getting the time wasn¡¯t enough. We had to use that time.


    ¡°In addition¡­¡± She then exined what the pardon was for. ¡°If he nts more seeds after that¡­ Not the same. Good ones. And a huge number of them, then maybe¡­¡±


    Her eyes became very far away, as if she were looking through time itself at a past that could never be recovered, looking for the shape of a loyal subject she would never see again.


    ¡°Maybe even seeds of guilt can be killed in their tracks, never to grow¡­¡±


    A little shaking went through her voice, like when someone prayed really hard for something. In her words, there was an earnest prayer that Mia from a different time had been pleading with god to hear. A hope. A wish. one that she had shared with eyes that were filled with nostalgia. They had fought together, painfully aware that they had to reap the ruinous seeds that were sown so deeply in Tearmoon soil while still trying to find a way to keep them dormant. The Mia of that time had worked hard but in vain to make something else happen, one in which the seeds would fall to the ground without sprouting.


    She tried to make things right. She might have been stupid to do that. Maybe there is no such thing as forgiveness, and the reaping of seeds sown was as certain as the sun and moon going around and around.


    <i>But that makes no sense! Do I deserve to be destroyed just because I made one mistake? Without a chance to make it up? Not eptable! I¡¯m going to show you right now that that can¡¯t be how it works! Using Prince Echard!</i>


    Mia had a dream. In that dream, Echard went back to Sunnd atoned and victorious. In his dream, people cheered for all the good things he did, d that his death had been avoided. It was also a dream about herself, about a past that was cut short and a future that could have happened.


    She was going to make her dreame true. When she did, she would finally tell those seeds what she had been meaning to say for a long time.


    <i>¡°Serves you right!¡±</i>


    Tough as you stand over their dry bodies, their threatened consequences forever rotted. That would be her revenge.


    <i>I wasn¡¯t given a second chance before, but I¡¯ll take it this time! I¡¯ll give out so many! Everybody gets a second chance!</i>


    Cause and effect could go eat dirt. They couldn¡¯t reap because she brought a hammer instead of a sickle!


    ¡ª


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s what the Great Wisdom of the Empire thinks,¡± Sion said in a low voice. He smiled. ¡°Mia, every time you¡¯re¡­¡±


    He got off track, and the feeling that wasn¡¯t said was lost in the endless void of thoughts that were unvoiced. He turned to Echard and let out a short sigh.

 Chapter 499

    <h4>Chapter 499 </h4>


    <strong>Sion¡¯s Decision 1: Judgement for Echard</strong>


    <strong>?</strong>


    ¡°Echard, your sentence is as follows,¡± dered Sion. Sion¡¯s brother, Echard, lowered his gaze, and they locked eyes for a moment.


    ¡°What you did, this terrible act of poisoning the king¡­ It is unforgivable. Nevertheless, Miss Citrina has raised the possibility that your actions were not meant to be a murder. You might not have even been aware that the substance you possessed was poison. Is her suggestion true? I need answers from you, Echard, and I need to hear them directly from you.¡±


    His pointed question was met with a mere shake of Echard¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡­ have nothing to say.¡±


    The younger prince chose silence, possibly an attempt to protect what remained of his integrity, fueled by youthful pride. Speaking the truth, he believed, would be seen as begging for his life. He had made a mistake, but he would not grovel. Echard was prepared to face the consequences of his actions with dignity.


    Echard weed his punishment, driven by the noble principles of Sunnd, a kingdom founded on justice. He felt that only through this sentence would he be validated as a prince of Sunnd. He couldn¡¯tpromise the kingdom¡¯s legacy of justice to save himself. In his death, he saw honor, even if it was a youthful and naive notion that Sion couldn¡¯t grant him.


    Sion¡¯s words to his brother mirrored his own internal struggle. After his failure in Remno, he had also embraced the idea of righteous penance, thinking it shameful to avoid punishment. He had longed for his own punishment, just as Echard did now. Staring down Abel¡¯s sword, he had weed the thought of its cold steel piercing his flesh. He had upheld justice his whole life, and he believed it was the only fitting way to take responsibility for his mistake.


    The Great Wisdom of the Empire had disagreed with him, delivering a much-needed wake-up call that had freed him from his self-absorption. She had urged him not to seek death but to carry the shame of his failure, redeeming himself with his actions. Even now, he still felt deep shame and considered himself unworthy to speak of justice and fairness. However, he needed to do so, for Echard¡¯s sake and to uphold justice.


    Sion turned his attention back to his brother, recalling the meaning of being a king.


    ¡°Sion¡­¡± Echard whispered his name.


    Sion briefly caught a glimpse of his younger brother¡¯s face, almost on the verge of tears, before it turned downward. Slowly, Echard began to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ true. I know it might sound like an excuse, but a man I didn¡¯t know approached me at the open market. He gave me the poison. He told me it would cause mild abdominal pain.¡±


    Echard¡¯s voice wavered and at times faltered, revealing the frightened and vulnerable boy beneath the princely facade.


    ¡°It was reckless of me¡­ I understand that now. Without testing its effects, I attempted to have you drink it,¡± he said, avoiding eye contact with his brother. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what led me to do that.¡±


    There was genuine perplexity in his tone as he continued.


    ¡°I think¡­ it was bitterness. I¡¯ve always felt inadequatepared to you. That feeling grew and grew until I couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. That¡¯s when I saw the poison. It whispered to me, told me to put just a little in. It assured me that no real harm woulde, and that I would feel better after taking you down a notch. And I¡­ listened. I sumbed to its temptation.¡± Echard bowed his head. ¡°I leave my fate to your judgment and ept whatever punishment you deem appropriate. Please don¡¯t let my mistake tarnish Sunnd¡¯s legacy of justice.¡±


    Then, hesitantly, he added one more detail.


    ¡°Regarding the person who gave me the poison¡­ He looked like an Equestri, but¡­ something felt off. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but that was my impression. It didn¡¯t seem like someone merely dressed as an Equestrian, but there was something about the man that didn¡¯t match the Equestris I know.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps his scent?¡± suggested Rafina, and all eyes turned to her.


    ¡°His scent?¡± Echard inquired.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard that Equestrians use a specific scented balm to ward off carnivores and protect their horses. You wouldn¡¯t notice it unless you paid close attention, but maybe the man you metcked that distinctive scent.¡±


    Echard frowned in thought. ¡°That¡­ is possible,¡± he nodded. ¡°I think you might be right.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Echard. Imend your honesty,¡± Sion praised him, causing Echard to straighten. ¡°As you¡¯re well aware, your actions are inexcusable. It¡¯s a serious offense that could have plunged the kingdom into chaos. Even with our father¡¯s survival, your guilt remains. I must condemn you, or justice will waver.¡±


    The concept of justice in Sunnd was pure and upromising. It allowed no stain or blemish; all wrongdoing had to be punished.


    ¡°However,¡± Sion continued, ¡°I have considered Miss Rafina¡¯s and Princess Mia¡¯s arguments. I find thempelling. I believe that leniency is the right course of action. You will receive a suspended sentence.¡±


    This effectively endorsed Mia¡¯s argument.


    ¡°A suspended sentence¡­ But¡ª¡±


    ¡°But make no mistake,¡± Sion interrupted Echard, ¡°your sentence is only suspended, not voided. And until the suspension ends, your involvement in this incident will be kept a secret.¡±


    ¡°Will that satisfy public opinion, though?¡± the chancellor asked, concerned.


    Sion chuckled. ¡°The individual responsible for this is connected to a group capable of manipting the Wind Crows to serve their interests. Sneaking into the ballroom and poisoning a drink falls within their capabilities.¡±


    By saying this, he indicated his intent to attribute the incident to the Chaos Serpents. Framing an innocent person was beyond his moral boundaries.


    ¡°With that said,¡± Sion continued, ¡°Echard, you cannot remain in Sunnd. I will send you abroad.¡±


    While Echard¡¯s sentence was suspended, there was a risk that the Serpents would attempt to contact him again. If he stayed in Sunnd, any such contact could be witnessed, leading to demands for a fair trial. Furthermore, Echard¡¯s status as a prince made it challenging for him to engage in meaningful acts of redemption within the kingdom¡¯s borders. Sion believed it was wiser to send him to a foreign nation where the challenges of the unfamiliar could help him grow. Belluga, under Rafina¡¯s watchful eye, seemed like a promising choice.


    ¡°In that case, let me help. On behalf of the Greenmoons, I extend our invitation,¡± Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon unexpectedly offered.


    An answer came from the most unexpected of ces, and Esmeralda, feeling it was finally her time to shine, confidently stepped forward.


    ¡°The Greenmoons? I¡¯m not sure if¡ª¡±


    Sion¡¯s uncertainty was overridden by Esmeralda¡¯s assertiveness.


    ¡°My, Prince Sion,¡± she said with a smug smile, ¡°have you forgotten that I¡¯m Prince Echard¡¯s fianc¨¦e? I believe I have every right to wee him into my household.¡±


    The first to respond was the event organizer, Count Lampron. ¡°Given the circumstances, Miss Esmeralda,¡± he said, flustered, ¡°I do believe this marriage proposal is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Esmeralda cut him off, then shook her head with a knowing smile. ¡°Do you mean to embarrass me, Count Lampron? After such a ceremonious announcement of our marriage to so many people, we cannot possibly renege on the arrangement.¡±


    Her rebuke left no room for argument, as it was Sunnd¡¯s fault that her honor was at stake.


    ¡°Fortunately, we Greenmoons have many connections within other nations, just as we do with Sunnd nobles like yourself, Count Lampron,¡± she said, turning toward the queen. Her smile softened. ¡°If he stays with us, not only will we help him expand his horizons, but it will also be easy for him to visit home.¡±


    ¡°Lady Esmeralda¡­ How thoughtful of you¡­¡± The queen was moved by her words.


    Mia, on the other hand, was more cynical, muttering, ¡°Not bad, Esmeralda.¡±


    Sion, recalling the time he spent with the Greenmoons, felt that the experiences were invaluable. Echard¡¯s chance to see more of the world would likely do him more good than harm. So, he looked at his father, then his mother, and finally at Esmeralda.


    ¡°In that case¡­ I¡¯ll leave my brother in your care.¡±


    Seeing Sion lower his head, Mia released a breath she had been holding for a long time.


    Phew, I think this case is finally closed. Things worked out pretty well for everybody, I¡¯d say. Esmeralda has a cute future husband, and she even gets to take him home. She must be happy. Granted, we¡¯ll have to make up some official excuse to bring him to Tearmoon, and Duke Greenmoon probably has to be filled in about what¡¯s actually going on. That¡¯ll probably make it hard to have an actual ceremony¡­ That wasn¡¯t all. She nced at Echard.


    We didn¡¯t do anything about Prince Echard¡¯s hang-ups. If anything, all this thoughtfulness is probably making his inferiorityplex worse.


    Some problems still existed, yes. But most of them were solved! And that was enough for Mia, because it meant that at longst, her job was done. Surely, she could exit stage left now.


    Then, unexpectedly, Sion spoke up. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to do. Could someone summon Prince Abel?¡±


    Mia wondered why he wanted Abel¡¯s presence.


    Mia gave Sion a quizzical look, and heughed.


    ¡°Echard, I¡¯d like to show you something.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note:


    As you may have guessed, the Sunnd arc will be over soon (?), but the fourth part will continue a little longer¡­well, it¡¯s still quite a bit. The Sunnd and Peruvian arcs have been extended longer than expected¡­ It was nned that there would be about 80 episodes between the two¡­ strange.


    So, it looks like Part 4 will be longer than the previous chapters.


    I would appreciate it if you could stay with me for a long time.

 Chapter 500

    <h4>Chapter 500 </h4>


    <strong>Sion¡¯s Decision 2: ~¡­Huh?~</strong>


    For a while now, the younger prince had been observing the proceedings with a resigned expression in his eyes. The oue he had feared, a death sentence, did note to pass. Aided by the counsel of the Empire¡¯s Great Wisdom and his friends, Sion opted for a suspended sentence, the most lenient option avable and a solution that demanded significant ingenuity. However, this act of mercy, even the salvation of his life, only fueled the young boy¡¯s self-pity. He was so removed from the fear of death that even the gift of life failed to elicit gratitude.


    Once again, Sion disyed his magnanimity. Despite Echard¡¯s attempts to harm or perhaps even kill him, Sion responded withpassion, which only emphasized Echard¡¯s pettiness, leaving him feeling defeated. The psychological chains that bound him were robust and difficult to unravel, and each day they seemed to tighten their grip on his soul.


    Suddenly, a voice from outside the room interrupted the scene. ¡°Excuse me. Prince Abel is here.¡±


    Echard turned to the door, which opened to reveal his brother¡¯s friend and the second prince of the Remno Kingdom. The sight of Abel stirred a long-forgotten memory.


    <i>Yes, I¡¯ve seen him before. He was here for a sword fight with Sion¡­ I¡¯m quite sure Sion easily defeated him. And somehow, they became friends afterward? I wonder what kind of person he is¡­</i> Echard thought, his curiosity piqued.


    As Abel entered the room, his first nce went to Abram, and he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s a relief to see that you¡¯ve recovered. What happened earlier truly rmed me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Prince Abel. I apologize for subjecting you to this unfortunate situation. Please ept my sincerest apologies.¡±


    ¡°Apologies? You needn¡¯t apologize or worry about such matters, Your Majesty. You are of utmost importance to this continent, and your well-being is our top priority. Please take some time to rest,¡± Abel reassured Abram before turning to Sion. ¡°By the way, why did you summon me here?¡±


    Echard shared the same question. None of the prior conversation had hinted at the need for Prince Abel¡¯s presence.


    Sion replied, ¡°Indeed, I have a significant request to make, and I¡¯m grateful for your prompt response to our summons. My younger brother, Echard, will soon be leaving Sunnd.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Abel responded with a narrowed gaze, ncing at Echard. ¡°That¡¯s rather unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. And in light of that, I¡¯d like to bid him farewell with a special gift.¡±


    ¡°A gift? What kind of gift?¡± Abel inquired, still puzzled.


    Echard, too, was perplexed. He couldn¡¯t fathom what Sion had in mind. Feeling a bit uneasy, he exchanged nces with his older brother, who acknowledged his concern.


    ¡°Echard, there¡¯s something important that I want you to know, something that will guide your future. And I¡¯m going to reveal it to you now.¡±


    With that, Sion turned back to Abel and calmly stated, ¡°Abel Remno, I challenge you to a formal duel for the hand of the Great Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    For a few seconds, the room was filled with stunned silence.


    ¡°Huh?¡± came a bewildered voice from an unnamed person in the room. It was clear that, like Echard, this person was equally confounded.


    <i>What is Sion thinking? Has he lost his mind?</i>


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Abel asked, momentarily taken aback before quickly regaining hisposure. ¡°I suppose you are, and you don¡¯t seem to be joking.¡±


    ¡°I am serious, and you would have known if I were joking.¡±


    The two exchanged solemn gazes.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Abel finally responded. ¡°Given the stakes you¡¯ve set, I have no choice but to ept. However, you¡¯ve left me with no other option, and I will give this duel my all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Bring your best, as I will do the same,¡± Sion dered with a fierce smile that was a rare sight. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ve been holding back for far too long. From now on, I¡¯ll be true to myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s music to my ears. Let¡¯s hope this was worth the wait,¡± Abel said, mirroring Sion¡¯s expression.


    Echard, bewildered, finally spoke up. ¡°Sion, can you please exin what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Sion shed a grin at his brother. ¡°As I mentioned, this is my parting gift to you. Pay close attention because it¡¯s something I want you to remember.¡± He then turned to Count Lampron. ¡°Our guests in the ballroom likely expect an exnation. I¡¯ll address them personally, but for now, Count Lampron, can you prepare the area?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness. But what about this¡­duel you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that after the exnation,¡± Sion replied. He nced at Abel and asked, ¡°Is that eptable to you?¡±


    ¡°I see no issue with it,¡± Abel agreed. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever.¡±


    The previously unnamed individual looked back and forth between the two princes. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Once again, Echard heard the bewildered voice, though the identity of the speaker remained a mystery.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Mia may appear a little less this week.


    I ran out of energyst week and am taking a break¡­


    ¡ùpostscript


    Ah, I¡¯m sorry for misleading you.


    Mia is resting. The author is fine! lol


    <strong>?</strong>

 Chapter 501

    <strong>Sion¡¯s Decision 3 ~Her Highness, the Princess, Left Behind~</strong>


    Sion asked Abel to duel him.


    Mia was¡­confused!


    <em>Huh? I don¡¯t understand¡ªwhat¡¯s going on? Are they duelling for me? What does that mean?</em>


    Absolute confusion, in fact!


    She had no idea how to make sense of the quick change of events.


    <em>Okay, so Sion challenged Abel to a duel for me¡­ But for that to make sense, Sion would need to have feelings¡­</em>


    While she struggled to keep her worries in check and keep her mental skills in check, things kept getting worse.


    ¡°Okay, then. Father, please get some more rest. I¡¯m going tofort our hall guests now.¡±


    ¡°All right. Sion, I¡¯ll let you handle it. Also, Miss Rudolvon, I¡¯d like to talk to you for a minute. Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± Tiona gave a meek nod.


    So, Mia, her friends, and Sion went to the hall, leaving Tiona with King Abram.


    ¡°Mdy, are you alright?¡± Concerned by how uneasy her mistress looked, Anne asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Right now I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, I see that the Great Wisdom¡¯s knowledge doesn¡¯t reach the hearts of young men,¡± Dion joked with augh. ¡°Also, don¡¯t say that to Prince Sion. I don¡¯t want to kill him with a KO before the fight even starts. And to answer your question,¡± he shrugged and said, ¡°It was a confession of love. That¡¯s a pretty clear one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Sion of all people, how can¡­ He must be nning something! I¡¯m sure he is!¡± Mia argued while she was half-dazed and worried that she was going to pass out.


    Soon, they got to the hall, where Sunnd nobles started asking Sion questions right away.


    ¡°Your Highness, just how is His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Is His Majesty back to normal?¡±


    ¡°Who is to me for this terrible crime?¡±


    He looked at them and told them in a strong voice, ¡°Still yourselves. His Majesty is rxing in peace and quiet in his bedroom. He is conscious and coherent. The physician told me that he will get better with rest.¡± After that, he bowed low enough so that everyone could see him to Citrina. ¡°And it¡¯s all because of you, Miss Yellowmoon. On behalf of Sunnd, I want to thank you very much and say we¡¯re sorry for the rudeness you experienced earlier.¡±


    Following his lead, the nobles who were using her apologized in turn.


    ¡°Forgive me, I lost myposure. My behavior has inexcusable.¡±


    ¡°We are very thankful that you helped save His Majesty¡¯s life.¡±


    Citrina smiled at them. She was about to make fun of him when she caught a glimpse of Bel.


    After giving it some thought, she gave up her snark for politeness and stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s totally normal for you to lose your cool in that set of circumstances.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Rina! You did that?¡± asked Bel, who was shocked.


    She looked at her friend, blinked, and then smiled. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not much.¡± The smile wasn¡¯t as sweet, but it came from the heart.


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°So, do we know scoundrel who poisoned His Majesty¡¯s drink?¡±


    ¡°We are looking into the matter right now¡­ There have been reports, though, of a strange person sneaking into the castle. We think this person is the one who put the poison in the drink,¡± Sion said.


    ¡°A suspicious person?¡±


    ¡°This person was seen going in and out of the open market more than once¡­ This is also something I¡¯d rather not have foreign people hear¡­¡± Sion took his voice down. ¡°But the suspect is linked to the group that broke into our intelligence agency before.¡±


    ¡°Sun, have mercy¡­¡±


    The nobles couldn¡¯t say anything after thisst admission. They were very aware of what had happened to the Wind Crows, and just bringing up that event was enough to make them realize how skilled the killer was. At the same time, foreign leaders who didn¡¯t know much about the situation could only frown in confusion at what wasn¡¯t said.


    ¡°But that means the killer got into the castle¡­ Is that really possible?¡±


    A man ran into the hall before anyone could answer.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. I have an urgent message.¡±


    He quickly whispered something into Sion¡¯s ear because he was short of breath. The prince looked at Keithwood with wide eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± as if he hade to a personal understanding. With a nod, he turned to speak to the crowd again. ¡°I just got word that one of the castle guards was found unconscious. It¡¯s likely that the intruder we¡¯re talking about knocked them out.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Within the crowd, many shocked voices rose up. Not only Sunnd lords were shocked, but also guests from other countries. It was no secret that Sunnd had very high standards for its troops. Furthermore, these were house guards, whose devotion to the king could not be broken. Because of how strong Abram¡¯s character was, these people felt a personal loyalty to him and trained hard and with all their heart to protect his health.


    One of these elite soldiers had been hurt, not killed, but rendered totally harmless. That alone shows how skilled the trespasser was, but they also managed to avoid being caught; no other guards saw even a shadow of this mystery agent.


    Sion said, ¡°There were actually four intruders, and we have no idea how they got into the castle.¡±


    He said this as if he didn¡¯t already know who they were.


    ¡°They might have put on disguises to look like guests for this event. It¡¯s important to look into this further anyway.¡±


    ¡°That means we need to get one of the dukes back from the border?¡± nobleman who was worried asked.


    The Kingdom of Sunnd had a different bnce of political power than the Tearmoon Empire. The structure of this bnce was set by the kingdom¡¯s basic rules. The king¡¯s good rule was meant to make sure that his people lived peaceful and sessful lives. With this idea in mind, what was something that couldn¡¯t happen? Persistently bad leadership in areas that had joined the kingdom on their own because they were promised a good leader. Those kinds of events would shake Sunnd to its very core. Because of this, the most trusted and skilled leaders had to be sent to the kingdom¡¯s newestnds, which were right next to its borders.


    In Sunnd, it wasmon for people who were loyal to the king to live in areas near the city, while royal rtives and more skilled members of the peerage guarded the kingdom¡¯s borders. In case of a problem for the king, this also meant that the powerful nobles had to be called back to the capital.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t need to do that. As I already said, His Majesty should be able to get back to normal government work after a few days off,¡± Sion said, giving his audience a wolf-like grin. ¡°Also, getting revenge in person tastes better. I believe it would be best for His Majesty to personally oversee the investigation and the punishment that follows. Don¡¯t you all agree?¡±


    They nobles got excited about the idea.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Your Highness is right!¡±


    The message also calmed down the foreign guests, who were d that things would not get worse for now. Seeing that the mood in the hall had changed, Sion said, ¡°Now then, with things the way they are, we can hardly continue the ball as is. But we would be doing our guests a huge harm if left in such a bad way. To do that, I¡¯d like to suggest a closing event. Think of it as both an apology and a show to send everyone off on their way.¡±


    The prince went over to his fellow prince from Remno. ¡°In fact, my friend Prince Abel of Remno is here with me today.¡± He told everyone about Abel and then put on a stage actor¡¯s smile. ¡°Together, we n to show off our sword skills by fighting each other. We hope that this will be entertaining for you.¡±


    People in Sunnd looked at this with some confusion at first. But soon, they understood what they thought the performance was all about. Usually, now wouldn¡¯t be the time for break. There were many things that needed to be done, and even though the king wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, it wasn¡¯t right for his people to start having fun right away. Protocol said to be sober, but there was a concern about how that would appear to others. An attitude of over-caution would make the guests feel uneasy instead.


    Sion¡¯s act was meant to have the opposite effect¡ªto make Abram look calm and sure of himself, giving the impression that he was not only healthy but also smart enough to make sure his guests had a good time. That¡¯s what the nobles thought. In this light, the prince¡¯s strange behavior was actually a smart one. Also, they thought that hisck of concern must have been based on the fact that the king was actually in pretty good health. So, they might as well take it easy and enjoy the show that the future king was about to put on for them.


    The hall¡¯s air started to buzz with life. Abel looked at the people who were watching and shook his head. ¡°I know you want to end this for good, and this is a great spot to do it.¡± He joked, ¡°You¡¯re more of a show-off than I thought.¡±


    He took off his coat and started rolling up his sleeves.


    ¡°I think there is some showmanship going on here, but mostly I thought this would be a great chance to show everyone how great you are with the sword, my friend,¡± Sion said.


    ¡°Goodness. That means this stage is made for me. Now I need to work twice as hard so I don¡¯t lose and look bad.¡±


    Abel swung his practice sword around a few times, then walked to the middle of the hall. The big open space that had been set aside for dancing was now the perfect ce for a ring.


    ¡°Hah, as if you were nning to lose in the first ce.¡± This made Sionugh out loud and point his own sword at his friend. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s settle this for good, as you said.¡±


    So, the curtains came down again, making way for thest scene. The big fight was starting¡­


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡­but the princess, the heroine, is left behind¡­

 Chapter 502

    <strong>Sion¡¯s Decision 4 ~Continuation of that Day~</strong>


    <em>What does Sion want me to see?</em> Echard pondered.


    He was unable to understand his brother¡¯s conduct. Why, in this particr moment, would he suggest a sword duel? Watching himbat this other prince was pointless. Sure, everyone would recognize how much of a genius he was¡ªas if anyone wasn¡¯t aware already¡ªbut what would happen next? Was this a covert act of revenge?


    Swordsman Sion Sol Sunnd was a gifted individual. That was known to all. Prince Abel was his opponent, a rtive unknown by contrast. If Echard remembered correctly, Sion was going to batter this poor prince into pathetic submission for the second time, and that was meant to be his farewell gift?


    <em>Perhaps he is attempting to avenge me or something else.</em>


    Was this a forceful gesture to remind Echard who was supposed to be the heir? To permanently shatter his will? Even if that was the most straightforward answer, it didn¡¯t seem like anything his brother would do.


    <em>Then what? This is what?</em>


    He saw the two princes brandish swords at one another, but no answers came.


    With a confident and calm voice, Abel remarked, ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Raising his de above his head, he held it in that position. It was in exactly the same overhead stance as before, unchanging, unflinching.


    ¡°That stance, still, huh? Ever since that day at the swordsmanshippetition, you have been utilizing it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only one I know. I wish I could change it up, but I was not endowed with your intelligence or talent.¡±


    Sion winced at that remark. ¡°I¡¯m not aware of that¡­ Talent is one thing, but I¡¯m beginning to question my true level of smarts these days.¡± He dropped his sword arm, maintaining afortable grip while adopting a low, parallel posture with his de. ¡°I¡¯ll adopt the same stance I did that day.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Ah, I see. Even if our paths have crossed frequently since then, I believe that today¡¯s fight officially continues that match.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also no rain. Nothing that might obstruct us. We are free to fight till we want to. So let¡¯s continue this dance until the very end.¡±


    Abel¡¯s smile disappeared at that moment. His face becamepletely serious. He took a deep breath, held it for a time, and then gently exhaled¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    ¡­And hurried up tounch an assault with a menacing shout.


    The Sunnd nobles recognized the sight. Prince Sion possessed a genius-level of skill in his swordy. He waited for the onught and withstood it to determine the full scope of his opponent¡¯s capabilities before guiding it into creating a gap that he would quickly take advantage of. From there, he would expertly and precisely dismantle his opponent. Observing Sion engage inbat was experiencing dominance. With the elegance of a king, he battled unshakable, unppable, and always prepared.


    It made sense, then, that the Sunnd nobles watching from the stands anticipated a simr show. They had heard the tale. They were familiar with its rhythms. All they had to do was watch it happen once more.


    They didn¡¯t even get past the prologue with their assumptions.


    With that initial blow, Abel announced a new story. The strikecked any pretense, cunning, or inventiveness. It was easy. Incredibly so. Swordy novices mocked hisck of experience. They perceived his dash as a result of youthful impatience or even amateur nerves¡ªa precipitous response to a momentarily lost serenity in the face of a formidable foe.


    ia Dion chuckled. But tomend instead of heckle.


    ¡°Well¡­ Not at all awful. A sure stroke indicates mental strength. That characterizes a skilled swordsman.¡±


    Abel closed the distance with a single lunge, as if confirming the veracity of his words. His front leg extended far before striking the ground with a resounding thud, and all of his force was focused on the edge of his de as he swung it down toward his opponent.


    Everything about the action was textbook motion; it was just perfectly tuned. His sword hit with the bone-crunching might of a towering cascade, but it flowed with the graceful ease of water.


    The sound of crashing metal rose hairs, split ears, and rocked the entire space. Time itself seemed to pause in the silence that ensued. As the slowly sinking realization hit their reeling thoughts, many held their breath.


    This was no diversion.


    Sion had anticipated and met Abel¡¯s downward stroke, which he had witnessed numerous times, before forcing himself into a bind. He smiled as they locked swords.


    ¡°Excellent¡­ It appears that your go-for-broke skull smasher is hitting even more forcefully than previously.¡±


    ¡°It seems not hard enough.¡± Abel stated, ¡°I¡¯m trying to get good enough to take some of the go-for-brokeness out of it, at least so I can defend myself against one of those assassins from the other day. But against you¡­¡±


    He felt a vein pop in his temple and increased the thrust of his de. Heunched himself into his enemy with all the terrifying force of a boulder bearing down on an unlucky victim¡­and crashed into what seemed like a brick wall.


    Sion remained still. He faced the approaching force with the might of the castle¡¯s ramparts.


    After the unsessful push, Abel lost his bnce and had to take a step back to regain it. He shed his sword crosswise as he moved back, averting Sion¡¯s onught. But still¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re moving too quickly, Abel. A carelesslyrge swing exposes you.¡±


    There had been more preemption of the preemptive strike. Anticipating the retreating assault, Sion advanced in synchrony and in Abel¡¯s extended de.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Abel grunted. The impact, as devastating as his own crushing blow, hummed through his arms. It all clicked for him in a moment. Sion realized that he wanted to challenge Abel¡¯s strength with his own. This was going to be a battle of pure resolve, heart, and soul rather than skill.


    ¡°I understand¡­ since Mia is on the line now. So, is this the type of fight you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°What other type would do? If I used cunning and attrition to win her over, would you honestly give in?¡±


    Sion¡¯s voice had a confident, carefree quality that went beyond simple arrogance. Abel saw in his eyes not boldness but the icy determination of a resurrected genius. Of a man whose glory had been honed by suffering and experience after it had been erroneous once. And Abel experienced actual terror for the first time in a long time.


    A terrifying shiver ran down his back, demanding to know how it had slipped his mind. How could he have afforded even the slightest bit of insouciance when confronted with Sion Sol Sunnd, the physical embodiment of brilliance? Did they have any training sessions? Their few conflicts engaged in back-to-backbat? Did those make up for his ill-gotten arrogance in front of the goliath, whose shadow was over him so much the darkness had started to creep in?


    ¡°Heavenly sweet steel¡­ I had to fight as if my life was on the line.¡± he murmured through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Your life, plus more,¡± Sion retorted. ¡°Fight me with all of your might.¡±


    Abel¡¯s face became even more serious.


    The battle had only just begun.

 Chapter 503

    <strong>Sion¡¯s Decision 5 ~Settlement/Heavy Baggage~</strong>


    Abel tightened his grip on his sword. A momentter, he burst into action,unching a flurry of his signature strikes.


    Sion, in contrast, met his attacks head-on. He didn¡¯t dodge or parry but absorbed each iing blow, sending them back with numbing force. With each sessive strike, Sion¡¯s grimace grew darker, and his lips curled into a pained snarl. Yet, he stood his ground.


    Against Abel¡¯s relentless assault, Sion found no openings or ws in his stance. Instead, he countered with an equally relentless barrage.


    ¡°Augh¡­¡± Abel growled as a blur of swords struck him, making contact with his arms and legs. He fought through the pain and continued pressing forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up!¡± he dered, realizing that retreating would only prove his opponent¡¯s superior strength. If he couldn¡¯t win through sheer force, he wouldn¡¯t win at all. With determination, he pushed on.


    Sion matched Abel¡¯s ferocity, closing the distance between them further. Neither of them considered giving in. The moment Sion had challenged Abel to this duel, he had burned all his bridges behind him. The only path left was the abyss of defeat. Sion¡¯s mind was set on moving forward, regardless of the potential injuries.


    Their duel transcended mere technique and form; it became a sh of sheer willpower and determination. Seeing these two princes sh so passionately, Dion couldn¡¯t contain his excitement.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s what I call a fight! These two are so young, and I never expected them to ditch the fencing manual and turn this into a sword-wrestling match. But I love it! I have to give credit to Prince Sion. Despite all his tricks, he can hold his own in a brawl. He¡¯s a genius, no doubt, but still has a lot to learn in my opinion,¡± Dionmented, which made Mia frown.


    <em>Sion¡­ seems different today.</em>


    While Abel remained consistent in his straightforward approach, Sion was fighting in an unfamiliar way. He was swinging his sword with reckless and passionate abandon, contrary to his usual unppable demeanor. Mia tried to make sense of the situation but found herself increasingly confused.


    This confusion was different from her initial reaction when the duel began. At first, she had devised an borate scenario where Sion would confess his love to her after defeating Abel, allowing her to reject him in a manner that wouldfort Echard. However, as the duel progressed, she noticed Sion¡¯s unusual behavior.


    <em>How can I possibly reject the advances of the Prince of Sunnd in his own castle? Sion, you¡¯re making it really difficult for me!</em>


    Mia¡¯s initial n had led to panic, with her stomach churning at the thought of publicly rejecting Sion. As the duel continued, she realized that Sion wasn¡¯t acting like his usual self.


    ¡°Princess Mia, please watch my lord closely. Pay attention to his sword and the message he¡¯s conveying through it,¡± Keithwood, Sion¡¯s loyal vassal, urged.


    Mia¡¯s realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. Sion was fighting for her. Every swing of his sword was a message to her. She now knew the truth, and that knowledge made it difficult for her to wish for Abel¡¯s victory. She still wanted Abel to win, but she couldn¡¯t eagerly wish for Sion¡¯s defeat either.


    <em>What¡¯s happening to me? Why does my chest feel so tight?</em>


    Her heart raced, and she felt more confused than ever. She was in a historic moment, a real heroine with two princes fighting for her affection, and she didn¡¯t know how to handle it.


    <em>What am I supposed to do in this situation? I wish Anne were here, my romantic counselor!</em>


    As Mia struggled with her emotions, the duel continued.


    The sh between the two princes intensified, with their swords colliding and sparks flying. Each strike sapped their strength, and the umting injuries and fatigue took their toll. Despite the practice swords, the hits left their mark. The pace of their strikes elerated, and it seemed as if the des might shatter. Eventually, they separated.


    ¡°Scorching sun¡­ Abel, you¡¯vee a long way from how you used to be,¡± Sion said, catching his breath. ¡°I genuinely mean it. I can hardly believe you¡¯re the same person.¡±


    Abel adjusted his grip on his sword and grinned. ¡°Ha ha, I find it hard to believe myself. I never thought I¡¯d hold my own against you like this. I couldn¡¯t have done it without her.¡±


    Sion nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah.¡± Then, he closed his eyes. ¡°I envy you, Abel.¡±


    The words spilled out of him, and Sion realized he had been carrying that envy for a long time.


    <em>That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve been envious of Abel all this time. It¡¯s almostughable that I didn¡¯t realize it.</em>


    Sion watched as Abel raised his sword, unwavering in its goal. It had remained true and pure to its purpose, just like its wielder.


    Sion envied that purity, the same purity he wished he had possessed.


    <em>If only I had been as single-minded, maybe she would¡­</em>


    He cut off his thoughts with a swing of his sword.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Abel!¡±


    As Sion stepped forward, his thoughts drifted to his family, his vassals, and the people relying on the royal family for peace and prosperity.


    <em>Of course, they would all be there.</em>


    In the next moment, Sion¡¯s sword slipped from his hand.


    In the decisive moment, Abel¡¯s eyes were fixed on Sion, but it felt like they were looking through him at something else.


    <em>One girl.</em>


    Abel fought only for her, while Sion¡­


    That was the difference that determined the oue.


    The sword, released from its master, spun through the air beforending on the ground with a resounding ng. It marked the end of the match, leaving the audience in the hall in astonishment.


    ¡°Sion¡­ lost?¡± Echard muttered in disbelief.


    Sion nced briefly at his brother before dropping to his knees. He stared at the floor until Abel¡¯s hand appeared before him.


    ¡°Sion, you¡ª¡±


    Sion cut him off, holding his gaze.


    ¡°If you¡¯re about to say something like, ¡®You¡¯d have won if you fought properly, so this doesn¡¯t count,¡¯ I¡¯ll spit on you.¡±


    Before Abel could respond, Sion continued.


    ¡°Both of us staked something important, and I lost. You took victory from me, Abel, and I won¡¯t let you take my loss as well.¡±


    They locked eyes for a moment, and then Sion¡¯s expression softened.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stick with that, alright? Work with me here,¡± he whispered.


    Echard hurried to his side, still concerned.


    ¡°Sion¡­¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve been defeated,¡± Sion shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not as perfect as you think, Echard. I can fail, and I can lose, even when something important is on the line.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Sion¡­¡±


    Sion shook his head, urging his brother to remain calm.


    ¡°Besides, you were watching, weren¡¯t you? You saw the moment when Abel¡¯s sword overcame mine. He was undeniably weaker than me. When we first went to Saint-Noel, I couldn¡¯t have imagined losing to him, but he improved. Through hard work and dedication, he surpassed me. That¡¯s my parting gift to you, Echard. You can do the same with enough effort. Forget about me, Echard. There are greater heights for you to reach. Remember that and seize your own future.¡±


    ¡°Sion¡­¡± Echard lowered his gaze.


    Sion smiled and adopted a lighter tone, perhaps to lift his brother¡¯s spirits or ease the tension.


    ¡°With that said, I don¡¯t n on losing consistently. Not to you, and not to you, Abel.¡±


    Abel scratched his head and grinned.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll have another go at it. And next time, I¡¯ll still win.¡±


    The two princes shook hands, and the ballroom erupted in apuse. The audience praised the two remarkablebatants, and amid the thunderous cheers, Sion made his way toward Mia.

 Chapter 504

    <strong>Someone who suits you better</strong>


    ¡°Sion¡­¡±


    Mia could only gaze in astonishment as Sion, having just concluded a heart-stopping duel, approached her. She found herself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. Should she offerfort? Express her anger at his audacity? Or perhaps¡­


    Overwhelmed and bewildered, her thoughts raced in futile circles. Eventually, Sion came to a stop before her and quietly lowered his head. In a barely audible voice, he said, ¡°I apologize, Mia, for exploiting your involvement in my schemes.¡±


    ¡°Exploiting me¡­ for your schemes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Echard mistakenly believed that I had some form of affection for you. Therefore, it was crucial for my parting gesture to him to end in my defeat, and a significant one at that. I had to make it seem like I was putting something irreceably dear to me on the line in order to teach him a valuable lesson.¡± He discreetly shed her a grin. ¡°Not a bad performance, I must say. I might have a future as an actor.¡±


    ¡°An actor? You were¡­ acting¡±


    Mia arched a questioning eyebrow, to which Sion shrugged.


    ¡°Indeed, and it seems I did a convincing job, given that I even managed to deceive you. Reluctant as your involvement may have been, it was essential to make this work, and for that, I am grateful. Thank you for ying along.¡±


    With that, he turned and began to walk away, his pace indicating the strain behind his casual demeanor. A realization struck Mia, and she finally knew what she needed to do.


    <em>What I need to do is give Sion a much-needed lecture!</em>


    Mia assessed the situation. It was highly likely that Sion¡¯s affection for her was genuine. What did that imply? In that case, he must have been sending subtle signals all along, possibly a way of saying, ¡°I¡¯m avable for dates, just in case you were wondering¡­¡± She deduced that he had likely been ying a waiting game, hoping for her to make the first move. Unfortunately, this approach was doomed to fail. She knew from experience because in a previous timeline, she had yed the same waiting game with him as the target, only to have all her signals go unnoticed.


    <em>Subtlety and waiting won¡¯t work. Anne has made that clear; she¡¯s my romance strategist. I need to be more direct with my signals. Modesty is important, but it shouldn¡¯t hinder clearmunication of my feelings!</em>


    Sion, on the other hand, was attempting to quash his feelings for her. While that was eptable, the issuey in how he framed it. He believed he was giving up on love for the sake of his brother, which was not the right perspective. His unrequited love was not due to his brother but his failure to make a genuine attempt to approach her.


    <em>Granted, I already have Abel, so even if he approached me correctly, it wouldn¡¯t work out. But if he continues with his romantic pursuits like this, he¡¯ll never seed with anyone.</em>


    She knew the words he needed to hear, for they were the same ones she had heard when confronting her past failures. Anne had pointed out her own mistakes, helping her recognize that Sion¡¯s initial aloofness was a result of her actions. Now, it was her turn. She needed to tell him that his approach was wed, and that silent waiting wouldn¡¯t earn him her attention. She must hear his confession clearly and honestly before turning him down; otherwise, he would likely repeat the same mistake in the future. Repeatedly facing the indifference of those he secretly admired would eventually break his heart, making him susceptible to maniption by the Serpents.


    Preventing this oue was paramount.


    <em>As someone who had traversed theplex terrain of romance, it was her duty to educate him.</em>


    Mia, as a grown woman (technically), felt a responsibility to guide this young boy through thebyrinth of love and show him the way.


    Well, that¡¯s what she believed, anyway.


    ¡°Sion Sol Sunnd,¡± she said, her tone halting him in his tracks. ¡°If you want to express gratitude, don¡¯t try to humor me with excuses.¡±


    Sion turned back towards her, taken aback.


    ¡°If you have something to say,¡± she continued, ¡°say it. Speak from your heart, so I can respond from mine!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Sion¡¯s eyes registered silent astonishment for a moment before he regained hisposure. ¡°Hah¡­ Alright, then. So be it.¡± He knelt before her and looked up, his voice carrying a gracefulness. ¡°Princess Mia, may I have your hand?¡± he asked.


    She extended her hand to him, and he took it gently, cradling it as if holding a precious treasure. Then¡­


    ¡°Forgive my heart, Your Highness,¡± he whispered as he pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s hopelessly drawn to you. You are the object of my sincere affection. Would you be willing to reciprocate my love?¡±


    ¡°Sion¡­¡±


    Confronted with Sion¡¯s heartfelt confession, adorned with ornatenguage that barely concealed his innocence, Mia struggled to maintain her adultposure. She reached deep within, searching for her inner calm, only to realize it hadpletely abandoned her.


    ¡°I-I h¡ª Hem, ahem¡­¡±


    She stumbled over her words, unable to quell the adorable clumsiness of his confession.


    <em>Calm down! I need to calm down! She thought, desperately trying to regain herposure. What I have to do now is¡­ Turn him down! Yes, that¡¯s it. I need to decline him quickly.</em>


    Her mind refocused, and she prepared to speak. Slowly. Carefully. But¡­


    ¡°Sion¡­ Your duel with Abel was breathtaking. It truly was¡­¡±


    The words flowed naturally, bypassing any deliberate selection. She found herself genuinely praising his duel.


    ¡°Losing wasn¡¯t part of the n, though,¡± he admitted with a wry smile.


    Mia shook her head. ¡°It was still an incredible duel, Sion. Just like you¡­ You¡¯re an incredible person.¡±


    These were her unfiltered thoughts. For the first time in her life, she recognized, with absolute honesty, Sion¡¯s remarkable qualities. She thought of the way he had dueled, adjusting his usual style to match Abel¡¯s straightforward technique. She remembered how he had risked his life to save her from drowning, how he had faced the wolfmaster to protect her, and how he had acknowledged his mistakes and continued to strive forward despite the pain and guilt¡­


    In the previous timeline, she had only seen his external elegance. Now, she saw the genuine charm it concealed. And she couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ What if?


    What if things had been a little different? Could she have fallen for him? If she had mustered the courage in her previous life to take that crucial first step and approach him as her true, unguarded self, could they have shared a future?


    <em>No use pondering that now¡­ I need to respond to hi</em><em>m properly.</em>


    She took one final breath, allowed her nerves to settle, and looked at him with fresh eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re an amazing person, Sion. That¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll find a more suitable partner,¡± she recalled the words she had once uttered at a dance party. ¡°Someone who suits you better than I do.¡± This time, she meant it. She believed that there was someone out there perfectly suited for Sion, and she genuinely wished him the best. It was a parting gift from her to him.


    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Sion said with a smile. ¡°Very well. They are your words, after all. I¡¯ll do my best to believe them.¡±


    With that, he walked away.


    ¡°Prince Sion¡­¡±


    A pair of concerned eyes watched him depart, brows furrowed with worry. They belonged to¡­

 Chapter 505

    <strong>As A King, As A Father</strong>


    Let¡¯s take a step back in time.


    Alone with the king in his chamber, Tiona gazed at him with a sense of unease. She began, ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°My apologies for keeping you, Miss Rudolvon, but I wished to formally express my gratitude,¡± said Abram as he respectfully inclined his head. ¡°Thank you for intervening earlier. You have not only saved my life but also Echard¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I, um¡­ was simply in the right ce at the right time.¡± Tiona took a step back, her hands trembling.


    ¡°I understand¡­ However, just as wrongdoings should be punished, good deeds should be rewarded. This is the essence of justice. If there is anything I can offer you as a token of appreciation¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s really no need.¡±


    ¡°You need not be modest. Please feel free to share your desires. If you are not interested in material rewards, perhaps you seek knowledge?¡±


    Tiona hesitated. Seeing her response, Abram smiled. ¡°During our discussion, I noticed that you appeared somewhat restless, as if you had something on your mind. Do you have any questions for me?¡±


    Tiona remained silent.


    ¡°There are no eavesdroppers here, Miss Rudolvon. What is said in this room will stay within these walls. Even if you identally reveal it to someone else, as long as I do not confirm it, it won¡¯t spread widely. Please, feel free to speak your mind.¡±


    This gave Tiona the opportunity to ask more probing questions, and Abram seemed willing to provide honest answers.


    ¡°In that case,¡± she said, looking back at him, ¡°I do have a question. Your Majesty, did you notice when Prince Echard added something to the drink?¡±


    The incident had urred very quickly, but Tiona had observed it and noticed the king¡¯s reaction. Her question prompted a grimace from the king.


    ¡°You have keen eyes, Miss Rudolvon¡­ Yes, I did notice that the boy ced something in Sion¡¯s drink. However, I did not expect it to be a deadly poison. I assumed it was a prank, and I intended to reprimand him for such behavior.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much¡­ What about your near-fall from the balcony? Was that intentional?¡±


    ¡°Falling from the balcony would have obscured the cause of my death, making it difficult to determine if it was an ident or poisoning, at least for most poisons. In this particr case, the symptoms of shadowbane would have be apparent eventually.¡±


    Abram had been trying to protect his son, and Tiona was relieved to realize this.


    ¡°I see. Then, did you genuinely n to sentence Echard to death?¡±


    The king¡¯s actions seemed contradictory, as if there were two sides to him: one willing to execute his son and another trying to save him.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Echard did not intend to lethally poison me, but the fact remains that he did, and the punishment for poisoning the king is usually death. Such an act could plunge the entire kingdom into chaos and deserves the harshest penalty. This logic is not only fair but should be self-evident, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Indeed, his decision would be sound in a normal situation.


    ¡°Arbitrarily dismissing guilt undermines the king¡¯s fairness and can lead to the suffering of his people,¡± Abram said with conviction. Then he added, ¡°Of course, this logic applies when we¡¯re talking about the king.¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s the king? Are you saying¡­¡± Tiona connected the dots and realized Abram¡¯s true intentions. ¡°You were nning to abdicate and have Prince Sion take the throne?¡±


    ¡°More precisely, I had already abdicated in secret. Officially, Sion would have be king before the ball. This would have reduced the severity of Echard¡¯s transgression, and amnesty is often granted during the crowning of a new king, potentially saving Echard from the death penalty.¡±


    ¡°But what about the coronation ceremony? How can Prince Sion ascend to the throne without it?¡±


    The coronation ceremony was essential for informing local nobles and neighboring kingdoms of the new king¡¯s reign. It was during this ceremony that the title officially passed from the old king to the new one. A secret session behind closed doors seemed impossible.


    However, Abram shook his head.


    ¡°A closer look at history reveals that the coronation ceremony is not as ancient a tradition as many believe. The only essential rite for a new king is anointment by a priest of the Central Orthodox Church.¡±


    The legitimacy of all rulers in thend was rooted in the Central Orthodox Church¡¯s Holy Book. ording to its teachings, kings were entrusted by the Lord to govern theirnds, and anointment was the only requirement for inheriting the throne. This anointment involved applying oil to the head, symbolizing God¡¯s blessing and granting the authority to rule. In terms of scale, anointment was a rtively small event, and it had been conducted in secret on numerous asions in history.


    ¡°Fortunately, we have someone here who is equivalent to a priest of the Central Orthodox Church, and more,¡± Abram added.


    ¡°Miss Rafina¡­¡±


    The Holy Lady was present, and with coordination, she could have anointed Sion before the ball, providing a chance to save Echard.


    ¡°You almost abdicated to save Prince Echard¡­¡±


    ¡°Trying to revoke Echard¡¯s death sentence without undermining the throne¡¯s legitimacy is an inherently difficult task. I could not afford to be cautious in my approach. In fact, I believe abdication is almost too small a price to pay for the action I intended to take, especially when I bear some responsibility for pushing Echard to the brink as a father.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°To maintain justice as a king and to love my sons as a father¡­ Sometimes, these two roles are in conflict. At that moment, with the kingdom and Echard hanging in the bnce, I reached out to my son. It was the right thing to do as a father, but it undermined my authority as a king. Isn¡¯t that reason enough to step down?¡±


    Abram chuckled.


    ¡°I must admit, though,¡± he continued, ¡°the Great Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s wisdom exceeded my own. Without this incident, I might have remained unaware of Echard¡¯s struggles, potentially leading him to make another attempt in the future. What she achieved guided us to the best possible oue, surpassing countless ways this could have ended tragically.¡± Abram¡¯s tone carried a profound sense of gratitude.


    Tiona nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what Her Highness does. That¡¯s the kind of person she is.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride that her dear friend had earned King Abram¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Once again, I apologize for keeping you. I intended to answer your questions, but I ended up sharing my thoughts instead.¡±


    ¡°No, I appreciate it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ask.¡±


    Abram smiled gently and lowered his head once more. ¡°Thank you, Miss Rudolvon. Princess Mia has done me a great service, and so have you. Your criticism of my failure to protect my family is something I needed to hear, and I¡¯m grateful for it.¡±


    Tiona left the king¡¯s chamber, her pace quickening as she walked down the hallway. She pondered the solitude of the throne.


    Kings, she realized, were profoundly lonely. The more King Abram strived for justice, the more he had to distance himself from his own humanity. To her, the crown appeared not as a symbol of glory but as a heavy burden, isting its wearer from those around. For now, that wearer was Abram, but one day it would be¡­


    Her thoughts were interrupted as she entered the ballroom, where Sion¡¯s duel with Abel was reaching its climax.

 Chapter 506

    <strong>The Night of HeartBreak</strong>


    Sion strolled away, while a pair of eyes observed his departure. Those eyes belonged to Tiona Rudolvon, who quickly followed him. She had witnessed the climax of the princes¡¯ duel and couldn¡¯t tear her gaze away from Sion as he left the ballroom after his defeat. It seemed like no one dared to approach or detain Sion ¨C not Mia, not Abel, not even Echard. Sion¡¯s reclusive aura was so powerful that even his loyal subject, Keithwood, refrained from speaking a word.


    However, Tiona was undeterred. A sense of urgencypelled her to reach out to Sion. Without hesitation, she began running through the castle, which would typically result in a scolding from the nearest guard. Strangely, she received gestures of gratitude from the guards she passed, as they had seen her helping Abram into his chamber earlier. Some even directed her toward the path Sion had taken.


    Following their guidance, she navigated the twists and turns of the castle until she reached the entrance to a watchtower. Inside, she ascended the winding stone stairs, and suddenly, the stone walls disappeared, allowing moonlight to illuminate her face. She had reached the tower¡¯s pinnacle, and when she stepped into the open air, she found Sion at the edge of the tform. He leaned against the rocky parapet with a distant gaze fixed on the sprawling townscape below.


    ¡°Prince Sion,¡± she called out.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Sion spun around with a sharp cry of rm, but upon seeing Tiona, he rxed.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Tiona. What brings you to a ce like this? Did you get lost?¡± he asked, tilting his head curiously and shing his usual friendly smile. However, Tiona didn¡¯t reciprocate the smile. Instead, she locked eyes with him.


    ¡°Why did you fight like that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you saw my duel. Ha ha, not my proudest of moments, I must say. I¡¯m sorry you had to witness¡ª¡±


    ¡°Were you trying to lose?¡±


    For a moment, Sion froze, and then he shook his head, his expression turning serious.


    ¡°That would do Abel a great disservice. I fought with everything I had, and I lost. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°But you could have fought differently. If you were only trying to win, you could have fought around Prince Abel¡¯s strength instead of directly against it. But you didn¡¯t¡­ Why?¡±


    ¡°You know, your behavior today has made me realize that you¡¯re surprisingly¡­¡± Sion paused and released a soft sigh.


    ¡°Were it a simple contest of swordy, you would be right. There would certainly be a way for me to win. But¡­such a win would have been pointless. Call me self-absorbed if you want, but that wasn¡¯t a simple contest. Not for me. That¡­was a trial. A test of my spirit and soul. My love for Mia against everything I will shoulder as king,¡± he exined with a pained chuckle. ¡°And guess which way the scales tipped? I couldn¡¯t let go of everything.¡±


    A glimmer from the townscape danced across his brow as he turned his gaze toward it.


    ¡°My father and my mother. Echard. Keithwood. Count Lampron. The royal attendants. The castle guards. And all the people¡ªmy people¡ªwho live down there¡­ I couldn¡¯t let them go.¡±


    Tiona followed his gaze, and the moonlight bathed the town in its silvery glow. For a brief moment, she felt a connection with each person in the town, sensing their joys and sorrows and the presence of life that gathered there.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I lost to Abel,¡± said Sion. ¡°He was pure. He fought for Mia and Mia only. I couldn¡¯t. There was¡­too much on my shoulders.¡±


    What might have happened had he won against Abel? There would have been no salvation for Echard, and pursuing Mia would likely have meant forsaking his kingdom. But Sion had chosen the opposite path¡ªto remain true to his duty as the next King of Sunnd. He had a profound responsibility to rule justly and protect thend¡¯s peace and security, a responsibility he embraced wholeheartedly.


    Tiona saw in him a nobility reminiscent of his father, King Abram, both virtuous and tragic. She couldn¡¯t help but speak up, but before she could find her voice¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s how it was supposed to y out, anyway¡­¡± Sion let out a deep sigh, and the tone of their conversation shifted noticeably. ¡°But Mia didn¡¯t let it. She saw right through me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tiona furrowed her brow, puzzled by his statement.


    ¡°She refused to let me me my actions on anything else,¡± he admitted, his shoulders slumping in defeat. ¡°Not on king and country, nor on duty and responsibility. She made me confess my love to her properly¡­and turned me down. Knowing her, she was probably worried that an ambiguous end to my feelings for her would sow within me the seeds of bitterness, eventually causing me to resent my own kingdom. In that sense, I understand why she forced my hand. It must have been hard for her¡­ But by the sun high above, I swear it¡¯s even harder for me¡­¡±


    Tiona found herself unable to contain a smile at the sight of a dejected Sion, feeling sorry for him.


    ¡°You know, Prince Sion, I never knew you could be¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Could be what?¡±


    ¡°So endearingly childlike.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Sion¡¯s voice caught in his throat, prompting Tiona to burst intoughter. This rare glimpse of vulnerability in Sion¡¯s otherwise perfect facade made her find his vulnerability incredibly charming.


    ¡°Wow, you didn¡¯t have tough¡­ In case it wasn¡¯t clear, I did just have my heart broken, you know?¡± Sion remarked.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tiona replied between giggles. ¡°But it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Suddenly, inspired by her ownughter, Tiona realized the significance of Mia¡¯s actions. Mia had taken Sion and stripped away his royal image, revealing the boy beneath. The person in front of Tiona was not a sovereign icon of justice; he was just a boy, a regr human who had his heart broken by the girl he loved.


    ¡°Her Highness is so incredible,¡± Tiona silently mouthed, filled with admiration for her princess.


    Seeing that Sion was struggling with the weight of his royal responsibilities, Mia had removed all his masks and appearances, leaving him as a mere boy who had stumbled in love. But now, Sion¡¯s demeanor shifted, and he aged in an instant, his face taking on an air of maturity. The boyishness that had been so endearing just moments before disappeared, reced by a cold, regalposure that discouraged any approach. This was the face of a king, someone who revealed no concerns or vulnerabilities, bearing the weight of his heart and all its afflictions alone.


    Once again, the proud and lonely king stood before Tiona. But she couldn¡¯t simply leave him like this. She pushed past the barriers of his regal aura, his position as the crown prince of Sunnd, and his request for solitude with unwavering determination.


    Sion was right in front of her, and she reached out to him. He was hurting, and she wanted to be there for him. What more reason did she need? With determination in her heart, she closed the remaining distance and¡­


    ¡°Tiona? What¡ª?¡± His bewildered voice trailed off as she embraced him, holding him like a mother would a child or a sister would a heartbroken brother.


    ¡°What¡­ is the meaning of this?¡± Sion¡¯s voice held a touch of youthful confusion, which relieved Tiona.


    A momentter, she replied, ¡°My little brother¡­ He¡¯s fallen for Her Highness as well.¡±


    ¡°Hm? I¡­ see?¡± Sion responded, still puzzled.


    ¡°But,¡± she continued, ¡°his is also a hopeless love. Someday, it¡¯ll surely break his heart. So for a long time, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ about how tofort him when the timees.¡±


    She had pondered how to console her brother when his crush inevitably hurt him, but no answer came. In the end, all she could do was be there for him, hug him, and cry with him if he cried.


    ¡°But I¡¯d like to get some practice beforehand. So if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, I do mind, actually. Specifically, I don¡¯t appreciate being treated like a child, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°When was your birthday, Prince Sion?¡±


    ¡°¡­About ten days ago?¡±


    His response elicited another giggle from her. ¡°Well, mine was in the spring, so I¡¯m older. That makes me the big sister here, and when little brothers are feeling down, I think it¡¯s their job to let their big sistersfort them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nonsense,¡± Sion said, sounding exasperated.


    Tiona agreed; even she thought her words were nonsense. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t leave Sion alone like this, or she¡¯d regret it for the rest of her life. She wasn¡¯t sure why she felt that way, but she did.


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m just an outcount¡¯s daughter. Even if someone tries to spread some weird rumors, no one will take them seriously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nonsense¡­¡± Sion said again, his voice growing pensive before dropping to the softest whisper. ¡°You¡­ are surprisingly pushy, Tiona. So much so that it¡¯s very hard not to take you seriously¡­¡±


    A third figure sighed deeply. Keithwood watched the two from a distance, privately smiling.


    ¡°Praise the sun¡­ Looks like my job has been done for me¡­ It¡¯s nice that he¡¯s found a friend he can be vulnerable around. And I¡¯d like to keep it that way. Despite what Miss Rudolvon said, this is definitely a scene that needs to be kept private. I guess I¡¯ll head back down the tower and y door guard for a bit¡­¡±


    Ever the loyal servant, Keithwood¡¯s night had just begun.


    As for Mia, what was she up to during this time?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ All this relief is making me hungry. I wonder if there¡¯s anything to eat around here¡­ Where did that cookie go¡­?¡± With the spectacle concluded, guests began to leave, and Mia scratched her head while scanning the emptying ballroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s a valid point. We didn¡¯t get much of a dinner, did we?¡± Rafina suggested. ¡°How about we go to my room for a light meal, with plenty of desserts, of course.¡±


    ¡°Well, is that truly eptable, Miss Rafina?¡± Mia¡¯s face instantly lit up. ¡°In fact, I was just thinking about showing gratitude to the inn¡¯s staff. After all, I believe the juice Anne brought was from them.¡±


    ¡°Great idea. We should also check if anyone else wants to join us. Miss Esmeralda might be busy, but Miss Citrina and Miss Bel are more than wee. And of course, we should invite Miss Anne. We should try to meet up with Miss Tiona as well.¡±


    And so, it was settled that the after-party would take ce in Rafina¡¯s room at the inn. The night for Mia and her friends was going to be a long one, and it didn¡¯t seem like it would end anytime soon.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Oh, by the way, I¡¯m trying to spoil the room for delusions, but Shion and Tiona didn¡¯t have anything particrly romantic after this, and they came home normally without waiting for Chun in the morning. yes.


    Keith Wood is also smiling as they have a young and healthy rtionship. I don¡¯t know.


    Yeah, right. Nothing happened after. Because this is not a R18 novel.

 Chapter 507

    <strong>Brother and Younger Brother Emark</strong>


    A few days after the event in the heart of Sunnd, a public announcement was made, revealing that Prince Echard would embark on a journey abroad to study at Saint Mia Academy. The official reason behind this decision was to support the initial preparations for the Mi, aprehensive project spanning several kingdoms with the aim of eradicating famine from the continent. ording to the narrative, King Abram showed a strong interest in the project after learning about its noble purpose and dered that Sunnd would proactively participate in its execution as a matter of policy. To facilitate this, he arranged for the Second Prince, Echard, to study abroad in the Tearmoon Empire with the ultimate goal of participating in the Mi¡¯s operations.


    Initially, this announcement faced resistance from conservative nobles who had been advocating for Echard, but the king¡¯s determination prevailed, rendering their protests ineffective. This arrangement also led to the postponement of Echard¡¯s marriage to Duke Greenmoon¡¯s daughter, Esmeralda, causing some discontent. However, Count Lampron and the chancellor managed to smooth things over. In the end, Echard left for Tearmoon in Greenmoon¡¯s carriage, and as he gazed back at his departing homnd, Esmeralda spoke to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will return. I understand that it might feel lonely for a while, but there¡¯s no need to brood. As soon as I can, I¡¯ll bring you back to Sunnd,¡± she reassured him, thinking that young boys like him would likely miss their families.


    But Echard shook his head and replied, ¡°No¡­ Thank you for your concern, Miss Esmeralda, but I won¡¯t being back. Not to Sunnd. There¡¯s something I must do, and it is a form of penance.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he looked at her with eyes that seemed too mature for his age. ¡°With your gracious permission, that¡¯s what I intend to seek in this arrangement.¡±


    Esmeralda observed him, noticing his restraint, and felt sympathy for the young prince, which touched her heart. That¡¯s why she explicitly countered his statement with a solemn shake of her head and exined, ¡°You don¡¯t need to perform penance¡­because you have already been forgiven.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The young prince frowned in confusion.


    She smiled at him and continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There is no further punishment awaiting you. Who could possibly carry out your sentence now? They would have toe and find you, capture you, and bring you back to Sunnd. Do you think I would allow that? And not just me, but my dear friend Miss Mia as well? No, Your Highness. We will never allow such a thing to happen.¡±


    As she spoke, she felt the logic falling into ce. Echard¡¯s sentence was effectively null and void. In practice, he had been pardoned. Even if he couldn¡¯t distinguish himself by the time his reprieve expired, there would be no penalty. His past wrongs were just relics of a bygone era. Resurrecting his old sins would be excessively cruel, and Mia would not permit it. In fact, the suspension of his sentence in the royal chamber that day was an unspoken deration of his amnesty.


    ¡°But¡­ What am I then?¡± Uncertainty crept into Echard¡¯s eyes, and he looked around as if he were lost.


    With her words, Esmeralda directed him forward, saying, ¡°Your Highness, you won¡¯t face any more punishment. There¡¯s no need to feel pressured to make amends. You¡¯ve been forgiven, so you should live as if you are forgiven.¡±


    ¡°Live¡­ as if I¡¯m forgiven?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Miss Mia has forgiven you. So has His Majesty, and so has your brother. Think about how Prince Sion bid you farewell. He risked his life for that performance. Does that seem like a parting gift for a sinner awaiting punishment? Certainly not. It was a sign of hope. He has forgiven you, and he is eagerly waiting for you to grow into a fine young man. The best way to repay him is to fulfill that expectation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The more she spoke, the more it made sense. In fact, it was almost absurd that she was only realizing this now. This was Mia they were talking about. Would someone like her ever condemn someone to eternal penance, a life dedicated solely to atone for past mistakes? Absolutely not. Such cruelty was beyond her. So, how did she hope Echard would live, and what role did she expect from Esmeralda, having entrusted her with the young prince¡¯s future guidance?


    She contemted and then said, ¡°Your Highness, you should live by embracing the fact that you were saved by Miss Mia and wear it proudly.¡±


    ¡°Proudly¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, proudly. Living with your head held high, rather than cowering and living in constant fear of punishment. Such a timid approach doesn¡¯t befit someone who has been blessed by Miss Mia¡¯s kindness. You should follow her example and live proudly. I believe that only people who have pride in themselves can achieve things they are proud of.¡±


    For Esmeralda, this was also how a suitable spouse should live. She had very high expectations for husbands.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I hope you will choose to live, and I have no doubt that Miss Mia feels the same way. If you do, know that we will support you with all our heart and soul,¡± she concluded, taking Echard¡¯s hands in hers and giving them a firm squeeze.


    ¡°Uh, thank you very much¡­¡±


    His voice carried a bashfulness that finally reflected his youthful age. After watching the departing carriage, Sion went to see Abram.


    ¡°Excuse me, father. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Go ahead.¡±


    Despite recovering from the poison, Abram had followed the physician¡¯s advice to rest for ten days and temporarily step back from his official duties. Sion observed his father, who wasfortably seated with a book in hand, and began to speak. ¡°The incident with Echard has given me a lot to think about, and I have some thoughts I¡¯d like to share with you.¡±


    Abram met his son¡¯s gaze in silence and slowly closed his book. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s hear them.¡±


    The room seemed to grow heavier, as if the air had doubled in weight. In the span of a breath, Abram¡¯s presence transformed from that of a father into that of a king. Sion took a deep breath, urging his nerves to settle, and exhaled slowly before continuing.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± he began, speaking in a steady yet gentle voice, ¡°I want to remain true to my humanity.¡±


    What was necessary for a fair and just judgment? The removal of all personal emotions and biases. Ten days ago, Sion¡¯s responsibility had been to assess Echard not as his brother, but as someone who hadmitted a wrong, as a person, as a wrongdoer.


    There was a time when Sion would have done this without hesitation. To that younger Sion, it would have been natural and his duty as one bearing the weight and authority of the crown. But that Sion no longer existed because he had learned, he knew his imperfections. The current Sion was aware of his shorings in realizing the ideals of justice and fairness. So, what should he do? Strip away everyst trace of his humanity to be the embodiment of justice?


    He had pondered this deeply, grappling with conflicting thoughts. In the end, he had arrived at an answer.


    ¡°I want to be a king who rules as a man, acknowledging that humans make mistakes.¡±


    That was his response.


    ¡°You desire to rule as a king who acknowledges his own fallibility?¡± Abram inquired.


    Sion nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what it means for a human to rule over other humans?¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­ So, this is the vision you have for Sunnd,¡± Abram mused, exhaling softly through pursed lips before closing his eyes. When he reopened them, his gaze was fixed on Sion.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ what you need, Sion, is to establish a system that rectifies the king¡¯s errors,¡± Abram dered with a regal gravitas in his voice.


    ¡°A system to correct the king¡¯s mistakes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. If you ept the fallibility of kings and wish to be such a king, then you must put in ce a system to rectify your own mistakes and uphold justice.¡±


    ¡°What kind of system would that be?¡±


    Sion¡¯s question was met with a narrowing of Abram¡¯s eyes and a stern response.


    ¡°How should I know? That¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to figure out. Struggle, search, ask for help, and lean on those close to you. Isn¡¯t that the way of humanity?¡±


    Sion gasped and lowered his head in silence.


    ¡°True friends are a blessing,¡± Abram remarked. ¡°And yours, even more so, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Slowly but surely, Sion nodded. ¡°Yes, they are irreceable.¡±


    A warm smile spread across his lips. That evening, Abram and his wife clinked their sses together, taking a moment to savor a bottle of fine wine in each other¡¯spany. In that shared sip, there was an unspoken celebration of Sion¡¯s growth and a heartfelt wish for Echard¡¯s safe journey.


    This is probably one of the most beautiful arc endings. Of heartbreaks and moving ons. Talking about heartbreaks and moving ons, I have decided to slowly step down as trantor of this novel for personal reasons.


    So, if any of you are interested in tranting it, do let me know.


    ~MF

 Chapter 508

    <strong>Extra Chapter: Empress Mia¡¯s Trick or Treat</strong>


    The empress of the Tearmoon Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was renowned for her delightful and yful nature. The following story exemplifies her mischievous side, as it revolves around a prank she meticulously devised and sessfully executed.


    Uponpleting her daily tasks, Mia, the youthful empress of Tearmoon, found herself seated at the Whitemoon Pce, savoring a leisurely afternoon tea. If you could overlook the ravenous gleam in her eyes as she poised her fork above the head chef¡¯s specially crafted vegetable cake, one might describe her demeanor as graceful. Just as she was about to plunge the prongs into a delectable slice, a group of prominent noblemen from the central Bluemoon faction entered the room. They hade to express their grievances regarding something Mia had mentioned a few days earlier, following a courteous exchange of greetings.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, we humbly request you to reconsider.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Reconsider what?¡±


    ¡°You are well aware of the matter at hand¡ªthe situation with Outcount Rudolvon and Viscount Berman.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ Well, elevating Berman from viscount to count seems entirely justifiable, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Viscount Berman is a prominent member of the central nobility, and his domain includes Princess Town. His current title does not befit a man of his stature. His substantial contributions to the establishment of Saint Mia Academy alone merit the title of count. Your Imperial Majesty¡¯s decision in this matter is entirely appropriate.¡±


    Initially, they appeared to support her proposal, but then, thinking they had gained her favor, they shifted their approach. With a disdainful smile, one of them remarked, ¡°However, the matter of Outcount Rudolvon¡­ Raising him to the rank of count seems rather questionable, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    <em>The audacity of these individuals!</em>


    Recognizing that this was not the time to relish her vegetable cake, Mia let out a sigh and lowered her fork. But then, after reconsidering, she swiftly plunged it into a slice, tore off a sizable piece, and devoured it before finally setting down her fork.


    ¡°Mmmfmm, mmfm mm mm¡­¡± She swallowed. ¡°Well, Outcount Rudolvon provided wheat from his own domain, which saved numerous lives from famine. Without his wheat, we would have undoubtedly suffered even greater losses. And let¡¯s not forget his son. You all acknowledge the significance of Cyril Rudolvon¡¯s achievements, do you not?¡±


    The nobles exchanged reluctant nces.


    ¡°Of course, we are fully aware of these facts. However, we fail to see how they warrant promoting him to the rank of count.¡±


    ¡°The principle of rewarding and punishing in ordance with merit is essential for the effective governance of a kingdom, is it not?¡± This response did note from Mia but from Ludwig, who stood beside her.


    The nobleman gave him a disdainful look before shaking his head.


    ¡°With all due respect, Ludwig, are you certain you understand theplexities of this situation?¡± the noble countered. ¡°These are, after all, matters of nobility, and youe frommon birth.¡±


    He cast a condescending gaze at Ludwig before releasing a scornfulugh.


    Notably, they acknowledged Ludwig¡¯s presence, but this wasn¡¯t out of respect for his abilities. They were well aware that Mia held him in high regard, and they believed that openly dismissing him might leave a negative impression on her. Not that their reputation with her could have deteriorated further, considering that not only were they wasting her time with their frivolous protest, but they were also encroaching upon her precious cake-eating time. Thetter, if anything, was the more egregious transgression, but regrettably, they remained oblivious to the consequences of their actions.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Mia responded. ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting that it¡¯s uneptable for an ound noble to hold a title equal to that of central nobility.¡±


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty has a keen grasp of the situation. That is precisely our point.¡±


    The nobles bowed their heads in a pretense of respect, though their inherent arrogance hardly remained concealed by the mere gesture.


    <em>Well, the fact that the Bluemoon faction favored Sapphias for the throne exined their hostility toward me.</em>


    This thought was apanied by a growing desire to transform all their objections into sweets and consume them. Her whimsical idea was interrupted by Ludwig.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡­ How would you like to proceed?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh, I¡¯ve got a fantastic idea!¡± Mia¡¯s devious grin emerged. ¡°In that case, how about we tweak the title¡¯s spelling just a tad¡­ and create a new one?¡±


    She twirled her finger in the air, feigning contemtion. After a moment, she raised her finger as if she had an epiphany. ¡°What about¡­ ¡®marcount¡¯? Change ¡®out¡¯ to ¡®mar.¡¯ It sounds better this way, and it could almost be seen as a promotion, right?¡±


    Her proposal elicited pursed lips from the nobles. However, Ludwig momentarily froze, his eyes widening in shock. He quicklyposed himself and adjusted his sses to conceal his surprise.


    ¡°¡®Marcount¡¯¡­¡± mused one of the nobles. ¡°Interesting. ¡®Mar¡¯ is the old term for fringes, I believe? It does retain a certain rustic charm¡­ But will it really suffice?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Of course, it will. It¡¯s all about the technicalities in these matters. If we keep him as an outcount, it contradicts the principle of due reward, but we can¡¯t promote him to count either, so this is the only option, right?¡± She shed another sly grin.


    ¡°I see¡­ Very well. Your Imperial Majesty¡¯s brilliance never ceases to amaze.¡±


    Satisfied with her response, the nobles left the room. Mia watched them depart with a smile. Once they were out of earshot, Ludwig leaned in.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, if I¡¯m not mistaken, ¡®marcount¡¯ already exists¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see that you¡¯re aware.¡± She steepled her fingers and leaned back. ¡°Exactly. The rank of ¡®marcount¡¯ already exists. It fell out of use long ago, though. And since it¡¯s a foreign title, I can¡¯t me people for not being aware of it.¡±


    In essence, what had just transpired was a ruse. Or perhaps, it was a form of retaliation. Mia¡¯s way of giving those vexing nobles a taste of their own medicine.


    The title of marcount wasn¡¯t a spur-of-the-moment creation; it had a well-established existence, or at least it had existed in the past. This title held a unique significance, as it was a variation of a count, but not exactly. The term ¡°mar¡± was not derogatory; instead, it was derived from ¡°march,¡± signifying ¡°bordend.¡± Marcounts ruled domains along the kingdom¡¯s borders, tasked with defending against invasions and serving as the shield of their nation. Often granted to individuals of royal lineage or the most trusted vassals of a ruler, there were times when the marcount title equaled or even surpassed marquesses in prestige.


    This title had its origins in the powerful Kingdom of Sunnd, where it had been discontinued but still carried its former glory. Among the Sunnd popce, the title of marcount was spoken of with reverence, akin to the way kings were held in high regard.


    Having learned about this historical aspect during her sses at Saint-Noel, Mia felt a sense of contentment.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Ludwig chuckled. ¡°So their protest certainly had an impact, but ultimately to their disadvantage. I wouldn¡¯t want to be in their shoes when they discover the truth.¡±


    ¡°Mmm hm hm, that¡¯s what they get for interrupting my cake-eating time. If anything, they got off lightly with a prank like this,¡± Mia said with a mischievous grin, before delighting in a whole slice of cake.


    It was a clever trick, and Mia savored her well-deserved treat.


    Some timeter, news of Outcount Rudolvon¡¯s promotion to the rank of marcount created ripples among the central nobility. Those unaware of the title¡¯s history were astounded to learn of its existence in Sunnd. Their amazement turned to anxiety as they realized that it rivaled the standing of a marquess.


    Meanwhile, those close to Mia, including Sapphias, Esmeralda, Ruby, and Citrina from the Four Houses, could only shake their heads with wry amusement. They presumed that certain members of the central nobility, driven more by pride than sense, had incurred Mia¡¯s displeasure. Sapphias, however, found his amusement short-lived when he discovered that the culprits were part of the Bluemoon faction. Rumors suggested that he visibly paled upon this revtion.


    Over time, the central nobility¡¯s agitation subsided.


    ¡°Th-Then again, at the end of the day, it¡¯s only symbolic¡­ The truth remains that the rank of marcount never existed in the empire, and he hasn¡¯t gained any additional territory or power. It¡¯s not a real issue.¡±


    This was how they consoled themselves.


    Unfortunately for them, their sce would prove short-lived, as a subsequent development would send shockwaves through their ranks. Their jaws would drop in astonishment as they received news of¡­ The engagement of Marcount Rudolvon¡¯s daughter, Tiona Rudolvon, to the young king of Sunnd, Sion Sol Sunnd.


    Author¡¯s Note:


    Bted Happy Halloween¡­


    Same here. Bted Happy Halloween.

 Chapter 509

    <strong>Extra Chapter: The Seed That Did Not Sprout</strong>


    Sion Sol Sunnd ascended to the throne shortly after graduating from Saint-Noel Academy. Interestingly, his coronation coincided almost perfectly with Mia Luna Tearmoon assuming the role of empress. The dual sessions, coupled with the expansion of the transnational organization Mi and the dissemination of a new strain of wheat, appeared to signify the dawn of a new era to the public.


    Amidst a mix of emotions¡ªexcitement, apprehension, ambition, and hope¡ªa significant piece of news shook the Kingdom of Sunnd. The young king, Sion Sol Sunnd, revealed his engagement.


    On the day of the announcement, discussions flooded the taverns in the royal capital. Unsurprisingly, the sole topic of conversation was the uing marriage.


    ¡°But, uh, what about the bride¡¯s family? I¡¯ve never heard of a Marcount Rudolvon before. I mean, a marcount? Who would have expected to hear that term again? Is he from some traditional country?¡± inquired a patron.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure the girl is a Tearmoon noble,¡± responded another man, lowering his voice. ¡°Keep this between us, but I heard he¡¯s a marcount in name only, and it¡¯s essentially an empty title.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, it has to be, right? After all, marcounts don¡¯t exist in Tearmoon. They only have outcounts, and supposedly, that¡¯s a term they use to mock nobles in the countryside.¡±


    As the men exchanged thoughts, they felt increasingly offended, viewing the arrangement as a slight to their king. However, just as their collective anger reached its peak, a new voice entered the conversation.


    ¡°Gotta say, though, I don¡¯t know about marcounts, but the name Rudolvon sounds familiar¡­¡±


    A contemtive remark from one of the gossipers brought the discussion to a halt.


    ¡°You know, now that you mention it¡­¡±


    At that moment, a neer, a traveling merchant, joined the group.


    ¡°Oh,e on. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± scoffed the merchant, rolling his eyes at the others. ¡°Have you folks been living under a rock? Does Cyril Rudolvon ring a bell? You know, the one who discovered the new strain of wheat?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Immediate realization struck. The mass production of cold-resistant wheat was a pivotal event in the continent¡¯s history. Nowadays, even the most ordinary individuals recognized the names Cyril Rudolvon and Arshia Tafrif Perujin as heroes.


    ¡°I see. So, thanks to Cyril¡¯s groundbreaking achievement with wheat, his father got aplimentary promotion to marcount,¡± deduced one of the men.


    The merchant, however, shook his head. ¡°No, not necessarily. ording to what I¡¯ve heard, Marcount Rudolvon is one of the earliest members of the empress faction, and he worked diligently to establish and unite people around the faction.¡±


    The empress faction, initially formed by Empress Mia to counterbnce the factions of the Four Dukes, started as a coalition of political neers rallying under Mia¡¯s banner when she was still a princess. Over time, it grew in strength, now rivaling the established factions and introducing a fifth yer to Tearmoon¡¯s traditionally Four-Dukes-dominated political scene.


    While merchants, dependent on information, were well aware of these developments in Tearmoon, the ordinary Sunnd popce remained uninformed. Consequently, the merchant¡¯s revtions were met with awe and approval, encouraging him to share more.


    ¡°On that note, have you folks heard of Count Berman? His domain borders the marcount¡¯s, and it¡¯s where the empress¡¯s private borough, Princess Town, resides. And that¡¯s where it gets interesting¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Doesn¡¯t that mean Saint Mia Academy, the ce where they developed the new wheat, is also¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s also in Count Berman¡¯s domain,¡± said the merchant in a conspiratorial tone.


    Marcount Rudolvon and Count Berman, both early members of the empress faction, added an element of intrigue to the merchant¡¯s narrative. The gossipers in Sunnd, ustomed to considering marcounts as esteemed figures, now viewed Rudolvon in a different light. The idea of such an esteemed title being bestowed upon a country noble seemed preposterous.


    ¡°So Rudolvon is clearly a distinguished noble who had the honor of bing the empire¡¯s very first marcount, meaning he¡¯s now part of the empress¡¯s inner circle¡­ and his daughter is the one who¡¯s¡­¡± Additionally, her younger brother, Cyril Rudolvon, was the hero who discovered the new strain of wheat. The engagement began to seem less objectionable.


    ¡°But what about the girl herself? How is she as a person?¡± ¡°About that¡­ Just between us, I¡¯m a gardener for a noble family, and the husband told me something a while back¡­¡± said a nearby man who joined the conversation. ¡°Marcount Rudolvon¡¯s daughter¡­ She apparently saved the former king, His Majesty Abram¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡± ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. It concerns the royal family. They¡¯re not gonna juste out and tellmoners like us,¡± the gardener said with a smug shrug.


    His increasingly intoxicated audience could only nod in agreement, their mental faculties no longer capable of skepticism.


    ¡°Which means¡­ His Majesty Sion¡¯s bride is¡­¡±


    Under the haze of intoxication, the audiencepelled themselves to rationalize the situation. The potential queen consort, Tiona Rudolvon, had directly saved the life of their former king, Abram. She was the sister of Cyril Rudolvon, the continent¡¯s savior, and her father held a prominent position in the empress faction, earning him a unique rank as Tearmoon¡¯s first and only marcount, bestowed upon him by Empress Mia¡¯s trust.


    The more they pondered, the more they realized that this was, in fact, a favorable turn of events. Later, a personal blessing from the Holy Lady for the impending union further solidified their admiration for Tiona.


    ¡°Who would have thought that young woman would be an old friend of Lady Rafina¡¯s¡­?¡± Each additional piece of information added anotheryer to Tiona¡¯s evolving image in Sunnd. As she entered Sunnd, preceded by her reputation, the people greeted her with a blend of excitement and apprehension, uncertain of the uracy of what they knew about her.


    However, the spection was short-lived. Quickly, the Sunnd popce found themselves enchanted by Tiona¡¯s down-to-earth personality, a quality often absent in prominent nobles. She embodied a fairy tale unfolding in reality, where the daughter of amoner-turned-poverty-noble crossed the ss barrier to marry the prince of a grand kingdom¡ªa dreamlike narrative forever popr yet seemingly unattainable. Yet, she had achieved it, and her romantic tale became a vicarious vessel for the people to invest their hopes and wishes.


    Despite some initial resistance, Tiona found herself weed by her new home, and Sunnd wasn¡¯t the only kingdom affected. Within Tearmoon, the dynamics of the noble ss shifted. Those who had considered Marcount Rudolvon¡¯s new title as empty were taken aback. The marcount¡¯s family, to their surprise, now included the King of Sunnd.


    Initially skeptical nobles couldn¡¯t believe the news; while they acknowledged the school connection, the idea of the daughter of an outcount marrying the young Sunnd king seemed far-fetched. However, the wedding proceeded, and Tiona Rudolvon was warmly embraced by the people of Sunnd.


    Now, it was the Tearmoon nobles¡¯ turn to feel a sense of urgency. The supposedly empty marcount title had gained substantial influence through a matrimonial alliance with Sunnd¡¯s royal family. The panic among the nobles wasn¡¯t just panic; it was a feeling akin to ¡°massive FOMO.¡± The news of a Tearmoon noble marrying into Sunnd royalty prompted the central nobility factions, previously at odds, to set aside their grievances and unite. Theirmon goal: to marry one of their own into Sunnd¡¯s royal family, regardless of the candidate, as long as they represented the distinguished lineage of the central nobility. The looming question, however, was who the Sunnd candidate would be.


    That¡¯s when the nobles recalled a crucial detail¡ªduring Abram¡¯s reign, Sunnd boasted not one but two princes. Rumors surrounded the other one, but those details weren¡¯t pertinent at the moment. All they required was Sunnd royalty, and the second prince was an ideal fit. Additionally, the boy had already been ced under the care of the Greenmoons as a future fianc¨¦ for the Duke¡¯s daughter.


    The prospect was too tempting to ignore, and the Greenmoons suddenly found themselves in the spotlight. Influential nobles discreetly¡ªand sometimes not so discreetly¡ªvisited them, inquiring about the arrangement with the Sunnd prince. If the Greenmoons intended to call off the engagement, these nobles were eager to propose their own daughters as potential recements


    Before long, Esmeralda was summoned by her father to discuss her promised marriage. Annoyed, she arrived with a scowl, eximing, ¡°Ugh, again? Father, how many times must we go through this?¡±


    Five years had psed since she brought Prince Echard home. Now twenty-three, she was well within the marrying age, if not slightly overdue. Numerous marriage proposals had been declined; her reason was straightforward¡ªshe had Echard. Since the day she brought him home, she had made a silent pledge. His past mistakes didn¡¯t matter; he was the one for her, and she had decided so.


    Echard, steadily growing into a promising young man, seemed to strive to live up to her silent pledge. Studying under Headmaster Galv at Saint Mia Academy, his academic performance was exceptional. Esmeralda believed in him, convinced he would achieve greatness, and betraying his trust was thest thing she wanted to do.


    With determination, she prepared to decline the new proposal vehemently. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve had a lot of talks with peopletely, and they¡¯re really starting to mor for you to hurry up and finalize your marriage to Prince Echard¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª Wait¡­ Huh?¡± Esmeralda stared in disbelief, trying to process the unexpected revtion.


    Her father grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t me them, considering the recent developments. But I can¡¯t exactly tell them the truth about Prince Echard¡¯s situation¡­¡± Regretfully, he realized he should have sent Echard back to Sunnd earlier. Esmeralda, however, did not share his remorse. Puzzled, she slowly processed the words.


    ¡°Finalize¡­ my marriage¡­ to Prince Echard?¡±


    Thus, the pair¡¯s wedding proceeded at breakneck speed, and before long, Esmeralda, at the age of twenty-three, and Echard, at fifteen, were married.


    More time psed¡ªtwo decades, to be exact. Then came the day when Sunnd joyously weed the return of Echard and his family. After a flurry of greetings and official functions, he retired to a room in the royal castle with Sion. It had been a considerable time since the brothers had met in person. They clinked their wine sses together, celebrating their reunion.


    ¡°When was thest time we shared a drink like this? About a year ago?¡± ¡°Yes, during Mother¡¯s birthdayst year. It¡¯s great to see you again, Sion.¡± Echard¡¯s smile was genuine,cking the stiffness and reservation that had characterized his demeanor around Sion until just a few years ago. Finally, they could converse in a state of mutualfort.


    ¡°I have to say, the Mi really is something,¡± Sion remarked after a sip of wine. ¡°I heard it¡¯s expanding beyond the continent and coborating with kingdoms overseas now?¡±


    The topic was familiar, given Echard¡¯s involvement in the Mi¡¯s operations. ¡°Yes. Greenmoon¡¯s connections paved the way for us. The more kingdoms we can persuade to join thework, the more people we can help. By sharing food and fosteringmunication between nations, it also enhances diplomatic rtions. The work this organization does is immensely valuable.¡± Despite his modesty, Sion detected the pride in Echard¡¯s voice¡ªa good, mature pride emanating from someone who found profound meaning in their work. There was a radiant maturity to his younger brother¡¯s expression that Sion found heartening and even a bit dazzling. He nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s very reassuring. Especiallying from you¡­¡± said Sion. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to know that you¡¯re fulfilling your duties as a member of Sunnd¡¯s royal family and doing it exceptionally well.¡±


    In his role as the Mi¡¯s negotiation officer, Echard managed contractual obligations with numerous kingdoms, showcasing diplomatic prowess second to none. Sion had long heard unanimous agreement from experienced merchants who worked with the Mi, praising Echard¡¯s superiority in closing deals.


    Sion¡¯s praise brought a calm smile to Echard¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Sion. Knowing that you recognize the value of my work¡­ It means a lot. More than anything else.¡±


    ¡°On a different note, Echard, sorry to shift the topic, but I recently heard an intriguing rumor¡­¡± ¡°A rumor? What kind?¡± Echard raised an eyebrow. ¡°I heard from Miss Chloe that she discussed stepping down and having you seed her as the Mi¡¯s president, but you firmly refused,¡± Sion revealed.


    Seeing Echard in good spirits was reassuring, but there was one thing that still troubled Sion. For some reason, Echard consistently declined every job offer that came his way, often for high-ranking or executive positions, showing no interest in them.


    Echard¡¯s time at Saint Mia Academy had proven highly sessful. Even by Sion¡¯s standards, the talent andpetence disyed by his younger brother were impressive. Most jobs should be manageable, if not trivial, for someone of Echard¡¯s ability. However, he adamantly declined prestigious or significant positions, making Sion suspect that lingering guilt from a past incident still haunted him.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a great job for a Sunnd royal, and Miss Chloe clearly offered you the position with confidence in your abilities. So why? Why did you say no?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Echard shifted ufortably in his seat, mumbled something under his breath, scratched his cheek, and offered a hushed confession. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ If I¡¯m too busy, Esmeralda gets lonely¡­¡± What a revtion! For a brief moment, Sion stared in silence at his brother¡¯s reddening face, then burst intoughter. ¡°Bah hah hah hah! Does she, now? Well, that¡¯s certainly a very valid reason to turn down a job. I¡¯m not sure I can even think of a more valid one. Ha ha ha.¡±


    At that moment, Sion finally dispelled his worry. He could now confidently say that the seed Echard had sown so long ago had withered for good, never to sprout again.


    There was something else he could assert with absolute certainty¡ªas a married couple, Echard and Esmeralda were doing well.


    Thus, the subtle rift between Sunnd¡¯s royal brothers was finally repaired, concluding a potentially tragic chapter withughter. And it was all thanks to¡­


    <em>Mmm hm hm. Outcount and marcount¡­ All I changed were the first three letters, and on the surface, they both mean the same thing. I bet those silly nobles won¡¯t realize what I actually did. Serves them right for pestering me when I was trying to enjoy my cake!</em>


    The initial sentiment behind the long chain of cause and effect leading to this conclusion would forever be lost to history¡­

 Chapter 510

    <strong>Fun Girl¡¯s Party 1: Princess Mia Burns With a Sense of Mission</strong>


    Following the royal castle ball¡¯s conclusion, Mia and her friends shifted to Rafina¡¯s room at the inn for an exclusive girls-only after-party. Upon their arrival, they seated themselves at a dinner table adorned with a tempting pot of steaming cream stew. Within the rich liquid floated substantial chunks of bread, and perfectly boiled sweet potatoes imparted a golden-yellow hue and a faintly sweet fragrance to the stew. Mia found herself captivated by the sensory experience. As she spooned a mouthful, the sweet potato on her tongue unraveled into pure deliciousness, leaving behind a luscious sugary vor and a fruity aroma that harmonized with the stew¡¯s creamy texture.


    Exhaling quick, steamy breaths, Mia explored the stew in search of something specific until she spotted it. Its body was mostly concealed by the stew, with only a small portion poking above the surface. Resembling seaweed but not a marine vegetable, Mia wondered aloud, ¡°Is this¡­ the legendary mushroom, sambapilz?¡±


    The server confirmed, ¡°Yes, it is said that those who indulge in this mushroom experience their tongues dancing with delight due to its exquisite vor. They are more easily found around here in Sunnd.¡±


    Mia eximed, ¡°How wonderful!¡±


    Without dy, she scooped a portion into her mouth. Its slender, pliable consistency made it jiggle, imparting a distinctive sensation as if it were dancing on her tongue. A spontaneous giggle escaped her. Upon biting into it, avish mushroom essence spilled forth, creating a magical vor that seemed to distill all the delectable essences of Mother Nature into that single bite. Paired with the stew, it crafted an indescribably delightful experience.


    ¡°Mmmmmmmmm¡­ It¡¯s so good¡­¡± she expressed, savoring every element, from the stew-soaked bread to the tender sunshine carrots, finding deep satisfaction in every aspect of the dish.


    Contemting the prospect of Esmeralda marrying Prince Echard, she envisioned stronger ties to Sunnd and the potential for asional gifts of these exquisite mushrooms. Yet, it wasn¡¯t just the mushrooms; the entire stew was a masterpiece of culinary art.


    After indulging in the heartyte-night stew, Mia began to feel the embrace of drowsiness. It was only natural to seek a restful sleep after a satisfying meal, and Mia, embodying the essence of humanity, fully embraced this inclination.


    ¡°Hnnngh¡­ I¡¯m not really up for making the trip back to Count Lampron¡¯s,¡± she murmured, stifling a yawn.


    This prompted Rafina¡¯s interest for some reason. The Holy Lady then took a deep breath and regarded the room with the utmost seriousness.


    ¡°Ipletely agree. It¡¯s hardly a good idea for youngdies to head out when it¡¯s already sote. How about you all stay here for the night?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that¡­okay?¡± asked Mia, unsessfully attempting to mask her drowsiness.


    ¡°Of course. This is an inn, and they have plenty of rooms. Besides, there are Serpents out there, so it¡¯s definitely safest to stay here,¡± Rafina insisted, her fists balled in a persuasive manner.


    ¡°Fwaaaah¡­ That¡¯s¡­a good point. I guess I¡¯ll take you up on your offer¡­ Rina? Bel? You¡¯re okay with that, I assume?¡±


    So, it was decided that Mia and her friends would spend the night with Rafina in the inn. Assuming they¡¯d all fit in one room, Mia¡¯s four-girl groupposed of her, Bel, Citrina, and Anne¡ªproceeded to rent¡­absolutely nothing! They stayed right where they were! Why? Because it was time for a five-girl pajama party!


    Soon, the girls were fully immersed in sleepover mode. Having changed into pajamas, all provided by Rafina, they huddled on the two beds in her room, ready to talk the night away.


    The idea of an all-pajamas look had been Rafina¡¯s brainchild.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re in pajamas, there¡¯s no telling who¡¯s a noble and who¡¯s amoner, right?¡±


    With this statement, she effectively extended an invitation to Anne, allowing each one of them to gather on the beds of sisterhood.


    Mia, initially ready to crash out at a moment¡¯s notice, found that with so many young maidens gathered after witnessing a heart-stopping duel, sleep was all but impossible. Rest wouldn¡¯te until they¡¯d exhausted every romantic topic they could think of.


    ¡°Prince Sion was so cool back there!¡± Bel dered, opening the conversation about her idol¡¯s performance.


    ¡°Tee hee, you sure are crazy about Prince Sion, aren¡¯t you, Bel?¡± Citrina said, giggling and yfully dismissive.


    Bel nodded firmly, the joke either flying over her or sliding off her. ¡°Of course I am! I mean, he¡¯s just too cool! Don¡¯t you think so, Rina?¡±


    Mia observed the girls with droopy eyes as they carried on their conversation. Despite the charged atmosphere, sleep still weighed heavily on her. That is, until¡­


    ¡°What about you Moth¡ª? Miss Anne? Is there anyone that you¡¯re crazy about?¡±


    ¡­Bel went for the jugr. Mia immediately perked up, her drowsiness disappearing in an instant.


    Although Mia had sought Anne¡¯s love advice numerous times, it only now urred to her that she had never asked about Anne¡¯s own love interests. With intense curiosity, she turned to her faithful maid, who replied, ¡°No. I won¡¯t marry because I n to stay at mdy¡¯s side and serve her for as long as I live. Oh, assuming, um¡­you¡¯re okay with that, of course¡­¡±


    Anne turned nervously to Mia, and their eyes met.


    ¡°If I¡¯m okay with that?¡± Mia frowned. ¡°Why would I not be? You¡¯ve been nothing but helpful all these years. In fact, I fully intend to keep you as my maid-in-waiting even after you¡¯re married. Perhaps, when I have children, it might be more fitting for you to serve as my wet nurse. Regardless, the key point is that even with a husband, there¡¯s no need for you to quit your job.¡±


    Mia, however, felt a certain difort with engaging in disys of affection while Anne was present. The thought of her flirting with her boyfriend while her loyal maid remained single made her feel guilty. Just as enjoying food together was ideal, Mia believed that love was best experienced simultaneously.


    ¡°Mdy¡­¡± Tears of gratitude welled up in Anne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°But, you know,¡± Mia continued, ¡°if the issue is that you¡¯re too busy for romance, then it falls on me to find you a suitable partner. To do that, I¡¯ll need to know your preferences. So go ahead; tell me your taste in men.¡±


    After a round of excited girl-chattering, the topic shifted again.


    ¡°By the way, Miss Rafina, what kind of person are you into?¡±


    Mia wasn¡¯t sure who posed the question, but its content demanded her full attention. She even sat up a little straighter. After all, discovering what the Holy Lady sought in a man intrigued Mia, who hadn¡¯t mustered the courage to ask the question herself.


    She mentally saluted the nameless daredevil who had the guts to ask Miss Rafina, and then turned her attention to Rafina.


    ¡°What kind of person am I into? Hm¡­¡± Rafina touched a finger to her cheek and tilted her head. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think I¡¯m into any specific type.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But what about Prince Sion?¡± asked Bel, astonished that someone could be immune to Sion¡¯s charms. ¡°He¡¯s so dreamy! And Keithwood¡¯s really cool too!¡±


    Unperturbed and with no regard for propriety, Bel persisted. Her memories of the Empress Prte nightmare had likely faded.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ They¡¯re both marvelous individuals, that¡¯s for certain, but¡­¡± Rafina smiled. ¡°Not exactly the kind of person I find attractive.¡±


    With that, she dropped the de of rejection on the pair of grade-A Sunnd bachelors. Mia shuddered a little, involuntarily recalling moments from the previous timeline when she had seen that expression. Rafina truly had the ability to deliver a lethal blow with her smile.


    ¡°Seriously? Huuuuh. What kind of person do you find attractive then?¡± Bel puffed out her cheeks indignantly, persistently dissatisfied with the lukewarm response her personal best candidates had received.


    ¡°Hmmm, good question¡­¡± Rafina paused for a moment before conceding in a bashful mumble, ¡°If I had to choose, I guess it¡¯d be¡­someone who could carry me in their arms like a bride.¡±


    The Holy Lady had seemingly lost her mind. Mia stared at Rafina in disbelief. She quickly took a sip of her drink, confirming it didn¡¯t contain any alcohol. She then stared at Rafina again, taking another sip just to be sure, performing a literal double take.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­not drunk, right?¡±


    Rafina appeared perfectly normal. Mia shot a sideward nce at Citrina, who sneakily sniffed Rafina¡¯s drink beforeparing it with her own. Citrina nodded, confirming it was just juice. Alcohol wasn¡¯t the culprit.


    ¡°But¡­a bridal carry? That¡¯s just¡­too out there. It¡¯s so surreal¡­Not that bridal carries aren¡¯t done, of course. Plenty of people perform it. The issue is how nondescript it is regarding a potential love interest. Rafina¡¯s response is so vague; it offers absolutely no concrete picture of the actual person.¡±


    Mia suddenly felt a sense of looming crisis. She quickly scanned the room before whispering to Bel, ¡°By the way, Bel¡­did the Empress Prte version of Rafina ever marry?¡±


    Bel gave her a baffled look. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anyone having such a death wish.¡±


    ¡°Right, of course¡­ Not that I¡¯m surprised¡­ Oh, but maybe General Dion! Someone like him can probably handle it!¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t believe Bel had that thought. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the potential in her granddaughter¡¯s offbeat suggestion. After rposing herself, Mia took another look at Rafina.


    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ Miss Rafina seems like the type who¡¯s going to have a lot of trouble finding a husband. Being the daughter of Duke Belluga, it¡¯s highly likely that her father will bring her a suitable groom in due time. It¡¯s simrly likely that she wouldn¡¯t outright refuse such an arrangement. However¡­ considering her father¡¯s the type to have a portrait of her drawn every year¡­¡±


    The duke disyed an unmistakable excessive fondness for Rafina. While there was nothing inherently wrong with a father doting on his beloved daughter, ordering a new portrait of her every year and then selling those portraits to neighboring kingdoms seemed to be pushing the boundaries. It was akin to climbing onto a roof and shouting, ¡°My daughter is the cutest-schmoochest little girl in the world!¡± to the whole town, a gesture that, in Mia¡¯s opinion, was simply too much. Unfortunately, this was a regr urrence for Duke Belluga.


    Mia spected that Duke Belluga would likely get along well with her own father. Knowing her father¡¯s nature, if Rafina expressed even the slightest grievance about a potential groom, he wouldn¡¯t push her into an arranged marriage. While the duke¡¯s actions were a well-intentioned gesture, itplicated the process of finding a suitable partner for Rafina. She would likely go through a series of imperfect candidates, each failed attempt leaving a scar on her psyche until the Empress Prte was born.


    Feeling a sense of duty, Mia realized she had a responsibility as a friend and a seasoned expert in romance. She needed to use her experience to find and introduce the perfect man to Rafina, ensuring she would remain her friendly, non-prte self. It was essential to keep Rafina¡¯s desires satisfied, particrly her romantic ones, but Mia wouldn¡¯t mind having apanion in the world of F.A.T.


    ¡°Miss Rafina, you and I are in a position that will eventually require us to produce heirs. It is something we need to do to keep our kingdom prosperous and our people happy. When ites to the type of men you prefer, it might be wise to think in more specific terms.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose you do have a point.¡±


    Mia¡¯s suggestion prompted Rafina to adopt a more serious expression.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Rafina began, a thoughtful hand on her cheek, ¡°Someone I can respect, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Respect¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Someone selfless, who won¡¯t hesitate to act for the good of others. Someone kind to children and the elderly alike, and who haspassion for the weak¡­ but will firmly oppose oppression by powerful people. He doesn¡¯t have to be physically strong, so long as he stands up to tyranny. Someone who fights quietly but tenaciously¡­ I¡¯m pretty amodating, so as long as he¡¯s got those qualities, then I don¡¯t really care much about the rest.¡±


    ¡°Mmhm, mmhm. Okay, I¡­ see?¡±


    As shepiled theundry list of qualities, the image of a particr individual shed across her mind. Confronted with the cold, uncaring cruelty of the world, this man had undoubtedly fought against it¡ªquietly and tenaciously. He tirelessly worked to protect underprivileged children, prioritizing their needs over his own despite the challenging conditions of his surroundings. Selfless, acting for the greater good, and disying boundlesspassion for the vulnerable, Mia¡¯s thoughts turned to the priest in the Newmoon District.


    While he was undeniably older than her¡ªconsiderably so, in fact¡ªas a member of the Central Orthodox Church, Mia deemed him a viable candidate. To confirm, she decided to pose a few more questions.


    ¡°By the way, what do you think about muscles?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Huh? M-Muscles?¡±


    Rafina furrowed her brow, perplexed by the sudden query. Recognizing the faux pas, Mia quickly waved her hands.


    Ugh, what was I thinking? Ruby¡¯s the only one who gets excited when she sees big, muscr men. For most girls, their romantic preferences don¡¯t include muscle mass!


    Clearing her throat, Mia started afresh.


    ¡°Well, not just muscles, but more like¡­stature? You know, how tall they are and how big they look. The face is important too. Also, how good they are at swordsmanship or academics¡­ And what their rank is¡­¡±


    ¡°Personally, I have no preferences regarding any of those qualities.¡±


    ¡°What about age then?¡±


    ¡°In terms of public image, it would be problematic if he was too old, but for my part, I don¡¯t particrly care.¡±


    Mia thought about the priest¡¯s visage.


    Hmm¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call him too old. Maybe this might just work?


    ¡°So long as we share the same faith, and his love for me is true, then I¡¯m happy to marry whoever asks for my hand.¡±


    Wonderful! The priest of that church loves Miss Rafina to death! I think I¡¯ve found the perfect candi¡ª


    ¡°Oh, actually, I have one more condition,¡± said Rafina with a p of her hands. ¡°And this one is very important.¡±


    ¡°Oh? One more condition?¡± asked Mia, encouraging her to continue.


    With the most serious expression yet, Rafina said, ¡°Yes. They can¡¯t own a portrait of me.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well. That¡­makes sense.¡±


    So much for the priest. Mia promptly erased him from her mental list of potential candidates.

 Chapter 511

    <strong>Fun Girl¡¯s Party 2: Rafina Decides to Learn Horseback Riding</strong>


    The conversation continued until a little past midnight. At that point, Rafina, seemingly satisfied with the girl talk, said, ¡°Phew¡­ Well, how about we call it a night?¡±


    Upon realizing she could finally enjoy some much-needed sleep, Mia threw herself onto one of the three beds. Yes, three. Anne had insisted on sleeping on the floor, but Rafina adamantly refused to allow it.


    ¡°When wearing pajamas, we¡¯re all equals, so we should sleep as equals too, no?¡± Rafina dered. At her insistence, they got a third bed and positioned it beside the previous two so everyone could sleep together.


    ¡°This¡­gap between the beds¡­ It seems like you can fall through¡­¡± thought Mia as she yawned. Before she had a chance to drift off, she heard Rafina¡¯s voice.


    ¡°By the way, Mia, has the whole engagement issue with Miss Esmeralda been straightened out yet?¡±


    ¡°Hmmwha? Uhh¡­ Yes, pretty much¡­¡± Mia reflexively answered before her drowsy brainprehended the question. The subsequent chill was enough to wake her up. Had she told Rafina about the real reason for her trip to Sunnd? No¡­ She never mentioned theplicated circumstances she came to sort out.


    Uh-oh. This might be a problem¡­ Toote now.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rafina¡¯s expression grew pensive. ¡°There was something I wanted to discuss with you, but¡­ You probably have plenty on your te already, and I¡¯d rather not burden you any further. Also, the situation has changed a little, and it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯ll be needing your help immediately, so just keep what I¡¯m about to tell you in the back of your mind, okay?¡±


    After that oddly long preamble, she began to quietly tell her story.


    ¡°You see, Malong came to me the other day and asked for some advice.¡±


    ¡°Malong? What kind of advice?¡± asked Mia.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably aware already, buttely, there have been reports of a gang of horseback bandits causing mayhem in Sunnd¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Those people¡­¡± Mia wasn¡¯t just aware. She¡¯de face-to-face with the very same bandits.


    Moons, Ipletely forgot about those people¡­ They were the ones who were originally supposed to assassinate Sion.


    ¡°I certainly do know about them, but¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Within Sunnd, there is a growing contingent of voices iming it¡¯s the Equestrian Kingdom¡¯s doing, and that war is inevitable. However, Malong doesn¡¯t think the bandits are from his kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. I assume you came all the way to Sunnd to mediate that issue in person?¡±


    ¡°If hostilities break out, countless lives will be lost. No amount of effort is too much when ites to preventing war,¡± Rafina asserted, her voice calm but resolute. ¡°The issue is, well¡­ Even if it¡¯s not the Equestrian Kingdom¡¯s doing, to some degree, it still concerns them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Her curiosity thoroughly piqued, Mia turned toward Rafina, only to find Rafina doing the same. Both girls ended up on their sides, regarding each other from across the thin chasm between their beds.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of¡­¡± began Rafina, holding Mia¡¯s gaze. ¡°The lost n of the Equestrian Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Lost¡­n?¡± Mia blinked with obvious confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that long, long ago, the Equestrian Kingdom was made up of thirteen ns. Granted, this is something I¡¯ve only ever heard about from other people, and the Equestris have no cultural custom of recording their history on parchment, so everything is preserved through word of mouth and ends up being oral tradition. Even within the kingdom, no one has any direct knowledge of these events¡­ But anyway, the point is that supposedly, there¡¯s a n that no longer exists¡ªthe lost Fire n.¡±


    The surname of Equestris represented the n they belonged to. The ¡°Lin¡± in Lin Malong, for example, meant ¡°forest.¡± Malong, therefore, belonged to the Forest n. Some of the other ns included Wood, Tree, Wind, Mountain, and Hill. Mia was aware of all twelve existing ns, but she¡¯d never heard of the Fire n¡ªthose with ¡°Ka¡± as their n name.


    ¡°And the bandits causing trouble in Sunnd might be from the lost Fire n¡­¡± said Rafina. ¡°That¡¯s what the people in the Equestrian Kingdom suspect, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I see. So they¡¯re not directly responsible, but it might be the doing of people who used to be part of their tribe¡­¡±


    Mia mulled over the implications. Fortunately, the story proved interesting enough to slightly lift the fog of sleepiness. In addition, thanks to the mental stimtion of their extended discussion of romantic interests, her brain still had enough juice left to do some work. When in romance mode, Mia was neither an introvert nor an extrovert. She was an amorvert, who recharged by thinking and talking about love-rted matters.


    ¡°In that case, I suppose we can¡¯t entirely me Sunnd for misunderstanding the situation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Though it¡¯s also possible that their misunderstanding is intentional¡­¡±


    They could be using their suspicion of the Equestrian Kingdom as a pretext to justify an invasion for the purposes of annexing the Equestris¡¯nd. It was a line of thought that had no doubt crossed the minds of the more militant Sunnd nobles. Many of them were probably delighted by the situation.


    ¡°True. That¡¯s a definite possibility. I assume the purpose of your visit this time is to push back against those voices, then?¡± asked Mia.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of them. The other purpose is to look into the possibility that the assassin who attacked you might be a member of that lost n. I¡¯ve been asking around to see if there¡¯s anyone in the gang of bandits who resemble that assassin.¡±


    ¡°You mean the wolfmaster¡­¡±


    The whisper didn¡¯te from either of them. ncing toward the speaker, they found Citrina grimacing, her face appearing slightly pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rina,¡± Bel reassured, noticing her friend¡¯s difort. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Citrina rolled over and gave Bel a tight hug. ¡°Thanks.¡± Citrina nodded, and the tension in her expression eased slightly.


    ¡°Bel¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about him. After all, even I managed to shake him off¡­ Oh, I know. How about we all go for some horse riding lessons together?¡± Mia suggested on a whim.


    To be clear, she didn¡¯t ¡°shake him off.¡± She¡¯d miraculously survived his pursuit, and it had been the closest of shaves.


    It¡¯d be good for Bel and Rina, in case they ever end up in a situation when they need to escape. If they have some experience on horseback, they¡¯ll be able to ride on their own, which frees me up to ride alone. And riding alone¡­means riding lighter. And my horse will run faster, making it easier for me to get away.


    Make no mistake¡ªfirst and foremost, Mia was always looking out for number one.


    ¡°Together? Um¡­ Mia, would that happen to¡­include me as well?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Mia arched a brow at the dumbstruck look on Rafina¡¯s face. ¡°Well, sure. I don¡¯t see why not. You should definitely join us, Miss Rafina. We can even try going on some long rides. They¡¯re great for clearing your mind.¡±


    ¡°Long rides¡­¡± Rafina whispered to herself. ¡°Going on long rides¡­with friends¡­ I was just invited¡­ This is¡ª I can¡¯t believe¡­¡± Her indistinct mumbling continued for some time before she replied. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, I think I will, Mia. I¡¯d love to go on long rides with you!¡±


    Mia had expected Rafina to agree. What she hadn¡¯t expected, however, was the immense amount of apanying enthusiasm.


    The following morning, Mia was nowhere to be found. On the beds, that is.

 Chapter 512

    <strong>Miabel¡¯s Nearly Spine-Chilling Waking of Suspense and Horror</strong>


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Hm?¡± Bel stirred quietly, awakening to the gentle touch of morning light on her skin. ¡°Is it¡­ morning?¡±


    She rubbed her eyes, letting out a few sleepy lip smacks and a yawn. However, as she was about to yawn, the sensation of moisture at the corner of her mouth caught her attention. This was followed by the realization of a drool stain on her pillow!


    <em>¡°The blood of those who raised you flows within. Carry that esteemed name proudly in your heart.¡±</em>


    Familiar voices resonated in her mind, belonging to the women who had raised her like their own daughter.


    ¡°Mother Elise¡­ Mother Anne¡­¡±


    Their words served as a reminder of something crucial. The name she had inherited was one of honor, and she had a duty to uphold that legacy. With this noble thought in mind, Bel swiftly flipped over her pillow, erasing any evidence of embarrassment. Her grandmother¡¯s honor had been safeguarded.


    She sighed in relief, then nced around. Citrina was curled up, seemingly feeling the chill. The act of concealing the evidence had disced their shared nket. Bel gently got off the bed and covered her friend again. Only then did she realize that the headcount was off.


    ¡°Huh? Miss Mia¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Mia, who should have been at the center of the beds, was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s taking a morning stroll.¡±


    Bel scratched her head.


    ¡°Wandering through the streets of Sunnd in the morning¡­ Well, that does sound enjoyable.¡±


    But was it a suitable activity for a princess like her? Absolutely. Exploring the townscapes of other kingdoms seemed like a worthwhile use of her time. With the educational value of her walk justified, she quickly changed and headed out.


    What she failed to notice were the faint groans emanating from the slender gap between the beds.


    ¡°Hnnngh¡­ Hnnnnngh¡­¡±


    It would have been a spine-chilling sound, creating an atmosphere of suspense and horror, but s, it was not to be. Whatever nightmares lurked down there would find no audience today.


    Stepping out of the inn, Bel was greeted by a brisk morning breeze. Within the refreshing gusts, she caught the scent of a town just awakening.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ This is so nice.¡±


    She stretched and filled her lungs with fresh air, reminiscent of her days hiding in the Newmoon District. This time of day had been her favorite back then. The Great Wisdom of the Empire had breathed new life into the district and its people. Bel¡¯s aplishments were never more apparent than in the morning, when the denizens woke up, and the district came alive. It was endlessly exciting, and Bel could never get enough of it.


    She would quietly peer out from her window, savoring the view of the townscape until Mother Anne summoned her for breakfast. Upon entering the dining room, where Mother Elise, having stayed upte writing, would wearily stroll in, rubbing her eyes, and greet her with a drowsy yet tender ¡°Good morning.¡± These moments were among her most cherished memories of her dearest times.


    ¡°Mother Elise¡­ Mother Anne¡­¡± She held a deep affection for them, a sentiment that was almost painful. She rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°Hm? You¡¯re¡­¡± Startled by a voice, she turned and squinted at the speaker through blurry eyes. Her sentimental moment came to an abrupt end upon recognizing the individual.


    ¡°Th-The Libr¡ª I mean, Prince Sion? G-Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Miss Bel. What are you doing out and about so early in the morning?¡±


    Before her stood the crown prince of Sunnd, Sion Sol Sunnd, and his attendant, Keithwood. The prince¡¯s silver hair glowed gently in the sun, and as Bel stared at him, she found herself captivated by the deeppassion radiating from his eyes. She quicklyposed herself and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m going on an adven¡ªtour through the town.¡±


    Sion chuckled. ¡°An adven-tour through the town, huh. Fair enough. Towns are indeed the kind of things that invite adven-tourous souls to explore them,¡± he said, returning her smile.


    Keithwood, his expression asposed as ever, leaned in and suggested, ¡°It¡¯s not every day you run into a familiar face out here. How about it, then? Would you like milord to give you a tour of the town?¡±


    He nced at Bel before turning back to Sion and shrugging. ¡°As a veteran adventurer of towns, it seems appropriate for you to show your junior the ropes.¡±


    Sion pursed his lips for a second, then nodded. ¡°Good point. I¡¯ve been meaning to take a look around the town myself, so this is perfect timing.¡±


    Bel¡¯s eyes widened with excitement.


    <em>I-I get to go on a morning date with the Libra King?! Wow! Thank you so much, Keithwood! You¡¯re the best!</em>


    Unbeknownst to her, Keithwood was acting not out of consideration but caution, having witnessed her fearless impetuousness the night before when she had ventured through the castle.


    <em>This little one is even more of a handful than Princess Mia. The princess already has a penchant for diving headfirst into trouble, but in her case, she¡¯s the type to walk into danger without even realizing it¡­ If I let her roam around, I bet she¡¯ll end up strolling into risky areas like the open market without a second thought. Leaving her alone is out of the question!</em>


    To Keithwood, Bel represented a constant source of trouble in human form. Fortunately, she remained blissfully unaware of his perception of her. If she had known, her excitement would likely have¡ª


    <em>Heh heh heh, I don¡¯t know what Keithwood¡¯s thinking, but I couldn¡¯t care less. As long as I get to go on a date with the Libra King and Keithwood the Loyal, I¡¯m happy! Aaaah, I can¡¯t wait! Let¡¯s go already!</em>


    Or¡­perhaps she would be just as thrilled.


    Meanwhile, Mia was¡­


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Mm? My, where am I? How odd¡­ I can¡¯t move my body¡­ And it¡¯s so dark. Oh no, don¡¯t tell me¡­ Was I kidnapped by bandits in my sleep?!¡±


    ¡­Waking up to a considerable amount of suspense and horror. The reality, of course, was that she had rolled off into the gap and found herself wedged between the beds, but¡­


    ¡°I-Is anyone there? A-Anne? Anne¡­?¡±


    She even added a touch of suspense and horror to everyone around her, as her seemingly disembodied voice emanated from the abyss and echoed through the room.


    Fortunately, Bel was out on a walk and would remain oblivious to this embarrassing mishap. The honor of her grandmother had been sessfully defended!

 Chapter 513

    <strong>Curious Bel</strong>


    ¡°Um, Prince Sion, do you frequently take strolls around town like this?¡±


    ¡°I do. Whenever I¡¯m in Sunnd, I make a conscious effort to traverse the streets regrly. As someone in a position of power, it¡¯s my duty to gain a firsthand understanding of the lives and circumstances of my people.¡±


    ¡°While that is a noble aspiration, milord, I must once again remind you that you are working me to the bone here. Please start arranging for a proper escort of guards on your excursions before I copse from exhaustion.¡±


    Keithwood gave a weary shrug, to which Sion grinned.


    ¡°Thanks to the much-appreciated dedication of a highly capable attendant, I have the luxury of strolling through my kingdom at will. I must say, I¡¯m not particrly inclined to give up such a convenience.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am. For the sake of my own well-being.¡±


    For a considerable duration, Bel relished their banter until a thought crossed her mind. She tilted her head curiously.


    ¡°Prince Sion, is it just me, or¡­ are you more cheerful than usual today?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Caught off guard by the question, Sion blinked a few times.


    ¡°If I had to describe it, it feels sort of like¡­ a weight has been lifted off your shoulders,¡± Bel added.


    ¡°Huh. How surprising. You¡¯re more perceptive than I thought.¡± Sion leaned in and studied her face. ¡°That reminds me, you¡¯re rted to Mia, aren¡¯t you? Hm¡­¡±


    He crossed his arms in thought. After a while, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be asking this, so I¡¯ll first apologize for any possible offense, but¡­ I heard that you share her blood. Is that true? Are you imperial kin?¡±


    Upon hearing the question, Bel immediately straightened, for it was no simple query; it concerned the very essence of her person and pride.


    ¡°Yes, Prince Sion. I am Miabel Luna Tearmoon. The blood that flows through my veins, I share with the princess of the empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    The dignified gravity with which she answered left Sion momentarily dumbstruck. He widened his eyes, regarding anew the girl before him. Gone was the carefree aura she so frequently gave off, reced by what could only be described as an air of regality.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± he said, recognizing the truth of her words. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s probably in your interest to tell you¡­¡± With a sigh, Sion proceeded to exin. ¡°About what transpiredst night. I assume you¡¯ve already heard about it from Mia, but my brother, Echard,mitted a grave error, and the one who¡¯d caused him to do so¡­ is me. For far too long, he has struggled with the fact that he couldn¡¯t be a second Sion. From his swordsmanship to his deportment and much more¡­ In all those facets, he has been trying to catch up to me, convinced that he must do so or else be deemed a failure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s just not right. He can¡¯t be you. He shouldn¡¯t.¡± Bel recalled the teachings of her former mentor, Ludwig.


    <em>¡°Miss Bel¡­ For what will undoubtedly be the rest of your life, you will find that time and again, you will bepared to the Great Wisdom of the Empire. People will wish for you¡ªexpect you¡ªto be her. Even your foster parents, Anne and Elise, might eventually push you to do so. In fact, even I myself might sumb to the inclination.¡±</em>


    The future Ludwig described was, in a way, a hopeful one. With the triumphant return of Princess Miabel to the throne, the empire would be rebuilt under her leadership. Of all the challenges one could face, that was probably the most promising one, lying far down a very narrow path of possibility.


    <em>¡°However, remember this well: There is no need for you to be her. You are you, Miss Bel. You cannot be Mia, not because of ack of effort or will, but because you are Miabel.¡±</em>


    She could still hear the reflective tone of his voice as he had said that, almost as if the caution had been meant for himself.


    <em>¡°That¡¯s why¡­ Well, I suppose that¡¯s why there¡¯s nothing I can do about your tendency to fall asleep during lectures¡­¡±</em>


    In that moment, the struggling camel that was Ludwig¡¯s pedagogic soul came within a single straw of breaking.


    <em>¡°Anyway, just¡­ try your best within the limits of your capabilities, Miss Bel. That will surely be what¡¯s best for you.¡±</em>


    Those words had deeply embedded themselves within Bel and taken root. She must live in a way that did not tarnish the reputation of Mia, the Great Wisdom of the Empire. However, she did not need to imitate Mia. Based on this reasoning that Ludwig had instilled in her, Echard¡¯s approach to his life was undoubtedly incorrect.


    ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ him. He¡¯s Prince Echard,¡± said Bel.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I agree. I was hoping he¡¯de to that realization on his own eventually, but, well¡­ Look what happened. My inaction has led us all to the very worst result. But¡­¡±


    Sion paused for a moment as his gaze grew distant. ¡°Normally, what he did would absolutely warrant the death penalty. But Mia¡­ She refused to settle for that¡ªfor an irreparable end. So she fought, and by doing so, won Echard the chance to make amends. To pick himself up and stand again.¡±


    His statement prompted Bel to p her hands in suddenprehension.


    ¡°Oh, I get it now. So that¡¯s what happened yesterday¡­ Oh! Then that¡¯s also what you were talking about with Miss Mia in the ballroomst night, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Sion¡¯s arched eyebrow was lost on Bel, who was too busy nodding to herself.


    ¡°I knew it. That conversation felt odd to me the whole time. I mean, she turned down a deration of love from you. I mean, who does that? You¡¯re Prince Sion! She¡¯d have to be crazy. Right, Keithwood?¡±


    Keithwood¡¯s lips formed a strained smile. ¡°Ha ha ha, well, uh¡­ I suppose so. It¡¯s aplicated affair, after all. Anyway¡­¡± He stole a nce at Sion, who groaned while clutching his chest, before continuing. ¡°The bottom line is, milord was pleased to see that his brother had been given a chance to redeem himself. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­ Yes, that¡¯s what I meant,¡± Sion agreed despite his pained grimace. ¡°The truth is that¡­ I also made a serious mistake in the past.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You did? But you¡¯re Prince Sion!¡± eximed Bel, her wide-eyed disbelief clearly implying, <em>¡®Prince Sion doesn¡¯t make grave errors!¡¯</em>


    His grimace deepened.


    ¡°I wielded my own sense of justice like a sword, oblivious to its dangers and wrongs, and as a result, I nearly took the life of a friend. And when I was on the verge of sumbing to the weight of my sins, Mia came to me and, much like with Echard, gave me an opportunity to redeem myself,¡± said Sion, his gaze shifting upward with nostalgia. ¡°She did me a great favor then, and I remind myself every day never to forget the debt of gratitude I owe her. Faced with my error, I believed that my royal status required me to forfeit my life as rpense. It was her who showed me a different way to take responsibility for my wrongs. The second chance she afforded me that day is something that I now believe every person in the world deserves.¡±


    Sion balled his fists.


    ¡°If you are indeed a scion of the imperial family, then remember this: the one thing Mia is terrible at is giving up. That¡¯s just the kind of person she is.¡±


    ¡°Not giving up easily¡­ That¡¯s the way of Miss Mia¡­¡± Bel repeated in a whisper before looking back over her shoulder.


    A vision of that death-defying dash across the winter ins resurfaced. It was the same back then. Mia had defiantly, stubbornly refused to give up on life. She was bad at giving up on others, yes, but she was also bad at giving up on herself.


    <em>That lines up with what Grandmother Mia said aftering back from Perujin. A lot of people have done a lot for me, and she told me that if I want to pay them back, I should pursue the best life possible and live up to their kindness by living for myself.</em>


    To Bel, it felt like Mia was telling her to endure and survive, no matter the circumstances. To cling to life with dogged determination, and in doing so, repay the services ofpassion she¡¯d received. Suddenly, she was reminded of where she¡¯de from.


    That world of despair¡­ What if one day, the time came for her to return to that desperate, deste life? How would she act then?


    I don¡¯t know, but even if I have to go back to that ce, there¡¯s one thing I should make sure I don¡¯t do¡­ and that¡¯s giving up and letting myself go.


    Life, its weight, its value, and how it should be used, as well as the stubborn resolve to never give up on living¡­ These were the things she learned from her idol, the Libra King.


    While Bel was absorbing valuable life lessons, Mia found herself¡­ being rescued from the gap between the beds.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Bel¡¯s nowhere to be found, you say?¡± she inquired after her liberation, which Anne kindly waited for before delivering the news.


    Mia felt a sudden pang of concern. What if Bel had experienced the same fate as her? Just as she was about to conduct a frantic search of the remaining gaps¡­


    ¡°I heard from the innkeeper that she is apparently out on a walk with Prince Sion.¡±


    Rafina provided the answer she sought.


    ¡°Ah. With Sion. I see¡­¡±


    That was all the information Mia needed to deduce the sequence of events leading to Bel¡¯s absence.


    I bet she walked out of the inn, ran into Sion, and just followed him around from there on¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she went off on her own,¡± protested a pouting Citrina. ¡°She could have asked Rina to go with her.¡±


    Mia gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be back by breakfast. I know that girl, and she¡¯s just like me in that she won¡¯t miss a meal for the world.¡±


    Hearing that Bel was with Sion, Mia rxed. Tension flowed out from the muscles in her shoulders. And the ones around her gut. As a result, her stomach gurgled.


    Hm, maybe I can start eating breakfast while I wait¡ª The thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss Rafina. A guest has arrived.¡±


    ¡°A guest? Who is it?¡±


    A roomful of puzzled gazes focused on the door, which swung open to reveal¡­


    ¡°Hey, Mia. Good morning. And greetings to all you finedies too.¡±


    Abel Remno, who strode in with a charming smile.

 Chapter 514

    <strong>Onward To The Equestrian Kingdom!</strong>


    With Abel¡¯s arrival and Bel¡¯s timely return with Sion and Keithwood in tow, Mia and all her friends gathered for breakfast together in the inn¡¯s cafeteria. Interestingly, Bel¡¯s return was so well-timed that she showed up exactly when the freshly baked bread emerged from the oven. Even Mia, who had anticipated the girl¡¯s return for breakfast, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by her granddaughter¡¯s ability to follow her nose.


    Not that Mia¡¯s own fondness for eating paled inparison, mind you. Whether it was morning, noon, or night, she indulged whenever and wherever she pleased. Like grandmother, like granddaughter.


    Furthermore, Rafina seemed to be aware of this fact, as evidenced by the generous portions brought to the table for breakfast. One te held a substantial heap of freshly baked bread, apanied by arge bottle of jam.


    The sight pleased Mia, prompting her to reach for the bottle when Rafina interjected, ¡°The jam is very good, of course, but the butter is no slouch either.¡±


    Rafina¡¯sment made her reconsider. Though she initially intended to have some bread with jam¡ªnote the sequence of wording¡ªperhaps¡­


    ¡°Oh? Is that so¡­?¡± she murmured.


    After some thought, she spared a final longing nce at the jam beforeplying with Rafina¡¯s suggestion and spreading the butter over the bread instead. The butter immediately began to melt on the hot bread, emitting a tantalizing, sweet aroma.


    ¡°Oooh¡­ This is¡­¡±


    Her appetite fully whetted, she took a big bite. With a satisfying crunch, a mouthful gave way.


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    The rich fragrance of milk wafted through her nose as creamy goodness filled her mouth. Every sessive bite produced another crunch of bread, each followed by a delicious burst of butter. She let out a sigh of pleasure.


    ¡°This¡­ is a marvel of gastronomy.¡± She devoured the rest of the bread and turned toward the innkeeper. ¡°Please ept mypliments, master. The bread was baked to perfection, of course, but it¡¯s this butter that truly stands out. I¡¯ve never had butter this good¡­¡±


    ¡°I am overjoyed to hear that it was to your taste. This butter was, in fact, made with sheep milk.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ Sheep, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it is procured from the Equestrian Kingdom. Their sheep produce extremely fine milk that tastes richer than milk from cows.¡±


    ¡°Really? I had no idea¡­¡± Mia nodded with fascination as she reached for another slice of bread and spread a thickyer of butter over one side. Then, she turned to Abel. ¡°So, Abel, what brings you here so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Right, about that. Since we¡¯re all here, I figured that we might as well head back together, though I won¡¯t be able to join you for the whole trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean? Aren¡¯t you heading back to Saint-Noel?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got some business to attend to. I¡¯m thinking of paying Malong a visit.¡±


    ¡°My, Malong¡­ So you¡¯re going to the Equestrian Kingdom?¡± Mia frowned. Crunch. Crunch. ¡°Speaking of which, the Kingdom of Remno has some ties with the Equestrian Kingdom, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My kingdom puts a lot of effort into our military drills, and we have an arrangement with the Equestrian Kingdom to dispatch instructors to us for our warhorse training. Of course, the purpose of this training is to use horses as instruments of war, so they¡¯ve never been particrly enthusiastic toply¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. That¡¯s to be expected, I suppose.¡±


    Mia, having sufficient knowledge about the Equestrian Kingdom, could anticipate their reservations about the purpose of the arrangement.


    Crunch. Crunch.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve actually known Malong for a long time, and a while back, I got a letter from him saying there was something he wanted to discuss¡­¡± said Abel.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± Mia frowned in thought, summoning a mental map of the local geography.


    Crunch. Crunch.


    The Equestrian Kingdom had no concept of borders. It consisted of twelve ns, and ten of those ns would take their main assets¡ªsheep¡ªwith them as they roamed around the vast grassy ins south of Sunnd between the Holy Principality of Belluga and the Kingdom of Remno. Due to their nomadic nature, while that general area in which they roved could be considered the kingdom¡¯s territory, itcked well-defined borders.


    The remaining two ns were known as townwardens. One was permanently settled in the north capital near Sunnd, and the other in the south capital near Remno. As their title suggests, they were charged with defending the two settlements.


    Once every few years, a n council would be held in one of the capitals, during which the ns would assess the state of the grasnd and discuss their respective movement ns for the future.


    Remember the self-preservation scheme Mia had concocted in case Sunnd invaded Tearmoon? The one that involved befriending Remno so they could hit back at Sunnd with a pincer attack? The fact that the Equestrian Kingdom existed between the other two had not been lost on her. She¡¯d given the thought of establishing some sort of friendship with the Equestris plenty of thought, as their high-skilled cavalry was something she absolutely wanted on her side.


    Not that it matters a whole lot now, of course, since it doesn¡¯t look like Sunnd is going to be invading us any time soon.


    In any case, she now understood Abel¡¯s situation. Since they were headed for Saint-Noel, it was certainly possible to drop by the Equestrian Kingdom along the way.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The Equestrian Kingdom¡­¡± she murmured as she nced at the bread she was holding.


    Well, the bread she¡¯d been holding, because for some mysterious reason, it was nowhere to be found!


    ¡°Huh?¡± She raised an eyebrow at her breadless hand. How odd. Where did it¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me, mdy¡­¡± Her train of thought was interrupted by Anne, who discreetly leaned in and wiped the corner of Mia¡¯s mouth. As she pulled away, Mia caught a glimpse¡­ of a bread crumb on the handkerchief! ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    She then looked at the table, where more of the fresh-baked bready. After contemtively narrowing her eyes, she reached for another slice and quickly applied a smoothyer of butter. Another round of crunchy crunching followed.


    Hmm¡­ It¡¯s just so good. Honestly, if we¡¯re going to pass by the Equestrian Kingdom, it might be a good idea to stop and talk to them about procuring some of this butter. If she, with Ludwig¡¯s help, could get them to do business with the empire as well¡­ She¡¯d have ess to this delicacy for breakfast every morning! With lips pursed in overeager calction, Mia eyed Sion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to run the idea by Esmeralda and Tiona too¡­ Actually, Esmeralda has Echard with her, so she probably can¡¯t make any detours. On that note, Sion, what¡¯s going on with Tiona? I was told by Keithwood yesterday that she spent the night at the castle.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ There¡¯s something that happened for which I owe you an apology.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you? What for?¡±


    ¡°Miss Tiona, you see, wasn¡¯t feeling too well. She¡­ was exposed to some chilly air, and I suspect she might have caught a cold.¡±


    ¡°My, is that¡­? Hm? But wait¡­ Then why do you owe me an apology?¡± Mia asked with unwitting pointedness. ¡°I was going to ask her to join us for our girls¡¯ partyst night, so I went looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Are you telling me she was at your ce?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, uh, well¡­ I suppose so. Father wished to thank her in person, so he asked her to stay,¡± Sion answered with an odd sense of nervousness.


    ¡°Huuuuh.¡± Mia¡¯s gaze lingered curiously on Sion for a second. ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the point is that she¡¯s a little sick, so we figured we¡¯d have her stay a little longer. It¡¯ll give her time to recover, and we can treat her to some more of our amenities as both an apology and thanks. I don¡¯t want to keep the rest of you, though, so I¡¯m nning to arrange for a ride back to Saint-Noel for everyone at Sunnd¡¯s expense.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    If Tiona wasn¡¯t feeling well, it would be unreasonable to force her toe along to the Equestrian Kingdom. At the same time, Abel had matters to discuss with Malong, so he couldn¡¯t afford to linger in Sunnd. As Mia weighed her options, her wandering gaze stopped on Bel, who was munching on bread like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Despite having left Ludwig in charge of Bel¡¯s education, she didn¡¯t seem to have done much studying sinceing to Sunnd.


    I can already see her struggling on her future exams. I¡¯d better get her out of Sunnd as soon as possible.


    Her mind made up, Mia nodded. ¡°Very well. In that case, I¡¯ll leave my dear friends in your hands. Do make sure they are taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Of course. They will be afforded every luxury,¡± Sion answered with a nod.


    Just as they thought they had concluded the discussion, Rafina interjected with her ownment. ¡°If you¡¯re nning to make a stop at the Equestrian Kingdom, then I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    ¡°Miss Rafina, you will?¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve discussed the Sunnd issue with His Majesty, I need to inform the Equestrian Kingdom of our conclusions. There¡¯s a lot of information I need tomunicate, including the situation with the potential Serpent, so I¡¯d prefer to speak to them in person.¡±


    ¡°I see. It looks like we¡¯ll be showing up in a big group¡­ Oh, in that case, why don¡¯t we get some horse riding practice on the way there?¡± Mia suggested in a sh of inspiration.


    ¡°Huh? B-But that¡¯s¡­¡± Rafina stammered, caught off guard by the sudden idea.


    Mia couldn¡¯t resist a private grin at the sight.


    Oh, Miss Rafina. I bet she¡¯s scared of getting on a horse. Oho ho, I never knew she could be such a child. How adorable.


    Feeling a sense of duty as the veteran equestrian, she put a fist to her chest, determined to ay the fears of her new apprentice.


    ¡°Oho ho, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll show you the ropes. As long as you follow my instructions, you¡¯ll be riding in no time.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you so strongly insist¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to learning from you then,¡± said Rafina, who yed with her fingers as a faint sheen of pink engulfed her cheeks.


    Why was Sion oddly nervous in mentioning that Tiona stayed at the castle overnight¡­


    Rafina to Mia, is like Citrina to Bel.

 Chapter 515

    <strong>The High Priestess of the Chaos Serpents Dances</strong>


    In a forgotten realm lost to the passage of time, nestled at the base of a perilous mountain separating the Kingdom of Remno and the Holy Principality of Belluga, there existed a ce erased from both history and memory. Concealed within a dense forest, a forsaken structure stood¡ªsolitary and forlorn. Yet, tobel it a castle would be a misnomer, for itcked the grandeur, visual finesse, and architectural grace associated with such fortifications. Rather, it stood as the remnants of an ancient people¡¯s fleeting dream, constructed stone by stone in this refuge where they sought sanctuary.


    This ce was meant to be the rallying point for the defeated, a stage for their triumphant resurgence. However, that anticipated day never dawned. The inhabitants lived, and eventually perished, within its walls. The fortress, devoid of a master and untouched by the chaos of battle, faded into obscurity, erased from the records of time. Aged by the relentless march of years, the crumbling edifice transformed into a gathering ground for the Serpents.


    At the heart of the dpidated strongholdy its throne room, where a lone woman, seemingly in her midtwenties, engaged in a silent dance. Her glossy, jet-ck hair cascaded and swirled with each movement. Expressionless and wordless, she danced with unwavering focus. Her motions, though peculiar and disconcerting, possessed a unique beauty, devoid of any specific form or style, creating an eerie yet enchanting aura.


    It was difficult to imagine a dance more befitting the Chaos Serpents, who sought to destroy all order. However¡­


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± The man who walked into the room shot her a bemused look.


    ¡°Performing a dance,¡± she said, cidly answering the wolfmaster¡¯s question, ¡°as an offering to the Archdaemon. What do you think?¡±


    Despite the sudden interruption, the woman stopped dancing without the slightest hint of reluctance. She dabbed away the sweat on her forehead with a look of boredom.


    ¡°I made it up, but I think it actually passes for a ritual dance. Personally, I feel like I really evoked the image of the high priestess of the Serpents being an apostle of the Archdaemon.¡±


    The high priestess favored the wolfmaster with a bewitching smile. The wolfmaster remained unmoved.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember us bing apostles of the Archdaemon.¡±


    ¡°We are¡­and we aren¡¯t. It¡¯s a fuzzy line. What we do is destroy order. Sometimes, as apostles of the Archdaemon. Other times, as atheists. So long as we can destroy this hellish invention of order that is the source of our endless persecution, we will be whatever, whenever. We are shapeless and formless, united only by our goal and suffering. That is our greatest strength, no?¡±


    The wolfmaster was well aware that a portion of the Serpents¡¯ adherents were devout Archdaemonists. The high priestess, though¡­ He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman before him did not believe for a second the existence of such a deity as the Archdaemon. And it was because she didn¡¯t believe that she could conduct herself as the ideal priestess that her followers desired. Her irreverent objectivity made her an extremely effective leader who could unravel all forms of order with great efficiency andposure. She was, in short, a consummate actor whose ideology was rooted in destruction.


    ¡°So? What is it? Do you have some news?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I received a report from Ka Kunlou. He¡¯ll go into hiding instead ofing back here.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha, okay then. I wouldn¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s a shaman, after all. Wherever he goes, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a model Serpent and do a great job of destroying all sorts of order.¡±


    The high priestess smiled her bewitching smile again.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it dangerous to fly solo right now?¡± asked the wolfmaster. ¡°The Holy Lady Rafina¡­ Given her recent actions, there seems to be a significant risk of being captured by agents of the Central Orthodox Church.¡±


    ¡°Just as one cannot change the flow of a river by scooping out its water, there is a limit to the degree of impact the actions of a single agent can have. Should he fail, it will be a minor setback. Should he seed, his feats willpensate for the failures of other agents. All is but a small drop in the greater current of things.¡± Her smile grew even sweeter. ¡°The fact that he left Sunnd, well¡­ I assume that means he sessfully nted the seeds, in which case, I think we should wait a while. Then, we¡¯ll spread a new rumor that says Prince Echard is hiding some poison. If they n to hide the fact that he used the poison, then the rumor will damage trust in Sunnd¡¯s royal family. If he hasn¡¯t used the poison yet, then it should still stir up a lot of suspicions.¡±


    Her tone was so insouciant that it sounded like she was nning a simple prank rather than plotting to the downfall of people and kingdoms alike.


    ¡°Sounds dangerous to me. Are you sure we should be going so deep into Sunnd?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Even if our actions lead to our ruin, the Serpents won¡¯t die. There¡¯s Kunlou and the other shamans. A new high priestess befitting the times will rise and lead the Serpents anew. In fact, the existence of a high priestess itself is in no way critical. It all depends. Whatever is necessary, the Serpents will create, be it a priestess, a princess, or even a king. That is our way, is it not?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that? Even if you¡¯re not there to see it all happen?¡± asked the wolfmaster. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the destruction of order your dearest wish?¡±


    She regarded him for a moment, then shook her head and smiled. ¡°Men are such glory-seekers. You seek simple oues. Ones that visibly distinguish your aplishments. Not that I don¡¯t understand this desire of your kind, of course¡­ But I personally couldn¡¯t care less about any of that. Ruin is inevitable, after all. Eventually, everything will be destroyed.¡± She spoke with no passion or zeal. To her, it was merely a statement of fact. ¡°What do you think is the strength of the Chaos Serpents?¡±


    ¡°Beats me. The ability to manipte people with words?¡±


    ¡°That is neither true nor correct.¡±


    The priestess fixed the wolfmaster with a look. It was calm and unassertive, but there was a depth to it, as if she were peering into some cosmic truth.


    ¡°The strength of the Chaos Serpents,¡± she exined, ¡°is that they cannot be killed. They cannot be eradicated. They may not seed today, or tomorrow, or the day after, but they are eternal. And with enough time, they will eat away at the world until nothing is left. So long as humans continue to exist, so will Serpents. That¡¯s how this world works. And how it will unravel. There is no future in which we fail.¡± She folded her hands before her chest and closed her eyes. ¡°And no one can change that. Not even the Great Sage of the Empire.¡±


    Then, a yful smirk spread across her lips.


    ¡°Unless, of course, she reced all the humans in the world with those horses your people love so much. Then, the Serpents would indeed disappear. Because it is the ever-unchanging nature of humans that the Serpents are a curse upon.¡±


    She paused. Her pursed lips suggested the abrupt emergence of a thought.


    ¡°That reminds me. Your little sister¡­ Is she out plundering again?¡±


    ¡°We need enough food to feed the n, after all, or our people will starve. I believe she¡¯s operating near the Sunnd border¡­¡±


    ¡°Is she? Well, tell her toe pay me a visit some time. It¡¯s high time we had some tea together again.¡±


    She smiled, this time with all the grace and polish of a princess.

 Chapter 516

    <strong>The Mushroom Knight</strong>


    The esteemed Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Empire¡¯s Great Wisdom, found herself in a demanding position. The fate of the Empire and, it seemed, the entire continent rested on her capable shoulders. Despite these weighty responsibilities, Mia, in her own measured way, dedicated herself tirelessly to the cause. Nevertheless, amidst these pressing matters, she presently indulged in a well-deserved respite within one of Count Lampron¡¯s guest rooms.


    Originally tasked with averting Sion¡¯s assassination, Mia had sessfully aplished that mission. She had also thwarted an attempt on King Abram¡¯s life and managed to rescue Sion¡¯s brother, Echard, from an impending execution. Now, it was finally time for a moment of rxation.


    Reflecting on her uing journey to the Equestrian Kingdom with Miss Rafina, Mia acknowledged the need to remain vignt, especially given the potential consequences of anypse in attention. The specter of danger, including the ominous possibility of facing a guillotine with legs, loomedrge. Thus, Mia understood the paramount importance of staying alert.


    She mused, ¡°Even if it¡¯s just for some quality milk and butter, visiting the Equestrian Kingdom with Miss Rafina means that I can¡¯t afford to let my guard down. I¡¯ll have to teach her how to ride horses too¡­¡±


    The thought of any harm befalling Rafina was uneptable, and Mia recognized the gravity of the situation. Despite these concerns, Mia saw the present moment as an opportunity to rest and recharge. Contemting a n to tour the sweets shops in Sunnd, she envisioned a rxing indulgence in bed with a slice of cake.


    However, Mia¡¯s nascent scheme was abruptly halted as the negotiations between Rafina and King Abram concluded swiftly. Just two dayster, Mia¡¯s party departed from Sunnd. Ludwig, along with Rafina¡¯s attendants, had efficiently handled the preparations for the journey home. Mia, receiving a report from Ludwig, learned about the protective measures in ce for their return trip.


    Ludwig informed her, ¡°There will be four carriages for our return trip with guards positioned around them. The Princess Guard will be the center of all protective operations.¡±


    Perplexed, Mia tilted her head at this unexpected arrangement. While Belluga had voluntarily limited its military involvement, Rafina¡¯s convoy usually relied on the soldiers of the host country or nearby mercenaries hired by Belluga. However, this time, the protection was entrusted to the Princess Guard.


    Mia pondered, ¡°Nothing¡¯s the matter with there only being a few guards from Belluga, but¡­ What about the convoy from Remno?¡±


    Abined force,prising knights from the Greenmoons¡¯ personal army, the Princess Guard, and soldiers dispatched by Count Lampron of Sunnd, had ensured their safe passage to the current location. The intricate coordination of this security detail had demanded considerable mental effort from Ludwig. This time, with the addition of Belluga, Abel, and the guards from Remno, Ludwig¡¯s task became even moreplex. One might have expected him to assess the situation with a grim expression, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Well, the Kingdom of Remno only brought one knight with them,¡± Ludwig reported.


    Mia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Just one?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Apparently, Prince Abel¡¯s attendant would like to specifically greet you.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯d be happy to meet with him.¡±


    Despite her agreement, Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of worry. This concern only intensified when Abel¡¯s lone protector stood before her.


    ¡°It brings me the deepest of pleasures that you would take the time out of your busy day to allow me an audience, Your Highness. My name is Grammateus, and I am the knight tasked with overseeing the protection of Prince Abel.¡±


    Kneeling respectfully before her, head bowed, was a solitary elderly man. Just him. That was all.


    Mia, despite her qualms, lifted her skirt slightly from above the ground with a smile. The expression she wore was a wless facade¡ªso amicable and princess-like that itpletely masked the anxiety she felt.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Sir Grammateus. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon, princess of the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    Her greeting was as impable as her smile. However, when she raised her face, she found herself captivated by the sight in front of her.


    <em>Oh, my¡­ He¡¯s¡­</em>


    She couldn¡¯t help but be struck with wonder. The elderly soldier was adorned in golden armor that enveloped his entire form. The rounded metal bore numerous scratches, a testament to Grammateus¡¯s many battles. Yet, more noteworthy was the expression on the old man¡¯s face. Despite the weight of the armor, he wore a debonair grin. His movements betrayed no burden, and he exuded a brisk energy that defied his advanced age.


    To the discerning eye, it was evident that this was no ordinary man. However, Mia¡¯s eyes were far from sharp¡ªthey were more akin to pebbles or marbles. While they might be considered pretty, they were ill-suited for gauging the strength of an opponent. Thus, that was not what had captured Mia¡¯s attention.


    ¡°The helmet you have there is simply marvelous, Sir Grammateus. Would it be possible for you to put it on? I¡¯d love to see what it looks like,¡± Mia inquired, noticing the helmet Grammateus held by his side and deciding to make a request.


    ¡°It brings me the deepest of pleasures to hear such praise for my battle attire. If that be your request¡­¡±


    The moment Grammateus adorned his full suit of armor, Mia¡¯s initial impression turned into a resolute conviction.


    <em>Oho ho! He looks like a mushroom!</em>


    Such was the whimsical thought that upied Mia¡¯s mind. A single nce at the helmet¡¯s round protrusion and the gentle curves of the armor was all Mia needed. In her discerning eyes, she could find a resemnce to a mushroom hidden within anything!


    <em>Mm-hmm! Only someone of my caliber would have been able to notice! Mia perhaps indulged in a bit too much pride. I¡¯ve heard of this before, though. Soldiers often dress like mythical beasts to intimidate their opponents or gain inhuman powers!</em>


    Another look at the man in front of her and the metallic mushroom armor he wore led Mia to a whimsical conclusion.


    <em>Sir Grammateus is dressed like a mushroom, which means he¡¯s channeling their power! He¡¯s a Mushroom Knight! I¡¯m sure I can count on him! At times, mushrooms use their virulent toxins to y their foes, and at others, they use their supple grace to evade enemy attacks.</em>


    To Mia, mushrooms symbolized strength!


    She nodded approvingly. ¡°I see. That armor of yours really is magnificent. I¡¯m sure we can count on you.¡±


    Mia¡¯s remarks left Grammateus with eyes wide open in shock.


    Abel mirrored the sentiment with a wry smile. ¡°You really know everything, don¡¯t you, Mia? Grammateus has trained our royal family in swordsmanship for quite a while now. He¡¯s worked both my brother and me to the bone over the years.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    <em>Oho ho, if he teaches swordsmanship, then he must be strong! That¡¯s a Mushroom Knight for you¡ªhis choice in armor exudes an aura of strength!</em>


    While Mia was lost in her thoughts, the Mushroom Knight (a.k.a. Grammateus) was warmly weing the sight of Dion ia.


    ¡°My, oh, my! You are Dion ia, are you not? I heard you even bested the Adamantine Spear!¡± With that, he made his way over to Dion, stopping just a few feet in front of him. ¡°Hah! I see that there was truth to the rumors! You seem to be quite the man.¡±


    With a hand on his chin, Grammateus gave Dion a once-over.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Dion replied. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Sir Grammateus of Remno, the Sword Saint. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still kicking.¡± The smile on Dion¡¯s lips was warm, but his eyes were cold, busy with the task of appraising his opponent. ¡°So? How do you suggest we position the troops, Sir Grammateus?¡±


    ¡°As if you needed to ask me! A man of peerless valor such as yourself should prove to have no trouble. I mean, you bested the Adamantine Spear! I think it would be wise to leave everything in your capable hands.¡±


    After waving the old soldier goodbye, Mia turned to Dion.


    ¡°Do the two of you know each other?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but I¡¯ve heard stories of him. He¡¯s the one who invented the fundamentals of Remno swordsmanship. Whether it be ¡®Master¡¯ or the ¡®Sword Saint,¡¯ he¡¯s got a bunch of fancy nicknames surrounding him.¡± Dion shrugged with a grimace. ¡°Looks like even you managed to figure out how strong he is. Well, he lives up to his name. A pity that I couldn¡¯t have met him in his glory days¡­ Anyways, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got anything to worry about. I might even ask him to help train the Princess Guard.¡±


    ¡°My! He really is strong!¡±


    As she watched the departing figure of her Mushroom Knight, Mia realized her intuition had proved true.


    <em>Mushrooms. Are. Strength!</em>

 Chapter 517

    <strong>Mia Shows Off Her Veteran Skills</strong>


    Three days had gone by since Mia and herpanions left the capital of Sol Saliente in Sunnd. With a sigh, Mia stepped out of her carriage, stretching her back and admiring the clear midday sky.


    ¡°Ah¡­ What lovely weather! It feels amazing out here.¡± The autumn breeze that swept along the ins left her feeling refreshed. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for some horseback riding!¡±


    Her enthusiasm was met with a hesitant voice. ¡°U-Um¡­ Mia?¡± Mia turned toward Rafina, whose eyes were slightly upturned. Right now, the Holy Lady was not in a dress but in horse-riding gear. Seeing Rafina in such an outfit was rare, and Mia watched as Rafina squirmed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mia looked at the pants Rafina was wearing, then her own, especially the belt. Mia was troubled. She had to loosen it one more notch than usual! What a strange phenomenon! Why is my belt so tight? I don¡¯t understand it at all! Perhaps it has something to do with Sunnd¡¯s climate¡­ She was avoiding the truth, but at least it cheered her up. Let¡¯s just¡­ exercise! I simply need to get my body moving!


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going horse riding, Miss Rafina. It¡¯s the perfect day for it!¡±


    The reservation in Rafina¡¯s voice contrasted with Mia¡¯s beaming smile.


    ¡°But¡­ wouldn¡¯t you prefer to go on a ride with Prince Abel? I¡¯d rather not interfere¡­¡±


    <em>A ride with Abel? Oho ho¡­ Quite the tempting offer indeed.</em>


    A ride with Abel was music to Mia¡¯s ears, even more so if she could use the opportunity to spend quality time with him! Well, in Mia¡¯s case, it was probably more ¡°dovey¡± than ¡°lovey,¡± but it was still true. If she could enjoy some time with Abel, she wanted to, but¡­ Mia pushed such thoughts away with a quiet shake of her head. The horse riding she was about to embark on wasn¡¯t for enjoyment. It was a time of abstinence! She needed to get her condition in check!


    What condition, you ask? Well, the condition she needed to properly enjoy the tasty delights of the Equestrian Kingdom! The butter they made was out of this world, and there were sure to be countless other treats awaiting her. But with the current roundness of her stomach, future regret was bound to prevent her from savoring them to the fullest. This exercise was necessary both to recover from her overindulgence in pastries and to enjoy the culinary delights with Abel himself.


    She also had to consider the promise she made with Miss Rafina¡­ Mia hadn¡¯t forgotten the vow made at the slumber party or the slight smile that adorned Rafina¡¯s lips in response. Now that she thought about it, that might¡¯ve been the first time she was able to lift Rafina¡¯s spirits with a present. Mia felt aplished!


    ¡°I made a promise to you, didn¡¯t I? Besides, horse rides are only fun when everyone can enjoy them together! As things are now, I¡¯d have to leave you behind, and that wouldn¡¯t be any fun!¡±


    Rafina was left without words. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Despite her slight nod, she still seemed to be holding back somewhat. It was then that Mia had a realization! <em>Oho ho! I see how it is! Miss Rafina, you¡¯re afraid of horses, aren¡¯t you? Well, I guess they are intimidatingly tall¡­</em>


    With just that thought, Mia¡¯s heart swelled with joy. ¡°This horse is quite docile. I¡¯m sure you twodies will find it fit for one¡¯s first experience on horseback. Though, it may be a little bit toopliant¡­¡± said one of the members of the Princess Guard, leading a horse behind him.


    The horse¡¯s eyes drooped with drowsiness, looking perfectly peaceful¡ªor rather, it just looked spaced out. But for some reason, as soon as Mia set eyes on that horse, she felt a sense of kinship. Have I really never met this horse before? It¡¯s excellent!


    Mia turned to Rafina with a smile. ¡°You have nothing to worry about! Unlike a certain more restive horse, this one won¡¯t blow any snot on you. It definitely doesn¡¯t seem like a troublemaker!¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Rafina gave a nod of affirmation, but still, something appeared to be troubling her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right.¡±


    <em>Oh ho! I didn¡¯t know Miss Rafina was such a scaredy-cat! Oho ho ho! I was so calm and collected the first time I rode. Who would¡¯ve thought Miss Rafina would turn out to be so different!</em>


    Thinking it was her ce to take the lead, Mia elegantly mounted the horse with a refined ¡°hupty-doo!¡± Yes, this horse was so docile, Mia was able to ¡°elegantly¡± jump atop its back.


    ¡°Well then, Miss Rafina! It¡¯s your turn. Come and sit in front of me.¡± With that, Mia tugged Rafina¡¯s hand toward her. Borrowing help from the Princess Guard, Rafina was somehow able to get herself straddled on the horse¡¯s back.


    Mia addressed her, pride filling her chest. ¡°Now, Miss Rafina, make sure you grab on firmly, okay? Even if you see an acquaintance of yours, or a trusty servant, you must not¡ªunder any circumstances¡ªrelease both your hands from the reins. It would be terrible if you were to lose your bnce and fall.¡± ¡­Well, let¡¯s just set that piece of advice aside.


    ¡°Things will be fine. So long as you hold on tight, it will be very hard for you to fall off!¡± Mia was sure that Rafina¡¯s silence was due to her fear of horse riding, so she offered her kind words of encouragement. Perhaps it was just a trick of her eye, but Mia could see the dignity of a veteran exuding from herself.


    She would never realize that it was all just her imagination. What had really kept Rafina silent was the overwhelming nervousness that came with a sudden scenic horseback ride with a friend, but Mia, of course, was blind to that fact. Thus began her heart-pounding horse-riding adventure. That¡¯s right. There was one more thing that went beyond Mia¡¯s realization. The resounding clomp of hooves from far beyond the hill, that menacing herd of cavalry that was approaching them¡­

 Chapter 518

    <strong>Mia + Horse Mia = ? ? ?</strong>


    Unfortunately, Mia remained oblivious to the impending danger. In more ways than one, this would undoubtedly set hearts pounding.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Rafina eximed joyfully from atop the horse¡¯s back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting us to be so far off the ground! The view from up here¡­ It¡¯s simr to the view from Saint-Noel¡¯s Stargazing Tower, but there¡¯s something different about it. It¡¯s difficult to put my finger on it!¡±


    Rafina turned back toward Mia with a grin, who tilted her head in response. How strange¡­ I wonder why she¡¯s soposed. Mia wasn¡¯t expecting her to be nearly so calm. She was so stunned that all she could do was stare questioningly at Rafina. But I used to get so panicked whenever I rode horses! Mia, with a smug grin stered on her face, was supposed to assuage the fearful Rafina with a lecture on the wonders of horseback riding, relentlessly guiding Rafina into bing a capable rider! Her horseback ride of abstinence was already falling apart.


    <em>Hmph. I wonder what¡¯s gotten into her¡­ I¡¯ll have to rework my n. This calls for¡­</em>


    ¡°Hey, you two. I see things are going smoothly.¡±


    Just then, Mia¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a gant voice. It was Abel, standing beside them in the horse-riding gear he had just changed into. Seeing his charming figure, Mia couldn¡¯t help but let out an enamored sigh.


    If he came all the way out here, does that mean he wants to enjoy some horse riding with me? A horseback ride with Abel, huh¡­? Mia took one nce at Abel¡¯s sharp appearance and decided¡­ she couldn¡¯t wait! Her horseback ride of abstinence was now nothing more than dust blown away with the wind.


    ¡°Were you nning on lending us a hand?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, I was. I thought you¡¯d be fine by yourself, Mia, but I felt like I could use the exercise.¡± Abel turned toward Rafina, his head held in question. ¡°My apologies, but is this your first time riding a horse, Miss Rafina?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve only ever traveled by carriage before.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, would you allow me the honor of leading the horse carrying you two princesses?¡± Abel looked back at Mia. ¡°How about it?¡±


    ¡°It almost feels presumptuous for me to ask that of you, Abel¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha! You needn¡¯t worry about that. I just wanted to spend some time with you.¡± Seeing Abel¡¯s dashing wink, another enamored sigh escaped Mia¡¯s lips.


    Thus, their rxing horseback ride began. The horse walked along, a tranquil ¡°clomp, clomp¡± apanying each step. It was just as docile as the guard had promised¡ªincredibly steady and never showing any signs of going out of control.


    <em>My! This horse really is gentle! I hope Miss Rafina isn¡¯t afraid. I wonder how she¡¯s enjoying this¡­</em>


    Just as that thought went through Mia¡¯s mind, Rafina abruptly brought up a question.


    ¡°Hey, Mia? When you¡¯re usually riding, how do you make the horse gallop?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s eyes sparkled with wonder. She seemedpletely enchanted, as if she was a child who had just received her first toy.


    You see, at her core, Mia is someone who gets easily carried away. The sight of someone¡¯s pleasure at her actions is enough to drive her into high gear.


    ¡°Hm, well¡­ Usually, I¡­¡± Mia turned toward the guard by her side who had the task of protecting the two of them. ¡°Do you happen to know if these ins continue onward? We¡¯re not going to suddenlye to a cliff or anything, are we?¡±


    ¡°Thend will stay t for quite a while. There are no cliffs or any sort of other dangerous terrain.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well then, Miss Rafina. How about I take you for a short gallop?¡±


    ¡°Huh? But¡­¡±


    Mia addressed the hesitating Rafina with a smile. ¡°The real pleasure of horse riding is when you¡¯re running at full speed! One with the horse, you be the wind. It¡¯s a sensation that can only be felt on a horse¡¯s back, and I¡¯d like for you to experience it too!¡±


    Mia cast her gaze to Abel, and once again, he shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go get my own horse ready and follow after you two.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I guess that¡¯s it! We¡¯ll be heading out.¡±


    ¡°H-Hold on a second, Your Highness. You can¡¯t just¡­¡±


    Mia shed her panicked guard a mischievous grin. ¡°It¡¯ll be perfectly fine! We won¡¯t be going too far.¡± She turned to Rafina. ¡°Shall we be on our way?¡±


    Her words were spoken with incredible volume, as Mia¡­ had gottenpletely carried away! Her victory at the Horsemanship Tournament and her sess at escaping the wolfmaster had inted her ego. And so, Mia silently urged her horse forward,pletely unaware of the pitfall that was lying right beneath her feet.


    Following Mia¡¯s orders, the horse dashed forward, the wind that blew past them getting stronger and stronger.


    ¡°Waaah!¡±


    Rafina¡¯s silken hair danced behind her as she let out a cry of joy¡ªmusic to Mia¡¯s ears!


    ¡°Oho ho! Don¡¯t get satisfied quite yet, Miss Rafina! We¡¯re nowhere near top speed. Forward, Silvermoon!¡± yelped Mia, unable to stop her high spirits from leaving her mouth.


    To rify, their horse¡¯s name was not ¡°Silvermoon.¡±


    Moving on, just like that, they continued to dash through the grasnd ins. When they had finally returned to their senses, they realized that they hade quite aways from their carriages, which were now just specks in the distance.


    <em>Hm, maybe it¡¯s about time I turned back¡­</em>


    Mia stopped her horse and turned it the other way, back toward the direction they had juste from.


    Right then, Rafina piped up in a whisper. ¡°Huh¡­? Mia, do you know what that could be?¡±


    ¡°Over there? I have no clue¡­¡±


    Following Rafina¡¯s pointed finger, Mia took a moment to think¡­ before her face turned a ghastly pale white! Kicking through the weeds and letting out cries of war was a group headed straight for their carriages. Plus, Mia had seen them before!


    ¡°My! Could they be that group of bandits?!¡±


    The horseback brigands they had bumped into on their way to Sol Saliente were back for vengeance!


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    She could hear the trepidation in Rafina¡¯s voice. Mia gave a slow nod, hoping to ay her fears.


    ¡°W-We have nothing to worry about! Dion¡¯s stayed with the carriages, and the Princess Guard are some of the most capable soldiers out there! They¡¯ll have these thieves running for cover before you know it!


    For just a moment, Mia had been on the brink of panic after seeing the band of brigands herself. However, she quickly regained herposure; Dion ia was with the rest of the group, after all.


    <em>We were fine on the way here! I¡¯m sure things will be the same this time too!</em>


    Just as thoseforting thoughts went through Mia¡¯s head, she quickly realized her mistake. The brigands heading toward their party had suddenly stopped in their tracks¡­ and were now heading straight toward Mia!


    <em>Ah! This is bad¡­ They¡¯ve found us!</em>


    Mia was certain that as long as they hadn¡¯t done anything to provoke the group, she and Rafina would be fine. So, of course, this sent Mia into panic mode. Still half in her state of stupor, Mia turned her horse to face the opposite direction of the bandits¡­ which was also the opposite direction of their carriages.


    ¡°Agh! Miss Rafina, make sure you hold on tight!¡±


    Rafina was immediate with her reply. ¡°Wait, Mia. Let¡¯s trade ces.¡±


    As soon as the words had left her mouth, Rafina maneuvered herself to sit behind Mia.


    ¡°Huh? But, Miss Rafina¡­¡±


    ¡°Between us two, I¡¯m taller, so it must be hard to see around me, right? The bandits are getting closer. We better hurry!¡±


    ¡°My¡­ You have a point!¡±


    Mia followed Rafina¡¯s lead and sent their horse dashing forward.


    <em>We¡¯ll be fine! We can outrun them!</em>


    Mia, you see, was confident. She had beaten Ruby at Saint-Noel¡¯s Horsemanship Tournament and had even outrun the wolfmaster! This, of course, meant that she¡¯d be able to shake the average bandit off their tail. But what really gave Miafort was¡­


    <em>I-If I keep on running, Dion will catch up to us eventually! A man like him will be able to drive back these bandits single-handedly! I mean, even if they¡¯re chasing us down, they¡¯re still so far away! Outrunning them will be a piece of cake!</em>


    Mia hadplete certainty in these musings, but there was one thing that had slipped her mind: Kun was a much better horse than Mia had thought!


    ¡°Onwards! Shake off these enemies and let¡¯s get back to our friends! Giddyup!¡±


    Mia gantly addressed her horse. When spoken to like that, her horse had never failed to meet her demands, turning her into the wind. Mia was certain that just as the violent tempest, they¡¯d be able to shake off their enemies. However¡­


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mia found herself at a loss.


    <em>Why¡­ haven¡¯t we be the wind yet? This horse isn¡¯t picking up speed at all! Th-This isn¡¯t right! Why in the moons aren¡¯t we getting any faster?!</em>


    Mia watched as the brigands drew closer and closer. Masks covered each of their faces, hiding their expressions and making them ever more ominous.


    <em>Wh-Why is this horse so slow?!</em>


    Mia peered into the horse¡¯s eyes¡­ and her jaw dropped to the ground!


    <em>This horse looks absolutely lifeless!</em>


    Not in its dazed eyes, nor in its drooping mouth, or even in its absentminded expression, could Mia find a single ounce of anxiety. It was the exact same face Mia would make when counting the leaves to kill the time!


    That¡¯s right, Mia¡¯s ultimate riding technique of the Flotsam was reliant on having a first-rate horse. If the horse was going at one hundred, Mia wouldpletely rid herself as not to add a minus fifty through her riding technique. That was the true nature of her method. However, this horse¡ªthis Mia ver. Horse¡ªwasn¡¯t even strong in the first ce. Just as two unmotivated Mias would result in nothing, her Flotsam technique was absolutely useless.


    Before Mia even had the chance to notice, she had been forced into a position where she¡¯d have to actually try!


    ¡°Urgh! Agh! It appears there¡¯s nothing else we can do.¡± Mia looked over her shoulder. ¡°Miss Rafina¡­¡±


    Rafina¡¯s shoulders jumped.


    ¡°Hold on tightly. Make sure you won¡¯t be able to fall off.¡±


    Her voice was soft, but full of conviction.


    <em>I can¡¯t let Rafina fall off! That¡¯d reflect on me terribly!</em>


    Just imagining it had Mia shivering in fear. If she was the only one to be saved in a situation like this one, one wrong step would have people doubting if Mia had shoved Rafina from the horse in an attempt to save herself. A cold sweat dripped down Mia¡¯s back.


    Plus, Mia couldn¡¯t get that Rafina¡¯s earlier grin out of her mind. Every time she remembered it, Mia¡¯s chicken heart fluttered.


    <em>Hmph! If only she¡¯d give me the same look of disgust she used to! Then I wouldn¡¯t have to hurt my sensitive conscience!</em>


    You see, Mia waspletelycking in the ability to cut down anyone and anything else to save oneself, a characteristic often associated with tyrants. Which meant¡­ Mia had to do whatever it took to save Rafina as well. As a veteran, she needed to put all her effort into ensuring Rafina didn¡¯t fall, but¡­


    <em>I don¡¯t have that luxury right now! My hands arepletely full as it is!</em>


    She had to find an escape route while also figuring out how to kick this horse into action. It was impossible for them to keep away from the bandits until help arrived. Now, she needed to get back to the carriages by herself. And so, she also needed Rafina to cling onto her for dear life. Mia softly ced one of her hands onto Rafina¡¯s, which were wrapped around her waist.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find our way back and ensure safety for the rest! I promise!¡±


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    There was a slight tremor in Rafina¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 519

    <strong>Goodness¡­ This is So Much Fun! </strong><strong>?</strong>


    ¡°We¡¯ll navigate our way back and ensure the safety of the others! I give you my word!¡±


    ¡°Mia¡­¡±


    Rafina clenched her teeth, exerting every effort to steady her trembling voice.


    <em>Goodness¡­ Goodness¡­</em>


    For some time now, these phrases had been the sole upants of Rafina¡¯s mind. Mia was positioned in front of her, fervently guiding their horse towards an escape. As Rafina observed Mia from her vantage point, she found herself truly and utterly perplexed.


    <em>Goodness¡­ This is so much¡­ Fun!</em>


    Certainly, there was no nearby intoxicating beverage that could attribute Rafina¡¯s demeanor to anything but sobriety. Indeed, despite the perilous circumstances, Rafina couldn¡¯t contain her excitement!


    <em>I mean¡­ I¡¯ve never encountered something like this before!</em>


    Throughout the expedition to the Kingdom of Remno and the more recent escapades in the wilderness, Rafina was consistently the one left behind. The night of the Holy Eve Festival cut particrly deep into Rafina¡¯s heart. Abel, Sion, Keithwood¡ªeven Tiona, Liora, and Anne¡ªall risked their lives, coborating to save Mia. They joined forces, even including Mia herself, solely to rescue Rafina¡¯s cherished friend. However, amidst them, there was no ce for Rafina. She stood alone.


    Granted, Rafina acknowledged her assigned role. She was the daughter of the Duke governing the Holy Principality of Belluga. Her life wasn¡¯t one that could easily court danger. Nevertheless, it irked her.


    Alone, she could not contribute to her friend¡¯s salvation. Alone, she could not stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone. Alone, she was left behind. The sense of destion weighed heavily on her. But was it entirely urate? In Sunnd, Mia saved Echard, and Rafina stood steadfast by her side, offering guidance along the way. Together, they rescued the boy. Presently, they were evading bandits, once again, side by side. Her initial venture into horsemanship had transformed into a shared adventure, facing danger with a friend.


    This abrupt shift in circumstances had disoriented Rafina and set her heart aflutter!


    <em>Why am I¡­? Our lives are in jeopardy, yet I find this so enjoyable!</em>


    Still perplexed, she dismissed these thoughts from her mind.


    <em>No, I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t allow a situation like this to lift my spirits! In an effort to save me, Mia had to divert our horse away from our pursuers. Meaning, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to assert that this predicament is entirely my fault.</em>


    Rafinaprehended the rationale of their predicament entirely, yet she couldn¡¯t suppress the flutter in her heart. Escaping danger by risking one¡¯s life with a trustedrade and coborating with a dear friend was a scenario Rafina had always yearned for. Moreover, that friend was the epitome of reliability and honor.


    For a brief moment, Rafina harbored suspicion about Mia¡¯s intentions. She entertained the notion that Mia mightpel her to dismount the horse to reduce its burden or even sacrifice herself to ensure Rafina¡¯s rescue. This contemtion led Rafina to strategically position herself behind Mia. In this arrangement, she could shield Mia from any iing arrows, and if circumstances demanded, she could release her grip, offering herself as a sacrifice to enhance Mia¡¯s chances of escaping with reduced weight. However, Mia¡¯s perspective differed. She opted for a path that would secure the safety of both of them, ensuring their joint return home.


    <em>Is there anyone else as reliable?</em>


    For Rafina, risking her life alongside such a trustworthy friend filled her with indescribable joy.


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡±


    At that moment, she heard Mia emit a sigh of despair. Swiftly lifting her gaze, Rafina confronted the source of Mia¡¯s concerns. Another cohort of horse-mounted individuals materialized directly in front of them.


    <em>This cannot be! We¡¯re encircled!</em>


    Rafina promptly surveyed their surroundings. In her peripheral vision, she noticed a patch of rich greenery ¡ª a cluster of trees, a small forest, to be precise.


    ¡°Mia! Over there! Into the woods!¡±


    In response, Mia gently tugged the reins.


    ¡°I had confidence you would rescue us, Rafina-sama!¡±


    The horse altered its course, heading directly for the forest. Judging from Rafina¡¯s assessment, their horse stood little chance against the marauders. Not only were the brigands mounted on more robust steeds, but Mia and Rafina were riding together, cing them at a clear disadvantage. Yet, what if their escape route traversed a dense forest? Could Mia¡¯s exceptional riding skills navigate the obstacles and lead to a sessful getaway?


    Now, Rafina¡¯s logic harbored a critical misunderstanding,pounded by herck of horsemanship experience, which elevated Mia to the status of an unparalleled rider. A somewhat unfortunate misconception.


    <em>But can we truly reach the forest?</em>


    Filled with uncertainties, Rafina looked back. Almost immediately, she discerned an anomaly.


    ¡°Huh? Why are they¡­?¡±


    The pursuers were noticeably losing momentum. It appeared they had encountered the other group that had just emerged.


    <em>Is there a breakdown inmunication? Or could they belong to different factions?</em>


    Lost in her bewilderment, Rafina overheard Mia¡¯s muttered expletive.


    ¡°Augh! This one is exceptionally tenacious! Shouldn¡¯t they have given up by now?!¡±


    Rafina followed Mia¡¯s line of sight, verifying her words¡ªthere was a lone bandit persistently tailing them. Despite being rtively diminutivepared to the other marauders, her horse outpaced Mia and Rafina¡¯s.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the verge of entering the forest! Take cover, Miss Rafina!¡± urged Mia. Immediately after the words escaped her lips, Rafina heard the crackling of branches as the horse propelled them into the woods. Emerging on the other side of the leafy barrier, they found themselves on a narrow game trail. Maintaining a swift gallop, Mia skillfully maneuvered the horse through the interweaving trees.


    Rafina peered behind them in a crouch. The adversary¡¯s horse rapidly closed in on them.


    ¡°Augh! Uuurgh! I doubt I can shake them off! We¡¯ll need to find a path through the forest that leads us back to the carriages,¡± grumbled Mia. Suddenly, the pursuer¡¯s horse vanished.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Rafina focused her gaze into the lush depths of the forest. Yet, she discerned no sign of their assant. Perhaps Mia had noticed it too, as she slowed the horse and turned to inspect their rear.


    ¡°Have they stopped chasing us¡­?¡± Mia was incredulous. ¡°I suppose this means we managed to outrun them! We di¡ª Aaaugh!¡±


    ¡°Mia?!¡±


    Startled, Rafina pivoted back toward Mia. To her horror, she witnessed a dreadful scene: Mia had collided with a branch and was gradually descending from the horse¡¯s back. Anxiously, Rafina grasped Mia and, with considerable effort, ced her on the ground below. However, just as Rafina breathed a sigh of relief, a dreadful noise resonated in her ears. It was the sound of horses¡ªno, multiple horses¡ªapproaching.


    <em>Ah, so this is the end¡­ The bandits have caught up to us¡­</em>


    After maneuvering Mia into the underbrush, Rafina bravely stood upright. She no longer had the luxury of concealment. All she could do now was protract the situation as much as possible.


    I just hope they don¡¯t discover Mia¡­


    Atst, a solitary white horse appeared, and atop it was¡­


    ¡°Huh? What brings you twodies all the way out here?¡±


    ¡­Lin Malong, looking as if he couldn¡¯t trust his own eyes.

 Chapter 520

    <strong>So It Begins! Horse-Style Life Consultation</strong>


    ¡°What a coincidence meeting in a ce like this.¡±


    Malong gracefully dismounted his horse with a warm grin, exhibiting his usual gantry. Not a single ¡°hupty-doo¡± escaped his lips.


    ¡°Were you the ones pursued by those bandits?¡±


    In response to Malong¡¯s casual inquiry, Rafina intended to wear her customary saintly smile and disy perfect manners, but¡­


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She failed. For an instant, all she perceived was white, and Malong¡¯s face vanished from her sight. Then, dizziness overcame her, and¡­


    ¡°Whoa there.¡±


    Immediately afterward, she heard a voice very close. Lifting her gaze again, she found Malong¡¯s face still obscured in an ivory mist. It dawned on her, the peculiar circumstances¡ªMalong had caught her.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    I¡¯ve already escaped the clutches of death, so why is my heart still pounding? While Rafina pondered her thoughts, Malong gently set her down, propping her against one of the trees.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be more careful, alright? You¡¯re quite an importantdy, Miss Rafina.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Th¡ª Ah!¡±


    Hurrying to stand up, Rafina once again found herself grounded.


    ¡°Hey now, you can¡¯t be moving around so much when you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Before that, there¡¯s Mia! She¡¯s back there. In the shrubs.¡±


    Malong nodded while Rafina remained flustered. ¡°Oh, I see. So, you were with Miss Mia.¡± Malong pushed through the underbrush and extracted Mia from beneath the overgrowth.


    ¡°She hit her head on a branch while we were evading those bandits.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Did she fall off?¡± Suddenly, it seemed as if a chill had swept over Malong¡¯s face.


    ¡°No, she hit her head on that branch over there, and then she lost consciousness, so I lowered her to the ground.¡±


    ¡°On a branch? Oh. This?¡± Malong looked up at the tree and, with a short hop, seized the branch. Yielding to Malong¡¯s weight, the branch sagged, surprisingly stic. Afterward, Malong approached Mia, still reclining on the forest floor, and examined the shape of her head.


    ¡°Will Mia be alright? I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if she was seriously injured¡­¡±


    Rafina gazed into Mia¡¯s face, tears welling in her eyes. And then¡­


    ¡°Uuunnnngh¡­ Mushrooms¡­ Butter¡­ So tasty¡­¡±


    She listened to Mia¡¯s dreamlike mutterings, observing as Mia¡¯s mouth gently opened in tandem with her words. Rafina and Malong exchanged nces.


    ¡°Well, I suppose she¡¯s alright. She doesn¡¯t appear to be injured, and since she didn¡¯t fall off the horse when that branch struck her, she must not have been moving very fast¡­ or maybe the branch wasn¡¯t that sturdy. Regardless, I believe it¡¯s just the shock that rendered her unconscious, but¡­¡± Malong¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ve repeatedly warned her not to look away while riding. Even with bandits on their tail, she didn¡¯t bother bringing any guards. I wager she got carried away trying to bring a smile to your face. I better have a stern talk with herter.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Wait! None of this is Mia¡¯s fault. It¡¯s all mine for asking her to take me riding in the first ce.¡±


    Malong narrowed his eyes in disbelief. ¡°Really? Mia has a tendency to get carried away. If someone needs a scolding, it¡¯s best to administer it. It¡¯ll ultimately benefit her.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! Mia did everything she could to help me! She¡¯s entirely meless!¡± Rafina red at Malong, as if she were Mia¡¯s defender.


    ¡°Hm¡­ There¡¯s something a bit different about you today, isn¡¯t there?¡± Curiosity filled Malong¡¯s eyes as he observed Rafina.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Caught off guard, Rafina could only blink in response.


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s not just today. Perhaps you¡¯ve been this way for a while now. But I always thought you were the calm and collected type, with that perpetual smile on your face.¡±


    Rafina only realized it herself after it was pointed out to her.


    <em>He¡¯s right. I was getting worked up. Losing myposure and letting my emotions take over really isn¡¯t like me.</em>


    ¡°In any case, you¡¯ve got to be cautious when riding. Otherwise, it¡¯s risky. Let your guard down for a moment, and you¡¯ll regret it. So, if you don¡¯t want me scolding your good friend, you better do it for me, okay, miss?¡±


    Chastised rather sternly, Rafina offered an incredibly meek yet firm nod.


    <em>I must caution Mia. For her own well-being.</em>


    That resolute determination held steady in her heart. And just like that, Mia¡¯s admonisher transitioned from Malong to Rafina.


    ¡°Uuungh¡­ Nnh?¡±


    With remarkably well-timed precision, Mia furrowed her brow and emitted a groan.


    ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re better off like this anyway.¡± Malong¡¯s expression softened.


    Rafina, met with his gentle smile, responded with a questioning gaze. ¡°Just what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly that. Getting angry while trying to protect your friends, standing up for them even when it doesn¡¯t seem logical¡ªit¡¯s natural. I¡¯ve always felt like you were holding too much of that back. There¡¯s no need to push yourself so far, is there?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been¡­ pushing myself.¡± Rafina puffed out her cheeks. Why hadn¡¯t she ever felt like this before? The answer was simple¡ªbefore, she didn¡¯t have such friends. There was no one she could effortlessly protect, as she had just done moments earlier. In that moment, fear suddenly bloomed in Rafina¡¯s heart, a twinge of guilt that seemed oddly simr to the tion that had filled her chest. After facing danger with a friend and confronting an overwhelming peril, she had felt content, and a part of her perceived that moment as apse in virtue.


    <em>As the Holy Lady of Belluga, shouldn¡¯t I avoid acting like this? Shouldn¡¯t I approach these situations with moreposure?</em>


    ¡°Y¡¯know, when there¡¯s a horse in front of you, you¡¯ve gotta ride it. It¡¯s just like that.¡±


    Rafina, on the verge of descending into the abyss of despair, was brought back to her senses by Malong¡¯s words. Although she didn¡¯t quiteprehend what was happening, for some reason, he was talking about horses!


    ¡°Um?¡±


    Unable to follow Malong¡¯s train of thought, Rafina held her head in question. Unaware, Malong continued.


    ¡°Horses are great! They ept us humans just the way we are. Plus, with a horse carrying you across this vast earth, the tiny troubles and worries of us people feel like nothing at all. I¡¯m sure that horses worry about us, and that¡¯s something Miss Mia hase to understand. Sheprehends the way horses feel about things, and I bet that¡¯s why she invited you out riding, Miss Rafina.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Rafina gave a vague nod before changing the subject. ¡°By the way, Malong, did youe here to apprehend those bandits?¡±


    ¡°I did. The Forest n was already in the area, so once we heard about the gang, we thought it¡¯d be a good chance to go and capture them, but¡­ they¡¯re quite the group. We¡¯ve been struggling.¡± Malongughed and looked back at his horse. ¡°Still, it¡¯s not like we came out of it empty-handed.¡±


    Only then did Rafina notice what¡ªor rather, who¡ªwas riding on top.

 Chapter 521

    <strong>The Young Bandit and Mia¡¯s Conviction</strong>


    ¡°Nnh¡­ Uuungh?¡± Mia thought she heard a distant voice as she slowly opened her eyes.


    For some reason, it felt like she had just woken from a bad dream¡ªa dream featuring a really scary-looking Rafina scolding her.


    <em>How frightening! All I was doing was enjoying butter-fried mushrooms, yet Rafina got so upset at me just for eating too many. Well, at least it was just a dream.</em>


    Mia shook her head, trying to rid herself of her bad dream. She attempted to stand up, but¡­


    ¡°Huh? Where am I? Ow!¡±


    She immediately winced in pain. She could feel the pain not in her head but rather throughout her body, as if it were being pricked with thin needles. Looking down, Mia saw a bunch of twigs sticking out of her clothes, and she suddenly remembered what had happened.


    <em>Th-That¡¯s right. I hit my head on that tree branch, and then¡­and then¡­I fell from my¡ª</em>


    It was close, but Mia managed to hold back her voice. The bandits that had been chasing them might be nearby. Mia couldn¡¯t casually let her voice alert them to her position. Holding her breath, Mia carefully moved only her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings. To her surprise, she found herself in the forest, nestled into a small clearing.


    <em>It doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m hiding, does it?</em>


    Mia had been sure that she and Rafina had been hiding somewhere after falling from their horse, but¡­ This doesn¡¯t really seem like a hiding ce, and Rafina is nowhere to be seen.


    Mia briefly wondered if Rafina had left her to escape alone, but she quickly dismissed that idea.


    <em>Impossible! Miss Rafina would never leave a friend! It¡¯s much more likely she hid me in the forest to call for help by herself, or that she offered herself as a distraction. Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to make of all this.</em>


    Should she get up to find help? Or should she stay hidden? Faced with these conflicting options, Mia couldn¡¯t keep her head from spinning. Just then, she heard a man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hey. You awake?¡±


    <em>Moons! It¡¯s over. I can¡¯t pretend to be asleep any longer.</em>


    epting her fate, Mia tried to sit up.


    ¡°Ah! Mia. You shouldn¡¯t be moving just yet.¡±


    ¡°My! Is that you, Miss Rafina?¡±


    Rafina approached Mia, taking off the damp cloth that had been on Mia¡¯s forehead and recing it with a fresh one. The overthinking from earlier had left Mia¡¯s head on the verge of overheating, but the cool cloth slowly brought its temperature back down to a normal range.


    ¡°Ah, this feels excellent,¡± mumbled Mia, still in a daze.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you, miss? You can¡¯t be looking the other way while you¡¯re riding.¡±


    It was the same male voice from earlier, but now, Mia realized she recognized it after all.


    ¡°Huh? Is that you, Malong? What in the moons brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha! That should be my line,¡± said Malong, a hearty grin on his lips. But to Mia, it lookedpletely unnatural, as if he was trying to hide something.


    <em>Oh, my! N-No way! Was Malong the one chasing after us?!</em> Great Detective Mia¡¯s erudite cranium had just hit upon quite the preposterous theory.


    <em>Th-That¡¯s out of the question! If it was Malong, he would have caught up to us before we could even enter the forest. I¡¯m also pretty sure that bandit was quite a bit smaller than him.</em>


    Taking another look at Malong¡¯s grin, it now looked as it always had. Yup, there was nothing unusual about it.


    <em>Then, just what exactly is happening here? What brings Malong to a ce like this?</em>


    Mia crossed her arms and let out a thoughtful groan. After contemting for a few seconds, she turned to face Rafina.


    It¡¯s not like Mia thought deducing it herself was too much work. No, she had simply surmised that asking someone who already knew the answer would be the fastest route to a solution. This act waspletely based on the logical judgments of the Great Wisdom of the Empire.


    Receiving a look from Mia, Rafina gave a slight nod of her head. ¡°It seems that during our earlier escape, more bandits hadn¡¯t approached us from head-on. No, they were simply warriors from the Equestrian Kingdom, and it was Malong who had taken their helm.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d gotten reports of a gang of horseback brigands attacking the viges around the outskirts of Sunnd¡¯s borders. A group of my n¡¯s bravest men were patrolling the area, but thanks to you twodies, we were finally able to capture one.¡±


    Malong cast his gaze to the tree beside him. Mia followed it to find a single girl sitting against it. Her hands had been bound behind her back, holding both her arms hostage. She seemed to be about the same age as Mia, if maybe a tad older. A red scarf was wrapped around her head, beautiful ck hair peeking out from beneath it. But it was her violet eyes that stood out the most distinct, which gleamed with a cutting light that resembled that of a Lulu hunter trained on its prey. That, and they were ring right at Malong.


    ¡°Is she one of the bandits¡¯ aplices?¡±


    ¡°Yup. She¡¯s the one who was pursuing the two of you.¡± Malong¡¯s facial features slightly stiffened. ¡°And¡­she¡¯s a distant rtive of ours from Equestris.¡±


    ¡°A rtive? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What a joke! Warrior of the Forest n, you call yourself our family? As if you have the right.¡±


    The captured bandit had remained silent, but now, she spoke. Her gaze was filled with enmity, still fixed on Malong. She opened her mouth to continue, only¡­


    ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡±


    A heartrending sound interrupted her. Mia quickly brought her hands to her own stomach, only to discover that the sound hadn¡¯te from her. She turned to look at the girl in front of her, only to find her awkwardly averting her gaze.


    <em>Oh ho! For some reason, I get the feeling that this girl and I will get along.</em>


    Mia¡¯s chest was filled with that conviction.

 Chapter 522

    <strong>The Return of Mia ~Princess Mia Harbors Ambitions~</strong>


    Mia and Rafina safely returned to their carriages¡ªwith thepany of guards from the Forest n, led by Malong. After her brave return with over ten cavalry troops under hermand, Mia felt exceptionally pleased.


    I¡¯m beginning to grasp the allure of having attractive guards by one¡¯s side, a preference that Esmeralda seems to enjoy! Personally, I¡¯d lean towards having a line of sturdy individuals, adorned in that formidable armor. I envision them dressing akin to the Mushroom Knight, and¡­


    Unbeknownst to others, a lofty ambition had taken root in Mia¡¯s heart!


    ¡°Lady Mia!¡±


    Anne, along with the others, awaited outside upon learning of Mia¡¯s imminent return. The moment Mia came into view, Anne hurried towards her.


    ¡°Are you well? No injuries, I hope?!¡±


    Anne¡¯s concern was evident as she gazed directly at Mia. Out of consideration for the two noble girls, Anne abstained from the horseback ride that Mia undertook. Though she still had Citrina and Bel with her, it seemed to weigh on her conscience that she wasn¡¯t with Mia in a potentially perilous situation. At least, that¡¯s what Mia assumed. Trying to reassure her maid, she gave a confident nod.


    ¡°Thank you, Anne. I¡¯m perfectly fine. No need to worry.¡±


    Interestingly, not a single scratch marked Mia¡¯s head from the encounter with branches. Mia was a prodigy; her Diamond Head was not easily marred. Just as her head was filled with dried shiitake mushrooms, it exhibited their characteristic firmness¡ªshe wasn¡¯t just Diamond-Headed, she was Dried-Mushroom-Headed!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fall off a horse or anything of the sort! Everything went smoothly. Don¡¯t you think so, Miss Rafina?¡± Mia nced at herpanion.


    ¡°Y-Yes. You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±


    Rafina responded with a nervous nod. So, this is how the misleading image of the Great Wisdom of the Empire spreads. The realization didn¡¯t fill Rafina¡¯s chest with astonishment; rather, she was preupied with feelings of pure admiration. Mia is truly remarkable, taking such care to alleviate Anne¡¯s unnecessary concerns!


    And thus, the distorted image took shape. Well, anyway¡­


    ¡°So? What harm did those bandits inflict on us?¡±


    Mia turned towards Ludwig and Dion, who were right behind Anne in weing her return. Catching her gaze, Dion shrugged slightly in response. ¡°The Princess Guard didn¡¯t engage in battle at all. It turned out to be a minor skirmish between the bandits and the Equestri forces.¡±


    ¡°I see. A skirmish¡­¡±


    Mia expressed her satisfaction with a nod. Malong had referred to a member of the gang as a ¡°cousin,¡± suggesting that the Equestris were likely making efforts to minimize damages. Perhaps Malong had issued such an order himself.


    It appeared that their gang had been on the move with the intention of looting, showing a reluctance to engage inbat unless necessary. Mia recalled the bandits¡¯ previous attack, noting how they retreated when Sunnd troops arrived. If not for their honor, the bandits would undoubtedly have suffered considerable harm¡ªor so Mia believed!


    Having Dion with them ensured assured victories, but for the sake of her own mental well-being, Mia felt the need to keep him in check. She simply couldn¡¯t muster the mentality to celebrate victories while standing amidst a river of blood flowing from the corpses of her enemies. Just the thought sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°Your Highness, who are the man and young woman behind you?¡± Ludwig inquired, focusing on Malong and the girl he had brought with him.


    ¡°The girl is one of the bandits. I haven¡¯t had the chance to introduce him, but the man has taken excellent care of me in the Horsemanship Club. His name is¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lin Malong. Nice to meet you,¡± Malong interjected.


    ¡°I see. The pleasure is mine. I¡¯m Ludwig Hewitt. Thank you for watching over Her Highness when I couldn¡¯t,¡± Ludwig said, offering a calm smile. ¡°The horsemanship skills you¡¯ve taught her have saved her in the past. There are no words to express my deep gratitude.¡±


    While Ludwig bowed deeply, Dion¡¯s attention was elsewhere. ¡°So, this girl¡¯s with the bandits, huh?¡±


    Noticing Dion¡¯s scrutiny, the girl turned away. ¡°Please don¡¯t frighten her too much, Dion,¡± Mia intervened. ¡°Your bloodlust can be quite unsettling.¡±


    Startled, the girl jumped. ¡°Dion¡­ You don¡¯t mean Dion ia, do you?¡± Her wide eyes were fixed on Dion, and the color drained from her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve heard of me before?¡± Dion grinned, causing the girl to let out a small ¡°Eek!¡± and seek refuge behind Malong.


    ¡°Dion¡­¡± Mia grumbled.


    ¡°All I did was smile at her!¡±


    ¡°Far too aggressively!¡±


    Not only had Dion¡¯s smiling antics dislodged Mia¡¯s brain from her consciousness in the past, but they had also figuratively removed her head from her neck. With this history in mind, Mia let out a sigh before continuing.


    ¡°In any case, I think it¡¯s best to extract the details of our situation from her.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ In that case, I¡¯d be happy to take on the responsibility,¡± Ludwig offered with an audacious grin, met by Mia¡¯s sharine smile.


    ¡°Oho ho! There¡¯s no need for you to go through the trouble. I¡¯ll be questioning her myself.¡±


    Dion¡¯s eyes twinkled in amusement at Mia¡¯s response. ¡°Ha! So, the princess is going to do the interrogating herself.¡±


    He cast another nce at the young bandit, prompting another small shriek. It affirmed Mia¡¯s suspicion that she might get along well with this girl.


    ¡°I mentioned earlier that these guys are¡­¡± Mia reassured Malong with a calming smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about! There¡¯s absolutely no need to resort to something as¡­barbaric¡­as torture!¡±


    After giving a self-affirming nod, Mia turned to Anne. ¡°Anne, could you prepare my secret weapons? The ones I acquired in Sunnd.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! Right away!¡±


    For a brief moment, hesitation clouded Anne¡¯s face, but almost immediately, she rushed back toward the carriages. Mia once again addressed the young bandit, saying, ¡°We¡¯re about to have a wonderfully delightful tea party. I hope you¡¯re looking forward to it!¡±


    Mia¡¯s face lit up with a wide grin.

 Chapter 523

    <strong>Sweet Cookies, Mia, and the Young Bandit</strong>


    Following the request of Imperial Princess Mia, a table and chairs were quickly set up in a field close to the party¡¯s carriages. On the tabley a variety of cookies Mia had brought from Sunnd, and the teacups were filled with ck tea. Mia expressed her delight at being able to enjoy warm tea in such a remote ce with a contented sigh.


    No matter where she was, Mia could happily have as much tea and tasty pastries as she wanted. Was there a greater joy than this? She was sure there wasn¡¯t.


    It¡¯s easy to forget, but Mia was indeed a princess of the powerful Tearmoon Empire. Whether she was riding a horse with a cheerful ¡°hupty-doo¡± or enjoying the pleasure of eating delicious bread, Mia was a high-ss woman with the right to luxury. That¡¯s why she could have a tea party like this in the middle of their journey. Experiencing this great joy (great for Mia, that is), Mia couldn¡¯t help but feel passionate.


    Sitting at the table with Mia were Malong, Rafina, Abel, Bel, and Citrina when a young bandit, still bound, confronted Mia with a re.


    ¡°What are your intentions with this?¡± the bandit asked.


    Mia smiled and said, ¡°Could someone untie her?¡±


    A nearby guard eximed, ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry at all! You won¡¯t run away, will you?¡± Mia reassured.


    The young bandit gave a mocking grin and replied, ¡°You¡¯re as naive as the rumors say. To think that the Great Wisdom of the Empire would talk about untying me.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I should make it clear. It¡¯d be wise for you to watch your actions. I¡¯m not sure, but that man over there, Dion, is a bit of a threat. You may be good with a horse, but no matter where you run, Dion will follow and take your head in an instant!¡±


    The bandit, after looking at Dion, gulped. She then cleared her throat and said, ¡°Of course. I have no intentions of resisting. Our people are proud warriors of integrity, even when captured. We would never behave rudely. That¡¯s why I won¡¯tpromise. I won¡¯t reveal my own name, let alone the names of myrades.¡±


    Her expression was clear as she spoke these words.


    Mia thought, <em>¡°Just as I suspected, I can really get along with her!¡±</em>


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you grasp the situation now. Just to be safe, Dion will stay close, ensuring there won¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    Dion, positioned behind Mia, shook his head in frustration.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Mia continued, ¡°shall we kick off this tea party?¡±


    The young bandit turned her face at those words. ¡°I won¡¯t ept favors from someone connected to the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m ¡®connected¡¯ to the Equestris. Isn¡¯t that right, Ludwig?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. At least, there are no direct ties between the Empire and the Equestrian Kingdom. We aren¡¯t allies in military or trade matters,¡± Ludwig exined. Mia nodded approvingly before addressing the bandit.


    ¡°Malong is just a senior from the Equestrian Club. There¡¯s no link between the Equestrian Kingdom and me as a princess of the Tearmoon Empire. You¡¯d be mistaken to think so.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But¡­ Do you not n to say something like, ¡®If you want these tasty treats, spill some information¡¯?¡±


    The young bandit eyed Mia¡¯s cookies and ground her teeth in frustration. Mia burst intoughter. ¡°Why would I say that? Go ahead. Before any serious discussions, let¡¯s enjoy some tasty cookies together.¡±


    ¡°Really? But¡­¡± She was staring at Mia, but it seemed like even that detail had slipped her mind.


    Mia nodded again with a grin. ¡°Certainly! These cookies are super sweet and delicious!¡±


    ¡°Sweet? Super sweet¡­?¡± mumbled the bandit.


    Mia slid the tray of sweets towards her, secretly reveling in her triumph!


    <em>Ah, she¡¯s so simple!</em>


    Indeed¡ªMia had it all figured out. Grudges about food were intense, but so were food debts! The boon of food when battling hunger was not easily forgotten. It became challenging to refuse a request from such a benefactor.


    In Mia¡¯s case, if she were challenged with, ¡°If you want these, spill your secrets now!¡± she might resist a bit. However, if she were told, ¡°Here, eat these. They¡¯re tasty, right? By the way, since I treated you to this feast, could you share a few secrets with me?¡± Mia¡­ would willingly offer up her secrets on a silver tter! That¡¯s why food wasn¡¯t for threatening; it was for creating debts.


    Therefore, Mia wasn¡¯t seeking her cookies for immediate gain. At the moment, she just wanted to enjoy them together. If they got along¡­ the rest would easily fall into Mia¡¯sp! Mia believed that after sharing tea and cookies with someone, extracting a few secrets would be a breeze. However, it was Mia¡¯s somewhat simplistic view of reality that led her to such a conclusion.


    Well, we all understand that in reality, the world wasn¡¯t that straightforward. It wasn¡¯t, but¡­


    ¡°So, um¡­ How should I address you?¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s question, the young bandit crunched and munched on her cookie. Then¡­


    ¡°Aima,¡± she mumbled before promptly adding, ¡°Ka Aima¡­ That¡¯s my name. You can call me Aima. Now that I owe you¡­ at the very least, I¡¯ll disclose that.¡±


    Observing the somewhat glum expression on Aima¡¯s face as she uttered those words, Mia nodded in triumph.


    <em>Ah ha! She¡¯s truly. So. Simple!</em>


    Exactly. The world wasn¡¯t that simple, but it seemed like this bandit was.


    Just three things. Firstly, the has been edited. So check it out before this chapter.


    Secondly, this is myst chapter. I did announce few weeks ago that I would be stepping down from tranting Tearmoon Empire. So this is thest chapter from me. There will be a new trantor who is now taking over, and will start from next week.


    Thirdly, thank you for all the support. To the stalkers who don¡¯t say much, but just upvoted. And most especially to those whomented and liked my chapters along the way. the HellHound, Tacos, Pierre, GrayMao, Hatsune Miku, Duc Anh Dao, VirtualScreamer, Chopped Up Liver, Pierre Andr¨¦ Turner, and the othermenters; special shoutout to you people. Yourments actually kept me going through the difficult times in my life. I always thought, I should trante at least one chapter to make those people happy. I have read every single one of yourment even though sometimes I don¡¯t upvote or reply.


    500+ chapters! It was a long ride.


    Until we meet again. Probably on my next project, or not¡­


    Blessings,


    ~Mermaid Fish

 Chapter 524

    Hmm! One more!


    ¡°Ka ¡­ so, as I suspected, are you a descendant of the lost Fire n?¡±


    The person who reacted to that name was Malong, but the actual individual called Ka Aima simply turned her head away.


    ¡°Uhh, Aima-san? Are you a member of the Fire n, the lost tribe of the Equestrian Kingdom? ¡± asked Mia, reluctantly.


    ¡°Yes, that is correct. I am the descendant of Ka Seima, Chief of the Fire n, the first tribe of the Equestrian Kingdom.¡± said Aima, puffing her chest with pride.


    And then she stuffed another cookie into her mouth.


    ¡°But why is the prideful Fire n involved in something like looting?¡±


    ¡°That is ¡­!¡±


    For a moment, it seemed like Aima was about to answer Malong¡¯s question.


    However, she quickly swallowed her words and turned her face away in a pout.


    Mia cast a fleeting nce at Malong and thought, ¡®Hmm.. this is quite troublesome.


    And this cookie is quite delicious.¡¯


    As Mia gulped down the cookie that she had bitten into with a crispy crunch,


    a rich and creamy sweetness gradually spread across her tongue.


    The aroma of the rich milk prompted Mia to let out an involuntary sigh of satisfaction,


    and she continued ¡®Um..! One more! Crisp crunch, Um!¡¯


    And so it seemed that Mia was about to enter into an infinite loop, when she suddenly felt Dion¡¯s tepid gaze on her back and decided to clear her throat.


    ¡°Why would someone like you, who has such pride, resort to being a bandit?¡± asked Mia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lump us in the same group as those shameless bandits. We have been driven to do this out of necessity, not by choice.¡± said Aima as if she had been waiting for this moment to speak. Mia thought that if Aima had wanted to retort back so badly, it would have been better not to be that stubborn and then reached for another cookie.


    ¡°Mia-sama, you are eating too much. You have already had ten cookies.¡± said Anne as she picked up the te with a stern expression.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°To begin with, the purpose of the horse riding exercise was to make up for the binge eating in Sunnd.Please refrain from indulging to avoid getting into danger again.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Anne was being unusually strict. Seeing her expression, Mia decided to hold back.


    ¡®This time I also caused Anne to worry. Ugh, I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ thought Mia.


    While shedding tears in her heart at her loyal retainer¡¯s warm and passionate consideration, Mia returned her gaze to Aima.


    ¡°The harvest this year was poorpared to the average, leading to a shortage in the food supply. If we had left the infants and elderly to starve, they would have ended up dying. Therefore, I took charge, leading those of us who could fight to secure food. Don¡¯tpare us to those thugs.¡± said Aima showing no sign of remorse; instead, she puffed her chest with pride.


    ¡°During the meeting with King Abram, I learned that among the Equestrian Bandits, there was a group that did notmit any violence against vigers, nor did they burn any houses or fields; they merely stole food supplies¡± said Rafina with a difficult expression.


    Aima nodded to that and continued.


    ¡°We are warriors.Therefore, we do not kill those that do not have the will to fight.


    Burning fields would be out of the question, as that would not allow us to obtain food.¡±


    exined Aima, snorting and crossing her arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it is honourable to sit around and wait to die. We chose to put our lives on the line and fight for what we needed. That¡¯s all. ¡±


    ¡°Even if you say ¡®That¡¯s all¡¯ ¡± said Malong with an iprehensible expression as he furiously scratched his head and thought


    ¡®Whatever the reason, looting is looting. Even if there was no violencemitted against the vigers, there is no mistaking the fact that this was an evil act. There is no mistaking that.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± Mia, on the other hand, was nodding in agreement.


    ¡®If they had nothing to eat but they did have the power to fight, it seemed quite usible that they would make that choice.¡¯ thought Mia, the princess of the Empire.


    In fact, during the final stages of the Empire, the invasion of other countries to seize their food supplies had been considered.


    However, due to various circumstances, this n was ultimately never implemented.


    The initial target of the invasion n was supposed to be the agricultural country of Perujin.


    Some of the civil officials had questioned the value of attacking a defenceless nation with no military , as it would incur the displeasure of the Principality of Belluga and other countries.


    At that time, the situation did not seem to be dire.


    ¡®If the new person in charge, who reced the Green Moon House as the representative, was skilled and did a good job, maybe the Port Nation of Ganudos would resume the food supplies.


    It would not be a problem to act after a certain level of logistic support was secured.


    Rather, in the meantime, was it possible that Perujin would repent and restore the food supply?¡¯


    While being gripped by such naive fantasies, the civil war intensified, and the military could not organise into action.


    Since things always turned out to be fine up until then, there was a sentiment that the situation would return to normalcy if somehow the current crisis could be ovee.


    Everyone thought that the change was merely temporary and underestimated it, failing to take any countermeasures.


    As a result the opportunity to pursue any kind of military action was lost.


    Looking back, Mia thought ¡®We were totally dancing on the palms of the Chaos Serpents.


    Although serpents don¡¯t have palms.¡¯


    Speaking of things that don¡¯t exist, like the palms of snakes, it was just like Mia to think of absurd things.


    ¡®Setting that aside, if rtions with the Principality of Belluga and the Sunnd Kingdom were destined to turn hostile, it would have been better to deploy the military while it was still an option. The military should have been mobilised before the rise of domestic conflict.


    However, the Red Moon House was also against dispatching the troops.


    With Ruby-san not being an ally either, perhaps achieving anything by mobilising the military would have been difficult.¡¯


    Mia thought back to that time when the Empire had been in an impossibly hopeless situation.


    ¡®Things were quiteplicated.¡¯


    Once again, returning to contemting the problem about the Fire n, Mia nced at Rafina, Abel and Malong.


    ¡®As if understanding theplexity of the situation, the three of them wore difficult expressions on their faces.


    Depending on the country that the Fire n was said to belong to , the responsibility would shift.


    Initially, the Fire n had been one of the tribes of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    However, that rtionship between them had been severed a long time ago.


    Rather, it would be more urate to say that the rtionship had turned hostile.


    In that case, holding the Equestrian Kingdom responsible would seem a bit incorrect.


    Then to consider them as citizens of the Sunnd or Remno Kingdom or the Principality of Belluga would probably be just as incorrect.


    The Fire n ¨C they were independent people who belonged to no country.


    Suppose they did belong to a country, it would be clear where the responsibilityy.


    Although the n themselves might be at fault, the rulers who let them starve were the ones who deserved the me.


    Alternatively, if they were to be treated as a small country, then the Fire n itself would be held responsible for the crime.


    However it would probably be difficult for them to take responsibility even as a country.


    Now, how will the problem be solved? Well, it doesn¡¯t concern me though.¡¯


    With that thought, Mia care freely took a sip of tea.


    That¡¯s right, regarding the matter this time , Mia was without question aplete outsider.


    Aplete outsider. She was not in a position where she had to worry about troublesome matters. She could enjoy the tea in leisure.


    ¡®Well, Malong-senpai will take care of the rest. Let¡¯s quickly gather information about the sheep butter and head home.¡¯


    So, she let down her guard.


    However, when the tea party was over, Mia noticed that Malong had quietly approached her.


    ¡°Miss Mia, may I have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Malong-senpai, is something the matter?¡±


    Mia tilted her head towards Malong, who looked unusually serious.


    ¡°Excuse-me Miss Mia, but could you please meet with our n chief along with Aima¡±


    Mia furrowed her brows ever so slightly on hearing the request.


    ¡°Chief of the Forest n?¡±


    ¡°Yes, looking at how things are, she might not speak with the Chief.


    But this is a problem that cannot be ignored.¡±


    That is what Malong said, but it wasn¡¯t something that Mia was very keen on doing.


    From Mia¡¯s perspective, if she could get her hands on the sheep butter, she did not see much merit in going to the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Just as Mia was thinking about how best to turn down this request, Mia¡¯s ears were unexpectedly tickled by a devilish whisper ¡°By the way , Miss Mia, do you like sweets?


    If youe, as a token of gratitude, I will treat you to a special milk that is sweet and incredibly delicious. We also have fresh butter and cheese that I will treat you to as thanks if youe.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Tell me more.¡±


    ¡®Well , I am also concerned that Abel has been called.¡® thought Mia as she began making excuses in her heart.


    ¡®Well ,well! It is almost as if the delicious milk of the Equestrian Kingdom is calling out to me.¡¯ thought Mia ,while cultivating her gourmet fantasies.

 Chapter 525

    <b>The Empire¡¯s Strongest and the Sword Saint Mushroom Knight</b>


    After a brief discussion with Malong, Mia promptly decided to go to the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Ludwig was once again deeply impressed by Mia¡¯s strength and decisiveness. He then quietly began making preparations in ordance with her decision.


    <i>¡®Originally, the n was to make a brief stop, but this might take longer than expected.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Oh my! To think that we would end up having to go to the Equestrian Kingdom next. Now, how is our princess nning to navigate this situation and findmon ground?¡±


    Ludwig smiled wryly at Dion, who shrugged his shoulders in exasperation.


    ¡°I wonder how things will turn out! Her highness does not often share her ns with us. However , there is no doubt that if the Equestrian Kingdom were to be unstable, the fallout would not bode well for the Tearmoon Empire, or more specifically, for Mia-sama¡¯s ns. ¡±


    The location of the Equestrian Kingdom was strategic in realising Mia¡¯s grand vision of ¡®MiaNet¡¯. Situated between Sunnd , Belluga, and Remno, the Equestrian Kingdom served as a significant buffer zone.Rulers with a rxed concept of borders had ensured a certain degree of peace and stability in the grasnds.


    For the people living in the border region of the Equestrian Kingdom, both the Remno Kingdom and the Sunnd Kingdom were close neighbours. Moreover, for those leading a nomadic life in the grasnds, barring arge-scale invasion, small border incursions would seem insignificant. Their livestock would often cross the border of their own volition. Therefore, there was mutual understanding on both sides that the grasnds were just the grasnds ¨C a region where there were no boundary lines drawn. Detailed boundary lines dividing countries were not considered too important.


    There would have been considerable tension between the Kingdoms of Sunnd and Remno had the Equestrian Kingdom not existed between them. If a neighbouring country was significantly expanding its military power, Sunnd would never have simply ignored it. On the other hand, the Remno Kingdom would also have wanted to diminish the power of the Sunnd Kingdom. It would not be hard to imagine that Remno would have used any opportunity to instigate a fight.


    However, there was rarely any conflict between them due to the existence of the Equestrian Kingdom. There was no way they could leap over their heads to open war; furthermore, the Equestrian Kingdom¡¯s cavalry strength could not be underestimated.


    ¡°The destabilisation of the Equestrian Kingdom could disrupt the stability of the entire continent depending on the situation.If the power of the Equestrian Kingdom were to decline, the safety of the pilgrimage route connecting Remno, Sunnd, and Belluga would be at risk.This would hinder the maintenance of the merchant caravan as well. Wouldn¡¯t that be exactly the kind of situation that the Chaos Serpents would rejoice in?¡±


    ¡°If Princess Mia intends to provide an uninterrupted food supply across nations, then this situation cannot be ignored. Well, I think the princess would definitely ensure this, but I wonder how she ns to aplish that?¡±


    Then, as if he had thought of something, Dion¡¯s face broke into a mischievous smile. ¡°Or perhaps she is just thinking about indulging in the delicious treats of the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Well, the initial objective might have been the sheep butter, but knowing Mia-sama, she might be thinking of solving this time¡¯s trouble while she¡¯s at it.¡±


    Ludwig responded lightly to Dion¡¯s joke, and the two men exchanged smiles. It was a cheerful smile that had never once appeared during the time when they had served the central aristocrats of the Empire.


    After parting ways with Ludwig, Dion headed towards the carriage where the bandit girl, Aima, was being held. She was currently under the surveince of two members of the Imperial Princess Guard.


    ¡°Is everything fine?¡± asked Dion.


    ¡°Actually, Captain Dion¡­ no, Sir Dion¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Well, either is fine. So, is there any change?¡±


    ¡°No. She hasn¡¯t shown any signs of trying to escape and seems to be sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really. She¡¯s quite fearless.¡±


    After nodding in admiration, Dion suddenly turned his gaze.


    nk , tter. Someone was approaching, making loud metallic sounds. The one who appeared was Grammateus, the one and only guardian knight of the Remno Empire. Grammateus turned his face towards Dion and approached, raising his hand in greeting.


    ¡°Working hard, Sir Dion.¡±


    ¡°Sir Grammateus, what brings you here? Is anything the matter?¡±


    On this journey, the Tearmoon Empire guards were the centre of the security operation. Grammateus was also included in the security n.However, considering his age, he was positioned to remain close to Prince Abel as far as possible.


    While patting his head, Grammateus said ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. It wouldn¡¯t do for the thief to escape even if there is a one in a million chance of that happening. So, I¡¯vee to volunteer my services. Besides, I imagine that you are busy as the princess¡¯s guard.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but your concern is unnecessary. The princess is surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and even the prince of your country is with her.¡±


    <i>¡®Currently, Rafina, Abel, and others like Citrina are with Princess Mia. </i><i>It so happens that all the important people are gathered in one ce. </i><i>Naturally , the forces of the Royal Guard are also concentrated there. </i><i>The people from the Equestrian Kingdom are also focused on protecting them.¡¯</i>


    If that was the case, then Dion¡¯s gut instinct was telling him that it was far more dangerous here. <i>¡®Right now, it seemed that the one whose life might be targeted was the bandit girl, Aima.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Sir Grammateus, you must also be busy being Prince Abel¡¯s guard. Can you please leave this to me and focus on guarding Prince Abel.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, I will leave this to the Strongest Knight of the Empire.¡±


    Grammateus nodded deeply and said ¡°Anyhow, Her Highness, Princess Mia, is quite the unusual person.I never thought that she would suddenly sit at the table with a bandit¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Yeah, there is no denying that.¡±


    While answering, Dion observed carefully, watching every single move that Grammateus made, inwardly impressed.


    <i>¡®That is incredible. As expected of the Sword Saint of Remno.I can¡¯t envision him being taken out by a surprise sword attack. </i><i>No matter how you attack, it seems like he would be able to handle it deftly.¡¯ </i>


    Dion knew instinctively that in a normal fight, he would find it difficult to even strike his de against the metal armour.<i> ¡®If, in any case, I had to fight him, it would certainly be enjoyable!¡¯</i>


    Whether he knew Dion¡¯s inner thoughts or not, Grammateus didn¡¯t seem to be particrly worried. He bowed deeply saying ¡°Then I leave this ce to you, Sir Dion¡± and left.


    Hi, everyone. Thank you very much for all the encouragingments. They really got me feeling happy and motivated.


    ~Saiki

 Chapter 526

    <b>Impending sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and crisis</b>


    The journey across the grasnds, guided by the Forest n warriors with Malong as their leader, took a day and a half.


    nk, thud. The carriage swayed, and Mia stared out in a daze with sleepy eyes.


    The sky was clear, and the weather incredibly pleasant ¨C making it a perfect day for horseback riding.


    However, Mia was forbidden from going outside the carriage.


    The slight mischief from the other day had backfired on her.


    <i>¡®It would have been nice to race the horse. What a shame!¡¯</i>


    Mia was upied by such gloomy thoughts when suddenly, a beautiful scenery unfolded before her eyes, prompting her to cheer in delight.


    ¡°Oh¡­ this is quite a spectacr sight.¡±


    Stretching out as far as the eyes could see was a refreshing carpet of green, and as the breeze blew over it, one could hear the gentle rustling of the leaves.


    Munching leisurely on those leaves were some white-furred animals ¨C sheep with fluffy white fur. Mia couldn¡¯t help but smile at the peaceful and idyllic scene.


    ¡°Those are the sheep of the Equestrian Kingdom! Really delicious¡­ I mean, wonderful¡± eximed Mia


    Mia couldn¡¯t resist licking her lips at the sight of the plump, wooly sheep.


    The clusters of white appeared like dollops of fresh cream to Mia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re so cute, Mia-neesama! Oh, look, Rina-chan, there is amb over there.¡± gushed Miabel


    ¡°That¡¯s true. This is the first time that Rina has seen a sheep.¡± said Citrina, smiling.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? There are things that even the knowledgeable Rina-chan has not seen.¡±


    The two young girls werepletely absorbed in sightseeing. Turning a blind eye to that, Mia continued her intense observation of sheep.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ with so many of them, I wonder if we could bring one or two back home with us.¡± pondered Mia


    It was at that moment that a particr sheep caught Mia¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Oh my! That sheep has a totally different color. It seems to be shining like gold.¡±


    Bathed in the gentle sunlight, the sheep shimmered faintly like gold. It was a truly splendid sheep, slightlyrger than the others.


    Then, in response to Mia¡¯s voice, Malong approached the carriage on his horse.


    ¡°Hahaha, as expected of Miss Mia. You have a good eye. That is called the ¡®Daigo sheep¡¯ and it produces the finest milk.¡±


    ¡°The finest¡­?¡± Gulp. Mia groaned as she cleared her throat.


    ¡°I see. That is no ordinary sheep. So, that¡¯s the secret to the delicious butter from the Equestrian Kingdom, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    However, Malong furrowed his brows, puzzled at Mia¡¯s question. ¡°No, actually, the milk sold to other countries is that of ordinary sheep. Since there aren¡¯t many Daigo sheep, the volume of milk obtained from them is also less.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mia¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°That butter¡­ is from an ordinary sheep?¡±


    <i>¡®I can still recall the taste of the delicious butter I had at Rafina¡¯s inn. </i><i>The richness of the sheep¡¯s milk that spread across the tongue, </i><i>the exquisite aroma that added mellowness to the sweet vor of concentrated milk, </i><i>and the savory aroma of crisply baked bread.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®To think that wonderful butter was made from the milk of an ordinary sheep!¡¯</i>


    Mia was taken aback, and then she sneaked a nce at Malong.


    ¡°By the way, is it possible that I could taste some of the Daigo sheep¡¯s milk? ¡± Mia asked tentatively.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely. As a token of gratitude for apanying us this far, I¡¯ll treat you to plenty.¡± replied Malong


    Mia burst into a smile at Malong¡¯s powerful and reassuring words.


    ¡°Hehehe, it was definitely the right decision toe to the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    That was then.


    Mia spotted a group of horsemen approaching from the front. She was on guard, thinking that perhaps they were a group of banditsing to rescue Aima. However, Malong and the others didn¡¯t seem to be panicking and instead raised their hand in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for worry. It¡¯s the warriors of the Forest n. It seems they¡¯vee to receive us.¡±


    The group stopped at a short distance from the carriage. While Malong was greeting the person riding the horse at the forefront, who appeared to be the leader, Mia was intensely staring at the sheep as if they were prey.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ if it¡¯s that size, then I think we could take one in the carriage with us. No, but wouldn¡¯t getting a pair probably be for the best? Let¡¯s request Ludwig to negotiate¡­¡±


    As Mia leaned out of the carriage, mumbling to herself, she felt a gust of wind at the base of her neck.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Mia looked in that direction, and before she knew it, arge horse was approaching her. <i>¡®From where did it appear?¡¯</i>


    The horse appeared to be looking at Mia with great interest.


    ¡°Good gracious! Somehow that horse looks familiar.¡±


    A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and a sense of crisis!


    Seeing the horse¡¯s nostrils twitch, Mia realized the truth behind her sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! This horse, right down to its slightly mean eyes, looks just like Kun¡­ Uh-oh!¡±


    Achoo!


    While listening to the thunderous sneezes, Mia felt a little nostalgic, and with a distant look in her eyes, thought


    <i>¡®I wonder how Kun is doing?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 527

    <b>The wolf and the girl</b>


    Immediately after arriving at the Forest n camp, Mia and the girls decided to go bathing in a nearby river.


    This was out of concern for Mia, who had been sneezed upon by the horse.


    ¡°This way, Your Highness, Princess Mia.¡±


    They were being guided by two female warriors from the Forest n, who were also serving as escort guards.


    The women looked dignified and brave, with curved swords at their waists, but they couldn¡¯t hide their nervousness in front of Princess Mia of the Empire.


    ¡°This is the ce where women bathe after finishing the day¡¯s work.¡±


    <i>¡®And so, we were brought to a calm river flowing inside the forest. </i><i>Although the river was fairly wide, it wasn¡¯t particrly deep. </i><i>The water that I scooped in my hands was slightly cold. Had this been during the time of day when there was sunlight , the water would have been just the right temperature and pleasant.¡¯</i>


    ¡°What a wonderful ce! You have my gratitude. After being sneezed upon by a horse, it was difficult to rx.¡± Mia giggled


    ¡°No, I sincerely apologise for the incident with our horse. I don¡¯t expect you to forgive us¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m not bothered by it at all. After all, I¡¯m quite used to it. Besides, these sorts of things must be an everyday urrence in the Equestrian Kingdom, right?¡± Mia responded with a profound, magnanimous smile.


    On the other hand, the woman from the Equestrian Kingdom replied with a slightly strained smile ¡°Huh¡­? Ah¡­ um¡­ yes. That¡¯s right. I am also often sneezed upon.¡±


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not that it didn¡¯t bother me to some extent, but I quickly told myself ¡®It¡¯s fine¡¯ </i><i>and changed my thinking.¡¯</i>


    After all, Mia had not forgotten the promise she had made to Malong.


    <i>¡®If only I can taste the finest milkter.. And the butter¡­ </i><i>Surely, a wonderful encounter awaits me!</i>¡¯ As she thought of that, Mia naturally let out a smile.


    By the way, those who had apanied Mia for the bath were Anne, Rafina, and Rafina¡¯sdy attendant. And one more person¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a good ce, perfect to wash away the sweat from the battle.¡± For some reason, Aima folded her arms and remarked high-handedly. ¡°I have not resigned myself to the humiliation of being captured by the people of the Equestrian Kingdom. I have chosen to willingly apany you and quietly ept my captivity due to the persuasion of the Wisdom of the Empire, my dear friend Princess Mia. Therefore, it is only natural that I would apany you to the bath.¡±Aima grumbled; however, the truth was that she seemed scared of being with Dion when Mia wasn¡¯t around. It seems that Aima had been extremely terrified during the carriage ride because Dion was on guard duty. As soon as she got off the carriage, she rushed to Mia¡¯s side.


    Mia fully understood how scary Dion was, so she took pity on Aima and brought her along. However, there was an issue.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Referring to Mia-san so casually as a friend.¡± muttered Rafina. Mia noticed that Rafina had puffed her cheeks and was clearly pouting. She started to panic and invited Rafina ¡°Ah, uh, Rafina-sama, would you like to join us? It¡¯s been a while since we went to a bath together as friends.¡±


    It was clear that Mia was a considerate and thoughtful person. Her skills in terms of attentiveness as the Empress and her art of winning people¡¯s hearts were being refined. And just like that, it was all helping her train to be an Empress.


    Now, Mia quickly changed into her bathing suit and hurried towards the riverside. As Mia satfortably on a suitable rock, the woman from the Equestrian Kingdom approached her nervously.


    ¡°Um, excuse-me, Your Highness, Princess Mia. This is what we use to wash our hair¡­¡± As she said that, incredibly, what she handed Mia was the shampoo that she usually used! Mia couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile when she saw the familiar shampoo.


    <i>¡®Oh! It¡¯s even made its way to the Equestrian Kingdom. As expected of Abel, he knows all the good products.¡¯ </i>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry , but this is a really good product so, um¡­¡±


    On hearing those words, Mia ended up tilting her head.


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s nothing to apologise for. This is a top-notch product that I love using.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    Looking at her astonished expression, Mia smiled.


    ¡°Thank you. With this, I have noints.¡±


    Mia then looked at Anne. She understood and nodded deeply. Then, Anne rolled up her sleeves and began enthusiastically washing Mia¡¯s hair with all her strength.


    ¡°Mia-sama, it looks like your hair is a little damaged.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes,tely, I haven¡¯t had you taking care of me leisurely like this.¡±


    Mia then looked at Anne and smiled.


    ¡°Thank you for always taking care of me, Anne. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too kind, Mia-sama.¡±


    After her yful, affectionate banter with Anne, Mia stood up and said


    ¡°Well, then, it¡¯s about time¡­¡±


    Although it was a bit cold, Mia decided to take a dip in the river water. At that moment, all of a sudden, there was a rustling in the bushes behind her.


    <i>¡® Oh my! A peeping tom? A scoundrel with a death wish?¡¯</i>


    Everyone was wary, but what appeared was something that no one expected. The first thing that peeked out of the dense thicket was a ck snout. After twitching, as if to confirm its surroundings, it slowly revealed its form.


    ¡°A wolf !? In a ce like this?¡± The women from the Equestrian Kingdom let out a small shriek. What had appeared before them was a ck wolf.


    The warriors drew out their curved swords and took a defensive stance. However, their expressions soon changed to panic because following the first one, a second and a third wolf appeared.


    ¡°Dear guests, please run. We will handle this¡­¡±


    The women warriors prepared for battle while protecting Mia and the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    The person who responded was not one of the guests but Aima, shing a brave smile.


    ¡°Wolves of that calibre are not a challenge in terms of numbers.¡±


    Then, she put her finger in her mouth and produced a sharp whistle.


    She shouted ¡°Come!¡±


    The sound of the ground being tread echoed closer, and then it appeared. Something resembling a ck gust of wind appeared behind the wolves. It was a gigantic wolf with jet-ck fur.


    ¡°What, that¡¯s¡­¡± The women from the Equestrian Kingdom were left speechless. Mia, too, was rendered speechless because she had recognised the animal.


    <i>¡®That wolf ¨C isn¡¯t it the same as the one that attacked me before? </i><i>It looks just like the wolf that the Wolf master had.¡¯</i>


    With cold sweat running down her back, Mia watched as the gigantic wolf red at the other three wolves who hade before. Instantly, the three wolves leaped into the air and fled with their tails between their legs, scattering in all different directions.


    After letting out a deep howl at their fleeing backs, the gigantic wolf turned towards Mia and the others.


    ¡°Hmph, as if mere wild wolves could stand a chance against the Warrior wolf of my Fire n!¡± Aima said and then proceeded to pat the wolf¡¯s neck happily.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re trying to escape using that wolf?¡± asked a warrior from the Equestrian Kingdom in a trembling voice.


    Aima sneered aggressively and said ¡°If I had that intention, I would¡¯ve already escaped a long time ago. Besides, unfortunately, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Dion Allia.¡±


    After that, Aima proudly puffed her chest, and with a stern expression on her face said ¡°Above all, I am a warrior. Once I¡¯ve been captured, I wouldn¡¯t do anything dishonourable.¡±

 Chapter 528

    <b>Descendants of the Shepherd</b>


    ¡°Oh, this is¡­ ¡± Mia cautiously approached Aima. Mia wished to observe the wolf up close, as it was enjoying having its neck stroked. So, Mia drew nearer just to see it up close, about twenty steps away! Mia got close, in her own way.


    Well, at this distance, Mia could easily fall prey to the wolf should it wish. Despite this, Mia mustered up her courage to get closer and observe the wolf once again. Mia¡¯s vision was rtively good.


    ¡®<i>Hmm¡­ it seems to be quite attached to her. I¡¯ve wondered about this before, but is it possible to tame a wolf to this extent?</i>¡¯


    As Mia tilted her neck and stared, Aima noticed her gaze and her expression softened slightly.


    ¡°Hmm? What, are you interested?¡±


    ¡°That guy¡­ won¡¯t attack?¡±


    ¡°Ah! This guy is family. I have raised him since childhood.¡±


    And then Aima looked at the wolf and said ¡°These people are scared of you. Go hide yourself.¡±


    The wolf snorted in response to Aima¡¯s words and then disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s quite something. Wolves can listen tomands so well .. huh?¡±


    At that moment, Mia suddenly noticed that the expressions of the women from the Equestrian Kingdom were slightly tense.


    ¡®<i>Oh my? What is it? Somehow, their expressions seem awfully stiff. Are they still wary of the wolves from earlier?</i>¡¯


    However, the two women weren¡¯t looking in the direction that the wolf had left. Instead, they were looking at Aima cautiously. Just as Mia began to find it suspicious, the female guards said


    ¡° Let¡¯s head back. The wolves might return.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    While tilting her neck slightly, Mia got out of the river and began getting changed. After that they managed to pass through the forest without incident and returned to the vige of the Forest n.


    ¡°But, looking at it again, it¡¯s a magnificent sight.¡±


    Beyond Mia¡¯s line of sight, a seemingly infinite number of tents were set up on the grasnd. When looked at from the side, the tents appeared to be square, but when viewed from the top, they looked circr.


    <i>¡®It looks just like cheese. Yes. cheese tents.¡¯</i>


    In Perujin, there was a cake castle and in the Equestrian kingdom, there were cheese tents. In Mia¡¯s head, all the foreign countries looked very delicious.


    Although Mia called it a cheese tent, it was as big as a vige or perhaps even arge town. Of course, it wasn¡¯t asrge as the Imperial Capital, but Mia was deeply impressed by the sheer number of people who were living and moving with these tents as they travelled. What was even more surprising to Mia was therge number of livestock that they owned.


    A simple wooden fencing was erected at a short distance from the numerous tents. Riders on horseback were guiding the sheep inside. The moving flock of round and fluffy sheep looked like the clouds floating in the sky.


    Faced with the overwhelming droves of sheep, Mia thought


    ¡®<i>Well, this definitely seems worth counting. Since they are moving, it might take two or three days to count. Seems perfect for killing time.</i>¡¯


    Mia¡¯s tragic saga was that when she saw arge number of things, she ended up wanting to count all of them as a way to pass time.


    Furthermore, sheep weren¡¯t the only livestock. In another enclosure, there were giant goats with impressive horns, and their numbers were extremely high as well.


    ¡®<i>Can we get milk from goats? I wonder what it would taste like?</i>¡¯ Mia couldn¡¯t contain her heart-pumping, heart-throbbing excitement.


    ¡°At any rate, from horses to sheep, and even goats¡­ The people of the Equestrian Kingdom sure love living with animals.¡±


    The Tearmoon Empire also had livestock, but one didn¡¯t often hear of people leading a nomadic life migrating along with their herds of animals. Moreover, the concept of living such a life as a tribe, as a country seemed like a whole new world that Mia couldn¡¯t even imagine. Apparently, even Rafina felt the same way.


    ¡°To think¡­ that there was this kind of way of living. I heard that they are the descendants of the Shepherd n mentioned in the holy scriptures.¡±


    ¡±I see. That¡¯s right.¡±


    The shepherds depicted in the Holy scriptures yed an important role. ording to the scriptures, when God manifested on earth, they were the first to rush to worship and offer sacrifices, and thus received great blessings. In the Equestrian Kingdom, it was taught that the founder of the nation, a shepherd, married thedy, who was the messenger of God, and their country was born. The legend of the founding of the nation was linked to the Holy scriptures. Since the time when thedy divine messenger rode a horse, the tradition of valuing horses began in the Equestrian Kingdom.


    ¡°And the natural enemy of such shepherds is the wolf. ¡± Suddenly, Rafina¡¯s tone turned serious.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Mia was about to question her further but lost the opportunity.


    ¡°Mia-sama, the Chief of the Forest n is waiting for you.¡± Ludwig came over, bowed, and conveyed the message.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Mia nced briefly at Aima. Aima nodded slightly, continuing her sullen silence.

 Chapter 529

    <b>The Promise</b>


    While Mia and the other girls were bathing, Bel and Citrina were being taken on a tour of the vige. It was not an ¡®adven-tour¡¯ nor an ¡®exploration-tour¡¯ but a ¡®grand-experience-tour¡¯.


    In other words it was a journey of delight and wonder.


    ¡°Wow, amazing. That¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Bel couldn¡¯t help but exim with joy as she cradled the fluffymb in her arms. The warmth she felt was indescribablyforting.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful. The fur is so fluffy.¡±


    While Bel was patting its head and smiling, themb twitched its ears and let out a small cry.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Bel smiled, charmed by the overwhelming cuteness of themb.


    ¡°That one is still a newborn.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s incredibly cute!¡±


    Bel then turned towards Citrina and said ¡°Look, doesn¡¯t Rina-chan also think it¡¯s cute?¡±


    Upon being addressed like that, Citrina said ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±


    For some reason, Citrina seemed oddly distant.


    ¡°Rina-chan?¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m fine. Bel-chan, Rina will only look¡­ ¡±


    Bel recalled the uneasiness she had felt in the past, as she looked at Citrina¡¯s sweet smile that seemed to be like a swaying flower.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ Rina-chan, are you scared of themb?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not like that at all. It¡¯s impossible for me to be scared of amb. But¡­¡±


    Citrina had a slightlyplicated expression on her face as she said


    ¡°It¡¯s just that if Rina touched something so small¡­ it might end up dying.¡±


    ¡°Rina-chan¡­¡±


    On hearing those words, Bel¡¯s expression clouded. In the case of most animals, newborn infants were helpless and fragile beings. Themb that Bel held in her arms was no exception. It was very small and delicate. That was why Bel could understand Citrina¡¯s fear of identally hurting themb by holding it even a little too tightly. Since her early childhood, Citrina had been taught how to handle poison. It was quite possible for Citrina to think that her hands had been stained or contaminated by poison, which could easily be passed on to themb and kill it. It wouldn¡¯t be strange at all for Citrina to feel that kind of anxiety. Bel realised this and smiled gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Rina-chan. Mia-oneesama will ensure that Rina-chan will never have to use poison ever again.¡±


    After that, Bel approached Citrina and extended her hand to her. Bel firmly grasped Citrina¡¯s hand, which had hesitated mid-air.


    ¡°Rina-chan, these hands are meant to do kind things. So, it¡¯s alright for you to hold this little one.¡± Bel said looking directly into Citrina¡¯s eyes. For a moment, Citrina was a little flustered by Bel¡¯s straightforward gaze. Then, as if making up her mind, she bit her lip and tentatively held out her hand. Citrina held themb that Bel handed her, close to her chest and gently stroked the fur. With each stroke, the stiff expression on her face began to ease up.


    ¡°So soft and fluffy. And incredibly cute!¡±


    And then themb stuck its tongue out and licked Citrina¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Kyaa!¡± Citrina let out an adorable scream that wouldn¡¯t have been possible for Mia. Bel couldn¡¯t help bursting intoughter when she saw that.


    ¡°Come on, Bel-chan. Don¡¯tugh¡­ you¡¯re so mean.¡± Citrina pouted at Bel¡¯s reaction, but soon startedughing too.


    ¡°Hehehe. It¡¯s kind of fun, isn¡¯t it, Rina-chan?¡± muttered Bel as she looked around. The sheep leisurely huddled together in the pen, and the herd of horses walked with a calm and cool gait¡­


    The world that unfolded before Bel was a far cry from the days engulfed in darkness when she had to hide in the New Moon District even from sunlight.


    ¡°I like it here.¡± said Bel


    She had a smile on her face, and in response, Citrina also smiled. The smile was neither shy nor sweet but genuinely joyful.


    ¡°Um. Rina is really happy too. Listen, Bel-chan, let¡¯se here again someday after we grow up. Let¡¯se to the Equestrian Kingdom together. It¡¯s a promise!¡± Citrina said cheerfully.


    ¡°Promise..¡± Bel swallowed her words for a moment.


    A promise¡­ , a promise toe back together, a promise to meet again¡­


    Bel didn¡¯t like promises that were made over and over again. Because they had been broken several times before¡­


    The ones who sent off Bel, promising to meet again, all ended up dead. Bel found herself alone at the ce where they had all promised to go together someday. She had no idea when this dream would end. Considering this uncertainty, Bel thought that she shouldn¡¯t be making such promises. But..


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a promise.¡± Bel nodded faintly. That took a lot of courage. Perhaps it might note true, but¡­


    ¡°Rina-chan. It¡¯s a promise. Let¡¯s definitelye again.¡± Bel said that with determination and smiled innocently.


    ¡°Citrina-sama, Bel-sama. Mia-sama has returned.¡± the guard came calling, prompting Bel to stand up.


    The two of them never forgot the promise they made that day.

 Chapter 530

    <b>Princess Mia finally discovers the truth about the Horse shampoo!</b>


    ¡°This way, Your Highness, Princess Mia.¡± They were guided by the person from the Equestrian Kingdom to a slightlyrger tent. The entire fabric was adorned by an embroidery of lustrous threads, clearly setting it apart from the other tents.


    ¡°Hmm. Wonderful. Excellent work.¡± eximed an impressed Mia as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°Is this perhaps the embroidery of the white horse?¡± she asked while turning to look at Malong who was standing behind.


    ¡°Oh? Malong-senpai? ¡±


    ¡°Um? Ah yes. That is the embroidery depicting the founding legend of the Equestrian Kingdom.¡± Malong¡¯s response was slow, as if his mind was preupied with something.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. Malong-senpai¡¯s reaction was unusual¡­ could it be!?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Mia realised a possibility.


    ¡®<i>Could it be that Malong-senpai¡¯s father was actually a scary person? </i><i>After all, the person in question was the Chief of the Forest n, the biggest n in the Equestrian Kingdom. He must be a person with suitable dignity and power to match the title. </i><i>Come to think of it, Malong-senpai did not seem particrly scared of Dion-san when he first saw him. There was no one who didn¡¯t tremble in fear on seeing the famous Dion Allia. It was just a matter ofmon sense. Even Aima who sessfully pulled off daring acts like looting was terrified of Dion. This could indeed be very serious. She had to be prepared.</i>¡¯


    Despite such thoughts Mia didn¡¯t consider running away. Was it possible that Mia¡¯s little chicken heart had grown through her various experiences? Well of course not, that wasn¡¯t possible. However this time she was just a bystander, apletely unrted outsider. If, by any chance, he was such a dangerous person that he would threaten even Mia, who was an unrted bystander, well in that case, at least she had a reliable and reassuring friend by her side. Mia¡¯s friend Rafina was not one to remain silent in the face of such outrageous behaviour.


    Mia entered the tent with a calm heart, like a kitten borrowing the might of a lion. However¡­


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Empire. Thank you foring from so far to visit us. And the Holy Lady hase as well. Sorry for causing you the trouble ofing here for the sake of our Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    The person who greeted Mia and the others with a tranquil voice had an unusual appearance. It was hard to describe, but he looked extremely delicate. Mia couldn¡¯t sense any kind of menacing aura from him, and he did not have a towering frame. The man cast a sidelong nce at Mia, who was almost disappointed by the anti-climatic turn of events. He then bowed down with a gentle smile on his face. The movement caused his long ck hair, which came up to his waist, to sway smoothly. Mia couldn¡¯t help being mesmerised by the beautiful glossy hair.


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Lin Mayun, Chief of the Forest n.¡± He said in a cool and refreshing voice, reminiscent of a first-ss singer. The elegance of his tone could enrapture any listener.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mayun-sama.¡± Rafina added, addressing him in a familiar manner. As the Lady Saint, Rafina had to visit various ces, so she probably was acquainted with Mayun. After exchanging a brief greeting with Rafina, Mayun turned his gaze towards Mia once again.


    ¡°I would like to thank you for agreeing to my son Malong¡¯s request and taking the trouble toe here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. I have been in Malong-senpai¡¯s care. Besides, I have always had an interest in your country¡¯s butter¡­ I mean ingredients. I had ns to stop by anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ for butter is it? I apologise for my impertinence, but the extremely busy Princess of the Empire came all this way for that? Just for some butter? ¡±


    Mayun had an incredulous look on his face, and then he continued to stare intently at Mia. Under the direct prating gaze of the profoundly intelligent ck eyes, Mia realised that she was being tested. Perceptive as always, Princess Mia, with her keen insight, was sensitive to the gaze of others. Now, what exactly was she being tested on?


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s really simple. The butter from the Equestrian Kingdom is no ordinary butter. </i><i>It is very delicious¡­ I¡¯m being tested to check if I know that it is special! </i><i>Am I being tested to see if I understand its value and that it would warrant a visit? </i><i>This person really gets it!.</i>¡¯


    Mia smiled elegantly even as she faced an opponent who could not be underestimated.


    ¡°Yes. The butter of the Equestrian Kingdom is extremely delicious. The Equestrian Kingdom that produces such butter is a special and important country. So, it¡¯s well worth a visit, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I see. The rumours were not wrong, the Princess is indeed wise.¡±


    Mayun, who had been staring at Mia for a while, nodded deeply.


    Once again, his hair swayed and Mia¡¯s eyes lingered on the well groomed hair.


    ¡® <i>¡®Keisei no bijou¡¯ ¡ª ¡®Castle-toppling beauty¡¯ was a phrase said to exist in the East. It undoubtedly applied to his beautiful hair.</i>¡¯


    Mia felt a slight sense of familiarity with it.


    ¡°Um, by the way, I would like to ask an unrted question, Lord Mayun. I wonder if you use a shampoo with the mark of a horse on the bottle?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! You noticed.¡± As Mayun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, Mia looked smug.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Just then, Mia noticed Abel standing behind her.


    ¡®<i>I love using the one I got from you! Going out of the way to say something like that right in front of the person might be a little undignified.</i>¡¯


    In order to avoid saying it before Abel, Mia quietly leaned closer to Mayun and whispered ¡°Actually, I too use it regrly. It is a very good shampoo, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mayun was once again surprised.


    ¡°I see. You have an eye that looks beyond the veil of appearances and sees the inner truth.¡± Mayun nodded, impressed.


    <i>¡®What? Eyes that see the truth?¡¯ </i>Mia tilted her head in wonder.


    ¡®<i>I see. Indeed, I might be in possession of the eye that sees the deeper truth.</i>¡¯


    Mia nodded inwardly. She felt no need to be humble. That¡¯s because, by talking with Mayun, Mia finally discovered the truth about the hair shampoo. The question had been lingering on her mind.


    ¡®<i>Why was there a picture of a horse on the bottle? It did not seem to match the shampoo.</i>¡¯


    However, Mia finally understood, and she was satisfied with her deep sense of understanding.


    ¡®<i>It must be because the people of the Equestrian Kingdom love using it. </i><i>They put a picture that would make the customer happy, right? </i><i>That¡¯s really strategic.</i>¡¯ Mia was very impressed.


    ¡®<i>Although the actual contents may differ from the picture on the outside, it appears to be quite effective in selling a lot of products. </i><i>Hmm, does that mean if there were a shampoo with Rafina-sama¡¯s portrait on the bottle, it would sell exceptionally well to all her fans? </i><i>For the improvement of the Empire¡¯s finances, would it be possible to make such a request?</i>¡¯


    Just as she was entertaining some inappropriate thoughts¡­


    ¡°Speaking of shampoo, Holy Lady, I previously heard about a n from your father to sell a shampoo with your portrait on it. I wonder what happened to that?¡±


    ¡°Now, what do you mean? I don¡¯t know anything about that. Hehehe.¡±


    Rafina smiled ¨C a clear and pure smile, like a mountain stream where not a single living creature survived. She turned towards Mia with that smile still on her face and cutely tilted her head.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong, Mia-san? You look a little pale.¡±


    Confronted by the magnificent smile of the lion, Mia, the kitten trembled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Mia smiled awkwardly and tucked her tail between her legs.


    Thus the discussion began with an air of harmony and friendship.

 Chapter 531

    <b>The Veteran Runner and the Hot milk</b>


    ¡°So, you¡¯re from the Fire n¡­ ¡± When Mayun looked at Aima, she averted her gaze in an aloof manner. Mia then turned towards Aima and said ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s right. Um, Aima-san¡­ Her name is Ka Aima, and she does not wish to speak to anyone from the Equestrian Kingdom, is that correct?¡± In response to Mia¡¯s question, Aima nodded.


    ¡°Even if I die, I will not speak to anyone from the Equestrian Kingdom.¡± Aima dered. As soon as she said that, she turned to look around. The only people invited into the tent were Mia, Rafina, Abel, Citrina and Bel. The object of Aima¡¯s fear was standing guard outside.


    After giving it some thought, she amended her words: ¡°I won¡¯t actively talk with anyone from the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    <i>¡®Oh my, that was quite thepromise! </i>¡¯


    It seemed like she was scared of the deadly aura of the invisible Dion. Looking at Aima¡¯s state, it was reasonable to assume that Mia found the situation troublesome and was sighing internally. However that was not the case. That was because Mia had remembered exactly who she was.


    Mia Luna Tearmoon was a Runner ¨C a soldier entrusted with messages on the battlefield, and a skilled one at that!


    If the runner was a veteran like Mia, there was no need to run long distances to the point of death to bring back reports of victory from the battlefield. A swift gaze at the spot would do it. There was no need for anything else.


    ¡®<i>Was there a job as easy as this? Paired with some delicious food, would anyone even have the right toin? No, it would definitely not be permitted. </i><i>I will be able to taste some delicious milkter, so I have to make a good impression by working hard. Hmm. I¡¯ll do my best.</i>¡¯


    The precious milk was supposed to be a reward for a job well done. However, were she to get the milk in spite of not doing any work or by doing a poor job, Mia¡¯s conscience, or more like her little chicken heart, would not permit it.


    In summary, Mia was willing to do her best so that she could enjoy the exquisite milk wholeheartedly without any ill-feelings.


    Setting aside Mia¡¯s inner monologue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to exin anything. If you think about it, you should be able to understand the reason for it.¡± said Aima and then looked towards Mia ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Princess Mia?¡±


    Mia gave a pensive nod and said ¡°I think what Aima means is that she has a legitimate reason to not talk.¡±


    It might not have been particrly necessary, but Mia tried adding a summary. Having run out of ideas, Mia was trying her best to put on a show to disy her hard work.


    ¡°I see. However, I think that it is a matter of perspective. From our point of view, you left the country willingly of your own ord.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Aima was about to say something but fell silent immediately, looking towards Mia and grinding her teeth.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. Yeah, this is a bit troublesome after all.</i>¡¯


    Mia was on the verge of giving up, her drive was precariously close to copse. Just as her mes of motivation were about to be extinguished¡­


    ¡°Please excuse me, Chief. I have prepared drinks for the guests.¡±


    Several women entered the tent and ced ceramic cups in front of Mia and the others.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is¡­ ¡±


    Mia¡¯s little nose twitched at the sight of the steaming hot ceramic cup containing the enticing white liquid.


    ¡°It is warm milk, freshly taken from our sheep. Fresh milk is the best, if I say so myself. Please, go ahead and taste it.¡±


    Following Mayun¡¯s rmendation, Mia picked up the cup in her hands. She gently blew on the milk to cool it down and then took a small sip.


    A searing heat rushed through her mouth, but Mia endured it and was rewarded as the vour blossomed on her tongue.


    ¡°Oh¡­ this is it.¡±


    It was a pleasant sweetness. For a moment, it seemed dense like honey; however it melted away smoothly while passing through the throat, leaving behind a refreshing aftertaste.


    Mia sighed in satisfaction, savouring the exquisite vour she had never tasted before. And then she took another sip.


    ¡°I see. So this is the taste of the milk from the Equestrian Kingdom. It¡¯s really rich and has a robust vour, giving off a slight sweetness as it rolls off the tongue.¡±


    Then Mia gently ced a hand on her chest.


    ¡°Oh, I never thought a day woulde when my heart would be so moved by the taste of milk. It¡¯s truly wonderful.¡±


    It was either the deep emotion or perhaps just the calories that set Mia¡¯s brain into motion. As her mind slowly geared into action, she realised the futility of letting them argue with each other.


    ¡°By the way, may I ask what happened between you and the Fire n?¡±


    Mia hade up with a n. Understanding the reason for Aima¡¯s resentment towards the Equestrian Kingdom, could help them find a solution to resolve the whole troublesome situation.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s right. In such a situation, it is only proper to share the story since we got you involved.¡± said Mayun with a smile.


    ¡°Well, what do you think? Since we are all gathered here, how about we listen to the story apanied by the sounds of the lute?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Father. There is no need to bring out the musical instrument right now. ¡±


    For some reason, a sullen-faced Malong was trying to put a stop to it.


    ¡°What are you saying? Wouldn¡¯t it be boring if I just exined? Since we have the best singer in the Forest n here, why not listen as a gesture of our hospitality?¡±


    Mayun smiled brightly and picked up the round lute that was ced nearby.


    ¡°This is the story of the beginning of our Equestrian Kingdom as well as its thirteen ns. ¡±


    And thus, Mayun began the story as the mncholic sound from the strumming of the lute apanied his words.

 Chapter 532

    <b>The Historical Song of the Equestrian Kingdom ~ Gulp¡­ Gulp ~</b>


    ¡°It was a long time ago, a very long time ago ¨C the tale of the beginning of our nation. A young shepherdd who lived on thisnd and went by the name Kuolong, took the Holy Messenger as his bride.¡±


    Mayun continued to sing as he strummed the strings of the lute.


    ¡°This is a historical song. We, the people of the Equestrian Kingdom, do not have a culture of keeping records in written form, so we pass on the history of our ns in the form of songs.¡±


    Listening to Mayun¡¯s exnation, Mia recalled: ¡®<i>Hmm. I¡¯ve heard of this before. Didn¡¯t the story go something like the Holy Messenger , who married Kuolong-san, brought horses with her, and that¡¯s how the Equestrian Kingdom began? The people who originally lived as shepherds transformed into equestrian people around this time. I think that is what I heard from Malong-senpai.</i>¡¯


    Mia sipped her milk and ruminated on her memories while the song progressed.


    ¡°There were thirteen children born to Kuolong. They were the great ancestors of the thirteen ns of our Equestrian Kingdom. The first child, Fulong, guided the n with deep insight like the forest and thoughts unfettered just like the wind. The second child¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>Deep insight like the forest meant that he was most likely the ancestor of the Forest n.</i>¡®


    ¡°The third son, Seima, was clever and wise. He taught them how to master the abominable fire that scorches the grasnds and brought prosperity to the n.¡±


    ¡®<i>Mastery over fire. Aima did mention the name Ka Seima, so that meant that he was the original ancestor of the Fire n. He was the third son, I see.</i> ¡®


    Apparently, each child had a particr trait and was assigned a name based on that. This name eventually became the basis for the n name.


    ¡°Eventually, Kuolong¡¯s life came to an end at the ripe old age of three hundred and sixty years. He wasid to rest in the grave with his beloved wife, and thus began a new era for the thirteen ns of the Equestrian Kingdom. Each of the thirteen sons of Kuolong lived well beyond the age of two hundred years, bing n Chiefs ruling over not only their grandchildren and great-grandchildren but also the generations that followed.¡±


    ¡°However, for hundreds of years¡­ the people of the past sure lived a long life.¡± muttered Mia.


    ¡°ording to the Holy Scriptures, the first people lived up to a thousand years, although there is some debate about whether they measured time the same way as it is now.¡±


    Mia nodded in response to Rafina¡¯s whisperedment, then shifted her gaze back to Mayun.


    The song was finally reaching the climax, delving into the problematic feud with the Fire n.


    ¡°The first son, Fulong of the Forest, thus says : Brothers, let¡¯s join hands and continue to live on this blessednd, for it is here that we can find happiness and fulfilment. And the brothers all agree.¡±


    The people of the Equestrian Kingdom lived in peace on the ins.This harmony felt natural as they were all brothers, rted by blood. Even those who came from outside could trace their ancestry back tomon ancestors. It was believed that even if some dispute arose, it could be easily resolved before escting into anything serious.


    Mayun began ying the lute, striking the strings with precision. The air seemed to tremble with the increasing tension. Mia was silent and drank the second serving of milk that was poured without saying a word. It was very sweet and delicious.


    ¡°However, there was one who disagreed ¨C Ka Seima of the Fire n. And so, he said to the first son, Fulong of the Forest :


    I want to aim higher. The burning fire wishes to transcend the wind and reach for the stars.


    As if possessed by something evil, he continued.


    I shall learn tomand our enemy ¨C the wolf. By obtaining the power tomand the wolf, I will reign supreme over thisnd.¡±


    ¡®<i>Hmm, the power to control the wolf. Seems very ominous. I feel like this person is kind of simr to my stupid ancestor. </i>¡¯


    As Mia listened, she felt a sense of unease.


    Apparently, Rafina also thought the same thing, as she turned to Mia with a serious look on her face. ¡°If the book ¡®Those who Crawl the Earth¡¯ could have a chapter on ¡®How to topple a Nation¡¯, it would not be surprising if it also had a chapter on the subjugation of wolves. At least, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    ¡°When Rina was with them, the Wolf handlers did not read anything like that. However it wouldn¡¯t be strange if there were writings like that. Those wolves were extremely smart , so they could be used in battle. However, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if they were revered as Gods.¡± Citrina nodded with a serious expression as she spoke.


    The Central Orthodox Church hadid out a unified order, but the Chaos Serpents nned to disrupt the old order by creating an alternative God and persuading people to believe in this new deity. Under normal circumstances, this might have resulted in a new form of order, with believers adopting a new set of beliefs that were evil and twisted, yet still a form of order. However, if the whole purpose of the new God was to create disruption, then there would be no foundation for the new theology.


    Once they had gathered sufficient believers, it would be easy to reveal that it was fake, as it was originally created as a false alternative. However, what would happen when the people who had left the Orthodox Church and embraced a new belief learned that the doctrine they clung to was a pure work of fiction, a worthless fabrication? Would they fall into chaos, confusion and despair?


    This prospect was far more detestable and disturbing than the idea of using wolves in battle. It was also very realistically possible and chilling.


    Gulp, gulp. ¡®<i>Suddenly I heard the sound of someone making that noise with their throat. </i><i>Was Bel being overwhelmed by tension? Even that Bel! </i><i>I swallowed my saliva. It wasn¡¯t just Bel; everyone seemed to sense danger, and their faces were tense.</i>¡¯


    Gulp, gulp. ¡®<i>I heard the sound once again.</i>¡¯


    It was Mia, none other than Mia!


    It was the sound of Mia drinking the remaining hot milk in order to get a refill.

 Chapter 533

    <b>Princess Mia¡¯s Angry Intervention!</b>


    ¡°Well, there is a little more that I would like for you all to listen to, but I hope you don¡¯t mind if we end this here for now because from here on out, it¡¯s about the history of each individual n.¡± said Mayun as he set the lute aside.


    Then he took a deep breath.


    ¡°So, how was it? What did you think of my song?¡±


    With a smile on his face, Mayun eagerly asked for everyone¡¯s impression of the song. However, the response he got was silence.


    While everyone was disconcerted by the subtle traces of the Chaos Serpents¡¯ involvement, Mia was enjoying the subtle lingering fragrance of the exquisite milk.


    As everyone seemed to hesitate to speak¡­


    ¡°Hmm. I thought that it was troublesome for Father to insist on the guests listening to his songs. However, I suppose it can be useful sometimes.¡± said Malong


    ¡°No, my son. I¡¯m not asking for your opinion.¡± retorted Mayun


    Mayun seemed a little disappointed by his son¡¯s cold and indifferent attitude. Bel decided to cheer him up and said ¡°It was so much fun to learn about the history of the Equestrian Kingdom! I thought it was nice to learn history in the form of a song as it didn¡¯t make me sleepy or bored.The sound of the lute and the singing voice were both very beautiful.¡±


    Well, that seemed like a slightly odd impression, but¡­


    ¡°Is that so? Well, that¡¯s good. In that case, whenever you have time, please feel free toe and listen again.¡± responded Mayun with a smile. Bel¡¯s encouragement seemed to have made him happy.


    On the other hand, Citrina was watching Bel¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Singing¡­  I see¡­  I suppose I can request Father to arrange some songwriting lessons for me¡­ yeah¡±


    Well, setting aside Citrina¡¯s mumbling ¡­


    ¡°That was a big help, Lord Mayun. Thanks to you we were able to understand the circumstances of the Equestrian Kingdom in an easy manner.¡±


    After giving a safe impression, Mia once again reflected on the song she had heard.


    ¡®<i>It was a story that highlighted the desire of a very ambitious person to control his natural enemy, the wolf, and seek dominance over the world. After failing to gain the support of his blood-rted brothers, Ka Seima of the Fire n fled his ancestralnd in despair. </i><i>What fate did he and his fellow n members meet afterward?</i>¡¯


    As Mia folded her arms and was in deep thought¡­


    ¡°That was quite the conveniently interpreted song, very befitting of the cowardly Equestrian Kingdom.¡±  Aima spat out the words.


    ¡°Oh? Then, how is it told by the Fire n?¡±


    Mayun looked at Aima with a calm smile. He wore a slightly troubled expression, like that of a Father facing his daughter who was going through a rebellious phase.


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. It has been said that all the people who remained in the Equestrian Kingdom are not only cowards who cling to what they have now but alsozy people who fear change.¡±  Aima dered as she red at Mayun and sent a sharp look towards Malong.


    ¡°The results speak for themselves, don¡¯t they? Look at the current Equestrian Kingdom. Nothing has changed even to this day. You still struggle to protect your prized possessions from wolves and end upgging behind not only the Kingdom of Sunnd, but even the Remno Kingdom.¡± remarked Aima


    On hearing those words, Prince Abel of the Remno Kingdom couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile.


    ¡°If, at that time, we had taken the power of the wolf into our hands, we could have dominated the entire continent. We could have been a country on par with the Kingdom of Sunnd. Scared of the taboo, scared of change, scared to fight, scared of power ¡ª isn¡¯t that why the Equestrian Kingdom is in this position now?¡±


    Then Aima looked towards Mia in a huff and turned the discussion over to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Princess Mia?¡±


    However Mayun didn¡¯t give Mia any time to respond, and chimed in instead.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that leading a pack of wolves and entering into conflicts with the Kingdoms of Sunnd and Remno would be a good idea?¡±


    ¡°We are the descendants of proud warriors. We have fought to protect our treasures ¡ª the sheep and our family. Naturally, we wield power when necessary, for the sake of our friends and family. Moreover, the power of the wolf is formidable. Those of you who are used to fighting them should know that. If we could gain ess to this great power, there was no reason to refuse. You people of the equestrian Kingdom fear war, power, change. That¡¯s what cowards do.¡±


    ¡°Change is not necessarily a good thing. Instead of heading in the wrong direction towards something bad, it is better to stop and stand still.¡±


    Mayun said with a calm expression, however Aima snorted and let out augh.


    ¡°Hmm, words befitting the descendant of the dense Fulong ¨C- unmoving like the forest, only swaying at the mercy of the wind.¡±


    ¡°Having power doesn¡¯t always make you right. In fact, you tried to use your power to steal food and ended up falling into our hands. Even if you learn how to use great power, you can¡¯t even think ahead as to what you wish to achieve with that power. With such ignorance, even if you hold great power, it is nothing but an invitation to disaster ¡ª befitting the descendant of the reckless Seima, who grew arrogant after learning the use of fire and reached for the stars.¡±


    Just as Aima was about to speak after ring sharply at Mayun¡­


    ¡°Oh my! How long do you n to discuss such trivial matters?¡±


    Suddenly, a voice echoed in.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Aima unknowingly raised her voice and was immediately shocked by the sight.


    It was Mia ¡ª the gentle and great wisdom of the Empire, the one who dly handed over cookies to a girl who was a bandit, who was shaking with anger.


    ¡°I am asking, how long will we have to continue such fruitless discussions before you are satisfied?¡±


    After gazing at the faces of Aima and Mayun, Mia spoke.


    ¡°What do you stand to gain by arguing over something that is already over, something that happened a long time ago?¡±


    Mia shook her head slightly and said in exasperation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something that has already ended and is a thing of the past?¡±

 Chapter 534

    <b>Princess Mia clicks her tongue</b>


    ¡®<i>This flow of conversation¡­  is rather dangerous.</i>¡¯


    Mia was acutely aware of the peril in the ongoing discussion between Aima and Mayun. Indeed, the exchange between the two of them had the potential to be  extremely inconvenient for Mia ¡ª a truly unpleasant conversation.


    ¡®<i>A sibling feud among ancestors affecting the present generation ¡ª I cannot ept this.</i>¡¯


    The present situation, where people had to take responsibility for their ancestors¡¯ blunders, reminded Mia of something or rather someone.


    Yes¡­ it was none other than Mia¡¯s own ancestor, the first Emperor. Furthermore, there was a suspicion that Seima, Aima¡¯s ancestor, had been lured by the Chaos Serpents and tempted into epting the idea of harnessing the power of the wolves.


    The situation felt simr to that of the First Emperor, who had been manipted by the Chaos Serpents into creating the Tearmoon Empire itself.


    Of course, no one could be certain about what happened, but that wasn¡¯t the significant issue.


    ¡®<i>Just the fact that this reminds me of the First Emperor is the problem.</i>¡¯


    For Mia, the First Emperor was a past that she wanted to forget. A history that she would like to bury in the dark, where it could never see the light of day ever.


    Rather, she was supposed to have already done that at the Yellow Moon House.


    ¡®<i>Despite being my ancestor, he has created quite the troublesome situation for me.</i>¡¯


    Although sheined, Mia set her brain into action, fueled by the milk.


    With some quick thinking, she was able to organise her thoughts and nodded.


    ¡®<em>In any case, what I need to get them to focus on is the ¡°now¡±!</em> ¡¯


    It was necessary to divert the attention from past problems and shift the focus to the present issues, and it had to be done before someone broached the question : ¡°Your Royal Highness, Princess Mia, what is your opinion regarding the blundermitted by your ancestor?¡±


    So, Mia quietly opened her mouth and began her intervention!


    ¡°Oh my! How long do you n to discuss such trivial matters?¡±


    ¡®<i>I deliberately used a mocking tone to imply : Isn¡¯t it foolish to continue to dwell on the past? There is no meaning even if you expand the discussion, is there?</i>¡¯


    Aima shot Mia an angry look and Mia red right back at her.


    ¡°I am asking, how long will we have to continue such fruitless discussions before you are satisfied?¡±


    ¡®<i>The longer this discussion continues, the greater the risk of causing me trouble. </i><i>In that case, it is better to conclude this discussion soon</i>!¡¯


    Mia felt this within her heart, and at the same time, felt anger towards her foolish ancestor.


    ¡°What do you stand to gain by arguing over something that is already over, something that happened a long time ago?¡±


    Mia emphasised the fact that it was pointless to argue over something from the past. She highlighted and underscored the point to make the message clear.


    That¡¯s right, this was a diversion tactic to change the subject, in other words¡­


    ¡°Aima-san, Didn¡¯t you say that the Fire n is experiencing a shortage of food?¡±


    At that moment, it was the biggest problem. If resolved, there would be no need for Aima to go on a looting spree anymore and there wouldn¡¯t be any source of tension between the Equestrian Kingdom and the other countries. This meant that, for now, setting aside the difficult problems of the past and focusing on a solution for the current problem was the best course of action that Mia wished to appeal for.


    Mia had no idea what intention Malong had in bringing Aima to meet with his Father.


    Anyway, it was important to divert their attention from the topics that she wished to avoid. Mia clenched her fist tightly and made her plea.


    ¡°Even as we speak now, children are suffering from hunger, and the elderly are helpless. In spite of that, why are we wasting time like this?¡±


    From the depths of her heart, Mia sincerely believed that.


    A problem like hunger should be solved urgently. Mia knew well how painful it was to be hungry. No one would disagree that it was a problem that needed immediate resolution. Furthermore, an empty stomach often leads to irritability, preventing the resolution of easily solvable problems. Discussions should be held only after a satisfactory meal ¨C like after enjoying a delicious mushroom hot pot, when both the heart and stomach are satisfied,  and one gets sleepy. At the very least Mia would in that scenario.


    This drowsiness made difficult topics and past constraints seem inconsequential. To prevent over exerting the brain, people would cast away their obsessions and adopt a more efficient way of thinking.This, in essence, was Mia¡¯s art of diplomacy. ¡°Make the opponent satisfied, sleepy and convert them into meek cattle who would permit you to do anything.¡± abbreviated as ¡®Gyuuho tactics¡¯ or ¡®Cow Permit tactics¡¯.


    While effective only on a small fraction of the poption, it worked well with individuals like Mia, Bel and Aima.


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s just as Miss Mia says, isn¡¯t it time to let go?¡±


    Malong who had been silent, listening the whole time, decided to speak up


    ¡°What do you mean by that, Malong?¡±


    ¡°It is foolish to continue to be held captive by the past. I believe it is about time to let go of those constraints. That¡¯s what I meant.¡±


    Malong was on board and riding Mia¡¯s wave!


    Mia did not expect Malong to be the first one to get on board. Such a minor surprise did not cause her to pause. Instead, she embraced the momentum and continued to ride the wave that Malong had created. Mia¡¯s thinking power was as flexible as a jellyfish, flowing unfettered without restraints.


    ¡°Shortage of food is an unfortunate event. A situation where the citizens suffer from hunger and thirst would indeed be painful for those at the top overseeing them. However, if it could be used as an opportunity to bring back the people who had once left and help them, then that couldn¡¯t be considered a bad thing.¡±


    Either way, the food supply for the Fire n had to be provided from somewhere. Mia knew that famines created a breeding ground for epidemics.


    And, epidemics know no boundaries¡­


    Therefore, saving the Fire n from famine was the logical choice.


    Nevertheless, it would be challenging to send supplies directly from the Empire, given the uncertainty of their exact location and concerns about the transportation cost. It would be ideal if the Equestrian Kingdom took care of them.


    ¡®<em>All I need to do is steer the discussion so that the Equestrian Kingdom volunteers to help the Fire n!</em>¡¯


    Suddenly, Mia became excited to surf this wave.


    ¡°I have alway thought about the Fire n. That if they did not go extinct then we should find a way to reconcile. Isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity?¡±


    ¡®<i>Oh my! As expected of Malong-senpai!  </i>


    <i>This is going better than I expected!</i> ¡¯


    Mia was filled with such joyful thoughts, but¡­


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say,  but don¡¯t think that we will easily ept it.¡±


    Aima¡¯s cold voice made Mia feel like she was being doused with cold water.


    Mia mentally clicked her tongue in reproach at the sullen faced Aima who said those words.


    After that, Mia began putting together a theory to persuade Aima.

 Chapter 535

    <b>The Childish Princess Mia</b>


    ¡®<i>I wonder what¡¯s the best way to persuade Aima-san¡­</i>¡¯


    After a moment of contemtion, the Wisdom of the Empire came up with an answer.


    ¡°Aima-san, the cookies I gave you were delicious, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡®<i>That was it.</i>¡¯


    Mia was able to urately see through her opponent¡¯s weakness.


    ¡®<i>Aima-san seems to be the type who would go silent if her mouth was full of cookies. </i><i>Hehehe. She¡¯s just like Bel ¨C really childish. Ah, this milk is delicious. </i><i>Just one cup of this exquisite milk is enough to motivate me to give my best.</i>¡¯


    Truly, Mia was just as childish.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you long to have them again? Those rich, sweet, crisp, exquisite, delicious cookies¡­¡±


    When asked this question, Aima¡¯s throat made a slight gulping sound.


    Mia sensed her response in the slight drool that had appeared at the edge of her mouth.


    ¡®<i>Just one more push!</i>¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that those delicious cookies should be enjoyed together with everyone?¡±


    Mia said as she recalled her Birthday Festival.


    The time spent enjoying delicious food with everyone brings extreme happiness and a sense of well-being that could easily squash any traces of stubbornness.


    ¡°There is a path right before you now that can lead you to a ce where you can enjoy that with everyone from your n. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± asked Mia confidently.


    ¡°Ah, something like that cookie, I think our bandit group can somehow manage ¡­¡±


    ¡°Somehow, you say? Even if you can ¡®somehow¡¯ manage, how long do you n to continue this kind of life?


    Aima-san, I know that you are a proud warrior and that you deeply respect your ancestors. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to rely so carelessly on force.¡±


    Mia conceded that acquiring food by looting was an option depending on the circumstances. ¡®<i>However,  when there is an easy way to obtain food, shouldn¡¯t that be the preferred choice?</i>¡¯


    Mia wished to appeal that a better option would be one where people¡¯s hunger could be satisfied faster.


    ¡°Losing a trained soldier is a loss for the country. Isn¡¯t it true for your n as well?¡± asked Abel as if he were sending reinforcements from the sidelines.


    Being from the Remno Kingdom, which was home to the Diamond Legion, he understood that problem well. A superior soldier could not be worn down easily; it cost money to develop such soldiers, and they were valuable just like gold. The elite soldiers of the Fire n were no exception.


    ¡°It is not necessary that your looting ns will always work out smoothly.The defence forces of Sunnd are excellent, as are those of our own Remno Kingdom. Attacking a vige in the Belluga Principality could lead to making enemies of many other countries. That doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea.¡±


    Abel¡¯s words rendered Aima speechless.


    ¡°We can solve this problem peacefully. Choosing a solution that resolves the food crisis without risking the lives of n members is the right decision, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Mia delivered her final point with conviction.


    ¡®<i>Princess Mia of the Tearmoon Empire is indeed quite impressive! </i>¡¯  thought Mayun.


    He couldn¡¯t help admiring how Princess Mia was trying to persuade the girl from the Fire n. Mayun had heard a bit about Mia¡¯s personality from his son, Malong, before. He knew that she possessed a deep understanding of horses and had an eye for discerning the truth. When Mayun first learned that Princess Mia did not think of horses as livestock or mere instruments of war but rather as a means to set oneself free, he was pleasantly surprised. That was because these were words that Mayun¡¯s father often spoke. So, Mayun had been looking forward to their meeting.


    ¡®<i>It was strange that she chose toe to the Equestrian Kingdom at this time. It was inconceivable to think that the princess woulde all the way just for butter. However, she continued to insist on it. Was it out of respect for the sovereignty of the Equestrian Kingdom? The Equestrian Kingdom was expected to resolve the issue of the Fire n. Princess Mia kept insisting that she hade just for the butter, probably taking into consideration that her interference in this matter could hurt our pride</i>.¡¯


    Furthermore, Mayun was surprised by Mia¡¯s unpretentiousness.


    ¡®<i>Who would have guessed she would love using a shampoo meant for horses? </i><i>Indeed, a horse¡¯s hair is more delicate than human hair. Therefore, higher-quality shampoos are used, and those who are aware of this, sometimes use it for themselves. </i><i>That is quite possible in the Equestrian Kingdom, where horses are valued as much as humans. However, it is unbelievable that someone from another country, let alone a princess, would use something meant for a horse. </i>


    <i>Not being captivated by the veil of appearances and seeing the true quality of the content, unfettered and free thinking, that was the Wisdom of the Empire.</i>¡¯


    That Wisdom of the Empire was, at that very moment, enticing the girl from the Fire n with sweets, and with that momentum, posed a question to Mayun.


    ¡°Lord Mayun, how does the Equestrian Kingdom n to resolve this issue?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Mayun redirected the question back at her, though he himself knew the answer very well.


    The issue with the Fire n had been neglected and left unresolved by the Equestrian Kingdom for a long time. Perhaps the Tearmoon Empire could easily ept the Fire n if they wished to. A single word from Princess Mia could bring everything to a resolution. But she would not be happy with that.


    ¡®<i>Is it right to abandon your people,  who share your blood and the same ancestors?</i>


    <i>Is it right to be bound by the mistakes of the past and to make wrong judgements even in the present?</i>¡¯


    Mayun felt as if Mia¡¯s face, which wore a slightly troubled smile, and her clear eyes were asking him those very questions.

 Chapter 536

    <b>Princess Mia Sips Milk and Monitors the Scene</b>


    ¡°That cookie with everyone from the vige?  Gulp¡­ but, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Aima eximed in agony while cradling her head in both her hands.


    Mia was convinced of her victory as she observed this sight.


    ¡®<i>Hmph, it¡¯s only a matter of time before she folds.</i>¡¯


    Things seemed fine at this end, so Mia turned her attention to Malong¡¯s group. Mayun appeared calm and leaned in as he listened intently to his son¡¯s words. Mia stared at him trying to gauge his true intentions. Mia sensed a familiarity in Mayun¡¯s expression as he looked intently at Malong.


    And that¡¯s when she realised.


    ¡®<i>Didn¡¯t</i> <i>that damn sses often make this kind of expression?</i>


    <i>Although he knew the best answer himself, he deliberately chose not to disclose it. Instead, he waited for me to think. When I finally did my very best toe up with an opinion, he would mercilessly criticise it. That was amon tactic of the damn sses, Ludwig</i>.


    <i>At that time, I was quite angry about it. However, looking back, it was probably instrumental in my growth. Yeah, I was very angry then, but I am grateful for it now. No, actually, that¡¯s not correct. I am grateful, however, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still angry about it!</i>¡¯


    After dishing out a couple of novice-level kicks to the Ludwig in her head, Mia started thinking again.


    ¡®<i>Anyway, from the looks of it, it doesn¡¯t appear as if Mayun-san is particrly against helping the Fire n. The ovep of past Ludwig¡¯s expression with Mayun¡¯s </i><i>probably makes me reach that conclusion.</i>¡¯


    It was a tactic to encourage the growth of youngsters:


    y devil¡¯s advocate in order to elicit opposing opinions and help them organise their thoughts and sometimes reaffirm their own opinions.


    Mia sensed that Mayun had theposure of an adult and his attitude suggested that he was trying to impart a valuable lesson.


    If that were indeed the case, Mia thought the problem would likely be resolved even if she chose to ignore it.


    ¡®<i>With that settled, the only remaining concern was the matter of the people connected to the Serpents. Aima-san was probably acquainted with the Wolf master. I wonder if she would answer honestly if I asked her?</i>¡¯


    After studying Aima¡¯s face intently, Mia came to a conclusion.


    ¡®<i>Hmm, I expect she would talk easily!  If you stack a bunch of cookies, I think she¡¯ll probably spill the beans one way or another.</i>¡¯


    Mia¡¯s insight when it came to those of her own kind was rtively sharp. In any case, Mia realised that it probably wasn¡¯t the right time to ask that question.


    While she pondered the best way to proceed, the conversation continued.


    ¡°I see. I have no objections to helping out the Fire n.¡±


    Mayun nodded and said with a calm expression on his face.


    ¡°However, sorting outplications from the past is not that easy.  Reconciliation is not that simple, is it, Miss Aima?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes, indeed¡­ That¡¯s right. Of course, naturally. I won¡¯t be swayed by cookies or anything.¡±


    Aima said that with a stern expression.


    However, Mia was slightly amused.


    ¡®Hehehe, Aima-san seems tock self awareness. She doesn¡¯t realise she has a weakness for food; she has a long way to go. Well, it can¡¯t be helped; most people do tend to judge themselves leniently.¡¯


    Indeed, Mia was very perceptive when it came to her own kind!


    ¡°From our point of view, we cannot turn a blind eye to the use of cursed techniques like controlling wolves. Opinions will definitely vary on how to deal with the Fire n. However, given the urgency, a leisurely approach to this issue is not possible. If Miss Aima can guide us to the location, the Forest n can send food supplies immediately, allowing them to manage for the time-being. Meanwhile, I will gather all the n chiefs for a discussion on this matter.¡±


    Aima rolled her eyes at those words.


    ¡°That¡¯s idiotic. Do you expect me to just tell you the secret location of the vige? There¡¯s no way I can do that.¡±


    ¡®<i>Ah, I see. She would undoubtedly be wary of something like that. From Aima-san¡¯s perspective, the Equestrian Kingdom is her sworn enemy. Hmm. I wonder what Mayun-san is nning?</i>¡¯


    Mia didn¡¯t hold her breath. Instead she drank another helping of hot milk and watched.


    ¡°I understand that. So let¡¯s transport the food supply to some mid-way point.¡±


    ¡°Lord Mayun, may I have a moment?¡±


    Someone spoke up to interrupt Mayun¡¯s proposal.


    Rafina Orca Belluga, the girl with the serene smile, raised her hand.


    She nced at Mayun, looked around at everyone and then calmly spoke.


    ¡°Regarding this present matter, despite several incidents in the past, it pains my heart that innocent people are suffering. We, the Principality of Belluga, cannot stay silent and overlook this issue.¡±


    Rafina dered in a dignified voice.


    They were the words of the Saint, grounded in ethical principles and beyond reproach.


    ¡°What do you think? Can I also help with the transport of the food supplies?¡±


    ¡°Help? In what way?¡±


    ¡°Well, I would like to apany those transporting the food supplies specifically.¡±


    Rafina smiled calmly as she made the proposal.


    Actually, at this point, the Principality of Belluga could not contribute much.  Contacting the homnd and sending supplies would take time. In that case, the quickest way to send supplies would be for the Forest n to directly transport them to the hidden vige or to transport them to a midpoint, as Mayun suggested. From there, Aima and her n members could take over and handle the transportation of the supplies themselves.


    Since Aima did not wish to disclose the location to the vige, Mayun¡¯s proposal was the most realistic and practical solution.


    Yet, Rafina dared to interrupt Mayun¡¯s proposal and offer a suggestion.


    In other words, her idea of ¡®help¡¯ was to apany them.


    ¡°No harm will be caused to the Fire n in my presence. You wouldn¡¯t betray our trust, right?¡±


    What Rafina meant was that in addition to the two concerned parties, namely, the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire n, the Principality of Belluga would also be involved as a witness. With the impartial perspective of a neutral third party, the possibility of the Equestrian Kingdommitting any unjust acts towards the Fire n would be eliminated.


    However, this was not as well received as she expected.


    ¡°That¡¯s a farce. If the Equestrian Kingdom and Belluga, or rather, that person called Mayun chooses to collude with you, it wouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Rafina gave a cool smile in response to Aima¡¯s snort.


    ¡°If we do that, not only the name of the Saint of Belluga but also that of the Holy Principality of Belluga would be ruined. You must know some methods to take advantage of that failure, right?¡±


    Rafina spoke, her gaze probing as she looked up slightly.


    Aima made a disgusted expression in response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of those methods. But, if it¡¯s someone who knows such methods then I think I have an idea who that might be.¡±


    After muttering bitterly with a loathsome expression, Aima fell silent.


    Rafina tilted her head while observing Aima.


    ¡®<i>Maybe Aima-san is not a Serpent herself, but she is definitely connected to the Serpents.</i>¡¯


    Rafina¡¯s proposal was obviously not made out of pure good will. The objective was to further investigate the Chaos Serpents. It would not be wise to knowingly let go of the serpent¡¯s tail after finally getting a grasp of it.


    Rafina continued further.


    ¡°As my guards, I request that the escorts from the Forest n act under my jurisdiction in ordance with my requests.¡±


    Inevitably, that was the conclusion to Rafina¡¯s proposal.


    As per tradition, the protection of Lady Saint Rafina was not undertaken by Belluga but by soldiersmissioned by each country. If the usual custom was followed, then the warriors of the Forest n would serve as Rafina¡¯s guards.


    Rafina believed that it would be difficult to resolve the current issue without the intervention of the Equestrian Kingdom. Sooner orter, it was necessary for both sides to meet face to face and negotiate. However, judging from Aima¡¯s behaviour, the possibility of something unexpected urring did not seem low.


    ¡®<i>If I am present at that time, then as a neutral third party, I might be able to put an end to any conflict that arises.</i> <i>If there was someone who had simply been caught up with the Chaos Serpents, that person would be an innocent victim. I want to avoid the possibility of such innocent people being injured in the event of further  conflict. Besides, someone needs to go to prevent a situation where the Serpents might try to get in the way of a resolution.</i>¡¯


    While Rafina was upied with her thoughts, someone uninterrupted her.


    ¡°Rafina-sama, I will definitely ¨C no, please let me apany you as well.¡±


    Abel stepped forward from the sidelines.

 Chapter 537

    <b>The Choice of the Selfish Chicken-Hearted Princess</b>


    ¡®<i>Huh? What? Abel¡­  what do you mean?</i>¡¯


    Mia was greatly confused by Abel¡¯s sudden statement.


    ¡®<i>Well, with this, the issue is resolved. Now, all that¡¯s left is to enjoy the incredibly delicious milk from the famous Daigo sheep, and if possible, arrange a deal for the dairy products with Mayun-san before heading home!</i>¡¯


    At the peak of carelessness and preupied by such thoughts, Mia found Abel¡¯s conduct to be beyond her expectations.


    Mia was unsure about the reason, but she soon realised that Abel seemed to be worried about something.


    ¡®<i>Come to think of it, ever since I returned from my bath, I¡¯ve noticed Abel looking a little dispirited. Initially, Malong-senpai was supposed to have spoken with him about this matter. I wonder what they discussed. I am a bit curious. Hmm.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Well then, Rafina-sama and Prince Abel, let us have a small discussion. Malong, please proceed with the selection of members from the n who you want apanying you. I will have you depart tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait¡­  I haven¡¯t agreed to this yet.¡±


    Aima seemed to be mumbling something to that effect, but inevitably, she would be swept along with flow.


    ¡®<i>At first, Aima-san had taken the stance of not talking directly to anyone from the Equestrian Kingdom. But now, she talks quite normally. She is really easy. Hmm. She will definitely end up being swayed.</i>¡¯


    If that were the case, then Mia had no role to y here.


    Mia was told she could rx until the preparations for the Wee Banquet werepleted, so she left the tent with Bel and Citrina.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. Well, I am actually curious, but it doesn¡¯t concern me.</i>¡¯


    Mia was slightly concerned about Abel¡¯s situation. Despite her reluctance, she no longer had a role to y in that ce. On the contrary, if she stayed there any longer, she had a feeling that she would inevitably be dragged into something very troublesome.


    ¡®<i>I am worried, but I have no choice. I should just switch gears and take it easy.</i>¡¯


    So, Mia tried to take it easy.


    ¡®<i>Well, for the moment maybe I should try counting some sheep.</i>¡¯


    ¡°One sheep, two sheep¡­¡±


    Mia started counting absentmindedly, but¡­


    ¡°One thousand two hundred and three¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t do it anymore! I¡¯m so worried about Abel that I can¡¯t concentrate at all!¡±


    Was that really so?


    In any case, Mia broke free from her sheep-counting mode and stretched.


    Immediately, she felt a lukewarm breeze against her nape.


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡±


    Curious, Mia turned around and found the tip of a big snout entering her field of vision. It was the Moonhare that had appeared before, the one resembling Kun. It was moving rapidly and seemed ready to sneeze at any moment.


    ¡®<i>Ah, I wonder if this horse is a blood rtive of Kun. They look remarkably simr.</i>¡¯


    Achoo!


    Just as she was about to escape, there was a thunderous sneeze. Mia instantly braced herself, however, strangely, neither the wind nor the sticky liquid affected her at all.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia looked up nervously and saw an unexpected sight!


    The figure of arge horse was standing impassively between herself and the Kun look-alike. It was the same horse that ran away ¨C or rather tried to run away ¨C from the chasing bandits with Mia on its back.


    It was a horse that appeared to be spacing out, much like Mia who had let her guard down.


    ¡°Ah¡­ you are from the Imperial Guards¡­ by any chance, were you protecting me?¡±


    The horse gantly protected the princess, like a highly skilled guard knight, yet its expression remained as nk as ever.


    It turned its head towards the Kun-lookalike, stared at it for a while, let out a snort and watched it leave. Then, it turned its expressionless face towards Mia.


    ¡°You seem to have calmed down quite a bit.¡±


    When Mia spoke, the horse stared at her with expressionless eyes, let out a snort and then slowly walked away.


    It was headed in the direction where the Forest n horses were munching on grass, probably intending to fill its belly by mingling with the grazing horses.


    ¡®<i>Well, I wonder if the horses of the Imperial Guards are tied somewhere. Mingling with the  horses from the Equestrian Kingdom¡­ hehe, quite the free spirit. Interesting.</i>¡¯


    Miaughed for a bit, then, as she leisurely stared at the horse, she suddenly realised something.


    ¡®<i>Ah, I see. That¡¯s right. What was I even worried about?</i>¡¯


    Mia suddenly remembered the nature of her true essence.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s right. I am not the wisdom of the Empire or anything like that. I am just a selfish princess of the Empire. I don¡¯t need a particrly good reason. If I am concerned, I will go along. That should be good enough.</i>¡¯


    Mia was worried about Abel¡¯s slightly disheartened expression and wanted to cheer him up. She was also a little concerned as to whether Aima¡¯s n could truly be saved.


    Mia¡¯s chicken-heart warned her that if things did not go well, she would definitely end up feeling bad about it.


    ¡®<i>In that case, if you want to go¡­ then go. </i><i>Just say you want to go. There¡¯s no need for a good reason.</i>¡¯


    That was because Mia was in essence a selfish princess who put herself first.


    But at the same time Mia had some conflicting thoughts.


    ¡®<i>However, since Dion-san is also present, it might be difficult to just dere that I want to go. </i><i>In that case, I need to think of a good reason.</i>¡¯


    The princess was also a little chicken-hearted.


    Thus, Mia returned to the tent, struggling with how to present a good reason for her actions to Ludwig and the others.


    ¡®<i>For now, I will make it clear that I will also go along.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Nevertheless, I will not let the Forest n warriors into our secret vige¡­¡±


    ¡°But then, what about the escort guards for Rafina-sama?¡±


    They seemed to be still arguing on that point and were surprised when Mia suddenly entered.


    With everyone¡¯s eyes on her, Mia haughtily dered,


    ¡°I will apany you all to the secret vige of the Fire n. Is that fine?¡±


    With the final word from the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon, the course of action was decided.


    Rafina¡¯s escort duty would continue to be handled by the Imperial Guards and the number of Forest n members apanying them would be limited to the minimum required in order to transport the food supplies.


    Not a single person objected to thepromise proposal that Mia had silently presented.

 Chapter 538

    <b>Befitting of the Vassal of the Wisdom of the Empire</b>


    ¡°Ah! Are you the wolf the princess was talking about?¡±


    Dion ia had left the vige of the Forest n and was alone in the forest. After receiving a report from Mia and the others, he went in search of the warrior wolf in question. To his surprise, finding it was easier than expected, leaving Dion slightly disappointed.


    The warrior wolfy curled up inside the dark forest. It pricked up its ears and red at Dion. Its eyes gleamed fiercely and it wrinkled the tip of its nose.


    Dion smiled wryly and shrugged at the sharp fangs peeking out of the corner of its mouth.


    ¡°Hey, do you want to fight me? Your brothers were smart enough to realise the folly of challenging me.¡±


    As he spoke, he put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.


    After a brief stare-down, the tension drained from the warrior wolf¡¯s body.


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re not going to attack me, huh? Just as I thought, you seem smarter than an ordinary wolf. You are also different from the wolf I encountered back then. Wow, to think that there are so many intelligent wolves in the world.¡±


    He stroked his chin and took a deep breath.


    ¡°In any case, there seems to be no doubt that the wolf master and that girl are connected. Now then, princess, what do you n to do?¡±


    Suddenly, Dion reached for the sword at his waist.


    ¡®<i>What was that? Just now, for a moment, I felt like I was being watched.</i>¡¯


    He looked around, but there was no sign of anything unusual. The faint presence that he had detected quickly disappeared.


    Without letting his guard down, Dion took turns looking at the surroundings and the wolf, then let out a quiet sigh.


    ¡°Well, well, something smells fishy. Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Captain Dion, you¡¯vee at the right time.¡±


    As soon as he returned to the vige, Ludwig arrived promptly.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong? Is there some kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°Ah, actually, there¡¯s been a slight change of ns. It looks like it will be a little while longer before we can return to the Empire.¡±


    Dion heard about the situation from Ludwig.


    ¡°The secret vige of the Fire n, hmm.¡±


    He unknowingly looked up at the sky, as if lost in thought.


    ¡°I see. If it¡¯s our kind-hearted princess, she will delve into this matter without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that. However, it¡¯s not just because she¡¯s kind-hearted. As I mentioned before, the stability of the Equestrian Kingdom is essential to realising Mia-sama¡¯s vision.¡±


    Ludwig smiled wryly and then continued with a serious expression.


    ¡°In addition, when considering the future, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to strengthen ties with the Equestrian Kingdom. One doesn¡¯t need to put in much thought to realise that developing a deep rtionship is easier by extending a hand when the other party is weak than by requesting negotiations when they are at their peak condition.¡±


    ¡°The right time to extend a hand in friendship¡­ I see.¡± Dion nodded in understanding.


    But then he sighed and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Well, personally, I wish for the chance to fight that wolf master again, but¡­¡±


    Ludwig tilted his head in confusion at Dion¡¯s slightly evasive words.


    ¡°Is there something bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Several things, actually. Well, as of now, I can specifically think of two. One is the intentions of the Chaos Serpents. That girl called Aima is most likely connected to the Serpents, right? ¡±


    ¡°That is probably true. However, Mia-sama cannot decisively conclude that yet. The technique tomand wolves is not verymon, so it¡¯s natural to consider that she is somehow connected to the assassin.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a possibility that her very presence is a trap. I don¡¯t think the Aima girl is lying, but I am not sure about the authenticity of the information she holds.¡±


    ¡°And the second point of concern rtes to the trends in the Remno Kingdom?¡±


    Dion smiled in response to Ludwig¡¯s question, as if anticipating it.


    ¡°Well, since it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about, you must have already realised. That country has close ties with the Equestrian Kingdom due to their joint cavalry drills. They wouldn¡¯t want the Empire to get too close to the Equestrian Kingdom, so it¡¯s natural to expect some kind of intervention from them.¡±


    Dion crossed his arms and continued.


    ¡°Well, I am not particrly worried about Prince Abel. I don¡¯t think he would resort to any underhanded tactics. Although I do sense that he is hiding something, I think it¡¯s safe to ignore that for now. We can say for sure that he wouldn¡¯t harm the princess, at the very least. However¡­¡±


    Then, Dion paused, looked around cautiously before lowering his voice.


    ¡°If anything, what concerns me more is the Sword Saint Knight of Remno.¡±


    ¡°You mean Sir Grammateus? What about that gentleman?¡±


    ¡°He is a crafty old man. Setting aside his personality, he is very skilled with the sword. If he were to receive some dubious orders from the King of Remno, it could be quite troublesome.¡±


    Dion ia did not think of himself as an exemry knight. Rather, he saw himself as a rogue knight, with a strong sense of being a maverick. Even though Dion saw himself in that light, he chose to follow the orders of the master he served. Moreover, his adversary was  a man known as the Sword Saint of Remno. He was a loyal vassal who had served the Remno royal family for many years, providing swordsmanship training to the royal family andying the foundation for their swordsmanship.


    ¡°He will carry out his master¡¯s orders with unwavering loyalty.¡±


    ¡°I see.The King of Remno is certainly not a person who can be trusted unconditionally.¡± Ludwig acknowledged.


    ¡°Well, nevertheless, if I am allowed to handle him directly, then I can manage one way or another.¡± Dion remarked.


    Ludwig, perhaps sensing what Dion was getting at, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I see. That is why it would be troublesome in case the wolf master showed up?¡±


    An unknown future would await them after the chaos resulting from the potential conflict of three incredibly powerful individuals with different objectives converging in a single location.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think he would directly target the princess¡¯s life, but it¡¯s better to be cautious. Even if the princess insists otherwise, if nothing happens, we can simplyugh at our cowardice. It is certainly better than regretting it if something untoward were to happen due to ourck of caution.¡± advised Dion.


    ¡°That¡¯s true too. That attitude is certainly befitting of Mia-sama¡¯s vassal. Understood. Let¡¯s keep an eye on Sir Grammateus¡¯s and Prince Abel¡¯s movements, as well as the actions of the Remno Kingdom.¡± Ludwig nodded deeply in agreement.

 Chapter 539

    <b>Side Story: Empress Prte Rafina¡¯s Castle</b>


    Rafina, the daughter of the Duke of Belluga, adopted the title of ¡®Empress Prte¡¯. Following this decision, her first significant move was to relocate the capital, shifting her residence from the Principality of Belluga to a new location.


    The Empress Prte established her new residence on the ind of Saint-Noel, the site where the continent¡¯s greatest academic city had once flourished.


    Rafina had neither friends nor family. The once-burning mes of revenge in her heart were long extinguished. She was on the verge of copse. Nevertheless, she managed to cling to sanity by secluding herself in the castle filled with nostalgic bitter-sweet memories.


    That day, she was receiving a report in her office. It was a ce where she had spent most of her time as the Student Council President¡ª a room that had been renovated from the former student council room.


    ¡°So, what were the results? Were you able to sessfully eliminate the Serpents?¡±


    The Empress Prte asked as she sipped her favourite tea, the Princess Rose blend.


    ¡°Yes, in the regions under the control of the Holy Aquarian Army, the Chaos Serpents are being steadily flushed out. After appealing to the citizens, we received several reports one after another, and we are currently investigating their authenticity.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That would take a long time. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to execute all those who have been used?¡±


    ¡°Huh, no but¡­¡±


    ¡°Where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire, right? Besides, the Serpents are like a gue, if you let even a single one get away, the epidemic will quickly multiply¡ª ten, then twenty, and so on. By the way, do you know how to avoid eating a rotten apple?¡±


    Suddenly, Rafina shed a pure smile.


    ¡°It is simple. Throw away what is rotten, and throw away everything that could be rotten. There¡¯s no need to search for something that might be edible, something that might not be rotten. The key is not to find something edible among the doubtful items, but to ensure that you definitely do not put anything rotten into your mouth. Do you understand?¡±


    This was the basic policy she adopted against the Chaos Serpents : To kill both the Serpents and anyone suspected of involvement.


    Despite warnings from Sion, the Libra King of Sunnd, and several others regarding the severity of these measures, Rafina chose to ignore them all.


    ¡°So, how are things in the Equestrian Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes, most of the tribes have pledged loyalty to the Holy Aquarian Army. However, it appears that the Forest n has aligned itself with King Sion of Sunnd.¡±


    The number of ns in the Equestrian Kingdom had been reduced to half. Thergest n, the Forest n, had taken refuge in Sunnd under the leadership of Malong, the son of the deceased Chief Mayun.


    ¡°I see. Malong-san and His Majesty Sion.¡±


    People she had once been close to¡ªthinking about those nostalgic memories, Rafina tilted her head ever so slightly.


    She didn¡¯t have particrly strong feelings. She had lost too much to indulge in such sentimentality. Any small emotion was instantly swallowed by the void in her heart before Rafina could even sense it.


    ¡°They are quite difficult opponents to have as the enemy.¡±


    She mumbled and let out an uneasy sigh.


    ¡°Additionally, we have received reports that the survivors of the secret vige near the border of the Equestrian Kingdom have been rescued.¡±


    ¡°Survivors? Don¡¯t you mean prisoners? I believe I ordered the execution of anyone who protects the Chaos Serpents?¡±


    The reporting soldier trembled in shock under her cold gaze.


    ¡°Yes, of course. They killed all the Serpents and anyone who protected them, and razed the vige to the ground. However, a person was discovered imprisoned in the dungeon inside the ruined castle.¡±


    ¡°Imprisoned?¡±


    ¡°Yes. From what I¡¯ve heard, she is a noble. She imed to have been held captive by the Chaos Serpents for a long time, so I brought her here¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. She must have endured a lot. How pitiful.¡±


    Suddenly, the Empress Prte¡¯s expression transformed into one of pity. This change was not unexpected, considering Empress Prte Rafina was the Saint. As apassionate saint, she could empathise with those who had suffered misery and feel sympathy for their wounds.


    The woman imprisoned by the Chaos Serpents had endured terrible suffering and, as such, was worthy of receiving thepassion of the Saint.


    Rafina¡¯s heart had cracked on that fateful night of the mass poisoning incident at the Holy Eve Festival. However, Mia¡¯s death caused her heart topletely break and shatter. Despite that, Rafina remained the Saint¡ªa selfless figure who extendedpassion to the pitiful ones lying on the ground. She did not hesitate to kneel and lift them up, embodying kindness.


    The somewhat broken imbnce between the harsh face of someone who ordered a purge and thepassionate face of the Saint, who sympathised with the weak, added to her peculiar charm. This duality made her charisma powerful enough to engulf the world.


    ¡°Please bring her in and treat her with courtesy.¡±


    The reporting soldier bowed and briskly left the room. He held in his heart a loyalty tinged with fearful awe.


    Finally, a slender woman entered. Her ck hair revealed glimpses of beauty, yet there was a smattering of grey, perhaps a result of fear during her time of imprisonment.


    The woman knelt before the Empress Prte and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Your Highness, Empress Prte, I am at a loss for words to express my gratitude for saving me this time.¡±


    ¡°It is not a big deal. Please, raise your head. So, who are you?¡±


    ¡°It is an honour to meet you for the first time, Your Highness, Empress Prte.¡±


    The woman looked sad, yet there was an ever so slight smile on her face as she gazed at Rafina and spoke.


    ¡°I am Valentina Remno.¡±


    For a moment, the smile reminded Rafina of the sly smile of the Serpents before it quickly vanished. What lingered was the smile of a wounded woman, somehow sweet and ephemeral.


    This is an extra edition that is meant to be a break from the original story. It urs in the Miabel Timeline, where Rafina bes the Student Council President and undergoes a significant transformation after Mia¡¯s death.

 Chapter 540

    <b>Princess Mia knows her TPN</b>


    Finally, it was decided that the relief force for the Fire n would depart the next day. Members of the Forest n would be responsible for transportation, and Rafina would be escorted by Mia¡¯s personal Imperial Guard.


    Compared to having the Forest n in charge of both transport and escort duty, the personnel was reduced by a third, and that¡¯s how Aima was convinced.


    ¡®<i>So, that¡¯s why Mia-san did not mention that she would go right from the beginning.</i>¡¯


    Rafina was impressed with how Mia had sessfully concluded the negotiation.


    At the time, Rafina had found Mia¡¯s behavior strange¡ªhow she didn¡¯t say anything and left everything to the Equestrian Kingdom, or how, without agreeing with or following Rafina¡¯s actions, she left the tent as if the matter didn¡¯t concern her.


    ¡®<i>I see, this matter certainly did not concern Mia directly. But would Mia truly abandon someone who was in trouble? Moreover, considering everything, could she just leave Aima, who admired her as a friend, alone? Ask yourself, absolutely not! No way!! That¡¯s impossible!!! </i>¡¯


    That was essentially the gist of what went through Rafina¡¯s mind at that time, but Mia was thinking ahead. Well, not really, but at least that¡¯s how Rafina perceived Mia to be thinking.


    ¡®<i>I will temporarily withdraw from that ce. This should set the condition high, with soldiers from the Equestrian Kingdom tasked with being Rafina¡¯s escorts. Later, I will lower the condition by proposing that my Imperial Guard serve as Rafina¡¯s escorts. With that, Aima-san will be presented with an easy-to-understandpromise. That¡¯s what she must have thought. As expected of Mia-san, truly impressive.</i>¡¯


    Rafina was filled with admiration for Mia.


    Meanwhile, Lin Malong was also surprised by Mia¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The discussion took so long.¡±


    When he bowed his head, Mia gave a friendly smile and waved her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m d that our important discussion concluded without incident.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks to you Miss Mia. You were a big help. As a thank you, I¡¯ll treat you to the exceptionally delicious Daigo sheep¡¯s milk.¡±


    Just as Malong was about to run, Mia stopped him.


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Malong came to a halt, involuntarily tilting his head.


    ¡®<i>It is true that some nobles are not interested in the taste of milk, but it was different in Miss Mia¡¯s case. On the way here, I noticed how she was genuinely looking forward to it.</i>¡¯


    By the way,  Malong also liked that aspect of Mia. Without putting on airs, she did not hesitate to dere something delicious and enjoyed it wholeheartedly. He found her natural attitude very likeable.


    ¡®<i>Why would that Mia refuse?</i>¡¯


    Mia smiled calmly at the perplexed Malong.


    ¡°I will definitely have it againter. That¡¯s right, after this matter ispletely resolved.¡±


    Mia added, ¡°Ah, personally I don¡¯t mind if the quantity of food for the banquet is a little less. But, of course, I would like the soldiers who apanied me this far and my vassals to eat plenty.¡±


    ¡°Miss Mia¡­¡±


    Malong involuntarily exhaled, he was deeply moved.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps Miss Mia sympathised with the Fire n¡¯s situation and therefore did not like the idea of enjoying a banquet meal here. Despite knowing that her friend Aima¡¯s kin were suffering from hunger, she couldn¡¯t forgive herself if she indulged in eating to her heart¡¯s content in front of that very Aima. Miss Mia must be familiar with the concept of TPO ¨C Time, ce and asion.</i>¡¯


    ¡°I suppose you mean fasting, in the hope that the Fire n¡¯s problems are resolved.¡±  said Rafina.


    In the Central Orthodox Church, there was a custom called ¡®fasting¡¯, where individuals would abstain from food to make a powerful request to God and utilise that time to offer prayers.


    That definitely was not Mia¡¯s point of view. When Malong turned to look at her, she seemed to panic a little and shook her head.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. Really. Of course, I will eat the food. I just want to try to reduce the quantity.¡±


    Malong felt like bursting intoughter when he looked at the flustered Mia.


    ¡®<i>Miss</i> <i>Mia was probably feeling embarrassed. She was genuinely worried about Aima and was working hard for her n, even going on a fast to renew her determination for victory. Perhaps she felt embarrassed about being seen in that light. That¡¯s why she appeared so flustered.</i>¡¯


    It seemed that those feelings were somehow conveyed to Aima as well.


    ¡°For the sake of my n, I am truly grateful. In that case, I will also refrain from eating.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not good! Um, that¡¯s right, if you don¡¯t eat, you won¡¯t have the strength, and you won¡¯t be able to fulfil your duties.  You must eat properly so that it doesn¡¯t affect the journey starting tomorrow. That¡¯s important too.¡±


    When put in those words, even Aima wouldn¡¯t be able to refute that.


    ¡®<i>Is that why she said that she would eat a little? Certainly, fasting in the midst of traveling is not wise. If she were to copse, it would be all for nothing. In other words, Miss Mia had carefully assessed the limits of her abilities. She was truly impressive.</i>¡¯


    Malong thought to himself and nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡®<i>If Miss Mia has this attitude, then Abel will probably be fine too.</i>¡¯


    Not a single person there had noticed an important fact: Mia was subtly rubbing her stomach.


    It was obvious, wasn¡¯t it? The real reason why Mia abstained not only from the Daigo sheep¡¯s milk but also from the banquet food was that she had drunk too much!


    Mia¡¯s stomach felt bby from drinking too much hot milk during the discussion.


    Mia, the gourmet princess of the Empire, always took into consideration her condition when deciding to indulge in something delicious, especially when savouring a culinary delight for the very first time.


    ¡®<i>Speaking of the exquisite milk, it wasn¡¯t meant for today.  Besides, I¡¯m already quite full. I feel like I won¡¯t be able to eat much at the banquet. Ugh, I made a mistake. If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have been more careful with the milk. It was so tasty that I ended up gulping it all.</i>¡¯


    That¡¯s right. For the gourmet Princess Mia, whether it¡¯s tasty butter, bread, cake, or milk, everything is a drink meant to be gulped down!


    Well, for most people milk would normally be considered a drink, anyway.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t eat the special banquet food, but when the stomach is so full, I can¡¯t help it.</i>¡¯


    Indeed, Mia was well aware of her TPN ¨C Tummy Properly Nourished.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how about yogurt? It¡¯s nutritious and said to be beneficial for a beautiful appearance. Also, it¡¯s truly delicious when drizzled with honey.¡±


    Mia smiled broadly at the words of thedy from the Forest n who had been listening to their conversation.


    ¡°Thank you. I appreciate your consideration.¡±


    Mia repeated what she had said earlier.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s have a feast sometime, when everything is resolved, together with everyone.¡±


    It was a deration made with heartfelt determination¡ª a firm and resolute deration to face the exquisite cuisine of the Equestrian Kingdom in peak condition.


    By the way, the yogurt that she hadter was so delicious that Mia was thoroughly satisfied.

 Chapter 541

    <b>Princess Mia Gets Going</b>


    The next day, Mia and her group left the Forest n¡¯s vige. Mia, the girls and Abel rode in separate carriages, each surrounded by members of the Princess Imperial Guard. Following closely behind were the members of the Forest n, led by Malong.


    In the afternoon, they stopped to take a break.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s about time¡­¡±


    Choosing the right moment, Mia began to move quietly. Mia had a goal to aplish.


    ¡°Abel, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Do you need something?¡±


    When Abel was suddenly addressed, he tilted his head in surprise.


    ¡°Would you like to go for a little ride?¡±


    Mia spoke softly as she gazed up at the sky, observing the vast blue expanse ahead. A smile yed on her lips as she slightly squinted in the bright sunlight.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s such nice weather. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be refreshing, right?¡±


    Of course, Mia didn¡¯t just want to go on a ride for the sake of it. It most definitely wasn¡¯t an attempt to settle her stomach from drinking too much hot milkst night. Instead, she genuinely wanted to talk to Abel. Mia wanted to know what Malong had said to him and why he was feeling so sad.


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    Taking the initiative from Abel, who seemed hesitant, Mia called out to her own guard.


    ¡°Dion-san, I want to go for a little ride. Would that be okay?¡±


    ¡°You want to go for a ride?¡±


    Dion looked shocked when he heard that.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you run into some trouble just the other day when you did that?¡±


    Dion shrugged his shoulders, but his expression stiffened when he saw Mia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you absolutely have to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s important.¡±


    Mia stared back at Dion and held his attention, refusing to back down.Mia¡¯s basic rule when speaking with Dion ia was to maintain eye contact and definitely not avert her gaze. Mia had predetermined her strategy in case she ran into Dion in a forest. If she took her gaze off of him even for a moment, there was a high possibility of being attacked. Therefore, keeping eye contact, she would slowly back away and then run.


    ¡°Well okay, I understand. In that case, I¡¯ll stand guard from a little distance.¡±


    ¡°Ah, in that case, there¡¯s no problem. My warrior wolf is keeping an eye on the surrounding area.¡±


    For some reason, it was Aima who said that with a smug look on her face.


    Aima, who had been treated like a bandit until they arrived at the Forest n¡¯s vige, was now serving as the guide to the Fire n¡¯s location and had been released from her restraints.


    ¡°On the contrary, I have reservations about cing trust in that.¡±


    Dion sent a sharp look at Aima but she refused to meet his gaze. Unlike Mia, Aima adopted a different strategy, attempting to get past Dion bypletely avoiding eye contact. Mia looked on in admiration at Aima¡¯s unexpected tactic.


    Aima took a deep breath to calm herself and then looked intently at Mia.


    ¡°Princess Mia, I am deeply grateful to you. I was hoping to repay you, if only a little, for all that you have done for my n.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is that so? Well, if that¡¯s the case, then okay.¡±


    Based on their observation of Aima¡¯s personality thus far, it seemed to be a safe bet. Aima would stand to gain nothing from having Mia and her group attacked by wolves there. Additionally, Abel¡¯s presence was reassuring, and Mia felt everything would be fine with him there.


    ¡°So, what do you think, Abel?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then with your permission, I shall apany you.¡±


    So, without further ado, Mira promptly looked around for a horse that she could ride.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right. Ah, I like this one.¡±


    Mia approached a horse that was already familiar to her¡ª an equine version of Mia herself. Mia smiled as she approached the horse, which was leisurely munching on grass.


    ¡°This one is quite the gentleman. It¡¯s noteworthy how he put himself on the line to protect me. It¡¯s wonderful.¡±


    After praising the horse for a while, Mia spoke to Gorka, the Imperial guard, who was busy brushing it.


    ¡°What is the name of this horse?¡±


    Gorka was a veteran soldier in the Princess Imperial Guard. Originally a member of the Imperial Guard, Gorka wasn¡¯t particrly skilled with the sword, but he possessed a talent for breeding horses. Ludwig noticed this, and now Gorka was in charge of managing the horses for the Imperial Guard.


    ¡°Thank you for the praise, Your Highness. This horse is called Tofu ¨C East Wind.¡±


    ¡°Tofu? I see, that¡¯s an unusual name. What is the origin of that name?¡±


    ¡° ¡®Please let this horse run lightly like the wind blowing from the east.¡¯ With that kind of wish, it was named¡ªat least that¡¯s how I remember it.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a really elegant name.¡±


    Mia looked at Tofu¡¯s face while nodding in agreement.


    As usual, it seemed to be spacing out, not showing any sign of understanding the word ¡®elegant¡¯ or anything for that matter.


    ¡°Hmm. I like his majestic calmness. I¡¯ll choose this one. Gorka-san, I would like to go for a long ride on this horse, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That should be fine. I¡¯m sure you can enjoy a leisurely long ride with this horse.¡±


    Gorka wasn¡¯t particrly surprised to be called by his name. It was well known among the members of the Imperial Guard that Princess Mia had already memorised their names. That¡¯s the reason why he wasn¡¯t surprised at all, but it did leave him with a pleasant feeling.


    ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll put on the saddle now.¡±


    In order to ensure afortable ride, Gorka was naturally meticulous when putting on the saddle. Eventually, Gorkapleted his job perfectly and bowed deeply to Mia.


    ¡°Please enjoy your ride.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    Then, Mia and Abel galloped into the grasnds. Maintaining a little distance, Dion and Aima served as guards, while Bel, Citrina, and Rafina, acting as curious onlookers, casually followed behind them. Mia, however, remainedpletely unaware of their presence.

 Chapter 542

    <b>This was Definitely Mia</b>


    Spread out before them was the refreshing sight of the vast grasnd that seemed to stretch endlessly. The gentle breeze blew through the golden-green coloured expanse causing it to ripple like the surface of ake. The wind constantly created ripples on the grasnd and carried with it a refreshing scent of the greenery.


    The slightly elevated wall, visible in the distance, created a division between the beautiful greenery and the blue sky. The endless sky was a breathtakingly beautiful deep blue, marked sporadically with drifting white clouds.


    A horse was leisurely walking along in the midst of the expansive grasnd.


    Riding the horse were a young boy and girl. The girl who was sitting behind squinted her clear blue eyes in the gentle sunlight. The girl held back her hair that was dancing in the breeze with one hand and smiled cheerfully.


    To avoid any misunderstanding, this was not the portrayal of some well-raised and sheltered noble girl. Rather, it was a depiction of Mia.


    And here was the evidence.


    ¡°Hehehe, those clouds up in the sky look almost like sheep. One , two¡­¡±  She was muttering such things.


    It was unmistakably Mia. None other than Mia! Q.E.D.!<sup>[1]</sup>


    Well setting aside Mia¡¯s behaviour.


    Mia and Abel leisurely moved through the grasnd, riding on Tofu, the horse formerly referred to as the equine version of Mia.


    By the way, Abel was riding in front, while Mia in the back, wore a heroine-like expression on her face. It seemed unbelievable that she was the same person who was counting sheep clouds a moment ago. Mia¡¯s ability to switch gears quickly was one of her good points.


    ¡®<i>Anyway, hehe, I can¡¯t help but remember that incident¡ª the first time we rode a horse together. The mood around us at that time was incredibly good. Abel gently supported me, who was an inexperienced rider. We looked at each other and expressed our love.</i>¡¯


    Mia¡¯s memory had been tampered with.


    Well, setting that aside¡­


    ¡®<i>Anyway, I feel like Abel¡¯s back has grown broader again.</i>¡¯


    Mia stared intently at Abel¡¯s back.


    ¡®<i>When I rode with him for the first time, he still had the slender lines of a boy. But, as I look at his back now, it is firm, and I can sense that he has be a gant knight who can protect the princess.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Maybe going somewhere far away like this wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Hehe, it could turn into a romantic escapade.</i>¡¯


    Mia wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was running away from. She was at an age where one naturally yearns for such experiences. That¡¯s right, Mia was a fifteen-year-old maiden¡ªa pure one at that.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. While I feel safe riding in front, I must admit, I prefer this way. It makes me feel protected. Hehehe, I¡¯m satisfied.</i>¡¯


    After indulging in her long-awaited romantic desires for a while, Mia called out to Abel.


    ¡°Hey, Abel. What exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Without turning around, Abel spoke. Mia sensed that his voice was stiff and devoid of emotion.


    It was clear that after speaking with Malong, Abel was acting a little strange. Even today, until Mia called out, he seemed absent-minded and spoke very little.


    Abel was a gentleman. Whenever they went for a long ride, he would engage in conversation with Mia, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t be bored. He was a caring person. However, today, he wasn¡¯t his usual self and remained unusually quiet. Mia was concerned.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t y innocent. You¡¯ve been acting a little strange since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    Mia nodded solemnly at Abel, who turned around to nce at her briefly.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious from my perspective.¡±


    When Mia said that, a smile appeared on Abel¡¯s face for the first time.


    ¡°Well, well¡­ I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±


    Then he let out a small sigh and spoke.


    ¡°Actually, Malong-senpai informed me that my elder sister and the man with the wolf were seen together.¡±


    ¡°The man with the wolf¡­ oh, you mean¡­.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not aware of the details. Malong-senpai heard about it from someone else. It was a member of another n who actually witnessed the incident.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That is indeed worrisome. When you say your older sister, are you referring to Her Highness, Princess rissa?¡±


    Mia asked, recalling the names of the members of the Royal Family of the Remno Kingdom. Abel responded with a subtle shake of his head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not urate. It was my sister Valentina who was seen with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But I¡¯m sure that Her Highness Valentina is¡­¡±


    Abel gave a small nod to Mia who tilted her head.


    ¡°Yes, my sister Valentina is dead. She was supposed to have died five years ago, but¡­¡±


    Abel hesitated for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°No body was found.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°She fell off a cliff. The remains of the carriage were discoveredter, leading to the conclusion that my sister and herpanions fell to their deaths. It was believed that their bodies were devoured by wolves, as they were seen circling the wreckage.¡±


    Abel said that almost as if he were letting it all out. Then, he turned around and looked at Mia.


    ¡°My older sister, Valentina Remno, who is supposed to be dead, was seen walking with the man with the wolf. I came to the Equestrian Kingdom to confirm if it was true.¡±


    As she looked at those eyes that were on the verge of tears, Mia felt an unexined tightness in her chest.


    Realising she had to say something, Mia felt anxious and pondered. When she finally spoke, she ended up stating the most obvious thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Abel looked stunned as he was unprepared to hear those worlds.


    Mia continued to speak slowly, as if to reassure him.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that your older sister, whom you believed was dead, is still alive.¡±


    Saying it out loud helped her think through it.


    ¡®<i>Yes, it¡¯s definitely a good thing.</i>¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s something to be happy about. Abel, you should be happy.¡±


    Even if Abel¡¯s sister happened to be connected to the Serpents, as long as she was alive, there was a chance to talk to her. Interacting with her might even help bring her back to her senses. After all, if she had died, there would be absolutely nothing that could be done.


    ¡°It¡¯s something to be happy about.¡± Mia repeated.


    ¡°Is that so? Is it okay for me to be happy?¡±


    After a brief silence, words slowly spilled from Abel¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You should be more delighted.¡± Mia affirmed confidently.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I must absolutely meet your sister and offer her my greetings.¡±


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll use this opportunity to make my future sister-inw an ally!</i>¡¯


    Mia dered to herself with a resolute exhale.


    Trantor Note:


    1. Q.E.D. is an acronym for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, a way to show that you just logically proved something.

 Chapter 543

    <b>In the Kingdom of Remno</b>


    Let¡¯s go back a little in time.


    In a corner of the Royal Castle in the Remno Kingdom, there existed a training ground exclusively for the Royal family.


    In a country that emphasised military prowess, the Royal family was also expected to have adequate strength. Therefore, the men of the Royal family dedicated themselves day and night to refining their sword skills on those grounds.


    At the training ground, Gain Remno, the first prince of the Remno Kingdom was wholeheartedly practising his sword swing.


    He raised the sword above his head and swung it down with all his might. This was the first stance of the Remno Kingdom swordsmanship style. It was the most basic stance: raise the sword, step in and swing it down.


    Swift as the wind, sharp enough to slice through water, and powerful enough to crush a rock.


    He was simply refining that single strike into a sophisticated movement, following the same direction as his younger brother Abel.


    At that moment someone called out to him.


    ¡°Oh, impressive. You are showing spirit, Your Highness Gain.¡±


    ¡°Grammateus?¡±


    Gain halted his movements and turned his gaze toward the elderly man standing at the entrance to the training ground.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re heading out with Abel as his protection.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, so I just stopped by to offer my greetings.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Gain casually tossed aside his sword and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Well, well. I got needlessly carried away when I thought of knocking down my impudent little brother.¡°


    Then, he wiped his face with his sleeve. He must have been swinging his sword for quite some time, as beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.


    ¡°I see. Having a clear goal is important. It would be a great thing if you and your brother could elevate each other.¡±


    ¡®Wield your sword with a strong will and pure heart.¡¯ ¡ª Grammateus would never utter anything fanciful like that.


    The sword was a technique to strike down the opponent. What was necessary for that was to train the body and wield the sword with optimal movements.


    No matter how despicable the motivation for training, Grammateus wouldn¡¯t deny it. If it resulted in strength, there was nothing toin about.


    However, at that moment, it was not the only reason.


    Grammateus looked at Gain with gentle eyes as if he could see straight into his heart. Perhaps that made Gain feel ufortable, as he picked up the sword that he had cast aside and flung it towards Grammateus.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Would you join me for a practice session, Swordsmanship Instructor Sir Grammateus?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would be extremely delighted to see the results of your training, Your Highness Gain.¡±


    Grammateus said in response to Gain¡¯s insolent remark veiled in faux politeness. He assumed a stance with a hearty smile.


    ¡°I will serve as your sparring partner.¡±


    Without waiting for those words, Gain stepped forward.


    A downward swing from above¡ª a shing attack the same as Abel¡¯s single killer strike technique.


    Grammateus calmly intercepted the roaring oing strike.


    ¡°Hmm, not bad. Quite a formidable strike.¡±


    Grammateus pushed back and readied his sword once again.


    ¡°A surprise attack without any hesitation¨C against an average opponent, it could bury them into oblivion with a single strike.¡±


    Gain stepped forward once again without responding and unleashed a strike. However, this one too fell short of reaching Grammateus.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t block it easily.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I am the swordsmanship instructor, after all.¡±


    Gain grimaced at Grammateus¡¯ heartyughter.


    ¡°You said that it wasn¡¯t a bad strike, but¡­how does itpare to Abel¡¯s? I guess it¡¯s pointless to ask you that.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You mean to say that I misjudged His Highness Abel¡¯s ability?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hesitate to fake an evaluation just to motivate me to train. That¡¯s the kind of man you are, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, well. That¡¯s unexpected. I was faithfully carrying out my responsibilities as the sword instructor. However, your strikes are remarkably direct.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I would lose to my younger brother. That just infuriates me further!¡±


    Gain swung the lowered de upward with force. Grammateus effortlessly evaded it by arching his body and nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I see, I see. Certainly, based on my judgement, in terms of pure talent I see no reason for Your Highness Gain to lose. It seems that His Highness Abel¡¯s efforts have been rewarded. His swordsmanship has transformed beyond recognition.¡±


    Grammateusughed and in response, Gain snorted in displeasure.


    ¡°I never thought I would hear such words from your mouth, Grammateus.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Effort being rewarded¡­  that¡¯s nothing but nonsense.¡±


    Grammateus frowned upon hearing Gain spit out those words.


    ¡°Oh, is there something that has upset you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I recalled something unpleasant. A foolish woman who worked harder than anyone and fought against injustice, only to end up dying in vain.¡±


    He swung his sword. This time, it wasn¡¯t a straightforward strike. Transitioning from a mid-level stance to a capturing move, it was a crafty disy of the true nature of his original swordsmanship.


    ¡°As someone who taught my older sister swordsmanship, you probably know that. She never missed a day of training. She worked harder than everyone to master swordsmanship and acquired sword skills second to none in this castle. That¡¯s not all. In every aspect, from her studies to princess etiquette training, she put in an extraordinary amount of effort. However, she died abruptly, losing her life without aplishing anything. She failed to achieve what she was supposed to, and what she herself had wished to. Her entire existence was void and meaningless.¡±


    He stepped in for a strike, then advanced another step. Just when it seemed like he would continue to strike, he unexpectedly pulled back.


    With irregr movements, he tried to disrupt Grammateus¡¯s stance. However, for a man known as the Sword Saint, the movements were nothing short of child¡¯s y.


    As each of his shes was skilfully parried, a self-derisive smile appeared on Gain¡¯s face.


    ¡°Saying that hard work will be rewarded is nonsense. If that were true, it would have been impossible for my sister not to be rewarded.¡±


    With that, Gain abruptly tossed aside his sword.


    ¡°The training session was pointless. You didn¡¯t even break a sweat, did you.¡±


    Gain snorted in dissatisfaction and left the grounds.


    Grammateus stroked his chin and watched his departure.


    ¡°I see. His Highness Gain seems to be still tethered by the spirit of his older sister.¡±

 Chapter 544

    <b>The Curious Onlookers</b>


    ¡°By the way, Dion ia, I said that my warrior wolf would handle guard duty. So, why are youing along as well?¡± Aima posed the question with a frown on her face, to which Dion responded with a wry smile.


    ¡°Hmm, I am Her Highness Princess Mia¡¯s sword.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia won your trust by believing in you unconditionally. I think that¡¯s a splendid approach. However, that is the Princess¡¯s way and also her responsibility. I have my own role to fulfil and my own way of doing things. That¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    Dion remarked, smiling.  ¡°Just like your wolf over there.¡±


    ¡®<i>In the direction that he was pointing, there was a slight sway in the grass.  </i><i>If you strained your eyes you could make out the fur of a ck wolf¡­ or could you?</i>¡¯


    Aima stared slowly at Dion, who looked somewhat puzzled, and uttered one word: ¡°¡­Scary!¡±


    And took a subtle step back.


    ¡°Dion ia, I have one more question. How on earth did you know the location of my warrior wolf?¡±


    ¡®<i>Even I hadn¡¯t found it yet¡­</i>¡¯


    Dion tilted his head curiously at Aima¡¯s implied im.


    ¡°Eh? Um, isn¡¯t it normal to figure it out? Well, intuitively I sensed it by smell. I guess that¡¯s the closest answer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Scary!!¡±  Aima eximed and took a significant step back.


    ¡°That sense of smell¡­ could it be that you are the legendary wolf-man who transforms into a wolf at night, a werewolf?¡±


    ¡°Aima-san, it¡¯s best not to worry too much about the details concerning Dion ia.¡±


    Citrina informed the flustered Aima, almost with the attitude of an expert on the subject of Dion ia.


    ¡°Dion ia¡¯sbat skills are beyond humanprehension. It is pointless to even contemte it. If you ever get into a fight with him, your chances of survival might improve, albeit only slightly, if you gave up futile resistance and surrendered.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s informative.¡±


    Dion couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Aima¡¯s solemn nod.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re quite scathing, daughter of Duke Yellowmoon.¡±


    Following Citrina, it was Bel who spoke up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. General Dion is truly impressive. Finding a sneaking wolf is simple for him! He can effortlessly cut down tens of thousands of enemy soldiers single-handedly.¡±


    Bel proudly puffed out her chest. Dion, on the other hand, scratched his cheek with a thoughtful ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a general though, and tens of thousands would be impossible even for me.¡±


    Although Dion denied it, Aima couldn¡¯t help but think about it.


    ¡®<i>¡­If not tens of thousands, then perhaps thousands?</i>¡¯


    Aima pushed aside the scary scenario that she had begun to imagine and directed her gaze towards the girls.


    ¡°Anyway, why did all of youe along? I think Dion ia and I are more than sufficient as guards.¡±


    Aima¡¯s gaze shifted across each of them: Bel, whose reason she could somehow guess, Citrina who probably just enjoyed being with Bel, and Rafina, whose reason she could not quite understand.


    In response, Rafina nodded once and wore a serene smile, as if she was about to speak up, or rather, she tried to, but could not.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously because we are curious. After all, we actually get to witness Mia-o¡­um¡­ Anesama¡¯s love life. It¡¯s impossible not to be curious about the love life of the Wisdom of the Empire!¡±


    Bel was straightforward and refreshingly honest in her response : I came here prompted by my curiosity!


    Bel further continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Rafina-sama?¡±


    She threw it back to Rafina! It was a powerful pass, with no hesitation or mercy.


    ¡°Eh¡­ ah¡­¡±


    Rafina was at a loss for words when she was asked to speak.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s easy to mislead. If one wanted to fabricate, they coulde up with a number of reasons. But the problem is that I cannot lie.</i>¡¯


    After all, Rafina was a saint. She couldn¡¯t tantly speak falsehoods. Even if she were to phrase it very indirectly, it couldn¡¯t be aplete lie. Therefore, the answer required caution. From the moment that Aima posed the question, Rafina, who had been reading the flow of the conversation, began to consider her response carefully.


    ¡®<i>Because I thought it would be dangerous for my friend to go on a long ride¡­?  </i><i>It¡¯s true, but if she were to be targeted by an enemy assassin, there¡¯s nothing I could do.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>I was worried about leaving Mia alone with Abel? </i><i>No, I know that Abel is a gentleman and saying something like that would be disrespectful to the both of them. It is true that I was worried, but I can¡¯t use that as a reason.</i>¡¯


    Even if they weren¡¯t outright lies, Rafina subtly ruled out the somewhat unusable answers. Rafina diligently put her mind to work. If she set her mind to it, she could devise the perfect strategy to create an army capable of subduing the entire continent and crushing any resistance. Now, her mind was working full capacity to figure out a legitimate excuse for the onlookers. Just when she was about to voice the answer that she hade up with, Bel had intervened.


    ¡®<i>Moreover, the troublesome aspect was the form of the question. </i><i>Bel¡¯s question was not ¡°That¡¯s my reason, but what about your reason?¡± </i><i>That¡¯s not the way to pose a question, is it?  Bel¡¯s question was meant to ask Rafina if she felt the same way as her. It was a ¡°yes¡± or ¡°no¡± question that demanded a direct answer.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s¡­ no way out!</i>¡¯


    Bel was staring at her with sparkling eyes that had no hint of malice, only innocence.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s¡­ no way to evade this!</i>¡¯


    Uncharacteristically Rafina struggled to get her words out.


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right, so?!¡±


    Finally, Rafina found her voice. She  puffed out her chest proudly and dered with a solemn expression.


    ¡°I was just curious about my friend¡¯s love life, that¡¯s all. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    Rafina resolved herself for any oue. She made up her mind and expressed openly what was in her heart. But there was no one there who denied her words.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m also curious about my friend¡¯s love story. I understand how you feel, Saint Rafina.¡±


    ¡°As expected, even Rafina-sama feels the same way.¡±


    And so everyone voiced their agreement which surprised Rafina a bit but also made her happy.


    Just as she stood there almost frozen not knowing how to respond,


    ¡°Oh, everyone, what are you all doing here?¡±


    Mia, who was the subject of the conversation, returned. Both she and Abel, who was in front, seemed to have somewhat cheerful expressions on their faces.

 Chapter 545

    <b>Dance to Mia¡¯s Beat!</b>


    Not much else happened after that, aside from the nightly pyjama parties held in Rafina¡¯s carriage, which she was extremely excited about. The group finally arrived near the forest in which the Fire n¡¯s secret vige was located.


    The lush, green foliage of the trees cast a deep green shade, almost bordering on ck.


    The group halted right in front of the forest, and Aima quickly got off the carriage, hurrying towards the trees. ¡°This way,¡± she called out. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to see, but there is a path here¡­¡±


    Mia, apanied by her guards, followed behind. Considering her status, there was no need for Mia to go along. However, she couldn¡¯t stop herself. The forest seemed to be calling out to her. No, to be precise, it was the hidden mushrooms within the forest that were calling out to her!


    ¡®<i>When an expert encounters a new forest, they naturally want to inspect the  kinds of mushrooms growing there. It¡¯s only natural for the Mushroom Master to get excited. </i><i>Indeed, Indeed.</i>¡¯ Mia thought to herself and nodded pompously.


    ¡°I wonder if everyone is hiding in the forest to avoid being found by the people of the Equestrian Kingdom?¡±


    Mia asked and Aima nodded in response.


    ¡°Perhaps that was the case at first. However, as far as I know, they are not that well-hidden. After all, there are twelve ns in the Equestrian Kingdom. Sometimes they sneak off onto the grasnds to let their horses graze or introduce themselves as a member of some other n and trade with other countries.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, that makes sense.¡± Mia agreed and nodded in understanding.


    ¡®<i>For those living in the present, the ancient conflicts between their ancestors are not a significant matter. So, even if we run into members of the Fire n, I don¡¯t think it would result in any major conflict.</i>¡¯


    As proof of Aima¡¯s words, the path she guided them to was cleverly concealed, yet it boasted a sufficient width for even a horse-drawn carriage to pass through. This suggested a high frequency of travellers, indicating that the Fire n had notpletely secluded themselves deep in the forest.


    With Aima¡¯s guidance, the carriage resumed its journey, navigating down the dark, winding road for about half an hour. Suddenly, the road opened up, revealing the Fire n vige.


    It was a simple vige. Huts made out of wood were lined one by one and the horses inside the enclosure could be seen.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. It looks simr to the Lulu tribe vige. The big difference is, of course, the horses.</i>¡¯


    The horses observed them, perhaps curious about the unfamiliar carriage. Some stared with clear eyes, others twitched their ears warily, and a few even twitched their noses as if about to sneeze.


    ¡®<i>Apparently Kun¡¯s kin are also here.</i>¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no sign of anyone.¡±


    The vige was silent. The only sound was that of the horses breathing, there was no sound of human activity at all.


    ¡°Hey! Everyone, I¡¯ve returned. Where are you all?¡±


    Aima raised her voice with a worried expression.


    Soon after, a voice responded. ¡°Aima-sama? Are you okay?¡±


    A young woman rushed over from behind a building, followed by a crowd of people who began emerging one after another.


    ¡°Ah! Everyone was so worried.¡±


    Aima returned everyone¡¯s smiles. Mia was swept by admiration for Aima who was quickly surrounded before her eyes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Aima-san seems to be quite popr.¡±


    ¡°Aima-sama, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°We were worried that some bad guy might have scammed you. Did anything get stolen?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, not everyone who gives you delicious food is a good person. Aima-sama has a tendency to be way too simple and trusting.¡±


    It was a conversation that showed that Aima was cherished very much.


    Most of the people who had gathered around Aima were young women, and only a few  elderly people and children could be seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Compared to the overall poption there seem to be very few young men.¡±


    Mia nodded in agreement to the mutterings of Ludwig who was suspicious.


    ¡°Hmm¡­  that¡¯s right. Perhaps the bandit party that Aima-san led is out?¡±


    ¡°I see, that could be the case.¡±


    Ludwig nodded, but crossed his arms deep in thought.


    Meanwhile, Aima rushed over to an extremely old woman who had appearedte. Then, she began to tell in minute detail everything that had happened so far.


    ¡°What? The members of the Forest n?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°To think that we would have to resort to taking their help now¡­¡±


    Everyone was in an uproar. On the other hand, Malong¡¯s group, the members of the Forest n also showed wariness. The cause was the warrior wolf that was with Aima.


    ¡°That¡¯s the wolf of the Fire n!¡±


    The lone wolfy stretched out as if it was protecting the Fire n members.


    Earlier, as Aima entered the vige, the wolf had stealthily appeared from the bushes .


    Although Malong knew the wolf was tagging along, seeing its full form right in front of his eyes overwhelmed even someone like him.


    And so, a staring contest broke out between the two ns, with Mia caught in between as tension filled the atmosphere.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. I¡¯m hungry. It¡¯s almost dinner time.</i>¡¯


    One person was rubbing her stomach.


    Basically, Mia¡¯s position was that of a coborator. The food supplies were provided by the Forest n and they were the ones who had extended a helping hand. Therefore, Mia couldn¡¯t intervene in the conversation between the Fire n and the Equestrian n. If both sides didn¡¯t begin a discussion, there was nothing that she could do.


    ¡°Mia-sama, how about returning to the carriage and getting some rest. This conversation will be long and it will also take some time to unload the goods. So you should go ahead and have your dinner.¡±


    Mia calmly shook her head at the concern of the Imperial Guards.


    ¡°No, I cannot do that.¡±


    ¡®<i>Because that would be arrogant. </i><i>Even though there are hungry people here, if we were the only ones who ate first, that would breed resentment.</i>¡¯


    Certainly in the present scenario the most powerful force was the Imperial Guard.  If it was just a matter of pure power, then dominating over everything would be possible. A certain degree of selfishness might have also been permitted.


    However,


    ¡®<i>It is forbidden to have an arrogant attitude here. Arrogance thates from power could easily be overturned by power itself.</i>¡¯


    That¡¯s what Mia thought. If the main forces of the Fire n returned, there was a significant risk of altering the power dynamic. While it was hard to imagine anyone being stronger than Dion ia, the possibility was not zero. And if the power bnce did indeed shift, then there was a high risk that those who had disyed arrogance would be punished. Thus Mia was thinking several steps ahead.


    Be humble and modest in preparation of the inevitable shift in power bnce. Even after the return of the main forces of the Fire n, if they still remained superior in power, that would be fine too.


    ¡®<i>You reap what you sow. In that case, there¡¯s no way you could just ignore the hungry people, and treat yourself alone to a feast! </i><i>Besides, even if you did that, the food would probably not taste that good.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>In this situation, it is better to refrain from eating first. Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain the appearance of working diligently! </i><i>The food supplies that were brought belong to the Forest n. Since I am going to be eating that, I cannot afford to be cking off. It is necessary to earn the right to eat by working properly.¡¯</i>


    That was the reason Mia decided to speak up.


    ¡°Hmm. Since the Fire n members and Malong-san¡¯s group have things to discuss, how about we go ahead and move out the supplies? Of course, I will also help out.¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness, please return to the carriage and rest. Rafina-sama is here as well.¡± The Imperial Guard said in panic.


    ¡°No. I cannot permit myself to do nothing. I would definitely like to work for the sake of the hungry people.¡±


    ¡®<i>When people are hungry they are generally narrow-minded. It would be unbearable if theyinedter.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Be modest, be humble. It¡¯s important to look like you¡¯re working!</i>¡¯


    With determination, Miaid her hands on the luggage. She put her hand on it and found it a little heavy, so she switched to another bag.


    Now that Mia had started moving, suddenly everything else followed suit. It was unthinkable for them not to work while their master wasbouring, so the Imperial Guards joined in. Soon after, Rafina, Bel, Citrina and Abel also followed Mia¡¯s lead. With that, even the members of the Fire n and the Equestrian n could not stay idle. Seeing the adults start working, even the children began to lend a hand. To begin with, it was a matter of their own n. It was unthinkable that they would not work while the princess of another country was toiling.


    Swallowing their difort, the members of the two separate ns began to move, and a spirit of coboration was born, albeit awkwardly. Together, with a shared goal in mind, they started to work and sweat. And that goal was¡­


    ¡°Now, everyone, a delicious meal awaits us. Let¡¯s do our best!¡±


    Princess Mia took the lead and made her intentions clear.


    ¡°For the sake of sharing a meal together. Let¡¯s feast at the banquet!¡±


    It was a very, very enjoyable time¡­ Yes, it was the preparation before the festival.

 Chapter 546

    <b>Mia says: ¡°Eat your food while it¡¯s hot!¡±</b>


    ¡®<i>Phew, I¡¯m quite tired¡­ Ah, I¡¯m hungry¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia sat on the rugid out in the clearing and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Thank you for our hard work, Mia-sama. I¡¯ll bring you something to eat right away.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Anne. Please do.¡±


    With that, Mia sent Anne off and sighed once more.


    Mia was so hungry that she had no strength left to even move. Originally, she had been slightly hungry, and after working hard in that state, Mia felt that she had lost all her energy. The danger of her sugar reserves disappearing loomedrge.


    ¡®<i>Hehehe. Anyway, having food right in front of your eyes when you are hungry is not necessarily a bad thing.That, right there, is the best seasoning.</i>¡¯


    Mia raised her high expectations for the food she was about to eat.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Mia-sama. This looks really delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Oh, it looks really delicious indeed!¡±


    In no time, Mia eagerly grabbed what Anne had brought her. It was a big, crispy, fragrant herb wrap, something like a tbread made by mixing yoghurt into wheat and then baking it. It was apparently called ¡®Yonan¡¯.


    Thinly cut slices of smoked meat were sandwiched between the crisply fried Yonan. Mia gulped in anticipation at the sight of the smoked meat that was overflowing with sulent juices.


    ¡®<i>Well then, let¡¯s get started¡­.</i>¡¯


    Right at the exact moment, Mia opened her mouth wide to bite into the Yonan, there was an interruption.


    ¡°Princess Mia, may I have a moment please?¡±


    Aima came calling with incredibly bad timing. What¡¯s more, she brought along an old woman who seemed to be a prominent member of the n!


    ¡°Your Highness, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire, there are no words to express my gratitude for what you have done.¡± With that, the old woman bowed her head. Internally, Mia clicked her tongue as she proceeded to introduce herself. When people are hungry they are generally narrow-minded.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. Anyway, I would prefer to talk about difficult topics after I eat.</i>¡¯


    Self-introductions could be quite tricky. It would be considered rude not to remember a name, once you heard it. Based on her past experience, Mia¡¯s intuition told her that the olddy who had apanied Aima was the kind of person whose name it was important to remember.


    However, at that moment Mia just wanted to eat. Ever since she had begun helping out, her stomach had been crying out in misery. Anyway, for now she was in the mood to just focus on eating. Of course, she could understand the other person¡¯s feelings.


    ¡®<i>I am trying to eat right now! Don¡¯te talking to me at a time like this!</i>¡¯


    It was not like she wasn¡¯t thinking along those lines, but dying her self introduction would be considered disrespectful.


    Moreover, in case of  introductions, the order was equally important. Considering their status, the introductions ought to have begun with either Rafina or Mia. Since Mia was the one who had stood out the most earlier, it was natural that they came to greet her first.


    ¡®<i>I understand their feelings. I truly do. However, I can¡¯t help but feel that this is not the right time.</i>¡¯


    Mia¡¯s dissatisfaction spilled out of her mouth identally!


    ¡°Could you please stop talking about things that don¡¯t matter?¡±


    ¡®<i>I said it! I said that it didn¡¯t matter! </i><i>I didn¡¯t want to use my brain, so I ended up saying it too bluntly. </i><i>Oh, that¡¯s terrible. I let out my true feelings!</i>¡¯


    In that instant, Mia¡¯s brain momentarily awakened. The Wisdom of the Empire burnt thest remaining sugar reserves in her body to increase her brain¡¯s working speed to its maximum, and finally, she arrived at the words needed to salvage the situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s save the difficult conversation for after we¡¯ve eaten. I believe you all must be hungry as well.¡± After emphasising that it was all for their sake, Mia continued.


    ¡°Besides, I am also hungry after all the work I¡¯ve done. If I don¡¯t eat soon, I feel like I might lose consciousness.¡±


    Mia added a bit of her true feelings there. The trick to tell a convincing lie was to mix in a kernel of truth. With that she wondered if had sessfully managed to disguise her true intention. Then, with a deceptive smile she said, ¡°That¡¯s why let¡¯s save the difficult discussion for after we¡¯ve eaten. Look, it would be a shame if the freshly prepared, piping hot food ended up getting cold.¡±


    That was also the truth. Mia wanted to enjoy the piping hot food. When the old woman heard that, she opened her eyes wide in surprise for a moment.


    ¡°Hehehe, I see. It¡¯s exactly as you say. Look, Aima, let¡¯s eat for now. The children won¡¯t be able to rx and eat unless Her Royal Highness starts eating.¡±


    Aima, prompted by the old woman, nced briefly at Mia and said, ¡°Thank you for your consideration once again.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to thank me. I just wanted to eat the food while it¡¯s still hot and delicious. That¡¯s all.¡±


    After giving a cheerful smile, she felt it necessary to assert her point.


    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve earned the right to eat heartily today after working so hard.¡±


    ¡®<i>I am eating only after having worked diligently. Please understand that I am not being arrogant and just eating without doing anything. I think I conveyed my case abundantly clear.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Then, once again¡­¡±


    With that, Mia opened her mouth wide and firmly sank her teeth into the edge of the Yonan that she held tightly with both hands. The crispy herb made a slight sound in her mouth. Immediately, the gooey cheese coated her tongue, followed by the burst of vour from the grilled cheese and its mellow tanginess. The savoury juices from the meat added to the mix, creating a symphony of three hot vours.


    The food was so hot that Mia had to exhale, but she was still smiling.


    ¡°Ah! Wonderful! This taste is amazing.¡±


    Then, she suddenly realised that everyone was staring at her.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong, everyone? If you don¡¯t eat quickly, it¡¯ll get cold.¡±


    Everyone who was watching, captivated by Mia¡¯s hearty eating style, finally moved into action.


    And then it became time to purely enjoy the feast. The enjoyment of the asion generated enough warmth to slowly melt away the tensions between the Fire n and the Forest n. It was a night when the famous Banquet Princess Mia shone radiantly like the moon.

 Chapter 549

    Chapter 549


    <b>Princess Mia tries her best, realises and gives up</b>


    I offer my gratitude to you once again for this time. Thank you for helping our n. But, why are you doing this? asked Roufa in a serious tone.


    Theres no need to even ask about that. Originally speaking, the Fire n and the Forest n are brethren born from the same parents. Its natural for us to help when youre in trouble.


    In response to Malongs answer, Roufa smiled faintly and shook her head.


    Could you please not treat us like fools, young man of the Forest n. I am not so naive as to think we could receive help without offering something in return.


    Roufa said this with a stern expression. One might have expected Mia to feel overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, but that was not the case.


    After all, this was the same person who had been eatingst night with a big smile on her face. Mia had seen her enjoying the food, expressing her delight with various sounds.


    <i>Had it not been for the banquetst night, I would have had a totally different image of her. First impressions are important. Hmm, perhaps I need to be careful too.</i>


    At that moment, the events ofst night suddenly shed through Mias mind.


    <i> Could you please stop talking about things that dont matter? I had said something like that and distanced myself. Perhaps it wasnt such a good idea. I thought that I was able to disguise my intentions well, and the old woman had certainlyughed and didnt seem to be bothered by it.</i> <i>However, the other person is elderly. I am not sure if she has the magnanimity tough and overlook the disrespect disyed by some youngster like me. I cannot deny the possibility that in spite ofughing she might have formed a negative impression of me.</i>


    Mia suddenly turned her gaze towards Ludwig, to find him staring at her with a serious expression. At that moment, Mia felt a cold shiver run down her spine.


    Mia couldnt help but imagine what would happen if the damn sses from her past saw herst night. Surely, he would lecture her with great intensity. Even the current Ludwig would definitely scold her forst night.


    Mia realised once again that being hungry might not be a sufficient excuse for the blunder she might havemitted.


    <i>What is necessary now is to win the other partys trust and extract information about the Chaos Serpents. However, due tost nights blunder, there is a strong possibility that the starting point itself is negative. It could even be called a regrettable mistake.</i>


    <i>I have to make up for it no matter what. I have to do my best to make a good impression.</i>


    And so, Mia decided on her stance for the day. She would choose a position that was slightly leaning towards the Fire n rather than be neutral in order to gain their trust. As a dance expert, Mia was no stranger to delicate bncing acts. And with that


    Aima says that the support is based on friendship, but it is a little surprising that she seems to be so naive as to believe that. Your Highness Princess Mia and Saint Rafina-sama, isnt there something that you are trying to gain by helping us.?


    No, its not like that. Its true that Aima-san and I are friends. And its natural for me to help my friends!


    <i>I will make the case that Aima and I are friends and appeal passionately.</i>


    Its the same with Malong-senpai. Isnt it normal for people to lend a helping hand when theirpatriots are in trouble?


    Mia confirmed that Malong was nodding in agreement.


    This was essentially a guarantee that the Fire n would receive support free of charge. Mia wanted to demonstrate her usefulness. She then nced at Rafina.


    Spare no effort for your friends or blood rtives was an undeniable good deed, and therefore, Rafina must have been smiling as well, giving the perfect answer. However, when Mia tried to confirm that, she found that Rafina had tilted her head to the side.


    <i>I wonder why? Rafina looked a little displeased. Oh, my! Thats strange Theres nothing wrong thats being said</i>


    Furthermore, Mia noticed that it was not just Rafina, Roufa also looked like she wasnt particrly convinced.


    <i>Why? This is such a good deal for you, so why arent you happy about it? Hey, what on earth is this?</i>


    Mia couldnt help but feel confused. The reaction of those around her was different from what she had expected, greatly heightening her sense of an impending crisis.


    <i>Could it be? Perhaps yesterdays incident was actually quite bad after all? </i><i>Certainly, it might have been seen as disrespectful Does that mean I should have been more apologetic at the start?</i>


    As Mia began to panic, someone suddenly spoke to her.


    Excuse me. Mia-sama, may I have a moment?


    It was a calm,posed voice. However, it sent a chill down Mias spine.


    When Mia nced over, she saw Ludwig, his sses gleaming. Looking at that expression, Mia understood.


    <i>Ah, this was something that often happened in the previous timeline. Well, that means I made a significant enough mistake that Ludwig has to cover for me.</i> <i>This might lead to a lectureter on, huh I really dont want that, but theres no helping it.</i> <i>Besides, pushing back and making the situation even worse would be an even bigger mistake that could lead to an irreversible situation. When Ludwig says that hell handle it, its best to just let him take care of everything.</i>


    Having reached a state of resignation and enlightenment, Mia felt a bit exhausted and said, Then, Ludwig, please take care of it.


    Mia passed all the responsibility to Ludwig. In response, Ludwig nodded and adjusted his sses slightly. Well then, on behalf of Mia-sama, if I may

 Chapter 550

    Chapter 550


    <b>Ludwigs Rumination</b>


    <i>It is important to recognise ones responsibilities. </i><i>It is crucial to be aware of your role in a particr ce, in a structure and in personal rtionships and use everything you have, all of your abilities and strengths to do what needs to be done.</i>


    Ludwig believed that the moment such a goal was achieved, one felt a sense of aplishment that far exceeded any feelings of exhaustion.


    He usually felt that being a vassal of the Empires wisdom, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was a position in which it was quite difficult to discover such moments.


    <i>After all Mia-sama was a person, who needless to say was beyond reproach in terms of her intellectual wisdom, but also in terms of her moral fortitude. She was some kind of perfect superhuman who was both wise and personable. Around her, even the slightest ipetence could render one inconsequential.</i>


    <i>If someone disys ack of wisdom, you should offer suitable advice. If someone makes a moral mistake, you should not hesitate to reprimand them and present a way to rectify their mistake.</i>


    <i>But what counsel could one really offer to somebody who made both morally impable and highly rational decisions?</i>


    Since Ludwig had started working under Mia, he had developed a habit of always asking himself, What role am I expected to y?


    So it was easy for him to understand the meaning behind Mias earlier gaze and also to sense what was expected of him.


    <i>I see. Given the current members present, I should definitely speak on Mia-samas behalf as her representative. </i>


    He realised this and slightly adjusted the position of his sses. Ludwig once again reflected on the fact that devoting all of his energy to do what needed to be done was indeed a source of happiness.


    <i>Well then, what is it that Mia-sama is looking for? Simply put, it is the presentation of the benefits in an objective manner.</i>


    <i>In other words, it could be said that she is looking for the reasoning that could convince the Fire ns elder, Roufa.</i>


    <i>It takes courage to ept a helping hand that is offered out of goodwill orpassion. </i>


    <i>That is because you never know when that help might be withdrawn depending </i><i>on the benefactors whim, and there are no guarantees.</i>


    <i>Moreover, there could easily be some malicious intent hidden under the facade of aid. Anyone with even a slight bit of intelligence would realise this. </i><i>There is always a flip side to any deal that seems too good to be true. </i><i>There is nothing more expensive than something free. </i><i>If a deal seems to be excessively in your favour, it is right to be cautious and natural to consider it carefully.</i>


    <i>That is why, I am going to exin the rational benefits for the ones who are providing the aid.</i>


    <i>It was important to make elder Roufa aware of this. However, even if elder Roufa already knew, it was necessary to inform her that we were also well aware of the benefits.</i>


    <i>Of course, Mia-sama herself must be aware of those benefits. In some cases, she might have assessed them even more urately than I.</i>


    <i>However, it would be inappropriate for Mia-sama to speak in those terms. The reason being that the bond between Mia-sama and Aima-san is that of friendship and is not based on mutual interest.</i>


    Ludwig recalled the events ofst night when Mia-sama had stated quite clearly,


    Could you please stop talking about things that dont matter?


    <i>So what exactly is a thing that doesnt matter?</i>


    <i>Is it about the self-introduction of the Fire n elder? No, its probably not that. Mia-sama is definitely not the kind of person who would do something so disrespectful. But if she did, then I would definitely need to admonish her.</i>


    Ludwig felt a little strange as he imagined a scene where he was admonishing Mia.


    It was definitely impossible that something like that had ever happened, yet he couldnt help but feel a sense of nostalgia and smiled wryly.


    And then, he thought again.


    <i>What did Mia-sama mean when she said  things that dont matter it wasnt the content of the conversation that elder Roufa was trying to say, but the social etiquette and decorum of the thought that I have to introduce myself. </i>


    <i>What Mia-sama did not care about and had deemed something that doesnt matter was the excessive politeness and courtesy that she received as the princess of arge and powerful country,</i>


    <i>Mia-sama wanted to convey that she had note to this ce to receive any expression of gratitude. That she hade merely as Aimas friend, all for the sake of their friendship. And that the etiquette bestowed upon a princess was not needed.</i>


    <i>Wasnt that what she wanted to convey?</i>


    Mia wished to be involved in this matter purely as a friend. Thats how Ludwig saw it.


    <i>In that case, Mia-sama could not state the advantages and disadvantages to both parties. That would indeed muddy the bonds of friendship. She probably did not wish for something like that.</i>


    <i>It is easy to convince someone to enter into an alliance when both parties interests are aligned, but such an alliance could easily be broken. That is because the situation could easily flip due to a conflict of interest or a rational judgement.</i>


    <i>However, judgments based on emotions often transcend reason.</i>


    <i>Even without guarantees or immediate benefits, help can still be given and receivedthats the essence of friendship.</i>


    <i>Thats probably why Mia-sama wanted to keep her connection with Aima in that form.</i>


    <i>No, that way of thinking is also biased. It could simply be a judgement that stemmed from Mia-samas individual personality.</i>


    Ludwig smiled wryly once again as he recalled his masters somewhat good-natured side, realising that he liked that aspect of her.


    <i>Anyway, I suppose the same could be said for Lord Malong and Rafina-sama.</i>


    <i>Lord Malong was moved by brotherly affection, and Rafina-sama by her faith. They both have their own reasons. However, since their personal interests are intertwined, self-interest could cloud their intentions.</i>


    <i>Therefore, there needs to be someone who can objectively exin the merits of helping the Fire n.</i>


    In other words, that was precisely the role that was expected of him. Ludwig realised exactly what it was that he was supposed to do and raised his voice.


    Excuse me. Mia-sama, may I have a moment?


    Mia was silent as if she was carefully considering, and then replied, Then, Ludwig, please take care of it. Mia nodded deeply, as if leaving everything up to him.


    Ludwig felt that it was a sign ofplete trust in him and became a little happy, perhaps a slight touch of hubris on his part.


    As if switching his mode of thought, Ludwig adjusted the position of his sses and let out a deep breath. Then, once again, he turned his attention to everyone present.

 Chapter 551

    Chapter 551


    <b>Theyre Crying</b>


    Please excuse me once again, Lady Roufa. I am Her Highness Princess Mias vassal, Ludwig Hewitt. I would like to speak on behalf of my master, Mia-sama.


    Ludwig began to speak quietly.


    Mia sighed as she cast a sidelong nce.


    <i>Ah, this is definitely going to turn into a lecture isnt it? There is no mistaking it. I let my guard down. If this were right after I was guillotined, I wouldnt have said something so careless. I wasnt paying attention. If I dont take care Ah, but I do hate being lectured. Hmm, anyway, I wonder whats for lunch?</i>


    After a brief moment of self-reflection, Mia began her escape from reality, and Ludwig proceeded with his speech.


    Helping the Fire n is not only aboutpassion. Your acts of looting in order to make up for the shortage of food will destroy public order in thisnd. Although difficult, it would be necessary to crack down, and it might even cause a rift between the Equestrian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sunnd. But just based on this, there is no meaning in trying to convince you to stop. Even if you were to stop looting, it would cause a famine here and may even result in a widespread epidemic.


    Ludwig continued to carefully exin each point dispassionately.


    I have nopassion for you, but I believe that it is logical to provide you with food supplies and offer you the means to procure food.


    As Ludwig concluded his speech with those words, Malong took over and began to speak.


    Elder Roufa, isnt it fine, already? We are linked by ourmon ancestor Ka Seima. Arent we blood rtives? Although we separated due to past circumstances, we cannot deny our bond. Is this not a good opportunity to reunite the two factions that parted ways before?


    Spoken words have enough heat to move frozen time. However, even if that was the case


    However, what about the matter of the warrior wolves?


    The question was so cold that it froze the air once again.


    Thats


    The one who hesitated was Malong. Even Ludwigs face was tinged with bitterness.


    It was a problem that could not be easily resolved.


    It was the biggest problem they faced in that situation, and no one had a clue as to how it could be resolved.


    That is the reason why we cannot be together with the twelve main ns of the Equestrian Kingdom. Young man of the Forest n, you disavowed the wolf-handling techniques of our Fire n. You despised us and cast us out. That hasnt changed even to this day, has it?


    Thats right. You were the ones who rejected us first, not us. Because of that, you have no idea how we have suffered. Or are you going topromise now?


    The female attendant, who was sitting next to Roufa also followed suit. The look on her face was unmistakably one of anger.


    There was only one person who remained quiet and that was Aima. She had sunk into silence and had cast her gaze downward.


    Malong was unable to answer the question that was hurled at him. Although he was a member of an influential n, it was just one of the twelve ns and after all he was merely the son of the n chief.


    Lacking authority, Malong could not say anything rash there. The atmosphere inevitably turned tense. Just as a heavy silence was about to descend once again


    The horses are crying. Mia mumbled briefly.


    It was as if she had flung a huge stone onto the surface of water and the gigantic ripples that spread shook the air around them.


    The horses are crying?


    It was not clear who actually murmured those words. However, it was the Elder Roufa who broke free from the momentary trance and spoke first.


    Basically, what you are trying to say is that the horses are crying because of our discord?


    Mia felt a moment of nervousness in response to the serious question and replied, Yes, in a slightly odd voice.


    As expected, Mias escape from reality persisted even in the midst of the tense conversation. It was a testament to her deep trust in Ludwig.


    Mia was convinced that her role was over when Ludwig had decided to take over the discussion.


    So, Mia was doing her best to escape reality by thinking about wanting to eat mushrooms for lunch and dinner, as well as wondering about the types of mushrooms that could be found in the forest. However


    <i>Ah, this wont do. I have to listen to the conversation seriously.</i>


    After a moments reflection, she reconsidered. Indeed, Princess Mia was known for her ability to reflect on her actions. Wasnt it just before herst escape from reality that she had realised she was being too careless?


    <i>Thats right, to switch gears here I think I should count something to get my mind to concentrate. Lets see</i>


    In an attempt to shake off her earthly desire for food, Mia tried to start counting. Unfortunately, there was nothing suitable to count. Thats when it happened! Mia found something. No, to be precise she heard something. That was it!


    Ah, the horses are crying.


    It was the sound of horses neighing in the distance.


    <i>This is perfect. For now, lets count the horses neighs so that I can get my mind to focus.</i>


    <i>Isnt counting the randomly heard neighing sounds of horses perfect for focusing the mind?</i> Just as Mia was pondering this, she sensed something.


    The gazes of Roufa, her female attendant, Aima, Malong, and everyone else present were fixed on her.


    Mia had no idea what that meant.


    Basically, what you are trying to say is that the horses are crying because of our discord?


    In response to that question


    Huh?


    Mia was about to shake her head in confusion, but somehow she managed to stop herself. It was as if she was at the edge of the precipice but she held on with firm determination.


    And then, she added i to make the reply hai or yes.


    Adding just one character! This would go down in Mias history as one of her best course corrections! Roufa, who had been staring intently at Mia, rxed her shoulders and said with a wry smile I see.That may well be true.


    A single word uttered by Mia caused a drastic change in the situation.


    Ludwigs eyes opened wide in shock.


    After losing himself for a moment, Ludiwg realised that everyone had been dancing in the palm of Mias hand and couldnt help but groan.


    <i>Oh my! Mia-sama had seen through the crux of this matter right from the start.</i>


    There was only one thing that could reach the Fire n. It was obvious the moment they brought out the pride of their n, the wolf. There was only one thing that could sway their hearts. And what was that?


    It was horses. The Fire n were also part of the Equestrian Kingdom. Even for them, horses were the ultimate treasure bestowed upon them by God and were considered as beloved family members.


    Therefore, it was natural to use horses. For that reason, Mia left all the rational exnations to Ludwig. This was because the line The horses are crying was something a rationalist could never have said. What would happen if a rationalist uttered such emotionally driven words?


    They would probably think that horses were being used just to persuade them. A rationalist would certainly never think that horses could cry, but if it could be used to persuade the opposite party, then they wouldnt hesitate to use it. However, they would undoubtedly be met with nk stares.


    The horses are crying was a line that could only be said by someone who was an emotional and sensitive person. It could only be said by a person who genuinely believed that animals could cry.


    <i>Thats precisely the reason why! Mia-sama had to maintain the position that she was offering a helping hand purely out of friendship. After ensuring that they properly understood our rational benefits, she swiftly broke down the emotional barrier in a single blow. Its incredible that she was able to make such a precise strike with a single word.</i>


    Ludwig was moved to admiration by Mias methods, even though they made him shudder.


    <i>This turned into a good travel story for them</i> thought Ludwig as he pictured the faces of the scheming members of the Empress faction in the Empire. <i>Hehe, perhaps they might even envy us.</i>

 Chapter 552

    Chapter 552


    <b>The Circumstances of the Fire n</b>


    Elder eximed Aima, staring in wonder at Roufas unexpected words. The female attendant also couldnt help but stand up in surprise.


    Roufa addressed the two of them in a calm and collected voice.


    Theres no point in being stubborn. Our condition has reached a point where we cannot handle it on our own. So, I would like to ept help from the people who havee here for the sake of friendship. Her Highness Princess Mia did not try to convince me with words about the rational benefits that she understood well. Instead, she waited for me to open my heart.


    And then, Roufa turned her gaze to Mia.


    On receiving such a warm and kind gaze, Mia thought.


    <i>If things continue like this, I might be able to avoid Ludwigs lecture!</i>


    Mia let out a sigh of relief.


    Ludwig was not simple-minded enough to be convinced that everything was in order based solely on a good result. However, if Mia could achieve a favourable oue, she could present a strong counterargument in her defence.


    Suddenly she saw a glimmer of hope amidst the despair. Mia was so delighted that she began to listen carefully.


    She shouldnt let her guard down now. She needed to listen to what Roufa was saying carefully and ensure that the problem was solved because only then could she im a favourable oue.


    Everyone, I would like you all to please listen carefully to how we ended up in this predicament.


    And then Roufa began talking.


    Do you know what urred between the Fire n and the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom?


    We heard that the n was forced out of the Equestrian Kingdom because they began to learn techniques to manipte wolves.


    Roufa nodded in response to Mias words and continued speaking.


    It is said that Ka Seima, Chief of the Fire n, at one point in time brought along a person who knew the technique of controlling wolves.The person was called a Priestess and she carried with her a copy of a book.


    A copy of a book?


    Rafina whispered. Mia also couldnt help but recall a specific book.


    The Book of Those that Crawl the Earth


    It wasnt until muchter that I learned the correct name of the book. Ever since I can remember, it has simply been called The Book of Serpents. I had thought that the book with a picture of a serpent on the cover looked impressive.


    Please excuse-me, Roufa-sama, but did you ever read that book?


    Roufa shook her head in response to Rafinas question.


    There was never a moment when the book left the Priestess hands. Even if I had the opportunity to get my hands on the book, I cant read. Thats because, originally speaking, we people of the Equestrian Kingdom are a n who dont use the written word.


    After hearing this, Mia recalled that the Equestrian Kingdom was a culture that did not rely on writing. Instead, they used historical songs to pass down their history to future generations.


    Mia recalled the Forest ns Chief saying this and nodded involuntarily.


    Hmm. Does this mean that even this historical story is passed down in the form of a song?


    Yes. Indeed it is as you say. And the song goes


    Roufa seemed a little ufortable. Perhaps she was shy?


    Look, if I havent had a drink, I cannot singfortably.


    She was one cheerful granny!


    Mia recalled Roufas disposition from the night before and agreed.


    <i>She definitely seems like the kind of person who wants to sing with good feelings after getting inebriated.</i>


    Well, setting that aside.


    Several generations changed, yet the Priestess always remained with that book.


    Also, at any given time, she was always with the n chief and continued to impart to him the technique of controlling the wolves.


    I see. Its not that all the members of the Fire n can use the wolf controlling technique. It is something that only the n chief can use. Oh, then howe Aima-san can?


    Mia turned her gaze towards Aima.


    I um, had a little interest No, actually I was worried about my brother and wanted to make sure that the technique was not lost in case something happened to him, so I listened secretly. Hmm. It was definitely not because I thought the little warrior wolf cub was cute or anything


    And so Aima puffed her chest with pride.


    Mia looked at Aima with a heartwarming gaze.


    <i>Hmm. However, it does seem that the Serpent Priestess was involved after all. For The Book of Those that Crawl the Earth to appear Arent we delving into the very depths of enemy territory.</i>


    The Chief and the Priestess would asionally leave the vige together. They would take one or two young people with them, and sometimes the young people wouldnt return for a while. When I was young, I wondered what they were up to, but since the young people would oftene back with delicious gifts, I thought they must be doing something good.


    <i>They were definitely doing some dangerous things after going out!</i>


    Thats what Mia thought, but she remained silent for the time being. After all, Mia was someone who was good at reading the room.


    It was five years ago when a change urred in my n. The current Chief Ka Maku went out with Priestess and brought back a young girl with him. The girl was injured and unconscious. When she woke up she introduced herself like this.


    Roufa surveyed everyones faces before finally fixing her gaze on Abel, and spoke in a solemn tone.


    Valentina Remno, the First Princess of the Remno Kingdom, is what she said.


    The moment Abel heard that name, he twitched and his shoulders shook.

 Chapter 553

    Chapter 553


    <b>Elder Roufas Request</b>


    Valentina Remno-san, thats


    Even the usuallyposed Rafina looked slightly surprised as she nced at Abel, who remained silent with his lips tightly pressed together.


    I see. Then, the im that they saw her was not a mistake after all.


    Roufa ignored Malongs mumble and said something surprising.


    Not long after that, the Priestess passed away.


    The Serpent Priestess died?


    Oh well, she was much older than me after all. And perhaps she felt relieved, knowing that she had a sessor.


    Sessor?


    The feeling of a bad premonition sent a chill down Mias spine, and it was quickly proven to be urate.


    The previous Priestess entrusted everything to Valentina Remno before passing away. Just about everything including the Book of Serpents


    Isnt that some kind of mistake?


    Roufa slowly shook her head in response to Abel, who asked the question in a hoarse voice.


    Unfortunately, that is the truth. At first Princess Valentina had hesitated to read the Book of Serpents. However, with the encouragement of the Priestess, she gradually became absorbed in it. And soon, she was reading it all day long. Then one day, Princess Valentina herself dered that would be the Serpent Priestess.


    The words were spoken in a matter-of-fact manner, without a hint of emotion, as if to dere that it was the unwavering truth.


    We epted that. The Serpent Priestess had been reced several times before, so we thought that this change would not be particrly different from before. However


    Then Roufa closed her eyes.


    It was about two years ago when Chief Maku suddenly left the vige, taking the Serpent Priestess with him.


    Roufa told the shocking truth.


    And then most of the men followed the Chief and left the vige.


    So, thats the reason why there arent many men around.


    This was indeed good news for Mia, who had assumed that they were undoubtedly out looting.


    <i>It doesnt seem like there will be a situation where arge force returns and causes a reversal in the power dynamic. It looks like we avoided a massacre by Dion-san. Thats a good thing.</i>


    After nodding to herself, Mia turned her gaze towards Aima.


    Since the Chief was absent, his younger sister Aima-san had to lead the bandit group, right?


    Of course. I am the younger sister of the Chief and can alsomand the warrior wolf. Who else could lead everyone but me?


    Aima had a stoic expression as she puffed out her chest in pride.


    Hmm? So, does that mean the bandit group from the other day


    We formed the group with women in the vige who could fight, and the few remaining men. responded Roufas female attendant.


    I see. So thats what it was. No wonder they retreated so easily. It seems being captured wouldnt have mattered much, with Aima-san leading them. So the bandits we encountered earlier were also led by Aima-sans group?


    Mia recalled the bandit group that was involved in the plot to assassinate Sion. If Aimas group had been involved, perhaps the assassination might not have actually taken ce? Mia tilted her head in doubt.


    What do you mean? asked Aima, puzzled, as she furrowed her brow.


    Didnt you attack us along the pilgrimage route connecting Sunnd and Belluga? We heard that you were threatened by Dion-san and ran away.


    When asked, Aima replied with a bitter expression.


    Please think rationally, Princess Mia. Would I ever attack a group like that, knowing that Dion ia was present?


    Mia nodded deeply in response to that heavy question.


    Ah, I see. There is an undeniable truth to Aima-sans words. That means the ones we encountered at that time were the people who left with the Chief, right?


    Of course, theres no way someone would pick a fight with a group escorted by Dion. Mia began to nod in agreement, but suddenly felt a sense of unease.


    <i>Aima-san knows about Dion-san. Does that mean she might be maintaining contact with the members of the Fire n who left the vige? Hmm.</i>


    Mia, who was deep in thought with her arms folded, suddenly looked up when she heard Aimas frustrated voice.


    Elder brother is being deceived by the Serpent Priestess. He is being manipted with her smooth talk and is driving our n to ruin. Aima said.


    <i>He is being deceived. I see. Indeed, I have heard that the Serpents excel at techniques of mind maniption. I think the possibility does exist. However</i>


    Mia was deep in thought once again.


    <i>Why did the Fire n Chief Maku leave this vige in the first ce?</i>


    Mia somewhat understood the actions of the Fire n Chief and the Priestess up until now. In short, they probably selected useful pawns within the Fire n, trained them, and sent them to other countries.


    <i>Come to think of it, it was said that the person who handed over the poison to Prince Echard in Sunnd was dressed like a citizen of the Equestrian Kingdom. It is quite likely that he was indeed such a person.</i>


    <i>However, if thats the case, wouldnt it have been better to continue as they have been, little by little? Isnt that the true way of the Serpent?</i>


    <i>What on earth were they thinking doing something like that?</i>


    Her Highness Princess Mia, Saint Rafina, and Lord Malong of the Forest n.


    When Mia looked over, she saw that Roufa was bowing her head deeply.


    I would like to make a request of everyone here. Could you please somehow bring back the ones who were taken from us and also those that left us?

 Chapter 554

    Chapter 554


    <b>The Spirit of not getting Fat, even with a Sweet Cake</b>


    <i>This has turned into something rather difficult.</i>


    Mia groaned a little when she saw Roufa bowing down.


    Valentina Remno, Abels older sister and Priestess of the Chaos Serpents.


    Aimas older brother, Chief Ka Maku, who left the vige along with the Serpent Priestess and the n members who followed.


    Reconciliation between the Fire n and the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    And the improvement of the Fire ns food shortage situation.


    There were a mountain of problems that could not be ignored.


    <i>Considering that Aima has dered herself to be my friend, and especially since Abel is involved, I cannot leave the matter alone.</i>


    Roufa continued speaking farther.


    Even though we looted viges out of necessity, a crime is a crime. The argument that <i>it is a natural right for those with power to take</i> is wed, especially if we are trying to borrow your power. I will take full responsibility for the actions of our n with my head. Please ensure that the young ones are not med.


    Roufas words caused Mia to panic.


    <i>The n fell into poverty due to the mistakes of their ancestors. To improve their situation, they resorted to looting. And their grandmother would be beheaded to pay for that crime. </i><i>That would be a really detestable oue. I cant help but remember my past situation. Well, I wasnt a grandmother though.</i>


    While pondering over these thoughts, Mia spoke up.


    Elder Roufa, I have understood your situation very well. Since you asked, I will lend you my full strength. First of all, I request you to please not do anything rash.


    While she spoke, Mia cast a nce around on her surroundings, looking for a person she could rely on, but s, there was no one.


    First, there was Malong. Normally, he was her reliable senior, but he did not know anything about the Chaos Serpents. Therefore, he perhaps had not understood most of what Roufa had spoken about.


    Next, there was Rafina. She was an expert on the Serpents, but she seemed to be in a somewhat bad mood with regards to this discussion, until sometime ago. Now, she looked a little disheartened. Aside from the fact that she seemed different from her usual self, her current demeanour seemed a little strange.


    While thinking that, Mia turned her gaze sideways.


    Aima, Roufa and her female attendant, were probably not in a position to speak at that moment. In that case, the only ones left were her reliable, loyal vassals Anne and Ludwig.


    <i>Anne is reliable, but this matter is clearly out of her league. That leaves Ludwig, but Hmm.</i>


    Mia couldnt help but think. Ludwig was certainly reliable and would definitely be able to propose a good solution to the problem. However the issue was that Ludwig was Mias vassal. In other words, Ludwigs opinion was essentially Mias opinion and also the opinion of the Empire.


    If he proposed some kind of n, and if it were executed, it would not be possible for Mia to stay uninvolved. Worst-case scenario, she might even have to take the lead.


    Mia wished to avoid that if possible. She absolutely wanted to avoid any situation where she would be the sole one to carry the burden.


    <i>Even if I were to rely totally on Ludwig, I would like to consult him to some extent beforehand.</i>


    And so, Mia thinks, and thinks, and thinks.


    <i>Hmm. For now, there seems to be a problem where I dont have to do anything directly. First, lets resolve that, and in the meantime, I should discuss the matter with Ludwig. I would like to involve Rafina-sama as well.</i>


    In any case, Mia was of the opinion that she ought to reduce the number of problems that she had to think of alone as far as possible.


    <i>If you eat a big cake all by yourself, you will get fat. Thats why it should be cut and distributed among everyone! The same goes for difficult problems as well.</i>


    With the spirit of not getting fat, even with a sweet cake, Mia attempted to divide and conquer the problem.


    Elder Roufa, setting aside the matter of taking responsibility, there is something that I would like you to do first.


    And whats that?


    Of course, its quite obvious. Reconciliation with Malong-senpai and the members of the twelve ns.


    Regarding this matter, Mia thought that there was nothing that she herself could do. The ones directly responsible would be Roufa, perhaps Aima, and the people of the Equestrian Kingdom including Malong and Mayun. Incidentally, if the Fire n were to return to the Equestrian Kingdom, then it would be best for the negotiations with Sunnd, which had been inconvenienced by the actions of the Fire n, to be conducted between the Equestrian Kingdom and Sunnd.


    <i>The reason that the Fire n fell into poverty was because they were neglected by the twelve ns of their Kingdom. It could be considered that the looting they did in order to acquire food supplies was the collective sin of all twelve ns. When framed like that, Mayun-sama may take action. In any case, I want to pass off some of the piled-up problems to others.</i>


    Mias style was to reduce the number of problems she was involved in as much as possible!


    <i>In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea to get Ludwig and Chaos Serpents expert Rafina-sama to think about the approach that we should take with the Serpent Priestess. </i>


    <i>However, I wonder once again. Why did the Chief leave this vige? Was he threatened that he would not be taught the wolf controlling techniques or that he would be prevented from using those skills? Hmm.</i>


    Mia realised something important at that moment. <i>A person who could control wolves. I feel like I know something. Ah, the Wolf Master.</i> Mia finally recalled.


    <i>The Wolf Master, an assassin apanied by a wolf and skilled at riding a horse. </i><i>Could it be none other than Chief of the Fire n, Ka Maku? </i>


    <i>If no one other than the Chief could use that technique, the possibility is very high, right?</i>


    As Mia was piecing together her deduction in her head


    Reconciliationis it?


    Roufa murmured and then nced at Malong.


    Thats right. If we want the people who are with the Priestess toe back, everyone will have to do their best. Mia nodded and dered proudly.


    <i>Even if I make a mistake, theres no way that I will end up in a situation where I will be the only one with no choice but to work!</i>


    That firm belief was embedded in those words.


    So you mean to say that our reconciliation is necessary to bring back those who left?


    When asked that question, Mia thought and then nced over at Rafina.


    <i>Hmm. In reality, Rafina-sama is the expert on the Chaos Serpents. Therefore, her knowledge will be necessary to bring back those who followed the Priestess.</i>


    If they were indeed brainwashed into leaving, it would be impossible for Mia to do anything about it. In that case, Rafinas strength would be needed.


    <i>I dont know the reason why, but Rafina-sama tends to get into a bad mood when ites to Aima-san. Theres a possibility that she might not be very motivated to help. If thats the case</i>


    Mia devised a n to increase Rafinas motivation.


    Whether reconciliation is necessary for them toe back or not, thats not the real issue, is it? It is indeed a very sad thing that blood brothers are fighting amongst themselves. Besides, doesnt it also go against the teachings of the Holy Scripture?


    And so, Mia involved Rafina as well. By the way, Mia had no idea if there was indeed such a teaching in the Holy Scripture. However, Mia couldnt imagine that Rafina would teach someone that it was fine to fight with their siblings. So, Mia had said such a thing at that moment.


    Eh? Ah, yes. Thats right. It could be said that respecting your parents and taking care of your siblings and family is one of the basic teachings of God.


    Mia noticed that Rafina, who was lost in thought, had looked up with a slightly flustered expression, so she decided to say something usible.


    That is why a reconciliation is necessary. Its just as Malong-senpai said. It is an opportunity to restore the bond with the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom and to create a ce for those who left to return.


    By doing that, the members of the Fire n could demonstrate that they were striving to be faithful to the Holy Scripture and also disy their desire to be free of the Serpent Priestess. Showcasing their efforts towards reconciliation would ignite motivation in Rafina, encouraging her to take action.


    <i>Im certain that Rafina-sama would not abandon those who were striving to live a virtuous life.</i>


    I see. Certainly, it would be a shame to not hold a banquet when they return. Besides, it makes sense to prepare a ce that they would want toe back to.


    Roufa bowed down to Malong and then to Rafina in that order.


    In that case, I would like to make a request of both of you. Could you please assist in the mediation between our n and the twelve ns?


    Yes, Of course.


    Malong nodded vigorously, followed by a silent nod from Rafina. Seeing her looking a bit disheartened, Mia tilted her head in curiosity.


    <i>Indeed, impressive as usual.</i> Ludwig was once again filled with admiration for Mias skillful handling of the situation.


    From Ludwigs point of view, Mia was essentially trying to create an environment to persuade the Fire n members who left to return.


    Supposing the Fire n managed to reconcile with the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom, what would happen?


    What did the warriors of the Fire n fight for? Why was the Serpent Priestess inciting them? It was resentment towards the twelve ns and antipathy from the historical conflict. In addition, it was likely to break free from the distress of food shortages and poverty. Those two problems were precisely what Mia was attacking.


    <i>If Elder Roufa and the n members manage to reconcile first, their objective to fight would diminish. If the situation with the food shortages was alleviated and poverty was ovee, then they would probably lose their desire to fight. Mia-sama is trying to detect the root cause of the problem and attack it. Just like the Serpent Priestess, Mia-sama is also trying to control their hearts.</i>


    Well, in reality, Mia was trying to motivate Rafina and control her heart. But in that sense, Ludwig was not entirely wrong, but not right either.


    While the discrepancy between reality and Ludwigs thoughts continued, he renewed his loyalty to the Princess.

 Chapter 555

    Chapter 555


    <b>Bels Vige Sightseeing</b>


    Meanwhile, Miabel and Citrina were touring the Fire n vige. It was neither an exploration nor an adventure, it was just a regr sightseeing tour. However, nothing particrly unusual caught their attention as their legs naturally carried them toward the herd of horses.


    Hehe, it was fun riding a horse the other day, wasnt it, Rina-chan?


    Bel was all smiles after suddenly remembering her horse riding experience from the other day. Citrina also smiled happily.


    Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I want to go for another long ride with Bel-chan.


    Thats right. Once this problem is resolved, lets all go together again.


    Suddenly, Bels expression darkened.


    Anyway, I wonder if Mia-onesama and the others are alright. I hope the discussion goes well.


    Bel-chan, are you worried?


    When asked the question, Bel tilted her head slightly.


    Hmm Mia-onesama, Ludwig-sensei, and General Dion are there. Rafina-sama and Grand um I mean Price Abel are also there. So I think its okay, but


    For some reason, Bel felt an odd sense of apprehension. She had a bad feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen. Suddenly, a horse let out a neigh.


    Eh?


    What was that now?


    Lets go and see.


    They quickly found the horse that had neighed in pain. It was a beautiful white foal.


    Beside it, a woman from the Fire n crouched down, examining the foals forelimb.


    Ahover there, the leg seems to be swollen.


    On the foals foreleg, there was a slight swelling, perhaps from a festering wound.


    Youre right. It doesnt seem to be broken, though.


    Hearing their voices, the woman who was caring for the foal stood up.


    It looks like the wound has festered. Im in trouble.I want to go and get some medicinal herbs right away, but


    The older woman said with a sigh.


    We dont have enough helping hands, so we cant really pay attention to all the horses. This shouldnt be happening, but its causing trouble for the horses.


    Watching her murmur forlornly, Bel wished to help and nced at Citrina, who stood beside her. Citrina responded with a small nod.


    Is it alright if I check the foal?


    After receiving the womans permission, she approached the foal.


    Then, Citrina took out a pure white handkerchief and soaked it with a paste-like substance from her medicine bottle.


    What is that? The woman asked, looking a little surprised.


    Its a paste made from ground medicinal herbs. It helps purge the poison that has entered the body and relieves pain.


    As Citrina exined, she tried to get closer to the horses leg, and then Bel took a step towards the foal.


    Its okay, its okay. As long as you leave it to Rina-chan, youll be fine. said Bel as she gently stroked the foals neck. The foal looked at Citrina, then quickly turned back to Bel and slowly closed its eyes.


    After seeing that, Citrina quickly pressed a handkerchief against the foals leg.


    Although the horse let out a particrly high-pitched cry, it did not be violent.


    After tying the cloth tightly so that it would note loose, Citrina looked at the woman.


    Its not much, but its the medicine. I think itll be fine if you apply it for a few days. said Citrina as she handed over the medicine bottle.


    The woman blinked in surprise and then said, Thank you. You were a big help, with a gentle smile.


    Citrina lowered her head a little awkwardly and quickly left the ce.


    Rina-chan! Bel chased after her. When she caught up, she looked at Citrinas face and smiled happily.


    Hehehe. Rina-chan, you did something good, so I dont think you need to be embarrassed.


    Im not really embarrassed Citrina began mumbling something to that effect. Essentially, Citrina was still not ustomed to being thanked for doing something good.


    But your handkerchief is now ruined, said Bel, looking troubled.


    Dont worry. I have plenty more. Look Citrina replied with a smug look on her face, pulling out a bundle of handkerchiefs to show Bel.


    Bel rolled her eyes in surprise and asked, Wow! Thats amazing! But why do you have so many handkerchiefs, Rina-chan?


    Citrina answered with a smile, Of course, I have plenty of them so I can always treat you if you get hurt, Bel-chan.


    Eh?


    Rina knows her friends personality very well. Bel-chan likes adventures and exploration, right? Hehe, dont worry. Even if Bel-chan gets hurt or is in a pinch, Ill help you.


    Citrina said with a smile, looking as sweet as a flower.


    Thank you. Rina-chan.


    Bel was about to smile as well, but suddenly she felt a pain in her chest. A sense of guilt arose within her.


    <i>I have kept a big secret from my friend, my one and only best friend. Perhaps its because Ive always thought of this world as a dream world, one that I would leave someday. I feel like Im being very dishonest with Rina-chan, who always has a carefree smile and calls me her friend. I havent been responding sincerely to Rina-chans feelings, and for some reason, I really hate that.</i>


    Bel gently looked up. <i>Suppose I were to end up living in this world forever. In that case, I think honestly revealing my secret would be the first stepbeing responsible towards this world. Until now, I nned on being just like a guest, considering it a world I would leave at any moment, a dream that would eventually end. Thats why I tried to avoid making connections as much as possible and just tried to have fun, so that it wouldnt matter if I disappeared at any moment. That was the n, butI realised that it was no good. Just like Grandmother Mia, whom I respect so much, I decided to live my life to the fullest and never give up. In other words, it means making connections and taking responsibility for this world. Thats what I thought. And thats why,</i>


    Listen, Rina-chan, Bel mustered up some courage and took a step forward.


    Whats the matter? Bel-chan.


    Theres something Id like to talk to you about. said Bel in a low voice.


    Its a very important matter. I want to tell you my secret. Will you listen to it when we return to the Empire?


    Bel-chans secret Citrina repeated with a furrowed brow.


    Hmm, understood. Well then, I will listen to it when we return to the Empire.


    It was at that moment that Mias slightly panicked voice echoed around the area.


    Abel! Wait a minute!

 Chapter 556

    Chapter 556


    <b>A Selfish Explosion: Me First! </b>


    The discussion concluded with the decision that, for the time being, the top priority would be to focus on restoring the rtionship between the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire n. The messenger from the Forest n would remain for a few more days before departing to contact Chief Mayun.


    Ah Once outside, Mia stretched and groaned. As she straightened her back, it made a popping noise. Her body had bepletely stiff from the long meeting.


    <i>Its not like my body is sluggish due to ack of exercise.</i>


    Oof


    Mia let out a strange sigh, but it definitely did not mean that she had grown sluggish or dull.


    <i>Wenyway, this is quite a difficult problem. I dont know what to do.</i> <i>Since Ludwig was also listening to the discussion with me, I dont think theres any need for me to exin anything to him this time. Someone needs to exin about the Chaos Serpents to Malong-senpai, but Ill leave that to Rafina-sama.</i> <i>It might also be a good idea to talk to Rina-san a little bit about that. She probably knows a lot about the Serpents.</i>


    As Mia thought about the problem, she noticed Abel cross the edge of her field of vision.


    Huh? Abel?


    With an extremely sad expression on his face, Abel headed straight towards his horse. Seeing that profile, rm bells went off in Mias head.


    Abel looked around and then called out to his vassal.


    Grammateus,e here.


    In response to the call, Grammateus approached Abel and asked, Your Highness Abel, whats wrong?


    Were leaving. Get ready immediately.


    Prince Abel, wait a minute. Where are you going?


    Mia spoke out in panic. In response, Abel stared at her with a stern expression and said, Mia, Im sorry, but we have to say goodbye here. Grammateus and I are going to visit Sister Valentina.


    Prince Abel. I know youre worried, but I dont think that just the two of you should go alone.


    Abelughed abruptly. Then, with a self-derisive, forceful smile stered on his face, he said, Haha worried? Youre wrong, Mia. Thats not it.


    Abel shook his head quietly and continued.


    If Elder Sister had been taken captive by the Chaos Serpents, then I would have followed your instructions, because that would have been the best possible way to help her. However


    Abel gritted his teeth and averted his nce from Mia before continuing.


    But I was wrong. Elder Sister Valentina became the Serpent Priestess by choice. Its not like she was influenced into bing just a member. She became the head of the Chaos Serpents. Do you think I can forgive her? She tried to kill you, you know?


    When he said that, Mia recalled the Holy Eve day, when the man apanied by a wolf came after her life.


    <i>If the man from that day was indeed Ka Maku, then there was a very high possibility that Sister-inw Valentina was involved. However, I feel that it might have been Barbara-sans arbitrary decision.</i>


    I understand that you are trying to prioritise the reconciliation between the Fire n and the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom. That is probably the best way of doing things without spilling any blood. But I cannot leisurely wait for that. I will hold my sister responsible for what she has done. With these hands of mine, I will


    Abel said everything through gritted teeth. However, the expression on his face was very sad, contrary to the words that overflowed with rage.


    Prince Abel


    Mia was emotionally moved by Abels expression. That was because Abel was angry on behalf of none other than Mia herself.


    <i>Of course, that was not the only reason. Im sure Abel is thinking of all the victims sacrificed at the hands of the Serpent Priestess. Despite knowing it might be a bit unscrupulous, his earnest anger on my behalf makes me feel a little happy. And that is the reason why,</i>


    Abel, I wont let you kill your sister.


    The words came out of her mouth naturally.


    <i>I hate seeing Abels face distorted in agony. I cant bear to see him in such distress and anger. Above all, I feel that if I let him go now, I probably would never see him again.</i>


    The image of the blood stained diary, with tear-stained letters that she had once seen, shed before Mias eyes.


    <i>I understand now. I know for sure that they were my tears. I definitely cried when I learned that Abel had been killed on the battlefield when he was trying to save me. I decided that I never want to experience those feelings ever again. So,</i>


    I will never forgive you if you go alone and try to resolve this matter by yourself or end up getting hurt.


    Mia then hugged Abel tightly from behind and held him as hard as she could, as if she would never let go.


    Just a while ago, she had thought that he had transformed into a strong and reliable knight. However, at that moment he seemed like the same helpless young boy she had first met.


    Throw away all thoughts of whether you can or cannot set things right, whether you should resolve the matter with your own hands. Just for my sake dont go.


    Mia was, after all, the me-first Princess. She knew that there werent really any words that she could say to convince Abel when he was in that state. She knew that mere lip service would not reach the current Abel. That was why she would just force her will on him. She would selfishly foist her feelings onto him. That was the only thing that Mia could do.


    Setting aside all logic and reason, Mia made her wish clear, I dont want you to go for my sake.


    Your Highness, Princess Mia. Could you please not trouble His Highness Abel too much?


    The one who had called out to Mia was Grammateus. He had been listening from the side. Even though the voice of the Sword Saint of Remno was calm and quiet, it carried the pressure of a tidal wave.


    However, before Mia could buckle under its intensity, a different voice reverberated.


    Hahaha. I think thats a bit tactless, Lord Grammateus.


    The strongest knight of the Empire, Dion ia, stood in front of Grammateus as if to protect Mia and Abel. Then, he turned his gaze towards Abel.


    Your Highness, Prince Abel. I think that it is your loss. You got angry for the sake of the Princess and wanted to go, but if the Princess in question herself requests you to not go, then you cant, right? Besides, I believe Ive told you this before: dont make our Princess cry. You do know that this Princess has such a personality that if you leave, she will get on a horse and follow you, right? Even then, do you n to go?


    I


    Dion smiled wryly at Abels hesitation.


    Can you bear with it for now?


    But.. Lord Dion


    Maybe its a good idea to calm down a little.


    At that moment there were some more intruders. It was Citrina Etoile Yellowmoon who spoke up with a prim look on her face.


    Your Highness, Prince Abel, you seem to have lost yourposure. Lets have some tea and take a break. I have prepared a tea table over there.


    Mia suddenly sensed something in Citrinas sweet, flower-like smile and smoothly approached her in a nonchnt manner.


    Rina-san, I wonder if, by any chance, did you put something in the tea? Medicine that could put someone to sleep or make the body go numb?


    Citrina looked a little hurt by the question.


    Thats terrible. Of course not. Halfway through the conversation, I realised that everything was going to be fine, so I changed it to something to help rx. So, its alright even if Mia-sama drinks it.


    Is that so? In that case, I apologise for suspecting you. Wait, what do you mean by changed it?


    Hehehe


    Citrina had a smile on her face, so Mia realised that it was probably better not to probe farther and instead turned to look at Abel.


    Well, in any case, it is fine. Prince Abel, I will definitely bring back your sister.


    Grammateus watched the exchange between them in silence. Having been interrupted by Dion, he quietly observed Abel.


    Bringing back Abels sister  It would be a while before Mia realised the weight of her choice and the meaning of those words.

 Chapter 557

    Chapter 557


    <b>Historical Song: The Pegasus Princess Comes from another Land</b>


    The Pegasus Princess Comes from another Land  a historical song known to one and all in the Equestrian Kingdom. It was a joyful song about the reconciliation and revival of the n, the great blessing.


    To the founding ancestor Ka Seima, were thirteen children born,


    Each became the head of their family and then the Chief of their n,


    It was then that arose, a great rift between them.


    History flowed on and several years passed.


    The Fire n was all but lost in the flow of time, on the verge of dying out.


    At such a time, a certain guest visited the Equestrian Kingdom.


    A Princess renowned from a grand Empire on the continent.


    With hair of glowing tinum, like moonlight,


    Skin translucent as the purest snow,


    Eyes shimmering with wisdom,


    She saw the worlds truth, clear and in entirety.


    She spoke to her cherished horse,


    Her ears attuned to the Pegasus ruling the sky.


    The Pegasus Princess descended upon thisnd,


    Witnessing the state of the thirteen ns, her heart stirred


    She posed a question,


    Why do the horses cry? Why do you make them sad?


    Enraged, she mounted the Wind-Taming Heavenly Horse and subdued the people of the Equestrian Kingdom with her own hands.


    In this bold act, shepletely shattered the lingering grudges of yore.


    Binding together the hearts long separated


    The bond between the lone n and the twelve, once estranged, was now rekindled.


    Thus, the children of Ka Seima reunited as one, resuming their march together as one glorious n.


    It was a legendary historical song that made future generations wonder if it wasnt too much of an exaggeration. It was a very popr historical song in spite of being criticised by historians for itsck of uracy. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom were proud of, yearned for and loved it more than any other song.


    The quiet prelude to the magnificent overture was about to begin.


    A few days after the historic meeting with the Fire n concluded, a message arrived from Chief Mayun of the Forest n.


    There will be a meeting of the n Chiefs. Well, that was to be expected.


    After hearing from the messenger, Malong let out a deep sigh and then decided to gather Mia, Rafina, and the other concerned parties for a meeting.


    I have received a message from Father asking me to bring the representatives of the Fire n to the n Chiefs meeting.


    I see. So thats what happened. Hmm, then how about we handle it like this?


    Malongs words werepletely within Mia and Ludwigs expectations. Therefore, Mia presented her wlessly prepared n, which was 90% pure Ludwig.


    In other words, the n was to reconcile the Fire n with the twelve ns, protect the women of the Fire n, and then use that as the basis to drive a wedge between the n Chief, Ka Maku, and the Serpent Priestess. It was a strategic ploy.


    Malong nodded, impressed by the idea of undermining the enemys objective to fight.


    As expected of you, Miss Mia. Did you have it all nned out from the start?


    Hehe, well, my vassals are excellent.


    Mia replied with a smile.


    She would never definitively im that it was her idea, just in case the n fell apart.


    Chicken-hearted Princess Mia did not seek credit or honour, in exchange she did not want to bear any risk either.


    I dont think it would be a good idea to have a meeting only between the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire n. If there are any Chaos Serpent members who have infiltrated the twelve ns, it would be disastrous. Said Rafina.


    Indeed, if Roufa or Aima were killed by an assassin posing as a citizen of the Equestrian Kingdom, then the path to reconciliation would be closed off.


    If that were to happen, the entire n would fall apart.


    There are probably members of the Forest n who dont like the idea of associating with the Fire n. Some of the elders view the use of wolves as dangerous. If possible, I would like to request that you provide guards for protection again.


    Yes, certainly.


    Since Mia had promised Abel that she would bring Valentina back, returning to the Empire was no longer an option. In that case, Mia thought that it would be better for her to move with Malong than to stay in the vige.


    I think we should leave a fighting force in this vige as well. From what Ive heard, the Serpents seem to be a pretty bad bunch.


    Thus, the course of action was set.


    Five elite members of the Princess Imperial Guard, along with around ten warriors from the Forest n, would be deployed to the Fire ns vige. However, if the Serpent Priestess force consisted of men from the Fire n, it was hard to imagine that they would harm the women of the vige.


    Rather, the real dangery with Aima and Roufa, who were to attend the meeting of the Chiefs.


    Well, with Dion-san and the Princess Imperial Guard, we should be fine, right? I believe Sir Grammateus is also quite strong.


    <i>If it came down to the Wolf master and Dion-san, Dion-san is probably stronger. And even if the Fire n warriors joined the enemy, the situation ought to still be manageable.</i>


    Either way, they had made all the arrangements they possibly could. It wasnt a n that Mia had devised, but rather something that Ludwig hade up with. Mia simply gave her stamp of approval, thinking that she liked it, so there was nothing more for her to consider.


    Even if the enemy tried something, they should be safe, but for some reason, Mia could not get rid of a sense of unease.


    Well, in any case, Abel is worried about his sister, so we have to do something about the Equestrian Kingdom as soon as possible.


    With renewed enthusiasm, the group set out on their journey. The destination was the Southern Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom.

 Chapter 558

    Chapter 558


    <b>Each Ones Perspective on Horses </b>


    The n Chiefs meeting was going to take ce in the Southern Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom, which was a rtively short distance of two days on horseback from the Fire ns secret vige.


    Normally, Mia would have ridden in a carriage, dozing off and proceeding leisurely. However, this time, she decided to head there on horseback deliberately, thanks to Malongs suggestion.


    The people of the Equestrian Kingdom think that Princesses from foreign countries do not ride horses. I think that just by riding skilfully, your evaluation will greatly improve.


    <i>I see. Well, it might be a good idea to get a little exercise in preparation for eating a lot.</i>


    Thought Mia, and quickly agreed to the suggestion.


    After all, it was a gathering of the Chiefs of all twelves ns. So, Mia was convinced that delicious snacks would undoubtedly be served. In order to enjoy something delicious, it was best to earn some goodwill beforehand.


    The one who undertook the duty of being Mias guard was Aima. It was her way of expressing gratitude for all the effort that Mia was taking for the sake of the Fire n.


    <i>Hmm. However, as I thought, Aima-san seems to be feeling a little down.</i>


    Mia snuck a nce at Aima, who was riding a horse next to her.


    <i>Ever since leaving the Fire n vige, Aima-san doesnt seem to be doing that well for some reason.</i> <i>No, actually, if I think about it properly, ever since the meeting with Elder Roufa, she seems to be a little subdued.</i> <i>Be it Rafina-sama or Aima-san, did they end up eating something bad? However, if that were the case, then it is strange that theres nothing wrong with me. Especially since my stomach is supposed to be extremely sensitive and delicate</i>


    The condition of Mias stomach was exceedingly good again that day thanks to the yoghurt procured by Anne.


    <i>Well, setting that aside, if Aimas mood does not improve, I might end up getting depressed too.</i>


    So that was why Mia decided to bring up a topic that might improve Aimas mood.


    Naturally, the topic was


    By the way, Aima-san, that horse of yours is quite magnificent. said Mia as she looked at the ck horse that Aima was riding. It was not ttery but her honest opinion.


    It had a lean, finely-tuned supple body that would not lose even inparison to Kun. Strong legs that hit the ground with power, clear eyes that looked straight ahead. The glossy ck coat was proof that the horse was greatly cherished and well taken care of. Its most distinctive feature was probably the white snout, which seemed to stand out like a light against the ck coat that resembled the darkness of the night.


    By any chance, is that a Moonhare?


    Aima smiled broadly at the question.


    As expected of Princess Mia. You truly have a discerning eye for horses. This is one of the most treasured horses of our Fire n. This horse is the sibling of big brother Makus favourite horse, Eirai. Its name is Keirai. It is a purebred Moonhare, a traditional horse of the Equestrian Kingdom whose bloodline can be traced back to the era of our ancestor, Ka Seima. There is even a historical song dedicated to the pedigree of this horse.


    Mia smiled a little on hearing Aima begin to speak with such enthusiasm in a cheerful voice.


    <i>Hmm, I am d that she seems to be feeling better. As I thought, this is how I expect Aima-san to be, otherwise, even I would start to feel a little out of sorts.</i>


    Just as Mia was starting to feel satisfied with herself,


    So, wont you ask the question?


    Huh?


    Unexpectedly, Aima was staring at Mia with a serious expression on her face.


    Ask you what?


    Something like why dont you sell this horse for money? Will you not ask me why I dont exchange it for food?


    Aima said as she gently stroked Keirais neck.


    For us, descendants of Ka Seima, a horse is both a friend and family. However, the n is facing an existential crisis. I have been told that maintaining such a fine horse, in times of a crisis, is a luxury, even selfish. However, I


    Said Aima with a painful expression on her face.


    Oh? I dont think thats the case at all.


    Mia said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    I mean, selling the horse is out of the question.


    That was obvious to Mia.


    <i>I see. Certainly, selling the horse to get food would enable one to avert disaster for the moment. However, that would still be only a temporary solution, a makeshift measure. </i><i>The money obtained from selling the horse would soon run out, and the food bought would wind up in the stomach. What do you do when your stomach is so full that you find it troublesome to move, and disaster strikes? You cant escape without a horse!</i>


    And therefore, Mia thought, <i>The horse is a means of escape that should be kept at hand always until the very end.</i>


    Therefore, Mia said, The horse is the only one that can take you to the farthest of ces. It would be a shame to let go of it. I think it is good to believe that at the time of death, your horse should be by your side.


    Mias firm belief was that you should not give up trying to escape until the veryst moment! That was something she would never waver on.


    On hearing that, Aima opened her mouth wide in surprise, but soon burst intoughter.


    Hehehe, thats right. That is absolutely right. That surprised me. Im impressed, Princess Mia understands horses even better than the people of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Aima chuckled for a moment and then shook her head.


    As expected of someone I consider my friend.


    Is that so? Im d to hear you say that.


    And Mia thought, <i>Perhaps I was being evaluated, but I dont really understand. </i><i>Well, if Aima-san has regained her good mood, then thats all that matters.</i>


    Whether or not he knew what was going on between the two of them, the horse that Mia was riding, East Wind a.k.a. Tofu, let out a soft yawn.


    It was truly a peaceful scene.

 Chapter 559

    Chapter 559


    <b>Contrasting Perspective on Horses: Mountain n Father-Daughter Duo</b>


    Mmphhehe.


    A deep, rugged male voice echoed in the small room.


    Oh! How splendid. This beautiful chestnut-coloured coat, these toned buttocks. Truly irresistible!


    While stroking the sleek, beautiful legs, the man grinned broadly, almost overflowing with delight.


    Ah, how lovely. You are my daughter. My beloved daughter.


    Then, the man kissed the tip of the snout of the horse that was standing in front of him. With clear eyes, framed by long eyshes, it looked straight at the man. The man let out a sigh of satisfaction as he gazed at the beautiful, moist, jewel-like eyes.


    Oh, how beautiful. So beautiful. Just you wait, Ill bring you a new friend soon. Hehehe.


    Father, thats gross. Youre really disgusting.


    In response to the sudden retort, the manSan Fuumaquickly turned around. And there stood his real daughter, giving him a cold, piercing gaze.


    She stood at the entrance of the stable, shaking her head as if to say, Good grief!


    What are you saying? Appreciating horses is a refined hobby. Look at her perfect coat, her sleek body, and long legs. Theres no other Moonhare as beautiful as her. Its only natural for someone to be captivated by her!


    With these words, Fuuma pointed at the chestnut horse, his adopted daughter, and raised a voice of protest. However


    Father, youre being really creepy.


    His daughters attitude didnt change. In fact, she seemed even more exasperated. Perhaps that was unavoidable.


    The daughter, influenced by foreign cultures, had dressed herself in clothes from the Principality of Belluga. Ribbons from the Miranada Kingdom adorned her long hair, which cascaded down her back. She was a young girl, in her mid-teens, an age where wanting to be fashionable was only natural.


    <i>In the old days, she used to ride her horse and gallop across the grasnds.</i>


    Fuuma felt somewhat lonely.


    <i>Nowadays, she would only ride horses about seven out of ten days. Oh, howmentable.</i>


    That frequency actually meant that she rode quite often!


    Listen, my daughter. We are an Equestrian people. Our power and prestige are measured by the number of horses we possess. While it might be a wise decision to adopt good things from foreignnds, we must not lose sight of what truly matters. Horses are everything. Horses are our life!


    The Mountain n was one of the twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom. Second only to the Forest n, which was thergest in terms of power, the Mountain n served as the town warden, protecting the Southern Capital. It was also known as an enlightened and rich n that proactively interacted with other countries and incorporated various cultures. The Mountain n maintained close ties with the military of the Kingdom of Remno, even dispatching several riders to provide horseback riding instruction. Despite belonging to the traditional and often conservative Equestrian Kingdom, the Mountain n was rtively open to adopting other countries cultures due to these circumstances.


    And the chief of that n, San Fuuma, was famous for being a genuine horse lover, andmonly referred to as a Horse-maniac.


    Father, you are misunderstanding, right? Its not that I particrly dislike horses, right?


    The daughter tilted her head, unsure if the foreign-like expression felt quite right. In reality, the Mountain n, being the town warden, did not ride horses that frequently. Inparison, riding horses seven days out of ten, would actually make her a horse lover worthy of being the daughter of the Horse-maniac in Chief.


    Its just that I dont like to confine horses and admire them like Father does, right? Ah, that right just now felt good, right?


    <i>Good Grief,</i> thought Fuuma as he shook his head at his daughter, who was nodding in satisfaction.


    Oh my! What are you talking about? Although there is no one but you to inherit my horses. Well, thats fine. As my treasure continues to grow substantial, the day wille when you will understand as well. Hehehe, if the prized horses of the Fire n are added to my treasure, it will be enriched further. Ah, Im really looking forward to it. Hehehe.


    Fuuma, who had a creepy and disgusting smile on his face, suddenly turned to face his daughter, as if he had just remembered something.


    So, what happened?


    Ah, yes. You see, a messenger from Chief Mayun of the Forest n came.


    Oh! From the good-natured Chief Mayun? What did they say?


    It is about the Fire n, that Father seems to be so obsessed with.


    What!?


    Fuuma jumped in surprise, his shoulders shaking. Seeing this, his daughter let out a sigh.


    Were you up to something reprehensible again?


    I-I didnt do anything wrong! I simply believe that good horses should be owned by those who appreciate and deserve them


    Fuuma continued to speak as his daughter red at him.


    Oh, besides, I didnt do anything wrong, okay? I just asked to be presented with horses in exchange for money and food.


    On hearing that, the daughter eximed, Ah! and looked up at the sky.


    Buying horses from our own n? That is likely to be an issue at the meeting of the n Chiefs. Wait, does that mean when the Fire n was in trouble before, you were buying sheep at high prices for that reason?


    <i>Sheep and goats are important sources of food. If you raise them normally, they will give birth to offspring, and their numbers will increase. They are considered assets that will continue to increase in value just by holding on to them. However, if you let them go in a temporary moment of poverty or hardship, all that remains is just money. And money is something that will eventually vanish as you continue to use it.</i>


    Did you think they would sell their horses when they ran out of food and were in trouble?


    Fuuma got flustered, his eyes darting around, as his daughter confronted him.


    No, its not like that, you know? If you were a horse-lover, you would understand, wouldnt you?


    Seeing her fathers state, the daughter let out a deep sigh.


    It seems like this matter will be dealt with at the Chiefs meeting.


    He shook his head in shock.

 Chapter 560

    Chapter 560


    <b>Mias True Perspective on Horses: Princess Mia Enlightens the Ignorant</b>


    The Southern Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom was a simple yet fully-fledged town enclosed within castle walls.


    The Equestrian Kingdom was a special country, established on the principle of equality among its twelve ns, with none considered superior or inferior. Therefore, while the city was not officially referred to as the Royal Capital, its scale wasparable to that of the capital of a small country.


    Mia and her group were taking a break on the vast grasnds on the outskirts of the Southern Capital.


    After a long ride on horseback, one might expect that Mia would be quite exhausted andpletely drained of energy


    Hmm. That was a good workout. It was somewhat refreshing.


    That wasnt the case!


    On the contrary, she seemed satisfied and was checking the fat on both her arms.


    Oh? Thats odd. There doesnt seem to be much change.


    Mia thought for a short while, then discarded the thought. Her instincts told her that not worrying about it would be good for the health of her mind.


    Anyway, thats an incredible number of horses.


    Arge number of horses were gathered in a herd on the grasnd, grazing leisurely.


    Mia folded her arms in an attempt to resist the urge to start counting from the edge.


    As expected of the Equestrian Kingdom. There are a lot of horses. I wonder if that herd is of wild horses. They are spectacr.


    As Mia was muttering something like that, there was a sudden outburst ofughter.


    Hahahaha. Those are mixed breeds.


    When Mia looked in the direction of the source, she saw a man in his prime walking towards her. And Malong was walking next to him.


    <i>Did that mean that he was a person of the Equestrian Kingdom? </i><i>Hmm, his hair is ck like Malong-senpais, and he has the features of the people of the Equestrian Kingdom However, the clothes seem a little different. Its almost as if he was wearing clothes just like us.</i>


    In any case, it was the first time they were meeting. Mia was wondering if it would be a good idea to introduce herself


    Hahaha. The reputation of the Wisdom of the Empire has reached even the ears of our n, but this remark is a little ignorant. It seems like youve never seen a good horse.


    It was an abrupt disy of belligerence!


    Lord Fuuma, thats a bit.. began Malong with a scowl on his face, about to rebuke him.


    However, without waiting for him to finish, Mia spoke up.


    Oh, that was offensive. I will have you know that I had the opportunity to ride a Mooonhare at the academy in the Principality of Belluga, okay?


    Mia had not forgotten the days she had spent with Kun, and the same went for Kayou as well. The mans words were an insult to Kun and the other horses that Mia had ridden. As one might expect, it was something that Mia couldnt stay silent about.


    <i>Which horse would help a rider who couldnt get angry at a time like this? </i><i>Which horse would help me run away from the guillotine? </i><i>This was a problem that could affect a horses motivation!</i>


    You rode a Moonhare at the academy in Belluga? The princess who is not from the Equestrian Kingdom rode a Moonhare? Ah, speaking of, I heard that there was a n that gifted a horse to the Principality of Belluga. Even though it is called a Moonhare, it is a mixed breed with several bloodlines. It cant bepared to the purebred horses of my n that have maintained their pure bloodlines.


    Mia was rather annoyed by that tone. However, she seemed to realise something right away and let out a small breath before shaking her head.


    <i>I cant do this. There is no point in turning a blind eye to such disrespect caused by ignorance. The things that this man in front of me is saying are just because hecks knowledge. Thats right, this man doesnt know the truth about horses. Rather, in that case, it is the duty of the knowledgeable person to correct and admonish.</i>


    Mia gazed at the man with an exceedinglyposed smile on her face.


    Hehehe. Those are the words of someone with a very shallow understanding. They are the words of someone who doesnt understand the truth.


    What!?


    The mans mouth dropped open, perhaps surprised by Mias words, but Mia continued in a calm tone.


    No matter the kind, a horse is a horse. It is a magnificent creature that can carry us to faraway ces.


    Thats right. Mia understood. She knew very well that horses were really cool creatures.


    <i>If there was a horse, no matter the kind, it offered a means of escape. If there was no horse, in case of an emergency, you would have to run on your own two legs. Wouldnt that be tiring!</i>


    Furthermore, Mia knew that irrespective of the type of horse, it certainly was at least faster than her. If ever there was a horse that could lose to Mia in terms of speed, then it wasnt a horse to begin with. It would be something else, like a jellyfish or something that had disguised itself as a horse. Therefore, Mia would never disrespect any horse irrespective of its kind.


    Supposing there was a Royal Guard who had sworn unwavering loyalty to Mia, would it be possible for him to carry her on his back and walk to the neighbouring country?


    The answer was so obvious that there was no need to even think about it. It was impossible.


    Even if it were Dion ia, the Strongest Knight of the Empire, it would not be possible. He couldnt do it.


    <i>Ah,e to think of it, there was that time while escaping from the forest when Dion-san carried me in his arms. If thats the case, then perhaps it might be possible for him to carry me under one arm and cross the border. Actually, I am surprisingly light</i>


    Well, in any case, jokes aside, for Mia, no matter their personality, horses were beings that deserved to be respected. However, the only reason Mia was able to realise this was because of her experience in the previous timeline. That was the reason why Mia admonished the ignorant man named Fuuma, who was the Chief of the Mountain n.


    A horse is a horse. Horses have no ranks  high or low.


    Hahaha, that was remarkable. Lord Fuuma, youve been outdone.


    A new person had appeared. When she looked in the direction of the voice, Mia saw an elderly person walking towards them. The old man, who had a serene smile on his face, bowed deeply once he came in front of Mia.


    Wee, Your Highness, Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. Thank you foring from so far away. My name is Fuu Kouma. I am in charge of the Meeting of Chiefs this time.


    Thank you for your courteous words. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    The old man responded to Mia with a broad smile on his face as she lifted her riding pants a little and bowed.


    Hohoho. Indeed, I can see the reason why Your Highness is called the Wisdom of the Empire. You truly have deep insight and understanding. I am impressed. By any chance, is that Your Highnesss horse?


    In the direction that the old man pointed, stood East Wind, a.k.a. Tofu, the horse that Mia had ridden all the way there.


    Yes, thats right.


    I see. It is a horse that truly befits the words you spoke earlier. How about it? If it is alright with you, would you grant this old man the honour to act as your escort to the Southern Capital? I will be extremely happy if we can line up our bridles with our beloved brethren and ride together.


    Is that so? I dont particrly mind.


    Mia tilted her head slightly to look at the kindly old mans smile.


    She did not notice that Malong had a displeased expression on his face as he observed the situation.

 Chapter 561

    Chapter 561


    <b>Mias Entrance : A Grand Foreshadowing?</b>


    On that day, the Southern Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom was enveloped in a quiet atmosphere of tension. It was inevitable that tensions would rise, as the lost Fire n members had been invited to a Special Council of Chiefs meeting.


    Moreover, it seems that the Saint and the Princess of the Empire will also be present, you know?


    The Princess of the Empire? Why would someone like her be there?


    It seems she is friends with the daughter of the Fire n.


    Since such rumours were floating in the air, it wasnt strange that the atmosphere was different from usual.


    Incidentally, the person who leaked that information was none other than Chief Mayun of the Forest n. He was also the mastermind behind Mias dramatic entrance into the castle on horseback. It was all part of Mayuns borate scheme. The long-lost Fire n members were returning to the Equestrian Kingdom. The idea was to create a favourable and advantageous atmosphere, making it seem natural for a special event to ur, which they could then use to their advantage.


    Now, as the group entered, they attracted the attention of everyone present. Leading them was Kouma, the Chief of the Wind n and the most senior of the Chiefs of the Twelve ns.


    The Wind n was known for being the most nomadic of the nomads. They strictly adhered to and continued the traditions passed down from their ancestor, Ka Seima, to this day.


    They absolutely despised permanent settlements and chose to roam freely across the Great ins. In times of peace, they were as gentle as a spring breeze, but if someone ever looked down on them, they would strike back with the ferocity of a blizzard. They truly lived up to the name of the Wind n.


    People tilted their heads to look at the girl who had entered, escorted by the Elder Kouma.


    She was dressed in unfamiliar foreign attire. Although, strictly speaking, it shouldnt have been that unfamiliar, since most of the residents of the Southern Capital were ustomed to seeing the people of the Remno Kingdom, including nobles.


    So, it was not like they had never seen anything like it before.


    However, precisely because of that, they could not hide their surprise. After all, they knew that noble youngdies did not usually ride horses.


    They had dealings in the Remno Kingdom and the Principality of Belluga, where it was considered a matter ofmon sense to not ride. In fact, the daughters of the nobles in those regions disliked the smell of horses, and certain sections even considered riding a horse to be barbaric.


    However, they wondered why the Princess from the Empire was riding a horse instead of using a carriage. It was not hard to imagine that due that single act, they felt a sense of affection towards Mia.


    However, their excitement dampened a little after seeing the horse she was riding.


    It was not their ideal horse, a Moonhare. Its legs were not as long and supple as those of a Moonhare. Rather, they were short, thick, and gave the impression of being sturdy.


    Its mane was longer than that of a Moonhare and looked bushy. Its eyes looked absent-minded and sleepy. It appeared to be more suited to lounge leisurely in a grasnd than to gallop swiftly.


    ording to the people of the Equestrian Kingdom, the status of the Chief was determined by the horse that they rode. Based on their standards of judgement, Mia was definitely not someone they would show respect to.


    Of course, since the person in question was not a princess of the Equestrian Kingdom, they would normally not particrly care what kind of horse she rode. However, since Mia had dared to enter the castle on horseback, the people gathered there misunderstood and thought that she was someone who lived by the same values as them.


    However, their attention quickly shifted to something else. They were captivated by the horse ridden by Aima, the sister of the Fire n Chief, which was diagonally behind Mia.


    What a wonderful horse!


    Just by looking at the horse, they were convinced that Aima was their blood rtive.


    They could tell from the horse she rode, Keirai, that Aima was protecting the bloodline of the legendary horse inherited from their ancestor Ka Seima, to this day, and had not let it die out.


    It had a spectacr glossy coat, beautifully toned muscles, clear eyes, straight snout and an elegant face. They could see the care with which the horse had undoubtedly been raised. They could immediately sense that the rider of this horse loved horses immensely.


    Indeed, she is definitely a distant rtive of ours and shares the same ancestor.


    The people were concerned about what the return of the lost n, their siblings, would bring.


    Meanwhile, as usual, Mia was preupied with her own thoughts.


    <i>Oh, thats good. Their attention is diverted. I feel a little relieved!</i>


    Wouldnt it be great to enter the castle on horseback? Mia had been persuaded by some smooth talk into riding a horse to make a grand entrance.


    However, as she saw Elder Kouma riding ahead of her, Mia suddenly realised something.


    <i>Was it really a good idea to showcase my mediocre riding skills?</i>


    Despite her doubts in that moment, Mia certainly thought of herself as a skilled rider. Among the youngdies who attended Saint Noel and even throughout the Empire, there were few who could ride horses as well as Mia.


    However, this was the Equestrian Kingdom, a country where everyone, young and old, men and women alike, rode horses. That fact became tantly obvious to Mia as she saw Elder Kouma, who had volunteered to escort her.


    <i>In a country where even such an old man can easily ride a horse, my riding techniques are like that of a child. Ugh, I am so embarrassed that I got carried away.</i>


    Once she realised that, she couldnt help but worry, leading to a vicious cycle that caused her body to be even stiffer.


    Mia was well aware that she was exposing herck of skill, and when the attention had diverted from her, she felt as if her wish had been fulfilled.


    Thus, despite being burdened by peoples spections and expectations, Mia and her group sessfully entered the Southern Capital.


    However, at that moment, the people were still unaware that this entrance wouldter prove to be a grand foreshadowing of the Wisdom of the Empire.

 Chapter 562

    Chapter 562


    <b>The Inquiry of the Wisdom of the Empire</b>


    A deep sigh echoed in the room that had been prepared for the Chief of the Forest n. Malong was reporting the events from earlier to his father, who sat restlessly on the foreign carpet, unable to quite rx.


    I see, so Elder Kouma is indeed opposed to the return of the Fire n.


    Mayun wore a tired expression on his face, while Malongs own sense of worthlessness gnawed at him.


    Weve been outwitted. Theypletely turned our scheme against us.


    They had two objectives in making the entry into the Southern Capital a groundbreaking scene. One was to create an atmosphere where it would seem natural for the Fire n to return and a special event to ur. The other was to obtain Mias right to speak.


    Unlike Saint Rafina, Mia was just a princess from a foreign country. No matter how powerful the Empire was, it did not justify giving Mia the right to speak at the Meetings of Chiefs.


    <i>In any case, not having the support of Princess Mias wisdom is going to hurt us. Just for that purpose, I had devised a n so that she would be acknowledged by the other n Chiefs, but</i>


    By having Princess Mia enter the castle on horseback, I wanted to show that she was no ordinary princess. However, it seems to have backfired.


    It was possible that Fuu Kouma anticipated Mayuns scheme and came to crush it.


    Even If Mia were to intervene in the Meeting of Chiefs, he would probably argue against it by iming, There is no point in listening to someone who rides such a low-quality horse.


    Thats why, as per their original n, they intended to switch horses just before Mia entered the Southern Capital and have her enter the castle riding another horse.


    If only Lord Fuuma had not intervened at that ce, this wouldnt have happened.


    It was a matter of bad timing. No, actually, its that cunning Elder Kouma. It is quite possible that he intentionally showed up at that ce.


    If it hadnt been for the interaction with Fuuma, perhaps it would have been possible to have Mia switch horses. She could have ridden the Moonhare, which was the pride of the Forest n, and made a grand entrance into the castle. If that had happened, then with great pride, they could have ensured that Mia participated in the Meeting of Chiefs and voiced her opinions.


    However, that was not to be. That was because the words that Mia used to silence Fuuma were undoubtedly true.


    A horse is a horse. Horses have no ranks, and all horses deserve to be treated with respect.


    When Malong heard Mia say those words, he was quite shocked. It was an important truth that the people of the Equestrian Kingdom ought to never forget.


    That was why Malong could not bring himself to stop Mia from entering the castle on her own horse. To have her ride another horse would mean a denial of Mias very words that there was no social ranking for horses.


    However, the Wisdom of the Empire is surprisingly pure. I thought she would be a more calcting person. No, actually, I suppose it is not that unreasonable for a girl of that age.


    As Malong watched his father mutter and shake his head in frustration, he felt a pang in his chest.


    This wont do. I was too eager and yed my hand too much. It seems like I got carried away.


    I agree that Miss Mia is innocent. However, Father, I dont think I have met anyone who understands horses as well as her.


    There was something that Malong remembered vividly to this day. It was the undeniable truth about horses that Mia had expressed when she first appeared at the stables of the academy.


    Malong had been certain that she hade toin about being sneezed upon. But Mia had said, Horses can take you anywhere, to any faraway ce. She had said it in a voice full of conviction, as if believing itpletely, with an expression on her face that did not harbour any doubt.


    You know, Father, I think, if we deny Miss Mias words, for whatever reason, we can no longer call ourselves the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Miss Mias words are unquestionably true. What values are we upholding by going so far as to deny her words? Isnt it too arrogant of us to think that we can evaluate which horse is superior and which isnt?


    Horses have no ranks.


    Those words hit hard. Anyone who faced them couldnt help but feel troubled.


    <i>Who am I to selfishly decide that I can measure the value of a horse?</i>


    It is frustrating that I cant proudly im that what she said is right.


    Malong noticed that his father wore a bitter expression on his face as he replied. It was aplicated mixture of guilt and self-derision .


    Mayun forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders in the face of emotions that could not be easily resolved.


    Being the n Chief is quite a fate


    Malong frowned bitterly as he observed his fathers tired face. He felt gloomy with the thought of the constraints that repeatedly bound him. Malong felt free only while riding a horse. However, his hands and legs were always bound by invisible chains that made him feel sick.


    After shaking his head to regain hisposure, Mayun asked, So, what is Princess Mia doing?


    It seems that Elder Kouma invited her to dinner. Lady Rafina is also supposed to be with her.


    Is that so?


    The two of them had no way of knowing at that time.


    The Wisdom of the Empire would absorb all the norms, constraints and values of the Equestrian Kingdom and still be able to absorb some more. Just like Goddess Mother Earth, or more urately, like a Giant Jellyfish opening its wide mouth, the overwhelming power of the Wisdom of the Empire was on the verge of swallowing the entire Equestrian Kingdom.

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563


    <b>Life Counselling : Horse Style</b>


    That put me in a bad mood damn it.


    Malong stepped outside, muttered a few words, and then took a deep breath. He inhaled and exhaled repeatedly, as if to release all the dark haze swirling within his heart. The blowing night breeze was cold and clear. That cold breeze was soforting that Malong closed his eyes and stood still for a while. Then, when he opened his eyes, the image of Rafina standing stock-still in a daze suddenly appeared before him.


    Hmm? Is that Miss Rafina?


    He felt a strange uneasiness when he saw her in that state. Rafina had a nk expression on her face and her eyes were cast downward. Her profile looked extremely ephemeral, as if she she would melt away and disappear if he left her alone.


    Miss Rafina, whats wrong?


    The moment he called out to her, she was startled and her slender shoulders trembled as if in fear. However, the moment she saw Malong, she looked relieved.


    Ah, Malong-san


    Malong noticed something strange about the situation. Somehow, Rafina had ended up outside without an escort. Even though they were in the Southern Capital, this behaviour was unusual for Rafina, who was well aware of her status and position..


    <i>No, actually, looking back, I feel like Miss Rafina has not been acting like her usual self, even beforeing here. She did not seem to be in good spirits and appeared lost in thought quite often.</i>


    If I remember correctly, you went out to dinner with Miss Mia, right?


    Yes. I was feeling a little sick, so I came out for some fresh air.


    Without an escort?


    That is


    Rafina hesitated to speak and looked down once again.


    <i>Normally, she would have easilye up with one or two usible reasons. Its just not like her at all. I cant leave her alone. Good grief.</i>


    Malong scratched his head, thinking it was quite troublesome. However, he suddenly smiled wryly.


    <i>No, actually, its not just her. Even I am not acting like my usual self. We are the same in this regard.</i>


    <i>If I were my usual self, I would have insisted that she share her circumstances, even if it was troublesome or required me to be forceful. The thought of ignoring her wouldnt have even crossed my mind.</i>


    Good grief! Honestly, its unlike you to be so worried and hesitant. Okay.


    Malong pped his cheeks, determined to start acting like himself. With a broad smile on his face, he said, Miss, lets ride a horse for a while! Come with me.


    Huh?


    I have also been feeling a little frustrated about a lot of things. Lets go for a ride together.


    Malong said to Rafina, who had tilted her head in confusion.


    Then, Malong sounded a whistle and his beloved horse came galloping out of seemingly nowhere.


    No, but


    Rafina looked confused, and amidst her sighs, Malong picked her up.


    Eek!


    Excuse me, sorry about this, he said, putting one hand on her back for support and the other under her knee, doing the so-called princess carry!


    Oh, uhhuh?


    Rafina gasped, staring at Malong in bewilderment. Without hesitation, he lifted her onto the horses back and then mounted behind her.


    <i>An escort? It didnt matter, it didnt matter at all.</i>


    As long as he was riding a horse, Malong felt free and unconstrained.


    Hold on tight.


    After confirming that Rafina, who was sitting sideways in front of him, was holding on firmly, Malong gave instructions to the horse. And thats how the secrette-night ride began.


    The pale, shining moon illuminated the sky, which was filled with twinkling stars. A single horse galloped across, its carefree steps echoing through the city in the night.


    How are you feeling? Horses have a way of lifting the spirits, dont they? Are you feeling a little better now?


    Uh yes.


    Rafinas response was apanied by a strange noise. When Malong looked at her, he found her stiff, staring down.


    Hahaha, dont worry. Theres no need to be so tense. If you start to fall, Ill make sure to support you properly.


    As Malong said this andughed, Rafina red at him with a pouty face.


    Well, its not particrly scary


    Although she protested loudly, she quickly gave up and let out a sigh.


    Maybe the twinkling stars in the silent night opened up Rafinas heart, or perhaps it was because of Malongs unconventional behaviour that she simply didnt care what happened anymore. Rafina began to speak, hesitantly at first.


    I cant believe in myself


    Huh?


    I came here to solve the problems of the Equestrian Kingdom as the Holy Saint of Belluga. However, I got caught up in Mia-san calling Aima-san her friend and felt jealous.


    Rafina continued to look down as she spoke.


    As the daughter of Belluga, this is not the time to be distracted by something like this. Its no good. When I thought about it, I realised that my feelings were shaken because I became friends with Mia-san. If thats the case, I thought that maybe I should stop being friends with Mia-san. Its not bing of a Saint to be worried about such things. Even though I think so, even though I understand that, I cant bring myself to want to stop being friends with Mia-san. I dont even want to think about it


    As she said that, Rafina suddenly choked up, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    Rafinas eyes flickered with confusion. She did not wear the expression of a decisive leader making decisions, nor the countenance of the Saint revered by so many.


    What should I do?  I dont understand.


    Rafina whispered softly, her voice trembled with conflicting emotions. She sounded like an ordinary girl, struggling with thoughts about friendship and feeling lost.


    Isnt that perfectly normal? Thats just how humans are. Thinking about friends, wanting to be important to them, these are natural feelings. It is fine to want to be friends forever with people you like.


    Despite his words, Rafina still kept her head down, murmuring, Hmm, I see.


    Malong groaned and pondered. Eventually, he concluded that instead of encouraging her with generic phrases like This is unlike you, he should speak to her in his own words.


    Therefore!


    You know, among the people who ride horses, there are some who are quite awful.


    Huh?


    Rafinas eyes widened in confusion at the sudden shift to a discussion about horses. Malong chose to ignore her reaction and continued speaking.


    Honestly, there are times when Ive felt sorry for horses, thinking that they might be happier without humans around. But then I realised that might not be the case.


    What do you mean?


    Thisnd was shaped by God. The people as well as the creatures that inhabit thisnd were also created by God. In our Equestrian Kingdom, horses were bestowed upon us by the Holy Messenger of God. It means that humans were created to raise horses, and horses were created to carry people. Therefore, the happiness and welfare of horses lie in living together with people. If you wish for your horses happiness, wouldnt it be great to let them run wild? It means that we have to think about how we can be good partners to our horses. Its the same idea.


    Eh, huh?


    Rafina had a nk look on her face and shook her head in confusion. This was uncharacteristic of an astute girl like her.


    Malongughed at her somewhat childlike and innocent expression.


    It means that God probably ced the Saint as a person in order to guide people. If thats the case, then I think the Saint is meant to live as a human. Just as humans were created to lead horses, Miss Rafina should continue to be a human and also be a Saint in a human-like way. Not worrying about your friends and thinking of cutting off ties with them because they might affect your judgement, I think those are not the ways of a human.


    Malong said that and then he looked up at the sky.


    Thats why Miss Rafina is fine the way she is. Isnt that better? Properly thinking about things, worrying, grieving, andughing together with good friends. Whether you are the Saint or an ordinary person, isnt that a good thing?


    And then Malong smiled teasingly.


    At least, I like you being that way.


    Eh, ah


    For some reason Rafinas eyes widened in surprise.


    Malong then wiped away the tears that welled up at the corner of her eyes with his index finger.


    Hahaha, I think its cute and fitting your age to worry about and cry over friends.


    Please dont treat me like a child. Rafina red defiantly at Malong. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.


    <i>Did I upset her enough to make her face change colour? Good grief, this is challenging.</i>


    Malong chuckled wryly, shrugged his shoulders, and then said,


    Well, in any case, I dont think Miss Mia will be too bothered by it. Im sure she will ept all your worries as well.


    Malong shook his head slightly.


    After all, Miss Mia is a person who understands the hearts of horses. She is free-spirited, unfettered, doing whatever she likes and has a heart that is free from all constraints. Honestly, Im quite jealous of her.


    By the way, speaking of Mia, at that time


    Hmm. This dish called Banizia is quite amazing. Although it looks like bread, cheese has been kneaded into the crispy pie batter. It goes perfectly with the vegetables on top. Oh, traditionally, it is eaten with salted meat? Hmm, but I wonder if it would also go well with sweet yoghurt? Lets try some otherbinations.


    She was enjoying her freedom and eating to her hearts content!


    Free-spirited, unfettered, a food pioneer adding new concepts to traditional eating and discovering new ways of enjoying food.


    That was who Mia was.


    <strong>Authors Notes: </strong>


    I dont think its as simple as just bringing out Mia at the end for the punchline. Thats a misunderstanding.


    Does protecting nature mean that humans should not interfere with the environment at all? Or should humans recognise themselves as a part of nature and y their part? I am thinking about this as I write. It seems that Malong believes thetter to be correct.

 Chapter 564

    Chapter 564


    <b>Mias Scary Dream</b>


    That day, Mia had a dream. It wasnt a dream from the previous timeline but rather a pure nightmare.


    Oh? What on earth is this ce?


    Before she knew it, Mia was standing in the hallway of an unfamiliar abandoned castle. The gloomy corridor was plunged in darkness, and the light in her hand could not illuminate it at all.


    Good Gracious! What does this mean? What am I doing in a ce like this?


    <i>I am Mia. Where am I?</i> thought Mia as she wandered in a confused state. Then, unexpectedly, an incredibly good aroma wafted into her nose. Somehow, it was very tempting


    <i>Oh, it smells really delicious. Hmm Should I go and see what it is? </i><em>If I must move, then the best way is in the direction of the delicious aroma.</em>


    Mia stuck to her belief and followed the enticing scent. Before long, she arrived at a huge party hall. On a long table, there were mountains of steaming hot dishes. The food looked magnificent, resembling the banquet from yesterday.


    Hmm? Yesterdays banquet huh? What did I have?


    Oh my! How vulgar! Jumping quickly to delicious food, what a glutton!


    All of a sudden, a piercing voice rang out. When Mia looked in the direction of the voice, there was a lone woman standing there.


    The woman was probably in her early twenties. She had eyes that nted sharply upwards, lips that curved in a malicious smile, and jet-ck hair that blended into darkness. But the most striking feature was the venomous serpent coiled around her body. Her attire was absolutely in bad taste.


    However, due to the distinctive appearance, Mia thought of a particr person.


    A woman with a serpent coiled around her body that meant only one thing!


    Serpent Priestess could it be that you are sister-inw Valentina?


    The woman raised the corner of her mouth in disgust at Mias question.


    How rude of you not to recognise the face of the sister. Its a hundred years too early for you to think of marrying Abel.


    She red at Mia with a truly malicious look on her face.


    And look at all that chubby fat. It seems like you ate a lotst night.


    Having said that, she pinched Mias upper arm with her long fingers.


    What? But, I heard that the food of the Equestrian Kingdom is good for health. And if you believe that and eat, then you wont get fat.


    Superstition. Utter superstition! Itsughable that you are called the Wisdom of the Empire!


    That was a valid argument. Mia had no rebuttal.


    Mia was vaguely aware that the story was way too good to be true.


    Besides, there are limits to everything. Even if its true that if you eat with belief, you wont get fat, you have clearly been overeating.


    Dreams often reflect the deepest desires of the dreamer.


    Mia wanted to believe, despite her doubts.


    <i>If I believe it in my heart, I wont get fat.</i>


    Mia deeply wished to hold on to that belief.


    <i>That was why I put a limit on it. Meaning, it might not work if I eat an exorbitant amount, but if I eat a decentlyrge amount with belief, it should be fine.</i>


    The conditioning had be unconscious. It could be said that it was a dream very typical of Mia, trying to findmon ground and refusing to give up in the search for apromise.


    Then your body will be so heavy that you wont be able to take light dance steps, right?


    The moment Mia heard those words, her body suddenly became heavy.


    <i>If my body feels so heavy, I definitely wont be able to dance</i>


    B-b-but


    As expected, you are not suitable to be Abels partner. You are disqualified!


    Bang, another shock. And then, Mia screamed and began to fall


    Oh


    And thats when she woke up.


    <i>Was that a dream?</i>


    Mia rubbed her blurry eyes and slowly looked around. She noticed that somehow Bel was resting her head on her stomach.


    <i>Hmm I see. Bel was on top, no wonder my body felt so heavy.</i>


    Mia sighed and moved Bel off of her. When she ced a pillow under her head, Bel gave a broad grin.


    Big sister Mia. Hehehe, I cant eat anymore.


    Even the happy sleep talk was a little painful to Mias ears at that moment.


    <i>Did my earlier dream spring from the guilt of overeating? </i><i>Or was it some kind of revtion?</i>


    Mia couldnt help but reflect on her actions.


    <i>The encounter in Sunnd had been quite shocking. Since then, I havent been able to control my desire to overeat. As expected of the Serpent Priestess. To think she would attack my vulnerable points with such precision. Such a nasty person. The enemy is a Serpent. I cant afford to ignore such an obvious weakness. It would not be wise. This wont do, I must exercise. The showdown with Abels sister is drawing near. In order to not expose my weakness and to have my rtionship with Abel approved, I must prepare myself. I have to think of somethingHmm.</i>


    Mia crossed her arms and began to ponder.

 Chapter 565

    Chapter 565


    <b>This Is a Battle, and Mias Only Option Is to Stand Her Ground!</b>


    Theb glided smoothly through her hair. Mia smiled in the mirror at Anne, who was brushing with great care.


    Youve be quite good at this, Anne.


    Thank you very much, Mia-sama, replied Anne, nodding with the dignity of a veteran maid.


    Their eyes suddenly met in the mirror, and both of them burst outughing.


    But Mia-samas hair is so easy to brush, its such a relief.


    Ah, thats because the shampoo with the horse mark is really good. Hehehe.


    Smiling in good spirits, Mia suddenly rubbed her stomach.


    Hmm


    Until a little while ago, her stomach had felt a little heavy, but perhaps it was just her imagination. Mias energetic stomach had already begun toin of hunger.


    Eating well and sleeping well, Mia was a healthy child.


    Well, isnt it time for breakfast yet?


    As Mia rubbed her stomach, Anne looked at her with a worried expression on her face.


    Mia-sama, are you okay? You were eating quitete at the banquetst night.


    Oh, no. I think it was just right. After all, it is polite etiquette to eat everything you are served, without leaving any leftovers. Although, I do tend to overeat a little too much. Hehehe, but that is also part of the job.


    But if you keep doing that, Mia-samas body will


    I just need to make up for it with exercise. Its tough, but it doesnt happen all the time. Cant help that there will be such times. Ah, thats right. If you dont mind, can you join me for some exerciseter?


    Anne was moved by Mias serious words, and she clenched her fists in determination.


    Of course. I will assist you.


    Anne replied in a spirited voice.


    Mias group sat at the breakfast table with Malong of the Forest n. Before them was the traditional soup of the Equestrian Kingdom, giving off a tingling aroma of spices. The soup was topped with stuffed wheat dumplings shaped like little white moons.


    <i>If I recall correctly, this dish is made withmb, vegetables and mushrooms. </i><i>Hehe, I am going to fully savour the mushrooms of the Equestrian Kingdom.</i>


    It was typical of Mia to do her homework beforeing to the Equestrian Kingdom.


    So, Miss Mia, how was yesterday? Malong called out to Mia.


    Ah, Malong-senpai. Good day!


    Mia let out a sigh as she remembered the Wind n banquet fromst night.


    Although I had done some research beforehand, I was splendidly outdone. That was the feeling I got.


    <i>When I encountered the ingredients of the Equestrian Kingdom in Sunnd, I knew they would be very delicious. However, I ended up underestimating them. Its incredible that I would let my guard down to such an extent and indulge myself. That caused me to make a fool of myself in front of the Serpent Priestess. I cant face her like this.</i>


    I see. Miss Mia, you researched various things beforehand. As expected.


    Of course. Advance preparation is important.


    Even for Mia, it would be impossible to devour everything in the Equestrian Kingdom. Therefore, it was important for her to research what she wanted to eat and what she absolutely had to eat.


    In any case, I was outwitted. I need to think of something now to make a recovery


    Is it possible to make a recovery?


    Mia nodded reassuringly in response to that question.


    Of course.


    Mia was determined.


    <i>After all, I will be meeting Abels sister. It should be a piece of cake to get fit before that.</i>


    Mia thought to herself but immediately shook her head.


    <i>No, thats not true. Whether its easy or not is not the issue here. </i>


    <i>The question is whether I do it or not.</i>


    <i>This is a battle where I cant back down.</i>


    <i>After all, exercise is important. Its close to impossible not to enjoy delicious food in the Equestrian Kingdom.</i>


    Mia knew herself well.


    <i>Indeed, if I limit the portion size, I might get quick results. However, given the food in the Equestrian Kingdom, I cant do it. If you already know that its impossible, then you shouldnt even consider that possibility.</i>


    In that case, there was only one thing Mia could do, and that was exercise.


    <i>I already asked Anne, as effective exercise is essential. However, the question is, what kind of exercise should I do? Hmm, thats a difficult problem.</i>


    I see. As expected of Miss Mia. Does that mean you havent given up yet?


    Of course. There are situations where you cant back down.


    The showdown with Abels sister was inevitable. In that case, there was no choice but to go through with it.


    Malong looked straight into Mias motivated eyes and gave a big nod.


    Understood. I will also do everything that I possibly can. Miss Mia, you should do as you see fit. I think Father will also support you as much as he can.


    Um? Well, I appreciate your cooperation


    Then, Mia couldnt help but smile wryly.


    But I must say, Malong-senpai, as usual, you are very caring.


    Mia wanted to get fit quickly before she met Abels sister. Malong offered his help with an earnest expression on his face.


    <i>Still, isnt he being a little over-caring,</i> thought Mia as she smiled.


    On the other hand, Malong made a strange face at Miasment.


    It is strange to hear thating from someone who is far more caring than me.


    Malong murmured softly, though his words did not reach Mias ears.


    <i>But, first things first. We need to ensure reconciliation with the Fire n at the Meeting of Chiefs. Exerciseester. Its best not to worry about it now.</i>


    Thus, the fateful Meeting of Chiefs was about to beginthe legendary meeting known as thest meeting of the Twelve ns.

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566


    <b>Miabels Revenge Begins Maybe?</b>


    <i>Wow, Miss Mias amazing</i>


    After finishing his breakfast, Malong went outside to feed his horse.


    <i>She said that since she had done some research beforehand, it was possible to recover. Honestly, she really is great.</i>


    Malong respected people like his Father Mayun, who properly thought through things and made advance preparations.


    <i>However, if you think about it properly, it seems to have been the Chaos Serpents doing. </i><i>I heard about this mysterious group just the other day. It is somehow connected to the Fire n. Miss Rafina and Miss Mia have been fighting against this heretic cult for a while. I never noticed that during my time at the Saint Noel Academy. </i>


    <i>Miss Mia seemed to be riding the horse without much thought, but sometimes it did seem like she was riding as if she was desperate. Perhaps it was because she was thinking of this fight.</i>


    After feeding and brushing his horse, Malong suddenly tilted his head in puzzlement.


    Hmm?


    He felt a presence behind him. When he turned around to look, he saw Rafina standing still, looking like she wanted to say something.


    Oh, Miss Rafina. Good morning. Did you sleep well? asked Malong with a smile.


    Rafina looked at Malong, and when their eyes met, she immediately looked away. Perhaps she was worried about something, as she was fidgeting with her beautiful hair, looking anxious.


    Good morning, Malong-san. Rafina replied in a small voice.


    Malong found it strange and thought, <i>Perhaps she is still worried or is it something else?</i>


    Malong was a little concerned and gently ced his hand on Rafinas forehead.


    Eek!


    Rafina let out a little scream and jumped in surprise.


    Hmm, do you have a slight fever? Perhaps you caught a coldst night?


    No, thats not true. I dont have a fever, so dont worry.


    Rafina replied in a slightly raised voice after stepping back one or two steps.


    Malong finally looked convinced and said, Well, I hope yesterday was a good change of pace. That being said, Im going to ask for your help today, Miss Rafina. I dont think Miss Mia will be able to help at todays Chiefs Meeting.


    Eh? Why is that?


    As Rafina looked confused, Malong exined to her the meaning of Mias entry into the castle yesterday.


    I see. To think that such a mistake was made yesterday.


    After Rafina heard that, she finally returned to her usual calm expression.


    Miss Mia did say that we could make a recovery, but I think we also need to act on our own. Having said that, I am just the son of the Chief, so there is a limit to what I can do.


    The Meeting of Chiefs was essentially a discussion conducted between the Chiefs of the Twelve ns. This time, due to the course of events and Malongs deep involvement in the matter, he had been permitted to participate. However, Malong was extremely concerned about the extent to which his opinions would be heard or considered.


    In that respect, I think the words of the Holy Saint of Belluga will carry weight and will not be ignored. Im sorry, but I will be relying on you. Please lend me your help.


    Malong bowed deeply and Rafina responded with a nod and a cool smile.


    Yes, of course. I will do everything in my power to resolve the tragic fate of the Equestrian Kingdom. By the way


    Rafinas expression then changedpletely. She had a slightly troubled and pitiable look on her face.


    Um its about what happened yesterday. If possible, Id like you not to tell anyone about it.


    Hmm? Oh, thats fine, but


    Rafinas face instantly lit up upon hearing his reply, but


    Ah, but Ive already talked to that girl.


    Rafina froze upon hearing the words that followed.


    B-but whom? Whom did you tell?


    Its to that girl who is with Miss Mia. The one called Bel.


    Rafinas body swayed, and a silent scream escaped her lips.


    After a long time, the opportunity for Miabel to take revenge on the Empress Prte Rafina may have arrived. But well, that was not a matter of significance.


    In the central portion of the Southern Capital stood a rtivelyrge building named Great Horse Castle. It was a moderately sized mansion built by Fuuma, the Chief of the Mountain n. The architectural style was strongly influenced by the Remno Kingdom and seemed to include some functionality of a battle fortress.


    <i>Anyway, what an unfortunate name.</i>


    Great Horse Castle


    Mia felt dizzy at the strange naming sense.


    <i>At the very least, they should have used an Equestrian Kingdom-style name. It seems like they tried too hard to use a foreign-sounding name. It feels almost unbearable to stay here any longer.</i>


    Incidentally, Mias naming sense was also quite peculiar, considering she had named her horse Silver Moon and her grand-daughter Miabel. However, she had conveniently tossed aside that fact from her memory.


    Mia discovered something as she passed through the mansions gate: a gigantic statue of a horse overlooking her.


    Oh! What a wonderful sculpture. Theyve done an incredible job. It could be a big help in improving the quality of my horse-shaped bread.


    Mia had approached the statue to observe it closely when she suddenly noticed the title of the horse statue.


    Dedicated to my beloved daughter Falling Dew a.k.a. Rakuro. Hmm, the name of the horse sounds Equestrian Kingdom-like, but beloved daughter


    Mia looked up at the horse statue again and nodded to herself.


    <i>It doesnt matter to me either way, but whether its Father, or other powerful people, why do they always wish to erect statues of their own daughters? There must be a more meaningful way to spend money.</i>


    Just like that, Mia wasmenting the folly of the powerful people of the world.


    Wee


    A voice called out to Mia from behind.


    When she turned around, there was a young girl standing there. She was around the same age as Mia. The girl had tied her ck hair which was characteristic of the Equestrian Kingdom in a cute foreign ribbon. She had slightly lifted up the hem of her skirt.


    My name is Xiaolei. I am the daughter of the Mountain n Chief, Fuuma.  She said with an awkward smile.


    Please be kind to me. My name is Mia Luna Tearmoon. I am the princess of the Tearmoon Empire.


    Mia responded with the attitude of a perfect princess.


    When Xiaolei saw that, she eximed, A real life princess.


    She stared at Mia with a shocked expression, then quickly shook her head and turned away, gesturing for Mia to follow her.


    Ah, um, Father has asked me to show you around. Pleasee this way.

 Chapter 567

    Chapter 567


    <b>The Strategy of the Wisdom of the Empire</b>


    Guided by Xiaolei, Mia arrived at therge room where all the n Chiefs had gathered. Based on the structure of the building, Mia had assumed that there would be a huge round table set up. However, she found all the Chiefs seated on the carpetid out on the floor.


    <i>Hmm, so these are the Chiefs of the Equestrian Kingdom</i>


    Mia thought to herself, resolving to memorise each face as much as possible. Her attention was then drawn to Fuu Kouma, the Wind n Chief, who sat majestically in the innermost part of the room.


    <i>Am I supposed to greet him?</i>


    Mia knew from her various experiences that personal connections and etiquette were the foundations of support that could save someone in their moment of trouble.


    While it would be foolish to rely solely on them, it was better to have that support than not. It would be advantageous to borrow Elder Koumas support to ensure that the current discussion progressed smoothly.


    <i>Hmm. In any case, it seems that no one has any particr interest in me. That is indeed preferable. However, what should I do?</i>


    <i>If I call out to Elder Kouma now, I will definitely stand out. But is it a good idea to easily let go of this position where I draw no attention? </i>


    Mia hesitated for a moment before making up her mind.


    <i>Hmm. I will surely end up standing out a little, but I think it is better to greet him here.</i>


    Having made the decision, Mia spoke up promptly.


    Good day, Elder Kouma. Thank you for your hospitality yesterday.


    Well, well, if it isnt Her Highness Princess Mia. I too had a very good time yesterday. The suggestion of topping the Banizia with sweet fruits was especially an excellent idea.


    Hehehe. Even I did not expect it would go so well with it. I had a delightful time and would be happy to have the opportunity to spend time together with you again. Next time, I would like to invite you to the Empire and treat you to a grand feast.


    Hahaha. I see. Well then, I shall look forward to it.


    After that, Koumas smile disappeared, and he stared intently at Mia.


    However, I must apologise for causing you the trouble ofing all the way here today, especially considering that it is a problem between the blood rtives of the Equestrian Kingdom, and we must resolve it amongst ourselves. So, there is really not much for you to say.


    Mia was slightly moved by Koumas words!


    <i>Oh, Im being treated like an outsider this time. Moreover, Kouma-san seems to be very motivated. Even if Im not here, the others can take care of it. I could not be happier.</i>


    Mia couldnt help but feel grateful to Kouma, who told her that they would solve their own problems and not bother her.


    Originally, Mias n was to have them solve the problem where her involvement wasnt that necessary, giving her time to think of a way to deal with the Serpent Priestess. Therefore, if there was no need for her to intervene, then there was nothing better than that.


    Be that as it may, the problem did involve Abels sister and Aima, who for some reason called her a friend. If, by any chance, it was treated as something that was resolved just within the Equestrian Kingdom, it would be troublesome and probably leave a very bad aftertaste.


    Serpent members could be amongst the n Chiefs. It was important to firmly control the situation. For that purpose


    Mia looked in Aimas direction.


    No. If theres even a small thing that I can help with, I would like to do my best. Its for my friend, after all. Its no trouble at all.


    First, Mia gave a subtle warning that she wouldnt be silent if her friend was treated irresponsibly. Then, Mia turned her gaze towards Rafina.


    Also, another friend of mine, Rafina-sama, is extremely concerned about this matter. She wishes to resolve it in the best possible way. Therefore, I cannot help but lend my support as well.


    Mia casually mentioned that she would just be helping, but emphasised that Rafina would be intervening in the matter.


    Mia had a good understanding of what would happen if any injustice wasmitted in front of Rafina. In case there were any Serpent members, they would not be able to interfere easily in her presence.


    <i>I really need Rafina to do her best, thats why I chose those words to motivate her.</i>


    When Mia spoke to Rafina, she smiled softly for a brief moment before returning to her usual sharp and prim expression.


    Thank you, Mia-san. I will do my best to resolve this dispute.


    Rafina replied in a determined voice.


    Unnoticed by those present, her eyes were slightly moist with emotion.


    There was another person who was highly impressed: Mayun, who had been watching the entire series of exchanges take ce.


    <i>What brilliance! Is this the Wisdom of the Empire?</i>


    <i>Her presence should have beenpletely irrelevant due to yesterdays failure. However, look at her now. All the ns Chiefs gazes are drawn to Princess Mia. </i><i>When I heard that she was invited to the Wind n banquet, I thought that Elder Kouma was nning some scheme but</i>


    Fuu Kouma was the eldest of the Twelve n Chiefs and the person in charge of the meeting. Mia forcefully reminded the other Chiefs that she had been invited by Elder Kouma and had participated in the Wind n banquet.


    After all, Mia had entered the Southern Capital escorted by Kouma!


    <i>She used her own actions to diminish her speaking power with the aim of aplete reversal to regain that power. What a brilliant strategy!</i>


    Mayun was rendered speechless by the extremely intricate and intense strategic conversation that unfolded before him.


    Mayun thought of himself as a man of tricks. However, inparison to the exchange that yed out before his eyes, he realised that his strategies were mere childs y.


    <i>I see. So this is the Wisdom of the Empire. She knew that aplete recovery was possible, and thats why she epted Koumas escort into the castle that day.</i>


    Mayun could not conceal his awe at Mias unfathomable talent.

 Chapter 568

    Chapter 568


    <b>Whirling Tide : Mia descends</b>


    First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for being given this opportunity. I am Ka Roufa, the Elder of the Fire n. And this girl called Aima is the younger sister of the Fire n Chief. Roufa slowly stood up and spoke. With keen discerning eyes, she stared at all the Chiefs and then calmly bowed her head.


    Her intensity was enough to interest everyone, but it was Aima, who was introduced as the Chiefs sister, who drew everyones attention.


    After all, she was the girl who had entered the castle on that magnificent horse.


    She had the fierce look of a seasoned warrior who had faced many battles, and everyone gasped in admiration at her dignified demeanour.


    She seemed to be an extraordinarily talented opponent against whom they could not let down their guard. The tension was evident on their faces.


    One aspect of the Equestrian Kingdoms pathology had reared its head: the standard criteria by which everyone was evaluatedthe horse they owned.


    When all the self-introductions werepleted, Rafina spoke in a calm and serene voice.


    I am Rafina Orca Belluga, daughter of the Duke of the Principality of Belluga. I believe I may have met some of the n Chiefs before.


    Rafina then tilted her head slightly and gave a cool smile.


    Then, she quietly closed her eyes and recited a passage from the  Holy Scriptures.


    When God descended upon the earth, the shepherds greeted Him with courage and spirit.


    It brings me unexpected joy to participate in a meeting of the descendants of those shepherds who were the first to wee our God and receive His great blessings. May Gods blessings and great guidance be upon this meeting alike.


    The solemn prayer breathed purity into the hearts of those present.


    And so, the Meeting of Chiefs began quietly.


    It was Kouma, the person in charge, who spoke first.


    Well, this meeting was convened by the Chief of the Forest n, Lord Mayun. First and foremost, I would like for you to exin the objective of this meeting. What were the circumstances that called for all of us to be gathered here in this ce? I would like for you to exin what exactly it is that you expect, Lord Mayun.


    Hahaha, its a little embarrassing to be referred to as Lord by Elder Kouma.


    Mayun made an attempt at humour and smiled jovially before taking his time to stand up. After adjusting his sleeves noisily, he proceeded to look at everyone with a calm and serene gaze.


    Now, dear n Chiefs, I am grateful to all of you for responding to my call. I cannot hold back my joy at this wonderful time when we are together again.


    He addressed everyone in a beautiful, melodic, resonating voice, as if he were a stage actor.


    Oh, it is a wonderful time, is it? Kouma asked.


    Mayun nodded deeply in response.


    Thats right. We have found the siblings that we had lost. This moment, when we are together with our blood rtives from whom we were estranged due to past circumstances, is so wonderful that I am sure even our ancestors would be overjoyed.


    Some n Chiefs nodded, genuinely touched by Mayuns appeal. There were even some who were moved to tears. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom were essentially good-natured and honest.


    I see. Basically, Lord Mayun wished to share those feelings of joy and excitement. And so you called us out to gather here, is that right?


    Of course, its not just that. I heard that the Fire n is facing poverty due to a poor harvest. Due to that, it seems that some of them have even resorted to bing bandits. If we ignore this, it would lead to embarrassment for our country. We would not be fit to show our faces to our ancestor Ka Seima, right?


    Oh, so you basically wish for us to support the Fire n that has fallen into poverty. You wish to provide them with aid, is that right?


    Kouma pped his hands and smiled.


    If thats the case, then the matter can be resolved quickly. If our blood rtives are in trouble, lets support them with food and more. Also, we need to negotiate with other countries. We should send an emissary to the countries that fell victim to the looting and ensure suitablepensation.


    All the n Chiefs nodded at Koumas words.


    No matter what happened in the past, it is natural to help our brethren. Its not necessary to even bring it up for discussion. That is just the wisdom of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Basically, they were good and honest people.


    However, at this point, Mayun dared to take a step farther.


    No, Elder Kouma. The matter doesnt end there. I asked everyone to gather here to discuss the future of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Upon hearing those words, Kouma narrowed his eyes slightly. Regardless, Mayun continued.


    It is unfortunate that the Fire n has fallen into poverty. However, it seems like a divine revtion to me. I would definitely like each n Chief to consider this. To once again wee the Fire n, our lost siblings, back into our midst.


    The entire ce became tense at those words.


    Does that mean that you want to wee the Fire n into the Forest n? Or do you wish to assimte the Fire n into the other Twelve ns?


    That is not what I wish for. If it is Elder Kouma, then I am sure that you can understand


    Mayun then looked around at the faces of the Chiefs and said,


    This is what I think. Now is the time for the Twelve ns to reunite as the Thirteen ns once again. If the other Chiefs were in my position, they would surely feel the same way. If you had been the first to encounter the Fire n like me


    I wonder about that. If you are not actually in that position you cannot understand. Lord Mayun, it seems that you are willing topromise a little too much when ites to the Fire n. You were supposed to be an expert when it came to our historical songs. Have you forgotten the circumstances of our separation?


    This point was made by the n Chief, who was the second most senior after Kouma. The other Chiefs also looked at Mayun with somewhat bewildered expressions.


    It is natural to send aid. However, to reintegrate the estranged n, that is a big change and we do not know what it would bring. It would surely cause worry to a lot of people.


    It was then that Elder Roufa swiftly raised her hand and spoke up.


    No, excuse me, Lord Mayun, but actually the Forest n is not the first. We have already interacted with a certain n Chief. The Mountain n Chief, Lord Fuuma, has assisted us before.


    Fuumas shoulders trembled in shock at the abrupt shift in conversation.


    Oh my, is that so?


    Mayun said, looking a little surprised, and then he shook his head regretfully.


    Is that right? Lord Fuuma, I wish you had told me that.


    After ncing at Fuuma, who appeared to be a little blue in the face, Mayun asked Roufa.


    So, the Fire n had some association with the Mountain n?


    Um, no, actually


    As Fuuma tried to say something, Roufa interrupted.


    Yes. When we were in poverty, we received an offer from Lord Fuuma to buy our livestock. First, we sold sheep, then goats, and eventually horses


    That was when the first shift in tides urred.


    What is the meaning of this? Lord Fuuma?


    A Chief with a strikinglyrge build asked in a deep voice.


    By the way, he was the man who had been greatly moved by Mayuns earlier speech, and his pupils had dted with emotion. He was known to be a simple, passionate, and deeply empathetic man.


    N-no, thats not it


    Fuuma stammered and mumbled as the other Chiefs looked at him with disdain.


    The long estranged Fire n did not know of it, however, there was a kind ofmonw amongst the Twelve ns to help their blood rtives without anypensation in case they fell into a dire state, since ancient times.


    Such actions were not to be pursued for the sake of ones own interests or profit. They were not meant to be transactions, nor business deals.


    The actions were supposed to be pure phnthropy, to aid the other party get back on their feet.


    Despite knowing this, Fuuma bought the livestock of the Fire n, who were in need.


    In the Equestrian Kingdom, livestock were considered assets. More specifically, they were considered indispensable for existence. If someone lost those assets, even if they temporarily gained money, it was inevitable that they would eventually fall into poverty and hardship.


    In spite of knowing that, if someone purchased livestock, then it would be an unforgivable vition of themonw.


    The atmosphere of the ce suddenly changed from ming Fuuma to sympathising with the Fire n.


    It was exactly as Mayun had calcted.


    Granting unidirectional kindness and expecting servitude was not the form of wee that Mayun wished for the Fire n. It was a measure to strike a bnce.


    However, the heavy words that followed served to disrupt the flow of the tide that had been created.


    But What about the wolves?


    The owner of the voice, Kouma, first nced at Roufa and then at Aima, who was sitting next to her, with calm, discerning eyes.


    If you say that you will abandon the wolves, I can understand. That was the reason we separated in the first ce. If you agree to abandon the wolves, we will dly wee the Fire n. However


    After taking a pause, as if contemting the matter, Kouma continued.


    If you wish to integrate into the Forest n, you need to follow thews of the Forest n. Simrly, the Wind n has its ownws, and so does the Mountain n. Naturally, you will have to abandon wolves. However, if we were to ept the Fire n as it is, then we must also ept the rules of the Fire n, including their custom of using wolves. Isnt that so?


    Yes, thats right. Thats exactly right. As expected of Elder Kouma. I also thought that the Fire n wouldnt be recognized as our brethren, so I bought the sheep?


    Fuuma said something along those lines, but no one was listening to his words.


    Kouma and Mayun red at each other, resulting in a standoff. The n Chiefs watched the situation, waiting with bated breath, convinced that one of them would eventually break the stalemate.


    However, the next tidal wave was about to be born in apletely different cean extremely powerful, all consuming whirlpool-like current. It was about to emerge from a gentle voice.


    Now, Mia, who had been listening intently to the Chiefs conversation, felt a momentary sense of relief.


    <i>Hmm, as expected from blood rtives. It looks like the matter will be resolved properly.</i>


    From Mias perspective, they seemed to be arguing about ways to save the Fire n. It would be best if they could return to the Equestrian Kingdom as Mayun appealed, but at the very least it seemed that they could get food support.


    It was indeed a good thing that not a single person suggested abandoning them.


    <i>Common ground forpromise could be found only by the people who were actually involved. If things progress like this, there may be no need for me to even open my mouth. Good</i>


    With that, Mia folded her arms and quietly closed her eyes.


    <i>I wont kill time by counting something today. It would be a waste of time.</i>


    Mia was in serious mode today.


    She was seriously trying to face her own fat.


    <i>After this meeting is done, it will be time for a showdown with sister-inw Valentina. I have less time than I expected. What would be most effective? I need to think about this seriously</i>


    The problem was to figure out the most effective form of exercise.


    Mia knew that she was definitely not the kind who hated exercise. However, exercising enough to burn the amount she ate would be difficult.


    <i>I need to think of a way that would be sustainable long term. In that case</i>


    Mia nodded to herself and slowly opened her eyes.


    Thats right. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ride a horse


    After all, this was the Equestrian Kingdom. So it would only be natural to ride a horse.


    <i>If I ride vigorously every day, it would be good exercise, and it will be fun if I ride with Abel. Since it is sustainable, even if I overeat a little, shouldnt it be fine?</i>


    As Mia pondered over various things and grinned at her own idea, she suddenly noticed all the Chiefs piercing gazes were directed at her.


    What do you mean? Your Highness, Princess Mia.


    Even Kouma had lost his usual easygoing demeanour and questioned Mia in a slightly trembling voice.


    Huh?


    Although Mia was nervous, she was acutely aware that the tide was changing again.


    She also realised that she had changed the flow.


    However, there was something that even Mia was unaware of. The tide that she had set in motion was, in fact, a colossal whirlpool that would engulf all of the n Chiefs.

 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569


    <b>Princess Mia: Clearing the Misunderstanding</b>


    Perhaps it would be a good idea to ride a horse


    Malong was shocked by Mias words almost as if he had been struck on the head. And it was not just himeven the other Chiefs, leaders of their respective ns, known for their calmness, courage, and wisdom, were all rendered speechless.


    The first to recover among them was Kouma, who said, Is it possible that No


    He shook his head as if was denying something. However,


    At this juncture, if you are talking about riding a horse, it can mean only one thing Uma-awase or Horse Match-up. Malong dered.


    The Horse Match-up was an ancient judgement method of the Equestrian Kingdom. Simply put, both parties would ride their respective horses and the one who reached the destination first would be judged to be correct. It was an extremely simple way of determining who was right. May God show His will through the speed of the horse, is how they posed their inquiry to God.


    When considered calmly, it was obvious that the party with a skilled horse rider or a particrly fast horse was at a huge advantage. However,pared to enforcing ones argument with a sword or brute strength, it was a rtively peaceful way of resolving things, typical of what one would expect from the Equestrian Kingdom.


    However, such Horse Match-ups had be noticeably lessmon in recent years.


    For that reason, normally, it would be unthinkable for the Princess of a foreign country to make such a proposal. But Malong had been listening carefully.


    Now that I think about it, Miss Mia mentioned that she had done some research on the Equestrian Kingdom beforeing.


    Thats right. Mia had indeed said that she had carefully researched various things about the Equestrian Kingdom beforehand.


    <i>Actually, I didnt exactly mean it like that. But Malong-senpai perceived the information that way, so it cant be helped.</i>


    In his mind, Malong had concluded that Mia had thoroughly researched the history of the Equestrian Kingdom and had diligently considered a way to resolve the current dispute.


    I see. The Horse Match-up is the traditional way of doing things. If it leads to the conclusion that the Fire n should be weed, then naturally everyone would have no choice but to ept the decision. This traditional method of judgement might be necessary in order to convince everyone to ept the Fire n along with their custom of using wolves.


    Said Kouma as he slowly rubbed his chin.


    Essentially, Princess Mia intends for Fuuma, the Mountain n Chief, and Aima, the Sister of the Fire n Chief, to participate in the Match-up, right?


    Huh? No, no, why would we do something like that?


    Fuuma asked abruptly, in panic.


    Kouma directed a cold stare at him and said, Since the Fire n use wolves, they are not part of the Equestrian Kingdom. Hence, I bought their sheep. Was it not you who said that? In that case, should you not be the first to oppose their return?


    No thats um


    <i>At the moment, my actions are still in a grey area. However, if there is a reconciliation and the Fire n officially returns to the Equestrian Kingdom, my injustice towards the Fire n will be even more conspicuous. Although, in principle, thews and regtions cannot be retroactively applied, there is no doubt that my image will be ruined.</i>


    Kouma cut off his objection and stared silently at Mia.


    Well, Your Highness Princess Mia, it seems that you have thoroughly researched the Equestrian Kingdom. So, surely, you must be aware of what fate awaits the loser of the Match-up, right?


    <i>What?</i>


    Mia was about to tilt her head in confusion, but then decided to endure it and instead stared intently at Kouma. Without waiting for Mia to reply, Kouma continued as if to confirm, The loser, if asked, must give up their horse to the winner. So your proposal includes this rule as well, correct?


    <i>Huh?</i>


    For a moment, Mia did not understand what was being said and tilted her head slightly.  Without mercy or room for misunderstanding, Kouma said to Mia, That means, if the daughter of the Fire n were to lose, that horse might end up bing the property of Lord Fuuma. No, actually, considering what a magnificent horse it is, it will definitely end up in his hands. While being aware of this risk, Lord Fuuma will also put forth his horse. If both parties can receive a matching reward, only then they can consent. While being aware of that, you made this proposal, correct?


    <i>Ah, it would be really bad if I arbitrarily agreed to this!</i>


    Mia immediatelyprehended what was at stake and decided to retreat. At this stage, there was still time, and so Mia was about to speak


    Of course. It is inevitable if the matter is going to be decided through a Match-up. I will dly ept.


    Before Mia could speak, Aima ended up answering with tremendous pride and dignity.


    <i>Damn, I took too long! Aima-san, why did you do something unnecessary?</i>


    Mia wanted to bury her head in her hands.


    <i>At first nce, the situation seems as though I have been given an escape route. No, but</i>


    <i>Even if she were to lose, the Fire n would still receive food aid. However, Aima-san would lose her beloved horse. Additionally, the Fire n would not be recognised as a part of the Equestrian Kingdom. It was also quite possible that they would have to abandon their wolves and integrate into one of the ns. In any case, the risk was too high!</i>


    Moreover, the memory of Aima catching up to Mia on her horse the other day remained in her head.


    <i>At that time, it was true that Aima-san easily caught up to me. But, what would have happened if I had been riding Kun? Maybe she couldnt have caught up? </i><i>If the conditions were right, perhaps even I could outpace her.  At the very least, I feel that Aima-san would lose to both the Wolf Master and Malong-senpai.</i>


    If it was certain that Aima would win, it would be a different matter. However, to wage an all-or-nothing gamble was not a suitable option for a chicken-hearted strategist. But rather than that


    At that moment, Mia had a sudden sh of inspiration!


    Mia spoke following her intuition.


    No, Elder Kouma. It seems like you misunderstood something.


    Oh, a misunderstanding? What do you mean by that?


    Its quite clear. Aima-san will not be taking part in the Horse Match-up.


    What do you mean, Princess Mia?


    It was not Kouma, but Aima, who made a dubious expression on hearing that. Mia smiled calmly in response, ced a hand on her chest and said,


    The one who will be taking part is not Aima-san. It will be me!


    At those words, the ce broke out in uproar once more.

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570


    <b>Mias Strategy : The Pegasus Princess in the Match-up</b>


    In a high-risk, winner-take-all gamble, the winner is greatly rewarded while the loser bears all the risk. This was not how Mia liked things.


    The moment Aima decided to ept the challenge, there was no way to stop the situation. In that case, what was the best thing to do?


    After a sh of inspiration, Mia made the decision to participate in the Horse Match-up herself.


    Mia spoke proudly, brimming with confidence as if she had a solid chance of victory.


    However, her core idea was the spirit of Isnt it fine even if I lose?


    Even Mia was not so reckless as to think she couldpete with someone from the Equestrian Kingdom in a horse riding event and win.


    <i>Even if I worked hard at horse riding for about a year, it would still be difficult for me.</i>  Mia thought rather recklessly.


    However, she did not believe she could win. In that case, what exactly was Mia aiming for?  The goal was losing under the best possible conditions.


    <i>Fortunately, the food aid itself was guaranteed. Elder Kouma and the others deemed it to be natural. In that case, it should be fine to be satisfied with that. I do feel sorry for Chief Mayun, but regarding the issue of the return of the Fire n to the Equestrian Kingdom, we have no choice but to let time resolve that.</i>


    If Mia lost, the only remaining problem would be that the horse she rode would be taken away by Fuuma. Actually, Mia wasnt particrly worried about that because Kouma had said, The loser, if asked, must give up their horse to the winner.


    <i>It seems like they are looking down on East Wind, a.k.a. Tofu. So, if they end up asking for my horse, it would be nothing more than an act of petty revenge.</i>


    Indeed, that would mean they had no honour. Based on his actions towards the Fire n, Fuuma was already in a bad spot reputation-wise. By winning the Horse Match-up, he could prove his innocence. That would be a fair reward for his victory. But if he chose to take the opponents horse in addition to that, what about that? Not because he actually wanted the horse, but as a form of harassment. How would that look in the eyes of the other Chiefs?


    <i>Moreover, the fact that Im not a member of the Equestrian Kingdom but a princess from another country should work to my advantage in this case.</i>


    No matter how well Mia could ride a horse, it was only good enough for a princess of a foreign country. Compared to people of the Equestrian Kingdom, who had been riding horses ever since they were born, it was obvious that she would be no match! Thats why it was good!


    Kouma had said it was natural for the reward to match the risk involved. However, if Mia was the opponent, then there was no danger there.


    <i>Hehehe, if anything, if youre scared of losing to me, then you need to stop calling yourself a member of the Equestrian Kingdom.</i> <i>Winning a Sure win Match-up and then taking the horse of an opponent you did not approve of? That would be undeniably disgraceful! A truly shameful act! Even if Tofu were to be taken, I do not expect it to be treated poorly.</i>


    After all it was the Equestrian Kingdom. Mia had absolute faith in their love for horses. However, this time, It would be a horse taken by the victor of the Match-up as a form of harassment and the additional condition was that it was the horse of the Princess from a foreign country. Would it even be possible to treat it poorly? The answer to that question would be a definite no. In fact, to save face in front of the other n Chiefs, Fuuma would have to take good care of Tofu and make sure that it never got injured or sick.


    <i>Wouldnt going to Fuuma-sans ce and enjoying afortable, horse-like life be better for Tofu than continuing as a war horse?</i>


    Mias entire thought process was organised around the premise that she would lose in that manner, and hence she appealed to everyone present.


    I dont think that using wolves is really that bad, is it?


    <i>I will probably lose, but since I am the centre of attention at the moment, I will continue to make my case.</i>


    As I listened to everyone speak, I have been thinking about this. It is true that in the past, there must have been a lot of anxiety around the time of the expulsion of the Fire n. Everyone must have been worried when they were suddenly told that wolves would be raised alongside them. I think the leader of the n made a reasonable decision.


    Even Mia would have made a simr judgement. For the chicken-hearted Princess, it was quite easy to understand that thought process. However, Mia slowly shook her head.


    I can understand the judgement of the people at the time. However, to be bound by that decision to this moment cannot be considered wisdom. The Fire n have been properly raising their sheep right up until they had to sell them to Fuuma-san. Even the horse that Aima-san rode is splendid. Doesnt that mean the Fire n are living the exemry life of the people of the Equestrian Kingdom? Therefore, I cannot understand the problem with raising wolves.


    The Fire n had proved that there was no problem with raising wolves. In spite of that, if people felt hate, then ording to Mia, the prejudice was the same as that held by a picky eater.


    <i>Its just like when I assumed that Yellowmoon tomatoes tasted bad and refused to eat the stew prepared by the Head Chef. This behaviour is the same as how I acted back then.</i>


    All the thoughts that were passing through Mias head were the bitter memories of that day. As someone who knew that kind of regret, Mia could just not overlook this matter. Hence, she needed to say it.


    If thats what everyone insists on, then it cant be helped. However, I just cannot understand everyones feelings.  But, even then, shouldnt everyone reconsider before following that belief zealously? After the long-awaited reunion with the people of the Fire n and talking directly with them,  should you not reevaluate after facing Aima-san and Roufa-san properly? If not, wont you end up missing something really important?


    The Yellowmoon tomato stew had be one of Mias favourite foods. If she had remained trapped by the belief that Yellowmoon tomatoes were disgusting, she would have missed out on their wonderful taste and also the kind feelings of the Head Chef. Mia spoke up because she did not want them to follow the same path as her and repeat the same mistakes she made in the past. The truth in Mias heartfelt speech touched the hearts of the Chiefs.


    While everyone was at a loss for words, the only one who spoke was Kouma.


    I see. The truth of your point will be revealed in the Horse Match-up.


    What do you think? It might be evident even without asking God.


    With an extremely high possibility that Mia would lose, she had no choice but to try and make her point.


    In any case, I pray this reunion will be good for the sake of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Indeed. I sincerely wish for that.


    Nodding deeply, Kouma turned his attention to Fuuma, the head of the Mountain n.


    However, Lord Fuuma, you cannot lose. You must prepare the best horse befitting the Equestrian Kingdom.


    Huh? Ah, no, but, uh, um, well. I cant do something so immature. I still dont think it is a good idea to participate in the Match-up. But if we prepare the best horse, theres no chance for Princess Mia to win. The Princess said that there was no ranking for horses, so Im sure shell ride her own horse, right? Then we should also match that


    Fuuma seemed reluctant, which was quite natural. After all, even if he won, there was nothing to be gained. So there was no need to send out the best horse. However,


    What are you talking about? Its only natural to prepare the best horse for a Sacred Horse Match-up. If youre the Chief of one of the Twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom, its only right that you prepare a horse worthy of your name.


    Upon hearing Koumas words, the other n Chiefs agreed. Even though she was the Princess of the Powerful Empire and could ride a horse to some extent, it could not be allowed for a person from the Equestrian Kingdom to lose to her. It was only natural to prepare the best horse to guarantee a victory. At the same time, it was also meant to be a way to discipline Fuuma. After all, not only did he not help his n brothers in their time of need, but he also took advantage of their desperation to buy their sheep. The Chiefs believed that such an unscrupulous person should be punished. Thats why Kouma would not let Fuuma cut any corners. It was a warning that he would have to bring out his precious horse and participate properly in the Match-up.


    However, it would certainly be immature for you, a n Chief, to deal with a Princess who is not even a member of the Equestrian Kingdom. I believe you have a daughter around the same age as the Princess. I think it would be a good idea to make your daughter the rider. Dont you agree?


    Koumas intention was to prepare the best horse but offer the Princess a handicap in the form of a young rider as her opponent.


    You mean Xiaolei? Nobut


    Fuuma seemed to mutter some kind ofint in response. However, he nodded his head in agreement, realising that he had no choice. Since he hadmitted an act of grave injustice against the Fire n, his options were limited.


    And thus, the participation of Mia Luna Tearmoon, who wouldter be known as the Pegasus Princess, in the Sacred Horse Match-up was decided.

 Chapter 571

    Chapter 571


    <b>The Malicious Gaze</b>


    While Mia was busy causing an uproar at the n Chiefs¡¯ Meeting, Lugwig¡¯s group was going around the Southern Capital City.


    The members of the group were Ludwig, Dion, Abel and his escort, Grammateus. In addition, Bel and Citrina also decided to tag along.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Your Highness Abel?¡±


    In response to the question put forth by Grammateus, Abel quietly shook his head.


    ¡°No. If I relied purely on my feelings, I would want to go immediately, but¡­¡±


    After saying that hesitantly, Abel shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I have no ns to storm in passionately and die alone in battle. However, if Mia were captured and held prisoner, I cannot say that I wouldn¡¯t consider something like that.¡±


    Abel smiled jokingly as he said that and then his expression hardened.


    ¡°I know that now is probably not the right time to risk my life. I am sure there will be other asions when I need to put myself at risk.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a right time to fight? You¡¯ve grown up¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I just think that I should do what I can for now.¡±


    After saying that, Abel looked around to survey his surroundings once again.


    The group had ventured into the City not for sightseeing but to walk around and check for any Chaos Serpent members who had infiltrated.


    The Serpent Priestess had set loose some Serpent soldiers. Ludwig and the others suspected that the man who had approached Prince Echard of Sunnd, dressed to give the impression of being from the Equestrian Kingdom, was one of them, so they were being vignt.


    The Southern Capital was frequented not only by the people from the Equestrian Kingdom but also by merchants from the Remno Kingdom. Unlike some of the more insted ns, there was a lot of interaction with people from other countries.


    Therefore, it would not have been strange if some suspicious individuals had managed to sneak in.


    Moreover, several people associated with the participants of the n Chiefs¡¯ Meeting had alsoe to visit. There was a possibility that someone could have mingled with them and entered the Southern Capital City with the intention of targeting Mia¡¯s life.


    ¡°Anyway, finding them among all these people will be quite difficult. Sir Ludwig, do you have any ns?¡±


    In response to Abel¡¯s question, Ludwig adjusted his sses slightly.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any particrly groundbreaking ideas. However, I think it would be wise to focus on people who are likely to get close to Mia-sama.¡±


    Ludwig began to speak slowly after collecting his thoughts.


    ¡°Honestly, we have neither the time nor the resources. So, basically, we have no choice but to stay close to Mia-sama and protect her.¡±


    Fortunately, or maybe not, unlike the White Crows of Sunnd, the Chaos Serpent members were not very good at forming or acting in groups. So, Ludwig and the others believed that the Princess Imperial Guard would be capable of dealing with any direct attacks.


    ¡°The most important thing to guard against is poison. We¡¯ll need to handle this through poison tasting and other measures.¡±


    It would have been different if there had been a long time to prepare, but it was only recently decided that Mia would be attending the n Chiefs¡¯ Meeting. If someone was nning an assassination attempt against Mia, then the preparation time was too short.


    ¡°I think it would probably be difficult to create a special mechanism that could evade poison detection.¡±


    Hearing Ludwig¡¯s somewhat vague ns, Abel made a bitter expression.


    Ludwig was saying this, but in reality, their countermeasures were by no means perfect.


    The Serpents were quite elusive to begin with, so finding them and then preventing their attacks was indeed difficult. Still, they had no choice but to do what they could.


    ¡°What would be some other ways to approach Mia-sama?¡±


    ¡°Disguised as a merchant, I suppose.¡±


    Abel said as he looked up, and before his eyes was thergest, bustling market in the Capital City.


    ¡°Mia-sama is interested in food from other countries. She doesn¡¯t like seeing people starve. So, I¡¯m sure she will try to build rtionships with the merchants here as well.¡±


    ¡°The Serpents also know this, right? Then, there¡¯s a high possibility they are hiding in this market.¡±


    ¡°In any case, it is just a possibility. Maybe they aren¡¯t even in the Southern Capital, or maybe they are but are hiding somewhere else. Unfortunately, there are limitations to what we can do.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice but to do what we can given the circumstances. For now, I suppose we will just have to go around and ask if there are any unfamiliar merchants.¡±


    Ludwig and his group were having a serious conversation. On the other hand¡­


    ¡°Oh, look, Rina-chan! They have horse amulet charms!¡±


    Bel ran towards a nearby stall. She was quite pleased with the lively market atmosphere.


    ¡°Wait, Bel-chan¡­¡±


    Citrina tried to chase after her but suddenly stopped and looked around.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Rina-chan?¡±


    ¡°Well, it feels like someone is watching us¡­¡±


    As she said this, for some reason, Citrina rubbed her arm, and Bel tilted her head and looked at her.


    ¡°Is it perhaps because nobledies are rare here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s true that aristocrats from the Empire do not have much association with the Equestrian Kingdom, but¡­¡±


    The gaze she felt was malicious, a little twisted, so Citrina was a bit concerned about it, but¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ never mind.¡±


    For some reason Citrina still felt uneasy but decided to follow Bel anyway.

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572


    <b>Not of One Mind!</b>


    After finishing the Chiefs¡¯ Meeting, Mia thought, ¡®<i>Hehe, I think I was quite smart this time. I wonder if that damn sses will praise my wisdom?</i>¡¯


    Mia was in high spirits and felt proud of herself as she met up with Ludwig and the others. They then returned together to the building where the Forest n was staying.


    There, Mia told Ludwig and the other main members the results of the n Chiefs¡¯ Meeting.


    ¡°A Horse Match-up Ceremony? And Mia-sama will be participating in it¡­¡±


    Ludwig furrowed his brows as he heard the details.


    ¡°Yes. I heard that it¡¯s like a long-distance horse race taking ce over two days.¡±


    The starting point for the race was the Southern Capital, and the end goal was a ce called Hoshikusa no Iwa, or Stargrass Rock.


    ¡°I see. It is unclear if we can beat the Mountain n rider, so it makes sense to lose under the best possible conditions. But¡­¡±


    Ludwig perfectly read Mia¡¯s thoughts before she could exin her intentions. However, for some reason, the way his words ended carried a subtle hint of denial.


    Mia was a little curious about that, but before she could question him, Ludwig let out a sigh.


    ¡°But in any case, we need an escort. Let¡¯s have the Princess Royal Guard ready immediately.¡±


    After saying that, Ludwig turned his attention to the apanying Royal Guard beside him. However, Mia interrupted, ¡°There is no need for someone very strong. It seems that the Equestrian Kingdom will be providing escorts. Well, more than a guard, they might be more like a referee.¡±


    Then, Mia remembered what happened earlier.


    Immediately after the meeting, the Chief with a strikinglyrge build suddenly approached her and spoke to her.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia, I thank you for your proposal and your courage, as well as your goodwill towards the Equestrian Kingdom. During the Match-up, the people from my n will act as your escorts and protect you properly. Even if the Mountain n folk try something, we will keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±


    When Mia tilted her head, puzzled, the n Chief politely exined to her.


    Apparently, the Horse Match-up was a sacred and austere ceremony for the people of the Equestrian Kingdom. Therefore, to prevent any wrongdoing, not one but three ns would send two representatives each to act as observers, apanying and monitoring the participants at all times. Since the concerned parties this time around were the Mountain n and the Forest n, their members would be excluded. Of the remaining ten ns, the nine ns would be divided into three groups to carry out the observation and monitoring. And the single remaining n, the Water n, who were the guardians of the other main city of the Equestrian Kingdom, the Northern Capital, were the only ones permitted to act as judges and would always be present to ensure fairness. They were a n of Priests who dealt with sacred rituals since ancient times. The Water n had a deep rtionship with the Principality of Belluga, and Rafina was also seen talking familiarly with the n Chief.


    ¡°That means there will always be eight riders apanying you, both to monitor and to protect.¡±


    And not just any ordinary eight people. It was an honour for the people of the Equestrian Kingdom to monitor the Horse Match-up ceremony. Therefore, each n would send their finest riders and horses.


    There was no scope for any form of cheating. But at the same time, it also meant that there was almost no way for Mia to win. After all, even under normal circumstances, Mia¡¯s chances of winning were slim, so naturally, she would lose without cheating.


    ¡®<i>Well, I was nning to lose originally anyway, so it is not a problem. In any case, I am d that the risk of assassins is reduced. It¡¯s important to have a clear perspective.</i>¡¯


    ¡°So, even if we provide guards, they will have to stay quite a distance away?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think that should be allowed. It is necessary to camp at night, and during that time, guarding and providing supplies seems to be permitted. But if you get too close, I might be used of cheating, so it might be best not to do anything that might appear suspicious. Besides, horses carrying armoured soldiers might not be able to keep up with us.¡±


    Mia joked, but the soldier from the Princess Royal Guard, who was listening nearby, nodded with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t do anything that would give someone the opportunity to criticise Mia-sama¡¯s victory.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia felt a slight sense of difort from those words as well.


    ¡°Is that unavoidable?¡±


    The voice she heard suddenly dispelled her sense of unease. Mia looked over to see Anne make a frightened expression.


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes. I suppose it would be a little difficult to refuse now, though¡­¡±


    Although Mia was a little intimidated by her intensity, she somehow managed to nod.


    Anne replied, ¡°I understand. Then I will make perfect preparations.¡±


    With a stiff expression on her face, Anne left the ce.


    ¡®<i>Hmm¡­ What does she mean by ¡°perfect preparations¡±?</i>¡¯ wondered Mia, tilting her head in confusion. Meanwhile, Ludwig and the others also began to consider their options.


    ¡°It would be a disaster to let something happen to Mia-sama. There probably won¡¯t be enough guards, so we will need to consult with Chief Mayun and arrange the deployment of guards, Dion-san.¡±


    Thus, Mia¡¯s group geared into action.


    However, Mia failed to notice something important: there was not a single person there who was of one mind with Mia on her goal of ¡®<i>For the best possible defeat!</i>¡®


    After finishing her meeting with Ludwig and the others, Mia headed outside and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡®<i>Hmm. I feel a little tired from the back-to-back discussions.</i>¡¯


    Mia rubbed her stomach lightly and suddenly realised that it was almost lunchtime.


    ¡®<i>Well, since I will be riding a horse and exercising, I guess it won¡¯t hurt to have a little extravagant celebration in advance today.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Princess Mia!¡±


    At that moment someone called out to her.


    ¡°Oh my, Aima-san. What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a question of what¡¯s wrong. Why would you do something so reckless? If it¡¯s a horse race, then I¡­¡±


    Mia smiled gently at Aima, who looked flustered as she spoke urgently.


    ¡°Aima-san, there¡¯s no need to panic.¡±


    Mia tried tofort Aima by patting her forearms but was momentarily taken aback by the firm, toned muscles.


    ¡°Hmm? Princess Mia, is something wrong?¡±


    Mia hastily shook her head as Aima looked at her with a dubious expression.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no need to rush. There¡¯s still some time left¡­ It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Said Mia, as she tried to convince herself.


    ¡®<i>Setting that aside, there was indeed no need to panic. This wasn¡¯t some win or lose battle. It would be fine if the reconciliation of the Fire n progressed slowly. Even the matter of wolves could be resolved with time. For now, securing food aid was important. As long as that was guaranteed, it was more than enough.</i>¡¯


    ¡°The conclusion of the match has already been decided. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s right, the conditions for victory have already been met. All that¡¯s left is to avoid injury and get through the Match-up.</i>¡¯


    ¡°So you already have a n to win. But I¡¯ve heard that sometimes the course can be so harsh that riders could lose weight even in just two days. I can¡¯t let you participate in something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ is that so? In that case, there¡¯s no way I won¡¯t participate!¡±


    Mia shook her head with a resolute look on her face and then folded her arms with satisfaction.


    ¡®<i>The Horse Match-up is amazing. It can be done in just two days, and you can also get some exercise. It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone.</i>¡¯


    Once again, Mia was pleased with the correctness of her decision.


    The problem that had been troubling her and had to be dealt with before her showdown with Abel¡¯s sister seemed close to being resolved. Mia finally saw a glimmer of hope!


    Moreover, even though the race was said to be harsh, it was nothing for Mia, who had lived through the hell of the revolution.


    ¡®It¡¯s <i>just a Horse Match-up. There was nothing to be afraid of!</i>¡¯ thought Mia excitedly.


    Well, from a rational point of view, it was unlikely that a course so harsh that one would be worn down in just two days would be chosen for a foreign princess. It was more likely to be an easier course, something that even a child could manage.


    ¡®<i>With this, I won¡¯t lose even to the Serpent Priestess!</i>¡¯ thought Mia with a smile.


    ¡°Hehehe, victory is certain.¡± Mia muttered.


    ¡°That is not something that I can let pass.¡±


    Mia turned around to look and saw Xiaolei standing there with a menacing look in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh? Xiaolei-san, I look forward to our Match-up.¡±


    Ignoring Mia¡¯s smile, Xiaolei walked straight towards Aima and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Lady Aima, I¡¯m sorry for what happened before with my father.¡±


    However, Aima shook her head with a hard expression on her face as she refused the apology.


    ¡°No. Those are the values of the Equestrian Kingdom. We sold our sheep and got money in exchange. There was no injustice in that. Therefore, there¡¯s no need for you to apologise.¡±


    It was obvious if one thought about it. The Twelve ns always helped each other. They probably always thought it was natural to do so. In contrast, the Fire n was not a part of that circle of mutual aid.The Fire n, just by themselves, tried to build a rtionship of parity with others.


    For them, the matter with the Mountain n was merely a business transaction. Even if the Mountain n had some ulterior motive that caused them to fall into a desperate situation, it was their own fault for not seeing through it. That was why there was no reason to apologise. epting one-sided benevolence was not in their nature, and acknowledging it would damage their pride.


    Mia sensed a deep rift between them and felt that a forced reconciliation would only result in further cracks in their rtionship. Once again, Mia felt satisfied with the option that she had selected.


    ¡°However, Princess Mia¡­¡±


    Before Mia realised it, Xiaolei was ring at her.


    ¡°Well, what is it, Xiaolei-san?¡±


    ¡°I need you to prepare yourself, okay? This insult towards me, this deration of victory even before the match has begun. I will never forgive your contempt towards Rakuro and me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you, okay?¡±


    Without listening to Mia¡¯s exnation, Xiaolei turned on her heels and left without looking back.

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573


    <b>The Empire¡¯s Horse Maniac Speaks Nonstop!</b>


    ¡®<i>Hmm¡­ I think this might have turned into something a little bad.</i>¡¯


    Mia felt slightly uneasy after thoroughly angering Xiaolei.


    ¡®<i>Since Xiaolei is so angry, she might demand Tofu as revenge. Ugh, I ended up making a big mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have voiced something unnecessary like, ¡°Victory was certain.¡±  </i><i>In any case, it was toote to regret it now. </i>¡¯


    Knowing that she had to n for the worst case scenario, Mia headed to see Gorka, the man in charge of caring for the horses of the Princess Royal Guard.


    Mia called out nervously to Gorka, who was in the stables next to the building where the Forest n was staying.


    ¡°Gorka-san, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness Princess Mia¡­ what can I do for you?¡±


    Gorka greeted her with a smile but tilted his head slightly when he saw Mia¡¯s demeanour.


    ¡®<i>Ah, it¡¯s hard to say this, it¡¯s really hard to say this</i>,¡¯ thought Mia, but she finally made up her mind and decided to speak up.


    ¡°The truth is, I decided to participate in a horse riding contest against a rider from the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    Mia then proceeded to carefully exin the matter discussed at the Chiefs¡¯ Meeting. Afterward, she clenched her hand into a fist and emphasised passionately that it was an unavoidable and precious sacrifice.


    ¡°However, due to my mistake, Tofu might be taken away. I am very sorry for exposing a horse that you have been taking care of so diligently to such a risk.¡±


    After looking down despondently, Mia snuck a nce at Gorka to see his reaction. Just as she had expected, he had a bitter expression on his face.


    ¡®<i>Oh, of course he¡¯d be angry. It was natural.</i>¡¯  Mia reflected.


    The person in front of her was an important member of the Princess Royal Guard, someone she relied on. Moreover, he was responsible for taking care of the horses. If he were to get angry, it could be troublesome during her time of need.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps I ought to apologise once more.</i>¡¯ Mia thought.


    However, just at that moment, Gorka spoke,


    ¡°It is Your Highness Princess Mia¡¯s decision. I have noints.¡±


    Mia thought, ¡®<i>Ah, Gorka-san is sulking. He can¡¯t hide his anger. But, well, it can¡¯t be helped.</i>¡¯ However¡­


    ¡°Besides, Tofu is a war horse. It could lose its life at any moment. It is a horse with that kind of fate. It is obvious for it to put its life on the line for Her Highness Princess Mia as and when required. I can understand that. But what I cannot understand or agree with is your presumption that it will definitely lose to a horse from the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    From that point onwards¡­the conversation took a strange turn.


    ¡®<i>Huh? What on earth is Gorka-san getting angry about?</i>¡¯


    As Mia tilted her head in confusion, Gorka clenched his fist and said,


    ¡°Of course, even I know that the Moonhare of the Equestrian Kingdom is an excellent horse. It is truly impressive and swift, and its appearance is beautiful. When one talks of the best horses, the first one thates to mind without a doubt is the Moonhare. But, you know something, our Tofu and the horses of the Empire are just as good.¡±


    Gorka said that and then lightly patted Tofu¡¯s back as itzily munched on the grass in front of it.


    ¡°If you are convinced that our Empire¡¯s Terre Tortue horses are no match for the horses of the Equestrian Kingdom, I must say that you are showing a rareck of insight, Your Highness.¡±


    And so, Gorka, the Empire¡¯s hidden horse maniac, began to speak passionately about the Empire¡¯s horse situation!


    It was a simple fact that Mia had forgotten to begin with.


    Who exactly was Tofu? What kind of a horse was it? Why was it there?


    Of course, Tofu was a war horse. It was not a horse that was just spaced out all the time. It was a full-fledged, respectable war horse of the Empire¡¯s cavalry.


    Incidentally, just as the Remno Kingdom had a war doctrine, so did the Tearmoon Empire, albeit a slightly vague one. However, the Empire¡¯s doctrine was so basic that it was rarely referred to. The precise battle doctrine of the Empire was: ¡®<em>Prepare twice the number of soldiers as the enemy, gather supplies and crush the enemy.</em>¡®


    This ssical principle of military affairs formed the basic foundation of the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s Army, and every aspect of the Empire¡¯s Army was decided based on that doctrine.


    Well, with an army that followed such a doctrine, one might wonder what they would expect from their war horses. The Empire Army¡¯s motto was basically to outnumber the enemy. So, what did they want from their war horses? Was it for one horse to do the work of two? No, it was not that.


    The Empire did not require fine horses that were famous. They did not expect one soldier to do the work of two. This was because the objective of the Empire¡¯s military was to gather a bigger army than the enemy.


    Therefore, what they wanted from their horses was for them to perform their job properly.


    No matter the environment, no matter the situation or progress of the battle, the horses had to steadily carry out the work that was expected of them. They weren¡¯t required to exceed expectations. Instead, they had to do a certain level of work properly. That was what the Empire expected of them.


    The horses selected to meet these requirements were called Terre Tortue breeds.


    Overwhelming toughness, dedication, stability in any environment, boldness without losing calm in any situation¡ªthese were qualities of a workhorse that the Tearmoon army could be proud of.


    And Tofu was a typical Terre Tortue horse, without doubt. It would not be an exaggeration to call it an average Terre Tortue breed.


    It never wavered, no matter what the circumstances, and simply got on with the job in silence¡ªa sturdy knight-horse, with the only w of being a little too bold sometimes.


    Mia had a really bad feeling after being made to listen to the passionate discourse on the subject in such minute detail.


    ¡®<i>Come to think of it, even earlier¡­</i>¡¯


    It brought to mind the words of the guard who had been standing next to Ludwig during their earlier meeting.


    The tone indicated that there was not even a shred of doubt that Mia could lose.


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± was how Ludwig had decided to end his sentence.


    The idea that the war-horse they took pride in and the Great Wisdom of the Empire, whom they were incredibly proud of, could lose was not a possibility that they could entertain. It was inconceivable to them.


    No, it was not just that.


    Mia suddenly nced at the guards escorting her. The two soldiers were having an excited conversation. From what she could hear, they seemed to be talking about horses!


    ¡®<i>This passion and excitement¡­</i>¡¯


    At this point, Mia realised her grand mistake.


    It seemed like all the guards loved horse races, and there was definitely something aboutpetitions that got their blood pumping with excitement.


    In spite of that, if she lost miserably in front of the very Royal Guards who had sworn their unwavering loyalty to her, what would it mean?


    It would totally destroy their morale, and in the unlikely event that they were to end up inbat with the wolf masters, it could lead to an overwhelming crisis¡­


    ¡®<i>Ugh¡­ This is beyond my calctions! This ispletely beyond any of my calctions.</i>¡¯


    While Mia began to think in circles, the horse maniac Gorka continued his lecture on horses.


    Tofu watched the scene unfold before it with its usual nk stare.


    It was indeed a peaceful scene.

 Chapter 574

    Chapter 574


    <b>Anne¡¯s Small Betrayal</b>


    The Match-up was scheduled to take ce in five days. After the decision was made, each of the n Chiefs scrambled to select the fastest horses and riders from their n and dispatch them to the course.


    In the meantime, Mia was also busy with her preparations. Although the racested only two days, it was still a long journey. Therefore, it was necessary for Mia to be well-prepared.


    Although riders would be apanying the two participants, it was not possible to request their help. Essentially, for the entire duration of the horse race, the participants had to manage everything themselves. The only time they would receive any assistance was if they encountered a troubling emergency.


    That was something Mia actually desired, or rather¡­


    ¡®<i>It can be a good rehearsal for when I actually get into trouble. I¡¯ve never done any long-distance riding because everyone always stopped me, so this is just perfect.</i>¡¯


    In case a revolution broke out due to some careless mistake, Mia wanted to be well- trained in advance to escape alone on horseback.


    ¡°The course runs from the Southern Capital to Stargrass Rock, and we will use this water source as a stopover.¡±


    Chief Mayun of the Forest n exined as he pointed to the mapid out in front of him. Having been part of the apanying riders¡¯ group before, he was knowledgeable about Horse Match-ups.


    ording to the map, the course started in the Southern Capital, headed westward, made a stopover at the water source, then turned eastward. The goal was a ce slightly north of the starting point in the Southern Capital.


    ¡°This time, there are several water sources along the course, so it won¡¯t be too harsh.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, it would be fine to choose any one of the water sources as a camping site.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There might also be some small streams that we have not yet identified.¡±


    ¡°If we already know the location of the water sources, there is no need to go through that trouble. Hmm.¡± Mia nodded in thought.


    ¡®<i>Of course, like us, a horse is a living creature and needs food and water. </i><i>In the event that I need to escape alone on horseback, it is essential to n for locations where food and drink supplies can be replenished. Well, if the escape route includes grasnds, then the horse can eat as much grass as it wants.</i>


    <i>However, carrying a certain amount of horse food supply might slow us down, but it would allow us to make progress even in harsh terrain and make it difficult to track us down. </i><i>In that case, even some variations to the escape route might be possible.</i>¡¯


    Thus, Mia¡¯s escape n grew increasinglyplicated. Whether the day woulde when she would have to actually execute it remained to be seen.


    ¡°But obviously, there are certain things you can¡¯t know until you actually try them. That alone will be a good experience.¡±


    Well, Mia tried to encourage herself with those words, but she still couldn¡¯t shake off the anxiety.


    ¡®<i>After all, I need some kind of strategy to actually win. But, um¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia was intensely contemting that.


    Then a big problem urred when Mia tried on her riding clothes.


    Mia looked down at her clothes, tilted her head slightly in puzzlement, and posed a question to Anne, who was standing behind her.


    ¡°Anne, this is really¡­ what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It suits you well, Mia-sama.¡±


    Anne replied, smiling with satisfaction. Mia had never doubted the words of her loyal retainer, but she couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of what Anne had just said. That was because, at that moment, Mia looked¡­fluffy.


    <i>It¡¯s not that I ate too much! That¡¯s a big misconception.</i>¡¯


    Rather, it was just that her clothes were very bulky and fluffy. It was clothing used in the Equestrian Kingdom¡ªan extraordinary item made with an abundant quantity of sheep wool on the surface, with the oil in the wool acting as a water repellent, making it excellent for both rainy and cold weather.


    ¡°The mornings andte evenings will certainly be chilly, but won¡¯t this gear make it too hot? Also, if I put on something this heavy, it will be tough on Tofu¡­¡±


    ¡°No, actually. I already checked with Gorka-san beforeing. Since Tofu is a war horse,pared to the soldiers in heavy armour that it is usually used to carrying, this weight is nothing.¡±


    Anne answered promptly.


    ¡®<i>I see. Tofu is a war horse. Usually, the Royal Guards, who are, of course, without a doubt heavier than me, ride it. Since I can move freely in these clothes, it means that this weight should not cause it to even flinch.</i>¡¯


    ¡°But¡­ In order to aim for victory, wouldn¡¯t lighter clothing be more advantageous?¡±


    Seeing Mia¡¯s doubt, Anne made an anxious expression and said,


    ¡°And¡­ Well, I heard that if you sweat while exercising, it can help lose weight.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Is that true?¡±


    Mia fell for the bait, hook, line, and sinker!


    Anne, on the other hand, felt a little guilty and averted her eyes awkwardly.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard something like that before. It might just be a rumour though¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. A rumour.¡±


    Mia crossed her arms quietly. Although itcked credibility, she felt that the rumour was worth investigating.


    ¡®<i>Hmm¡­ It¡¯s true that dried mushrooms do seem to have a slimmer texture. </i><i>In the first ce, there is a rumour thatpleting the Horse Match-up can make one leaner. Add to that the rumour of sweating during exercise by wearing thick clothes. </i><i>If Ibine both, I wonder what would happen? </i><i>Wouldn¡¯t I be even better prepared to meet Abel¡¯s sister.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>It would certainly be better if I could win the Horse Match-up. However, I must not forget my true objective. There is a saying that if you chase after both the mushroom and the rabbit, you will catch neither and will have to cook an empty pot. That¡¯s right. I better remember that.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Isn¡¯t it better to focus on a single goal?</i>


    <i>Shouldn¡¯t I get my priorities straight?</i>


    <i>Isn¡¯t that what Anne is ultimately trying to convey?</i>


    <i>So basically, she put together this fluffy outfit to help me achieve my goal.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Anne¡­¡±


    Mia was the kind of person who listened to the advice of her loyal retainers. So she smiled gently at the retainer who had enlightened her.


    ¡°Anne, I appreciate your concern and thoughtfulness.¡±


    ¡®<i>Thanks to Anne, I was able to prioritise the goal that I set out to achieve and also confirm the conditions for my victory.</i>¡¯


    Therefore, Mia said with confidence, ¡°With this we can win.¡±


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s voice trembled slightly as she answered.


    She had a fear. It was about what had transpired on the way to the Equestrian Kingdom when they had a run-in with the Fire n. Anne hadter heard that Mia had fallen off her horse while riding with Rafina. For a moment, she thought of a world without Mia, and her heart had trembled. Due to this, Anne was actually against Mia participating in the race.


    She wanted to do her best to prevent Mia from ending up in danger. Since Mia had decided that it was necessary for her to participate in the race, there was no way for Anne to voice her opposition. In that case, what could Anne do? After thinking diligently, the answer she hade up with was the bulky fluffy suit.


    Aside from being effective rain gear and offering protection from the cold, there was one more use for the clothing: in case of a fall, it would cushion the impact and prevent injury. It was standard clothing worn by children of the Equestrian Kingdom when they began to learn horse riding. Even in the unlikely event that Mia were to be attacked, she would be safe. The clothing was the solution that Anne arrived at after her discussion with Malong.


    Of course, Anne was aware that the bulky clothes would definitely pose a disadvantage to winning the race. It was perfectly obvious to anyone that lighter clothes would enable the horse to move faster. In spite of knowing that, Anne was forcing her selfishness onto Mia.


    Although it was out of concern for Mia¡¯s own safety, it was undoubtedly an act of betrayal to Mia, who was aiming for victory.


    It was an action that deserved punishment, and advice that would naturally be rejected.


    However, Mia epted it with a smile.


    Moreover, she asserted, ¡°With this we can win.¡±


    Mia not only epted all of Anne¡¯s selfish feelings but also eased her anxiety by dering assured victory.


    ¡°Mia-sama¡­¡±


    As Anne reflected, Mia gave her a smile brimming with confidence.

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575


    <b>Mia¡¯s Battle Ride: The Fluffy Armour Charge</b>


    It was finally the day of the Horse Match-up ceremony. Many people from the Equestrian Kingdom had gathered in the Southern Capital. Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible for people from all Twelve ns to attend, but a significant number from the neighbouring ns were present. The sacred festival of the Horse Match-up had everyone¡¯s blood pumping with excitement.


    The first to appear before the excited crowd was Xiaolei, the rider of the Mountain n. The young maiden rode the best horse possessed by Mountain Chief Fuuma. It was a horse named Rakuro, whom Fuuma referred to as his beloved daughter. The first thing that caught everyone¡¯s eye was the horse¡¯s perfectly groomed mane.  The people gathered around eximed that it was sleek and lustrous, shining brilliantly like the mane of a majestic lion. It had clear eyes that looked straight ahead, giving off a royal aura and providing a glimpse of perfect health. With a straight snout and tight, lean muscles from the neck down to its forelegs, Rakuro was considered an ideal swift horse by the people of the Equestrian Kingdom. Its hind legs struck the ground powerfully, disying a strength that surpassed even their imagined ideals.


    Rakuro lived up to its name, embodying the ephemeral, vivid light of morning dew glistening in the sun at dawn.


    People gasped in admiration at Rakuro, the beautiful, majestic, queen-like horse. They felt they could stare at it all day without ever growing bored.


    ¡°That¡¯s the famous Rakuro of the Mountain n¡­¡±


    ¡°As expected from a horse known as the Moonhare of Moonhares.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I can see why Lord Fuuma is so proud of it. It is truly magnificent.¡±


    The words of praise were directed not only at the horse but also at the rider.


    Xiaolei, with her straight back and perfect posture, paraded the horse in front of the crowd, manoeuvring it almost as if it were an extension of her own limbs. Her riding outfit was thin and light, crafted from high-quality fabric procured in the Remno Kingdom, shimmering in a way unfamiliar to the people of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    ¡°What magnificent riding skills! Both the horse and the rider are truly splendid.¡±


    After being struck with admiration, the people suddenly froze in shock. Forpletely different reasons, they were unable to look away from Mia and her horse, who had made ate appearance.


    ¡°Uh, um, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    They were suddenly at a loss for words. This was because Mia was dressed in fluffy clothes meant for children of the Equestrian Kingdom, clothes typically worn by beginners learning to ride a horse for the first time!


    Mia, bundled up in a thick and bulky suit, sat astride her horse, wearing a nk expression that matched her mount¡¯s. It was as if her soul had fled to some faraway ce, with only the vast grasnd reflected in her eyes.


    As for the horse carrying the bulkily d princess, it looked a little misshapen. Its glossy coat was certainly not bad. The colour of its coat was a shade of moonlight, and although it was not as shiny as Rakuro¡¯s, it did have a healthy sheen to it. Its clear eyes and stout, but well toned body indicated that the horse was very well taken care of.


    However, everyone still thought they would make for a bad opponent, especially because of the appearance of the person riding the horse¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a nostalgic outfit, Princess Mia. Are you expecting rain or snow today?¡±


    Xiaolei slowly approached Mia, took in her attire, and then nced up at the clear blue sky.


    She shrugged her shoulders and said with a mocking, belittling sneer, ¡°Or are you too scared to ride unless you wear that?¡±


    In contrast, Mia remained silent. Completely silent.


    There was no hint of anger, embarrassment, or even a smile of false bravado on her face. Her eyes simply stared straight ahead.


    That¡¯s right, Mia had already blocked out all the surrounding noise. Right now, she was concentrating with all her heart and mind.


    Her talk with Gorka, the Empire¡¯s horse maniac, the high expectations and worries of her loyal retainers, and several other factors had made Mia restless. Thanks to Anne, she had somehow managed to return to her original purpose.


    But what was that purpose? Yes, that was¡­


    ¡®<i>Enjoy the horse ride and get thin! That is what¡¯s important!</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s it! That was my original goal in deciding to participate in the match-up¡­ No, was it actually that?</i>¡¯


    While there was some room for doubt,  it was the goal that Mia wished to realise.


    ¡°Have fun¡­riding the horse¡­¡±


    Muttering to herself, Mia reminded herself of her goal.


    ¡®<i>As expected of Anne. She¡¯s truly reliable.</i> <i>Not only did</i> <i>she help rify my goal but she also provided some encouraging information.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Sweat as much as possible¡­It¡¯s a little hot, but if it requires this degree of effort, it should be fine.</i>¡¯


    ¡°If it¡¯s this level, it¡¯s quite simple¡­¡±


    Mia continued muttering to herself.


    ¡®<i>And, after that¡­well, as long as it¡¯s within reasonable limits¡­ I think aiming for victory is not a bad idea.</i>¡¯ Mia thought.


    After all, Tofu was a horse in the Empire¡¯s army and Gorka, a member of the Princess Royal Guard supported it with full confidence.


    In that case, no matter what Mia thought, perhaps there was a chance to win.


    ¡®<i>If I don¡¯t believe in the horse of the Tearmoon Empire¡¯s army, then who will? </i><i>In a moment of crisis, the Princess Guard are the loyal knights who will protect me. Therefore, I must respect that and protect their honour with all my strength.</i>¡¯


    Likewise, Mia decided to trust the Royal Guard¡¯s horse as well.


    ¡°If it¡¯s you, we can win, Tofu.¡± Said Mia as she stroked its neck.


    She then looked up to see Xiaolei make an incredibly determined expression on her face.


    ¡°Hehe, that must be hard on the horse too. Well, do the best you can.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Xiaolei-san. I look forward to ourpetition. Let¡¯s both do our best.¡±


    Mia smiled in reply, but Xiaolei red bitterly at her and moved away.


    Tofu watched Xiaolei leave with its usual cool, nk expression.


    The man at the starting point held a big, crimson-coloured g in his hand. He raised it high in the air and then spun it around once¡­


    ¡°May the Divine Will be revealed through your ride! Let the Horse Match-up ceremony begin!¡±


    The crimson g, like a falling star, was lowered¡­


    And the Horse Match-up ceremony began.

 Chapter 576

    Chapter 576


    <b>Theme horse and the wise princess be the wise horse andme princess</b>


    The moment the start signal was given, Rakuro leaped forward. A gant neigh resonated as it kicked off the ground and began to run. With one step, its body set into motion, and by the second step, it had be one with the wind. It was the unmistakable gallop of a swift horse. It was an overwhelming start, living up to its reputation of being called the Moonhare of Moonhares.


    Xiaolei was in high spirits and pleased to hear the people¡¯s loud cheers.


    She then turned around to look for her opponent, Mia, and was shocked.


    ¡°Princess Mia isn¡¯t here?¡±


    Looking carefully, she saw that Mia and her horse were quite a distance away, not too far from the starting point. Mia and her horse were cantering slowly and leisurely, almost as if they were setting out for a pic.


    When Xiaolei saw this, she clicked her tongue softly.


    ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t she quite capable? I cannot underestimate her, no.¡±


    Groaning with frustration, Xiaolei turned her gaze forward.


    While Xiaolei clicked her tongue atop her horse, her father, Fuuma, wore a look of frustration on his face.


    He watched Mia and her horse take a rxed start.


    ¡°Damn you. You didn¡¯t take the bait even when provoked. How rude¡­¡±


    Princess Mia¡¯s bold and majestic run indicated that Fuuma and Xiaolei¡¯s n had failed.


    That¡¯s right, the battle had already begun before anyone took the first step. Xiaolei had intentionally tried to provoke Mia and get her riled up!


    Those who had participated in past horse match-ups knew very well that the most important thing was to not increase the horse¡¯s speed too much right at the beginning.


    In a two-day-long race, the lead taken at the start would hardly make any difference.  It was not possible to get the horse to gallop at full speed throughout, and it was inevitable that it would slow down at some point. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the sprint at the start was just for show.


    Moreover, in a horse match-up, the biggest challenge awaited at the veryst leg of the race.


    That was the long, gradual uphill climb to the finish line at Stargrass Rock.


    In an essentially t grasnd belt, there was only one high hill, and its peak was the final goal for the horse match-up.


    That meant it was vital to save the horse¡¯s stamina until the very end. Initially, it was actually better to hold back a little instead.


    Despite that, Xiaolei dashed forward at the very start.


    It was a strategy to lure Mia, an inexperienced rider, into self-destruction. The n was to make her chase after Xiaolei and exhaust her horse¡¯s stamina right in the early stage of the race.


    Xiaolei had plotted to destroy Mia¡¯s motivation and crush her spirit by disying the overwhelming difference in ability between the two horses right at the very start.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t fall for it¡­¡±


    Normally, if your opponent in apetition went ahead, you would try to chase and catch up to them.


    You would usually ept the challenge right from the start, especially when provoked like that.


    Despite that, Mia ignored it.


    She didn¡¯t seem to mind that her opponent was quickly pulling ahead and instead chose a deliberate, rxed pace for the start.


    ¡°I see. So she is not just all talk.


    That calmposure is indeed impressive.


    It seems that she is called the Wisdom of the Empire, and there is no doubt that she is a wise princess.


    However, no matter how exceptional the rider, you can¡¯t do much with that inferior horse¡­¡±


    It¡¯s obvious that the horse match-up depended on the horse¡¯s ability.


    ¡°If only she had brought a horse that was equal to Rakuro¡­


    If she had brought along a horse of the Fire n, it would have been a totally different result. Hmm, but I will definitely crush those pretty words about horses having no rankings. ¡±


    She spat out the words at Mia¡¯s figure in the distance.


    Well, regarding the kind of ideal start taken by the wise princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon, there was no need to even point out that she had not thought that far. That much was a given.


    As usual, Mia had entrusted herself to the will of the horse. Thus, it was actually the so-called me horse¡¯, Tofu, who had decided on the leisurely start.


    That¡¯s right, as a warhorse, Tofu knew.


    Without knowing whaty ahead, it was better to avoid wasting stamina unnecessarily.


    The prudent strategy to preserve energy was decided by none other than Tofu itself.


    Well, anyway, in the current situation, Mia was actually theme princess riding a wise horse. However, there was no one who was aware of it.


    ¡®<i>Hmm, as expected, this is a leisurely pace. If it were Kun, things would definitely not be like this. Well, it¡¯s easier for me though.</i>¡¯


    As Mia was swaying back and forth, a thought suddenly urred to her.


    ¡®<i>But if I take it too easy, it won¡¯t be much of an exercise. Perhaps I need to exercise a little harder?</i>¡¯


    Mia was of the mind that when you have an idea, you should act on it immediately.


    So Mia lightly tapped Tofu on the back.


    ¡°Tofu, let¡¯s pick up the pace a bit.¡±


    Tofu perked up its ears, and after a brief pause, increased its pace.


    ¡°Oh, so you decided to chase? As expected, you really have  good instincts.¡±


    Mia heard a sudden voice. Looking to the side, she saw a horse approaching and lining up next to her. The rider was the n Chief with therge build, who had spoken to Mia at the n Chiefs¡¯ meeting.


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. This is not our first meeting, but allow me to introduce myself once again. My name is Moku Gouma. I am the Chief of the Wood n.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very courteous of you. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon. It¡¯s reassuring to have the n Chief himself apany me.¡±


    As Mia smiled, Gouma nodded in admiration.


    ¡°Still, I was amazed that you did not fall for Xiaolei¡¯s provocation.


    You seem to be well aware of the irond rules of the horse match-up. Impressive.¡±


    Mia quietly shook her head at Gouma, who wasughing cheerfully.


    ¡°No. I am simply letting this horse do as it sees fit.¡±


    Mia did not arrogantly boast that it was natural for someone like her.


    After all, this person was a n Chief in the Equestrian Kingdom and an expert. He would easily see through her if she tried to lie.


    ¡®<i>Moreover, this person has shown a considerably favourable and kind attitude towards me.  If I pretend to be skilled but end up making a mistake and reveal my faults, then a person who might be my ally could end up getting upset with me instead.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>I should be humble and honest here.</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s right, I want to live like Tofu here.</i>¡¯


    That was what Mia was thinking.

 Chapter 577

    Chapter 577


    <b>Princess Mia, Stirring Hearts!</b>


    ¡°Entrust yourself to the horse, is that right¡­?¡±


    The words spoken by the foreign princess caused Gouma¡¯s heart to well up with a strange sense of nostalgia.


    Was there anyone in the entire Equestrian Kingdom whose heart would not be stirred upon hearing those words?


    No, there wasn¡¯t!


    After all, those were the first words of advice given to young children when they learned to ride a horse.


    Gouma and hispanions were no exception.


    Mia proudly dered the most basic of teachings with an expression that showed she wholeheartedly believed in those words.


    ¡°That¡¯s because this horse, Tofu, knows a lot more about running than I do. And surely it knows how to win better than I do.¡±


    Mia said with a very wise look on her face.


    ¡°I see. If it is Princess Mia, who orchestrated this horse match-up from the Chiefs¡¯ Meeting, then those words carry weight. In that case, Princess Mia must trust horses just as much as we do.¡±


    Gouma felt her childlike innocence reflected in the beginner¡¯s outfit she wore.


    ¡®<i>Indeed, it seems likely that someone gave her this outfit when she first learned to ride a horse. Perhaps Princess Mia chose to wear it for this important race so as not to forget the precious feelings from that time.</i>¡¯


    Gouma was almost convinced by his own argument, but he still felt uneasy about a small question that was niggling at him.


    ¡®<i>If she had left everything up to the horse, then why did she just give themand to elerate?  </i><i>That was undoubtedly Princess Mia¡¯s own decision, and it was extremely well-timed. If they elerated now, they would soon be able to catch sight of Xiaolei. No matter how good of a horse Rakuro is, there is no way it can keep running at such a pace indefinitely. </i><i>That¡¯s right. It¡¯s something you can understand immediately if you think about it. </i><i>Princess Mia allowed the Mountain n rider to go ahead. That was not just the horse¡¯s will, but also part of Princess Mia¡¯s own strategy.</i>¡¯


    That was Gouma¡¯s spection but he couldn¡¯t help letting out a groan as he wondered, ¡®<i>So what was the strategy?</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>Princes</i>s<i> Mia had probably checked the course of the race on the map. No, she must have definitely checked it. However, it would be her first time actually running it. So, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she intentionally let her opponent go ahead to observe. </i><i>No, for someone as wise as her, that¡¯s exactly what she would do. That was why, even though she allowed Xiaolei and her horse to get ahead, she wanted to keep them within her line of sight as much as possible. If she lost sight of them, she wouldn¡¯t be able to observe.</i>¡¯


    That was the conclusion Gouma drew.


    ¡®<i>It means that since the beginning, Princess Mia has been deflecting her opponent¡¯s provocations and has been able to carry out her ns exactly as intended. I see. Since it is Princess Mia we are talking about, the one who took leadership at the n Chiefs¡¯ Meeting, it is really not strange for her to think that far ahead.</i>¡¯


    However, even after reaching that conclusion, there was still something that bothered Gouma. And he was not the kind of person who could stop himself from asking about it.


    ¡°By the way, Your Highness Princess Mia, is there any significance behind your outfit?¡±


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m really curious about Princess Mia¡¯s beginner¡¯s clothes. Was it purely for sentimental reasons to not forget her original intentions? Or something more?</i>¡¯


    ¡°Oh, this¡­ Hehehe, it was prepared for me by my precious loyal retainer.¡±


    Mia replied with a smile.


    ¡°I was told that I must definitely wear this for the horse match-up. Well, Tofu is a war horse, you see. So it is fine with carrying this much weight.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Hmm¡­¡±


    Gouma made a difficult expression and began to ponder deeply.


    ¡®<i>Now, should I honestly believe what this princess is saying? Following the earlier example, this outfit was prepared by her retainer. But at the same time, it aligns with Princess Mia¡¯s intentions as well. Then, what does it mean?</i>¡¯


    When he took a look, he found Mia tilting her head in confusion, her innocent expression devoid of any hint of malice.


    ¡®<i>I wonder what kind of thoughts are going on behind that face. That expression looks almost as if she isn¡¯t thinking about anything¡­</i>¡¯


    Gouma waspletely ensnared in the bottomless swamp that was Mia.


    Meanwhile, Mia, despite engaging in small talk to pass the time, concentrated on the task at hand. That was to match the movements of Tofu, whose speed had increased and whose vertical movements had intensified. Mia flexed her knees and focused intently to match Tofu¡¯s rhythm.


    It was quite different from riding Kun, as Tofu¡¯s gait was much more straightforward. Matching her movements with Tofu¡¯s was a simple task for the master of dance, Mia.  She simply entrusted herself to the beat of the beautiful orchestra yed by Tofu. Mia skilfully maintained her bnce, allowing Tofu to gallop freely, a gesture simr to the consideration shown to one¡¯s dance partner.


    The apanying riders were all surprised by foreign princess¡¯ unexpectedly good riding skills.


    After exercising for a while, as Mia¡¯s body gradually warmed up, the refreshing breeze blowing across the grasnd felt wonderful.


    That summer wasn¡¯t particrly hot, so the wind was considerably cool. The gentle breeze carried the rich scent of the green grasnd, leaving Mia with a really exhrating feeling.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Horses are great after all. Hehehe.¡±


    ¡®<i>If I had known that I could exercise sofortably, I would have ridden more often.</i>¡¯  Mia thought.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! Tofu!¡± Mia let out an excited shout and that¡¯s when she saw them!


    Far ahead, several shadows appeared on the lush green carpet.


    After squinting, she realised that it was Xiaolei and the apanying riders who had gone ahead.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve caught up with you, Xiaolei-san. I won¡¯t let you get away.¡±


    And just like that, Mia awakened! To the thrill of catching up with those who had gone ahead.


    ¡°It can be nerve-wracking to be chased by someone, but chasing someone is rather fun.¡±


    While muttering to herself, Mia continued to pursue Xiaolei and the others.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578


    <b>Xiaolei¡¯s Keen Insight into Mia¡¯s Proposal</b>


    Having caught sight of Xiaolei¡¯s group, Tofu instinctively realised that it was the right moment to close the distance between them and elerated at once. It seemed advantageous to follow closely behind the opponent.


    On the other hand, Mia was just innocently happy to have caught up with Xiaolei and called out to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally caught up with you, Xiaolei-san.¡±


    While Mia smiled happily, Xiaolei responded with a sulky expression.


    ¡°Princess Mia, you seem to be having fun, right? Come to think of it, even before we started, you did say something about having fun while riding the horse¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­having fun?¡±


    ¡®<i>Having fun¡­ Having fun¡­!</i>¡¯


    Upon hearing those words, Mia instinctively knew that it was an important moment, and her mind raced. She initiated the move to close the distance between her and Xiaolei. Using her opponent¡¯s words skilfully to turn the situation to her advantage, Mia said,


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, Xiaolei-san. I hope we can have fun during this horse match-up.¡±


    Mia tried to appeal wholeheartedly. She wished to convey that there wasn¡¯t any need for hostility, and that they ought to get along and be friendly.


    ¡®<i>At the end of the race, after the winner is decided, let¡¯s show some sportsmanship and celebrate each other¡¯s efforts with no hard feelings.</i>¡¯


    That was what Mia wanted to say!


    ¡®<i>If we have that kind of mutual understanding then we can be at ease even in defeat.</i>¡¯


    ¡°The two of us can get along during the race until the middle, and then have a showdown at the very end. What do you think?¡±


    Mia proposed.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s no need to have a tough fight for the entire two days, right? </i><i>Only at the end, if we seriously race the horse for a while, isn¡¯t that okay? </i><i>It¡¯s fine to have a friendly and fun ride up until halfway!</i>¡¯


    Smiling warmly in a gesture of friendship, Mia made a strong appeal. Mia asserted that it was better to go at a leisurely pace, as racing a horse could be quite tiring and troublesome.


    Incidentally, at that moment, the thought of riding the horse fast to get some good exercise had already fled her mind.


    That¡¯s right! Mia was of the assumption that she had already achieved her initial goal of getting some good exercise out of the event.


    ¡®<i>Tonight, in order to deepen our friendship, how about we enjoy lots of delicious food together?</i>¡¯


    Mia found herself even thinking along those lines.


    ¡®<i>After all, sharing a meal is the first step towards understanding each other.</i> <i>You can understand someone only by breaking bread with them.</i>¡¯


    That was one of Mia¡¯s core beliefs.


    ¡°So, what do you think, Xiaolei-san?¡±


    Mia asked with a slightly ingratiating smile.


    ¡°A final showdown at the very end¡­?¡±


    Xiaolei examined and pondered over Mia¡¯s words.


    It was a proposal that rejected all the strategies and tactics that would be employed during the crucial moments of thepetition. It was probably a reasonable suggestion toe from someone like Mia, who wasn¡¯t used to riding horses.


    ¡®<i>The course selected for this horse match-up is quite simple to begin with. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that there will be no challenges.The steep slope right before the goal post will of course be tough, but there are other challenging spots where our riding skills will be tested. Princess Mia probably thinks that it will be disadvantageous to challenge me there, which is why she is inviting me to ride together amicably through those tough spots.</i>¡¯


    However, it was a proposal worth considering for Xiaolei as well, given that Rakuro was unmistakably a swift horse. If it came down to a speed match, especially over a short distance so close to the finish line, then Rakuro would never lose. Absolutely never.


    From what Xiaolei had seen of Mia¡¯s horse, she would describe it as more of a sturdy type meant for endurance rather than speed.


    ¡®<i>So in reality, Princess Mia needs to make her moves well before the final slope if she hopes to win. </i><i>Despite that, she is challenging me to a high-speed contest in the final stage. What am I supposed to think of that? </i><i>Is she exceedingly confident about her horse¡¯s speed? </i><i>No way! </i><i>Is that why she let me take the lead initially at the start of the race? </i><i>Did she intentionally make a slow start to hide her horse¡¯s true speed so as to drag me into a high-speed race right at the end? </i><i>That is some incredible confidence, right? </i><i>Does she honestly believe that she can win against Rakuro?</i>¡¯


    Xiaolei looked at Mia¡¯s face and noticed that she had tilted her head mysteriously.


    ¡®<i>I cannot detect even the slightest hint of anxiety. </i><i>She is underestimating me, right?</i><i>She is totally looking down on me, thinking of making a fool out of me. </i><i>I felt the anger bubble up from the depths of my gut, but at the same time, the calm side of my brain told me that my opponent is the Wisdom of the Empire and I must not let down my guard. </i><i>I also heard that the matter of the revolution attempt in the Remno </i><i>Kingdom was resolved by Princess Mia. </i><i>So she would not challenge me to a speed race in the final showdown without some kind of basis for it. </i><i>She probably has some kind of concrete evidence that she can win with certainty.</i>


    <i>Hmm. If you look at it from another angle, it could also mean that she does not wish to be challenged along the route. </i><i>Come to think of it, this position¡­</i>¡¯


    Xiaolei suddenly realised something.


    ¡®<i>Princess Mia¡¯s positioning¡ªwas she deliberately positioning herself slightly behind me? Was she allowing me to take the lead to observe how it goes?</i>¡¯


    At that thought, a cold chill ran down Xiaolei¡¯s spine.


    ¡®<i>To ept a speed race at the very end and forgo intermediate challenges means giving up my territorial advantage.¡¯</i>


    If Xiaolei were to ept Mia¡¯s suggestion, she would be giving up her home advantage of knowing the grasnd and her advantage in the horse match-up itself.


    Xiaolei was shocked to realise that she had been dangerously close to getting entwined in Mia¡¯s thinking. At that moment, she looked around and found something¡ªa decisive factor for victory.


    ¡°If you wish toe along with me, you¡¯re wee, okay. However, it all depends on if you can keep up with me!¡±


    No sooner had she said that, Xiaolei swiftly turned Rakuro¡¯s neck, urging it to gallop ahead.

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579


    <b>Mia Squeals and Giggles as she Enjoys the Ssh Fight </b>


    Tofu reacted instantly to Rakuro¡¯s abrupt change of course and sudden eleration, increasing its speed to chase after Rakuro.


    ¡°Yikes!¡±


    Mia, on the other hand, let out a pathetic shriek in response to the sudden movement.


    Incidentally, Mia¡¯s soul was in great panic due to the sudden change in movement. However, her body instinctively reacted and maintained perfect bnce, so the people around her felt like she was just putting on an act.


    Setting that aside¡­


    Rakuro headed toward a slight downhill slope. Like a gust of wind, Rakuro raced down, the distance between them rapidly increasing until Rakuro¡¯s figure became distant.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s to be expected. As I thought, riding together amicably until halfway was indeed wishful thinking.¡±


    Mia muttered. Still, she somehow managed to catch up to Xiaolei. Soon, a riverbank came into view.


    The river was wide but quite shallow. Rakuro had rushed into the calm stream, continuing to move forward while sshing water. Following close behind, Tofu also stepped into the riverbed.


    ¡°I see. Rakuro¡¯s speed is amazing. As expected from a Moonhare¡­ Woah!¡±


    Woosh!


    Right afterward, Mia was hit directly in the face by the water sshed by Rakuro.


    Ahead, Xiaolei turned around with a  triumphant expression. However, her reaction was a little hasty. After all, Mia was not going to be fazed by something like that!


    That was because Mia had already mastered swimming on the deserted ind. Nicknamed the Waning Jellyfish, Mia was an amphibious princess. Getting sshed with a little water was not much of a problem for her.


    In fact¡­


    ¡°Hehe. I was a little hot, so this feels just perfect.¡±


    Mia said with a happy smile on her face, as her hair swayed softly.


    Her body temperature had risen a little due to the fluffy suit, so the ssh of cold water felt incredibly refreshing.


    And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The cool, clear water invigorated Mia¡¯s brain, making her sharp and alert!


    ¡®<i>Hmm, this could be useful!</i>¡¯


    With a sudden sh of inspiration, Mia decided to turn the riverbank duel into a fun water-ssh fight.


    Mia¡¯s n was to turn the fiercepetition into a yful fun game.


    She had still not given up on her original n of being friendly and riding together halfway through the long race.


    To make the water fight enjoyable, she could not just be on the receiving end¡­


    ¡°Tofu, let¡¯s get ahead of Xiaolei and return the favour.¡±


    ¡®<i>In the sport of water sshing, it would be boring if it were just one-sided. </i><i>Getting sshed with water and then sshing water on the opponent is what makes it fun.</i>¡¯


    Following Mia¡¯s instruction, Tofu elerated. It quickly leaped in front of Rakuro and then kicked its hind legs, sshing water to its hearts content.


    ¡°Kya!¡±


    Miaughed delightedly as she heard Xiaolei¡¯s cute shriek.


    ¡°Hehe, this is payback, Xiaolei-san!¡±


    While Mia was humming a tune, she suddenly had a thought.


    ¡®<i>However, this ¡°getting ahead and sshing back¡± method reminds me of Kun. I wonder if they are rted by blood, or if among Moonhares, there are a lot of horses with that kind of yful attitude?</i>¡¯


    While Mia was lost in these thoughts, Tofu had changed course slightly.


    When she looked, Rakuro was trying to get in front once again, and seemed ready to ssh water.


    ¡°Oh? Could it be that you are worried about me getting sshed?¡±


    Even though Mia asked the question, Tofu just twitched its ears and turned around without answering.


    ¡°Hehehe. As expected of a Royal Guard horse. You really know how to handle the wild Princess Rakuro.¡±


    Miaughed, and Tofu snorted with pride.


    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve been defeated¡­¡±


    With water dripping from her bangs, Xiaolei gritted her teeth in frustration.


    ¡®<i>You¡¯d think that pouring water over someone¡¯s head would make them lose theirposure, but what in the world was this result?</i>¡¯


    Not only was Miapletely unfazed, but¡­


    Mia hadunched a counterattack,ughing joyfully and triumphantly, while dering, ¡°This is payback, Xiaolei-san!¡±


    Xiaolei had never expected that she would be hit with a counterattack and became agitated. She had even let out an undignified shriek.


    ¡®<i>I was the one underestimating her all along¡­</i>¡¯


    At this point, Xiaolei finally realised.


    The Princess of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was no ordinary princess!


    Xiaolei had be acquainted with nobledies from other countries through her interactions with the Remno Kingdom. Among the youngdies she knew, many were afraid of or disliked having water sshed on their faces. So, if water was suddenly sshed on Mia¡¯s face, Xiaolei had thought she would be upset or angry and would lose herposure at least a little, but¡­


    ¡®<i>It waspletely unexpected that she would counterattack without losing herposure.</i>¡¯


    That behaviour waspletely outside Xiaolei¡¯s calctions, but what surprised her even more was how easily Mia had overtaken her.


    The difference in speed between Rakuro and Tofu should have been clear. Yet, Tofu was able to overtake them quite easily. This was a particrly great shock to Xiaolei.


    ¡®<i>Despite the disparity in speed of the horses, the fact that they could overtake us is evidence that my riding skills are inferior.</i>¡¯


    Xiaolei had chosen a riverbed that was difficult to ride on, challenged the opponent rider, and then lost. That humiliation was huge¡­


    ¡°Grrr, it¡¯s not over yet. The race has just begun. Next time I will show you, okay.¡±


    Xiaolei groaned and muttered in frustration.


    At someter time, Xiaolei would reflect and realise that at that point, she had already fallen into the trap of the Empire¡¯s Wisdom. And that she hadpletely lost herposure.


    While she remained oblivious, a cold sense of restlessness and impatience began to envelop Xiaolei, slowly gnawing away at her.

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580


    <b>Mia¡¯s ck Bread</b>


    The sky was painted red by the setting sun as the evening drew on. The sounds of the approaching night could be heard. Mia finally reached the nned campsite.


    It was a water source located about midway along the course.


    Tomorrow, they would circle around the water source and head towards their goal, located north of the Southern Capital.


    ¡°Hmm, everything is going smoothly as nned.¡±


    The Royal Princess Guard soldiers who had departed earlier also arrived and met up with Mia safely, without any problems.


    However, during the horse match-up, there was a rule to keep contact to a minimum to prevent receiving advice or any other form of assistance.


    Mia could do nothing but silently look on as a temporary tent was being set up and the food was being prepared.


    Normally, she would enjoy a pleasant conversation with Anne, who was preparing the meal, but even that would be considered a vition of the rules.


    ¡°Mia-sama, please do your best. I will be preparing a special meal for you.¡±


    That was about the extent of the conversation they could have.


    By the way, Anne was cooking a special hot pot dish made with spices given to her by Nina, the maid of the Greenmoon House. After returning to the Tearmoon Capital, Anne had received training from the Head Chef, and she was no longer the same Anne as before. Anne could now cook any hot pot dish by chopping ingredients and simmering them without any problems. She had evolved!


    Well, it was cause for celebration that the food looked delicious, but being left all alone made Mia feel quite lonely.


    But¡­ for now, it wasn¡¯t all bad.


    That was because right next to Mia¡¯s camping site, Xiaolei was also preparing to camp!


    ¡®<i>This is a good opportunity. Xiaolei-san will also be alone now. By sharing a meal together and praising each other¡¯s efforts, our rtionship will naturally deepen.</i>


    <i>If there were many friends around, naturally it would be hard for us to have a fun conversation. However, fortunately or unfortunately,  we are alone right now. We are in a situation where conversation with those around is forbidden.</i>


    <i>There is nothing stopping us from eating together!</i>


    <i>My original goal has still not changed. If I form a deep rtionship with her, then things will be more convenient even if I lose. In that case, we should sit around the hot pot and deepen our friendship.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Mia nodded to herself and quickly headed towards Xiaolei.


    Xiaolei, on the other hand, was feeling dejected. Her n had been to set up camp at the next water source. However, she had fallen into Mia¡¯s trap and challenged her pointlessly, and things had not gone ording to n.


    Instead of bothering with Mia, who was following her, Xiaolei should have just ignored her and gone ahead. Then, she could probably have guaranteed her victory by setting a far greater lead between them.


    ¡°Rakuro, I¡¯m sorry, okay. If only I had been more responsible.¡±


    Shoulders slumped despondently, Xiaolei continued to gently stroke Rakuro¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s secure a big lead tomorrow and win for sure, okay?¡±


    There was someone who called out to Xiaolei as she was trying to raise her spirits. It was not her fine horse, Rakuro, but¡­


    ¡°Xiaolei-san, can I have a moment?¡±


    It was her opponent, Mia. Moreover, she wasing over to speak with a carefree expression on her face that was quite irritating.


    ¡°Is there something you need, okay?¡±


    She turned around and asked with a sulky expression on her face.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking this for a while, but Xiaolei-san, are you perhaps mistaken that adding ¡®okay¡¯ to anything can make you sound like a noble youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Xiaolei grimaced and frowned. After all, it was a way of speaking that she had learned from a noble youngdy she knew. Thatdy had pointed out to Xiaolei that her way of speaking was quite unsophisticated and provincial. She hadughed and suggested that Xiaolei ought to add ¡°okay¡± at the end of every sentence.


    Although Xiaolei had a slight suspicion that she was being made fun of, she decided to ce her trust and endeavoured to change her style of speech. Despite that,


    As Xiaolei grew silent, Mia groaned and said, ¡°If you want to learn, I can teach you, but isn¡¯t it fine for you to speak like you normally do, Xiaolei-san?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it the same with food? Each region has its own unique cuisine and cooking style that suits it. For instance, suppose the Tearmoon Empire had excellent mushrooms. I don¡¯t think it means that all the mushrooms in the Equestrian Kingdom should be the same as those in the Empire. Moreover, I would never consider cooking the mushrooms grown in the Equestrian Kingdom in the style of the Empire. That would be quite boring.¡±


    Mia had deliberately used a hypothetical example to exin the matter in a way that was perhaps easier to understand.


    ¡°The same could probably be said aboutnguage. Xiaolei-san is free to admire the speech of the nobledies. But personally, I find the ent used by the people of the Equestrian Kingdom quite beautiful. The historical songs, in particr, sound wonderful in the Equestrian Kingdom ent.¡±


    Xiaolei was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected words, but soon turned her face away and said,


    ¡°Well, anyway, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right. I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Eating together with your opponent doesn¡¯t seem appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What a pity. I was hoping to show you something special.¡±


    Mia said with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Special¡­¡±


    As Xiaolei tilted her head in confusion, Mia suddenly took out something to show her.


    It was, simply put, portable ck bread. Since it was quite hard, it was meant to be broken into pieces and added to soup before eating.


    Well, that was probably fine, but the main problem was its shape.


    ¡°Th-that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. This is a horse-shaped ck bread designed by me¨C ck horse bread!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Xiaolei took the bait!


    Xiaolei stared intently at the bread in Mia¡¯s hand. The instant she confirmed its shape, she eximed with joy.


    ¡°This is definitely a horse shape¡­ but this is¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>What do I say! She¡¯s a genius!</i>¡¯


    Xiaolei was astonished by the Wisdom of the Empire¡¯s terrifyingly good sense of style and taste.


    ¡®<i>Honestly, making bread in the shape of a horse was indeed a wonderful idea! I can¡¯t believe I never thought of it.</i>¡¯


    She was so frustrated that she couldn¡¯t help but make excuses.


    ¡°This is done quite well¡­ but it is still a littlecking, Princess Mia.¡±


    Xiaolei said with bright wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh? What do you mean bycking?¡±


    As Mia tilted her head confused, Xiaolei pointed at the horse-shaped bread in her hands and said, ¡°It certainly is a brilliant idea to make bread in the shape of a horse. It is quite excellent and novel, a sh of genius befitting the Wisdom of the Empire, and that is not an exaggeration. However, this part of the horse¡¯s ear is more like¡­¡±


    Xiaolei intently gestured with her fingers.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia listened enthusiastically and nodded.


    Thus, the two of them passionately discussed the shape and design of the horse.


    It seemed like their friendship had deepened just a little!

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581


    <b>Princess Mia¡¯s Attempt to Win Over¡­ Fails?</b>


    To ensure that Xiaolei did not escape, Mia, who had spectacrly lured Xiaolei with her horse-shaped bread, suggested that they have their meal together. Mia immediately took Xiaolei¡¯s hand and led her towards the hot pot prepared by Anne.


    The portable ck horse-shaped bread was quite hard, so it was usually eaten after being soaked in soup or another liquid.  As she saw the horse-shaped bread floating and soaking up the soup in the hot pot, Xiaolei let out a cute squeal of delight, but quicklyposed herself.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­ It looks good, but there¡¯s something missing.¡±


    And then Xiaolei returned to her tent and quickly brought something back.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cheese. If you add it to the pot, it will melt and taste amazing.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I also have some dried meat. If we chop it up and add it, it will mix with the cheese and really enrich the vour.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    With skilled movements, Xiaolei shaved off the surface of the cheese and added it to the pot. She then added the dried meat, which gave the Tearmoon hot pot an exquisite colour.


    The first thing that stood out to Mia was the delightful, appetising aroma of the cheese, followed by the glimpse of the delicious chunks of dried meat coated with the gooey cheese.


    ¡°Wow, this looks wonderful! As expected of ingredients from the Equestrian Kingdom. Well then, let¡¯s dig in¡­¡±


    While the pot still simmered, Mia transferred some of the dried meat Xiaolei had provided onto her own te and immediately took a bite.


    ¡°Hmf!¡±


    Steam escaped her mouth. The melted cheese was very hot, so Mia took deep breaths in and out to avoid burning her mouth. Perhaps that was a good thing because the rich vour of the cheese spread throughout her mouth all at once¡ªa trio of mellow vour, refreshing acidity, and the strong, salty savouriness of the dried meat. When she bit into the crunchy dried meat, the juicy soup that had soaked into it spread throughout her mouth.


    ¡°Oh, wow¡­ this is wonderful¡­¡±


    After that, words were unnecessary. Mia and Xiaolei werepletely engrossed in their meal. Perhaps because they were hungry, the taste was so very delicious! It was irresistibly so! Before they knew it, the pot was empty!


    Mia felt as though she had experienced an optical illusion and time had flown by¡ªit was truly astonishing.


    ¡°Ah, somehow I was totally absorbed in eating. Hehehe, I¡¯mpletely full now. It was a lot of fun, Xiaolei-san.¡±


    Mia said cheerfully, but Xiaolei suddenly turned her face away.


    ¡°I have no intention of getting friendly. Princess Mia is my enemy.¡±


    While Xiaolei red at her, Mia responded with a smile on her face.


    Then,ughing it off, she prepared her counterargument!


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, is it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not true? You think being friendly and riding horses together is what the match-up is about? That¡¯s an insult to the horse match-up.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    Shaking her head slowly, Mia took the opportunity to present her theory.


    ¡°I understand that the horse match-up is a sh of opinions. So, I know it¡¯s serious, but¡­¡±


    First, she needed to show that she fully understood Xiaolei¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°However, the true battle lies only within the race.¡±


    Mia wanted to rify the timing of the battle¡¯s conclusion: when the match-up ended, so did the battle. In other words, she aimed to define where the conflict should end. Once the match-up concluded, it was time to exhibit sportsmanship and cultivate friendliness. This was Mia¡¯s appeal.


    ¡°The battle itself should be fought with proper respect and honour for the opponent.¡± Mia emphasised. She added that during the horse match-up, there should be no rough y or violence and both sides should y fair. This approach would prevent unnecessary hard feelings and avoid any trouble.


    It was a moment when Mia¡¯s thoughtfulness and consideration shone brightly!


    ¡°You can only sh during the match-up. After that, you must ept the results and abide ordingly¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Mia blinked at Xiaolei¡¯s abrupt words.


    ¡°This is the teaching of our forefather, Ka Seima. Is this what you wish to say, Princess Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly right!¡±


    Mia nodded as if to indicate that was exactly what she meant. However, it was obvious she had not given it any deep thought. Obviously.


    However, Mia was not one to let go of a new wave.


    ¡®<i>I will ride this wave! With absolutely no hesitation!</i>¡¯


    ¡°The horse match-up is not a battle to kill the opponent. It¡¯s just a method to settle disputes and ensure cooperation. Therefore, we are not enemies. Once it¡¯s over, shouldn¡¯t we praise each other¡¯s efforts without being swayed by hatred or personal feelings?¡± Mia clenched her fist, passionately making her argument.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­¡±


    For a moment, Xiaolei seemed deeply impressed, but then quickly turned her face away.


    ¡°That¡¯s just too idealistic. There¡¯s no way I could believe that.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Mia sighed softly.


    ¡®<i>She is quite the formidable opponent. Hmm, in this case¡­</i>¡¯


    In a turn of events, Mia nned aplete change in her strategy. After all, that was her speciality.


    ¡°However, I must praise Rakuro and your riding.¡±


    She had decided to tter Xiaolei with all her strength. Mia had a track record of sessfully oveing several crises using this ttering strategy, at least in her own mind.


    Even at that moment, she kept talking, trying to find a way. Thanks to Xiaolei, she had enjoyed a delicious dinner, so her tongue moved smoothly.


    ¡°Rakuro¡¯s run today was splendid, truly worthy of its name as the Moonhare among Moonhares. It was quite magnificent! As the princess of the Tearmoon Empire, I believe that I know fine horses. Rakuro is a wonderful horse that won¡¯t lose to any of the horses in the Empire. And you too, Xiaolei-san. Even if no one else saw how wonderfully you fought, I saw it for sure.¡±


    Mia pleaded emphatically that she was the only one who held her in high esteem. She was earnestly trying to create an atmosphere where it would be difficult for Xiaolei to ask Mia something like, ¡°Give me your horse.¡±


    How cunning!


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to hear such obvious ttery.¡±


    Xiaolei said as she stood up.


    ¡°I have no intention of getting along with you any further. Please be prepared for tomorrow!¡±


    With those words, Xiaolei left Mia. As Mia watched her leave, she sighed softly.


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if I failed¡­¡±


    Mia stood and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Well then¡­ what should I do tomorrow¡­?¡±


    As if reflecting Mia¡¯s anxiety, the shining moon was gradually veiled by a thinyer of clouds.

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582


    <b>Like the End of a Wonderful Dream</b>


    On the first night of the horse match-up, an incident quietly urred in the Southern Capital.


    ¡°Mm¡­ huh?¡±


    It waste at night. Citrina woke up to a noiseing from the hallway.


    Tap, tap¡­ it was the sound of hushed footsteps on the floor.


    Citrina momentarily suspected it was a Chaos Serpent assassin, but the footsteps passed right by her room.


    Judging from the direction, they seemed to be heading outside the building. Recalling theyout of the rooms in the building and picturing the location of the guards she had checked beforehand, Citrina tilted her head in thought.


    ¡®<i>If I think about it, an assassin capable of deceiving the eyes of the Royal Guards wouldn¡¯t make footstep noises loud enough for Rina to hear.</i>¡¯


    She then looked at Bel, who was sleeping on the adjacent bed. Citrina smiled wryly at the sight of the nket that had fallen off, leaving Bel in an unsightly state. She gently covered her with the nket again.


    Then, Citrina quietly opened the door and stuck her head out into the hallway. She caught sight of the back of a girl walking past.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s¡­</i>¡¯


    The girl with swaying ck hair and a dignified posture was none other than Ka Aima.


    ¡®<i>Aima-san, where are you going at this hour?</i>¡¯


    Aima headed out of the building, peering around restlessly. Citrina, feeling uneasy, slipped on a nket over her nightgown and quietly sneaked out of the room.


    Perhaps she was using her wild instincts, as there were no guards in the direction Aima headed. Mia¡¯s absence, due to her participation in the horse match-up, had led to their forces being divided. Additionally, the guards were positioned to prevent intrusions from the outside, not to stop anyone from leaving. As a result, it was surprisingly easy to get outside.


    ¡®<i>Ludwig-san must be busy arranging guards for Mia-sama. If Dion ia were here, he would surely have noticed and put a stop to it, but he too is with Mia-sama.</i>¡¯


    With those thoughts on her mind, Citrina quietly followed Aima. Aima had exited the building without any trouble and appeared to be headed towards the stables.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps Aima-san is nning to leave by herself?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, several figures appeared in front of Aima.


    ¡°Oh? Aima-san? What¡¯s the matter? Why are you out at this time of the night?¡±


    Under the moonlight, her long hair swaying beautifully, stood Rafina Orca Belluga.


    ¡°Saint Rafina¡­ What are you doing here?¡±


    Upon hearing Aima¡¯s suspicious tone, Rafina gave a gentle smile.


    ¡°I was praying for Mia-san¡¯s victory.¡±


    Suddenly, Citrina noticed the figure of someone behind her. It was Lin Malong, who was probably acting as her escort.


    ¡®<i>Rafina-sama, if you¡¯re with Malong-senpai in the middle of the night like this, it¡¯s likely to invite misunderstandings¡­ But, it looks like Belluga¡¯s attendant is also with you, so I guess it¡¯s fine?</i>¡¯


    Tilting her head slightly, Citrina decided to observe the situation.


    ¡°Now, to return the question, what are you doing, Aima-san?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, that¡¯s right. I was nning to go on a long ride¡­¡±


    ¡°Alone at this hour?¡±


    Rafina looked at Aima sceptically.


    ¡°Well, a long night ride is quite enjoyable, right? That¡¯s what Miss Rafina did the other day too¡­¡±


    ¡°Malong-san¡­¡±


    For some reason, Citrina felt goosebumps rise up her spine. Rafina turned towards Malong with a cool smile on her face. Observing her from behind, Citrina sensed an indescribable aura of intimidation.


    Finally, Malong realised and said,


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. It was supposed to be a secret. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t it bad to reveal that it¡¯s a secret?</i>¡¯ Citrina thought to herself.


    ¡°Malong-san!¡±


    Rafina screamed. The intimidating tone from earlier was gone, and she sounded like an embarrassed young girl.


    It seemed like something was going on between them, but setting that aside¡­


    Rafina cleared her throat softly.


    ¡°Aima-san, perhaps you are nning to go out on your own?¡±


    The quiet question made Aima clench her fist.


    ¡°I know that Princess Mia is putting her life on the line for us. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t just stay still and do nothing.¡±


    Slowly raising her head, Aima continued.


    ¡°Watching the exchanges at the n Chiefs¡¯ meeting¡­ no, I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a long time. If my brother and I weren¡¯t here, the Fire n could easily be epted by the Equestrian Kingdom. The issue is the technique to control wolves. But that is not something everyone can use. Only my brother, the n Chief, and I have mastery of it. So, if¡­¡±


    ¡°Aima-san, do you think that if you take the wolf and leave the Fire n, everything will be resolved?¡±


    Rafina¡¯s question was t, almost emotionless. Whether she noticed it or not, Aima chose to ignore it and continued speaking.


    ¡°All the members of the Fire n are very kind. They won¡¯t drive me out, and they will try to protect me. But I can¡¯t take advantage of their kindness. The surest way to resolve this issue is for me to leave.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    When Malong tried to interject, Rafina stopped him with a hand gesture and shook her head slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, Aima-san. I thought you were Mia-san¡¯s good friend.¡±


    Rafina sighed and then red at Aima.


    ¡°If you were a true friend, you wouldn¡¯t doubt Mia-san¡¯s victory, would you? At least I believe in Mia-san, as her true friend.¡±


    In Rafina¡¯s mind, Mia had been elevated to an exalted existence, but there was no one there to point it out.


    ¡°It is not a matter of winning or losing. cing our fate on Princess Mia¡¯s shoulders is causing her unnecessary burden.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to cause trouble for your friend, is that what you mean?¡±


    Rafina interrupted Aima, who bit her lip in frustration, and continued to speak in a stern tone.


    ¡°But that¡¯s just to make yourself feel better. It¡¯s simply running away. It¡¯s disrespectful to both Mia-san and to the Fire n, who are trying to protect you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mia-san will definitely not lose. If you consider her your friend, you should believe in her. And if you think you¡¯ve caused her trouble, then you can help her next time. Aren¡¯t friends supposed to help each other?¡±


    Rafina spoke in a firm and unwavering voice.


    ¡®<i>Good. It looks like Rafina-sama will sort this out nicely¡­</i>¡¯


    Watching the exchange, Citrina breathed a sigh of relief. If Rafina hadn¡¯t shown up, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to convince Aima.


    Citrina thought that Aima¡¯s judgement was correct.


    ¡®<i>After all, if Aima-san and the wolf are gone, the Fire n could return to the Equestrian Kingdom without any problems. There would be no need for Mia-sama to push herself any further.</i>¡¯


    So, rather, Citrina felt that she ought to support Aima¡¯s decision. That was probably the rational way of thinking, but¡­


    ¡®<i>I see. So it would be fine if Rina decided to stop Aima-san¡­ </i><i>That is because of Mia-sama¡¯s presence. For what Mia-sama is trying to do, that is the right thing¡­ So, it¡¯s okay for Rina to make apassionate decision.</i>¡¯


    Citrina felt happy to be able to stay in such a gentle and warm world. Perhaps that¡¯s why she failed to notice the presence approaching from behind. Suddenly, she was grabbed and held down.


    ¡°Mmph!?¡±


    A cloth was pressed simultaneously over her mouth and nose. As soon as she detected the sweet, dangerous scent, Citrina realised its true identity.


    ¡®<i>Ah, this is bad¡­¡¯</i>


    She iled her arms and legs in panic, but soon her body turned numb, and she lost all strength.


    ¡°Mmph¡­ mmph¡­¡±


    She struggled in vain, and finally, her knees gave way. She felt light-headed, as if she were drunk, her consciousness floating and swaying.


    ¡®<i>Bel-chan!</i>¡¯


    She tried to call out, but no sound emerged.


    ¡°Well, well, I never thought I¡¯d find a traitor in a ce like this. What a  bother. I¡¯m not good at dealing with kids.¡±


    The voice crept into her hazy thoughts like a cunning, poisonous serpent.


    ¡°Well, the Serpent Priestess is very good at using people, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll use even a traitor without wasting a single strand of hair. It would be best to carry the goods carefully to avoid any damage.¡±


    Her consciousness fading, Citrina sank into the darkness as she heard those words.


    It was like the end of a wonderful dream.

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583


    <b>Advanced Calctions: The Wisdom of Mia</b>


    Pegasus ¨C a winged horse that ruled the skies. It was a legendary creature that flew freely through the sky, and it would be no exaggeration to call it the ruler of the heavens.


    However, the meaning of ¡°Pegasus¡± actually differed slightly between the Empire and the Equestrian Kingdom.


    There was an expression called ¡°The Coming of the Winter Horse¡± that referred to the start of winter in the Equestrian Kingdom.


    In the Equestrian Kingdom, winter came in the form of a horse. This concept applied not just to winter, but also to the other seasons¡ªspring, summer, and autumn. It was believed that the seasons took the form of horses, appearing across the grasnds and galloping through them.


    So what about Pegasus¡ªthe heavenly horse? The same was true for Pegasus in the Equestrian Kingdom, where celestial phenomena were also perceived in the form of horses. Being the ruler of the heavens meant being the ¡°ruler of all celestial phenomena.¡±


    Thunder was believed to be the neigh of Pegasus, the wind was the pping of its wings, and rain was the tears it shed.


    On the second day of the horse match-up, the weather suggested that the heavenly horse Pegasus was in a bad mood.


    Jet-ck clouds covered the sky. The neigh of Pegasus reverberated far and wide, and the fervent pping of its wings generated a wild wind that swept across the grasnds below.


    ¡°The weather seems quite dreadful. It looks like it might rain at any moment.¡±


    Holding her hair that was dancing in the wind with one hand, Mia looked up at the sky.


    Mia¡¯s bad premonition soon came to pass. As soon as they left the campsite, drops of rain began to fall from the dark clouds. Fortunately, Pegasus didn¡¯t seem to be in too bad a mood yet, as the raindrops were not veryrge. It was just a light drizzle at best.


    That¡¯s just until then, though¡­


    ¡°Oh, it has started to rain after all. Oh dear¡­¡±


    Miained and pulled the hood of her fluffy suit over her head. Thanks to her fluffy suit, which also functioned as rain gear, Mia was able to withstand the rain. That level of rain was no big deal for her.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a little chilly, so I¡¯m grateful to Anne¡­¡±


    The wind blowing across the rain-soaked ground was cold, making it feel as if they had skipped autumn and jumped straight into winter.


    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ this year was a cold one¡­ Ipletely forgot.¡±


    While continuing to mutter to herself, Mia looked ahead. The scenery was blurred by the rain, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, she might lose sight of it altogether.


    ¡°Tofu, let¡¯s pick up the pace a bit. We need to close the distance with Rakuro.¡±


    Upon hearing Mia¡¯s words, Tofu snorted and quickened its pace. Mia groaned softly as they galloped across the water-soaked grasnds.


    ¡°At any rate, I hope Xiaolei-san doesn¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Almost as if in response to Mia¡¯s words, a cold wind blew, followed by the sound of Xiaolei¡¯s cute sneeze.


    ¡°Xiaolei-san, are you alright?¡±


    Mia called out as Xiaolei came into view. Xiaolei turned around with a sharp look on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to get too friendly. We¡¯re in the middle of the horse match-up right now.¡±


    Despite saying that, Xiaolei soon sniffled from the cold, and her nose turned red from rubbing it several times.


    ¡°But¡­ you look very cold.¡±


    ¡°For someone from the Equestrian Kingdom who lives on the grasnds, this is nothing.¡±


    Though she said that, her lips looked slightly blue.


    ¡°Is that so? But¡­¡±


    Mia nced at the apanying riders.


    The Equestrian Kingdom riders, who had taken over from Gouma¡¯s group the night before, all shook their heads at Mia¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°We cannot assist. Princess Mia, you¡¯ve had that outfit with you since the beginning of the match-up. Providing rain gear now would be unfair.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Ah, in that case, why don¡¯t we take shelter from the rain and light a fire? And when the rain stops¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, I won¡¯t be fooled by such words. Princess Mia, you¡¯re just saying that because you want to rest your horse. That horse must be tired from you wearing such heavy clothes the whole time!¡±


    Xiaolei nced at Mia with a defiant smile.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t insult my pride any further. Princess Mia, this is a horse match-up. It is a seriouspetition. We mustpete with everything we¡¯ve got, okay?¡±


    Xiaolei dered through clenched teeth. When Xiaolei went so far as to say that, even Mia couldn¡¯t respond. She couldn¡¯t reply, but¡­


    ¡®<i>This is turning into quite a seriouspetition. I think I need to lighten things up a bit.</i>¡¯


    Mia did not particrly like the tense atmosphere. When she lost, she wanted to be treated not as an enemy, but as arade who had survived the match-up alongside her.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m sure I could expect better treatment that way. Hmm, that means¡­</i>¡¯


    After thinking for a while, Mia eventually came to a conclusion.


    ¡®<i>Something sweet would be good!</i>¡¯


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not because I want to eat something sweet. The hotpotst night was delicious, though I thought there wasn¡¯t enough dessert. But that¡¯s definitely not the reason I thought of it. Not at all!</i>¡¯


    Rather, it was a conclusion based on careful calction that if they ate something sweet together, the atmosphere would not be one ofpetition.


    It was a conclusion that Mia¡¯s wisdom¡ªor rather her stomach¡ªhad reached through advanced calctions.


    Then, Mia called out to the female rider from the Water n who was apanying them.


    ¡°Excuse me, I would like something sweet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    The woman tilted her head in confusion at Mia¡¯s sudden request.


    ¡°No, Princess Mia. As mentioned earlier, it would be unfair for us to lend a hand only to you during the horse match-up¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, if you give it to Xiaolei-san as well, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Mia said it matter-of-factly, wearing a mischievous smile.


    ¡°You may not know this, but I¡¯m famous for being a selfish princess. This level of selfishness doesn¡¯t even count, so prepare yourself.¡±


    The woman from the Equestrian Kingdom heard Mia¡¯s words and paused to think for a moment.


    ¡®<i>Why did Princess Mia say something like this? Judging by the flow of the conversation, she is probably feeling sympathy for Xiaolei-san. So, what is the ¡°sweet thing¡± that the princess wants?</i>¡¯


    The woman quickly realised.


    In the Equestrian Kingdom, there was a drink called Arutsue. It was a sweet, hot milk-like beverage made from the leftovers of preparing kumis, or fermented mare¡¯s milk. When consumed hot, it could warm one to the core and was said to help prevent catching a cold.


    ¡®<i>I see. Princess Mia is trying to give her freezing opponent a chance to warm up. And what¡¯s more, she¡¯s doing it in a way that makes it seem like she is just pushing her own selfish desires¡­</i>¡¯


    The moment she understood that, she was deeply impressed by thepassion of the Empire¡¯s wisdom and the concern disyed even for her opponent.


    ¡°I see. I can¡¯t help but respond to the thoughtful selfishness of the foreign princess.¡±


    Following her instructions, a messenger was sent out immediately, and piping hot Arutsue was prepared at the stopover point.


    Thister became the origin of the proverb from the Equestrian Kingdom: ¡°Send hot Arutsue to your enemy.¡±


    Anyway, the horse match-up was finally reaching its climax.

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584


    <b>Xiaolei¡¯s Pride</b>


    As Mia and her group marched across the dimly lit grasnds, they caught sight of a faint glow from an open fire.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Xiaolei initially looked puzzled, but then, as if she had realised something, she turned to look at Mia. However, Mia feigned ignorance and urged her horse forward, heading towards the fire.


    Xiaolei, who was about to ignore the fire and move on, reluctantly followed Mia, urged by the riders surrounding her.


    As soon as they dismounted, they were given steaming containers. Inside was a milky white liquid, emanating a wonderfully sweet aroma.


    Mia held the container with both hands and blew on it gently. Every time the hot steam touched her cheeks, she felt the stiffness in her body disappear like melting ice. She blew on it again and then took a sip.


    ¡®<i>Ah, this is wonderful¡­ the perfect drink.</i>¡¯


    The thick, hot liquid rolled over her tongue. It had a texture simr to a soup made with beaten eggs, but the vour that hit her pte was a rich, sweet taste like honey.


    As the heat travelled down her throat and reached her stomach, it gradually warmed her body. Mia sighed contentedly, ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    ¡®<i>I see. Not only did they prepare a sweet drink, but it can also warm the body. What a wonderful and considerate thought¡ªjust what one would expect from the people of the Equestrian Kingdom.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­¡±


    When Mia nced over, she saw Xiaolei gripping her steaming container with both hands and directing a look of deep dissatisfaction at her.


    Mia feigned ignorance and said, ¡°To avoid any misunderstanding, let me exin. I asked for this drink purely because I wanted to have it myself. ording to the fairness rules, I couldn¡¯t have it unless I provided it for you as well. That¡¯s why I had the same drink prepared for Xiaolei-san.¡± She dered nonchntly.


    Xiaolei stared intently at Mia¡¯s face before finally bursting intoughter.


    ¡°Princess Mia, you truly are a very kind person.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not quite it, because¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand now. Your actions reflect your words. The horse match-up is not a battle where we aim swords at each other. Once a conclusion has been reached, we must cooperate. You showed consideration and ensured there would be no regrets or hard feelings.¡±


    Then Xiaolei looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them repeatedly.


    ¡°It would be dangerous to continue riding while my body is in this cold state. If my hands get numb, holding onto the reins will be difficult, and I might end up falling off Rakuro. If I get injured, I won¡¯t be able to resolve the horse match-up properly.¡±


    Xiaolei dered with a confident and smug look on her face.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t Mia¡¯s intention. However, it seemed like it would create a better atmosphere if she left it as it was, so she decided to go along with it. Mia, the flexible jellyfish, knew the folly of going against the tide.


    Xiaolei then took a sip of the Arutsue.


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s so sweet and delicious.¡±


    She sighed softly, then turned towards Mia with a somewhat relieved look on her face, indicating that she had ovee all her doubts.


    ¡°Princess Mia, the horse match-up is an important ceremony. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t be going easy on you.¡±


    Xiaolei¡¯s expression turned serious. With a very dignified look on her face, she said, ¡°Therefore, to face the horse match-up with everything I¡¯ve got, I will warm myself up by the fire. It would be quite dangerous to continue riding in this state.¡±


    ¡°Oh, in that case, I will too¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if Princess Mia goes ahead, okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I am doing this because I believe it is the best course of action for me to win. I want Princess Mia to also do what¡¯s best for her to win.¡±


    She then gave a determined smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Rakuro is the finest of horses. I will catch up to you soon¡ªdefinitely before the final slope. So be prepared, okay?¡±


    From her tone, Mia could guess what she meant.


    ¡®<i>I see, she¡¯s doing this because she doesn¡¯t want to owe me any debt.</i>¡¯


    Yes, that was definitely Xiaolei¡¯s way of handling things without any hard feelings.


    Mia acknowledged Xiaolei¡¯s pride with a nod.


    ¡°I understand. Well then, I look forward to it. I¡¯ll be heading off now.¡±


    With that, she leaped onto Tofu and galloped away.


    ¡®<i>Well, in any case, I¡¯ve managed to get on good terms with Xiaolei-san. So, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem even if I lose. Now I can lose without any worries¡­</i>¡¯


    For a while, Mia continued forward with a smile on her face, following Tofu¡¯s rhythm¡­


    ¡®<i>Huh? Lose?</i>¡¯


    Suddenly, Mia had a jolt of realisation. It hit her abruptly.


    Mia looked back and noticed that Xiaolei wasn¡¯t following. The gap between them was widening rapidly.


    ¡®<i>Oh my! Perhaps this is my chance?</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Mia realised the possibility of a brilliant and glorious victory. What shed through her mind were the faces of her attendants, who had no doubt about her victory and cheered her on withplete faith.


    ¡®<i>In this situation where victory is clearly within sight, if I be a coward and give up, it could lead to future misfortune¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°Well, we have no choice but to aim for victory, Tofu!¡±


    Mia saw the opportunity to ride the wave and her voice was filled with energy.


    She gripped the reins tightly and stroked Tofu¡¯s neck. As if responding to her words, Tofu neighed!


    And then?


    Tofu continued to gallop at its usual speed. After all, Tofu was a horse that always did things at its own pace.

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585


    <b>The Absurd Theory of a Certain Chief Spreads like Wildfire</b>


    After parting ways with Xiaolei, Mia single-mindedly focused on her goal. She never looked back, her eyes fixed resolutely ahead.


    The rain continued to pour. It was no longer rain but had turned into something like half-frozen sleet. However, that level of cold was no match for the winter-proof outfit Mia wore.


    Meanwhile, at the resting area, the riders changing shifts were also dressed in simr winter gear. Among them was Moku Gouma, the leader of the guards from the other day.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Was she wearing those clothes as preparation for this?¡±


    Muttering with deep emotion, Gouma recalled the question that had been bothering him since earlier.


    ¡®<i>Why did she wear those heavy winter clothes? The answer was clear now. </i><i>Wearing those clothes would allow her to move forward without difficulty, even in the cold rain.</i> <i>However, the problem was that no one had expected the weather to turn out like this as of yesterday. Who could have predicted that the weather would suddenly be so severe and cold at this time of year?</i>¡¯


    ¡°I see. It seems that Princess Mia is quite skilled at surmising the mood of Pegasus.¡±


    A member of another n riding alongside made a joke, but Gouma quietly shook his head in response.


    ¡®<i>The current situation certainly made it seem like Mia had perfectly predicted the weather change and taken advantage of it. But was that really the case? </i><i>In the midst of a match-up that she had no chance of winning, the weather coincidentally took a turn for the worse. Just by chance, did she predict the situation and take advantage of it? Was it possible for such a series of coincidences to ur simultaneously? Rather, this was¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s almost as if she persuaded Pegasus to cause the bad weather.¡±


    Giving orders to the heavenly Pegasus, who controlled all celestial phenomena, was an absurd theory voiced by the Chief of the Wood n.


    However, the ridiculous theory quickly spread among the surrounding riders of the Equestrian Kingdom, and surprisingly, it caught on!


    Amongst them, this conjecture suddenly made sense.


    ¡°The princess whomands the Pegasus¡­¡±


    Muttering such strange things, they turned their gazes to Mia as if they were in a trance.


    Mia was drawing awe-filled gazes. However, she remainedpletely unaware and concentrated solely on matching the rhythmic ¡°tatta tatta¡± of Tofu¡¯s hoofbeats.


    ¡°Hmm. Well, I guess it¡¯s not a bad pace. Yeah¡­¡±


    While muttering to herself, Mia single-mindedly focussed ahead with no distractions.


    To be fair, that was only until halfway.


    ¡°Hey, Tofu, if we win, I¡¯ll prepare some delicious vegetable cake and other treats for you. What do you think¡­?¡±


    Mia tried to cajole Tofu, but she eventually gave up.


    Incidentally, when the riders of the Equestrian Kingdom saw her talking to her horse, they were very impressed and admired her effort to show appreciation to the horse during the most difficult time of match-up! But, well, that did not matter.


    Mia knew that what was impossible remained impossible. It was a lesson she had thoroughly learned from her experiences. Something that didn¡¯t exist, simply didn¡¯t exist, no matter how strongly shemanded.


    With the authority vested in her as the Princess of the Empire, even if she issued strongly worded orders or acted selfishly, impossible things remained impossible¡ªwhether it was food, money, or anything else. What did not exist simply did not exist. The same applied to running speed. Even if told to run faster, if it was impossible, it remained impossible.


    ¡°To begin with, I am a novice when ites to racing, so all I can do is ce my trust in Tofu.¡±


    Thus, Mia entrusted herself to Tofu. All she could do was ride with a calm heart, like a jellyfish drifting in the sea.


    ¡°Moreover, if you suddenly try doing something you¡¯re not used to, you¡¯ll just end up failing. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    ¡®<i>If a revolution were to break out, it would be impossible to suddenly ride a horse just because I wished to escape quickly. That¡¯s why I learned to ride in advance and why I¡¯m undertaking this long ride as a form of training. In an emergency, the only things you can rely on are those that you have repeatedly practised and ingrained into your body.</i>¡¯


    ¡°This is the same. Just because I think victory is in sight doesn¡¯t mean I can let down my guard or be impatient. I need to leave it to Tofu, just like I have until now.¡±


    And so, taking breaks at a few water sources, Mia continued on. As she grew bored, she counted Tofu¡¯s steps and kept on going, over and over again. Mia wondered how much time had passed. Sensing the sunlight above, she looked up at the sky. At some point, the rain had stopped, the dark clouds had parted, revealing patches of blue sky from which warm sunlight streamed. Then, she saw a hill standing tall, illuminated by the sunlight.


    ¡°That hill¡­ Could it be?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The rock at the top of that hill is the goal,¡± a rider beside her exined.


    ¡°Ah, I finally made it. It¡¯s been a long journey.¡±


    ¡°Princess Mia!¡±


    At that moment, a sharp voice echoed from far behind and reached Mia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°You¡¯vee, Xiaolei-san.¡±


    Mia turned to look back and saw Xiaolei and Rakuro catching up, charging towards her. With her face dirty from sshed mud, Xiaolei wore a defiant grin. Seeing the now-determined Xiaolei, free from doubt and worry, Mia¡¯s fighting spirit was ignited.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose either!¡±


    With that deration, Mia quickly shed her fluffy suit, now heavy from absorbing water.


    Feeling lighter, Mia gantly called out, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tofu!¡±


    She struck a cool pose as she urged Tofu forward.


    ¡®<i>But, to be honest, I didn¡¯t expect much. As usual, Tofu maintained his leisurely pace. I thought we couldn¡¯t possibly outrun them if Rakuro galloped at full speed¡­ But then, Tofu neighed and suddenly elerated!</i>¡¯


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Having freed herself from the weight, Mia was almost blown backward. But she quickly steadied herself, bracing her feet and maintaining her posture.


    ¡°W-What, why are you suddenly so fast?¡±


    Despite her words, she leaned forward.


    The final battle over the hill had begun!

 Chapter 586

    Chapter 586


    <b>The Crowd Went Wild at the Valiant Princess¡¯s Roar</b>


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    Tofu kicked the ground.


    <i>Whoosh, whoosh.</i>


    The wall of wind was sliced through.


    Amidst the swirl of loud and enthusiastic cheers from the crowd of spectators, Mia single-mindedly marched forward.


    Squinting against the intense wind pressure, Mia focused intently on the road ahead. The path to the finish line at Stargrass Rock was steep and winding. Without hesitation, Tofu headed up the slope towards the final stage of the horse match-up.


    <i>Gun Gung Gun.</i>


    The high speed caused Mia to involuntarily release the reins and raise her hands high into the air, as if grasping for the heavens.


    ¡°Hiiyaaa!¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s roar, the crowd lining both sides of the path erupted in a thunderous cheer, ¡°Wooooh!¡±


    In reality, what had seemed like a roar to them was actually a scream let out in fear of nearly falling off.


    Nevertheless, the crowd¡¯s excitement continued to grow as Mia fearlessly galloped up the slope. After all, this was clearly an unexpected upset.


    No matter what anyone thought, they definitely found it odd that Rakuro wasn¡¯t the first to arrive. Everyone expected to see Xiaolei, but unexpectedly, the one they saw was the foreign princess.


    Moreover, she had traversed a rough path and reached close to the finish line with unexpected speed, despite the stormy weather.


    The princess let out a roar as sheunched into the final sprint.


    The crowd was swept up in the excitement!


    To top it off, the rival was charging after her with fierce determination.


    The crowd buzzed with anticipation!


    Amidst the thunderous cheers, Tofu ran with all its heart and soul. With the goal post in sight and the weight on its back lighter, Tofu seemed to break free, elerating and galloping even faster.


    <i>Thud, thud!</i>


    The sound of the hooves striking the earth grew louder as Tofu increased its speed and Mia struggled to match its rhythm.


    ¡°Ah, Tofu, you¡¯re suddenly very motivated.¡±


    Even for Mia, who had ridden the swift horse Kun, Tofu¡¯s eleration was astounding.


    Although the slope was quite steep, Tofu did not slow down at all. Seeing its powerful, springing legs and supple, vibrant neck, Mia felt a surge of confidence.


    ¡°Well, this is good. I¡¯ve gotten used to your speed. So let¡¯s keep going, Tofu!¡±


    At Mia¡¯s words, Tofu neighed in response.


    However, the sound of hoofbeats grew closer from behind. Rakuro, sshing through the muddy path left by the rain, continued to gain on them.


    At the start of the slope, the difference between them was about five horse lengths.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally caught up with you, okay!¡±


    Xiaolei said, her nose covered in mud, as she smiled at Mia.


    The prim and properdylike persona, dressed in an enchantingly beautiful and well-tailored riding suit from before their departure, had vanished, reced by a kid who simply loved horses. She looked like a pure horse maniac, riding at high speed and thoroughly enjoying the race.


    ¡°Now, let the fight begin, okay!¡±


    Xiaolei dered, as she wiped the mud off her cheeks.


    Her innocent and joyful smile filled Mia with confidence about her victory.


    Victory¡ªmeaning losing under the best possible conditions. That had been Mia¡¯s original n.


    Since she had achieved her original goal, Mia felt at ease. Now she could rx and embrace the challenge.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose, Xiaolei-san!¡±


    After all, Mia didn¡¯t particrly like losing.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not a bad idea to enjoy a challenge for its own sake once in a while.</i>¡¯


    Her fighting spirit was ignited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s win, celebrate with some delicious mushroom hotpot, and raise a toast with Arutsue!¡±


    By the way, regarding Mia¡¯s other, more important goal¡ªgetting slim through some good exercise¡ªwell, that goal had conveniently slipped her mind. Escaping from being chubby wasn¡¯t so easy.


    Well, setting that aside¡­


    Sensing Rakuro¡¯s approach, Tofu¡¯s ears twitched, but its eyes remained fixed solely ahead. The hill slope was wet with rain, leaving no room for distractions. Sound and steady, Tofu galloped with unwavering focus on the goal.


    Thus, the two horses charged up the slope. Even as it climbed up the slope, Tofu¡¯s legs did not lose any of their strength. As expected, while Rakuro slowed down, Tofu¡¯s speed remained almost unchanged. It seemed unaffected by gravity, practically flying up the hill.


    As a result, the gap between Rakuro, the swift horse, and Tofu, the workhorse, did not narrow significantly and was now about four horse lengths.


    That was the true power of the Empire¡¯s Terre Tortue horse.


    Whether navigating muddy and slushy terrain after the rains, climbing a mountain trail with falling rocks, or handling any kind of tough terrain¡ªuphill or downhill¡ªits strong, tenacious legs moved over or through obstacles without hesitation. In the face of any difficult situation, it responded with unwavering grit and maintained its usual pace.


    Tofu was a horse that truly lived up to its reputation as a workhorse, the pride and joy of the Empire.


    Never overtaken by Rakuro, Mia finally reached thest stretch. She looked up at the steep slope stretching into the sky and the goal at the summit.


    Arge rainbow coloured the sky, as if blessing the victor of the horse match-up.

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587


    <b>Conclusion</b>


    Mia was the first to enter the final stretch, but Rakuro quickly followed. The gap between them continued to narrow steadily.


    ¡®<i>As expected, Rakuro is quite fast and incredibly tenacious.</i>¡¯


    If Mia had been running on her own two legs, she would have given up as soon as she started climbing the slope.


    <i>Hu, hu.</i>


    It was the sound of Rakuro¡¯s breathing. Feeling its hot breath close behind her caused Mia to groan in frustration.


    Mia was in a position where it would be fine even if she lost. That said, the sensation of someone chasing after her was not particrly pleasant.


    Furthermore, Rakuro did not stop there. After creating some distance between them, it surged forward as if it had suddenly grownrger, nearly lining up with Mia side by side.


    ¡°Damn! Not yet. I won¡¯t lose just yet. Just a little more to go!¡±


    Mia opened her mouth, intending to say something encouraging to Tofu.


    ¡°Tofuuu¨C-hiyaaah!¡±


    At that exact moment, Tofu elerated! Once again, Mia let out a shriek that sounded like a battle cry to the spectators.


    The crowd grew even more excited after witnessing Mia¡¯s spirited scream.


    After all, it was perfect timing. It was a crucial moment in the race. Even for the people of the Equestrian Kingdom, who had discerning eyes, and had witnessed many horse races, it was a watershed moment.


    After racing a long distance and finally catching up, just as Rakuro was about to overtake, Tofu elerated. It was an eleration that could break the opponent¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°Princess Mia looks valiant, letting out a war cry at this crucial moment. As expected, she is no ordinary person.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising to the crowd that someone in Gouma¡¯s group muttered something like that.


    ¡°Not yet! Rakuro!¡±


    Xiaolei also shouted to rally Rakuro and counter Mia. In response, Rakuro elerated and chased after Tofu with all its might.


    ¡°Absolutely never! I won¡¯t lose!¡±


    Encouraged by Xiaolei¡¯s passionate words, Rakuro surged forward, gradually closing the distance again until its snout edged ahead of Tofu. Not to be outdone, Tofu quickened its pace. It was a close battle of overtaking and being overtaken. Their skills were evenly matched and so was their fighting spirit. In such an intense race, where both sides refused to give an inch, it was often the tiniest factors that ended up deciding the oue.


    Then, a tiny factor that could decide the oue came into y quietly. It was the wind¡ªa breeze blowing down from the hill. The cold wind, which had been blowing since morning, changed direction to blow directly at Mia and the others.


    It seemed like a spiteful wind, trying to strike down the challengers who dared to defy the heavens.


    shing head-on with that fierce gust of wind was another low wind, climbing up the slope as if it were gliding.


    The horse named ¡®East Wind,¡¯ also known as ¡®Tofu,¡¯ resolutely charged up the hill, undeterred by the headwind.


    Like a spring breeze carrying the season, its running was powerful and carefree. It moved weightlessly and lightly, almost as if it had wings on its back like the heavenly Pegasus.


    Mia instinctively hid her face from the strong wind hitting her.


    ¡°Tofu, I¡¯m counting on you! Charge forward!¡±


    In response to Mia¡¯s instructions, Tofu gave a conspicuously loud neigh and, with the same intensity and vigour, surged across the finish line!


    There was a moment of silence, and then the crowd immediately erupted in loud cheers!


    When Mia reflexively looked up, Rakuro and Xiaolei were no longer beside her. She turned around in panic and saw Xiaolei and the othersing inte.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I lost¡­ right?¡±


    When she saw Xiaolei muttering in an exhausted and dazed state, Mia almost breathed a sigh of relief¡ªuntil something unexpected urred at that very moment!


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    A strong gust of wind blew, causing Xiaolei¡¯s body to tilt backward.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Just when everything seemed to be over, a tiny crack appeared in her resolve. The cold wind,bined with the two-day journey, had worn Xiaolei down more than she had realised.


    ¡°Xiaolei-san!¡±


    Mia hastily reached out her hand, but, naturally, she couldn¡¯t reach Xiaolei¡­


    Blown away by the strong gust of wind, Xiaolei¡¯s body arched backward, and she was about to fall headfirst to the ground¡­ but at that moment!


    ¡°I won¡¯t let any misfortune tarnish the victory of my friend, Princess Mia.¡±


    Immediately after that dignified voice, a grey shadow leaped into the air, grabbed Xiaolei by the cor in its mouth, and set her down in a perfectnding. It was arge wolf. Xiaolei fell to the ground and stared at the beast before her with wide, saucer-like eyes.


    ¡°Huh¡­ w-w-wolf¡­?¡±


    Her face turned blue in an instant. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom panicked and tried to rush over to Xiaolei, but¡­


    ¡°Y-You just¡­saved me now¡­right?¡±


    Although she was trembling, Xiaolei looked at the wolf and then at the approaching girl, Ka Aima.


    ¡°If you, her rival, were to be injured, Princess Mia would not be able to truly enjoy her victory. As her friend, I could not ignore it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Umm, Aima-san, is it okay to pet this wolf?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It won¡¯t bite. I think.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Huh? You think?¡±


    As Xiaolei jumped up in surprise, Aimaughed brightly.


    ¡°Hahaha. I was just joking. It won¡¯t bite unless I give an order.¡±


    ¡°Your joke isn¡¯t much of a joke. It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    Xiaolei sighed deeply, exhausted, and then stroked the wolf¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me, okay.¡±


    In response, the wolf turned its face away as if it had nothing to do with it, and yawned indifferently.


    Thus, the horse match-up finally concluded.


    What would the <i>East Wind,</i> blown by the Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Wisdom of the Empire, bring to the Equestrian Kingdom?


    No one knew the answer yet.

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588


    <b>Soaring on the Wings of Delusion!</b>


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Thank goodness. I was worried for a moment.¡±


    San Fuuma breathed a deep sigh of relief as Aima helped his beloved daughter, Xiaolei, to her feet.


    ¡°Well, well, it turned out to be quite the horse match-up, Lord Fuuma.¡±


    The one who spoke to Fuuma in a casual tone was none other than Kouma, the eldest of all n Chiefs, who had been watching the oue of the horse match-up.


    ¡°Honestly, who could have predicted this? Rain, cold winds¡­ There were so many unexpected things during the match-up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed¡­¡±


    It was Gouma who responded instead of Fuuma, who appeared to be lost in deep thought.


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t rained, Princess Mia wouldn¡¯t have won. Rakuro is an exceptional horse, but this was the oue.¡±


    As one of the apanying riders who had witnessed the race up close, Gouma shared his delusional conjectures, all the while wearing a know-it-all expression on his face.


    ¡°This victory is the result of Princess Mia¡¯s meticulous calctions. It all began on the first day, starting with guiding the race to the unfamiliar riverbank.¡±


    If it had been a normal race on the t ins, Mia would have been at an overwhelming disadvantage. However, on a riverbed, while skilled riding was necessary, Tofu would have had an advantage over the sheltered Rakuro.


    ¡°Xiaolei thought she had the advantage over the terrain, but she was mistaken. At that moment, Princess Mia appeared to be thoroughly enjoying herself, with the joyful, innocent expression of a child whose n had seeded.¡±


    Horse races were all about strategy¡ªsuppressing the opponent¡¯s strengths and utilising the skills of your own horse. It also involved gauging and anticipating each other¡¯s moves. There was no one in the Equestrian Kingdom who did not know the joy of sessfully executing their strategy.


    ¡°Due to the setback at the riverbank, Xiaolei lost herposure and misjudged the strengths of the Empire¡¯s horse, falling for the provocation. Although it wasn¡¯t a swift horse, it was definitely strong. It could probably survive even if its own herd were attacked. Tough and tenacious, it could endure even if it wasn¡¯t the fastest. Horses like that could run anywhere.¡±


    After giving his analysis of Tofu with a know-it-all air, Gouma spoke with a serious expression.


    ¡°But even so, the gap between the two horses wouldn¡¯t have closed if it hadn¡¯t rained on the second day¡­¡±


    The rain had chilled Xiaolei to the point where she was unable to continue riding, while Mia, on the other hand, was well prepared.


    Perhaps the characteristics of the horse also yed a part. Tofu moved well, remaining unaffected even in the cold.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡¯s riding style was also consistent, never reckless. She understood the horse¡¯s traits well and conserved its strength until the final hill.¡±


    <i>Was that the case?</i>


    ¡°Climbing the rain-soaked hill would consume a lot of energy. Anticipating this, she encouraged the horse to progress steadily.¡±


    <i>Was that really the case?</i>


    ¡°On the other hand, Rakuro strained to close the gap. Exhausted from overextending itself, it lost momentum and began to falter in the final stretch. If Rakuro had been in optimal condition, things might have turned out differently.¡±


    Perhaps, if the final hill hadn¡¯t been muddy but had been a normal, easy path¡­


    Alternatively, if Xiaolei had not been reckless on the first day and had conserved Rakuro¡¯s strength¡­


    Or if she hadn¡¯t gotten wet and had not needed to warm herself by the fire¡­


    Among these many hypothetical scenarios, even if just one had been realised, the oue might have been different.


    A two-day match-up with a series of unfavourable elements ended up depleting Rakuro¡¯s running power.


    In contrast, Tofu had maintained its own pace throughout the two-day period, conserving its stamina to handle any situation, right up to the final stretch. This directly influenced the oue of the match-up.


    ¡°I see. So Princess Mia anticipated everything, including the weather, and chose her horse ordingly. The rumour that she could converse with the heavenly Pegasus might not be entirely false after all.¡±


    Mayun seemed impressed.


    ¡°Perhaps she can convince Pegasus to change the weather.¡±


    Gouma said something quite oundish with a serious expression.


    ¡°The Pegasus Princess from a foreignnd bringing us harmony¡­¡±


    Wind n Chief Kouma, the eldest of all the chiefs and supposed to be the most sensible, also ended up falling for the preposterous theory.


    Surprised by this usible-sounding statement, Mayun asked a question.


    ¡°Is there such a legend?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the past. But perhaps in a hundred years, such a legend might exist.¡±


    Kouma said with a serene smile on his face, looking genuinely amused.


    ¡°Well, in any case, even the unexpected rain might be part of what Princess Mia wanted to convey.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Elder Kouma?¡±


    As Gouma tilted his head in confusion, Kouma exined with a calm expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? The Princess was reproaching us, the people of the Equestrian Kingdom, for the arrogance we¡¯ve fallen into. There are no social rankings for horses. The oue of the match-up proved the Princess¡¯s point, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Kouma squinted as if he were looking at something dazzling, gazing into the distance at Mia¡¯s horse.


    ¡°We consider the swift Moonhares to be precious. However, in reality, all horses are treasures bestowed upon us by the heavens. Isn¡¯t it presumptuous to rank them in terms of superiority?¡±


    ¡°Horses have no social ranks¨Chigh or low¡­ huh?¡±


    Fuuma muttered in confusion with a serious expression, and Kouma spoke to him.


    ¡°Moonhares have their own strengths, and so do the Empire¡¯s horses. Each has different traits, and neither is superior or inferior to the other. I believe Princess Mia wanted to convey that, in certain situations, the Empire¡¯s horse might yield better results. She seems to be telling us that it is arrogant to evaluate the worth of horses based on our own value standards.¡±


    And then he gently closed his eyes.


    ¡°Also¡­ I think she wanted to point out our prejudice and bias in refusing to acknowledge and ept the Fire n that uses wolves.¡±


    He let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Elder Kouma, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®We cannot walk the same path as those who use wolves¡¯ ¡ª is that really absolute? Does our value system firmly insist that we abide by this rule, even at the cost of discarding our blood ties and abandoning our own brothers?¡±


    Elder Kouma¡¯s self-questioning was quiet yet incisive.


    ¡°Are you saying that Princess Mia wasn¡¯t trying to convince us using only the result of the match-up?¡±


    Upon hearing Mayun¡¯s question, Gouma, who had observed Mia¡¯s riding up close more than anyone else, nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s certainly true. After all, we¡¯re talking about Princess Mia, who is very knowledgeable about horses. If her only goal had been victory, she wouldn¡¯t have needed to go through so much trouble. She deliberately chose a strong and sturdy horse from the Empire capable of handling difficult terrain and rode in a way that showcased its abilities.¡±


    Gouma, who had seen Mia¡¯s riding up close more than anyone else, attested to it.


    ¡°It was, without a doubt, exceptional riding by someone who is both wise and possesses a thorough knowledge of horses.¡±


    Gouma, despite having seen Mia¡¯s riding up close more than anyone else, dered it without doubt!


    ¡°However, if it had not rained, her n would have failed, right?¡±


    Even when Mayun raised a very reasonable objection, Gouma shook his head confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said the Princess asked Pegasus to make it rain.¡±


    ¡°Asked Pegasus?¡±


    The rumour that Mia was the Pegasus Princess was unexpectedly bing more and more usible to them! It was quite absurd!


    ¡°The princess whomands the heavenly Pegasus¡­ the Pegasus Princess?¡±


    What came to everyone¡¯s mind was that final battle up the hill: the image of Mia and her horse steadily climbing the steep slope, almost as if her horse had sprouted wings¡ªas if she was riding the heavenly Pegasus.


    ¡°The Princess from a foreignnd whomands the heavenly Pegasus¡­ I see, you might be right.¡±


    Thus, even the supposedly level-headed Mayun was carried away by the delusional yet delightful fantasy.


    And so, the renowned n Chiefs of the Equestrian Kingdom, simple-mindedly soared on the wings of their delusional fantasy.

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589


    <b>Long-Awaited Personal Connections</b>


    After safelypleting the horse match-up, Mia dismounted and was approached by someone just as shended.


    ¡°Princess Mia, that was a splendid horse match-up.¡±


    It was San Fuuma, the Mountain n Chief.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Chief Fuuma.¡±


    Mia blinked, looking a little taken aback by the straightforwardpliment. Fuuma smiled wryly, seemingly understanding her reaction.


    He himself had not expected to feel so light hearted.


    ¡®<i>I always thought I would choose death over giving up Rakuro, but to think I would be okay with it¡­</i>¡¯


    As he quietly closed his eyes, a certain scene came to mind: a picture of his daughters having fun.


    At first, he was displeased to see Rakuro¡¯s coat getting dirty in the mud. Then, his anger grew as he watched her running around, despite the care he had taken to raise her and maintain her beautiful coat.


    However, seeing Xiaolei riding Rakuro with such joy and Rakuro racing vibrantly across the ins, looking so lively, a certain feeling began to blossom in Fuuma¡¯s heart. It was¡­


    ¡®<i>I want to ride a horse too! Right now!</i>¡¯


    That¡¯s what it was!


    Of course, it was natural that seeing his own daughter, Xiaolei, happily riding a horse, and his adopted daughter, Rakuro, joyfully running with Xiaolei on her back, had touched his heart. But what welled up even more were the emotions he felt as a citizen of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    ¡®<i>I also want to ride a horse and have a thrillingpetition like that. How long has it been since Ist experienced the joy of riding a horse? It doesn¡¯t really matter if the horse is fast or slow. Just riding a horse without a care, any horse at all, would make my heart race and fill me with joy. I can¡¯t believe I had forgotten such a simple and obvious pleasure.</i> <i>I too want to experience a blood-pumping, exciting horse race like that¡ªsomething that pushes me to my limits.</i>¡¯


    The pure and genuine sportsmanship of thepetition between Mia and Xiaolei had rekindled those feelings in Fuuma¡¯s heart.


    It was the impulse he had felt as a child: to ride endlessly, far and wide, with a horse¡ªfaster than the birds, faster than the wind.


    Suppressing his urge to ride a horse immediately, Fuuma bowed deeply to Mia. It was a gesture of heartfelt gratitude to his benefactor, who had reminded him of the joys of life he had long forgotten.


    ¡°It¡¯s painful, but it seems that you are the most suitable rider for a swift horse like Rakuro, Princess Mia. I will gracefully yield Rakuro to you.¡±


    Fuuma spoke, feeling somewhat refreshed.


    ¡®<i>Ah, it¡¯s the agreement we made.</i>¡¯


    Mia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, flustered by Fuuma¡¯smendable attitude, but she quickly discerned his true intention¡ªor at least she thought she did.


    ¡®<i>I see. Fuuma-san is thinking the same thing as me.</i>¡¯


    Once the horse match-up waspleted, it was time to set asidepetition and disy sportsmanship. It was best for both sides to harbour no hard feelings for the sake of the future. Fuuma was appealing to this sentiment to avoid letting go of Rakuro. That was how Mia interpreted his intentions.


    People have a set of sses in their hearts that shape how they view others through the lens of their own values.


    ¡®<i>Even if I took Rakuro now, it might lead to future misfortune. It¡¯s best to refrain from epting his offer and instead have him owe me a favour.</i>¡¯


    After doing some quick mental calctions, Mia gave a gentle smile.


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of that agreement. If requested, the loser must give up their horse. However, if I, as the rival opponent, do not ask for it¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that mean ¡­ you have no use for my Rakuro?¡±


    Fuuma¡¯s voice suddenly dropped to a low tone. When Mia looked up, she saw that his expression had drastically changed, and he was ring at her.


    ¡®<i>Ah, this is going to be troublesome! If I ept Rakuro, he will hold a grudge against me for taking his horse. If I don¡¯t, he will still hold a grudge for refusing his offer.</i>¡¯


    Mia felt trapped in a no-win situation and was at her wit¡¯s end.


    To begin with, Mia did not particrly want Rakuro. If she needed to flee, she could borrow Kun. Tofu had also proven to be dependable. There was no need to take Rakuro and risk breeding resentment.


    Mia¡¯s preferred horse types were egotistical, oresama-types or reliable older brother, oniisan-types!


    Rakuro was more of a youngdy, ojou-sama-type, and didn¡¯t seem particrly reliable to Mia.


    ¡®<i>I have a feeling that if I ride her without putting in thought, she probably won¡¯t help me escape properly. </i><i>However, if I refuse her now, it might seem like I am not acknowledging the horse¡¯s value. And that would upset him. </i><i>This has be a rather bothersome situation and puts me in a tough spot. </i><i>I cannot say I¡¯m not interested simply because I don¡¯t ride horses, especially now that I¡¯ve proven myself to be an excellent horse rider, on par with even the best riders of the Equestrian Kingdom.</i>¡¯


    Mia, the founder of the jellyfish-style horse riding technique, was getting a little too carried away.


    She carefully thought about how to decline his offer without hurting his pride.


    ¡®<i>Basically, I need to express that I really want Rakuro but still decline firmly. Hmm¡­ In that case¡­</i>¡¯


    After a moment of consideration, Mia spoke.


    ¡°There is no doubt that Rakuro is a wonderful horse. I understand this better than anyone, havingpeted against her.¡±


    ¡®<i>First came the ttery. That was basic. And on top of that,</i>¡¯


    ¡°However, that excellence is possible only with Xiaolei-san riding her. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡®<i>Add a good reason for the refusal.</i>¡¯


    Rakuro¡¯s excellence was the result of the ¡®unity between the rider and the horse¡¯. Thus, Mia argued that its effectiveness would be halved the moment it came into her hands.


    Mia skilfully intertwined cunning and ttery to refuse the offer.


    Fuuma¡¯s eyes widened in shock!


    ¡°What? You mean, you want me to give up Xiaolei as well, along with Rakuro?¡±


    Fuuma said something preposterous, and Xiaolei quietly nodded in response.


    ¡°Father, I alsopeted against Princess Mia. As someone who was defeated, I have no right to say otherwise. If Princess Mia desires it, I will humbly¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bothpletely wrong! I am the Princess of the Tearmoon Empire. I would never say something like that, as if I were some ve trader!¡±


    Mia denied it with lightning speed, so fast it seemed she had transcended time itself, much like the legendary Princess Mia.


    ¡®<i>What are they saying, this father-daughter duo!</i>¡¯


    Mia looked around nervously, keen to avoid giving Saint Rafina the impression that she was casually discussing the purchase of ves.


    ¡®<i>That would definitely be myst remark before the guillotine squad came after me.</i>¡¯


    However, surprisingly, Rafina was nowhere to be seen. Strangely, neither were Ludwig, Anne or Bel.


    ¡®<i>I wonder what happened.</i>¡¯


    Mia shook her head, choosing to focus on the problem at hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Chief Fuuma. I was deeply moved by the bond between Xiaolei-san and Rakuro. I also believe I have built a bond with Tofu. Perhaps not to the same extent as all of you, but I understand the significance of the bond between a rider and their horse.¡±


    A group of riders who had apanied Mia on the second day of the match-up became deeply emotional and nodded in agreement at her statement.


    They were the ones who had witnessed Mia frantically speaking to Tofu, offering it vegetable cakes and other treats to get it to run faster, and had been deeply moved by the sight.


    ¡°Princess Mia, you are too modest. We have seen how you encouraged and cared for your tired horse. No one can deny the strong bond that you¡®ve formed with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡±


    For a moment, Mia wondered, ¡®<i>What on earth are they talking about?</i>¡¯


    But she decided to go along with it, nodded, cleared her throat, and continued.


    ¡°Well, in any case, that bond is very precious. People and their horses are inseparable. The bond between a rider and their beloved horse should never be severed by anyone. That is what I believe. That is why¡­¡±


    At that point, Mia looked around and noticed that many people from the Equestrian Kingdom had gathered around her, listening intently. All of them looked at her with kind and gentle eyes, like those of a horse.


    ¡®<i>Right now¡­ I feel like no matter what I say, they¡¯ll listen to me!</i>¡¯


    Mia took a step forward.


    ¡°What I seek is not to break apart the existing bonds, but to create new ones.¡±


    Mia looked towards Xiaolei.


    ¡°I seek wonderful friends who will help me in times of trouble.¡±


    What Mia sought was slightly different from a formal alliance. While she understood the necessity of forming alliances based on mutual interests, she found it honestly too tiresome to use her brain for such strategies.


    ¡®<i>I want to leave those kinds of matters for Ludwig to handle</i>.¡¯


    Mia was looking for something a little more convenient: pure friendship, free fromplicated interests.


    ¡®<i>Now that I think of it, the southern capital of the Equestrian Kingdom is an </i><i>excellent location. Should something happen in the Tearmoon Empire, it would be an ideal ce to stop by on my escape route. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom also seem reliable, so I need to establish friendly rtions here at all costs.</i>¡¯


    Mia then looked at Xiaolei.


    ¡°So, Xiaolei-san, if you don¡¯t mind, would you be my friend?¡±


    Xiaolei let out a small gasp and then nodded in agreement.


    Thus, Mia gained some long-awaited connections. In the Equestrian Kingdom, known for its skilled cavalry, she established personal ties that could influence the Remno Kingdom, located towards the south east.

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590


    <b>Princess Mia Asserts Her Case</b>


    After settling matters with the Mountain n, Mia headed towards Fuu Kouma.


    He was standing near the Stargrass Rock, where the chiefs of all the other ns had also gathered.


    ¡®<i>That is convenient. Since I was prepared to lose, I had not thought about how to proceed. However, now that I have actually secured my victory, I must assert my case with rity.</i>¡¯


    As Mia walked towards the chiefs, she suddenly noticed the gazes of everyone around her. They were all staring at her with sparkling eyes!


    ¡®<i>Hmm. Well, since I¡¯m the winner of the horse match-up, it¡¯s only natural that I attract attention.</i>¡¯


    Mia began to gloat slightly in the warmth of her victory but quickly pulled herself together.


    ¡®<i>As they say, the meal isn¡¯t over until you¡¯ve finished eating the cake for dessert. I must be vignt. I cannot let down my guard until the very end.</i>


    <i>Be humble. Be modest.</i>


    <i>¡°I won because of my skills, so you must do as I say!¡±</i>


    <i>I cannot say something like that and make enemies.</i>


    <i>The victory felt great, but I cannot celebrate just yet.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Esteemed Chiefs, and everyone who watched the match-up,¡±


    Mia began, addressing both the chiefs and the onlookers.


    ¡°I was able to win thanks to the heavens. Not just the heavens, but many factors along the way were in my favour. I don¡¯t believe that my horse, Tofu, and I won solely due to our own skills. Xiaolei-san was the most excellent of riders, and Rakuro was the swiftest of horses. Please, join me in offering them our apuse.¡±


    She made sure to properly praise Xiaolei and Rakuro.


    ¡°However, it is also a fact that the horse match-up has yielded results.


    I will now use the words of your great ancestor, Elder Ka Seima:


    ¡®The only time you may disagree is during the match-up. After that, you must ept the results and abide ordingly.''¡±


    She emphasised the decision to ept the Fire n, slyly incorporating the story she had heard from Xiaolei to bolster her point with the words of their revered ancestor!


    She would borrow whatever authority she could. Using the authority of others to speak was one of Mia¡¯s usual tricks.


    ¡°I am confident that the Twelve ns of the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire n, who share the same ancestor, cane together once again and join hands in cooperation.¡±


    Then, she paused and pondered quietly.


    ¡®<i>Is it possible to convince them with just the results of the match-up and the authority of their ancestor?</i>¡¯


    She thought for a moment and reached a conclusion.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s not enough!</i> <i>I recall hearing the excuse, ¡°We tried it, but it was impossible!¡± several times during the revolution. It¡¯s an excuse that I, too, have often used.</i>¡¯


    In that case¡­


    Mia opened her eyes and added.


    ¡°Of course, there will be hardships. Patience will be required. We can foresee these challenges now. However, someday¡­¡±


    Mia took a deep breath, ced her hand on her chest, and spoke.


    ¡°Someday, you will walk together again as one people. That is what I believe. Therefore, I request everyone to make constant efforts, work hard, never give up, and move forward, building a stronger bond one step at a time,ying one brick at a time.¡±


    Mia emphasised that they should not let it all end with the excuse, ¡°I tried, but it didn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the oue of the match-up that your ancestor asked you to abide by. Even if you are unable to achieve it at first, don¡¯t simply give up. Work hard until the very end!  I hope that we can build a better rtionship between the Equestrian Kingdom, now united once again as the Thirteen ns, and our Tearmoon Empire.¡±


    The Equestrian Kingdom was a unique nation. There was no single King or ruler. Instead, there were twelve n Chiefs. Therefore, it was not enough to have good rtions with just one chief.


    ¡®<i>Building friendly rtions while all the chiefs are gathered will make things convenientter on, so I should make my appeal as strongly as possible.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Not just Xiaolei-san, I hope to form bonds of friendship with people from all the ns.¡±


    Mia concluded loudly and cheerfully.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ve charged straight to victory! Perfect!</i>¡¯


    As Mia basked in self-satisfaction, she noticed Ludwig running towards her from afar.


    ¡®<i>Hehehe. I think I did quite well this time. Even if the one running over is </i><i>that damn sses, there¡¯s absolutely nothing he can criticise me for.</i>¡¯


    Mia was confident, but she immediately grew uneasy when she saw Ludwig¡¯s stern expression.


    ¡®<i>Uh-oh. Did I make a mistake¡­?</i>¡¯


    As she nervously shifted her gaze, Ludwig bowed his head and spoke.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Mia¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Um, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Citrina-sama went missingst night.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Mia¡¯s mouth dropped open upon receiving the shocking news.


    ¡°Huh? How on earth did that happen?¡±


    Mia struggled toprehend, but Ludwig¡¯s next words brought her back to her senses.


    ¡°The Princess Guard, who were in charge of the watch, have stated that they will take responsibility for this matter once it¡¯s resolved.¡±


    The outrageous statement filled her with a sense of impending crisis.


    ¡°Ludwig, you understand, don¡¯t you? Such actions are unnecessary. If they believe it is their fault, they need to atone with their actions. Please convey that to them.¡±


    The Princess Guard was Mia¡¯s lifeline. With even a single member missing, that lifeline would be thinner and thinner, and there was no way Mia¡¯s chicken-heart could bear that fear.


    ¡°We need to hurry and find her. Let¡¯s seek the cooperation of the people of the Equestrian Kingdom.¡±


    With that, Mia turned her gaze towards her new allies.

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591


    <b>The Serpent Priestess and Citrina</b>


    Deep within the forest, a long-forgotten, abandoned castle served as the base for the Chaos Serpents.


    That day, an unexpected guest came to visit the High Priestess of the Chaos Serpents, Valentina Remno.


    Valentina Remno, who was sitting at the table and enjoying her tea, shed a sweet smile at the man, Ka Kunrou, who had just arrived.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Kunrou. I didn¡¯t think you would return, so I¡¯m a little surprised.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!  High Priestess, that¡¯s quite harsh. ¡®This is your home and you can return whenever you want.¡¯ You sent me off with such warm words. Where is that version of you from back then? ¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. As usual, Kunrou, your memory is hriously wrong. It was the Fire n vige that sent you off. Of course, you¡¯re wee here, however¡­¡±


    Valentina then shifted her gaze to the spot next to the Kunrou.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad to treat a girl so terribly¡­¡±


    Ahead of her gaze, there was a girl seated in the chair.


    Citrina Etoile Tearmoon, the girl with lovely honey-coloured hair and daughter of the Yellowmoon House¡ªone of the four main ducal houses of the Tearmoon Empire¡ªhad her slender arms bound behind her back, preventing her from moving. She squirmed ufortably, unable to speak. Her mouth was gagged painfully, and she was blindfolded.


    ¡°I feel sorry for the way she has been treated.¡±


    Kunrou looked displeased as Valentina reproached him.


    ¡°Can you please stop that? Don¡¯t lump me in with Jem and Barbara. If it were up to them, they might resort to violence for revenge. I¡¯m not doing this to be malicious. If she were to bite her tongue, it could be quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. The girl is well aware that if she dies, it will cause trouble for Princess Mia.¡±


    Kunrou tilted his head in bewilderment, looking dubious when he heard this.


    ¡°Is that so? But this girl won¡¯t eat anything, and I have to force her to drink water. I thought she had given up on this world and was seeking to die.¡±


    To support his words, a slight stain was visible on the cor of Citrina¡¯s nightdress.


    ¡°You still have a poor understanding of people. Perhaps she thought you might poison her. Didn¡¯t you use some questionable drugs to render her unconscious?¡±


    Valentina sighed in exasperation and quietly stood up, her long ck hair swaying beautifully.


    She stood next to Citrina, who was seated in a chair, leaned over, and carefully removed the cloth gag from her mouth.


    Perhaps it had been painful, as Citrina let out a small sigh when the gag was removed.


    Next, the blindfold was removed. Since her eyes had been covered for so long, Citrina squinted as everything appeared too bright, then looked around and frowned.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    She asked in a hoarse voice after a small cough.


    ¡°This is one of the Chaos Serpents¡¯ bases¡ªan abandoned castle deep in the forest, not far from the Remno Kingdom.¡±


    After speaking in a melodic, smooth tone, the Serpent Priestess Valentina smiled brightly.


    ¡°And I am Valentina. Valentina Remno, the Chaos Serpent Priestess.¡±


    ¡°¡­huh?¡±


    Citrina had been listening absentmindedly, but her eyes widened in shock as she grasped the meaning of what had been said.


    ¡°Oh no¡­ I went to the trouble of blindfolding her, but if you reveal so much, I might not be able to let her go home alive.¡±


    Valentina shook her head at Kunrou, who shrugged his shoulders nonchntly.


    ¡°Kunrou, I told you to not say anything that would scare the girl. You went to the trouble of capturing her alive, so I have no intention of killing her needlessly.¡±


    She spoke in a gentle tone and then looked at Citrina.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of you while you¡¯re still alive. I¡¯ve just thought of a good idea.¡±


    Suddenly, as if noticing something, Valentina traced a finger along Citrina¡¯s slender neck. Citrina flinched when Valentina¡¯s fingers caught on a thin string around her neck.


    ¡°Oh¡­ what¡¯s this?¡± Valentina asked, pulling on the string.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Citrina let out a small sound. Ignoring it, Valentina revealed what was hanging from the string¡ªa small horse amulet.


    ¡°Hehe, well, well. Such a cute little trinket¡ªdefinitely not what one would expect from someone who betrayed the Serpents.¡±


    Valentina yfully tugged the string, breaking it, and then toyed with the horse amulet in her hand.


    ¡°N-no, please¡­ give it back.¡±


    Citrina¡¯s voice was panicked, but Valentinaughed, clearly enjoying herself.


    ¡°Hehehe, no.¡±


    Her tone was light, as if she were teasing a child, as she dangled the horse amulet.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give it back because it seems important to you. If you have this, I won¡¯t be able to break your spirit.¡±


    She looked at Citrina with cold, serpent-like eyes.


    But her expression quickly changed, and her gaze turned mischievous and innocent.


    ¡°Just kidding! The reason I won¡¯t give this back is because I n to use it to summon that girl.¡±


    ¡°That girl¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I mean the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.¡±


    Valentina then handed the horse amulet to Kunrou.


    ¡°Until everything is ready, you¡¯ll have to stay here. By the way, can you manage to change clothes and take care of yourself? If you¡¯d prefer, I can have someone look after you, though they might be a bit rough.¡±


    Valentina nced over at Kunrou as she said this. Noticing this, Citrina frantically shook her head.


    Seeing her pale, frightened face, Valentina reached out and gently caressed her cheek.


    ¡°Your frightened expression is quite cute¡­ Hehe. But half of it is an act, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She looked directly into Citrina¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Even while you were blindfolded and gagged, you listened closely to our conversation, didn¡¯t you? You were carefully considering how to extract information and create a favourable situation for yourself. You¡¯re probably even thinking now that you¡¯ll be able to avoid being watched, right? You¡¯re trying to lull us into a false sense of security with your frightened demeanour, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    In an instant, Citrina¡¯s expression went nk. But soon, it transformed into a smile¡ªa sweet, sharine, flower-like smile.


    ¡°You see through everything, don¡¯t you, High Priestess? Is it true that you can read people¡¯s minds? And from your name, are you really royalty from the Remno Kingdom, or is that just what you want Rina to believe?¡±


    She looked up at Valentina with a probing gaze.


    ¡°My, my, as expected of the daughter of the Yellowmoon Duke house. You have a strong heart,¡± Valentina said, pping her hands andughing.


    ¡°Yes. If I were lying about my name, it would be convenient for you. It would mean I¡¯m trying to deceive you into taking false information back to Princess Mia. But unfortunately, I am indeed Valentina Remno, the first princess of the Kingdom of Remno.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason you would tell Rina that?¡± Citrina tilted her head adorably.


    ¡°I could tell you¡­ But since we¡¯re going to have a long talk, why don¡¯t we have a tea party? I was hoping to do this with Aima, but I think it would be nice to have a good, long chat with you as well.¡±


    Valentina winked yfully.


    ¡°There are only crude and rough people here, so I¡¯m starved for goodpany. If you entertain me, I¡¯ll tell you anything.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, I understand. I never imagined the High Priestess would invite me. I¡¯m so honoured,¡± Citrina said with a sweet, perfect smile¡ªa smile that anyone would love.


    Valentina, still smiling broadly, leaned in close to Citrina¡¯s ear and whispered.


    ¡°But before that¡­¡±


    Citrina¡¯s body tensed slightly in response. Noting this, Valentina continued in a slow, teasing tone.


    ¡°You should take a bath first. You¡¯re a little sweaty, you know?¡±


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    Citrina¡¯s face twitched at the unexpectedment. A momentter, her cheeks flushed faintly red, a mix of shame and anger colouring her expression¡ªa raw, unguarded emotion.


    Thus, Valentina had found a foothold into the true self that Citrina hid behind the facade of a sweet smile. Like a serpent, Valentina silently slithered into that vulnerable space.


    ¡°If you stay like that, even your friends will start to dislike you.¡±


    Despite the remark, Citrina shook her head boldly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Bel wouldn¡¯t dislike me just because of something like this¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    Citrina raised her head and red at Valentina. But then, realising her mistake, her face quickly filled with anxiety.


    ¡°Hehehe, I see. So, her name is Bel. This friend of yours must be very dear to you. Perhaps she¡¯s the one who made the little horse amulet for you?¡±


    Citrina bit her lip and fell silent, lowering her gaze to avoid meeting Valentina¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re adorably prudent. Keeping quiet to avoid leaking any more information is the right choice. It would have been even better if you could have acted like none of this bothered you at all, but you still get a passing grade.¡±


    Citrina fell silent, squeezing her eyes shut as if trying to escape. After observing her for a moment, Valentina slowly stood up.


    ¡°I see, that friend of yours is really important to you. I understand now. You could never be a serpent. Clinging so dearly to something precious, you could never be one.¡±


    Valentina then continued in a sing-song voice.


    ¡°Oh, the tea party. I¡¯m really looking forward to it. Let¡¯s have a long chat, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592


    <b>Effortless As Breathing</b>


    Ludwig learned that Citrina had gone missing just moments before Mia crossed the finish line. Ludwig, Dion, and several other members of the Princess Guard had apanied Mia while keeping a short distance from her. Although they couldn¡¯t directly assist with the horse match-up, they continued to escort her, staying in a position where they could rush over if anything happened.


    At the end of the two-day journey, they were feeling somewhat rxed and relieved, watching Mia take off up the slope, when an urgent message was delivered: ¡°Last night, the daughter of the Duke of Yellowmoon disappeared from her lodgings in the Southern Capital. Under themand of Saint Rafina, and with help from the Forest n, a search was conducted in the surrounding area, but no clues were found. Please return immediately.¡±


    The moment he received the news, Ludwig clicked his tongue in frustration.


    ¡®<i>I made a mistake in my judgement. If they were going to target someone, I thought it would definitely be Mia-sama.</i>¡¯


    The Serpents currently controlled the warriors of the Fire n, including a particrly strong fighter who could even handle wolves. As a result, even during the match-up, they were highly alert, wary that Mia might be attacked.


    ¡°I made a big mistake and misjudged the enemy. Now that I think about it, the horse match-up and Mia-sama¡¯s participation were decided only a few days ago. Attacking Mia-sama during the match-up would be difficult even for the Serpents.¡±


    Ludwig keenly felt the weight of his responsibility and gritted his teeth, but¡­


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you were wrong.¡±


    Dion ia interjected with a wry smile and a slight shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡°Given that you can¡¯t prepare for every contingency, it¡¯s natural for you to prioritise the safety of the Princess as her retainer. Besides, the defences of the Southern Capital are not particrly weak. If the enemy managed to kidnap the youngdy of the Yellowmoon House, it means they are more skilled¡ªfor now, at least.¡±


    Then his gaze sharpened slightly.


    ¡°We must focus on what needs to be done now. I feel for the Princess, but as soon as she finishes her goal, we need her to return immediately to the Southern Capital and takemand.¡±


    The next likely scenario was that the Serpents would try to exploit the chaos to target Mia¡¯s life. Therefore, they needed to avoid the folly of splitting their forces. It was essential to maintain their forces close to Mia and use them to investigate the whereabouts of Citrina. Most importantly, they needed to utilise the Wisdom of the Empire in the search for Citrina.


    ¡°Yes. That seems to be the best course of action.¡±


    Ludwig nodded, adjusted his sses, and then headed towards Mia.


    ¡®<i>Now is not the time to dwell on my responsibilities. Once everything is over, I can await Mia-sama¡¯s judgement.</i>¡¯


    Ludwig thought, deciding to shift his focus.


    He had also received letters of resignation from those in charge of security, but those could also be addressed after everything was settled.


    Calmly, he began to contemte the future n.


    With the cooperation of n chiefs of the Equestrian Kingdom, arge-scale search of the area was conducted, but no traces of Citrina were found.


    In a room provided by Fuuma of the Mountain n, Mia furrowed her brows in concern upon receiving the report.


    ¡°Could it be that she was kidnapped by ve traders? Rina-san shares my bloodline and looks very cute¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if you are talking about outside the city, that¡¯s one thing, but within the city, I¡¯m not so sure. From what we¡¯ve seen of the Southern Capital, thew and order situation doesn¡¯t seem bad. And to be honest, I don¡¯t think a no-nonsense, shrewd youngdy like her could be kidnapped by mere ve traders¡­¡±


    Dion voiced his opinion.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but groan at his assessment.


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s true. I can¡¯t imagine a scenario where Citrina-san would meekly be kidnapped by an ordinary thug.</i>¡¯


    ¡°In fact, it seems more likely that she would use poison or something simr to deal with the viin, which means¡­¡±


    ¡°I think we should ept the possibility that she was captured by the Serpents.¡±


    Mia couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Ludwig¡¯s calm and collected words.


    ¡°I suppose so. In that case¡­¡±


    Mia crossed her arms and began to think.


    Fortunately, the source of Mia¡¯s wisdom was right before her eyes. On the table in front of her was a cup of hot milk from the famous Daigo sheep, prepared by Malong!


    It was the long-awaited, delicious, and mysterious milk¡ªa wonderful drink with the smooth texture of fresh cream and a rich, creamy vour with a subtle hint of sweetness. Mia was surprised to find that it contained absolutely no sugar.


    She took a sip of the delicious drink and let out a contented sigh. Then she started to analyse the taste¡­ of course not, even Mia knew better. In the emergency situation they were in, there was no time for such things.


    Thus, after properly replenishing herself with nutrients, Mia tilted her head as if she was thinking deeply, burning off the calories.


    ¡®<i>Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard that wolves have a good sense of smell. Perhaps¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia mumbled softly.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be best to ask Aima-san?¡±


    Ludwig looked a little taken aback when he heard this!


    ¡°Indeed. As the n Chief¡¯s sister, it¡¯s possible that Lady Aima knows where they are.¡±


    Mia also looked taken aback when she heard this!


    She had never thought of that!


    Well, strictly speaking, it¡¯s not that she never thought of it. It was just that, like many other things, it had been forgotten and pushed out of Mia¡¯s memory.


    ¡°Moreover, we are in a situation where the Fire n owes us. It is quite possible to get them to cooperate. However, I wonder how Lady Aima will react¡­¡±


    Ludwig then frowned, his expression turning troubled.


    Fortunately, the reconciliation and eptance of the Fire n into the Equestrian Kingdom were progressing smoothly. Currently, a meeting of the n Chiefs was being held, with the Fire n Elder, Roufa, in attendance.


    They owed Mia a great favour, so they probably wouldn¡¯t refuse her request.


    However, asking Aima for her brother¡¯s location was a double-edged sword.


    After all, invoking the favour would mean asking her to betray her own brother.


    ¡®<i>I wonder if that would upset Aima-san¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia grew flustered as she imagined the scenario.


    After all, that was not her intention at all.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Mia panicked and tried to deny the reality of the situation, which was outside her calctions, but¡­


    ¡°However, that¡¯s the only option we have right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    With Ludwig¡¯s firm statement that there was no other choice, Mia solemnly withdrew her own suggestion.


    ¡®<i>If Ludwig says that¡¯s the only option, then it must be so.</i>¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m d you understand. Well then, let¡¯s ask Aima-san right away.¡±


    Mia¡¯s thoughts were as flexible as the jellyfish, effortlessly swayed like the air she breathed.

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593


    <b>Under Someone¡¯s Guidance</b>


    ¡°Princess Mia, it seems you have business with me?¡±


    Aima entered, nced at everyone gathered in the room, and grew slightly tense. That was because Dion ia was present, along with Mia, Anne, and Ludwig. Aima did not even nce at Dion, who was smiling brightly. Instead, she awkwardly made her way directly to Mia.


    Mia naturally guided Aima to the table and silently offered her cookies. Three cookies¡ªthis was the basic protocol of Mia¡¯s hospitality technique. That was because, in Mia¡¯s mind, anyone who was offered sweets could not turn hostile. And then, afterpletely winning over her opponent¡¯s heart, Mia looked into Aima¡¯s eyes and said,


    ¡°Actually, I have a favour to ask of you. I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I would like you to tell us the location of your brother and the Serpent Priestess.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aima furrowed her brows.


    Mia continued slowly.


    ¡°You are aware that Citrina-san has gone missing, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I was thinking of gathering some of our allies to join the search. After all, we owe Princess Mia a great deal.¡±


    Aima crossed her arms and nodded.


    ¡°We suspect that it was the Serpent Priestess who had Citrina-san kidnapped.¡±


    Aima¡¯s shoulders twitched slightly.


    For a moment, Mia was worried that Aima might get angry and shout, ¡°Don¡¯t make such usations about my brother!¡± but thankfully, she remained calm.


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s why you wanted to ask me about the whereabouts of the Priestess and my brother.¡±


    Aima closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. She then took a deep breath and exhaled.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­ I¡¯m d you decided to trust and rely on me.¡±


    She said with a trembling voice, ovee with emotion.


    Mia was taken aback by Aima¡¯s reaction. She should have felt relieved that Aima was not upset, but¡­


    ¡°I have made up my mind. I shall sever all ties with my brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mia was surprised by Aima¡¯s sudden deration.


    ¡®<i>Sever ties with her brother? Wait, what?¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia tilted her head in confusion and said,


    ¡°No, um, that¡¯s not quite what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°My brother and Princess Mia are on opposite sides of a conflict and will never see eye to eye. If I must choose sides, I will stand by my friend, Princess Mia.¡±


    It was unclear whose guidance had influenced Aima, but her deration carried significant weight. The impact of Aima¡¯s powerful deration left Mia feeling dizzy. It was true that Mia wanted friends she could rely on.


    ¡®<i>Awork of people who can help in times of need is extremely valuable. So, I should be grateful to someone who has pledged their support¡­ but still, this statement feels a bit heavy.</i> <i>I don¡¯t think I can offer anythingparable to abandoning one¡¯s family¡­</i>¡¯


    Mia groaned and her face looked troubled.


    ¡°By the way, Aima-san, what about your parents and other rtives aside from your brother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only Keirai and Hasuki.¡±


    ¡°Keirai¡­ that¡¯s your horse, right? And Hasuki is¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the name of my warrior wolf.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    So, it¡¯s just her and her brother¡ªtwo siblings.


    ¡®<i>She has only one blood rtive. This is too heavy a burden for me. We¡¯re friends if we share cookies! Where did that simple and carefree Aima-san go? Why had she suddenly resolved to make such a tough decision?</i>¡¯


    Mia wracked her brains in confusion but then decided to change her mood, giving a soft, gentle smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. You shouldn¡¯t speak so lightly about something like that.¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Your brother is very important to you. You shouldn¡¯t give up on him so easily.¡±


    Mia¡¯s tone left no room for argument.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that you will sever all ties with your brother, who is important to you, so hastily. But in the same way, Rina-san is important to us. That¡¯s why we want to rescue her at all costs.¡±


    Mia tightly grasped Aima¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I want your cooperation, but I don¡¯t want to see the destruction of the rtionship between you and your brother. Can you please indulge this selfish request of mine?¡±


    ¡®<i>In other words, something moderate will do. Just moderate. For now, all that matters is getting the information. To begin with, we aren¡¯t even sure if Citrina-san was truly kidnapped or not¡­</i>¡¯


    ¡°I see¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll keep that in mind so I don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±


    Aima nodded with a solemn expression.


    ¡°I am proud to have forged a bond of friendship with you, Princess Mia.¡±


    Her tone suggested that she was deeply moved by Mia¡¯s words.


    At that very moment, as they were discussing the rescue operation, there was a knock at the door, and the guard on duty entered.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mia-sama¡­ this was just delivered¡­¡±


    Ludwig, who had answered the door, hurried back to Mia, his expression having changed. He held a small box in his hand.


    ¡°Mia-sama, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡±


    Mia was confused, but as soon as she checked the contents, her face turned pale.


    ¡°Could you please call Bel for me?¡±


    When Bel arrived, Mia silently handed her the box. Bel cried out in distress the moment she saw it.


    ¡°This¡­ this is Rina-chan¡¯s¡­¡±


    The item in Bel¡¯s small hand was something she had made herself and given to Citrina as a gift. It was a small horse charm¡ªa treasure Citrina would never let go of, no matter the circumstances.

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594


    <b>The Decision Without Guidance</b>


    In response to the demand from the Chaos Serpents, Mia quickly gathered her allies: Anne, Ludwig, Dion, and Bel. Additionally, Rafina, Abel, and his retainer Grammateus, along with Aima and Malong were also present. Once the key members had assembled, Ludwig, who had been entrusted with the task by Mia, began to speak.


    ¡°We have received a threatening letter from the Chaos Serpents. The demand itself is not particrly surprising. It essentially said, ¡®If you value Citrina-sama¡¯s life, you wille at once.¡¯¡±


    Ludwig then crossed his arms, appearing to be deep in thought.


    ¡°One thing that¡¯s curious is that it doesn¡¯t specify that Mia-sama shoulde alone.¡±


    Rafina furrowed her brows at his words.


    ¡°That is certainly strange. Normally, a threatening letter like this would specify that you muste alone, without any guards.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they thought the threat would not be credible under those conditions. Citrina-sama is indeed the noble daughter of one of the Four Great Duke Houses, butpared to Mia-sama, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire, it is clear who holds the superior standing. Of course, Mia-sama herself would be willing to risk her life to save Citrina-sama, but as her vassals, we cannot allow such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, to ensure that Mia-san definitelyes, they¡¯ve allowed for the possibility of her bringing guards. That said, even if it¡¯s not explicitly stated, bringing an army of a thousand is probably out of the question.¡±


    Ludwig nodded in response to Rafina¡¯sment.


    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s what we need to consider. It¡¯s clear that the enemy has control over Citrina-sama¡¯s life. They will allow a reasonable number of guards, but if we exceed that limit, they will not hesitate to kill her. Since the decision is in the enemy¡¯s hands, we cannot afford to be too reckless. Needless to say, if Citrina-sama were to be killed, the damage we would suffer would be considerable.¡±


    Mia and Citrina. It was clear whose existence held more significance, but that was only a rtiveparison. Losing Citrina would lead to a deterioration in rtions with the Yellowmoon family, which would be a favourable oue for the Serpents.


    ¡°By the way, would Sir Dion fall within the range of a reasonable number of guards?¡±


    Abel¡¯s question was half-joking, but Aima shook her head, her expression serious. She silently and firmly asserted that including Dion was not within the realm ofmon sense.


    Ludwig gave a wry smile and said,


    ¡°Sir Dion¡¯s skill with the sword certainly exceeds the bounds ofmon sense, but in this case, the enemy would expect him to apany Mia-sama. On the other hand, they are hoping to lure Mia-sama out even with Sir Dion present. That means they believe they have an effective way of countering him.¡±


    Dion himself nodded in agreement with Ludwig¡¯s assessment.


    ¡°I agree with Lord Ludwig. They seem to have a strong grasp of our expected actions. However, I don¡¯t think we need to y along with their expectations, do we?¡±


    With that, Dion shed Mia a sly smile.


    ¡°As one of Princess Mia¡¯s loyal retainers, as Lord Ludwig just mentioned, I am opposed to the princess taking such risks. If you were to send me alone, I could handle things skilfully.¡±


    ¡®<i>Skilfully¡­kill¡­?</i>¡¯


    Mia tranted Dion-speak in her head and turned a little pale.


    ¡°Just to be sure, Dion-san, I need to confirm something. Are you saying that you can certainly rescue Citrina-san by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I will do my best to handle that skilfully as well. I will adapt to the situation as needed.¡±


    Dion was slightly vague in his response, but Mia realised what he meant.


    ¡®<i>If Citrina-san were to be killed and rtions with the Yellowmoon family deteriorate, then he would kill them as well!</i>¡¯


    That was certainly not the future Mia desired.


    ¡®<i>In the first ce, the Serpent Priestess is Abel¡¯s sister. If Dion-san were to charge in and kill, it would be disastrous. Moreover, Citrina-san is Bel¡¯s dear friend, and I also consider her a reliable friend. Losing her would leave a bitter aftertaste. I can¡¯t leave it all to Dion-san alone. While I understand this, I also know that the risk is extremely high. Just as Ludwig and Dion-san have analysed, the enemy is probably nning their strategy with the assumption that Dion-san will be present. It¡¯s unclear how they n to deal with Dion ia, the Empire¡¯s strongest. Ah, but there are also the wolves.The wolf master, more urately Aima-san¡¯s brother, will also be there, so it will be quite dangerous. I don¡¯t want to go. I really don¡¯t want to go!</i>¡¯


    As Mia groaned with a troubled expression on her face, someone interrupted with a gentle voice.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Mia?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Mia tilted her head in confusion as Abel spoke to her with a gentle smile.


    ¡°You should do whatever you believe is best. I¡¯ll support you with all my might. If you wish, I am even prepared to go and rescue Miss Citrina myself.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Prince Abel¡­that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Grammateus couldn¡¯t help but speak up, and Abel responded with a slight shrug.


    ¡°I chose Mia over sister Valentina. That was my decision, so I am prepared to risk my life.¡±


    His words were as honest and decisive as his swordsmanship. They rang with determination, focused only on the path ahead as he took a resolute step forward.


    ¡°Oh, Abel¡­¡±


    Hearing this deration, Mia felt as if Abel were pulling her hand to guide her. She felt as though she could close her eyes and let Abel lead her. It might have been love¡­ or perhaps it was simply Mia¡¯s true nature as a yes-man being revealed. Then, someone else added more weight to the already tilted scales of judgement.


    ¡°Well said, Abel Remno. I feel the same way!¡±


    Aima dered proudly, puffing her chest.


    ¡°If ites down to it, I will repay Princess Mia¡¯s kindness, even if it means facing my brother in a fight to the death.¡±


    ¡°Aima-san¡­¡±


    As usual, Aima made a rather heavy deration. Then, someone else spoke up, not wanting to be outdone by Aima. That was¡­


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m also ready to give up a lot for my friends. Like, even my life!¡±


    Mia¡¯s smile grew a little strained as she observed Rafina disy herpetitive spirit.


    ¡°Umm, I would prefer if Rafina-sama could stay behind to oversee the affairs of the Equestrian Kingdom, if possible¡­¡±


    Rafina had been attending meetings with the n chiefs and witnessing the resolution of the matter with the Fire n. She couldn¡¯t simply leave.


    ¡°Eh? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, if both Rafina-sama and I were captured, it would be exactly what the Serpents are hoping for. That would leave Sion to handle the aftermath alone, which would be both cruel and unfair to him.¡±


    If Rafina were involved, it would only add to the mayhem. Therefore, Mia did her best to dissuade her.


    ¡°But Abel, Aima-san, and Rafina-sama¡­ I¡¯m truly grateful for your feelings. They have helped me make up my mind.¡±


    To begin with, Mia¡¯s options were limited. If she abandoned Citrina, the enemy would spread the news widely. And in that case, it was clear that Mia would be in a very difficult position. So¡­


    ¡°As I thought, nothing can be resolved unless I go myself. Ludwig, please make the preparations.¡±


    Thus, the course of action was decided.


    Mia resolved to confront the Serpent Priestess, apanied by an elite group including Dion, Ludwig, and a few others.


    However, there was still one thing that bothered Mia. After Citrina had gone missing, Mia tried reading the <i>Princess Chronicles</i>, but there was no mention of this event.


    Of course, Abel¡¯s sister¡¯s involvement was not suitable for public records, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that it was omitted.


    For some reason, Mia couldn¡¯t shake a vague sense of unease at the <i>Chronicles</i>¡¯ failure to fulfil its role as a guiding force.

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595


    <b>Offence and Defence</b>


    After her meeting with the Serpent Priestess Valentina, Citrina was led to the bathhouse in the abandoned castle that served as the Serpents¡¯ base. The fact that there was even a bath in the abandoned castle came as quite a surprise to Citrina.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps it¡¯s only natural that the Serpent Priestess would have the power to have something like this be prepared.</i>¡¯


    Convincing herself of this, she began undressing and stepped inside.


    ¡®<i>Honestly, I don¡¯t like the idea of bathing alone in enemy territory. But if they wanted to kill me, they could¡¯ve done it anytime.</i>¡¯


    With that thought, she decided to stop worrying. The faces that appeared in her mind at that moment were those of her dear friend Bel and the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.


    ¡®<i>They have a simr aura about them. If it were them, no matter the situation, if they were asked to take a bath, they would definitely enjoy it. I even heard that when Mia-sama was captured by the revolutionary forces of the Kingdom of Remno, she still took a bath.</i>¡¯


    The ground beneath her bare feet was rough and slightly painful. Compared to ces like Saint-Noel, the construction felt crude.


    ¡®<i>Are these stones the same as those used to build the castle walls? Does that mean this bathhouse has been here since the castle was built?</i>¡¯


    The doubts she harboured about the existence of a bathhouse in such a fortress-like structure, which she had noticed while walking, quickly evaporated in the steam surrounding her. She had assumed they must have brought hot water from somewhere, but it seemed to be a natural hot spring.


    ¡®<i>Rather than building the bathhouse out of necessity, it seems they decided to make one simply because there was a natural hot spring. But where exactly could this hot spring be located? I¡¯ve heard of one near the Kingdom of Remno.</i>¡¯


    As she mentally traced a map, she surveyed the bathhouse. Though it wasn¡¯t asrge as Saint-Noel¡¯s, it was still spacious enough tofortably amodate four or five people. The bath itself, overflowing with water, was also quite roomy. In the washing area, there were three small bottles, each with letters engraved on them¡ªclearly luxury items!


    After confirming the writing, Citrina picked up the bottle of shampoo and poured a generous amount into her hand! It wasn¡¯t because of any rudement the Serpent Priestess had made earlier. She wasn¡¯t at all offended by being told she smelled sweaty¡ªwhat an impolite remark to make to a maiden! Nor was she nning to use up the entire bottle out of spite. That would be a gross misunderstanding. She simply wanted to test it out.


    ¡®<i>Hmm, this is quite high-quality.</i>¡¯


    She observed it carefully in her palm. The slightly viscous liquid had a refreshing floral scent. When she rubbed it onto her arms, it spread smoothly andthered perfectly. It was clear that it had been made with high-quality oil.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s probably a connection to some noble family. If the story about the Priestess being a princess of the Kingdom of Remno is true, could it be the royals from Remno? Or perhaps linked to some merchants? It¡¯s also possible that the nobles or merchants themselves are members of the Chaos Serpents.</i>¡¯


    She had heard that when Prince Echard of Sunnd was approached, it had been a merchant dressed in the style of the Equestrian Kingdom.


    ¡®<i>The man who kidnapped Rina also seemed like that, but who knows¡­</i>¡¯


    While deep in thought, she carefully began washing her hair. She thoroughly enjoyed the richther of the shampoo, washing her hair once, rinsing it off with warm water, and then washing it again with extra care. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she had been told she smelled sweaty. It didn¡¯t bother her at all. Citrina simply wanted to ensure she stayed as clean as possible to avoid being caught off guard again. It wasn¡¯t because she was worried about being disliked by Bel or anything like that. Really. After washing her hair, she cleansed her body with a generous amount of soap before entering the bath. The water was clear and colourless. She checked the temperature with her fingers, scooped some up with her hands, and gave it a sniff.


    ¡®<i>It doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re near a volcano.</i>¡¯


    Even Citrina, as sharp as she was, couldn¡¯t analyse theponents by smell or taste unless there was something very distinct. Giving up on figuring out the location, she slipped into the water. The bath wasrge enough that she could stretch out her bodypletely. She stretched, gave a long sigh, and then began massaging her calves and thighs. After being bound and transported, her body had stiffened. She needed to loosen up so she could be ready for anything. She knew that she couldn¡¯t escape on her own. Citrina was well aware that her physical strength was average at best for a nobledy. Even so, she wouldn¡¯t neglect her preparations.


    ¡®<i>Bel-chan and Mia-sama will definitelye to rescue me.</i>¡¯


    After finishing her self-massage, she ced a hand on her stomach and rubbed it.


    ¡®<i>Two and a half, no, maybe three days, I think.</i>¡¯


    There was a reason Citrina hadn¡¯t eaten anything. Part of it was caution against being poisoned, but more importantly, she was using her hunger to measure the passage of time. She didn¡¯t want her internal clock to be disrupted by the intervals at which food was provided. As her stomach let out a soft rumble, she rubbed it and shook her head slightly.


    ¡®<i>If that had been pointed out, I might have been shaken again.</i>¡¯


    Had someone scolded her for something improper like a growling stomach, it might have unsettled her. The Serpent Priestess read minds and manipted emotions. Citrina couldn¡¯t afford to show any weakness.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯m sure Bel-chan and Mia-sama wouldn¡¯t be rattled if they were in my position. In fact, if it were Mia-sama, she might have even demanded something to eat.</i>¡¯


    Citrina couldn¡¯t help but envy Mia¡¯s strong-willed nature.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to myself a lot¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because my heart is getting weak¡­¡±


    She sshed water onto her face and steeled herself. After soaking in the bath for a long time, she sat on the edge to cool down, then slipped back into the water once more. Needless to say, it was an act of defiance against the Priestess. She intended to take a long bath and make her wait¡ªher little form of revenge. It wasn¡¯t right to tell a maiden she smelled sweaty. After her bath, she returned to the dressing room. Her clothes, which had been there earlier, were gone, causing her to panic slightly. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a brand-new dress had beenid out nearby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±


    Of course, it was only natural for a host to prepare a fresh set of clothes for a guest after a bath. Still, the brief moment of panic had made her feel as if she had been toyed with, which irritated her. The slightly oversized dress most likely belonged to the Serpent Priestess. Though she didn¡¯t feel great about wearing it, it was better than staying in her nightclothes, so she epted it. Just as she finished getting dressed, someone came to fetch her, and Citrina gasped when she saw who it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Citrina Etoile Tearmoon.¡±


    Standing there was her mortal enemy¡ªthe Wolf Master. Escorted by the Wolf Master, Citrina was once again brought before the Serpent Priestess. Seeing Citrina, Valentina greeted her with a sweet, knowing smile.


    ¡°Did you enjoy your bath? You were in there for quite a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. It was a wonderful bath. I was able to wash away all the sweat from my journey.¡±


    Citrina daintily lifted the hem of her skirt in a polite curtsy.


    ¡°Hehe, it suits you quite well. Now,e, take a seat.¡±


    With that, Valentina led Citrina to the table, where steaming cups and tea snacks wereid out.


    ¡°I just brewed some tea, so why don¡¯t we go ahead and enjoy it?¡±


    Citrina sat down and prepared to take control of the conversation.


    ¡°Before the tea, may I ask you something, Serpent Priestess?¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be so formal. Call me Valentina, Rina-san.¡±


    Being addressed so familiarly sent an ufortable chill through Citrina.


    ¡°Please call me Citrina. That name is reserved for those I¡¯m close to.¡±


    It was only a nickname, yet having the Serpent Priestess use it unsettled Citrina. She clicked her tongue softly at her own weakness.


    ¡°Hehe, then I shall surely call you Rina-san as a sign of affection. After all, you were once one of us, a Serpent, part of our family.¡±


    She had been prepared for the Serpent Priestess to try and unsettle her with words, but even so, the subtle assault of Valentina¡¯s words gnawed at Citrina¡¯s heart. Not wanting to let her take control, Citrina decided to ignore it andunch her own counterattack.


    ¡°I have a question, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I promised you, didn¡¯t I? Ask me anything.¡±


    With a calm smile, Valentina waited. Citrina took a deep breath and went all in.


    ¡°How can the Chaos Serpents be destroyed?¡±


    Valentina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Oh my. Hehe, that¡¯s quite a difficult question you¡¯ve asked.¡±


    ¡°You said I could ask anything.¡±


    Citrina sipped her tea, her face neutral, as Valentina shook her head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t answer that question. Not because I¡¯m being mean, but simply because I don¡¯t know myself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Despite being the Serpent Priestess?¡±


    Citrina looked up provocatively, staring with an upward nce. Valentina, in return, gave her a serene smile.


    ¡°Oh, of course. After all, <i>Serpent Priestess</i> is nothing more than a title.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Valentina continued.


    ¡°What exactly is a Priestess? Nowhere in the Serpents¡¯ scripture, <i>The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth</i>, is there any mention of elevating or leading a Priestess. So, this is what I think: the Priestess of the Serpents was merely a false authority created by the head of the Fire n to maintain their power.¡±


    ¡°A false authority¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it was probably a clever idea. After all, the Priestess, rooted in the Fire n, gave rise to many Serpents.¡±


    With that, Valentina popped a cookie into her mouth, savouring it.

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596


    <b>Mia Moved by Her Granddaughter¡¯s Growth</b>


    After everyone left to make preparations, Bel and Mia were the only ones remaining in the room. Bel had stayed silent throughout the discussion, appearing lost in thought, her expression dark.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Rina-san.¡±


    Bel nodded in response to Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bel. I will definitely rescue your friend, Rina-san.¡±


    Mia¡¯s reassurance made Bel open her mouth as if to speak, but she hesitated, closed it again, then took a deep breath before finally beginning to speak.


    ¡°Mia-oneesama, I have been thinking of something since earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I think that maybe I should go instead of you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I think it might work if I went in your ce. If I cut my hair, people who don¡¯t know us well wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡®<i>Like a body double or decoy.</i>¡¯ Mia thought, almost nodding.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±


    Mia shook her head.


    ¡®<i>If I did something like that, Rina-san would definitely kill me.</i>¡¯


    The thought of being chased by a bloodthirsty Citrina made Mia quake with fear, a shiver running down her spine.


    ¡®<i>For instance, if Bel were as strong as Dion-san and immune to all of the Serpents¡¯ attacks, then the n might make some sense. Or if I were that strong and could lead a separated fighting unit or if I had the strength of a thousand warriors and could rescue Rina-san myself. Well, if I could do things like that, then maybe the strategy would make sense.</i>¡¯


    In the present situation, even if Bel transformed into Mia, it would be meaningless. It might ensure Mia¡¯s safety for the moment, but even if she survived, Mia would inevitably face great peril.


    ¡°Besides, Bel, aren¡¯t you undervaluing yourself? If you were to disappear, Rina-san, Lynsha-san, and everyone, including myself, would be very sad. Please don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Bel nodded vigorously in response to Mia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Mia-oneesama. But you know how I feel. If it¡¯s for the sake of my friends and those I care about, then I shouldn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice my life.¡±


    Bel gave a troubled smile.


    ¡°Mia-oneesama, even though you are the Wisdom of the Empire, don¡¯t you know this? I love this world. There¡¯s Mother Anne, Mother Elise, Professor Ludwig, General Dion, Grandfather Abel, and Rina-chan. A warm world where I¡¯m surrounded by kind people. I love this world that Mia-oneesama has built.¡±


    Bel smiled brightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to live here forever. I don¡¯t want this dream to end. But that doesn¡¯t mean I will turn into a coward just to survive. After all, I carry the blood of the Wisdom of the Empire.¡±


    Mia caught her breath at the sight of Bel¡¯s eyes, shining with unwavering determination.


    ¡°I will not bring disgrace to Grandmother¡¯s glory. I want to live with pride so that I can always be by your side, Mia-oneesama. I¡¯m always thinking about how I can achieve that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mia was overwhelmed by Bel¡¯s confession and looked at her with deep emotion.


    ¡®<i>Bel probably won¡¯t try to thank anyone with gold coins anymore. She surely won¡¯t live her life as if she could disappear at any moment.</i>¡¯ Mia thought.


    ¡®<i>Bel was thinking about living proudly in this world.</i>¡¯ Knowing this made Mia a little happy.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s been a while since you arrived here, Bel.¡±


    Mia muttered, recalling that day.


    ¡°Yes¡­ that time¡­¡±


    Mia remembered the strange book she had found in the library. She had rejected the bright future that had been written in it. She had refused a future where Abel would be exiled from his country and sought a happier one instead.


    ¡°Hmm, now that I think about it, if I had epted that future, things might have been a little easier.¡±


    ¡®<i>Afterward, Bel hade along. As a result, I gained many more allies¡ªEsmeralda, as well as the other Etoiles. I will have to confront Abel¡¯s sister and might also get involved in his family matters.</i>¡¯


    ¡°Although it¡¯s been difficult, if I think about it carefully, things have turned out exactly how I wanted. In that sense, maybe you have truly been my guiding light.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Umm, Mia-oneesama?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. It¡¯s okay, Bel. Everything will work out. Grandmother Mia will take care of everything, including Rina-san and the Serpents. I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I won¡¯t let your dreame to an end.¡±


    With that, Miaughed confidently.


    The following day, Mia and her group, the ¡®<i>Citrina Rescue Unit</i>¡¯ left the Southern Capital.

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597


    <b>Princess Mia Skillfully ys Along</b>


    Guided by Aima, Mia¡¯s group headed towards the enemy base, making a stop at the hidden vige of the Fire n along the way. ording to Aima, the abandoned castle, which the Serpent Priestess had made her base, was located further south of the vige, deep in the forest between Belluga and Remno.


    The Fire n¡¯s hidden vigey directly on the route to the base and was a good ce to rest, but¡­


    Ludwig¡¯s advice carried far more weight than that.


    ¡°We should definitely ask the Fire n for their cooperation.¡±


    Mia silently followed Ludwig¡¯s counsel. She didn¡¯t doubt his words for even a moment.


    ¡®<i>Bel is really worried about Citrina and is probably thinking of rushing to her aid as soon as possible! It¡¯s my job to keep Bel calm and also to keep the enraged Princess Guard in check.</i>¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with what Ludwig has said. I believe in him.¡± Mia said with a solemn expression. She was a smart yes-man who knew exactly whom she needed to be a yes-man for.


    As soon as they arrived at the vige, Mia and her group were greeted by the vigers with bright smiles.


    They had already been informed that the talks with the Equestrian Kingdom were going well. Aid from the Forest n had arrived, easing the vige¡¯s tension, and a temporary peace had descended upon it.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Looking out at the vigers from inside the carriage, Mia¡¯s expression softened slightly.


    ¡°Mia-sama, may I consult with you briefly about the impending matter?¡±


    Ludwig called out to Mia with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Yes, of course. We need toe up with a countermeasure soon.¡±


    Even for Mia, knowing their future course of action would bring peace of mind, so she readily epted the proposal.


    At that moment, there was no strategy in ce to rescue Citrina. For the time being, they had no choice but to follow the enemy¡¯s instructions.


    Ludwig quietly informed Mia.


    ¡°Miss Aima and the other women of the Fire n should use the gift of reconciliation with the Equestrian Kingdom to appeal to the Fire n warriors to return and switch allegiance.¡±


    Ludwig adjusted his sses and continued.


    ¡°As originally nned, we should weaken the enemy¡¯s forces. I believe this is the best course of action.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia groaned and turned her gaze towards the man sitting next to Ludwig, Dion.


    Fortunately, with both Ludwig and Dion present, Mia¡¯smon sense told her to refrain from interjecting.


    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t say anything rash. For now, I should listen intently to what they have to say.</i>¡¯


    Mia was a wise woman who knew her ce. She didn¡¯t say a word but nodded meaningfully, and Ludwig nodded back in response.


    ¡°As you can imagine, there is no way for the Serpent Priestess to prevent this.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s true. To the warriors of the Fire n, we are enemies opposing the Serpent Priestess. However, that is not the case for the women of the Fire n, right?¡±


    Ludwig quietly nodded in response to Dion¡¯s question.


    ¡°Even though she may be High Priestess of the Serpents, she cannot order the Fire n warriors to kill the women of their own n. If the women inform them about the reconciliation with the Equestrian Kingdom, the men of the Fire n will have no choice but to listen.¡±


    And if they could separate the Fire n warriors from the Priestess, there would hardly be any troops left around her.


    ¡°I believe I have understood for some time now that the Serpents do not have many troops. Or rather, I think that theirck of troops is the Serpents¡¯ strength.¡±


    The Serpents¡¯ method was to disrupt order through conspiracy. They rarely maintained a direct army, and the warriors surrounding the Priestess were most likely just following orders from their n Chief. ording to Ludwig, their loyalty to the Priestess herself was limited.


    ¡°Aima-san mentioned that those who truly agreed with the Serpents¡¯ philosophy had already left the vige to spread its teachings. Some of them were likely among those who approached His Highness Echard of Sunnd.¡±


    The Serpent followers weren¡¯t necessarily the Priestess¡¯s guards. Their passion for the Serpents¡¯ philosophy was more focussed on spreading its teachings than on protecting the Priestess.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmmm¡­¡± Mia nodded, urging Ludwig to continue. She rested her chin on her hand, putting on a show of deep contemtion.


    To allow the speaker to express themselvesfortably, the listener needed to make well-timed responses, and Mia was an expert at this.


    ¡°In any case, we should separate everyone except those who are absolutely loyal to the Priestess. Reducing the enemy¡¯s numbers as much as possible is critical.¡± Ludwig concluded.


    After listening to him silently, Mia nced over at Dion.


    ¡°I agree with you. However, it does feel a bit like we are taking the women of the Fire n hostage¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia muttered thoughtfully, before quickly turning back to Ludwig. Her gaze silently asked, ¡°Is that really okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that it might seem like we are holding them hostage¡­ but I don¡¯t think it will be a problem.¡±


    Mia nodded in response to Ludwig¡¯s confident assertion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s request the Fire n¡¯s cooperation. I will ask Aima-san to gather them.¡±


    ¡®<i>Since Ludwig said so, then it must be true.</i>¡¯


    Thought Mia. She hadplete faith in her loyal retainer.


    When the vigers gathered, Ludwig exined the situation and made his request.


    ¡°I would like to ask all of you to convince the Fire n warriors to return.¡±


    Before Aima could respond, the women of the vige replied.


    ¡°Of course we will cooperate. After all, it¡¯s to bring our men back from the Serpent Priestess.¡±


    The women of the Fire n had no objections to Ludwig¡¯s request. In fact, they too wished for the warriors to return.


    Once the right circumstances were established and they were asked for help, they certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether they were being held as hostages or not, or whether they were being used. What existed was a beautiful intersection of mutual interests.


    ¡®<i>So that¡¯s it. The best way to cooperate is not to monopolise the benefits but to ensure mutual gain. That Damn sses went through a lot of trouble to make this happen.</i>¡¯


    In thest days of the Empire, Ludwig had struggled to secure food. Offering mutual benefit had be increasingly difficult. In the end, all he could offer were empty promises that hardly anyone epted.


    ¡®<i>This time, our interests coincide. That is why they epted our request without any hesitation.</i>¡¯


    There had probably been efforts to bring back the men who had left. However, they had failed. What could they even do if they returned to the vige? This was the sort of desperate situation that shrouded the entire Fire n.


    But the situation had changed. With the Equestrian Kingdom bing an ally once more, returning to the vige seemed like an attractive option.


    While some might still have emotional reservations, the women would be responsible for convincing them.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So with this, we can significantly reduce the enemy¡¯s fighting forces for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Yes. When Mia-sama proposed the Horse Match-up, I wondered what would happen. But, as expected, you were right, Mia-sama. With this, I think we can avoid arge-scale armed conflict.¡±


    Although it was a sincerepliment, Mia couldn¡¯t shake an ominous feeling.


    ¡°If we can split them up peacefully, that¡¯s fine. But then again, that might be unsettling in its own way.¡± Mia muttered.


    After all, their opponent was the High Priestess of the Chaos Serpents. Mia reminded herself to not let her guard down. As she refocused her thoughts, she reached for a cookie and popped it into her mouth.

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598


    <b>What are the Chaos Serpents?</b>


    Valentina¡¯s tea party was held again the following day. At the previous day¡¯s tea party, Citrina had beenpletely out of control, but today, she made aplete turnaround and decided to go on the offensive.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to crush them, then at least tell me what the Chaos Serpents are.¡±


    Staring up at her, Citrina quietly took a sip of tea. It didn¡¯t taste like poison. She was fairly confident they wouldn¡¯t try to use poison on her from this point on.


    ¡°Oh, what would you do if you knew?¡±


    Valentina asked with a smile ying on her lips, and Citrina responded with a determined smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. I¡¯d think of a way to crush them. Once we understand the true identity of our opponent, we can deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Like your special poison, I suppose? You must know a lot about it, right? Enough to even kill a dear friend.¡±


    Valentina replied, gazing at Citrina as if she were a troubled child.


    ¡°Yes. Enough to protect the people I care about.¡±


    Valentina seemed a little surprised by the response.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not haunted by that anymore. Hehe, well, never mind. If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    She regained herposure and took a sip of tea.


    ¡°But your father knows too, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    As Citrina blinked in confusion, the Serpent Priestess smiled radiantly.


    ¡°I am saying that Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon knew what the Chaos Serpents were.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­ I mean, Father didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    As Citrina¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, Valentina spoke in a teasing tone.


    ¡°Oh dear? Perhaps he never told you that?¡±


    From a teasingugh, she quickly switched to a gentle smile.


    ¡°Hehehe. How adorable. You really love your father, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What! That¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    Citrina felt her cheeks heat up. Once again, she was being toyed with, and she instinctively bit her lip. She had intended to take control, but once again, it was the Serpent Priestess who held the reins. As Citrina bowed her head in frustration, she heard an unexpectedly gentle voice calling out to her.


    ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. It¡¯s truly a wonderful thing. I¡¯m quite jealous.¡±


    The subtle warmth in her voice only deepened Citrina¡¯s confusion. It sounded almost as if she were genuinely envious.


    ¡°Jealous? Over something so trivial¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s true. You have something I don¡¯t. It¡¯s not strange for me to feel jealous.¡±


    Valentina let out a self-deprecatingugh and shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°After all, I was almost killed by my father¡ªor at least someone very close to him.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Citrina was taken aback by the sudden confession, but Valentina quickly shook her head.


    ¡°Well, enough about me. Let¡¯s get back to the point. Although I might have tried to tease you, I did not lie. Duke Lorenz Etoile Yellowmoon does know the reason for the existence of the Chaos Serpents. At the very least, Barabara-san seemed to think so. Hehehe.¡±


    Then Valentinaughed.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t look so displeased. I¡¯m sure she was quite cruel to you, but she had her own reasons. She had a reason to hate nobles. You¡¯re probably wondering what I am trying to make you listen to. You¡¯re thinking that the Serpent Priestess is just trying to confuse you. But if you knew that even Serpents have reasons for bing Serpents, you¡¯d probably feel sympathy, and perhaps your emotions might be swayed¡­¡±


    Even if Citrina had never thought of it that way, once she was made aware of it, it would be impossible to erase it from her memory.


    The very idea of the Priestess speaking to her was an attempt to gain control over her heart and mind. Even though Citrina realised that, she couldn¡¯t close her ears to the conversation.


    ¡°Well, setting that aside, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange if Duke Lorenz realised the true identity of the Chaos Serpents.¡±


    Valentina quietly informed Citrina with a meaningful smile.


    ¡°That is because the weakest Yellowmoon is indeed a being created based on the logic of the Serpents.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Valentina ignored the faint murmur and continued speaking.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Duke Lorenz tell you¡ªor Mia Luna Tearmoon for that matter? The answer is very simple: because he knew that if he told you, you would fall into despair. He asked you to defeat the Serpents, but Duke Lorenz knew very well that it was impossible.¡±


    Citrina nced sideways at the Serpent Priestess, who spoke with great eloquence, and focussed on sipping the tea in front of her.


    Citrina savoured the infuriatingly delicious tea and tried to recall something. That¡¯s right¡ªMia never missed an opportunity to enjoy tea and sweets. The image of Mia¡¯s carefree face, as if she weren¡¯t thinking about anything, popped into Citrina¡¯s mind, and she decided to confront Valentina once again.


    ¡°Even if Father made that decision, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it was the right one. That¡¯s why I¡¯d really like to hear it from you. Will you finally tell me? Do you really intend to?¡±


    Citrina said, deliberately putting on an expression of having given up.


    ¡°Or perhaps you have no intention of telling me¡­¡±


    ¡°The Chaos Serpents could be considered heretics, but they are not truly heretics. They are a discarded n, but not really a discarded n. Fallen nobles, but not entirely fallen nobles. A banished princess, but not quite a princess¡­¡±


    Valentina closed her eyes and spoke as if reciting the words from memory.


    ¡°But in reality, what is their true form?¡±


    Valentina gracefully brought the teacup to her lips, deliberately prolonging the suspense. She moistened her lips with the wonderful herbal tea before speaking quietly.


    ¡°The Chaos Serpents are an ideology that infects a certain group of people.¡±

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599


    <b>The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth</b>


    ¡°An infectious ideology?¡±


    As Citrina tilted her head in confusion, Valentina spoke in a deliberately slow tone.


    ¡°Yes. The Serpents represent an ideology that infects and spreads from one weak person to another, from oppressed to oppressed, distorting their perceptions. They erode the morals of the weak, rewrite theirmon sense, and degrade them into destroyers of order.¡±


    Her tone was far from euphoric and did not have a hint of praise. On the contrary, her voice was calm and exceedingly t, almost like that of a schr.


    ¡°The Serpents parasitise the weak, gently luring and enticing them into believing that such an order should be destroyed, that it is a system designed to trample on and exploit them. Why hesitate to destroy it?¡±


    The Serpent¡¯s voice resounded beautifully, melodically, like the seductive whisper of a lover.


    ¡°Ignore the rules set by the victors. Pay no heed to the people who live peacefully while trampling on the defeated. That¡¯s how they¡¯re seduced.¡±


    Chuckling, Valentina continued with a happyugh.


    ¡°Normally, whether one is poor, weak, or oppressed, they are still bound by ethics and morals. Even if someone has nothing, they would never consider dragging a parent and child, happily walking through town, into the depths of misery. It doesn¡¯t matter if the person is a merchant or an aristocrat. That is because every person has a ¡®conscience¡¯, but the Serpents kill that very conscience.¡±


    A beautiful hand clenched tightly¡ªlong and slender, the hand of a princess¡ªand Citrina saw a vision of fresh blood.


    ¡°And then hand them a weapon.¡±


    Gently stroking the Serpent inscription on the Serpents¡¯ Holy Scripture ced on the desk, Valentina continued.


    ¡°There are various methodologies outlined in <i>The</i> <i>Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth</i>: techniques to destroy nations, ways to kill nobles, and methods to manipte the minds of people. This is the crystallisation of knowledge from many who have devoted their hearts to the Serpents¡ªthe embodiment of pure evil.¡±


    The thought of her own home came to Citrina¡¯s mind. The House of Duke Yellowmoon¡ªthe weakest Duke Family borne out of the Serpents¡¯ philosophy and logic. Their perfected poisoning techniques had been passed down through generations. Perhaps that, too, was knowledge that should have been recorded in the book.


    ¡°But¡­ that reasoning seems wed.¡±


    With difficulty, Citrina tried to offer a rebuttal.


    ¡°When the weak defeat the strong, the Serpents should disappear. After all, having won the battle, the weak will want to establish their own system of control as victors. After destroying the order that is unfavourable to them, the weak will create a new world order that is more favourable to them and try to maintain it.¡±


    That was nothing more than destroying the old order and creating a new one. The logic of the Chaos Serpents to destroy all order could not be valid.


    Valentina nodded gently in response to Citrina¡¯s question and then ced two cookies on the te.


    ¡°For example, let¡¯s say I, the oppressed, lead a revolutionary army to wipe out the Remno Royal government. In this scenario, I¡¯m represented by the cookie with the red berry on top, while the cookie with the blue berry represents the Royal government.¡±


    Then she ced the cookie with the red berry on top.


    ¡°I will begin my reign as the new ruler. But even then, there will be those who are weak and oppressed, right?¡±


    She pointed at the cookie with the blue berry with her long finger.


    ¡°Those in the Royal government who were defeated. The Serpents move from the weak to the weak, infecting and taking up residence in their hearts and minds. Thus, the defeated, the weak, and the oppressed be the Serpents.¡±


    Then she popped the cookie with the blue berry into her mouth, biting into it as if it were quite delicious. She licked the crumbs off her lips with her tongue.


    ¡°Well, how about this? What do you think would happen if all the defeated were to be executed?¡±


    She broke the cookie with the red berry in two.


    ¡°Even in that case, the weak and oppressed will not disappear. There is a hierarchy even within the ranks of the revolutionary army, and the weak will be trampled upon. The weak and oppressed will emerge from the power struggle, and the Serpents will inevitably slither closer to them.¡±


    She lined up the two halves of the red berry cookie on the table. The strong and the weak, the victors and the defeated, those who rule and those who are ruled.


    ¡°Or perhaps the defeated members of the Royal government and the weaker members of the revolutionary army will join forces and be allies. Not all the weak elements from the era of the Royal government can align with the victorious revolutionary army. In the end, there will always be those who are oppressed, and the Serpents will take advantage of this, exploiting it to spread like an infection.¡±


    After popping the red berry cookie into her mouth, Valentina rested her chin on her hands and gazed at Citrina.


    ¡°The ideology that infects and parasitises the ws in humanity, creating the strong and the weak, oppressors and the oppressed¡ªthat is the true essence of the Chaos Serpents. That is why the Serpents will never die, cannot be crushed, and will never disappear, as long as humans remain human and uphold an order that continues to produce the weak and oppressed.¡±


    There was great power in Valentina¡¯s words, a force sopelling that it left no room for argument. It was akin to the revtion of an oracle.


    ¡°Duke Lorenz fully understood that the Serpents were too difficult to eradicate and gave up. A Serpent follower in human form could be executed, and a book could be burned. But once an idea takes root in the heart and mind, it cannot be erased.¡±


    Valentina closed her eyes and continued in a solemn tone, as if offering a prayer.


    ¡°Heretical teachings, such as offering live sacrifices or harming one¡¯s own body, are likely to be abandoned because they are barbaric, painful, and unpleasant, right? They can be easily discarded and forgotten in history. But the Serpents are kind. Like a dear friend, they give a gentle nudge to the weak, oppressed, and dissatisfied. The Serpents provide you with weapons, encouraging and cheering you on. Such teachings will never die as long as the strong continue to trample on the weak, creating a ss of oppressors and oppressed.¡±


    Valentina then picked up the thick, bulky, ancient-looking book adorned with the inscription of the Serpent on the cover.


    ¡°And that is why we refer to our Scripture as <i>The</i> <i>Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth</i>.¡±


    It was the chaste and pure voice of a Priestess delivering an oracle.


    ¡°<i>The</i> <i>Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth </i>is meant for those who are ¡®<i>weak</i>¡¯ and are forced to crawl the earth.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    At that moment, it seemed to Citrina that the inscription of the Serpent on the cover of the book wriggled seductively in Valentina¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600


    <b>Ludwig¡¯s Troubles</b>


    The next day, the people of the Fire n left the vige early, ahead of Mia and her group. To everyone¡¯s surprise, they were leaving with the entire n, including women, children, and even the elderly.


    ¡°The men who are with the Serpent Priestess are our precious family members. It is only natural that we all work together to bring them back.¡±


    Aima nodded vigorously, then waved at Mia.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful for the kindness you¡¯ve shown us so far. We will certainly live up to Princess Mia¡¯s expectations.¡±


    The women also nodded vigorously in agreement with Aima. It was a deeply reassuring sight.


    After seeing off the members of the Fire n who were departing, Mia muttered anxiously.


    ¡°Well¡­ I hope it goes well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mia-sama. I¡¯m sure Aima-san will handle things well.¡±


    Anne, the super-maid, spoke in a bright and encouraging voice. However, her face showed traces of anxiety she couldn¡¯t hide.


    Looking at the two of them, Ludwig had a thought.


    ¡®<i>Perhaps Princess Mia and Miss Anne are concerned about different things. What Princess Mia worries about is probably not the persuasion tactics of Miss Aima and the others, but the strategy that follows. Ludwig understood perfectly well.</i>¡¯


    Did Ludwig really understand, though?


    ¡®<i>That¡¯s right¡­ Miss Anne will probably be apanying us this time, so we should ensure she has a proper grasp of the situation.</i>¡¯


    Ludwig knew without a doubt that Anne was a coreponent of Mia¡¯s emotional support.


    This time, Mia¡¯s burden was quite heavy, as she not only had to save Citrina, who was being held hostage, but also had to support Abel, who would be opposing his own sister. She would definitely need some emotional support, so it would be unthinkable not to take Anne with them.


    It would be dangerous, but Ludwig decided that she needed to go with them.


    Ludwig nodded and began to speak.


    ¡°I cannot be certain, but I do think that the women¡¯s sess rate is not that low. To be exact, I believe the Serpent Priestess might not get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Is that so?¡±


    Anne blinked in surprise, while Mia responded with a thoughtful ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    She remained calm andposed, offering only a limited but correct number of responses to show she was listening attentively. It was a truly magnificent disy that radiated the dignity of royalty.


    Afterwards, she nced at Ludwig as if to say that she was leaving the exnation to him. Ludwig nodded as if he understood and began his exnation.


    ¡°First of all, as I mentioned the other day, I don¡¯t believe that all of the Fire n warriors are loyal to the Serpent Priestess. I think there are quite a few who would ally with us if we called upon them.¡±


    Even if the number of people who allied with them was small, it would still be beneficial as long as it reduced their fighting forces.


    Moreover, if the enemy¡¯s goal was to ¡®<i>summon Mia to their base</i>¡¯, Ludwig thought they would likely choose to keep only a minimal number of troops.


    This was the real reason why they didn¡¯t forbid the use of escort guards. The enemy wanted Mia toe, even if she had guards. Simrly, they would not like a situation where ¡®<i>Mia did not go because there were too many enemy forces</i>¡®.


    Conversely, it was eptable for Mia to refuse to go due to the presence of arge number of enemy soldiers.


    That could anger the Priestess and might cause Citrina to be harmed. However, if that were to happen, Ludwig was prepared to pay for the mistake with his own life.


    The foolish error of losing Mia had to be avoided at all costs. His thinking was always grounded in that fundamental principle.


    ¡°If, under the current circumstances, there are warriors of the Fire n who are deeply loyal to the Priestess, their most effective use would not be to let them fight to the death in the abandoned castle. Additionally, it would be difficult to kill Mia-sama in a surprise attack. As long as Lord Dion is nearby, that will not be possible.¡±


    It was possible they could take advantage of the opportunity while Dion was busy with the Wolf Master. However, that did not seem very likely. It would be a very poor n in the face of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Although Aima had informed them beforehand about the skill level of the archers, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone outstanding enough to sneak past the guards and shoot Mia to kill. It would be a different story if there were an archer as skilled as those from the Lulu tribe.


    ¡°So, the best strategy for the enemy would be to have someone loyal to the Serpents infiltrate the ranks of the warriors. That would certainly be troublesome. However, make no mistake: the purpose of this mission is solely to rescue Citrina-san and eliminate any variables or uncertainties that may arise.¡±


    Ludwig turned his attention to Mia.


    ¡°Hmm¡­!¡±


    Mia offered a dignified response.


    ¡°It is possible that some of the Fire n¡¯s warriors have already turned into Serpent loyalists. This n might entice them to return to the Fire n in order to reawaken the spirit of the Chaos Serpents.¡±


    In fact, that seemed more in line with the Serpents¡¯ strategy. ording to Ludwig, directbat and surprise assassinations on the battlefield did not align with the Serpents¡¯ operational style.


    After highlighting the most troublesome thing the enemy could do, Ludwig continued to assert his point.


    ¡°However, in this rescue mission, those individuals cannot do much. They may cause problems in the future, but we can deal with thatter. For now, our goal is to reduce the number of forces in the base that are aligned with the Serpents as much as possible.¡±


    The aim was to distance the warriors in the fighting force from the Serpent Priestess.


    That was why it was necessary to orchestrate the rescue of Citrina simultaneously with the defection of the Fire n warriors.


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡±


    Dion nodded in agreement with Ludwig¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well, since Elder Roufa is also on her way here, it should be fine to leave it to her to decide which returning Fire n warriors are still loyal to the Serpent Priestess. That is not an issue we need to handle, as it is the Fire n¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    Dion said with a shrug.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to think too far ahead right now. What we need to focus on is on the Serpents¡¯ base, which will likely be our battlefield for the time being. If we can eliminate the Fire n warriors from there, we should do so. If we cannot get some of the warriors to defect, we can deduce the enemy¡¯s intentions from that. If enough warriors don¡¯t return, it could mean they are lying in wait somewhere. Understanding how many are hiding would also provide valuable information.¡±


    Dion¡¯s thinking was simple: his only focus was the immediate battlefield. He insisted that what happened there was the only thing they should keep in mind.


    If they could draw enemy forces away from the battlefield for the time being, it would be beneficial for rescuing Citrina, regardless of what might happenter.


    After confirming that Mia had nodded in agreement with Dion¡¯s statement, Ludwig spoke.


    ¡°This is purely my personal opinion, but I believe Mia-sama vaguely senses this as well. I think the Serpent Priestess is someone open tomunication and quite reasonable.¡±


    Anne, as expected, looked surprised by this statement.


    ¡°Open tomunication¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°In other words, it may be easier to reach an agreement with her¡ªprobably. The enemy wishes to lure Mia-sama to their base, so I believe they might cooperate in eliminating any elements that could prevent us from getting there.¡±


    If the enemy¡¯s only interest was to summon Mia to their base, then the Fire n warriors might be an obstacle. That was because if an unexpected skirmish were to break out, Mia would likely retreat immediately.


    ¡°If you weigh the benefits of keeping the Fire n warriors at the base against the advantages of their departure, the Serpent Priestess will probably relinquish the warriors without hesitation. That¡¯s the feeling I have.¡±


    If not, that would be fine too. If the enemy used the warriors to fortify their base, they could simply respond by trying to appease them using the Fire n members and win them over to their side.


    It would be useful to weaken the enemy¡¯s morale.


    ¡®<i>I wondered what would happen when Mia-sama dered her intention to participate in the Horse Match-up. However, it seems her n to bring about a swift reconciliation between the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire n dealt a serious blow to the Serpents.</i>¡¯


    Ludwig was impressed by that.


    ¡®<i>I don¡¯t think she had anticipated Citrina-san¡¯s kidnapping, but even so, what Mia-sama aplished must have been quite an annoyance for the Serpent Priestess.</i>¡¯


    ¡°The problem is, if the enemy is that perceptive, what is the optimal strategy?¡±


    ¡®<i>What if the enemy intended to lure Mia-sama to their base, even if it meant relinquishing the warriors guarding it¡­ potentially sacrificing most of their current fighting forces? What could they possibly want so desperately?</i>¡¯


    Ludwig had no idea.


    ¡°If they are going so far as to summon the princess, it must mean they have a corresponding strategy in ce.¡±


    Dion was right about that, and it was likely what Mia was also worried about.


    ¡°In any case, let¡¯s strengthen the security around Mia-sama.¡±


    Given their uncertainty about how the enemy might act, they had no choice. The best Ludwig could do was ensure that Mia¡¯s protection was wless and remain prepared to respond flexibly to any changes in the situation.


    The number of guards they could take was not only limited, but there were also few suitable candidates avable. The members of the Princess Guard were skilled, yet theycked the specific expertise needed for infiltration into the castle base. The only one capable of that was Dion. However, if he wasn¡¯t close to Mia, the enemy would surely exploit his absence.


    Perhaps the knight Grammateus of the Remno Kingdom could sessfully rescue Citrina, but there was no guarantee he would actually do so, even if asked.


    So, the only option was to surround Mia with a small number of the most elite guards. This wait-and-watch approach aimed to establish a solid defensive formation capable of countering all the enemy¡¯s manoeuvres. When the opponent ran out of options, that would be the time to strike and execute the rescue operation.


    As long as the hostage remained in the enemy¡¯s hands, they had toply with the enemy¡¯s n to some extent. They would need to break through the enemy¡¯s defences and seize any momentary gaps that might arise. That was all there was to it.


    ¡®<i>Honestly, since they have a hostage, the advantage lies with the enemy. Since I am no genius, the best I can do is weaken the enemy¡¯s fighting forces. All that remains is to ensure that Mia-sama survives at any cost.</i>¡¯


    The best-case scenario was to rescue Citrina safely. However, if that was not possible, they would need to demonstrate to Duke Yellowmoon that they hadn¡¯t abandoned his daughter and had made every effort to rescue her.


    That was the most likely oue Ludwig could foresee.


    However, he also contemted.


    ¡®<i>For Mia-sama, the minimum requirement is ensuring Citrina-san¡¯s safety. If that is the case, how can it be aplished?</i>¡¯


    Ludwig was racking his brains over a question he couldn¡¯t seem to answer.

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601


    <b>Carelessness is the Greatest Enemy ~ Princess Mia gets a Little Excited ~</b>


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m feeling a bit tired¡­¡±


    By the time Mia finished her afternoon discussion with Ludwig and the others, it was already getting dark.


    Mia returned to the n Chief¡¯s house, which she had borrowed for her stay. The house, where Aima currently lived alone, was muchrger than the other vigers¡¯ homes.


    Aima had a simple and straightforward personality, which exined why the room held few things and was neatly organised. However, the house gave off a slight air of loneliness.


    Bel and Anne were absent as they had gone for a bath. That made Mia feel the loneliness even more acutely.


    ¡°It must have been lonely for her, especially since she used to live here with her brother¡­¡±


    Mia let out an involuntary sigh.


    ¡®<i>The Wolf Master,  Ka Maku.  It would be great if we could bring him back¡­ but¡­ hmm. If he won¡¯t even listen to Aima-san, how am I supposed to convince him?</i>¡¯


    If they could bring back the warriors that could handle the wolves, the only one left to contend with would be the Serpent Priestess, Valentina. Even with a few other guards, they wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat. Thinking about how much easier things would be, Mia nced around and noticed something unexpected: A huge wolf fur cloak proudly disyed on the wall!


    ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps it is the pelt of the parents or ancestors of the wolf we encountered the other day?¡±


    Intrigued by the rare fur, Mia couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to  stroke it gently.


    ¡°Oh my, this is¡­¡±


    The exquisite feel of the fur made Mia gasp in delight.


    ¡®<i>The fluffy texture and incredibly soft sensation against my hands¡­ It feels so good</i>!¡¯


    As a side note, Mia was, after all, the princess of the Empire. As unbelievable as it might sound, this was indeed a true story.


    Mia generally tried to live modestly. However, she was surrounded by a plethora of high-quality goods. Naturally, these items tended to be soft and fluffy. Rugs, nkets, and other luxuriously soft things weremon, and Mia was ustomed to theirfort. Thus, she had developed a particr fondness for all things soft and fluffy.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia looked around restlessly.


    ¡°This might be Aima-san¡¯s family heirloom. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t touch something like that so carelessly, but still¡­ Well, no one has actually warned me against touching it. So I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get in trouble if I just wrap it around a little¡­ yeah.¡±


    Muttering to herself, Mia quickly picked up the cloak.


    ¡°Hehe, this is sofortable! Somehow, it makes me feel like I¡¯ve turned into a wolf, which is kind of fun.¡±


    ¡®<i>If I lie down like this, I will probably be able to sleep really well.</i>¡¯


    Just as Mia was about to lie down, something interrupted her.


    Tap, Tap¡­ The sound of knocking on the door of the hut echoed.


    ¡°Oh? That was quick, Anne.¡±


    ¡®<i>Won¡¯t they be surprised if Ie out dressed like this?</i>¡¯


    With that mischievous thought, Mia cheerfully opened the door without a hint of caution.


    That was a careless mistake. Before her stood a formation of guards, led by the Empire¡¯s Strongest, Dion ia, and the true brains behind the Wisdom of the Empire, Ludwig Hewitt, presenting an impressive lineup.


    But more importantly, Mia¡¯s mind was simply exhausted from all the rapid changes in the situation. She had assumed she was safe here.


    In fact, Mia¡¯s perception was totally correct in one way¡­ butpletely wrong in another!


    ¡°Hey Mia, sorry to bother you sote.¡±


    Standing in the doorway was Abel.


    He tilted his head in confusion as Mia came out to greet him, wearing the fluffy wolf pelt and a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, uh, Abel? W-what¡¯s wrong? Why are you here at this time of night?¡±


    Mia spoke in a high-pitched voice, surprised by the unexpected visit. She quickly checked what she was wearing. Earlier, she had been enraptured by the fluffy fur, but now she felt slightly embarrassed by her appearance!


    She had been caught wearing something she never wanted anyone to see her in.


    ¡°Are you perhaps cold?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s not it! It wasn¡¯t a sudden impulse. Well, you know, I thought it might be useful to mask my scent from the Wolf Master¡¯s wolf. It¡¯s not like I thought it would be nice to take a nap wrapped in fur or anything like that!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡±


    Abel smiled wryly, a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°Well, actually, it does get a bit chilly at night, so it might be perfect. Mia, could you apany me for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I don¡¯t mind, but¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    As Mia looked at him curiously, Abel gave her a yful smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s no particr reason. It¡¯s just that the moon is beautiful tonight, and I thought we could talk while enjoying the view.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡®<i>Could this be an invitation for a date?</i>¡¯


    Realising this, Mia felt a little excited!


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s wonderful to take a walk while looking at the moon! It sounds amazing!¡±


    ¡°Well, since the guards will be around, I don¡¯t think I can whisper sweet nothings to you.¡±


    Abel joked with a shrug.


    In response Mia said, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    She folded her arms thoughtfully, as if contemting something.

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602


    <b>Our First Joint Effort</b>


    ¡°In that case¡­ Oh, I¡¯ve got it!¡±


    Mia pped her hands excitedly.


    ¡°How about enjoying the moon-viewing from the roof? What do you think?¡±


    As she spoke, a vivid scene surfaced in her mind¡ªa moment she had once heard described. It was a breathtaking spectacle imagined from the confines of her grey dungeon. The scene came from the story <i>The Pauper Prince and the Golden Dragon</i>: the prince, lying atop the roof of a shabby mountain hut during his travels, gazed up at a sky brimming with stars.


    ¡®<i>It sounded so enchanting that I¡¯ve always wanted to try it myself. When I think about it now, I wonder if it perhaps was Elise¡¯s yearning.</i>¡¯


    Elise, frail and of a weak constitution, must have envied her siblings, who could climb onto the roof and look at the stars. Perhaps that was why she wove her longing into the story. Mia, a prisoner in the dungeon, had been infected by that same yearning.


    ¡®<i>Hmm, I will definitely seize this opportunity.</i>¡¯


    Mia nodded resolutely to herself. Then she turned to Abel and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Abel listened to Mia¡¯s suggestion, his expression bbergasted, before bursting intoughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! On the rooftop? Surprisingly, Mia, you¡¯ve got a mischievous side to you.¡±


    And with that, the two of them climbed out onto the roof. Luckily, they were able to easily get onto the roof by climbing out of the second-floor window of the hut. However¡­


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s higher than I expected. This is¡­ quite scary.¡±


    As Mia cautiously made her way across the creaking roof, Abel gently took her hand and escorted her.


    ¡°Abel, surprisingly you seem used to this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A long time ago, Ani-sama and I got scolded for climbing onto the roof of the stables.¡±


    ¡°By Ani-sama, you mean¡­¡±


    What came to Mia¡¯s mind was the twisted smile of Abel¡¯s older brother, Gain.


    ¡°Is that surprising? When I was little, he used to be a bit less on the edge than he is now. We used to y together sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    ¡®<i>It was definitely surprising, but when you think about it, perhaps not. I suppose everyone is like that when they¡¯re children.</i>¡¯


    Mia never had any siblings, so she didn¡¯t really know what it was like.


    ¡®<i>There must have been some event that triggered his change, causing him to be twisted. That¡¯s sad.</i>¡¯


    As she was thinking about it, they had walked a little further before Abely down onto the roof.


    ¡°Oh, you can see the stars much better this way. As expected of Mia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    Mia muttered,ying down next to Abel, feeling a little nervous.


    And then¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Her breath escaped unexpectedly. The sky was filled with sparkling stars, arranged so beautifully, as if crafted by the design of divine wisdom. The sight was so breathtaking that just looking at it made her heart overflow. It was almost like an optical illusion.


    ¡®<i>Ah, that¡¯s right. This is it¡­ This is the kind of scenery I imagined when I read Elise¡¯s book.</i>¡¯


    It was the starry sky that the prince and the dragon had gazed upon. It was the very image that Mia had imagined and had longed for in the dungeon.


    ¡°Abel, thank you very much for inviting me.¡±


    Mia murmured unconsciously.


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m d you enjoyed it. I make it a rule not to hold back for the girl I like.¡±


    Abelughed cheerfully. Mia cast a sidelong nce at him before turning her eyes back to the night sky.


    ¡°What a beautiful starry night. The moon is lovely too. It¡¯s a full moon tonight.¡±


    As Mia stared absentmindedly at the night sky, she suddenly heard a soft voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    Mia looked towards Abel. His face was unexpectedly close, and she gasped softly.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we are going to see the Serpent Priestess, yet you seem pretty calm, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ well, I guess so. Hmm¡­¡±


    Mia nced away slightly as she pondered.


    In truth, Mia was not particrly worried.


    After all, this time she would be apanied by both her ¡®Source of Wisdom¡¯ and the ¡®Strongest Sword¡¯. No matter what traps the enemy hadid out, with those two by her side, Mia felt they could handle anything.


    ¡®<i>Anne is also here, so I¡¯m well prepared to meet my sister-inw. The only worry I have is Rina-san.</i> <i>I hope she hasn¡¯t suffered a terrible experience.</i> <i>Well, Rina-san seems pretty tough. As long as she has value as a hostage, I think she¡¯ll be fine.</i>¡¯


    After that, Mia observed Abel.


    ¡®<i>Hmm, it does seem like Abel is worried.</i> <i>I can empathise with that. This will be our third encounter with the Chaos Serpents. The first was in the Remno Kingdom, and the second at the mansion of the Yellowmoon Duke. But looking back, thest time, Sion, Keithwood, Tiona, and Liora were also present. Abel really trusted Sion, and they¡¯re good friends. So it¡¯s only natural that he would be worried this time. They were in perfect sync when they fought against the Wolf Master together in the forest.</i>¡¯


    Now, Mia was surrounded by loyal retainers who had been with her for a long time: Ludwig and Anne, joined by Dion and the people from the Tearmoon Empire, as well as Abel and his retainer, Grammateus.


    ¡®<i>It could be considered an alliancebining the forces of the Empire with those of the Remno Kingdom. However¡­ Hmm.</i>¡¯


    At that moment, Mia realised something important¡ªsomething extremely important!


    That was¡­


    ¡®<i>If we think of the Empire¡¯s vassals as my right hand, and the vassals of the Remno Kingdom as Abel¡¯s right hand¡­ then could this be considered the first joint effort between Abel and me?</i>¡¯


    It was really a stupid thing to think about!


    No, it was actually a ridiculous idea spawned by a hopeless, love-sick brain!


    ¡®<i>Hehe. If that¡¯s the case, then we absolutely must seed. We must rescue Rina-san safely and ensure that everyone is happy. We must also reunite Sister-inw Valentina with her family safely. I will not let our first joint project end in misfortune.</i>¡¯


    Thus, Mia was channeling her energy in apletely unexpected direction.


    ¡°Mia¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Mia suddenly noticed that Abel was looking at her with an anxious expression.


    ¡°As I suspected, you¡¯re probably worried about tomorrow too¡­ No, perhaps you¡¯re not?¡±


    Abel stopped speaking and stared at Mia¡¯s face. After a moment, he gave a wry smile.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ you were thinking about somethingpletely unrted?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. I¡¯m surprised you noticed that.¡±


    Mia nodded timidly, and Abel smiled happily.


    ¡°Hehehe. I¡¯m d I got it right. Lately, I¡¯ve started to understand what you¡¯re thinking, even if it¡¯s just a little.¡±


    Then Abel spoke with a serious expression.


    ¡°I thought I should speak to you properly.¡±


    Abel sat up and looked straight at Mia.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    As Mia gasped in surprise, Abel spoke quietly.


    ¡°Mia.. I¡­¡±


    Bathed in moonlight, Abel¡¯s face was faintly flushed. His eyes were fixed intently on Mia as he mustered all his courage, and she understood what was in his heart.


    Abel spoke, his voice breaking the silence that enveloped Mia.


    ¡°Princess Mia¡­ I love you. More than anyone else in the world. I have no intention of losing to anyone in these feelings.¡±


    Mia¡¯s mind instantly boiled over at the sudden confession.


    ¡°That¡¯s so sudden! Abel¡­ that was so sudden¡­ Whether it is Sion or you, is this what gentlemen are like?¡±


    ¡®<i>Good gracious! Is this the start of my poprity?</i>¡¯


    Mia thought, bing excited for a moment. However, she quickly calmed down when she saw Abel¡¯s face. He had a rather gloomy expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this came out of nowhere. I got a bit impatient¡­ I thought¡­ that I might no longer be qualified to say this in the future.¡±


    Abel then looked away, his gaze filled with sadness.


    ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t like it, Abel. It feels like you¡¯re going somewhere far away¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. But¡­ it might be impossible for me to be your fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°About my sister¡­ I asked Malong-senpai to send word to the homnd of Remno. I haven¡¯t heard back yet, so from now on, I¡¯ll follow you of my own volition. However, it¡¯s possible that this may displease my father, and I could be relieved of my position as prince.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Surely that wouldn¡¯t happen¡­¡±


    As Mia started to say that, she suddenly remembered.


    ¡®<i>If memory serves me right, Abel had a falling out with his father, the king of Remno, and was banished from the country. I, along with some others, came to rescue him. Something like that was written in the vanishing history book.</i>¡¯


    Mia then noticed something.


    ¡®<i>Abel confessed his feelings to me, but he didn¡¯t say what he wanted. He didn¡¯t ask me to marry him, or to be his lover.</i>¡¯


    He simply decided to express his feelings.


    That was because he believed that if he were no longer a prince, he would not be able to marry Mia. Even so, he still wished to apany Mia.


    ¡°Even if that is the case, there¡¯s no need to worry about it. Abel is Abel, even if you lose your royal status, right?¡±


    Despite her words, Abel¡¯s expression remained gloomy.


    ¡°Of course, I know you don¡¯t judge people based on their outward appearances, and you¡¯re not obsessed with someone¡¯s status. But if my sister¡­ If Sister Valentina were to treat Miss Citrina badly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face you. If that were to happen, how could I ever confess my love to you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Abel¡­¡±


    Mia gasped as she realised what he had been thinking¡­ and she couldn¡¯t help butugh¡ªa gentleugh.


    ¡°Abel¡­ you¡¯re an idiot.¡±


    She had to let him know.


    ¡°Even if you insist that you¡¯re not qualified, do you think I would ept that?¡±


    That¡¯s right, Mia knew. She put herself first, above anyone else in the world. She was the most selfish, me-first person in the world. What Abel thought did not matter.


    ¡°Even if you run away or hide in your kingdom, it will be pointless. I¡¯lle to your homnd myself and drag you back. And the same goes for your sister. If necessary, I¡¯ll even use force to bring her back from the Serpents.¡±


    ¡®<i>Not just Rina-san. I will definitely bring back Abel¡¯s sister too. I will absolutely make sure of it.</i>¡¯


    With renewed determination, Mia stood up!


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll find her!</i>¡¯


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°Bel-sama, you should not interrupt¡­¡±


    Bel had been sitting upright on the roof, watching the exchange closely, while Anne tried frantically to bring her back down!


    ¡°Bel! Hey, how long have you been watching us?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I saw Grandma Mia and Grandfather Abel walking on the roof, so I rushed over to see what was happening!¡±


    ¡°From the very beginning, then¡­ Ah, well, I thought that would be the case¡­¡±


    While Mia sighed in resignation, Belughed in high spirits.


    ¡°I made a wonderful memory. To think Grandma Mia and Grandfather Abel had such deep love¡­¡±


    As Bel seemed to be deeply moved, Abel called out to her from beside Mia.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you this, but you sometimes call Mia ¡®Grandma,¡¯ and you also call me ¡®Grandfather.¡¯ What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a secret. Maybe one day you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Belughed mischievously. Abel tilted his head in confusion. His puzzled expression was so funny that it made Miaugh as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. One day, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Even you¡¯re going to say that, Mia?¡±


    Seeing Abel look a little dissatisfied, Miaughed again.


    ¡®<i>It was somehow¡­ an incredibly fun night. I should be more nervous before my showdown with the Serpent Priestess, but even though I know that, I can¡¯t help but enjoy this time.</i>¡¯


    The memory of the night when Abel confessed his love to her for the first time was engraved in Mia¡¯s mind and would never fade.


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