**Chapter 309: Radiant and Captivating**

Pizza? Wait, why was there pizza?

In the end, Michael accepted the pizza. When he opened the box, he saw that there were no toppings; instead, the word "Sorry" was spelled out with rainbow candies.

Holding the pizza in his hands, Michael was momentarily stunned.

Hah!

In the dark theater, the sound of people gasping in surprise filled the room, but no one dared to speak. Instinctively, they covered their mouths to control themselves.

Gloria felt the same way.

She was conflicted.

On one hand, she hoped Michael would forgive Mia, and that they would have a happy ending.

On the other hand, she didn't think Michael should forgive Mia so easily. Just a pizza? Even though it had Michael's favorite rainbow candies on it, it still seemed too simple—not romantic at all.

So, how would Michael decide?

Nervously and anxiously, they waited for an answer, for the direction of the story, their hearts pounding, almost lodged in their throats.

The rain continued to pour down in torrents.

Meanwhile, Mia's Mustang stalled again, leaving her stranded on the street. It seemed she was going to miss the National Day banquet. Fate was playing a cruel joke on her.

At the crucial moment, the Queen's chief steward, Joe, appeared and rescued Mia once again.

Although Mia managed to arrive at the consulate in time, she had no chance to change into her evening gown. She was left to make her appearance in her workout clothes, her wet hair resembling seaweed, looking like a drowned rat as she prepared to go on stage.

The moment she saw the podium, Mia wanted to run away. The nightmarish memories of giving a speech in front of people flooded back.

However, this time, she couldn't run.

After taking a deep breath, Mia stepped onto the stage.

The Genovian royal family had already been informed that Mia would refuse the princess title, which meant that the baron's family, who were not of royal blood, would inherit the throne.

At that moment, the baron, seeing Mia step onto the stage, smugly lifted his chin and told his baroness, "Get ready to wear the crown."

Standing at the podium, Mia appeared extremely nervous in her plain and unadorned appearance.

"Hi... um, uh, hello everyone."

"I'm Mia."

Her stammering whispers were barely audible, as if she were talking only to herself. This left the media and guests in front of her perplexed. No one responded, and the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.

"Um... the rain has stopped."

Mia made a joke, offering a bit of good news, but it was clearly out of place. The atmosphere became even more awkward, and no one knew what was going on.

This left Mia feeling a bit discouraged, but at least, this time, she didn't flee.

Mia took a deep breath, grimacing playfully.

"I'm really not good at speeches. Usually, I get so nervous that I either faint, run away, or maybe even throw up..."

Oh.

There was a collective gasp from the audience. All the guests backed away, while the media zoomed in, ready to capture an iconic moment. The contrasting reactions brought low chuckles from the crowd, easing the tension a little.

Mia blinked rapidly, waving her hands frantically. Suddenly, her mouth felt dry.

"But, uh, you really didn't need to know that."

Mia stood on tiptoe before settling back down. Her soaked shoes were like two small boats, filled with water from the soles to her socks. Yet somehow, this helped her regain her composure.

Taking a deep breath, a smile crept onto her lips.

"Now, I'm not so scared anymore. My father helped me."

Standing among the crowd, Helen was filled with confusion, not understanding what Mia meant.

Then, Mia gave her answer.

"Earlier tonight, I was thinking of giving up my title. My mom helped me. She told me it was okay and supported me as always."

"But."

"Afterward, I thought about how I would feel if I gave up being the Princess of Genovia. Would I feel relieved or sad? Then I realized, how many times had I stupidly used the word 'I' today?"

Her smile bloomed fully.

Innocent and clear, radiant and beautiful.

It was hard to believe how stunning Mia looked, even in her disheveled state. Her face was bare, her hair wet, yet the courage and determination shining in her eyes made her glow with a captivating beauty.

"Actually, maybe everything I've done has been all about me."

"And that's pretty awful."

"I mean, there are seven billion other people living on this planet..."

She started to speak faster and faster.

From the side, the Queen quietly cleared her throat, "Ahem."

Mia noticed and quickly reined in her smile, carefully sticking out her tongue.

"Ah, sorry, I was talking too fast."

"But what I'm trying to say is, if I think about those seven billion people instead of just myself, maybe my life could be more meaningful."

"Look, if I'm the Princess of Genovia, then my thoughts—and the thoughts of people much smarter than me—can be heard by more people."

In the audience, Lily's eyes brimmed with tears, not only because Mia finally understood her own thoughts but also because Mia had found the courage to face her responsibilities and the pressures that came with them.

On the screen, Gloria's eyes sparkled with tears.

"Maybe those ideas could actually become reality. So, this morning, when I woke up, I was still Mia Thermopolis. But now, I choose to forever become..."

Mia looked toward the Queen, whose eyes also gleamed with emotion.

"...Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia."

The entire room erupted in thunderous applause.

Not just within the movie, but the entire theater was also a sea of teary eyes and swelling hearts. A sense of excitement and happiness, indescribable in words, expanded within their chests like cotton candy, quickly filling every corner.

Next came the coronation ceremony—

The moment countless girls had dreamed of.

The ball began.

The Queen led Mia, now fully dressed and made up, into the ballroom. The entire theater held its breath. Mia, in her full regalia, was breathtaking.

She wore a pearl-white off-shoulder chiffon gown, the golden snowflake patterns blooming from her skirt's hem. Her long, silky hair was elegantly pinned up, crowned with her first royal tiara, revealing her delicate and beautiful face.

With every step, her dress swayed gracefully. Mia had transformed into a picture of elegance, dignity, and poise, her every gesture now exuding calm and nobility.

As the Queen danced with the Duke to open the ball, Mia stood at the center, scanning the crowd for her dance partner. She saw Lily, Helen, and many familiar and unfamiliar faces in the spotlight. But this time, Mia wasn't nervous, uneasy, or afraid. She confidently greeted all the gazes with a smile and a nod.

In that moment, all the world's light seemed to gather around her, casting everything else into shadow.

Yet, Mia felt a little lost.

She looked around once, then again, but still couldn't find the face she longed for. Standing quietly in the middle of the room, she lifted her dress slightly, the soft light on her shoulders seeming lonely and cool.

The smile at her lips faded, becoming tinged with sadness and bitterness.

Now, Mia finally understood the feeling of being rejected, forgotten, and abandoned. A fragile emotion flickered in her eyes, like the wings of a butterfly trembling softly in the light.

The theater was silent; even the collective heartbeat seemed to pause:

Could it be that Michael hadn't shown up?

At that moment, Mia froze, her stiff smile slowly beginning to rise again.