Chapter 21: Princess Mia... Sows the Seeds

Among the students of Mia's year, there was one boy whose popularity trumped everyone else's. His name was Sion Sol Sunkland, Crown Prince of the Sunkland Kingdom and the object of every female student's adoration. His silver hair and cool, clear eyes rounded out his handsome features, which were further accentuated by a voice laced with honey. There was an air of composure to him, though he maintained a friendly, inviting manner. At the same time, he had a strong sense of justice. His grades were excellent, and his skill with a sword put most teachers to shame; among students, he was simply unequaled. Frankly, it would be strange for him to be any less popular, considering he was literally Prince Charming made flesh.

And Mia, bless her young, ignorant heart, had fallen madly in love with him. Rather, she'd fallen into what she'd thought was love but was perhaps something slightly less innocent. In her arrogance, she'd firmly believed herself to be Sion's only suitable companion. As the Crown Prince of Sunkland — a large kingdom with a rich history and long-standing traditions — it seemed obvious to her that the only person who could possibly be a match for him was herself, Princess of the equally-large and storied Tearmoon Empire. He was the man of her dreams, and as a result, she simply couldn't forgive the girl who had eventually developed a close friendship with him.

The girl in question, Tiona Rudolvon, was the daughter of a poor noble whose domain lay near the southern fringe of the Empire, where most of the land was used for farming. The fact that some country bumpkin from the middle of nowhere managed to win Sion's heart — when Mia herself had failed to, no less — was far too bitter a pill for her to swallow.

So, she took it out on the girl, teasing her and calling her names. When the other high-ranking girls bullied her, Mia joined in. In the end, the harassment Tiona suffered at their hands — all the mistreatment that made her life a living Hell — became the driving force that pushed her to the forefront of history. Her leadership would eventually make her a symbol of the revolution. Hailed as a living saint, she spoke on behalf of the masses, channeling their despair and anger through her impassioned words. It was through her efforts that Mia would ultimately be put to death by guillotine.

How terribly foolish I was...

In her three years of dungeon life, she'd been subjected to more or less the same kind of abuse. After thoroughly experiencing the kind of suffering she'd inflicted on others, she came to understand an essential truth: you reap what you sow.

To bully is to be bullied. Such is the nature of the cosmos.

"Princess Mia... look at that."

Anne's voice pulled Mia back into the present. She turned to find Anne pointing toward a street corner where Tiona was surrounded by a group of girls.

Ah, of course.

It occurred to Mia that these were the exact same circumstances under which she and Tiona first met in the previous timeline. The girls, all of whom were daughters of powerful foreign nobles, had been harassing Tiona over some problem or another.

I do believe they were going on about how they'd been slighted by her attendant or something.

At the time, Mia had just happened to pass by, but she'd chosen to give Tiona the cold shoulder.

"What should we do, Princess Mia?"

"What should we do? Why, the answer to that is obvious."

She'd already figured it out in the carriage. The rule was to never get close to anything dangerous, and she had every intention of following it; at the same time, displaying any hint of hostility was absolutely out of the question. She didn't even want to go anywhere near them, lest she be labeled a bystander. These were the kinds of situations where staying neutral was exceedingly difficult; the bystander who does nothing, in the victim's eyes, was just enabling the bullies. The last thing she wanted was to get caught up in their dispute. She didn't want anything to do with them whatsoever.

Figuring her best option was to take a detour, Mia turned to walk in a different direction. Just then, she felt a terrible chill run up her spine.

Wh-What in the moons was that?

She paused. Something didn't feel right. It was as if she were at a crossroads. There wasn't any clear hint of danger either way, but she couldn't help but feel a terrible misfortune awaited her if she made the wrong choice in this moment. She contemplated the strange sensation until a question popped into her mind.

I do wonder... why Anne decided to ask me that question?

It would make sense if they were at a literal crossroads and a decision had to be made whether to go left or right. However, in this case, Mia had absolutely no obligation to intervene. They both came from the Empire, sure, but that didn't mean she had to go help a stranger. And yet, Anne had posed the question. Despite all that, she'd turned to Mia and asked, "What should we do?"

Something told her she needed to do something about the Tiona situation, almost as if...

As if the decision had already been made...

Mia turned toward Anne. When their gazes met, she knew she was right. There was an absolute certainty to those eyes — an unqualified trust — that confirmed Mia's hunch. Anne's question wasn't "Should we help?"

It was "How should we help?"

For Anne, it was inconceivable that her beloved Princess Mia would refuse to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Th-Th-This is what it means to have to make an ultimate decision!

Trapped between a rock and a hard place, Mia was forced to choose between two equally unpalatable options. Should she help her archenemy or lose the trust of her most loyal subject?

After some hard thinking, Mia reached her conclusion; she couldn't afford to lose Anne's trust right now.

"I don't believe we have any other choice. Well then, let's do this."

"Yes, Princess Mia!"

After three years of dungeon life, Mia had come to understand an essential truth, or rather, she thought she had. What she didn't know was that she only understood half of it.

You reap what you sow.

Those words do indeed ring true, but the scythe cares not for the nature of the grain. Should you sow the seeds of malice, then malice shall be your harvest. But should you sow the seeds of kindness...

Just as how bullying will be repaid in kind, so will acts of benevolence. However, the full scope of this truth was, at the time, beyond Mia's comprehension.