Chapter 26: The Daughter of the Duke of Belluga

Even at Saint-Noel Academy, which gathered the sons and daughters of powerful nobility from all across the land, there were few who could intimidate Mia. The Tearmoon Empire was one of the two most powerful countries on the continent. As its Princess, Mia's influence was without equal. There were only two exceptions. One was Sion, Crown Prince of the Sunkland Kingdom. The other happened to be standing right in front of her.

"Ah..." said Mia as she immediately straightened her posture. "Miss Rafina."

Rafina Orca Belluga was the eldest daughter of Orleans Belluga, ruler of the Holy Principality of Belluga where Saint-Noel Academy was situated. "Principality" referred to a country ruled not by a king or emperor but by a duke. Highly lauded nobles or those of the royal lineage with great achievements to their name could, with special permission from the king, be granted independent sovereignty over a small domain. The vast majority of principalities in this world were formed in such a manner, which meant that a princess of a mighty empire, such as Mia, had little reason to fear them. However, the Holy Principality of Belluga was the one exception to the rule.

The Duke of Belluga belonged to no royal family, nor was his domain a protectorate of some larger power. The reason the country chose to be referred to as a "Principality" was that its people saw God as their king. The duke's authority was bestowed upon him by God, and he governed in His place. Consequently, the Duke of Belluga was unique in that he was not only the country's political head but also a priest. His daughter Rafina assisted him in the various religious proceedings this duality entailed, through which her name naturally rose to prominence. In fact, she was known throughout the neighboring kingdoms as a saint. Unlike Mia's sainthood — the validity of which was both debatable and limited to certain areas or even individuals within the Empire — Rafina's was the real thing.

Mia remembered the girl to be fourteen, making her about two years older than Mia. From the day Mia came to Saint-Noel, Rafina had been its student council president, making her a central authority figure within the academy and one who commanded unparalleled influence. She was the kind of person Mia couldn't afford to take lightly. In fact, Mia would never even dream of taking her lightly, because in all honesty, she was terrified of her.

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Rafina. I'm—"

"Mia Luna Tearmoon, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire. The pleasure is all mine. I've heard quite a lot about you."

This short exchange left Mia in shock. It took her a few seconds to process the fact that Rafina knew her name. In the previous timeline, Mia was the one who'd approached Rafina. Drawn by the power the Duke's daughter wielded, she'd had every intention of befriending the girl. Sadly, this never came to pass. It didn't matter how many presents she sent or how close she sat to her during tea parties. She tried her absolute hardest, but in the end, no friendship ever bloomed between them.

Worse yet, Rafina never even bothered to remember her name. Whenever they met, the girl's frigid gaze would make Mia feel worthless, as if her very existence was a waste of time. Eventually, those dispassionate eyes bore their way through Mia's damaged ego and scarred her soul. In the end, she was left with nothing but the feeling of cold, hard dread whenever she thought of the girl.

And now...

H-How does she of all people know my name?!

As Mia stood in silent, motionless surprise, Rafina smiled gently at her.

"Please. This is no place to practice your posture. You'll catch a cold. Come, let's enjoy a bath together."

At Rafina's prompting, Mia discovered that she was indeed starting to feel a little cold.

Still, this person suddenly acting so friendly toward me is a little scary.

"W-Well," said Mia, not entirely letting down her guard, "if you say so..."

Just as she put one foot into the water, something occurred to her. Anne was just as likely to catch a cold, but with Rafina watching, she couldn't possibly have her share the same bath as them. The only option was to have Anne return to their room, but that would leave her alone with Rafina.

N-Never! That would be terrifying!

For comparison, in the previous timeline Mia had been twenty years old, and she retained the mindset and memories she'd had then, despite the age she appeared to be now. Presently, Rafina was fourteen years old. In other words, Mia was dealing with someone who was, relatively speaking, just a little girl. However, Mia's wimpiness struck again, and she couldn't help but tremble in fear before the aura of prominence that Rafina exuded. Truly, her cowardice knew no bounds. With her back against the wall, she struggled to find a solution to her dilemma.

"Your maid can feel free to join us if she'd like," said Rafina, causing Mia to spin toward her in disbelief. "Here, where we've shed both clothes and class, there are no princesses or nobles or commoners. Only people — equals who have come to share in the pleasure of a bath. Wouldn't you agree, Princess Mia?"

"Absolutely! I couldn't have said it better myself!" exclaimed Mia, who was more than glad to take her up on the offer. "Well, Anne, you heard Miss Rafina! Come on! Over here!" She urgently tapped the spot beside herself.

"B-But..."

Anne hesitated at first, but after Mia grabbed her hand and started pulling, she gave up and followed her in.

"Okay, there," Anne said, reluctantly lowering herself into a corner spot.

"Don't be silly. You're barely in the water there. Come closer."

Not to be denied, Mia proceeded to grab Anne's arm and drag her over. Their antics elicited a soft laugh from Rafina.

"You two really are such good friends."

"Of course. Anne isn't just my friend. She's my right hand and confidante."

The intended nuance of her statement was It's going to be two versus one in a fight, so you'd better think carefully. And don't think she'll side with you just because you're a big deal. My right hand isn't going to betray me.

"R-Right hand and... confidante?"

Meanwhile, Anne was on the verge of tears. Though she'd devoted herself heart and soul to serving Mia, she'd never once thought herself to be an excellent maid. She figured she was more on the clumsy side, if anything. Mia's remark, therefore, moved her to the core. Those words were more than enough for her to feel that it was all worth it.

Ignorance, sometimes, truly is bliss.

Then again, Mia really did mean it when she called Anne her right hand and confidante. In this case, even if Anne discovered what she was actually thinking, maybe she'd get off with just losing a bit of saint cred...

"The Wisdom of the Empire indeed," said Rafina with a giggle. "I see that your epithet is well deserved."

The display of intimacy between princess and maid had brought a smile to Rafina's lips.