Chapter 27: An Army Ten Thousand Strong

Mia sat in the bath, the water up to her shoulders, feeling the heat sink into her body. Just as a comfortable haze began to settle in her head, she heard Rafina speak.

"By the way, Princess Mia, were you aware that there will be an entrance commemoration party the day after tomorrow?"

"An entrance commemoration party? I don't believe so..."

Mia frowned perplexedly. She'd never heard of such a thing, and she didn't remember attending during the previous timeline. She wondered why, though not for very long — she got her answer immediately.

"Haven't you heard? We're having a dance party to welcome the new students. I thought for sure someone would have already asked you to be their dance partner."

The second she heard "dance," a jolt ran up Mia's spine.

Ah-hah! I remember now! What a terrible time that was! I'd wiped it from my memory!

In the previous timeline, Mia had believed that she and Sion were destined to be together. As such, she figured Sion would be the one to ask her to the dance party, and the gossip she heard from those around her only strengthened that belief. This, of course, led to tragedy. After all, her supposed dance partner had absolutely no intention of taking on said role. On top of that, because she'd gone around spreading the word beforehand, no one else asked to go to the party with her. By the time anyone realized this, the party was half over. A few familiar faces did eventually come by and, with awkward smiles, invite her to participate. Her pride, though, couldn't bear the hint of pity in their eyes. In the end, she spent a long, lonely day in her room commemorating her matriculation by herself.

N-Never again! I refuse to go through anything like that again!

Fortunately, this time she hadn't lied about going to the dance with Sion. Other people would ask her... They should. They had to.

Th-They are, right? Please, tell me they are—

Mia caught herself just as she was about to pray to a higher power. She quickly shook her head.

No. This kind of weak attitude won't do. I need to be more assertive. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make these life-saving connections!

Mia took a moment to reaffirm her two objectives. The first was to not associate with people who were dangerous. The second was to intimately associate with people who would help her. Admittedly, the first was already looking pretty shaky, but the second one looked to be off to a good start. She had to make the most of her opportunities.

There had been a time when Mia wished to win the affection of Sion Sol Sunkland, whom she considered to be the man of her dreams. He was a handsome fellow with a charming smile, after all, and Mia was all about the looks. Furthermore, his skill with the sword was peerless; even older students couldn't hold a candle to him. During the swordsmanship contest, he'd fought boldly against an opponent far bigger than him. The rest of the time, he radiated kindness and composure. All in all, he was simply flawless.

...Or so Mia had thought. Now, she knew how wrong she'd been. However indirectly, he was the reason she'd been brought to the guillotine. Having seen through his perfect persona — or so she believed, anyway — she knew him to be a fake. However, there existed a more fundamental issue than whether or not his character was genuine; taking a crown prince as a husband was, first and foremost, an impossible proposition.

Being the sole heir to the imperial throne, Mia couldn't possibly leave her Empire to be wed to someone. Similarly, the Sunkland Kingdom couldn't send Sion over to be her husband either.

If anything, I should be aiming for second princes, or younger even. People who don't have much of a chance at the throne.

As she was considering her options, someone came to mind. While not as powerful as the two greats — Tearmoon and Sunkland — among the medium-sized kingdoms, there was one that was relatively large and boasted a fairly substantial military. In addition, though a little far, it just so happened to be situated on the opposite side of Sunkland, creating a geographic sandwich of sorts. It was named the Kingdom of Remno, and to Mia's great fortune, its second prince, Abel Remno, was her classmate. If she could wed Abel — or at least establish a relationship with him — when Sunkland mounted its invasion, she'd be able to ask for reinforcements. That way, they might be able to defeat Sunkland with a pincer attack.

I was planning to approach slowly after school started, but it seems like I have no time to dawdle!

After leaving the communal baths, Mia quickly made her way back to her room. As soon as the door was shut, she turned to Anne.

"Time for a strategy meeting. Anne, I need relationship advice. Don't hold back. Tell me everything you know. I want full-scale mobilization."

Upon hearing this order, Anne immediately stood to attention.

"Understood, Princess Mia. You have my full commitment. With your permission, I shall provide you with every last piece of knowledge I have."

Seeing her maid's enthusiastic response, Mia nodded with satisfaction.

Unbeknownst to her, the "knowledge" that she was counting on was entirely based on the romance novel Anne's sister had written. In other words...

Not once did she suspect that Anne — five years her senior — was a complete novice at relationships who had never herself been in love before.

"How promising," she said, completely unaware of her terrible misconception. "With you at my side, Anne, I feel as though I've gained an army ten thousand strong!"

An army ten thousand strong indeed, but little did she know... What it had in numbers, it lacked in substance.