Chapter 46: Book Buddies

Bingo! Oh ho ho, she's exactly the kind of person I thought she'd be.

Hearing Chloe talk filled Mia with a smug sense of satisfaction. When she'd approached the girl, considerations such as Chloe's isolation and Mia's own sympathy for the loneliness of her situation... had of course never even crossed Mia's mind. The only reason she took notice was because Chloe read through every single break, and Mia had reached the point where she wanted someone to talk with about the books she had been reading.

That's right, Mia craved a book buddy.

Earlier that day, Mia had been lying on her stomach in bed, reading the new draft that Anne's sister, Elise, had sent her.

Ah, it's so much fun to read it on proper paper like this!

The plot progression had yet to exceed Mia's knowledge, but the various details of how characters were portrayed and scenes depicted differed slightly from Anne's version, and there was a fresh sense of excitement in revisiting the story through this new lens. With her chin propped up on her palm and her feet kicking the bed behind her, she hummed happily to herself as she flipped through its pages, Anne watching over her nearby.

Though her behavior was hardly fitting for a princess, Anne did not frown nor protest. Mia's position subjected her to constant pressure to maintain a certain gravitas in her everyday mien. The only place where that burden was lifted was in her room, and Anne was committed to allowing her to lounge as freely as possible here. To Anne, this was all a part of taking care of Mia. To the rest of this world, this kind of treatment would be better described as "spoiling her."

Eventually, Mia flipped over the last page of the draft and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Anne. As always, these are most enjoyable to read," she said as she gave the bundle of papers back. Then, she tilted her head as though suddenly remembering something. "By the way, how are things back home for you? Is Elise doing well?"

For Mia, these drafts were a source of significant enjoyment that she always looked forward to. It was, therefore, imperative that Elise stayed in good health so she could continue writing the story.

"Thank you for your concern. Things are fine, and Elise is doing pretty well," replied Anne with a bright smile. There was no hint of deceit or hesitation on her face.

"I'm glad to hear that. If anything ever comes up though, make sure you let me know. Elise is one of my own, after all," she added, making sure to drive the point home. Then, she glanced at the draft and let out a sigh. "Still, it's such a terrible shame that you and I are the only ones reading this..."

The one thing that all book lovers have in common is their desire for post-book discussion. After reading something captivating, they simply need to talk about it with someone. Now, you might think Mia could just discuss the book with Anne, but unfortunately, she was surprisingly unreceptive to such talk. While she had read its contents in full, her motivation seemed to stem from an obligation to read her sister's work rather than any innate enjoyment.

Now that I really think about it, this story is pretty different from what I heard in the dungeon. I suspect Anne might actually be skimming through most of these.

The girls that comprised her entourage were also a poor choice. They'd simply shower it with praise. What they couldn't provide was the kind of meaty, explorative discussion about a work that Mia truly craved.

I wonder if there is anyone here who would be up to the task...

As she wandered around the classroom musing on this problem, her eyes settled on the girl who'd spent all her breaks absorbed in her books. She instantly knew she'd found the right person — the book lover Chloe.

She's willing to sacrifice time she could use to talk to her friends for reading instead. She must have such a deep love of books! All kinds of books!

...Of course, the main reason Chloe spent all her time reading was because she felt awkward just sitting there by herself doing nothing. She didn't actually love books as much as Mia thought.

"Would you like to be my friend?"

"...Huh?"

Chloe blinked. Then, she blinked some more. It didn't help. She still couldn't process what she'd just heard.

"U-Um... I-I'm... But, why?"

She couldn't fathom why Mia had asked that question. Asked her, of all people. It baffled her to no end. This was the Princess of Tearmoon. Her influence in class was unrivalled, and her social circle included all the serious heavyweights. From the princes of Sunkland and Remno, who were the objects of endless adoration from their female peers, to the Duke of Belluga's daughter, who literally governed their school, her friends were as elite as they came. This was someone who associated with the cream of the crop — those who sat at the very top of the Saint-Noel food chain.

So what was she doing talking to a bottomfeeder like Chloe? She had no reason to. Unless...

Then, something occurred to Chloe, and it all made sense. There actually was one possible reason: pity.

Did she see me by myself all the time and decide to take pity on me?

Knowing that Mia was sometimes referred to as the "Saint of the Empire," Chloe figured she must be a very compassionate person.

If she is, then... that's pretty depressing.

The thought made her feel miserable. There was nothing pleasant about being seen as pitiable. That must be why...

"Because you love books, and, as a matter of fact, there's something I'd like you to read."

Mia's answer confused her even more. She looked at the petite princess, her mouth agape and mind blank.

"So, if it's not too much trouble, would it be possible for us to be book buddies?"

It would be ten years later when Chloe would take over the family business and expand the book publishing department, eventually turning it into a massive publication company whose clients spanned multiple kingdoms. The books she had a hand in publishing would all eventually become bestsellers, and a particularly well-known bit of trivia was that the most popular among them was a book brought to her by her former classmate, the Princess of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.