Chapter 14: Mia Gets a Good Scolding!

After handling the Berman incident, Mia spent her days lounging around and just generally being very unproductive. There was no school, and the emperor had released her from all her official duties, stating that holidays should be used to relax, so she was in full-on vacation mode.

At present, she was sprawled lazily in bed doing nothing in particular. She wore nothing but her underclothes and was entirely unpresentable. Basking in the privacy of her private chamber, she hadn't even touched her dress since waking up. So long as she could afford to laze around, she was going to do so. Gone was the cool majesty of the Great Sage of the Empire, replaced by the belly-scratching indolence of a girl determined to reach the zenith of unproductivity.

"...Now that I think of it, it's been a while since I've received a letter from Prince Abel," she mused before letting out a sorrowful sigh.

As a matter of fact, that was also a cause of her recent languidness. She'd been exchanging letters with Abel every ten days or so, but recently, there had been a dearth of correspondence. To provide some context, a one-way trip from Tearmoon Empire to the Kingdom of Remno took five days by carriage, so a ten-day turnaround should be considered exceedingly frequent correspondence. With the occasional help of Anne's sister, Elise, she'd already produced more writing than she had in her entire previous life — three whole letters! Hey, it was an accomplishment for her, okay? In fact, she'd already written more letters than she ever could in her previous life. She'd written three whole letters. Which definitely said more about how bad of a writer past Mia was than anything else.

Her hopeless career as a writer aside, it was true that Abel's reply was long overdue. The last letter she'd sent had been fifteen days ago. The summer holidays were nearing their end, so she'd soon be able to see him in person, but it nonetheless left her feeling a little lonely. Not that it was any excuse to roll around in bed all day, but...

"Milady, there's a letter for you..." said Anne, poking her head into the room.

Based on what has been described so far, it shouldn't be hard to imagine why Mia leapt to her feet at the news.

"Well, that took long enough. I was starting to get a little worried that a landslide might have blocked the roads or something... Anyway, I suppose I can forgive a delay of this length."

"U-Um, milady, the letter... It's, um, not from Prince Abel."

"...Eh?"

Mia blinked a few times, a dumb smile still stuck on her face. Anne gave her an apologetic look.

"Actually, it's from the daughter of the Outcount of Rudolvon."

Mia, who had been leaning in closer and closer to Anne, paused. Then she slowly reversed direction and flopped backwards onto her bed.

"Oh. It's from Tiona." She let out a distinctly unenthusiastic breath as her languid disposition returned. "All right, you can open it and read it for me."

It goes without saying that Tiona Rudolvon was not someone she was excited to hear from. In the past timeline, Tiona was one of her archnemeses. While she had no intention of taking revenge, she wasn't about to become pen pals with her either. If only it had been from, at the very least, a friend. Chloe, for example. She would have felt a little happier then.

That said, Outcount Rudolvon's vast stores of wheat were undeniably appealing, and she couldn't afford to ignore a letter from his daughter. With a reluctant yawn, she prepared to listen to what doubtlessly uninteresting things Tiona had to say, only to jump when Anne reprimanded her sharply.

"Milady!"

"Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that, Anne?"

"I understand that you're disappointed the letter isn't from Prince Abel, but that's no excuse to look like such a mess. Imagine what Prince Abel would think if he saw you like this."

"You don't have to be so mean... It's not like he'll actually see. I'm in my own room..."

Her muttered excuses were cut off by Anne, who proceeded to give her a good scolding.

"You never know who's watching. Servants and maids have very big mouths, and they're walking around all the time. Word travels quickly."

It made Mia recall some scenes from the previous timeline...

Her personal servants had gone around blaming her for all sorts of things, some of which she'd never even done. Anything she actually did wrong quickly became common knowledge in their circles, and it didn't take long for her to realize they were incessant blabbermouths. If any of them were to tattle to Prince Abel's messenger about her appalling appearance... The mere thought made her face go pale.

"Ahhh... Anne... Anne..." she whimpered weepily as she shuffled with her hands outstretched toward Anne, who held her and gave a reassuring nod.

"It's okay, milady. That's why I personally handle everything. As long as I'm taking care of you, I won't let anyone else see this room unless it's neat and tidy. But remember, you never know who might be watching..."

"Okay... I know. I'll get my act together."

She held up her fists in a gesture of resolve. After hearing Anne's lecture, she was now determined to conduct herself appropriately at all times. That way, she would never be embarrassed to be seen by Abel, no matter when or where he should happen upon her. She was a simple girl, but she was honest, and Anne felt a small rush of pride in seeing the earnest attitude of her young mistress.

"That's all I have to say. I'm sorry for my rude remarks," Anne said in conclusion.

"No, I should be thanking you. You're always helping me so much. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Normally, scolding one's master like that was an act of insolence worthy of punishment, but it made Anne happy to know that no matter how lazily Mia behaved, she was still the virtuous princess she had come to respect.

Now properly dressed and seated, Mia began reading Tiona's letter.

"Hm, Tiona's... younger brother?"

The words evoked a memory from the past.

Tiona Rudolvon was known as the saint of the revolutionary army. One of the most significant factors behind her exalted reputation was the fact that she gave her own food to those suffering from famine. As a result, the starving masses, already fed up with the exploitative attitude of the imperial family, quickly gave their support to the revolutionary army she led. This phenomenon was the source of significant distress for Mia, who glowered at the latest report.

"What is the meaning of this?! Ludwig, why in the moons does that woman have so much food to spare?!"

Mia found it all very baffling. No matter how vast the Outcount of Rudolvon's lands were, and no matter how many farmers he had, he couldn't possibly be unaffected when the entire empire was stricken with famine. While he might have saved up some wheat, it seemed unthinkable that he could have enough to share with so many people. Faced with her bewilderment, her last remaining subject let out a disdainful sigh.

"Coming from a member of the imperial family, that is an awfully unlearned question. Your Highness, are you not aware of the development of a new kind of wheat?"

"A new kind of wheat?"

"That is correct. Lady Tiona's young brother, Cyril Rudolvon, developed a strain of wheat that is resistant to the cold. Its yield apparently remains virtually unchanged even through extended periods of unfavorable weather."

"What? When did this happen? Why is this the first time I'm hearing of this?"

"...Well, I suppose I cannot blame you for that. Cyril was taken in by Lady Rafina, and he worked in a research facility in the Holy Principality of Belluga, so it is no surprise you are unaware of his accomplishments. Still, I must say that Lady Rafina is a woman of much foresight. Unlike someone I know."

"G-Grrr... That's not fair! She has Prince Sion and a brilliant brother? That's so terribly unfair! I want a brilliant brother too!"

She ground her teeth together and seethed in anger, cursing the frank favoritism of fate.

"The child prodigy, Cyril Rudolvon... Not fair... the little brother..." muttered Mia as she relived her past.

"Milady? Is something the matter?"

Mia looked up from the letter.

"I wish to reply immediately. Could you fetch some writing materials for me?"

There was a sharpness to Mia's gaze that suggested Anne was no longer speaking to a belly-scratching lounger; she was in the presence of the Great Sage of the Empire. She eagerly nodded.

"Oh, and could you notify Ludwig as well? I expect I'll need some money."

"Understood."

Anne did as she was told. She immediately rushed off to relay the message to Ludwig before gathering parchment, quill, and ink. When she returned, she found Mia seated at the edge of her bed grinning to herself.

"You certainly look happy, milady. Did you read something pleasing in the letter after all?"

"Hmm, well..." said Mia as she playfully swung her dangling legs back and forth. "There's this boy called Cyril, you see, and he's Tiona's little brother... He's very bright, but apparently, financial difficulties are keeping him from going to school."

"Oh no..."

Anne frowned.

For such an unfortunate story, she sure seems glad to hear about it.

Mia continued to describe the letter's contents, growing more and more excited as she went. At one point she seemed like she was about to break into song and dance, almost as if she derived profound pleasure from the boy's misery. This confounded Anne, who had an unshakable faith in the virtuousness of her mistress. Since Mia couldn't possibly be indulging in schadenfreude, there had to be another explanation. So she proceeded to mull over the possibilities.

Why would she be... Oh, is it because she's happy that she can help her friend?

Mia was practically compassion incarnate, after all. It didn't seem much of a stretch to imagine that a saint of saints such as she would be overjoyed to know that she could be of aid.

I bet it's because she realized there's something she can do to help Lady Tiona.

Her theory was quickly proven correct.

"And so, in the letter, she asked me if I could put in a good word to Lady Rafina."

"Lady Rafina... Which means... Ah, she's requesting your help to send her brother to study abroad in Belluga."

Rafina was also a close friend of Mia's. Furthermore, the Holy Principality of Belluga was a point of convergence for knowledge, making it an ideal place for studying abroad, as it would provide exposure to all the latest developments in academia. It all made so much sense that Anne was already dipping the quill in ink for Mia to pen her response to Rafina when she heard something that made her freeze.

"Of course, there's no way I'll let that happen."

"M-Milady? Why?" asked an incredulous Anne.

"Because I want him to do his studying here in the empire. In fact, I'll personally see to it that the proper arrangements are made," replied Mia, her eyes gleaming wolfishly.

It wasn't an unreasonable proposition. The empire was no slouch when it came to the quality of its education either, and it had all the other benefits that came with its size and power. That didn't, however, answer a more fundamental question that puzzled Anne.

Why complicate things? Why won't she just let him go to Belluga like he wants?

If this boy named Cyril really was so brilliant, wouldn't it be better to have him grow up in a place like the Holy Principality where he could be surrounded by knowledge? Somehow, it felt like Mia wasn't doing what was best for him. Was her desire to personally help Tiona clouding her judgment? These questions troubled her until she ran into Ludwig, who would not only dispel her doubts but also instill a renewed sense of awe in her for the depth and scale of Mia's endless wisdom.

Thus, delusion met delusion, and each amplified the other, causing their previously linear growths to suddenly turn exponential. Where their runaway fantasies would lead, however, yet remained anybody's guess...