Chapter 9: Princess Mia... Deduces the Answer

Rustle rustle.

Something shook Mia's body. She groaned and rubbed her eyes.

What was... I was asleep? Ugh, I feel like I just had the worst nightmare ever...

Slowly, ever so slowly, she opened her eyes... Only for the face of the girl-shaped ghost to pop into view. It stared at her.

"Hnnngh—"

Again, Mia toppled over and fainted. Rather, she was about to, but...

"Um, could you stop pretending to be asleep?"

Eh? Did I just... hear a voice?

The hesitation in the voice aroused just enough curiosity in her to keep her conscious. Nervously, she opened her eyes a third time and studied the girl, who gazed up at her with a face that was mostly impassive save for a hint of apprehension.

Huh. This girl's no ghost, Mia realized.

It was common sense, she reasoned, that ghosts didn't show apprehension. Therefore, the girl before her couldn't be one. She then reached over and stroked the girl's head, feeling the viscous liquid stuck to her hair.

This red stuff...

On closer inspection, it was a little too red to be blood.

"Oh... I see. This is the sap used for writing on the whiteboard."

That made the girl crane her head sideways and give her a puzzled look.

"Um, I don't know what that is, but I tipped over the container that was holding it. But please don't worry. I made sure to clean it up properly," she said in a surprisingly polite tone.

"So that's what happened..."

Mia chewed her lip thoughtfully.

So, she's not a ghost after all. I mean, of course I knew that. The whole time, in fact. Everyone knows ghosts don't actually exist... Which brings us to the question of... who in the moons is this girl supposed to be?

With her ragged appearance, she'd fit right in with the people of the Newmoon District. Her matted hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a while. The abundant rips and holes in her dress made it look more like a cleaner's rag than an article of clothing, and the limbs protruding from it were unhealthily thin.

A starving child who snuck into the academy.

That was the impression she gave off.

"So, what exactly did you come here to do?"

"...I think you dropped this, so I came to give it back."

She held out the pair of slippers Mia had been wearing before she'd lost them in her desperate scramble.

"You came here just to bring me these?"

The girl shook her head.

"No, that's not all. I also want to ask you a favor."

A favor? Does she want something to eat? wondered Mia, only to be blindsided by her actual request.

"Could you keep the fact that I'm here a secret? Please don't tell anyone," she said before she promptly bent forward at the waist in a bow.

Mia regarded her.

Her request... and that bow... Mmhmhm, I know what you're playing at now.

After considering her options for a few seconds, Mia's mouth spread in a devious grin. At a glance, the girl looked in every way like one of the innocent townsfolk who could no longer bear the torment of poverty. In her desperation, she'd even managed to knock a container of whiteboard sap over onto herself, covering her in sticky red liquid. The effect was striking, making her look ever more pitiful... But no! This was all an act! Mia, in all her wisdom, had seen through the ploy!

Saint-Noel's security is hardly so lax as to allow random poor people to wander in...

Just getting onto the island was no small feat. On top of that, the security system deployed by Saint-Noel was so comprehensive that it made the academy something of a fortress.

In other words, this girl has what it takes to sneak past layers and layers of security.

Furthermore, Mia had noticed something peculiar about her bow. It was decidedly masculine, not at all like how a girl would normally perform one.

In other words, there's a good chance she has experience pretending to be a little boy. The only reason she'd do that... is for a disguise.

What kind of person would need to go to such lengths to gain entrance into Saint-Noel? And actually succeed in doing so? She could only think of one possibility — the secret society plotting the destruction of the world.

Hah, nice try, but you can't fool me. I know who you really are. You're a Chaos Serpent!

In a moment of incredible insight, Mia engaged her logical faculties to deduce the answer! The wrong answer, based on incredibly flawed insight, but an answer nonetheless!

Mmhmhm, you sure didn't waste any time showing up. Too bad for you, because you're going to be sent straight to Rafina.

Mia, feeling rather proud of herself for ostensibly identifying an enemy agent, fixed the girl with a haughty glare.

Now that I know what the deal is with you, you don't scare me anymore. Though, come to think of it...

One insight led to another, and she realized that as young as this girl was, the fact that she managed to infiltrate the academy suggested she might not be a pushover. In that case, the best course of action for her, Mia realized, was to fight deception with deception. By playing along and pretending she'd been tricked, she could then trick them back. Her inner strategist was on a roll! Let's just hope she doesn't roll straight off a cliff!

"I know that terrible things will happen if people find out you've been letting me stay here in secret, but even so, please, please don't tell anyone," pleaded the girl.

"Ohoho, but of course," said Mia with a gentle smile. "I won't say a word about you. It'll be our little secret."

"...Really?"

The girl gave her a wide-eyed look of surprise.

"More importantly, aren't you hungry?"

Mia reached for a small box on her desk and opened it, revealing some cookies. Mia, you see, treated her room like a stronghold, which meant that she always ensured there were enough emergency rations (read: snacks) stocked to survive a three-day siege (read: weekend of not leaving her room). And these weren't just regular cookies. They were the result of in-depth research Anne conducted at her behest, during which she compared all available cookies on a cost-to-tastiness scale and selected the best one. In other words, they were optimal cookies.

Hehehe, one bite of this on an empty stomach, and you won't be able to stop. I'll have you then.

The girl, however, shook her head.

"No thank you. I'm not hungry."

"Huh? But..."

"I mean it. I'm not hungry," she insisted, only to be betrayed by her stomach, which promptly let out a pitiful whimper.

"..."

Mia stared at the girl. To her surprise, the girl stared back, completely unfazed by the awkwardness of the situation. She even puffed out her chest a little in a show of confidence.

"I'm telling the truth, and to prove it, I'm willing to swear upon the name of my grandmother, whom I hold in the highest regard."

My, your grandmother's name isn't worth very much to you, is it?

Mia resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she held out a cookie.

"Here. Just take one. There's no need to be modest. I've got plenty more."

"But I was told that... Food is precious..." the girl said, her eyes clearly drawn to the cookie. "And I'm already causing a lot of trouble by asking you not to tell anyone about me..."

She stared at the cookie, spellbound. As a test, Mia moved her cookie-holding hand back and forth. The girl's head followed it.

"I... can't ask another favor... Not food..." she mumbled, her words trailing off as her stare grew ever more intense.

Mia tossed the cookie at her, and she immediately snatched it out of the air — with her teeth, no less. As she greedily chomped on it, tears filled her eyes.

"I-It's so good..." She said through sniffles before looking at her benefactor with wonder. "A-Are you some sort of goddess of compassion?"

Well, I see this girl's a real sucker.

Seeing that her foe had taken the bait, Mia put on her most disarming smile.

"I have plenty of cookies, so feel free to have as many as you'd like. I don't have anything else at the moment, but I'll ask them to make some breakfast for you in the morning. Also..." she said as she gave the girl a once-over. "You need a bath."

She thought it best to present her apprehended Serpent to Rafina in a less grubby state.

Otherwise, Rafina might go easy on her by mistake. I mean, she looks so miserable right now that even I feel a little sorry for—

The door to her room opened.

"Ah, milady. Good. You're back."

Standing in the doorway was Anne, who breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Mia. Apparently, she'd gotten worried and gone out looking for her.

"Ah, Anne. Yes, I just went to the restroom. Good timing on your part though. Would you mind getting the bath ready?"

"I certainly don't mind, milady, but, um... Who might this be?"

Good question. What should I say?

Mia considered her options. While doing so, she glanced at the girl, only to find her looking bewilderedly back and forth between her and Anne.

"Huh? A-Anne? You mean... Mother Anne? If that's... and you just called her milady, then that means..."

"Uh... I'm sorry, but what's the matter now?" asked Mia, one eyebrow raised at the girl's sudden and perplexing reaction.