Chapter 35: Two Pairs of Teary Eyes

“...Huh?”

The remark took Rafina completely by surprise. She watched in bafflement as Mia rose from the pool and began to walk away.

“Mia? What... What do you mean?”

She was answered with silence, save for the light patter of wet feet on the polished stone. Only then did she realize she’d angered Mia.

“Mia... Why?”

She quickly went over the last few things she’d said in her head, but none seemed particularly culpable. She had absolutely no idea why Mia was angry.

...Or do I? asked a voice she knew to be her own.

She turned her thoughts inward, digging deep into her memories, where she discovered a previously unexamined fragment. Unearthing it revealed the scene from earlier, when they’d both just gotten into the pool. That was when Mia, her voice stiff and her expression concerned, had said, “But I must say, Miss Rafina, you look awfully tired. It must be so hard for you.”

Something glimmered in a corner of her mind.

Mia... She was... worried about me?

She reached for it, pushing through the fog of confusion until...

She... was trying to lighten my burden?

She finally grasped it, and comprehension surged through her like a bolt of lightning.

Lately, Rafina had indeed been feeling a little tired. She’d always kept a grueling schedule, and it had only gotten exponentially more demanding with the appearance of the Chaos Serpents. Did she really think someone like Mia wouldn’t be aware of her exhaustion? And if she were aware, what would she do as a friend?

She’d express her concern... through her actions...

Mia couldn’t take her place as the Duke of Belluga’s daughter; that role was hers alone. Neither could she take charge of their budding anti-Serpent faction; it had to be the Holy Lady of Belluga who led the offensive against the secret society. The student council president’s job was different. It was the only role Mia could take from her — the only load she could lighten. And so she had, offering to relieve Rafina of those duties and shoulder part of her burden.

What is a friend if not someone who shares in one’s plights and pleasures? Mia was, through her very actions, demonstrating that she considered herself Rafina’s friend — the kind of friend she’d always wanted, who treated her not as someone divine or special but as an equal. As someone who’d stood by her side and shared in her joy, Mia had intended to share her burdens as well.

That was when Rafina realized something else; Mia’s campaign promises — promises birthed from the mind of the Great Sage of the Empire — were little more than a rephrasing of her own, advocating almost identical policies and ideals. Would someone possessed of such intellect as to stop a revolution in Remno and implement numerous reforms in her home country... be content to produce something so uninspired?

Did she... do it on purpose?

How hard could it possibly have been for Mia to propose some radical ideas? And yet, she’d purposefully chosen policies that were in line with Rafina’s current approach to governance. The reason was obvious. She wasn’t trying to defeat Rafina; she was trying to send a message — “hand me some of your work so I can shoulder part of your burden.” The similarities between their platforms was for Rafina’s peace of mind, to show that she’d be leaving her duties in good hands.

All this time, she was thinking of me... and what did I say to her in return?

She continued to mentally retrace her steps, bracing herself for where she knew they would lead, but she still grimaced when her own voice from moments before began to echo in her mind, telling Mia to withdraw her candidacy because she wasn’t going to win. She watched in helpless horror as her dear friend extended a helping hand toward her, only for her past self to slap it away and — in a display of conceit rendered in excruciating clarity by hindsight — offer what she thought was mercy in return.

Could it be that for all my fixation on our friendship... I’m actually the one who failed to place my full trust in her?

“M-Mia...” she said in a voice so trembling and weak she barely recognized it as her own.

With desperate urgency, she reached toward Mia’s receding form — to stop her, plead with her, ask her to listen — but her outstretched hand touched only the chasm between them. It hung in the air for a brief moment before falling feebly down to her side. What could she say? What was there to say? She’d had the chance to have a true friend... and she’d squandered it.

And now, it’s too late. Her vision blurred. It’s all too late.

Despair began to consume her. Like a dark, shapeless mass, it invaded her mind, oozing into every recess of thought in its path. That was when she heard Mia’s voice.

“Miss Rafina.”

Everything — her thoughts, her breath, even the encroaching darkness — seemed to freeze, as Mia herself had.

“I am of the opinion...” the princess said, still facing away, “that there is no friendship without forgiveness.”

“...Huh?”

Forgiveness? Mia... is willing to forgive me? But...

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Afraid it was a trick of the ears, she willed air through her parched lips and asked in a hoarse whisper, “You mean... we’re—”

“Friends. And what are friends if not those willing to overlook, from time to time, the mistakes and affronts we commit in each other’s presence?”

And with that, she turned around at last to reveal a warm and slightly bashful smile.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

Friends...? This is... what it’s like to...

In that moment, it all became clear. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that the girl before her, Mia Luna Tearmoon, was the friend she’d been looking for all her life. For so long, she’d yearned for a kindred spirit — someone in whom she could trust and confide — and finally... she’d found her.

“I...”

She bit her lip. Suddenly, the world melted into a kaleidoscope of colors, and there was the gentle sound of raindrops falling into water. Looking down, she was surprised to find a steady stream of crystalline tears falling from her cheeks.

T-Tears? They’re... mine? I’m crying? Why?

Rafina, who rarely allowed herself to cry in another’s presence, was thoroughly flustered by her own reaction. Such an uncontrollable surge of emotions was foreign to her.

I should be happy. I know I am, so why... Oh, my face must be such a mess. I can’t let Mia see me like this.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears, but it was like trying to hold back the tide. They fell and fell in an endless stream. Soon, her nose was running too, and she began to sniffle. She hastily spun around and waded to the fountain’s source, allowing the cool water to fall over her head, washing her face free of tears. Then, to make doubly sure, she rubbed her eyes clean and turned to face Mia again.

She wanted to say thank you. And sorry. But she gulped the words back down, not trusting her voice to produce anything more than a trembling sob. Instead, she returned Mia’s smile, the expression dawning over her whole face as her lips curled up to meet the glistening corners of her beautiful eyes, now reddened from tearful emotion.

Oh, how glad I am to have made a friend like Mia...

“M-Mia...”

The instant Mia heard the unsteadiness in Rafina’s voice, all of the heat and anger drained away from her. They were replaced by cold dread, which slowly crawled down her spine, sending chills through her whole body. Rafina, living embodiment of composure and restraint, was having trouble controlling her emotions. What could be upsetting her so much? After quickly reflecting on their conversation, she came to a chilling realization — it was her.

Not only had she thrown what amounted to a passive-aggressive fit, she’d ignored Rafina’s attempts to talk to her, choosing instead to sulk by herself. As a result, Rafina’s voice was now shaking... with anger! She was furious! So furious that the only thing she could manage was to utter Mia’s name!

Eeeeeek! Th-This is bad! This is very very bad!

In focusing on the election, Mia had lost sight of something important. No matter how badly her campaign was going, taking out her frustrations on Rafina was still an extremely bad idea. After all, the world wasn’t going to end the instant she lost the election, which meant there was going to be a lot of time afterward for her to suffer the consequences.

M-Merciful moons! What should I do?! Ahh, that was so stupid of me!

She frantically put her mind to work, trying to think of an excuse for her prior actions. She thought and thought... until an idea finally came to her, and she leapt on it with the desperation of a drowning child who’d found a floating log.

“Miss Rafina, I am of the opinion...” she said, still facing away because she was too scared to make eye contact. “That there is no friendship without forgiveness.”

The plan was to remind Rafina of their friendship while subtly incorporating forgiveness into its definition — the verbal equivalent of a sleight of hand.

“Huh? You mean... We’re—”

“Friends,” she declared with a tone of finality before blitzkrieging through the rest of her logic. “And what are friends if not those willing to overlook from time to time the mistakes and affronts we commit in each other’s presence?”

Friends forgive each other.

They were friends.

Therefore, Rafina should forgive her.

Q.E.D.

When it came to saving her own skin, Mia was fully willing to play dirty. She knew that Rafina, by virtue of being the one who made the initial proposition that they be friends, wouldn’t go back on her word, so she took advantage of that fact to force her hand. It was a profoundly underhanded tactic that could be summed up with: You said we were friends, so you have to forgive me.

Then, just to be safe, she turned around and put on her best You know I was just playing around, right? smile. Rafina simply stared, her expression unreadable. Then she lowered her gaze. Her shoulders started to shake. The motion soon spread to her limbs and torso, causing her to bite down on her own lip.

Eeeeeek! All that did was make her even madder at me!

Mia instantly regretted her half-baked charm offensive, wishing she’d just apologized properly instead. Before she could follow up, however, Rafina spun around and marched to the fountain, where she promptly plunged her head into its stream.

Sweet moons! Is she so angry that she needs to pour cold water over her head to stay in control of herself?!

She watched in utter horror as Rafina pulled her head away from the fountain, turned, and contorted her still-dripping face into what might have passed as a smile... had her cheeks not been twitching and her eyes not been bloodshot.

Eeeeeeek! That’s terrifying! Look at those eyes! She’s downright livid! But she’s still trying to smile, so she must be telling herself that she should forgive me because we’re friends... In which case maybe I’ll actually get out of this in one piece...

Seeing Rafina’s strained smile as an effort to quell her anger through adherence to the — slightly doctored — principles of friendship, Mia allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Oh, am I ever glad I made friends with her beforehand... she thought, the tears of terror in her eyes replaced by tears of relief.