Chapter 24: Romance Mode Engaged! All Systems Are Go!

As she passed over the finish line, Ruby quietly closed her eyes. The roar of the crowd filled her ears. Amidst their thunderous cheers, she slowly opened her eyes...to the sight of Mia ahead of her.

It was over. She didn’t make it. All that remained was to watch the petite form of her opponent pull away into the distance.

So that’s it... I’ve lost.

It took some time for the reality to sink in, but she was ready for it. She...was supposed to be ready. No regrets. She’d told herself so. After all, she’d done everything in her power, pushing her limits as much as time and her body would allow. She’d tried her absolute best...and lost. The chance had been given to her. She’d been able to fight—really fight, with all her heart and soul—for the one she loved. That was a wonderful thing. A blessing. So she had no cause for regret. No reason...to despair...

“It...was a good fight. Definitely a good fight. And a fight has a loser. And sometimes, it’ll be me. I know how it works. I—”

Her voice cracked. She drew in a faltering breath.

“I... I can handle losing. I’m...”

Words melted into desperate gasps. Her diaphragm betrayed her, convulsing of its own accord. Her breaths came shorter, faster, squeezing the air from her lungs. The scenery around her took on a kaleidoscopic sparkle before dissolving into a bleary sea of color. Drops fell from her eyes, one after another. She rubbed at them vigorously, desperately, but they would not stop.

Ruby cried. With the open, honest sorrow of a young girl who’d lost something dear to her, she cried.

Hnnngh, I’m the one who won! Me! So how come I have to suffer like this?

Not only had she gone for a victory lap sack-of-potatoes style, she’d taken another one of Kuolan’s nasal cannons to the face. Cursing this bitter sequence of events, she plodded toward the changing tent.

“You were amazing, milady! Absolutely amazing! Don’t worry. I’ll get you cleaned up and looking pretty again in no time!”

“Right, thanks, Anne... Ugh, my hair...”

As she walked, she noticed Ruby in the distance. She was turned with her back to Mia.

Hm... I might have embarrassed myself a tad in the process, but a win is a win. She can’t pester me about Sir Vanos anymore. She might not like it, but she’ll just have to suck it up and deal. Mia pressed her fists to her hips and humphed. This was all her fault anyway. If she hadn’t dragged me into this whole fiasco, I wouldn’t have had to suffer the shame of...all this! I need to get this off my chest! All right Ruby, brace yourself, because it’s time for me to do some gloating!

Hoping to smug away her frustrations, she approached Ruby, circling around her so she could get up in her face.

“Who—”

The rest of her sentence lodged in her throat. Ruby was sobbing like her heart was breaking.

Huh? Excuse me? What— Why is this girl crying?!

Mia was utterly confused. Worse yet...

“The way Her Highness rode that horse was incredible.”

“It certainly was. What a race. She never fails to impress.”

...Her ears astutely picked out the approaching voices of Tion and Rafina. The timing was impeccable. Impeccably bad, that is.

Uh oh! If I’m seen with Ruby like this, everyone will think I made her cry! I’ll look like some sort of vicious bully!

She made a snap decision to grab Ruby’s hand and pull her toward the nearby changing tent.

“Okay, come on, this way. In you go.”

Fortunately, the only other girl who’d entered the tournament was Malong’s sister, so the changing tent was effectively a private space for the time being.

“Anne, could I ask you to stand guard outside and make sure no one comes in?”

It never hurts to be extra safe though. After Anne nodded and left the tent, Mia turned toward Ruby. She’d stopped sobbing, but her face was still a tear-streaked mess. Not that Mia looked any better, mind you. The fact that the dried fluid covering Ruby’s face was at least of human origin might have actually given her the upper hand in the “who’s less dirty” contest.

“Anyway, here. Wipe your face first,” she said, handing Ruby a small towel as she contemplated the reason for the girl’s tears.

Ah, who am I kidding. As if I need to do much contemplation. The answer is pretty obvious. After all, when it comes to topics like these, I can be pretty perceptive, if I do say so myself.

It should be noted that lately Mia had been hooked on a romance novel she’d borrowed from Chloe. All that reading had left her feeling like she was a veritable relationship expert. Faced with this situation, her brain immediately flipped into romance mode, allowing her to identify with practiced precision the romantic conflict present in the current scenario. She knew exactly why Ruby had been crying!

“Ruby, correct me if I’m wrong, but...you have a crush on Sir Vanos, don’t you?”

Then, in one of those moments of dispassionate objectivity people sometimes have after spending too much time in one particular frame of mind, she mentally backtracked on her own deduction.

Eh, that’s probably going a bit too far, she thought with a wry smile. I’m pretty sure he’s single, but there’s such a large age gap, not to mention a status gap... Also, that face of his... I mean, I know he’s a nice guy, but there’s a tad too much “bandit” in his features...

Upon reconsideration, Mia decided that it was probably the frustration and disappointment of losing that had made Ruby cry. In that case, the suggestion about her crush on Vanos would sound ridiculous, but she figured it’d work as an icebreaker of sorts, so long as Ruby took it as a stupid joke.

Ruby did not take it as a stupid joke.

“...You’re truly as sharp as they say. How did you know?”

Instead, she nodded gently. The sight of her deepening blush sent Mia to her feet.

“Wait, what?!” Mia exclaimed, shocked by this unexpected turn of events.

Then, realizing that her reaction was at odds with her previous statement, she tried to justify it.

“Uh, I mean, I thought as much, but I’m surprised you admitted to it. It’s, uh, pretty brave of you to...you know, do that...”

While attempting to present some semblance of logical coherence, she inwardly revised her own understanding of the situation.

So what’s going on is Ruby has a crush on Vanos, and I’m...standing in her way? Wait, am I the villain here? Hm... How do these situations usually work out? Mia consulted her mental literary repository. Uh oh. Based on my research, people who interfere with other people’s love tend to get kicked by horses.

She looked around nervously at what was doubtlessly the densest concentration of equine hooves on the island right now. Though this was a piece of knowledge she’d gained from Chloe-suggested romance novels, its dubious real world application did not stop a chill from shooting up her spine.

A-And...didn’t the villain get stabbed at the end of that one book?

If Ruby, with her extensive training in swordsmanship, decided to express her dissatisfaction in a similar fashion, Mia wouldn’t stand a chance. An uneasy glance in Ruby’s direction revealed a pair of bloodshot eyes, though there appeared to be no resentment in them.

I’m pretty sure they’re red right now because of the crying...but I can totally see the day when it’s because she’s out for my blood!

Mia remembered how, in her past life, she’d gone to request reinforcements from the Redmoons during the revolution, only to be turned away. If the reason for their reluctance had been Vanos’s death...

It would all make sense. If she blamed me for the Sealence Forest incident, then she’d definitely hold a grudge. That’s probably why she refused to help.

With romance mode acting as mental lubrication, Mia’s brain spun and spun, weaving isolated events into a web of logical connections. At its center lay Ruby; she was the source, and everything had revolved around her tragic love. Emboldened by this completely unprecedented insight, she continued to explore its implications.

So she denied my request for help to avenge the man she loved...even if it would lead to her own ruin... Love before life. The body may die, but the heart must see devotion to its conclusion... Moons, that’s such a roman— I mean dangerous attitude!

Figuring it was too risky to leave Ruby in her current state, she took a moment to compose her thoughts before speaking.

“Ruby Etoile Redmoon. You’ve made me a promise, and I shall see it kept.”

Ruby’s shoulders shuddered. Mia paid it no mind.

“Your sword, please,” she said, holding out her hand.

Was she confiscating the sword of a potentially murderous individual? Symbolically depriving an audacious noble of her pride? No, not at all. In demanding the sword, she sought to acquire not only the weapon but its wielder as well.

“I will have you pledge it to me, so that I may entrust you with the maintenance of the Princess Guard.”

“...Huh?”

Ruby blinked in utter confusion.

“You shall be appointed adjutant,” Mia continued in the solemn tone of royal decree, “to the current captain, Sir Vanos. I expect you to assist him in the operation and supervision of the Princess Guard.”

In declaring so, she’d made a split-second calculation. Ruby could still be a Chaos Serpent. She didn’t want to think the girl’s tears were a lie, but she understood that such a performance would be well within the capabilities of a Serpent. Given that fact...

I need to weigh the risk of Ruby already being a Serpent against the chances of her becoming one in the future. This calls for extreme discretion...

If she were to take away Ruby’s sword and in the process pull her and Vanos apart, she’d surely leave her utterly heartbroken. Would the Chaos Serpents ignore a soul so vulnerable and ripe for the plucking? Unlikely.

The House of Redmoon holds a lot of sway in the military. If the Serpents are trying to unravel the empire from the inside, Ruby would be an extremely convenient pawn.

Having Ruby become a Serpent while holding a grudge against her was just about the worst possible outcome. What if she instead placed Ruby close to Vanos then? Assuming the Serpents hadn’t yet gotten to her, such an arrangement would be a strong impediment against future attempts to snake their way into her mind. On top of that, she’d have done her a massive favor!

If Ruby was already a Serpent though, and she was lying about her crush on Vanos to sneak into Mia’s faction...

It’s the same situation I faced with Sapphias... Better to keep her at Vanos’s side so he can keep an eye on her. That way, if she really is a snake, her hands will be tied.

Since she’d claimed to be in love with Vanos, she’d have to stay close to him to keep up the pretense. Effectively, she’d be stuck under constant surveillance because her facade left her no room to complain.

That’s definitely better than letting her run free. It’s easier to deal with someone when I already have reins on them.

That was the gist of her split-second calculation. However, there was an underlying factor that influenced all of her considerations—she had every intention of seeing this love between Ruby and Vanos take shape. Why, you ask?

Love across class lines...is absolutely delicious!

Because Mia was a burgeoning romance nerd, and she had a thing for cross-class relationships. One of the novels she’d borrowed from Chloe had been a dramatic love story between a knight and a princess, and her mouth watered at the thought of witnessing one play out in real life. From a front row seat, to boot!

I have to see this!

At the end of the day, all that logic and calculation was really just rationalizing her craving for romantic melodrama.

Meanwhile, Ruby was still trying to wrap her brain around what was happening.

“Appoint me...to the Princess Guard?”

Mia nodded.

“That’s right. Just between us, Ruby, I plan to have the Princess Guard take on some very important duties in the future. They won’t just be in charge of my safety. I want them to be my hands and feet. A personal army at my command.”

Back during the great famine, the food transports that Ludwig worked so hard to prepare and dispatch were frequently raided before reaching their destination. Hungry masses and starving soldiers became bandits that attacked supply wagons. Sometimes the transport guards themselves went rogue and made off with the food. Every betrayal left Mia wishing more fervently for trustworthy troops.

Ah, I wish I had a reliable squad I could rely on... Troops who won’t betray me and always do their job properly.

To live without worrying about the possibility of betrayal at every turn was, she’d realized, a great luxury. Knowing this, she’d been wondering if there was any way to use her most trusted soldiers, the Princess Guard, to protect those valuable food transports when they became necessary.

It’d be very nice if I could get Ruby involved... Very nice indeed. With her on board, it might even be possible to convince the Redmoons to send troops from their elite private army.

Those reinforcements she so desperately needed in the previous timeline...might actually be available to her now.

Granted, I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Who knows if things will work out that well. For now, I get to see how this romance between Vanos and Ruby plays out, and that’s enough for me! Oho ho, I can hardly wait! she thought, grinning as she entertained fantasies about the pair’s potential developments.

The Empress of Tearmoon, Mia Luna Tearmoon, is known to be a person of many friends. When listing her closest, those frequently named include Saint Rafina Orca Belluga, the Etoiline Esmeralda Greenmoon, Chloe of Forkroad & Co., as well as the Outcount Rudolvon’s daughter, Tiona Rudolvon. Despite their disparate backgrounds, these women forged true friendships with Empress Mia.

What of her closest sworn allies then? Those whose bond to her was maintained not only through friendship but also a pledge of honor? Though opinions are doubtlessly varied, I submit for your consideration, dear reader, the name of Ruby Etoile Redmoon.

Born into the House of Redmoon, the daughter of one of Tearmoon’s renowned Four Dukes, pedigree alone should have been sufficient to guarantee her a page in the annals of history. But as you are surely aware, her fame derives not from her privileged birth but from her role as the first woman in Tearmoon history to serve as the Ebony Moon Minister. As the head of the Ebony Moon Ministry, which oversees military affairs, her extensive utilization of her family’s influence, along with the cooperation she enjoyed from Grand General Dion Alaia, allowed her to institute significant reforms in the imperial army. By doing away with the inefficiencies of old customs and implementing new, effective systems that conformed to contemporary circumstances, she breathed new life into Tearmoon’s military and contributed in no small measure to Empress Mia’s overarching reformation of the empire.

Interestingly, exactly how she became so involved with military affairs remains a mystery to this day. Though the House of Redmoon has historically had strong ties with the Ebony Moon Ministry, why the daughter of their duke chose to throw herself into the ruthless world of war and bloodshed is a question with no clear answer, for there are no records of her rationale. Based on the fact that her soldiering life began in the Princess Guard, it seems reasonable to assume that the arrangement is at least partially attributable to the will of the then-Princess Mia, but this is and likely forever will be mere speculation.

There exists a second mystery surrounding her, and it involves her husband. Specifically, the perplexing dearth of information about the man. Aside from the empress herself, the Four Dukes are Tearmoon’s highest-ranking nobles. It seems unthinkable for the name of one of their sons-in-law to be missing from historical records, and yet, that is what we are faced with.

One theory is that of a May-December romance, wherein she took a soldier of common birth as husband and devoted herself to him for life. Despite the vast disparity in their ages and social statuses, the theory claims that the private blessings of Empress Mia and her friends gave the pair the backing necessary to pursue their love. This is, of course, entirely ludicrous, but the very existence of such speculation speaks to the sheer fascination that the mystery has given rise to. I suspect it is the fact that all three of her sons grew to be men of great stature yet no contemporary male noble of similar height befitting her rank seemed to exist which gave rise to this enduring piece of folklore.

—An excerpt from a historian’s essay