Chapter 36: Mia Pandemic! —Monica...Realizes the Terrible Truth!—

“Excuse me, Princess Mia...”

The distant sound of knocking and a faraway mention of her name roused Mia from slumber.

“Mmm... Mm?”

She slowly sat up, groggily rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and looked around. She was treated to the familiar sight of her room, only something felt off.

My, that’s strange... Usually, Anne would answer the door.

As she made to get out of bed, she discovered the reason. There, holding herself in the fetal position on the floor beside the bed, was a sleeping Anne.

“My...”

The maid’s soft, rhythmic breathing tugged the corners of Mia’s lips upward in a fond smile.

She rushed to my rescue last night, after all. She must be exhausted.

It should be noted that Mia was currently harboring a chronological misconception. After sleeping for a whole day straight, it was now morning again. Therefore, the time frame of her daring adventure was in fact from two nights ago to yesterday morning. Mia’s perception of time was off from reality by a full cycle of the sun and moon through the sky. During the Lost Day, Anne had been her usual hardworking self, not slacking off in the slightest. However, this detail was lost on the time-bending princess.

“I do wonder though. Why is she sleeping down there?”

Needless to say, Anne normally slept in her bed. What was she doing snoozing away on the ground beside Mia’s then? Mia pursed her lips, perplexed, but an idea soon came to her.

“Maybe...it’s because she’s worried I’ll run off on my own again.”

Presumably, fearing a repeat disappearance, Anne had curled up right beside her beloved princess, not bothering to even change into nightwear.

“Hm...”

Mia considered her options. In case of emergencies, she’d made it a point to figure out how to handle most things on her own. Tasks such as changing her clothes were, by now, trivial. Normally, if Anne was getting some extra rest to recover from a weary day, she’d let her sleep and change on her own to head out to greet the visitor. Today though...

Maybe I shouldn’t go off on my own. Anne might get upset if she wakes up to find me missing.

She gave Anne’s shoulder a shake, figuring she’d play the part of the selfish princess today out of consideration.

So, after allowing a drowsy-eyed Anne to help her into her clothes, Mia opened the door. The person who walked in was Rafina’s maid, Monica, bearing a message from her mistress.

“Milady would like to invite you to a breakfast party. Would you care to join her?”

“Breakfast, you say...” Mia gave her tummy a probing rub. “Hm... I think I would appreciate some food right now. My stomach feels emptier than usual this morning. I wonder why...”

It promptly growled as if in protest of her extended period of slumber.

The breakfast party was hosted in the academy’s Secret Gardens.

“Ah, there you are, Mia.”

“Good morning, Miss Rafina. Thank you very much for inviting me.”

Mia curtsied and took a look at the attendees. They were all people who’d come to rescue her. Abel and Sion were present. Tiona and Bel as well. So were Keithwood and Liora. This particular composition of members set off an alarm in Mia’s head.

Getting these people together for breakfast means there’s pretty much only one topic of conversation that will come up.

Her vigilance lasted until the food arrived.

Hm, well. Whatever the case, eating comes first. I am very hungry though. Why is that, I wonder...

She immediately reached across the table for the bread. Taking a loaf, she broke it in half with a pleasing crunch. A wisp of hot air rose from the center, carrying with it the luscious aroma of well-baked dough. She gulped hungrily in anticipation before tearing off a bite-size piece and placing it in her mouth. Its crispy exterior gave way to soft insides that melted on her tongue.

Such delicious baking. The workmanship is simply exceptional. Saint-Noel never fails to impress. Who would have thought tasting a single piece of bread at Miss Rafina’s breakfast party could be such a profound experience?

Her inadvertent day-long fast made everything taste five times better.

Next, she took a thick glob of the golden honey jam before her and spread it across the bread. The added sweetness was complemented by a bite of fresh, crunchy salad. Then, she enjoyed a sip of rich vegetable-and-smoked-meat soup. Just as she capped it off by placing a sweet slice of fruit in her mouth, Rafina spoke.

“Well then, everyone, shall we get down to business? The reason I gathered you here today is, as I’m sure you’ve all guessed, to discuss the incident that occurred on the day of the Holy Eve Festival. Monica?”

On cue, Monica walked up to the table and respectfully bowed her head.

“First, I believe an update regarding Lynsha is in order,” said the maid. “Fortunately, her injuries were not grave. After receiving treatment, she was able to resume her daily activities the following day.”

“Oh, I went to see her this morning. I’m so glad she’s okay,” said a smiling Bel before she deflated a little and lowered her gaze. “I’m glad that...at least Lynsha is okay...”

“Bel...” Mia whispered, noticing that the young girl’s breakfast remained completely untouched.

She picked up the jar of honey beside her and placed it in front of Bel, then said, “It’s not time to give up yet. Rina’s not a lost cause. We can still save her. So for now, eat up and keep your head up.”

“Miss Mia...”

Bel looked up, at which point her eyes took in the dwindling food before Mia and widened with understanding.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but when I went to see Lynsha, I actually snacked on a lot of Perujin fruits that were given to her, and I’m really full now...” She laughed bashfully. “Perujin berries are really tasty.”

“...Oh, Bel.”

The comment reaffirmed for Mia that the girl before her was indeed of her blood.

Right you are. In the morning, nothing beats sugar.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter. Both shared a morning sweet tooth. And despite initial appearances, both also shared a perfectly functional appetite.

“Getting back to the topic at hand,” said Monica, “regarding the whereabouts of the three individuals, Citrina Yellowmoon, her attendant Barbara, and the man who controls wolves, who together plotted an assassination against Princess Mia... We’ve received word that they attempted to flee toward Sunkland, where they ran into patrolling Sunkland cavalry.”

“Ah. So they tried to cross the border to my homeland. But what’s this about patrolling cavalry?” said Sion, raising an eyebrow.

Monica smiled.

“As a matter of fact, we were informed in advance of the wolf assassin’s involvement by Ludwig.”

Ludwig? Mia was reminded of a message she’d received. Oh, now that she mentions it, I do remember Ludwig saying something about how someone had tried to kill him back in Tearmoon.

Ludwig’s scrupulously tidy handwriting reappeared in her mind. The letter had indeed mentioned an assassin who used wolves. Which was very much old news now, but throughout the fall, Mia’s mind had been occupied by her impending assassination on the night of the Holy Eve Festival. She’d hardly possessed the spare mental capacity to consider all the letter’s details.

Gah, that was a mistake. If I’d known the enemy would bring wolves, I’d have brought a meaty bone with me...

A vision of herself waving a bone around and making a fool of her enemy’s wolves popped into her mind.

“Keep your eyes on the bone, doggies. Now, fetch!”

It was an enjoyable vision, so she indulged it a little longer, stopping only when the content of the discussion caught her attention again.

“Furthermore, on the day before the festival, we received an emergency message from Ludwig, telling us that the assassin with wolves would travel through Belluga and approach the border with Sunkland.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware of that,” said Mia. “I did ask Ludwig to investigate the connection between the House of Yellowmoon and the Chaos Serpents though. If he discovered something during that process, then I wouldn’t have much of a say in how he handled it.”

“I see. The urgent nature of the information might indeed have necessitated immediate correspondence. What we received was an extremely terse letter sent by messenger pigeon. It outlined the wolf-man’s escape route and suggested locations for posting guards.”

The Tearmoon Empire and the Holy Principality of Belluga were in fairly close proximity to each other. Even so, regular mail delivered by horse—the kind Mia often sent—took days to reach the recipient. Messenger pigeons, meanwhile, could do the same in far less time. Monica was, essentially, affording an extenuating reason for her having access to a piece of information that Mia didn’t.

In truth though, Mia had given Ludwig free reign over his investigation and wasn’t bothered in the least. For someone like her who subscribed to the “yes-man is best man” philosophy, Ludwig was the ideal vassal. She wouldn’t dream of faulting his handling! Not when it allowed her to respond to all his reports with either “Yes!” or “Great!”

I must say though, Ludwig is so wonderfully dependable. As usual, as long as I leave it to him, everything just turns out fine.

Mia smiled with satisfaction.

Princess Mia...is quite the character. I’d always known it, but...

As she delivered her report, Monica felt a growing respect for the princess. Normally, the smarter a powerful figure was, the more they tended to micromanage their subjects. At the very least, they’d try to keep tabs on everything. Subordinates who acted arbitrarily without prior consultation usually incurred the displeasure of their superiors.

Mia’s reaction, meanwhile, flew in the face of all common sense. She seemed nothing if not pleased. It was, in a way, a subtle but profound display of faith—a display impossible for those not endowed with absolute confidence. Confidence in her subjects, for she trusted them to do the right thing, and at the same time, confidence in her own ability to follow up should they fail. Monica regarded Mia, appreciating her in a new light, before continuing.

“Following Ludwig’s report, we contacted Sunkland.”

Officially, Sunkland’s spy agency, the Wind Crows, had remained inoperative after the Remno incident. They’d undergone an internal purge of White Crows and were in the process of reorganization. Realistically, it went without saying that the Kingdom of Sunkland couldn’t afford to shut down their entire intelligence network just like that. A core team of personnel remained active and ready to respond to emergencies.

Monica had delivered her message, hoping it would be picked up by a Wind Crow agent. It had been, and they’d responded swiftly. Without asking for further details, they’d immediately deployed their fastest cavalry.

“In accordance with Ludwig’s instructions, they stationed themselves at the suggested spots and lay in wait. The operation was a success. The enemy fell for the ambush.”

“Really? Does that mean...”

Bel’s eyes lit up with expectation, only for their spark to be doused by a shake of Monica’s head.

“Unfortunately, the enemy evaded capture. The wolf-man slipped past our lines and vanished. The carriage bearing the young lady of Yellowmoon and her minion Barbara changed course and made for Belluga. We believe they are headed for the Tearmoon Empire. Specifically, the Yellowmoon domain.”

“They went back home? Seriously? That seems...sort of stupid. Are you sure they’d do that?” asked Abel.

Monica grinned.

“They were led to do so. Ludwig advised us to avoid completely encircling the enemy, for a trapped foe is a more dangerous foe. Instead, we followed his instructions and left an opening in the direction of Tearmoon as our forces closed in.”

Abel nodded in understanding.

“I see. Makes sense. I wouldn’t want to force that man to make a last stand either.”

“Indeed. Soldiers with nowhere to go also have nothing to lose, and can at times do a terrible amount of damage before they perish. If that assassin is a skilled fighter, cornering him without ample preparation would be dangerous. Of course, the cavalry we had on patrol didn’t even manage to corner him to begin with...”

It was still worthwhile, because it meant that the encirclement was just loose enough for the wolfmaster to escape on his own. That fact proved pivotal, not only dividing the enemy but also bringing Citrina—the one they wished to take back—within their reach again. As she worked through the logic, Monica was suddenly struck by a realization that gave her chills.

It’s like...I’m having déjà vu. This is playing out in the exact same fashion as that time in Remno...

Back when she was in the Kingdom of Remno operating under the White Crow, Graham, she’d seen firsthand how the Great Sage of the Empire had systematically dismantled the White Crows’ conspiracy piece by piece while simultaneously rebuilding it into a new outcome that favored her. It was like watching a sleight of hand trick being performed on the scale of an entire kingdom. The way things just came together in the end boggled her mind. For example, had this assassination attempt not occurred, Ludwig’s instructions would have fallen flat. Without a successful encirclement, the assassins from Tearmoon would likely have escaped with ease.

That wasn’t, however, what had happened. The assassination attempt had occurred, and the blockade had worked. In the end, Mia got the exact outcome she’d wanted. Was this evidence of meticulous calculation? To Monica, it seemed to be nothing but.

Of course, a part of her mind pleaded for rationality. To the best of her knowledge, there was no possible way for someone to exert control over so many factors. That kind of calculation had to be impossible. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t deny that the facts laid before her argued otherwise.

Lately, Mia had been visibly uneasy. That clearly suggested she’d somehow learned about the conspiracy against her. Then, the discreet manner in which she’d demonstrated the effect of the smoke-producing bath herbs to Citrina in the communal baths showed she’d already been aware of her compatriot’s complicity. Nonetheless, she’d made no attempt to thwart their plot right then and there, undoubtedly for Citrina’s sake. It was her way of giving her a chance to repent and in the process, reclaim her loyalty.

And now, regardless of how implausible it all might seem, the reality was that Mia had stopped Citrina from being whisked away to distant lands, instead placing her in a location that was firmly within reach. After, it should be noted, Citrina had made clear through her own actions a desire to atone.

“Everything Miss Mia did, she did to save Rina. I’m sure of it!”

Bel’s confident assertion echoed in Monica’s mind. She found it difficult to disagree with the girl.

It would take a tad too much willful ignorance to dismiss all of this as simple coincidence...

There was a certain reverence to her expression as she slowly turned her gaze toward Mia.

“...Princess Mia, just how many steps ahead do you think?”

Mia did not answer, responding with little more than a noncommittal smile.

I should ask Rafina what she thinks later... Perhaps she’ll have a more objective view on the princess’s actions.

Monica did bring the topic up with Rafina afterward, though it only served to further reinforce her awe of Mia’s unfathomable mind.

In other words, it was business as usual.