Chapter 3: Donning the Most Sublime of Colors, Mia Prepares to Step Forth onto the Road to Empress!

On the first day of the Mia Birthday Festival, the Whitemoon Palace hosted a magnificent ball. Nobles flooded into Lunatear to participate, filling the palace halls. At its entrance before the gate, they were treated to the stunning sight of the massive Mia snow sculpture.

“Wow, so this is what we’ve been hearing so much about...”

So tall it seemed to grow in size as they swept their gazes up toward its crest, it was a breathtaking work of art that eschewed compromise. Despite its size, it was intricately detailed. The quality of handiwork alone was enough to garner attention, but what impressed the nobles the most was actually something else.

“To make something like this...out of snow. His Majesty is truly incredible.”

The audacious idea of making such a magnificent sculpture out of a material that, once the weather warmed, would simply melt away struck a chord with the nobility. It also momentarily turned them all into art philosophers.

“I see... But of course. Had this been made of gold, its beauty would instead suffer. Gold is trite in comparison. It lacks...art,” the musing noble said. “Look upon this work. Its impermanence. Its ephemeral existence. It’s because it’s so easily ruined and doomed to fade that it’s so beautiful. To think that so much meticulous work has gone into a piece of such fleeting beauty... Aaah, to lay eyes on it is to taste art in its rawest form, and what an intricate flavor it is!”

To spend money and expect returns was the doings of lowly merchants. Expending wealth on evanescence, on the chattels of transient dreams and moments, was the mark of the truly rich.

“But the subject in question—our dear princess—seems to have spoken some very trite words, hasn’t she?”

“That she has. The rabble is worth no more than the food she proposes to give them. We should be throwing both away. What is this strange fascination she has with them?”

Official notice of this birthday festival’s proceedings was received with bewilderment by nobles, adding to a growing list of grievances they had about the ostensibly irrational behavior Mia kept displaying. The poor, in their opinion, should be ignored. They’d already been provided with a refuge in the form of the Newmoon District. Wasn’t the whole point of that project to put them out of sight and out of mind? Why would anyone purposefully dirty their hands by reaching back into that hole? All this donating and hospital-building seemed like a waste of time and money.

“Youthful indiscretion, surely. Her Highness is still young. Besides, it’s convention in the empire for a male heir to succeed the throne. Lord Sapphias of Bluemoon seems to me the most likely to become the next emperor...”

“Now, now, the Redmoons have plenty of sons as well. Their military prowess will surely be a boon to our stability.”

As they argued their respective opinions, the one name that never crossed their minds was Mia’s. None of them doubted for a second that the throne would pass to a boy from one of the four houses that shared the emperor’s blood. Bound by old customs, the mere idea of a bid to crown an empress was simply inconceivable. To them, Princess Mia would eventually be married off to another kingdom, and rightfully so. They only wished she’d ditch her fanciful ideas and learn to behave in a manner befitting her regal blood. So long as she did so by the time of her marriage, all would be well.

Trading such questionably appropriate comments amongst themselves, the nobles stepped into the ballroom.

“Well now...”

Though an annual occurrence, the sheer visual impact of the sight never failed to draw breaths of awe from its guests. In the middle of the room sat an enormous round table, atop of which were numerous dishes of both quality and spectacle befitting the princess’s birthday. The head chef had poured his heart and soul into every item on the menu, resulting in a feast for not only the tongue but the eyes.

“Indeed, a dinner banquet worthy of Her Highness’s name. The lavish presentation each year is truly awe-inspiring.”

“Yes, these are practically edible art pieces. Such beauty.”

“I just tried one a few moments ago, and goodness, the head chef has outdone himself!”

They shared a chuckle, but none of them had any idea the sheer degree to which the head chef had engaged in said outdoing. This year, at Mia’s strong request, the head chef had taken great pains to reduce the kitchen’s budget for the banquet. After much effort, he’d successfully managed to produce the menu on display at two-fifths the cost of previous years. He also suffered at least three times the amount of headaches, but anyway.

“I’d like to try some tasty food made from cheap ingredients,” Mia had said.

Okay, so the actual request wasn’t worded all that strongly. In fact, she might have even mentioned it offhandedly on a whim. However, the head chef took it very seriously and committed himself to seeing it through. The resultant dishes were a series of culinary miracles that kept costs low while satiating the taste buds of nobles, which either bore witness to the latent potential of cheap ingredients...or the profound unreliability of noble taste buds. In any case, while said nobles were lauding the head chef’s exquisite creations, the lights around the room suddenly dimmed.

“Oh? What’s happening?”

A wave of commotion spread through the guests. The next instant...

“Greetings, everyone. I thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday.”

The heroine of the evening had arrived.

“Goodness... Why, that’s...”

There was a collective gasp of wonder as she walked through the ballroom door. Not an eye went undazzled by the faintly radiant form of Mia Luna Tearmoon. Her gently shimmering white-golden hair fluttered like silk with her every move. A pair of soft, full cheeks complemented a slender neck, further accentuated by the prominent contour of her collarbones. All of which glowed. This body-wide luminescence she displayed was, in fact, the work of the same bath herbs that had saved her life on that fateful day not so long ago.

“How mesmerizing. This must be what it means to ‘glow with beauty.’ What an apt metaphor...” murmured one of the onlookers.

Said onlooker was wrong. It wasn’t a metaphor. She was literally glowing.

Even more notable was the fact that her current beauty had a hint of maturity—adult allure rather than childlike charm.

“And that dress... What impressive tailoring!”

What surprised the nobles most was the color of her attire. Whereas Mia was normally disposed to wearing brighter colors—as evidenced by the adorable children’s dress she’d worn the previous year—today, Mia came donning a dress dyed in a sublime purple. It was a garment with impact, which was duly felt by all those present.

That’s right. This year, Mia was here to make a statement. Not only did her silken hair and smooth skin glow, the clothes she wore gave off an aura of regality. Never in her life had she looked more like a princess!

Jaws hit the floor throughout the ballroom. They were, however, quickly reattached. Their owners’ shock was only momentary, after which the room began to buzz with the quiet energy of a roomful of minds all trying to solve a common riddle—what, exactly, was being signified by Mia’s wearing of a purple dress?

Purple was the color of emperors. Being the emperor’s daughter, it wasn’t exactly strange for her to wear it. Indeed, it wasn’t the dress itself, but the timing. She’d chosen to wear the sublime color here, on the day of her birthday festival, in front of countless nobles. Surely, the nobles thought, there had to be some meaning behind that, the most obvious of which was a message of some sort. A statement.

Was she declaring her intent to succeed the throne?

Many of them thought so. Little did they know, another revelation of even greater impact would soon arise, not only affirming their suspicion...but also sending their jaws crashing to the floor once again.

Now for a peek behind the scenes. The reason Mia’s dress ended up being a purple one today was actually related to her recent diet. Purple, you see, is a contractive color! The world has many colors; some are expansive, making an object look larger than they are, and others are contractive, thereby making the object look smaller.

Mia’s appetite had rebounded after the incident at the Yellowmoon manor concluded, then just kept growing more and more, resulting in a tad bit of overeating. The color trickery was an idea from Anne meant to counteract this development.

“Milady, this is something I learned from Miss Chloe, but apparently...there are colors that make you look slimmer if you wear them.”

Needless to say, Mia was more than thrilled by the news and eagerly gave it a shot.

And that’s all. A straightforward explanation for a simple decision that nobody in the ballroom came close to figuring out.

“That dress... That color... It can’t be...” said a noble with an audible gulp.

And it wasn’t. It was just a contractive color.

“But it must be... What else could it mean to wear the imperial color on a day like this? Her Highness...intends to succeed the throne,” replied another noble, voice fraught with tension.

Nope, it was just the outcome of overeating.

“So she seeks to upend a long-standing tradition of the empire? Who would have thought she was hiding such profound ambitions...?”

Nobody, because she wasn’t. The only thing she was hiding was a tummy bulge with a slimming color.

Further commotion spread throughout the nobles. Before it could subside, Mia hit them with a revelation that was even more shocking.

“And today, I’d like to introduce you all to two people.” She gestured for them to join her. “This way, please.”

Two boys walked over and stood behind her.

“Who are they?” whispered someone in the crowd.

The sentiment was shared by many, for the boys’ faces were not well-known. Those who did recognize them, however, were utterly dumbfounded. And for good reason.

“These are my classmates, Prince Abel and Prince Sion. Prince Abel is the second prince of the Kingdom of Remno, and Prince Sion is the crown prince of the Kingdom of Sunkland.”

Her introduction was met with speechless, pin-drop silence.

“They’ve come all this way to attend my birthday festival,” she said, presenting the matter as if it were utterly mundane.

It was of course anything but, and it hit the nobles in the room like a thunderclap in their minds. Tearmoon was certainly a powerful empire, and the birthday festival of its princess was bound to attract a host of guests from neighboring nations. It wasn’t rare to see Perujin or Ganudos royalty present at such events. But Sunkland? They’d never received royalty from a kingdom of Sunkland’s caliber. And this wasn’t just any royalty—no, this was Prince Sion, first in line for the throne. His attendance was representative of his kingdom’s stance. In other words, the mighty Sunkland regarded Princess Mia highly enough to warrant Sion’s presence at her birthday.

“The Sunkland prince is here... Incredible...”

“Don’t forget about the other prince, now. He’s no afterthought.”

The Kingdom of Remno, while not on the same level as Tearmoon or Sunkland, was not a minor entity. Nations underestimated its power at their own peril. Being the kingdom’s second prince, Abel’s position paled in comparison to Sion...but conversely, it made him an extremely viable candidate to marry into imperial lineage. What could Mia be implying by donning imperial colors and introducing these two princes? As the nobles tried to parse her intent, the answers they arrived at left them shaken to the core.

But somehow, the day still hadn’t reached its climax. An even greater shock was yet in store.

The stunned silence in the ballroom magnified the sound of its door opening. Countless pairs of flustered eyes shot toward the source of the noise.

“I apologize for my tardiness, Miss Mia.”

Esmeralda Greenmoon, daughter of one of the empire’s Four Dukes, appeared in the opening, eliciting...a collective shrug of indifference, since it was common knowledge that she was a good friend of Mia. Well, it would have elicited a shrug if the audience wasn’t too busy picking their jaws up the floor for a third time after seeing the girl standing behind Esmeralda.

Her smile evoked images of purity—fresh white snow, perhaps, or clear spring water. She looked only slightly older than Mia, putting her in her mid-teens. Her pristine aqua hair fluttered in a mild breeze, allowing glimpses of her radiant, milky skin underneath. There was an air of divine beauty to her as she walked in.

Not a soul in the room hadn’t seen her before, if not directly, then through her portraits. It was the continent’s leading saint, the Holy Lady herself.

“Greetings, Mia,” she said with a giggle. “And happy birthday.”

The arrival of Rafina Orca Belluga, daughter of the Holy Principality of Belluga’s ruler and Duke, altered the room’s atmosphere once again. The two princes were heavyweights in their own right, but Rafina stood in a class of her own. Making an enemy of her was the same as making enemies of a host of nations across the continent, Sunkland included. That was how much sway she held in the eyes of these nobles. And somehow, this political titan had decided to come all the way to Tearmoon to wish Mia a happy birthday.

The sheer speed and intensity with which new developments arose was too much for the bewildered guests to keep up with, and all they could do was watch, stupefied, as Rafina approached Mia with breezy steps.

“M-Miss Rafina? Why are you here?” asked Mia.

“Gosh, what an odd question. Why wouldn’t I be here? It’s my friend’s birthday. Isn’t it natural to show up and say a few words?”

Thoroughly amused by Mia’s wide-eyed bewilderment, Rafina let out a playful giggle and added, “I’m so glad it worked. That expression alone was worth coming in secret.”

“My... I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, then. This was a long way to come for a simple prank...” said Mia with the kind of nervous deference one displayed when favored by someone far more important.

Every noble in the room inwardly rolled their eyes at what they deemed to be very transparent theatrics. As if, they thought, it was possible for Mia to have been unaware of Rafina’s intention to attend. For all its ingenuousness, however, they couldn’t deny that it had sent a powerful message. The sight of Mia and Rafina gleefully chirping as they took each other’s hands made clear the dizzying amount of power and influence held by the current emperor’s daughter.

It was well known that Mia enjoyed the deep affection of her father. Lately, her philanthropic efforts had also earned her a great deal of popularity among the populace. The appropriateness of this behavior notwithstanding, it nevertheless factored into her influence. Furthermore, rumors of her benevolent attitude toward outland nobles—a group that naturally distanced themselves from the central nobility—were putting her on very good terms with them. These were all things that the nobles in the room had more or less been aware of.

What they hadn’t known, however, was the degree to which she’d expanded her influence abroad. From the prince of Sunkland—a kingdom often considered Tearmoon’s equal—to the prince of Remno—a smaller but powerful kingdom that commanded respect—she had some important friends. But even this pair of handsome royalty was outranked by the girl with whom they were currently trading polite smiles—Rafina Orca Belluga. Mia had not only ingratiated herself with the princes of two mighty kingdoms, she’d made herself a close friend of the Holy Lady, whose authority across the continent was unrivaled.

Had there ever been someone like Mia in the history of the empire? Certainly not! The overwhelming amount of political clout she just displayed in the span of a few minutes was more than enough to silence her critics. Soon, most of the room had come to the staggering realization that they were in the presence of an absolute goliath. They already understood that under no circumstances should they ever cross Mia. The emperor’s affection alone made it unwise. But now, with her tremendously powerful circle of friends, it would be suicide. A good number of foreheads began to glisten with sweat.

Then, they recalled the emperor’s imperial decree, which had supposedly expressed the wishes of the princess. She’d called for every man, woman, and child in the empire to celebrate her birthday by enjoying themselves to their heart’s content. Then, didn’t that mean...they’d better make sure that actually happened?

Motivated by this new, nerve-wracking realization, the terrified nobles returned to their domains and promptly opened their doors to their people, greeting their common guests with strained smiles and forced laughter. But they couldn’t afford not to do so; they were desperate. Failing to please their people would be courting Princess Mia’s displeasure. If she were to take issue with any one of them... Most nobles stopped thinking there and just started shaking their guests’ hands; the consequences were too dreadful to imagine.

As a result, the nobles ended up sharing meal and mead with their people. As they sang the traditional song of birthdays, voices joined in unison to celebrate their princess, they...started enjoying themselves too.

“What a generous lord we have.”

Someone among the guests uttered the phrase. It reached their lord’s ears, and he found it...not altogether unpleasant. In fact, he quite fancied the praise. Besides, he figured, it would only be for five days. He just had to put on a good face for his people for a mere five days, and he’d be in the clear. In the meantime, he might as well savor whatever enjoyment he could extract. That was, after all, what the decree demanded, and it applied to him too.

Memories of the festival were thus etched into his mind as well. Fun times with his people, many of whom had until then been nothing but names on a tax list but were now faces he’d seen across a cup of strong drink.

They were lasting memories, ones that would have no small effect on him, as well as the countless other nobles who shared a similar experience.

Meanwhile, there were also those who opposed the trend and stubbornly conformed to old customs.

“What an upsetting turn of events... This is simply not the way. We’d better have a word with Lord Sapphias and see if we can push him to action.”

“No, no. Her lineup is formidable. The average man stands no chance. We must convince the House of Redmoon to move against her. She must be contained.”

Unbeknownst to these nefarious conspirators, however, was the current diplomatic situation surrounding the younger generation of the Four Dukes. Even in the houses they sought to persuade, seeds of influence—ones that had dropped out of Mia’s pocket while she’d been mindlessly strolling around in the area—had sprouted into vibrant saplings whose roots pushed ever deeper into the soil of friendship.

They also had no idea that their secret plotting would soon be relayed directly to Mia’s ears.

Thus, Mia took her first proud step on the road to becoming empress! A road that was apparent to basically everyone but her...

After seeing Mia off to the evening’s banquet hall, Ludwig took a moment to gather himself. Even now, he could feel the emotion in his chest threatening to moisten his eyes.

“All this time... But I never expected...she’d wear the color on her own...”

Just pondering the implications gave him chills. Chills of uncontrollable excitement.

“At last... At long last, Her Highness has made it known, publicly and unequivocally, that she intends to rule Tearmoon as empress...”

It was his deepest, most profound wish. Ever since that fateful day when Mia first spoke to him, he hadn’t allowed himself a moment’s rest, running constantly from place to place throughout the empire. Though her initial desire had been to solve the empire’s financial difficulties, her ambitions hadn’t stopped there. She wanted to fix everything. Her goal was to fundamentally revitalize the empire. So Ludwig did everything he could to assist her. Over time, as he faithfully devoted himself to her cause, a thought began to tickle his mind with increasing frequency.

“Isn’t Her Highness the most qualified person to lead this empire?”

It was a conclusion he’d arrived at not through passion but logic. The empire needed guidance, and objectively speaking, no one seemed more suited to provide it than Mia. Even so...

“Tearmoon’s first empress, huh...”

Just saying the words aloud made his heart shudder. In a moment of clarity, he realized that while he’d intended to apply only pure, cold logic to the question, he simply couldn’t dissociate himself from his emotions. Mia might very well be the best person to lead the empire, but his belief in this notion was not entirely rational.

In picturing a future in which Mia sat on the throne as its first-ever empress, he always envisioned himself at her side—no, not even at her side, for the simple act of assisting her, no matter his distance, was more than enough to lift his soul. To act as her arms and legs, working toward her goals...was, for some reason, a profoundly fulfilling thought. He didn’t know why, though he did sense a vague tingling in the back of his mind. It felt like a faint memory of a past long forgotten, as if he’d once yearned for this with all his heart and soul. He let the feeling fade into oblivion, figuring it was the remnant of an old dream.

“A dream, perhaps...but one worth having, however fleeting it might have been. After all, what could be more fulfilling than seeing her become empress, than working by her side...?”

He grimaced, realizing that he was indulging a bout of sentimentality.

“Enough daydreaming. Nothing has been accomplished yet, and so much remains to be done.”

With a few firm slaps to his cheeks, he let out a sigh and began to walk.

“I need to contact Balthazar and Master Galv. Gil too. Then round up the rest of the crew. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

His steps were steady and purposeful, for he had a clear goal—to rally around Mia the strength of the band of young officials who all learned under the old wise man.

All was for the sublime goal...of dressing Mia in the imperial hue of purple.

After sending Mia off in her purple dress, Anne nodded to herself with extreme satisfaction, proud that the fruits of her research had come in handy for Mia.

She’s been working so hard lately. It’s understandable for her to be putting on a little weight.

The amount of pressure Mia must have been under was beyond her ability to fathom. All she knew was that Mia coped with it by eating sweets, which led to a slight filling-out of her contour. Determined to make herself useful to her mistress during this busy time, Anne had made sure to leave some time in her everyday schedule for research. The bath Mia had taken before the party was, in fact, Anne’s work. She’d prepared it using herbs from Chloe, which were supposed to relieve fatigue. By the time Mia had gotten out, she was glowing with energy. She was also glowing, literally.

Anne was relentless in her pursuit for new information. She actively solicited advice from attendants who served students from other kingdoms. Furthermore, she took advantage of the fact that Saint-Noel, as the continent’s leading academic city, attracted a wide variety of vendors. Whenever she had time, she’d head out to town and browse its many stores in search of something that would benefit Mia. On top of all this, she continued to hone her own skills, experimenting with cosmetic routines and combing techniques to bring out the best in Mia’s skin and hair. And she did all of this without letting up on her studies, during which she focused on ways to maintain Mia’s health.

“I need to do everything I can for milady.”

Though she never said it out loud, she considered herself the person most responsible for maintaining Mia’s beauty, and it was a burden she bore with pride.

Today, Mia’s appearance had cleared even the high bar Anne had set for herself. Her beauty was absolutely radiant. Again, in a literal sense as well as metaphorical.

“For now though, I think that’s good enough.” She smiled to herself. “I managed to give her hair a good combing too, unlike last time. I felt so awful when... Hm? Wait... Last time? When was that again?”

She frowned. A faint inkling of something flitted about in her mind, too quick to catch but too conspicuous to ignore. She’d combed Mia’s hair at some point. Well, she’d done so many times, but this time in particular...had been an important moment for Mia. Maybe the most important, and Anne hadn’t been able to do it well. She just couldn’t remember when it was, or what the circumstances were.

“Maybe it’s from a dream I had in the past...”

Despite her efforts at recollection, no distinct memory emerged. Nevertheless, she heeded it as a cautionary tale, vague though it might be. The thought of being unable to comb Mia’s hair well during a momentous occasion in her life was devastating. Mia would surely marry at some point in the future, and she’d appear before vast numbers of her subjects during her ceremony. When the time came, it would be Anne’s first and foremost duty to make sure she looked her absolute best. Nothing but the best would suffice, and Anne had every intention of providing it when the time came. That was why she spent each and every spare moment in her life trying to improve.

“Let me see... What can I get done before milady comes back?” She crossed her arms in thought. “She looks so lovely today. I bet she’ll have a wonderful time with the two princes. Which means...she’ll probably be out for a while. And I bet she’ll be pretty tired when she gets back.”

Knowing Mia’s skill on the dance floor, she’d probably spend a good deal of time twirling about. A pre-bed soak, then, was undoubtedly in order. Anne gathered the necessary toiletries and headed off to the bath chamber, figuring her mistress would surely appreciate a warm herb-infused bath upon returning.

All was for the sublime goal...of dressing Mia in the contractive hue of purple.

Back at the banquet, Mia was having the time of her life thanks to Anne’s photogenic trickery. She shook a marquis’s hand, then greeted his daughter, who introduced a friend. The friend marveled at Mia’s dress before adding, “Oh, Your Highness, you simply must try these. They’re delicious!”

Never one to turn down a gastronomic recommendation, Mia promptly complied.

Munch, munch, munch!

After that conversation wrapped up, she then exchanged greetings with a count before skipping over to a nearby Rania, the younger princess of Perujin Agricultural Country for a chat.

“Oh, Your Highness, I’ve been meaning to ask you to try this. It’s a new cake we developed in Perujin.”

Munch, munch, munch!

While she was eating, one of the central nobility approached to say hello.

Ugh, this man has the worst timing.

She favored him with an extra polite smile to hide her annoyance.

Upon devouring a whole two slices of the cake, she discovered some sautéed mushrooms that looked tantalizing.

Munch, munch, munch!

After she finished giving her jaws a thorough workout, a figure walked over to her.

“Excuse me, Princess Mia, but would you care to join me on the floor for a number or two?” asked a courtly Sion.

Music had begun to fill the room, and guests, having exhausted their appetite for talk, had begun to amuse themselves on the dance floor.

“My, Sion... Asking me to dance already?”

“I certainly am. Abel beat me to the punch when we were greeting your father, and I’m not quite nice enough to let him have the first shot at everything.”

She quickly glanced around and found Abel half the room away. He shrugged at her helplessly.

“Huh... You boys sure don’t have it easy, do y— Eek!”

She let out a short shriek when Sion pulled her along by the hand.

“M-My, someone’s a little pushy today, isn’t he?” she said, flustered.

As a rule, Mia was terrible on defense. Meanwhile, her opponent, with his good looks and charming manner, was one of the strongest attackers in history. What paltry excuse for poise she managed to mount immediately melted before his assault.

“Ha ha, you’re the star of this show, after all. I can’t exactly keep you to myself the whole night, so I’m making the most of what time I have.”

He promptly shifted into motion, brisk steps moving in time with the tune. Mia, despite still being flustered, had no trouble keeping up.

Do remember that for all her inadequacies, Mia was an unequivocally brilliant dancer. Recently, she’d also added “a decent rider” and “a dangerous cook” to her resume. Her list of skills was becoming quite impressive, at least in length. Given enough time and opportunity, even Mia could improve!

“My, Sion. Is it just me, or are your steps even sharper than before?”

“Are they? Or is it yours that have grown a bit dull?” he replied with a playful wink.

This mild provocation allowed Mia to retrieve some of her composure. She gave him a bold smile back.

“Well, excuse me for worrying about showing you up in front of so many people. Shall I stop holding back?”

Though she sparred with him through words, they masked no hostility. Tonight, Mia felt no antagonism toward Sion. All she cared about was enjoying their dance. By now, the bitterness she’d once harbored had eroded down to nothing. Liberated from its bonds, she stepped freely, treating Sion as partner instead of foe, and the pair of them wowed the guests with a stunning display of rhythmic unity.

The time they spent on the floor in each other’s company was a wonderful time for Mia. She thoroughly enjoyed it...and so did Sion. Perhaps that was why...when he ceded her hand to Abel, his chest tightened ever so slightly.

“Phew...”

As Sion returned from the dance floor, a slew of girls swarmed over to him. Many were dazzled by his dancing, but many more by his title. For a young woman from a noble house, few men could be more appealing than the crown prince of Sunkland. A word of affection from him was equivalent to a promise of power that rivaled Mia’s.

Normally, he’d parry their advances with a wink and a smile. Tonight, though, he found his patience lacking. For some reason, the thought of asking Keithwood to step in and swat them away was immensely tempting. Sadly, only aristocrats were present; their attendants had not been invited to the ball. He was on his own.

All right, then... How do I get myself out of here?

Suddenly, he found himself growing tremendously weary of their faces, each of which hid their selfish calculation so poorly they might as well have written it across their forehead. He grimaced in disgust, then grimaced at the fact he had grimaced. Just then...

“Excuse me, uh...”

A figure waded through the drove of girls, unfazed by the ensuing barrage of complaints. He recognized the face.

“Oh? You’re...Tiona, right?”

Tiona Rudolvon, daughter of an outcount, had also been invited to Mia’s banquet.

“Well pardon you, you country bumpkin! What makes you think you can just butt in?” screeched a nearby girl.

Tiona paid her no mind. Without the slightest hesitation, she took Sion’s hand.

“Could you come with me, Prince Sion? Miss Rafina would like to speak to you.”

Without even waiting for a reply, she pulled him straight through the middle of the ballroom and out the door.

“Ahem. Miss Tiona, might I point out that if Miss Rafina wishes to speak to me, then leaving the room seems rather counterproductive?” said Sion with friendly sarcasm as he looked back through the doorway at the sight of Rafina standing in the middle of the room conversing with a throng of Tearmoon nobles.

Tiona gasped, realizing her blunder, but Sion reassured her with a smile.

“But...the atmosphere in the ballroom is admittedly a tad fatiguing, and I do find myself eager to get some fresh air.”

He hastened his pace, now pulling her along behind him. They made their way to a balcony. His exposed skin, still hot from exertion, welcomed the refreshing chill of cold wind. The area was deserted. Few, if any, had the audacity to sneak out of the princess’s birthday banquet. He drew a deep breath, letting winter soothe his lungs before blowing it back out. Then, he turned and said, “I must apologize, Tiona. You got me out of a tight situation there, but surely, walking off with me like that didn’t leave a good impression on your peers.”

Tiona softly laughed.

“It’s fine. I’ve got nothing to lose. Can’t get any worse than rock bottom, after all.”

She spoke with a surprising amount of dignity, considering the nature of her words. There was no humility, no excessive self-deprecation. Only a calm statement of fact.

“But even that’s starting to get a lot better thanks to Her Highness,” she continued. “Lately, I haven’t been bullied in Saint-Noel at all, and ever since the election, lots of people have come to me to reconcile their past actions.”

She pressed her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, as though recalling a most precious memory.

“I...see. That’s good to hear.” Sion regarded her reminiscing visage and found himself growing pensive as well.

So... We’re the same, then. We both have Mia to thank for our salvation.

“More importantly, um... Prince Sion, I know I might be overstepping by asking this, but...” Tiona paused to gather herself. Then, with resolve renewed, she said, “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Huh? Okay with what?”

Sion arched an eyebrow, utterly confused by her question.

“Okay with what you did back there. You, um...looked like you were really enjoying yourself dancing with Her Highness.” Her voice lost some of its strength as she continued. “I thought that you might be, um...interested in Her Highness. Fond of her, I mean. But then you gave her up to Prince Abel, just like that...”

His confusion spread to his other brow, now equally arched.

“Well... I’m sure Abel was eagerly waiting his turn and would have been rather upset if I kept her all to myself the whole evening. There’s a protocol to these things, after all.”

Soon after answering, Sion grimaced. The insincerity of his words suddenly became glaringly blatant, not only to him but—judging by Tiona’s piercing gaze—her as well.

By the sun, she sees right through me, doesn’t she? To keep dodging the question would do her a disservice.

With a head-shaking sigh, he ran his hand through his hair and sobered his tone.

“All right, fine, so maybe I do find myself drawn to her. But I blundered my chance. And grievously, at that.”

The failure of Sunkland’s Wind Crows weighed heavily on his conscience. Heavier yet were the sins he’d committed himself despite professing his dedication to upholding justice. They coated his soul like tar.

“What right do I have? What nerve? Besides...I’m the crown prince of Sunkland. Even if I harbored affection for Mia, it is an empty one. It cannot bear fruit.”

“She wouldn’t care about any of that.”

Her words were like a blade, sharp and strong. They cut right through his haze of self-doubt.

“Her Highness is like, um...a great vessel. She’s kind and generous because she can hold so much, and little things like these don’t matter to her.”

“Is she really?” Sion asked, knowing the question to be redundant. He himself was aware of the statement’s truth.

Tiona nodded firmly and continued. “With all due respect, Prince Sion, you’re going to regret this. Talk to her. Tell her how you feel, while you still can. Or...”

Sion heard the weight of experience in her voice. These were words speakable only by those who knew the taste of regret. Perhaps there had been a time when Tiona had held on to her words...and had forever lost the chance to speak them.

“Tell her while I still can, huh...?”

For the first time in his life, Sion began to think about his own feelings...and how they stirred in Mia’s presence.

Now, while Sion was slowly coming to terms with his feelings, what exactly was the source of his frustrations doing?

“Mmm... This cake is absolutely exquisite! Abel, you need to try some too!”

Well, she was demonstrating the greatness of her vessel by stuffing a ton of food into it. In fact, she was on her third round of munching. Figuring she’d recharge after dancing, she ate and ate. When she’d consumed enough to replenish the corresponding expenditure in energy, she kept eating, figuring it’d all be gone when the famine struck anyway, so she might as well stock up on her eating while she still could.

Mia was indeed a great vessel. She was just shaped more like a vat than a vase.

“How has the banquet been, Mia?” Just when a rub of her bulging tummy made Mia consider the possibility that she’d maybe eaten a little too much, a familiar voice entered her ears. She turned to find Rafina standing right behind her.

“My, Miss Rafina!”

Mia hastily rose from her chair. After their initial greeting upon her arrival, she’d been too busy shaking hands to chat with her. Well, shaking hands and dancing with Sion and Abel and stuffing her face with cake. The point is, she was busy! Still, worried that Rafina wouldn’t find that line of reasoning very convincing, Mia promptly adopted the smile of a customer service worker dealing with a very important client.

Rafina, after taking a seat and gesturing for Mia to do the same, leaned over and lowered her voice. “By the way, Mia, I don’t believe I received an invitation to this birthday of yours. I do hope I didn’t cause any trouble by showing up.”

“Huh?” Mia’s mind went blank for a second. She stared agape as Rafina continued.

“Could it be that you didn’t want me to come, and that’s why you never sent an invitation?” Rafina asked with an upward glance. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since I got here, and the more I thought, the more worried I became. Maybe I’m not actually welcome here. I seem to be the only one who wasn’t invited, after all...”

“Uh...” Sweat and chills ran hand in hand down Mia’s back.

Rafina was right. Out of all the student council members, she was the only one who wasn’t officially invited. Chloe wasn’t here either, but being a commoner precluded her anyway. Everyone else—Sion, Abel, Tiona, even Sapphias—was present. The only noble who hadn’t been asked to attend the festival...was Rafina.

Mia had excluded Rafina of all people from her birthday party! Think of the implications!

There’d be no problem if the two of them didn’t know each other very well. In that case, sending Rafina an invitation would look too much like a blatant political maneuver. If anything, purposefully excluding her from the guest list might actually reflect better on Mia as a demonstration of humility and principle, in that case. Rafina, at least, would have seen it that way.

But they did know each other. Very well, in fact. Their friendship, normally a blessing, was a curse in this situation, for it meant that Mia had effectively refused to invite a friend to her birthday party. There were only so many ways to interpret that, and none of them were good.

The chills grew stronger, and the sweat flowed faster.

“U-Um... You, uh, seemed so busy, Miss Rafina,” said Mia in a trembling voice. “I-I didn’t want to bother you. I mean, it’s such a long journey to get here, and I didn’t want to make you feel obligated with an invitation. It definitely wasn’t because I didn’t want you to come, nope. Never even crossed my mind. Actually, I’m delighted that you’re here! L-Look, I’m so happy that I’m literally shaking.”

To be fair, she was mostly telling the truth. Mia never had any desire to prevent Rafina from coming. She just decided not to mention the part where she got a little caught up in other things and sort of forgot to send her an invitation.

Rafina peered straight into her eyes. “Could it be that...you forgot?”

Mia’s expression froze on her face. Fortunately, it was in the shape of a smile, which managed to conceal the expression she would have worn otherwise—abject horror.

Eeeeek! This is bad... This is really bad! M-Miss Rafina can read minds sometimes, so I need to not think about how I forgot. Okay, I didn’t forget! I definitely didn’t forget! No forgetting in any shape or form has occurred!

She desperately repeated the mantra to herself until she started to believe it. That’s right, Mia didn’t forget about Rafina! She was worried that Rafina was too busy, so she chose not to invite her!

I didn’t forget, I didn’t forget, I didn’t forget, I didn’t—

Her mental chanting was interrupted by a giggle as Rafina dropped her facade.

“Oh, you know I’m just teasing you, Mia. Gosh, you didn’t have to take it so seriously.”

The smile she showed was affable, but something about her eyes made Mia feel that it stopped just short of being entirely sincere.

Ooooh, what a terrible mistake I made. Now I’m going to have to invite Miss Rafina every single year. Also... She pursed her lips as something occurred to her. I probably have some explaining to do, since she probably left the academy before Barbara got there.

Along with Barbara, she’d sent a letter (read: bunch of excuses) to Belluga in which she emphatically highlighted the fact that she’d officially declared she had no intention of furthering the first emperor’s plot.

If she never got a chance to read that letter, then I need to get her up to speed right away! Specifically, she has to hear the same spiel I gave Duke Yellowmoon so she doesn’t make me take responsibility for the first emperor’s nonsense. I wonder if there’s a good place around here to have this conversation?

The banquet began to wrap up as she pondered her options.

“Miss Mia...”

Looking up, she found Esmeralda standing over her.

“My, Esmeralda. I haven’t gotten a chance to thank you for coming today.”

“No need. It’s my best friend’s birthday party, so of course I’d be here! I have to go now, but do look forward to the party we’ll be hosting at the Greenmoon residence,” Esmeralda said with a bright smile. “Oh, and one more thing: could you tell Prince Sion, Prince Abel, and Miss Rafina that they’re all invited as well?”

Mia’s birthday festival was a five-day event, during which she’d visit the various central nobility domains around the capital city. There was no set list of destinations. Every year, her itinerary was determined after considering input from the moon ministries. After the five days, each of the Four Dukes would then host their own banquets, all of which she was obligated to attend. It therefore came as no surprise that Esmeralda—being of the Greenmoons—had invited her to a follow-up party.

If I recall correctly, the Greenmoons usually hold their banquet at a villa in the capital instead of their main residence...which means I’ll be staying in the capital for a while.

She clapped her hands as an idea came to her. “Oh, I just thought of something. Esmeralda, could you do me a favor?”

“A favor? Well, let’s hear it then.” Glad to be relied on, Esmeralda beamed with enthusiasm.

Mia regarded her and asked very casually, “I’d like you to fulfill your promise this winter.”

“My...promise?” A momentary frown was soon followed by comprehension. Her cheeks tightened slightly, and her expression gained a nervous edge.

Mia reassured her with a gentle smile. “Yes. The tea party you said you’d host for me, remember? You were going to treat me to some delicious, sugary cakes,” she said, referring to a promise made some months ago on the deserted island, but whose origins lay much further up the esoteric streams of time. “I’d also like you to invite Sapphias, Ruby, and Citrina too. There, at the party, we’ll swear together...”

She paused, the silence adding further weight to her next words.

“The oath to devote ourselves to the empire...and the welfare of all its subjects.”

More silence ensued as Esmeralda’s eyes grew wide.

For Esmeralda, this moment was a long time in the making. As the original proponent of the Clair de Lune assembly, she’d waited and waited for her vision to be realized in full. Now, at last, the stars had aligned around the moon, and they were to be united as one.