Chapter 4: The Tea Party of the Moon and Stars —Thus They Joined in Oath—

The Clair de Lune was an exclusive tea party open only to members of the Four Houses and Princess Mia. Originally conceptualized by Esmeralda, the event had already been hosted on a number of occasions in Saint-Noel Academy, but not once had it seen full attendance by all its potential members. Part of the reason was that the daughter of Duke Yellowmoon, Citrina, was unable to attend until she’d enrolled in the academy, but more to blame was the fact that the scions of the other Houses were often occupied with their own busy schedules. The only one with a perfect attendance score was Esmeralda herself. Both Sapphias and Ruby declined with ample frequency, citing scheduling conflicts. That day, however...

In a lush, spacious room in the Greenmoon residence, the three Etoilines and one Etoilin had gathered at last, sitting at a large round table in the middle. Leisurely banter filled the air.

“I have to say, though, I never thought the Clair de Lune would actually get all its members together, and at a time like this to boot. Considering how busy we all are right now, when I first got the notice, I figured you must have finally lost it.”

Sapphias’s gibe earned him a scowl from Esmeralda. “My, how rude, Sapphias. Are you accusing me of being obtuse?”

“Actually, I have to agree with Bluemoon this time,” said Ruby in her characteristic casual manner. “Yes, yes, I can’t believe I just said that either, but calling for a session on the second day of Her Highness’s birthday festival is pretty high on the ‘early signs of insanity’ list.” She took a sip of tea. “Hm, this tea’s pretty good. Some sort of Perujin black?”

“I believe so,” answered Esmeralda. “I got them from Miss Mia. She was nice enough to share some with me. Apparently, they’re a gift from Princess Rania— Hm? What’s that look supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing much,” said Ruby. “It’s just... You’ve changed a bit. Lost some thorns, so to speak.”

“My, what a strange comment. When have I ever had thorns?” asked Esmeralda with what seemed like genuine surprise. “But, hm... I suppose in a sense, I am indeed trying to change...into someone who can live up to the title of Miss Mia’s best friend.”

Ruby let out a noise that suggested she almost choked on her tea. The sincerity Esmeralda had displayed was bewildering.

“I see, I see,” said Ruby, regathering herself. “Seems to me like we’ve all had our lives changed in some way by Her Highness. Gives a whole new meaning to ‘Clair de Lune,’ doesn’t it? I assume the same goes for you too, O Lady of Yellow?”

She turned to the last member of the tea party, who’d been sitting quietly in her seat. The young girl’s hair fluttered gently like a flower in the breeze as she looked up with a sweet smile.

“Yes, it’s the same for Rina,” said Citrina. “Maybe even more so.”

“Well excuse me, but are you suggesting that my experiences are somehow less significant than yours?” said a piqued Esmeralda.

The comment even managed to extract a rare pout from Ruby, who also chimed in. “I second that. If it’s gratitude toward Her Highness we’re talking about, then I’m not losing to anyone.”

Be it friendship or romance, each of the two girls had in their own way enjoyed a favor from Mia that had left a profound impression on them.

“All right, simmer down, ladies. It’s not a contest. Also, Her Highness is going to be here soon. Let’s all behave ourselves.” Sapphias shook his head and proceeded to placate the glaring Etoilines. Personally, he considered it crass—and needlessly masochistic—to wedge himself between bickering women, but...

Circumstances are circumstances. I guess this is what they call “life experiences.” The more you have the better, right? Maybe the ability to diffuse catfights will come in handy later, he thought with a sigh. Besides, it’ll be a problem if they squabble up a storm. Apparently, the topic today is supposed to be pretty serious. Something about those Chaos Serpents...

The term had popped up with some frequency in the student council, but frankly, he still wasn’t sure if he fully believed it.

Miss Rafina hasn’t shown any doubt. The two princes seem convinced it’s true as well. Which I guess means this group does indeed exist at the very least.

The student council had been dealing with the group by themselves until recently. Now, they were about to reveal the nature of the threat to the Four Houses and establish an alliance against their foe. That was, at least, what Sapphias thought Mia intended to do at this meeting.

In that case, we can’t afford any infighting. Unity is of the essence. If we can’t maintain a united front, then the empire itself might collapse.

Driven by the sense that he was one of a few select members privy to crucial and confidential information, he’d felt obligated to step it up and be the adult in the room.

“Of course. You’re right.” At Sapphias’s admonishment, Esmeralda backed down and gave a meek nod.

“Right. I also got too worked up.” Ruby leaned back and sipped her tea, evidently trying to cool her head.

“I’m sorry. This was Rina’s fault too. I shouldn’t have said something so indelicate.” With Citrina lowering her head in apology as well, tension faded from the air.

Sapphias, regarding the result of his handiwork, nodded in satisfaction. Hey, I’m getting pretty good at this! Sapphias Bluemoon, professional conflict mediator. Hah. I guess getting pushed around in the student council is actually starting to pay off. I’ve taken another step forward on the path of adulthood!

While Sapphias was feeling pretty good about himself, the swift resolution of the girls’ dispute had, in fact, very little to do with him. The actual reason was fairly simple. Sapphias wasn’t the only one who figured Mia was about to talk about some very important things; everyone else had managed to put two and two together as well.

Esmeralda knew. She’d been there on the deserted island when they discovered the empire’s earth-shaking secret.

Ruby knew. She’d been involved in reshaping the Princess Guard into a force that could efficiently deal with a widespread years-long famine that Mia predicted would strike soon.

And finally, Citrina knew. She and her family had been freed from their age-old bond, and it was Mia who’d severed the chains.

As if cued by the lull in noise, the door to the room opened.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you very much for coming today. Let’s start the tea party.” Mia stepped in and smiled. “First, I need to apologize to everyone.”

She lowered her head before continuing.

“I understand that the Clair de Lune normally does not admit anyone aside from the children of the Four Dukes and myself, but for this particular occasion, I’d like to request approval for the participation of two more individuals.”

Turning around, she bade a figure behind her to enter. A girl appeared at the door, her aqua hair flowing like clear spring water.

“Oh? That’s...Miss Rafina?” said a wide-eyed Ruby.

The other three around the table, however, did not share her surprise.

“Greetings, everyone,” Rafina said with a short giggle. “Gosh, it’s quite the novel experience to be meeting with you all outside of Saint-Noel.”

She smiled politely at the four regulars. Mia, who was observing her from the side, couldn’t help but shrink back a little; she knew the depths of terror that smile could strike into its recipients.

Granted, I doubt Miss Rafina ever truly needed permission to attend, but whatever...

Who in their right mind would ever defy Rafina? Mia could think of only one person who had the guts and was sufficiently nuts to attempt such a thing, and that was someone who unironically referred to himself as the Empire’s Finest!

Though expected, Mia was nevertheless glad to find that Rafina’s inclusion met with no resistance whatsoever. The primary purpose of this gathering was, after all, to put on a show for Rafina—her absence would defeat the point.

“And as for the other person... It’s my indispensable advisor, Ludwig Hewitt. I’d like to request his admittance to this tea party as well.”

She took a moment to close her eyes. Asking permission for Rafina was one thing. Doing the same for Ludwig was a very different matter. As a commoner, his presence at a function like this was, frankly, inappropriate. Still, she needed him here; his advice was the only thing that could pull her out of any holes she ended up digging herself into.

Her eyes snapped back open. Resolve flared in them as she proceeded to justify Ludwig’s presence. Which was a nicer way of saying “she started making excuses.”

“I think of Ludwig as an extension of myself. He is my arm and mind, and the source of my wisdom. Most importantly, he shares my visions and my dreams. Treat him as you would me, for he is my soul in another body.”

She glanced at Ludwig. He gave his glasses a slight prod before bowing deeply to the nobles in the room.

“As Her Highness introduced, I am Ludwig Hewitt, and though undeserved, the trust she has placed in me is something of which I strive to be worthy of with every ounce of my strength.”

My, is it just me, or is Ludwig all fired up today? Good for him, I guess, but I wonder why... Then, Mia swept her gaze across the faces in the room. None showed any desire to object. Huh, I expected a complaint or two...but everyone seems surprisingly accommodating today. Gah, I should have brought Abel and Sion too, then! If only I’d known...

She inwardly grimaced at the missed opportunity.

“Now then, let’s get this tea party started. Esmeralda, would you do the honors, please?” Mia said before taking a seat and waiting for cake and confections to appear before her.

They did. A lot of them did, in fact. There were three different varieties of cakes alone! One was a tart-like pastry containing baked apples. Another presented itself in the shape of a mountain, the top of which was covered in a generous amount of cream made from sweetmoon melon. The third was a pancake topped with a ring of nectar.

My... Sweets before serious talk, eh? I see that Esmeralda knows what’s going on. Very impressive! Mia gained ninety excitement points, and her trust in Esmeralda rose by a hundred!

“All right, then...” Mia said quietly after gobbling up all the cake in front of her. “Shall we get down to business?”

“Hold on, Miss Mia.” Esmeralda walked over and, as if Mia was her baby sister, gave the corner of her lips a wipe with a handkerchief. “There you go. Now you’re ready for business.”

Presumably, not being able to spend time with Mia during the Holy Eve Festival had left her feeling a little lonely, and she was making up for it by indulging in some big sister behavior. After a series of grumbling protests to this mortifying treatment, Mia said, “Okay, there. It really is time for business now, though. Hm... But where should I begin?”

She shot a glance at Ludwig, who nodded with comprehension. “If I may, Your Highness... Allow me to initiate this conversation. I believe explaining the events in chronological order would be best, so let us begin with the attempted revolution in the Kingdom of Remno.”

He proceeded to tell the tale. His description touched on the existence of shadowy actors behind the scenes of the Remno incident. He spoke of Sunkland’s intelligence agency, the Wind Crows, its White Crow faction, and the infiltration of Serpents therein.

“Chaos Serpents, huh... And you’re saying these people had a hand in all this?” murmured a bewildered Ruby.

“What a shocking revelation...” Esmeralda said with equal consternation. “I had no idea there was so much going on under the surface of the Remno riots...”

“The fact that the intelligence network Sunkland had established in the empire was fully dismantled in the aftermath is, I suppose, a silver lining. We sent everyone back home, Wind Crows and White Crows alike,” explained Mia, taking a sip of tea before continuing. “Next, I think we need to talk about what happened during the summer holidays...”

She turned to Esmeralda, who tensed up a little but nodded.

“Very well, then. As a matter of fact, Miss Mia and I went on a cruise in the summer. Oh, and we were accompanied by Prince Sion and Prince Abel,” Esmeralda said, her tone taking on a hint of pride during the latter sentence. “And during the cruise, we landed on an uninhabited island, where we discovered something that absolutely floored us.”

“Something that floored you?” Ruby asked with a dubious look.

Mia nodded deeply before declaring in dramatic fashion, “We discovered an inscription left by Tearmoon’s first emperor. It spoke of the empire’s rise, as well as its connection to the Chaos Serpents.”

She proceeded to explain why exactly the first emperor had founded the Tearmoon Empire, his desire to curse this land, and how that had led to the rampant anti-agriculturalist beliefs afflicting the empire. She spoke smoothly and confidently, as if she’d rehearsed the speech over and over. Which, of course, she had. She’d had Ludwig put together a script for her, then took to memorizing the whole thing. Specifically, she’d written out her speech on pancakes with nectar, and every time she managed to commit one pancake’s worth of lines to memory, she’d gobble it up. Despite the apparent absurdity of this memorization method, it’d somehow worked like a charm. It had worked so well, in fact, that she decided to name it the “pancake technique” of memorization. Anyway, moving on from this tangent...

“The first emperor...” Ruby murmured.

“That...does explain a lot,” said Sapphias. “Now that I think about it, there does seem to be a deep-seated bias against agriculture in our ranks. It’s apparent among the central nobility, including those under the Bluemoon banner. It shames me to say that even I have looked down on farmers as the descendants of serfs before.” He grimaced at the admission.

“Then, there’s the House of Yellowmoon,” continued Mia, “who were given a secret mission by the first emperor. Right, Rina?”

She directed her gaze toward Citrina, who stiffened slightly before nodding.

“Yes. We Yellowmoons were given a special order by the first emperor...”

Citrina started telling the story of the secret held by the House of Yellowmoon and its generations of Dukes. The immensity of its scale and the depths of its tragedy left the room speechless. While the listeners were reeling from this historical revelation, Mia gestured for another cup of tea, and into its milky goodness she promptly began adding sugar. The motion was natural—almost subconscious—but it was halted by a whisper.

“Your Highness, I beg your indulgence, but I’ve been asked to limit your consumption of sugar...by Miss Anne.”

Ludwig’s admonishing voice entered her ear, eliciting a pained groan. With great reluctance, she righted the sugar dispenser.

Eventually, Citrina finished her story. She breathed out and closed her eyes. There was a calmness to her—an inner peace, almost—evoking the air of a convict who’d finished confessing her crimes and waited only for the executioner’s blade.

The meeting’s attendees all stared uncomfortably at the girl who associated with the Chaos Serpents, possessed encyclopedic knowledge of poisons, and had conspired to assassinate Mia. None was sure what to make of her.

“To dispel any potential misunderstandings, let me make it clear that I do not believe Rina bears any personal guilt. What she did, she did at the command of the first emperor. I do, however, understand that absolving the whole House of Yellowmoon of all responsibility would be poorly received by many, so some degree of atonement is necessary. The specifics of that atonement, I’ve left to the current Lord Yellowmoon to handle, but whatever the consequences, I believe it shouldn’t impact Rina in any way. Again, I must reiterate that this is a finished matter. It has been laid to rest, and I strongly urge everyone to refrain from digging it up again!”

In other words: Yes, I know the first emperor made a royal mess of things, but can we just move on so things don’t get even more complicated?

The families of the Four Dukes were all blood relatives of the emperor, so any suggestion of Mia inheriting responsibility for the first emperor’s sins would implicate all the young scions present. Their interests were probably aligned with hers. The one wild card that scared her was Rafina, but a sneaky glance revealed no particular anger in her expression. Rather, she was observing Mia with a gentle smile! Mia shuddered in fear nonetheless; her cowardice would not be pacified by a mere gentle smile. After regaining her composure, she turned to Ruby.

“Instead of dwelling on the past, I feel a need for us to unite ourselves against what awaits us in the future.”

“And what, exactly, awaits us in the future?” asked Sapphias.

“Something that, as a matter of fact, I’ve already asked Ruby to start preparing for. But now, I shall share this knowledge with everyone. Soon, a widespread famine lasting several years will strike the whole of the continent.”

“W-Wait, but...” stuttered Sapphias, shocked by her declarative tone. “Are you saying you can see into the future?”

“Not all of it, no...but it’s an undeniable fact that we’re seeing poor yields across the board.”

Mia cued Ludwig with her eyes.

“That is correct,” he said with a nod. “We already anticipate a significant decline in harvests next year. The cold summer this year has stunted crop growth.”

“Th-That can’t be...” Citrina’s voice trembled with dread. Being intimately familiar with the Chaos Serpents’ methods and goals, she knew all too well what would happen if a famine were to befall the empire. “A-Are you sure, Your Highness? If that happens...”

“Don’t worry, Rina. It will happen, but we’ve prepared for it. Right, Ludwig?”

Mia visually cued Ludwig again.

“Yes,” he answered, nodding more soberly this time. “At Her Highness’s command, we made every effort to stockpile food. Even if a famine strikes, we should have enough provisions to weather the damage. Perujin Agricultural Country, Ganudos Port Country, and the Forkroads purchasing wheat from afar... So long as these channels of food acquisition are sustained, our people will not go hungry.”

“And to make sure those acquisition routes are protected,” Mia added, “I’ve asked Ruby to devise an operational plan for the Princess Guard. Rumors of food shortage will incite unease, which might result in riots. Angry mobs might attack transport carts. Furthermore...the Chaos Serpents will surely take advantage of the situation to cause more chaos and destruction.”

Mia continued her cuing streak, shifting her gaze toward Ruby this time.

“I’ve worked with the Princess Guard to fence off this possibility,” said Ruby, nodding. “And if push comes to shove, we Redmoons are prepared to commit a portion of our private army to bolster our operational capacity.”

That brought Sapphias to his feet.

“Brilliant! In that case, you must speak to us about that plan afterward. I have no doubt we Bluemoons have something to offer as well.”

“I’ll send someone with the details, then,” said Ruby.

Beside her, Esmeralda crossed her arms and pitched in.

“We also need to make sure Ganudos doesn’t get any funny ideas. A firmly-worded reminder might help. Miss Citrina, could the Yellowmoons send a messenger their way? I understand that your house has had ties with them for a long time, yes?”

Citrina nodded at the proposition.

As talks ensued, no one seemed to doubt the validity of Mia’s prediction. If she said there was a famine coming, then there must be. All discussion proceeded under the assumption that her claim was true. Mia spent some time observing from the sidelines before once again requesting attention with a clap of her hands.

“Now then... I think it’s time for us to move on to the most important topic of the day.”

“The most important topic... What might that be, Miss Mia?”

Esmeralda spoke for the rest of the room. In response, Mia took a slow sip of tea, as though clearing her mind.

Mmm... Unsweetened milk tea really does pale in comparison. It’s only half as tasty at best.

Her mind was definitely clear...of anything relevant to the discussion, anyway.

After a deep exhalation, she was finally ready to speak...about why she’d arranged for a meeting in a place like this today. She did, in fact, have a very good reason.

“My, Esmeralda, I thought you of all people would know. Don’t you remember what I said about wanting you to host a tea party? And what I wished for us to swear together?” she asked, alluding to the memory of a promise so distant yet so vivid. “I seek a united oath to devote ourselves to the empire. But what empire? What is the nature of this empire to which we’ll be swearing our loyalty?”

Her question shook her listeners. “What...empire...?” The murmured words trickled from multiple mouths.

Unease clouded their faces, for moments before, they’d just been told the dreadful foundation upon which this empire had been crafted. It existed to drench the fertile moon-shaped land with tears of suffering. Through the spreading of the curse of anti-agriculturalism, civil wars would erupt, blood would be spilt by the gallon, and the land as a whole would meet a ruinous end. How could they possibly swear their loyalty to such a wicked ideal? Among the disconcerted nobles, Esmeralda alone sat composed. She’d already gotten a glimpse at the essence of Mia’s thoughts on the island.

Sweeping her gaze across the room, Mia slowly nodded at them. “I know what you’re thinking. And you’re right. Swearing our loyalty to such an empire would be preposterous.”

She spat the final word. There was good reason for her contempt—her head had once rolled as a result. She’d endured Ludwig’s endless nagging, toiling through sweat and tears in a desperate attempt to right the empire, only to have it tip over anyway. Considering the first emperor was the fundamental reason for this upsetting development, saying that she held a deep grudge would be an understatement.

“Preposterous. Truly and absolutely preposterous!” she repeated, resisting the urge to start stomping about the floor in a frustrated tantrum. Eventually, she got a hold of herself and took a deep breath. “Anyway... The point is that I’ve made up my mind. And I’m of the mind to tear up this ridiculous arrangement from our ancestors. Whatever oath they swore, it is now done and over with!”

She took a peek at Rafina as she spoke. Having her hear this spiel was, after all, why she’d called her here in the first place. The goal was to drive home the point that whatever promises had been made with the first emperor, she’d officially retracted them. Consequently, going forward, if any nobles happened to do something stupid in accordance with the first emperor’s wishes, it’d have nothing to do with her.

“And it’s not just the Yellowmoons. As you’re surely aware, every Tearmoon noble, when they become head of their house, must take an oath to devote themselves to the empire. Well, I declare right here and right now that all of those oaths are officially null and void. You no longer have any obligation to swear loyalty to the empire.”

“What? But Your Highness, that’s...”

A flabbergasted Sapphias blinked at Mia, who smiled quietly back at him.

“But I do have a request for you. With your former obligations rescinded, I ask...that you swear a new oath together with me.”

“A new oath...?”

“Yes. Not an ancient one that dooms our moon-shaped land to tears of suffering. I seek a new oath, in which we pledge our loyalty to an empire where the peace and prosperity of all is our goal.” Mia closed her eyes. The pause lent further weight to her ensuing words. “And I mean all. Not just all nobles, but all the empire’s subjects. We shall work toward a Tearmoon where every soul residing on this moon-shaped land will drench the crescent in tears of joy. That is the empire to which I ask you to pledge your loyalty. And that is the oath I’d like you to swear together with me.”

Mia’s wish was thus laid bare. A nation exists for the prosperity of its people. That goes without saying. However, some nobles operated with a definition of “people” that excluded the common populace. These nobles sought only their own prosperity. They were also more than glad to trample their subjects in the process.

But that wouldn’t do. Mia was painfully aware—she once had the scar to show for it—that these nobles were effectively a guillotine magnet. Let them do their thing, and she’d soon find a terrifying wooden figure charging toward her at great speed. So, she stated it in explicit terms: her empire would exist for the prosperity of all subjects. It was a final nail in the coffin of disingenuous discourse, ensuring no one could willfully misinterpret her words. It was also to make sure she didn’t end up in said coffin.

“Of course, this would be a secret oath sworn personally among ourselves. Normally, a covenant like this would have to be pledged between His Majesty and the current heads of each house, each of whom must take the oath in turn, but—”

She was cut off by Esmeralda, who suddenly stood up and walked over to her.

“Miss Mia...” She lowered herself onto her knees. “I, Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon, hereby swear this oath with Her Highness Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon.”

One by one, the other Etoiles followed suit. Citrina, Sapphias, and Ruby all kneeled before Mia and swore in turn.

“Everyone...” Mia whispered.

They were roused by the sound of clapping. Turning toward the source, they found Rafina applauding them with a kind smile.

“Wonderful, Mia. That was absolutely wonderful! Etoilins and Etoilines swearing together with their princess...a new oath between the moon and stars. I, Rafina Orca Belluga, shall be your witness.”

She quietly pressed her hands to her chest and uttered a prayer. “May the oath you have hereupon sworn be blessed by the Lord and graced with holy favor.”

Her quiet, saintly words marked the conclusion of this special instance of the Clair de Lune.

After the Clair de Lune drew to a close, Mia returned to her room and immediately dove into bed.

“Ugh... I’m so tired. And I’m not even halfway through the birthday festival. Not that I didn’t see this coming, but this whole thing has taken a serious mental toll...” she muttered into her pillow as she rubbed her tummy. Little did she know, the source of her fatigue was, in fact, gastrointestinal. Her gut was exhausted from all the overeating.

As she turned her head, the cover of The Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia, which she’d borrowed from Bel and failed to give back, leapt into view.

“Ah, that reminds me... I borrowed it thinking I’d read it over again. Maybe I should actually do that...”

With an effortful grunt, she pushed herself up and grabbed the book. As she regarded it, a sigh escaped her lips.

“Ah, right. That also reminds me... In the end, unless I become empress, I’m still going to get assassinated...”

She had, in truth, been pretty satisfied with her accomplishments to date. Unfortunately, the harsh reality was that the root cause of her death had yet to be resolved.

“But Tearmoon has never had an empress before... Hmm...”

A sequence of frustrated grumbling followed, ending with her toppling back onto her pillow.

“I’ll have to announce my intention to become empress at some point, won’t I? And the one thing I know for sure is that the timing is important. If I screw up the timing, I can kiss my empress dreams goodbye... But maybe there’s still a way... If I pull exactly the right strings, maybe things will work out without me becoming empress. Ugh, I wish someone would just tell me which strings I have to pull...”

Hoping the book would mention something along those lines, she began to flip it open only to be interrupted by a knock at her door.

“Milady, Ludwig is here to see you,” said Anne as she entered.

“My, Ludwig? I wonder what he wants.” Mia pursed her lips.

He didn’t mention anything back at the tea party. What could he possibly want to see me for? Oh, but since he’s here, I might as well have him help me figure out a way to make everything work out without becoming empress.

When it came to truancy, Mia spared no effort. In other words, she did not slack off when it came to slacking off.

“Show him in, then. I’d like to speak with him as well, actually.”

With all the speed and dexterity of a lazy panda, she sat up, shuffled off the bed, and headed to her private chamber.

Next to her bedroom was a separate chamber that functioned as her primary living space. Optimized for snacking, a large table had been placed in the middle of the room so she could satisfy her cravings at a moment’s notice. The highly private nature of this space made it off-limits to others. It also made it perfect for secret meetings.

“Please forgive my sudden intrusion, Your Highness,” said Ludwig.

“I don’t mind. I’ve been meaning to ask you a few things too, so it’s good timing, really. Let’s begin with you, though.”

Mia brought the cup of tea that Anne had prepared to her lips. Mmm, Anne’s getting pretty good at brewing black tea.

“First, I must offer my sincerest compliments for your performance at the Clair de Lune,” Ludwig said in a serious tone. “It was truly awe-inspiring. I never thought the Four Houses could be rallied in such a fashion.”

Mia chuckled contently.

“Oh, please! It wasn’t much. Besides, having the Four Houses work together will make things a lot easier down the line.”

The Rafina-oriented propaganda aside, it was true that she was counting on the Four Houses’ help to confront the famine. Instilling a shared sense of urgency in them couldn’t hurt. Ludwig’s praise was simply icing on the cake. It was delicious icing, though, and she was very much looking forward to gulping down more.

“The majestic fashion in which you wore the imperial color as well... I could hardly believe my eyes. Even now, my chest wells with emotion at the memory. Magnificent, Your Highness. Truly magnificent.”

While Ludwig continued to gush, Mia couldn’t help but feel that the sheer enthusiasm with which he spoke was a little off-putting.

“...Uh, just so we’re on the same page, you’re talking about the dress I wore, right? The one Anne prepared for me?” she asked.

“The imperial color”? I wonder what he means by that...

“Indeed. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to know our hearts are aligned in vision and aspiration.”

“...Huh?”

Mia blinked blankly at him. Our hearts are aligned? What in the moons is he talking about?

Ludwig nodded firmly at her, as if to dispel her doubts.

“Rest assured, Your Highness, that there are many in the empire who wish to see you seated upon the throne.”

“...Huh?”

He regarded her with fervent eyes and spoke with increasing zeal.

“Your ascension to empress is now our foremost goal. My associates and I are prepared to do everything in our power, and more if necessary, to see it through. Balthazar is already helping, and I’m in the process of acquiring the support of my colleagues who studied under Master Galv. I’ve also assembled a list of officials in the various moon ministries who hold promise...”

“...Huh?”

A tidal wave was forming under her very feet, and it had every intention of carrying her all the way to the imperial throne.

And so, a new oath was sworn between the moon and stars, creating a new branch down which the current of history now flowed.

“Uh...”

Even Mia, who prided herself on esophageal prowess, found this sudden series of developments too much to swallow. The gullet of fate, however, had no such reservation. It swallowed her and her reservations alike, sending them careening down the new path. Where would these surging waters take her? Only time would tell...

Part 3: A New Oath Between the Moon and Stars Fin

To Be Continued in Part 4: To the Moon-Led Morrow

Part 4: To the Moon-Led Morrow