Chapter 27

The children of the most powerful people in the world gather here, at St. Noel Academy. Even then, there are very few people Mia needs to be wary of.

The Tearmoon Empire is one of the two most powerful countries on the continent.

Therefore, as its first princess, Mia has unrivaled authority. The only exceptions are Prince Sion of the Sunkland Kingdom and one other person.....

But,

[You are.....]

Right in front of her appeared one such exception and Mia reflexively straightened herself.

[Rafina-sama]

Rafina Orca Belluga

The eldest daughter of Duke Orleans, who rules over the Duchy of Belluga, where St. Noel Academy is located.

If Mia’s memory serves her right, Rafina is fourteen. Two years older than her. She has been the Student Council’s President since she entered the school, and is the most influencial person in St. Noel Academy.

Not only that. Belluga is considered a holy land for the religion the neighboring countries follow. And having such a high position within it, Rafina is a person that even Mia can’t underestimate.

Or rather...., she is terrifying.

[Nice to meet you, Rafina-sama. I’m.....]

[Imperial Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. It is very nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.]

Mia was taken aback by those words.

It was very shocking that Rafina knew her name.

In the previous timeline, Mia approached Rafina.

She as attracted to Rafina’s power and wanted to be her friend.

However, in spite of her best efforts, sitting near her at tea parties and giving her gifts, she was unable to make friends with her.

In fact, she didn’t even remember Mia’s name.

Whenever she looked at her as if she was walking garbage, her self-esteem was torn to pieces, and in the end, she ended up terrified.

And yet, ......

[You won’t get warm in there. Como closer to me.]

Mia huged Anne’s arm and pulled her toward the middle. Rafina gave a small smile seeing the scene.

[He, he. You are really close, aren’t you?]

[Of course! Anne is my most trusted friend.]

So, if you decide to fight me, we will take you on two-on-one. No matter how influencial you are, she won’t betray me. That is what Mia was trying to imply.

[Tru... trusted Friend?]

Meanwhile, Anne was on the verge of tears.

Even if Anne served Mia whole-hearted, she never considered herself as a good maid. Rather, she made more blunders than not.

For her, Mia’s words were an outstanding of a reward.

......Ignorance is bliss.

Well. Mia wasn’t lying when she said “trusted friend”, so, even if Anne were to learn about Mia’s inner feelings, it wouldn’t be so bad.

[He, he. I see. You certainly live up to the title of Empire’s wisdom, princess Mia.]

Seeing their relationship, Rafina smiled.

Author’s notes about the setting:

A “duchy” is basically a country ruled by a “duke” of noble rank or by a branch of the royal family (“grand duke”), instead of by a

king or emperor.

You can think of it as a country whose authority is recognized by a larger country. But that is not the case for the Duchy of Belluga.

The reason the country is called a “duchy” is because the only king they follow is “God”, and the duke’s authority is given by God.

In other words, the duke who rules the country is not only the politics’ head, but also a priest.

Rafina is an idol-like girl who often helps her father in various religious cerimonies. She is very popular with the people. Definitely not someone you would want to make enemies with (LoL)

TL: When Mia says “trusted friend”, she uses the word [腹心]. This word can mean “trusted friend”, “confident”, “trusted retainer”, among other things.

I’m not sure on which one the author wanted to use, but it seems to me that Mia used it in the sense of friend/confident and Anne interpreted it as retainer. That is why there is a bit of a dissonance between what was said and Anne’s emotions and inner thoughs.

That said, it wouldn’t be strange if Mia considers Anne her most trusted retainer as well, considering all that happened in the old timeline.