Chapter 313

Princess Mia is Unwavering Part 2

“Mia, do you want to stop soon for lunch?”

Mia had been completely focused on the hunt until Rafina told her to stop. In fact, the way she was so focused was so scary that many people had tried to tell her to stop but had given up in the face of her quiet intensity.

Rafina was the only one who was brave enough to bother her. So, Anne’s basket, which she carried on her back, was now full of mushrooms.

At least 60% of them were “a little bitter but still good to eat. About 20% of them were just plain bad. Only 10% were at least somewhat tasty.

Mia couldn’t help but grimace when she saw this strange collection. As a mushroom guide with years of experience, this was by no means okay.

“Wait... Just a moment longer...”

Rafina looked sad.

“I understand that as the person in charge of this event, you feel like you have to make sure it goes well, but I think we could all use a break. Look at poor Anne. She must be worn out.”

Mia stopped, and the reminder made her eyes widen. She had forgotten about Anne because she was so focused on finding mushrooms. It was one thing to run around and pick, but it was a whole other thing to have to carry her haul around.

“Moons, you’re right. Anne, I have been very careless.”

Mia felt a tinge of regret.

“I apologise. You must be pretty worn out.”

“Nonsense, milady.” Anne laughed and puffed out her chest as she said, “I can do this all day long.”

Then, the tone of her voice changed.

“That’s me, though. I think you should stop working for a while, milady. You won’t get anywhere if you push yourself too hard.”

Mia was moved when she saw the worry on her maid’s face.

So much love... Anne really is something special. Even after everything I’ve done to her, she won’t say anything bad about me.

She was so moved that...

Anne doesn’t know much about forests. She must have had a very hard time keeping up with a forest girl like me...

That... She should get something for her unwavering loyalty.

And I know exactly what to do. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make her a delicious mushroom stew.

... She was even more determined to find better mushrooms.

When Mia got to the clearing, the rest of the group had already finished making lunch. On the ground, a mat was spread out, and her friends were sitting on it in a casual way and talking to each other. To her great surprise, her fake goal of bringing the student council members together through this event was working amazingly well.

Who would’ve guessed? At least not her!

The boys’ friendship was especially strong after the time they worked together to cook. This helped Sapphias the most, because they had always had trouble fitting in. Now, he was happily chatting with a casual air of confidence.

The girls shouldn’t have been hit, though. They talked as loudly and quickly as their counterparts, if not more so, because of the forest’s enchanting atmosphere.

“Mmm.” Mia said of the scene, “Not a bad sight, if I do say so myself.”

The natural friendship she saw was contagious, and she wanted to join in the fun more and more. Picnics in the woods during lunchtime were not a part of her life in the past timeline, so that’s not surprising.

But before I do that, I need to make some decisions. All right, boys, let’s see what you’ve got.

She looked at the sandwiches with the kind of focus usually reserved for heroes who have finally caught the bad guy who killed their parents.

She picked up one of the sandwiches and said, “It’s time to give these a try.”

Hm... There’s nothing interesting about the shape. It looks like any other loaf of bread... Minus one point for lack of originality.

After making that rude first judgement, she tore off a piece of just the bread and put it in her mouth.

“Hmmm... It’s not bad. It has a soft sweetness that makes it very tasty.”

Most of the time, Mia’s taste buds were about the same age as she was. That is, she had the taste buds of a child, which meant she loved everything sweet.

“Ha ha, I’m flattered that you think so highly of me.

Sion smiled at her in a polite way.

“...Oh, yes. You did make the dough, right?”

“He sure did!”

Bel piped up.

“He’s good, isn’t he, Miss Mia?”

She looked coldly at her granddaughter.

All right, girl, calm down. All it is is bread. She can sometimes be such a fangirl. I mean, it’s good bread, but it’s still just bread. I’m currently eating a sandwich. Sandwiches are all about how well the bread and the fillings go together. The filling and the bread! The whole is what the sum of the parts makes it!

She talked to herself about the essence of sandwiches with the arrogance of an armchair expert and the zeal of an overeager foodie.

Then she took a bite, including the filling. Her eyes grew twice as big right away!

It’s so tasty!

Fresh greens crunched under her teeth, and then she tasted the rich flavour of fried egg, which was complemented by a mild sourness, likely from white sauce, and the smell and taste of smoked meat.

The inside of her mouth turned into a wonderful place to eat.

H-How... How did they get it to taste so good on the first try? This... This just isn’t right!

“How is it? We did what we could, but...”

She looked up and saw Abel’s face full of worry. Sion, Keithwood, and Sapphias, who looked just as eager as he did, were also holding their breath as they waited to hear what she was thinking.

As she looked from one surprised face to the next, she finally realised that she had lost. She realised that it wasn’t about being able to get married. She had been trying to win the wrong war.

They were clearly the real winners of the day because they were having a great time.

So, after a short time of thinking, she said, “It’s... delicious. Absolutely delicious.”

Her sincere compliment made people smile in the same way. She saw how proudly the boys looked at each other, and it made her a little bit envious.

It sparked something in her that...

Well, since they worked so hard to make us a tasty lunch, I should do the same for them by making them some delicious mushroom stew. I’m coming for you, tasty mushrooms!

... Again, this only made her more determined.