Chapter 405

Loyal Retainer Anne Hardens Her Heart

It was a nice day in late spring, with warm sunshine that meant summer was coming and the wheat harvest was coming up soon. Anne stood in Mia’s room and watched her roll around in bed as she usually did. She couldn’t help but feel a little worried. It was something that had been bothering her ever since Esmeralda’s trip the summer before. What had really upset her were the things that had happened before the trip. Mia, who had gotten a bit of a belly pooch, had to sweat and work hard for a long time.

Miss Esmeralda might ask her back someday. Maybe it would be best for her to start working out more often.Explore new novels on novelbin(.)com

Anne didn’t think Mia was overweight. She was beautiful just the way she was. If anything, a little extra weight made her more cute.

...which was a dangerous way to think.

Regardless of how she felt about it, it was clear that Mia hadn’t been getting much exercise lately, which the head chef said was bad for her health...

So, Anne made up her mind: “Milady. Um...”

“Mm? Anne, what is it?”

Mia moved around on the bed to look up at Anne. It moved in a way that would be expected of a sea creature that got stuck on land. A mermaid, perhaps. Something that can’t walk on two legs or any legs at all. The lazy sight might have been the last straw for Anne.

All the important talks, student council chores, and fighting with a secret cult that Mia had to deal with every day were no doubt exhausting. Anne knew how hard these things were to carry. So, she had always taken the position that Mia could be as lazy as she wanted in the quiet of her own room.

But there had to be limits, so Anne hardened her heart.

“Milady, you haven’t been taking dance lessons lately, have you? Why don’t you invite Prince Abel or Prince Sion to join you?”

“That’s right. When we were going across the plains, you did pretty well. I think you’ll be galloping around in no time if you practice.”

Anne, catching on to what Mia had said, added.

“Yes, I agree. Even I was able to figure it out after enough practice. I’m sure you’ll figure it out very quickly, Miss Bel.”

Just so you know, Anne had two left feet in general, and it took her a lot of work to get to the point where she could ride. She didn’t say this, though, because she knew that keeping Mia healthy meant sacrificing the truth.

“You can’t call yourself a good princess until you can ride a horse, Bel. And you want to be a good princess like me, right?”

There were so many things wrong with what she said. Sad to say, no one there would point it out.

“But I...”

Mia pursed her lips and said “Hmm” again.

She then looked at Anne and whispered something in Bel’s ear.

“I know you think you could be sent back to your home world at any time, and if that happens, all of this would have been for nothing. That’s easy to understand. But listen, Bel. Even if you get sent back, you should learn how to ride a horse before you leave. It makes running away a lot easier...”

She smiled and winked.

“Besides, horses are adorable creatures, aren’t they? I think riding with Citrina will make it more fun.”

Anne added.