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Princess Mia… Starts Her True Job!
“By the way, Bel, this is just a friendly reminder,” said Mia. “Don’t get carried away.”
“Carried away? But how?” Bel asked with his head tilted in a curious way.
“You just showed the dance we did in Perujin, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I was. Rina was very interested in seeing it.” Bel made a sign to her friend.
“I did ask her to show Rina,” Citrina said. “I was curious about what kind of dance it was.”
“That’s no problem.” Mia looked at Citrina out of the corner of her eye and said, “The thing is, Bel, you were getting a lot of it wrong. If you’re going to show someone, make sure to do it right.”
I see what’s happening here. Rina is sad that she didn’t get to go with Bel to Perujin. It would be stupid of me not to use this. “Shoot the horse to kill the rider,” as the saying goes. I only have to bring Bel if I want Rina to come with me.
She turned to Bel after quickly figuring out where her opponent was weak.
“Oh, and Bel, I know it’s short notice, but Esmeralda and I might go to Sunkland.”
“Huh? You are going to Sunkland?!”
She smiled at the sudden rush of energy. Mia knew that Bel was short for “Maniabel,” not “Miabel.” Controlling her granddaughter was like taking a candy from a baby.
She would never pass up the chance to go to Sion’s home country. I really have her.
As expected, when asked if she wanted to come along, Bel gave a strong “yes.” Citrina’s shoulders sagged when she saw her response.
“There were so many games that I wanted to play with you…”
Mia held back from yelling: I was right! I knew you wouldn’t study! instead she said, “Well, Rina, why don’t you come with us?”
Citrina opened her eyes wide in shock. “Huh? Can I come, too?”
“Certainly,” Mia said with a smile and a nod. “Of course, if you’re free—”
“Yes, I can go! I’m totally free! Your Highness, thank you for inviting Rina. Wow!” as she bowed deeply. “I will always be grateful and admire you.”
“Eternal gratitude and respect sounds like something you should save for a big event, but I guess it’s okay. But shouldn’t we first talk to your father?”
“Don’t worry about him,” she said. “Father is crazy about Rina. He’d never say no to a request like this,” she said with a smile that, while still sweet and flowery, reminded her more of flytrap plants than yard daisies.
“Uh… All right. If you say so. Oh, and just so you know…” Mia got close to her and whispered in her ear. “Could you bring some antidotes with you? Most likely the ones used to treat poisons that are often used to for assassinations.”
“…Antidotes? Not the poisons?” asked Citrina with a frown.
“No.” Mia put her head down. “The antidotes, please. And let me be clear about one thing: I think murders are a terrible way to get what you want. I will never ask you to poison someone, nor will I ever let anyone do it.”
After all, it would be a nightmare if she killed someone and that person did the same time jump backwards.
I’m a kind and forgiving person, so I wouldn’t try to get back at Sion or Tiona, but there’s no promise that the person I killed would be so nice to me…
Since killing someone is always dangerous, she didn’t even consider it. She even tried to avoid making things happen that would give her that choice in the first place. “Don’t make enemies” was her guiding principle in life. You never know where or when someone will pull a Mia, and she didn’t want to be the target of their revenge if they did.
“Besides, I’d never ask a friend of Bel’s to get blood on her hands,” she said with confidence. “But I’d appreciate it if you could help me stop any bloodshed. This time, the situation is a little bit concerning.”
“Concerning…”
“Yes. It’s about time that the Serpents did something. I would rather be sure than sorry. In order to do this, I need the help of Yellowmoon. Will you lend it to me?”
When she heard the formal wording, Citrina’s back straightened. “Consider it lent, Your Highness. You can use every bit of information in the Yellowmoon reservoir. Command Rina to do what you want.”
“Many thanks, Rina. I can ask for nothing more.”
—
Mia’s dream team was pretty much done when Citrina joined. She had Dion and the Princess Guard to protect her from physical attacks, whether they came from a gang of bandits or not. She also had Ludwig to foil bad plans and Citrina to stop people from killing her with poison. It would be great if Tatiana could join as a doctor, but she was too far away to be called in time.
“I can’t be too greedy. This line-up is already pretty great. All I have to do now is my part…”
So, Mia started doing the work that was only hers—her real job.
“Well, let’s see… What are Sunkland’s local specialties, and how many of them have mushrooms…?”
Mia’s Sunkland Sojourn to Savor Save Sion had begun.
—
Mia had visited so many people, but she forgot to see her father, Matthias Luna Tearmoon, who was the most important person she should have seen.
“You are going to Sunkland?!” When the ruler heard about her plans, he was very angry. “But what about our time together as father and daughter? I had a lot of plans for the summer. Well, if that’s the case, I’ll spend the summer there too! I’ll be there with—”
“No, daddy! Please! I’m trying to keep everything as low-key as possible!”
Even though she eventually got her father to stay put, she had to talk to him about it every day until the day she left.
TN’s Note:
New Phrase: do a Mia – to jump back in time.
I don’t know if that will catch on.
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