Schadenfreude… in the case of Mia
While chatting for a while in the priest’s room…
“Excuse me, milady. Ludwig-san is here.”
Ludwig entered accompanied by Anne.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Highness.”
Ludwig bowed deeply to Mia who nodded.
“I’m sure you’re busy with a lot of things, and I’ve already settled the matter, so there’s no problem.”
Mia said with an arrogant smug. If anyone else saw her attitude, they would be annoyed. Ludwig, however, just looked at her with deepened respect.
“Is that so… It’s amazing that you’ve already obtained their support… By the way, Princess Mia, who is this next to you…”
“Ah, this is my half-sister that I wrote about in the letter. Please don’t say anything about this to anyone. You too Father. Please keep it a secret.”
When Mia turned her gaze, the priest just nodded, “Understood!”
While feeling relieved, Mia looked at Bel again,
“Bel, introduce yourself…”
“My teacher, Ludwig-sensei…”
Bell’s murmur resounded loudly and clearly.
“Hmm? Teacher? Sensei?”
Ludwig was confused. On the other hand, Mia was in shock.
Eeeh?! Right off the bat?!
She had expected her granddaughter to be a little bit absentminded. But fumbling right off the bat was a new low for her. Even Bel immediately realized her blunder…
“No, it’s nothing. Pretend I didn’t say that.”
She said something that didn’t serve as an excuse and fell silent. The only ones who could be fooled by such deception were Anne’s family.
I need to deceive them somehow…
Judging so, Mia quickly overworks her brain. And the result…
“Umm… Oh, yes. I told Bel to call you her teacher. I figured that she could learn a lot from you.”
In an attempt to deceive, Mia resorted to flattery. There is no human being who is not happy to be praised. Men, especially, are vulnerable to flattery when being praised for their work. She took Anne’s advice and also employed the strategy of “never stop talking.” Nobody can question her if she keeps on talking and they don’t get a chance to talk.
“Your insight is very valuable. I know that they will be very useful for Bel in the future. That’s why I told her to call you her teacher. The mindset is also important. It is all about habits. If she calls you her teacher, then you are her teacher. In fact, while we are on this topic, have you thought of teaching a few classes at the academy yourself?”
Mia just kept on talking until she finished, and Ludwig paused before answering.
“Unfortunately, I am not at all worthy of being called a teacher. Please, Your Highness Bel. Just call me Ludwig.”
“Oh, you’re so humble, Ludwig. But I do think very highly of your abilities.”
Considering that Mia relies on him for almost everything “thinking very highly of” was actually an understatement. And the way she said it was like that of a boss who was feeling particularly generous with her compliments that day. But since nobody really knows they dynamic of Mia and Ludwig, aside from Mia herself, nobody corrected her.
“I’m grateful for that, but… When I think of my teacher, I feel very lacking. I feel I don’t have the qualities to teach others. To teach is to be master to another. I feel I don’t have those qualities yet.”
With a wry smile, Ludwig shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, it’s just a matter of personal preference… Maybe Your Highness, if you meet my teacher, you’ll understand…”
“Hmm… that means…”
“Yes, I know where my master is.”
Ludwig smiled, which was unusual for him.
“Well! You found him quite quickly! I’m amazed.”
“I’m honored to receive this compliment. Actually, along with summoning Her Highness, I also asked someone from my school to search for him. Apparently, he found him sooner than I expected.”
“Oh, a fellow disciple? Next time, do please introduce me to him.”
Mia’s mood was getting better. All the problems seem to resolve themselves. And quite easily at that. She already had Princess Arshia from Perujin. Now she also had lecturers from the Church, along with Ludwig’s master and fellow disciples.
“Hmm, this problem is as good as solved.”
And so on, Mia thought optimistically. However, Ludwig turns around with a dark expression.
“No, the difficulty actually starts now.”
“Hmm? What do you mean? All you have to do is to talk to your master and ask him to help us out, right?”
Ludwig shook his head with a sombre expression.
“Actually, my master hates nobles… Therefore, it’s not easy to ask for him to cooperate with Princess Mia’s cooperation in the school city plan.”
“Hmmm… I see.”
Mia understood that it is because Ludwig’s master despises nobles that he wasn’t under the influence of the Greenmoons. They would never be able to dissuade him.
“Besides, because he is a stubborn person, I think that persuasion will take quite a bit of effort.”
Ludwig continues with a bitter tone.
“That sounds like a really difficult task, isn’t it?” Mia replied in a tone that feigns empathy for other’s troubles.
Dear four-eyes. How the tables have turned. After all the scolding you gave me in the previous timeline, it is time for me to watch you grovel before your master. Considering how much you seem traumatized by him; this will really be a good show!
Mia has a really nice smile on her face relishing schadenfreude. Unfortunately what goes around comes around. In Mia’s case, karma was coming to her quickly than she would know.
“Yes, it’s impossible for me to persuade him. That’s why I asked Her Highness Princess Mia to do such a task.”
“…Huh?”
“Your Highness Princess, please use your wisdom to persuade my master.”
“… Huh?”
It was all Mia could say with her mouth agape.
