Princess Mia Entertains
“Phew…”
Mia stretched in the pool. She had taken a swim in the chilly water after relaxing in the pool before diving back in. She was able to completely appreciate the pleasure of submersion in warm water once more when the cold restored her body’s senses. She was using the idea of palate cleansing like a seasoned wine taster. Mia is a bath sommelier!
“This…is really a bliss! Very good. Right now, I’m making the call. This is undoubtedly going to catch on.”
Mia the bath sommelier came to this conclusion in her assessment of the lemon bath.
“It certainly is, Mia-neesama.”
Bel, who had just followed Mia’s lead and had a dip in the refreshing water, added, “I hope we can do this again and have Rina join us next time.”
She dove into the water and kicked at it amusingly. Mia’s love of baths has been passed down genetically through two generations, judging by the absolute delight on her face.
“Next time, we can invite Rina, but behave yourself, Bel. One must behave properly and ladylikel while bathing,” said Mia.
She must have considered guttural ooofs acceptable in her concept of “ladylike.”
“Okay! Grand—Mia-neesama, I’ll work hard to become a proper lady like you.”
Nobody was present to tsukkomi… It was truly peaceful, and sad.
However, it did result in lots of sweet smiles, which was great.
“…Wait.” Mia became aware that something was awry at that point. There wasn’t just the two of them. They were joined by a third person, who had been silent for some time.
Rania seems to be feeling a little gloomy, or is it just me?
Only her thin legs were in the water as the Perujin princess sat on the pool’s edge. Even though she periodically kicked up a few splashes, her eyes were downcast. She seemed to be doing it idly instead of enjoying herself.
It’s true that taking a hot bath has a danger of over-soaking, which can cause lightheadedness. Mia was ready to let it go lightly when an alert went off in her thoughts.
No, wait a moment. She has an unsettling air about her.
She couldn’t place it, yet it was the haziest of feelings. But this was the Rania Tafrif Perujin she so sorely needed to help her get through the hunger. Any crack in their bond, however small, may be disastrous. Her chicken sensor had started to go off since it was programmed to squawk at even the tiniest sign of danger. She began to speak so as not to ignore the bird’s warning.
“Rania?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m pleased you’re enjoying the lemon bath,” she responded startledly, masking her expression. “It’s not only the bath, either. I also have new treats. I’d love for you to visit and try them whenever you have time. You’ll definitely enjoy them, I believe.”
“My! new Perujin confections Consider me in.”
She started to think of a lot of fancy foods. She thought of unusual Perujin cakes, creative biscuits, and a long row of silhouettes with question signs, signifying even more fantastic foods that exceeded her imagination. She brushed a thread of saliva from her lips’ corner.
“I’m pretty confident about the lineup this time,” Rania continued. She then said in a cautios manner, “By the way…is my sister doing well?”
“Hm? Do you mean Arshia? She is doing well, no doubt. Before returning to Saint-Noel, I met with her and she looked fantastic. She has finished preparing the fields and has begun experimenting by sowing various wheat varieties. Oh, she’s also rather well-liked by the kids. They truly admire her,” Mia said.
Then inspiration arrived.
Aha! I know the issue now. Oh, Rania, I think I understand you completely. You’re feeling lonely now that your sister has moved to Tearmoon! You appeared a little dejected because of this.
Mia gave her a sympathetic glance after supposedly solving the Case of the Sad Rania. She laughed softly, “The two of you are really close, aren’t you?”
Rania answered, despite her uncomfortable smile masking her words, “N-No, that’s not true. She’s simply my big sister, that’s all. And I’m pleased that she’s fine. I have no concerns whatsoever about her, but occasionally…I just want to know how she is faring in Tearmoon on her own. Assuming she is caring for herself. She writes to me, after all, but…”
An understandable sentiment, mm-hmm.
“Would you have any free time after this, Rania?” Mia asked while crossing her.
“Huh? I suppose so.”
“Good. then come to my room. Let’s have a good, lengthy conversation over tea as I’ve been meaning to talk to you about some things.”
Mia could have told Rania about her sister in there, which would have been simpler. But Rania was a VIP, so she reasoned that it couldn’t harm to make an extra effort. As a result, Mia decided to act as the nice host. The idea was to provide Rania with an abundance of tea and treats before slowly explaining Arshia’s situation to give her time to feel the euphoric effects of the food and drink. Tearmoon and Perujin’s relationships would undoubtedly improve if she changed her opinion on Mia.
In fact, Mia’s cordial offer was wholly political.
“I haven’t had Perujin treats in such a long time! I definitely want to try some. Moons, I can hardly wait.”
Maybe it’s a little political. At least a quarter of it. For the rest, it was because of her sweet tooth speaking.
Rania blinked her yes. Then her tone then became more cheerful.
“Okay, I’ll go get the sweets now.”
