CH 351

Breakfast Meeting

“Excuse me, Princess Mia.” The sound of someone knocking and the mention of her name woke Mia up.

“Mm?”

She slowly got up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. She was happy to see her room, but something didn’t feel right.

Huh, that’s strange… Anne would usually answer the door.

As she tried to get out of bed, she found out why.

There was Anne, sleeping on the floor next to the bed in the fetal position.

“My…”

The maid’s soft, rhythmic breathing made Mia smile fondly.

She did come to my rescue last night, after all. She must be tired.

It should be said that Mia had a wrong idea about when things happened. It was morning the next day since that fateful night. She had slept for a whole day.

During the Lost Day, Anne had worked as hard as she always did and hadn’t slacked off at all. But the time-bending princess didn’t notice this.

“I do wonder, though. Why is she sleeping down there?”

Of course, Anne normally slept in her own bed. Why was she sleeping on the ground next to Mia’s house then?

Mia pursed her lips in confusion, but then she had an idea: “Maybe…because it’s she’s afraid I’ll run away again.” Mia guessed that Anne had curled up next to her beloved princess without even changing into her pajamas.

“Hm…” Mia thought about her options. She had made it a point to learn how to do most things on her own in case of an emergency. Tasks like putting on a new outfit were now easy. Usually, if Anne needed extra rest after a long day, she would let her sleep and get ready on her own before sending her out to greet the visitor.

But today… I’m not sure if I should go off on my own. Anne might be upset if she wakes up and can’t find me.

She shook Anne’s shoulder and decided that she would play the selfish princess today out of consideration. So, after letting a sleepy-eyed Anne help her get dressed, Mia opened the door.

Monica, Rafina’s maid, came in with a message from her mistress.

“Milady would like to invite you to a breakfast party, would you care to join.” Monica said.

“Did you say breakfast?” Mia rubbed her stomach to find out more.

“Hm… I think I’d like to eat something right now. This morning, my stomach feels more empty than usual. I don’t know why…”

—

The breakfast party was held in the Secret Gardens of the academy.

“Ah, there you are, Mia.”

“Good morning, Miss Rafina. Thank you very much for inviting me.” Mia said as she curtsied and looked around at the people who were there.

All of the people who had come to help her were there. There was Abel and Sion. Also, Tiona and Bel. Keithwood and Liora were as well.

Mia’s mind went off when she saw this group of people. Getting these people together for breakfast means there’s pretty much only one thing they’ll talk about. She stayed alert until the food came.

Hmm, well. No matter what, I have to eat first. I am famished. I wonder why…

She reached across the table for the bread right away. She took a loaf and, with a satisfying crunch, broke it in half. From the middle, a wisp of hot air rose, carrying with it the sweet smell of freshly baked dough.

She took a big gulp of air to show how hungry she was before tearing off a small piece and putting it in her mouth. The outside was crunchy, but the inside was soft and melted on her tongue.

Such delicious baking. The quality of the work is just amazing. Saint-Noel never fails to impress. Who would have thought that tasting a single piece of bread at Miss Rafina’s breakfast party could have such profound experience?

Her mistaken fast for a day made everything taste five times better.

Next, she took a big glob of the golden honey jam and spread it on the bread. A bite of fresh, crunchy salad went well with the extra sweetness. Then she took a sip of a rich soup with smoked meat and vegetables.

Rafina spoke just as she finished putting a sweet piece of fruit in her mouth. “Well, then, everyone, are we ready to get down to business? As I’m sure you can all guess, the reason I brought you all here today is to talk about what happened on the day of the Holy Eve Festival. Monica?”

On cue, Monica walked up to the table and bowed her head. “First, I think it’s time for an update on Lynsha,” the maid said. “Luckily, her wounds were not too bad. She got treatment, and the next day she was able to go about her normal life.”

“Oh, I went to see her this morning.” Bel smiled and said, “I’m so glad she’s okay.”

Then she took a few breaths and lowered her eyes.

“I’m glad…at least Lynsha is okay.”

“Bel,” Mia whispered when she saw that the young girl hadn’t touched her breakfast. She grabbed the jar of honey next to her and put it in front of Bel, then said, “It’s not time to give up yet. Rina’s not a lost cause. We can still save her. So for now, eat up and keep your head up.”

“Mia-neesama…” Bel looked up, and when she saw how little food was left in front of Mia, her eyes widened.

“Oh, I’m sorry. When I went to see Lynsha, I snacked on a lot of Perujin fruits that were given to her, and I’m really full now…” She laughed shyly. “Perujin berries are very tasty.”

“Oh, Bel.” This made Mia sure that the girl in front of her was indeed related to her.

You’re right. Nothing beats sugar in the morning.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter. Both liked sweets in the morning. And despite how it seemed at first, both of them had perfectly good appetites.