CH 442

Girls Talk… Girls Talk?

Pilgrimage Road was an important route that linked the Holy Principality of Belluga to many other nations on the continent. It was a real example of the old saying “All roads lead to Belluga.” Even though there was a lot of traffic on it, the Central Orthodox Church kept it well-paved and wide. There was enough room for horse wagons to go by each other without having to stop.

Mia’s group took this path to get to Sunkland. They went through Belluga on the way. After meeting Tiona’s group halfway, they became quite a sight on the road, with seven carriages and a lot of troops to protect them. Even though the princess of Tearmoon was in one of the wagons, it was, if anything, still on the less important side.

“Ugh, my father was sure a tough nut to crack.”In the moving carriage, Mia let out a deep sigh. Her father was adamant about going with her, and she couldn’t get him to change his mind until she pleaded with him, “I love you, dad, so pretty please?” Even though it was said in a boring cadence, it worked.

“That was a tremendous effort to get someone to agree. Moons, he’s so stubborn,” she grumbled, and her face showed that she was tired.

Esmeralda shook her head. “Oh, stop saying that. His Majesty the Emperor cares a lot about you.”

She smiled softly at Mia and then sighed in the same way that Mia did.

“Besides, if we’re talking about stubborn dads, I’ve got you beat hands down. I told mine that I wasn’t interested in getting married, and he was having none of it. He didn’t care about anything I said. You were always right. Going to turn down the offer right away is definitely the right choice.”

“Oh, that’s good that you think that. But isn’t it possible that the possible groom could turn out to be a nice guy? And if he comes from a line of Dukes, it might even be a good match. Who can say? Mia said in a scolding way, “Maybe Lord Greenmoon is really looking out for you.”

But what she said didn’t match what she was thinking.

I wonder if Lord Greenmoon is trying to get Esmeralda away from her family…

Esmeralda did have a younger brother who was five years younger than her. The boy didn’t think he was better than his much bigger sister; he loved her very much. So much that it’s too much. At times, the way he followed her around was like an employee following a boss he looked up to. Or a dog running after his owner because he loves him.

Esmeralda isn’t always easy to deal with, but she is a kind person. I can see why he’d like her, even though she can be selfish and hard to understand. Still, she can be a real pain in the neck sometimes…

At this rate, the next leader of the Greenmoons would end up being a weakling who cares too much about his sister. It should also be said that this softie was once thought to be Mia’s future husband, but the plans fell through in the end.

When blood is too thick, it gets dirty and brings disaster.

Because of this old saying, most people in the Tearmoon Empire didn’t marry close family members. Even though the connection between Esmeralda’s brother and Mia was on the edge of what was allowed, it was not illegal. However…

“My brother is hardly a match for Miss Mia.” Esmeralda had been very against the plan. “Mia-sama is a princess of the empire. She deserves—no, she needs—a partner who is a good match for her in every way. My little brother… if I’m being honest… falls short of her standards. Very short!”

She is a connoisseur of good-looking men, so she had high standards for young men, even those in her own family. Given that she did these things, Duke Greenmoon might not have wanted her to stay at home forever. At least, that’s what Mia thought.

“What are you going to do, Esmeralda, if he turns out to be a very handsome man?”

“Hmm, interesting question. I guess I can make room in my bodyguard team for him. I don’t think he’d be good enough, though. People who are good enough for an Etoile are hard to find.” Esmeralda laughed and hit her hand when she got an idea. “Oh, I get it! Since we’re already coming this far, why not give them a choice instead of just saying no? If they want me to marry into the Sunkland family, they’ll have to bring me a prince!”

“Oh, you mean Sion? If I were you, I wouldn’t. He’s not a person you can deal with.”

She tried to picture Sion getting married to Esmeralda. It didn’t happen. She literally couldn’t imagine it.

“The only people I can think of who have the same personality as Sion are Miss Rafina and, um… Hm…”

She suddenly thought of the name of a girl. At the moment, the girl was sitting in a carriage behind her, but she had once driven Mia from wealth to poverty and then to the gallows. Tiona Rudolvon was the first saint of Tearmoon.

Well, that makes me think. I wonder if Sion and Tiona got together after I died…

She never cared enough to think about what happened after her death, but in the previous timeline, the two of them seemed like the right match. Even Mia thought so when she wasn’t running for her life. She was gripped with intense curiosity. What happenned to the two after that? Did their fates eventually cross paths?

Esmeralda was irritated by her faraway look, so she followed it. When she did, she found nothing but another carriage

“But I still don’t understand why you asked Tiona to come with us. Do you want her to do something?”

“…Okay, I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ll say it anyway: Tiona is my friend.” Mia said ahead of time, “I don’t want to hear any nonsense about how her being an Outland noble makes her less of a noble.”

Esmeralda nodded to show that she knew.

“Well, yes. Nothing could be more clear. Your friend is my friend.” She said, “If anyone bothers her, I’ll be by her side to help her.”

Then, after taking a breath, she said, “Because we’re best friends, and as your best friend, I’d never do something that makes you sad! That’s what the best friends are like!”

“I-I get it. Well. Good. Well, then, keep doing that.”

Mia felt a little uneasy with her best friend’s confidence.