CH 471

Miabel is Brainwashed: Part 2

They had no idea where Rafina was staying. But Anne knew someone who might be able to help: the owner of the restaurant-cum-inn where they had had lunch.

“Welcome—wait, what? You were with Princess Mia, right?” The owner frowned at Anne and then looked at Ludwig with suspicion.

“Hi there. I work for Her Highness Princess Mia as a vassal. I go by the name Ludwig Hewitt. I need to talk to Lady Rafina right away, and I’d like your help getting in touch with her.”

Anne had told Ludwig that the man in front of him was a spy for the Belluga. It didn’t seem likely that he would tell a stranger like Ludwig anything, but…

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“Is that so? Very well. This way, please.” The owner agreed right away.

“Thank you for helping us. But…are you sure?” asked Ludwig, who was surprised by the man’s frankness.

“Princess Mia’s servants will get all the help I can give,” the owner said with a smile. “If I don’t, Lady Rafina is going to give me a good scolding.”

The second floor was shown to them.

I thought she would be staying somewhere in the city in a church. As Ludwig followed the owner, he thought, This will save us a lot of trouble.

They stopped in front of the door to the room at the end of the hall. The owner knocked. The door opened soon after.”

“Hm? “Gosh, this group is pretty interesting.”

Rafina appeared and smiled at them. Then, she looked around and said, “I see that Princess Mia isn’t with you.”

“Yes, indeed. I’m sorry, but Her Highness is at a dinner party with the King of Sunkland,” said Ludwig.

“I see. That’s too bad. So, come on in.” She showed them the way in. It would be both a metaphor and an understatement to say that the room was small. Only a bed and a simple chair were there, which didn’t seem right for a person of her standing.

“I feel terrible. It seems a little tight, doesn’t it? I think the three of you can fit, though.”

She told Anne and Bel to sit on the bed. Ludwig sat in a second chair that the owner brought in. She sat in her own chair. Bel kept looking around with wide, amazed eyes, showing that she didn’t expect this kind of welcome. Rafina gave her a wry smile.

“I guess you think this room is a little too plain for the Saint of Belluga?”

“Huh? No, I don’t think it’s a problem…” Bel shook her head quickly and unconvincingly, which made Ludwig step in.

“It’s a simple room that’s just right for the Holy Lady. We were just taken by surprise. We thought you were going to stay in a church.”

“Well, I guess I could have, but…” Her face became a little less clear. “Sunkland is a very religious place. Just as much as Belluga. Because of this, every time I show up, I’m asked to have my portrait drawn.”

“Portraits, you say…”

“They seem to sell very well. Since the money is given to charity to help the poor, I don’t mind too much, but… I’m sure you get it, right? Imagine a picture of yourself with big wings coming out of your back. You’re standing on a scary-looking monster, like a holy fighter. Would you want to be the subject of something like this? I find it… difficult to endure.”

Her gaze seemed distant, and for a split second, she seemed ten years older. The moment was over, and she went back to being herself.

“Oh, my. Look at how much I’m talking. Sorry about that. I don’t usually talk a lot, but I know you’re friends with Mia, so…” She chuckled. “Anyway, I’m guessing you didn’t come at this time just to hear me complain. What can I do for you?”

“About that… We have come to ask for your advice.”

“Oh? About what?” she asked, interested.

Ludwig looked at her for a moment before going on. “Sorry to be so direct, Lady Rafina, but how much do you know about what’s going on with Her Highness right now?”

“Well… she told me that she’s here because of the marriage proposal between Miss Esmeralda and Prince Echard ”

Rafina talked about what she had heard earlier in the day. After each topic, she paused to think before moving on to the next. Near the end, she stopped to think about something.

“That makes me think… Mia asked me what Count Lampron and the other Sunkland lords thought. She was also interested in what I thought of them.”

Ludwig gave a grunt. “Ah, so she was thinking about asking you for help…”

Then, why did Mia ask those questions? Was she not sure if Rafina would agree with the older lords of Sunkland on this issue? It must have been to make sure. If Rafina shared the same ideas as the traditional conservatives, Mia would not be able to ask for her help.

“Oh, if only she had asked. I’m her friend. I’d help her, of course…” Rafina sighed in a sad way. “But of course, she chose not to because we’re friends, isn’t it…?”

Ludwig gave a somber nod because he knew what she was going through.

Friendship could sometimes be used as a bargaining chip, even if it was done in a sneaky way. If Mia had asked, Rafina would have been sure to answer. But Mia didn’t do that because she wanted to make sure that the people who helped her did so because they really wanted to and not because they were unintentionally manipulated. So, she had asked her about her thoughts ahead of time, because Mia was the kind of person who cared not only about her friends but also about keeping their friendships strong. At least in Ludwig’s world.

“I did tell her, though, that I don’t always agree with Count Lampron… I see, though…” She sighed again, but this time her sigh was even louder. “I told her about the problem with the Equestrian Kingdom, isn’t that why? I told her I was having so much trouble I hoped she could help me… When she heard that, she must have shelved her own request to not burden me further.”

Her hypothesis received a resounding nod of approval from one of the listeners.

“I think that’s exactly what happened, Lady Rafina,” said Anne, Mia’s most reliable servant. She spoke with a lot of self-assurance. “Milady is a person who is very kind and caring. I doubt she’d ask you for help if she knew you were already busy with your own things. She would be more likely to think of ways to help you.”

Despite her utter confidence, she was, of course, very wrong. Unfortunately, no one was there to fix her terrible mistake. Because of this, the talk slowly turned into a praise of worship for Mia.

After giving her all the praise they could, they finally went back to what they were talking about before.

“Oh, I wish I knew how to help her,” Rafina said. “Ludwig, do you know? Could you please tell me what to do? What does Mia want me to do for her?”

“If I were to try to figure out what Her Highness wants, I think it would be…”

So, Ludwig went on to talk about how Mia’s mind and thinking were so vast and deep that they couldn’t be measured. Rafina was impressed. Anne was thrilled. And Bel…

“Wow, Grandmother Mia is so amazing!”

Bel was totally and completely brainwashed.