abcnovels
Chapter 593
Chapter 593
Chapter 593
Under Someone’s Guidance
“Princess Mia, it seems you have business with me?”
Aima entered, glanced at everyone gathered in the room, and grew slightly tense. That was because Dion Alaia was present, along with Mia, Anne, and Ludwig. Aima did not even glance at Dion, who was smiling brightly. Instead, she awkwardly made her way directly to Mia.
Mia naturally guided Aima to the table and silently offered her cookies. Three cookies—this was the basic protocol of Mia’s hospitality technique. That was because, in Mia’s mind, anyone who was offered sweets could not turn hostile. And then, after completely winning over her opponent’s heart, Mia looked into Aima’s eyes and said,
“Actually, I have a favour to ask of you. I’ll get straight to the point. I would like you to tell us the location of your brother and the Serpent Priestess.”
“What do you mean?” Aima furrowed her brows.
Mia continued slowly.
“You are aware that Citrina-san has gone missing, right?”
“Yes, of course. I was thinking of gathering some of our allies to join the search. After all, we owe Princess Mia a great deal.”
Aima crossed her arms and nodded.
“We suspect that it was the Serpent Priestess who had Citrina-san kidnapped.”
Aima’s shoulders twitched slightly.
For a moment, Mia was worried that Aima might get angry and shout, “Don’t make such accusations about my brother!” but thankfully, she remained calm.
“I see… So that’s why you wanted to ask me about the whereabouts of the Priestess and my brother.”
Aima closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. She then took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Princess Mia… I’m glad you decided to trust and rely on me.”
She said with a trembling voice, overcome with emotion.
Mia was taken aback by Aima’s reaction. She should have felt relieved that Aima was not upset, but…
“I have made up my mind. I shall sever all ties with my brother.”
“…Huh?”
Mia was surprised by Aima’s sudden declaration.
‘Sever ties with her brother? Wait, what?…’
Mia tilted her head in confusion and said,
“No, um, that’s not quite what I meant…”
“My brother and Princess Mia are on opposite sides of a conflict and will never see eye to eye. If I must choose sides, I will stand by my friend, Princess Mia.”
It was unclear whose guidance had influenced Aima, but her declaration carried significant weight. The impact of Aima’s powerful declaration left Mia feeling dizzy. It was true that Mia wanted friends she could rely on.
‘A network of people who can help in times of need is extremely valuable. So, I should be grateful to someone who has pledged their support… but still, this statement feels a bit heavy. I don’t think I can offer anything comparable to abandoning one’s family…’
Mia groaned and her face looked troubled.
“By the way, Aima-san, what about your parents and other relatives aside from your brother?”
“It’s only Keirai and Hasuki.”
“Keirai… that’s your horse, right? And Hasuki is…”
“That’s the name of my warrior wolf.”
“I see…”
So, it’s just her and her brother—two siblings.
‘She has only one blood relative. This is too heavy a burden for me. We’re friends if we share cookies! Where did that simple and carefree Aima-san go? Why had she suddenly resolved to make such a tough decision?’
Mia wracked her brains in confusion but then decided to change her mood, giving a soft, gentle smile.
“That’s not good. You shouldn’t speak so lightly about something like that.”
“No, but…”
“Your brother is very important to you. You shouldn’t give up on him so easily.”
Mia’s tone left no room for argument.
“You shouldn’t say that you will sever all ties with your brother, who is important to you, so hastily. But in the same way, Rina-san is important to us. That’s why we want to rescue her at all costs.”
Mia tightly grasped Aima’s hand.
“I want your cooperation, but I don’t want to see the destruction of the relationship between you and your brother. Can you please indulge this selfish request of mine?”
‘In other words, something moderate will do. Just moderate. For now, all that matters is getting the information. To begin with, we aren’t even sure if Citrina-san was truly kidnapped or not…’
“I see… I understand. I’ll keep that in mind so I don’t jump to conclusions.”
Aima nodded with a solemn expression.
“I am proud to have forged a bond of friendship with you, Princess Mia.”
Her tone suggested that she was deeply moved by Mia’s words.
At that very moment, as they were discussing the rescue operation, there was a knock at the door, and the guard on duty entered.
“Excuse me, Mia-sama… this was just delivered…”
Ludwig, who had answered the door, hurried back to Mia, his expression having changed. He held a small box in his hand.
“Mia-sama, this is…”
“Hmm, what is it?”
Mia was confused, but as soon as she checked the contents, her face turned pale.
“Could you please call Bel for me?”
When Bel arrived, Mia silently handed her the box. Bel cried out in distress the moment she saw it.
“This… this is Rina-chan’s…”
The item in Bel’s small hand was something she had made herself and given to Citrina as a gift. It was a small horse charm—a treasure Citrina would never let go of, no matter the circumstances.