Mia's answer left Ludwig frozen in shock. As she took in the look of absolute astonishment on his face, she felt a strong wave of emotion well up within her.
This... This feels so terribly good!
The sweet taste of triumph washed over her brain like a narcotic. Her whole body felt light. She needed more.
"In fact, the financial difficulties of the empire can all be boiled down to the simple fact that there is more money going out than coming in. In order to resolve this discrepancy..."
Mia kept going and going, rattling off the empire's problems one after another. She was on a roll. Her speech flowed with the ease and smoothness that bespoke exhaustive research and thorough understanding. After spending the last couple of days holed up in the Grand Library, Mia had become deeply knowledgeable about... well, nothing in particular.
Of course she hadn't.
In fact, as the astute among you might have already realized, everything she said was what she'd been told by Ludwig in the (hopefully) alternate world of the future. In other words, she was just parroting his words back to him. It was basically plagiarism.
The events of that first day came back to her. In her mind, she could still see the haughty expression he'd worn as he lectured her about topics big and small, his voice thick with mocking sarcasm. Granted, almost everything he'd said went right over her head, but nevertheless...
Never... I'll never forget the humiliation I suffered during those days!
The experience was so mortifying for her that every single word was burned into her mind. With the humiliating memory freshly resurfaced, she recalled exactly what he'd said to her, repeating it back to him word for word.
She spoke of the problems with the empire, the problems with the nobles, the problems with the Imperial Capital, the problems with the neighbouring kingdoms, and much more. Had anyone borne witness to their conversation in the future, they'd be screaming bloody murder at the nerve of her. The brazenness with which she aped his teachings was almost impressive.
Meanwhile, Ludwig's expression had changed from surprise to something that bordered on reverence.
"...Enough." He held up a hand to stop the pontificating princess. "Please. That will be enough." Then, he lowered himself onto one knee and bent forward in a deep and courteous display of respect. "I am without words. Never would I have imagined the royal family was home to one as brilliant as yourself."
His words sent a jolt of exhilaration through Mia's body.
B-Brilliant?! Did that miserable four-eyes just say something good about me?! Mia trembled with sheer delight. Ahhh. I almost feel as if this day — this very moment — is why I've come back here.
However, before she could bask in the glory of her triumph, Ludwig spoke again.
"However, in that case, what need does Your Highness have for my help? With such boundless knowledge, surely, you can restore the empire all by yourself."
Mia paled instantly.
O-Oh no! I've gone too far!
In her excitement, she'd failed to realize that she'd gone on too much of a roll and rolled herself right off a cliff. It was true that she was repeating what Ludwig had said. However, he'd said all that only after tirelessly surveying the surrounding regions and looking into the affairs of other kingdoms. In other words, future Ludwig had to do a lot of work to come to those conclusions. For present-day Ludwig, who was still new to this job, Mia's words seemed like divine providence. Her perfect grasp of current events and plausible predictions of future developments, coupled with the fact that she was only twelve years old, was simply too much for him to handle. Befuddled and bedazzled, he took leave of his good sense and simply regarded the princess with awe. In his mind, all he had to do was leave it to this veritable goddess of wisdom he'd happened upon, and everything would turn out just fine. Needless to say, Mia was no goddess of wisdom, and pretty much nothing would turn out fine if left to her. With her back against the wall, the pea-brained princess forced herself to think.
I... I have no idea! Nothing is coming to mind at all!
...True to form as ever. Fortunately for her, however, the mind of the young official before her was not paltry in the slightest.
"Ah, but of course. That makes sense. Your Highness is still young. Were you perhaps concerned that people will not lend a serious ear to your words?"
His interpretation was very convenient for Mia — very wrong too, but definitely very convenient.
"Th-That's absolutely it!"
She saw her chance and jumped on it. If a wave of fortune was coming her way, she was going to ride it. She'd ride the damn thing to the moon and beyond. Furthermore, she was currently experiencing a rare moment of mental acuity.
"Besides, brilliant as I am, I can still be wrong at times. That's why I'd like you to think about these issues as well and speak your mind to me."
At this point, anyone with a decent sense of modesty would have thought, "What kind of person calls herself brilliant?" Even basic politeness would call for at least a raised eyebrow or two. However, as a result of his lingering astonishment, Ludwig currently possessed neither of those qualities.
"A mind unclouded by its own brilliance... and ears that welcome subordinates' advice... Your Highness... You are truly..."
Ludwig thought of his own superior who, just moments prior, had brushed off his appeals without so much as a first thought. He felt something hot well up inside him. Mia's words had thoroughly moved him. Never did he imagine that the girl he was speaking to was actually a dumb-ass princess who would have been entirely helpless without the wisdom that he provided.
"My path is now clear to me..."
Once more, he lowered himself into a deep salute. Keeping his head bowed, he addressed her with the utmost respect.
"Your Highness. I, Ludwig, pledge myself to your service with all my body and soul," said the earnest young official.
"How terribly kind of you. I accept your pledge," replied the deeply satisfied princess.
Thus did Mia — after gaining the loyal maid Anne — acquire her second, and greatest, ally.