Rujell hugged the guinea pig tightly with both arms. While doing so, she looked overjoyed. Her smile was strong enough to crush any storm.

Like her sitting posture, this expression did not suit her at all. Combined with the rest of her aura, the overall picture was frightening. If Meia did not know any better, she was sure that the guinea pig would end up in a cooking pot next.

The guinea pig itself apparently did not care. The joy of reunion was one-sided, as well. It did nothing at all.

As if Rujell could no longer hold still for joy, she started to turn her upper body back and forth, pressing the guinea pig even tighter against herself and thereby half sinking it into her cleavage. She literally radiating with joy. It seemed as if she had fallen into a kind of happiness ecstasy.

"I love you butterbun. You know, nobody else listens to me. Everyone just thinks, oh, Rujell, she can handle that. 'Here, it's best if you also manage all the keys for all the doors of the entire house, but always keep them all with you, in case Lijeux has lost one again.' You're the only one who thinks of me sometimes."

By now, Meia was sure. The guinea pig was special.

From here it was difficult to recognize, but it seemed as if it did not resist in any way to be suffocated by her in her bosom. On the contrary, it had a strange aura of serenity around it, as if it had already accepted its death. In combination with its long fur, it looked like a guinea pig that had meditated in a cave for 1000 years and thus managed to transcend the limits of being. Death meant nothing to it anymore. It was already above such things.

Only after almost half a minute Rujell did finally stop.

"You know, I have a surprise for you today." she declared cheerfully, holding it close in front of her.

The guinea pig was not surprised. All it did was hang motionless in her arms like a stuffed animal.

Rujell set it down. "Stay." she commanded with a point of her finger, whereupon her hand went under her apron.

~Now run for your life!~ Meia would like to shout.

However, the guinea pig made no move to flee. It just sat there waiting for the next torture. Meia first suspected that it was still suffering from respiratory distress. But maybe she had just trained it very well? Meia didn't know if guinea pigs were that intelligent. Maybe this one?

"It obeys her?"

Lijeux shook his head.

"No, that thing is just exceptionally lazy."

"Oh, I see..."

Meanwhile, Rujell continued to rummage for something.

"So, the last few days, always when you were still asleep, I've snuck out and sewn us new costumes."

~Help...~ Meia was just an observer, but the cringe was like a black hole that sucked one into the ground.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Then from one moment to the next, she was suddenly blinded. Radiant light focused in an object which Rujell held in front of herself.

"Here what do you say to this!" she asked proudly.

Under the strong glitter, Meia realized after a short while that it was apparently something like a mini hooded robe that she presented to the guinea pig.

"It's a priest costume with pattern of white gold brocade, a sash and a necklace with seven cloudburst brilliants set in 18-carat white gold."

Meia choked and lost some of the vegetables from her mouth. She was shocked.

"She's throwing her money away on trinkets." she stated, while coughing convulsively.

"Yeah, she's obsessed with that thing. Told you."

"Yet she doesn't wear jewelry herself at all."

"Yes, she does, most of the time, a whole lot, but we're not allowed to wear any at work."

In the same time, Rujell picked up the guinea pig again and held it in front of her once more. She probably wanted to check how exactly it reacted to the robe?

Meia would say, exuberant joy remained absent. It just hung swaying in her hands, like a rag on a clothesline in a storm.

"You've already guessed it! I knew I couldn't surprise you. You're soo smart." Rujell was so delighted that her cheeks began to squeeze her eyes shut, creating a facial expression one would normally only see in a nightmare. "By the way, my costume is similar to that, but mine includes earrings and a staff." Meanwhile, she took out a diamond earring with her free hand.

Meia could hardly believe her eyes. In relation to the diamonds from the robe, for this one, chunk was the most appropriate word. The earring was a large piece of diamond held in a metal spiral, which again was probably white gold. ~How much that must have cost?~ Certainly easily twenty times the price of Meia's gold earrings.

In a graceful movement, Rujell slowly and steadily turned her head to the side and held the jewelry to her ear.

"Do you think it looks good on me?" she asked the guinea pig.

All of a sudden she had found her elegance anew. This simple action seemed not only graceful, but especially in connection with her open sitting position and the short skirt part, even erotic in a certain way. Meia would definitely try to copy it if she would ever get the chance.

"How sweet of you. Originally I had bought these just for the costume, but then I'll wear them more often." Since she seemingly had received a response, she put the earring away again. "'Later, we can change. Mr. Monet said we are allowed to use the gym. We're allowed to stay there long into the night. Are you looking forward to it?"

Again she held it in front of her. Again it hung just slightly dazed between her hands.

"She plays alone with the guinea pig in the gym at night?"

"Yeah, and apparently I'm not allowed to join them..."

"Huh? You want to nibble a seed? I still have some." Rujell reached under her apron again, then lifted it aside and looked into her pocket. "Hm? Where are they? I'm sure I had some-"

"Stop feeding that rat and start working!" yelled Lijeux from between the flowers.

It was impossible not to hear. Rujell turned to them and Meia immediately pulled her head behind the column. From there she directly peeked again and saw that Rujell put the guinea pig into the cart with one quick move and simultaneously pulled down the blanket with her other hand, then she stood up.

Meanwhile, Lijeux hid even more behind the column.

Meia pressed herself against her. There was just barely enough room for both of them.

~Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? Surely she would have left in a minute. In principle, it's her fault. She should sacrifice herself-~

Suddenly, Meia was pushed.

As she staggered out of cover into the hallway, the last thing she saw was a hand and the sly grin of a traitor.

Lijeux had sacrificed her to save her own skin.

In the next clear moment, Meia was standing next to the column on the carpet in the middle of the hallway.

She felt a chill on the back of her neck.

She heard footsteps coming in her direction.

"Miss Arvis..."

Meia could tell by the tone of her voice alone that she was honestly angry. When she then turned around, she saw the face of a demon.

"It seems my advice did not germinate because I had sown in tainted soil. Had I not advised you, restrain your curiosity? There are things that guests should only know under one condition. Therefore, I am glad that you decided to stay forever."

.../ End Part