From one moment to the next, the crystal appendages of the lamp began to sway. The carriage drove on.

"Now that I've been given no answers. Who are you? Or do you not think it necessary to introduce yourself?"

The queen asked this question in a reassuring tone and with a gentle smile, but it only made Meia even more afraid. Did she not even know who she was? Was she just pretending? The only reason Meia hadn't introduced herself before was because she thought the queen would have to invite her. Wasn't that right? Meia was almost absolutely certain that it was. If it really wasn't, then her two colleagues would have planted this lie to perfection over several conversations.

"M-Me-Meiandra Arvis, my queen. I am-"

"Meiandra Arvis, then... And who is that supposed to be?" Her voice grew louder towards the end. "Have you never been taught to introduce yourself properly? Do I have to show you? Why is a dirty girl being loaded into my carriage and nothing is explained to me? Did they find you here on the road? Respond."

The tone was harsh, like scolding an animal. It pushed Meia to her limits. Tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't actually finished, but the queen had cut her off. Had she spoken too quietly? Had she let too much time pass between sentences? Insecurity was responsible for the pause. All Meia wanted was to survive a short conversation. Was this future no longer possible? What further confused Meia was that the queen really didn't seem to know anything about her. Was she so unimportant to her that she had forgotten she existed? Now she remembered that she had done the same work after her promotion as before. Had she been fooled somehow? But for what reason? Had her colleague arranged the whole thing so that she could pretend to be her servant in front of the queen, even though she wasn't actually one? It was only at this point that Meia realized that these thoughts made no sense in the first place.

"I-Your-"

Meia tried to get the words out and not cry, but then someone interrupted her again.

"My queen, it's your new maid. You had chosen her on the basis of her file, but never took her into service."

Minister Schoppe gave Meia a friendly look. He was probably trying to be nice, but strictly speaking he had interrupted her. After all, it wasn't as if she had already given up and lapsed into silence. She had been doing well after all. She had just stumbled a little. She could still have saved her honor.

"Oh, yes, that's right..."

Her aura changed abruptly. She suddenly looked cheerful. Had she really forgotten her? Was it really so easy to forget one of his three exclusive maids?

"How are you enjoying being my maid so far? I hope it gives you inner pleasure?"

~This question again. Why does everyone want to know?~

In passing, Meia noticed how the noise from outside grew louder and louder, then a wobble. The carriage was probably heading for the bridge.

"No-nothing would give me greater pleasure."

"Is that so? But the thing is, you've never served me directly up until now? Or is that the part that gave you pleasure?"

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It didn't sound like she was angry about it. It sounded more like curiosity.

"No, na-naturally, no. It's just that-it's just nice to know that I'm... that I'm working for you, even if it's just in the kitchen."

Meia stuttered her way through her answer with difficulty. The queen's gaze lingered on the lamp for a moment.

Was she thinking about the answer? Would she check it against Violet's later? Now that Meia thought of it, that wasn't impossible. Luckily, she had told the same lie both times.

"Meiandra Arvis. It's a beautiful name. Sounds like a melody. Don't you think so too Schoppe?"

"It is, as you say, my queen."

It seemed like it was honest praise. Meia was still afraid, but also a little embarrassed. It was only praise for the name, but it came from the queen herself. Perhaps Meia had been wrong. Perhaps she was a nicer person than she had initially thought.

"Erika Brandt Von Rosenberg, on the other hand, sounds like someone who draws people's blood at night, hahaha." she joked with a laugh.

It was undoubtedly a joke. Meia now had at most a second to decide whether she should laugh too. Would it be appropriate, expected or required? It was the queen's name, and therefore her lineage, that were the target of the joke. Meia was at a loss. Uncertain, she looked at the man.

He was not laughing.

So Meia wasn't laughing either.

Three seconds passed.

Meia watched how the queen perceived the reactions to her joke. The mirth literally fell from her face and immediately her eyes met Meia's again.

~Why me?~

"Why aren't you laughing?"

The tone was condemning. Apparently she wasn't nice after all. Meia could already feel the block of wood around her neck. Getting out of the carriage alive seemed impossible. Was it even enough to be beheaded? Meias noticed how her hands were shaking. To make it less noticeable, she pressed them against her legs. Why did she have to be here? The queen waited for an answer. Unfortunately, Meia could only think of nonsense. How could she talk her way out of it? Should she apologize?

"I-I-I..."

All thoughts were unnecessary, because Meia couldn't get a word out. Her breath got caught in her throat. It was as if the air in the carriage had turned to ice.

With tears in her eyes, she looked to the man for help, but it didn't look like he wanted to help her this time.

"Hahaha, it was just a joke. - Well, Schoppe, I think it's all right if we carry on talking. I can't constantly pay attention to what I say around my maids."

As quickly as the queen had lost her good mood, her bad mood disappeared again, leaving only a neutral expression. A weight fell from Meia's chest.

"As you wish, my queen."

"So what about the ball?"

"Yes, it's tradition and I think it would be too conspicuous to cancel."

"So you're going?"

"Yes, I'd rather do something more meaningful, but I have no other choice. After all, I'm also going about my business in the city. People would look askance at me if they realized I was avoiding them in private, and allow me to be presumptuous, but you should better stay in the palace for now and not enter the vitarium."

"Do you mean for my protection?"

"Yes, for that very reason."

Many cities in Jena had a palace. Meia didn't know what a vitarium was. Apparently, the two of them wanted to concentrate fully on their conversation again.

Meias breathed a sigh of relief and her completely tense posture relaxed a little.

~I almost had a heart attack. Why was I thrown into this hell?~

"Do you think I'm safe in the palace?"

"No one will know that you are in the city and you can be better protected in the palace."

"Hmph, and who will protect me in the palace?"

"As far as I know, extra guards have been posted for that purpose."

"Yes, I know. Markus Aster. But please. The man can't even keep his body parts to himself during training."

"What are you talking about? Markus Aster lost an eye in Sui, but nothing else."

"Oh, is that so? Then I must have read the wrong file."

"Apparently you have?"

The man had a skeptical look on his face. The queen replied with silence. They remained silent, staring at each other. It seemed they had lost their way in their conversation?

Meanwhile, Meia had a queasy feeling in her stomach. For some time now, it had felt as if the carriage was slipping on the ground. She had been slightly nauseous before, but it was getting worse. In order not to vomit, she kept breathing in and out through her mouth. Unfortunately, the air in the carriage was so stuffy that it hardly helped. It was only enough to keep it under control.

.../ End Part