In the meantime, Falko had long since turned his wagon all the way around. He had opened the cover wide and was sitting at the back, half turned, on the last board. It was this board where you could dangle your feet. When the wagon was full, people who were lower in the hierarchy than Meia often sat there, such as children and errand boys. Sometimes the trainees also sat there with tradesmen. Those from whom you wanted to distinguish yourself sat there... But the board wasn't at issue. Falko was doing a task. He had brought his lamp from the front, but he had put it back next to him instead of hanging it up. There was a hook. It wasn't as if there wasn't one. The lower end board of the cargo area was now preventing the light from reaching his hands. The night was admittedly bright, but Meia still found it unusual. Meia couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but she could tell by the sounds. She heard flowing, splashing and metal tapping. He was probably transferring soup from a metal pot into wooden bowls with a metal ladle. And he wasn't very good at it. Or maybe it was one of those ladles where it ran down and you never knew exactly how to use it without dripping. Meia hated ladles like that.

Meia heard voices behind her and she knew who it was. Violet had her colleagues in tow.

Meia's hearing was quickly confirmed. The three of them came to Falko. Meanwhile, Falko took out a bowl and looked hesitant for a moment, then handed it to Innes, then another to Cora.

"I thank you."

"Thank you. May I ask your name?"

Falko put his hand to his chin and presented his handsome face to the two girls.

"Falko Wagner."

"You are Mr. Wagner? The Mr. Wagner-"

"What an honor to meet you-"

The two spoke over each other with excitement. Mr. Wagner was apparently someone you had to know. At the same time, Violet quickly became very displeased.

"Tch!", Violet made to startle them both. It was almost a hiss, like a cat's. "Go back to the wagon now. It's dangerous out here."

"Of-Of course, Mrs. Siobelga."

Meia's colleague didn't take more than four steps before the chattering started. The cliché of cackling geese was not one. It was a prerequisite for employment at the courtyard. Even now, Meia had no idea who Falko was, but since her colleague was so impressed by him, he was apparently someone who was not insignificant. It was certainly better not to say the wrong thing around him. Surely he knew the queen too. After all, he also knew the route.

"Do you like impressing little girls?"

"You don't have to be jealous."

"I'm not."

"What about the demon? Do you want me to give her some too?"

"I'm sure she'd want some, but..." Violet turned around. "Hey, you two!"

Meia's colleagues stopped in their tracks and turned around with questioning looks on their faces.

"Yes, Mrs. Siobelga?"

"Sit in the front of the wagon until Yuri allows you to go back inside."

"As you wish, Mrs. Siobelga."

Falko grinned. Violet seemed somehow annoyed. The other two walked back to the cart.

On the way, they found time to give Meia a nasty look. Meia was used to it. Maybe it was just the high sitting position, but at least right now she felt superior to them. She would stick her tongue out at them, but refrained from doing so and smiled at them instead. As soon as they had passed her, they continued to gossip and giggle.

"How silly. What is she doing?"

"Look at me, Meiandra, the shooting star, hahaha..."

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Meia ignored it. The two of them were so predictable. Cora was the cool leader. Innes was the jokester and lackey. Cora was the one who wanted recognition. Innes was the one with the rotten personality. Cora wanted to be on top. Innes just wanted to be higher than others. Individually they were both tolerable, but together they were a nuisance.

Falko gave Violet a bowl and was ready to pour her another.

"Would you like some now, Mrs. Siobelga? I cooked it especially for you, Mrs. Siobelga."

It seemed as if Falko was teasing her with this. Violet reached out her hand in defeat to accept the second bowl.

"Give it already."

"You'll have to live on the pedestal."

Violet murmured and took the second bowl as well. "Go to the front now. We're heading off." she said and left him alone.

Falko did what he was supposed to do. He closed the cover and took the lamp with him. Violet didn't come to Meia. The one bowl was for the masked woman. Violet brought it to her.

Meia still hadn't finished eating. There was too much to distract her. She shoved the next spoonful into her mouth.

"Raspberry."

At first, Meia found the scent pleasant, but by now it was becoming overpowering. She couldn't even smell her soup anymore. It even tasted of raspberry.

Why did she use so much perfume? Was she younger than she looked? Meia glanced unobtrusively to her right.

The fairy didn't move a bit and looked fixedly ahead.

Meia recognized the posture. She immediately understood how she felt. She had felt the same way in the carriage earlier. It was embarrassing for her. That was probably why she had sat at the far end of the bench. If she had been wearing the rag since she left, it was no wonder she smelled bad. The perfume was probably to cover it up.

Meia felt terrible. Maybe she didn't know how she felt after all, because at least no one in the carriage had made a comment. Meia had rubbed salt in the wound. Surely she herself knew what she smelled like. Should she apologize? Meia searched the bowl for answers. She had already brought it up. Her only option was to keep quiet, but was that really smart? Meia didn't hold it against her, after all, but it could come across that way. She could also pretend that it was meant differently. But how?

"Ah, here's a raspberry fragrance. Um... Is that you, perhaps?"

Meia was not a good actress. She hoped that at least this time she wouldn't be exposed.

The fairy slowly turned her head towards her. Her eyes were wide and her expression looked as if she had already judged Meia. This was what anger looked like when that person wasn't expecting it. Intimidated, Meia slid away from her, even with her bottom over the edge of the bench. It really wasn't a joke when she had said she could get angry earlier.

At that moment, Violet came up the carriage. Meia looked at her for help, but it wasn't necessary.

"Lyr, explain the route to Falko and do it now. Don't let him take the wrong turn."

During the explanation, Violet sat down between the two of them and immediately began to eat.

The fairy obeyed and flew away without a word. She took her bowl with her.

Meia had been lucky.

"It wasn't smart to bring it up." Violet said suddenly.

"I... I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, but imagine you've had a complex about one thing your whole life and someone calls you out on it."

~the whole life?

"Does she always smell like that?"

"Yes, it can't be helped. And she has tried. Very often." Violet ate a spoonful and only then continued speaking. "It's the dust. But what I find worse is that it won't come off. It's always on my clothes." With the next spoonful ready, Violet looked at Meia. "Your hair is full of it, by the way." she said as a quick follow-up.

"What-" Meia reached into her hair and pulled a few strands forward to her face. Her hair glistened everywhere. And they smelled like raspberries. When had that happened? Meia couldn't remember. Then she recalled what she had just heard: the dust won't come off. Not at all? Not even with water? Meia combed her fingers through her hair several times. But it didn't trickle to the ground. Nothing stuck to her fingers. Meia panicked. "How can I get it off?"

"It'll go away on its own in a few hours."

Meia breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared that she would have to wait until the dust grew out or that she would have to cut off her hair. But where did the dust even come from? The only time it could have happened was when she had done the trick. Meia knew that such tricks existed. Her master had once warned her about them. They were called psychic abilities. They influenced one's actions, one's perception, one's mind. - Unfortunately, that was almost all her master knew. He didn't know how to defend against them or how they worked. Apparently, such abilities were very, very, very rare and those who had them kept everything about them to themselves.

Perhaps Meia could ask Violet about this, but it would certainly be stupid to ask too specific questions. It might upset her. It was better to ask inconspicuous questions.

Did Meia think she was smart as a whip? Did she think she could elicit something from Violet that way? No, Meia didn't think so. But it didn't cost anything to try.

"What did she do to me?"

"That... That was [Subjugation]. Any fairy can do it. Did you like it?"

"No, it was awful."

"Then it was the same as always."

"Why did she do it?"

"I think she wanted to send you to sleep, but she didn't expect it might not work, fufu."

"Can she make others her slaves with just a look?"

"Most of the time, yes... That's all I'm allowed to say."

~Just because of the scent?~ Meia wondered why she went to so much trouble. The smell was there all the time, but it was still a scent and not a stench. Was it because the scent came from the dust and not from herself? On the other hand, Meia had only been around her for a few minutes and it had already bothered her.

"Doesn't the scent bother you?"

"Hmm, you blend it out."

.../ End Part