I thought the home of a member of The Convention of Humanity would be a little grander than a simple townhouse in a craftsman's ward of the city. Still, even if it is rather humble and small on the outside, it’s quite lively and cared for within. It feels like someone is rather proud of this place, happy to call it home. As I admire the cozy, well loved interior of the home I spot a woman at the top of a staircase. A truly gorgeous woman. A dangerously gorgeous woman, one I need to actively force myself not to stare at as she descends the stairs with a radiant smile. I think I have some idea as to why the house is so well maintained now. She seems like an industrious sort.

Auguste for a moment seems to entirely forget I am here, quickly stepping forward to catch the gorgeous woman as she jumps down the final step into his arms, giving him a loving kiss. Auguste spins her around just a little, the two of them in their own wonderful little world for just a second. The two giggle as their little reverie dies down, and Auguste lowers the woman, who I assume must be Celeste, to the ground.

"Hehe, we're not young anymore, darling. We can't keep this up forever." Auguste strokes Celeste's hair fondly, giving her his full attention.

"Then I'll remember to do it every time until we can no longer." She giggles, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tightly... Her eyes fall on me, and she blushes just a little, hiding into the small of Auguste's neck. "Of course, you might've told me you brought company before I made a fool of the two of us."

To make such a beautiful woman sad must be a sin, so even as I find this display of affection quite awkward, I refuse to let Celeste experience that same displeasure. "No, no no, please be as foolish as you like around me, madam! Like Auguste said, the time will come when you can't be a fool anymore, and I will not rob you of that time."

Celeste slips her head back out, looking at me properly this time, smiling her bright smile. "Well Auguste, you've brought home quite the charming little guest this time! ... She doesn't look like she's associated with The Convention, come to think of it."

"She's... Not precisely here for our work." Auguste looks down in guilt but doesn't let go of Celeste for a second. "Darling, this is Serena. She has nowhere to stay and-"

"Oh! The one being bullied in those awful newspapers!" She slowly, reluctantly releases herself from her husband and approaches me, patting my head and offering me the most reassuring look she can. "Dear child, they have done you an injustice. If there is anything the Rosierte family can do to help you, simply ask!"

I look down, I have to look down, there's simply an irresistible aura to this woman that makes this a cruel offer and a cruel touch... Mercifully my stomach growls, giving me to say that a human being might come up with.

"Your husband did speak highly of your Celtic Onion Soup."

"Ah! Hehe, he's underselling himself, as usual. Auguste, do we want to feed our poor, pilloried friend here?"

Auguste moves over to kiss Celeste on the cheek and gently nuzzle her before making his way to the kitchen. Leaving me alone with this beautiful woman with a beautiful aura… Who happens to be married. And who I have to keep making demands of.

"I umm... I also need a place to stay. If you don't mind! I mean, I am aware I am a threat and that while your husband might be okay with risking the ire of-"

"Overstuffed men in overstuffed chairs with overstuffed ink pots?"

"... That is a very common refrain, isn't it?"

"Anyone who is anyone hates the press, Serena. It's mostly owned by rich pricks who are trying to buy their way to becoming the new aristocracy by riding on the coattails of the people's political awakening. To be hated by them is a mark of honor, Serena."

"... I did not expect you to use such language, madam Celeste."

"Hehe, nobody does... While I as a woman cannot join The Convention, no law can stop me from knowing what I'm talking about. And knowing what I hate."

"Wait, women can't join The Convention of Humanity? I thought it was all about progress and modernity and the like!"

"Still a boy's club, despite the constant efforts of my husband and I. That's the problem with Cotton brains, as much as Auguste and I were proud 'cloth ribbons' in our youth.” She cringes rather bitterly at the memory, making this admission to me is clearly a self-inflicted punishment for her. “We soon learned that the deity of progress and technology was just as much a slave to tradition as Wool. There are certain things they refuse to let go of, merely finding new ways to do them even worse than before. Things that put people in chains, things that keep women trapped in the home-"

"Things that make bent girls anathema?"

"Exactly! ... Cotton's just as bad as the rest of them, the norm of the Gods being enmeshed in politics has had us as a species spinning our wheels and slaughtering each other in pointless wars for millennia now. We are Humanists, mademoiselle Serena, and we seek to make a truly human government. Without gods, and without their norms."

"... Doesn't your husband still wear his Cotton lawyer's insignia?"

"Yes... Unfortunately to be a lawyer, one must by law be a priest. Auguste still technically is, but that particular divine being has no place in our home." Something seems to suddenly click for Celeste, and her eyes immediately go wide looking at me. "Ah! I apologize, I've gone on another little ramble. I'm so sorry, I just get excited meeting new people and-"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"No no! It's okay madam, please don't be upset, it's very interesting!" Somehow, when this woman speaks, the words found a home in my brain… I find myself reaching out to stroke her hair to reassure her, which seems to make Celeste's smile return. "I think I'm honestly starting to understand you and Auguste better."

"Well, politics is just morality made manifest in material reality. It's how you demonstrate your virtues, and we want to live in a virtuous world."

"That... Sounds nice."

"Yeah..." There's a moment of the two of us looking right at one another which I find I could've found utterly enchanting if I weren't so anxious about how beautiful I found this married woman. "... Oh! I should go help Auguste in the kitchen. Please, take a seat, read a book, everything that's ours is yours. Make yourself comfortable-"

"Ummm..." I'm not sure what precisely motivates my words, but here they are, spilling out of my mouth. "Could I maybe… Help you both? I've never cooked before but-"

"Oh, you are a sweetheart, Serena!" She’s ecstatic, and I suddenly feel quite small. "I don't mind teaching you a thing or two, I think it's an important skill to learn. To be able to care for yourself, and to be able to care for others."

She offers me her hand, which I very nervously accept. She is warm. Warm much like Her Majesty. I feel almost a little out of my body as she leads me to the kitchen, where Auguste appears to be doing... Something cooking-ish probably, wearing an apron with his white hair tied back.

He turns to face us at the sound of our footsteps, offering a smile. "Heh, I was starting to feel rather lonely in here. Oh, Serena, did you want to help too?"

I nod, the sight of a dignified lawyer and politician wearing an apron and doing domestic work is honestly rather charming, especially with that smile on his face. Celeste takes me aside, teaching me the proper way to cut vegetables, which is rather different than slashing with swords or sacrificing people to Steel. Knives are different beasts, and it’s honestly a little odd, but in a good way. It’s quite the surprise that it is a serious concern when I give myself a minor cut... This is cooking? It had always seemed so much a calling, a thing one dedicates themselves to in order to serve others. And yet, the three of us are sharing it, doing what we can to contribute to dinner. For a brief moment I wonder if Celeste is crying at my earlier dismal attempts to cut uniform slices of carrot, but it turns out onions are just jerks. Maybe if I ever see Xena again I can ask her about a chemical solution to that, one which doesn't involve horse urine or melting corpses.

I think I might rather like to cook with her one day. And Pasche, and Lazierte, and Theophania, and Her Majesty, and maybe even Katarina if we can find a kitchen that can fit her, bearskin and all. It’s a warm kind of environment, even Celeste and Auguste's occasional skinship and little affectionate comments and gestures make it all seem... Homey. Is this what a family is like?

... This absolutely is not what a family is like, not a normal one anyway. I think I have a relatively normal family, we may have 'loved' one another but we never had this atmosphere. This wasn't normal... But maybe Celeste and Auguste's Humanism is to fight for a world where it is. Maybe this is why decent, good people would subject themselves to politics.

Our meal is ready before I even realize it, and while I can't say I did much to help both of my hosts seem quite pleased by my contribution. And Auguste it turns out had not been lying. Perhaps I owe him an apology. When he had said 'my wife and I's cooking I assumed it would fall entirely to her, but it was a rather equal effort, which might be why it tastes so good.

Their dining table is large, more than enough for three people, and I briefly considered giving the two some space so as to not intrude on their affections... But Celeste practically drags me to sit next to her and Auguste, and we eat together. I'm honestly glad she did…

And of course I had to ruin everything by being curious. "You two seem like such a loving couple... It seems odd that the two of you don’t have any children."

Auguste stops half spoonful of soup, gently looking away. "W... Well..."

Celeste tries to force a smile, but after knowing the kind of warmth she welcomed me with, she can have no secrets from me. "We're focused on our efforts to make a better Avernia. It'd be harder with a child and... Well, we wouldn't want to raise one in a harsh world like this."

I feel something turn in my stomach. I have just stepped into a pit trap. I am already dead. What can I possibly do from here?

Auguste takes a spoonful of soup, and gets a chunk of one of my practice vegetables. "Hehe... You'll have to cook with us more often, Serena. You have a lot to learn."

This manages to get a more genuine smile out of Celeste, which gives me permission to breathe again. "Maybe it doesn't look fancy, sweetheart, but I'm certain it tastes perfectly fine."

Auguste eats it, and his smile certainly implied that I hadn't somehow ruined the vegetable entirely with my novice knife skills. "Even if things look bad, sometimes they're still perfectly delicious on the inside."

"Are you implying something about me, perhaps?" Celeste gives Auguste a faux pout, before the two of them burst into laughter.

A world in which a woman this beautiful can be allowed to be self-deprecating, to be humble, is not a world I can abide... Oh gods, what is happening to me? Why is this woman so much like Her Majesty to me?! I finish my soup quickly; this table is rather too radiant to tolerate right now. Why does everything hurt, from the bad things to the good?

Auguste looks at me with concern, no longer eating. "Is something the matter, Serena? You look troubled."

I'll have to lie, he'll have to know it's a lie, but at least he won't know the truth. "... I'm just very tired. It's been a lot of walking trying to find somewhere to sleep, and-"

"Ah..." He knows I'm hiding something... But he doesn't seem particularly angry or suspicious.

Celeste slowly rises from the table, gently patting my head. "I'll take her to the guest room, dear. The poor thing has had a long day."

I slowly rise from my chair, and with that same radiant pain Celeste takes my hand and leads me to the third floor of the little townhouse. Waiting for me there is a small room, a large bed taking up most of the space within it. The room doesn't seem quite sized for a person... I take a seat on the bed, it's comfortable enough... It feels like it's not supposed to be here somehow, its presence is just a little profane.

Celeste leans down and gently kisses my forehead, which makes me almost jump with shock, much to her amusement. "Hehehe... Sleep well, child. Tomorrow is another day."

With that she leaves, and now I'm alone in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar house which has done everything it could to become familiar quickly... Would I be able to keep living here if they remained this kind? If Celeste keeps reminding me of Her Majesty? And what kind of person am I if I can't be in the presence of a beautiful, kind, radiant woman without falling in love?

"... I am Her Majesty's. I am Her Majesty's. I am Her Majesty's!"

I force my hands into service, removing my uniform jacket, and unbuttoning my dress. I will demonstrate my love and loyalty, I will be a good and constant supplicant. I love Her Majesty more than anyone, more than my friends, more than Celeste, more than anyone! I try to focus on the fantasy, I try my hardest to feel I am there, kneeling on the uncomfortable palace floor, serving Her Majesty faithfully.

Tears begin to form around my eyes... I'm still here, in this house, on this bed, confused and in pain. I have failed Her Majesty once again... I cry until I sleep, not even bothering with the blankets and covers, left half-naked on a pile of my own clothes.

Why does the world tempt me to be more than Her Majesty’s loyal supplicant?