YOUR HIGHNESS,
DID YOU KNOW THE HEAD MAID WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
I DID.
THE NOBLES WHOSE SPIES WERE SUDDENLY REMOVED FROM THE PRINCESS'S PALACE WILL START GROWING WARY OF MY UNCLE,
AND MY DEAR UNCLE WILL BEGIN TO SUSPECT QUEZIN AND HIS OPPONENTS.
WHEN THE CRACKS START TO SHOW, WHO DO YOU THINK HE WILL BLAME? THE NOBLES? THE HEAD MAID?
WHOEVER IT IS, IT CERTAINLY WON'T BE ME.
IS SHE TRYING TO PIT THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER?
YOU'VE CHANGED... YOUR HIGHNESS.
YES... I SUPPOSE I HAVE.
THE MEDEA YOU ONCE KNEW IS GONE.
AFTER BARELY ESCAPING DEATH,
I REALIZED I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO BE NAIVE.
ARE YOU DISPLEASED WITH THE PERSON I'VE BECOME, NERIL?
THE PRINCESS I REMEMBER...
...WAS NEVER IMPOSING OR REGAL, ONLY KIND AND PURE-HEARTED.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO PROTECT THAT INNOCENCE FOR AS LONG AS I COULD.
BUT...
NOT AT ALL, YOUR HIGHNESS.
NO MATTER WHO YOU BECOME, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE MY LOYALTY.
GOOD,
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
Episode 6
I HAD MORE THAN MY FILL OF DEALING WITH MY UNCLE AND QUEZIN IN MY PAST LIFE,
SO I KNOW JUST HOW THEY THINK AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO.
WHAT I NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR...
AH...
I-I'M SO SORRY, YOUR HIGHNESS! I'LL POUR YOU ANOTHER CUP RIGHT AWAY!
...ARE THE UNPREDICTABLE FACTORS.
I HEARD SHE HID HERSELF THE MOMENT THE OTHER MAIDS WERE DRAGGED AWAY.
SHE MUST BE TRYING TO WIN BACK MY FAVOR, FEARING SHE MIGHT SHARE THEIR FATE.
IT'S BERRY TEA. YOU ALWAYS SAID YOU LIKED THE TEA I BREWED, DIDN'T YOU?
I PREPARED IT JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT,
A LITTLE COOLED.
I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR TEA AT THE MOMENT. I'LL DRINK IT LATER.
OH, BUT YOUR HIGHNESS...!
I WENT OUT BEFORE DAWN JUST TO PICK THESE BERRIES MYSELF. I EVEN SCRAPED MY KNEES ALONG THE WAY!
PLEASE, JUST HAVE A SIP!
DON'T JUST STAND THERE! POUR IT DOWN HER THROAT ALREADY!
I'M SORRY ABOUT THE CHILDREN. TRULY.
MOTHER!!!
I SAID NOT NOW!!
AAH!
DO MY WORDS MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?
HOW MANY TIMES MUST I REPEAT MYSELF?
I-I WAS JUST...
F-FORGIVE ME, YOUR HIGHNESS! I WAS WRONG!
SOMEONE TAKE MARIEU AWAY.
I SWEAR I'LL BE MORE CAREFUL! PLEASE...! DON'T CAST ME ASIDE, YOUR HIGHNESS!!
HAA...
YOUR HIGHNESS! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!
I'M FINE.
NERIL, KEEP AN EYE ON MARIEU.
ARE YOU TELLING ME TO FOLLOW HER?
THAT BRACELET SHE WAS WEARING...
...WAS WELL BEYOND WHAT SHE COULD EVER AFFORD.
TRUMPET FLOWERS.
A DESIGN RESERVED ONLY FOR A SELECT FEW WITHIN KAZHEN'S IMPERIAL FAMILY.
GOOD GIRL, MARIEU.
YOU'VE FINALLY MADE YOURSELF USEFUL.
MARIEU.
SAMON...!
I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!
SAMON CLAUDIO, SON OF DUKE CLAUDIO
I HEARD MEDEA REPLACED ALL OF HER MAIDS. WHAT HAPPENED?
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO, DARLING.
THE PRINCESS SUDDENLY BEGAN PUSHING ME AWAY, SO I--
WHAT? MEDEA BEGAN PUSHING YOU AWAY?
WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT?
O-ONLY WHILE SHE WAS FINDING NEW MAIDS...!
SHE SAID SHE WAS AFRAID THE HEAD MAID WOULD TAKE HER ANGER OUT ON ME...
BUT I'M BACK IN HER GOOD GRACES NOW!
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHE DEPENDS ON ME, DON'T YOU?
THE HEAD MAID'S ALREADY CAUSED ENOUGH TROUBLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE PALACE.
SO IF YOU TRULY WISH TO MARRY ME, YOU'D BETTER WATCH YOURSELF, MY LOVE.
AH...!
DO NOT JEOPARDIZE THE ONE JUSTIFICATION I HAVE FOR TAKING A COMMONER LIKE YOU AS MY WIFE.
YOU MUST STAY AS MY DEAR COUSIN'S MOST TRUSTED MAID AT ALL COSTS. UNDERSTOOD?
Y-YES, I UNDERSTAND...
I WON'T GIVE YOU A REASON TO WORRY, AND I'LL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF EVERYTHING PRINCESS MEDEA DOES, DARLING...!
GOOD.
I LOVE YOU, MARIEU.
I LOVE YOU TOO.
I'D DO ANYTHING FOR YOU, MY LOVE.
Medea explains that she deliberately watched the head lady-in-waiting's move; thanks to the spies purged from the palace, the nobles and her uncle and Quezin will turn against each other. Though surprised by her change, Neril pledges her loyalty. Then the maid Marieu insistently tries to make her drink blueberry tea, Medea refuses and sends her away, and grows suspicious of her expensive bracelet.
