Maria quickly excused herself from breakfast only for Katerina to insist Ginger go with her, since she was now her new lady's maid. This was a wonderful coincidence since Maria had been wishing to talk to at least one of the ministry members, which Ginger had joined just this year.

Raphael and Sora were already busy preparing for the ball so they had little chance to speak but each gave her reassuring looks that told her they'd be alright.

Maria gently closed the door behind her before giving an exhale, turning to Ginger. "How are you-?!"

"You went missing." Ginger reminded her bluntly. "Alexander started looking for you before we could even get the order in to start looking."

"Alexander?" Maria asked in surprise before the girl's suitcase flung open. "Oh, Alexander, I've missed you!"

The little bear hopped into her arms, eager to get cuddled and loved up by his favorite person.

While Maria fawned over her little pet, Ginger crossed her arms in impatience. "Maria, you haven't even said if you're okay yet! Did Katerina hurt you at all?"

"Hurt me?" Maria asked in surprise, looking up. "No, she hasn't…"

"Well, how has she been mean to you?"

"She hasn't been mean to me." Maria supplied with a small shrug. If anything, it felt more like Katerina was trying to be mean but just… wasn't. Even the vines had been gentle on her when she tried to escape, hinting Katerina didn't really want to hurt her at all.

Ginger pouted in confusion. Maria was her favorite person ever since she'd joined the student council and that made her feel like she had to protect her, even if she already had guards in her friends. "Well, you still want to leave, don't you?"

"I… Well…" Maria fumbled over her words, slightly confused with her conflicting feelings. Deep down, she really did want to stay and learn more about the villainess, learn why she acted the way she did like she'd done with all her friends… but she couldn't indulge this curiosity. Not when her mother could be in a dungeon somewhere. "I need to."

"Right." Ginger nodded, not noticing the clear hesitation from her friend as she was too focused on how they'd escape. "Well, if the ball goes the way we suspect, we should be free before Katerina has the chance to stop us! The prince and your friends are sure to help once they figure out what's going on."

"Can't you tell them?" Maria asked, surprised she didn't seem to have a way. The ministry was always very thorough about keeping in touch on their missions, what had changed? "Or at least tell Larna?"

Ginger shook her head. "That's the thing… We kinda went without telling anyone. Alexander was so eager so Sora and I decided to follow him right away. Raphael was trying to get us back but eventually joined when he realized we were trying to find you before anyone else."

"So we're on our own for now…" Maria realized. "What if Lady Katerina-?"

"High-ho! And a high… ho!"

The two looked at each other in confusion before walking out to the balcony.

They watched in slight surprise as the villainess herself was in dirty gardeners clothes, busy harvesting some of the many colored vegetables.

Maria only then noticed how she had some slight muscle on her from years of work. They were glistening with sweat. Somehow, she looked even more radiant like this then in her usual villainess attire, probably because she was actually smiling as opposed to the usual smirk she kept on.

"High- Oh!" Katerina gasped, seeing Maria. The girl almost hid away in embarrassment but Katerina quickly climbed up a newly sprouted vine to see her. "Maria! I'm harvesting some vegetables and fruits for the ball tomorrow! I could use a break, want to join me?"

Ginger tried pulling her friend inside but Maria was frozen in place, a bit too focused on the way Katerina wiped the sweat from her brow before offering a hand. The girl gave up and finally went between the two. "No, she doesn't!"

Katerina narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the sudden brazenness from her supposed new staff. Why was she so protective of Maria when they'd only just met? And she had the nerve to stand up to her employer too, how dare she! The way Maria looked, Katerina had no doubt she was insulted as well even though that was far from the truth. "I was asking Maria."

Maria gave a loud laugh and quickly took the villainess hand so the icy look would melt off her face. "A-Actually, I'd love to! Ginger was just joking around!"

Ginger was more than a little unnerved at seeing Katerina smirk at her as she held Maria close, knowing anyone who loved Maria would be jealous, her included.

"Haha, how funny…! Just remember who you're kidding around with." Katerina reminded her sharply as she and Maria descended to the ground.

Maria gave Ginger a nod, telling her to go inside.

Her friend gave a huff before reluctantly doing so.

"Come on!" Katerina called, pulling her beyond the vegetable patches to the many flowers that also grew there. "Well, what do you think?"

"They're lovely." Maria smiled softly, looking at the rows of flowers. She bent down. "Did you grow them yourself?"

"I wish!" Katerina giggled, sitting beside her. "I don't have a talent for flowers as much as I do for other plants. Tom actually made it. I think Mary'll like it when she visits…"

Maria looked in surprise. Did she… think Mary would want to come over willingly when she was a villainess? "Oh, I see…"

"I know she probably won't want to visit now..." Katerina smiled sadly, noticing how Maria looked at her with pity. "But she will one day! Everyone will! I just gotta show them I'm still their friend, even if I am a villainess… It's gonna take some time but… it'll work, it has to."

So that's what the ball was for. It wasn't some evil scheme or villainess trap, at least, not at its very core. It was just so Katerina had an excuse to see her friends after all this time…

Katerina noticed her smiling at her and frowned. "Of course, when I have them as my friends, it'll be easy to take over Sorcié! Keep your friends… AND enemies super close!"

Maria giggled slightly. That wasn't how the saying went at all, but she had a feeling it rang true to Katerina, much like it did for her.

The villainess did seem genuine enough seeing as she took every opportunity to mention Maria's, no, their friends. She must've been close to them all when they were children.

So why did she push them away? Maria wondered to herself. She shook her head. That didn't matter anymore, what mattered was she was sorry for it now.

Maria glanced back at the castle. Since she had nothing to do but wait for the ball to escape, she should occupy herself. Yes, she'd help organize the ball. If all went smoothly, maybe she wouldn't even need to escape tomorrow night. Maybe Katerina would be accepted by her friends and everyone would end up happy. Except Maria, of course, who still had to marry the prince and rule the kingdom by his side, but that was always the plan. If she was truly the protagonist of their lives like Katerina kept insisting, it was time for a change. The villainess would hopefully receive a happy ending instead and the protagonist…. She made her bed by being too weak to stand up for herself, she surely had to lie in it. That was the ending Maria would strive for, it was the only one where everyone, including Katerina, was happy, after all.