Carissa was braced for the Queen to say a bunch of flattering nonsense that have nothing to do with the real reason which is that Asmodeus chose her. Or, well, maybe Asmodeus choosing her was related to her understanding the Law better than almost anyone, but, realistically, it was probably a combination of that plus being attractive to Keltham plus being a heretic in a coincidentally useful direction -
- anyway. Obviously the Queen of Cheliax doesn't like Carissa for the traits that Carissa values most in herself. It would be pathetic to believe that. It would be pathetic to believe even if it's being spoken into your ears with very high Splendour by someone who would know. Carissa is not pathe- okay, Carissa is pathetic, Carissa has spent like five percent of her mental motions this conversation on being happy that Keltham is protective of her, you can't do that and then claim you're not pathetic, but Carissa's not that pathetic. The Queen wants Carissa because she can't have her, and Carissa's personality has very little to do with it, because one doesn't show that much personality while being horribly tortured anyway and the thing the Queen wants to do with Carissa is horribly torture her. This is the not pathetic thing to believe and Carissa believes it.
But it's true that she had the highest spellcraft at her Worldwound installation. And it's kind of nice that Cheliax did have that written down somewhere. (Unless they didn't, and learned it from her irritably thinking it earlier today, which now that she thinks about it seems likelier.)
And it's true that she understands something no one else did, which made Asmodeus choose her.
....and it's true that he'd have done that even if there were only a tiny chance she did anything useful, and that if she fails he won't care if the Queen turns her into a statue and she never ever ever exists again. Stop being pathetic you will be gone you won't exist the stakes are much too high to be that contemptible
Carissa exists because she might serve Asmodeus and might serve Cheliax, and she intends to try to do that, and she does not have any feelings at all.