The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 22.2

“So, Lady, it would be good for you to go and provide more tangible help to the Queen. Right now, the affairs of the inner palace are hardly running smoothly.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“What do you mean?”

Ejnar, unable to grasp the full meaning, asked, and Ilenne subtly lifted the corners of her mouth.

If the inner palace affairs were not running smoothly, there was an alternative.

To exclude the queen and manage the inner palace around Marchioness Magnum as the core. After all, for years, the Marchioness had effectively controlled the inner palace, and who could complain if they temporarily continued this under the pretense of the foreign queen’s inexperience?

However, the king was currently trying to treat Elfreda as a legitimate queen, which was a surprisingly favorable attitude from a king who had lost family to her grandfather’s actions.

Ejnar was a ruler who loved Makaeri deeply and always acted objectively and rationally.

Ilenne clearly recognized that the current situation was unusual. Certainly, she wouldn’t be the only one to notice. Marchioness Magnum must sense something was off, too, but whether the king himself was aware of this was another question.

From his unflustered demeanor, it was hard to be certain.

Ilenne added another comment.

“No, it’s just that, as far as I know, the Queen hasn’t sought Your Majesty’s help directly.”

“….”

“Moreover, there’s really no need to actively restore the Queen’s authority.”

As this was all true, Ejnar hesitated for a moment.

He was aware that his current directives were uncharacteristic of him. This was, in a way, a stubborn act.

The previous night, Elfreda had remained silent about her current situation until the end and hadn’t initiated any contact herself. When Ejnar saw her finally close her eyes after being overwhelmingly tormented, a question piqued his curiosity.

He wondered how she would react if he were the first to offer help.

Would she maintain her proud demeanor and show no gratitude, or would she feel humiliated yet thank him superficially?

If it were the former, he could withdraw his help at an opportune moment to make her situation even more difficult, turning it into a satisfying game. And if it were the latter, it could prove to be an amusing and enjoyable diversion.

“At least initially, we must show her the respect due a queen, for the sake of Makaeri too.”

“Of course, that would be better for this diplomatic marriage.”

“Right. Plus, you can always return to the central palace whenever. There’s no need to feel too upset. Once this is over, I’ll call you back soon.”

“Well, I’m not really upset by this situation.”

“Your face seems to suggest otherwise.”

Ejnar looked puzzled as he asked Ilenne.

“Wasn’t it enjoyable working by my side?”

“Of course, it was. It’s just…”

Ilenne smiled subtly and glanced slyly at the king.

He was still unaware of his own situation. Indeed, it was a scenario that was very uncharacteristic of him, so it would have been a stranger if he had realized it. Nevertheless, Ilenne viewed this situation quite positively.

“I’ve wanted to serve the Queen for a while now.”

“The Queen? Since when?”

“Since the first time I saw her here.”

“What does that mean?”

“It might sound presumptuous, but she seemed pitiable to me.”

Frankly, like any Machi people, Ilenne initially felt uneasy when she heard that Elfreda was going to become the queen of Machi. Though she hadn’t lost a beloved family member to Makaeri like Ejnar or Marchioness Magnum, Makaeri was still an unpleasant and troublesome presence to her.

However, the barbarian queen had kept to herself since her arrival, and the responsibility for monitoring the queen was given to Robert, gradually causing Ilenne to forget her presence.

Then, one day, she heard that the king had rescued the barbarian queen from drowning.

After first meeting Elfreda, Ilenne could not help but be surprised.