The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 27.1

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Elfreda presided over the tea gathering today quite well as the queen.

Her handling of Countess Wilburn’s incident was commendable; had she reacted with anger and called out the rudeness on the spot, she might have received an apology, but the noblewomen’s hearts would have remained forever closed.

She never realized that knowing her place so well could be so infuriating. Yet, there was something else that truly annoyed her.

“His Majesty the King is on his way to the Solar Palace.”

She couldn’t comprehend the king’s intentions.

If it were Ejnar, the one she had known since childhood, there was no way he’d show any warmth toward the granddaughter of the man who had killed his beloved parents and brother, Prince Anders.

He should have treated her with cold disdain as if he could never exact enough revenge. Yet, he acted as if they were a genuine couple.

Even if he had other motives, it was agonizingly frustrating to watch.

Marchioness Magnum passed by Ejnar as he entered the Solar Palace, her expression far from welcoming. She gave him a slight nod as she walked past him.

‘She must really be seething.’

Ejnar entered the queen’s chambers with his usual expressionless face.

He had been occupied with various matters lately and hadn’t visited the Solar Palace in quite some time. His plan was to visit at least once a week to ensure the marriage was being properly maintained.

Hearing that Elfreda’s first tea gathering had just concluded, he thought it was a good time for a visit. Moreover, he still hadn’t confirmed her reaction to sending Illene away. Since there had been no communication from the Solar Palace afterward, it seemed safe to assume that her demeanor remained as lofty as ever. However, he thought it was best to observe how she would respond before taking any action. He could decide what to do then.

“I see the radiant sun of Machi.”

Elfreda greeted him with a somewhat brighter expression than usual.

It was a rare energy. If he hadn’t received the report about today’s gathering, he might have been fooled into thinking something wonderful had happened.

That was why Ejnar found her current behavior even more strange and unsettling. Did she think it was beneath her dignity to show such emotions in front of him? He crookedly lifted the corners of his mouth and spoke.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Ah…”

She suddenly felt embarrassed, realizing she had inadvertently revealed her emotions. There were several reasons for her good mood. With Illene coming to the Solar Palace, she finally had someone to lean on, and she had successfully concluded her first tea gathering. Although there had been a few mishaps along the way, they weren’t significant…

But more than anything, she was glad that Ejnar had come to see her after such a long time. It had been nearly a week since his last visit.

Still, unable to fully express her true feelings, Elfreda gave various other reasons.

“I was just happy that the tea gathering went well.”

“Really? Nothing else happened?”

“Yes.”

How casually she lied.

Ejnar involuntarily furrowed his brow and asked.

“Really? Was it all good things?”

“It was that way for the past week.”

“…..”

At first, he believed it was all a facade, but seeing Elfreda’s genuinely smiling face filled him with an astonishing suspicion.

Could it be that this woman didn’t mind being looked down upon as a barbarian? Did she take pride in her heritage instead of feeling ashamed? Was that why she had remained foolishly silent in the face of such words?

Of course, as the first princess who had once dominated the world as a barbarian, it wasn’t entirely unbelievable that she possessed a bold sense of pride. After all, countless groups had bowed their heads beneath the feet of the despised barbarians.

But even so, the essence of those remarks was not a compliment.

‘I’ve told her countless times to act according to her status.’