The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 27.2

As the queen, she was the king’s consort, so any insult directed at her felt like an insult directed at him. In a moment of frustration, Ejnar nearly mentioned Countess Wilburn’s disgraceful behavior but managed to close his mouth.

It would be strange to bring it up first unless she mentioned it to him. It would be like openly revealing that he was watching her.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Ejnar forced a smile. Thanks to his unreal beauty, even that didn’t seem awkward.

Elfreda, who didn’t know his inner thoughts, continued to look cheerful. She was completely oblivious to how much that irritated him.

“It’s all thanks to you, Your Majesty.”

“Thanks to me? How so?”

“You sent Illene to me.”

Elfreda responded in a light, airy tone.

“I should have expressed my gratitude sooner, but I took too long. I hesitated to contact you about this, thinking it might be a bother…”

Ejnar instinctively furrowed his brow as he looked at her. Her grateful yet bashful expression didn’t seem feigned, which softened his heart just a bit.

After all, if Illene hadn’t been there, the tea gathering wouldn’t have gone smoothly at all. It was only natural for her to be thankful to him. Regardless, if this event had slightly lessened the queen’s haughtiness, that would be a satisfactory outcome.

“Moreover, I’ve heard that Illene is quite capable.”

The praise of Illene brought Ejnar further joy. After all, he was the one who had sent Illene to her.

“Is that true?”

“Absolutely! She really is.”

Elfreda chimed in excitedly.

“I can’t express how much help Illene has been. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to finish this tea gathering successfully.”

“I’m glad to hear she was such a help.”

“She’s not just helpful; she’s incredibly kind. Just the other day, I was so tired that I dozed off for a bit…”

“….”

The conversation seemed to be circling in one spot. Ejnar stared blankly at Elfreda, who was chattering away, surprisingly animated. Her lips didn’t show any signs of pausing as she praised Illene.

*…Has she always been this talkative?*

She seemed like someone who would hold back even a groan, trying hard not to make a fuss. Normally, she was quite reserved around him, which was part of her charm. Yet now, with her excitement over Illene, she had become almost a different person, and that struck him as oddly…

‘Irritating.’

He realized this and felt a bit surprised. Given that he had gifted Illene to her, it was only natural for her to feel such joy and gratitude. Yet, he couldn’t understand why her constant chatter about Illene was so off-putting.

Caught up in emotions he couldn’t logically explain, Ejnar furrowed his brows.

Around that time, Elfreda, who had been about to share more about how much Illene had helped her, noticed his reaction. She quickly became flustered, her expression turning apologetic.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I’ve been talking too much. It must have been tiring to listen.”

As expected, she was quick to catch on in this regard.

He found her sudden shyness and quietness irritating. Standing before her, he felt frustrated no matter how she acted. Whether she was silent or lively, it always grated on his nerves. It seemed that when one disliked someone, nothing they did could ever be seen in a positive light.

Perhaps because of the intensity of his emotions, he felt blood rushing below his waist.

Letting out a short sigh, he watched as Elfreda averted her gaze and tugged down the strap of her dress. As he observed her, he felt that blood flow more.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah…”

Elfreda hesitated in embarrassment but replied softly.

“Well, since you’re busy, I thought I might be taking up your time unnecessarily…”

“Oh, so you’re personally removing your dress for my sake?”

Ejnar tilted his head crookedly.

She had been so animated when talking about Illene with sparkling eyes, though now she was acting like someone fulfilling a duty, quickly losing her energy.

That contrast bothered him.

Wasn’t this just comparing her to Illene? Of course, he felt like he was coming up short in that comparison.