The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 31.2

“You can’t bring that worn-out paper to an official occasion. A fresh speech has been prepared for you.”

“I understand.”

With a calm nod, Elfreda stepped down from the carriage and was immediately greeted by the grand facade of the Royal Library. Built in the traditional Machi architectural style, the library was as magnificent as its name suggested, exuding an old-world charm that would surely captivate any scholar.

Elfreda murmured in awe.

“This library is quite large. Are there really that many ancient texts?”

“Considering the ancient books collected by the royal family and the numerous additions His Majesty has focused on gathering over the years…”

Marchioness Magnum replied, her head held high with pride.

“It’s quite a significant amount. It’s likely unrivaled compared to other countries. It’s rare to find a nation that has preserved its ancient culture so well.”

Elfreda sensed that the last remark was somewhat directed at Makaeri, though she didn’t dwell on it.

It was a sensitive subject, and besides, it wasn’t entirely untrue. The Makaeri people, being nomadic, had never been in a position to preserve their ancient culture adequately.

Now that they had established an empire and no longer lived as drifters, she had heard they were trying to do so. Still, they couldn’t compare to Machi, a land with a rich history of settlement. No matter how vast their territory or how populous their people are.

“Other nations should learn from this attitude as well.”

At Elfreda’s casual remark, Marchioness Magnum furrowed her brows, unable to grasp her true intentions. Everything that woman said seemed to be irksome. But thinking of what was to come, the Marchioness quickly smoothed her expression back into place.

A smile even crept onto her lips.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep pretending to be so lofty.’

It was unacceptable for a lowly barbarian to dare wear the tiara of the Machi queen and attempt to rule in this place. How furious their ancestors would be if they knew!

Today, all those wrongs would be righted.

With that thought in mind, Marchioness Magnum smiled and followed Elfreda into the library.

Inside, the library was filled with numerous nobles gathered for the opening ceremony. All eyes were on Elfreda, who was stepping into an official setting for the first time since her wedding. It was a scene reminiscent of her wedding, and once again, there were no friendly gazes to be found. Some attendees even wore displeased expressions or subtly laughed at her, especially when they saw her dressed in an outfit inspired by Machi’s traditional attire.

‘I haven’t even stepped onto the platform yet?’

The pressure and anxiety were making her head spin. Elfreda focused her strength on her toes and took slow breaths as she searched for Ejnar.

…Ah.

Finding him wasn’t difficult; she just had to look for the most radiant person in the banquet hall.

* * *

Ejnar, who had been conversing with a group of elderly scholars with graying hair, turned his head at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

He immediately spotted Elfreda in her red dress. With her platinum hair elegantly styled and dressed in a richly patterned gown, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she looked the most dignified and beautiful in the room.

The discomforting gazes around her likely came from the fact that her appearance suited her a bit too well. Ejnar couldn’t help but smile, thinking she didn’t look bad at all.

As soon as their eyes met, she carefully approached him.

“My queen is coming over.”

“I heard that today, the Queen will also be giving a speech.”

One of the elderly scholars chimed in with a worried expression.

“But I wonder if she will truly be able to manage…”

“She will do well. She practiced hard.”

“Ancient Machi is not an easy language.”

The scholar nodded in agreement but couldn’t shake off his worries.

“I just hope the beautiful Machi language isn’t tarnished by her awkwardness.”

“….”

Ejnar remained silent, continuing to watch Elfreda as she made her way over.

With everything so red around him, she was the only one that caught his eye among the crowd. That was a relief. At least he wouldn’t lose her in this chaos.