The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 42.1

“To think he married such a beautiful woman, the King is truly blessed.”

Princess Rachela maintained a consistently warm and friendly tone as she conversed with Elfreda. Since arriving in Machi, aside from Illene, she was the first person to treat her with such kindness.

Before long, Elfreda’s initial discomfort faded, and she found herself genuinely engaged in the conversation. Rachela listened attentively to everything she said, responding with a polite and respectful demeanor.

By the time the teapot was empty, Elfreda almost felt sorry to see the conversation come to an end.

“Oh dear, I hope I haven’t taken up too much of Your Majesty’s time.”

“Not at all, Princess. I’ve truly enjoyed our time together.”

“So have I. You seem like such a kind person, Your Majesty.”

Rachela replied with a bright smile, then cautiously asked,

“If it’s not too much trouble, would it be possible for us to have more tea after the birthday banquet?”

“Of course. You are always welcome, Princess.”

She smiled warmly at the princess, who returned a relieved smile. After Rachela left, Elfreda turned to Illene and shared her honest thoughts.

“She seems like a good person, Illene.”

“I’m glad you feel that way. Her manners were impeccable.”

“Yes, I guess I was overthinking things. I feel a little embarrassed.”

Then, Elfreda’s gaze shifted to the remaining jelly candies on the table. Not wanting to waste them but concerned that leaving them would ruin their flavor, she made a request.

“Could you bring some more tea, please? And send the remaining box to the Central Palace.”

“Ah, are you sending it to His Majesty?”

“Yes. But I’m not sure if he’ll like it since it’s a bit sweet.”

“Hmm… He does enjoy sweets sometimes, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Please wait a moment.”

After Illene left, Elfreda remained in a somewhat giddy state. The preparations for the birthday banquet had been completed splendidly, she had unexpectedly made the acquaintance of a kind and pleasant person today, and tomorrow, she would finally see Ejnar again.

After Illene came back with a teapot, she pondered how to greet him tomorrow:

‘Should I greet him right at midnight? But I’m not even sure if he’ll come tonight… Maybe it’s more natural to give him a gift and offer my congratulations then.’

“Be careful, it’s a bit hot, Your Majesty.”

‘But when would be the best time to give him the gift tomorrow? What if the banquet ends late? He’ll be busy with all the congratulations, will he have time to spend with me?’

Lost in her thoughts, Elfreda tilted the teapot absentmindedly.

That was when the accident occurred.

“Ah!”

“Oh my, Your Majesty!”

Illene rushed over in alarm when she saw the tea spill on Elfreda’s left wrist.

“Are you all right? Is it too hot?”

“Ah… It’s fine.”

Elfreda stared at her wrist in surprise before removing the gloves she had been wearing. Her wrist was slightly reddened, though the tea hadn’t been hot enough to cause any serious damage, and the warmth quickly subsided.

As Illene hurriedly fetched some ointment and applied it to her wrist, Elfreda apologized with an awkward expression.

“I’m sorry, Illene. I was being careless. I got so caught up thinking about the birthday banquet…”

“This much is fine. If you’d been seriously hurt, it would have been much more upsetting.”

Illene finished applying the ointment and wrapped a bandage around her wrist, letting out a small sigh before adding,

“At least it’s your left hand. That’s a relief.”

“True. It would have been much more inconvenient if it were my right hand.”

As she put on a new pair of gloves brought by the maid, Elfreda smiled casually. By then, the slight sting in her right hand had already faded.

* * *

“What’s this?”

Ejnar asked with a curious voice as he looked at the white dish that Robert had placed on the desk.

He picked up one of the items from the dish—a jelly covered in fine white sugar. It looked very similar to the ones Princess Rachela had brought last year when she visited Machi for Ejnar’s birthday, so it seemed familiar.

“This is a gift from the Queen. Princess Rachela sent two, and one of them was sent to you.”

At Robert’s explanation, Ejnar chuckled and asked,

“Did the Queen meet with Princess Rachela?”

“Yes. The princess just left the Solar Palace a little while ago.”