The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 49.1

‘How ridiculous.’

Ejnar inwardly scoffed at her response. To him, who thought Elfreda was allied with Makaeri, her answer felt pretentious.

In truth, she was the one who desired a child more than anyone else. She intended to use an innocent child to secure Machi. And now, she had the audacity to say that a child born between him and another woman wouldn’t matter.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

However, the look in her eyes made it seem like she actually was sincere.

For a moment, Ejnar found himself feeling confused.

The music ended, and Elfreda subtly tried to pull away from him. At that moment, he tightened his hold around her waist and whispered in a low voice.

“Don’t sleep, wait for me.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll definitely come.”

Elfreda hesitated but nodded, and only then did Ejnar release her with a satisfied smile.

* * *

Elfreda stepped off the stage with a slightly flushed face, and Illene quickly approached to offer praise.

“That was such a beautiful dance, Your Majesty. You two dancing together looked like a painting.”

“Thank you, Illene. I was nervous, so I’m relieved it went well.”

“You must be tired. Would you like to rest over there? I’ll bring you some sherbet.”

“No, I’m going back to Solar Palace now.”

“Huh? Already? It’s not even nine o’clock yet…”

It wasn’t unusual for Illene to be surprised since court banquets typically lasted well past midnight. Elfreda gave a sheepish smile in response.

“Yes, I’m a little tired.”

Although she said that, the truth was she didn’t see the point in staying longer. Even if she stayed until the banquet ended, there wouldn’t be any nobles who would openly stand by her side. So, it seemed better to leave early. This way, the Machi nobles could freely speak their minds.

Illene quickly understood the situation and nodded thoughtfully.

“Ah, but I should stop by the powder room for a moment.”

Elfreda needed to deal with the strange medicine Serina had given her. If anyone found out she was carrying it, it could create an awkward situation.

After emptying the liquid in the bottle in the powder room, she planned to return to Solar Palace and break the bottle.

It was customary to take any waste from the banquet with her, and there was a maid waiting outside the powder room to ensure that no one left their items behind, so she couldn’t just leave the empty glass bottle.

“…Ah!”

However, when Elfreda entered the powder room, she let out a startled gasp.

‘It’s gone.’

No matter how much she searched, the glass bottle wasn’t in her pocket. Elfreda’s face turned pale. She even turned her pockets inside out, but nothing came out of the soft fabric.

‘Where did it fall?’

She had definitely put it in her pocket carefully.

If it had fallen, she would’ve heard the sound of glass hitting the floor and rolling. Elfreda tried to recall her movements with a restless face, but after some time had passed, she decided to leave before she drew suspicion and made her way out.

‘Maybe it’s for the best. I was going to throw it away anyway.’

No one would know it was hers if it’s found somewhere.

Though there was a sense of unease that remained, there was nothing more she could do, so Elfreda returned to Solar Palace as planned.

Once inside, she took a quick bath and then sat quietly in the office, going over her duties as she waited for Ejnar. He had promised to come, and no matter how late it was, she was prepared to wait. But soon, sleepiness began to overwhelm her.

‘I shouldn’t sleep…’

She still had something to give him.

Elfreda tried to keep her eyes open and sipped some tea, but her eyelids kept growing heavier. Finally, she leaned slightly over the desk with a tired expression.

‘Just a little, just a little nap… When His Majesty comes, Illene will wake me.’

And with that, she quickly fell asleep.