The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 56.2
Ejnar smiled as he took the report from Robert. After reading through it, he asked,
“Did you enjoy yourself last night?”
The unexpected question made Robert’s eyes widen. Ejnar, still reading the report, glanced at him and said casually.
“Why the surprise? You went to the masquerade for the first time last night too, didn’t you?”
“Well, technically, I went to serve Your Majesty.”
Robert’s tone rose slightly, as if feeling wronged.
“If Your Majesty hadn’t insisted on going, I wouldn’t have had to attend something like that.”
Ejnar felt exasperated. He knew perfectly well that Robert had gone along because of Illene, but he was pretending otherwise.
That guy still had a lot to learn.
“So, you told Lady Haegan that I will take Her Majesty with me and then you just quietly returned?”
“…Well, I guess.”
Robert’s pupils quickly shifted. Ejnar chuckled, as he already knew that Robert had stayed out late the previous night. Unfortunately, his servant was not very good at lying.
“Well, whatever. Let’s leave it at that.”
Ejnar got annoyed by his attitude of not being honest and spoke again.
“By the way, Lady Haegan won’t be coming to the central palace for a while, so you can keep that in mind.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“She seems to be struggling just by assisting the queen these days.”
Robert’s face faltered as Ejnar’s words disrupted his plans. Ejnar enjoyed the sight.
* * *
That day, Elfreda spent almost the entire day in bed due to her severe back pain.
Fortunately, the hot stone treatment that Illene had recommended worked quite well, and by the next day, Elfreda had recovered to the point where she felt nearly as good as new.
After finishing the work that had piled up by midday, Elfreda began preparing for the delegations’s dinner in the late afternoon.
She chose a grayish-white dress with a high neck and short sleeves, made of satin material that gave her a neat yet elegant look. When she added silver sapphire earrings, she looked absolutely stunning.
As Illene finished her task of helping Elfreda get ready, she couldn’t help but feel proud of her work.
“By the way, the masquerade was so much fun, Illene.”
Elfreda suddenly brought it up, and Illene’s face brightened.
“It was so nice to talk to so many people after such a long time. Thank you for suggesting it.”
“I’m glad you had fun. I’m happy to hear that.”
“Yes, it was such a great experience. Let’s go together again next year.”
“…Next year?”
Illene’s expression shifted subtly, and just as Elfreda was about to ask why, Illene spoke up.
“I, I think I won’t be going to any more masquerades.”
“Huh? Why? Illene, you said you enjoyed it too?”
“Of course, the time with Your Majesty was enjoyable. But…”
Illene fidgeted, trying to find the words, but in the end, she just sighed quietly.
“Anyway, I won’t be attending those kinds of debauched balls anymore.”
Debauched? She had said it wasn’t just for indulgence…
Elfreda’s eyes widened at the sudden change in Illene’s evaluation of the event, and she asked with confusion.
“Why, Illene? Did someone make you see something inappropriate?”
“No… it’s not that…”
It seemed there was something Illene couldn’t share, and Elfreda, concerned it might be something bad, decided not to press her. She figured Illene would tell her when the time was right and shifted the conversation.
“Oh, I should be leaving soon. I can’t be late.”
“Well, Your Majesty…”
At that moment, Illene carefully spoke up.
“Sorry, but I think I won’t be able to attend the dinner with you tonight.”
“Is something wrong, Illene?”
“No… it’s nothing like that…”
Seeing the genuine concern on Elfreda’s face, Illene felt guilty but couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. Instead, she lied.
“I’m just a little tired… I think I might be catching a cold…”
“Oh my, then you shouldn’t be out in the cold. You should go to your room and rest, Illene.”
“I’ll still see you off, Your Majesty.”
“No, don’t do that. You’ll catch a cold if you stand around. I’m fine, so go rest quickly, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t apologize. We’ll see each other later, Illene.”
After Elfreda warmly bid her farewell, she left. Left alone, Illene finally sighed in relief.
She planned to avoid him for as long as possible for now.
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