The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 58.2

But two days ago, the queen, who had silently stayed by the king’s side, was so beautiful and graceful that it was hard to believe she was from a barbarian tribe. She exuded elegance, and even the thought of her being refined crossed their minds. Yet, none of them had been willing to compliment the queen’s beauty first, even as a polite gesture.

Even now, despite Ejnar’s opening remark, no one was quick to agree. Though she was the queen of Machi, at her core, she was the princess of Makaeri. For them, offering compliments to a woman like her, in any form, was a matter of pride and personal dignity.

“I agree. His Majesty has truly found an excellent queen.”

The voice that spoke those words had a bit of a rogue quality. Elfreda looked over at the Lycen delegate, slightly startled. It was only then that Ejnar, whose gaze had shifted toward him, narrowed his eyes.

“…I’m glad you think so, Prince Moska.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty.”

The conversation quickly shifted to another topic, but Ejnar’s gaze remained on Prince Moska of Lycen.

With his slightly lighter blonde hair and eyes that reminded one of emeralds, it was clear who he was.

Moska Lycen, the youngest son of the Lycen King. He had been frail as a child and was raised freely without the constraints of royal rules. He was known to have traveled to various countries alone since his youth because of his free spirit. It was reported that he had once visited Makaeri.

Though Makaeri was now the most notorious enemy in the world, their relationship with the Western countries, relatively distant from Makaeri, remained neutral.

Makaeri’s pride in its conquest and impressive self-sufficiency made trade with the West seem unnecessary (Makaeri’s spices were famous and were considered a luxury item). Moreover, there was a prevailing contempt in the West toward Makaeri.

As a result, choosing Makaeri as a travel destination was quite an open-minded decision.

Ejnar was bothered by that uniqueness. Just yesterday, the two of them seemed to be getting along quite well. When he recalled how Elfreda had laughed frequently while talking with Prince Moska, a hot flame seemed to rise in his chest.

What had they been talking about for so long? Could it be that the prince had recognized the queen’s true identity and was intentionally talking about Makaeri? The queen, who must surely miss her homeland, might have been moved by hearing such stories.

Ejnar’s thoughts darkened as a cold chill ran through him, perhaps the worst had actually happened last night.

“By the way, Your Majesty, if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind sharing some stories about Makaeri?”

Even the conversation had veered in that direction. Despite the Western view of Makaeri, it wasn’t as if they weren’t curious about the country, with everyone now listening intently.

“As you know, we in the West don’t have much interaction with Makaeri, so we know very little about it.”

“Ah, in that case, I’d be happy to share.”

To everyone’s surprise, Moska, a westerner spoke up. The others looked at him in surprise.

“I traveled to Makaeri a few years ago. I think the stories I experienced there might be more interesting for those of us in the West.”

…This guy.

“Oh, Prince Moska, you’ve been to Makaeri?”

“I heard you like travelling, so you’ve really traveled the world.”

“Did you visit the Makaeri palace as well? I hear it’s enormous.”

“I’ve heard it’s so large that you can’t see it all in a single day. Is that true?”

“Ah, yes. Normally, outsiders aren’t allowed to enter the palace, but I…”

Just like that, the banquet hall became Prince Moska’s stage. At first, Ejnar pretended to be disinterested and focused on his meal, but he had no choice but to listen to the conversation as it continued.

…And, frustratingly, it was interesting. Before he knew it, Ejnar had forgotten about his meal and was completely absorbed in Prince Moska’s storytelling.

“Because I ended up covered in filth, everyone thought I was the royal stableman.”

“Hahaha!”

Everyone laughed at the same point, almost as if they were watching a play. Ejnar, too, couldn’t help but laugh. But then, at some point, he came back to his senses and quickly hardened his expression.