The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted - Chapter 63.1

“Lilies are lovely. To receive the love of such noble figures all in one flower.”

That remark was the starting point that quickly turned the atmosphere strange. Rachela’s comment made the ladies realize the true essence of the gathering.

It was meant to share a sense of nostalgia for their late queen, and the one who had caused the death of the woman they all held dear was…

The air quickly chilled as the noble ladies turned their gaze toward Elfreda, sitting at the head of the table. Elfreda, unconsciously caught off guard, looked at Rachela with a startled expression.

Rachela, who seemed to realize her mistake, quickly tried to recover with a neutral face, meeting Elfreda’s gaze. Her expression soon changed to embarrassment. She immediately attempted to remedy the situation.

“Ah, by the way, didn’t Your Majesty have a lily bouquet at your wedding?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, that’s right.”

“Lilies symbolize purity and true love. They suit Your Majesty’s aura perfectly.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

Despite Rachela’s attempts to smooth things over, the atmosphere remained tense. Ultimately, the tea party ended on an awkward note, and while Elfreda felt a tinge of bitterness, she had to be content with the fact that no one had been directly rude to her.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

As the other noble ladies left without hesitation, Elfreda was preparing to return to Solar Palace when Rachela, who had been restless the entire time, approached her hesitantly to apologize. Elfreda smiled reassuringly and comforted her.

“It’s nothing you shouldn’t have said. After all, this gathering was originally meant to share a sense of nostalgia for the late queen with those close to her, so it’s not strange for such words to come up.”

In fact, Elfreda thought they had managed to hold off on such a conversation for quite some time.

She wasn’t going to blame Rachela. After all, it was Rachela who had given her the opportunity to connect with the noble ladies. If Rachela had held the gathering without inviting Elfreda, it was easy to imagine the unpleasant rumors that would have circulated about her.

“But still, I think the atmosphere was good because Lady Wyann was here.”

“Did you know Lady Wyann before, Princess?”

“I only saw her when she was a baby. Who would have thought she’d grow up like this…”

Rachela smiled, as if impressed.

“Today, I see that she has grown into an honest and cheerful girl with a lot of charm. How about you, Your Majesty? Of course, you might have found her a little rude…”

“No, not at all. Just as you said, Lady Wyann’s enthusiasm helped me relax a lot.”

“Yes. I think she’d be a helpful friend to keep close.”

Was she suggesting Elfreda should make her a lady-in-waiting? Elfreda didn’t know how to respond for a moment, and awkwardly smiled.

Rachela had been in the palace for a few days, so she surely knew Elfreda’s position in Machi. Harriet becoming a lady-in-waiting would depend more on her will than on Elfreda’s approval.

“Anyway, thank you for helping to set up this gathering, Princess. Are you leaving soon?”

“Yes, I have to. Once I return to Giver, I must find a suitable husband. My father is very insistent.”

“I’m already sad to think you’ll be leaving.”

“You don’t have to miss me too much. Giver and Machi aren’t that far apart.”

Rachela added meaningfully after her words.

“We’ll meet again soon, I’m sure.”

“Yes. If there’s good news, I’ll make sure to attend if invited.”

“Of course. It will be an honor, Your Majesty.”

With that, Princess Rachela left, and Elfreda was left alone, quickly feeling tired.

She realized she had been far too tense. As she made her way to the exit of the reception room to return to Solar Palace, she hesitated for a moment.

“…”

Before she exited the hallway, her gaze briefly lingered on the inner room where the King might be. She was torn for a second.

‘Should I go and thank him before I leave?’

In a normal relationship, it would have been the proper thing to do. But would he even want to see her…?

Elfreda stood there for a while, unable to make up her mind. Then, feeling silly for hesitating, she let out a soft laugh and was about to turn away when she suddenly heard footsteps.

The footsteps approaching Elfreda made her body tense slightly. By now, she could tell just from the sound of the steps who was walking behind her.