Was there really such a thin and delicate barbarian?’

The Makaeri Ilenne had known and seen are all robust and well-developed. Yet Elfreda, though tall, had skin so pale that it looked sickly and a body so emaciated that it seemed on the verge of collapsing. Of course, she was already exhausted by the near drowning, though the stark contrast from the typical image of Makaeri seemed to leave a lasting impression.

As the only handmaid in the central palace, it naturally fell to her to take care of Elfreda.

Whether she liked it or not, Elfreda was to become the future queen, and since the king needed to marry her, she put considerable effort into her care.

“Help me… Please help me…”

Amid her fever, she groaned and constantly whimpered. It seemed like she was having nightmares about the pond incident. Listening to her repeatedly was somewhat annoying at first, but eventually, she began to feel sympathy for Elfreda’s tear-streaked face.

Was it because she was about to become the queen yet still looked so frail as if she hadn’t had a proper meal? Or was it because she had come to a distant foreign land with no one to rely on and had just barely escaped death?

Whatever the reason, it wasn’t as unpleasant as Ilenne had initially thought, and the longer she cared for her, the more Ilenne’s initial suspicions eased.

It wasn’t just because of Elfreda’s fragile appearance or her seemingly sorrowful eyes.

“Thank you, Ilenne. You’re being so kind to me.”

“I’m sorry, Ilenne. I must be such a bother to you.”

Elfreda always expressed gratitude and apologies for even the smallest things. Her oddly submissive demeanor and seeming sensitivity to others’ reactions came to mind.

Considering her status as the feared princess who conquered the East and terrorized the world, it felt quite unnatural. Even a lower noble wouldn’t be so considerate towards their servants. From her behavior, she resembled a fallen noble rather than a princess.

However, given her noble birth, Ilenne had to admit that she had an overly considerate nature that didn’t quite fit her lofty status.

Ilenne gradually found herself believing that Elfreda might not be as cruel and malevolent as her initial prejudices suggested. To put it more dramatically, Elfreda seemed so kind that it almost felt wrong to keep a constant watch over her every move.

Yet, Ilenne wondered if she was being too lenient and if this sort of sentiment wasn’t something one could freely express in the palace of Machi.

Nonetheless, even if it didn’t entirely dispel her suspicions, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to soften her antagonism a bit. This was more a matter of human-to-human interaction than a national issue. At least in Machi, Elfreda was a completely isolated and vulnerable individual with no one to turn to.

As long as she didn’t engage in betrayal, there was no need to remain so on edge. With that in mind, Ilenne decided to ease up a little on Elfreda.

“Is there really nothing to be compassionate about?”

Suddenly, the delicate figure of the Queen from the wedding came to mind, and Ilenne’s musing was interrupted by a disbelieving voice.

It was Ejnar’s uneasy voice.

“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to send you to the Queen’s side. I hope nothing disappointing will happen.”

“Not at all. Regardless of my concerns for her, there’s absolutely no need to worry about Machi being betrayed.”

Ilenne’s voice was firm as she reassured him.

“No matter what anyone says, I’m Your Majesty’s loyal servant and a faithful subject of Machi.”

In truth, Ilenne didn’t think Elfreda would disappoint her in such a way, but she kept that thought to herself. For now, it seemed more likely that something interesting would happen rather than something dangerous.

The King was clearly not his usual self, and the Queen had the power to change even Ilenne’s own opinions.

* * *

Elfreda lay still, her face filled with despair.

She was terrified of getting up and starting her day. Even when she endured the grueling lessons to become a queen, mornings hadn’t been frightening. She had thought that any problem could be solved with effort.

But this was different.

This was a problem she couldn’t solve, and it was clear that the situation would only get worse with time. She had tried every possible solution over the past few days yet had continually hit dead ends. It was no longer something she could handle on her own.

‘…Even now.’

Elfreda arrived at her final thought.

‘Let’s be honest with His Majesty and ask for help.’

Of course, she didn’t think Ejnar was unaware of the situation. But speaking up and asking for help herself was a different matter. It would mean officially admitting her incompetence and inconveniencing him.

She wanted to avoid having him worry about the inner palace issues as much as possible, but it was better to act before the situation worsened further.

“Your Majesty, someone has come from the Central Palace.”

The maid’s voice startled Elfreda, making her get up from her seat. Her heart sank at the thought that Ejnar might have been unable to tolerate her incompetence any longer and had taken action.

Elfreda’s voice trembled as she spoke.

“What’s the matter…”

“Well, I’m not sure about that.”

The vague answer made her heart race anxiously.

Elfreda quickly stood, donned her dressing gown, and left the bedroom. As she approached the reception room, she saw a familiar figure.

‘Ah…’

Her heart, which had been pounding heavily, began to beat even faster. The woman, sensing her presence, turned around, and Elfreda gasped in surprise and relief.

“Ilenne.”

Unable to contain her joy, Elfreda hurried over to Ilenne and grabbed her hand.

“What’s going on? Have you been well?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But you…”

Ilenne’s brow furrowed slightly.

“You seem even thinner than before.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

Elfreda awkwardly scratched the back of her head as Ilenne looked at her with a touch of sympathy.

“But what brings you here? Is something wrong with His Majesty?”

“Oh.”

Ilenne stepped back a pace and formally bowed.

“I formally greet you, the mistress of the royal family. I’m Ilenne Haegan, and by His Majesty’s command, I will be serving you at the Solar Palace starting today.”

Elfreda’s expression visibly shifted to one of confusion. Seeing this, Ilenne felt disappointed inside when she saw her expression.

‘…I thought she’d be happy.’

As she recalled the time spent together in the Central Palace, she remembered that Elfreda seemed to have liked her quite a bit. She had apologized for any inconvenience and expressed gratitude for the kindness she had shown.

Ilenne was momentarily upset, wondering if it had all been empty words. Her feelings were evident in her voice.

“Are you not pleased that I’m here?”

“Of course, I’m pleased. But…”

Elfreda answered honestly, her face showing discomfort.

“Ilenne, I mean… I don’t think being here will be very good for your career.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when it comes time for you to find a match…”

Elfreda continued carefully.

“Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to stay in the Central Palace rather than being here? If you were forced to come here by royal command…”

“It’s not like that. Of course, I did come on His Majesty’s orders,”

Ilenne responded seriously but with a clear smile.

“But I’m happy to be here serving you.”

“But…”

“If you’re not happy with me being here, just let me know. I can speak to His Majesty about it.”

She confessed, gazing directly into Elfreda’s eyes.

“That’s what’s most important to me. Your Highness’s feelings.”

“Of course, I like you…”

Elfreda answered honestly, though hesitantly. Ilenne’s expression brightened quickly.

“But…”

“Shh, don’t say more. Nothing else matters.”

Elfreda still seemed to want to say something, but Ilenne was quicker.

“I understand your concerns, but I want to assure you that you don’t need to worry. I’m originally from the Central Palace and was sent here. Even if you were to send me away, I have other places to go.”

As Elfreda’s expression relaxed a bit, Ilenne playfully asked with a hint of disbelief.

 
______

Translator’s Note:

From chapter 23 onwards, the translation of ‘The Queen Who Deserves To Be Tainted’will be continued under a different group on another site. However, don’t worry! I’m still the translator of the novel, only that the novel will be hosted on a different site, that’s all!

You can go to the website directly through this link or novel updates!