The fact that Elfreda initiated such an intimate act so effortlessly disgusted him. Was such contact even appropriate in their relationship?

“Ah!”

Ejnar grabbed both of her hands at once and raised them above her head.

Surprised, she looked at him with a puzzled face, but he immediately moved his hands downward without offering any special explanation. It was slightly wet but insufficient. This wasn’t good for either of them.

After wetting his other hand in his mouth, Ejnar inserted his long and elegant fingers.

“Uht…!”

Elfreda grimaced at the sensation she was feeling for the first time. Why did her reaction irritate him so much?

A flame of anger surged within him again as Ejnar sneered sarcastically.

“Anyone would think it’s your first time.”

“What… huk!”

“Pretending to be innocent.”

He stirred inside her with disdain. Elfreda’s neck arched, and her waist twisted. Such a reaction to this extent… it seemed she was well-taught back in her homeland. The sound became increasingly squelchy.

Ejnar eventually increased to two fingers.

As the number of fingers grew, the pitch and nature of Elfreda’s sounds strangely changed. When he moved to three, she moaned as if begging with her restrained strained.

“Your Majesty, please…”

“What do you mean, ‘please’?”

He had no intention of being kind to her. Seeing her in distress was both enjoyable and strangely satisfying his sadistic pleasure. Although his patience was waning, he felt he could endure it longer if it meant observing her like this for an extended period.

“Uhng, aht…!”

However, when a different sound escaped Elfreda’s mouth, Ejnar’s patience quickly dissipated, contrary to his earlier thoughts. He quickly removed his fingers and replaced them with himself. Yet, the distinctly different pressure caused a pained moan to escape from Elfreda’s mouth.

“Ah, hu-uht…!”

Elfreda arched her back in pain, and Ejnar, still holding her hands, slowly moved his hips. The sound of her distress changed subtly over time.

Noticing this, he increased his pace.

Elfreda gazed at Ejnar with flushed and unfocused eyes, but he felt no emotional turmoil from her gaze. Even that expression seemed like an act to him. As he pressed on, her expression began to contort. The moans in his ears grew louder, and he increased his speed until he finally let go completely.

“Ha-uh….”

Feeling the warmth inside her, Elfreda closed her eyes with a weary face. Ejnar, who was seemingly tireless, still firmly held her hands, maintaining the original posture without any direct contact with Elfreda’s abdomen.

Despite having shared the deepest intimacy, she felt little connection with him. It was likely due to the minimized physical contact and his cold gaze throughout the act. Thus, despite the physical warmth, Elfreda felt a chill inside.

“….”

Meanwhile, Ejnar noticed a reddened spot on the white sheets, indicating their union. Yet, his expression remained unchanged. Makaeri would have something in mind. They would have prepared the woman who would become its future queen more discreetly.

He soon dressed and left the room.

Elfreda wanted to hold him back but lacked the energy. Shortly after, maids came to clean her body, and she fell asleep as if losing consciousness.

* * *

Marchioness Magnum’s face hardened as she stared at the sheets brought from Elfreda’s bedroom. The mingling of unmistakable signs of a man and a woman were present.

She seized the sheet with tension that her knuckles turned white, then, with a look of disgust, tossed it to a maid.

“Burn it.”

Entering her bedroom, the Marchioness approached the bed. Elfreda lay there, sleeping with a tired face, her beddings impeccably clean as if the earlier events were unimaginable.

Suddenly, the Marchioness’s face contorted with intense anger.

‘How dare that barbarian in the Queen’s bed…!’

Impulsively, her hand reached towards Elfreda’s neck. Her fingers were so tense they seemed ready to strangle Elfreda. However, the Marchioness soon regained her composure and exhaled deeply.

‘It wouldn’t be right to kill her like this.’

She recalled how the noble queen, who had taken her in as an orphan and cared for her as her own sister, passed away. She collapsed and suffered from depression after being shocked by the death of her husband and son.

The death of this detestable woman should neither be quick nor less painful.

‘…She must be killed slowly.’

She must never experience happiness since coming here. She should die struggling in agony.

The Marchioness resolved firmly before she entered Elfreda’s bedroom with a grim expression and whispered instructions to a close maid. The maid, initially surprised, soon smiled, understanding the Marchioness’s intentions.

“Don’t worry. Everything will go as the Marchioness wishes.”

* * *

“Please wake up. The sun is high in the sky.”

Elfreda struggled to open her eyes to the cold voice. However, before she could move properly, a sharp moan escaped her lips.

“Ah…!”

The intense pain she felt in her back was reminiscent of the night before. As Elfreda grimaced and slowly sat up, Marchioness Magnum spoke to her with a stern voice.

“Entertaining His Majesty last night does not excuse you from today’s laziness. You have a busy schedule today.”

However, it was still early dawn, and Elfreda had just woken up, making the Marchioness’s remark seem more like spite. Still, she asked without complaint.

“What’s on the schedule today?”

“As the new queen, you must host a tea party to greet the ladies.”

In Machi, the queen’s workload was lightened by sharing various royal duties with the noble ladies. In some cases, a lady in charge knew much more about a matter than the queen herself. Cooperation from the ladies was essential for the smooth running of the royal household.

“I will set the schedule and send out the letters.”

“No, I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

Even with a questioning look of ‘You?’, Elfreda firmly replied.

“I want to, since it’s my first time.”

“If you wish.”

Marchioness Magnum didn’t object.

After washing and changing dresses, Elfreda sat down at her desk. She prepared a white paper, a quill, and even a dictionary in case of mistakes. The maids quietly sneered at her serious demeanor, but Elfreda diligently crafted each line of the letter.

“The chances are high that many won’t come…”

To increase attendance, it was crucial to write with as much sincerity as possible. Whether it would be effective was uncertain, but…

‘It’s worth trying my best.’

After much deliberation, she completed the letter and handed it to Marchioness Magnum with a slightly tired expression.

“Please send this.”

“Very well. Now, you need to review this year’s budget for Solar Palace.”

“…Bring it to me.”

Elfreda felt the tiredness creeping in but smiled without showing it.

* * *

That morning, the faces of the central palace attendants were uniformly gloomy, except for Robert, who was the only one smiling.

Unable to hold back, Ejnar asked.

“Why does everyone look so down? Except for you.”

“Today, everyone’s precious day’s wages are all mine.”

When Ejnar looked at him with a puzzled face as if asking what he was talking about, Robert opened his mouth again.

“You went to Solar Palace last night.”

“Everyone’s been making no sense last night.”

Ejnar replied harshly.

“Is it so strange for a groom to visit his bride’s chamber?”

“If that bride is the enemy’s bloodline, then yes, it is strange.”

Robert added with a smirk.

“I was the only one who bet that Your Majesty would visit the bride’s chamber.”

Ejnar looked at his attendant as if he was looking at trash.

__