27 – Not Displeasing.
“Enjoy your meal.”
Elaine said.
Once she sat down, she could tell the Empress’s intentions.
Soup and steak that made one’s mouth water just by looking at them.
And red wine, cheese, and various stews and salads with kimchi peeking through, followed by roasted chicken, duck, and even roasted lamb hind legs.
The banquet spread out on the spacious table was an amount that two women could never finish.
From the start, it seemed to have been made with the assumption that it would be discarded.
Of course, I had heard that noble meals were not just about filling one’s stomach.
The head chef of the Marquis often said that it was a painful luxury that had to be endured for the greater purpose of displaying dignity and authority.
At that time, when I was struggling with work and barely making a living, I didn’t really feel it.
But now that I saw it firsthand, the royal meals were truly magnificent.
It felt like an absolute privilege in itself to be able to taste so many dishes and discard them with just a little bit.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you eating?”
But when it came time to eat, I couldn’t do it.
In front of the Empress, there were knives and forks laid out in multiples, but there wasn’t a single one in front of Elaine.
There wasn’t even a plate or a spoon to eat the soup with.
There must have been some mistake.
Elaine, thinking simply, slowly turned her head to look at the maid behind her.
“The knives and forks-“
But in response to the disdainful laughter the maid was suppressing, Elaine could only stop speaking.
It was because she realized too late that there was a complex and intricate emotion present in this place that was anything but simple.
Somehow, she felt short of breath.
Her face also grew hot.
When she turned her head again, the Empress was looking at her with a kind face.
“Elaine, you should know that even the act of pretending to eat is a sign of respect.”
It was a smile that put one’s heart at ease just by looking at it.
But what was conveyed through the softly spoken words, like the song of a small bird, was an unbelievably intense contempt that was hard to believe.
“Just as you are. Eat with your hands.”
Saying that, the Empress elegantly scooped up a spoonful of soup and ate it.
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Elaine.
She barely managed to suppress the tears welling up from deep within her throat.
Forcing herself to endure, her chest and shoulders trembled.
While the Empress emptied a bowl of soup.
Elaine desperately tried to hide the tears that were about to overflow, lowering her head and gasping for breath.
Sweat gathered in her clenched fist, gripping the edge of her dress tightly.
Nevertheless, the Empress spoke gently, as softly as the sunlight streaming through the window, wiping her pink lips with a pure white napkin.
“Truly strange, Elaine. You, who are so greedy as to cling to a worthless prince and seek to elevate your status, dare to disdain this delicious food. Perhaps you are full?”
Eventually, tears began to fall from Elaine’s eyes.
It was as if she had been described as a pig.
Unbearable humiliation poured oil onto the wounds that had not yet healed.
“Did I call your mother, who was once a maid, and you, who were also a maid, to give you a title just because you are engaged to the prince? Did I say something wrong?”
Elaine raised her head. Tears continued to flow, but her eyes were filled with an intense light that no one could ignore.
“No….”
Elaine denied the Empress’s words, tears streaming down her face.
Nevertheless, the Empress still smiled elegantly. Her face seemed so indifferent, as if she had complete immunity to others’ pain.
“Oh, it’s not? What is it then?”
“Not trash…. I’m not.”
“Oh~ So, that trash, Eos, is not trash?”
“Absolutely not!”
Elaine quickly wiped away her tears and stood up from her seat.
“I’ll be going now-“
Before Elaine could finish speaking, a maid behind her placed a hand on her shoulder.
She was being forced to sit down again.
Elaine couldn’t resist at all.
The strength of the claw holding her shoulder was one thing, but the force pressing down from below felt as heavy as a rock, making it impossible for her to resist.
Thud!
As a result, she could only helplessly collapse, her tailbone hurting.
It was then that a familiar voice reached her ears.
“What are you doing now?”
Elaine’s head snapped around.
What she saw in her eyes were emerald eyes shining brightly, glaring at the Empress.
***
Leaving Astia, who had awakened from a short nap, clutching Glen Tino behind, I hurried towards the Empress’s palace.
To confirm the situation, I had sent Wint ahead.
At the same time, I considered the worst-case scenario.
If the Empress had found out that Elaine was the Saintess.
If that was why she had summoned her to the Empress’s palace.
Then surely, she would try to marry her to Cervis and harness the immense power of the temple.
Of course, it didn’t seem very likely, but if by any chance it was true, I would rather choose the lesser evil.
Fortunately, I heard that the high priestess of the Goddess Religion was also in the palace, so when it was urgent, I planned to let her know Elaine’s true identity.
If this temple, tainted by greed, had a golden egg-laying goose, it would never allow the Empress to take it away.
“Can you leave me alone?”
With Astia, who had joined me without me realizing, I quickened my pace.
At the same time,
Through the eyes of Wint, who had already arrived at the Empress’s palace, I closely observed the unfolding situation.
The atmosphere was not bad when the Empress requested a lunch with Elaine.
But as soon as they sat down, she suddenly changed her attitude and started insulting Elaine.
It seemed like she had planned it in advance, and she was ruthlessly trampling over her.
Fortunately, it seemed that she hadn’t realized Elaine’s true identity.
But why am I so angry?
My footsteps, which were getting faster and faster, had turned into a run without me noticing.
I wanted to take Elaine away from that filthy place right away.
Then, I felt an unpleasant gaze.
Even though I was looking through the eyes of a dematerialized spirit, it felt like someone’s eyes met mine.
The owner of the piercing gaze was a brown-haired maid standing behind Elaine.
Judging by the way she frowned as she stared at the sun, she seemed to have vaguely noticed Wint’s presence.
But I didn’t have to worry.
After all, skilled individuals like her were spread throughout the Empress’s palace.
Even at this moment, disguised as servants, they were guarding the Empress with all their might, without giving any opportunity for leaks.
And no matter how many of them there were, they couldn’t do anything to Wint, who had dematerialized.
Whether using magic or swinging a sword filled with mana,
At the moment of materialization, an elemental cannot be killed. They simply dissipate.
Nevertheless, I called upon Wint once again.
Anyway, since the most important thing had already been confirmed, there was no need to endure unnecessary risks.
When Wint partially merged into the wall and I looked back at the maid, she only tilted her head with a perplexed expression.
I concluded that feeling something’s presence just now was probably due to my mood.
“Stop.”
Crack! Crash!
Two soldiers blocked my path in front of the Empress’s palace, but Astia swiftly darted out, consecutively striking them with her sheathed sword.
The soldiers, unable to resist against the tremendous force of the longsword, flew like ragdolls and crashed into the wall without putting up any resistance.
Then they fell down like rags.
“From here on, I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to step forward.”
Astia let out a small sigh and nodded her head slightly.
The first thing I saw when I entered inside was the maid who was gripping Elaine’s shoulder.
She was the skilled individual who had sensed Wint earlier.
“What are you trying to do right now?”
“What’s happening with the Crown Prince?”
The Empress, as always, was smiling brightly.
It was a nonchalant expression that I couldn’t even imagine she had heard what she said.
I walked confidently towards the Empress.
And as expected, the maid swiftly leaped over the table and blocked my path.
Swoosh-
In her hand, a knife was suddenly held in reverse grip.
It was poised so tightly that even a slight flinch from me would have sliced through my carotid artery.
As if she had killed countless people for the Empress, her eyes burned with a fervor hotter than blue flames.
Seems like this maid doesn’t know.
That the Empress would be delighted more than anyone to see me behave wickedly.
The more I groveled like trash, the happier the Empress would be.
So even in this situation, she was still able to elegantly slice the steak with a bright face and hum a little tune.
I asked the maid.
“Why? To kill me?”
“Even if you are the Crown Prince, if you try to harm the Empress Mother, I have no choice but to kill you.”
“Harm? I was just going to pay my respects to my stepmother.”
The maid’s pupils began to tremble slightly.
“When you want to say something nice, say it properly.”
I grabbed her wrist.
It didn’t budge at all, as if I were holding a thick branch of a tree.
Although I am notorious as a degenerate prince, it was a bit awkward to see even my bloodline as mere water.
I spoke softly, almost as if whispering.
“My step-grandfather isn’t the Elf King, is he?”
Only then did the maid’s eyes begin to tremble.
“When I die, war will break out immediately. Think about it. Is that a good thing for your master?”
Immediately after uttering those words,
I held a blade optimized for cutting to my own throat.
Thunk-
I felt the sensation of blood drops rolling down.
From the side, I could faintly hear Elaine’s sigh as she covered her mouth with both hands.
“What you’ve done is attempted murder of a noble, and treason against the royal family. Can’t you calculate? Will that really help your master? Well then, go ahead and try to kill me.”
I pushed my neck towards the blade that had already made a slight indentation.
And then, the blade that seemed impossible to push back moved away on its own.
With uncontrollable anger, I whispered into the maid’s trembling ear.
“Do you understand the situation now? So if you don’t want to make things worse for yourself, quietly accept your punishment. Until my anger is fully relieved.”
Crash-
Eventually, the maid let go of the knife.
And then, it began.
I grabbed the maid by her hair.
I held it so tightly that strands of hair came loose.
“Try not to use your mana if possible. It doesn’t satisfy me that easily.”
“……”
Even if it’s less pain than being stabbed with a knife, I can endure it.
It seemed quite impressive that I was able to suppress the intense humiliation that I, who was notorious, endured without letting out a single scream.
I grabbed the maid’s hair and slammed it onto the table with a thud!
Various meats, vegetables, and fish that were in various stews flew in all directions.
If possible, I aimed towards the Empress, trying to make as much as possible fly towards her.
And again, thud!
The roasted chicken and duck, whole, finally couldn’t withstand the shock and rolled away from the accident scene.
And again, thud!
Again, thud!
Again, thud, thud, thud!
Nevertheless, the Empress continued to calmly slice the steak.
Even though the plates were moving slightly every time the maid’s head hit the table, she was still humming a tune.
In any case, she was a much more ruthless woman than I had imagined from the novel.
“It’s nothing, everyone step back.”
She even managed to push back the soldiers and servants who had rushed in belatedly.
Of course, the Empress also had her own beliefs.
This maid who had been hitting me all this time could strike back at any moment and kill me in one fell swoop.
Moreover, the accessories such as the ring, necklace, and earrings worn by the Empress were expensive magical items embedded with special protective magic.
So even if I gave it my all now, it would be difficult for me to kill the Empress.
Thud! I struck one more time with all my might.
And then, I leaned close to the maid’s ear, covered in blood and food.
I shouted loudly enough for the Empress to hear me.
“Wherever you touch my woman again, I will really kill you.”
Without falling down, I propped my foot on the edge of the table and grabbed the Empress’s wine glass.
Gulp. After taking a refreshing sip, I poured the rest over the head of the giggling maid. I stared into the eyes of the smiling Empress.
Then, I grabbed Elaine’s hand and escaped from the Empress’s palace.
For some reason, I felt a pang of conscience, so I deliberately avoided her gaze.
I don’t know the details, but it seems that the Empress called Elaine because of our engagement.
It was because of me that she suffered, even though I didn’t intend to use her.
I felt sorry for that.
So, for a while, I couldn’t look into her eyes or speak to her.
I just held her wrist tightly and walked as slowly as possible to the Prince’s palace.
It was when we reached the pond in front of the Prince’s palace.
Elaine suddenly stopped.
When I turned around and let go of her wrist, she reached out with both hands to my neck, her face trembling.
I thought she would say words of resentment.
“I see blood coming from your neck. I’ll treat it right away.”
I never expected her hands to come so close.
Amidst the countless flapping of startled butterflies, in a moment shorter than a single flutter, numerous thoughts flashed through my mind.
Should I avoid it?
But if I did, Elaine, who still had a desperate expression, seemed like she would suffer a great wound.
Fortunately, I thought it would be fine as there was no one nearby, but in that moment, I saw the emperor and an old man in a white robe approaching from not too far away.
The man next to the emperor was undoubtedly the court physician.
In this situation, if Elaine were to use her divine power?
The court physician would surely notice.
As I emerged from the whirlpool of my thoughts, I suddenly felt Elaine’s palm against my neck.
And my head was spinning faster than ever.
It felt as if time was flowing slowly.
Just as I sensed a faint light beneath my face, I could no longer think of anything.
Using the agility typical of a noble elf, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down tightly.
“W-Why are you…suddenly like this…?”
Struggle, struggle.
“P-Please…let go…”
Clearly, it was a bewildered gesture.
Fortunately, the treatment was immediately stopped.
Elaine pushed her clenched hand against her chest, pinched her side, and exerted all her strength.
She was desperately struggling, like a fawn clinging tightly to a sleeping hunter.
“Now is not the time for this… Oh, um…I mean, it’s not that I don’t…uh…dislike it…”