Chapter 3

Looking out the window, in the distance, Hanami could be seen laughing with Leinhart. The glass-enclosed greenhouse built in the eastern garden was indeed perfect for a winter picnic. Though separated by the glass, it was not entirely clear from Elis's vantage point inside, but she could still make out the two figures leaning closely together in an intimate manner.

A small figure, but she could see Hanami reaching out her hand to Leinhart's cheek. Then, after a surprised movement, Hanami smiled back.

"I can't believe it!"

Peering at the scene from behind Elis, pouting, was Baroness Zehartelte, who was the same age as Elis.

"Korinna."

At the words of Korinna, her lady-in-waiting of the same age who had been serving her for two years, Elis turned around weakly.

"Isn't that so?! Even if things haven't been going well, there's still Elis-sama for His Majesty! And yet, in front of his wife, she not only took his hand but even hinted at something for the night! Oh, if I had been there, I would have pretended to slip and thrown a fork at that vixen's head!"

"A fork... I think even a murder in the palace is a bit much, don't you think?"

"Then I'll pretend the plate slipped. Plates are slippery. With a little momentum, it would slide sideways and hit her head. Who would blame me?"

"Well, I think the general public would describe a plate sliding through the air as being thrown..."

However, thanks to Korinna's anger on her behalf, Elis felt her ability to think returning. So, she couldn't help but smile wryly, and it seemed Korinna was relieved by this.

"Now, Your Majesty. You hardly ate anything for breakfast, so I had some light food prepared. Please sit down and have some."

Saying this, Korinna pulled out a white chair adorned with gold and helped Elis sit down, then smiled reassuringly.

"I've sent Gitt to verify the truth of the matter."

As she spoke, she placed a bowl of apple jelly in front of Elis with a soft thud.

The jelly contained thinly sliced apples mixed with juice, and the green of the mint placed beside it made it look incredibly refreshing. It must have been brought in as a dessert for today's breakfast after being discussed with the kitchen.

"Delicious..."

Scooping a spoonful and bringing it to her mouth, a refreshing sweetness spread. It had a taste that seemed to calm the mind.

So, she smiled a little, and Korinna's amber eyes smiled back.

"Don't worry too much. That vixen must have deliberately set things up to cause a misunderstanding."

"I wish that were the case..."

But Elis could only give an ambiguous answer.

However, Korinna must have noticed the slight shrug of Elis's shoulders. Shaking her tangerine-colored hair in puzzlement, Korinna looked up.

"But why did the relationship between Your Majesty and His Majesty become so bad? When I saw you from a distance at the wedding, you both seemed to be smiling at each other."

"You hit a sore spot."

Elis was momentarily speechless.

(I didn't want to remember this...)

But since Korinna was serving her, there was no point in trying to hide it.

So, she sighed and opened her mouth resignedly.

"At first, things were going well."

The marriage, decided as a hostage-like arrangement due to her status as a Holy Maiden, was with a fiancé she had never met. Despite this, when the former king passed away suddenly, the newly crowned King Leinhart warmly welcomed Elis, who arrived by carriage from afar.

"Hey, that must have been a tough journey. I'm Leinhart. I'll be your husband from now on."

She hadn't forgotten the way he smiled and reached out his hand, trying to be friendly despite his young age.

Even with the memories of her past life, making her more mature than most children, it was a new country and a life surrounded by strangers. So, she was grateful for Leinhart's efforts to act like a good husband, trying to make their relationship seem more like a real marriage every day. She wanted to be a good queen and reciprocate his kindness.

But—

"About a month after the wedding, there was a major flood in the Drilden region, right? A lot happened then..."

Floods were rare in the Kingdom of Rienline. This particular flood was a disaster that hadn't occurred in decades, and everything was handled reactively.

"Rescue operations, disaster relief. Leinhart was new to the throne and was trying his best to manage, but it was a once-in-a-decade disaster, so it was chaotic..."

"Oh, that's right! I heard that the Holy Maiden, now the queen, led the country through the crisis."

Elis was momentarily speechless.

"It's not as heroic as that..."

Coming from a disaster-prone country like Japan, she could see that the officials' and the country's response was haphazard.

"So, I thought there were better ways to handle it and ended up speaking out too much..."

Before she knew it, the officials who came to consult were seeking advice from Elis, who could give precise instructions.

(I just knew the know-how...)

Her face twitched.

"But, I overdid it. At the time, it was an emergency, and every second counted, so I didn't realize it..."

She sighed.

It was around the time the floodwaters had receded, and the focus shifted to reconstruction. When the idea of conscripting labor for river repairs came up, she couldn't help but speak out to Leinhart, who had been working tirelessly without sleep.

"That won't work! Instead of conscripting labor for free, we should hire the disaster victims to help them rebuild their lives—!"

The flood had left many people without land or jobs.

"Indeed, if we follow the queen's plan, they will have jobs, and the river repairs and their recovery will be faster."

The official nodded, and for a moment, Elis's face lit up.

"Is my idea really that bad—"

Leinhart's voice was so low it startled her.

"Leinhart...!"

She had never considered how Leinhart was handling the situation, so she was taken aback when she saw the cold look in his eyes, which had been bright before.

"You are indeed a Holy Maiden...! So, maybe you can do everything. But the king of this country is—"

He couldn't finish his sentence, clutching the conscription order he had signed, his knuckles white. As the crumpled paper made a crinkling sound, something between them seemed to break.

"Leinhart...!"

She called out desperately, but the king turned and walked away from her.

"And that's when he stopped visiting my room."

"Wh-what?"

But Korinna's face was complex.

"But, the queen was thinking about the country..."

"It was just bad timing. I was so focused on the unfamiliar situation that I didn't have the time to consider the people around me. I didn't even think about how Leinhart, as a new king, was approaching his first national crisis..."

Indeed, thinking back, Leinhart must have been struggling. Yet, he was constantly criticized, and the officials, thinking the king was unreliable, turned to the Holy Maiden for advice.

(I should have been more aware...)

She sighed, feeling a bit ridiculous.

"Then, shortly after, my homeland was attacked and destroyed by the northern country of Galden, and my value as a royal was lost."

"Wh-what? Then, what about the queen's family?"

"They're fine. They were captured alive and are being treated well in Galden to prevent any rebellion from my homeland."

Compared to the fate of daimyo in the Sengoku period, it was a merciful treatment. She smiled at Korinna.

"For Leinhart, keeping me as queen was just a matter of national protocol, because he had to marry a Holy Maiden..."

"Queen..."

Korinna seemed at a loss for words, looking at Elis, who had a slightly sad expression.

Just then, the door opened with a bang.

"Gitt."

Turning around, she saw Gitt, whom she had been waiting for, standing at the door, looking flustered. But when he saw Elis, his serious face tightened, and he seemed to have made a decision.

"Did the king spend the night with Hanami?"

"A, no... I mean, well..."

"Be clear! What did you think I asked you for!?"

But it was Korinna who shouted at the flustered Gitt. Her voice echoed through the room, and Gitt's back straightened instantly.

"Ah, I'm sorry! I asked the priest Vili, who serves Hanami, but he just laughed and wouldn't give a serious answer..."

"So you came back empty-handed!? That's why that vixen's aide is getting so cocky!"

Vili must be one of Hanami's aides.

But, spurred on by the reprimand, Gitt's hesitant eyes focused.

"I wasn't going to be taken in by that guy... So, I asked the guards patrolling near Hanami's room. And—"

He looked at her expectantly, and she nodded, encouraging him to continue. Her throat and lips were dry from tension, but she kept a calm face. Finally, Gitt took a deep breath and spoke.

"Last night, the king was indeed seen entering Hanami's room... And this morning, around five, he was seen leaving in a hurry, adjusting his clothes..."

At that moment, all the strength left her body.

The spoon she was holding fell onto the plate with a clatter.

"I see..."

She had expected this day to come, but it was sooner than she thought.

But, seeing Elis's reaction, Gitt rushed to her side, trying to comfort her.

"But, I think it was just a momentary lapse! After all, the king is a man. I don't know much about men, but I've heard that all men can be tempted at times. He'll surely come to his senses and return to you soon."

"—No."

But at Elis's quiet words, Gitt's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? No...?"

Korinna, who had turned to look at Gitt, shook her head quietly, as if to say there was no hope.

But Gitt still didn't understand. So, Elis couldn't help but smile.

"That's right, no. There has never been anything between me and the king."

"What!? What!?"

"So, I thought the king must be averse to women and prefer men."

"No, no! Wait a minute! Why would the king suddenly prefer men!?"

"Because there were no rumors of him being with any other women. And he treats the officials, whether old or young, with warmth, so I thought maybe one day I would be asked to give up my position as queen to a man."

"Our country does not recognize same-sex marriage! So why would you have such an outlandish idea!?"

"Because..."

Her lips trembled as she laughed.

"Otherwise, the only other option is that he doesn't like me, right?"

"Queen—"

Gitt stopped speaking, but a tear rolled down Elis's cheek.

"But, it seems that's the case. I had a feeling it might be..."

She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away, but more kept coming.

"Queen..."

Helpless, Elis could only laugh and cry in front of the worried looks of the two.

"It's tough when it's right in front of you..."