Chapter 40

 When the green alcohol flowing into her red lips showed the bottom, a servant approached and poured into her glass again. While she was looking at the queen, the back of her head felt hot. Ella turned her head, feeling someone staring at her intently. Lady Eins, who had just spoken with her, was staring at her. Why is she looking at me like that? Even though their gazes had already met once, she continued to stare at Ella.

 “I have something to show you. It’s a gift from my father. As you all know, Treden is overflowing with minerals. Things like pearls, lapis lazuli, and jade. They’re not common in Kylaq, but Treden is full of such things.”

 It was when she was wondering about the unpleasantly persistent gaze. The queen quickly whispered as she placed the empty glass on the table. The maids and noble ladies clasped their hands and their eyes sparkled without a single displeased expression. Ella didn’t know how to react, so she remained still. After a while, the maid who had gone to fetch the jewelry box came running back with a pale face.

 “What? It’s gone?”

 The maid who had been whispering in the queen’s ear bit her lip and nodded. The thin woman was pitifully pale, probably because she knew the queen’s impending fury would be tremendous.

 “Look for it again.”

 “Yes!”

 The maid left. This time, two or three servants followed her. An uncomfortable silence overturned the group of women. The noble ladies fidgeted with their rings and bracelets for no reason. Women adorned with ornaments like turquoise, jade, and pearls smiled awkwardly at the queen.

 Ella, having no ornaments to fidget with, just watched what they were doing. She felt self-conscious, standing out like an angular stone among the cloud-like puffs along the line that flowed from the collarbone to the shoulder, the undulating sleeves, and the dress hems that were heavily inflated with silk overlays.

 Just because she accompanied Larque to the royal palace, she couldn’t dress inappropriately for her status, so Ella was in a state of having her br*asts bound and only dragging a long skirt hem today as well. The queen, who had been waiting for the maid with an annoyed expression, suddenly looked at Ella. Ella didn’t avoid the queen’s gaze. It was a stubborn action. Regardless of status, staring so blatantly at a knight’s bedchamber maid was not the etiquette of Kylaq. Ella gripped her skirt hem as she gauged the meaning of the sharp, fierce light.

 “Your Majesty. Your Majesty, I……”

 The maid who had gone out with the servants returned. Her hands were empty. The servants who had left with her were nowhere to be seen. Instead, behind the woman who had come running breathlessly was the queen’s wet nurse whom she had seen a few days ago. It was ominous. The feeling wasn’t good. Suddenly, she felt nauseous again.

“Your Highness. The treasure from Treden that His Majesty bestowed……”

 The queen’s wet nurse couldn’t continue. Treden was the queen’s homeland. If it was a precious jewel bestowed by Treden’s king to his eldest daughter, it would be extremely valuable to the queen regardless of its worth. Ella took a sip of water to calm her inexplicably anxious heart.

 “How could it have disappeared when it doesn’t even have legs!”

 “Well……”

 The maid responsible for the search burst into tears. The queen slapped the woman’s cheek and threw her wine glass at her. The thin woman collapsed to the floor without even letting out a scream.

 “Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please forgive me!”

 “Who was the last maid to clean the royal chambers?”

 “The last time a maid touched it was two days ago at noon. After Your Majesty headed to the forest……”

 “And after that?”

 The frightened maid burst into tears and begged for forgiveness. When the queen gestured, the servant dragged the maid outside and closed the door. The wet nurse with a stern expression bowed her head. Two days ago would be the first day of the banquet. That was when Ella visited the queen’s bedroom with the wet nurse.

 “When Your Majesty asked me to fetch the jade earrings, at that time……”

 The wet nurse, who had been bowing her head, glanced at Ella. Suddenly, she felt nauseous. The gazes of the seated women turned toward her. Ella looked at the wet nurse without blushing. She recalled the time walking through the corridor with her. It was late at night, and there were only two people in the bedroom. Was there any way to prove her innocence?

 The queen’s servants would search her quarters. For the queen’s servants to search one of the many bedrooms in the royal palace, the king’s approval would be needed, but in this case, the king had no reason to refuse. The queen was a meticulous woman. If she had the discretion to remove the Duke’s servant girl from his favor, the next harpoon she would throw would also be sharp.

 Duke Durac was not an easy-going person either, but Queen Guinevere was also not gentle. It was just yesterday that she had tried to harm her through Marquis Gwendel’s wife. At that time, the Duke did not permit the detention of his servant girl. But wasn’t the queen sharper than yesterday? Moreover, there was no guarantee that the lost jewel would not be found in her room, which would be searched under the king’s approval. No, in many cases, the treasure the queen was looking for would be found in Ella’s room.

 “Ella.”

 “Yes.”

 “I’m told you entered my chambers with my wet nurse, is that true?”

 “Yes, it is.”

 “After your visit, the ornament my father bestowed upon me disappeared. It’s a necklace made of colored diamonds.”

 Cold eyes interrogated Ella. Ella observed Guinevere’s complexion while pretending to choose her words without responding. She was pretending to be calm, pretending to hold back her anger, but in reality, what was in her head was probably the guillotine.

 Guinevere, that woman, had always wanted to kill her since they first met. Even though Larque didn’t love her, her malice remained unchanged. Suddenly, she was curious. Why did she love that man, why did she love him so fervently without knowing anything about him? If she were Guinevere, she wouldn’t love the Duke.

 “Ella.”

 “I haven’t seen the ornament you mentioned.”

 “…Is that so?”

 “Yes.”

 “My wet nurse said the ornament disappeared after she visited the chambers with you.”

 “I’m sorry, but is that the only reason Your Majesty suspects me? If Your Majesty suspects me for such a reason.”

 Ella chose her words carefully. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the wet nurse. The wet nurse, who had been watching the situation with a stern face, twisted unpleasantly. At Ella’s gaze, the queen burst into a short laugh.

 “Are you telling me to suspect my wet nurse?”

 “I only wish for Your Majesty’s fairness.”

 “I thought you weren’t ordinary, but……”

 Guinevere twisted her lips. Instead of finishing her words, her white face began to twist terribly fiercely. However, Ella wasn’t afraid of the woman. Rather, she was just annoyed. The pulse of her heart, which had been beating uncomfortably, soon returned to normal. She looked at the woman who was desperate to do something to her and then parted her lips.

 “Your Majesty has always been unable to blend in with Kylaq as a person from Treden. I heard that you learned and mastered Kylaq’s etiquette well, but you didn’t hesitate to do what you thought was unnecessary.”

 “How dare you… a lowly slave.”

 Ella narrowed her eyes. The queen stood stiffly pale. It was her wet nurse who was ranting about the slave. Ella continued without blinking.

 “Is it Treden’s etiquette to seat a lowly slave with noble ladies?”

 “To interpret Her Majesty’s kindness in such a way. For a mere slave girl to measure the intentions of a noble person, what an outrageous statement!”

 “Then Your Majesty prioritizes the goodwill in your heart over the kingdom’s etiquette.”

 Guinevere raised her eyebrows. Ella looked around at the expressions of the noble ladies filling the room. Kylaq’s etiquette is strict. But even excluding that strictness, Guinevere didn’t consider the discomfort of the noble ladies seated with her. Could only goodwill take precedence? No, could that even be called goodwill?

 “You need to be whipped until you die and have your mouth burned to come to your senses.”

 “The only one who can do that is the Duke, my lady.”

 “Ha! Even if the Duke knows all about your insolence…!”

 “That is also His Highness the Duke’s heart. The lowly cannot comprehend it. However, this ignorant one belongs to His Highness. Please don’t think that a slave girl is challenging Your Majesty the Queen’s authority. This girl simply can’t hide her regretful heart at the thought of tarnishing Your Majesty’s honor.”

 She knelt down. Fine silk imported from the south elegantly covered the floor. Guinevere looked down at the woman who was prostrating as if asking for forgiveness. It was perfect etiquette. Although they say the etiquette of a queen and a servant girl are clearly different, unlike Guinevere who could never adapt to Kylaq’s etiquette, the woman’s neat lines were beautifully moving.

 And so, for Guinevere, all of it was an insult.

 She was a woman who had everything with just a blink of an eye. Even without hanging ornaments all over herself, she sparkled. Her long hair flowing in the light, gentle shoulders, and white, clean skin without any special effort would be the most vivid beauty in this kingdom.