CHAPTER 228: 228: PUNISHMENT.

Queen Lea smirked. "You should know how it’s always been. So you shouldn’t waste much of my time." She sipped from her cup.

"I’m sorry for the terrible actions of my son," Queen Elizabeth apologized. "I’m a terrible mother who didn’t raise him well. I’ll do my best to make sure he doesn’t do it anymore..."

Queen Lea listened to her words, the words she had programmed her to say, because this wasn’t the first time she was summoning her. It was a frequent situation Queen Elizabeth had grown used to.

"And...?" Queen Lea asked.

"...Punish me as you wish. I’ll accept any punishment..." Queen Elizabeth said.

Queen Lea smiled. "Is that so?"

The lady-in-waiting was anxious as she watched. She had never liked any of this, but she couldn’t always speak. Queen Elizabeth forbade her from doing so.

So she always watched in pain.

Queen Lea sighed as she stretched out her feet. "Oh dear. I think I stepped on some dust while walking around in my room. The maids certainly didn’t do their jobs well, and now my feet are dirty." She stared at Queen Elizabeth. "Why don’t you clean up my feet?"

The maids at the side brought a bowl of water and a towel. They kept it beside Queen Elizabeth for her to clean Queen Lea’s feet. It was already all set.

Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting panicked where she stood.

"What are you waiting for? Take it and wash my feet. I can’t go to sleep this dirty, Your Highness," Queen Lea said with a smirk.

Queen Elizabeth stared at the bowl and towel kept at her side. She was calm. She held herself and kept calm. She was already used to it, or so she believed, so she didn’t retaliate.

She casually stared at it for a while as she forced a smile. Slowly, she picked up the bowl at her side.

"Your Highness, you can’t allow yourself to be disgraced like that!" Her lady-in-waiting interrupted. She couldn’t bear the disgrace, but she had instantly provoked Queen Lea with that.

Queen Lea stared at her. "How dare a lowly maid like you speak?" she questioned. "Slap her!" she commanded as a younger maid walked up to the lady-in-waiting and landed three slaps on her cheeks.

Queen Elizabeth’s eyes lit in shock. "Leave her alone. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t... touch her." She stared at Queen Lea.

Queen Lea stared back at Queen Elizabeth and smiled. "You can be fierce, I see. It seems you’re not as gentle as you come. Interesting."

Just then, another maid walked in and informed Queen Lea that the king wished for her company in his bedroom that night.

As the maid left, Queen Lea smiled gracefully. "Oh well, my husband wants my attention tonight." She stared at Queen Elizabeth. "I guess I won’t have time to play around with you. Get out of my room; I want to get ready to meet my dear, loving husband. I’ll summon you when I need you next. It’s not over yet."

Queen Elizabeth slowly got up as she walked over to her lady-in-waiting. They didn’t say anything, but she led her out of the room.

As soon as the two of them left the room, Queen Lea smiled. She was happy with herself. "Get my bath ready. I can’t keep the King waiting."

---

As Queen Elizabeth and her lady-in-waiting walked out of the room and stepped away to a reasonable distance, the lady-in-waiting asked,

"Your Highness, you can’t continue like this. You can’t always let yourself be subjected to insults under her. You can’t keep letting her do whatever she wants with... you. You’re the Queen. The first Queen of Valencrest." She was bitter.

But Queen Elizabeth remained quiet. She didn’t have any words to reply with. "Let’s go back. I’m tired; I need to rest."

"But Your Highness, you can’t continue like this. You have to let someone know, at least. The King or maybe your son..."

"I said I’m tired," Queen Elizabeth said in a calm tone. But the lady-in-waiting could feel the pain in those words, the hidden pains and fury in them. "Let’s not talk about this now. Okay?" She said as she turned and walked off.

The lady-in-waiting didn’t have any alternative. No matter how much she spoke about it to Queen Elizabeth, she wouldn’t listen. She always brushed it off as though it was nothing, as though it was something she deserved and was meant to keep calm about.

She knew she wouldn’t listen even if she continued, so she kept quiet and followed Queen Elizabeth closely behind.

---

Eden arrived in his room that night, and as soon as he arrived, he fell on his back on the bed. Eden stared at the ceiling, thoughts running through his head.

"What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you go see Elvis? What happened? Did you convince him to cancel the wedding?" Lenny appeared by the bedside.

Eden blinked. "I didn’t even bother trying much to do that."

"Huh? You already gave up?"

"No," Eden said, his eyes still on the ceiling. "I didn’t. But I think I’m in trouble nevertheless."

"Why? What happened?" Lenny tilted his head.

Eden blinked. "Why do I feel like I’m already defaulting to the first rule of seducing?"

Lenny was confused. "Huh? What are you even talking about? You’re confusing me."

Eden sat up and turned to Lenny. "Lenny, I think I’m going crazy. Yeah... I must be so fickle, because why the hell am I the one being moved by them?"

"Huh?"

"I just realized that I’m getting soft with them. First it was Lysander. I mean, it’s normal to find him adorable and all because he surely is. But I just gave it a second thought, and I think there’s more to it than just finding him adorable."

Lenny only listened to him blab.

"I mean, I was happy to see him when I returned. Even when he came to save us. And I think I feel extremely comfortable and at ease when I’m around him, not only because he doesn’t want to kill me or anything, but it’s more like there is a comforting feeling while being around him."

Eden panicked. "I know we’ve slept before, but I shouldn’t be heartless or something? But I think I’ve really, really lost it. Because I think I’m growing a bit too soft for him..."

Lenny blinked. "So... what’s your point now...?"

Eden stared at him. "My point is... I think I also might feel something else for Elvis."