“……Ha. Your Majesty!”

Snapped back to reality by Helene’s sharp call, Enrique faced her.

Helene called out to him, clearly not wanting to apologize and desperate to be saved from the situation. However, Enrique hardened his expression decisively.

If the investigation confirms that the lily court maids did this, Helene would lose too much.

Despite his efforts to protect her until now, one stretch from the Empress had led to this.

No doubt, the noble faction would blame Helene’s lack of education, and the future seemed worrisome, especially since her background was a major factor holding her back.

Of course, Helene had provided much advice on domestic matters and used her image as a holy woman to win public favor and benefit the royal family through the temple.

Yet, she wouldn’t fall from grace just from this one incident…

The ministers of foreign affairs already seemed to have turned their backs on Helene.

It’s different when you’re educated differently.

The Empress had not been involved in politics due to her frail health. But if she starts to take part fully, Helene will have no choice but to step back.

Especially in diplomacy, their level of education was too different.

Helene had lived under his protection, surrounded by those who liked her.

So, she probably knew that diplomatic settings, where everyone hides a venomous dagger under their tongue, wouldn’t be easy.

‘But I never expected the Empress to be so capable.’

The Empress attacked Helene’s weaknesses as if she harbored a venomous heart, ultimately winning.

“But did you see? The First Consort used formal language with the Empress but informal with the holy woman.”

“Of course, I noticed. It’s only natural. The First Consort knows her place.”

Eventually, the lily court maids entered the hall, heads bowed like criminals.

As the nobles exchanged opinions, it was hard to find anyone trying to cover for Helene.

“The holy woman attempted to manage the banquet without deeply understanding the desert culture…”

“If the Empress hadn’t stepped in, it would have been a disaster. The whole atmosphere could have been ruined.”

“If it were misconstrued as an attempt at poisoning, it would have meant war. Lucky that it was quickly clarified as a misunderstanding.”

Enrique closed his eyes.

Ultimately, if he wanted to protect Helene, he had to be the one to punish her here.

He knew this and felt extremely uncomfortable.

It was just ignorance on her part, but the fact that he had to scold her for it, and that the Empress who caused this situation pleased him not at all.

The Empress had everything.

Yet, why did she have to treat Helene, who had nothing, like this? She could have been more forgiving.

Enrique felt deep disappointment in the Empress and still sensed a discord.

The woman he knew, who loved him and clung to him, didn’t seem to be the same, yet she somehow did.

He was caught in a whirlwind of indescribable emotions.

“It’s those maids! They brought in the vases earlier!”

Following Sophia Evans’ outcry, the maids were interrogated in turn.

As the frightened maids started to confess, Helene looked dumbfounded.

‘What are they saying?’

The situation unfolded as follows:

The lily court maids, who followed Helene, were enraged that ‘the banquet they should have managed was taken away.’ They were upset about all the preparations going to waste and heard that the theme of this banquet was fruits.

“We thought hawthorn berries would be inconspicuous if added as a decoration.”

“We swear we didn’t know they would eat them! We thought they were just for decoration, so we deliberately put them in the vases…”
“We just wanted to decorate a corner of the banquet hall. It was too regrettable not to use what we had prepared.”

So, they were saying that the desert people were so uncultured they didn’t know not to eat it.

That was the gist of it.

Helene, already in a dire situation, felt like tearing the faces off these maids who were just adding fuel to the fire.

‘Why! Why do something I didn’t ask for!’

She wanted to kill them. With a target for her anger found, Helene’s eyes flickered fiercely.

This banquet had been a nightmare from the start.

Helene lacked the backing of a powerful family that could support a banquet of this magnitude.

This fact touched on her deep-seated inferiority complex about her social status.

Wasn’t the Empress supposed to be frail and unable to do anything? Helene hadn’t worried about her until today, when she seemed perfectly healthy.

Moreover, the Empress effortlessly conversing with foreign royalty and understanding complex words was the ideal Helene aspired to.

This also aggravated her inferiority complex.

Ah, how I wish I could stand in that place.

I wish that position were mine.

Feelings Helene had never experienced before sharpened her dormant venom.

And to top it all, the Empress received a foreign royal as an offering!

‘Being bowed to by foreign royalty… it’s because she’s the Empress.’

If I were the Empress, they would have been offered to me.