Chapter 240: Melancholy Of Queen Elizabeth Of Marie Kingdom

The Queen of Marie Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth, stared at her reflection in the mirror and let out a deep sigh.

"Haaah... has another spot appeared...?"

Her attendants smiled gently behind her, thinking It’s the same old thing again, but they kept their mouths shut.

"Her Majesty, there is no such thing! You are as beautiful as ever!"

The head maid said. All the maids lined up nodded in agreement.

But the Queen looked at her own face in the mirror and faced harsh reality. Twenty days had passed since Robin left the capital. Twenty days since she stopped drinking that medicine.

She had loved looking in the mirror before. Every time she saw her own rejuvenated skin, her heart had raced with delight. She had loved hearing the honest words from everyone she met—men and women alike.

"Her Majesty looks so young!"

They weren’t flattery. She knew. She had felt the warmth of genuine pride from the bottom of their hearts.

But now that Robin was gone and she could no longer drink the medicine, her old age had begun to gnaw at her. I should just go back to the way I was before, she thought. But giving up the youth she had tasted felt like a death sentence. Seeing noblewomen her own age, she felt a wave of panic. Will I end up like them too?

She had never once drunk anything from a man in her life. Not even the king’s. Robin’s was truly a one-time adventure. And the effect had been worth it—far more than she could have imagined. Not just her skin, but the way it made her feel inside.

That thought hit her like lightning. Could drinking a man’s... actually reverse aging? But she couldn’t ask anyone. The maids were all women; none of them had experience with that. Even the married ones didn’t seem to do it with their husbands. The only person who could possibly answer was Linda Lewis, the original source of the information.

The Queen summoned her.

Linda Lewis, whom the Queen had seen only a few days ago, now looked terribly old. The extra years that had passed in her absence made her appear even frailer than she was. Is this what my future will look like...? The thought sent a chill down the Queen’s spine.

Everyone else had been dismissed. Only the Queen, Linda Lewis, and the head maid remained in the room.

"Linda Lewis... I called you here for a reason..." the Queen began, sounding hesitant.

Linda caught her tone at once.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I’ll speak first, since you seem to be struggling. It’s about that medicine, isn’t it?"

"Yes... it is."

"Do you have any questions about it?"

Linda had helped her out, so the Queen asked straight out:

"Can only Robin make that medicine? Can anyone else make it? Does the effect really exist?"

Linda gave a small, sad smile.

"If it’s the liquid from someone else... then the effect would be nothing, Your Majesty. You may not have experienced it, but I have. It did not make me feel hot all over or give my skin a moist glow, as Lord Robin’s did. It was simply... unpleasant. I didn’t want to drink it, but I couldn’t refuse when my husband smiled at me..."

The Queen’s strength completely drained away. So there really is no effect at all? Relief washed over her. She was grateful for the confirmation.

But what surprised her even more was how casually Linda had mentioned her husband. Do commoners normally drink that? Do married couples do it all the time? Do all the maids standing here—married and unmarried—already drink it?

The curiosity was suddenly overwhelming. Then she realized how trivial it was.

She dismissed Linda and sat alone, thinking.

There were only two possible solutions.

The first was to send a reliable person who carried a mana bag to the Marie Kingdom and bring back enough for about a year. The second was for the Queen herself to travel to the Marie Kingdom and drink it directly.

The first method was feasible in theory. But the medicine degraded quickly, according to Robin. Even if she put it in a mana bag, by the time it reached the Marie Kingdom it might already be worthless. Was the cost worth it? Maybe the entire batch would be ruined. The risk was too high. This method was probably impossible.

So the Queen would have to go herself.

Traveling abroad was unprecedented for a queen. But if she found a plausible excuse...?

For example... my sister died. I should attend the funeral. No, that was impossible. Since Robin was the ambassador, he could attend the funeral instead. Or if the illness was terminal and she was on her deathbed... but that was only temporary.

She needed a way to summon him back to the Marie Kingdom. Mother is ill. I should visit her. Then surround him with other duties and send someone else as ambassador. William was available. She could send him and his wife back to the Marie Kingdom together!

The Duchess didn’t even have to be truly ill—only need a pretext!

Robin was useful; the Prime Minister already knew that. If she could get him back to the capital quickly, she could put him to work for Alan. She would ask the Prime Minister for help.

The Queen’s heart lightened as she hurried to the Prime Minister’s office.

The Prime Minister was seated, reading a document. When he saw her:

"Oh my, Your Majesty. What can I do for you? It is rare for Your Majesty to visit my office unannounced. Have you thought of some bad idea? Or have you discovered a seed of misfortune somewhere?"

He smiled cheerfully.

"Prime Minister, I would never say such a thing. Actually... it’s about the man I sent to the Marie Kingdom..."

"Oh? About Robin? Just a moment ago I received a letter from the embassy steward, Shanker. He wrote about him too."

"Really? What does it say?"

"It says that Robin has created some mysterious medicine and is selling it to noble ladies. The demand is enormous and the price is sky-high. Because of the quick income, he’s in high spirits. With this he may be able to repay the previous ambassador’s debt in only two years instead of four! It’s a wonderful stroke of luck. I’m glad we sent him. Until the debt is paid, he must stay in the Marie Kingdom!"

The Prime Minister spoke with delight. But the Queen felt nothing but regret.

She had written the letter thinking she was helping Robin’s life. She had recommended the rejuvenation medicine to her sister and told her to sell it to the Queen. Who could have guessed it would have such an enormous effect? And that it would bind Robin to the Marie Kingdom forever. She had committed an irreversible mistake.

"By the way, Your Majesty, what can I do for you?" the Prime Minister asked, completely unaware of her inner turmoil.

"Prime Minister... I want to visit my sister in the Marie Kingdom. Could you think of a plausible excuse?"

The Queen threw the request at him like a ball. The Prime Minister froze.