I Became The Extra King With Seven Wives-Chapter 52: Trusting Eleanor

"You are dismissed for the evening, Regina," I said.

"Y—Your Majesty?" Regina paused midway through smoothing out the heavy linens of my bed, turning to look at me in confusion.

According to the rigorous schedules dictated for maids directly serving royalty, she was expected to remain on duty until well after I had taken my evening meal.

"The sun will be setting soon, Regina," I pointed out, casting a brief glance toward the towering windows. "You reside in a rather precarious district of the capital, do you not? You ought to return home before nightfall. You mentioned that you have a mother waiting for you, did you not?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Y—Yes..." Regina nodded hurriedly, quickly lowering her head in a bow of gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Should you require anything else before I depart—"

"I require nothing else tonight. And if I do, I am perfectly capable of standing up and fetching it myself," I assured her with a warm smile.

She nodded, a bright smile breaking across her face. "I shall return at dawn tomorrow, Your Majesty."

"I shall look forward to seeing you then," I replied smoothly.

With a final, grateful nod, she rushed out of the bedchambers, gently closing the doors behind her.

Once I was certain she had departed, I reached across my desk and gathered a few loose sheets of parchment. They were filled with ink, scrawled entirely in English, a very useful advantage, possessing a language no one else in this world could possibly understand.

When I first documented the main details of the Game’s timeline, I had mindlessly jotted them down in English without much forethought, but it had proven to be a flawless cipher.

From this point forward, we were rapidly approaching the timeline of my fated assassination. I had to tread with utmost caution.

"Leilah."

A moment later, Leilah melted out of the deep shadows behind my chair, silently making her presence known.

"Summon Eleanor and Sigor at once," I said softly.

She gave a short nod and vanished into the darkness just as quickly as she had appeared.

Ten minutes later, Eleanor and Sigor arrived, slipping quietly into my chambers. I stood from my desk and took a comfortable seat upon the sofa, gesturing for them to approach.

"Well, Sigor. Tell me you have managed to uncover something of interest for me?" I asked him, a calm smile resting on my lips.

"I have not yet had the time to conduct a thorough investigation, Your Majesty..." Sigor said hesitantly.

It was to be expected. I had only tasked him with this endeavor the previous day, but I wished to gauge his progress to determine exactly how efficient he truly was.

"However, Your Majesty," he continued, a proud smile forming as he withdrew a folded slip of parchment from his coat and handed it to me. "These are the initial names of the individuals recruited within the royal castle by the two figures you instructed me to monitor."

I accepted the parchment, my eyes rapidly scanning the inked list of names.

"Eleanor," I called, extending the list toward her once I had finished.

She accepted it carefully, her eyes darting across the names until her expression suddenly hitched.

"Y—Your Majesty... Regina Clay?" She looked up at me, shock plain in her eyes.

"She was brought into the castle as an apprentice servant roughly six or seven months ago," I explained casually. "I doubt she was particularly difficult for them to recruit, assuming she needed any convincing at all. She is educated, fully literate, well-spoken, and a former noble. Above all, she is quite beautiful, and she is well aware of how to wield her charms."

"But she has been in the castle for half a year, Your Majesty, and it appears you have only recently taken her into your personal service?" Sigor asked, raising a curious brow.

"Well, prior to my awakening, I was hardly in the state of mind to notice, or perhaps even capable of noticing such things. I barely registered her flirtatious attempts back then. However, after racking my brain, I do recall having a few fleeting interactions with her in the past," I said.

Eleanor’s eyes widened in sudden realization. "Your Majesty... then, when you dismissed your previous maid and personally selected Regina to replace her..."

"I had my suspicions, and I refused to allow Alice getting involved," I replied with a dismissive shrug.

And I wanted more important Alice to be by my sister’s side. I couldn’t be sure if Lenora’s maid was already bought and so Alice was the best solution.

I had to find someone trustworthy to be by mother’s side as well but trustworthy people were rare around here.

"But that is dangerous, Your Majesty. If she is truly working as an agent for those plotting your assassination, you never should have placed her so close to you as your personal maid..." Eleanor said, visibly distressed.

It was a rare occurrence to see the composed her so upset, but I appreciated her concern. She looked quite lovely when she was protective after all.

I offered her a reassuring smile. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"I brought her this close to me precisely because I wish to know her. I need to see exactly how far she is willing to go," I explained calmly.

"And?" Sigor chimed in, leaning forward. "Has she attempted to poison Your Majesty yet?"

Eleanor instantly shot Sigor a sharp gaze.

"I—I am merely asking the question..." He stammered, raising his hands defensively.

I let out a low laugh. "At the very least, she has not tried yet. Let me handle Regina. I am entirely capable of managing a singular spy. Besides, I have a shadow guard watching over me at all hours, one explicitly trusted by my own wife. I assure you, I will be perfectly fine."

"If you insist, Your Majesty..." Eleanor mumbled, though the tight lines of concern did not entirely fade from her face.

"Eleanor."

"Your Majesty."

"Here." I gently patted the empty space on the sofa beside me.

She hesitated for a fleeting moment, but quickly gathered her composure and took a seat directly beside me.

I immediately reached out, taking her soft left hand in mine, and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. "Do you trust me?" I asked, fixing her with a serious gaze.

A delicate blush warmed her cheeks, but she maintained her composure, offering a nod.

"Then fret not. No harm shall befall your King," I assured her with a slight smirk, before shifting my attention back to Sigor.

"Should I take my leave, Your Majesty?" He asked, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Not just yet. I need you to investigate the maid who previously served my sister, I believe her name was Anna, or something quite similar. Do the same for my mother’s personal handmaids as well. Even if they were brought into the castle by individuals completely unrelated to our main suspects, observe them closely. See if there have been any sudden, inexplicable changes in their lifestyles or spending habits. And as always, deal with this with the utmost stealth," I said.

"And regarding the rest of the household staff?" He asked.

"Begin with those closest to my family, then expand outward. I want the names of every single servant who exhibits even a shadow of suspicion, or hints at any illicit arrangement with our enemies," I said.

"As you command, Your Majesty." Sigor bowed his head respectfully, placing a hand over his heart before swiftly retreating into the corridor.

I smiled, turning my full attention back toward Eleanor.

"Finally. A moment alone between husband and wife," I said, a soft spreading on my lips.

"Yes..." Eleanor replied, nervously. Even in the quiet of the room, I could almost hear the rapid flutter of her heartbeat.

"There is no need to be this nervous," I chuckled, entirely amused by her rigid posture. I reached out, gently hooking a finger beneath her chin and tilting her face up so I could stare deeply into her beautiful emerald eyes. "I have no intention of abruptly claiming your purity here tonight. You are far too precious for me to take you so hastily, and entirely unprepared."

Eleanor’s eyes flickered with a sudden, breathless emotion at my words.

After a moment, she spoke hesitantly.

"Why... why is Your Majesty like this with me?"

"What exactly do you mean?" I asked gently.

"When compared to Lady Morgana, for instance... or your other wives. You may place far greater trust in Asthenia when it comes to the administration of the Kingdom, yet you have confided all of this in me instead..." She trailed off, searching my eyes for an answer.

It was an excellent question, and she was certainly not wrong about the latter half.

When it came to the governance and survival of the Kingdom, Asthenia was definitely trustworthy. She loved Helios more than she loved herself; she was the very definition of a patriot much like her father.

"I manage my wives differently, Eleanor. At this moment, I need you by my side because you are perfectly suited for my current situation. You are patient, you possess a sharp and perceptive mind, you are quick to act when required, and above all, you obey me," I explained, my smile returning. "That does not mean I distrust the others. It simply means that you comprehend the gravity of what is truly at stake far quicker than they ever could."

After all, my fated assassination loomed directly on the horizon.

Diana, Morgana, Ravenna, and Dorothy would be of no use in preventing it, each for their own distinctly problematic reasons. Cynthia was family; I preferred to keep her entirely out of harm’s way, safely by Lenora’s side.

As for Asthenia... had Eleanor not been present, I likely would have gone directly to her. But Asthenia was a unique case. She possessed a brilliant mind, but her decisions were merciless.

Had I simply handed her a list of suspected traitors, she would have had them publicly executed by nightfall without a second thought. Like father, like daughter, I suppose.

Eleanor stared my face intently as she processed my words, eventually offering a nod.

"I see."

"Now then."

Reaching out, I gently grasped Eleanor’s legs, still draped elegantly in the folds of her golden-yellow gown and carefully lifted them, shifting her closer until they rested comfortably across my lap.

"Y—Your Majesty?!" She stuttered, thoroughly flustered and embarrassed by the sudden position.

"Is something the matter, Eleanor?" I asked, feigning innocence as I rested my arms casually over her legs, a sly smile playing on my lips.

"N—Nothing..." She eventually managed to whisper, her gaze dropping to her lap.

I let out a soft chuckle before glancing toward Leilah, who was still standing quietly in the corner of the room like a living shadow.

"Please, feel free to take a seat, Leilah," I offered, gesturing toward the furnishings.

She hesitated for a brief moment, her eyes darting between Eleanor and myself, before she offered a curt nod and took a seat on a distant chair, leaving us an expanse of private space.

"So, Eleanor. Have you been making the preparations exactly as I instructed?" I asked, shifting the conversation back to the crucial arrangements I had given a night earlier.

She nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied, her voice steadying despite the incredibly awkward and embarrassing position she was currently in. "Though I must admit, I am still quite curious regarding your true intentions for a journey there, Your Majesty?"

"I will reveal all when the time is right. But as far as the rest of the castle is concerned, we are merely departing to consummate our wedding night. Is that entirely understood?"

"Un—Understood." Her cheeks flared a vivid pink once more, though she nodded with seriousness.

I smiled warmly at her. With the heavy business concluded, I allowed the conversation to drift into far more casual territories, asking Eleanor about her past experiences and her life growing up as a merchant’s daughter.

I even made a concerted effort to draw Leilah into the discussion. It proved to be an arduous task, as she replied with silent nods and curt, one-word answers, but it was certainly better than nothing.

Eleanor was my wife, and if I wished to truly bond with her, I had to find a way to get along with her adopted sister she was caring a lot about. Besides, I could easily tell that Eleanor was far more relaxed and capable of showing her true self whenever Leilah was present, making it a perfect, mutually beneficial arrangement.