Chapter 36 Welcome

• As I pushed my food around on my plate, my appetite nowhere to be found, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over me like a heavy cloak. Despite the delicious spread laid out before me, I had no desire to eat, my stomach still queasy from the soup earlier.
• The queen's observant gaze didn't escape me, and I offered her a faint smile in response to her concern. "You must be tired," she remarked gently, her voice filled with empathy. "Why don't you go take a rest?"
• Lost in my own thoughts, it took me a moment to hear her words. "Hmm?", my mind still elsewhere. "Oh, rest, sure," I replied, forcing a smile to reassure her. "Don't worry, I'll take a rest soon."