FYH Chapter 55

「During the reign of the 6th king, Melon and Russell raised private armies and plotted rebellion.

The royal army subdued them, and the marriage policy implemented by the 4th king, Ryan Blake, ended in failure.

Once, five noble families ruled the continent alongside the Daemon imperial family.

Ilias and Schmidt vanished without a trace,

Melon and Russell were eradicated, and only Duncan remained on the continent.

– From History of the Cayenne Kingdom, page 81」

 * * *

Lee-Jae laid on her stomach on the bed, reading a history book from the morning. Roderick, resting his chin on one hand, watched her for a while before speaking.

“If you keep reading like that, your back’s going to give out.”

When she sculpted, she sat with such perfect posture, yet when reading a diary or a book, she always ended up in this position. Though she looked comfortable, the King clicked his tongue.

“Back health is important for both men and women.”

“…Pervert.”

“Isn’t it more perverted that you took it that way?”

After thinking for a moment, Lee-Jae agreed.

Oh, that wasn’t your intention? I guess living in the palace has been rotting my brain. Back when I lived in the mountains, I was actually a pretty pure person.

“Now that I think about it, you’re right. I was momentarily impure. I must be getting tainted by the world.”

Hearing his wife talk like an old man again, he covered his eyes and laughed.

“Actually, that was my intention. But knowing that my wife has such impure thoughts first thing in the morning makes me happy. I really have married well.”

Roderick pulled Lee-Jae upright, propping a pillow against the headboard and settling her against it.

“If you’re not going to sit on the sofa, at least lean back. You’ll ruin your back.”

Then, the King lay back down. But lying alone was boring. Eventually, he ended up sitting beside Lee-Jae, peeking at the page she was reading.

He didn’t want to bother or annoy her, but whenever he saw his wife, he couldn’t resist talking to her.

“Well, I suppose this is the kind of knowledge a Queen should have.”

“Yes.”

“But why exactly are you reading it?”

Lee-Jae chuckled.

“Because I lack that kind of knowledge.”

Was it because she had lost part of her memory? Because Hailey had no interest in history? Or was she truly just a beautiful airhead?

“Your Majesty.”

“Yeah?”

“Did the Melon and Russell families really attempt a rebellion?”

“To be precise, they were purged while still in the plotting stage. Unlike you, there are plenty of loose-lipped people in the world, and the royal family receives anonymous reports every day.”

Lee-Jae nodded.

“Then, was that when relations between the Duncan family and the Royal family started to sour?”

“Well, you could say they became a family to keep an eye on.”

Roderick gave a short nod, but the reality was far more complicated. After losing the ability to wield the sacred sword, the Blake Royal family had actively excluded those of Daemon descent from key government positions.

But having lost their own mysterious powers, the Blakes, too, must have felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

Confirming that the Queen truly had no knowledge of either the kingdom’s history or the noble families, Roderick let out a small laugh.

Well, she is at that age where she should’ve been playing.

Not that he’d mind if she played even more. A tiny, frail fox like her should be sleeping earlier and waking up later.

“What’s your plan for today?”

“Hmm, I’ll write in my journal a bit.”

But Roderick knew that despite saying so, Lee-Jae had never once actually written in her journal since coming to the palace. She only ever stared at it with a troubled expression.

Lee-Jae continued nonchalantly.

“And I’ll take a walk in the afternoon.”

Roderick gave up with a sigh of laughter. It was a small but desperate victory for Lee-Jae.

“If you don’t go for one day, will you grow horns on your backside or something?”

“Of course not.”

“Oh, speaking of which, should I check how much your tail has grown?”

Like he had done before, his hand playfully reached behind her. But just as she flinched, seemingly about to dodge, she suddenly stopped moving.

His fingertips barely brushed against her hip, but even in that brief moment, he could feel the unmistakable softness beneath them.

Roderick froze in complete shock.

“Uh… sorry.”

“…?”

“I didn’t mean to. I thought for sure you’d dodge. …Sorry.”

Roderick scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Seeing that, Lee-Jae found him a little endearing again and chuckled.

“Well, I think it’s fine if it’s just my butt.”

“…If you say things I want to hear like that, I’ll take your words seriously too.”

At that, Lee-Jae burst into laughter.

“But Your Majesty, you’re really good at holding back.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve heard that men sometimes find it hard to control themselves. That it’s difficult to restrain their urges.”

Roderick froze for a moment and stared at her.

“…Where the hell did you hear that kind of garbage? Who said that to you?”

He was ready to personally go and crush that part of the guy with his foot.

Finding her words utterly ridiculous, Roderick let out a dry laugh before speaking.

“And if they don’t hold back? What are they going to do then?”

“….”

“If the other person isn’t willing, are they going to force themselves on them?”

“….”

“If you ever come across bastards like that, lock them up in a room and beat them senseless for a few days. I promise, they’ll become experts at self-restraint in no time.”

Roderick ran a hand through his hair, clearly irritated by the topic. Watching his expression, Lee-Jae, who had been smiling uncertainly, asked,

“But why are you suddenly getting so angry?”

“Because you just said something stupid! Any decent man with a properly functioning brain would never act that way.”

“….”

“Don’t lump me in with those kinds of men. That would hurt my pride.”

“….”

“Honestly, if you had married some other weirdo, you’d be in serious trouble.”

Lee-Jae chuckled. He sure had a way of sounding affectionate even while scolding someone.

“Of course, if you love someone, it’s only natural to want to be with them that way. But that’s my problem, so you don’t need to worry about things like that. Otherwise, it’d make me seem like a pathetic man.”

“You just need to think about whether you want to or not, and let me know clearly. That’s all.”

“….”

“Hailey. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Lee-Jae smiled softly, and Roderick let out a sigh. After all that talking, he felt like he’d been completely played by her again.

Still, deep inside, a subtle anticipation began to bloom. They had more or less confirmed each other’s feelings, and his wife had certainly become more comfortable with physical affection than before. It felt like she was steadily opening her heart to him.

If that was the case, then maybe… maybe that day wasn’t too far off.

But until then, the suffering of a husband abstaining in his honeymoon phase was far from over.

 

All morning, Lee-Jae had been poring over her diary and history books, but now she found herself by the lakeside.

She was becoming increasingly comfortable talking with the Boy King. Lee-Jae had always been someone with many secrets, but in front of an inhuman existence, she didn’t feel the need to hide herself.

Sometimes, she wondered if this was what it felt like to confide in a friend.

Except… her friend was over five hundred years old.

Lee-Jae, get a grip. Getting too used to this situation would be a real problem.

“Why didn’t Hailey become a vengeful spirit and instead find peace?”

— Are you asking because you don’t know? Did you forget what I told you before?

Those who die with deep resentment become wraiths. Those who die with grand aspirations break the laws.

Lee-Jae narrowed her eyes at the Boy King.

“Pardon me for saying this, but…”

— Yeah, what?

“If I knew, would I be asking? It seemed like she had swallowed a lifetime of grudges by the spoonful.”

The Boy King let out a soft chuckle and sat beside her.

— Well, I suppose there must’ve been something more important to her than her personal regrets.

“And what exactly was that?”

The Boy King only shrugged. Feeling slightly annoyed, Lee-Jae absentmindedly drew a Bagua symbol in the dirt with a twig.

— Where did you even learn things like that?

“….”

— I’ve never seen symbols quite like those before.

“I was the kitchen maid of the greatest spiritualist of my time. It’s a shame I learned more about kitchen work than those little tricks, though.”

The two continued exchanging idle chatter. Even though the Boy King never really helped her directly, his presence alone gave her a sense of reassurance.

That’s what it meant to be an all-knowing existence.

Perhaps that’s why humans sought out gods, even when they received no answers.

Then suddenly, the Boy King, who had been gazing into the distance, spoke.

— Kang Lee-Jae. Lawrence is coming.

Lee-Jae followed his gaze and tensed.

Why is he looking at me like that again? So wistful…

She placed a hand over her chest, steadying herself. Noticing her reaction, the Boy King warned her.

— Don’t waver. That feeling isn’t yours, so don’t mistake it for your own.

“I already know.”

— Kang Lee-Jae. Your husband is a far better man than you think.

“…”

— Don’t break his heart. When a man’s pure devotion is wounded, that pain lingers for a very long time.

Lee-Jae, finding this a bit ridiculous, glanced at him and replied.

“In the place where I grew up, we have a saying.”

— …

“묘아동노서.”

— …

“It means, ‘A cat worrying about a mouse.’”

Understanding the meaning, the Boy King let out a small chuckle. But Lee-Jae clenched her fists and glared at him.

“If you were so concerned about my husband’s heartbreak, you should have stepped in and helped! You’re being completely insincere right now. Try having a bit of human compassion for once.”

— I’m not human. How could I possibly have human emotions?

“Wow. That’s so childish of you. Picking apart the words of a lowly human like me. Truly impressive.”

— What can I say? Your way of speaking is starting to sound more and more like Roderick’s.

“….”

— Anyway, Kang Lee-Jae. I care about Roderick more than you think.

Lee-Jae had sensed it too. In fact, that was why she kept clinging to this messy, lingering situation.

“Giving me false hope like that is even worse. It just makes me want to beg.”

— I don’t really like clingy women.

Hearing that, Lee-Jae made a face as if she were about to gag.

— But seeing you, I completely understand how Roderick feels. I suppose this is what it means to stumble upon your type by chance.

“Don’t even dream of it. I’m not the type to cheat on my husband. People should have morals and loyalty.”

— No love, though?

“….”

— Oh? You’re not denying it now? And here I thought you were just a kind-hearted physician pitying a wounded patient.

Smiling as if he found her amusing, the Boy King simply shrugged—then vanished into thin air.

Left staring at the empty space, Lee-Jae slowly turned to look at Lawrence.

Her mind was in turmoil.

She couldn’t just tell him that the Hailey he once knew was dead. A normal human wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. The moment he learned that such a world existed, his life would never be the same.

Troubled, Lee-Jae suddenly shot up from her seat.

People began whispering, watching the Queen’s sudden movement.

Then, without warning, she turned her back on Lawrence and bolted away at full speed.

It was a clear signal: Don’t talk to me.

The maids and knights widened their eyes as they watched the Queen scurry away with her small strides, dashing as fast as she could. Startled, they hurriedly followed after her.