「History is destined to repeat itself.
So long as the balance of power endures.
— From “A Letter to Future Kings,” page 103」
* * *
The King rested his chin on his hand as he listened to the report.
“The Kingdom of Bodore is requesting a peace treaty and trade agreement.”
“Isn’t Bodore one of the main targets of our southern expansion policy?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Roderick let out a thoughtful “Hmm.” Cayenne and Bodore had already clashed militarily a few times, given Bodore’s proximity to the southern border. But right now, Cayenne was tangled in problems along the western frontier. Was it wise to pursue southern expansion during times like these?
This time, Roderick looked toward Duke Duncan. Albert Duncan was stationed in the south, after all.
Those damn Duncans. Ah—excluding his adorable little Duncan, of course.
‘Should I just strip him of his chance to earn military merit?’
It was a tempting thought, and it had its justification. The west required their full attention right now.
After a moment of deliberation, Roderick spoke.
“This matter is difficult to judge at once. We’ll convene again to discuss it further with each department. Bring your opinions prepared.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He continued.
“On that note—relieve the deputy commander of the Western Army from his concurrent post. The 2nd Knight Division Commander will assume the Commander’s role. The 1st Division Commander will temporarily serve as acting commander for the 2nd Division.”
The nobles stirred. This appointment clearly reflected personal bias.
The knight divisions were a pro-king force—extensions of the King himself. But even with that bias, there was no denying their competence. There were no warriors or tacticians in Cayenne to match them.
And the King wasn’t finished.
“The Prince is to return for a short time at my command.”
Opposition rose immediately. Where the pro-king faction and the anti-king faction had no fight, they would create one—and this was an excellent opportunity.
“Your Majesty, we’re dealing with the Daemon Restoration Forces. Having a Royal family member at the border carries powerful symbolic weight.”
“It may lower troop morale.”
Though not wrong, Roderick nodded.
“I’m not saying he’ll remain here permanently.”
“…”
“The Prince is a distinguished scholar. Especially in military history—he’s written detailed records on border affairs. I want to hear his opinion firsthand. Is there anyone here who can explain the border situation better than he can?”
“…”
“How about the military? Must I say I’m dissatisfied with the reports you’ve been submitting?”
“…”
“Make a proper argument next time if you want to object. Otherwise, I’ll have to start calling people out.”
Roderick swept the room with his gaze. He was giving others a chance to speak. Then, with a nod, he concluded,
“That’s enough for today. I’m leaving.”
After the King exited, murmurs filled the council chamber.
In the center of it all, the Duke of Duncan sat deep in thought, his face serene.
His plan to use the Queen as a stepping stone into the inner circle of power was crumbling. And lately, the emotionally stabilized King was ruthlessly crushing the anti-king faction.
The Duke needed a new way forward. He closed his eyes tightly.
After about an hour of meditating by the lakeside, Lee-Jae suddenly opened her eyes wide. She turned to the Boy King floating beside her and said,
“My husband seems… really possessive.”
When there was no reply, she looked up to the right—and saw the Boy King trembling, trying to suppress his laughter.
Lee-Jae turned her head back to stare blankly at the lake. Her eyes had lost focus.
“It’s getting kind of scary these days. He won’t leave me alone at night.”
— Hot
The Boy King whistled. Thinking the sound was for him, the white horse nearby neighed loudly.
“That’s not what I meant. He just… watches me until I fall asleep. Sometimes, he brings his work into my room during the day too. When I wake up from a nap, he’s sitting next to me, staring.”
Every time, Lee-Jae flinched. It felt no different from sleep paralysis.
— Maybe he just wants to be with you during the day, too. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Lee-Jae shook her head, as if that wasn’t it.
“That’s not all. If I’m brewing medicine, he stays beside me the whole time, watching until I’m done. And it’s not like he talks much either—he just sits there, lost in thought, staring at me. Why is he doing this?”
What did she even do wrong?
This is the first time she had ever received this much attention in her life.
Honestly, it was kind of overwhelming.
Lee-Jae looked dead serious, but the Boy King looked entirely unimpressed.
— Figure it out yourself. Why are you telling me this?
“Didn’t you say you were basically like a father-in-law? Then who else am I supposed to vent to?”
— Married couples should deal with their own issues. Don’t drag someone else into it.
He shook his head like she was being ridiculous. Still, he half-defended Roderick.
— Sure, the guy used to be crazy, but he’s not the jealous type. That’s not who Roderick is.
“I never said he was jealous. Typical. Siding with your own.”
— What’s that supposed to mean?
“It means you take your own descendant’s side. I wasn’t expecting anything from you anyway. And for the record, he wasn’t crazy back then.”
— So you’re siding with him, too.
Out of arguments, Lee-Jae nodded meekly. Yeah. I guess I am on his side.
But Roderick had lately been doing everything he could to stay close to her—unless he absolutely had to be elsewhere. The concept of personal space was all but gone. It seemed he truly meant to live out the ideals of his vision of marriage that he’d once mentioned.
Still, that wasn’t what made Lee-Jae so uneasy. She did enjoy being with Roderick. The problem was that she couldn’t get any of her work done anymore.
She muttered with a trace of regret, “I was so close to finishing.”
With just a couple more rounds, she could’ve fully purified the room. But the King, who used to tell her to do whatever she wanted, had become unexpectedly firm lately.
Roderick wasn’t the kind of man who used force with Lee-Jae. Even when playing around—like grabbing her arm or hooking her leg—he’d always be gentle. He treated her like someone who could break at the slightest touch.
But these days, even that had changed. If Lee-Jae so much as hinted at getting out of bed, he’d wrap himself around her and refuse to let go.
Once, when she tried to get up for a drink of water, he brought the cup to her lips himself.
That was when Lee-Jae realized the situation had become serious.
Lately, she lived like a little fox caught by a great beast.
“I’m not even sick, but he keeps telling me to rest. I’m not sleepy, but he keeps telling me to sleep. What am I supposed to do about this?”
The Boy King gave a soft snort of laughter. He, too, had once been human—but perhaps too much time had passed.
He found the incomplete love games of these humans both trivial and endearing.
Lee-Jae was willing to sacrifice herself if it meant Roderick wouldn’t be hurt.
But Roderick… even the mere idea—even just the intuition—that Lee-Jae might be sacrificing something for him made him bristle. He would rather be the one to suffer a little pain.
Kang Lee-Jae. That heart of yours… is what’s making you both stronger.
The Boy King found it amusing that this human before him understood that truth, and yet didn’t seem to grasp the situation unfolding right before her.
— Kang Lee-Jae. Do you really think the problem is just that room?
“What do you mean?”
— If sealing it was enough, then why would Roderick still be dragging those spirits around everywhere else?
Lee-Jae nodded.
“I know. That’s why I’ve been handling each spirit one by one before putting up the barrier. Otherwise, I’d have just temporarily banished them and thrown up a seal.”
— Hmm. Not a bad plan.
“And if I can at least cleanse that room, maybe he can sleep in peace. Honestly, he’s not the kind of person who’d fall apart just because of some vengeful ghosts—as long as he can get through the night.”
The Boy King shrugged, as if to say, Then what’s the problem?
— So sleep in your room together. You already are. Roderick’s doing just fine.
“….”
— Not just because he’s my descendant, but the Blake bloodline is pretty sharp. They all inherited my instincts.
It was an annoying, smug family boast. Lee-Jae pouted for a moment, then picked at the skin around her nails as she replied,
“But I might not live that long. So I should at least set up a few safe zones. It’s not like he’s going to stay in my room forever.”
Now that was an unfortunate thing to say.
— It’s exactly because you’re thinking like that that Roderick won’t leave your side. Don’t you get it? You keep triggering his protective instincts. This situation isn’t entirely his fault.
Still, the Boy King gave her a couple of encouraging pats on the back.
For some reason, Lee-Jae felt like she’d just earned his sympathy. Seizing the moment, she smiled politely at her husband’s ancestral spirit and asked,
“Then… if it’s not the room, what is the problem?”
Why is my husband sick in the first place? He’s supposed to be incredibly lucky, you know?
She put her hands together, her face sweet and sincere.
But the five-hundred-year-old ghost wasn’t swayed by such shallow tricks.
— Cute.
Lee-Jae immediately picked up a twig.
“If I die, at least I’ll never become a heartless ghost like you.”
— Try being in my position. See if it’s that easy.
“Well, still… since you’ve been a good listener today, I’ll write you a good charm.”
Lee-Jae began to scribble something on the dirt, her brow dotted with beads of sweat. Curious about the unfamiliar markings, the Boy King leaned in.
— “What’s that?”
“A charm for health and long life.”
It’s the most popular one among people who come to the shrine.
Which goes to show—health really is what people want most.
The statistics are very clear on that.
But the being in front of her was no human.
— And just how much longer do you expect me to live?
The Boy King looked genuinely annoyed. It was the first time she’d seen that expression on his face. And for the first time, Lee-Jae felt like she’d gotten the better of him. She smiled faintly.
Then the Boy King pointed somewhere past her with his finger, and Lee-Jae turned her head.
In the distance, the King’s entourage was approaching.
