FYH Chapter 75

When Lee-Jae arrived, breathless, at the King’s chamber, everything outside was deathly still.

The Knight Commander standing guard turned to her.

“Your Majesty the Queen, is something the matter?”

But she didn’t even have time to respond.

The cold aura of malevolence was seeping out through the door—that meant the barrier was already breaking down.

What in the world could have descended on this place to cause such a thing?

Lee-Jae shoved past the people in her way and rushed into the room—

Only to collapse to her knees the moment she crossed the threshold.

It was a spiritly energy unlike anything she had ever felt before.

With trembling hands pressed to her lips, she whispered:

“Oh God… What is that?”

There was only one vengeful spirit that had broken through the barrier.

But it was massive—and more grotesque than anything she had ever laid eyes on.

Its long, clawed fingers were wrapped tightly around the King’s throat.

Thick black fur matted its entire body, rising in jagged tufts like needles.

It was something closer to a monster than a human.

When the spirit sensed her presence, it turned its head toward her.

Its eyes were blood-red, its face overgrown with that same coarse fur.

Lee-Jae shuddered violently.

She shook her head over and over—there was no way she could handle something like that.

But if the barrier completely broke here, it would draw even more spirits to this place.

Still trembling, she began rolling the prayer beads on her bracelet, trying to think.

If only I’d prepared more talismans…

If only I had more tools…

A bow.

A sacred bell.

A divine dagger.

Peach wood to drive out evil spirits.

She had none of those things right now.

But amid the flood of thoughts rushing through her mind, one idea passed by like a spark.

“Peach wood… the tree.”

Lee-Jae bolted from the room and grabbed onto the Knight Commander.

“J-Jade. Please, move His Majesty to Arthur’s Forest. Just to the edge…”

“Your Majesty, what is going on?”

“I have to… I have to get him there… Oh god, what do I do…”

“Your Majesty.”

Still rambling, Lee-Jae pulled Jade into the King’s chamber.

She had to explain the King’s condition—quietly, away from others.

If anyone would believe her, it was him.

A man who would never betray the King—a friend.

Jade’s face turned grim.

The King looked like he was simply sleeping, peacefully.

But Lee-Jae saw it all.

She saw the divine energy barely clinging to the King’s body, trying to protect it.

She saw the Royal life force steadily being drained.

“That thing is choking him.”

It was no different from a reaper.

Even if someone woke him up now, the King wouldn’t be able to open his eyes.

If this went on through the night, he would die—

Just like a healthy man suddenly dropping dead for no apparent reason.

Then, the monster suddenly released its grip on the King’s neck.

Immediately, the King’s energy and breathing eased, becoming calmer than ever.

The demon looked straight at Lee-Jae and sneered—a sly, twisted smile.

It wanted to confuse her, to deceive Jade and the King’s men.

To make them believe nothing was wrong. To make them distrust her.

And then, it came for her too.

— You’re alone.

“…”

— You always have been. And always will be.

“…”

— You know it. You’re filthy.

Lee-Jae let go of Jade’s hand.

Staggering backward under the sharp weight of the malice bearing down on her, she lowered her gaze, tears brimming in her eyes. But soon, her trembling eyes turned back toward the King.

If I give in to words like that… he goes down with me.

She couldn’t stand the thought of bringing defeat to someone she loved.

Lee-Jae shut her eyes tight, steadying her heart.

‘Acknowledge it—but do not yield.’

‘Overcome yourself and press forward.’

Despite her shaking limbs, she glared at the demon.

‘Yes, I know. But don’t you dare drag innocent people into your filth, wretched thing.’

Then she turned on her heel and ran from the room.

She sprinted with all her strength toward the forest.

Arthur’s Forest was the heart of the House of Cayenne. It was said to resonate most closely with the King’s innate spiritual energy.

Her still-healing leg forced her to limp and stumble, and she groped along the dark forest floor in search of even a fallen branch. But tonight, the sacred forest was pristine. The trees towered tall, every inch of them beyond reach.

Eventually, she reached for a nearby tree and tried to shake it.

And then, a warning flashed through her mind:

— Do not harm it.

— Kang Lee-Jae. Remember this. You cannot contain that power.

A cold wind blew.

The sound of rustling leaves clashed like whispers of gods.

She had known it since the first time she’d seen this forest—

That it was a place meant to bring her to her knees.

Lee-Jae hesitated, head bowed low—

Then bit her lip hard.

“What does it matter anymore? So what if I’m cursed? My whole life’s been nothing but punishment.”

She was on the verge of tears, but she grabbed the tree and shook it anyway.

When it didn’t budge, she kicked it with her injured foot.

Pain shot through her twisted ankle and knocked her off balance, but even after she fell, she clung to the trunk and kept shaking.

Only a few leaves drifted down in response.

That was when she felt it—

A powerful presence.

As she lifted her tear-streaked face, the Boy King stood before her, staring down with a blank expression.

Lee-Jae immediately dropped to her knees and bowed low.

“Please… save him. Just this once. I’ll do anything you ask.”

The Boy King said nothing.

His face was colder than usual.

But then he sighed, and snapped off a branch, tossing it before her.

— This is really all I can give you. Go.

“…”

— Kang Lee-Jae. I am not your guardian spirit.

The words made no sense.

He was Roderick’s guardian spirit—and the one she was trying to save was Roderick.

But Lee-Jae only wiped her eyes, then bowed deeply to him again.

She picked up the branch and straightened her clothes.

And this time, she bent at the waist in a full, reverent bow.

 

When the Queen appeared once again, people were visibly perplexed. The fact that she was cradling a tree branch so dearly only added fuel to the suspicions.

She always looked at cute doll-like things with thinly veiled distaste—yet she clutched that wooden stick as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Lee-Jae silently scanned their faces and tried to step into the room. Jade gently held onto the edge of her sleeve. He knew it was disrespectful, but he had no other way to stop her.

“Your Majesty… please, tell me what’s going on. I wish you’d explain.”

“…”

“I’ve checked for myself. His Majesty is sleeping peacefully.”

To Jade, it seemed even the once composed Queen had fallen into madness. And truthfully, Lee-Jae was half out of her mind.

She shook off the Knight Commander’s hand and stepped into the room.

“I want to be alone with him—no one must come in!”

Locking all the doors behind her, she immediately turned to the King’s bed.

Lee-Jae knew she was the only one in the castle who could see this.

And if that were true, then it had to be her who dealt with it.

It would make no sense for someone born with a shaman’s aura to borrow the hands of the ordinary.

But she was still human. And sometimes, this life felt unbearable. Terrifying.

Selfishly, she sometimes thought:

‘If only others could see what I see.’

She knew that wish alone was a sin.

Was it really true that pain shared is pain halved? She wanted to know.

Lee-Jae slowly approached the demon.

“Who the hell sent you to the mortal realm? You don’t belong here.”

— …

“Who’s casting death curses in this room?”

This level of demon wasn’t something just anyone could summon. Compared to this, the curse cast on her room had just been misdirection—a distraction.

As if someone knew the inner workings of the castle.

“Was it the Duke?”

The demon, still clutching the King’s neck, slowly turned its head at her question. Its expression had clearly changed.

It was because of the Royal branch Lee-Jae now held.

Peach trees were auspicious. Her ancestors had long used their wood and blossoms to banish evil spirits.

But the tree rooted in Arthur’s Forest for generations held a far more powerful, sacred aura. Though only a substitute for a proper ritual tool, it was potent enough to be worth the risk of divine punishment.

“Auspicious energy, gather like clouds. Let fire rise high.”

With a tense expression, Lee-Jae recited the chant:

“All manner of blessed energies, gather here at this end like clouds. Let all different forces harmonize and form one perfect unity.”

Truthfully, she didn’t even know if this would work. She’d never tried this before.

But she continued to pour her energy into the royal tree—

Willing her aura and the King’s lineage to converge at its tip and merge in harmony.

Lee-Jae placed the branch by the bedside, among the ancestral totems.

Suddenly, a line of deep, dark blood trickled from the King’s lips.

The demon’s malice was beginning to drain out of him.

Just the sight of it made her shudder and want to turn away.

She couldn’t understand how he’d survived with something like that inside him.

But then, a torrent of fierce energy burst from his body.

It was the energy of the Royal bloodline—one that dispelled darkness and evil.

“That’s it.”

Confirming that the demon had moved toward the wall, Lee-Jae hurriedly brought the Yeomra idol. The most crucial ritual still remained.

The demon’s appearance was horrifying beyond words, but Lee-Jae took a deep breath.

“Honestly, I don’t even know anymore—who’s defying the heavens here? You or me.”

— You still don’t get it? The King should’ve been dead a long time ago. You, too.

The demon sneered at her, its mouth stretching unnaturally. But Lee-Jae only nodded, replying calmly.

“Maybe. I really don’t know. My sight isn’t that far-reaching.”

— …

“If, like you said, I’m the one going against the heavens, then I’ll be punished, won’t I? Choosing someone’s side… it’s harder than I thought.”

— …

“To fight alongside someone means to bear something for them.”

Lee-Jae steadied herself once again.

This wasn’t a fight any ordinary shaman would’ve chosen. Shamans held an unspoken rule: do not defy the will of the heavens. They never stepped in where their clarity and ability did not reach.

Which meant, paradoxically, that this was something she could do only because she wanted to be on his side.

She didn’t need any other reason.

“Seeing what is right and doing it without hesitation is true courage. True courage is doing what must be done.”

With that, she struck the demon’s foot with the Yeomra idol.

The moment it hit, the demon lunged at her—it was no mere wandering spirit.

But Lee-Jae didn’t back down. She blocked it with her prayer bead bracelet.

Then she pulled out a talisman from her robes, lit a candle, and began burning the paper in front of the demon. Her lips moved non-stop, murmuring the incantation.

Meanwhile, outside, the people had grown alarmed. A burning scent had reached them, and they began murmuring.

“Your Majesty, is something wrong? We’re coming in. Please forgive the intrusion!”

“I told you not to come in!”

She snapped, sharp as a blade, and continued burning the talismans.

Blood dripped steadily from the demon’s eyes. With every spasm, its fur rippled grotesquely.

But Lee-Jae had only a few talismans left. Her breathing had already grown ragged from exhaustion.

Shutting her eyes tightly for a moment, she tore off part of her skirt. Then, biting down on her finger, she began to write a talisman with her own blood.

This was the last chance. If this failed, even if the King survived, she might not.

Evil spirits always sought the weakest target.

Lee-Jae flung the blood-stained cloth over the demon and set it alight with the candle.

“The heart of one who protects another… cannot be defeated.”

A terrible scream tore through the room. Lee-Jae trembled but pressed on, driving the spirit toward the wall.

“Even if you return as a spirit, you will not be able to harm him. Wicked one, you will never harm the human king.”

And when the last blood-written talisman had burned completely—

There was nothing left in that space.

She had done it. She had finally banished the dreadful demon.

“Haah…”

Lee-Jae collapsed onto the floor. A dry cough wracked her chest, tinged with blood. She tried to hold it in, but a thick wave rose up, and blood spilled from her lips.

She looked toward the King.

Blood still trickled faintly from his mouth, just like her.

And when a sudden, unfamiliar wave of emotion surged up, Lee-Jae buried her face in her hands.

And in that moment, a childlike sob burst free.

 

The King awoke three days later.