FYH Chapter 83

Lee-Jae woke with a start, stirred by a ticklish sensation at the nape of her neck. The King was holding her close, using her arm as a pillow, and had his face buried against her neck.

Roderick was deeply inhaling her scent over and over again.

“Ugh—what are you doing now?”

“Centering myself. Or was it called ‘meditative purification’ or something?”

Ever since he’d heard that she helped clear his mind, Roderick had been making jokes like that. He’d really started using the excuse anywhere, anytime.

“That’s not what this is.”

“Says who?”

“It’s just because of the talisman and the chants, that’s all.”

“How strange. I say I feel calmer when I’m like this, and yet you’re the one deciding how I’m supposed to feel?”

“…”

“And yet you said I shouldn’t judge your preferences.”

He glanced pointedly at the wooden bracelet on her wrist as he replied.

Left with nothing to say, Lee-Jae stayed quiet, while Roderick grinned mischievously at his little fox who’d just handed him an opening.

He buried his nose in her neck again and inhaled like it was a natural sedative.

Lee-Jae shuddered—it was just too ticklish.

Why did he always have to breathe there? Was the scent different in that spot or something?

Truthfully, she still wasn’t used to this kind of pleasure.

The way unfamiliar sensations awakened inside her was dizzying—sometimes even frightening.

Restraint seemed to vanish somewhere far away, and she found herself constantly succumbing to desire.

Lee-Jae wondered—

Was this how everyone in the world have always made love? With such burning longing for one another, to the point that nothing else matters?

Eventually, unable to stand the ticklish feeling any longer, she turned and pushed him away.

“Stop it. It feels weird.”

“You didn’t know? I want it to feel weird.”

As the King started teasing her again, Lee-Jae gave him a sharp look.

“Wow. Just now you said it was to help you relax, and now you’re saying something completely different?”

“…”

“I didn’t believe you then either.”

Roderick let out a laugh, covering his mouth. He knew he should stop teasing her—but her indignant little fox-like expression was just too adorable.

He pulled her into his arms and leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed against his chest in protest.

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t. I’m not in the mood.”

“Then I’ll get you in the mood. I’ll try. I can do it.”

Lee-Jae gave a stunned little laugh—it was just too ridiculous.

Seizing that moment, Roderick swooped in and nipped at her lips.

It was just one more in a long string of kisses. Since she’d said she had important things to do that evening, he’d been using kisses to soothe his regret instead of asking for more.

At this point, they were both wondering if they shouldn’t have just gone for another round.

After a while, Roderick finally pulled back from their tangled tongues and wiped the saliva from her lips with his thumb.

“Be honest with me.”

“About what?”

“Your saliva must have some kind of effect too, right?”

What was he saying now?

Lee-Jae clenched her little fists and trembled with frustration.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“No, think about it. There must be something to it.”

“I’m telling you, there’s not!”

Despite her outburst, Roderick answered smoothly,

“Strange. Why wouldn’t there be? Every time we kiss, I feel like I’m floating. I get this crazy burst of energy. I’m pretty sure I’m right.”

“…”

“Tears, too.”

“…”

“Yeah, those too, I think.”

He wiped the damp corners of her eyes, then brushed her lips again with his thumb.

His gaze drifted downward for a moment before returning.

Lee-Jae’s eyes instinctively followed his—and once she realized where he’d been looking, she could take no more.

“Ughhh, Your Majesty, please stop.”

The little fox finally roared—but muffled behind her hands, it lacked any real bite.

“Stop what?”

“Talking like some pervert since earlier!”

Roderick gave a shrug.

“My lady underestimates me. Your husband isn’t like a pervert. He is one.”

“Can’t you at least not admit it that easily?”

With a teary face, Lee-Jae yanked the covers up and hid beneath them.

She could usually handle his teasing—but not in bed. Her husband had zero chill when it came to this.

He always let her win during the day, but here? He never let anything slide.

Roderick lifted the blanket slightly and asked,

“Why are you hiding again? You said you weren’t embarrassed about this stuff now that you’re married.”

“No, I take it back. I was wrong. My big mouth got ahead of itself.”

“Feel free to flap that big mouth. I’ll just try harder.”

Lee-Jae ground her teeth.

“I told you, Your Majesty, that you’re not allowed to try harder—”

“Why stop there? Didn’t I say I would try harder?”

“…”

“There are no limits to this kind of imagination.”

As he kept teasing her nonstop, Lee-Jae finally snapped and smacked his solid arm with her palm. Roderick let out a dramatically pained groan.

“Now you’re hitting me?”

“…”

“You’re not even going to ask if it hurt?”

“Your Majesty, let’s be real. Did that actually hurt?”

Roderick looked impressed.

“Wow. The rate at which you’re growing is blinding.”

“…”

“I want to go around bragging—‘this is my wife.’”

Lee-Jae clamped her mouth shut, while Roderick chuckled and pressed little kisses to her temple and cheek.

He’d been toggling between teasing, coaxing, and kissing her nonstop.

He looked like a man completely smitten, unsure what to do with himself.

Lee-Jae squinted up at the barrage of kisses and thought:

So this is what they mean by sweet and salty mixed together. His mischief and tenderness live side by side.

Sigh… but what am I supposed to do? He’s so gentle, I can’t even stay mad when he teases me like this.

Her cheeks puffed slightly in a sulk, and the little apricot-colored fox made her final attempt at defense: flight.

“I’m going back to sleep. Wake me in an hour. No, tell Deborah.”

“I’ll wake you myself. Don’t worry, just sleep.”

She nodded and promptly buried herself under the blanket.

The King found it utterly adorable and wrapped her up—blanket and all—in his arms.

He wanted to crawl into the fox’s den with her, but he knew if he did, he’d lose all self-restraint.

With a soft chuckle, he lifted the covers slightly—just enough to give his little fox an air hole.

 

* * *

 

Lee-Jae had overslept after spending the entire night putting up talismans and erecting a barrier in her bedroom. Roderick, who had come to see her at the crack of dawn, clicked his tongue as he studied her closely.

The two had gone back and forth for quite a while the night before.

‘But if you use those again, aren’t you going to end up bedridden for days?’

‘Just using them is fine. I’m only hoping I won’t have to activate them.’

‘You’re really okay? If you’re lying again, I’m going to be mad.’

‘I told you, I’m fine.’

‘…Can’t you just not do it?’

‘Ugh, seriously. It’s making me anxious—just go wait outside. No, actually, sleep somewhere else tonight.’

Resolute, Lee-Jae had shoved a few talismans into his hand, and the couple ended up sleeping in separate rooms.

Roderick had been worried, of course, but since she kept insisting she was fine, he’d reluctantly let it go. He didn’t understand any of this spiritual stuff to begin with.

But now that he’d come to check on her… it was obvious she’d lied again. If everything were really fine, her face wouldn’t be that pale.

“…What am I going to do with you?”

He sat at the edge of her bed, listening to the rhythm of her breathing. Worried she might be cold again, he gently touched her here and there with the back of his hand. Eventually, he took her small hand in his.

Lee-Jae, still asleep, jolted the moment she felt someone interlock their fingers with hers—like a startled child having a bad dream. She blinked awake, disoriented, then murmured groggily when she realized who it was.

“…Why are you bothering someone who’s sleeping just fine?”

“Did I scare you? Sorry.”

Instead of replying, she buried her face into the back of his hand. Roderick let out a low laugh at her whining—it reminded him of a baby fox throwing a sleepy tantrum.

But really, what she meant was: Please don’t touch me right now.

“I was just worried. Go back to sleep.”

“…No, I’m getting up.”

“Don’t. Just a little longer, okay?”

“…”

“It’s alright. Sleep a bit more.”

Roderick gently patted Lee-Jae’s chest. Once her breathing finally settled into a steady rhythm, he carefully slipped a pillow beneath the back of her head.

Looking down at her soft wheezing, he let out a deep sigh. He could tell without a doubt—her condition was not normal.

Putting his wife to sleep was never an easy task. She didn’t need much sleep to begin with, and once she was awake, it was rare for her to doze off again. Usually, if she woke up at dawn, she would begin her day with meditation. She seemed to believe in starting each day with a cleansed body and mind.

But now, she had fallen back asleep in an instant and didn’t even notice him adjusting her pillow. That could only mean one thing—her body was truly unwell.

“I told you to stop lying… You never listen.”

Roderick felt sick at heart. Not because she had lied to him again.

It was the shame of feeling like a powerless husband hiding behind his wife’s shield.

Even during the days when he was falling apart, branded a mad tyrant for his violent outbursts, he hadn’t felt this kind of despair. Watching Lee-Jae willingly take on hardship in his place—this was what he couldn’t bear.

He gently smoothed out her hair, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and stood from the bed.

Then, he slowly looked around the room.

Perhaps because there was no longer a need to hide it, Lee-Jae had placed talismans in plain sight all over the space.

He walked closer and examined each of the markings carefully. He still didn’t know what they meant, but even he could sense it—the energy in the room felt calm and stable.

With a small nod, Roderick made his way to the table next.

It was covered in items reflecting her recent interests. One by one, he picked them up and flipped through them. A hand-copied manuscript of a royal family-exclusive ancient text. Talismans with meanings he still couldn’t decipher. Five carving knives and a half-finished sculpture. And Hailey Duncan’s diary.

‘She said there were over ten volumes… Why are there only a few?’

It was her diary from the past three years. The rest were stored in the study. The reason Lee-Jae kept returning to just these last three years… was because that span of time felt unmoored to her.

Puzzled, Roderick picked up the diary and returned to the bed.