**Chapter 3**
After the ceremony and the banquet, the king was resting in the guest room behind the banquet hall. He had already downed two glasses of strong liquor.
The First Knight Commander, refilling his glass, asked, “What do you think?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” the king replied.
People were starting to talk about Hailey Duncan, who had just become queen.
“You should try to win her over to our side. You have that much charm, Your Majesty,” the First Knight Commander suggested.
The king looked at the commander as if he couldn’t believe it. “No matter how young and innocent she is, she’s still a Duncan. It’s not going to be easy. And honestly, I don’t think she’s that innocent.”
He shook his head, swirling his drink as he fell deep into thought.
“Do you really think it was Duke Duncan’s doing?”
The royal faction was suspicious of the Duncans after the women they were discussing mysteriously died. It was pretty well-known that the duke wanted to become the king’s father-in-law after being cornered in politics.
The lack of an heir was a political weakness for the king, and if two potential brides hadn’t died suddenly, he wouldn’t have created such a powerful family connection.
If Hailey Duncan made it to the palace alive, there would be plenty of reason to suspect the Duncan family. But if she died, it would raise the possibility that someone else was behind it.
They kept a close watch on Hailey.
But while she had fallen into the water, she had survived.
It wasn’t someone’s scheme, but it seemed like she had no intention of becoming queen.
The royal faction started brainstorming how they could use her as a card.
As the king emptied his glass, the chamberlain carefully poured him some amber-colored liquor and asked, “Your Majesty, shouldn’t you be leaving soon?”
The king chuckled dismissively. “Why? Do you think I’d abandon my bride on the first night?”
If necessary, he could do that.
That’s just how kings are.
But what his attendants were truly concerned about wasn’t the groom’s manners.
Roderick Ferus Blarec.
But his insomnia, which was getting worse.
Rumors were circulating that he was going insane, and even his close aides were finding it hard to deny those rumors.
As the night grew deeper and the king continued to down stronger drinks, the concern of those around him grew. The First Knight Commander spoke up again.
“Even if we can’t bring her to our side, please don’t treat her too harshly. It won’t benefit anyone to act tough.”
“Hmm…”
“On the other hand, isn’t it a bit harsh for her?”
The commander was a close friend of him who had trained under the same master as the king, and he was one of the king’s main supporters. He didn’t have any fondness for the Duncans either.
He just hoped that for today, the king’s mood would be a bit lighter, considering it was his wedding day.
It wouldn’t be a sweet marriage for either of them, but still, today was the first night for the couple.
But Roderick raised an eyebrow. “…harsh? I’m not sure that’s a valid point, but it doesn’t really fit your position.”
“Your Majesty, she’s still just a young lady. Hailey, no, I mean, the Queen—got caught up in the chess game between you and the Duke.”
“And Hailey Duncan is just a pawn in the duke’s chess game.”
“And people generally think she’s pretty delicate.”
The king had received reports about it and had heard those rumors.
But he narrowed his eyes, as if deep in thought.
As he tilted his small glass on the table, he frowned and smiled.
“Well, I don’t think that’s entirely true. She trembles but still speaks her mind.”
“…Anyway, if you handle her well, I believe you won’t lose anything, Your Majesty.”
Clicking his tongue, Roderick pushed his glass aside and stood up.
“It’s a long night tonight. But she’s still a Duncan. Keep someone near her in the queen’s quarters, and don’t let your guard down.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I’m leaving, so don’t follow me.”
The commander bowed to their king as he left the room.
The king walked out gracefully, his posture straight, and he seemed clear-headed.
He didn’t seem in a particularly bad mood.
In fact, he might have even been feeling better than usual.
Perhaps this marriage wasn’t as terrible as he’d feared. After all, Hailey Duncan was beautiful.
The unfortunate incidents that happened every time a marriage was discussed had become a sore spot for the royal family, so it made sense.
The people left in the guest room sighed in mixed relief.
But behind the lonely figure of the king walking down the corridor, dark energy began to swirl.
The king’s nerves started to turn hostile again.
Haliey let out a small sigh. Somehow, she ended up getting married.
As the king had requested, she wore the crown.
But even after the ceremony and the banquet were over, the maids were still busy.
There was another important procedure left that was just as significant as the wedding itself. It was the first night.
While the maids were getting her ready, the head maid kept glancing at her.
Hailey Duncan was a 21-year-old young lady who had just entered high society.
Still, she was somewhat known in the social world.
The Duncan family, with distant ancestors from a foreign race, was famous for producing beautiful people, regardless of gender.
She was also known for her bright and innocent personality.
Those who wanted to belittle her had given her the nickname “pretty fool.”
But today, Hailey looked so calm that it actually seemed like something was bothering her.
The maids wondered if the dark rumors about her trying to drown herself instead of just dealing with a fever might actually be true.
“We’ll be waiting outside. If you need anything, just call. His Majesty will be here soon,” one of the maids said, her voice full of concern.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but you shouldn’t speak to us so formally anymore.”
Haliey felt a jolt when she realized she had instinctively used formal language, as she would with an older person. But the head maid didn’t seem to mind and patiently waited for her reply, keeping a respectful demeanor.
“I’ll… try my best.”
After the headmaid bowed and left, Haliey sighed deeply and stood in front of the mirror.
She was actually feeling a bit awkward.
It was for a different reason than what the head maid thought.
The real issue was the outfit she was wearing, which strongly hinted at what was to come.
“Is this even considered wearing clothes, or would it be more accurate to say I’m undressed?” she muttered, looking at the slip that clung to her body, almost transparent.
Haliey was twenty-five, but she had no experience in that area.
She had never seriously dated a guy.
Following her guardian, Yong San Halmae, through the countryside and remote villages, there just hadn’t been any chances.
Even if she had lived in a big city, the outcome might have been the same, but that was just a convenient excuse—an honorable one, at least.
People often talk about an “honorable death.”
But she didn’t have a strong aversion to relationships. In fact, she was som what willing.
It wasn’t out of curiosity or desire, but because she’d encountered many types of spirits, and the grudges of virgin ghosts and bachelors were particularly deep.
Haliey sometimes wondered.
How significant could that part of life be that being single means you have to suffer even after death?
What crime did being single commit to deserve such a fate?
She was willing to try it out a couple of times before she died for a more fulfilling afterlife.
But Haliey sighed again.
“This… can’t possibly be comforting.”
Her life had always been tough and full of ups and downs.
But things seemed to have gotten even worse since she arrived here.
Everything had become so chaotic.
“How did it get to this point?” she muttered, feeling a sudden surge of resentment toward her fate. But she tried to calm herself by staring at the unfamiliar face in the mirror.
However, her attempt to regain composure quickly failed.
Haliey stood there with her mouth slightly open, staring at the door.
The king was leaning against the door frame, and his appearance, which had seemed neat during the wedding, now looked very strange.
And he wasn’t alone—he had brought with him a massive number of spirits, far more than when he had visited the Duncan estate.
“No way, what on earth…”
What have you been doing behind the scenes?
Have you been to a battlefield or something?
Did you sneak off to a cemetery alone at night?
Haliey, feeling flustered, widened her eyes and tried to focus only on the king’s face like before. She also tried to think positively.
“So, you’re the Queen now,” the King said, his piercing blue eyes staring directly at her.
“………”
“The Duke sure is busy trading his children,” he added.
The king, with his bright blue eyes, looked closely at Haliey as he stumbled toward the bed. He looked like he had a bad headache, holding one hand against his forehead.
Up until that point, Haliey had been staring blankly at the mirror, but she soon came back to reality and glanced at the door. She could see the worried faces of the maids through the open door.
In that moment, Haliey hesitated.
Should she leave the door open to prevent any possible accidents, or should she close it now to keep everyone quiet?
But before she could make any decision, a pale-faced maid quietly closed the door.
“…Wasn’t that a bit much?”
He was still holding his sword with him.
Even to those who didn’t know about the situation, he didn’t seem quite right in the head.
Feeling overwhelmed, she stared at the door for a long time, in shock.
When she finally turned back to the bed, the King looked even more restless than before.
Awkwardly, she shuffled over and sat about three handspans away from him, unsure of what to do.
