Follow Your Heart

“What?”

Lee-Jae, who was watching people disperse like ghosts facing the talisman, asked. Roderick, who just woke up, was a little more blunt than usual.

“Move over a bit.”

“…”

She wanted to tell him to go to his room to sleep, but Lee-Jae knew his bedroom situation all too well.

For Roderick, having a nightmare would be the best-case scenario. Most likely, he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at all.

Whatever he had interpreted from the Queen’s expression, he unusually repeated his request several times.

“I’m not going to do anything. Just let me borrow your bed today. I really can’t sleep.”

Roderick’s words sounded like a ridiculous ‘just trust me’ promise.

If someone else said it, she would have laughed, but she couldn’t say anything because she knew it was the truth.

After observing the King’s face and mood for a moment, she slightly shifted to the side to make room for him.

He immediately lay on the space she made, as if he’d been waiting. The bed bounced under the weight of the sturdy man as he settled in.

Roderick closed his eyes as soon as he lay down, but Lee-Jae remained wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

It’s been almost a month since they got married, but this was only the second time they were on the same bed. It was hard not to be conscious of him.

Feeling strangely restless and unable to sleep, she glanced sideways at him and then turned around to lie on her side.

She slowly pushed the pillow she had been using towards him. Without opening his eyes, he laughed and then frowned a little.

“Keep it. You use it.”

“I have another one under my legs.”

Finally, he lifted his head slightly.

Even after accomplishing her little mission, she still couldn’t fall asleep and continued to watch Roderick before asking.

“You refuse to accept a handkerchief from your wife with a lover, but you’re okay with sharing a bed? Hmm?”

This time, truly baffled, Roderick covered his eyes and laughed out loud.

“You’re cute, but I don’t think that’s something you should be proudly saying to your husband.”

“Right, right, of course. I’m sorry.”

No matter how much she thought about it, it felt like he was mocking her.

She was just a little curious and thought she’d be cheeky for a moment.

“I won’t talk anymore. Now seriously, go to sleep.”

Lee-Jae pulled the blanket over herself and tried to sleep. Truthfully, she wasn’t feeling well either.

And just as she was drifting off to sleep, Roderick spoke.

“About that time—I’m sorry. I didn’t tear it on purpose. You probably won’t believe me, but still.”

“…”

“If I’m being violent again, don’t hold back and call Jade or anyone else.”

It wasn’t until a long time later that Lee-Jae understood what his words meant. Roderick was talking about what happened the first night.

The realization was so startling that any drowsiness she had instantly vanished.

“…That wasn’t you, Your Majesty.”

“…”

“It really wasn’t.”

“…”

“…It wasn’t.”

There was no reply for a long time. But eventually, sensing that she was still watching him, Roderick gave a small nod.

“I understand. Now sleep.”

He didn’t sound convinced.

Feeling a mix of sympathy for the King and discomfort she couldn’t quite shake off, Lee-Jae found herself glancing at him several times until she finally drifted off to sleep.

 

About an hour had passed since then.

Lee-Jae opened her eyes in frustration. Then she flinched.

Roderick, who had been lying straight nearby, had somehow turned his body and was now clinging to her. And since they were on a bed, not a sofa, the position was much closer than before.

They were facing each other: he wrapped one arm around Lee-Jae’s head and his other arm around her back.

Indeed, when a man says, “Trust your oppa,” you should be suspicious at least once.

“…”

After being frozen for a while, Lee-Jae decided to endure it for now.

She knew that Roderick was doing this because his body needed it.

Roderick’s innate energy became more active when he was close to Lee-Jae. It could be because of the talisman, or because Lee-Jae was a person who diligently purified her energy.

But it was still an awkward situation, so Lee-Jae closed her eyes and counted sheep in her head. She thought that if she fell asleep again, she could stop having strange thoughts.

However, hot breath kept hitting her face, and Roderick kept trying to hold her closer.

Think good thoughts. Pure thoughts.

Lee-Jae, this is a patient. He’s your husband, but he’s only a patient for now.

His body and mind are still very hurt. So you should feel sorry for him.

Trying to convince herself with the mindset of a spiritual practitioner, Lee-Jae started to reach her limit of wholesome thoughts when Roderick entwined his legs with hers.

The grudge of a virgin ghost, a prosperous afterlife.

Is it now? Is this the moment? No, it doesn’t seem like it.

And the hand that was wrapped around her back started to trace down her spine, slowly moving lower.

“Ugh…”

A chill ran down her spine, and she shivered, curling up.

Roderick’s hand stopped just above her buttocks. A very precarious position.

N-not there! There’s no talisman there!

The talisman was on her chest.

Not that I’m saying you should touch my chest, but if you go any lower without permission, I won’t just sit here and stay still!

Unable to stay still, Lee-Jae finally moved.

“Your Majesty, please move back a little.”

We may be a married couple, but we haven’t known each other for very long, right?

And people usually need a proper distance from each other.

She pushed Roderick’s upper body with both arms and tried to pull her buttocks away.

That was the problem.

Roderick, who seemed to be moving away for a moment, instead turned his body, which was lying sideways, towards Lee-Jae. Then, his firm body pressed against Lee-Jae’s chest, making her grunt.

Why was his physique so good?!

Half-pinned down, Lee-Jae lightly pinched him. But Roderick, who held the refreshing human sleep aid and human talisman in his arms, seemed very satisfied.

Instead, a lazy and pleased sound, “Mmm,” escaped from him.

“Ugh… please don’t breathe on me like that.”

Was this how the prey captured by a beast felt?

As he properly entwined their legs and sought to delve deeper, Lee-Jae could no longer endure it. Her body kept trembling from the unfamiliar sensations coursing through her. Their sensitive parts were touching too closely without any gaps.

Lee-Jae had no choice but to clench her fists and smack Roderick’s back.

“I can’t breathe. Let me go! This position is too strange!”

Roderick opened his blue eyes. For a moment, he looked dazed with sleep. However, a short while later, as he realized the situation, he seemed a bit startled.

The Queen, with her face flushed red, was almost half-pinned beneath him. Moreover, she had tears welling up in her eyes.

“No, it’s not that, it’s just too…”

Seeing the flustered Queen, he quickly got up.

Lee-Jae reflexively pulled the blanket up to her neck, but he instead flung away the blanket she was covering herself with.

“Ah! Why are you doing this…”

Lee-Jae was startled, but upon confirming that her clothes were intact this time, Roderick gently covered her with the blanket again.

Roderick sat by the bed and rubbed his face for a moment. Then he stared at Lee-Jae.

Regardless of his intentions, he looked somewhat embarrassed.

He reached out slowly, grabbed her shoulder once, and stroked her peach head slightly.

It took a while for Lee-Jae to realize that this was his way of apologizing.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“Hailey, I’m sorry. Did I scare you a lot?”

“…”

Seeing her pitifully pulling the blanket up, Roderick immediately got off the bed.

“…I’ll leave right now, so rest comfortably.”

The couple, who had already squandered the chance to grow closer on their first night together, were now unsettled even by a somewhat intimate position with absurd emotions.

But Roderick couldn’t leave immediately as he said. His feet felt strangely heavy when he tried to leave.

He had no memory of being forceful. In fact, his body felt unusually light now.

But given his original mental state and the Queen’s expression as if she had encountered a pervert, Roderick scratched the end of his eyebrow. He gently stroked Lee-Jae’s forehead.

“Hailey.”

“…”

“Please say something. Are you not going to talk to me anymore?”

“…”

“Are you perhaps scared of me now?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but I’m also flustered.

As he approached her with a much more considerate and careful attitude than usual, Lee-Jae felt strangely embarrassed and ashamed.

She fidgeted with the blanket, not understanding what was wrong or why she felt this way. Seeing Lee-Jae’s embarrassed expression, Roderick left the room.