Roderick sat on his bed, his blue eyes fixed on the window. It was just before dawn.
Last night was as miserable as ever. But perhaps because every day had a sleepless night, yesterday wasn’t particularly bad enough to keep him awake.
Turning his gaze from the window, he looked at the bedside table.
Seeing the strangely shaped statue that was more comical than scary, he raised an eyebrow.
“Does it really work?”
Though he thought it was ridiculous, he honestly found it a bit amusing. She was such a strange woman.
Roderick tapped the ugly statue’s nose with his finger and got up.
It was a morning that wasn’t particularly good, but not particularly bad either.
But when Roderick left the bed, the spirits that had been circling around the bed all night followed him.
The spirits that had been lurking outside the window, waiting for him, also rushed into the room, laughing eerily.
「March 10, 499
Tomorrow, I will speak to Lawrence.
To leave everything behind and leave Cayenne with me.
But I also know very well that he will refuse.
Knowing that I will be refused, why do I still want to say it?
Is it because, as the others say, I am a fool?」
Lee-Jae closed Hailey’s diary once again, having read very little of it today.
Usually, she would close it out of exasperation, but today she couldn’t hide her troubled feelings.
Even if a person’s love fades with time, Hailey must have loved her lover deeply.
Lee-Jae felt no significant emotion when thinking about Duke Duncan, but her heart ached when reading the passages about Lawrence.
This state of mind remained like the remnants of a firestorm even after Hailey’s soul had passed.
As she was pondering, the ladies-in-waiting began to get busier little by little.
“His Majesty is… again…”
She overheard the maids whispering. Words like “split personality” and “madness” caught her attention, and she glanced in their direction.
Then, when they noticed the Queen’s gaze, they were surprised and started a different conversation.
She could have called them over to ask, but Lee-Jae just stared blankly in another direction. As she looked, the spirit of the box, perched on the shelf, spoke up as if it had been waiting.
– Roderick is going crazy again.
“…”
– Today, he’s really lost it.
“…”
– Lee-Jae, you really got yourself a remarkable husband.
The spirit mimicked the King’s tone and laughed cheerfully.
It sounded lighthearted, but Lee-Jae wasn’t in the mood to laugh along, so she sighed.
Lee-Jae beckoned the head maid.
“Deborah, where is His Majesty now?”
After hearing the answer, she looked at her rosary bracelet.
Perhaps it was because of the poor craftsmanship, but it was already charred in some places despite not being used much.
Lee-Jae, who sighed, closed her eyes.
Her expression, filled with worry and sorrow, was unlike the previous lovely Hailey. But when she opened her eyes again, the Queen’s gaze was clear and resolute.
“Let’s go quickly.”
Lee-Jae stood up from her seat.
It was fortunate that the place where he expressed his madness once again was in his study. Although the spread of rumors couldn’t be prevented, at least the number of witnesses could be minimized.
Those who had seen this behavior a few times before did not completely block the Queen’s entry. Nevertheless, Jade spoke with a worried tone.
“If something happens, I will step in, but please be careful. I am the only one here who can properly restrain him. Honestly, I wish you wouldn’t go in at all. He will calm down soon after all…”
Jade’s concern was not only for her safety but also for her father, who might exploit an opportunity out of any harm that came to Hailey.
Lee-Jae listened to him silently and stepped inside.
Everyone has a natural healing ability. Some people have stronger abilities than others.
The reason Roderick had been okay all this while was because his mind had always prevailed in that battle.
But what about his life and emotions during that time?
You all collectively think he is crazy.
Just because someone is strong, it doesn’t mean that they don’t need help.
Lee-Jae called out to Roderick.
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
It was a vivid beastly look that made people walk backwards inadvertently. Veins were already bulging on his neck.
Yet, either out of professional ethics or loyalty, the attendants were clinging to the king’s legs to prevent his rampage.
Watching this miserable scene, Lee-Jae spoke calmly.
“…Are you okay? I came today to invite you for a cup of tea.”
“…”
“It seems I came at a bad time again. But today’s tea will have a much better aroma than last time, you’ll see.”
Lee-Jae smiled weakly. She could feel the suffocating air already pressing down on her.
It wasn’t fortunate that this was happening in the study, as people thought. Contrary to what people had thought, the location of the study proved its own drawbacks.
This place had a much worse atmosphere than the King’s bedroom or reception hall. It should have been used as a storage room.
Knowing she might look a bit strange, Lee-Jae eventually took off her bracelet and held it tightly in her hand. She had been absent-minded about the state of the bracelet for a while.
She rolled the beads of the rosary bracelet with her thumb a few times.
And before driving away the spirits, she recited a mantra to calm her own mind.
‘What is wavering is just your mind. So if you keep your intentions direct and straightforward, everything will flow according to the natural order.’
Lee-Jae took a step closer and looked at Roderick’s eyes and the spirits surrounding him.
‘Those who follow the natural order will prosper, and those who defy it will perish. That is the Law.’
‘The Heavens and the Earth are eternal and everlasting.’
‘Creatures, immediately, follow this natural cause and effect.’
People soon realized that the Queen was trembling.
At that moment, they felt sorry for her.
Even with many people watching and ready to step in, it was impossible not to be afraid of a strong man like the King glaring at her.
Lee-Jae was actually sweating coldly and holding back the urge to vomit.
But in the end, she overcame the dark energy and pressure, approached him, grabbed the King’s wrist, and led him to the sofa without hesitation.
“Come this way, Your Majesty.”
“…”
When the Queen sat right next to the King, pressing her thigh against his, the people in the room looked tense.
The Queen was staring straight ahead. Her posture was very upright, but it looked as if a small animal was exposing its neck and vital points to a predator.
However, something miraculous happened again.
The King seemed to be getting better.
Why? What did the Queen exactly do to make the King calm down again?
After this happened a few times, people started to think something strange. The small Queen seemed like a pacifier for the King.
Lee-Jae felt the darkness gradually fading, and she gave him time to recover.
A moment later, she noticed him looking around. When she heard Roderick’s faint sigh, she glanced at him.
He was back. His clear blue eyes were looking at her.
“…Did you get some sleep last night?”
When the Queen asked with a pale face, Roderick nodded.
“Yes.”
“My prayers must not have been effective. As expected, the present I gave was too shabby.”
Lee-Jae said with a guilty and tired smile.
Roderick denied it.
“I said I slept well.”
“…”
“Why? Do I look like I didn’t sleep properly?”
“No, it’s not that.”
The two were silent for a while. Of course, it was only Roderick who was silent; Lee-Jae was reciting a few spells in her mind.
Then, as Roderick ran his hand through his hair, he said.
“You.”
“What?”
“Don’t come to me again when I’m in this mood.”
“…”
“I can’t guarantee your safety, Hailey Duncan.”
“…”
“You do have that much sense to not come… Right?”
Surprised by his words, Lee-Jae fell silent and looked at him with an unreadable gaze.
This was such a poor outcome for a talisman. In an economic manner, of course.
Your Majesty, do you know how much these talismans are traded for in the world?
Granny Yeongsan could live off selling just one talisman a year. Lee-Jae’s were worth at least a hundredth of that. She didn’t carve totem poles for just anyone because it took a long time.
However, Lee-Jae smiled faintly as she thought about it.
Because she thought that she could see the reason why he was speaking unclearly, sounding moody, and yet the inner feelings that flowed out unwittingly did not feel bad.
On the other hand, however, Lee-Jae felt faint anxiety. She had seen shamans ruin their lives by feeling pity for people and doing things beyond their abilities.
Once a shaman starts to find meaning in depleting their own life energy, doing things beyond their limits, their life as a shaman is over.
In that sense, Granny Yeongsan was a very wise and worldly shaman. This was because she was more capable than anyone else and did not speak of information if she thought it would ruin her life. She was a cold and sharp old woman.
“Your Majesty, you seem to have forgotten, but I am a Duncan.”
“…”
“Please treat me as you normally would.”
After all, if my life is in danger, I will step back. Hence, let’s maintain an appropriate level of interaction and not escalate things further.
Despite her somewhat cold words, Lee-Jae discreetly took hold of Roderick’s wrist again. Roderick’s calm eyes gazed intently at her, and the people around them watched the scene before them with increasingly strange expressions.
As Lee-Jae examined his palm and pressed a certain spot, Roderick’s expression soured slightly.
Lee-Jae’s expression also wilted.
This person even had good palm lines. He really was a cheat character here.
You have good fortune, good energy, and good palm lines, and yet the spirits have a precarious attraction to you? Why is this happening?
“Hailey, I asked you this before.”
“Yes.”
“…What are you doing?”
Lee-Jae felt a bit guilty but bit her lip slightly and said.
“Your Majesty, you exercise quite often, so you should know. I’m just massaging a tense spot. You seem very tired lately.”
“…”
Having seen so many people try to deceive him, Roderick was good at detecting lies.
However, Lee-Jae, who was also more in touch with the world’s truths than others, was also the same.
There is a saying that one cannot deceive a spirit, meaning it cannot be fooled. Having fought against such cunning spirits, she often found herself glimpsing into the unspoken depths of people’s hearts.
In the end, both of them were engaging in a delicate dance of truth and deception, each partially believing the other’s words today.
When Roderick fell silent, Lee-Jae felt a bit relieved and grabbed both of his shoulders. She could feel his body tightening to protect its owner.
Even as he let her do as she pleased, the King still seemed bewildered. He looked at Jade with a fierce, questioning gaze.
Why is the Queen acting like this? Am I the only one who finds Hailey Duncan strange right now?
However, even if he had asked out loud, no one would have strongly agreed with him.
The King from before and the King who was calm now was just as strange as each other; the Queen was nowhere near that pedestal.
