The King, who was receiving Lee-Jae’s delicate touch, soon began to nod off again. Jade watched the unbelievable scene with his mouth slightly open.
The attendants whispered among themselves.
She’s a human sleeping pill. Definitely a human sleeping pill.
But from Lee-Jae’s perspective, this was only natural. She had removed the spirits and reopened the pathways for his energy to flow, so his body was feeling relaxed and unguarded.
On top of this, he was originally a chronic insomniac.
She laid Roderick down on her lap and let him sleep comfortably.
However, her expression as she examined his body was extremely serious, with wrinkles forming on her previously smooth forehead.
The faces of the people watching grew strange.
They were a married couple, and if one had to choose who was like the beast, it would be the King. Yet strangely, it felt like the Queen was eagerly pursuing the King.
But a moment later, the people felt even more embarrassed and averted their gazes. The King had once again grabbed the Queen’s waist and let out a sleepy groan.
It was like a large black wolf, disregarding the size difference between them, was leaning his weight on a small fox. And this time, the small fox looked quite pitiful.
Now, the King’s attendants completely distrusted the Queen’s maids.
They glared at the clueless band of maids.
How can those two be like this every time without anything happening?!
Is this how things are done in the Queen’s palace?!
Meanwhile, Lee-Jae, with a suffocated expression, laid Roderick down properly and decided to ask a more fundamental question to his aide.
She called Jade over with a gesture.
As he approached quietly, Lee-Jae whispered.
“When did His Majesty start acting like this?”
“He hasn’t been feeling well since this morning.”
Jade replied, misunderstanding her question.
Lee-Jae, struggling to find the right words, clarified.
“No, I mean, when did His Majesty start having… such a bad temper?”
“…”
Unable to express herself better, Lee-Jae let out a hollow laugh. Sensing her difficulty, Jade also cleared his throat.
The Commander of the Knights, stroking his chin, pondered before answering.
“Actually, His Majesty has been complaining of headaches for quite some time.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, it seems that he has had them occasionally since ascending the throne after the previous king’s passing. However, it hasn’t been this severe for very long.”
Roderick Ferus Blarec, 27th King, enthroned 497.
Lee-Jae recalled the royal genealogy.
So, you have been suffering like this for three years.
Amazing, truly. His willpower must be in a different realm.
Lee-Jae looked at the King’s peaceful face as he breathed softly. She brushed away the black hair tickling his eyes, and he let out a soft “mmm” in his sleep.
Realizing that the rosary bracelet and the talisman hidden in her sleeve were the cause, she kept her hand atop his forehead.
Your Majesty, think good thoughts. Only good thoughts.
Clear your mind, clear your mind!
Lee-Jae, who was stroking his forehead, called over the Commander of the Knights again.
“Jade.”
“Yes.”
“Could you frequently spar with His Majesty like before?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, Jade’s eyes widened, and he soon looked troubled.
“But when His Majesty wields a weapon, he often becomes much more violent…”
“Is that so?”
Lee-Jae tilted her head, unable to fully agree or disagree.
She couldn’t easily tell him to lay down his arms or to take them up.
This was because Roderick was born with the face of a general and the destiny of a king.
“Then take him to Arthur’s Forest occasionally. The air is good there. Jade, you’re friends with His Majesty, right?”
Lee-Jae spoke as if the King were a patient in need of recuperation. Although it was a kind perspective, the Commander of the Knights looked troubled again.
“Your Majesty, that place is off-limits to anyone except the royal family.”
“Ah, right, that’s true.”
With decades of additional memories, she was in this state.
Sighing, she stroked the deeply sleeping King’s hair a few more times. It was a gentle touch, like caressing the fur of a finally calmed beast.
However, unlike her gentle touch, the Queen’s eyes held a continuous look of worry, and Jade watched her intently.
* * *
As Lee-Jae was reading Hailey’s diary, a royal attendant delivered a message. Deborah informed Lee-Jae.
“His Majesty the King is on his way here.”
Lee-Jae quickly hid the diary under her pillow and got up from the bed.
Soon, a group entered her room, with Roderick at the center.
Lee-Jae saw a couple of spirits following Roderick being repelled, confirming that the barrier was still intact.
However, seeing Roderick’s slightly annoyed expression, she asked.
“Is my father causing trouble again today?”
Roderick paused mid-step, and the King’s attendants flinched.
The King’s attendants glared at the Queen’s maids as if they wanted to kill them.
How can Her Majesty say such things so innocently and cause trouble for His Majesty?
However, the Queen’s maids were generally more spirited than the King’s attendants. They were engrossed in their own conversations and tasks. At the center of it all was the undefeated head maid, Deborah.
Her Majesty certainly didn’t seem to dictate as much as they thought.
As long as they were assigned to the Queen’s palace as maids, they were all doomed to become accomplices with the Queen anyway.
“It’s not that.”
“Then what brings you here today?”
Lee-Jae asked, looking at him curiously. He seemed to be in good condition and well-rested.
As the attendants continued their pointless power struggle, Roderick realized he had no specific reason for coming.
It was a natural visit, like a patient regularly visiting a hospital, but Roderick found it hard to acknowledge this fact.
He, who was frowning, immediately asked her back.
“Can’t I come to my wife’s room without a reason?”
Lee-Jae, who had been looking puzzled, smiled slightly and said.
“A gift for a wife who has a lover…”
“Give it a rest, will you?”
“Yes.”
Lee-Jae replied, feeling guilty for teasing him again.
“You’re just like your father, never letting go once you’ve bitten into something. It’s annoying when he does it, so don’t you do it too.”
The king, who was grinding his teeth, cursed the family.
However, Lee-Jae laughed without being offended at all, and Roderick also laughed at the appearance.
Roderick, who had moved past Lee-Jae and settled first, said.
“Let’s have the tea we didn’t finish last time.”
It was a message for both Lee-Jae and the Queen’s maids. Deborah whispered something, and a maid left the room. Lee-Jae silently sat across from Roderick.
As they waited for the tea, Roderick looked at Lee-Jae with clear eyes and suddenly said,
“You, come here and do that thing.”
“Which thing?”
Roderick frowned again.
“You know, the thing you did in the study. Like how cats press with their paws.”
What is he talking about? Lee-Jae thought for a moment and then felt a bit annoyed.
Was he comparing the sacred medical practices of shamans to a cat kneading?
I did my best with my limited skills, and this is the feedback I get?
“I couldn’t sleep again.”
“…”
“Your prayers didn’t reach me yesterday. You must have been thinking of someone else last night.”
“…You don’t look like you had a bad night’s sleep. Your complexion is good.”
People watched suspiciously as the King, who had come without a specific purpose, tried to flirt with the Queen, showcasing his miserable skills as she seemed to be rejecting him.
However, Lee-Jae, scratching her forehead in thought, felt troubled.
She wasn’t sure if this was his strong will to not lose or his natural instincts. However, she felt that he seemed to think something was wrong.
This is why I shouldn’t do things that stand out.
On the other hand, when Lee-Jae seemed to be on guard, Roderick let out a small sigh.
“Don’t simply compliment my complexion and just do it for me. Please.”
“…”
“Why are you suddenly pretending to be tactless?”
In the end, both the King and Lee-Jae sighed together. Lee-Jae moved to sit next to him.
However, unlike last time, she just randomly pressed around. She didn’t want to arouse suspicion, and the medicine was only effective for sick people anyway.
Roderick seemed to be in quite good condition today, and Lee-Jae couldn’t understand why his condition was so volatile.
“…”
However, Roderick was consumed by a much more realistic suspicion.
Knights are used to taking care of their own bodies. They can set their own broken legs and adjust their dislocated shoulders. They are a race capable of self-treatment to some extent.
But the Queen, who casually talked about exercise, had fingertips that were too… smooth.
In the end, he took Lee-Jae’s hand and examined it closely.
It was definitely not the hand of someone who had ever done hard labor, but the hand of a typical noblewoman. Moreover, her fingers were still red and swollen from holding the chisel, looking pitiful as if blisters were about to form.
What? Was her hobby really carving?
“…”
Frowning, Roderick put down her hand and touched his face.
He looked at Lee-Jae as if he wanted to ask something, but he paused for a moment.
Turning his gaze to the side, he said.
“Are you trying to seduce me?”
“What are you even talking about? Especially NOW?”
When Lee-Jae seemed not to understand, Roderick, keeping his gaze to the side, quietly said.
“It’s all loose in the front.”
“…What?”
Lee-Jae was startled when she looked down and noticed that her dress was disheveled, exposing her chest.
Her fingers, which had been randomly pressing around, had accidentally loosened the ties near her chest, revealing her a little of her undergarments.
She quickly tried to cover herself and turned around, only to find that the King’s attendants were all averting their gazes, even though they could only see her back.
Feeling even more embarrassed, Lee-Jae looked at Deborah for help.
Hurry up and do something about this ridiculously complicated dress.
My undergarments are showing. Can’t you see my desperate gaze?
Haven’t we been getting along pretty well until now?
However, despite not being centuries old, the head maid had the wisdom of a centuries-old spirit. She quickly assessed the situation and pretended not to notice the Queen’s gaze.
The maids, on the other hand, were now convinced.
They didn’t just sleep. That’s for sure. Absolutely certain.
They glared at the attendants with vengeful eyes.
You suspect us of being careless? You don’t even have the wits to be suspicious!
And Roderick laughed in vain as he saw the head maid pretending not to see the Queen’s earnest desperate expression.
‘They’re really putting effort into the wrong things.’
Roderick was forced to reach out and push away Lee-Jae’s hand, which was in the process of making the clothes worse.
“Cover it up.”
He deftly laced it and adjusted the dress. His fingers brushed against the fabric, but he did it quickly and efficiently before stepping back.
Lee-Jae, who had been silent for a while, had a slightly flushed face. She felt incredibly embarrassed that her undergarments had been exposed, even if only for a moment. Uncharacteristically, she spoke in a stern tone.
“Your Majesty, this is harassment.”
“…What?”
Roderick muttered, confused, as he had only helped her fix her dress.
“Then what do you want me to do?”
He said it sullenly, but his gaze was still averted.
Damn it. He really is pretending not to see.
“You should have pretended not to notice until the end.”
“But then others would see.”
“You could have found another way to let me know.”
He had told the maids to come and help, but he hadn’t spoken loudly.
“So, you want me to write it on a note and send it like a bird?”
The Queen’s expression was still not pleased. She seemed at a loss for what to do about the situation.
Realizing that any further explanation would only make him look foolish, Roderick conceded.
“Yes, let’s say that it’s my fault.”
“…”
“I was the only asshole.”
“…”
“Hailey, I’m sorry. Please say something.”
Lee-Jae frowned deeply before speaking.
“I don’t know. I just really hate this. I truly hate it right now.”
“Okay, hating me is fine, but don’t hate me too much. I think… I like you more than when we first met.”
Lee-Jae paused for a moment, sensing that he had spoken his true feelings unintentionally.
Trying to regain her lost composure, she replied.
“Yes, well I… I’ve changed a lot since we first met.”
“…I see. That’s reassuring to hear.”
Roderick glanced at Lee-Jae, who was still fidgeting with her dress, and chuckled softly.
