It was Duncan’s mansion. The Duke and his wife, who had to seek permission to enter their own home, looked naturally displeased.
The Duchess was still trembling, and the Duke’s eyes were filled with caution.
And the King’s attitude towards his future father-in-law was terrible.
Lee-Jae looked at the King with anxious eyes. It was because he seemed like he would pull out that sword of his at any moment.
It seemed to her that the King had brought more than enough spirits, numbering more than the knights, who were all shouting to kill, kill, kill!
The King’s fierceness grew with each shout, yet he stubbornly kept his sword sheathed into its leather scabbard, frowning.
Instead, multiple blue veins stood out on his neck, and the look he directed at the Duke and Duchess was much more brutal than the one he casted on Lee-Jae.
“Let me warn you of one thing, Duke Duncan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Your daughter, Hailey Duncan, will soon be Queen of Cayenne, just as you wish.”
The smile on his face seemed to say:‘Do you understand what I mean?’
“It means she is not someone you can casually lay your hands on.”
“…”
“If you want to raise your hand like that again, it will be beneficial for you to think of my face at least once.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The scandal has already spread far and wide, so I won’t wait any longer. The ceremony is in four days; this is my greatest mercy towards the Duncan family.”
With cold eyes fixed on Duke Duncan, the King turned back and approached Lee-Jae again. When the King took her hand and helped her up, Lee-Jae realized that she had still been kneeling. Seeing her flustered expression, he smiled broadly.
“It should take just four days to recover from your cold, my love.”
His tone was completely different from when he addressed the Duke.
“…Yes.”
However, faced with an endearment and gaze that held no sincerity, Lee-Jae’s voice trailed off. He kissed the back of her hand. The courteous gesture was flawless, like a textbook, and had a suspicious beauty to it.
As he released her lips and slightly lifted his head, he gazed intently at Lee-Jae. And the King’s true intentions became clear as their distance closed. He whispered in a voice only she could hear.
“Then let’s do well in the future.”
“…”
“Hailey Duncan.”
“…”
“Come to me walking, and stay alive. You must.”
Lee-Jae nodded her head twice in a daze. The King stared at her for a while before turning away.
“Some of the knights will guard the area around the Duncan estate until the wedding.”
Having given his orders to his people, he exited the room. It felt as if a typhoon had just swept through. The Duchess, who slumped down, had a vacant expression on her face.
“What did you talk about with His Majesty?”
The Duke, who approached Lee-Jae before she knew it, pressed her, but Lee-Jae also couldn’t say anything with an expression as paralyzed as the Duchess.
“…”
He was the King of this country. Everyone called him that, and Hailey Duncan knew his face.
Nevertheless, questions continued in Lee-Jae’s head.
Who the hell are you?
How can you still be alive with so much karma and grudges at your back?
* * *
Four days passed in the blink of an eye. The grand hall of the palace was beautifully decorated for the royal wedding.
The bride was even more glamorous and beautifully decorated than the hall. The gem-spattered dress matched Hailey Duncan’s lively appearance.
However, the bride had an expressionless face and seemed almost troubled.
“The wedding is actually happening.”
“Honestly, I thought something would happen again. Every bride has met with misfortune before the wedding, so…”
“Duke Duncan is the scariest of them all. He pushed his own daughter into this situation, knowing the circumstances of the other brides.”
Hailey Duncan’s pre-life memories were very incomplete; meaning there were too many gaps.
However, as she overheard a conversation she could somewhat understand, Lee-Jae looked over secretly.
The King had only been unmarried until yesterday. However, it seemed he had attempted arranged marriages before.
In fact, he had sent proposals annually to humble baronial and count families.
A family with a woman of marriageable age and whose father was not interested in political power.
The king didn’t consider anything else. It was to prevent outside influences.
Yet, none of them could stand in this hall. They had all met with accidents or poisonings.
Hailey Duncan had thrown herself into the river, meaning the King had effectively failed all three of his marriage attempts. Of course, only Lee-Jae knew that he had failed the third marriage as well.
“Hailey Duncan. Did you have a good dream? It must have been your last night at your family home.”
A voice suddenly came from behind her, causing Lee-Jae to turn around. A man, dressed in ceremonial robes as splendid as the bride’s, was looking down at her.
Lee-Jae belatedly felt a sense of unease. Strangely enough, his back and shoulders appeared eased today. The somewhat piercing gaze he had earlier was now calm.
“Well, I don’t think it was such a good atmosphere that one would miss.”
“…Yes, it was a decent night.”
Lee-Jae, who thought she gave a fairly appropriate response, kept looking at the King. When the ominous energy was lifted, his appearance was properly visible.
People who could see spirits tended to be somewhat indifferent to physical beauty. This is because they saw too many other things besides that.
In reality, even a beautiful face can be unlucky.
So, it was only now, seeing the King for the second time, that Lee-Jae realized he had a quite handsome appearance. And as Lee-Jae kept glancing up, he asked only by the shape of his mouth.
What?
“…”
Honestly, it’s just because you’re handsome.
In fact, one could say that someone with a face like his was supposed to be quite lucky.
But what happened last time?
The King raised his dark eyebrows as Lee-Jae swallowed her words without responding hastily.
“You’re making me repeat myself time and time again.”
“…I’m very nervous. I’m sorry.”
Lee-Jae thought she had found a very good answer again this time. But he frowned and shook his head.
“One more thing: I don’t like lies.”
“…”
“You’re not nervous at all right now.”
“No, well if Your Majesty judges that I’m nervous…”
Lee-Jae trailed off, but it seemed a fleeting smile that crossed the King’s eyes. His demeanor indicated that she should continue, she would most likely regret it;Lee-Jae sighed and pondered. In the end, about half of what she said contained the truth.
“I’ve been so careful with my words because I can’t help but act this way.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s because you’re a high-ranking individual, and I don’t know you personally.”
It means we’re quite distant from each other.
Having exchanged no more than three words means they had only greeted each other at parties and balls.
“If I don’t hold back my words, I’m sure I’ll make a mistake.”
Lee-Jae regretted her words immediately. In her effort to be honest, she felt she was becoming increasingly impertinent.
However, surprisingly, the King nodded readily and turned his gaze forward.
“Just do what you did just now.”
“…”
“Because I understand what you mean.”
Just as Lee-Jae was about to respond, another voice came from behind them.
“It’s time.”
The King nudged his forearm towards Lee-Jae. While Lee-Jae grabbed onto it, the dress was being arranged by hanging the hem long behind her.
When she was ready, she looked to the side towards him; he nodded.
“Let’s go.”
They walked down the red carpet before the eyes of many people.
The habits ingrained in her body seemed formidable. Even though Lee-Jae had never worn such cumbersome clothing or high heels, she managed to walk without difficulty.
It was when they had walked about halfway down the carpet that Lee-Jae felt an incredibly clear and sacred energy, one she might have felt in a mountain temple.
Before her stood a priest waiting for them. Behind him hovered a horse the size of a house. The person riding it- had a boyish face, yet he was impressively large and formidable.
Even for someone accustomed to unreal sights, it was an overwhelming moment.
The bright blue eyes of the armored man were fixated on Lee-Jae.
‘Western spirits… are quite large.’
It was so surprising that she could only think of such a one-dimensional impression. As she lost her focus and hesitated, the King called her name as if to bring her back to attention.
“Hailey Duncan.”
“…”
“What are you doing?”
“…I’m sorry. I’m going, I’ll walk.”
This world was indeed a terrifying place.
spirits gathered in small units, and spirits with such immense presence did exist here.
He didn’t seem to be a vengeful spirit, but he was certainly no ordinary specter either.
This time, she thought it would be best for her well-being to avoid making eye contact, so Lee-Jae focused only on the tips of her shoes as she walked forward.
