After the main ceremony and banquet, the King was taking a break in the guest room behind the banquet hall. He had already downed two glasses of liquor. As the First Knight Commander refilled his empty glass, he asked,
“What do you think?”
“I’m not sure.”
They were talking about Hailey Duncan, who had just become the Queen.
“We need to bring her to our side. Your Majesty has that much charm.”
The King looked at the First Knight Commander as if dumbfounded.
“Even if she’s young and naive, she’s still part of the Duncan family. It won’t be easy. And she doesn’t seem particularly naive to me.”
Shaking his head, the King swirled his glass, lost in thought.
“Do you really think it was Duke Duncan’s doing?”
The pro-king faction suspected Duke Duncan after the mysterious deaths of the women who were potential brides. It was well known that the Duke, cornered in the political arena, wanted to become the king’s father-in-law.
The lack of an heir was a political weakness for the king, and if the two potential brides hadn’t died suddenly, he wouldn’t have chosen such a powerful in-law.
If Hailey Duncan entered the palace alive, the suspicion on the Duncan family would grow. However, if she died, the possibility of another culprit couldn’t be ruled out.
They continued to keep a close eye on Hailey.
But Hailey Duncan, despite falling into the water, survived. Although it wasn’t by someone’s design, it meant she had no intention of becoming the queen.
The pro-king faction began to ponder how they could use her as a card.
As the king emptied his glass, the chamberlain poured him a glass of amber-colored liquor and cautiously suggested.
“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you be going now?”
The king smirked, as if he knew what was coming.
“Why? Do you think I would abandon my bride on our first night?”
He was capable of doing that if necessary.
That was the nature of being a king.
However, their genuine concern was not about the new groom’s manners.
Roderick Ferus Blarec.
The King’s nervous breakdowns and insomnia were getting worse these days. Rumors of his madness were spreading, and even his close aides found it difficult to deny or suppress these rumors.
The night was young, and as the king continued to drink strong liquor, the people’s worries grew. The First Knight Commander, who had been watching, spoke up again.
“Even if we can’t bring her to our side, please don’t treat her too harshly. There’s no benefit in making an enemy.”
“Hmm.”
“In a way, she is also pitiful.”
The First Knight Commander was a friend who had learned swordsmanship from the same teacher as the king and was a prominent supporter of the king. He had no affection for the Duncan family.
He had started this conversation hoping that the king’s mood would be a bit lighter on this day of their wedding, even if it was not a sweet marriage for either of them. After all, today was the first night for the newlyweds.
But Roderick raised an eyebrow.
“Pitiful? That might not be the appropriate term, especially coming from someone in your position.”
“Your Majesty, she is still just a young lady. Lady Hailey, no, Her Majesty the Queen, is caught in the chess game between you and the Duke.”
“And Hailey Duncan is a pawn in the Duke’s chess game.”
“She is said to have a rather delicate nature, according to the rumors in social circles.”
The King had received reports and heard such rumors as well.
But he narrowed his eyes, as if thinking about something.
Tilting the small glass on the table, he frowned and smiled.
“Well, I’m not so sure about that. She seemed to have a lot to say, even while trembling.”
“Anyway, if you treat her well, Your Majesty will have nothing to lose.”
Roderick, who had been clicking his tongue, pushed the glass aside and stood up.
“Your tongue is particularly long today. She is a Duncan, after all. Place people in the Queen’s chambers and do not let up on the surveillance.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Do not worry about that.”
“I’m going. No need to follow me, it’s just around the corner.”
The knight commander bowed, showing respect to his king.
The King left the room with a straight back, his mind clear. He did not seem particularly upset.
In fact, he seemed a bit better than usual.
Perhaps this marriage was not the worst thing after all. Hailey Duncan was beautiful, after all.
But perhaps he was just feeling relieved. The series of ominous accidents that occurred with each marriage proposal had become a disgrace to the Royal Family, along with his madness. It was only natural for him to feel this way. The people left in the guest room sighed with a mix of relief and apprehension.
However, as the King walked down the lonely corridor, a dark aura began to swirl around him.
His nerves were once again becoming increasingly agitated.
* * *
Kang Lee-Jae sighed quietly. She had got married. As the king demanded, she wore the crown.
Even after the wedding and banquet, however, the maids were busy. This is because there were subsequent procedures as important as the main ceremony. It was the first night.
The maid kept glancing at her while she was dressing up Lee-Jae.
Hailey Duncan was a 21-year-old girl who had just made her debut in society. Nevertheless, she was a well-known figure in society.
Her distant ancestors were immigrants, and the Duncans were known for producing beautiful people of both sexes.
She was also known for her bright and innocent personality.
Some people who wanted to belittle her had secretly given her the nickname “pretty fool.”
However, today’s Hailey seemed calm and composed, almost thoughtful.
The people around thought to themselves.
The rumor about her jumping into the water and that wasn’t just a cold, was true.
“I’ll be waiting outside. Call me if you need anything; His Majesty will be here shortly.”
“Yes, I see.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but from now on, you must not speak informally to us.”
Lee-Jae, who inadvertently spoke honorifics to an adult, was startled.
But it didn’t seem very strange, so the head maid was waiting for her response. It was a very polite attitude.
“Umm…I’ll try.”
After the head maid bowed her head and left, Lee-Jae, who sighed deeply, stood in front of the mirror.
In fact, she was a little embarrassed. It was a little different from what the head maid thought.
This dress, which strongly hinted at what was to come, was the problem.
“Is this considered wearing clothes or not wearing clothes?
She sighed again as she watched the slip faintly tease the viewer of what was inside- on the mirror where all the curves of her body were revealed.
Kang Lee-Jae was 25, but she had no experience in that regard. She had never been in a serious relationship with a man.
Following her adoptive grandmother around the countryside and small villages, she never had the opportunity to seriously date someone.
Even if she had lived in a big city, the result might have been the same, so that was just an honorable excuse to make.
People often talk about an honorable death, but what was an honorable excuse after all?
But Lee-Jae had no aversion to relationships. In fact, she had some sort of willingness. This was not borne out of curiosity or lust, but because- among the many types of spirits, the grudges of virgin spirits and bachelor spirits were particularly deep.
Lee-Jae was sometimes curious about the absurdity.
Why is being single such a big deal that it makes people miserable even after death?
What great sin did one being single commit?
She was willing to try dating a couple of times before she died for a prosperous afterlife.
But Lee-Jae soon breathed out another sigh.
“This… can’t possibly be comforting.”
Originally, Kang Lee-Jae’s life was a life full of ups and downs.
But after coming here, it seemed to have gotten a lot worse. Everything was just getting all over the place.
“How did I end up in this situation?”
For a moment, her resentment towards her fate shot up, but she looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror and tried to find composure with herself-mindful of what was to come. But that attempt failed too quickly.
Lee-Jae opened her mouth blankly and looked at the doorway.
The King was leaning obliquely against the doorway, and his condition, which seemed fine until the wedding, seemed to be very strange again.
He was now accompanied by an enormous number of spirits, even more than when he had visited the Duncan residence.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, what have you been doing…?”
What the hell are you doing behind my back?
Did you go to a battlefield?
Or did you visit a graveyard alone at night?
Lee-Jae, who was flustered, opened her eyes again and tried to only look at the King’s face like she had done before, and to think positive thoughts.
He really does have a good face. His nose and chin are blessed. He has a good body, so his bone structure must be good too. Since he’s the King of this country, he must be rich too.
A father who arranged such a marriage couldn’t be so bad…right?
“So, you’re the queen now.”
“…”
“The Duke does his child’s business very diligently.”
As expected, it’s better not to have a father like that.
Looking at Lee-Jae with blue eyes, the King walked towards the bed. He was holding his forehead with one hand as if his head hurt terribly.
Lee-Jae, who was standing in front of the mirror until then, soon regained self-awareness and looked at the doorway past the King. Through the open door, the ladies-in-waiting looked anxious.
Kang Lee-Jae agonized momentarily.
Was it better to leave that door open to prevent possible accidents or close it now to control people’s mouths?
However, before she could make a decision, the pale-faced maid quietly closed the door.
“…Wasn’t that a bit too much?”
The King was armed with a sword. Even to those who knew nothing, he didn’t seem to be in his right mind. Feeling that this was unfair, Lee-Jae stared at the closed door for a long time, bewildered.
When she finally turned back to look at the bed, the King seemed even more agitated than before.
She awkwardly sat down on the bed, maintaining a distance of about three feet from the King.
