Listening to the spirit’s grievances was a tiring task. This was true in human relationships as well; listening to negative and depressing stories drained anyone’s energy. Lee-Jae sat with her back straight, as if meditating. But after hours of listening to the spirit’s story with no end in sight, she finally sighed and spoke.
‘Grandma, this one thinks I’m a pushover. But I guess I am.’
Exorcism ultimately involved comforting and persuading the spirits. Shamans performed dances or offered alcohol during rituals to comfort the spirits. Since Lee-Jae couldn’t do that, she decided to persuade the spirit.
“Your comrades left you to die, and that’s why you feel resentful?”
– …Yes.
“I understand your feelings, but why take it out on him? If you died feeling wronged, don’t you feel sorry for him too?”
– …
“If you keep doing this, not only will you wander the mortal world, but your family will also suffer the consequences. I’ll pray for you with all my might, so stop being resentful and let it go.”
– …
“If you commit more sins, you won’t be able to move on either.”
After hours of listening and persuasion, Lee-Jae finally obtained the spirit’s agreement. Indeed, this level of stubbornness was why the spirit couldn’t achieve enlightenment and became a resentful one.
Lee-Jae placed her hand on the head of the murdered soldier. This spirit would not escape the consequences of the harm it caused in the mortal world. But she spun her spiritual bracelet and silently wished for a long time.
‘Cause and effect, reward and punishment. Every outcome has a cause.’
‘Break the chain of cause and effect, and let go of your attachments to the mortal world, so that you may avoid heavenly punishment.’
‘Spirit, now fly away.’
She removed her hand and watched as the spirit began to fade. Although some attachments remained, much of the resentment had been lifted.
Exhausted, Lee-Jae looked back at the remaining spirits. Most of them seemed beyond help. She wondered if annihilation was the only option. As she pondered, she locked eyes with one particular spirit.
It was clear that this spirit was different from the others, who were merely filled with malice. Its eyes were fierce, and blood dripped from its facial features.
“…You have no intention of leaving peacefully, do you?”
– Do you really think you can handle me to the end?
Lee-Jae flinched, taken aback by the spirit’s words. Malevolent spirits quickly exploit any weakness they sense. This was why she tried to avoid conversing with them. Regaining her composure, she calmly responded,
“…Looking at your disposition, even if my mentor, Granny Yeongsan, were alive, she wouldn’t have handled you nicely. You must have been a bad person even when you were alive.”
In truth, if it were Granny Yeongsan, she would have brandished her spiritual knife from the start. She was someone who could swiftly judge whether something was possible or not.
Facing the spirit, Lee-Jae fiddled with her bracelet, deep in thought. If only she had more spiritual tools.
An idea suddenly crossed Lee-Jae’s mind. She hurried back to the bed and reached for the wooden statues. However, after picking up both the Heavenly General and the Earthly General, she hesitated and put the Heavenly General back by Roderick’s bedside.
‘How can I throw away something with my wife’s name on it?’
Smiling faintly, she returned to the spirit. With a burst of energy, she forcefully drove the Earthly General into the spirit’s foot, as if staking it to the ground. The flow of blood increased, creating a gruesome sight, but Lee-Jae took out two talismans and placed them one by one—one on the spirit’s forehead and one on its solar plexus. She was cutting off the spirit’s lifeline.
“Swiftly across a thousand miles, hasten and obey. Spirit, quickly submit and perish.”
The spirit shed tears of blood and cursed Lee-Jae. Its malevolent screams struck her deeply. But she continued to stare at the spirit until it disappeared, coughing dryly and steadying herself.
“Haah…”
Finally, as the spirit vanished, she lowered her outstretched hands. Panting, Lee-Jae glanced at Roderick, then looked out the still-dark window before turning her gaze back to the remaining spirits.
“I’ll see the rest of you next time. This is absolutely not because I lack the strength to face you. I’m just a bit tired, okay? Morning… it hasn’t come yet, but it will soon, right?”
– …
She couldn’t claim victory. Although she had successfully banished two spirits, there were still a dozen left.
However, Lee-Jae, having finished the battle, encouraged herself and rationalized the situation.
‘I lost, but I fought well.’
She looked sadly at the now even more disfigured Earthly General and placed it next to the Heavenly General. Then, feeling suddenly drowsy, she lay down on the bed. Before drifting off, she didn’t forget to glare at the wall one last time.
The human talisman, having warned the spirits, turned over and pulled Roderick close, as if shielding him from their gaze.
When the King woke up, Lee-Jae was deep in thought, her back to him. Roderick found it remarkable. He had spent almost the entire night in this room, which was unusual for him.
‘Can I really sleep anywhere as long as the Queen is with me?’ he wondered. His suspicion was turning into certainty.
There were a few other strange things as well. Although the Queen remained quietly in his embrace until he woke up, her eyes were fixed on a specific spot in the room. Roderick wanted to observe her a bit more, but his keenly perceptive wife sensed he was awake without even looking at him.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“Yes. And you?”
“Me too.”
“You’re surprisingly awake for someone so young.” He clicked his tongue and ran his hand through her apricot hair, then suddenly paused. Roderick sat up abruptly and examined Lee-Jae’s face closely.
“Your face—what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you’re on the verge of death.”
“…Please don’t say such scary things.”
“Hailey, I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
He had thought she looked pale last night, but this morning she looked even worse. Her tender lips were rough and chapped.
“Are you going to attend to your duties? I’ll head back to my room,” she said.
“Hailey, we’re still talking here.”
Lee-Jae ignored his call and got up, not out of coldness but because she was too tired to engage in a long conversation. However, she stumbled badly, foiling her intent. Roderick silently helped her back to bed and called the chamberlain.
The King’s chamber was immediately in an uproar. The physician who was summoned was familiar to Lee-Jae; she had seen him when the King returned injured from a hunt. Perhaps because the King had given him a hard time, the physician kept glancing at Roderick nervously while examining Lee-Jae.
“Your Majesty, the Queen, aside from fatigue, do you have any other ailments?”
“No, I just felt dizzy for a moment. Isn’t it normal to feel that way when you get up suddenly?”
The physician nodded, but Roderick looked displeased. He could tolerate other lies, but not this.
“Hailey, be honest about this.”
Lee-Jae, though exhausted, smiled. Just as the King had his reasons for not disclosing his symptoms to others, so did she.
The physician, despite keeping an eye on the King, made a fairly accurate diagnosis.
“There are no unusual symptoms. It seems to be severe fatigue. Have you been overexerting yourself lately?”
Lee-Jae stared at the physician’s face for a moment, impressed. Then she turned to Roderick and motioned for him to come closer. Thinking she had something difficult to say in front of others, Roderick quickly leaned in. She whispered in his ear.
“Your Majesty, that man is a genius.”
Roderick felt a slight pang of annoyance.
“I told you, this is not the time for jokes.”
Meanwhile, the King’s attendants exchanged awkward glances and cleared their throats.
The Queen had looked perfectly fine when she entered the King’s chamber.
What could have possibly exhausted her in just one night?
They concluded that the King truly lived up to his nickname, “the Beast.”
He must have been incredibly demanding to reduce the Queen to such a state in just a few hours. They were truly the gossiping type.
After the physician left with a few instructions, Lee-Jae smiled faintly at Roderick, who still looked concerned.
“Your Majesty,” she said.
“What is it?”
“Can I go rest in my room now?”
This room was not suitable for her to rest, given her heightened senses. As Lee-Jae tried to get up, Roderick silently lifted her into his arms. Lee-Jae was surprised, and so was Jade, who hurried over.
“Your Majesty, let me carry her,” Jade offered.
“No, I’ll do it,” Roderick replied.
Jade was Roderick’s closest friend and most trusted confidant. However, the thought of him carrying her annoyed Roderick, and he shook his head.
Lee-Jae, assessing the situation, cautiously spoke up, “Your Majesty, my legs aren’t hurt.”
“I know,” Roderick replied.
“…”
“I’m your husband. Use me.”
“I’m heavy,” Lee-Jae protested.
“Hailey, let’s be reasonable. Do you think you’re heavy for me?”
The attendants accompanying the King looked apologetic, but the Queen’s maids nodded approvingly. Not using those muscles in such situations would be a waste of resources.
Lee-Jae bit her lip lightly, feeling a pang at Roderick’s words about using him. He had taken her words to heart.
Roderick watched her intently. He knew that biting her lip was Lee-Jae’s habit when she was deeply focused or sincere. He pretended not to notice and changed the subject.
“Duke Duncan has good stamina, and Albert Duncan isn’t bad either. How come you didn’t inherit that?”
Hailey, though petite, had a naturally healthy constitution. Lee-Jae also took good care of herself and had a remarkably pure aura. It was just that last night had been an intense battle of persuasion and exorcism.
“Maybe you should eat more enthusiastically. You always just pick at your food, that’s why you’re not growing taller.”
“Why are you teasing me about my height again? It’s not like I chose to be short.”
“I’m not trying to tease you… Never mind.”
Roderick looked serious. He was concerned that she might be hiding an illness, as she frequently fell ill.
After placing Lee-Jae on the bed in the Queen’s chamber, Roderick gazed at her for a long time before attempting to leave the room. He had his own schedule to attend to.
However, unusually, Lee-Jae stopped him.
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
Roderick mouthed, “What is it?”
What? Tell me.
“Can you sleep in my room tonight?”
Roderick paused for a moment. The Queen rarely relied on others. For her to make such a request, she must be feeling truly unwell, he thought. Of course, this was a slight misunderstanding.
Lee-Jae looked around the room carefully, marveling at how formidable the King must be to have endured such torment for years without any spiritual tools or insights. But she wanted at least a day or two of rest and didn’t want to leave the King alone in that place.
Roderick gently stroked Lee-Jae’s hair.
“Rest up. I’ll come right after I’m done,” he said.
“You can take your time,” she replied.
“No, I want to come back quickly.”
Then he instructed the head maid, “Take good care of the Queen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind.”
Roderick hurried out to attend to his duties, his steps more urgent than usual. Lee-Jae watched the door long after he had left.
They both had secrets and boundaries they couldn’t share. Yet, their hearts were increasingly drawn to each other, wanting to meet despite the circumstances. Even in this moment, when they couldn’t be entirely honest with each other, their bond was growing warmer.
