Roderick and Lee-Jae had been playfully bantering since morning. Recently, Roderick had found a new joy in their interactions. One day, when he playfully asked, “Should I go now?” Lee-Jae looked disappointed, which made him happy because it seemed like she wanted to be with him.
“Hailey. I’m thinking of sleeping in my room tonight.”
But Lee-Jae was quite perceptive. Realizing he was teasing her, she nodded agreeably.
“Yes, go ahead.”
Roderick frowned.
“Ouch, that actually hurt a bit.”
Lee-Jae glanced at him and saw that he was smiling.
“…You don’t even ask if I’m really hurt anymore.”
“You were just joking, weren’t you?”
“Our Queen, you’ve grown a bit, little fox.”
Lee-Jae laughed out loud, and Roderick gazed at her face. The apricot-haired fox in his arms made the morning incredibly satisfying. Of course, there were challenges. They were both young and attracted to each other. Sometimes, being together made them lose their senses.
When that happened, Roderick would abruptly get up and return to his room. But sadly, being in his own room made him even more restless. Unable to sleep, he would return to Lee-Jae’s room with a sheepish expression. Seeing her curled up on the sofa, he would feel sorry for her and eventually carry her back to the bed, taking the sofa for himself.
It was baffling how such absurd situations arose during their honeymoon. But upon reflection, all this was a result of Roderick’s own actions and promises. If Lee-Jae knew his thoughts, she would have smiled gently and agreed. That was karma.
“Come over here,” Roderick said, pulling Lee-Jae closer and offering his arm as a pillow.
At first, Lee-Jae just smiled, but her expression gradually became complex. The arm that had been resting on her waist began to move, caressing her side. His thumb traced the shape of her ribs. She glanced at him and saw his blue eyes filled with amusement, awaiting her reaction. His hand was ready to move wherever her reaction led.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Your fingertips are being very naughty.”
“You noticed that too?”
Slightly annoyed, Lee-Jae glared at him.
“Do you think I’m a child?”
“If you were a child, I wouldn’t be doing this. I’m not that much of a pervert.”
“…”
“Hailey, if you don’t like it, don’t just keep quiet. Kick me with your foot instead.”
Lee-Jae’s expression grew complex.
The intensity of their skinship was increasing, and Roderick was starting to act this way even in public, trying to embrace her and stay close.
She didn’t dislike it, but the King was unaware of the reasons behind his feelings. He didn’t know why being with her made him feel at ease or why he wanted to hold her.
Was it okay to keep this up? Honesty was crucial in relationships.
As Lee-Jae tried to gently remove his hand, Roderick quickly let go. He scratched his eyebrow, feeling he might have been too forward.
But when she got up and started moving around, he looked puzzled. When she sat at the table and picked up a carving tool, he raised an eyebrow.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Carving,” she replied.
“Shouldn’t you… rest more?”
“No. I’m going for a walk today, and I have meetings starting tomorrow.”
Her firm response left Roderick speechless. She looked genuinely fine. Despite her pale complexion the day before, she seemed to have recovered quickly.
Roderick thought the Queen’s condition fluctuated strangely. This was also what Lee-Jae thought when she first met the King.
Kang Lee-Jae was using just enough of her power to recover and keep the spirits at bay, but not so much that she exhausted herself. Energy could be replenished with rest, but if it fell below a certain threshold, recovery became impossible, much like a person with a severely compromised immune system.
“It still feels too early,” Roderick said.
“Not at all. I’ve rested too long because of you.”
Lee-Jae chuckled, thinking, ‘The patient isn’t me, but you, Your Majesty.’
She had not only rested but also dealt with one of the spirits Roderick had brought back the night before. She had opened a barrier, pulled the spirit in, and then closed the barrier again, effectively trapping and eliminating it. It was a ruthless tactic she had learned from dealing with the snake spirit.
“What are you carving this time?” Roderick asked, sitting across from her.
“Something stronger than the last one I gave you.”
“Does that mean this one will be an even more grotesque masterpiece?”
Lee-Jae laughed.
“Your Majesty, you’re starting to have high expectations. You’re getting a taste for my style.”
“Hailey, I’m sorry, but objectively, this is a hard taste to acquire.”
“Wow, you sure know how to sweet-talk in the morning.”
“I’m just preparing you in case you get hurt when I’m not around.”
Despite his teasing words, Roderick couldn’t take his eyes off her as she carved.
The Queen was simply carving wood.
The resulting pieces were all strangely bizarre. At first, he found it amusing. He thought she was a funny and odd woman.
But lately, Roderick had been feeling differently. Her face was serene and composed when she carved, and sometimes she looked strangely lonely.
So, he wasn’t being influenced by someone’s taste. He was just becoming drawn to a person.
For the first time in a while, Lee-Jae ventured out of her room and felt refreshed. She headed towards the lake as if drawn by a water spirit. Roderick thought the Queen was deliberately trying to worry him. Her maids thought the same. The Queen had a strange stubbornness; despite the King’s obvious displeasure and worry, she insisted on her walk with a smile.
Lee-Jae sat by the lake for about an hour, waiting for the foreign spirit, but the area remained quiet. Perhaps the foreign spirit thought her persistent requests were too bothersome. She eventually gave up and stood.
“Your Majesty, are you going back inside?” the head maid asked.
“Yes… No, I think I’ll go to the library. Is that okay?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
The head maid, who had been waiting at a discreet distance, felt relieved. However, another situation that would make the King furious occurred. Lee-Jae stopped suddenly, and the maids’ gazes followed her. People murmured in confusion. Lawrence, who had just finished training, was looking at the Queen.
No one was more surprised than the Queen herself.
“Why… is he coming this way?” she muttered.
The maids were also confused. Lee-Jae’s eyes darted around nervously. Sensing that encountering him would be troublesome, she turned to leave. But Lawrence was a knight. He quickly closed the distance and called out to her.
“Hailey, just a moment…”
It was the head maid who reacted to his urgent call, not Lee-Jae.
“How dare you! How can you address the Queen so informally? Even if you know each other personally, this is inappropriate.”
Lee-Jae was momentarily touched and teary-eyed.
Deborah, thank you. I wasn’t sure before, but you are capable, and we work well together.
Lawrence realized his mistake and quickly bowed his head.
“Your Majesty the Queen, I was disrespectful. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“No, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Lee-Jae quickly corrected herself to use formal language. It seemed better to maintain some distance.
“Please, just a moment of your time.”
After hesitating, Lee-Jae finally turned to face him. The handsome man with refined features looked at her for a while.
“Speak… please.” She felt like she was being scolded. Her heart was still racing. She hadn’t expected to feel so guilty for not being Hailey. The man looking at her still had tender eyes.
Flustered, Lee-Jae eventually looked down. “I heard there was an accident the day before the royal wedding.”
The rumors had been suppressed by the Royal Family and the Duncans, but those who needed to know were aware of the truth.
“Was it because of me?”
“No. It was truly an accident. You… don’t need to worry.”
However, Lee-Jae knew that Hailey’s biggest regret when she left was Lawrence. That’s why this emotion was still lingering.
Lawrence didn’t seem to believe Lee-Jae’s words. He glanced at the lake and said, “Why did you do something so dangerous?”
“…”
“Didn’t I always wish for your happiness and promise to protect you as a knight?”
Lee-Jae looked up at those words. It wasn’t in Hailey’s memories, but she had confirmed it in her diary.
As their eyes met, a sharp pain shot through her again. But Lee-Jae pushed it down and spoke clearly.
“No. You shouldn’t do that.”
“…”
“The bond between you two… ended long ago.” You both need to let go of your attachments. If Lawrence didn’t, Hailey couldn’t rest in peace. This feeling needed to be resolved quickly.
But the young knight just looked at the Queen with a lost expression. With a hint of sadness, he smiled faintly and said, “Then why is the Queen… crying now?”
Lee-Jae realized she was crying again and felt very flustered. Lawrence offered her a handkerchief, his smile tinged with the regret that he couldn’t wipe her tears himself.
Lee-Jae waved her hand in refusal and stepped back. Lawrence tried to offer the handkerchief again, but Lee-Jae, feeling restless, fled the scene.
A few hours later, when Roderick heard the full story, he looked extremely displeased.
