“Your Majesty, the Queen had a brief conversation with Lawrence.”
Roderick raised an eyebrow and then furrowed his brow deeply. It was a face of genuine displeasure.
“Where? The meetings don’t start until tomorrow.”
“They happened to meet by the lake.”
The King sighed and rubbed his forehead, making everyone tense.
“First Knight Commander.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Does Lawrence not know that the Queen’s husband is the King?”
The King’s face was filled with displeasure, as if asking if Lawrence was stupid.
“Why does that arrogant bastard keep coming to the castle? Why is he bothering the Queen, who is already worried?”
It was a bit unfair. It was natural for a knight to train at the castle, and training was not trivial. But even his friend did not correct him. The King kept rubbing his forehead.
“So, what happened?”
“What?”
“I mean, they must have talked about something. They wouldn’t have just stared at each other.”
The commander hesitated, and Roderick’s face grew even more displeased.
“He said he would protect her as a knight…”
“Ha, this crazy bastard.”
Roderick felt so frustrated that his recent stability seemed to be crumbling.
“Since when has Cayenne’s conduct been this chaotic?”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Hailey…”
“Yes?”
Jade found himself asking for clarification multiple times today.
“The Queen… Did she cry again?”
When Jade remained silent, confirming it, Roderick tossed the documents he was looking at across the room. His face was filled with irritation.
“But she said their bond was already over and left first.”
“What good is saying that with a crying face? If she cries like that, how can that bastard not be shaken?”
“…”
“The Queen sometimes makes people go crazy like that.”
How deep must their love have been for her to cry just at the sight of him? Now it was infuriating. Roderick thought he should have shot Lawrence that day in the hunting grounds. It was a moment just before a marital spat.
The King maintained a sullen expression throughout the preparation of the meal. Lee-Jae glanced at him, sensing something was off. Although there were no lingering spirits, she felt a pang of guilt.
As Lee-Jae took a sip of water, Roderick, who had been resting his chin on his hand, abruptly spoke up.
“Are you going to keep doing this?”
Lee-Jae almost spit out her water and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Roderick offered her a napkin.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, confused.
“You’re the Queen now. Even if you can’t be a role model for the people, you shouldn’t be leading the way in adultery.”
Lee-Jae felt quite wronged. She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she felt like she was being punished all afternoon.
“What do you mean I committed adultery? That’s too harsh an accusation.”
“You met Lawrence. How can a married woman meet her ex-lover in private? Isn’t that adultery?”
“…”
“Isn’t it?”
“…”
“Are you serious?”
Feeling cornered, Lee-Jae tried to explain the situation.
“I’m sorry, but it was really just a coincidence. We didn’t talk for long.”
“You cried.”
“…”
“Why did you cry? Don’t you realize how you look? Do you ever look in the mirror?”
“Are you saying my face is unfortunate?”
“…What are you talking about?”
Lee-Jae felt genuinely wronged. She was usually good at hiding her emotions. But Hailey wasn’t like that, and Lee-Jae struggled to understand her past emotions. Moreover, Lawrence wasn’t even Lee-Jae’s lover.
The most unfair part for Lee-Jae was her own blank past.
“You said you wouldn’t rush me until my heart was at ease, so why are you getting mad at me?”
“I said I wouldn’t rush you, not that you should go back to him.”
“But actually, Your Majesty…”
Lee-Jae paused mid-sentence, and Roderick nodded for her to continue.
“Go ahead.”
“You said before that you didn’t care about such things.”
“…Is the situation the same now as it was then? Does that mean your feelings are still the same?”
“…”
“Huh?”
Roderick felt a pang of frustration. He had more than just affection for the Queen; his feelings for her grew deeper each day. But it seemed like she didn’t reciprocate.
She often seemed distracted, looking elsewhere, yet trying to maintain her composure.
Ironically, Roderick took Lee-Jae’s plate away. He was cutting the meat for her while being visibly angry. Despite his anger, he had a protective instinct, thinking, ‘If I don’t take care of this little fox, who will?’
“If you keep this up, you’ll see me go ‘uwaaah’ one of these days.”
Lee-Jae couldn’t help but smile slightly, covering her mouth. Seeing this, Roderick felt even more exasperated. He pushed the plate back to her and said,
“Fine, at least you found it amusing.”
“…I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to see him. That’s the truth.”
Lee-Jae looked down, feeling troubled and apologetic. Roderick was already annoyed, but seeing her expression, he suppressed his emotions. He had seen that guilty look before, and it always made him feel a pang of remorse.
“Okay, I understand.”
“…”
“Stop making that face. When you do, it really feels like something happened.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Okay, I understand. I wasn’t really mad at you either.”
Lee-Jae furrowed her brows slightly and asked, “Really? Then why did you bring it up in the first place?”
“I wasn’t feeling great, so I had to hear your side of the story.”
In truth, his feelings were more intense, similar to the times when his madness would surface. But Roderick decided to let it go. He didn’t understand why, but he found it genuinely difficult to be angry with the Queen.
“Eat up.”
“Yes. You too, Your Majesty.”
They both seemed to focus on their meal. However, life has its ups and downs, and today was not Lee-Jae’s day. Her third crisis arrived swiftly.
“What’s wrong?” Roderick asked, noticing Lee-Jae staring at something.
She was looking at a dish on the table. It was a type of escargot, a snail dish. Seeing such a dish on the royal table meant it was considered a delicacy. However, having spent over a decade in the mountains, Lee-Jae felt a slight aversion to it. Moreover, the snails here were… too big.
Her expression grew increasingly uncomfortable, and Roderick chuckled. “This is edible. You haven’t tried it before?”
“…”
“Are you not interested in food culture, or is the Duncans’ financial situation not good?”
Lee-Jae shook her head. Hailey had occasionally eaten it at the Duke’s residence. But Lee-Jae had her own tastes and preferences.
I’m sorry. I don’t have very refined tastes. Actually, I’m quite rustic. I literally grew up in a rural mountain village.
Finding her discomfort amusing, Roderick was about to hand the dish to a servant to take away. “Remove this. Our Queen finds it unpleasant.”
Surprisingly, it was Jade who reacted this time. He had been enduring days of seeing his reports’ credibility crumble. The kingdom’s top knight was now upset over a few snails.
“Your Majesty, didn’t you like this dish?”
“Huh?”
“I distinctly remember you liked it…”
“Who… told you that?”
Lee-Jae looked at Jade, puzzled. She sensed something odd about the atmosphere. It was strange that even the knight commander was interested in such minor food preferences.
Roderick intervened. He clicked his tongue and said, “Jade. The Queen is in the middle of her meal.”
“…”
“Don’t interrupt.”
The King gave Jade a warning look. But Lee-Jae felt that the King also found something strange.
Roderick asked Lee-Jae again, “You don’t want to eat it?”
“No? I like it.”
But internally, Lee-Jae felt a pang of guilt. The King’s expression as he studied her said it all. She’s lying again.
The King handed the dish to the servant. “Just take it away quickly.”
“…”
Why did she feel like she was being scolded for something she didn’t do wrong today?
Feeling beaten down by the three men, Lee-Jae finally gave in and finished her meal in silence.
After finishing their meal, they took a brief walk in the garden before heading inside. Lee-Jae, who had felt a bit unwell, found relief in the cool night air.
As they walked down the hallway towards her room, Roderick asked, “Are you feeling okay? If not, you should rest a few more days.”
“No, I’m fine. But, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?”
Lee-Jae planned to resume her exorcism ritual. Although she had meetings starting the next afternoon, she felt she could handle eliminating one spirit after having rested sufficiently.
However, Roderick didn’t seem too keen on the idea.
“Is the tour of my room not enough? I prefer your room.”
“…Do you?”
“Yes.”
Roderick’s preference was actually based on solid reasoning. Lee-Jae’s room was much safer, and even the human talisman couldn’t block all negative energies.
Lee-Jae, deep in thought, tentatively asked, “Then, would you like to sleep in my room? I prefer that room.”
“…That’s a very novel way of saying you don’t want to sleep with me.”
Lee-Jae chuckled but didn’t deny it. Truthfully, she found it easier when Roderick wasn’t around. During exorcisms, she always worried about him waking up, which disrupted her concentration.
“Hailey, isn’t it a bit petty to take revenge like this just because I said something you didn’t like earlier?”
“It’s not revenge. And I didn’t take it as something unpleasant.”
“Then how should I interpret your words?”
When she fell silent again, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Come on, just let me stay with you. I really can’t sleep without you.”
“…”
“If you really hate it, think of it as punishment for flirting.”
Saying this, Roderick felt a bit humiliated, but Lee-Jae found his choice of words amusing.
“Your Majesty, how is that a punishment?”
“What do you mean?”
“Punishment isn’t supposed to be warm like that.”
Roderick paused and looked into the distance, then sighed and rubbed his eyes.
“…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
He gently pushed her shoulder against the wall and leaned in, nipping at her chin before soothing it with a lick. He enveloped her lips completely, making Lee-Jae’s lips disappear into his mouth.
Watching the king seemingly devour the Queen, the attendants thought, “He’s not just kissing her, he’s practically consuming her.”
Due to the significant size difference, Lee-Jae was barely visible behind Roderick.
However, as Roderick caressed her waist, he quickly pulled away, panting heavily. He felt his self-control slipping. If he continued, he wouldn’t be able to stop at just a kiss.
“I can’t handle it today. You, just go inside quickly.”
Roderick forcefully pushed Lee-Jae into her room and shut the door. Left alone suddenly, she looked bewildered. This situation was far from what she had planned. Today was supposed to be a day when she would fall back and take a solid hit.
Yet, strangely, she didn’t feel too bad about it. She was a bit worried about the King sleeping alone in that room, but she thought he would be fine for one night.
Feeling perplexed, she bit her lip and then placed two fingers on her solar plexus.
“Auspicious star, shining on humanity’s night from on high. The radiant dawn is always ready to greet humanity’s morning.”
Lee-Jae smiled softly. Although she couldn’t be by his side, she hoped this small wish would protect him tonight.
