FYH Chapter 47

As soon as the Prince was dispatched to the border, he immediately sent news of his victory. However, he also made sure to add that he hadn’t located the main force, so it was difficult to feel completely relieved.

It wasn’t bad news, but the nobles were always ones to stir up trouble. They, once again, raised concerns about the Queen’s health.

“How is Her Majesty, the Queen doing?”

“She is recovering. Thanks to your sincere concern, she will be up and about soon.”

The King sarcastically responded, and the nobleman who had spoken stiffened, quickly silencing himself.

Roderick rested his chin on his hand and stared at Duke Duncan.

Having raised his daughter for over twenty years, the Duke was surely aware of her chronic illness. Roderick found himself in a rather ironic situation.

He wanted to ask his father-in-law about it because he was worried about his wife.

However, hiding a daughter’s chronic illness before marriage was considered a grave offense. Asking about it was practically an attack on the Duke.

Normally, he wouldn’t care and would have asked without hesitation, perhaps even using it to his advantage. But now, he couldn’t do that. The Queen might end up in trouble as well.

“Your Majesty, is there any good news?”

“What news?”

“Shouldn’t you be thinking about an heir?”

That was a direct attack and a form of pressure. But in fact, it was something that even the Royal Faction was curious about. With the Queen’s health seeming more fragile than expected, they were worried if she could even bear a child.

“The Queen is only twenty-one. Both the Queen and I are still young, so why are you so impatient?”

Roderick casually responded and once again looked at Duke Duncan.

His daughter was being personally attacked, and since this attack was also an attack on the King, he found himself stuck, unsure of what to do. He remained silent.

‘How can such a man be called a father…’

Well, what could one expect from a father who treated his daughter so harshly? He couldn’t understand how a man like that could raise such a kind-hearted daughter.

His wife, who could curse like a priest, must have had a father with no compassion at all.

“You know, you can attack me, but don’t go after the Queen, who is just quietly enduring.”

“…”

“That’s childish and ugly.”

“…”

“If you have nothing else to say, then I’ll leave.”

With that, the King stormed out of the meeting room, his face full of frustration. He had been trying to give the Queen some rest, but whenever he visited her, he would quickly leave again. Seeing her pale face made him want to speak to her, but he restrained himself.

People found it rather odd. The Queen was recovering, but the King’s condition seemed to be worsening.

It was like the law of conservation of mass. Their health seemed to be inversely proportional to each other, maintaining a constant total.

Now, the people around them started to step in and make suggestions.

“Your Majesty, aren’t you going to visit the Queen?”

“What is the Queen doing?”

“She’s been up, meditating, reading books, and even journaling. Her maidservants all say her complexion is looking better.”

“Let her rest more. Don’t make her worry about other things.”

Roderick headed straight for his study.

But after the King sighed for the thirtieth time while pressing his forehead, the Chamberlain whispered to the Knight Commander.

“Now is the perfect time to bring in the Queen. From my experience, any later and it could be dangerous.”

“I’ll send word to the Queen’s palace right away. No, I’ll go myself.”

Jade immediately took action.

When the Knight Commander visited Lee-Jae, she was chatting away with the Spirit of the Chest. When she looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked about his purpose, Jade awkwardly scratched his head.

Even he found the situation a bit strange.

“Uh, Your Majesty the Queen… Are you still feeling unwell?”

The consequences of failing to control her emotions had been severe. She had performed an exorcism with all her might, only for it to end up being futile, which made it difficult to suppress her frustration. And that frustration had come back to her in the form of exhaustion.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“His Majesty seems to be feeling rather low. I thought it might be good if you shared a cup of tea with him… I apologize. I know I am overstepping.”

That was all Lee-Jae needed to hear to understand. She looked at Jade with a somewhat sympathetic gaze, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

“Sure, I’ll go. Let me just change my clothes. You can go ahead and wait.”

“No, I will personally escort you. I’ll wait outside.”

Once the Knight Commander closed the door and left, Lee-Jae opened the chest and picked out several talismans from among the many stored inside. The Spirit of the Chest seemed displeased.

– Don’t take my stuff!

“I stored them here, so they’re not all yours.”

– …

“Sigh, you greedy thing. One day, that greed will break your nose*.”

[*T/N: 큰 코 다치다 an idiom meaning that someone will suffer a setback or get into trouble because of something.]

– I don’t even have a nose!

The spirit yelled out in protest and sulked. Despite being busy, Lee-Jae couldn’t help but chuckle at its reaction.

Instead of changing her clothes, she simply took the talismans and stepped outside.

Jade found it a bit odd but bowed politely. For some reason, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of gratitude.

Though he was a man far removed from spirits, he was an unparalleled knight born of Cayenne’s legacy. The King had once casually mentioned it in passing, but Jade had slowly started to sense it himself—there were times when the atmosphere around Lee-Jae felt… different.

“But is His Majesty really feeling that bad?”

“It’s not exactly that… but he has been feeling down since yesterday. According to the Chamberlain, he hasn’t been able to sleep either… Sigh. Honestly, I don’t even know why anymore.”

Even as his friend, there was a limit to what he could say. He couldn’t outright claim that the King was on the verge of madness. So instead, Jade simply let out a long, weary sigh.

“He can’t help but feel that way. Try to understand him a little. Besides, you’re the only one he has, Jade.”

Lee-Jae spoke calmly as she walked through the hallway, lost in thought.

However, when they arrived at the King’s study, her face instantly twisted in shock.

‘He was holding this in? Then why didn’t he come to my room at least? He usually picks up on things like a ghost, so why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’

As soon as she stepped inside, Roderick greeted her with a grin.

“Hailey.”

“…”

“What brings you here? Are you feeling alright?”

Roderick rose from his seat to welcome her.

Truthfully, the King’s condition wasn’t at its worst. The reason Lee-Jae felt a surge of emotion was simply because her body temperature had risen.

And before she even got close, Roderick’s mood had already lifted. His warmth had risen as well.

“Your Majesty, what exactly are you doing right now?”

Her rather cold tone took everyone aback. Even Roderick looked a little troubled.

“What are you doing?” she repeated.

“…What do you mean?”

Biting her lip, Lee-Jae strode over to him, murmured a few incantations, then grabbed his wrist and led him to the sofa.

“Sit over here.”

“What have you been up to? Have you eaten?”

Roderick brushed his fingers over the corner of her lips—silently telling her to stop biting them.

For some reason, she was furious. Her anger stemmed from the resentment that, despite her struggles, he hadn’t granted her this one request.

“Your Majesty, I told you to go to the forest. I asked you to go.”

“I did go.”

“When?”

“The day before yesterday, I think.”

“Again?”

“…I said I went the day before yesterday.”

Lee-Jae took a deep breath to calm herself. But she failed.

“You were supposed to go every day! I specifically asked you to!”

Everyone was stunned—her tone was far too aggressive.

Even the attendants shot suspicious glances at her ladies-in-waiting, silently questioning if she was really the one meant to keep the King in check.

His Majesty is in no state to be spoken to like that. He threw something after the council meeting, for heaven’s sake!

Yet, despite his previously frayed temper, Roderick became oddly docile the moment he saw Lee-Jae.

“I didn’t realize you meant every day. My little fox, why are you so upset?”

The frustration that had built up in her chest made her tear up, and at that sight, Roderick softened completely.

“…Oh. Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

“…”

“Should we go now? Let’s go, then.”

Lee-Jae shook her head and patted her lap twice.

“Lie down first.”

“…Did you eat?”

Though he was exhausted from restless nights, he wanted to talk to her just a little longer. But she still seemed a bit sulky.

“I’ll take care of myself. I’m still tired, so just lie down quickly.”

“I’d rather talk to you than sleep.”

“…Then do it lying down.”

“But you’re the tired one. Why am I the one who has to lie down?”

A very reasonable question.

Left speechless, Lee-Jae simply placed her hand on his forehead and pushed him down.

Though still visibly puzzled, Roderick didn’t resist. Just having her here was enough for him.

She pressed her fingers over different points of his body and face, swiftly working to release his blocked energy.

As he quietly accepted her touch, he suddenly murmured, “Hailey.”

“Yes?”

“You’re really okay now, right?”

“…Yes. What about you, Your Majesty?”

“I’m fine, of course.”

Fine, my ass. You idiot. If there’s anyone you should be honest with, it’s me.

Lee-Jae gazed at him for a long moment, feeling nothing but pity. Then, carefully, she pressed her lips to his.

Caught in the kiss, Roderick let out a pleased chuckle.

“You keep this up, and I’ll be in trouble. Are you trying to make me fall even harder?”

“…Just don’t overdo it.”

“Ah, why? That’s no fun. You’re making me sad.”

“…”

“Stop pushing me away already. I know I messed up a lot when we got married… Just cut me some slack, will you?”

Lee-Jae hesitated, her hands coming to a stop. Her expression was somewhat unreadable.

“Do you really think you did something wrong to me?”

“Yeah.”

“What exactly?”

Roderick didn’t answer, but as Lee-Jae pondered for a moment, she soon let out a quiet chuckle. She could read his thoughts.

Accept the Royal Marriage, die here, or take the crown and die.

Lee-Jae smiled faintly.

“Do you really think people have choices, Your Majesty?”

The circumstances of birth, the eyes that forced her to see painful visions, the moments that led up to death—

At every crucial point in her life, she had never truly had a choice. Compared to that, his options had been quite luxurious.

“That wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

“…”

“So forget about it already, okay?”

She resumed pressing down on his body, opening his blocked energy channels. Roderick gently brushed his fingers over the back of her hand a few times.

And when he finally fell asleep, a deep sigh echoed somewhere in the room.

He’s asleep. Again. Unbelievable.

How can he just sleep like that?

Lee-Jae looked unbothered, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. The chief attendant, having learned his lesson from past mistakes, wasted no time. He covered Roderick with a blanket before handing another one to the Head lady-in-waiting.

With an air of practiced elegance, Deborah—who had already established dominance in similar situations—wrapped Lee-Jae in the blanket with a composed, dignified expression.

Lee-Jae gestured for the chief attendant to approach.

“How long has he been having trouble sleeping?”

“…”

“You should have asked him. I know he’s not the type to talk about his struggles, but still.”

The youngest Duncan had only been married to the King for two months. And yet, the Queen spoke about the King with such accuracy that the attendants couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed.

Roderick might have been blunt at times, but he enjoyed humor and was quite sincere. He wasn’t particularly prideful either.

Yet, when it came to the weight he carried, he never spoke of it. A King couldn’t afford to collapse in front of others.

In truth, this very trait was what made him and Lee-Jae so alike—and what constantly tugged at her emotions.

Lee-Jae turned to the Knight Commander this time.

“If His Majesty looks exhausted, tell me. No matter what. Just like you did today.”

Jade nodded as if he had been enchanted by a fox spirit.

Lee-Jae gently brushed Roderick’s hair back, mimicking a habit of his.

With a sigh, she murmured as if speaking to no one in particular,

“This might sound a little irreverent, but… no person is a god.”

“…”

“His Majesty is actually enduring more than anyone and doing his very best.”

But the thing is, he doesn’t even resent it.

And that’s the reason why he hasn’t succumbed to the vengeful spirits after all these years.

Ordinary people can’t do this when they’re in pain. They either blame others or collapse under the weight of it.

“Let him share the burden, even just a little.”

The King’s attendants bowed their heads. The Queen spoke with remarkable composure—

Yet, in doing so, she was proving, beyond any doubt, that she was the true pillar of the royalist faction.

The ladies-in-waiting gave the attendants a smug, triumphant look.

See? Our Queen really is the one keeping everything in check.