Having shaken off her lingering thoughts, Lee-Jae found herself by the lakeside. Her expression was full of pouty frustration—clearly still upset with the Boy King who never seemed to be of any help.
“Can I grow some medicinal herbs in Arthur’s Forest?”
— Why are you asking me that?
“Then who else am I supposed to ask?”
— The forest belongs to the Royal Family. You should ask the current King.
Lee-Jae pursed her lips, as if he were speaking utter nonsense.
“I’m not that naïve, you know. I’m not some clueless idiot!”
— What’s with you all of a sudden? Why are you so mad?
“How could I not be mad? I’m actually a really short-tempered person! Even if His Majesty allows it, if you say no, then it’s not happening, right?”
The apricot-colored fox clenched her tiny fists, huffing and puffing in frustration. The Boy King simply laughed and sat down beside her. The moment he moved closer, Lee-Jae flinched.
“Don’t come any closer. This is really uncomfortable for me. Let’s agree to keep our distance.”
As much as she desperately needed his help, he was simply too extraordinary of a soul for her to approach easily. She subtly shuffled away, putting more space between them.
— You can grow them. Just don’t damage the land.
“…”
— Kang Lee-Jae. Remember this—you won’t be able to handle that energy on your own.
“Yes. I understand.”
— …
“…Thank you for the warning.”
The Boy King smiled gently and ran a faint, ghostly hand through her hair.
— You’re working hard. Stay strong.
Then, with his white horse, he vanished into thin air.
The Queen’s newfound hobby of brewing medicine quickly spread throughout the castle. When Lee-Jae had first asked if she could plant something in the empty spaces of the forest, Roderick had let out a dry chuckle and nodded.
“Do as you like. Why are you even asking?”
“You said it was a royal treasure.”
“Who else besides you and me even goes there? Just don’t set anything on fire.”
From an outsider’s perspective, the Queen lived an incredibly dull life. Her only known pastimes were sculpting and meditation. In truth, she exercised far more restraint than most people her age.
So if she had finally found something she wanted to do, Roderick had no reason to object. Though, it was amusing that the hobby she’d chosen was so befitting of an old hermit.
But what truly made him laugh in disbelief was what came next.
“Glory to Cayenne.”
Roderick gave Jade a puzzled look.
“What are you doing here? What about Hailey?”
“…Her Majesty is currently in the garden, brewing medicine with the royal physician.”
And not just casually—she was doing it with great enthusiasm.
Roderick’s expression twisted, now caught between laughter and exasperation. The Knight Commander, who had reviewed the reports, looked equally troubled.
Your Majesty, where on earth did this hobby come from? I think I might lose my mind.
There was something else that bothered the Knight Commander entirely.
“According to the physician…”
“What now?”
“Her Majesty actually has considerable knowledge in the field.”
“…”
“She doesn’t know much about specific medicinal herbs, but she can hold a discussion on the subject… and contribute meaningfully.”
Roderick pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly getting a headache. He glanced at the people around him.
Do you all finally understand how I’ve been feeling?
Every single one of them avoided his gaze.
“Unbelievable.”
“…”
“Where did the Queen even come from? Why is it that no one seems to truly know anything about her? At this point, I feel like summoning the Duke just to ask how he managed to raise someone like that.”
Yet, despite his frustration, he couldn’t completely hide his concern.
“Is she sick?”
“…Pardon? No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then why is she suddenly brewing medicine with the physician?”
Jade hesitated for a moment. Was the King really asking because he didn’t know?
No matter how much one tried to see her as just a Duncan, it was obvious the Queen cared about the King. And she had a bad habit—she rarely took medicine, even when she was sick. She ignored prescriptions, insisted that rest alone would suffice… a terrible habit she shared with the King himself.
That meant the medicine she was making wasn’t for her. It was for him.
Seeing the answer written all over Jade’s face, Roderick clicked his tongue.
“She can’t even take care of herself properly, so what’s the point of all that knowledge? Absolutely ridiculous.”
But despite his words, his expression was one of amusement. In fact, he looked rather pleased.
“I’m going to see her.”
With a refreshing smile, Roderick rose from his seat.
Deborah looked at Lee-Jae with a slightly overwhelmed expression. The maids around her were no different. The murmuring began.
“She’s quite good at this.”
“She actually looks comfortable right now.”
“She wasn’t ordinary at sewing, either.”
“What kind of life has she lived…?”
Strangely enough, the Queen’s talents seemed to shine the brightest when she was doing menial work.
All of the Queen’s maids were of noble birth. That meant none of them had ever done hard labor. But even at a glance, it was obvious—Lee-Jae had. She reached for dirty things without hesitation, handled firewood with ease, checked the flames constantly, and even fanned them with practiced familiarity.
Meanwhile, Lee-Jae was deep in thought, crouching down with her chin resting on her hand.
Sintoburi*. Our bodies need what is ours. A royal body should be nourished with herbs from the royal forest.
[*T/N: A Korean saying that originally means the ‘body and soil can not be separated’. Essentially, our body and soul are at their best when eating foods that grow on the soil we step on. In this case, Lee-Jae means Roderick should nourish himself from herbs from Arthur’s Forest since the royal family themselves should have the ability to dispel the spirits that are haunting Roderick.]
She praised herself. This is a very smart idea.
Grandmother, I’m sorry for complaining back then—saying shamans should just perform rituals instead of making me do all that extra work. I didn’t mean it.
The maids, unaware of the absurd thoughts running through the Queen’s mind, hesitated before stepping forward.
“Your Majesty, should we wash these?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah.”
Lee-Jae nodded absentmindedly.
“Your Majesty, should we peel this one?”
“Yes—ah, but cut off the bottom as well. It could be toxic.”
The physician, watching from the side, looked at the Queen with pure bewilderment.
Why in the world does Her Majesty know such things?
One day, the Queen had suddenly sought him out to ask about herbs that could restore energy. But instead of ordering a prescription, she had started growing the herbs herself. In five hundred years of Cayenne’s history, many royals had taken an interest in landscaping—but a Queen cultivating medicinal herbs? That was unheard of.
And now, here she was, inhaling the sharp smoke of the fire, fanning it diligently.
It wasn’t right, but both Deborah and the physician were utterly dumbfounded. The younger maids, however, seemed oddly excited.
Lee-Jae, hovering near them, asked,
“Should I do it?”
“No, Your Majesty! I’ll do it. I can do it well!”
Truthfully, Lee-Jae had approached because she was a little skeptical, but hearing that, she nodded.
“Alright, I trust you.”
Watching them handle the knife with uncertain hands, Lee-Jae scratched her cheek and returned to the fire. A maid quickly brought over a low chair, more suited for sitting on the ground.
“Your Majesty, please sit. This will take a while, your legs will hurt.”
Noticing the odd sense of excitement spreading around her, Lee-Jae couldn’t help but laugh. It was always a joy and a blessing when people joined in with good intentions.
It was in the midst of this unusual scene that the King appeared.
“Hailey.”
Oh? Not yet—you’re too early! It’s not done!
As the Queen looked back and forth between the boiling medicine and the approaching King, the physician stepped in.
“Your Majesty, please speak with His Majesty. This is my duty. I will handle it.”
“No, I’ll do it. You talk to him.”
“…”
Roderick was utterly dumbfounded.
What am I, chopped liver?
With a flick of his hand, he shooed the physician away and crouched next to Lee-Jae. Truthfully, he found her endearing—staring so intently into the fire like that.
She’s so small and precious today, too.
Knowing she was deeply focused, he tried to hold back, but in the end, he couldn’t resist.
“What are you up to, acting like an old lady?”
“Ugh, don’t talk over the pot.”
It’ll ruin the blessing. Lee-Jae shot him a glare.
“…Alright, fine.”
Still staring at the boiling medicine, she hesitated before nudging her chair toward him.
“Here. Sit.”
“…”
“What are you doing? Sit down.”
“Didn’t you just tell me not to talk?”
“You are really too much sometimes.”
Ignoring him, Lee-Jae pressed two fingers against her sternum and muttered a few silent prayers.
She stole a glance at Roderick. Truthfully, she didn’t just want to feed him something healthy—she wanted to shower him with red beans and coarse salt. Her heart ached with the desire. But no matter how good a husband Roderick was, throwing things at the King would probably land her in prison for lèse-majesté.
So this was her burden to bear. She had not been honest from the start, and now she was tangled in her own web of deception.
Lee-Jae stared quietly into the fire, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Roderick simply watched her. And everyone else could see it—the warm smile slowly spreading across the King’s face.
Once the medicine was ready, Lee-Jae ladled some into a small bowl and offered it to Roderick, who accepted it with a smile. But before he could drink, Jade intervened.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“…For what?”
“Neither His Majesty nor Your Majesty may drink something that has not been tested first.”
It was a cautious statement, one that carried an underlying sense of distrust. The maids immediately glared at the attendants, and even Roderick looked like he wanted to scold Jade. But Lee-Jae only looked as if she had gained new insight.
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“…”
“That’s absolutely right.”
Before anyone could stop her, she took a sip of the dark liquid herself. Jade gaped in shock—he had not expected the Queen to be the one to taste it.
Lee-Jae smiled and held the bowl out to Roderick again. This time, he drank it all. Then, watching the little world she had created here, he chuckled. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
“Have fun. See you at dinner.”
As he left the garden, Roderic glanced at his old friend and spoke with a light smile.
“Jade.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Try not to say things like that to the Queen too often.”
“…Pardon?”
“You think I’m saying this just because I want to take her side? No. This is for your sake.”
“…”
“If you do it twice, she might actually start resenting you. She understood and appreciated your reasoning immediately—but next time, she simply won’t offer it herself.”
Roderick chuckled as he walked away.
“If only you all had half the awareness she does.”
No one could quite understand why the King was in such a good mood.
God i love them so much