The King and his knights were in the underground prison. It wasn’t a place meant for detaining criminals—it was where the Royal family conducted more delicate matters away from prying eyes.
With his arms crossed, the King stared at the trembling personal physician of the Duke’s household.
“Commander of the Knights.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I told you to bribe him. I don’t recall asking you to drag him here with such rough methods.”
Jade scratched his cheek.
“Well, it’s hard to avoid attention in a place like a study, isn’t it?”
That wasn’t wrong, so the King nodded.
“And I didn’t just drag him out of nowhere. I explained the situation thoroughly and brought him quietly.”
“Then why’s he shaking like that?”
Jade looked at Roderick as if to say You really don’t know?—a bit of frustration in his gaze. Your Majesty-yourself said people like us look scary no matter how nicely we smile.
Roderick sighed and took a step closer to the trembling physician of House Duncan.
“Don’t be afraid. I just have a few questions.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“But depending on what you say once you leave this place… there might be reason to tremble.”
Roderick gave a slight laugh, and the doctor started shaking even more.
Jade, looking put out, dropped his gaze. The King clearly didn’t realize who the real terrifying presence in this room was right now.
“What I want to know is something very minor.”
“…Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You know just as well as I do that the Duke isn’t loyal enough to protect you. I’d hate to see you throw your life away over something so minor.”
“I understand.”
Nodding, Roderick spoke.
“Tell me everything you know about the Queen’s health.”
The physician blinked in surprise. He’d expected to be asked to assist in something dangerous—like poisoning members of the Duncan family. But the King’s question, while seemingly minor, was also incredibly delicate.
Desperate to stay alive, the physician began to stammer through his reply.
“T-There’s really nothing significant to report… She’s in excellent physical condition, much more so than she appears. In fact, most members of House Duncan tend to be that way.”
“Is that so?”
Roderick stroked his chin and asked again.
“So you’re saying she has no chronic illnesses? Choose your words carefully. If you lie to the King, you might not even get the chance to tremble.”
Meaning, he’d be dead before he could.
The physician bowed repeatedly.
“T-To my knowledge, she has no such symptoms.”
“Has she ever complained of sudden dizziness? Nosebleeds?”
“…No, Your Majesty. At least not while I’ve been her attending physician.”
“Has she ever reported insomnia? Waking up repeatedly during the night?”
“She may have had nights like that, but she’s never mentioned it to me directly.”
“Any sudden drops in body temperature?”
“No such incidents, Your Majesty.”
The knights exchanged uncertain glances. Listed out like that, it sounded like the Queen was some kind of ticking time bomb of complications. They were more amazed that the King had all these symptoms memorized.
But Roderick wasn’t finished. He rubbed his chin again and asked,
“What about nausea? Has she ever suddenly started gagging or anything like that?”
At that, the physician—still bowing his head—hesitated, then began to roll his eyes around nervously. As he continued to look for a read on the room, Roderick gave a slight nod.
“It’s fine. Speak.”
“Your Majesty… th-that is a classic symptom of pregnancy…”
At that, Roderick—whose expression had remained cold and composed—suddenly grimaced. His face tightened with irritation, like something had just deeply pissed him off. He jerked his chin toward Jade.
“Send him away.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said send him away. I don’t want to hear another word.”
Roderick muttered it like he didn’t even want to waste the effort explaining himself. He brushed past the trembling physician and walked away.
Roderick had never trusted physicians or priests much to begin with. Not one of them had ever been able to cure or even understand his affliction. The only one who had ever made him feel okay—who had truly helped—was the Queen.
Climbing the cold, desolate staircase, Roderick spoke to Jade, who followed behind him.
“Since I took the throne, I’ve always thought physicians were useless.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“But I don’t think I’ve ever distrusted them more than I do now.”
His brow remained furrowed, but his mind was racing.
“Jade.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You said the second daughter of Count Hoffman is acquainted with the Queen?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“She mentioned something about the Queen’s tone being different?”
“…Yes. I’m certain she said something along those lines.”
“Tell her I want to see her soon.”
Roderick, emerging from the underground prison, casually brushed off his shoulders a few times. Something about that whole place had left an unpleasant sensation clinging to him.
“But don’t drag the Count’s daughter in like this.”
“…Understood.”
“Wait for them to request an audience, and then I’ll accept it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Wouldn’t want to get called a tyrant again.”
“…Doesn’t that sort of thing usually not bother you?”
Roderick gave a dry chuckle.
“It doesn’t. But our Queen would be secretly hurt by it.”
Jade glanced back with a sour look, unsure how to process that. The knights behind them looked just as baffled, faces silently screaming, Are you serious?
Late that night, Lee-Jae sat in her room, looking through her journal. She didn’t need meditation or sculpting anymore. For self-discipline, this one journal was more than enough.
「March 16th, Year 499
Should I tell Father everything?
But even if I do, the choice he makes won’t be enough to change the fate of Lawrence and I.」
“Is this the kind of love that can never be fulfilled?”
Lee-Jae had recently changed her mind.
Perhaps Hailey was someone who could write very well. Though it was unfriendly, the words that couldn’t be discarded were the first of their kind in Lee-Jae’s life.
And now, Lee-Jae was facing yet another disaster. She had started to resonate with Hailey’s journal.
“Choices cannot change fate.”
That was a familiar saying to Lee-Jae, and in truth, it was painful. The frustration of knowing that while the small inconveniences of life could be avoided, the larger threads of one’s existence couldn’t be altered. With a serious expression, she rested her chin in her hand, deep in thought.
Just then, the head maid cautiously called out to Lee-Jae.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes?”
“His Majesty will be coming this way after finishing his work.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and this…”
“What is this?”
Lee-Jae took the paper the head maid handed her with a puzzled look. After reading it, she let out a hollow laugh. It was a letter from the nobles.
「Your Majesty the Empress,
I have heard that you have been feeling unwell lately. How are you now?
I hope I am not overstepping by saying this, but I truly miss the pleasant conversations we used to have.
Back then, Your Majesty was as warm as a spring breeze.
If there is anything troubling you, I am certain it is because of the Duke’s fault. At least, that’s the conclusion we’ve come to, so please, do not be sad.
Apologies for the lengthy prelude.
The truth is, my family has been facing many difficulties lately…」
Lee-Jae opened the next letter.
「It’s quite embarrassing, but my second daughter has passed her marriageable age, and I’ve been thinking that I must marry her off this year…」
This was a letter of the heart, and a version of a shaman’s reading, Cayenne style. She kept letting out awkward laughs as the King’s words came to mind.
‘If you delay for a few days, you think someone’s gonna die in the meantime? If it’s that urgent, tell them to send a letter.’
“If you say something bad, it might come true.”
Speak of the devil.
While she was holding the letter and feeling awkward, the King entered. She looked at him with a mixture of resentment and welcome. Noticing the unusual expression on her face, Roderick asked.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Now that I think about it, do I look really handsome again?”
Lee-Jae scoffed and gave him a sidelong glance.
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what?”
“What should I do about this? People have really started sending me letters.”
As soon as he heard this, he snatched the paper from her hands. He began reading it and then let out a brief laugh. He then became serious.
“Ha, these idle fools…”
“Your Majesty, sometimes when you speak carelessly, it turns into reality, right? So you shouldn’t speak loosely about things like ‘dying.’”
Roderick nodded. Sometimes, his wife’s words, which used to feel like jokes, no longer felt that way. He quickly folded the letter and tossed it onto the nightstand.
“Anyway, ignore this.”
“Is it okay to do that?”
“Yeah, if it’s urgent, they’ll… no, I’ll be careful with my words. I’ll listen to my wife.”
Lee-Jae broke into a bright smile. In fact, just like the King said, she should ignore it to some extent.
No one was a god. Even those with the Sight weren’t. The people around her had always warned her not to confuse herself with a god. If she began depending on a shaman’s simple words, her life would be lost.
But then she tilted her head. She sensed something strange from the King. His energy felt slightly different than usual.
“Your Majesty, where have you been? Did you visit your room?”
“No. Why?”
“Is that so? Then what…”
“…”
“Why does it feel damp…”
Lee-Jae unconsciously spoke. Roderick suddenly stared at her. Her words sounded strangely significant to him. Visiting the room? What did that mean?
“Hailey. What does that mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
Lee-Jae answered casually and looked around the door and window.
The King hadn’t brought as many spirits with him as usual. But the dungeon, by its nature, was a place where dark energy and grudges were bound to linger. She had felt that unfamiliar energy, different from the past.
Not finding any serious problems, Lee-Jae looked back at Roderick.
“Then Your Majesty, can’t I have another audience now?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because the little pea should rest more.”
“I’m not sick, so why do you keep saying I should rest? Are you trying to spread rumors that I’m a patient?”
But this time, even though she usually got her way with him, Roderick was firm.
“Stop messing around and just rest.”
“Then can I sleep in Your Majesty’s room today? I’m getting tired of this room.”
Roderick laughed in disbelief. He could tell very well that what she had just said was a lie. It wasn’t just because she looked comfortable when she was in this room.
The Queen was not the type of person to move from one room to another just because she found one room boring or preferred another. How had he never found that strange before?
And now, Lee-Jae began to grow increasingly anxious.
Since returning from the river, she had been swiftly dealing with many restless spirits. She needed to finish quickly before more spirits entered and set up the protective barrier. But something was strange. The King had been going to that room recently, and he seemed out of sorts.
Lee-Jae waited for his response with a worried expression, but he pressed his index finger to his forehead and gently laid her down. Then, he stared closely at her face with his blue eyes.
“You look much better now.”
“See? I’m not a sick little pea. I’m a strong one.”
It seemed like she was finally recovering as she had spent a few days in this room under his care. Her complexion had definitely improved. The Duke’s personal physician had also confirmed that there were no issues with her health. Normally, when she stayed in the King’s room, she would become pale, even after losing so much blood.
Roderick had never been sick like she had. But he was very familiar with the discomfort in that room.
Lee-Jae hesitated, then began to get up slowly again.
She was expressing her will to go and sleep there. Roderick stared at her.
His wife, who usually was calm, sometimes displayed this inexplicable stubbornness.
He said with a casual tone,
“Hailey, actually, I’m sick.”
Lee-Jae flinched and looked surprised. Roderick continued to observe her carefully.
“Ah, you’re sick? Where does it hurt?”
Flustered, she quickly laid him down. She looked at him suspiciously, then began to press around his body with a worried expression. He seemed fine, but the subtle energy she had sensed earlier still lingered in her mind. She had completely given up on the idea of going to the King’s room now.
When his head and body began to feel more at ease, Roderick sighed. No physician or priest had been able to heal his condition. But whenever the Queen was by his side, the air seemed to clear as if by magic. He had experienced this strange sensation dozens of times already. If that were the case, it couldn’t just be a misunderstanding.
Roderick’s certainty grew stronger.
There was something in his room that he didn’t know about.
And the Queen… she definitely had some kind of ability. What exactly was it?
But at the same time, he became overwhelmed by a troubling possibility.
Could the reason she was so stubborn be related to this? Could the reason she kept feeling sick and still wanted to go there… be because of him?
Even the mere possibility of it made him dizzy, so he rubbed his face a few times.
Roderick held her hand, telling her to stop worrying.
“Don’t worry, just rest quickly.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You said you were sick.”
“I’m not sick. My heart hurts.”
“You’re joking, right? You scared me. You really are fine, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m fine. So, just stay here with me tonight.”
He lay her down in a daze and held her tightly from behind. He kept kissing her apricot-colored hair and her ear continuously.
