FYH Chapter 73

When the Queen finally scheduled an audience for the first time in a long while, the nobles flocked to her.

Truthfully, many of them already knew.

The older, more experienced nobles had recognized it long ago:

The Queen was someone who listened well.

But when it came to offering advice, she was cautious.

If a topic seemed too sensitive, she would immediately dismiss those in attendance.

So rumors never had the chance to spread.

Even though they knew it was selfish, people often sought out the Queen simply because it brought them peace of mind.

And today was no different—

The line waiting to see her stretched on endlessly.

The only unusual thing was the presence of someone who absolutely should not have been there.

The King, scowling, was glaring at the nobles gathered outside the audience chamber.

“Why are there so many people?”

The Commander of the Knights scratched his neck.

“This is after the schedule’s been trimmed down, Your Majesty.”

“This?” Roderick scoffed. “Trimmed down how?”

The chamberlain chimed in from beside him.

“The head lady-in-waiting cut out most of the petty matters midway through. Because of that, she’s been catching a lot of flak lately.”

Though Deborah, the head lady-in-waiting, was his rival she still had some basic professional ethics.

Still, the King frowned.

“At this rate, won’t it be too much for the Queen?”

“Well… true, but honestly, people are already complaining that the allotted time is too short.”

“They get to see her while I can’t even see her, and yet they’re acting like they own the place? What, did they leave something in her care or what?”

Jade felt a complex mix of emotions.

My god, he thought.

And also, You’re not wrong.

But also, If that’s how you felt, couldn’t you have done better?

Still, no one could stop the Queen once she had resumed her public duties.

Even the King had no choice but to wait patiently.

Just then, a noble exited the audience chamber.

Roderick nudged the next person in line with his knee.

“What are you doing? Don’t dawdle. Go in already.”

The noble scrambled to go, but Roderick suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

“No—wait. The Queen needs a moment to rest. Go in after a bit.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Have some water or something.”

As Roderick offered a glass of water through a servant, the noble bowed deeply and accepted it.

Then, for no particular reason, he murmured an apology and lowered his head.

Just then, Deborah appeared, her expression proudly composed.

Only the chamberlain recognized the subtle sense of superiority in her face.

He, unusually, scowled.

He was a little annoyed.

It had been the King himself who said not to disturb the Queen.

It was the King who declared he’d wait until she was finished.

But in this palace, people had their own unspoken way of doing things—

And the head lady-in-waiting was not a rigid person.

There was no doubt she was intentionally keeping the King out.

The Chamberlain thought to himself,

Come on, we’ve worked together this long. Don’t we have any camaraderie? Loyalty? I’ve always said nice things to you.

Try using half as much of that personality as you do your looks. You venomous woman.

But Deborah pushed forward like she had done nothing wrong.

I think His Majesty is the one who messed up. Her Majesty is heartbroken, so clearly it’s all his fault.

The Queen’s Palace and the Royal Palace were locked in a constant power struggle—And Deborah was burning with quiet revenge.

This was retaliation for the Chamberlain stealing her chance to attach the nameplate to the statue.

“Her Majesty is asking why no one’s come in yet,” Deborah said. “She wants to be done before sunset.”

Roderick finally let go of the noble’s collar.

“…Go.”

“…?”

“I said go in. Why are you just standing there?”

Though his tone was sharp, no one dared object to the King.

 

The audience continued for about another hour after that. In truth, it progressed faster than usual.

Everyone felt a silent pressure—because the King was waiting outside.

And when Lee-Jae finally emerged after finishing all her meetings, the King, who had been leaning against the wall, immediately straightened up.

Startled, Lee-Jae turned to Deborah with a resentful look.

Why didn’t anyone tell me the King was waiting?

That look said it all.

Deborah… are we really on the same side? I trusted you so much—how could you do this?

I’m not ready to face him yet.

But most people knew better than to expect a perfect, newlywed honeymoon phase.

They knew these two had feelings for each other, and a prolonged marital spat wouldn’t do anyone any good.

The head lady-in-waiting averted her gaze, and Roderick, who had been watching Lee-Jae, scratched the end of his eyebrow—his expression sheepish.

“…How have you been?”

Lee-Jae hesitated, visibly uncomfortable.

Roderick waited for a reply, but when none came, he gently asked,

“You don’t want to talk to me?”

“…”

“Do you hate me now?”

Lee-Jae shook her head with her eyes lowered.

But since she still didn’t say a word, Roderick began to grow anxious. He gently took her wrist and gave it a slight shake.

There was only one thing he could do—what he should do. Be honest. Apologize.

“Hailey… I said something I didn’t mean. I’m sorry. I really am.”

“…It’s not that. Really.”

Her voice was barely audible.

But to Roderick, who hadn’t heard her speak in days, that whisper melted something inside him.

Then… could you at least look me in the eyes? he wanted to beg.

“I’ve never thought about leaving you.”

“…”

“I just wanted you to hold my hand a little tighter… that’s all. I said it wrong.”

At those words, Lee-Jae’s expression broke for a moment.

It felt like her tightly sealed heart was suddenly unraveling.

Anxiously, she tried to pry his hand off her wrist.

Roderick didn’t want to let go, but when she bit her lip again, he had no choice. He released her.

Lee-Jae hesitated, then turned her back to him.

She began walking away, clearly trying to leave.

Roderick, looking more and more flustered, scratched the edge of his brow again.

How do I get her to speak to me again? he thought, following after her.

But the more he followed, the faster Lee-Jae walked.

Eventually, she broke into a run. Startled, Roderick instinctively reached out to grab her wrist.

He could’ve caught her—of course he could have.

But the way she ran, like she truly couldn’t bear to be near him, made him hesitate.

He pulled his hand back.

Maybe that was the mistake.

As if fleeing, Lee-Jae stumbled—hard—and fell.

People around them instinctively flinched, some even shut their eyes. It looked bad. Like her knees had scraped open from the fall.

No one was more alarmed than the King.

“O-Oh no. Why were you running…”

“…”

“Are you okay? Let me see.”

Roderick quickly dropped to his knees beside her, but he went speechless.

Lee-Jae had twisted her ankle—yet she kept trying to get up.

Even after falling several times, she limped, desperately trying to escape.

From him.

Her actions made one thing perfectly clear:

She was rejecting him. Unequivocally.

Roderick’s eyes darkened with a quiet hurt.

In that moment, he regretted it.

Lawrence… I should’ve hit that bastard ten times. Eight wasn’t enough. I was too soft.

He hadn’t realized how deeply it would cut, to have the person you love run away from you.

Watching her with a heavy heart, Roderick said to the knight commander:

“…Jade.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take the Queen in for me—bring her to her room.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Make sure to call a physician. Looks like she twisted her ankle.”

“Understood.”

Jade could easily imagine how the King must be feeling right now, and his response came with careful consideration.

Lee-Jae tried to decline, insisting she was fine, but she couldn’t defy a Royal command.

So the knight commander apologized multiple times before gently lifting her into his arms.

Left behind, rejected, Roderick could do nothing more than silently watch their retreating figures.

He couldn’t bring himself to take another step toward her.

 

Lee-Jae made it blatantly clear—she was avoiding Roderick.

It was awkward seeing him. And, in a way, a little frightening.

She was afraid of what else he might say.

Afraid of more old wounds being dug up, more of her bare self exposed—something even she found pitiful and ugly.

Still, the Queen couldn’t skip her official duties forever.

The Prince once again volunteered for the Western campaign, and the King deployed knights and soldiers in response.

On the day of the departure ceremony, the crowd witnessed a rather striking sight.

Lee-Jae arrived slightly after the King and paused a short distance from him.

Roderick, who had been watching her the entire time, stepped toward her cautiously.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…Yes.”

“Your ankle… Is it okay? The physician said you’d be fine.”

“…Yes.”

The newlyweds who used to be inseparable now looked painfully awkward.

Lee-Jae kept her gaze lowered while Roderick continually watched her, trying to gauge her mood.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, she stepped away again.

She exchanged a few words with the Prince, then turned to speak with his companion, hoping to shake off the lingering unease she had felt from him last time.

But he only responded with an inscrutable smile.

Feeling embarrassed, Lee-Jae began chatting with some knights and soldiers instead—anything to stay distracted.

That, however, created a different kind of discomfort.

Because the King was constantly hovering near her.

It looked like he was shadowing her—like a boy nervously trying to find a way to talk to the girl he liked.

Eventually, when the Prince and the soldiers began moving farther away, Lee-Jae quickly tried to retreat to her quarters.

But her ankle hadn’t fully healed, so her pace was slow.

And this time, Roderick wasn’t going to let the moment slip by.

He caught her by the wrist.

Lee-Jae instinctively tried to pull away, but when she couldn’t shake him off, she lowered her head.

“Please let go of me.”

“…”

“Let… go of my hand.”

“No. Because you’ll run away again.”

Roderick moved in front of her and bent forward.

“Just look at me.”

“…”

“Please? Just look at my face—talk to me while looking me in the eye.”

She gave him a quick glance, but dropped her gaze again immediately.

“Will you forgive me if I kneel and beg?”

Lee-Jae’s head snapped up in surprise, and she shook it quickly.

“Don’t. I really hate that kind of thing.”

“Then what do I have to do for you to accept my apology?”

“…You don’t need to apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, I do. I said something I didn’t mean. I cut you off like that because… I was jealous. I’m really sorry.”

Roderick apologized with his words, with his face, his tone—but nothing seemed to get through the way he wanted.

Lee-Jae hesitated, then finally spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really okay. Just do what you want. Do what you have to do… and when the time comes that I need to leave the palace, just let me know.”

Roderick felt like his chest had caved in.

“Leave? What do you mean, leave!”

“…”

“No. No way. Please.”

“…”

“Hailey, don’t push me away.”

But Lee-Jae said nothing, her expression downcast and withdrawn.

Roderick was on the verge of losing his mind. It felt like she had already made peace with walking away from this marriage.

Maybe he should’ve broken the door down and apologized to her that very night.

He cupped her face in both hands, gently but firmly.

Then, lifting her head, he tried to catch her gaze.

Her eyes flicked nervously, trying to look anywhere but at him—

—but he was relentless.

“Don’t do this. What do I have to do, huh?”

“…”

“I’m sorry. Just… please, forgive me.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“No, I do. I misspoke that day. I acted like a fool. I was wrong.”

The King looked ready to apologize a hundred times over if that’s what it took for Lee-Jae to forgive him.

Eventually, she gave a reluctant nod or two. But he was so anxious that he needed to hear her say it out loud.

“You’re not mad anymore, right? Say it.”

“…Yes.”

She nodded again and answered in a small voice.

Still, Roderick’s unease didn’t go away.

He knew his wife—she could joke, but she never said things she didn’t mean. And she had seriously considered leaving the palace.

That fact clung to his thoughts, heavy and cold.

Desperate to find some way to soften her heart, to bring her back to him, he asked gently:

“You haven’t eaten, have you?”

“No.”

“Then let’s go eat together.”

“…”

“Let’s go get all your favorite things.”

Before she could answer, he was already pulling her along by the hand.

When she walked more slowly than usual, Roderick realized her steps were still unsteady—and without a word, he slid a hand under her arms and lifted her up.

Dangling midair like a little fox being carried away, Lee-Jae ducked her head, embarrassed.

But Roderick found even that moment precious. Tender.

He kissed her cheek with a soft peck, and in a voice filled with warmth, he whispered:

“What do you feel like eating most?”