FYH Chapter 88

Afterward, Lee-Jae took a short break. As she sat in silence, lost in thought, the maids began to watch her cautiously.

Deborah gently offered her a glass of water.

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Hm? For what?”

“I didn’t expect them to bring up something so personal, so I wasn’t able to anticipate it.”

Lee-Jae shook her head.

“It’s fine. What could be more important than marriage?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Deborah agreed with her in principle. Marriage was one of the most significant events in a person’s life. It was perfectly understandable to want a royal blessing for it.

She was only worried because the queen seemed troubled afterward.

Lee-Jae maintained a calm expression throughout, But Deborah, who had been by her side, could sense a subtle difference. The queen, who had encouraged them to walk the path they had chosen, appeared somewhat lonely.

Then, yet another visitor appeared—one that made the head maid visibly tense.

“Your Majesty, Duke Duncan is requesting an audience with you.”

The royal guard delivered the message with a hesitant look, and Deborah’s eyes immediately narrowed into sharp slits.

What, were they all taking turns today? And why does that duke keep showing up without an appointment?!

Does he think Her Majesty is some pushover?

Well… she kind of was, in some ways. And Deborah knew exactly why the duke kept showing up unannounced—because if he tried to request a meeting formally, it would get blocked halfway through.

That was thanks to direct orders from the king himself. The king had repeatedly instructed the palace staff to prevent any contact between the queen and the duke.

The real problem was the queen’s reaction—almost as if she’d been waiting for him.

Lee-Jae let out a thoughtful hum and gave a faintly meaningful smile.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance. A rare opportunity not to be missed.

It wasn’t the kind of phrase you’d usually use about meeting a duke, but there was no denying that this was an opportunity. If he hadn’t come on his own, she had been planning to summon him herself—knowing full well that her husband had been interfering behind the scenes.

“Let him in. Apologize to the others and tell them I’ll speak with them shortly. Just say it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my father and I’d like a moment with him.”

“…Your Majesty,” Deborah said, gazing at her with a pleading expression. She could already imagine how irritated the king would be when he heard about this.

“With all due respect, it’s not as if the two of you are particularly close.”

“Just pretend you don’t know.”

“…Please, at the very least—don’t meet with him in private.”

Lee-Jae gave no verbal answer. She simply smiled and held out her empty glass again. With a resigned sigh, Deborah retreated.

Lee-Jae straightened her posture and waited for the duke to enter. When he finally appeared in the audience chamber, her eyes swept quickly over his face—reading his physiognomy.

She tilted her head slightly.

She still couldn’t figure him out.

It was a feeling she’d had increasingly often lately. The duke, the king, even the prince—their faces seemed to change every time she looked at them.

Human features were meant to shift subtly with time, of course, but not this quickly. And yet, the people around her were constantly changing.

Puzzled, Lee-Jae eventually greeted him.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“…I must say, I’m surprised to see Your Majesty greeting this father so warmly.”

Lee-Jae flinched slightly at his words, but the duke didn’t seem to have meant anything by it.

“How has your health been?”

“No complaints. There’s no reason for me to be unwell.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Empty pleasantries passed between them. Then silence fell for a long moment.

According to the king, the duke was a venomous man. Lee-Jae was thinking hard about how she might probe him without arousing suspicion.

But something strange was happening.

The duke, too, seemed to be observing her.

Why was he looking at her like that?

Just as she began to grow uncomfortable under his gaze, the duke finally spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes. Go on.”

“What does Your Majesty think will become of the Daemon Restoration Movement?”

A cold silence settled over the audience chamber. It was far too sensitive a subject to be brought up so casually—especially since both the Queen and the Duke had roots in that very region.

But Lee-Jae wasn’t startled for the same reasons as others might have been. What unsettled her was the strange feeling of déjà vu in the Duke’s words.

“What does Your Majesty think will happen to the western border?”

Was it the prince’s friend who’d first asked that?

Why did people keep asking her things like that? Did she come across that much like a shaman?

But no matter how skilled a spiritualist one was, predicting the direction of a war wasn’t easy.

“Father, that’s a strange question. How could I possibly know?”

“…”

“I only wish this crisis would pass quietly.”

Her response was cautious, but the Duke shook his head.

“Your Majesty knows.”

“I do?”

Lee-Jae had intended to probe the Duke—but now she realized that he was the one trying to probe her. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her once, as if he were trying to uncover some hidden clue.

Then came another cryptic statement.

“Your Majesty… It’s not me. Nor is it Albert.”

“…”

“Then it must be Your Majesty, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean it’s not you?”

Feeling a growing sense of frustration, she couldn’t help but press him.

“…What exactly are you trying to say?”

But Duke Duncan offered no answer. He simply continued to stare at her, his gaze laced with suspicion and mistrust. The two of them silently studied each other—an empty battle of wits that yielded nothing for either side.

At last, the Duke, who had been watching her so intently, bowed slightly and exited the chamber without another word.

Too stunned to process what had just happened, Lee-Jae turned toward the head maid. But Deborah only shook her head, equally at a loss.

The fox who had set out to test the snake ended up walking away with nothing. Her plan had failed, and failed miserably.

* * *

The king wore a sulky expression for the first time in a while.

Feeling slightly guilty, Lee-Jae kept her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her. But eventually, unable to withstand the king’s piercing gaze, she was the first to speak.

“Your Majesty… are you angry?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“I told you not to speak with him.”

Upon hearing that the queen had received the Duke, the king had been visibly displeased. Still, just as everyone expected, he couldn’t even raise his voice at her.

“I clearly told you not to do it.”

“I didn’t summon him. He came on his own.”

“Oh, don’t give me that ‘he’s my father’ line.”

The knight commander and chamberlain exchanged glances. But he was her father. Why was His Majesty so worked up?

“The queen has every right to refuse an audience.”

“…”

“Fool someone else. You think I don’t know you jumped at the chance to meet him?”

Lee-Jae fell silent, having nothing to say. It was true—she had been glad for the opportunity and took it.

But what truly deflated her wasn’t the scolding. It was that after all that effort, she had gained nothing.

“Go on. Keep doing whatever you want.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Roderick let out a deep sigh and held out his hand. It meant: Fine, just hand over your plate already.

Sensing the shift, Lee-Jae quickly passed him her dish.

The married man grumbled as he began cutting her meat for her, once again.

“You think I do this for fun? I’m worried, that’s why.”

“….”

“You look like you couldn’t even hurt an ant, and yet somehow you’re fearlessly reckless.”

Lee-Jae stayed silent, accepting the rebuke. She knew she’d overstepped. But something in his words struck her as odd, prompting her to ask:

“…Why do you think I couldn’t hurt anything?”

Roderick gave her a once-over, clearly wondering if she was seriously asking.

She looked so small, like a strong gust could blow her away. In truth, every time he saw her wrist, one thought would cross his mind—If I misjudged my strength even slightly, I could break that.

Still, Lee-Jae didn’t seem convinced. Her power didn’t lie in physical strength. With a slight pout, she muttered:

“So I really seem that insignificant to you, huh?”

“I never said anything that harsh.”

He quickly tried to defend himself, but Lee-Jae glanced around. Too many ears were listening.

Then she gestured for him to come closer, as if to whisper a secret.

The king leaned toward her, and Lee-Jae whispered in a tone that made it sound like she was about to reveal something very important.

“Your Majesty, do you have any idea how many vengeful spirits I’ve exorcised in my lifetime?”

“…How would I?”

“I’m actually a ruthless exterminator in the cold, spirit-infested underworld. You get that, right?”

“…”

“They all run away terrified the moment they see me. Well, most of them. There are some exceptions.”

People around them grew increasingly curious—what kind of secret conversation were the king and queen sharing?

They strained their ears to eavesdrop, but Lee-Jae was already soft-spoken by nature. Now that she was intentionally whispering, nothing could be heard.

However, a moment later, they witnessed something strange.

The king leaned away from her with a blank expression. Then, he slowly set down his knife and fork and suddenly buried his face in his hands. People blinked in confusion—then saw his shoulders begin to shake.

Lee-Jae reached out and poked him gently in the shoulder.

“Are you laughing? I’m being serious.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“No, really, I mean it!”

“I believe you. When did I say I didn’t?”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“…”

“Well… maybe it was a little dramatic. Did it sound like I was bragging?”

At that, Roderick finally lowered his hands—and burst out laughing. He couldn’t stop, even when he tried.

Lee-Jae watched him with a faint smile—one of satisfaction, even pride.

“Your Majesty, you’re feeling better now, aren’t you?”

“I was never even mad at you.”

“Then was all that effort for nothing? Well, no matter. If it made you laugh, I’m satisfied.”

“Oh, how touching. I’m just so moved, I could cry.”

Still chuckling, the king rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh. She drove him crazy.

Where did she come from? This queen of his was somehow adorable, ridiculous, and pitiful all at once.

Shaking his head, Roderick sighed again—and decided to fulfill his duties as a married man. He picked his knife and fork back up and diligently resumed cutting her meat.