Previously
King Roderick prepares for a hunting trip to suppress his bloodthirsty madness, leaving Hailey (Lee-jae) feeling conflicted and anxious. Before departing, Roderick displays a mix of dry humor and cynicism, even warning Hailey to stay away from water, which she interprets as a sincere plea for her to stay alive.
Who Are You? (Part 2)
From a distance, Lee-jae watched the royal knights gather and move off toward somewhere else. She couldn’t see Roderick clearly, hemmed in by people as he went.
Still, Lee-jae realized at once that Roderick was the center around which everyone turned. Far unlike when they had set out, evil spirits were swarming about him in massive numbers.
Lee-jae let out a sigh as she watched the crowd head for the King’s bedchamber.
Growing anxious as she observed the scene, she hurried back to her room.
Though she had resolved to stay away this time, she had let herself down again without even trying to make an excuse for it.
When Lee-jae stepped into her room and began peeling away the hanging talismans, the spirit in the chest stared at her in dismay.
In the blink of an eye, Lee-jae tore down the barrier she had erected herself.
"…"
The spirit wailed and lamented, but Lee-jae ignored him.
Once she had gathered the talismans and concealed them about her person, fully prepared, she set off toward the King’s chamber.
Outside the King’s bedchamber, the air was taut with tension.
Rumors had already spread of another bout of madness overcoming the King during the hunt. Word was he had returned wounded, yet hadn’t let go of his animal-bloodied blade the entire way back.
The guards moved to bar the Queen from entering.
Lee-jae hesitated for a second, but Deborah caught her arm gently to steer her back.
Deborah looked apologetic as she gazed at her mistress; it was hard for her to refuse the request.
Just then, the physician arrived late and hurried toward the chamber. As he slipped inside, Lee-jae seized the opening to slip in behind him.
The moment she crossed the threshold, nausea hit her instantly.
Assuming it was the stench of blood, the guards offered help, but Lee-jae waved them off and began threading her way past the knights.
When she reached the bedside, she found Roderick seated there, and she bit her lip in exasperation.
Though he was injured, the swarm of evil spirits clinging to him was staggering. Even so, his physical wounds were not as severe as the rumors suggested.
‘Why did I let that damn ghost mess with me?!’
Yet she knew spirits always toyed with mortals. It was their nature to prey on weaknesses and seduce them endlessly.
As Lee-jae took another step toward Roderick, the atmosphere surrounding him began to shift.
And the more Roderick’s inner strain eased, the paler Lee-jae’s face turned.
Her voice was low and subdued, prompting Roderick to cast a sharp glare her way. His blue eyes were cold, yet harbored a madness on the verge of erupting.
Beast claw-marks tore across his arm, and his hand dripped with blood, but despite the wound, he refused to let go of his sword.
The physician stood by at a total loss, while the knights looked on in dread.
They had failed to hold the King back when he lunged alone against the beasts in the forest. Even when he kept hacking away at the carcasses, they had been powerless to intervene.
Just as one of the captains was contemplating throwing his life on the line to restrain the King, the Queen approached with small, measured steps.
Though petite in stature, her gaze was sharp and unwavering.
Lee-jae knelt beside Roderick and began murmuring her incantations.
‘Evil cannot conquer truth.’
‘Vanquish evil and reveal righteousness.’
‘Such are the laws here. Evil, return to your realm.’
Laying a calm hand on his shoulder, she began banishing the malevolent spirits circling him.
When she grazed one of the spirits with her bracelet, searing heat shot through her hand as though she had been burned. Yet she bore the pain and did not stop.
Little by little, the spirits began to dissolve.
Lee-jae caught Roderick’s hand, loosening his fingers one by one until the blade slipped from his grasp.
Though visibly pale, Lee-jae offered a guarded smile as she spoke to him.
After a long while, the room’s atmosphere settled, and Roderick’s eyes slowly reclaimed their calm. He gazed deeply at her without uttering a word.
She received no clear answer, but Lee-jae felt a wave of relief and beckoned the physician over.
Though hesitant, the physician crept forward and began tending to Roderick.
Once certain the air had settled, Lee-jae moved quietly about the room, muttering incantations to drive out whatever lingering malevolent spirits remained.
When she returned to Roderick’s side, his eyes had cleared completely. In a calm voice, he spoke for the first time since she had arrived.
A knot tightened in Lee-jae’s throat, leaving her at a loss for words. She wanted to shout.
‘It wasn’t because I wanted to come! Only those who have suffered know pain, and only those who have seen fear understand it!’
Instead, she offered only a few words.
Though her tone was cold, she couldn’t hide her disappointment as she turned to go.
Suddenly, Roderick reached out with his wounded hand and seized her wrist.
Those present gasped, wondering what was happening.
Yet Roderick’s grip on Lee-jae’s wrist remained firm.
The onlookers held their breath.
What was going on?
They were left wondering what the Queen had done to render the King so docile once again.
Even more astonishingly, the King was now clinging stubbornly to her, refusing to let her leave.
Yet Lee-jae herself, the center of it all, was bothered by something else entirely.
Lee-jae tried to pry his hand away, but unlike when he had held the sword, she couldn’t budge a single finger no matter how hard she pulled.
"…"
Lee-jae gazed at his palm with a conflicted expression, when suddenly a wave of exhaustion washed over her.
With an exasperated motion, Lee-jae tapped Roderick’s shoulder gently.
The moment the Queen struck the King’s shoulder, the King’s attendants glared furiously at the Queen’s maids.
Under normal circumstances, the Queen’s maids would never have backed down, but they too were so stunned that they could only watch.
Hadn’t she said she was afraid?
Yet Roderick merely offered a faint smile.
Though pale from the blood loss, he asked in a low voice, “Why?”
"…"
"…"
She could have offered plenty of reasons—that he was ill, or that she worried because he was hurt—yet Lee-jae, having seen with her own eyes the evil spirits hovering around him, felt a tightness in her chest.
The attendants began to think the Queen was losing her wits in a surprisingly endearing way.
Yet Roderick smiled faintly once more.
Glancing down at his blood-streaked body, he gave a slow gesture dismissing everyone present.
Though uneasy, they all gradually filed out of the room.
He hadn’t intended to give a full explanation.
Nor did he intend to say nothing at all.
She was a Duncan, his wife, and she had already witnessed his terrifying side twice, so basic decency demanded he offer at least a brief explanation.
“Hailey Duncan, the truth is, I had no choice.”
"…"
The truth was, he was slowly coming apart day by day.
His words were cryptic, and he didn’t seem inclined to elaborate further.
Yet Lee-jae lowered her head.
She was the only one who understood precisely what he meant, and what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
Roderick knew full well what he was doing to himself.
And he knew, too, that it had spiraled beyond his control.
She managed to lift her head, only to lower it again a moment later.
Though visibly exhausted, his face was calm, and his gaze remarkably clear.
Astonishingly clear.
Could this truly be the look of someone whose hands were steeped in sin and blood? What was really happening to him?
Her reflection in his clear eyes appeared troubled.
Yet Lee-jae couldn’t conceal the ache and constriction tightening around her heart.
Nothing about this was all right. You’re human too.
Stop pretending everything is fine.
Anyone else in your place would be trembling with agony and fear, yearning for death long before it actually came.
And driving you to that point was the sole aim of those evil spirits.
Roderick, on the other hand, was watching Lee-jae with a bemused expression.
Though he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary, she looked as if she were on the brink of tears, her head lowered once more.
Lee-jae answered without lifting her head.
Frustrated, Lee-jae let out a hollow laugh.
"…"
"…"
Lee-jae let out another wry chuckle.
The one who despised the Duncan family was the King himself. Besides, Lee-jae wasn’t even the real Hailey Duncan.
It was an ordinary remark, yet Lee-jae knew he was speaking with absolute sincerity.
It wasn’t because he was talking to her, of course. It was because the evil spirits clinging to him had finally begun to recede.
Even so, Lee-jae merely nodded in silence.
They exchanged a few more words after that.
Before long, exhaustion began showing on Roderick’s face, and Lee-jae stayed seated beside him until sleep overtook him.
Lee-jae looked down at Roderick, whose breathing had grown steady.
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out to touch his glossy black hair, lightly pressing several pressure points on his head.
Listening to his breaths turn easier, Lee-jae opened her pouch and withdrew the talismans.
Standing before the candelabra, she burned the charms one by one, muttering ceaseless chants beneath her breath.
They were prayers wishing for peace and quiet rest.