Previously
Kang Lee-jae, a former shaman's assistant, wakes up in the body of Hailey Duncan after the latter attempted suicide by drowning on her wedding night. Duke Duncan physically abuses the recovering Hailey until King Roderick intervenes, dismissing the parents to speak with his fiancée alone.
Memories of the First Night (Part 2)
This was the Duncan family's estate.
It was only natural that the Duke and his wife looked displeased—even in their own home, they had been forced to seek permission just to enter.
The Duchess was still trembling, and tension was plainly visible in the Duke’s eyes.
The King treated his future father-in-law no better than a dog.
Lee-jae looked up at the King with concern.
He seemed on the verge of drawing his sword.
Lee-jae could see the swarm of spirits clinging to him.
His anger surged, growing more ferocious, yet he roughly shoved his sword back into its sheath.
Instead, the blue veins stood out on his neck, and the glare he directed at the Duke and his wife was even harsher than the one he had given Lee-jae.
The King let out a bitter laugh and added, “Do you understand what that means? It means she is not someone the likes of you can treat with disrespect.”
"…"
“If you ever raise a hand against her again, you would do well to remember my face first.”
Casting one last cold look at the Duke, the King turned and walked back toward Lee-jae.
Only when he took her hand and pulled her up did Lee-jae realize she was still kneeling on the floor.
The King offered an enigmatic smile as he watched her confusion.
His tone was entirely different from the way he had spoken to the Duke.
Yet Lee-jae felt unnerved by his gaze and his words, which held no genuine warmth whatsoever.
The King kissed the back of her hand.
The gesture was impeccably courteous, yet predatory in its grace.
Lifting his head slightly as his lips parted from her skin, he studied Lee-jae intently.
From that close distance, Lee-jae saw his true intent.
"…"
"…"
Lee-jae nodded several times before she even realized it.
The King watched her for a beat before turning away.
Handing down his orders to the attendants, the King swept out of the room.
It felt as though a tempest had just blown through.
The Duchess collapsed to the floor, her face completely drained of color.
The Duke marched up to her and barked the question in fury, but she could say nothing; she was just as shocked as the Duchess.
He was the King of this realm.
Everyone addressed him as such, and his face was etched in Hailey Duncan's memories.
Even so, questions kept churning ceaselessly in Lee-jae's mind.
Who were you, truly, Hailey?
And how had the King managed to survive beneath the weight of all those grudges and burdens?
The four days passed in a blur.
The grand hall of the palace had been lavishly adorned for the royal wedding.
Yet the bride outshone the splendor of the hall itself. The jewel-encrusted gown suited Hailey Duncan’s beauty to perfection.
The bride herself, however, wore a blank expression, seemingly lost in thought.
Hailey Duncan's memories of her own life were fragmentary.
There were far too many gaps.
Hearing gossip she could actually understand, Lee-jae glanced quietly toward the chatter.
Until yesterday, the King had been unmarried.
Yet it appeared he had attempted marriage before.
In truth, he had sent marriage proposals every year to baronial families and low-ranking nobles.
The sole condition was that the bride come from a family with no interest in political power.
The King cared for nothing else.
He had sought such a match to prevent the rise of formidable family alliances.
Yet none of those women had ever made it to the wedding hall, cut down by fatal accidents and poison.
Even Hailey Duncan had attempted suicide by throwing herself into the river, meaning the King had failed to marry three times. Of course, only Lee-jae knew that the third attempt had also ended in failure.
Hearing a sudden voice behind her, Lee-jae turned around.
A man dressed in opulent royal attire was looking at her.
Belatedly, Lee-jae sensed something strange.
His shoulders and back were uncharacteristically straight today, and his piercing gaze was steady.
Believing she had answered suitably, Lee-jae continued to study the King.
Now that the malevolent spirits had cleared, she could finally see his features clearly.
Those who could see spirits cared little for conventional beauty or ugliness. There was simply far too much else to look at.
In fact, even a handsome face could harbor terrible misfortune.
That was why Lee-jae realized how handsome the King truly was only upon seeing him a second time.
As she kept stealing glances at him, he moved his lips and asked, “What is it?”
"…"
Looking at him again, she had to admit he was striking.
In truth, it was said that such features often brought good fortune.
So what on earth had happened that other day?
When Lee-jae failed to answer right away, swallowing her words, the King raised his thick brows.
Lee-jae thought once more that she had found a suitable excuse.
The King, however, frowned and shook his head.
"…"
Lee-jae hesitated to finish her sentence, but she caught a faint trace of a smile on the King’s lips.
Seeing that his demeanor bade her continue, Lee-jae let out a breath and thought through her reply.
In the end, there was some truth to her words.
There was a great distance between them.
They had never exchanged more than three words before, which meant they had barely spoken on official occasions.
Lee-jae instantly regretted speaking so candidly.
She realized that in her attempt at honesty, she had spoken far too boldly.
Yet, unexpectedly, the King gave a quiet nod and turned his gaze back forward.
"…"
Before Lee-jae could reply, another voice called out from behind.
The King offered his arm slightly toward Lee-jae.
As she took it gently, attendants adjusted the long train of her dress behind her.
Once she was ready, she looked up at him to see him nod.
With every eye upon them, they stepped onto the red carpet.
Lee-jae realized just how deeply habits could be ingrained in the flesh.
Though she was completely unused to such heavy garments and high heels, her body moved forward without the slightest stumble.
About halfway down the carpet, Lee-jae sensed a pure, sacred energy, like the kind one might feel inside a temple.
Ahead stood the priest awaiting their arrival.
And hovering in the air behind him was an enormous white horse.
The knight astride it possessed a boyish face, but his build was massive and imposing. Even for Lee-jae, who was well accustomed to seeing otherworldly sights, it was an awe-inspiring spectacle.
His blue eyes, striking against his iron armor, were fixed directly upon Lee-jae.
‘How strange… He really is enormous.’
In her bewildered state, that was the only thought her mind could muster.
When her focus wavered and her steps hesitated, the King called her name in warning.
"…"
This world truly was a frightening place.
Spirits did not wander in mirages like ordinary soldiers, nor did they possess such formidable power as this presence.
Though it did not seem like an ominous spirit, it was certainly no ordinary ghost, either.
Concluding it would be wisest not to look at it, Lee-jae kept walking with her eyes fixed firmly on the tips of her shoes.