Previously
Hailey (Lee-jae) encounters Roderick and Jade near the lake after their training session. Roderick questions her presence near the water, leading to a playful yet tense exchange where he admits he was drawn to her energy.
I Miss You Terribly (Part 1)
Roderick came to visit Lee-jae several times a day.
He would still recall Duke Duncan's hideous face and then look at his beautiful daughter with suspicion.
He could not shake the intuition that Lee-jae was hiding something from him.
Though he had been shrouded in darkness for a long time, he was, in truth, an exceptionally clever and sharp man.
Yet whenever Lee-jae felt his distrust and tried to distance herself, he would forget his suspicions and look utterly disgruntled.
Every time Jade saw him like that, he was left dumbfounded.
Still, the King did not stop there.
He would often commandeer Lee-jae's bed and take a nap.
He had visited Lee-jae earlier in the day, and now he had come to her quarters once more in the evening.
To be precise, Roderick had not heard this; he had read it.
He glanced down at the bracelet Lee-jae was carving, then turned his gaze toward Jade.
It was an unspoken question regarding the credibility of the report submitted about Hailey Duncan.
Jade, who could not help but agree with the King's impression that her tastes were far removed from current trends, averted his eyes.
Lee-jae offered a casual smile as she finished trimming one of the lumpy pieces of wood.
In truth, she had no choice but to craft a new bracelet to serve as a talisman.
The current one had begun to crack and char.
It was the inevitable result of trying to ward off the ghosts haunting Roderick.
She had considered using the five-hundred-year-old boy ghost as a useful shield, but he was a sacred spirit.
He must have sensed Lee-jae's dark intentions, for whenever she was with Roderick, the boy ghost did not even show the tip of his nose.
She had to admit there was a limit to simply chasing ghosts away for a while. What was needed was a Buddha and a proper exorcism.
Even so, she knew full well that such a feat dangerously exceeded her current abilities.
With a soft sigh, she began carving patterns into each wooden piece.
Her eyes looked different than usual as she engraved all manner of spiritual sigils. A sharp, brilliant light shone from her focused gaze.
Roderick watched Lee-jae's face closely, then studied the graffiti-like patterns.
He wanted to ask what it was, but he held his tongue.
He could sense that Lee-jae was far more absorbed than usual. She was so focused she did not even realize she was biting her lower lip.
When Lee-jae finally finished carving the last piece and put it away in the cracked box, Roderick stood up.
The King's attendants prepared to depart, but suddenly froze.
The King, whom they assumed was leaving, ended up lying down on the Queen's bed instead.
It could hardly be called late night, but the hour was steadily creeping toward it.
As the attendants hesitated, Deborah glared at the royal butler with murder in her eyes.
‘What are you doing?! Get out this instant.’
The Queen's maids had already slipped away.
Once all the remaining attendants had filed out, only Roderick and Lee-jae were left in the room.
Lee-jae stared blankly at Roderick, who took up the bed with the back of his hand draped over his eyes.
She was the only one who understood why Roderick kept claiming her bed.
He instinctively knew that this was a safe place, somewhere he could sleep in peace.
Yet since this was hardly the hour for a brief nap of an hour or two, she found herself guessing his intentions.
‘Is he going to sleep here tonight? Are we sleeping together? Does this mean we have to do that?’
Couples who had not yet consummated their marriage were bound to have awkward misunderstandings in such matters.
Perhaps it was because Lee-jae had taken too long to move.
The King got up without a word.
He scooped Lee-jae from her chair and set her straight onto the bed.
As if he intended to leave shortly after, Roderick walked over to the sofa a short distance away and stretched out across it.
Lee-jae felt a prickle of unease as she fidgeted with the blanket.
There was always this contradiction in her; she could hardly drive him out and sleep comfortably in her own bed.
Lee-jae might be guarded and careful, but she had not forgotten that the King's bedchamber was practically a haunted house.
"…"
He rose to his feet at once, looking very much as though he had been waiting for those exact words.
Then he walked over to the bed.
Those eyes did not belong to someone particularly sleepy or desperate for rest.
Not only Lee-jae, but Roderick himself did not fully realize this fact.
When Lee-jae scooted toward the window and lay down, Roderick took the space she had yielded to him.
This was their third time lying side by side in the bed, yet Lee-jae still felt slightly awkward.
Roderick stroked his chin, looking at Lee-jae with that same piercing gaze, before speaking first.
‘Still, it’s strange… Why do I sometimes feel like she’s lying? What on earth is she hiding?’
Roderick kept his eyes on Lee-jae as she prepared to sleep, pulling the blanket up over herself.
Then he spoke with a touch of mischief.
"…"
Lee-jae's eyes wavered.
As her gaze darted nervously about, Roderick quickly added,
At that, Lee-jae's expression grew even more complicated.
She had wanted to try, too.
In fact, there was a conviction others wouldn't understand—that she ought to try, even if it killed her.
Still, there was a positive sign.
It was because she had felt strange at her own stillness.
‘Your Majesty, do you know why I’ve become so pathetic after getting married?’
‘I know so much about ghosts, but I suppose I was a fool who knew nothing of my own heart.’
Meanwhile, Roderick chuckled at the sight of Lee-jae's tangled expression.
He assumed she simply wasn't mentally prepared.
The Queen had loved someone so deeply that she had thrown herself into a river.
He could understand, emotionally, that even if he was her husband, she would be reluctant to share intimacy right away.
Naturally, it was a subtle misunderstanding between the two.
To ease the flustered Lee-jae, he shifted the topic.
He was being honest, but in truth, the Hunting Competition held by the King and the nobility served the grand purpose of displaying the monarchy's strength and vitality.
Last year, he had the excuse of an annulled state marriage, but this year was different. Roderick had already resolved to hold the hunt.
In politics, if you gain one thing, you must yield another.
Roderick had no intention of yielding anything simply over a hunt.
Roderick was intrigued by her cryptic words.
Lee-jae's words did not feel like a lie.
Yet it suddenly occurred to him that Lawrence might be participating.
It was likely a Cayenne custom to pray for good fortune and safety.
‘Though what Roderick really needs isn't a handkerchief or anything of the sort, but a talisman.’
Roderick must have caught the negative nuance in her tone, for his brow furrowed slightly.
Roderick lay flat on his back, throwing an arm over his eyes.
He grumbled disgruntledly,
Lee-jae was so dumbfounded she burst into laughter.
It was true that she wasn't particularly tall, as Hailey was perhaps one hundred and sixty centimeters.
Roderick, on the other hand, seemed to push nearly one hundred and ninety.
Moreover, with his broad shoulders and naturally sturdy frame, he appeared even taller than he was.
As expected, had he not been born heir to the throne, he would have lived a long life.
Far from feeling sorry, Lee-jae found it hilarious and buried her face in her pillow.
She had a feeling he would be terribly embarrassed if she showed a grinning face right now.
When she turned her head back toward him, his eyes were closed.
Lee-jae spoke, a faint smile touching her lips.
"…"
Roderick fell silent for a long time. It felt as though the Queen had just said something with a double meaning.
‘So don’t doubt it.’
Strangely, he had always considered himself quick-witted given his age and worldly experience.
The Duke's family was exceedingly anxious about Lee-jae.
Yet the truth was, Roderick found himself growing fond of her, bit by bit.
A sigh escaped him in the form of a faint smile before he finally spoke.
He was equally baffled, fearing that in the end, he might actually fall for Little Duncan.
It was a peaceful night.