Previously
King Roderick begins visiting Hailey frequently, eventually taking to napping in her bed because he feels safe there. Lee-jae focuses on carving new protective talismans into a wooden bracelet to replace her cracking one, while Roderick teases her about their marital relationship and the upcoming Hunting Competition.
I Miss You Terribly (Part 2)
[I pass this down to future generations.
The core that drives Demon lies within the imperial family and the five noble houses.
During the prolonged three-year war, the royal house of Demon was cut off.
Two families disappeared, while three surrendered to the allies and contributed to the founding of Cayenne.
Their names were Elias and Schmidt.
The remaining three families are Mellon, Russell… and Duncan.
—From page 24 of Letter to Subsequent Kings]
Duke Duncan raised the matter of reinstating Albert Duncan again today, but the King silenced him immediately.
And this time, an anti-royalist nobleman opened fire.
They seemed to expect that it would not take place.
Roderick was amused by giving vague replies to gauge the nobles’ reactions.
As if he had been waiting for this, Duke Duncan brought up the King’s health.
Roderick chuckled low at a maneuver whose intentions were so plain to see.
The King’s madness had already quietly made the rounds among high society, and the person most eager to stir up fears and spread rumors about it was Duke Duncan.
It was meant to mock his venomous, serpent-like father-in-law, yet after saying it aloud, Roderick realized it was actually true.
Though he was not always at his best, his mind was generally clear, and his physical state was better than before.
Roderick rested his chin in his hand and looked at Duke Duncan.
How could such a daughter have come from a man like this?
Looking closely, he could spot hints of little Hailey in the man's face. Lately, however, that had become almost irritating.
Why did he have to find his wife’s face in that man’s features?
Roderick, having stared at Duke Duncan for a long beat, finally spoke.
He called on someone other than the Duke.
"…"
Silence fell over the council chamber the moment the Knight Commander stepped out.
Roderick kept his chin in his hand, his expression sharp, and the nobles who had been trying to lightly provoke him grew tense.
Because the King was unmistakably different from before.
Brilliant as he was, there had been times when he would snap and let his fury flare out in plain sight.
Lately, however, he merely watched the nobles with a sullen, somewhat bored look. Yet behind those blue eyes lay an edge and a clarity far greater than ever.
Just then, Jade returned to the council chamber and handed the King an unsealed document envelope.
Roderick took it and tossed it toward Duke Duncan.
"…"
Duke Duncan stayed frozen in silence, and the King chuckled with amusement.
The nobles, finding that laughter far more terrifying than any occasional display of fierce rage, bowed their heads.
"…"
"…"
The King treated his father-in-law today like nothing more than a servant.
Even so, he extended a sliver of mercy no larger than a fingernail.
Cutting the meeting short, the King turned to leave, then paused, bringing the nobles to a sudden halt.
Roderick added the brief remark and strode out of the chamber with his knights.
The moment the King departed, Duke Duncan slammed his fist onto the table.
Unable to stifle their smirks, the royalist nobles let their lips twitch with amusement.
Having clashed with the elder Duncan throughout the council, Roderick was now set to face the younger Duncan.
As he entered the luncheon hall, that familiar, unusual sensation washed over him once more.
The air was crisp and clear.
Even whenever he visited the Queen's chambers, it always felt this way.
That was why he always scowled at the doorway.
Why do I feel so at ease?
Meanwhile, Lee-jae offered a small smile when Roderick arrived, opening the meal with her own crisp greeting.
When working, his father-in-law harassed him; now, it seemed his wife was taking her turn.
Yet unlike his dealings with her father, Roderick smiled at the Queen.
Unable to mask her worry, Lee-jae inquired cautiously.
Roderick gave the face resembling Duke Duncan a suspicious look, paused briefly to admire it, and then answered late.
"…"
Gentle though his tone was, it meant the event would proceed as planned.
Lee-jae’s complexion darkened at once.
She even bit her lip, looking visibly anxious.
Roderick was no fool. Doubts still lingered, but he could not deny that the Queen was oddly worried about him.
Peculiar as the whole thing was, he did not dislike it, smiling even as he knitted his brows.
"…"
The Queen looked gloomier than ever while the King comforted her, and the onlookers observed them with quiet satisfaction.
Naturally, the King’s retinue shared those same worries, yet a part of them harbored faith. After all, his condition had stabilized remarkably in recent days.
Lee-jae, however, knew it was not so simple.
Unable to hide her unease, she asked, “Wouldn’t it be possible to cancel the Hunting Competition if you broke at least one arm?”
Roderick rubbed the corners of his eyes, chuckled, and then asked,
The secret of humankind: achieve your goals by borrowing the strength of others.
Your Majesty, there is no need for me to do everything with my own two hands.
Lee-jae widened her eyes earnestly and met Roderick’s gaze.
Roderick laughed at how absurd it was and quietly pushed a few dishes toward her. It was a sign to just eat and not say another word.
While the King’s attendants all wore smiles, Lee-jae could only pick up her fork with a grim look on her face.
Kang Lee-jae had spent several days at the edge of the lake.
With the Queen going down to the water every day to sit alone, the King’s reaction proved far more sensitive than expected.
Servants and maids were constantly asking after her whereabouts.
Having shed his madness, the King seemed to have turned in an entirely different direction.
He had even summoned the head maid, Deborah.
Even so, Lee-jae kept waiting for someone by the shore.
It was the Boy Spirit.
Whenever she went out by the water, she was extremely reluctant to have people around her.
The stark contrast in temperament between King and Queen often left the staff feeling rather distressed.
When the Boy Spirit who had vexed her for days finally showed himself, Lee-jae scolded him with an utterly annoyed look.
—I’m not an easy man.
Unable to take it any longer, Lee-jae grabbed a tree branch and made to throw it.
Then she froze.
Wow, what I almost just did was pure bad luck.
Still, Lee-jae was the one at a disadvantage.
She whispered to the Boy Spirit with a serious expression.
—Where?
To be precise, it was dangerous without Lee-jae, and she could not accompany him.
The boy asked with an amused look,
—Then what will you do for me?
—Do you not love him as much as your own life?
Lee-jae frowned, finding the words rather grating.
—What is it, then?
Could selfish, arrogant spirits like you ever comprehend the hearts of selfless shamans like us? We don’t do this for the money.
People who care for others must always shoulder a burden.
Yet the Boy Spirit wore a look that showed he could not care less.
He threw back the exact same words Lee-jae had muttered earlier.
—I’m not going. I’ll just play around here.
The stakes had risen, but her opponent was a five-hundred-year-old ghost.
Backing down, Lee-jae asked again,
—Well. I don’t really want anything from you right now.
"…"
—Hmm. Want to play with me? I’m not such bad company, even if I am five hundred years older than you.
Stunned and mortified, Lee-jae looked around.
Castle folk! Come over here and take a look at this ugly strange ghost.
People ought to grow old with dignity, and even in death, they should die with dignity.
Lee-jae looked as though she might drop dead from sheer disgust at how shameless this ghost was.
Beyond the natural reluctance of a living person dealing with a ghost, a human would lose their vitality once consent was given.
Being hexed was no mere metaphor. In the end, it amounted to stepping into the underworld’s sphere of influence.
Yet despite looking deeply hesitant, Lee-jae asked in a whisper, “Really… is that the condition?”
—What? Are you serious?
When Lee-jae snapped, the Boy Spirit swallowed a quiet laugh.
Then an oddly dignified look crossed that youthful face.
—Kang Lee-jae.
—Relationships between mortals are better than you think. It’s wonderful to be involved with someone you love. Acts are just acts, but giving them meaning and finding happiness in them is a human privilege.
"…"
—What I mean is, don’t use them as a stepping stone for an affluent afterlife. How can you be so foolish? You keep fixating on the wrong things. Enjoy being human.
So what was this all about now?
Lee-jae was not so simple-minded as to need such a lecture.
When she glared at him with displeasure, the boy merely shrugged.
He added,
—At any rate, I can’t grant your request.
—What is wrong with you? A human trying to strike a deal with a spirit—don’t you know it’ll ruin your life?
It was the right thing to say, and uncharacteristic of a ghost, a constructive answer.
Had he been a malevolent spirit, he would have agreed long ago.
Even so, Lee-jae, who had hung her head, began to tremble.
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth in frustration.
“Then why bring it up in the first place if you weren’t going to help? I was completely serious! I hated the idea from the start anyway!”
—What? Kang Lee-jae, were you actually serious?
The Boy Spirit smiled, and his aura surged explosively.
Startled by the sheer magnitude of energy she was feeling for the very first time, Lee-jae instantly turned polite again.
As expected, anger management issues were swiftly corrected when facing someone far stronger than oneself.
—Did that upset you so much? Sorry about that.
The boy laughed cheerfully.
Then, together with his white horse, he quietly vanished.