Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 10

#10.

Lee Jae watched from a distance as the King’s knights hurried past. Roderick wasn’t easily visible, surrounded as he was by people.

However, Lee Jae quickly realized Roderick was at the center of the commotion.

Unlike their departure, a considerable number of Wonhuns [vengeful spirits] were now circling around them.

“Where did he gather so many again…”

*Is it just his constitution?*

Lee Jae, who had been blankly watching the scene, sighed as the King and his party headed toward his bedroom.

‘Not there. How can anyone recover in such a place?’

Anxiously watching, she rushed to her own chambers.

The resolution to do this just once crumbled again without any backbone, and she even forgot to rationalize it.

As Lee Jae suddenly burst in and started tearing down the charms in the room, Ham’s spirit rolled its round eyes.

The barrier was quickly broken by the hand of the person who created it.

-Lee Jae! What are you doing!

“……”

-Ah! Please don’t do this! This is the peace I’ve found in years!

“I’ll fix it soon. Go into your house and hide.”

-My house is broken… It’s not safe here anymore… I was watching with my eyes wide open, but they cut off my nose…

The spirit whimpered and acted coquettishly, but Lee Jae pretended not to hear.

And she hid the torn-off charms all over her body.

When a person’s mind and body weaken, evil spirits gain powerful strength.

Hearing that Roderick was injured enough to worry about his succession, she headed to the King’s bedroom fully armed.

The atmosphere in front of the King’s bedroom was very grim.

Rumors had spread that the King’s madness had flared up again in the hunting grounds.

It was said that he did not let go of the knife dripping with animal blood even while returning injured.

People naturally tried to dissuade the Queen from entering.

“It’s best not to go in right now.”

As Lee Jae hesitated at the guard’s words, Deborah carefully took the Queen’s arm and tried to lead her away. But she soon shook her head.

“Deborah, you said I could enter His Majesty’s bedroom. Please ask just once.”

The head maid had a distressed look. It was difficult to refuse when the person she served said this much.

And as the doctor, who had rushed in late, entered, Lee Jae simply followed him into the room.

“Ugh, ugh…”

As soon as she entered, she immediately started gagging.

The guard, thinking it was because of the smell of blood, offered a handkerchief, but Lee Jae waved it away and walked past the knights.

And the moment she saw Roderick sitting on the bed, she had no choice but to grit her teeth.

Roderick was indeed injured.

The number of Wonhuns that had settled in this room, combined with the ones he had newly brought, was quite large.

However, contrary to the talk of him being severely injured, the level of Roderick’s injuries seemed very minor.

At this level, there was no need to tear off all the charms from the room.

‘Seriously, is that damn Western ghost playing with people?!’

But ghosts originally play with people. Isn’t it their characteristic to constantly stimulate people’s weak points and bewitch them?

And Lee Jae soon agreed with the Western ghost’s words.

If mental wounds are also injuries, Roderick was suffering fatal wounds every day.

Without a doctor to identify the cause or treat him.

Lee Jae took another step towards him.

And, of course, as she took each step, the air around the King slowly changed.

As the pressure the King felt decreased, Lee Jae’s face turned pale.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

At the small, cautious voice, Roderick stared intently in that direction. His blue eyes looked cold, but they were those of a madman on the verge of a rampage.

Moreover, there were claw marks from an animal on his arm, and blood was flowing from his palm.

Yet, he did not let go of the sword, so the doctor kept bowing his head.

The King’s knights were anxious.

They had failed to stop the King from rushing alone at a wild beast in the forest.

They could only watch as he repeatedly slashed the already lifeless carcass of the beast.

He didn’t seem to have the rational judgment to aim from a distance with an arrow.

Just as Jade was thinking that she really had to risk her life to stop him this time, the Queen approached the King’s bed.

The small Queen looked like a young beast wary of people, but her eyes were sharp and calm.

Lee Jae carefully sat about three spans [a traditional Korean unit of measurement, roughly equivalent to the distance between the tips of the thumb and little finger of an outstretched hand] away from Roderick.

‘Evil cannot overcome righteousness.’

‘Break the evil and reveal the right.’

‘That is the law here. Evil things, now return to the world governed by your laws.’

After repeating it several times, Lee Jae placed her hand on Roderick’s back.

As she touched the attached vengeful spirit with her bracelet, she felt her wrist burning as if it had been scalded.

She couldn’t help but frown, but she stroked Roderick’s back a couple of times.

-If you keep interfering, I won’t leave you alone either.

‘Okay, it’s okay, so go ahead.’

Lee Jae smiled at the vengeful spirit to avoid losing. And as the vengeful spirits slowly began to leave through the window, she grabbed Roderick’s wrist.

Roderick stared at her intently, and people gasped, but Lee Jae carefully unfolded his fingers one by one.

Then, with a clang, the sword fell to the floor.

“If you keep holding it, the wound… might get worse.”

Lee Jae’s smiling face was pale, as the air around him still pressed down on her.

But after being there for quite some time, the Wonhuns moved away, and Roderick’s blue eyes gradually regained stability.

He was still staring at Lee Jae silently.

“Are you okay now?”

No answer came back, but Lee Jae, convinced that he was okay, gestured to the doctor.

The gaunt doctor couldn’t easily approach. He must have experienced many harsh situations.

However, as Jade glared at him with her expression, he hesitantly approached and began treatment.

Lee Jae, taking a breath, sat next to him a little longer.

After confirming that Roderick’s surroundings were somewhat purified, she now began to slowly wander around the room.

The people around were so busy watching the King’s movements that they didn’t pay much attention to Lee Jae’s strange behavior.

Meanwhile, she kept muttering something with her mouth, constantly chasing away ghosts.

Expel, Charm, Break, Re-Expel.

In addition to the old vengeful spirits, there were also animal spirits in the King’s room.

They were newly dead animals from the hunting grounds.

But she, who had lived in the mountains, knew well.

The innocent animal spirits, not even knowing they were dead, had simply followed the energy around the King and would soon disappear on their own.

It was fortunate that there were no divine creatures.

Lee Jae, clicking her tongue slightly, returned to Roderick’s side, and his eyes were now completely clear.

Blood was still seeping through the bandage wrapped around his palm, but he paid no attention to it and was only looking at Lee Jae.

Roderick opened his mouth for the first time since entering the room.

“Why did you come here?”

“……”

It was a word that made it hard to say anything.

*I shouldn’t deal with him with such human emotions*, Lee Jae thought, but she still felt a surge of emotion.

It’s not like I came here because I wanted to. The person who has been beaten knows the pain better, and the person who sees ghosts is more afraid.

So, I’m actually more hurt and scared than anyone else.

“I came because you were hurt. I’ll leave since I saw you’re okay.”

Lee Jae, feeling a little hurt, straightened her clothes and got up from the bed.

There was a chill in her tone, but an undeniable feeling of resentment was felt.

Accordingly, the maids also hurriedly prepared to return.

But Roderick suddenly grabbed Lee Jae’s wrist. It was the hand with the bandage.

“Don’t go, stay a little longer.”

People gasped.

*What has been happening since a while ago?*

They wondered what the Queen had done to make the King so docile again.

Moreover, the King was now holding onto the Queen, telling her not to leave at all.

But Lee Jae, the person in question, frowned because something else was bothering her.

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you still be using that hand?”

Lee Jae tried to take his hand away. But unlike when he was holding the sword, it was now difficult to remove even one of his fingers, no matter how much strength she used.

“I understand, so please let go of this. I said I understand.”

“……”

“Blood… is coming out more.”

Lee Jae, looking at Roderick’s palm with a complicated expression, suddenly felt fatigue and frustration washing over her.

With a slightly irritated touch, she lightly tapped Roderick’s shoulder.

“I knew it would be like this from the start! Don’t go hunting anymore!”

Meanwhile, as the Queen slapped the King’s shoulder, the servants all frowned and glared at the Queen’s maids.

Normally, the Queen’s maids would never have backed down, but now they were also in shock, watching the scene.

*You said you were scared a while ago…?*

But Roderick just chuckled.

Having absorbed a lot of blood and looking somewhat unwell, he asked.

“Why.”

“……”

“Hailey Duncan.”

“……”

“Why can’t I go?”

She could have given various answers, such as *it’s dangerous* or *are you not hurt*.

But seeing that he was now even bringing in animal spirits, Lee Jae felt a surge of emotion.

“I guess I just love animals too much!”

People now thought that the Queen, following the King, had started to go slightly crazy in a cute way.

But Roderick just chuckled again.

Looking over his body stained with blood, he slowly gestured for people to leave.

Then, the people slowly left the room, feeling somewhat uneasy.

He had no intention of giving a proper explanation.

But he couldn’t not say anything at all.

She was Duncan, who had already trembled twice at the terrible sight, but also his wife.

So, this was the least he could do.

“Hailey Duncan. Actually, this is unavoidable.”

“……”

“It may sound irresponsible and incompetent, but I couldn’t help it either.”

*Actually, I’m falling apart day by day.*

It was a vague statement, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining it properly.

But Lee Jae lowered her head at those words.

Because she, at least, could accurately understand what he was saying and what he couldn’t say.

Roderick knew very well what he was doing.

He also knew that it was no longer under his control.

It was difficult to raise her head, but Lee Jae had to lower her head again.

Because his expression looked calm even though he looked tired, and his eyes were so clear.

Too clear.

*Are those really the eyes of someone who has accumulated evil deeds? What is happening?*

And her own expression reflected in those clear eyes looked turbid.

But Lee Jae still couldn’t hide the painful and frustrating feelings.

*What’s okay, you’re human. Don’t pretend to be okay.*

*Ordinary people would be scared and tormented by someone like you, trembling. They want to die before they even die.*

And that’s the goal of the vengeful spirits, to make people like that.

Meanwhile, Roderick was staring at Lee Jae with a puzzled expression.

Because even though he hadn’t said anything particularly special, she had a tearful face and was lowering her head.

“Hailey Duncan.”

Lee Jae answered without raising her head.

“Yes.”

“Are you angry?”

Lee Jae let out a hollow laugh in dismay.

“No.”

“It seems like it.”

“……”

“Did my words seem very pathetic?”

“I said no. Do I even… have the right to be.”

“You have less self-esteem than I thought. You still have the right to get angry when you’re angry.”

“……”

“You’re the Queen, and also a Duncan, aren’t you.”

Lee Jae let out a hollow laugh again. It was the King who hated that Duncan. And Lee Jae wasn’t actually Hailey Duncan either.

“If it’s a compliment, I’m very grateful. Anyway, I’m not angry.”

“If you’re not angry, would you like to chatter a little more?”

“…What does that mean?”

“Listening to you strangely makes me feel like I’m coming to my senses.”

It was a commonly used metaphor, but Lee Jae knew that he was speaking very candidly.

*But it’s not because you’re talking to me.*

*It’s just because the evil spirits around you are gradually receding.*

But Lee Jae silently nodded.

They exchanged a few more words after that.

Before long, Roderick showed signs of fatigue, and Lee Jae just sat there until he fell asleep.

Lee Jae, staring silently at Roderick, who was breathing evenly, hesitated and reached out. Parting his glossy black hair, she pressed down on somewhere on his head.

Listening to his breathing becoming more comfortable, Lee Jae rummaged through her bosom this time. Selecting a few sheets from a bundle of charms, she went to the candlestick.

Lee Jae burned them, constantly chanting something.

It was a spell wishing for peace and stability.