Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 103

#103.

Lee Jae, having finished her audience, was by the lake. She was due to go to the King’s study soon, but she still had some time.

It was as she was gazing at the lake, lost in thought, that it happened.

The Boy King, who usually appeared gradually from thin air, blinked and was suddenly squatting in front of her.

Startled, Lee Jae looked around. Confirming that people were far away, she whispered,

“Could you not just pop up right in front of me like that?”

-If I appear the same way every time, you won’t pay attention to me.

“No matter how you appear, you’re always equally annoying…”

Lee Jae barely swallowed the words, slapping her lips with her hand. *This mouth is running wild again*, she thought.

But the Boy King seemed to sense something was off. He stared intently at her lips and said,

-Hey, your lips look a little swollen?

Lee Jae paused slightly but didn’t feel too embarrassed this time, saying,

“It’s the mark of victory. Though it was only a half-victory, I think it was at least not a cowardly one.”

-Whatever that means.

The King ultimately didn’t get to hear his name.

The King, who never yielded in bed, seemed especially unwilling to yield this time.

Lee Jae, too, was clinging and sobbing before long.

The problem was that there were too many others clinging to the King outside as well.

The King was a reasonable person. Normally, he would have called them in to ask what was wrong, but this time, the situation didn’t allow it.

Ignoring them consistently, the King glared at the door with a very annoyed expression after the same situation repeated about three times.

Then he disappeared, leaving a lingering message, ‘Shall we continue the rest tonight? Hmm?’

Lee Jae achieved a miraculous victory, but her body was left with marks too embarrassing to even look at.

On the other hand, Lee Jae began to wonder if the King’s strategy had a flaw.

*If he ties you up tightly and then hugs you, shouldn’t it be okay to spill a little nosebleed?* That’s how it felt.

If he says he won’t let go until she calls his name, she wouldn’t want to call it easily either.

But Lee Jae, not knowing that it was her husband’s trick, was still an amateur in this field.

-What are you thinking about that makes your face turn red while we’re talking?

“Huh?”

Startled, she looked ahead again.

The Boy King was looking at her with a knowing expression.

Belatedly embarrassed, Lee Jae cleared her throat artificially.

Then she quickly changed the subject.

“Um, but, you know.”

-I’m always amazed when you start a sentence like that now.

-What do you want to ask again?

Feeling awkward, she scratched her cheek and pondered for a moment.

If she touched on sensitive topics, the Boy King never answered.

Nevertheless, Lee Jae couldn’t give up on the question.

Because there were sometimes clues in the words the Boy King threw out.

“There have been constant problems on the western border lately.”

“But why did the attacks only come to you in the past? For three years, too.”

After speaking, Lee Jae was a little apprehensive.

She wondered if she had asked about something too divine again.

But the Boy King, surprisingly, was making a very exasperated expression.

-Isn’t that obvious? It’s the basics of any battle.

-Kang Lee Jae. If the head is cut off, the limbs die too.

-But you healed the dying head. With the compassionate heart of a benevolent doctor who cherishes the patient. So, they’re poking at the limbs too.

In fact, Lee Jae had not only healed the head but also put a helmet on it.

And while speaking, the Boy King snickered.

She felt like she knew why he was laughing.

He was teasing Lee Jae’s past claim that it was the heart of a doctor, not love.

“Don’t laugh. Humans can’t know all the future.”

-Who said anything?

“And even if it wasn’t me, he wasn’t someone who would give up that easily. Please don’t use such scary metaphors like dying or having his head cut off on someone else’s husband.”

It’s bad luck.

But the Boy King kept snickering.

– Hey, Crayfish.

“What.”

-He’s your husband, but he’s also my descendant.

“Of course, that’s true.”

Lee Jae easily conceded, but she still had a sulky look on her face.

It was then that Deborah announced that a message had come from the King.

Lee Jae picked up a twig, feeling awkward about leaving right away.

And she wrote a talisman [a charm or object believed to have magical powers] on the ground, wishing for longevity and eternal life.

As she put her heart and soul into it, the Boy King, who was watching, made a very annoyed expression.

-Please, can you not do that to me?

“Is my heart wishing for your health wrong?”

She finished and was satisfied, thinking this was enough.

*There’s no such thing as a free lunch, right?*

*I received something, so I’m paying the appropriate fee*.

Lee Jae looked at the ground and thought it was a shame to erase it. This was a masterpiece. It seemed like it could extend a person’s lifespan by five hundred years.

Continuing to admire it, she bowed politely to the Boy King, feeling proud.

Then she started walking towards the study.

The atmosphere inside the study was somewhat awkward.

The Knights were the King’s representative wings, and the Knights Commanders were generally familiar with the Queen. Recently, a significant number of reports had been made in the Queen’s Palace.

However, it was the first time the Queen had attended a meeting held separately with only the Commanders.

Of course, there were also people who had different thoughts at this moment.

The Commander of the 1st Knights, the Chief of Staff, and the Head Maid who followed Lee Jae in.

They thought with one mind.

*Isn’t it only natural that the leader of the pro-Prince faction and the head of the suppression team would attend this meeting?*

And Jade, who was facing the Queen, tilted his head particularly.

*But Your Majesty, the Queen, your lips look different today… Ah, never mind. She must be pouting because something unpleasant happened.*

Holding different impressions, the meeting began.

Lee Jae sat quietly, only listening to what people were saying.

The reason she, who had little interest in politics, was sitting in this place was one.

This fight was not just a fight against wraiths [ghosts or spirits].

At first, she thought it was a fight between the pro-Prince faction and the anti-King faction.

Later, she thought it might be a fight between Cayenne and the Daimon Reconstruction Army.

But now, she thinks it might be a fight between the King and the Prince.

What is the answer?

And the King suggested one possibility to everyone in that place.

“Jade. Find the Prince’s whereabouts as soon as possible. You can deploy more people.”

“……Your Majesty.”

Jade looked around and cautiously expressed concern.

But the King nodded as if it was okay.

“And one more thing. There is someone who accompanied the Prince to the Castle and the Western Army camp. I heard they have known each other since their study abroad days. Investigate that person as well. Check the Castle entry records, and get cooperation from the Western Army Commander for the description.”

The King scanned the faces of the people.

His gaze stopped at the Vice-Commander, who was acting as the Commander of the 2nd Knights.

“The 2nd Knights will handle that. You should be friendly with the Western Army Commander.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. But, um… is there something wrong with the Prince?”

The faces of the people were filled with curiosity and suspicion.

The Prince was the highest-ranking member of the royal family in the line of succession. There had been no major issues because he had been wandering around without interest in royal life.

But the fact that the King was trying to dig into the Prince’s surroundings sounded very ominous.

Lee Jae’s expression became a little gloomy.

She knew very well that she could be wrong. Even a competent shaman [a person believed to have access to and influence in the spirit world] like Granny Youngsan couldn’t foresee everything in this field.

However, she couldn’t let go of this intuition that had swept over her several times.

*Is this the work of Ilias, or is it the Prince’s own will?*

Either way, it wouldn’t be good for the King.

And when she glanced at the King, he was smiling faintly at her.

Even though an important story was being exchanged, he reached out without concern.

And he gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. He said with his lips. *It’s okay*.

When Lee Jae nodded, his gaze turned back to the people.

“I can’t confirm that yet. That’s why I’m just trying to check.”

“………….”

“Make sure to keep your mouths shut so that no unnecessary words go around.”

The meeting continued for about three more hours after that.

Deborah kept checking the time and looking at Lee Jae with a worried expression.

However, she, who had been trained in meditation, could sit all day without saying a word. She could also sit with her back straight everywhere.

It was when Lee Jae smiled at Deborah, telling her that she was okay.

The King announced the end of the meeting.

And the incident happened at that moment.

Leaning back against the sofa, Roderick opened his mouth as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“Ah, and.”

The Commanders, who were about to go out the door, stopped in their tracks.

“The Southern Advance Policy that the late King promoted will be put on hold for the time being.”

Even Jade, the King’s closest aide, had a puzzled look on his face at the story he was hearing for the first time.

“I will soon announce at the cabinet meeting that we will conclude a peace agreement with the Bodor Kingdom. Commander of the 3rd Knights, convey my thoughts to the military and tell them to give it some strength.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. But why suddenly…”

“It is my judgment that it is time to focus on the western border.”

The King was planning to draw some of the Southern Army’s forces to find the Daimon Reconstruction Army’s base. To do so, peace had to be guaranteed on the southern border. That was all the intention was.

It was then.

“But, Your Majesty. Previously, the Bodor Kingdom offered marriage as a condition…”

The Commander of the 3rd Knights, who was speaking without thinking, belatedly recalled.

Although it was hard to see because it was hidden by the King’s large physique, there was a small Queen next to him.

The Commander of the 3rd Knights paused, but so did Roderick.

With animal-like reflexes, he tightly covered both of Lee Jae’s ears.

But it was already too late. Because she, who had been quietly still, was struggling to the point of kicking her feet in the air.

“What are you blabbering about in front of the Queen right now? Do you really want to die?”

The Commander of the 3rd Knights, startled, bowed his head in a fluster.

“Everyone, get out quickly.”

Jade dragged the Commander of the 3rd Knights out, and the others hurriedly left the study.

Lee Jae, who was struggling, firmly removed the large hands and glared at the King.

He smoothed his forehead with a slightly embarrassed look, sweeping back his hair.

“Was that a story I shouldn’t have heard? You said you wouldn’t keep secrets from me.”

“No, I was just worried that you might remember something bad that happened.”

“………….”

“Negotiation conditions depend on how you present them. I’ve never even thought about it. Lee Jae, it’s definitely not like that.”

“………….”

“You know that, too.”

The King took Lee Jae’s hand.

He was worried about what to do if she teared up like last time.

He felt like his heart would really be torn to shreds.

But fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Lee Jae’s face was somewhat pouty, but there was no sign of intimidation.

“As I said before.”

As she opened her mouth, he reacted immediately.

“I’m unconditionally at fault, so don’t say you’re going to leave home.”

“That’s not what I was going to say.”

“I can accept everything else, but not after forty-nine days have passed… that’s really important to me…”

Then, this time, the King burst out.

“Didn’t I tell you not to talk about that again!”

“………”

“Are you taking revenge on me now?”

“No.”

“Is this how you get angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“I am! Me! …Anyway, I said I’m sorry.”

The Chief of Staff and Deborah exchanged glances.

They couldn’t understand what the Queen was talking about.

However, the King had a very upset face, and the two were bickering terribly again. Even so, they were fighting while holding hands.

In the end, even the Chief of Staff and the strong-willed Deborah slipped out of the study this time.