Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 104

As their bickering subsided, they both returned to Ijae’s bedroom.

Placing her gently on the bed, Roderick said,

“Just wait here.”

“……”

“If you go anywhere, make sure you’re accompanied by the head maid and the knights.”

Roderick looked at Ijae with concern for a moment before leaving.

‘Should she meditate, sculpt, or write a talisman?’

Ijae, who had been contemplating while staring at the doorway, flopped back onto the bed.

Then, she held Hailey’s diary to her chest.

Soon after, Roderick opened the door and reappeared. His hair was slightly damp, as if he had just showered, and he was shirtless.

Ijae glanced at him and opened the diary to a random page.

In truth, she had read it so many times that she had almost memorized it, but for her, this was a kind of memorial.

‘Hailey, I will not forget you.’

Roderick sat on the bed, propping his chin up as he stared intently at Ijae.

She tried to ignore him.

However, feeling her husband’s gaze, she finally spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

Ijae looked out the window. It was still bright outside.

“Now that you’ve dried off, could you put on some clothes? Are you feeling hot?”

“Why? Are you uncomfortable looking at me?”

Ijae shook her head. He was her husband, so that wasn’t the issue. It was just that he was sitting there with such a magnificent physique in broad daylight, making it hard to concentrate on her diary.

There was too much exposed skin to ignore.

And this was, of course, the King’s ploy.

After their argument in the study, he had been sulking, but then he suddenly blurted out something unexpected.

“Actually, I’m taking my clothes off to look good for you.”

“……”

“Or do you prefer me with clothes on? If so, I’ll put them on.”

Ijae, caught off guard, chuckled softly.

‘Why is he suddenly acting like this again?’

“Just tell me. I’ll cater to your taste.”

“Just be comfortable, Your Majesty. But I’m warning you, I’m going to stare a lot. My eyes keep wandering.”

“Oh, stare away. Should I make myself comfortable down there too, then?”

Ijae bit her lip, thinking, ‘Why is he really like this?’

And the King, as always, didn’t stop pushing.

“Would you like us to be comfortable together, my lady?”

“No, I’m comfortable as I am.”

“Not falling for it.”

She covered her face and shook with laughter.

Roderick also smiled faintly as he watched her.

In any case, it seemed certain that his wife wasn’t angry.

You can’t take back words once they’ve been spoken.

The reason why people should be careful with their words isn’t only because words sometimes hurt someone. There will come a day when the words you’ve spoken will grab you by the ankles.

Roderick had no choice but to be eternally weak before his wife in the name of Bodor [the god of oaths]. It was the price he paid for saying things he didn’t mean, blinded by jealousy.

He lifted Ijae and sat her on his lap, asking,

“You’re really not angry, are you?”

“I told you, I’m not. Why would I be angry?”

She fiddled with his stiff shoulder.

“You said it wasn’t sincere. I understood everything back then.”

“Yeah.”

However, Roderick continued to study Ijae’s expression.

Because he had kept something in his heart.

That Ijae’s words, that it would be okay even if she had to leave the castle, were sincere.

It was such an absurd statement that he didn’t ask properly, but the talk about forty-nine days would be the same.

His wife sometimes lied. Nevertheless, there was an honest expression and true feelings that she couldn’t hide.

Like how she says she never jumped into the river, but the longing in her eyes as she looks at the lake is genuine.

What is she thinking at times like that?

“Why are you getting down already? You said you weren’t angry.”

As Ijae tried to climb down from his lap, Roderick grabbed her waist.

“I thought I’d rest for a bit.”

“Can’t you rest on your husband? You said you liked this sofa.”

“At this point, I think this sofa would find me heavy too.”

He snorted, but when Ijae said, ‘I’ll just lie down,’ he lowered her to the bed.

Ijae wriggled around, settling down and resting her head on the pillow.

Then, she picked up the diary again.

Roderick quickly pulled out the pillow and replaced it with his arm.

Ijae soon began to giggle.

It was because the clingy king was seriously disturbing her.

“Ugh, why are you like this again?”

“Why what? We didn’t finish it this morning.”

“Wasn’t it decided that we wouldn’t continue?”

He kissed Ijae on the temple, whispering and lingering near her ear.

The tone of voice he used to seduce his wife was mischievous and sweet.

However, Ijae, shrinking into his solid chest, raised a pointless objection.

“Your Majesty. I’m sorry for nitpicking, but how does that count as not finishing?”

‘I clearly remember seeing the end once.’

‘Why are our human memories different from just a few hours ago, and why are our judgments about the same situation different?’

He only laughed without answering and tickled Ijae.

Then, when she didn’t let go of the diary, he tossed it on the side table.

“Read it moderately. You’ll be writing biographies soon.”

But Ijae went, “Uh-oh?” and reached out to the side table. She was even struggling later on.

Roderick smiled, slightly frowning.

It wasn’t because he was surprised that she cherished the diary. It was because she was reaching out with all her might, but her hand couldn’t reach.

In the end, instead of letting her go from his arms, he picked up the diary again and placed it in her small hands.

“My little bean, when you sit on a dining chair, do your feet touch the ground? I haven’t had a chance to check that.”

“Your Majesty, it’s not that kind of problem, it’s because I’m lying way down here.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No, really.”

“I know, okay?”

Ijae made a sulky face at the reaction that didn’t feel sincere.

Roderick tucked the hair that was covering her face behind her ear and asked.

“But why do you only read that one every time?”

“What do you mean?”

“The diary. Didn’t you have a lot more? You keep holding onto the same one.”

Roderick thought that a diary written when she was young would be better than a diary written before she died. So, if she was going to keep holding onto it like that, he half-gave up, thinking she should at least look at something bright.

However, Ijae widened her eyes and looked behind her.

The rest of the diaries were in her personal study. It was somewhat strange that the King knew about it.

“How do you know that, Your Majesty?

Did you check my things?”

Roderick was silent for a moment.

It was true that he had monitored his wife in the past.

He even checked the letters from the Duke.

Of course, he had his reasons back then, but he realized that he had confessed to a past that his wife hadn’t even brought up.

However, after thinking for a moment, Ijae nodded, not seeming particularly displeased. She thought he must have looked through them when the commander of the knights removed all the talismans last time.

“Why, I told you before that my memory is incomplete.”

“Oh? Oh.”

“It’s especially true for recent memories. Maybe about three years?”

If so, Hailey’s ability had manifested around the time the King ascended the throne.

In fact, it was around that time that the sentence that she kept having scary dreams began to appear in her diary.

“So, I’m trying to fill in that part. At first, it was because I didn’t want to make a mistake, but later, this situation was so strange…”

However, Ijae paused in her explanation and frowned for a moment.

‘Did she have to read the rest of them too?’ she wondered.

She kept tilting her head.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Hailey must have been hiding something more. Right?”

Still an unresolved question.

What kind of future did you see that made someone who didn’t want to die choose death of their own will?

Was that future so terrible that it was even too frightening to face?

“You definitely seem to be a special person.”

“……Is that a compliment this time?”

“Yes. When I talk to you, Your Majesty, I sometimes remember things I’ve overlooked.”

Roderick stared at her blankly.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I should check all the other diaries.”

Ijae’s voice was firm, as if she had already made up her mind.

However, Roderick, who was listening, sighed deeply. He looked troubled.

“My lady. I think I brought up something unnecessary. You said there are more than ten volumes, when will you ever look through them all?”

“Originally, the thirsty dig the well [meaning: if you want something, you have to work for it].”

Ijae smiled and got up from the bed. She felt like she had to go to the study right away.

But as she tried to run out of the room, the King was startled and grabbed her wrist.

“Hey!”

Ijae was dragged back onto the bed.

As she looked at him with a puzzled expression, Roderick stroked his forehead.

“No, you have to dress properly before you go out.”

She lowered her head and looked down at her body. And she was startled.

‘No, when did my clothes get like this?’

‘I was too busy having a serious conversation, but you weren’t resting behind my back either?’

Ijae glared at him and said.

“You’re the one who made it like this, Your Majesty.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

“What if you suddenly run out like this? Someone could have seen you.”

Clicking his tongue, he took her hands away as she tried to fix her clothes.

“Move. I’ll do it for you.”

He pulled up Ijae’s clothes that had slipped below her shoulders.

He also retied the ribbon that he had untied.

After checking her outfit from side to side, he nodded.

“Now it’s done.”

“I think I was too impatient. I’ll go to the study.”

“Okay, I know.”

Ijae placed her hands on his shoulders.

And she lightly kissed him on the cheek and stepped away.

Unlike before, she was very careful with her steps as she left the room.

Roderick stared blankly at the door that Ijae had closed for a while.

It was because his wife had given him the rain of skinship [display of affection] as a gift at the end.

Stroking his cheek, he muttered.

“If you’re going to do it, do it on the lips, Ijae’s taste is very firm.”

The couple ended up being left alone in bed once each in the morning and afternoon.

But lying alone in the bed without his wife, he chuckled.