Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 109

#109.

After the conversation with the envoys from Bodor, a few individuals remained in the conference room.

These were the King, Jade, the Southern Army Commander, and the Western Army Vice Commander, all key figures in the upcoming Daimon subjugation force.

The military conference had originally been scheduled for the following day.

However, with the earlier meeting concluding much faster than anticipated, the King decided to proceed with a preliminary report.

The Western Army Vice Commander began, “Your Majesty, the Western Army estimates the Reestablishment Army’s strength to be approximately ten thousand. Initially, they numbered only five thousand, but they’ve been actively recruiting mercenaries recently.”

“………….”

“However, they are not yet strong enough to engage in a full-scale war, limiting their actions to sporadic skirmishes.”

The King stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then, the Southern Army Commander spoke.

“Your Majesty, the southern border is defended by forty thousand soldiers. May we request the deployment of ten thousand from our ranks?”

“………….”

“Fighting within the barracks is vastly different from a military expedition. With only that number, a complete victory cannot be guaranteed.”

“Vice Commander, allocating more than that would place an undue burden on our defenses. While we have established peace with Bodor, they are not the only power in the southern continent, are they?”

The Southern Army Commander and the Western Army Vice Commander began to argue, each presenting valid concerns based on their respective situations.

Faced with these competing arguments, the King paused, lost in thought.

Everyone waited in silence for the King to speak.

Roderick nodded after a moment.

“The subjugation force will consist of ten thousand soldiers from the South, five thousand from the Western Army, and five thousand from the Central Army. In return, the Southern Army will strengthen its ties with Bodor, given its proximity.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I understand.”

The Southern Army Commander bowed his head in acknowledgment. However, the Western Army Vice Commander hesitated, a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

He desired to execute this subjugation mission flawlessly and earn significant achievements. Naturally, he wished for an overwhelming advantage in troop numbers.

Roderick, carefully observing the Vice Commander’s expression, chuckled softly.

He then began to briefly outline his strategic thinking.

“You have likely heard the gist of it from the Knight Commander. Their leader is a descendant of the Illyas family, who vanished from the continent long ago, along with a Royal sibling. It is just an assumption… but they are still in Cayenne.”

“………….”

“The enemy employs black magic that can confuse people and rob them of their reason. The extent of its reach is unknown. The Western Army Vice Commander has witnessed its effects in the barracks, so you likely understand what I mean.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am well aware.”

The Vice Commander, who had frequently encountered strange occurrences at the border, nodded in agreement. Roderick crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“The Queen and I believe that the enemy never intended to wage a full-scale war from the outset. Would it not have been too short a time to amass their power?”

“………….”

“Their target is me and the Blaireuk Royal Family.”

“………….”

“They are either waiting for a civil war to erupt in Cayenne by assassinating the King, or they are waiting for a future King who is sympathetic to their cause to ascend the throne by killing the King.”

“..Your Majesty.”

It was a highly disrespectful topic.

However, the King, who was speaking so candidly, seemed unfazed.

Jade, concerned, called out to the King, but he continued without acknowledging her.

“But I have no intention of listening to that.”

“………….”

“Indeed, we should never listen to it.”

Roderick stated firmly, then met the gaze of everyone in the hall, one by one. His eyes were calm and clear as he spoke.

“The only person capable of recognizing that black magic is the Queen.”

“That means that without the Queen, this war would lack direction, and we wouldn’t even be able to identify the enemy.”

The King’s purpose in saying this was clear: to emphasize that the Queen was the core of their defense.

Therefore, she was the one who needed the most protection.

“The 1st Knight Commander’s mission is to continue tracking the Royal sibling’s group. If they locate their hideout, the Central Army and the 2nd and 3rd Knights will remain in the rear to protect the Queen.”

“………”

“And I and the 1st Knight Commander will strike the enemy’s head in the front.”

The King then turned his gaze to the Western Army Vice Commander.

“The subjugation force’s task, until then, is to keep the Daimon main force engaged, preventing the enemy’s leadership from sowing chaos within the Royal Family and Cayenne territory.”

“Yes.”

“Of course, completely subjugating them would be ideal, but the Reestablishment Army’s ability to relocate its base thus far is also linked to Illyas’s abilities.”

“………….”

“So, the goal is to keep them as mentally disturbed as possible from both sides.”

Jade and the military personnel finally grasped the King’s intentions fully.

The King, having confirmed their understanding, issued his final instruction.

“According to the Queen, the night is particularly dangerous… and she emphasized that you should not fight alone.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

After speaking, the King stared blankly out the window.

The twilight was already deepening.

When the King returned to his room after a meeting that had stretched much longer than expected, Lee Jae was sitting at the table.

Roderick glanced at her without approaching.

“What are you doing?”

Lee Jae smiled and replied.

“Did you come? I’m making weapons.”

She, too, was preparing for battle in her own way.

A pile of talismans was stacked high on the table.

Roderick, noticing a half-carved new bracelet and a sculpture among them, muttered.

“I thought the talismans were for mental training, but everything was a lie.”

“Why are you being so mean again? Of course, it’s also training.”

Lee Jae replied nonchalantly, then added.

“I’m going to use a lot this time, so I’m going to share it with other knights too.”

“Which other knights?”

“Jade or the knights who go around with Your Majesty.”

“Jade?”

“Yes, evil doesn’t discriminate against people. It’s contagious, so it can spread to the people around you. If there’s anyone else you want to give it to, let me know.”

Since the opponent is not a god, there must be a limit to their power.

Then, the first target will naturally be the King.

However, the King’s energy has become so strong these days that he has been repelling vengeful spirits.

There was a considerable risk that the people around him would unintentionally get hurt.

Roderick nodded and moved again.

Then he lay down on the bed.

Lee Jae stopped writing the talisman and looked at him covering his eyes with his forearm.

The outside of the window was already dark.

‘I thought it would end early… Did something go wrong?’

Worried, she quietly put down her writing instrument.

Lee Jae, who approached the bed, looked at his complexion for a long time.

She carefully sat on the corner and asked.

“Your Majesty, did you read the contract carefully before signing it?”

“What?”

“You didn’t just give them a break with a verbal contract again, did you?”

“You’re acting up again.”

I couldn’t see his blue eyes because he was covering them, but I could see the corners of his lips slightly rising.

When he smiles, the energy surrounding his body becomes more active.

“I was just worried that things didn’t go well.”

“That’s not it. As I was doing it, another meeting got a little longer. Because of the subjugation force formation issue.”

‘I see..’ She nodded, then gently stroked his forearm.

The forearm with bulging veins was as strong as ever.

However, Lee Jae knows that the weight he has to bear is just as great.

“Your Majesty.”

“………….”

“Shall I give you a lap pillow?”

Then Roderick’s lips rose even more beautifully than before.

A low laughter also flowed out from his lips.

“What’s wrong with you. You made me feel bad with something strange during the day.”

“During the day? What did I do?”

“There’s something. I don’t know, so don’t ask.”

Lee Jae stared at him, wondering what he was talking about.

She grabbed his hand covering his eyes and lowered it.

“I just thought you might be tired.”

“……Do I look like it?”

Roderick wasn’t particularly tired.

However, he didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity, so he gestured with his chin and raised his head.

When Lee Jae came up to the bed completely, stretched out her legs, and sat down, he put his head on her thigh.

And he hugged her waist and rubbed his face several times on her stomach.

Lee Jae, who was about to be pushed back, barely straightened her upper body and asked.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m crying. It’s been so long since I’ve had a pillow, I can’t hold back my tears.”

“………”

“Try to soothe me.”

Lee Jae burst into a small laugh.

She touched the end of her lips and took off the hand that was hugging her waist.

Then she laid his shoulders down.

Roderick, who was pushed away in a daze, had a slightly puzzled look on his face.

Lee Jae, who was quietly looking down at him, pressed between his thick eyebrows once.

And she pressed both temples firmly.

When she started touching his pressure points in earnest, this time his eyes, lips, voice, everything laughed at once.

“Do you feel good?”

“Yeah, touch me more. But why does this feel so good?”

She did it because it was an important place that was passing by, but Lee Jae replied jokingly.

It didn’t seem like he wanted a detailed explanation.

“Just. My little trick.”

Roderick nodded, mumbling an unclear sound.

The blue eyes had already disappeared under the eyelids, and he was silently feeling her affectionate touch.

Lee Jae wanted to see the King fall asleep like this.

But another low laughter flowed out from his lips.

When the disappeared blue eyes reappeared, there were various emotions in those eyes.

“Madam. Madam is a very mysterious person.”

“What is it?”

“You always come to me like this when you think I’m having a hard time. Madam must like cute and weak men.”

“That’s not it.”

She smiled, understanding it as the usual joke, but Roderick shook his head.

“You actually came to me because you felt sorry for me from the beginning. Suddenly asking for tea, coming to see me when I was hurt.”

“………”

“Whenever I was about to collapse, you always ran to my side. Without missing a single time.”

Lee Jae was silent for a while.

She was just listening to his words with her eyes lowered.

Roderick grabbed the fingers that had stopped moving on his face.

“Lee Jae.”

“Yes.”

“I thought that bluffing was something that only pathetic guys who really had nothing would do.”

“………”

“So, I didn’t really care what anyone said about me. Whether they called me a tyrant or a madman, I didn’t feel like it was worth dealing with, and if you came to my side because you felt sorry for me, that was fine.”

He laughed, feeling ridiculous even as he said it.

“But I guess I was just the same old man after all.”

“………”

“Now, whenever you worry about me like this, I only think that I want to look like a good man to you.”

“………”

“Does our wise Madam understand what I mean?”

The blue eyes filled with laughter sparkled like a boy.

Lee Jae swept back his hair and smiled faintly.

The King seemed to want to say that he was confident, or that he was okay, so don’t worry.

So she thought for a moment about what to say.

Should I tell him to cheer up now that I know?

Lee Jae didn’t really think that word was formal.

This is because it is a symbol we use when we want to express support but lack the words.

Should I say I love you like a heart that bursts after holding back? Or should I say I like you like a child?

Lee Jae, who was deep in thought, put energy into her voice.

“Your Majesty, we can do it.”

“Yes.”

“Go to sleep.”

“You come and sleep too.”

He raised his head slightly, but Lee Jae pressed his forehead down again.

“I’ll watch Your Majesty sleep and then sleep.”

Roderick chuckled.

In fact, he wanted to hold her in his arms and sleep, but he just closed his eyes.

And Lee Jae stroked his hair and infused energy from time to time until she heard even breathing.