Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 123

Mind’s Path – Episode 123 (Side Story)

#Side Story 1. Rest

#1-1

Lee Jae stood by the river, burning a talisman [a paper inscribed with magical symbols].

The sparkles blooming from her fingertips were only visible to the King, but everyone standing behind her was silent. They could all sense that she was putting her heart into what she was doing.

However, no one knew what this action was for.

The Chief Attendant, who never overdid anything, tried to remain still.

But as time passed, people’s doubts deepened, and he finally spoke on behalf of everyone.

“But what is Her Majesty doing right now…”

The King raised an eyebrow, his face slightly annoyed.

In fact, he was very curious too.

What good was having spiritual eyes, anyway?

The Queen was a person with many talents.

Even when looking at the same scene, it was not easy to understand the reason for her actions without her explanation.

Deborah was the one who criticized him on behalf of the King.

“If you have no tact, at least keep your mouth shut. You’re supposed to be working in the castle…”

“No, shouldn’t we know the intentions of those we serve to better assist them?”

“If it was necessary, she would have told us.”

“Her Majesty is usually a woman of few words. I think the Queen’s Palace should take care of this first.”

Like people of the castle, they were arguing in hushed voices.

Of course, the King heard everything, and he chuckled.

He wondered what they were doing.

“Have those two been a bit… lately?”

The King narrowed his eyes for a moment and continued.

“They might end up dating.”

“………”

“Don’t think it’s possible?”

Kaien was a country that allowed free marriage for attendants and maids.

However, the Chief Attendant and the Head Maid had remained single despite their considerable age.

This was because both were overly responsible and immersed in their duties.

Deborah looked at the King with a very aggrieved expression, and the King nodded.

“Yeah, speak.”

“Your Majesty, even someone as lowly as I… has dignity. I don’t want to be tied to the Chief Attendant in that way.”

It was hard for the Chief Attendant to bear such an aggressive remark to his face.

“I feel the same way.”

The Chief Attendant and Deborah were exchanging insults with their eyes.

The King looked like he was seeing all sorts of strange things.

“What are you doing now? In front of the King. Do I look like a friend to you?”

In fact, the King had been aware of strange rumors circulating between the two since the send-off ceremony.

The handkerchief seemed to have been the fuse.

The King had told his and the Queen’s closest aides in the language of the castle people [the local dialect]. He told them to be aware of these rumors.

But now that he saw it, it didn’t seem like they were completely unaware.

Knowing this, the gossips were talking even more.

The King, who didn’t want to get involved, laughed and told them to handle it themselves.

“Sorry, Your Majesty.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Head Maid, go to the Queen and ask her when she’ll be finished. Don’t rush her.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll ask with tact.”

The Head Maid bowed and approached Lee Jae.

In fact, no one here was impatient enough to not wait an hour or two longer. They were all people who had endured all sorts of hardships in the castle.

But the Queen was different from them. There were not many people in the world who would spend all day in meditation without any clear results.

Deborah spoke to the Queen with a kind face.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry to bother you. It’s still early, but what time should we prepare lunch?”

“Ah, have you been waiting long? I’m all done.”

Lee Jae dusted off her hands, which were covered in ashes.

Then Deborah picked up the hollow water bowl in front of Lee Jae instead.

The King, who was watching Lee Jae walking with the Head Maid, reached out affectionately, telling her to come quickly.

“Oh, are you all done with what you were doing?”

“Yes. What were you doing?”

“What else could I do? I was just watching you.”

“I’m sorry. You must have been bored.”

“That’s the question. Why am I never bored when I’m watching you? Can you tell me?”

Lee Jae forced a smile, and he subtly examined her complexion.

In fact, the King and a few others were watching Lee Jae’s mood.

Today was officially the Queen’s birthday.

To be precise, today was Hailey’s birthday.

The fact that the Queen was a spiritualist was known to almost everyone who entered the castle.

But only a few, including Jade and Deborah, knew that she was not Hailey.

Those who knew the situation were a little embarrassed.

If they didn’t celebrate the Queen’s birthday, it would damage their prestige, but if they did, it wasn’t her birthday.

They had been pondering for weeks how to get through this event smoothly.

And then the Queen suddenly declared an outing.

In fact, it was an ideal ending. She could block all the nobles who would come without invitation and offer congratulations.

But there was one problem here too. The place where the Queen went for her outing was the river. It was the very place where Hailey had thrown herself.

“Madam, shall we sit for a moment? Let’s have a meal nearby and go back.”

“Okay. Sounds good.”

Rodrick immediately spread his coat on the floor and sat Lee Jae down.

He hugged her from behind, intertwined his legs with hers, and the two of them watched the flowing river for the first time in a long time.

The King, resting his chin on the crown of Lee Jae’s head, asked.

“Madam, do you like looking at the water again?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I think the time has really come. I’ll dig a lake in the Queen’s Palace soon.”

She gave a clear smile, and Rodrick, feeling the silent vibration, carefully asked.

“Did you come here today because it’s Hailey’s birthday?”

“Yes, I wanted to congratulate her and commemorate her.”

“………”

“But she’s not coming even when I call her.”

“Could Madam do that kind of thing?”

Lee Jae nodded.

The reason she had been burning talismans since dawn was to try a soul-summoning ritual.

She wanted to hear any words, any wishes.

“That’s usually the case. What I send is a signal, and how they respond is up to the spirit’s will. But she probably wants to rest quietly.”

It was common for spirits with regrets to wander the human world.

Hailey must have had at least a sliver of attachment left.

Nevertheless, the reason she doesn’t respond is solely out of consideration for the living.

She doesn’t want to obscure the future of those left in the shadows of the dead.

Because she loved people so much.

“In fact, this kind of ritual might be selfishness to make the living feel better. Like self-satisfaction.”

“………”

“Even so, Hailey, why was she such a good person when she could have complained?”

Lee Jae smiled bitterly, and Rodrick, who finally understood her intention, nodded.

It was definitely a sad story.

He was fully aware that Hailey was the starting point that twisted fate.

But at this moment, the most important person to the King was not someone else, but his wife.

The King actually had something else he really wanted to ask Lee Jae.

But it was not easy to open his mouth.

Because he knew that she had an unhappy childhood.

The King thought that this shouldn’t sound like an insensitive question.

He just wanted to know everything about his wife, so he always approached her and mustered courage.

“Lee Jae.”

“Yes?”

“Then… when is your birthday?”

Lee Jae paused for a moment. And she turned her head and stared at him.

Her round eyes gradually filled with amusement.

“Is that important to you?”

“Are you a fortune teller? You’re not going to look at my destiny or compatibility. Besides, the time there and here can’t be the same.”

When she came out as if she was asking about everything, the King was a little embarrassed.

But it was also true that he felt somehow sad.

“I’m sorry, but it was important to me.”

Rodrick thought for a moment if this was too much, and then continued.

“Is it such an extravagant act to want to give meaning to the day the person I love came into the world?”

“Wow. You’re so romantic.”

Lee Jae replied playfully.

But she also had to think for a moment.

Rodrick had asked with difficulty, but it wasn’t a very pleasant topic for Lee Jae either.

Not all orphans don’t know their birthdays. Among the children who grew up in facilities, there were many who knew their exact birthdays.

However, in Lee Jae’s case, her parents had written down her name, but they didn’t know the date of her birth. Because she was such a young baby, they only guessed her age.

Her official birthday on her documents was the day she was abandoned in front of the facility.

Whether she didn’t know that fact or found out later, it was natural that she didn’t feel like celebrating it.

“Can I be honest?”

“Of course.”

“Actually, I don’t know the real date either. I think this is the first time I’ve said this with my own mouth, but I’m an orphan. But you probably guessed that to some extent, right?”

“………”

“I don’t care at all, so don’t worry about it, Your Majesty.”

“………”

“Thank you for caring so much.”

Lee Jae said calmly with a smile. She was so calm that she was even bright.

But the moment he heard those words, the King became the most guilty and pitiful man in the world.

He ran his hand through his hair several times, his face full of embarrassment.

He knew that someone had treated her badly when she was young.

He also thought that there was no one to take care of her.

But he never knew that she had grown up without even knowing the date she was born.

Rodrick first hugged Lee Jae tightly.

“I’m sorry. I hurt you now because of me.”

“Why would I be hurt?”

“For asking unnecessary things. Your husband is just too interested in you. Just look at it as cute.”

Lee Jae shook her body and laughed, then turned around to face her husband.

And she burst into an even bigger laugh than before.

The dignified King now had the most helpless expression in the world.

It seemed like he was the only one who was hurt.

Why is he doing that, really.

“Oh dear. Are you going to cry?”

Lee Jae’s voice, shaking her head, was joking.

In fact, she was half teasing the King.

She was very surprised. She had never imagined that there would come a day when she could laugh cheerfully while talking about this.

But the King’s face did not brighten easily.

Feeling very sorry, he finally decided to fulfill his marital duty today.

Although it wasn’t his real birthday, he wanted to make sure his wife had a happy day somehow. Like a gift.

“Where shall we go after we eat?”

Then Lee Jae widened her eyes in surprise.

“Aren’t we going back to the castle?”

“Now that we’re out, let’s play for another day or two.”

When Lee Jae asked, recalling the joke she had made when she went out sometime ago, the King shook his head firmly.

“Unless I’m crazy, would I make you sleep in such a shabby place? Don’t keep stepping on your husband’s pride like this.”

You should only eat good things, wear good things, and sleep in a comfortable place.

The King wanted to compensate her not only for the hardships she had gone through because of him, but also for the things she had given up in her childhood. He could do that for her for the rest of her life.

He brushed Lee Jae’s bangs aside and kissed her all over her face.