Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 127

As the Heart Leads – Episode 127 (127/134)

Side Story 2.

The Secret Conversations of the Castle People

#2-1.

One day, Ijae quietly approached the head maid, Deborah.

“Deborah, I need some wood.”

“Wood?” The head maid looked puzzled.

She glanced under the table to check the Queen’s wood supply.

Since carving was the Queen’s hobby, the Queen’s palace always kept wood blocks in stock.

Deborah, having confirmed that there was plenty left, asked, “Is there a problem with the wood we have?”

“No, it’s not that. I need something bigger.”

This time, she needed a wooden pillar, not just a block.

“I’d like it to be close to a circular shape. Could you get one for me?”

Ijae made a circle with her arms to demonstrate the thickness she needed.

The head maid looked even more puzzled. “Of course, that’s not difficult, but… what are you planning to carve?”

“Deborah will see later. Oh, and this shouldn’t get out to His Majesty.”

Ijae smiled, and Deborah bowed her head and left the room.

However, it seemed that the head maid wasn’t the only one who was curious. The Ham’s spirit, who was sitting on the bed wearing a bib, spoke to Ijae.

-Ijae! What are you going to carve this time?

Ijae wondered if she could tell her honestly, and paused to consider. The King could now communicate with the spirits if he wanted to.

She stared at the spirit and decided to trust her friend. “I’m going to carve those, but a little bigger.”

The things Ijae pointed to were the Heavenly Great General and the Underground General [likely small figurines or statues].

The Ham’s spirit rolled her round eyes back and forth, looking confused. -Why do you have to make them bigger?

“There’s a saying that good things should be seen big.”

So, she was going to enlarge them.

Ijae answered ambitiously, but the Ham’s spirit was pure and innocent. It was often difficult to expect her to understand human etiquette.

-But they’re ugly?

Ijae was momentarily speechless and scratched her cheek, aware that the spirit might be right.

She lowered her voice and warned the spirit, “Anyway, you can’t tell His Majesty about this, okay?”

Ijae emphasized the point repeatedly, but for some reason, the Ham’s spirit soon looked sullen.

The spirit, fidgeting with her fingers, said, -I won’t tell. The King doesn’t say a word to me anyway.

“…Oh? Did His Majesty do that?”

-Yes. He just glares at me with a scary face every day.

Ijae, who had never considered that, was embarrassed and paused. Of course, the spirit was not human, but she wasn’t a spirit that would cause displeasure.

In fact, Ijae thought the spirit was terrifyingly cute when she first saw her. But why did His Majesty act that way?

He wasn’t the type to give someone a hard time for no reason. He just got a little sulky sometimes.

When she couldn’t come up with an exact answer, the spirit pouted, looking very sulky. -The King hates me, right? He must hate me because I don’t have a nose.

The spirit seemed to think that was the only reason.

Ijae found the spirit cute and pitiful. The spirit always imitated the way people came and went in the room, and followed Ijae’s lotus position [a cross-legged sitting posture].

She remembered the stories Ijae told her and tried to use them at least once. You’re not even human, so why do you keep wanting to be like a human? That wish can never be fulfilled.

“I told you, you’re cute enough as you are. And His Majesty, um, he doesn’t hate you.”

The King often growled at the nobles. It was because of his position, but he didn’t really have enough interest to genuinely hate someone.

There was no way he would focus that kind of attention on a weak spirit. But if she said even this honestly, the spirit would be even more heartbroken.

Ijae kept repeating that she was cute to soothe the spirit.

The King and Ijae, who had dinner together, returned to the bedroom. They chatted until late at night, discussing very trivial topics: whether the day was busy, who they talked to, and whether there were any difficulties.

And for the first time in a long time, Ijae waited for the King to fall asleep first. Something had bothered her throughout the meal.

The commander of the Knights, Jade, was staring intently at Ijae today. Of course, it was natural for the people of the castle to pay attention to the every move of the royal family.

However, the problem was that his eyes were particularly earnest today. In addition, Jade’s complexion was gloomy, and a dark aura seemed to surround him.

‘What’s wrong?’

As the King began to breathe evenly, Ijae quietly got out of bed. As she came out and closed the door, the head maid asked, “Your Majesty the Queen, is there anything you need?”

Ijae shook her head at Deborah and looked around. Fortunately, the commander of the Knights had not yet changed shifts.

“Jade, are you busy?”

“………”

“If not, could I speak with you for a moment?”

When Jade only blinked, she gently grabbed his sleeve. Jade followed her, looking embarrassed.

Once they turned the corner of the hallway, she checked that no one was around and whispered quietly. She wanted to confirm what had been bothering her the most.

“Jade, is something wrong?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t look well. And were you staring at me earlier?”

Jade looked a little embarrassed, and Ijae smiled. The staring wasn’t the real issue. Even now, his face was full of worry. She couldn’t help but notice.

In fact, Jade had a problem: his love life was not going well.

But when he looked at the Queen, he remembered the saying that a precious relationship was coming. These days, he wanted to ask for advice like the other nobles.

However, the King hated anyone bothering the Queen in that way the most. Not long ago, he had gotten upset about something again and said those words in the middle of sparring.

‘If the Queen received money while receiving guests [referring to nobles seeking advice], she would be sitting on a pile of money by now. But my wife doesn’t need to deal with nobles while receiving such petty money.’

‘It was better when I was called a tyrant.’

‘What does that mean again?’

‘I’m going to go crazy and destroy the reception room.’

It was a good thing that the quick-witted Queen was concerned about him. But the King, who was muttering to himself, was definitely serious.

Suddenly worried, Jade whispered in an even lower voice, “Your Majesty the Queen, did you tell His Majesty about this?”

“Why would I tell His Majesty about this?”

“………”

“And I’m trying to avoid gossip as much as possible.”

The two stood silently in the dark hallway for a long time. Ijae was just waiting, and Jade, who had been hesitating, finally opened his mouth. “No, it’s really nothing. It’s such a trivial story that it’s a bit difficult to bring up…”

But the commander of the Knights couldn’t finish the words he had started with difficulty, because someone suddenly appeared behind the Queen.

Ijae was wondering about Jade, who was startled, when before she could even turn around, someone hugged her tightly from behind.

It was a familiar scent and a broad chest. “What are you doing with someone else’s wife in the middle of the night? Ijae, what are you doing here?”

The King asked his friend and wife in turn. Ijae stroked his arm that wrapped around her. “Roderick, did you wake up?”

“Yes. I was surprised because you weren’t next to me. Let’s sleep quietly in my arms.”

Anyone would be worried if the person sleeping next to them suddenly disappeared. Ijae moved around a lot at night, and the King knew that she was doing something dangerous every time.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong, he buried his face in Ijae’s neck and stroked her shoulder. It was the same action as usual, but was it because it was such a quiet night? Or was it because his voice was low after waking up?

He was giving off a more languid atmosphere than usual. The King kissed Ijae’s temple and whispered in her ear, “Were you bored? Then wake me up.”

“………”

“Huh?”

Ijae smiled silently, but from then on, the King looked suspicious. He was facing Jade, but unlike his peaceful wife, his friend’s face was embarrassed.

The King demanded an explanation from Jade with just his eyes, implying, ‘Is there any problem or danger?’

“No. We were just having a conversation.”

Then the King stared blankly at the hallway where there were no people coming and going and only one lamp. There wasn’t even a wandering soul. He tilted his head. “What do you have to hide and talk to my wife about? At this hour?”

“Hi-hide who…”

Ijae frowned and smiled because of Jade, who was stuttering. She’d thought about it before, but Jade wasn’t very good at lying.

The King seemed to know that too. “What, that suspicious reaction.”

“………”

“Jade, I’ll tell you in advance, I don’t have the heart to help you either. Nothing is more important to me than her.”

Jade seemed speechless with embarrassment, and Ijae said, “Eek,” and poked him in the back with her elbow. She knew very well that he was just saying that.

The King whispered in her ear, “Why? What.”

“Don’t make such jokes. It’s just that I couldn’t sleep, so I bothered the commander of the Knights.”

Ijae stroked the King’s arm as if to tell him not to worry, and the King chuckled. Of course, he was just joking, but he was wondering what they were talking about.