Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 134

#3-4.

The three family members strolled through the castle, maintaining a comfortable distance from the knights, servants, and maids.

Lee Jae had been recovering for the past couple of months after giving birth, and her health and color were gradually returning.

The King, already deeply in love with his wife, became even more devoted after their child was born.

Whenever Lee Jae expressed a desire to get some fresh air, he would appear as if he had sensed her intentions.

He would immediately scoop her up, cradling the baby in his other arm, and begin to walk.

He would stride purposefully towards the fountain or the lakeside.

Each time, Lee Jae and the King would playfully argue.

‘Please, put me down. I’m heavy,’ she’d say.

‘You and the baby? It’s all the same to me,’ he’d reply.

‘I’m not a baby!’

‘Perhaps not, but to me, these days, you both are equally precious and require the same care.’

The King’s recent preoccupation with his wife’s well-being had become a topic of conversation. People were often unsure whether to admire his devotion or marvel at his strength.

The King approached his wife, who was enjoying a walk through the castle on her own for the first time in a while.

‘My dear, have you eaten lunch?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she replied.

‘What did you have?’

Lee Jae stopped walking and stared at him, slightly bewildered.

She wondered if she was expected to provide a detailed account of her meal.

But the King was quite serious.

His wife had never been a hearty eater.

This had always concerned him, and her appetite seemed to have diminished even further since she hadn’t been able to eat properly for some time.

‘You don’t think I’ll find out, do you? If you lie, the truth will come to light.’

‘……Please don’t interrogate Deborah about such matters. She’s been taking excellent care of me behind the scenes.’

The King chuckled. She was completely mistaken about his source.

During Lee Jae’s confinement to her bed, the King would often sit by her side and share meals with her.

At those times, he could observe her eating habits directly, but that wasn’t always feasible. He avoided scheduling meetings during mealtimes whenever possible, but sometimes meetings ran longer than anticipated.

In those instances, the King would seek out the spirit of Ham [a benevolent entity or guardian spirit].

When Lee Jae was asleep, he would inquire with the spirit, who would truthfully recount everything.

‘Did the Queen eat anything for lunch?’ he’d ask.

‘No. She only ate a piece of fruit,’ the spirit would reply.

‘How can you allow that to happen?’

‘She refuses to eat anything else.’

‘Haa… She truly doesn’t listen.’

At such times, the King and the spirit would share their concern.

‘Did the Queen eat anything substantial today?’

‘Lee Jae ate meat today! And a good portion of other dishes too!’

‘Really?’

At such times, the King and the spirit would rejoice together.

It’s often said that it’s darkest under the lamp [meaning the truth is often hidden in plain sight], and Lee Jae was unaware that her closest confidante was the internal whistleblower. The King had no intention of revealing the truth.

Lee Jae looked at the King with a puzzled expression as he simply smiled without answering. Pretending not to notice her confusion, the King took his wife’s hand and led her towards the fountain.

Lee Jae, after settling down, reached out to her husband.

She wanted to take the baby.

But the King shook his head as he sat down.

He felt it was too risky to entrust the baby while looking at those arms.

‘I’ll take care of him, so you can soak your feet and relax,’ he said.

Lee Jae nodded silently and removed her shoes.

She dipped her feet into the water and splashed around a few times.

However, the baby Crown Prince wasn’t inclined to let his mother rest.

He kept reaching towards her, wanting to be with her.

As the baby started to fuss, the King subtly moved closer.

Then, a small hand firmly grasped Lee Jae’s hem.

The King, after gently removing the hand again, looked at the wrinkled fabric and sighed deeply.

‘My dear, it’s remarkable. How does the baby already possess such grip strength?’

Roderick had been reflecting lately on how his dreams were materializing.

Upon closer examination, it wasn’t just one or two instances.

The baby Crown Prince’s given name and middle name was Leo. This was not only due to his unique energy but also because he was born with golden eyes like a lion.

Furthermore, he was so brave and fearless in his dreams, yet he only made the Queen suffer and remained healthy himself.

But Lee Jae, who was listening, chuckled.

It was amusing that the King was questioning the reason as if he was genuinely puzzled.

‘Don’t you know the saying that blood doesn’t lie? Who do you think he takes after?’

‘Ah, is that so?’

Lee Jae stopped playing in the water and sat closer to her husband.

As she gazed at the baby’s face, Roderick subtly adjusted his position so that she could see him comfortably.

Lee Jae placed her hands on her husband’s knees and asked.

‘Roderick. He’s beautiful, isn’t he?’

‘Yeah. It’s a significant problem.’

‘What is?’

‘I fear I’m going to be too lenient with Leo.’

Lee Jae burst out laughing at the absurdity.

‘Why is that a problem? Of course, you should be good to him.’

‘If I’m too indulgent, he won’t understand the dangers of the world. How many people in the royal family are truthful, and how many are deceitful?’

It wasn’t without reason that he was trying to discern the truth.

He had often felt disillusioned by the prevalence of such nobles.

Roderick scratched his eyebrows, looking perplexed as he gazed at the Crown Prince’s face.

‘I lack the confidence to be strict. You shouldn’t have given birth to him so adorably. He would have been cute regardless.’

‘Roderick, please stop.’

I agree, but that was very obnoxious just now.

Lee Jae tried to restrain him, but Roderick still wore a troubled expression.

He muttered to himself.

‘Surely there should be at least one person who disciplines him, right? But must that be me? I can’t bear to upset my wife, so I suppose I have to do it. Okay, I’ll do it.’

Lee Jae, who was listening, pushed his arm, saying, no, I told you to stop it.

Then she covered her face and laughed.

He smiled secretly as he watched her.

Lee Jae barely lowered her hand that was covering her face, but there were still traces of laughter all over her face. She folded her eyes beautifully and asked him.

‘Roderick, were you often scolded by your parents when you were young?’

‘No. Not really.’

He glanced at Lee Jae and chuckled.

It was because his wife’s face, asking carefully, was full of curiosity.

It didn’t seem like there was much to tell, but he was lost in reminiscence for a moment.

‘I don’t actually remember much, but when I was young, I looked at the clouds and said that someone had spilled milk there.’

Lee Jae dropped her head and laughed at the unexpected words.

‘You were born with a touch of romance?’

‘My mother must have been impressed by that too. She often recounted that story. But later, she more frequently heard that I was growing up to be quite intimidating.’

Roderick frowned, mentioning that he was even called disgusting at one point.

‘Actually, the late King was very physically fit. Shouldn’t you honestly ask my father about that aspect? Why blame me?’

‘Roderick, you just asked me why the baby already feels strong.’

‘Ah, that’s right.’

Roderick nodded in agreement, acknowledging that.

Lee Jae continued to laugh, finding it funnier the more she considered it.

He admired his wife’s expression for a while.

And it was when the two were gazing at each other with affectionate eyes.

The baby started to fuss again, as if demanding their attention.

King and Lee Jae’s eyes turned to the baby Crown Prince at the same time.

Lee Jae reached out to Roderick.

She intended to hold him and soothe him, but he shook his head, concerned that his wife would tire herself.

Roderick lifted the baby high into the air as he was.

‘What are you doing! It’s dangerous!’

Lee Jae grabbed Roderick’s arm.

Roderick looked at the small hand almost tearing off his arm in desperation and thought. Is this how husbands suddenly get hit in the back of the head by their wives?

He looked at her with eyes that said she was worrying about nothing and kissed her cheeks, 쪽, 쪽 [onomatopoeia for kissing sounds].

‘My dear. First of all, don’t worry because there’s no way I’ll drop him.’

‘I’m telling you this in advance because my dear might be surprised later, but our son is much stronger than my dear thinks. He’s going to grow up a bit severely in the future.’

‘That’s what I’m saying.’

Roderick looked closely at his son’s frame again.

He knew very well that muscles could be added, but the skeleton was innate.

Roderick chuckled as he looked at his hesitant wife and stretched out both hands towards the fountain again.

Did the baby know his father’s intentions?

The lips that looked like they were about to burst into tears were gaping and making laughter sounds. The sound, which did not know the evil of the world, was all bright and cheerful.

Roderick shook his head.

‘Surely my dear gave birth to him too cutely. It’s because my dear used too much effort on the baby.’

‘I told you to stop it.’

And Roderick and Lee Jae, who were watching, soon burst into laughter with the baby.

Perhaps because he felt good in the air, golden energy was clearly emanating from the baby lion’s body.

The golden light pouring over the water was like the dawn shining from the sky.

A lovely sight they didn’t want to forget.

Roderick and Lee Jae, sitting side by side, captured the scenery in their eyes.

And they belonged together in it for a very long time.

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