Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 31

#31.

Last night, Roderick, who had gone to sleep in his own bedroom, inevitably had a fitful sleep.

He habitually glanced at the statue by his bedside.

He flicked the statue’s ridiculous nose and spoke to it.

“You keep thinking about other things, so the energy isn’t reaching me. Were you thinking about some other guy all night?”

But as Roderick stared at the statue, he noticed something strange. The statue looked noticeably older.

It looked a little scorched, and there was even a slight crack in it.

Frowning, he summoned the chamberlain.

“Are you awake?”

After a brief greeting, he abruptly shoved the statue forward.

“Who gave the Queen this kind of wood?”

The chamberlain was taken aback by the sudden question. But upon closer inspection, he could see that there were indeed problems. The wood was splitting.

“Get her something good. Something Hailey can play with.”

The chamberlain replied a little belatedly. Unlike the King’s seemingly genuine desire, the Queen didn’t strike him as someone who would play with wooden blocks.

Rather, if she were doing something, it would be work. Or perhaps, as he said, she was cultivating herself [a Taoist practice of self-improvement].

“The Queen has no other hobbies? You all should pay attention. What are the Queen’s maids even doing?”

The chamberlain became very solemn. Objectively speaking, the Queen’s maids were among the best at their jobs.

In fact, they were much better than the King’s servants.

All of this was possible under the command of the undefeated head maid, Deborah.

“Bring Jade to me.”

“Yes, she’s already been waiting outside since morning.”

The chamberlain, who had repeatedly apologized for no reason, had a dark expression as he left.

And as soon as the chamberlain came out, Jade asked as if she had been waiting.

“Did His Majesty get any sleep?”

“He looks like he didn’t sleep at all.”

“How’s his mood?”

“As bad as it could be.”

“Should we deploy the Queen?”

“I think we should.”

Since the last incident, their belief that the Queen was the King’s ‘suppressor’ had solidified. The King had clearly seemed displeased, but after that, he seemed to like the Queen even more.

At this point, little Duncan was more than qualified to lead the ‘suppression squad’.

Jade scratched his head roughly, knocked twice, and went straight inside. Roderick spoke before Jade could even salute.

“That report on the Queen. When can I see it? Wasn’t the deadline I gave you after the hunting competition?”

The King had been urging Jade for some time.

At first, it was for a simple reason, but recently he had sensed a very uncomfortable feeling.

The different ‘temperatures’ that the Queen and the Duke possessed.

“I’ll have it to you by this afternoon. It’s an important report, so it was a little late as we were cross-verifying it.”

“Make sure it’s done well. Don’t make the King wait.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jade’s expression darkened.

He had also been heavily involved in writing this report.

The result was not at all satisfactory to the King.

It was late afternoon when the commander of the Knights returned to Roderick.

“Glory to Cayenne.”

Roderick simply nodded and accepted Jade’s salute.

Jade, who had come right up to the desk, handed over a thick report.

“This is the report on Her Majesty the Queen. It’s a little more detailed than before. But Your Majesty…”

“What? Speak.”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing significantly different from the last one.”

Roderick frowned.

“What does that mean? I instructed you to correct the wrong parts.”

“I apologize. But that’s the information we got through the Queen’s acquaintances. Tutors, servants and cooks who worked at the Duke’s residence, and childhood playmates. I didn’t trust it, so I checked it myself.”

Jade carefully added, watching the King’s distrustful expression.

“Besides… Lawrence also acknowledged the reliability of the report.”

Roderick slammed the report he was holding onto the desk.

“Tell that crazy bastard to read the room [be aware of the social situation] if he doesn’t want to die.”

“…”

“Some crazy bastard presumptuously meddling with another man’s wife…”

As the ‘madman’ called a perfectly sane young man crazy, the chamberlain and the commander of the Knights exchanged glances.

Roderick frowned but flipped through the report.

He didn’t know much about his wife of less than two months. So he focused on external things like her tastes and preferences, and hobbies.

After checking her favorite teas and desserts, Roderick sighed.

He laughed in disbelief at the part about her habit of humming songs.

He felt like his madness was returning.

“Commander of the Knights, have you also reviewed this report?”

“Yes, I was also deeply involved in the investigation.”

“Then I’ll ask you for your thoughts. Do you really think this is the Queen?”

Jade couldn’t agree with the King’s question either.

He lowered his head and opened his mouth again, remembering something else to report.

“There is one unusual thing.”

“What is it?”

“The second daughter of Count Hoffman met with Her Majesty the Queen last week. They were quite close privately. They often had tea parties together since they were young.”

Roderick didn’t take his eyes off the report and nodded to continue.

“She said that she felt that Her Majesty the Queen’s tone and attitude had subtly changed.”

“Really?”

Roderick tilted his head and frowned.

“But isn’t that natural? Does the Queen still think they’re in the same position as her?”

“…”

“If they’re planning to talk to her as equals and be on the same level as they were when they were young, tell them to try it. I won’t stop them if they want to die.”

Roderick turned the report with a somewhat nervous movement.

His gaze reached the family relations.

“Never disobeyed the Duke’s words?”

“…That’s mostly what they say.”

“I’m going crazy.”

Something feels subtly off. But he can’t pinpoint what’s off. And it seemed that no one but him thought this was important.

Roderick pushed the report aside.

Perhaps he could directly question the Queen.

But he didn’t want her to know that he had investigated her.

‘Use me.’

She wouldn’t be angry, but the distance would widen. That would only prove that her words were correct.

“What is the Queen doing now?”

Roderick, feeling a severe headache, asked about the whereabouts of the culprit and the physician.

Then Jade immediately replied.

“She’s out by the lake again.”

“Does she have a grudge against the water? Or is she hiding something there?”

Roderick made a disgusted expression.

“You guys think the Queen is just a gentle person. You’ve written it all down here. But that’s definitely not the case. The Queen sometimes has strange beliefs.”

“…”

“Is a walk by the lake such an important task?”

“…”

“I’m going to Hailey.”

Roderick roughly swept back his hair and got up from his seat. But unlike his annoyed face, his steps towards the Queen were somewhat hasty.

When the boy ghost appeared, Lee Jae glanced around.

The maids and knights were waiting at a somewhat awkward distance.

It was the result of the King ordering them to stick close to prevent her from doing anything foolish again, and the Queen always asking to be left alone.

As Lee Jae turned her gaze back to the lake, the boy ghost asked curiously.

-Are you afraid of water?

“No. I like it.”

-Then why don’t you go in?

Lee Jae’s eyes widened as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have.

“Are you a water ghost? What are you trying to lure me with? How many people have you killed that way so far?!”

-I’ve never seduced anyone that way. I’ve done it in other ways, though.

“…I’m going to die of disgust, really.”

Without realizing it, she raised her voice, and Lee Jae flinched and looked around.

The boy ghost smiled mockingly and subtly showed his sword.

It was obviously not an ordinary sword, so Lee Jae politely put her hands together.

This unfortunate mouth has once again spoken out of turn.

With a humble face, she asked in a whisper.

“Are you really not going to help?”

-Didn’t we finish talking about that last time? Why are you being so pathetic?

“It’s because I don’t think I can do it with my own strength. The vengeful spirit keeps clinging to me. At this rate, I’ll die first.”

-Then you should just quit. You should just stop there.

“…Please don’t say that so easily. That person’s life is at stake.”

As Lee Jae spoke gloomily, the boy ghost smiled.

As Lee Jae even lowered her head, a slightly different light flickered in the eyes that had been teasing her. Eyes that were different from the vengeful spirit looked at her lovingly.

-Kang Lee Jae. Are you worried?

“I don’t want to lose my husband. He’s a good person, too.”

-I don’t know. I’m not sure.

“It’s true. His character isn’t bad. No matter how I look at it, he’s not someone who deserves that kind of punishment. Just help me a little.”

-Your evaluation has gone up quite a bit in a short period of time. Did something happen between you two?

Lee Jae was silent, feeling cornered.

-How far have you and Roderick progressed?

“That’s my personal life. Can ghosts just say whatever they want?”

Lee Jae was furious, but he nodded as if he knew.

-So you’re not that close yet.

“…”

-Roderick is going to have a hard time. His taste is very similar to mine. It’s a strange thing.

The boy ghost smiled meaningfully.

-Well, you’re doing well so far. Keep up the good work.

“If you’re not going to help, don’t praise me like that. It doesn’t give me any strength at all?”

That’s when Lee Jae said primly.

The boy ghost, who had been smiling, suddenly disappeared, and she looked around.

People were buzzing and agitated. The King was coming.

The knights, who had been quite far from the Queen, smiled awkwardly and narrowed the distance with crab-like steps. It was truly a behavior worthy of the people of the castle.

“Hailey. Is this the only place you can take a walk? Is this perhaps a new form of protest?”

“Your Majesty.”

Lee Jae smiled with a troubled face.

“If you’re expecting me to fill that lake with dirt, I’ll do it. Just watch me shovel dirt there for exactly three years. I’ll work hard.”

The king’s expression, which had been unknowingly anxious until just now, quickly turned sullen as he confirmed the queen’s safety.