Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 4

Leejay spent a long time just observing the King, her gaze sharp.

But she soon tilted her head, puzzled. It was a rare phenomenon to witness.

Though faint from what seemed like a long period of suffering, the King clearly possessed spiritual energy. It was almost sacred, resembling the energy she had sensed in the palace hall earlier, similar to that of the Western ghosts [likely referring to a type of benevolent spirit or holy presence, contrasting with the vengeful spirits].

How could someone like this be surrounded by so many vengeful spirits?

Ordinarily, people couldn’t function properly with even one or two attached to them.

In truth, it seemed the King was more likely to have a short life than Hailey, who had thrown herself into the water.

Just then, she saw a figure with a grotesquely torn mouth whispering something behind the King.

Knowing she shouldn’t listen to that wicked voice, Leejay quickly spoke to Roderick.

“Um, are you alright?”

“……”

“Your Majesty, um, are you in a lot of pain? Please, lift your head.”

The King didn’t respond for a while.

But as Leejay continued to whisper, he slowly raised his head and stared at her.

His face, which had been frowning just moments before, was now composed, though somewhat cold.

However, Leejay sensed a chilling premonition in his expression that others wouldn’t notice, and she shuddered.

She cried out urgently.

“What’s wrong?! Snap out of it!”

“……”

“You’re not like this!”

She didn’t know what he was usually like, but he certainly wasn’t this kind of person.

A murderous intent suddenly radiated from him.

So Leejay just shouted, without thinking.

Roderick frowned.

He looked to be in great pain, but that was better than before.

Leejay realized that her voice had slightly penetrated his mind.

She could see the vengeful spirit grinding its teeth behind him, and this time, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly.

“You can’t give in now, not after holding on for so long!”

“……”

“Seriously, why are you doing this on our wedding night when you were fine until just now?”

She bit her lip, feeling a bit choked up as she spoke.

Roderick, who had been holding his throbbing forehead for a while, suddenly collapsed.

He entrusted his entire body to her.

Leejay, who had been shouting, stiffened and couldn’t even step back for fear he would fall.

“…Are you asleep?”

“……”

‘He’s alright now.’

Relieved, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then stay away from me, or… don’t get up. Just keep sleeping. Sleep well.”

Leejay laid Roderick in the middle of the bed.

His solid body was heavy, and she struggled for a while.

But she thought, ‘Well, at least this guy’s body is sturdy enough to handle it.’

As she tucked the blanket up to his chest and leaned in, she smelled a faint scent of alcohol on him.

Leejay clicked her tongue softly.

“You’re someone who shouldn’t drink, but you did.”

It seemed like he had only had a drink or two, but even that was dangerous for someone in his condition.

And soon, Leejay realized the reason.

A shabby, dissipated-looking pleasure-seeking ghost was loitering around the King.

“…It’s always something different with you, really.”

Leejay’s face was filled with dismay.

Her expression became even more wretched as a ghost that looked like a soldier with a missing leg hopped around the room.

Leejay was someone who could share a room with a couple of ghosts.

Her upbringing had been like that.

But there were too many of them, and Leejay, having gone through a lot, wanted to sleep quietly, and the King’s dreams seemed troubled.

He was clearly suffering even in his sleep.

At this rate, he would never get a proper night’s sleep.

How long had it been like this?

Leejay stared at the King with a troubled expression for a while.

What she was about to do was very burdensome for her.

There is a saying in Western philosophy:

‘He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster.’

‘And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.’

Of course, she knew they used it in a more noble sense, but the same was true of ghosts.

If Leejay was aware of them, they were aware of Leejay.

If Leejay intervened with them, they would intervene in her life.

And Leejay knew from her previous life’s experience that it would only make her life more miserable. Originally, it was never good to get involved with ghosts.

But after hesitating, Leejay finally got up.

‘Let’s just consider it repayment for stopping Duke Duncan from hitting me. Though it seems like I’m losing a lot more… Just this once.’

The bedroom was as large as an average house, but being a castle, there was also a separate study.

Needing only a piece of paper, Leejay couldn’t find one, so she ended up tearing off the bottom of her slip.

Then she bit her index finger hard.

Using the blood that dripped down, Leejay wrote a few Chinese characters, disassembling them, and spread the piece of cloth on the edge of the bed.

“……”

She didn’t know if this method would work here. But what she had learned from watching Granny Youngsan [likely a respected shaman or spiritual figure] was that it was all about a battle of wills, no matter where you went.

Leejay stared straight at the group she had been avoiding until just now.

Then they all stared back at Leejay with their ghastly eyes.

It was a chilling and hair-raising sight, but she didn’t back down and glared back. Losing in momentum meant the end.

“Spirits. The time of this world and the time of the underworld move differently.”

Leejay moved closer to the group.

“The world of the living and the world of the dead must never mix.”

“……”

“Impure beings.”

“……”

“Return to where you belong.”

She sat quietly until the dark energies slowly disappeared from that spot and scattered out of the room.

And when the surroundings were finally peaceful, Leejay let out a deep sigh of relief.

She only had the ability to see spirits; she wasn’t particularly spiritually powerful.

Nor was she a formally initiated shaman.

So this would only be a very temporary measure.

She didn’t have the ability to help them all achieve enlightenment, so she had just driven them away for a while.

…But at least that person will be able to sleep soundly for today.

After pushing the blood-stained hem of her dress under the bed, she was overcome with extreme dizziness and nausea.

She gagged, “Ugh, ugh,” and then collapsed on the corner of the bed and fell asleep.

Leejay opened her eyes again because of a stinging gaze she felt from somewhere.

Frowning, she looked out the window, but the sky was still dim.

And when she turned her head to where she felt the gaze, a man like a black beast was sitting next to her, staring at her intently.

It was Leejay’s husband, whom she had married yesterday.

Startled, Leejay jumped up as if she had been thrown.

Roderick, who had been watching even that, scanned Leejay’s body.

“Was that… did I do that?”

What he was pointing at with his finger was her slip, the bottom of which was torn off.

Realizing that she had slept without even covering herself with a blanket in this state, she hurriedly pulled the hem down.

But even then, the slip barely covered her underwear.

“I don’t seem to remember having such a passionate night.”

Roderick, who seemed to have woken up a long time ago, was much calmer than Leejay.

He was just looking at her with a face seeking answers.

“Yes. You went straight to… sleep as soon as you came.”

“……”

“I’m not saying anything about it. Absolutely not.”

Leejay added timidly, not liking the way it sounded like she was complaining. Even in the midst of all this, her palm-sized underwear was about to be revealed, so she kept pulling down the hem of her slip.

Pitying her, Roderick turned his gaze out the window and tossed her the blanket.

“Cover yourself.”

“…Thank you.”

As Leejay hastily covered herself, he turned his gaze back to her.

“If it wasn’t me… who did that to you?”

“……”

Leejay closed her mouth. Only after a long silence did she remember that he didn’t like being asked repeatedly, but the King looked very calm.

He had slept deeply for the first time in a long time, and his head was unusually clear.

In fact, his physical condition was at its best.

“Are you trying to say that a stranger broke into this room?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

The stranger was almost you yesterday.