Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 57

#57.

After a difficult day, Lee Jae managed to procure a bottle of alcohol and a glass.

She was flustered and restless, but after a moment, she chuckled.

‘So that’s the misunderstanding they had.’

It was understandable, really. The King sometimes faced… challenges, let’s say, due to his virility. Yet, he sought her company in bed as often as possible. The same was true during the day. He always wanted to be touching her, even just a fingertip, and showered her with affectionate hugs.

But being misunderstood for something she hadn’t done felt a bit unfair.

‘Why didn’t he say anything to me?’

Was it because he thought I would worry?

Lee Jae glanced at the sleeping King and chuckled.

He’s such an interesting person the more I get to know him.

Lee Jae walked back to the window and felt behind the frame next to it.

She took a deep breath and removed a talisman [a charm believed to have magical powers] to open the barrier.

When she beckoned the alcohol ghost with a gesture, the faint figure hesitated for a moment.

However, unable to resist the craving, it passed through the window. She immediately resealed the barrier.

The alcohol ghost glanced back and forth between Lee Jae and Roderick with a subdued look.

The hunched shoulders didn’t seem very threatening.

But Lee Jae knew those types of ghosts well.

They become vicious over time. The reason it hadn’t gained power yet was that she was mostly by Roderick’s side, and he had endured its presence well.

“Stop fixating on His Majesty and come over here.”

When it still hesitated, Lee Jae sighed.

“Did you ruin your life with alcohol, and now you’re going to ruin someone else’s perfectly good life?”

When she spoke calmly, the alcohol ghost stared at her with hollow eyes.

That’s when the spirit of the reliquary [a container for holy relics], emerging from the cracked reliquary, complained.

-Lee Jae. Stop summoning them into this room. Let me sleep in peace.

The spirit, who had been trembling when she first saw it, was becoming increasingly assertive, realizing that this room was quite safe.

“……You’re talking like you have it so easy. That’s what I want to say. I want to sleep in peace too. And do you even really sleep?”

-I can’t fool you, after all.

The spirit mimicked someone’s tone exactly. It was what the King had said to Lee Jae sometime ago.

She wanted to flick it on the forehead for being so annoying, but Lee Jae just sighed deeply. It was getting worse and worse.

Lee Jae grabbed the alcohol ghost, who was still hesitating, and made it sit cross-legged on the floor.

Sigh, look at its hands trembling.

She placed the glass and strong liquor she had brought on the floor with a thud.

Then, she sat cross-legged, facing the alcohol ghost with the liquor between them.

Before the ritual, she said to the spirit of the reliquary.

“You, get back inside now.”

-Where to?

“Where else? Your crumbling home.”

-Why? Are you angry? Don’t kick me out. I want to play too.

Don’t you know it’s dangerous right now?

Lee Jae sighed deeply once more, and in the meantime, the spirit intently watched her posture.

It often imitated humans well, but it had difficulty with the cross-legged position.

As the spirit awkwardly tried to sit like her, Lee Jae clicked her tongue and faced the alcohol ghost.

“You, why are you wandering around like this? Making people worry.”

“………….”

“Do I have to be this familiar with you?”

As the alcohol ghost trembled and muttered, Lee Jae narrowed her brows.

“What? Say it again.”

“……Moving the body helps relieve the hangover?”

“You haven’t escaped the thinking of the living at all, have you?”

She was so dumbfounded that she was speechless. This ritual isn’t easy.

The spirit of the reliquary, giggling, shouted, Lee Jae, hit it!

But when she glared at it to stop interfering, it flinched and shut its mouth.

Lee Jae poured a glass of the liquor in front of her.

A shaman drinks alcohol during a ritual to comfort the spirit.

She downed a glass and poured another for the spirit.

Then, she carefully looked at the spirit’s face. It definitely didn’t seem like it had been dead for long. Unlike other vengeful spirits, it avoided her eyes.

Of course, that was generally a characteristic of alcohol ghosts.

“You know you can’t do anything to that person with your power, right.”

-…Yeah.

“If dozens of vengeful spirits hadn’t attached themselves all at once, that person would have been completely unaffected by a minor ghost like you.”

Lee Jae put the glass in front of the ghost to her mouth and emptied it.

And once again, she poured liquor and placed it in front of the ghost.

Should I destroy it, or should I try to persuade it?

In fact, her mind had been leaning in one direction since the moment she brought the alcohol.

“I don’t have the energy to spare even for you. And I don’t really want to destroy you with my own hands.”

In front of her and the King’s room, there was a line of people with much more terrible grudges waiting every day.

“So, let’s have a few drinks and be on your way.”

“I’m doing this because it doesn’t seem like you’ve been dead for very long, and your resentment isn’t very deep.”

After that, Lee Jae exchanged drinks with the alcohol ghost.

Of course, to someone who didn’t know, it looked like she was diligently drinking alone.

But even after drinking about four glasses, the vengeful spirit’s energy hadn’t changed.

The resentment isn’t being resolved at all. Is this not it? Lee Jae once again carefully looked at the spirit’s face.

“Where were you buried?”

The spirit, rolling its eyes around like a person addicted, muttered.

-Belfaston Street Cemetery.

“Exactly where?”

“Just tell me, I’m not trying to harm you. It’s strange. Why are you so dispirited as a vengeful spirit?”

-Third from the entrance.

“The third tomb?”

– Yeah.

It was a somewhat unfamiliar name, but Lee Jae nodded. And asked again.

“Does anyone visit?”

But at that moment, the alcohol ghost began to tremble even more than before, as if resentment and anger were rising. It was the typical behavior of a drunk person, but because it was a ghost with a grudge, the energy was different.

Lee Jae, sensing the unusual energy, flinched and quickly placed her finger on her solar plexus [the nerve center in the abdomen].

‘Strong Heart Crystal. When the river is deep, the water is still. Govern, spirit.’

She gathered her energy and tapped the ghost’s forehead. Then, the spirit began to calm down somewhat. Lee Jae sighed for what felt like the millionth time.

The end of people who lived like that and died is, in fact, obvious.

They become increasingly alone while alive, and eventually, they are alone even in death.

It doesn’t seem like it will go easily, what should I do? Should I destroy it?

When dealing with a vengeful spirit, the exorcist’s attitude must be clear.

Otherwise, you will be swept away.

But because she couldn’t easily end her 고민 [Korean: dilemma, worry], she scratched her cheek with a troubled face.

The thought of destroying it didn’t readily come to mind because, although resentment was felt, no great sin was felt.

After a long 고민 [Korean: dilemma, worry], Lee Jae, who had finally made up her mind, said.

“You, this is a bit burdensome for me too right now.”

“………….”

“I’ll have someone offer a glass of alcohol at the place where you’re buried.”

“………….”

Well, there may not be ancestral rites in this world, but a glass of alcohol before going isn’t too bad, right?

Lee Jae nodded.

“Instead, you have to shake off your resentment and go peacefully.”

“………….”

“Can you do it?”

The vengeful spirit didn’t answer and only stared at her with hollow eyes.

In fact, this might be a futile act. Alcohol has aspects similar to anger.

The young king had said to her.

-What are you going to do by giving those kids a chance.

That’s right. People who ignored the fact that they were ruining their own lives, even though they knew it, cannot escape that cycle even in death.

If this spirit is released from here, it may wander the heavens again.

But Lee Jae, who closed her eyes tightly and opened them, said.

“If you couldn’t do it while alive, try it once, even in death.”

“………….”

“You still have a chance to achieve enlightenment. You can do it.”

“………….”

“I’ll pray with you here. I promise.”

But at that moment, the spirit began to tremble again.

Lee Jae, widening her eyes, hurriedly tried to use her hands.

But soon, she realized that something was different.

Without reciting any incantations, the spirit’s body was becoming increasingly faint.

It wasn’t anger, but the sound of accumulated grievances being resolved.

Because it was the first time this had happened, Lee Jae watched the scene with her mouth slightly open.

“Why are you doing this.”

He was trembling and shedding tears.

He propped himself on the floor and prostrated himself as if he was sad.

Lee Jae, biting her lip slightly, soon realized the answer.

For that spirit, there was something more necessary than alcohol, both in life and in death.

Encouragement that you can do it and the assurance that you can escape this cycle. He realized that, but it was already too late, so it remained as resentment.

Lee Jae, feeling a bit sorry for some reason, offered the last glass of alcohol to the spirit.

“Goodbye. It must have been a tough life.”

“………….”

“I’ll put flowers on your grave instead of alcohol.”

-……Thank you.

Lee Jae watched the spirit until it disappeared without a trace.

Carrying the stories of others weighs heavily on her heart.

Lee Jae sat upright again and closed her eyes to calm her mind.

Grandma, people are so foolish.

Even with spiritual eyes, there seem to be too many things I can’t see.

Maybe I’ve become more judgmental about the world because of these eyes.

And when Lee Jae opened her eyes again, she had to witness a ridiculous sight.

The spirit of the reliquary had both hands on its knees and was imitating her again.

Lee Jae looked down at the sight with a disgruntled expression.

“You.”

-Yeah!

“If you keep distracting me like this, I’m going to take away all the talismans in your house.”

-……Lee Jae isn’t such a petty person.

“Then I’ll make you live a life of working without eating or sleeping.”

-Too cruel.

Umm, no. There are so many things for you to read.

Feeling the sincerity in Lee Jae’s face, the spirit became very intimidated and hid inside the reliquary. Lee Jae chuckled as she watched the sight.

And it was when she released the cross-legged position and was about to get up that she felt something strange in her body.

She was momentarily flustered by the sudden feeling that the world was spinning.

“Uh oh?”

What is it? Am I a little dizzy right now?

She tried to clean up the alcohol bottle first.

But to make matters worse.

“Hiccup? Hic……!”

Suddenly, hiccups started, and Lee Jae covered her mouth this time.

But the hardship didn’t end there.

This time, the King began to toss and turn in bed.

Lee Jae was horrified to see him groping for the empty spot next to him in his sleep.

Feeling very anxious, she approached the table and quickly poured water.

I know an amazing folk remedy for times like this. Leaning her upper body forward, she began to gulp down the water.

But at that moment, a sound came that signaled that this was just the beginning of the misfortune.

“……Hailey.”

Lee Jae, who was about to spit out the water, swallowed it with the superhuman patience she had when facing ghosts.

When Lee Jae looked towards the bed, the King was still looking at her with sleepy eyes.