Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 71

#71.

It was by chance that Roderick, on his way to an audience, ran into Lee Jae returning from a walk.

Normally, he would have been happy, but Roderick didn’t want to see Lee Jae’s face right now.

However, he stopped because Lee Jae approached him with a bright smile.

“Where are you going?”

Seeing her bright smile made his heart sink even more. And he felt lonely.

‘Right. I forced you into this marriage. I threatened someone who jumped into the water because they hated it. And yet, I’ve become jealous because I like you. I did things you told me not to do. I ruined the person you loved. I’m such a pathetic guy.’

But shouldn’t you be a little clearer about your attitude?

He couldn’t suppress the intense emotions rising within him.

“Hailey.”

“Yes?”

“There was a marriage proposal from the Bodor Kingdom.”

“……Yes?”

“Do you dislike hearing such things?”

It was childish jealousy. Sometimes, such things can be effective.

But what was clear was that there were situations in the world where such push and pull tactics were completely useless.

Lee Jae was not someone who should be provoked with such emotions.

“Double marriage is against the law……”

Lee Jae, who was rambling as if confused, suddenly paused.

‘Am I being abandoned again?’

Some people have trauma.

Lee Jae’s real trauma wasn’t snakes or anything like that. Her real trauma was being abandoned.

A stinging sensation suddenly rose in her throat, and she felt like she was shrinking.

She couldn’t breathe.

Lee Jae wrung her fists several times, not knowing what to do.

She glared at Roderick resentfully, but soon lowered her eyes with a subdued expression. And she bit her lip.

‘If that’s the case, why did you say you would fight on my side? Why were you so good to me?’

Roderick was watching her every move.

The person he liked was getting hurt. But he felt a perverse sense of satisfaction.

Roderick was sure he was the worst man.

But he wanted confirmation. ‘Isn’t it me you love right now?’

“Do you hate it?”

Lee Jae, who had been biting her lip tightly, raised her head.

“What if I hate it?”

“……If you hate it, I won’t do it.”

He had already dismissed it, but he lied.

But then, Lee Jae said something no one expected.

“What if I’m okay with it?”

“……”

“Then will you do it?”

Roderick was a little taken aback. So were the others.

The Queen was trembling, but her eyes were becoming increasingly aggressive.

The young beast was doing its best to defend itself.

“If that’s the case, then do it. Do as you please.”

Lee Jae said that and turned her back on him.

It was Roderick who grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk away.

He roughly turned her around.

“Are you really okay with that?”

Lee Jae’s eyes were cold.

“Why are you curious about my opinion? Whether I like it or not, whether you do it or not, it’s Your Majesty who decides. Don’t try to test me like this. It’s cowardly to pass this choice on to me.”

Lee Jae shook her hand to shake off his grip, but he didn’t let go.

Feeling unbearable resentment and anger, Lee Jae said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Your Majesty, people who are abandoned don’t have a choice.”

“……”

“If you abandon them, they are simply abandoned.”

“……”

“If you’re asking me now whether you should abandon me or not, then you are a truly cruel person.”

It’s easy to help people.

But it was hard for me to hold their hands.

I was afraid of being called dirty again. I was afraid that person would shake off my hand.

No matter how much I washed, people still called me dirty. No one would be my friend.

So, should I kneel down and beg you not to abandon me? Should I plead with you not to let go of this hand? No, I will never do that.

People felt strange emotions.

The Queen’s tone was sharp. But she looked so pitiful. It felt like everyone listening was getting hurt.

Roderick suppressed his rising emotions and pleaded.

“Can’t you just say you hate it once? Was that so difficult?”

“……”

“You’re so good at telling me to do this and not do that, but why can’t you tell me not to do this!”

But at that moment, Lee Jae’s face became even colder.

‘That was all I could do for you.’

She pried off Roderick’s fingers that were holding her wrist.

It was a weak force, but she was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood as she struggled to remove his hand. So Roderick had no choice but to let go.

“Then you can just meet a woman who doesn’t tell you to do this or not to do that and live happily.”

“……What?”

Lee Jae said coldly and turned her back on him.

And her pace, which had been gradually quickening, finally broke into a run.

The maids couldn’t dare to glare at the King, so only the servants glared at them intently. And they ran to chase after the Queen.

The King stood there blankly, watching Lee Jae’s back.

They say everyone becomes a fool when they fall in love.

Jade thought the King was being a fool. A fool who didn’t know what to do with the heat of love.

It was the King who said that the Queen was someone who would be pushed all the way to the Kaien border [a remote, dangerous area] if pushed once.

But after desperately narrowing the distance for three months, he ended up pushing the Queen away all at once like this.

Roderick, who had a stiff expression, felt self-disgust.

He cursed harshly and punched the wall.

Lee Jae, who had come to the lakeside, was sobbing.

The knights and maids kept their distance because the Queen had asked to be left alone.

The one who was standing by Lee Jae’s side was the Boy King.

He was embarrassed because Lee Jae kept crying.

-Stop crying.

“……”

-Ah, I’m not good at comforting crying women.

“I didn’t ask you to comfort me. I want to be alone, so don’t bother me and leave. I have nothing to say.”

The Boy King scratched his head awkwardly.

-You have to understand. That guy hasn’t dated much, so that’s why he is like that.

“I’ve never dated either.”

-Really? No wonder.

“No wonder what? I’m very offended right now. Still, well, there was someone I liked.”

-Don’t tell Roderick about that. He’ll go crazy again.

Lee Jae lowered her eyes, looking depressed just hearing his name.

The Boy King glanced at her and said.

-He just likes you so much right now that he’s anxious.

“……”

-He wants to make more progress, but it’s not going his way. Other guys keep hanging around, and you cry every time I see you. I know, but it’s natural that your attitude towards Lawrence looks ambiguous to others.

“……”

-Besides, you have too many secrets. So he’s gone a little crazy.

“………….”

-Just be understanding. You’re good at that.

The Boy King habitually took his descendant’s side again.

Lee Jae nodded, saying, “Okay.” But she still looked listless.

The Boy King changed the subject.

-But what kind of person was the person you liked? I’m curious because you said you liked someone even though you turned down a handsome ghost like me.

Lee Jae chuckled. Her face quickly warmed as she recalled the past.

“It’s nothing special. I was just young and innocent.”

“One day, someone similar to me came to the place where I lived. The person who raised me was very capable, so I was told to receive some guidance.”

‘It means Park Soo.’

Shamans often came and went to the shrine where Lee Jae lived.

“But he died. He got involved in something beyond his capabilities. He was such a kind person that he wanted to help everyone in need. Like a fool. Because he was stupid.”

“That person actually had a bit of a leg problem. He was born that way. If you look closely, he limped a little. I think that’s why I felt more drawn to him. It seemed like he was born with bad luck, which was similar to me.”

“Because that person’s body was uncomfortable, I felt a little proud while doing something for him, and maybe I felt a sense of superiority in my young mind. I’m a bit mean, right?”

Lee Jae asked with a smile, and the Boy King shook his head.

“But after that person left in such a pitiful way, I severely injured my leg in the mountains. I couldn’t walk for almost a month. Then, I recovered to some extent, though not completely, and went down to the village. I was frustrated because I couldn’t walk during that time, and I was just happy to be able to walk again.”

“Wow, but the amazing thing is, there was no one in the world who walked slower than me.”

Everyone passed her, overtaking her. With her unrecovered leg and slow pace, she couldn’t even match the green light on the crosswalk.

At that time, Lee Jae realized once again.

The world was a place geared towards the ordinary and the average. So it was a place that could only be endlessly lonely for people like her who were outside that ordinary category.

“I thought about that person a lot at that time. He never asked me to walk slowly. I felt so sorry when I thought about that. I was mistaken that I was doing something for that person without even matching his walking speed, and I was conceited that I liked him.”

-Why is your life so depressing?

Lee Jae chuckled.

“I know, right? Should I tell you one more depressing story?”

-If it will make you feel better, go ahead.

“Actually.”

-Yeah.

“I drowned in my past life.”

The Boy King nodded.

-So that’s why you keep looking at it.

“Well, that’s part of it.”

Lee Jae grew up hearing that she should never go near the water.

Grandma Youngsan was a person who valued her own life.