Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 94

#94.

After a simple meal, the two went to bed early.

Contrary to her expectation of a deep conversation in their room, the King remained unusually quiet.

Lee Jae was concerned by his silence.

It seemed to confirm his low spirits.

“Your Majesty.”

“What.”

“Just checking.”

“Then sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

The condition of the soldiers she had seen earlier was genuinely alarming.

If released in that state, they would likely babble incoherently or become violent. Each had as many as five vengeful spirits attached to them.

So, their severe condition was understandable.

It was remarkable that the King, who had once carried dozens of such spirits, had managed to regain his sanity.

Lee Jae felt a surge of satisfaction with her exorcism work that day.

She had confirmed the dazzling improvement of her skills. Throwing up only a few times was a very positive outcome.

However, after understanding the cause of the spirits’ attachment, the King had become unusually sensitive.

He stood beside her throughout the exorcism, his sword pointed at the soldiers. Lee Jae found the coldness emanating from her husband more frightening than the vengeful spirits themselves.

“Your Majesty, are you in a bad mood?”

“It’s nothing like that, just go to sleep.”

Lee Jae cautiously poked his side.

Roderick chuckled and covered her eyes with his palm.

“You little bean, go to sleep when it’s time, don’t be cheeky.”

Lee Jae quickly pushed his hand away and retorted,

“I’m not a ‘painful bean’! Shall I prove how healthy I am?”

“How?”

“I want to do it now.”

“…You’re really trying to drive me crazy.”

Roderick, laughing in disbelief, removed the arm he had been using as a pillow and placed a proper pillow behind her head. Then, he turned his back to her.

Lee Jae felt a pang of sadness and stared blankly at his back.

‘Is this how Your Majesty always feels when I turn my back on you?’

‘But you do have such broad shoulders.’

This time, Lee Jae poked, poked his back repeatedly.

She even poked him once under his shoulder blade.

She clearly saw the muscles in his back twitch roughly.

“Stop poking me like that.”

“Why? Have you started to dislike me?”

“Haa. She’s deliberately trying to provoke me.”

Roderick sighed and reached behind him to grab Lee Jae’s wrist.

He pulled her in front of him, preventing her from further mischief.

But Lee Jae had another hand.

She bent her finger and gently scratched his back.

“I want to.”

“If we start now, I won’t be able to stop after just one time.”

“………”

“You’re tired, so I don’t want to keep you up all night. Don’t make your husband a shameless person.”

“…It’s okay. I like it too.”

The King was so dumbfounded that he let out a hollow laugh.

That little fox always came close and clung to him only when he was feeling troubled.

He would bet his entire fortune that she knew exactly what she was doing – trying to cheer him up.

Roderick turned to face her again. She had provoked him fearlessly, but when Lee Jae saw his intense blue eyes staring at her, she flinched.

Roderick chuckled at her reaction.

“You’ve been impossible since earlier. I should just tie you up.”

He pulled Lee Jae into his arms, wrapping her up tightly.

Lee Jae bumped her nose against his chest and frowned slightly.

Struggling, she barely raised her head and, looking at his chin, asked,

“Is this what you mean by ‘tying me up’?”

“Did you think I would tie you up with a rope or something?”

“………”

“Did you see me as some kind of pervert?”

‘It’s not like that, Your Majesty. If I’m going to be tied up like this, I don’t think I’ll lose anything even if I get another nosebleed… No.’

‘Nongaseongjin [exaggeration]. I always have to be careful what I say.’

Roderick loosened his arms that had been holding Lee Jae tightly.

He leaned on his elbow and looked at her, studying his wife, who was still being funny, cute, and pitiful. He asked,

“So, how many times a day are you going to provoke me like this?”

Lee Jae had to sit at the negotiating table once again for provoking her husband, who had been behaving decently for the first time in a while.

She rolled her eyes, recalling what she had said at the beginning of their marriage, and asked,

“How many times a day? Not once every few days this time?”

“I’ve learned that you have to ask for a lot when negotiating with you. Either way, I’m going to be at a disadvantage as time goes on.”

The two burst into laughter simultaneously.

He patted Lee Jae’s back lightly and said,

“Anyway, let’s just sleep tonight. I’ll check your condition tomorrow, and then we can ‘play’.”

Lee Jae nodded and closed her eyes. It had been a day full of troubles, but they could sleep well, feeling content because they had seen each other’s smiling faces.

Lee Jae was sleeping soundly. She had told the King that she was okay, but it was true that she had poured out a lot of her energy after a long time.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide.

She thought she had just heard a chilling laugh. It wasn’t a mistake.

Right now, eerie energy was rushing towards their room.

Lee Jae, about to jump out of bed, hesitated.

The King, who had woken up before her, was sitting still, looking towards the window.

“Your Majesty?”

Roderick turned his head and looked down at Lee Jae.

After a moment of thought, he asked,

“Is this… is this the situation?”

The King tilted his head slightly, as if he didn’t know.

His tone was uncertain, but perhaps that was why he didn’t seem particularly alarmed.

He asked Lee Jae again, as if seeking confirmation.

“Is it right?”

“…Yes.”

‘But how did you sense it faster than me?’

Lee Jae was puzzled but quickly regained her composure.

She got up and ran to the wooden box.

When she opened the lid, the spirit poked its head out.

-Lee Jae, what’s going on again?

“Go back in. Don’t come out, just hide.”

Lee Jae rummaged through the bundle of talismans in a hurry, picking out the useful ones.

Then, she suddenly hesitated and stopped her hand.

A suspicion flashed through her mind.

‘Why are they launching an attack on a day like this, after being so quiet?’

Lee Jae gathered as much energy as she had left in her body.

Perhaps because she had used too much energy during the day, her body was not in a suitable condition to fight vengeful spirits.

It seemed that this was an attack launched by someone who knew the situation in the castle well. Or perhaps they sensed that the spirits they had summoned had been extinguished and were taking advantage of the perfect opportunity. This wasn’t just a fight against vengeful spirits, but a fight against the human behind them.

Lee Jae’s thoughts branched out, flowing in a complex way.

But there was no more time to find clues and delay.

Lee Jae bit her lip tightly, picked up the arranged talismans and candlesticks, and turned towards the window.

At that moment, she was startled.

The King was already leaning against the window.

“Your Majesty! What are you doing there?”

“Why.”

“Get away from there. Come to the center.”

Lee Jae grabbed the end of his sleeve and pulled him inside, but he didn’t move. He was just staring out the window with an unknown look.

Lee Jae was speechless, dumbfounded and embarrassed.

Of course, she knew it too.

The King had been keenly sensing this energy for some time.

But no matter how much he looked out the window, all he could see in his eyes was the beautiful night sky.

Was the reason he could be so calm because he couldn’t see that terrible sight?

There were many vengeful spirits coming, and there was no time for this.

Lee Jae tried to pull the King back once again.

“Your Majesty…?”

She grabbed the King’s arm but was speechless again.

Lee Jae’s eyes, which had been moving her lips several times, trembled.

She could feel a stronger energy than usual boiling in his body right now.

But even with such fierce energy in his body, the King’s blue eyes were clear.

The sacred power that protects the royal family, said to awaken when troubled times come.

The powerful energy had not yet reached its ignition point and was only swirling around the King.

The black demons that were rushing in stopped in front of the barrier created by Lee Jae and the King.

They couldn’t dare to tear the barrier easily but were constantly looking for an opportunity.

Roderick narrowed his brows and looked at Lee Jae.

“Isn’t it okay?”

“………”

“Isn’t it yet? I don’t really know.”

Lee Jae hesitated and shook her head.

“Not yet… no.”

That was the moment.

Blue light began to slowly flow in from somewhere.

The light gently wrapped around the room and headed out the window.

Like clear water overflowing from a bowl.

The King and Lee Jae looked around the room and simultaneously focused on one point.

It was the statue of General Jiha, Lee Jae’s creation, that contained the hearts of the two people.

Lee Jae felt like she was going to sigh.

‘The spirit’s words were true. There really is… a mysterious energy in that broken statue.’

The King was the first to move.

He stared at the statue that had been glued back together.

The King, who kept tilting his head as if he didn’t understand, soon smiled.

Then he brought the statue and placed it on the window.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing now?”

“Wasn’t this it? That’s what I thought.”

“…Are you doing this because you see something?”

Lee Jae, her heart sinking, asked worriedly, but Roderick shook his head.

“No.”

“I can’t see it. But I can feel it.” Just like your heart.

After I met you. After you saved me.

Roderick stared at Lee Jae, and she nodded several times.

The barrier was intact, and this space was surrounded by mysterious energy. And there was a person standing side by side with her.

This fight was no longer lonely for either of them.

Lee Jae reached out to the barrier to reinforce it, sending her energy more steadily than ever before.

She moved her lips and chanted the mantra.

‘Jeoljeonjihun [When arrows gather, their combined strength makes them difficult to break]. When arrows gather, it becomes difficult to break them from then on.’

‘Mutual trust is an unshakeable truth. Humans who stand with that trust do not retreat or kneel.’

When Lee Jae finally withdrew her energy from her fingertips, the darkness was gradually fading.

Lee Jae lowered her trembling hand, and they couldn’t say anything for a while, just stood there.

Then the two simultaneously looked down at the towering statue.

The King touched the nose of the crude statue with his finger after a long time.

‘Lee Jae. When I think about the heart with which you carved this, my heart still aches.’

Lee Jae lowered her eyes, looking at the statue with glue smeared all over it.

‘The reason why this energy dwells in a statue carved with such insignificant skill is because you didn’t dismiss this heart as shabby, but cherished it.’

The King stroked the statue as if it were a person and gently tickled it with his index finger. The touch was playful and affectionate.

He glanced at Lee Jae, who was lowering her eyes.

“Madam. This really wasn’t just a statue. I’ve been guessing that for a while now.”

When Lee Jae didn’t answer and remained still, he asked,

“What are you thinking about now?”

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

Roderick thought it was another lie, but he didn’t bother to press her.

This time, Lee Jae glanced at him and asked,

“What are you thinking about, Your Majesty?”

“I’m thinking I’m sorry.”

“Why suddenly?”

“Didn’t I say that I would pray for the day when your art would be recognized someday?”