Chapter 121

Lee-Jae, choking on blood, turned around without even realizing it.

It wasn’t the sound of footsteps—it was the familiar energy drawing near that made her look back.

When she saw the King, desperation twisted her face as she shook her head violently.

“Don’t come! I told you—I can do this! I’m fine, so please, just stay back!”

Her voice was firm.

But this time, Roderick didn’t yield.

His voice was cold—

but the emotion he couldn’t fully suppress bled through every word.

“I’ve decided not to believe you anymore.”

“……”

“When you say ‘I’m fine,’ it’s always a lie. If you wanted to fool me, you should’ve at least tried harder.”

He drew his sword, eyes sharp.

“Where is it? Is it here?”

“……”

“Where do I cut?”

“……”

“I swear—I’m going to lose my mind, so just tell me already!”

“……”

“Get behind me.”

He pulled Lee-Jae behind his back—and struck his sword down exactly where she had placed her hand moments before.

Physical force couldn’t break spiritual energy.

And just like that, blood trickled down from the King’s mouth.

Lee-Jae grabbed his arm in desperation, pleading with him not to continue.

But Roderick did not step back.

His face was filled with anguish.

Lee-Jae… The truth is, I’m in pain.

I can’t see what you’re fighting against.

That’s what always makes me feel so pitiful and helpless.

Just once—if I could see the same world you see, maybe then… I could stand beside you and finally let you know how I feel.

Like you’ve always done for me, I want to be the one who protects you.

He bit back the sorrow and poured his heart into his blade.

And then—a surreal light began to shimmer along the edge of the sword.

The Boy King watched silently as the sacred glow bloomed.

He was a spirit who had waited 500 years for the great task to be completed.

Those who carry the weight of righteousness must endure constant condemnation.

He couldn’t grant Lee-Jae what she desired—but he could answer the desperate wish of a human who was willing to stake their life to protect others.

That was the role of a guardian spirit.

The continuity of Cayenne.

The completion of the Great Work.

And in the moment Roderick’s desperate yearning crossed with the Boy King’s purpose, the ancient rules shattered once more, and the spirit was allowed to intervene in the mortal realm.

The Boy King reached out—and granted Roderick the ability to see.

Then, before Roderick’s eyes—a sight unfolded that he had never even imagined.

“Lee-Jae… What… what is all this?”

Within and beyond the barrier, wailing spirits seethed and howled.

Grotesque faces, hollowed by blood and decay, mocked humanity with jeers and curses.

A yawning black pit had opened before the old estate, and from its depths, evil spirits clawed their way up, as if straight from the pits of hell.

The scene was horrifying—but as Roderick watched in stunned disbelief, his expression crumpled into sorrow.

“You… Is this what you were seeing all this time… and still you smiled at me?”

“No—no, you can’t…”

“How could you always smile like that…? Why?”

Lee-Jae sobbed as if in a scream.

She shook her head and looked toward the Boy King, eyes overflowing with grief and blame.

“Take it back! Please—I was wrong. It was wrong of me to think I could ever see the same world as others!”

I was just… so lonely.

And I was scared.

But this—this isn’t what love is supposed to be.

“How is this fair? How could you do this? If I’ve done something wrong, then punish me! Why does the person I love have to see something like this too?”

Lee-Jae dropped to her knees before the Boy King, bowing her head low.

But after watching her cry so sorrowfully for a long moment, Roderick stepped forward and lifted her up.

No. Lee-Jae—this is what love is.

His blue eyes, strong and unwavering, held hers as he gripped her hand tightly.

“Lee-Jae. I’ll spend my entire life grateful I got to see what you see. I’ll consider it the greatest fortune of my life, a blessing from the heavens.”

“……”

“So please… don’t cry.”

Placing her behind him once more, the King turned to face the immense spiritual force blocking their path.

Now that he had finally discerned the true nature of the barrier, he no longer hesitated.

Once again, he poured his will into his sword—and when a remarkable person pours their heart into a blade, it becomes a holy sword.

The barrier began to tremble violently with a deafening shatter.

More blood spilled from the King’s lips than before, but he didn’t loosen his grip on the sword—instead, he kept channeling the power of the Royal bloodline into it.

A trembling barrier.

An unwavering human back.

Lee-Jae stared at that steadfast figure, then reached out with trembling hands.

She placed her hand on his, still gripping the sword.

Roderick glanced at her briefly.

Lee-Jae, I don’t care if the whole world curses me. As long as you—just you—believe in me, I can do anything.

Your Majesty, you can do this. You will win.

Lee-Jae lent her strength to the holy sword.

Their hearts flowed into one blade.

Their energy was different—but in the moment their wishes aligned completely, a tremendous surge of power exploded from the sword.

Together, Roderick and Lee-Jae watched the dazzling sight.

A mystical blue light filled the barrier.

The evil spirits that had once menaced humanity were disintegrating within the glow, as if reduced to nothing more than dust.

A shattering noise, like glass breaking, rang in their ears.

The barrier that had surrounded them from all sides finally collapsed.

The King looked back and gave a quick signal to his knights.

Don’t delay—pursue my brother and the others.

Lee-Jae, pale and breathless, looked like she could collapse at any moment.

Her hands trembled more than before, but she pointed toward the manor with a shaking finger.

“Your Majesty… the Demon Gate must be destroyed.”

But the King, his expression grim, kept scanning the area.

Growing anxious, she grabbed his hand and shook it.

“Hurry. If we leave it like that, more people will die.”

Without a word, the King lifted her into his arms and walked toward the knight commander giving orders.

He handed her to his trusted friend.

“Jade. Take care of my wife.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Don’t worry.”

“Lee-Jae… I’ll be back soon. Just wait a little.”

Jade ordered the knights to lay down a cloak and gently placed her on it.

The soldiers quickly surrounded her in a protective circle.

The King advanced toward the Demon Gate without hesitation.

But Lee-Jae couldn’t hide the worry on her face.

She wanted to help.

She wanted to bear the burden in his place.

But she had used up too much strength—there was nothing left in her.

As she tried to sit up in frustration, the knights around her looked troubled.

But then—she smiled.

Even without seeing him, she already knew what had happened.

She could feel it.

A power even greater than before was sweeping across the world.

The King had pierced the Demon Gate with the holy sword, and destroyed the passage once and for all.

The blue energy swirling before her eyes was pristine—crystal clear.

Lee-Jae whispered:

“Water…”

Smiling brightly, she dipped her hand into that water.

She blinked.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the same place, still lying on the cloak.

It had been only a moment—but she must have lost consciousness.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“It’s over now. The King will return soon.”

Jade and the knights watched her with concern.

But the first thing Lee-Jae noticed wasn’t any of them.

It was—

the Boy King.

— It’s time for me to go.

“Where to?”

When Lee-Jae spoke to the empty air, the knights flinched despite already knowing everything. But neither the Boy King nor Lee-Jae paid them any mind.

— Now that I’ve seen the great task completed, I can finally ascend. I’ve waited five hundred years—don’t tell me you’re about to ask me to stick around longer?

The Boy King asked playfully, and she let out an awkward laugh.

She was reminded of the time she’d given him a talisman for long life and good health—partly because she’d wanted to outlast him, just to win.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

— Now what for?

“Knowing everything, yet still holding it in… that’s actually harder than not knowing anything at all. I’m sorry I resented you, complained, even though I understood.”

The Boy King, who had never really taken offense and only ever found her endearing, shrugged his shoulders.

— I know. You had no one else to talk to.

“Yes… And thank you. For protecting His Majesty.”

— You’re the one who protected him, Kang Lee-Jae. You’ve done well.

Lee-Jae lowered her gaze, embarrassed and overcome.

The Boy King, who understood her heart completely, lightly tapped her shoulder.

— Only good things will come now. So stop looking so grim. It really doesn’t suit you.

— Try living a little happier, will you?

“I’ve always been happy.”

— Look at you. All grown up, my little crawfish.

The Boy King grinned as he continued:

— Roderick will be able to shut his vision off whenever he wants now. He probably doesn’t even care, to be honest—if anything, I think he’s more than satisfied. But you seemed so heartbroken I figured I’d give you a little gift. There’s not much else I can do for you, but… I thought you’d want this most of all.*

“Thank you… Thank you so much. It’s the greatest gift I could’ve received.”

— Goodbye, Kang Lee-Jae.

Lee-Jae wanted to rise and bow properly, but she didn’t have the strength. Instead, she simply lowered her head, her chin pressing down in respect.

When she opened her eyes again after a brief blink, the Boy King was already gone.

And in the distance, she saw Roderick rushing toward her with a worried look on his face.

As soon as he caught sight of her, he quickly slid his bloodied sword back into its scabbard, as if self-conscious.

“Your Majesty…”

Roderick immediately dropped to one knee and gently cupped her cheek.

Clearly distressed, he reached for his sleeve, trying to wipe the bloodstains away.

“God… Does it hurt a lot?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Lee-Jae, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not. I told you—it doesn’t hurt.”

“Seriously… What do I do…”

“Yeah, seriously—what are we going to do with you? Looks like you’re not hearing me again.”

Lee-Jae tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but the King’s worried expression didn’t ease in the slightest.

So she changed the subject by asking something else.

“Your Majesty… did you win?”

“Yes. I caught them all. It’s over.”

“That’s a relief. Honestly, I knew you would win.”

Fate like yours doesn’t just disappear.

She reached out and gently touched the handsome face of the King.

He placed his hand over her small one.

And from that moment on, he practically began to plead.

“Can we… maybe talk a little later? I don’t think the bleeding’s stopped yet.”

“…It looks like it has.”

“Are you sleepy? Just hold on a bit—we’ll go to the village and find a physician. Even if it’s hard, you can’t close your eyes right now.”

The King still seemed like he wasn’t really hearing her.

He kept wiping the blood at the corner of her mouth, his expression so distraught he looked like he might start crying any second.

Lee-Jae felt a little sorry for him, but smiled softly as she began to speak.

“Your Majesty.”

“Let’s talk later. Please.”

“No. I’m going to say everything I want to say.”

“…”

“Your Majesty, I guess… it was okay for me to live following my heart after all.”

Not clinging to fate. Not shrinking away from the world.

The King didn’t understand why she was smiling with such relief.

But he didn’t ask. He just nodded again and again.

“Yes. My wife always says the right things.”

“That’s not true.”

“No, it is. Everything you say is right.”

“If everything I say is right, then how can it not be true that I’m not always right?”

Lee-Jae gave a look like she couldn’t believe him, but she couldn’t hide the joy in her voice.

She admired the mysterious scene she and the King had created and spoke again.

“Your Majesty, the water is so beautiful. Don’t you think so?”

“…Yeah. It looks that way to me too. I can see it too.”

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I ever would’ve found this kind of courage in my whole life.”

She reached her hand out once more toward the undulating blue energy.

She gave him a dazzling smile.

All these moments were a gift for the living.

A privilege for those who live life with intention.

Lee-Jae no longer trembled before the water.

Life was radiant.

And love was blinding.