Special Story 7

Roderick sat across from Leo, propping his chin on his hand with a feigned serious expression. Leo, in turn, kept looking at his father, quickly lowering his head whenever their eyes met.

“You feel like you did something very wrong, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“Then hurry up and apologize.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again…”

But from the mouth of the child who had just admitted his mistake, other words soon followed.

“But I really didn’t go into the lake. I was just going to watch…”

Roderick immediately raised an eyebrow.

Of course, even a small child would have their own reasons. His decision might have been the result of a rather intense judgment of values.

However, when an apology was due, the addition of various excuses didn’t sit well with Roderick. It didn’t sound like a genuine apology.

“Then you should have told the attendants and left. Why did you sneak out without saying anything?”

“…”

“If you ask for permission beforehand, that’s what it is. But making excuses after you’ve been caught is just a lame explanation.”

“…”

“What you did today was not a good way to do things. If you want to commit to something and then inform people, you can do that after you become King.”

However, Roderick, who had spoken whatever came to mind, quickly added a few words. He was worried that Leo might take what he just said literally and become an autocratic king who didn’t consult with his subjects.

“And even after you become King, you shouldn’t just do whatever you want. Only when you have a good reason and a legitimate circumstance. First and foremost, you must be righteous.”

‘Would Leo even understand this?’ Roderick honestly wondered even as he spoke. However, a Royal Prince couldn’t be raised like an ordinary child, so while he usually spoke on the child’s level, on days like this, he couldn’t help but give a sermon that might sound a bit too difficult.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Honestly, you didn’t understand, did you?”

“No, I did.”

“Good. Then, when your mom comes, you’ll apologize for making her worry. Got it?”

But even after nodding, the child kept looking at his father. It seemed he had more to say, but after being scolded not to make excuses, he was hesitant to speak.

When Roderick nodded and gave his permission, Leo’s face flushed, and he smiled broadly. Then he fumbled in his pocket and took something out.

“Actually, I went out because I wanted to play with this…”

What appeared in the child’s small palm was a squirrel. It was quite cute, with its round, jet-black eyes and a bewildered expression, but Roderick was aghast.

“Hey, what are you doing bringing this into the room!”

Once, when he rescued a squirrel from a hunting ground, Roderick had no idea that squirrels could reproduce so well. That squirrel, by a stroke of luck, found a mate within the castle and started a family. Now there were not just one or two, and since they all looked the same, it was difficult to tell if this one was *that* one from back then.

Leo, who had been a bit dejected after being scolded by his father, became full of life the moment he took out the squirrel. Even as Roderick looked on in horror, Leo’s attention was completely captivated by the squirrel, and his eyes just sparkled.

Roderick immediately took the squirrel from the child’s hand and placed it outside the window. The child looked disappointed but waved his hand as if to say goodbye.

“Bye! See you again!”

Roderick was so dumbfounded he held his forehead and groaned before finally bursting into a broken laugh. He had turned the palace into a squirrel nest himself, so who was he to blame now?

***

Under his father’s guidance, Leo asked for his mother’s forgiveness and quickly fell asleep. Lee-Jae and Roderick sat by the bed, looking at the child’s face for a while. As with all children, Leo was a perfect angel when he was asleep.

Roderick kissed the child’s cheek and whispered to Lee-Jae.

“Let’s go.”

But as they got up, the spirit of the chest, as if it had been waiting for this very moment, squeezed out of its house. The spirit looked at Roderick with eyes full of expectation again.

‘Was what I said earlier not enough?’ Roderick thought, ‘Why is this day so long?’ but he repeated a similar phrase as before. He also acknowledged the spirit’s contribution.

“You were excellent today.”

– …

“Why? That should be enough. Go on now.”

But the spirit, who had become addicted to praise, still looked disappointed. As Roderick’s eyebrows began to rise, Lee-Jae stepped in this time. She gave the spirit a compliment that would only make sense in the spiritual world.

“Thank you. You really were like Leo’s guardian spirit.”

The spirit seemed to love that phrase, as it bounced up and down in place, making a fuss.

– Really? So I can be like King Arthur now?

But when the spirit’s mouth suddenly spat out the name of an ancestor, Roderick flinched.

‘What? King Arthur? He’s aiming for that level?’

“Your dream is… bigger than I thought?”

Roderick, looking impressed in many ways, scrutinized the spirit from head to toe before leading Lee-Jae out of the child’s room.

***

The two didn’t return to their bedroom but headed to the fountain as if they had a mutual agreement. They felt like they wouldn’t be able to fall asleep right away even if they lay down in bed, as their senses had been on high alert after the recent commotion.

Lee-Jae, sitting on the edge of the fountain, apologized for losing her composure for a moment.

“I’m sorry. And thank you. Roderick, were you very surprised too?”

When she first spoke, Lee-Jae believed Roderick would respond that he was okay. However, Roderick unexpectedly nodded, strongly affirming her words.

“Yeah. I was actually more surprised by you than by Leo. Why did you show off your power like that?”

“…”

“I thought you were trying to light up the whole world.”

“No, it’s just weird for him to go out to the lakeside at night when he has no reason to. It made me feel uneasy…”

Roderick, who had been clicking his tongue repeatedly, told Lee-Jae the full story of the incident when he saw her embarrassment.

“He said he wanted to see a squirrel.”

“A squirrel?”

“Yeah.”

But Lee-Jae reacted as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

“Where would a squirrel be in the middle of the night? They have to sleep too…”

Roderick, who had just witnessed a squirrel pop out of his son’s pocket in the middle of the night, couldn’t help but feel wronged. ‘No, I’m telling you, our son really caught a squirrel! What’s next? Is he going to catch a lion?’

Roderick groaned, forgetting his frustration, as he felt that this might be a future he would have to face one day. Lee-Jae was also deep in thought.

“Does Leo like the water? It seems so, right?”

“Yes. He must get that from you.”

“No, then he could just watch here. Why did he have to go all the way to the lakeside? This place is good too.”

Roderick thought that this too was no different from inheriting his mother’s taste. While Lee-Jae often used the fountain he gifted her, Roderick wasn’t so dense as to not notice that she preferred the lake over the fountain.

And he had one more thought that came to mind. Roderick hesitated for a moment but decided to bring it up anyway.

“Maybe… this place is too small for Leo.”

“…”

Lee-Jae seemed startled and fell silent for a while. Roderick gently stroked her back as she was lost in thought.

He knew that Lee-Jae’s worries and concerns were valid. Their child was small and young, and still at an age that required protection.

However, children grow up quickly. He wanted to tell her that they couldn’t keep a wild animal in a cage forever. He wanted her to enjoy every moment of his growth rather than being overly anxious. ‘Because we’re doing well enough, and the child is growing up just fine.’

And Lee-Jae quickly understood his words. So much so that…

“I think I’ll learn to swim with Leo too.”

She had decided to jump into the wild herself.

When Lee-Jae made the declaration with a crestfallen face, Roderick held his forehead and let out a broken laugh. But he soon shook his head. He didn’t want to force her to do something she didn’t want to.

“No, you don’t have to. I’ll be more careful.”

“No, it’s just… I suddenly want to.”

Just as Roderick said, Leo would one day feel that this fountain was too small. That day might come sooner than she thought. Would she block him and tell him not to go near the ocean when he dreamed of it, saying it was dangerous? It had been her long-standing regret that she should have experienced the ocean sooner.

Lee-Jae wanted to have the luxury of cheering for her child when he ventured out into a bigger world. To do that, she would have to become as strong as her husband.

“My son is so brave, I don’t want to be a coward.”

Roderick then touched his lips for a long time and said softly.

“I understand what you mean… but Lee-Jae, you are already brave enough.”

Those words sounded like the greatest comfort and encouragement, and Lee-Jae smiled gently, looking at the sparkling water droplets.

Once, it was an unknown world that she could only watch from a distance with eyes full of fear and regret. Now that she had made peace with her old past, perhaps she too could one day become a little closer to that world. Maybe she would finally be able to love it completely.

And this was in line with her long-held wish. To live a life embracing and loving more things had always been her consistent desire.

Lee-Jae smiled faintly and closed her eyes, and Roderick had no trouble realizing that she had begun to pray again. It was because of the aura that had already begun to rise around her like a haze. It was a very gentle aura, but Roderick frowned and tilted his head.

‘How many times has she prayed today?’

In truth, Lee-Jae, who had prayed too many times throughout the day, was agonizing over the fact that she had run out of incantations to recite. What kind of incantation would be good for a night like this? How could her heart reach the heavens?

After some thought, Lee-Jae smiled sweetly. The simple words she liked the most came to mind.

‘Stars, first light, poetry.’

‘My friend, who worried about me late into the night.’

‘Everyone will be happy now, so please have a sweet dream without any worries.’

At that moment, as if in response to her prayer, the clouds that were covering the moon quietly moved aside. White moonlight and countless starlight poured down like a stream of water, illuminating the path in front of them.