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Chapter 20
Seojun looked at Beom, who had his eyes closed tightly.
It surprised him that Beom, who had only flinched when he’d seen the listening device, was now so visibly shaken by just a few words.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Beom spoke.
“The path Yeon is taking will be anything but easy. You know that, don’t you?”
“My wish is to make sure Her Highness isn’t harmed while walking that harsh road.”
“It won’t be like the political squabbles you’ve dealt with in the National Police Agency. The games they play in the political sphere are on a completely different level.”
It was a warning that the road ahead could be drenched in blood.
An emperor’s warning was never light.
But it still didn’t feel as heavy as the knot in Seojun’s own chest.
Even if the path was lined with thorns, it was a burden he could shoulder.
Besides, he was no weakling—he wouldn’t just take blows without giving any back.
‘And Yeon is the same.’
Seojun’s lips curved as he replied,
“I’m prepared for it all.”
A ripple passed through Beom’s gaze.
Seojun was a smart man. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t foresee the future and was stubbornly insisting on becoming the State Secretary.
He knew full well what was coming—he was prepared to be hurt, prepared to give up even his career as a politician—just to hold Yeon’s hand.
What could that mean?
“Are you saying you’re in love with her?”
Beom’s tone, accusatory and laced with disbelief, made it clear he thought that was impossible.
Love…
Seojun repeated the word inwardly.
What exactly was love?
Truthfully, he had never loved anyone before. His life had been far too busy to indulge in such sweet emotions.
From a young age, to meet his grandparents’ and parents’ expectations, his entire life had been meticulously managed—sleeping hours, meals, everything.
When he grew old enough to think for himself, he resolved to escape that shadow and find his own leisure.
But then Ji-young disappeared, and his life became hectic again.
He had to find her.
And now, to get closer to that goal, he had to protect Yeon.
In Seojun’s world, love required spare time.
If that was the case, then he couldn’t yet love Yeon.
And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to deny it outright.
Even if he couldn’t label it love, the truth was that he wanted to do all the things people typically associated with love for her—
Make sure she ate well, help her when she was in trouble, give her a break from a harsh reality.
He didn’t even know why the urge arose—he just wanted to.
And Seojun was the kind of man who generally acted on what he wanted.
“I asked if you were in love with her.”
When Seojun stayed silent in thought, Beom barked the question again.
Seojun slowly pulled himself from his thoughts and gave a deep, knowing smile.
While Seojun was having tea with Beom, Yeon was hurrying toward Hyangwonjeong Pavilion.
She wore a modified hanbok in a soft lavender shade.
The fitted waist, full skirt, and short jeogori suited her perfectly.
From afar, it looked like a short hanbok, but the skirt had pockets, and the jeogori was fastened with buttons instead of ties—details Yeon favored for convenience.
With each brisk step, the full skirt embroidered with the imperial crest swayed dramatically.
She passed through Heungnyemun Gate and moved quickly along the corridor until Gyeongnyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon came into view.
‘Is Mother doing well?’
Her gaze naturally drifted toward Gyotaejeon, but she didn’t stop—she had another destination in mind.
‘I wonder if Seojun will be all right.’
She was worried.
Beom wouldn’t be outright rude, but she doubted he would say anything nice either.
For a fleeting moment, an image flashed through her mind—Seojun kneeling before Beom, enduring harsh words.
Her mouth soured, and her steps quickened.
She needed to see him quickly—before he suffered any humiliation.
“What are you doing here?”
The one to stop her was Crown Prince Byeong.
He stepped out from Gyotaejeon.
Yeon’s eyes sharpened.
“Were you just coming out of Gyotaejeon?”
“Ahem, when you see the Crown Prince, shouldn’t you greet him first?”
Byeong scolded.
Yeon, mindful of the watching eyes, gave a brief nod.
Byeong clicked his tongue.
“You’re so uncouth it’s embarrassing to present you anywhere.”
His baseless criticism was nothing new to her.
Normally, she would have let it go, but seeing him come out of Gyotaejeon had already soured her mood—she couldn’t hold her tongue.
“Not as embarrassing as Your Highness.”
“What did you say?”
When Byeong stepped toward her, Seolsilan moved in front of Yeon, and Byeong’s attendant, Manseok, tried to dissuade him.
“Your Highness, there are many eyes watching.”
“If there are many eyes, we can cover them. If they can’t close their own, shall I pluck them out?”
Byeong leaned into Manseok’s face and scratched his neck as he spoke.
His voice was low, but Yeon heard every word clearly from nearby.
‘That filthy temper hasn’t changed a bit.’
Not wanting innocent palace staff to get caught up in trouble, Yeon forced her anger down.
“What business do you have in Gyotaejeon, Your Highness?”
Byeong looked at her.
“Apologize first.”
Yeon blinked.
“Even if you are my sister, you are still my subject. You just committed an act of disrespect, so you must apologize. That way, the subordinates will learn their place.”
Flames flared in Yeon’s eyes.
Seolsilan tugged discreetly at the back hem of her clothes, signaling her to endure it.
She bit the inside of her cheek, the skin splitting and filling her mouth with the taste of blood.
The Crown Prince’s demand was unreasonable and overstepped boundaries.
‘Looks like someone got riled up in Gyotaejeon.’
She didn’t need to guess what had been said—Byeong had already spilled enough.
“If you act so wantonly, what will your future husband think of me?”
“So you’ve heard the news?”
“I have. You refused the match I personally arranged and brought in someone yourself, I hear.”
Byeong frowned.
Kang Seojun.
He didn’t like the man.
It had only been in the papers once, but in official settings, Seojun had disregarded him more than once.
Whether it was intentional or an accident, it was that subtle kind of slight—too ambiguous to call out without looking petty, but too irritating to ignore.
There was another reason Seojun got under his skin.
As Crown Prince, Byeong regularly held talks with key figures of each political faction.
Seojun had attended twice in the last year, and both times he had been insolent.
If Byeong made a factual error, most people would let it slide with a smile. But Seojun would always correct him—and demand he amend his statement.
And now Yeon wanted to marry such a man?
He was certain that as a couple they would be a matched pair of troublemakers, and they would block his ambitions.
This marriage had to be stopped.
“Get rid of him.”
“That is not Your Highness’s concern.”
Yeon’s reply was icy.
Byeong raised an eyebrow.
“What did you say? Bringing someone into the Imperial Family is my concern. As Crown Prince, you need my approval.”
The emperor was alive and well, yet the crown prince was trying to interfere in a princess’s marriage.
“Who’s really overstepping here?”
Her jab turned Byeong’s face red.
He had been in a foul mood ever since Yeon returned to the empire—especially after she rejected the State Secretary candidate he had recommended.
‘Do you know how much money that cost me?’
If Yeon had obediently married as arranged, a luxurious Hawaiian estate and a Swiss account full of dollars would have fallen into his lap.
But she had rejected the match and now brought in her own prospective groom, destroying any future schemes.
From a maid he had planted in Gyotaejeon, Byeong had learned the details and quickly started digging into Seojun’s past.
And this morning, the man he’d assigned to the task delivered his report.
“Assemblyman Kang Seojun has nothing problematic on record.”
The news had infuriated him, so he had naturally gone straight to Gyotaejeon.
“Are you ignoring me because I’m the son of the Empress? Is that why you’re pushing ahead with your only brother’s marriage without even asking me? Without consulting me at all?”
Recalling the pale face of Empress Nayoung, Byeong had smirked.
The Empress was Yeon’s weakness.
If he had the Empress in his grasp, Yeon could do nothing—he knew that from experience.
The thought put him in a better mood.
“Yeona,” he said in an uncharacteristically gentle voice.
The tone made goosebumps rise on her arms.
He gripped her shoulder.
Her gaze traveled from his hand up to meet his shifty, snake-like eyes.
Without blinking, she held his stare.
“Shall we go to the Empress now and have some tea together? We can talk about your marriage while we’re at it. Would that be difficult? I just saw her, and her complexion didn’t look good.”
