Chapter 21
“What on earth were you doing in Gyotaejeon?”
Yeon ground her teeth as she asked. Byeong licked his lips with his tongue and let out a sly laugh.
“If anyone overheard you, they’d think I was some unfilial son. I just decided to properly pay my respects every day from now on—something I’ve been too busy to do until now.”
“Your Highness!”
Yeon clenched her fists and shouted.
Byeong’s face instantly dropped its laughter, his expression sharp with warning.
“If you don’t like it, then don’t even dream of bringing that good-for-nothing into the imperial family. Do you understand me?”
His aura was so intimidating, it felt as though one wrong answer would earn her a slap.
“Well? Answer! The Crown Prince has asked you a question—how dare you stand there silent? How much longer do you think I’ll tolerate your insolence?”
The grip of Byeong’s hand on her shoulder grew tighter.
Before long, the attendants of the Crown Prince’s residence had formed a circle around the two of them.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Unable to endure any longer, Silan raised her voice.
“Head Lady Seong, stay out of this.”
Yeon stopped her.
Then she clicked her tongue as she looked at the wall of attendants surrounding her.
None of them had the intention to stop the Crown Prince from his bullying—instead, they seemed intent on covering it up.
And they moved in such perfect unison, it was clear this wasn’t the first time.
Though the sky above was wide open, Yeon felt like she was trapped inside a prison.
There was only one way out of this.
She had to give him the answer he wanted.
But when it came to the matter of marriage, she couldn’t bring herself to.
Even as an empty gesture, saying she wouldn’t marry Seojun felt like betrayal.
She owed loyalty to the man who never failed to greet her morning and evening, reporting his daily life with sincerity.
I’m about to get slapped as a grown woman, aren’t I?
Yeon braced herself to open her mouth, ready to accept a slap from the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness!”
A booming voice shattered the tense standoff.
The moment an outsider appeared, the attendants quickly retreated behind Byeong.
“Princess, here you are! I was going to visit you after seeing His Majesty. Could this be fate?”
There was only one man in the entire empire who could act this brazen and shameless before Yeon.
Not because of his personality, but because he was the one and only man Yeon allowed to.
Striding in like a model, Seojun drew every gaze. With his tall height—head and shoulders above most—and features both striking and refined, he was impossible to overlook.
Yeon found herself staring blankly at him.
Seojun, however, kept his eyes only on her. Even with Byeong right beside her, he didn’t so much as glance his way.
It was as if Byeong didn’t even exist in this space.
Naturally, Byeong’s insides churned with rage.
“You there!”
Byeong barked.
Only then did Seojun look at him, opening his mouth with a small sigh.
“Oh, the Crown Prince is here as well.”
His attitude suggested he had just now noticed him. Byeong was left gaping, at a loss for words.
“Are you blind?”
The best he could manage was a toothless insult.
“My eyesight is 20/20. No need for Your Highness to worry.”
Worry? Byeong nearly exploded.
“Come here.”
Seojun gently took Yeon’s wrist and pulled her behind him.
Only after shielding her did he bow to Byeong.
“Forgive the delay, Your Highness. I am Kang Seojun.”
A simple, polished greeting—without a single hint of flattery.
“Hard man to get a greeting from.”
“I’ll make sure to greet you often from now on. After all, when we bump into each other in the palace, I can’t exactly pretend I didn’t see you. At crowded public events, perhaps, but not here.”
Byeong’s upper lip twitched.
Seojun had just confessed—plainly—that all those times he’d ignored him before weren’t accidents, but intentional.
Byeong’s reason snapped.
“You dare! Just a long-tongued politician, and yet—!”
He raised his hand high.
It happened so fast, even the attendants couldn’t react.
Byeong’s hand cut through the air, aimed straight for Seojun’s cheek.
Silan and Manseok squeezed their eyes shut, already picturing the next morning’s newspaper headline:
[Crown Prince Slaps Congressman Kang Seojun…
Tensions Between Royal Family and Politics Deepen?]
The incident could easily spiral out of control.
Cold sweat ran down their backs at the thought of all the frantic damage control that would follow.
But the slap never landed.
Seojun had caught Byeong’s wrist in a firm grip.
Silan and Manseok breathed sighs of relief.
Byeong’s face, however, flushed a furious red.
“Let go.”
He gritted his teeth, straining his arm.
Despite his regular training with a personal trainer, his hand didn’t budge in Seojun’s grasp.
A vein bulged at his temple.
“Your Highness, you should be thanking me, not getting angry.”
Seojun turned his head with a grin.
Over there stood a short woman with a large camera aimed squarely at them.
Dangling from her chest was an official press badge.
[Reporter Bong Uri]
Since when had an outsider been there?
Byeong trembled and shouted for Manseok.
“Kang, what’s that?”
“She’s a magazine reporter, sire. They’re doing a feature on the royal family’s warm, everyday life.”
The palace sometimes allowed such coverage to maintain a friendly public image.
“Why was I not told of this?”
“I believe it was already reported to Your Highness.”
Not just to Byeong, but likely to the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager as well.
As a precaution.
Normally, restrictions on reporters were strict enough to prevent problems.
But human affairs never go as planned. If even one wrong photo got out, it could spell trouble.
Even with the PR team vetting every article, one could never be too careful.
With no excuse left, Byeong erupted louder.
“Get rid of that woman at once!”
“Yes, sire.”
Manseok rushed toward the reporter.
“You nearly ended up on the front page of every portal site, Your Highness.”
Byeong glared at Seojun.
Seojun smiled like a painting.
“Why don’t we lower your arm and share a nice, friendly embrace? With a smile—for the camera.”
The woman’s lens was still fixed on them.
That slow idiot Manseok—I told him to train more. Always too late.
Byeong vowed to thrash Manseok’s calves with a switch once they got back. He loosened the strength in his arm.
That was his way of agreeing.
“Wise choice.”
Seojun released his grip.
Byeong glared with all his might as he pulled him into an embrace.
Seojun chuckled and patted his back.
His wrist throbbed with pain, already threatening to bruise.
Should I sue him?
But accusing Seojun of assault would only tarnish his own pride.
Besides, Seojun would simply claim self-defense—Yeon would back him as a witness.
When it came to her, blood was not thicker than water.
“I am so grateful for such a warm welcome, Your Highness. I look forward to seeing you again in a proper setting.”
Seojun spoke loudly enough for the reporter to hear.
At that moment, Manseok reached the woman and began to argue with her.
Seojun leaned close, his voice low so only Byeong could hear.
“Your Highness, hide things well while you still can.”
“What?”
Seojun smiled mysteriously as he stepped back.
Ignoring Byeong’s glare, he turned to Yeon and offered his hand.
“Shall we go on our date, Princess?”
His large hand extended toward her.
Yeon recalled the moment Seojun’s hand had blocked the Crown Prince.
Thrilling. Reassuring. Grateful.
She took his hand.
“Let’s go.”
When Yeon pulled, Seojun followed without resistance.
Together, they left Gyeongbokgung.
Leaving a trembling Byeong standing alone on the dirt path.
“Th-those two…!”
Realizing too late that he had been abandoned, Byeong roared with fury—
but the ones who should have heard him were already gone.
