Chapter 30
“What? Director Chun already dug into this matter?”
Jin Sun-mi nodded and smiled.
Byung-do, for the first time in a while, smiled back genuinely. She was quick both with information and in handling affairs.
If only she were a little more obedient.
But she never backed down, and that was regrettable.
“Don’t waste your strength on background checks.”
“So, what, I should just let the Princess run wild?”
Byung’s face crumpled in an instant, trembling with irritation.
Sun-mi swallowed a sigh inwardly.
He was endlessly shallow and pathetic.
“Since His Majesty has already decided to hold a selection, it won’t change the fact that Assemblyman Kang Seo-jun will participate. Which means—we need to prepare for what comes next.”
“What are you talking about?”
Byung tilted his head.
“You need to prepare the winning card for the selection.”
Sun-mi’s smile deepened. It was the smile of someone who already had her move prepared.
A few days later, Yeon visited Seo-jun’s assembly office.
Document boxes were piled high in the hallway, nearly to her height.
Through the slightly open door, she overheard the conversation between Seo-jun’s aide and secretary.
“Have you looked for another job yet?”
“No, there’s nowhere suitable.”
“Hyangi, this is your first time working for our assemblyman, right?”
“Yes. I’ve worked as a secretary for businesses before, but never for a National Assembly member.”
“It must have felt different from working at a regular company. A sense of duty, maybe even pride. Should I check if there are openings in other assembly offices?”
“I’ll be fine for now. But why is the Assemblyman suddenly resigning? Have you heard anything?”
“He said he’d explain later, so let’s just wait.”
Yeon, quietly listening, turned her head away when Sil-an caught her staring.
When their eyes met, Yeon gave a bitter smile. Her lips moved soundlessly:
“Because of me, they’re all about to be unemployed, aren’t they?”
If Seo-jun resigned his seat to join the Imperial Household, naturally his office would be dismantled.
It can’t be helped.
Sil-an was right, but it still bothered her.
If Seo-jun is fine with it, maybe I could specially hire them at Nakseonjae.
Seo-jun would need people at his side in the palace anyway, so she decided she’d suggest it later.
“Shall we go in?”
“Let’s.”
Yeon walked into the office with a bright smile.
“Hello!”
Her sudden entrance froze the entire room.
“P–Princess? Welcome!”
The first to snap out of it was Yong-un.
“To grace such a humble place, Your Highness—it’s an overwhelming honor!”
They all scrambled to greet her, deeply flustered.
Sil-an frowned at their outdated, groveling bows, but Yeon didn’t mind and shook hands with each of them.
“Thank you for welcoming me. Assemblyman Kang Seo-jun is inside, right?”
“Yes, but he’s currently with a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes, someone from the Small Business Association. He always comes with endless demands.”
The aide’s expression suggested the man had a history of being troublesome.
“Seems he thinks a parliamentary badge is like Aladdin’s lamp,” Sil-an muttered.
The aide forced an awkward smile but sealed his lips.
It was as if he were silently saying: Judge, I didn’t say anything.
“Will it take long?”
“If it’s urgent, I can let the Assemblyman know—”
“Of course it’s urgent, the Princess is here!”
The aide and secretary squabbled.
“It’s fine. I can wait. May I sit there?”
Yeon pointed to a round table in the office.
“Of course! I’ll clear it right away.”
The table was cluttered with boxes and unorganized files. While the aide hurried to clean it, Sil-an whispered to Yeon:
“Your Highness, something happened at the Royal Relatives’ Council, didn’t it?”
He had immediately seen the shadow behind her smile.
“Sil-an, does your family have a shaman?”
“My great-grandmother.”
Yeon shivered. She had asked half-jokingly, but it turned out to be true.
“She used to do divinations for independence fighters before they went into battle. Sometimes she cursed the Japanese soldiers too. The money she earned from rituals, she donated to the independence army. You know I was specially appointed to the palace as a descendant of an independence fighter, right?”
“Of course. And your patriotism—no doubt it comes from her. I didn’t know the details until now though. She was amazing.”
“I’m proud of it.”
The Empire invested heavily in the welfare of independence descendants. Even the Emperor often emphasized the greatness and gratitude owed to them. It was only natural—since the first Emperor himself had led the movement.
“So, tell me.”
Sil-an grabbed Yeon’s arm, leaned closer, and glanced around before whispering:
“My instincts say it. The old men in the Royal Relatives’ Council upset you, didn’t they? What did they say?”
Yeon was about to answer when—
Click! The door opened, and someone shouted irritably:
“Stop just saying it, this time you must—must do it!”
A man in his late twenties stormed out, clinging to Seo-jun’s arm and shaking it.
Seo-jun shook him off forcefully, glaring coldly.
“That’s enough. Leave.”
“Assemblyman!”
“Make more noise, and you’ll be thrown out.”
His low voice was sharp, filling the office with pressure. The troublemaker instantly became meek.
“I’m sorry.”
Seo-jun frowned, unimpressed by the apology.
Just then, the aide came forward.
“Assemblyman, you have a visitor.”
Only then did Seo-jun notice Yeon behind the open door.
The sharp atmosphere around him dissolved immediately.
He walked toward her.
“You should have called first.”
“Am I not allowed to just drop by?”
“You might have had to wait, like now.”
“I was passing by.”
Sil-an pulled a long face. It wasn’t exactly on the way.
Seo-jun didn’t step aside. When he approached, he blocked her view like a gatekeeper, standing tall in front of her. His expression looked dark—whether from the shadow or genuine frustration, Yeon couldn’t tell. Clearly, the troublesome visitor had worn him out.
“Should I come back later?”
“No. Come in.”
Just as Seo-jun was about to lead Yeon to his private office—
“Right, Princess?”
The visitor, still loitering despite being dismissed, suddenly reached toward Yeon.
Seo-jun instantly smacked his arm away, too fast for Yeon to react.
“Ahhh! My arm’s broken! Ohhh!”
The man hopped around, clutching his arm in fake pain.
“I warned you not to make noise. Yong-un, call security—”
But before he finished, the man straightened up and bowed politely.
“My arm’s fine! Perfectly fine. Assemblyman, Princess, what an honor to see you here! My name is Jo-an. Please, call me Jo-an.”
He rubbed his palm nervously against his pants and offered it for a handshake.
Seo-jun blocked him again, extending his own arm as if to shield Yeon. But Yeon stopped him.
She was used to this—strangers approaching, wanting to shake her hand. Usually, a handshake was enough to make them leave. She moved to accept.
But Seo-jun intercepted, shaking Jo-an’s hand instead while stepping in front of her, blocking her completely.
Yeon flinched back as the “wall” rose before her. Seo-jun gripped Jo-an’s hand tightly.
“That’s enough. I’ll contact you.”
“Ah! Ouch! Such strong grip! I’ll go, just let me go!”
Seo-jun had been exerting strength on him from the start. It was unlike him—normally so composed. Yeon narrowed her eyes at the unusual display.
Still, Jo-an bowed as he left.
“Princess, I’ll see you again next time.”
He even winked at her before leaving.
Seo-jun sighed heavily above her head.
“Still noisy, as ever.”
Yong-un closed the door behind Jo-an.
“Indeed. Well then, we’ll leave you to your business. Everyone, back to work.”
Seo-jun took Yeon by the wrist and led her into his office.
Every staff member in the room watched carefully.
And the moment the two disappeared, they huddled together, whispering:
“You heard that, right? He said ‘we’ll go in.’”
