Chapter 32
“Yes.”
“I knew it…”
Yeon quickly shut her mouth. She turned her head to avoid Seojun’s gaze.
She still hadn’t told Seojun everything she knew about the Crown Prince.
She didn’t believe Seojun would ever betray her, but she also knew that unavoidable circumstances might arise.
Besides, she was convinced Seojun had another reason for enduring a contractual marriage with her and stepping into the Imperial Palace.
The fact that he started by digging through Jiyoung’s records in the Imperial Archives meant he had already formed the hypothesis that her disappearance was connected to the Crown Prince.
That was why she had agreed to the deal with him in the first place.
But if he achieved his goal before she did, then what?
It wasn’t hard to imagine Seojun leaving.
And if that happened before she became Emperor—or even after, before she had properly consolidated her power—it would be a serious problem.
This marriage isn’t out of love.
I’ll end up alone again.
She had been alone her entire life, but just the thought of Seojun leaving spread a cold sensation deep inside her chest.
Seojun wasn’t just someone she needed to become Emperor—he had also become a source of support for her.
Perhaps this feeling was comradeship.
Whatever it was, imagining what he might do after achieving his objective left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Could you get me a glass of water?”
At her request, Seojun narrowed his eyes for a moment, then immediately stood up.
After calming herself with cold water, Yeon spoke.
“Tell me what you really think, Mr. Kang.”
Seojun pretended to organize the documents to avoid her gaze.
“I can only say after I meet these four people. I have a rule—I don’t speak unless I’m sure.”
The moment Yeon fell silent, Seojun realized she harbored faint doubts about him.
That meant he couldn’t show all his cards either.
They were aiming at the same target, but their ultimate goals were different.
The documents went neatly back into the envelope as though they’d never been taken out at all.
Seojun sealed it perfectly, then shook the envelope lightly.
“I’ll be holding onto this. As you know, the Imperial Palace isn’t exactly the best place to keep secrets.”
Yeon agreed.
“By the way…”
She hesitated for a moment.
“Go ahead.”
“Is there anyone who worked with Jiyoung unni?”
Seojun’s expression darkened.
“There’s someone whose time of service overlapped slightly. Not in the East Palace, but her work period at the palace overlapped with Ahn Jiyoung’s by about a month. A court lady named Byun Yoonji.”
For some time now, Seojun had stopped calling Jiyoung “noona” in front of others. It was his way of forcing himself to view her disappearance objectively.
“I see.”
Silence fell between them.
Both looked troubled, but neither could read what the other was thinking.
At last, Yeon spoke again.
“Promise me one thing. When you meet the retired court lady, take me with you.”
Though she said it like a request, inwardly she was already planning to find the court lady first.
“Of course.”
She must have her own reasons for curiosity, Seojun thought, and readily agreed.
Their conversation lapsed again, until Seojun suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, what brings you here?”
It was an incredibly, ridiculously late question.
The office grew quiet after Yeon left for her next appointment.
Seojun stood by the window behind his chair, gazing absently down at the bustling street.
Even as he watched the people hurrying home from work, the one occupying his mind was Yeon.
“Apparently the Clan Council is making a fuss over our marriage. They’re nitpicking over every single step—the procedures, the timing, everything.”
That was the news Yeon had brought.
He had thought convincing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would be enough, but an unexpected obstacle had appeared: the Clan Council.
Seojun opened his phone and scrolled through the list of council members.
When he checked the institutions the loudest complainers belonged to, he almost laughed.
One was the head of the Korean Patriotic Conservative Association.
Another was the director of the Korean Traditional Preservation Society.
Yet another was a member of the Choson Dynasty Development Committee.
Old men, loud and stubborn, acting as though they still lived in the Joseon era.
Ironically, not a single one of them had actually lived in the Joseon era.
So much time had passed since then.
Still, it wasn’t hard to guess why they were raising their voices. Money was flowing in from somewhere.
And Seojun already had a good idea of the source.
The Crown Prince, of course.
From what he’d gathered, Byung was the only one among Yeon’s marriage opponents with actual influence.
Naturally, Seojun’s thoughts expanded.
How to block Byung?
Then he smirked.
Why should I?
“All I need to do is shut the old men up.”
It wouldn’t be difficult.
Seojun immediately called Jo-an. She picked up before the second ring.
He got straight to the point.
“I’ll give you some names. Dig into them. A solid piece of dirt earns you five hundred each.”
Jo-an’s excited voice came through the receiver, making Seojun smile faintly.
He was confident he could resolve the Clan Council problem before Yeon even had to worry about it.
And there was one more thing he intended to use…
He glanced at the paper bag under his desk—the one Yeon had handed him last time, containing the embroidered handkerchiefs.
“Time to put this to use.”
They would pressure the Clan Council from all sides.
And at the forefront of that pressure would be the Empress Dowager.
That night, perfect for a walk, Yeon stepped out of Seojun’s car. It was the same park she’d been to before.
She had heard this park was more romantic at night than during the day, and sure enough, every spot within sight was occupied by couples.
Sitting couples brushed knees, standing couples touched shoulders, walking couples held hands—acting as if separation were a fatal disease.
Feeling awkward, Yeon glanced up at Seojun as he walked beside her.
“Aren’t we seeing each other too often?”
They had just met in the office yesterday.
But that morning, Seojun had suddenly called and asked her out.
“Let’s meet tonight.”
“New couples usually see each other every day, sometimes more. Besides, we need to figure out how to overcome the council’s opposition, don’t we?”
“That’s true. We do have plenty to discuss.”
Seojun naturally took Yeon’s hand.
Her fingers stiffened and curled in on themselves.
Though they had held hands at least ten times by now, she still found the tingling intimacy unfamiliar.
His hand was so large she felt completely engulfed, and the sensation made her nervous and parched.
“Relax.”
When she fidgeted, he interlocked their fingers.
Startled, Yeon reflexively gripped his hand tightly—like a sensitive mimosa folding in on itself.
“Why are you so nervous?”
Seojun swung their joined hands gently back and forth, leading her deeper into the park.
For a while, they walked in silence.
Yeon found herself liking the stillness that broke into her tightly packed days.
She liked the rustle of leaves brushing in the wind, and she liked the warmth at her side.
Without thinking, she simply followed where Seojun led.
But soon she realized it was eerily quiet.
Unlike the parking lot area, the deeper part of the park was sparsely lit and deserted.
The couples had all vanished.
Yeon let go of his hand and gripped his sleeve instead.
“Seojun, I think we took the wrong path.”
He turned toward her, casting a long shadow across her face.
“We’re exactly where we need to be. Or rather, our tail is.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Someone with a camera has been following us.”
He lightly held her chin so she wouldn’t startle and look around.
Her shoulders jolted.
“Not the reporter you hired?”
Seojun nodded.
Yeon’s mind worked quickly.
“Who would send someone?”
Their walk hadn’t been on any official schedule.
If someone had followed them anyway, it meant they had been tailed since Changdeok Palace. That was too organized to be just a journalist chasing a scoop.
And since she had been in Seojun’s car, it meant the tail knew about their relationship.
“The council’s old men?” she muttered.
“Want me to find out who? Easy enough.”
“How?”
“Did you forget? I used to be a cop.”
He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world—just run over and grab them.
That wasn’t a bad idea. It would serve as a warning.
But Yeon thought of something better. A way to use the situation against them.
Her sharp mind spun quickly.
If the council’s old men had really sent the photographer, then how could she turn the tables and force them to stop delaying the selection of the Crown Princess Consort?
She soon found the answer.
Her eyes lit up as she gripped Seojun’s arm.
“Seojun.”
He turned slightly, shifting his stance so she stayed hidden from the camera’s view.
“Let’s kiss.”
