TKEP 68🔐

Chapter 68

There was no room to dodge or run.

In an instant, Seojun blocked Yeon’s path.

The old woman couldn’t control the force she was swinging and thrust the knife forward.

Thud. The blade pierced Seojun’s abdomen.

“Seojun!”

Yeon’s scream shook Seojun’s eardrums.

But instead of replying, Seojun firmly grabbed the old woman’s wrist.

For a moment, the figure Seojun saw in front of him grew.

The movements, unexpectedly agile for an elderly person, revealed that the opponent was actually a robust man disguised as a grandmother.

“Are you alright?”

Hotel guards, suspicious of the commotion near Seojun and Yeon, ran over, shouting in Czech.

“Let go of me, you bastard! Let go!”

The man whose wrist was held struggled violently to free himself, shouting in Czech.

Every time he moved, a bone-deep freezing pain surged through Seojun.

Seojun gritted his teeth and endured it.

He could not let go of the person who targeted Yeon.

“Are you alright, ma’am? Call a doctor immediately!”

Only when the hotel guards reached close did Seojun release the man’s wrist.

Watching the guards subdue the struggling man, Seojun slumped to the ground.

The pain hit him belatedly.

The area where the knife pierced throbbed, and his internal organs felt like ice.

“Seojun!”

Yeon shouted sharply, clutching him.

Seojun’s face contorted.

“Yeon, are you crying?”

Seeing Yeon cry was even more suffocating than being stabbed.

“Seojun, look at me, blood, blood is—”

Her words faltered.

Yeon placed her hand on Seojun’s jacket near his waist.

It was damp. Hot and sticky… it was blood.

Yeon’s sobs intensified.

“What do we do…! Hospital, immediately… Director Seong! Call an ambulance!”

Gathering herself, Yeon shouted desperately.

“Don’t cry.”

Seojun grabbed Yeon’s shoulders.

He blinked his eyes tightly several times, clearly in pain.

“Are you upset because I’m crying? With all this blood gushing, who should I worry about?”

Yeon snapped angrily.

A faint smile appeared on Seojun’s face.

As long as you’re safe, that’s enough.

It’s a relief I wasn’t late this time, right?

And yet, even being angry is cute.

“Your Highness! What happened? Your Highness!”

Oh, the eunuch and Silan came running.

The color drained from their faces.

It was a terror attack!

In Prague, Czech Republic—a hotel boasting strict security—an attack targeted the Imperial Korean princess and her entourage!

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Oh, the eunuch knelt to check on Seojun.

“I’m fine… first, please evacuate the princess to a safe place.”

Seojun, gasping, took care of Yeon first.

Yeon glared.

“Seojun! I told you to only think about yourself! I’m not going anywhere. I promised I wouldn’t let go of your hand.”

Her sobs grew stronger.

You were the one who let go…

Seojun wanted to scold her but couldn’t.

His body, pushed to its limit, collapsed.

Then, everything went black.

Seojun underwent emergency surgery at the largest hospital in the Czech Republic.

Yeon stayed by his side the entire time.

The operation took longer than expected.

The wait was hell for Yeon.

“Your Highness, please wait in the hospital room.”

The VIP room mentioned by Silan was the hospital’s top suite.

The Czech government promised to do their best for Seojun’s treatment and the investigation.

To prevent this incident from escalating into a diplomatic issue, they provided top medical staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and presidential-level security.

“I’m fine. But did he talk?”

“He claims he’s just a robber.”

“Who would believe that?”

Yeon scoffed.

If he were a simple robber, he would have demanded money before swinging the knife.

Instead, he attacked without warning.

And in a heavily secured hotel, not a tourist spot?

It was also necessary to investigate how he entered the hotel disguised as an elderly woman.

“He’s neither a guest nor staff. So how was he in the private garden? And what about that grandma disguise?”

“I’ll request confirmation. But regarding the investigation, we have no jurisdiction.”

Yeon wanted to interrogate the criminal herself, but she couldn’t.

It was a crime committed in Czech territory by a Czech national. Even if the victim was Korean, the investigation was under Czech authority.

Then there was only one option.

The Czech government hoped to avoid a diplomatic conflict, but Yeon thought differently.

She intended to make it a loud diplomatic issue so that the mastermind could not escape without being revealed.

“Director Seong, protest strongly. Use all channels and connect me to His Majesty.”

If the Emperor of Korea expressed his regret personally, the Czech government would feel pressured.

Silan immediately called Gyeongbokgung Palace.

A moment later, the phone connected Yeon to the Emperor.

• I heard the news. You’re alright?

Yeon briefly explained the situation.

• So what do you want me to do?

“I know we can’t take over the investigation. At least allow our investigators to cooperate.”

After a long silence, the Emperor seemed to consider it.

• There is a mastermind. I’m sure of it.

Yeon recalled what Seojun had said just before surgery:

“An expert handled this. The way he held the knife is different. He’s no simple robber. So Yeon, please stay calm.”

Thinking of Seojun on the operating table made her heart race.

She could barely breathe.

• Yeon, are you listening to me?

Gasping, Yeon exhaled deeply.

“Your Majesty, who do you think would target me? Our investigation team needs to be involved for the Korean Empire’s sake.”

After Yeon’s persuasion, the Emperor decided:

• When he wakes, you will speak to your husband directly. Even if a team is formed, it’s better to leave it to him.

He agreed to follow Yeon’s wishes.

“Thank you.”

• Take care.

The call ended with a heavy word of concern for Yeon.

She stared at the operating room. The light above the “Surgery in Progress” sign felt painfully cold.

The tears she had tried to hold back flowed again.

She hurriedly wiped them away.

Even if she couldn’t stay still, she had to at least follow the advice not to cry.

But she couldn’t hold back the tears.

Seojun’s blood, not fully wiped away, made her even sadder.

Yeon sat in the chair, crying loudly for a long time.

“Just a little longer,” she muttered to herself, words Seojun couldn’t hear.

Seojun’s surgery took a long time but ended successfully.

Thanks to Seojun’s quick reflexes, no critical organs were hit.

He was monitored in the ICU for 24 hours and then moved to a private room.

Naturally, Yeon also stayed in the private room instead of her usual lodging.

There was no media embargo on the incident. Both Czech and Korean press were abuzz.

Yeon received updates on public opinion every two hours.

“Most people are concerned for the safety of Your Highness, Gukseo.”

As a result, criticism toward the Crown Prince’s palace in Korea diminished.

“The search volume for Donggung Palace has dropped significantly.”

Yeon frowned at the data.

Seojun being hurt resulted in benefits for the Crown Prince’s palace.

Was this just coincidence?

Yeon put down her tablet and called Silan.

“Director Seong, did you finish what I asked?”

Seojun’s injury delayed his return to Korea, naturally delaying Jangmi’s return as well.

Yeon had no time to tell Jangmi directly, so she secretly asked Silan to handle it.

“Yes, I explained the situation and gave her my contact info in case she needs anything.”

“Any other reactions?”

Silan hesitated, then spoke.

“She mentioned the Crown Prince.”

When Silan explained the stabbing incident, Jangmi turned pale, insisting the Crown Prince was involved.

“What do you think, Director Seong?”

“I don’t think. I just follow orders.”

“You say it’s the same as my opinion in the hardest way possible. By the way, the assailant isn’t Czech?”

After lengthy questioning, the nationality of the man who stabbed Seojun was revealed.

He claimed to be Czech but was actually a war refugee.

“Yes. The Czech government was thrilled.”

At least the assailant not being Czech eased their responsibility.

“You can’t protest to a country at war.”

Yeon threw down her pen.

“This investigation can’t end quietly.”

The Gukseo of the Korean Empire was targeted by a terror attack. It was unacceptable.

Yet the situation felt suspicious.

Everyone seemed to want to keep it quiet.