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Chapter 77
Go Jun-hwan bit his lips and slammed his fist against his chest as he shouted:
“Look at my appearance!”
Seeing his darkened face, shabby clothes, and eyes trembling with anxiety, Byung put down the flowerpot he had been holding.
Go Jun-hwan had appeared looking like a fugitive.
In that instant, Byung’s face went cold.
“Leave immediately.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been tracked, haven’t you? And you show up here? Are you crazy? Leave the Korean Empire right now.”
Byung suddenly declared an end to their association.
Go Jun-hwan’s fingertips trembled, and his lips went dry.
He had expected that Byung would abandon him in a crisis, but he hadn’t imagined that Byung wouldn’t even attempt to protect him.
Countless deeds he endured for the Crown Prince flashed before his eyes.
He had unhesitatingly dirtied his hands with blood and filth to fix the mistakes the Crown Prince caused.
It had been a thirteen-year-long relationship.
And now, in a single moment…?
Without asking for details, without a single word of “you’ve worked hard” or “thank you,” he was being cast aside?
“What are you doing? Not leaving immediately! Are you thinking of teaming up with Kang Seo-jun? Think carefully. You were the one who recruited that Czech guy. You were the one who sent him money and gave him the orders!”
From the beginning, Go Jun-hwan and the Crown Prince’s target had been Seo-jun.
Go Jun-hwan had sent money to Yakub, instructing him to stab Seo-jun.
It was a contract killing—targeting a member of the royal family—a serious crime.
If Go Jun-hwan were caught, he would be sentenced to life imprisonment without fail.
He hadn’t been loyal to the Crown Prince just to rot in prison.
Trembling with betrayal, Go Jun-hwan shouted:
“If… if I get caught, do you think Your Highness will remain safe?”
“Me? I’ll be fine. Why? Because there’s no evidence. And even if there were, it would only be your claim.”
Go Jun-hwan’s vision went pitch black.
It was true.
He had received a lot of money from the Crown Prince, but there were no transaction records.
Any record of entering the Crown Prince’s residence had surely been erased.
It had been Go Jun-hwan who had been instructed to do so.
Once the Crown Prince decided to act, Go Jun-hwan would not easily escape the charge of contract killing a royal.
“Judging by your expression, it seems you understand my words. Before I report you myself, get lost. I’ll give you two days.”
Even at this moment, Byung was regretting.
When Kang Seo-jun had mentioned Go Jun-hwan’s name, he should have eliminated him immediately.
He hadn’t intended to summon him out of some petty sense of loyalty.
Go Jun-hwan twisted his lips.
“Do you really think so? Haven’t you forgotten that day, 12 years ago?”
Byung’s previously confident expression changed abruptly.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you want to pretend ignorance to the end… you’ll have to protect me!”
Go Jun-hwan kept his eyes on Byung and stepped back slowly, one step at a time.
Fearing that the Crown Prince might rush at him, Go Jun-hwan didn’t lower his guard until he reached the door.
“Wait.”
Byung, staring at Go Jun-hwan with a pale face, called him to a stop.
“I may not know anything, but do you happen to have any evidence of what you said happened 12 years ago?”
Twelve years ago, on a stormy day with lightning and rain, Go Jun-hwan had removed a CCTV from the royal residence.
He had completely erased a woman’s trace.
That act had gained the Crown Prince’s trust, marking the real beginning of Go Jun-hwan’s official collaboration with the Crown Prince.
“Think in favor of His Highness the Crown Prince. I will uphold my loyalty to the Crown Prince. But only when I am safe.”
He was implying that there was some evidence.
In a moment of rage, Byung grabbed the nearest object roughly.
But he couldn’t bring himself to throw it.
His hand trembled, and the object fell with a clatter to the floor.
“I took our friendship too lightly. Sit down. We need to plan the next steps.”
Byung drew Go Jun-hwan in again.
While Yeon accumulated achievements, the Crown Prince of the Empire was obsessed with erasing his own dirty secrets.
[USA Agrees on Defense Cost-Sharing & Gradual Transfer of Wartime Operational Control – Path to Self-Defense Opened]
[Strong Korean Empire Reclaims Self-Defense! 20th-Century Emperor’s Dream Achieved by 21st-Century Princess]
[Political Circle Amazed by Princess’s Diplomatic Skills]
[24-Hour Intense Negotiation in Ministry of Defense – Princess Yeon Leads Fierce Behind-the-Scenes Battle]
Negotiations with the United States, which had been dragging on, were swiftly concluded by Yeon in just five days.
The U.S. insisted that Korea’s defense cost contributions be increased by more than 10%.
Yeon responded even more forcefully.
She imposed usage fees for U.S. military bases that had been free of charge and cut funds for military facility maintenance that Korea had previously supported.
The president of the U.S. wavered in the face of her firm stance.
This caused backlash from the media in the U.S.
Ultimately, the president signed an agreement to keep the defense cost contributions the same but increase funding for Korean military facility maintenance.
Yeon considered this favorable since the labor and companies doing the maintenance were Korean, benefiting the domestic economy.
Even this alone was a remarkable negotiation, but the highlight was the agreement on the gradual transfer of wartime operational control.
Some media claimed it was a failed negotiation because it didn’t secure U.S. responsibility for facility maintenance costs.
However, most media praised it as a complete diplomatic victory for focusing on the transfer of wartime operational control.
Objectively, it was a historic negotiation.
“Honestly, this is amazing. Politicians couldn’t do it, but you did it immediately.”
Han Yong-woon gazed at the front-page photo of Yeon shaking hands with the U.S. president and expressed admiration.
Seo-jun read the newspaper with satisfaction.
Honestly, even Seo-jun hadn’t expected to regain wartime operational control after organizing the negotiation materials.
‘It wasn’t even my work, so why do I feel so proud?’
He controlled the upward curl of his lips and pretended to remain calm.
“This shows the power of the Korean Imperial Family. Of course, it’s also true that the princess calculated and played her moves wisely.”
There were various global, political, and economic factors, of course.
“Really? Because of the imperial influence?”
Yong-woon frowned.
“Some may not acknowledge it, but the mere existence of the Korean Imperial Family is remarkable. Few countries manage a healthy democracy alongside a monarchy. It draws attention. And when the representative of the Korean Imperial Family approaches negotiations with humility, the counterpart feels deeply honored.”
“So the negotiating party ends up giving the Imperial Family what they want.”
“Exactly.”
“Then do you think the outcome would have been the same if His Highness the Crown Prince had led the negotiations?”
Seo-jun scolded Yong-woon for such nonsense.
“I said the princess calculated and played her moves wisely. The Crown Prince is a fool who can’t calculate at all. Let’s compare fairly.”
Since he couldn’t calculate properly, he must have tried to subtly undermine the moment.
Who would look kindly on the Crown Prince, claiming the throne by birthright, when Yeon’s achievements were shining?
“The Crown Prince is digging his own grave.”
He had openly invited comparison.
Positive coverage of the abdication appeared briefly on page 4, bottom section.
Meanwhile, articles about Yeon topped page one daily.
“By the way, a report came from Prague, Czech Republic. The person who was shot… will stand trial for attempted murder.”
“He must have kept his mouth shut until the end.”
If he didn’t speak, Seo-jun could do nothing.
Bojoan had seemed forthcoming while in Czech, but the situation had changed midway.
Go Jun-hwan must have intervened…
‘What’s Bojoan doing? Chasing Go Jun-hwan, yet there’s no word.’
Where could Go Jun-hwan have disappeared to?
Seo-jun couldn’t leave the palace personally, fearing anything might happen to Yeon.
Frustrated, Seo-jun unbuttoned the top of his shirt.
“And among the first-term lawmakers, I’ve found someone to propose the bill.”
“What bill?”
Seo-jun had prepared two bills.
The publicly known “Abolition of Imperial Privileges” and the secretly prepared “Abolition of the Imperial Family.”
“Both bills are ready. Now you just need to release the prepared articles.”
The articles targeted allegations of imperial corruption, collusion with politicians, and the Crown Prince’s qualifications.
The goal was to drastically reduce public expectations of the Imperial Family.
“Hold off until a more suitable time.”
Seo-jun signaled he wouldn’t discuss the topic further.
Yong-woon moistened his dry lips with his tongue.
“It may already be too late. The princess continues to achieve results—during the honeymoon, in returning wartime operational control, and in cost-sharing negotiations. The later it gets, the less effective the articles will be.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you hesitate? Is it because of the princess?”
Yong-woon’s tone sharpened.
