RC 06

Chapter 6

The man’s face tried to fill Seon’s mind, spreading like a cloud.

Sometimes he looked like a rat, and other times like a tiger. He was someone who could be frightening one moment and ridiculous the next.

Seon shook her head again, pushing the image away.

“There may be outside forces trying to abolish the Imperial family itself, but there are also fools within the Imperial family who believe that if the Crown Prince simply disappears, they can become Emperor.”

The structure of the Imperial family was somewhat complicated.

The late Emperor had two sons and one daughter.

However, his eldest son was born to a concubine, while his second son and daughter were children of the Empress Jinsung, who had risen from being a concubine to become Empress.

When the Imperial Law was enacted, the right of succession passed to the legitimate second son. However, Empress Jinsung, who had taken care of and raised the late Emperor’s eldest son since he was young, made him a Grand Prince and formally adopted him as her own son.

That gave him a legitimate claim as well.

A legal basis for succession as the Empress’s eldest son.

“Of course, Prince Yeonchin and Princess Jeonghoe never wanted the throne. But there are still Imperial family members who regret losing that right of succession.”

“So, technically, both of them had a higher position in the line of succession than His Majesty does now.”

“There will always be minor figures who muddy the waters. Still, you can’t exactly blame only those two for it.”

The Imperial family looked harmonious and peaceful from the outside, but within it were factions that slandered one another and fought to gain even the slightest advantage.

And even if those factions could be traced back to the descendants of Prince Yeonchin or Princess Jeonghoe, Seon only had to look beside her to find her own second eldest uncle, that sly old snake.

Guard Officer Jo nodded stiffly in agreement.

“Then do you believe that one of the Imperial family members was involved in His Highness the Crown Prince’s accident?”

“Who knows? What do you think, Guard Officer Jo?”

“I understand Your Highness’s reasoning. But I wonder if anyone would really go that far.”

“That’s true. Imperial family members have a lot to lose, too.”

Imperial family members were given plenty simply for being born into the family.

It started with the personal allowance they received from birth to maintain their status. Once they received a title, additional allowances were paid according to their rank, and the budgets allocated to their respective palaces were substantial as well.

On top of that, once they married and became independent from their parents, they were even granted a residence in the provinces.

There was no denying that they lived luxurious lives.

What was so special about being an Imperial family member in the twenty-first century anyway?

Seon had been born as the Emperor’s youngest granddaughter, but she had never once been dissatisfied with her position.

But weren’t human beings creatures driven by greed at their core?

The line of succession was not simply a matter of counting who stood where in line for the throne.

Even the allowances for maintaining one’s status differed according to one’s position in the line of succession. The higher one’s rank, the more often one had to appear before the public.

“You know about this too, don’t you, Guard Officer Jo? Grand Prince Uigu keeps demanding to be elevated to the rank of Prince.”

“Yes. He’s been making the same demand tirelessly for a very long time.”

The Emperor was particularly strict when it came to spending taxpayer money.

After deciding that allowances would differ according to title, he even gave his sons the titles of Grand Prince rather than Prince in order to prevent unnecessary spending.

Despite having such a father, Grand Prince Uigu stubbornly insisted on becoming a Prince in the end because of his greed for money.

“To have a lot to lose also means you have a lot in your hands. And doesn’t that mean you might want even more?”

Seon murmured.

Everyone knew that Grand Prince Uigu kept close ties with people in politics and business. By arranging marriages for collateral branches of the Imperial family, he also maintained friendships with high-ranking government officials.

Anyone who knew anything about it also knew that he took under-the-table money in the form of so-called sponsorships along the way.

If the Emperor had been a little younger and still had the vigor to act—or if the Imperial Censorate had at least remained completely under his control—he would certainly have dealt with it.

But with the Emperor ill and the Imperial Censorate, which was supposed to serve as a check, now filled with Grand Prince Uigu’s people, there was little anyone could do.

“Is he the person Your Highness suspects?”

Guard Officer Jo asked, frowning.

“Do you really think Grand Prince Uigu could have gone so far?”

“Who knows? We’ll find out if we investigate.”

Seon gave a bitter smile and interlocked her fingers, clasping both hands tightly.

She held them so firmly that her knuckles were pressed against one another.

“But isn’t it rather convenient? Everyone who could be considered his political rival has died.”

“Your Highness.”

Guard Officer Jo looked serious, as if lost in thought for a moment. Then he ran a hand through his hair and let out a short sigh.

“You must never voice your current suspicions outside.”

“I know.”

I know I still have no power.

Swallowing the rest of her words, Seon brought her tightly clasped hands to her chin. Her protruding knuckles pressed into her jawbone. She had been gripping her hands so hard that the knuckles had turned white.

After watching her for a moment, Guard Officer Jo calmly briefed her on the situation.

“His Majesty is convening the Imperial Clan Council the day after tomorrow. The order requiring all Imperial family members to remain on standby will be lifted tomorrow night.”

“What is the subject of the council?”

“By then, the media embargo should be lifted. I assume they’ll discuss how to deal with the situation.”

They had barely managed to keep the Crown Prince’s current condition out of the press, but the accident was far too serious to hide.

Since the Crown Prince’s exact condition had not been reported, there were certainly people who had already noticed that something was wrong.

The scale of the accident was considerable as well. Posts asking what had happened were already appearing occasionally on online communities.

If they had managed to keep things under control for four days, the Imperial Household Office had essentially thrown every bit of power it had into suppressing the news.

Of course, the Imperial Clan Council was hardly going to play such an important role.

Imperial family members were, for the most part, foolish and greedy.

Still, it was the perfect time for the Emperor to keep an eye on them, just as he intended.

“And there is somewhere you need to go before the order is officially lifted tomorrow and the Imperial family members begin moving around again.”

“By myself?”

“It is an Imperial command.”

At those words, Seon immediately came to her senses.

She remembered the suggestion the Emperor had made when she met him yesterday.

It had not really been a request.

It had been an order to join the Imperial Family Special Investigation Team and assist with the investigation.

“Will I really be of any help?”

Seon asked uncertainly.

This time, even Guard Officer Jo could not answer with confidence.

“His Majesty has ordered it. What else can we do?”

Seon sighed.

She had spoken confidently in front of her father, but there was no helping the feeling of helplessness that weighed on her now.

What could she possibly gain by participating in an investigation that would likely be nothing more than a formality?

What was Grandfather expecting from her?

As everything before her grew darker, unfortunately, time continued to pass.

Today was not a public schedule with cameras following her around, but Seon began preparing early in the morning.

After years of training, she had learned to pay attention to every detail, from her makeup to her clothes, even for private schedules like this.

Life as an Imperial family member meant being torn apart over the slightest thing—even wearing an outfit in a slightly different color or putting on gloves that were a little different in length.

Even if she would only be meeting government officials accompanying the investigation, she could not afford to show the slightest weakness.

Especially after seeing the materials Guard Officer Jo had brought her the night before.

I knew the Imperial Censorate had been taken over by Grand Prince Uigu, but he has people in the police too?

Seon bit down lightly on her lip.

After receiving the list of members of the Imperial Family Special Investigation TF along with notes about anything unusual, she had been so furious that she could barely sleep.

Things were already going badly before the investigation had even begun.

“My goodness, Your Highness! You’re rubbing off your lipstick.”

Only after hearing the court lady scold her did Seon return to her calm expression.

She closed her eyes as she felt the brush move back and forth over her lips, tickling slightly.

The car carrying Seon quietly headed toward the underground parking lot of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

Since the Crown Prince’s accident was classified as top secret, Seon’s visit had to be handled with the utmost secrecy as well.

She deliberately dressed entirely in black, from her tweed jacket to her pants and shoes, before getting out of the car.

She first gave Guard Officer Jo, who had gotten out of the passenger seat and opened the door for her, a slight nod.

Then, as she stepped out, she was met by an unfamiliar voice.

“Good morning.”

The man’s voice was low and rigid.

Seon slowly raised her head.

A man wearing a casual black T-shirt, a dark-brown lightweight leather jacket, and dark jeans greeted her with an expression that was anything but friendly.

His short hair, visible as he bowed his head, looked almost like the quills of a hedgehog, sharp enough to prick her.

Apparently, his voice was just as sharp.

“I am Inspector Kwon Tae-oh. I’ll be accompanying you and showing you around.”

When the man straightened, Seon noticed a necklace dangling near his broad chest.

A photograph was set into it, showing him with a slightly younger, more youthful face.

Seon gave a brief cough and lightly bowed her head.

“Thank you for guiding me. I am Cheongyang Hyeonju.”

That was all.

It had been nothing more than a simple greeting.

Yet the man’s brow immediately twisted into an expression of deep displeasure.

For Seon, who had always been confident that at the very least she was well-liked by the public, this was the first time she had ever been treated with such open hostility.