Royal Coup d'État - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14
It was rather impressive, the way Ui-gu Daegun was left behind as she walked with elegant steps out of Gyeongchun Hall and toward Changdeok Palace.
But she never actually met the Emperor. If she’d managed an audience with the real Emperor, she could have needled Ui-gu Daegun’s pride a good deal more.
“His Majesty retired to rest just a moment ago.”
When she arrived at Daejo Hall, Sang-seon greeted her with an apologetic expression.
“He hasn’t been sleeping properly these past few days, so it’s difficult to announce a visit.”
The Emperor had suffered from severe insomnia since his youth, and stress only made it worse. With the Empress’s condition deteriorating as well, the burdens weighing on him were countless.
She wasn’t thoughtless enough to wake a man in his nineties just as he’d finally fallen asleep.
“That’s all right.”
“His Majesty did say he had something to tell you, but he didn’t hint at what it might be…….”
Sang-seon continued apologizing. But she shook her head lightly.
“If Grandfather asks for me later, let me know. I’ll come right away.”
“I beg your pardon, Your Highness.”
“No. Please look after Grandfather for me.”
She hadn’t managed to see her grandfather, but at least she’d managed to dampen Ui-gu Daegun’s mood somewhat. That was enough.
She found herself slightly amused at how petty she was becoming.
But it was all she could manage for now. Trust in her grandfather’s favor and posture a little. Carry out her assigned duties faithfully.
But the moment Ui-gu Daegun became Crown Prince and then Emperor, even that would be denied to her.
She was not the kind of person who would meekly submit to power, and he was not the kind who would tolerate such defiance.
She would likely become the Imperial Family Member he despised most—the one who would need to be silenced first.
But for now, there was no other choice. Unlike Ui-gu Daegun, she had neither the connections to reassign task force members nor the authority to wield the agency. So she had no choice but to be as petty as possible.
As she emerged from Daejo Hall with nothing accomplished, Seok-chul, who had been waiting, fell into step behind her immediately.
His expression was darker than when he’d brought her news of the Crown Prince’s accident days earlier. His pace was heavier than it had ever been. He seemed to struggle painfully, as if forcing open a mouth that refused to open.
“Your Highness.”
She instantly anticipated what would come from Seok-chul’s lips. There was no other reason for him to look so grave.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart pounded so hard it seemed to deafen her ears. She didn’t want to hear this. But it was something she would inevitably have to face.
“The Crown Prince passed away a short while ago.”
Seok-chul spoke with deliberate care, slowly, gently. His voice pierced straight through her.
The terrible future she’d anticipated had arrived before her eyes.
What was she supposed to do now? The accident had transformed from an injury into a major incident—a death. Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
“I need to see Grandfather. I need to see Grandfather right now.”
“Your Highness.”
Seok-chul blocked her as she stopped abruptly and tried to turn around. His eyes full of sorrow, he gripped her shoulders firmly.
It was an impertinent gesture he would never normally make. But he was the only one who could hold back a heart shaking like this.
“His Majesty needs time.”
Time. At Seok-chul’s words, she ran a hand through her hair and exhaled heavily.
The Emperor was her grandfather and the nation’s supreme authority, but first and foremost he was a father—a tragic father who had already lost two sons to unbearable grief.
“Right……. You’re right.”
She nodded slowly.
The Crown Prince’s condition couldn’t be hidden forever. The Imperial Household had suppressed it as much as possible, held out as long as they could.
But a body shattered and broken by accident couldn’t endure this merciless world. Despite the Imperial Household’s desperate efforts to keep the Crown Prince’s condition secret, he had truly become a man who no longer existed in this world.
In truth, she still couldn’t quite believe it. Even as she handled urgent matters day by day, even as she participated in the investigation of the Crown Prince’s accident, she couldn’t accept that he was dead. It felt as though she could still go to the East Palace right now, knock on his door, and he would emerge smiling to welcome her.
But she had to accept it now. The kind uncle was gone, and only the battlefield remained.
“There are likely reporters, YouTubers, and crowds of people outside. You’ll be driving out, but prepare yourself mentally just in case.”
“That’s something I’m good at.”
She muttered bitterly. Apart from the heaviness in her heart, her role was unmistakable. For all her pretense of nobility, she was merely a beautiful fool performing for their amusement.
Her vehicle would exit Changdeok Palace through Danbong Gate. It wasn’t the main entrance, but Imperial Family Members typically used this route, so it was obvious the crowd would gather there.
She began adjusting her appearance the moment she entered the limousine. She wet a tissue with her lips and touched up her lipstick one more time. Only after she and Seok-chul had checked and arranged her appearance several times did the wheels finally begin to roll slowly forward.
“Ha!”
Through the tinted windows, Danbong Gate was clearly visible. Crowds pressed beyond the wide-open gates. Imperial Palace security controlling them. And in front of it all, a familiar face stood before the car, stepping out unsteadily, swaying dramatically.
“It seems Ui-gu Daegun planned this.”
“Indeed. I had no idea he was preparing such a performance.”
His ashen face, visible even from a distance, was completely different from moments before.
The Imperial Prince who had been savoring praise while beaming with laughter, who had worn an imperious demeanor before her, was nowhere to be found.
In his place stood only a virtuous younger brother, grief-stricken and scarcely clinging to life.
“My brother, my brother, how good a person he was…… I believe the people of this nation know that better than anyone.”
Ui-gu Daegun’s voice rang out with such sincerity. Anyone who didn’t know better would believe every anguished word as genuine.
As her limousine drew closer to Danbong Gate, she could hear the sounds of the crowd more clearly. The endless chatter of shutters. Sharp, high questions. Unscrupulous words spewed without a shred of conscience, cameras shoved toward Ui-gu Daegun.
“Look this way too, please!”
“Tell me what you’re feeling right now, please!”
“There’s a strong possibility you’ll become Crown Prince in the Order of Succession—I’d love to know if you’re prepared for that!”
Nothing but words that fouled Sang-seon’s ears.
“Long live Ui-gu Daegun!”
“Long live the next Crown Prince!”
The innocent crowd’s cries mingled with the rest.
“Ahem…… We must pay our respects now, citizens. Please offer your prayers for the Crown Prince’s rest and peace.”
Even as Ui-gu Daegun wept like a grief-stricken younger brother, he spoke exactly as he’d intended.
“This accident was truly…… unfortunate. Had we been even slightly more vigilant, more careful in our protection, such a tragedy would never have occurred. I regret that I couldn’t dissuade him.”
Before the death of a grandfather he’d respected and loved, Sang-seon found his emotions slipping beyond his control.
If only the one standing there weren’t Ui-gu Daegun, playing at deception—then at least he could have worn a mask. But if one could watch that performance without feeling his heart hammer with rage, then he wouldn’t be human at all.
“What should we do?”
Seok-chul asked carefully. Sang-seon felt the driver’s gaze in the rearview mirror, taking in his flushed face.
In that moment, Sang-seon understood.
Before Danbong Gate today, the Throne’s next heir had been decided. No matter what anyone said, the next Crown Prince at this very instant was Ui-gu Daegun.
His cheeks burned so intensely he could feel the heat without touching them. His clenched fists kept tightening of their own accord. After a brief glance out the window, Sang-seon answered calmly.
“Everyone’s too focused on my uncle’s spectacle to notice me slip away.”
“Understood. We’ll make our way through.”
At Seok-chul’s word, the driver immediately cut a path forward.
Fortunately, the crowd hadn’t completely blocked Danbong Gate’s center—there was plenty of room for the car to pass through.
Thanks to everyone’s attention fixed on Ui-gu Daegun’s performance, the passage was smooth. A few cameras seemed to catch the rear of Sang-seon’s Limousine, but none moved to follow.
Dozens and hundreds of cameras pointed toward Ui-gu Daegun instead—clearly deciding it was better to capture the man who would soon be Crown Prince than a sixth-ranked Imperial Family Member.
Thanks to that, once the car merged onto the road beyond Changdeok Palace, it began to move swiftly and smoothly. A sigh escaped from both Sang-seon and Seok-chul simultaneously—a sigh tinged more with unease than relief.
The car, having departed without a set destination, turned toward Jongno. It was the direction of Byeol Palace, where the Ui-jeong Daegun’s family was staying.
“My lord. Should we head to Byeol Palace for now?”
At Seok-chul’s question, Sang-seon rested his elbow on the window frame and leaned his face against the back of his hand. Each time the Limousine swayed, his body swayed with it. The elbow that touched the cold window frame began to grow increasingly numb.
‘Byeol Palace. Should I go to Byeol Palace?’
Sang-seon asked himself.
An unshakeable sense of frustration lingered. His grandfather was dead, and his uncle had his long-coveted position within reach.
Sang-seon had been ordered to monitor the Imperial Family and investigate this accident. Of course, in terms of power, he remained helpless.
But the Emperor’s command carried intent. The Emperor too suspected someone. It meant the direction of this investigation was already decided.
There was no evidence that Ui-gu Daegun had killed the Crown Prince. Imperial Family Members hungry for the Throne were everywhere, so one couldn’t be certain it was specifically him. Or perhaps—this accident truly had been nothing but misfortune.
Yet the way Ui-gu Daegun manipulated the Task Force and moved to bury the incident was unmistakably strange. And there existed suspicious circumstances tangled with the Crown Prince’s accident as well.
Only then did Sang-seon understand what he needed to do. It didn’t matter who was hiding the truth. Who was most at ease right now? That was where he needed to look.
“Take me to the National Police Agency.”
“Sir?”
At Sang-seon’s command, spoken only after a long silence, both the driver and Seok-chul showed visible bewilderment.
When the Emperor or Crown Prince died, all Imperial Family Members were required to return to their residences and wait until further orders arrived. That was the custom they had long observed.
“I have something to attend to. I’ll take responsibility—just go.”
No public institution welcomed an unexpected visit from an Imperial Family Member. Yet Sang-seon had to go there.
Perhaps the answer to all this frustration he felt lay waiting in that place.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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