Royal Coup d'État - Chapter 23

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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 23
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“What in the world is this…….”
He was on his way home. With his standby leave processed and nothing but task force work filling his days, time had become abundant.
It had been years since he’d left the office this early. Just moments ago, he’d been thinking he might finally experience this thing called work-life balance.
The daylight was still bright when he walked out, which made him reluctant to head straight home. Not that he had any friends to meet up with. He was inwardly mocking himself—maybe he should catch a movie on the way—when he spotted a familiar limousine parked by the rear entrance of Police Headquarters.
“Get in.”
Seok-chul stood outside the limousine, waiting in place of his employer, whose face was too well-known to risk being seen. The way he’d come to fetch him, as if by prior arrangement, carried an easy confidence.
Tae-oh, half-coerced into the limousine by Seok-chul’s veiled pressure, continued to let out hollow laughs. He seemed to be reminding himself how he’d ended up here.
He then settled into the same seat as before, staring at Sun, who sat with chin held high in composed dignity. The absence of any apology in her bearing was not so different from the royal etiquette Tae-oh had experienced with other members of the Imperial Household.
Perhaps because of this, Tae-oh’s own posture began to shift, his mouth twisting into an askew line. He crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms across his chest, then let loose a barrage of pent-up words the moment the car began to move.
“It seems the royal family doesn’t believe in the concept of promises.”
“We didn’t set a date, true. But didn’t we promise to meet again and discuss matters?”
Sun answered without even glancing in Tae-oh’s direction.
“The situation has become more urgent. I don’t have the luxury of scheduling a separate meeting. And as for you, Inspector…….”
Sun’s gaze, which had been fixed forward, slowly turned toward him. Her round eyes met his sharp ones in an instant.
Eyes of dark brown that revealed no depth of emotion. A sharpness lurking behind a face too innocent to belong to any predator. Before he knew it, Tae-oh’s jaw clenched.
“You didn’t look busy at all.”
Sun finished speaking and turned her head forward again. Whether she found the black asphalt road fascinating or simply had no desire to look at Tae-oh was impossible to tell.
“Ha.”
She’d spoken knowing full well that with his standby leave, he was practically semi-retired.
She must know that things had twisted like this because he’d held her hand. It was more than absurd to hear her speak of it so casually—heat flared through him.
He wished he could sit across from the person beside him, face to face.
The most crucial element in catching a criminal was psychology. What was this person thinking right now? Which emotions were they vulnerable to? The fastest way to read that was through the eyes, and Tae-oh had a predatory instinct that let him glean more information than most.
In that sense, cooperation with Sun was nothing but troublesome for him. It was true he’d been swept up by behavior unbecoming of royalty. That genuine sense of justice, and a touch of stubbornness. Had his certainty that everything would be properly recognized in the end been mere arrogance?
He’d been put on standby leave, which was galling enough. And he still couldn’t quite understand what Sun was really thinking. Now it felt like he was just being used. The days when he was called the achievements king seemed laughable. All that came from his mouth now was hollow laughter.
“So where exactly are we going?”
Tae-oh eventually gave up the mind game and asked. Sun answered faithfully, as if she had no intention of ignoring the conversation entirely.
“We’re going to see the Crown Princess.”
“Why would I go there?”
Tae-oh shot back incredulously.
“Do you think I’m your secretary or something?”
“Do I look idle to you, Inspector?”
Sun cut short his words. The authoritative tone, rarely displayed before, silenced Tae-oh’s mouth. The wariness that filled his expression didn’t disappear, but it was effective enough to stop his incessant muttering.
“I’ll be the one meeting with the Crown Princess. How could you possibly have an audience with her? I’m bringing you along because she’s currently at the Mortuary.”
The Mortuary was where the Imperial Household preserved the deceased during funeral rites. Traditionally, it had been located within the Palace grounds, but in modern times, the Imperial Household had established a separate viewing room at Suhakwon University Hospital, which they operated.
Since the Crown Prince’s accident, the Crown Princess had been staying in a small waiting room at the Mortuary.
Even the Emperor’s formal decree ordering her to return to the Imperial Household had not moved her. To remove the Crown Prince’s remains, absolute cooperation from her was essential.
At Sun’s rough explanation, Tae-oh’s eyes shifted. In place of the dissatisfaction that had filled his face moments before, a sharp, decidedly detective-like expression emerged. Sun, watching him work his jaw as he gathered his thoughts, concluded her explanation.
“Without her help, we can neither remove the remains nor clear away the Ikwisa positioned around the Mortuary.”
“There’s one thing I need to confirm.”
Tae-oh lifted his hand from his chin and spoke quietly.
“As I mentioned before, there’s no precedent of an autopsy being performed on any member of the royal family. I’ve checked even the collateral lines—not a single one.”
“I know.”
“In that situation, do you really think the Crown Princess will accept it without hesitation? After all, she’ll be advanced in age, and the world she’s lived in is completely different from today’s.”
Tae-oh’s observation was sound. At his keen insight, Sun let out a thin breath.
Sun was the niece most loved by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. That didn’t mean she could be forgiven for every breach of protocol. She was well aware of this, and when presenting the option of an autopsy—something that would inevitably trigger resistance on Confucian grounds—she too had to steel herself with a different kind of resolve.
“His Majesty hasn’t formally authorized it, but he is actively helping us.”
Sun’s voice dropped slightly. Tae-oh’s brow twitched as he asked.
“You mean to appeal to her emotions?”
“No. It means that now that His Majesty has stepped in, we must do whatever it takes. Even if it doesn’t come through willing cooperation.”
Sun closed her mouth with a firm expression. Tae-oh read a certain resolve in that face. The will not to falter, even if it meant spiriting away the remains.
* * *
“Five outside, ten inside.”
Seok-chul checked the data on his phone and spoke. However he’d obtained the Ikwisa deployment records, he was indeed capable. Tae-oh’s gaze softened as he looked at him now. Where once he’d seen him like a dog trailing behind some royal, desperately scrounging for scraps, Tae-oh now at least regarded him with basic respect.
For Sun’s part, it was a relief. Having people who were supposed to work together snarling at each other would be a headache.
“However, they’re only recorded as ‘interior’ with no exact locations specified. They’re likely concentrated around the Mortuary itself, but we can’t rule out the possibility that some are at the entrance.”
“So, what exactly will Inspector’s role be?”
Sun asked abruptly while listening to Seok-chul’s report, checking her appearance in the mirror. The way she spoke was at odds with the image of her adjusting her hair while pushing down a black hat.

A hollow laugh escaped between Tae-oh’s teeth. It grated on her that he kept playing along to her rhythm. Yet his role was unmistakable.
“So you’re saying I should map out a contingency route in case the body needs to be moved?”
“We have to consider worst-case scenarios. Even if we secure the Crown Princess’s consent, we’ll need to plan how to transport it while drawing as little attention as possible.”
She twisted the wavering strands of hair at her temple a few times, shaping them carefully, then lifted her head. Her eyes met Tae-oh’s, who had been watching her movements the entire time.
Tae-oh regarded her with a faint twist of his mouth, as though finding her peculiar. His gaze wrapped around her with the intensity of close observation—sharp and honed as a freshly sharpened blade, yet shot through with scattered threads of curiosity.
What drove him forward like this? What was he looking at right now? Perhaps the reason was simple: just as she hadn’t fully trusted him, he hadn’t entirely trusted her either.
“You…”
She met his eyes deliberately, slowly, refusing to betray any disturbance. Their gazes collided—his eyes cool and penetrating.
It didn’t matter if they didn’t trust each other. After all, she had drawn Tae-oh in because she had a purpose. Once that purpose was achieved—once she found the thread that would ensnare Prince Ui-gu—trust would mean nothing at all.
After studying her for a long moment, Tae-oh shifted his gaze and spoke.
“You’re certainly different from the typical imperial family members.”
She felt a strange reassurance settle over her, and she replied with a thin smile.
“This time it was actually a compliment.”
Tae-oh offered no response. The silence between them—this time of measuring, comparing, and watching—deepened further.

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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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