Royal Coup d'État - Chapter 39

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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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Episode 39
Sun had always believed she was born with the gift of emotional control. It was a talent acquired from her mother, who came from an acting background, and her father, who belonged to the Imperial Family. She had her position to maintain—one that demanded only a polished facade—and she had honed this skill so carefully that it hardly seemed difficult.
But perhaps it had all been arrogance. The moment her uncle’s death became clear in her mind instead of blurred, Sun felt as though every restraint had shattered.
She had no idea what expression she wore now, what she truly felt. Not even she could say.
At least it was Tae-o standing before her. She never thought she’d have such a thought.
“You seem a little calmer now. Let me get you some water.”
Tae-o had waited in silence while Sun gathered her emotions, piece by piece. He hadn’t let go of her hand or turned away. For more than thirty minutes, he remained at her side in an uncomfortable position, perched on the armrest, never leaving.
When Tae-o rose to go to the kitchen, his hand slipped from hers. The warmth that had lingered—damp with emotion—was replaced by cool air against her skin.
The man she still wasn’t sure she could trust, whose depths remained unknowable, had offered her a warmth that was overwhelming.
Sun brushed her hand over the lingering trace of his warmth and cleared her throat. As her composure returned, she felt a faint embarrassment creeping in.
“Drink it slowly. This is the perfect moment to choke, you know.”
Tae-o held out a cup—a small, pristine white mug that seemed entirely at odds with him. Sun grasped the handle, brought it to her lips, and sipped the water slowly.
As the cold water slid down her throat, the heat inside her gradually subsided. The anger that had driven her forward unknowingly began to temper itself with reason.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The brief exchange ended, and an awkward silence settled between them. The fact that they were in Tae-o’s home seemed to make the air between them even more strained.
“About… the autopsy you performed before.”
“Ah. You mean Officer Kim, the one who drove the Crown Prince’s car.”
Before the Crown Prince’s body had been smuggled out, they had obtained the Emperor’s permission to conduct the autopsy on the driver first. Now that she thought about it, she’d heard it was going ahead, but nothing about what had happened afterward.
Once Tae-o confirmed Sun had finished the water, he took the cup back from her. He even made a point of setting it down on the glass table himself.
She recalled him mocking her before, saying the Imperial Family only knew how to command others. But he too, it seemed, was an emotional creature. She could feel him making an effort to lift her mood, to be considerate now that her spirit had flagged.
“There was no drug response from him. At first, we thought it was just a body with no unusual findings, but looking at it this way, it’s strange.”
“Your uncle showed more than the appropriate dose of sedative, but the driver who caused the accident had neither drugs nor alcohol in his system?”
Sun tapped her fingertip against her lips, murmuring to herself.
“I know Officer Kim a little. He’s been working since I was young, so I saw his face often. As far as I know, he had no health issues or personal problems.”
“From what I’ve investigated, his accounts and connections all checked out clean.”
Tae-o’s eyes sharpened. So he attacks like a beast when facing a perpetrator—watching that cold, piercing gaze, Sun began to understand how he’d built his record and climbed so quickly through the ranks.
“Of course, we can’t be blind about it. Even if the other truck bore some responsibility, based on the photos Officer An showed me yesterday, it means the driver didn’t even properly apply the brakes.”
“Are you saying Officer Kim was ordered by someone to kill my uncle and deliberately crashed into him?”
“We can’t rule out the possibility, but there’s something that doesn’t add up. People are far more animal-like than they seem.”
Tae-o spread his palm flat and raised his index and middle fingers. Sun blinked, and he explained in a low voice.
“People might seem like they could easily rush toward death if they set their minds to it, but it’s actually far more difficult.”
Tae-o moved his fingers in a gesture of rushing toward Sun. Following her gaze, his advancing fingers slowed as they approached her hand.
“When an animal called human stands before a cliff, it naturally wants to live.”
……
“And yet, not applying the brakes—only the accelerator—isn’t a rational answer. Especially if there were no drugs or alcohol involved.”
Tae-o spoke with conviction.
“But based solely on the photos Officer An showed us, the brakes weren’t applied, were they?”
“That’s what we need to verify. Whether the brakes weren’t applied, or couldn’t be applied.”
A chill passed through Tae-o’s eyes. His gaze was so formidable that anyone would shrink back, and Sun slowly nodded. It seemed choosing him for the investigation was one of the best decisions she could have made.
“I’m planning to send the vehicle forensics to the Gyeonggi-Southern Police Agency and ask Officer An to handle it. Seoul would be too difficult.”
“I suspected as much from your hesitation.”
Sun exhaled slowly. The saying about mountain after mountain wasn’t idle talk.
“Regional agencies tend to have fewer people connected to the Imperial Family. Officer An, in particular, strikes me as trustworthy. Looking at the reports and proposals she sent through the Task Force, her work is clean and thorough.”
Tae-o spoke in a low voice, as though to comfort her. Sun nodded slowly.
“Even without the vehicle forensics, we’ve gotten concrete evidence now. This should be enough to transition to an official investigation.”
“Thank goodness. If it had been buried like this, I don’t even want to imagine it.”
Sun shuddered, murmuring to herself.
“I’ll tell Halba myself. Ui-gu won’t have much time left before he starts making a spectacle of himself on television.”
“Be careful at times like these.”
Tae-o held her gaze slowly. His eyes, darkened and settled, felt like a signal telling her that everything was just beginning.
“If the perpetrator is Ui-gu, he won’t leave you alone after all the moves you’ve made so far.”
“This time it’ll be my head on the block, not your limbs. I know that well.”
Sun answered with a faint smile.
“I’ll make sure to protect you above all else. Don’t worry about that.”
“I’ve met many perpetrators. Especially in times like this, they’ll look for any weakness, any chance to grab you by the ankles and drag you down. It’s best not to create vulnerabilities in the first place, but if that’s unavoidable…”
“I won’t face it alone. No matter what, I’ll drag him down with me.”
Sun laughed softly, and she meant it. If she were driven toward death, she had absolutely no intention of dying alone.
This was a fight where only one could fall. If Ui-gu was the one who orchestrated her brothers’ deaths, there was no way both could coexist.
At Sun’s resolve, Tae-o shrugged. He didn’t know how far he would go with her, but for now, she wasn’t alone. He was on this path with her.
“And Jo—where is he? Waiting outside?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry? How did you get here?”
Tae-o had brought up Jo to steer the conversation elsewhere, but her unexpected answer made him furrow his brow.
“By taxi.”
“Alone?”
“What? You think I can’t hail a cab on my own?”
“I’ve noticed it a few times now—you’ve got quite the sharp tongue, don’t you?”
Tae-o let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
“In times like these, when reporters swarm everywhere you go, coming alone is dangerous, isn’t it? And since I called you to my house… if I’d known, I would’ve suggested meeting somewhere else.”
“I called you here on purpose so you’d be surprised by these results. And I made sure no one was following me,” she answered in an easy tone. The way the conversation was unfolding meant the situation had been settled to some degree.
Before standing, she opened her phone’s camera and photographed each result sheet one by one. Tae-o waited patiently for her to finish.
“Let’s go.”
Once she tucked her phone away and pressed her hat back on, Tae-o rose as well. He draped the outer coat that had been loosely hanging over the dining chair across his shoulders and faced her.
“I’ll drive you.”
“You don’t think I’ll get lost, do you?”
“No. I just wouldn’t feel right putting you in a taxi and sending you off like that.”
Tae-o picked up the car key lying on the glass table and murmured the words. His tone—cool yet warm—enveloped her. This kind of comfort wasn’t so bad after all.

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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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