Royal Coup d'État - Chapter 48

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

Chapter 48
Though the Imperial House had grown freer in its marriage customs, invisible walls still stood.
Before Uijeong Daegun married, only one member of the royal family—Yeonjin Wang—had ever wed a true commoner, so firm was the barrier.
It was Uijeong Daegun and Yeo San Bu-in who had boldly broken through that wall and made their marriage a reality.
Though she was a distant relative of Jin Seong Empress, with parents who had never held office and a career as an actress to boot, her entry into the Imperial House had been nothing short of a miracle.
And so the world loved and celebrated the love story of Uijeong Daegun and Yeo San Bu-in.
The Emperor’s son had fallen in love and chosen someone without wealth or power.
“Who orchestrated this narrative?”
But it had all been a lie.
The shock when the public learned the truth would be impossible to contain. Though Uijeong Daegun himself had never been particularly popular, the century’s marriage had lived on in rumor and gossip.
“In the same way, it was the Palace Administration Bureau. The National Security Investigation Bureau collaborated in the early stages as well.”
“Ha.”
Sun exhaled slowly.
The fact that the National Security Investigation Bureau had worked on this meant they had wanted to completely conceal any connection between Uijeong Daegun and that faction.
The truth that the Emperor’s own son had been romantically involved with the daughter of a traitor would inevitably shake the very foundations of a monarchical state.
“Where is this illegitimate child now?”
She needed to meet them. If the leverage Uigu Daegun held was her father’s romance and the existence of an illegitimate child, she needed a fuller picture of the situation.
But Tae-o’s expression was subtle. His eyes seemed to study Sun intently.
He had been doing it since she first arrived. He kept checking on her state—whether shock might draw tears, whether sudden anger might make her collapse. His gaze touched upon her carefully, everywhere.
Conflict flickered between his slightly knitted brows. Sun placed a hand over her chest and spoke in a hollow voice.
“Tell me.”
At Sun’s resolve, Tae-o slowly opened his mouth.
“The illegitimate child is older than you are.”
“…That’s what I expected. It’s the worst case, but hardly surprising.”
Sun answered tersely. But Tae-o didn’t blink. There was worse to come, then. A sick premonition made Sun press her forehead with her hand.
“The age difference isn’t great.”
“Born during my mother’s marriage to him?”
“Yes.”
Ha.
Was this what it felt like when blood ran backward through your veins?
She couldn’t even notice the air leaking out between her teeth.
A true love story for the ages, then. If the relationship was so magnificent, why not flee somewhere, escape from the world’s gaze?
Fury rose from the depths of her heart. Her father had been somewhat cowardly, but domestic. If he was this kind of man, he might be capable of at least protecting his family, and there was a time she had thought she wanted to marry a man like her father.
It was all deception and hypocrisy. The family she had believed in and loved all this time was nothing but an illusion.
“No one imagined the two of them would meet even after the marriage. But when the illegitimate child was born, those in power learned of it. After that, I’m told they were completely separated.”
“What about the woman and the child? Were they sent abroad?”
“No. She wasn’t in a position to leave the country. The records show she spent time moving between relatives’ homes after that.”
Sun closed her eyes tightly. If only they were living together somewhere overseas. She drew in a deep breath.
The Emperor’s own son. Someone who had even risen to the rank of Daegun. Romance might be one thing, but adultery with the daughter of a traitor? How far did they intend to mock this nation’s Imperial House?
Sun bit down hard on her lower lip. If this were a dream, she would rather wake. But the reality before her eyes remained miserable.
“A son or a daughter?”
“Does it matter? They’re illegitimate either way.”
Tae-o raised one eyebrow, posing the question.
He was right. The fact that the illegitimate child was older than Sun didn’t necessarily work against her.
No matter how base the birth—conceived in an adulterous affair—the child would carry their father’s blood and thus had the right to inherit his personal property, but claiming rights to the Imperial House was another matter entirely.
Yet Sun could not be reassured.
“Under Imperial law, both sons and daughters have equal succession rights, but the sentiment of this nation remains unchanged.”
An illegitimate child raised without Imperial education and Sun were not even comparable. Their refinement, their knowledge—these could not be measured against each other.
Yet if that illegitimate child were a son, there would be more than enough means to obstruct Sun.
“Even if it becomes common knowledge that Uigu Daegun is unfit as heir to the Imperial throne, even if no one in the direct imperial lineage is able to inherit the throne, there will still be those who oppose me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a woman.”
It was a problem she would face the moment she stepped to the forefront of the succession struggle.
Even if the world had changed, old-fashioned thinking lingered like stale air, spurring people on. There would be no shortage of those who would sooner manipulate her weak mother and adopt that illegitimate child as an heir than allow Sun to become Emperor.
Seeing the shadow that had fallen over Sun’s face, Tae-o cleared his throat with a soft cough, shifting the mood.
“Fortunately, it’s a daughter.”
“Then we’ve cleared one hurdle.”
The depth of the endless sighs felt unusually dark. After watching Sun for a moment, Tae-o posed a fundamental question.
“Will you become Emperor?”
“Is there any other option besides me?”
“But I heard that the order of succession matters.”
“Jung-baek is a murder suspect in the Crown Prince’s death, Father is guilty of adultery. As for the others—people without the qualifications—there’s hardly any need to mention them.”
Sun laughed briefly.
“Even in circumstances like these, someone has to protect the Imperial House. If not me, then who?”
At Sun’s rhetorical question, Tae-o’s mouth closed firmly.
Through the course of this investigation, Tae-o had come to acknowledge that Sun was the only member of the Imperial House he could trust.
At the very least, Sun was just, and cared genuinely for the Imperial House.
“In any case, thank you. I’ve been wondering what weakness Father had fallen prey to with Uigu Daegun that made him so anxious. At least now I know, so I can do something about it.”
Sun spoke in a light voice. Despite the darkness still lingering in her expression, she was clearly making an effort to appear composed—and something about that struggle caught Tae-o’s eye.
Unlike her face, which seemed to have found its footing and returned to its normal bearing, her fingertips trembled faintly, and every so often her breath escaped in a burst she couldn’t quite suppress.
Such signs proved that Sun’s shock had yet to fully fade.
“I regret that I had to bring you such news.”
“Let’s not talk about Father anymore. It’s not helping anything now.”
Noticing the look in Tae-o’s eyes, Sun spoke with a forced lightness.
“The rest is something my family and I will resolve ourselves. Leave it to me.”
“…Yes.”
“But where is that illegitimate child right now? Have you been able to confirm his location?”
“He has no fixed residence. The National Security Investigation Bureau hasn’t been actively tracking him recently either, so it will take time.”
Time.
Sun tapped the handle of her teacup with one finger. Everything demanded time, and time was profoundly against her. Uigu Daegun had already spent dozens, perhaps hundreds of hours building his solid fortress of defense, while Sun had only days to construct her own.
What was the more rightful choice? Sun fell into thought.
If the illegitimate child was the card Uigu Daegun held, then stepping forward now would be a waste of effort. If he had not only confirmed the child’s whereabouts but actually secured him, perhaps it would be better to let that card be played according to his designs.
“Then let’s do something more productive instead.”
If Uigu Daegun attacked through the illegitimate child, she would gladly meet that blow with her whole body.
Sun need only move forward down the path she had to take.
“Uigu Daegun must be involved in the Crown Prince’s accident. I’m certain of it.”
“I think Uigu Daegun is the strongest suspect too, but we have no evidence. We even traced the vehicle driver’s accounts that day, but found nothing suspicious.”
Tae-o spoke while roughly brushing his bangs aside.
“We plan to trace the driver’s family accounts as well, but the warrant is taking time. For now, we’re tracking where the drug came from. It’s a sedative supplied only to hospitals, so we’re focusing our search on Seoul.”
Despite having pieced together the TF Team almost entirely alone, it seemed he hadn’t worked carelessly. He explained what he had investigated.
Sun paused, touching her chin thoughtfully.
“If a member of the Imperial House received a prescription or visited the hospital frequently, it will be difficult to track that person’s movements. But that same logic applies to the Imperial House too.”
“Meaning the movements of Imperial House members are not entirely free either.”
“Right. Even collateral royal lineage members are followed by at least one lady-in-waiting or aide.”
If I were Uigu Daegun, how would I have judged it? There would certainly be times when it was advantageous to use a royal member whose movements were hard to track. But in a case like this, wouldn’t it be more likely that he’d use someone who could avoid suspicion entirely?
Sun’s thoughts came to a halt at one point. Her fingers, which had been tapping the teacup, stopped moving.
“Children of Imperial House members—but children who are not themselves Imperial House members. Investigate them.”
“The children of collateral royal lineage… Is that what you mean?”
“I’ll send you the list through Jo Jeonwi. I’ll make sure this gets handled quickly.”
Sun smiled faintly. Her composure was such that one would never believe she had been lost in shock mere moments before.
“Then shall we begin moving?”
Sun pressed lightly against the table and rose from her seat. Tae-o’s gaze followed her.
“What are your plans now, Your Highness?”
“I need to visit Halba Mama.”
Despite the determined tone of her voice, the smile on her face was bright. That expression, touched by no shadow of sorrow, somehow looked all the sadder for it.

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