Royal Coup d'État - Chapter 6

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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 6
Fluffy clouds of thought kept trying to fill her mind with the man’s face—sometimes ratlike, other times leonine, an adversary who was both frightening and ridiculous by turns.
Seon shook her head again, dispelling the image.
“There may be outside forces trying to abolish the Imperial institution itself, but inside the Palace there are plenty of fools who believe that if only the succession line disappears, they themselves could become Emperor.”
The structure of the Imperial House was somewhat complicated.
Former Emperor Seon had fathered two sons and one daughter.
However, his firstborn was illegitimate, while his second son and daughter were the legitimate offspring of Empress Jin Sung, who had risen from concubinage to the position of Empress.
When the Imperial Law was enacted, the succession right passed to the second son, who became the legitimate heir. Yet Empress Jin Sung, who had raised and brought up the former Emperor’s eldest son since childhood, formally adopted him as her own by granting him the rank of Prince, making him her legal eldest.
And so he gained justification—a legal claim to succession as the Empress’s firstborn son.
“Of course, neither Prince Yeon nor Princess Jeong Hoe harbored ambition for the throne, yet there are still Imperial clansmen who lament that succession right they lost.”
“If we’re being precise, both of them had stronger claims to the succession than His Majesty does now.”
“There will always be small-minded folk who muddy the waters. Well. Though in truth, we can’t fault them alone for it either.”
The Imperial Palace appeared harmonious and peaceful on the surface, yet within its walls, factions existed who schemed against one another and grasped for even the slightest advantage.
From a distance, it might have started with the descendants of Prince Yeon or Princess Jeong Hoe, but looking just to one side revealed the cunning old uncle—the second eldest brother—didn’t it?
Seok Chul nodded in agreement, his face set hard and angular.
“Then you believe someone among the Imperial clansmen may have been involved in the Crown Prince’s accident?”
“Who knows? What do you think, Seok Chul?”
“I understand your perspective. But I doubt they’d resort to such an extreme measure.”
“True enough. The Imperial clansmen have far too much to lose.”
The Imperial family received abundance simply by drawing breath.
From the dignity maintenance allowance distributed the moment one was born, to additional stipends upon receiving rank according to one’s grade, to substantial budgets allocated to each member’s residence—the comfortable existence was assured.
Moreover, when one married and established independence from one’s parents, estates in the provinces would even be granted—there was no question the lifestyle was lavish.
In the twenty-first century, what was so special about being Imperial? Seon had been born as the youngest granddaughter of the Emperor, yet she had never harbored discontent with her position.
But wasn’t mankind inherently a creature of desire? The succession right was not merely a number calculating order for the throne.
The dignity maintenance allowance itself was distributed according to the succession rank. The higher one’s standing, the more public appearances one would make.
“You know how Grand Prince Ui Gu keeps demanding elevation to Prince rank, don’t you?”
“Yes. He’s been insisting on it relentlessly for quite some time.”
The Emperor was exceptionally particular about matters involving public expenditure. After deciding on differential stipends according to rank, he had gone so far as to grant his own sons the rank of Grand Prince rather than Prince, simply to avoid unnecessary spending.
Yet despite having such a father, Grand Prince Ui Gu persisted in his stubborn demand for the rank of Prince—a desire ultimately rooted in money.
“Having much to lose also means holding much in one’s grasp, doesn’t it? And perhaps it means wanting even more?”
Seon murmured this to herself.
That Grand Prince Ui Gu maintained close ties with financial and political figures, arranged marriages among the collateral Imperial lines, and cultivated relationships with high-ranking officials was common knowledge. Most informed people also knew that he pocketed under-the-table funds in the guise of donations throughout these dealings.
Had the Emperor been any younger, possessed more vigor, or—failing that—maintained complete control over the Office of Censorate, it would certainly have been an act requiring suppression.
But with the Emperor now ill and the Office of Censorate overrun with Grand Prince Ui Gu’s allies, there was nothing to be done.
“Is he the one you suspect?”
Seok Chul asked, his brow furrowed.
“Surely Grand Prince Ui Gu wouldn’t go so far as to commit such an act?”
“We’ll find out soon enough once we investigate.”
Seon smiled bitterly and interlaced her fingers tightly, clasping them so firmly they nearly fused together, refusing to separate.
“But isn’t it convenient how everyone who could be called a rival has died?”
“My lady.”
Seok Chul, who had been lost in thought with a grave expression, brushed his hair back and exhaled softly.
“You must never speak of this suspicion aloud to anyone outside these walls.”
“I know.”
I have no power yet.
Swallowing the last words, Seon pressed her interlaced hands to her chin. The jutting knuckles jabbed against her jawbone. Her fingers had gone white from how tightly she gripped them.
Seok Chul watched her for a moment, then calmly relayed the situation.
“His Majesty will convene the Imperial Clan Council the day after tomorrow. The standstill order on the Imperial clansmen will be lifted tomorrow evening.”
“What is the Council’s agenda?”
“By that time, the news blackout will likely be lifted. It will be a discussion of countermeasures regarding that.”
They had barely managed to suppress the press regarding the Crown Prince’s current condition, yet the incident was too grave to conceal entirely. Since the Crown Prince’s exact situation hadn’t been reported, there would certainly be people who sensed something was wrong.
The scale of the accident was significant enough that internet communities were already seeing frequent posts questioning what had happened. To hold out for four days meant the Imperial Household Ministry had marshaled all available power to contain it.
Of course, a meeting of the Imperial Clan Council hardly possessed such considerable influence. Generally speaking, the Imperial clansmen were a foolish and greedy lot. Yet it was precisely the right moment to keep them under observation as the Emperor desired.
“And before the standstill order is officially lifted tomorrow and the clansmen disperse, there is somewhere you must visit.”
“Alone?”
“It is the Emperor’s command.”
At the word “command,” Seon’s mind snapped alert. She recalled yesterday’s meeting with the Emperor, his suggestion—no, his order—that she participate in the Imperial Special Investigation Task Force and assist with their inquiries.
“Will I truly be of any help?”
Seon asked uncertainly. This time, even Seok Chul could not answer with confidence.
“His Majesty’s will is as it is. What more is there to say?”
Seon exhaled slowly. She’d spoken with confidence in front of her father, but there was no dispelling the sense of futility that gnawed at her.
What could she possibly extract from participating in an investigation that proceeded only as ritual, all ceremony and no substance? What did Grandfather expect of her?
Her vision darkened by the minute, yet time continued its relentless march.
* * *
Today’s schedule involved no cameras, no public appearances, yet she’d thrown herself into preparations from dawn with meticulous care.
Even for these closed-door engagements, the attention to makeup and wardrobe down to the smallest detail was the fruit of long years of conditioning.
To be born of the Imperial House meant that a single shade of difference in one’s dress, a pair of gloves an inch too long, could invite public condemnation.
Even sitting with only the government officials present at this inquiry, she could afford no slip, no vulnerability.
And then there was the material Seok Chul had brought last night.
‘I knew the Office of Censorate had been compromised by Grand Prince Ui Gu. But to learn his faction has people inside the police as well…’
Seon’s teeth clenched against her lower lip. Since receiving the roster of the Imperial Special Investigation Task Force and notes on its members of particular concern, she’d been seething—so much so that sleep had eluded her entirely. Before the investigation had even begun, she was already at a disadvantage.
“My goodness, Seon. Your lips are rubbing off.”
Only after receiving the lady-in-waiting’s rebuke did Seon manage to restore a composed expression to her face. She closed her eyes, feeling the ticklish sensation of the brush moving back and forth across her lips.
The car carrying Seon moved quietly into the basement parking garage of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Given that the Crown Prince’s accident was classified, her visit too had to proceed in absolute secrecy. Dressed deliberately in a tweed jacket with black trousers and shoes, Seon stepped out of the vehicle.
After Seok Chul rose from the passenger seat to open the door for her, Seon offered him a slight bow, then turned and found herself facing an unfamiliar voice.
“Good morning.”
At the clipped, low tone of the man’s voice, Seon slowly lifted her head.
A man in a casual black T-shirt and thin tan leather jacket, dark jeans completing the ensemble, greeted her with a stolid expression.
The short hair visible as he bowed down looked sharp as a hedgehog’s spines, making her hesitate for just a moment despite herself.
The sharpness wasn’t confined to his hair; his voice that followed held an edge as well.
“I’m Senior Inspector Kwon Tae O. I’ll be seeing you through the investigation.”
As the man straightened, an ID necklace dangled visibly across his broad chest. The photograph embedded in it showed him at a slightly younger age, rendered with unmistakable clarity.
Seon offered a brief, quiet cough and bowed her head lightly.
“Thank you for the guidance. I’m Seon.”
That was all.
Despite it being just a single greeting, the man’s brow creased with unmistakable displeasure. It was the first cold reception Seon—usually so confident in her public approval ratings—had ever encountered.

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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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