Chapter 3

Though age had bent his back, rounded his shoulders, and made him smaller and frailer, his presence and dignity had not easily faded.

The Emperor welcomed Seon with an exhausted expression.

He was ninety years old and had managed to maintain a youthful appearance for his age, but the deep wrinkles carved by the pain of losing two of his children could not be hidden.

Twenty years ago, he had already lost his third son.

They had called it a traffic accident then, too.

After two decades—enough time for mountains and rivers to change twice—he had now lost his eldest son in another identical accident.

Seon could not even begin to comprehend such grief.

“Grandfather.”

Seon barely managed to open her mouth.

It was difficult to speak while facing the sheer weight of the Emperor’s thoughts.

But the Emperor did not answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly raised one hand, asking her to wait.

He occasionally let out a deep sigh, as though trying to organize his thoughts.

The sorrow mixed into those sighs shook Seon’s previously calm heart.

After taking some time to choose his words, he finally opened his mouth.

“Seon-ah.”

There was profound anguish in his voice.

The Emperor had always tried to behave more like an imperial family member than anyone else, never allowing himself to show agitation under any circumstances.

But this time, even he was shaken.

“The Crown Prince…… will soon be transferred to Suhakwon Hospital. The Crown Princess Consort went directly to Suwon, so she’ll come back up with him once everything is sorted out.”

“I heard that he hasn’t passed away yet.”

At Seon’s question, the Emperor let out another deep sigh.

“When the paramedics arrived, his heart had already stopped. They barely managed to revive him, and then his heart stopped again during the transfer. They were only able to keep him breathing.”

The situation the Emperor described was even more horrifying than what Seon had heard.

The implications hidden behind those restrained words—there is no chance of resuscitation—were far more enormous than she had realized.

“Those of us who are still alive and breathing must continue to do our part. That is what it means to be a member of the Imperial Family, is it not?”

The Emperor struggled to continue.

“We will soon establish the National Funeral Directorate and begin preparations for the funeral. I will appoint your father as the Chief Commissioner and have him oversee the funeral, so you should be aware of that.”

“My father?”

Seon asked in dismay.

Ever since the establishment of the constitutional monarchy, the Chief Commissioner for a state funeral had traditionally been the person next in line to the throne after the Crown Prince.

At the state funeral of the previous Emperor and Empress, it had been Grand Prince Yeonchin, the eldest son.

At the state funeral of the Grand Empress Dowager, Grand Prince Uigoo had taken the role.

That meant that, according to precedent, the current state funeral should also be overseen by Grand Prince Uigoo, who was the highest-ranking person in the line of succession.

The sudden appearance of her father’s name made Seon uncomfortable.

No matter how much she disliked Grand Prince Uigoo and Prince Gyeongan, she could not simply leap over their higher positions in the succession.

The same applied to her father, Grand Prince Uijeong.

He was fifth in line.

Even if the line of succession were reorganized following the Crown Prince’s death, wouldn’t he become fourth?

“Why would you give such an important responsibility to Father? There will surely be opposition, especially since there is already a precedent.”

Grand Prince Uigoo was a man overflowing with greed.

It was difficult to understand whom he could possibly have inherited that trait from.

Whatever he decided he wanted, he was determined to possess it no matter what.

Yet at the same time, he was more sensitive than anyone whenever someone tried to take something that belonged to him.

Seon knew that well, having always been treated coldly by Grand Prince Uigoo.

The only way to deal with him was to ignore him as much as possible until an appropriate solution could be found, while making sure never to openly turn one’s back on him.

“Grand Prince Uigoo cannot do it.”

Despite Seon’s concerns, the Emperor answered decisively.

Under ordinary circumstances, Seon might have backed down at this point.

She was a good granddaughter, and she knew how seriously she was supposed to regard the Emperor’s orders as a member of the Imperial Family.

But she was human, too.

The trajectory of power was about to change.

Even if she did not welcome the possibility of Grand Prince Uigoo becoming Crown Prince, it was not something she could stop with her own power.

Grand Prince Uigoo was a cruel man.

He was especially cruel toward those who turned their backs on him.

How many members of the Imperial Family had been pushed aside simply because they had once said something he disliked?

If all the weights on the scale had already tipped, was there anything Seon could do besides hold her breath and keep her head down?

Throwing oneself at an enemy while powerless was something only a moth flying into a flame would do.

“I cannot understand Your Majesty’s intentions.”

Seon cautiously pushed back.

“Grand Prince Uigoo has already served as Chief Commissioner before.”

“Seon-ah.”

The Emperor shook his head once again and called her name.

Seon’s anxious eyes met his.

The Emperor’s eyes, which must once have shone brilliantly in his youth, had grown dark and clouded.

The profound sorrow within them could not possibly be described in words.

The anxiety and instinct for survival Seon had felt the moment she learned of her uncle’s death suddenly seemed like nothing more than a pitiful plea before him.

“I cannot tell you everything just yet, child.”

The Emperor spoke in a weary voice.

Listening carefully, Seon noticed that his voice cracked slightly at the end.

It seemed that he, too, had been crying before she arrived.

He might be the Emperor, but ultimately, he was still a father.

To the Crown Prince, to Grand Prince Uigoo, to Grand Prince Uijeong, and even to Grand Prince Uiyeong, who had died twenty years ago.

There had to be a reason why such a father, despite knowing about his second son’s ambitions, deliberately chose his youngest son.

Seon felt her clouded mind becoming clear again.

Even at this miserable moment, having just lost his eldest son, he was making the best choice possible as Emperor.

“However, I can tell you that there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the Crown Prince’s accident.”

“What do you mean?”

In an instant, a hazy image flashed through Seon’s mind.

A limousine completely overturned after the collision.

A little boy barely managing to draw ragged breaths.

A girl bleeding after being struck by fragments of the wreckage as she shielded that child in her arms.

And a man with a blurred face, tapping his foot against the half-shattered window as though checking something.

“We’ll have to investigate the details.”

The Emperor muttered the words and exhaled before beckoning Seon toward him.

Seon had been standing near the door, but she stepped forward at his summons.

She came close enough now that she could reach him simply by extending her hand.

The Emperor slowly reached out and took Seon’s hand.

Despite being the hand of a ninety-year-old man, his firm, wrinkled fingers suddenly tightened with surprising strength.

“There will be many things for you to do, child.”

“For me?”

When Seon hesitated, his grip tightened even further.

It was difficult to believe such strength belonged to a ninety-year-old man.

He held her hand as though he had no intention of ever letting go and spoke.

“Whatever happens to you from now on, do not be afraid, Princess Cheongyang.”

“Grandfather?”

“You are a member of the Imperial Family. More than anyone else, you are the very embodiment of what an imperial family member should be. Do you understand what I mean?”

The Emperor’s voice instantly grew heavier.

Seon involuntarily swallowed.

Whenever her grandfather adopted that solemn tone and emphasized her status, she felt as though she truly could not move an inch.

The heavy status and obligations of being a member of the Imperial Family wrapped around Seon in the name of responsibility.

“……Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You are a clever child.”

The Emperor murmured something she could not understand, then stared directly into Seon’s eyes.

His gaze was sharper than ever.

“Your father will be coming up to Seoul soon as well, so you should stay at one of the detached palaces for the time being. It may be troublesome, but I need you to keep watch over the members of the Imperial Family.”

Watching over the imperial family members was something Seon was occasionally asked to do.

There was pressure from the Emperor behind the fact that she had been elected to the position of a member of the Imperial Clan Council for seven consecutive terms, despite not being particularly popular among the other imperial family members.

“We will convene the Imperial Clan Council within a few days. Any imperial family member with even a little curiosity will probably attend. At times like this, it is better to keep them where we can see them, so watch them carefully.”

“I will.”

“And one more thing.”

The Emperor slowly released her hand.

The hand that had been under such strong pressure now felt strangely empty.

As Seon opened and closed her fist, the Emperor pressed his fingers firmly against his eyelids.

It seemed exhaustion was finally overwhelming him.

“As you can see, I am no longer what I once was. I am an old man now. Do you think the members of the Imperial Family are still afraid of me? That is why I desperately need your help.”

“Will I really be able to help you, Grandfather?”

“Of course. You will be a great help.”

The Emperor smiled faintly.

Perhaps his throat had grown dry, because he picked up the glass of water beside him and drank.

Through the transparent glass, the water slowly disappeared, little by little.

“As you know, the death of an imperial family member requires a basic investigation. Officially, the Crown Prince has not yet died, but it was a serious accident, so a Special Investigation Team for Imperial Family Affairs will be established this time as well. The Imperial Censorate will also participate.”

Members of the Imperial Family were special figures who could not be treated like ordinary people.

Even when an imperial family member died while serving as a soldier, an investigation was conducted as a precaution.

That did not necessarily mean an autopsy or an extensive investigation.

In most cases, it simply amounted to determining what had happened.

However, there seemed to be a reason the Emperor had brought up the investigation this time.

There was a clear indication that he did not intend to let it end as a mere investigation for appearances’ sake.

“I will recommend you, so join the investigation together with the Imperial Censorate.”

“What?”

Seon touched her ear for a moment before asking again.

She was certain she must have heard him incorrectly.

The Imperial Censorate specialized in inspection and enforcement, so even if she joined the investigation team, they would certainly be able to fulfill their role.

But she was different.

Seon was merely a small, ordinary citizen—no, an ordinary imperial family member—who knew how to handle the official duties assigned to her, fulfill her obligations, and live within her means.

There were plenty of attention-seekers in the Imperial Family who would welcome such a massive responsibility.

But Seon was certainly not one of them.

At her core, Seon believed in contentment with one’s station.

She believed that people should know their place and live within their means.

But the Emperor drove the point home once again.

“I said that you are to participate in the investigation.”

“Grandfather!”

“There are things you may be able to see precisely because you are not an expert.”

The Emperor spoke with a strange certainty.

“Perhaps you may even find the answer to the mystery you have been searching for all these years.”

A chill ran down Seon’s spine.

Did her grandfather know about the feelings she had secretly harbored all alone?

Yet when she finally managed to meet the Emperor’s eyes, she saw no reproach in them.

Still caught in a haze of uncertainty, dawn broke on the day after the Crown Prince’s accident.