Chapter 56

How could he get arrested for the simple fact that he was with the court lady poisoned Heyjin?

Prince Binsung was the fourth in line to succeed the throne with the least chance of succession among the four princes. Despite that, he was the most favored by Emperor Ohyulje.

How could they start the interrogation so quickly and charge Prince Ruhae with treason?

The only consideration they had for him was to let Crown Prince Bipaan, not Emperor Ohyulje, proceed with the interrogation in person.

After she got briefed about the whole situation, Kyosul still could not believe it. In a trembling voice, she denied strongly, “No, no, he wouldn’t plot treason!”

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“Oh my god, Your Highness!”

The nanny hugged her. Though Kyosul herself didn’t notice it, the nanny realized that she was shaking as if she was having a seizure.

“I don’t know what happened, but they found a witness….”

“But they can’t charge him with treason simply because he was with a suspected court lady, right?” Kyosul shouted while crying. But the nanny didn’t respond. Instead, she kept stroking her back quietly.

Kyosul seemed to be ready to collapse as she felt so dizzy, but she tried her best to pull herself together. She couldn’t space out in a situation where she didn’t know how the interrogation was going.

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“What could happen to him?”

That was a dreadful question. She could predict what punishment the emperor would mete out to Ruhae if he was convicted of treason, but she didn’t want to believe that. Nonetheless, she went to the trouble of asking just because she wanted to shy away from it.

“If anyone was interrogated at the state level, I hear they couldn’t be freed easily no matter how light their charges were…”

The nanny couldn’t tell a lie even though she knew Kyosul couldn’t stand it. Kyosul seemed so stunned to hear every word the nanny said.

She stared into the air blankly. She felt as if her heart were exploding. While she was agonizing, she suddenly felt as if she lost the whole world.

The fact was that Ruhae was arrested and taken to the palace. Obviously, he was falsely charged without any firm evidence, so he would be freed clearly. He was set to be freed by all means.

As he didn’t commit any crime, he shouldn’t get any punishment, but the interrogation was far from ordinary. It was the king’s own interrogation. Accordingly, anybody taken for such interrogation could not be freed unscathed.

After some severe angst, she barely opened her eyes and murmured in a low voice, “I can’t lose him.”

She now realized one thing. And she had to admit it, too.

No matter how many difficulties she would be faced with, she couldn’t lose him, nor did she want to lose him.

At the same time, she had to admit that if Prince Ruhae were taken for interrogation, he would face the punishment of execution or he would be freed in critical condition.

She felt she was foolish. Only now did she realize that she could lose him.

No matter how dreadful and difficult she felt, and no matter how unethical her actions were, she felt she couldn’t lose him. She couldn’t sit idle.

“What should I do?”

Could she just sit idle and wait for the results of the interrogation?

I wish I could help him…

Her eyes stopped trembling and sparkled. As if she purified of her overflowing embarrassment and anger, she seemed to resolve herself firmly.

Coming to her senses, Kyosul prettied herself up quickly and headed for the North Palace immediately. She sorted out her thoughts and judged that the fastest way to put Ruhae in the clear was the testimony of the direct party, namely Prince Heyjin.

“Off limits to everybody!”

She had to stop before the gate of the North Palace as the imperial soldiers stopped her with their glaring spears. The nanny following her scolded them by saying, “How rude you are! She is the Crown Princess!”

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But one of the soldiers lowered his head and said, “We’re sorry, but this is the emperor’s order, Your Highness!”

“As Prince Heyjin had such a dangerous incident, I don’t think I can see her today,” Kyosul said.

As she became so impatient, she didn’t expect that the North Palace was off limits to outsiders.

But she could not go back empty-handed as she came here all the way from the East Palace. Looking at the North Palace surrounded by imperial soldiers, she turned slowly.

“I hear the Crown Prince was in charge of the interrogation, is that true, right?” she asked the nanny.

“Yes, Your Highness!” the nanny answered with a worried look.

The nanny recalled her terrified face when she heard about Ruhae’s arrest and interrogation. Startled at the news for a while, she cried and begged. Now, Kyosul had sorted out her emotions and got dolled up. It was the first time that the nanny saw such a calm and resolute expression on Kyosul’s face. She was almost scared of her boss.

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Though she cared about her and stayed with her, the nanny couldn’t figure out what weak-hearted Kyosul was thinking. The thought made her nervous.

“Let me head for the East Palace now!”

“Your Highness!”

“You told me Bipaan was in charge of the interrogation, right?”

She walked to the East Palace immediately. As she walked so briskly, the nanny couldn’t stop her and could only hesitantly follow her.

The nanny didn’t realize that her way of speaking had suddenly changed. Kyosul spoke down to her.

The East Palace was vacant.

Despite the court ladies’ embarrassed reactions, Kyosul told them that she would wait for Bipaan, the owner of the palace. As Kyosul was the Crown Princess they couldn’t deny her and had no choice but to escort her into his room even though they feared Bipaan’s harsh scolding later.

She entered the empty room and waited for Bipaan. She closed her lips tightly and frowned. The heavy atmosphere of the East Palace couldn’t overwhelm her at the moment.

“Lady Yuon!”

The nanny was embarrassed as she replied, “Yes, Your Highness Crown Princess!”

It was the first time that Kyosul had called the nanny by her official title. As the nanny was so tense, she called Kyosul by her official title.

“Go to the interrogation place right away and check out the situation for me. You have to come back before the interrogation is over and before Bipaan comes back here. Please find out what kind of questions he asked, what kind of problem Prince Ruhae has gotten into, and the ways they have tried to entrap him.”

“Your Highness…”

“Just hurry up!” Kyosul demanded again. It was the first time Kyosul had ever acted this way.

“Yes, I’ll follow your order right away.”

The nanny lowered her head politely. She was suddenly choked up with emotion when she saw Kyosul exercising her authority for the first time. The nanny was impressed and scared because she knew what made Kyosul act like this.

The nanny headed for the temporary interrogation place, while Kyosul was waited in Bipaan’s room.

“The Crown Prince has arrived!” the eunuch announced when Bipaan got back in the evening. He went to his room immediately. Though he was exhausted after interrogating Ruhae all day, Bipaan looked majestic and dignified when he came in.

Kyosul stood up and offered a formal greetings to him. Even before she was done greeting, he sat in his chair.

“Your Majesty!” she said, sitting on the mat.

Though she steeled her heart before him, her voice trembled when she sat face to face with him because she knew how dangerous it was to say what she wanted to say.

But I should speak out right now if I want to protect my lover, Ruhae.

Her nanny had already briefed Kyosul about what happened at the interrogation place. Though she hurried up, she left a bit late from the beginning, so when she got there, she could only watch the court ladies with the North Palace testifying against Ruhae.

Kyosul pondered how she would deal with Bipaan before his arrival.

I’ve made myself so resolute…

Her fingers trembled on her knees. Was it because she remained too tense while waiting in the empty East Palace all day long? When she saw him right, she felt like she was dizzy and nauseous. Her lips were dry.

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His black eyes, colorful crown and neat official dress made him look sterner than before, and she had to defend Ruhae.

“Prince Ruhae was with me at that time.”

There was a silence. It made her doubt if she had actually spoken to him.

Bipaan didn’t show any reaction even after he heard what she just said.

Clap, clap, clap.

He clapped slowly and said, “You’re so pitiable.”

Kyosul thought he was smiling at her. It vanished seconds later.

“How pitiful you are!”

She flinched at his icy response.

She shut her mouth tightly as if to calm herself down.