Chapter 84

“How did she disappear from this palace amid tight security?”

It was difficult to know if he murmured it out of anger or concern. His eyes were cold, his expression calm and his voice was as stern as always.

While keeping the court ladies in the dark to stop them from spreading rumors about her, he called the imperial soldiers to search for her inconspicuously, which was rather surprising to Kyosul’s nanny. How did the Crown Princess disappeared from the palace?

Her mysterious disappearance was scandalous enough to damage the dignity of the East Palace.

“Long Live the Crown Prince! Your Majesty!”

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Kyosul’s nanny approached him furtively, with her face turning white.

“So, did you find out her whereabouts?”

“Well, the Crown Princess….”

She couldn’t open her mouth easily. After some hesitation, she cautiously said in a way that would not test his patience any further.

“I hear that people in the South Palace don’t know about Prince Ruhae’s whereabouts at the moment.”

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According to the South Palace people, Ruhae also disappeared on the night Kyosul did.

In the end, Bipaan narrowed one of his eyebrows and asked, “When did he disappear?”

“Around noon….”

“When did you say the Crown Princess left the East Palace?”

“Around noon…..” she said, closing her eyes quietly. She was troubled to give him the same answer.

While she was shivering with fear, he didn’t show any reaction.

Standing in his place, he just looked far ahead.

Everything made Bipaan uncomfortable. Despite that, he held his own. Checking the lamp lights around the palace, he told the nanny, “You stay in the Dongbi Palace. When she returns, let me know as soon as possible. Got it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Long Live the Crown Prince!”

Bowing to him politely, she quickly turned and headed for the Dongbi Place, Kyosul’s residence.

Then he secretly ordered the eunuch serving her at hand.

“Tell the people in the South Palace that Prince Ruhae is helping me at my order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With his head lowered, the eunuch quickly disappeared into the South Palace to convey his message.

While looking at the flickering lamp lights in the dark, his eyes looked lonely.

“Long Live the Crown Prince! I’m honored to see you.”

Hearing somebody offering unpleasant greetings, Bipaan slowly turned his head, his expression hardened.

Dukwol and Oran came near him, smiling slyly as usual.

“I hear that there was an incident in the East Palace,” Dukwol said.

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Bipaan said.

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“I am sorry to hear you saying so. As a member of the royal family, how can I sit idle when something bad has happened in the East Palace?”

Paying lip service, Dukwol stood beside Bipaan. Looking at the lamp lights side by side with him, Bipaan looked down coldly. Smiling awkwardly, Dukwol moved half-step back.

“Are you looking for the Crown Princess only inside the palace?”

At his asking, Bipaan turned around and stared at him sternly.

With a stiff smile, Dukwol added, “I just want to ask if the Crown Princess left the palace.”

“Well, they already checked all the gates in all directions, including the main gate of the Central Palace but didn’t find her.”

“Oh, I see. Why don’t you try to search for her in Mt. Mokak?”

“Why the hell are you bringing up Mt. Mokak?”

“Oh, it just occurred to my mind.”

Although Bipaan mentioned the major three gates of the palace, Dukwol took pains to mention Mt. Mokak. Bipaan looked straight at him.

No matter how big of a fuss the people in the East Palace made about searching for Kyosul, it was impossible for the relevant rumor to get around in the West Palace. Bipaan also felt suspicious about Dukwol and Oran’s unusual move to help him with the search effort. Obviously, they seemed to know something about her whereabouts.

But Bipaan didn’t go to the trouble of asking him. He just listened to what Dukwol was telling him.

“Well, when we were young, we all ran around wildly in and around the palace. In particular, we found a side door of the palace and went through it to climb Mt. Mokak.”

Dukwol pretended to reminisce about his childhood days with some nostalgia.

“Of course, you never went there as you were noble and high-minded even when you were a child.”

“Side door of the palace?”

Ignoring Dukwol’s sarcastic remarks, Bipaan showed interest in the side door.

“As I hear, the Crown Princess was a notoriously naughty girl in her motherland. I just wonder if she found the side door by chance and went out of it with an adventurous spirit. It just occurred to me.”

Of course, he made the remarks on purpose, given his detailed explanation. Bipaan looked straight into his eyes.

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Bipaan asked the eunuch behind his back, “Have you heard anything new from the East Palace?”

“No, no news yet.”

Bipaan looked straight ahead. He saw the flickering lamp lights in the distance.

Without turning back, he ordered Dukwol, “Escort me to that side door.”

“Absolutely! Just follow me!”

Though Dukwol made a sly smile, Bipaan didn’t see it as he only looked ahead.

He passed by the internal wall of the palace toward the outer wall that separated the palace from the outside towns.

There were more side doors along the wall than he thought. In addition to the side door reserved for court people, there was another one that had been closed a long time ago.

“Aha! It looks like many years have passed. I didn’t know the side door was covered with ivy like this.”

While he was overly chatty, Dukwol walked ahead, looking for the side door. Bipaan’s expression grew harder.

The outer wall was all covered with ivy. Though the southern wall was maintained in good order, the wall facing Mt. Mokwol was in bad shape. Except for anybody who remembered there was a side door here, it was impossible to find it here easily.

“I think there was a side door somewhere near here…..”

Dukwol looked around here and there to find it out.

“Ah!”

As if he discovered something, Dukwol raised his voice and put the lamp near it.

While looking at it, Bipaan’s eyes were opened wide with surprise.

“Call the Imperial Army!” he immediately ordered.

The side door that Dukwol discovered was revealed to him, and some of the ivy covering the door had been pulled out here and there.

Though it was late summer, it was heralding the imminent arrival of autumn in the palace. The temperature in the mountains was chilly enough to make them feel cold. It was already past 9 PM.

“This is something serious, man! If the Crown Princess had walked toward Mt. Mokak and got lost there, she has been stuck in the mountains at least two hours.”

Folding his arms, Dulwol pretended to shiver with cold by rubbing his hands.

Though he didn’t like Dukwol’s attitude at the moment, Bipaan didn’t show any particular reaction as the former tipped him off on the side door.

If he could find Kyosul, he had to give Dulwoo the due credit.

Bipaan ordered some of the soldiers searching the palace to head for Mt. Mokak. He himself climbed the mountain.

“I noticed the traces of human footprints here.”

One of the soldiers on the search came to report to Bipaan and escorted him there.

Once they found the footsteps, they found the search much easier.

“Good for you!” said Dukwol.

“We only found the footsteps. We may not know yet if we can find her.”

Despite Dukwol’s triumphant voice, Bipaan threw cold water on his optimistic thinking.

After that, they silently focused on following the footsteps, and soon found a dilapidated shack.

Bipaan lifted his fist above his head. The soldiers out on the search stopped for a moment at his gesture. The big noise they made while moving around for the search became quiet.

Bipaal looked at the shack for a while.

Even though the hinges of the door were torn apart, it was closed perfectly. There were no signs of human presence or no lights inside.

“It looks like…..”

Dukwol was trying to say something, but Bipaan stopped him by extending his hand quickly.

And then Bipaan slowly walked toward the shack, trying to muffle his steps. He pushed the door gently, but it was tightly shut.

Examining the door carefully, he lifted his feet suddenly.

Bang!

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With a big bang, the door was thrust open. Now, their lamps lighted the room vaguely. As expected, there were Ruhae and Kyosul inside the room.

“Crown Princess!”

Bipaan called Kyosul.

Only then did Ruhae come to his senses. He put down his hands on her shoulders and sprang to his feet

“Long live the Crown Prince! I’m honored to see you.”

Ruhae naturally offered greetings to him.

“How come you are here, brother Ruhae?”

Approaching Bipaan quickly, Dukwol shouted in astonishment.

Though he looked surprised, Dukwol’s shouting was mixed with mockery.

Dukwol’s sharp voice resonated throughout the shack and heightened the tight atmosphere.