It has been a week since Joo Minhyuk left for the United States.
It was only last week that I went to the amusement park with him, but strangely, it feels like a lifetime ago.
There are no complicated matters to handle, but since Joo Minhyuk and the Empress Dowager are gone, I am currently the highest-ranking person in South Korea.
Because of that, I have been keeping quite busy myself.
Did I rely on Joo Minhyuk more than I thought?
Ever since he left, the weather feels like it has suddenly grown much colder.
December is naturally a cold season, but the temperature feels like it has plummeted drastically.
Joo Minhyuk announced his absence to the citizens before leaving for the States.
There was no detailed mention of what was going on, but the citizens’ curiosity grew when he stated it was not a vacation.
And my own curiosity grew as well.
What is Joo Minhyuk doing right now?
Actually, he hasn’t contacted me since our phone call the day before yesterday.
Of course, I knew he would be frantic since his schedule was due to the Empress Dowager’s illness, but I wanted to know how the situation was unfolding.
Where was she unwell, and how long would the treatment take?
Ever since our last phone call, looking at my phone has become a habit.
“Sigh…. It takes time to do examinations and get results, so I should wait a little longer.”
However, the palace is eerily quiet.
It wasn’t as if Joo Minhyuk had taken all the other servants with him, yet it was dead silent.
Even without Joo Minhyuk, the countless affairs of the palace kept running without pause, so the people who always worked should still be there, but that was just how it felt to me.
“I wish he would come back quickly.”
“Who? His Majesty?”
“Yeah…. I feel anxious for no reason.”
“What’s this? Separation anxiety? What is there to be anxious about? Right now, the security is tighter than ever and everything is stable.”
When I showed my anxiety, Hyunwook laughed and asked if it was separation anxiety.
But I could hardly laugh, as if admitting it.
The feeling is just strange.
The air inside the palace feels tightly strained and rigid, as if tense with anticipation.
“…What about Seojoo? Still doing well?”
“Yeah. Just the same as usual. Why, do you miss him?”
“I always miss him. But I can’t leave my post right now, can I? Why does my chest feel so stifled?”
Yes. My chest feels heavy and I feel a sense of oppression.
Maybe it’s because Hanbin hyung is strangely unreachable and Joo Minhyuk isn’t here either.
How did the past me ever think of sending Joo Minhyuk to the Yeonghwa Palace?
Just the fact that he isn’t by my side makes me this anxious….
“Hyunwook. Nothing is really wrong right now, right? I mean my grandfather. Since His Majesty is away, isn’t he busy acting as the emperor’s proxy? Why isn’t he entering the palace?”
“His Majesty said he handled his duties cleanly before leaving. I practically died because of that. He also mentioned he would hold video conferences. We aren’t living in ancient times, so state affairs won’t be paralyzed just because the Emperor isn’t here.”
“Right…. I suppose so.”
He told me he wouldn’t be away for long.
A fortnight.
He said it would be a fortnight at most.
He said even if he had to leave the country again, he would return first.
And perhaps because I am stressing over it, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach again.
It had been fine, but it’s acting up again?
As expected, this must be stress-induced, right?
Furthermore, before going to the United States, Joo Minhyuk told Hyunwook not to leave my side, and if there was anyone even slightly suspicious, to attack without a second thought.
That was why Hyunwook did not leave my side for even a moment.
Even though there are plenty of rooms for him to rest comfortably anywhere, he stubbornly falls asleep on the sofa in front of my bedroom, causing discomfort.
I tried to dissuade him, but he is so stubborn that he won’t listen.
And that day, too, there was no word from Joo Minhyuk.
[How is the Empress Dowager? She isn’t severely ill somewhere, right? I’m contacting you because I’m worried.]
Since I didn’t know what his situation was over there, I didn’t call him because it might disrupt his rest if he was sleeping.
Even so, the man who always made sure to contact me in the evening sent no news, so I texted him first.
I fell asleep with my phone right next to me, not knowing when he might reach out, but Joo Minhyuk did not reply to the text either.
Perhaps that was why I tossed and turned that night and even had a strange dream.
I don’t remember it very clearly, but it was a deeply distressing dream.
My anxious psychological state must have manifested itself in that way.
The wind, the air, and the atmosphere inside the palace—everything was ever so minutely different.
I don’t know how to express it in words, but that’s how it was.
And whether by coincidence or fate, my anxiety soon manifested in a visible form.
It was the eighth day since Joo Minhyuk left the palace for the United States.
My grandfather, who had been so elusive, finally showed himself.
Furthermore, he wasn’t alone; he was accompanied by his familiar political factions.
There is something strange about the way he struts into the palace in triumph.
He claimed to be sick, but it seems that wasn’t the case at all.
His complexion looks better than ever, and his robust physique, unique to an Alpha, creates an even greater sense of intimidation.
With my grandfather’s appearance, Hyunwook sticks close to my side, and the security personnel around me also step in tighter.
Finally, my grandfather stops right in front of my nose.
He shows his courtesy to me and bows his head.
I frown at his compliant demeanor but do not openly show it. I also bow my head in response to his greeting.
It has been a very long time since I last met my grandfather.
After being humiliated by the Emperor, he was stripped of all authority to approach me.
However, the fact that he came to me must mean it was only possible because the Emperor is away.
I stare at my grandfather without saying a word.
“It has been a long time, Your Highness of Daebin Palace. I have heard rumors about the harmonious relationship between Your Majesty and Your Highness. The news managed to reach my ears as well.”
“…Is that so?”
“Is it not a great relief that your Omega pheromones are being released normally?”
“Yes. I think so too.”
In the midst of this meaningless conversation, my grandfather and I probe each other.
What is he thinking, and how on earth did he manage to enter the palace and visit my quarters?
“I hear you have also safely completed the consummation of your marriage, so you couldn’t be more commendable.”
Commendable? There’s no way he means that.
“To be honest, my stomach was twisted with resentment and rage, so I couldn’t sleep. I fell ill. Having two grandsons stolen by the Emperor at the same time, it would be stranger if I felt perfectly fine. Don’t you agree?”
“They weren’t stolen; they simply returned to their original places. Hyung returned to the military, and I merely went to my Alpha.”
At my calm response, his mouth twists greatly into a sneer.
It is an expression that anyone can see is pure mockery.
Why does he want to act so childishly toward his young grandson?
“You are quite triumphant. Do you truly believe you receive the Emperor’s love?”
Then does that mean I’m hated? That’s not it either. Well, you would certainly wish for that.
“Would that fox-like Emperor ever truly love you, madman that he is?”
Hyunwook tries to protest at the Prime Minister’s informal speech, but I restrain him.
That man is not someone Hyunwook can handle.
For now, I need to discern his intentions.
“Then, Grandfather, what do you think His Majesty’s actions mean?”
“Well, who knows? But one thing is certain: there is no way the Emperor loves you, my grandson. My child, you are of my bloodline. The very bloodline of the man the Emperor loathes more than anyone else.”
“The person His Majesty loathes is you, Grandfather, not me. So it’s an emotion that has nothing to do with me.”
I don’t even blink at my grandfather’s attempt to drive a wedge between us.
I have seen the way Joo Minhyuk treats me.
Ever since Joo Minhyuk held my hand and helped me, I couldn’t find a single shred of pretense in his eyes. He was always sincere.
Yet, as if mocking my thoughts, my grandfather bursts into loud laughter.
“This is exactly why you are naive. It seems you have fallen for the affection born of sharing a body and a blanket. An Alpha, you see, is a creature that can embrace an Omega they do not love as long as they are drawn to the Omega’s pheromones. I know this better than anyone because I am an Alpha myself. Other Omegas must have also thought, ‘I’m different, I’m not that kind of existence.'”
“Are you resorting to this kind of method now? You’re doing this on purpose because you know I’ve grown closer to His Majesty.”
“It’s not on purpose; I am merely showing you reality. Foolish child. Do you truly think he poured out all his sincerity to you? Absolutely not. So do not regret it later and think carefully again. Will you come back to me, the one who will hold your hand, or will you be abandoned by the Emperor just like that and end up with nowhere to go?”
Why did this man suddenly show up and say such things?
I try to maintain a calm expression because I don’t want to show it, but my hands tremble uncontrollably with anxiety.
If Hyunwook hadn’t been standing next to me, I might have collapsed.
Watching me with satisfaction, my grandfather turns around and walks a few steps, then stops in his tracks as if remembering something and looks back at me.
And I know that look.
The face of someone who knows the answer but won’t tell me, teasing and testing me instead.
“I wonder if the Emperor will even be able to abandon you.”
“…What kind of absurd remark is that?”
“Whether it’s an absurd remark or not, we will have to wait and see. The Emperor has to be alive for him to either cherish you or abandon you, wouldn’t he?”
“What did you say?”
Has that old man gone mad?
That man definitely knows something right now to be acting like this.
I tightly bite my trembling lip and think of Joo Minhyuk, who hasn’t contacted me for days.
Chills run down my spine.
“I said he has to be alive to either embrace you or cast you aside. Your life is going to become quite pitiful.”
Having said up to that point, he merely shows a smile and shuts his mouth, as if he has no intention of saying any more.
He looks as if he has finally vented the grudge he had pent up all this time.
Why is he shaking a person up with those kinds of words?
Watching until my grandfather’s figure disappears completely, my mind shifts to Hyung along with Joo Minhyuk.
What happened to Hyung?
And Joo Minhyuk?
I feel anxious and terrified.
I also realize that the way things are unfolding right now is definitely strange.
