68 – VCR

I met Hyun-wook and my brother in a room tucked away in a corner where few people ventured. My brother looked pale, repeatedly rubbing his face as if trying to hide his bewilderment. It was a rare sight; he was usually the epitome of composure. Beside him, Hyun-wook watched me with a stiff expression, tilting his head in confusion.

“Do you actually believe Lee Si-yoon? I can’t. I was by His Majesty’s side for a while—not as long as you, but still. The His Majesty I know isn’t the type to take such a reckless gamble. You’ve already gotten on his bad side once; you think he’d do the same thing again?”

“He’s right. As Hyun-wook said, His Majesty is not one to repeat the same mistake twice. That’s why it would be better for you to verify this for sure.”

My brother also admitted that he couldn’t understand it. Since I also knew that Joo Min-hyeok didn’t make the same mistake twice, their confusion wasn’t incomprehensible.

“I know what you mean. I want to do that right now, but I can’t. I don’t have the courage to verify it because I’m afraid it might be true. But having heard those words, I can’t just sit still. Besides, you two only know Emperor Joo Min-hyeok; you don’t know Alpha Joo Min-hyeok.”

Alpha Joo Min-hyeok. He hated it when other men were near me. He was a man who felt jealousy and rivalry even toward my own biological brother, and he was extremely bothered by the fact that Hyun-wook, a Beta, stayed by my side. Simply because Han Hee-sung showed interest in me, he openly checked the Omega and even banned him from entering the palace. His jealousy and possessiveness were truly formidable.

“You’re an Alpha too, brother. You know how an Alpha is toward his Omega…”

“…I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met anyone…”

Ah, right. My brother is a lifelong virgin, isn’t he? Despite his handsome looks and the fact that he lacks nothing, he was abused by our grandfather and spent his life protecting me, unable to care for anything else. Having endured such strict and exhausting days, he probably hasn’t even spoken to an Omega, let alone met one.

“…You’ll understand later when you meet someone. What that feeling is like.”

“True. His Majesty was exceptionally obsessed with you. With that kind of possessiveness, he’s more than capable of doing something like this. There are already many social issues because of Alphas who lock their Omegas in their rooms. It’s entirely possible His Majesty would do the same.”

The possessiveness an Alpha feels toward his Omega is peculiar. Perhaps he orchestrated this because of those Alpha tendencies. Therefore, there was no guarantee that Lee Si-yoon’s words were a lie.

Given Joo Min-hyeok’s possessiveness, he was more than capable of locking me up. I knew sides of him that Hyun-wook and my brother didn’t. With Lee Si-yoon’s personality, he might have revealed the truth first just to genuinely enjoy watching me tremble in anxiety. But still, it would be foolish to be shaken by a single comment.

“…I think it’s better to ask His Majesty. Being this anxious and suspicious doesn’t suit me. I’ll seek him out again when he returns tomorrow.”

Lee Si-yoon is a man skilled at driving wedges between people; I couldn’t let myself be swayed by his games.

∗   ∗   ∗

Tonight was strangely still. Nights are always like that, but today felt even more desolate and quiet. Perhaps because my mind was unsettled, I found it strangely difficult to sleep, and the darkness felt frightening. So, my brother and Hyun-wook decided to sleep with me tonight.

I checked on the two of them, who had laid out blankets on the floor because of me. I felt sorry, but my mind was much more at ease. Feeling considerably more relaxed, I tidied my spot, hugged my cat plushie, and closed my eyes.

I don’t know how much time passed, but after falling into a brief, deep sleep, I suddenly woke up. My eyes were closed, but my ears were open, and I could hear rustling sounds. Then, sensing something strange, I snapped my eyes open. An unrecognizable silhouette appeared before me, and I instinctively bolted upright.

Who is it? One thing was certain: it wasn’t my brother or Hyun-wook. Someone had entered my room. And then, he lunged toward me, reaching out his hand. It happened in such a flash that I couldn’t even assume a defensive posture. Just as I flinched—

“Gah!”

The person lunging at me collapsed helplessly without a single fingertip touching my body, and Hyun-wook covered my mouth just as I was about to scream in surprise.

“Be quiet, Hae-joo. It’s okay.”

The person who had taken down the man was Han-bin. He was catching his breath, holding a blood-stained knife. In a very low voice, he scanned the surroundings and spoke quickly.

“Calm down. It wasn’t just one or two people. I heard the footsteps of several people from a distance. Their movements aren’t those of ordinary people. Check him quickly.”

At his words, Hyun-wook used his phone’s flashlight to examine the fallen man. A covered face and black clothing… he looked like an assassin to anyone. As my brother skillfully searched his clothes, a gun symbolizing the Imperial Guard of the Army was found inside.

This was a gun possessed only by those who guarded the Imperial family and the Emperor. The moment I confirmed that, my mind filled with confusion. Why did the Imperial Guard attack me? They are soldiers, but because they are stationed at the Imperial palace, they move on the orders of the Emperor or the Queen Dowager.

The Queen Dowager has been at the Suwon Fortress detached palace since the civil unrest. The only person who can move them here is the current Emperor. Then why? There’s no way Joo Min-hyeok ordered them to attack me. Did the Queen Dowager move secretly? But the Queen Dowager cannot move them independently. She must have the Emperor’s permission.

“…What is this? Ah! Brother!”

Before I could finish my thoughts, a company of men stormed into my room. As Hyun-wook pushed me under the bed and tried to move toward them, my brother shouted.

“Don’t come out! Stay by the user’s side!”

My brother quickly grabbed the fallen man’s gun, and soon the sound of it being loaded echoed. But that was as much as I could see. Hyun-wook wrapped himself around me and covered my ears. After a moment, I heard my brother’s voice.

“Let’s get out of here quickly. We have to leave this place first!”

The room was filled with fallen people, and my brother stripped the bulletproof vests from inside their clothes, throwing them to us one by one and grabbing a few more guns. Hyun-wook and I followed suit, taking guns, and immediately escaped the Imperial Pavilion.

“Hyun-wook, you know how to fire this pistol, right?”

“Yes. I haven’t fired in actual combat, but I’ve learned basic marksmanship.”

“Then that’s enough. As long as you follow behind me, it won’t be difficult. In this situation, hand-to-hand combat is a waste of stamina. When I fire, move as you were trained even without specific instructions. This is an emergency. Stay alert.”

“Yes.”

My brother was too proficient, and Hyun-wook, following his instructions, was the same. But would we be safe once we left the palace? What happens after we get out? What should we do then?

“First, let’s go to my car in the parking lot. Whether we go to my house or anywhere else, it’s best to get out of here first.”

Even as my brother and Hyun-wook quickly proceeded with the next steps, I was out of it. I didn’t understand a single thing.

“Hae-joo. Finding out the truth comes after surviving. Think about it after we get out of here. You won’t find an answer no matter how much you think about it now.”

When I couldn’t pull myself together, my brother spoke coldly, and I nodded. Somehow we made it safely to Hyun-wook’s car, but the next part was the problem. How do we get out? All the gates in the palace must be locked by now. While I was agonizing over a method, Hyun-wook made a phone call.

“Mister? You picked up? I’m sorry for calling so late. I’m sorry, but…”

Dad?

-What’s going on at this hour? Is something wrong? I actually had something to tell you!

“Mister, I’ll hear that later. You’re still staying at that hotel, right?”

-No. I’m in a different place now, but it’s nearby. As for who I’m with…

“Mister, sorry to interrupt. Hae-joo has been attacked. We barely made it to my car, but we can’t get out. We need your help. We need a car. There are many people chasing us.”

-…What?

Hyun-wook requested help while anxiously scanning the surroundings. Dad said he was currently fifteen minutes away from the palace. Fifteen minutes. It would take that long just to get from here to the gate. Dad and Hyun-wook shared specific locations, and my worry deepened.

“We’ll be able to get out safely, right?”

“Don’t worry. I will get the user out no matter what.”

My brother’s determined voice somehow made me more anxious. I won’t leave alone. My brother and Hyun-wook must come with me. So, I shouldn’t show any weakness.

Pulling myself together, I followed my brother’s lead and headed quickly toward the palace exit. But what about the gatekeeper? With those worries, I arrived at the gate to find no one there, and the small door was even open. This is too suspicious to anyone.

There’s no way the gate would be open without anyone around; something is definitely wrong. My brother must have thought the same, as his movements became cautious. But before I could finish my thought, men who seemed to have been waiting for us spotted us through the gap of the open door and rushed in.

What the! Even an apartment entrance would have better security than this! Does this make sense? No, did they drive us this way on purpose? It seems they moved, anticipating we would try to escape. They attacked us quickly. My brother, seemingly accustomed to such situations, performed defense and attack simultaneously with great skill and precision.

But everything happens in an instant. The number of people attacking Hyun-wook, who was protecting me as the target, increased, and in that gap, I saw another person rushing toward me with a knife.

“Hae-joo! Drop and roll!”

I heard a desperate shout, but before I had time to react, the knife reached my face. Damn, is this how it ends? I closed my eyes in a pathetic attempt at defense and waited for the pain to strike. However, even after a few seconds passed, I felt no pain. Was it so painful that I lost sensation?

When I opened my eyes slightly, nothing had happened to me. Instead of the man with the knife, I saw a broad, unfamiliar back. Someone was standing in front of me, blocking the knife. Who is it? I don’t know who it is.

“Brother! Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Brother…?

The man who turned to look at me with an urgent face was none other than Seo-joo.