Empress Handbook

Chapter Forty-One | Veils

The servants outside of Jungyong Palace bows at Yeoreum and eagerly welcome her into the palace.

Yeoreum walks down the hallway with a cake in hand. Unlike the last time she did that, her face isn't tensed by a speck of rage this time.

Abruptly, the door to Taehyung's office clicks open, and Jungkook ambles out of it. His eyes fall upon Yeoreum without any surprise, just as if he expected to see her.

Jungkook smiles. "Hello, sister-in-law."

Feeling Jungkook's gaze, Yeoreum subconsciously stops several steps away from him.

"Hello, brother-in-law."

Jungkook walks to Yeoreum, closing the gap she created. His smile widens as he finds the anxiety tucked in her eyes.

"Are you struggling to sleep?" Jungkook says. "I've heard that tea bags are good for dark circles."

Yeoreum narrows her eyes in bewilderment. Nara, Seohee and Seohyun redid her makeup before she left to see Taehyung. There shouldn't be any traces of fatigue on her face. She suppresses the suspicions in her mind and tugs an aloof smile.

"Thank you."

Jungkook lets a long sigh. "No wonder why you are not getting good rest. Your rumoured lover agreed to marry someone he doesn't even love for his company."

"Company?" Yeoreum says, failing to suppress the shock in her voice.

"You don't know about it? His father left him a company."

Yeoreum gulps. "How did you know?"

"I've heard from a company he is doing a merger with recently. It's not exactly a secret inside the industry."

Yeoreum's mind buzzes with confusion and realisation at the same time. Two weeks have passed since Yoongi and Dakyung's engagement announcement, and Yeoreum has tried her best to avoid the topic to the best of her abilities. She doesn't plan to avoid it forever but never expects to confront it with such a revelation.

Aside from The Organisation, Yoongi is also committed to a secretive family company his father has left him. Do Nara and the other members of The Organisation know about it? Is this why Yoongi's plan is so uncertain? Why didn't he tell her?

In the face of Jungkook's look of amusement, Yeoreum holds her anxiety back with a forced smile.

"Thank you for telling me, that's quite interesting. Then, goodbye."

Yeoreum dashes into Taehyung's office, ignoring Jungkook's ambiguous smile. No matter what secrets Yoongi is hiding, Jungkook is still more troublesome.

Taehyung's face brightens as soon as he sees Yeoreum's smile. Yeoreum puts a plate on the coffee table and gestures for him to come over.

"I tried to bake a cake again," Yeoreum says. She takes the aluminium foil away and cuts a small piece of cake. "It probably tastes average, but please still have some. I heard from Hoseok that you barely had anything at dinner with Yoo Ahnsung."

Taehyung darts to Yeoreum and wraps his arms around her, not even letting go when she passes him the cake. Somehow, he manages to hold the plate without smudging a drop of frosting on her dress.

"We had too much to talk about," Taehyung says. "Also, why is Hoseok telling you stuff like that? It's so embarrassing."

Yeoreum shugs. "I guess he just didn't want you to starve."

Taehyung pecks Yeoruem on her cheek and laughs.

"Well, thank you for not letting me starve, Yeoreumie."