Empress Handbook

Chapter Forty-Five | Too Good to be True

Taehyung lets in a deep breath as he looks over his speech for the last time.

The plan went smoothly, and the infiltrator quickly delivered evidence for Taehyung to record this video to expose his mother. He should be overjoyed. The plan he has been scheming to accomplish is finally coming to fruition. However, Taehyung cannot control his hands from squeezing the transcript. A crinkle rises from his abrupt motion, furrowing Hoseok's eyebrows with a heavy look of concern.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?" Hoseok purses his lips. "Would you like to cancel this recording?"

Taehyung looks at the mirror on the side and sighs at the sight of his ashy profile. He looks like a ghost that has just sprung out of a maggot-filled flesh bag. Surely, the rattling sensation pounding in his mind is excitement. Taehyung has been building up to this moment since his enthronement. But he doesn't know if excitement really goes as far as burdening his limbs with the urge to cancel this recording.

No, Taehyung tells himself. The victims in Cheonji Island have already waited for too long. He can't let his mawkish feelings delay their release from hell.

"No, it should be fine," Taehyung utters. "It's a recorded video, so we can always edit out anything wrong."

Hoseok sighs. "Then, the recording will start in three minutes, Your Majesty."

Taehyung nods and walks to his position, locking his fists behind his back to hide his anxiety. The director delivers him some last instructions, and the ring lights on the side flicker to his features, signalling the beginning of this recording.

"Good morning, People of the Empire of Korea. Today, I am here to deliver some unfortunate messages regarding my mother, the Empress Dowager of the Empire of Korea, Yunhee. During her time as an Empress and Empress Dowager, she has done many harmful things against the public interest. I say every word with great apologies," Taehyung utters. "The sexual misconduct many news outlets have already reported is true."

The screen behind Taehyung flickers to a video of Yunhee going on a date with a celebrity. Taehyung steadies his quickening heartbeat as the video plays.

"Apart from this, Empress Dowager has also been avidly engaging in an evil cult known as Shinji. That organisation has imprisoned thousands of people on Cheonji Island to force them to do tasks such as providing powerful individuals with sexual favours and growing drugs. It is all evinced in this video."

The screen now plays a shaky video that shows the bleak sight of many malnourished-looking people in tan uniforms sludging around a greenhouse. The only pops of colour in the shot are from the opium poppy flowers.

Just as Taehyung prepare to continue his speech, his own voice emerges.

"Please go away, Noona."

Taehyung snaps his head towards the screen, quivering. It is surveillance footage of Soojung hugging him.

"Your Majesty, it does not matter. Song Yeoreum is not around."

"Noona, please leave."

But as soon as Taehyung said those words, Soojung leaned in to kiss him. And he did not push her away.

It was when Taehyung visited the Imperial House of Hope with Yeoreum. The time he cheated on Yeoreum and used her as a cipher in his struggle.

Hoseok rushes the technical team to stop the recording from continuing when a staff member stumbles off his chair in shock.

"Your Majesty, someone seems to have hijacked our computers," the man says. "I don't know what's going on."

The man's tremoring voice resonates with the sound of his laptop crashing to the ground. The splintered screen reveals the next clip playing on the screen: Soojung hugging Taehyung at his wedding photoshoot.