Empress Handbook

Chapter Fifty-Seven | The Best

When Yeoreum steps into the flickers of red and blue, she sees two policewomen rushing to her. Soon, a separate squad of specially equipped police officers barge into the factory behind her.

"Your Majesty, you are safe now," one policewoman says as she takes Soojung's body off Yeoreum's shoulders. "Is this woman hurt?"

"She might be dead," Yeoreum mumbles. Her quivering voice makes her sound as if she stuttered through every word she enunciated. "I don't know. Could we please check?"

The policewoman nods and checks Soojung's pulse. She diligently moves her fingers from Soojung's motionless nostrils to Soojung's blood-stained neck, trying to find the slightest sign of life. Eventually, the hope on her face diminishes.

The policewoman looks to Yeoreum with a rueful head shake.

"This woman has passed."

Yeoreum shuts her eyes, and the tears pressing against her eyelashes fall on her cheeks. She can feel the coldness of her tears. For a long moment, it was the only thing palpable to her. Her heart wrenches, but she doesn't know why.

"Yeoreum," Yoongi yells. "Is everything okay?"

Yeoreum drags her gaze to Yoongi, who races up to her with a wool blanket in hand. He sternly looks at the policewomen and shakes his head.

"I am sorry, but Her Majesty is in shock. Could you please give Her Majesty some time?"

"Yes, absolutely," the policewoman utters. She exchanges a sigh with her coworker and leaves Yeoreum in Yoongi's care.

Yoongi wraps the wool blanket around Yeoreum. His firm grip braces her with a steadying sense of security as he takes her to the open ambulance. He puts his suit jacket on the metal ground at the back of the vehicle and helps Yeoreum sit down.

"Are you all right? Did Jeon Jungkook hurt you at all? Kim Taehyung and I were so worried," Yoongi says as he examines Yeoreum from head to toe. Eventually, her smudged lipstick catches his attention. "Did that sick bastard—"

"No, Jungkook didn't assault me. I wasn't hurt at all," Yeoreum mutters.

Yoongi clenches her hands. "I'm so glad, Yeoreum."

"Is Taehyung all right?"

"Yes," Yoongi murmurs. A complicated look plays against his eyes. "Kim Taehyung wanted to come, but he got caught up because Empress Dowager hung herself before the prosecutors arrived at the Castle."

"What?" Yeoreum cries. Her stomach feels tense with a strange feeling mixed with disappointment and relief. "It looks like Park Yunhee went a step ahead of us again."

Yoongi pours hot water into a paper cup and wraps his handkerchief around it before he passes it to Yeoreum.

"As bad as this sounds, it's probably for the best."

The factory doors open with a shrill screech that captures everyone's attention. A blinding light flicks against the fathomless darkness inside.

Through motes of swivelling dust that quickly drowns into the outside world, two stretchers get carried outside, both covered in white sheets. Yeoreum's eyes naturally fall on the stretcher that had blood seeping through the arm area. That's Soojung's blood Yeoreum smudged. It's Jungkook.

"Good that Taehyung isn't here," Yeoreum says under her breath. "He would be so sad."

Yeoreum's hand trembles, clenching the paper cup. Yoongi hurries to wipe the boiling water off her. As he meets her dim gaze, his eyebrows furrow with concern.