A Tale About A: Forgotten Princess [Part 2]

Chapter 26: Bad Blood

"That's impossible. You must have made a mistake about Chae Ryung because I had already spoken with her. She's very worried about Hae Soo who got kicked out." 

Things didn't make any sense to me that Chae Ryung was our first suspect. How could she be one when she had confronted everything to me? It can't be that I missed out anything, right?

"No. There's witness from my men that they had seen Chae Ryung sneaking about the King's bathroom." Yong Jun continued to explain as I stared at him wide eyed.

What in the world had Chae Ryung been doing? Does Hae Soo know anything about this? 

"And I will need your help in this, Princess Hwa Yeon. We need Chae Ryung to spill the beans about who had been instructing her to do such things." 

Everything seemed to be out of place right now and I honestly felt fatigue. Just who would take advantage of Chae Ryung and used Hae Soo as a bait to get what they need? Even if it was the Queen, we don't have much evidences now to call her out. 

I smell bad blood.

As soon as I returned to the palace, I got my servant to call Chae Ryung in to my room. I need to know why Chae Ryung had wanted to murder the King with mercury. What was her objective in doing this? 

"You have called me, Princess Hwa Yeon?" Chae Ryung sounded cheerily as she entered the room. 

Is this the real Chae Ryung? Or she's simply putting on a fake mask to hide her real identity? 

As she drew closer, I couldn't help but suspect her as I looked at her intensely in case I missed out any facial emotion she might have expressed. She was finally close to me as I allowed her to sit opposite me. The innocent happy face that I've seen for the past few days was still the same and I honestly don't want to think that she might be involved in the murder crime.

"Is there anything you need, Princess?" She asked in that familiar friendly tone that I was so used to but this time round, it made me cringe. 

"Are you the one who's been putting in mercury in to King Hye Jong's bath tub?" My voice trembled as I questioned her nervously.

"W-what?" Chae Ryung's face tenses for a second as she thought she might have heard something else. "What do you mean, Princess Hwa Yeon?" 

"You...how long have you been doing that?" I was seriously terrified by this hypocrite who was still pretending when her face had already betrayed her. 

Chae Ryung was completely speechless as her face turned pale. So it was really her. 

"Why would you do that? Who told you to do that?!" I raised my voice at her as I was already at my limit. 

"I..." A tear dropped from her right eye as her body wouldn't stop shaking.

"Chae Ryung ah...! Tell me who was behind all of this? Why would they want to murder the King and get rid of Hae Soo...?" 

"I'm sorry...I really didn't mean to do it...!" She apologises guiltily and I couldn't believe my ears. Yong Jun was right all along. For one moment I thought she was Hae Soo's best friend and that I could trust her but yet...! 

"Tell me who instructed you to do it? If you tell me now, I might still get you out of this." I finalised my thoughts as I waited for her response. This is the last chance I'm giving her. 

"Its...its Prince...Wang Won..." She finally surrendered as she cried aloud.

"Prince...Wang Won? Why..." I was confused yet again. Just how evil are the royal family? How low are they to get rid of people through murder?