Secret of the Two Kings (89 CHAPTERS - ON HOLD)

제 64 부

Jung Ho flipped the book upside down and shook it, but he failed. The missing page was nowhere to be found. He rushed back to the shelves, taking his chance to find the missing link to his questions. Desperate as he was, he rummaged every single book related nearby, the dust pecking on his entire cloak. A tower of books, then another, then another, until the death of the night time. His physical body failed to keep up with his blazing drive. Apparently, he was unaware that the sun has already shone into the sky, its light rays scattering through tiny gaps from the windows. He could not remember how long he was searching. One thing he realized was that he had dozed off at the table.

As he opened his eyes, he adjusted his eyes to the changing intensity of the light. The book towers were still on the table. Dusty old books gaping wide open. He tried to stand but he could not feel his legs—must have been numbed because of his improper sleeping position. After a few stretches, he managed to break free from a typical old person's curse. He returned the books one by one to their original positions and left the library.

His head trembled, banging loudly in an off-key uproarious tune. He tried massaging it while trudging down the courtyard, the morning sun teasing him with the small taste of his children's rays. Little by little, he realized that some court ladies started stealing glances at him. Curiosity was present but more likely, they were afraid.

The Prime Minister paused, his vision slowly refocusing, his pulsating head stabilizing. He primped his hair and shoved the dust from his vibrant purple cloak. The court ladies must have laughed at his appearance, that was why.

Suddenly, two Yellow Tiger nangdos approached and bowed at him. "Your Excellency, His Majesty summons you to his chambers now."

"Alright."

He headed straight to his room and cleansed. Time motioned like a garden snail as he bathed in his tub filled with rose petals. Although his brain was screaming that his prime suspect should be his son, he could not finally close the case. He could not point a finger on it, but he had this instinct that someone else might be responsible for it. Aside from Jung Min, one person crossed his mind: Jae Joong. What if the King already knew where Chil Yook was? What did he do? Has he had him killed? Did he conspire and protect him? Outer layer superficial questions. The main query that should be answered was, Is Sae Yoo still alive? Is Sae Yoo one of the nangdos hiding in another identity? Too many questions, but he could only do so much. One thing was for sure though: whoever took that page wanted to protect this nangdo's identity. That person already knew where Chil Yook and Sae Yoo was.

The sleeping dragon has awakened. He has handled too many intellectual insults. After being benign and lame for a long time, this was the perfect time for Jung Ho to unleash his inner monster once again.

He stood, rinsed, and changed to his Prime Minister uniform. Then he went straight to Jae Joong's chambers. When he entered, the King was having merry chat sessions with Jung Min as they enjoyed their freshly prepared chrysanthemum teas. A bow and a low greeting. "You summon me, Your Majesty."

"Take a seat. I'll brief you two as you go."

Jung Ho followed and then listened.

"Show this letter to Queen Songyeon. I've already included there my terms and conditions."

"What if she refuses, Your Majesty?" worried Jung Min, his eyebrows folding into an irregular arch.

"Well, do anything you can to convince her, but know your limitations. We can't risk having a war with them."

Jung Ho shared his insight, "We have a bigger chance of winning, Sire. I just found out that this nobleman is a member of their council. We are holding her in the neck. I don't think she's willing to sacrifice the life of this high-profile man."