Empress Handbook

Chapter Six | Whimper of a Bang

Yoongi rushes off to his shift after Yeoreum finishes her ramen. Much happier than before, Yeoreum makes her way back to the bedroom while humming a quiet tune.

"Who is this?" a man yells from behind the door.

Yeoreum instinctively sprints to the other side of the room while the suspicious man hides behind the vanity table. She pants with horror as she realises that the man is still in her room.

The man is presumably around twenty, with a tall build and eyes that feel too exquisite to gaze at directly. His profile carries a refined delicateness that almost reminds Yeoreum of Yunhee and Taehyung.

"If I am not mistaken, you are in my room. Shouldn't I be the one asking you this question?" Yeoreum snaps while she reaches for her phone. Luckily, she just exchanged numbers with Yoongi.

There's a stranger in the main room. Don't come in yet. Come in if I don't send a follow-up text in 20 minutes.

"Wow, how obnoxious of you to use casual language in the Imperial Castle." Jungkook marvels at her features with his glistening eyes that are captivating enough to justify the cruellest things in the world.

"Are you a guest at the wedding?" Yeoreum says as calmly as she can to stall for time.

All the windows are closed, and the door looks perfectly fine from the outside. Clearly, this man knows the palace well enough to sneak in without destructing anything. Yeoreum casts her eyes over the man's outfit—black french terry hoodie, black jeans and black argyle socks—he looks more like a robber than a wedding guest.

"Okay, I'll be honest with you," Jungkook utters. "Someone is hunting me down, and I am hiding to save myself. I will be in immediate danger if you expose me so please don't."

"But I am almost certain that I will be in immediate danger if I don't expose you. Unfortunately, between you and myself, I choose the latter."

"You are so selfish," Jungkook whines, "What if I turn out to be the person who discovers the cure for cancer or develops a solution to world hunger? The world will blame you for choosing yourself over me."

Chagrined and speechless, Yeoreum stalks to the emergency button.

"No! Please don't press the button. Look, I don't want to threaten you to stop you. I am a good person. Can't we be nice to each other? Oh God, why can't people just all be friends!" Jungkook yells in a desperate attempt to shock Yeoreum into not pressing the button. "Come on, Your Majesty. I am a good person. Dear God, how did Taehyung choose you to be the Empress? This nation is going to die."

Yeoreum's phone vibrates with a new text message. Okay. Be safe. Assurance settles the anxiety that throbs behind Yeoreum's eyes. She takes a deep breath and turns to Jungkook with a ghost of a smile.

"Is that so? I don't agree, though. I think you'll die before the nation does, no matter what, Mr Trespasser."

This man is suspicious, but he probably can't do any harm. Even if he does, Yeoreum doubts that it would be lethal. However, attracting security attention will most certainly bring more bad than good. People could spread rumours about Taehyung's absence, and salacious scandals of a male trespasser being with her at this late hour could also harm her reputation.

"Let me tell you a story first, please, give me a chance," Jungkook cries as he slaps his hands together in prayer. "Your hand is already hovering over that dumb emergency button, so there is no way in hell I will be able to harm you. Please just give me two minutes."

"Fine." Yeoreum shrugs. "I have already texted a security guard, by the way. If you play any sly games with me during these two minutes, I guarantee you that you will get shredded, Mr Criminal."