Empress Handbook

Chapter Thirteen | Not Ophelia

"Kissing in front of a dying body? I am not into whatever you are into, Noona."

Taehyung pushes Soojung away. His eyes are as cold as the fathomless currents.

"It is Song Yeoreum's fault for acting against Empress Dowager," Soojung utters. "Taehyung, you always wanted CS Media, so let's just consider this as killing two birds with one stone. I am sorry, the only option turned out to be brutal."

"Only option? I was close to acquiring CS Media anyway." Taehyung narrows his icy gaze. "Perhaps if you didn't tell Mother my intentions, I could have easily obtained it without anyone shedding any blood."

Soojung tightens her fist to suppress a shudder. Taehyung, no, I—"

"Noona, are you going to say that Song Yeoreum didn't shed any blood because she drowned to death? Please don't tell me that your humour has gotten this low." Taehyung lets out a mirthless laugh. "Look, Song Yeoreum is already gone, so I don't want to make a huge fuss about it, but I do hope that the freedom I've given you doesn't bite me again because if it does, I'll make sure that it swallows you first."

Soojung gulps and the weight of his words tighten her chest.

"On a more practical note, monitor the GPS tracker on Song Yeoreum's dress with Min Yoongi. I gave him too much to do, so you can use your spare energy on taking away some of his burdens instead of running around the Castle." Taehyung sighs.

Soojung bows. "Yes, Your Majesty"

"Remind Min Yoongi to be careful with Song Yeoreum's body when he finds it. We were so shitty to her when she was alive, so I want to make sure that at least her corpse can have a decent funeral."

Soojung frowns. "But she's going to go up in flames anyway—"

"You certainly have a lot of personal opinions lately, Assistant Yoon. What the fuck do you want to do to her dead body? Throw a parade over it? You're a fucking monster," Taehyung snaps. "Again, you are supposed to serve me, not yourself. This will be your last warning. If you do this again, I will sacrifice you to Song Yeoreum's ghost."

Soojung tremors and takes another step away from Taehyung, her snorkelling fins screeching along the concrete floor.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty."

Taehyung rolls his eyes and walks towards the holiday mansion. "Good night, Noona."

———

Tick. Tock.

It smells like some sort of disinfectant spray. Some kind of hospital disinfectant spray. It is a distinct smell Yeoreum has gotten used to in preparation for her medical career.

The clock is loud, obnoxiously teasing Yeoreum's drifting consciousness. An invisible pair of hands seemed to have carried Yeoreum through a dark, endless tunnel. At one point, Yeoreum thought she saw a fleck of light at the end of that tunnel, but once she reached the end, it was just the same vapid darkness as before.

"Yeoreum?" a soft male calls her from afar. She knows the owner of the voice, but she cannot pinpoint the exact person.

Is it Taehyung? No, Taehyung's voice is deeper. Plus, he doesn't like her, so he would never call her name with such sincerity. Yes, right, Taehyung doesn't like her. He apathetically watched her struggle in the ocean. The ocean she got hurled into by Soojung. Soojung came along on her postponed honeymoon. Her postponed honeymoon with Taehyung at Himmel Island.

Scatters of memories enter Yeoreum's mind like serrated puzzle pieces that stab the heart she can barely feel beating. Yeoreum clenches her hands, but she feels a very feeble spasm in her fingers instead of sensing her palms curl.