Empress Handbook

Chapter Twenty | Bitch Fight

Yeoreum's pearl pumps pound across the marble floor with crisp clicks. Every time she walks down this hallway, she remembers the deceptive look of affection on Taehyung's face when he lied to her.

But that's okay, Yeoreum muses. She is going to make him pay with his empire.

"Hello," Taehyung says as he opens the door with a broad smile. "Thanks for coming, Yeoreumie."

Yeoreum brushes past Taehyung and heads straight for the wine rack on the side of the bookshelves. It was as if she didn't hear his greeting at all.

"Would you care for some?" Yeoreum says while she reaches for a bottle of sherry.

"I'm technically still on duty," Taehyung says. He gently pinches her cheek and smiles when she slaps his hand away. "I can't be intoxicated."

"Your loss," Yeoreum says while she pours herself a double.

"We have a dinner party tomorrow with the country's quote-unquote most important people," Taehyung says as he confiscates the bottle of sherry from her.

Yeoreum raises an eyebrow. "Is that something the Imperial Family normally attends?"

"No, but Mother insisted that we go this time because many Imperialities will be there," Taehyung says. He stashes the sherry bottle behind the wine rack before he takes a middle-aged woman's photograph out of his suit pocket. "As boring as it will be, I need you to charm this particular woman."

Yeoreum carefully examines the grim-looking middle-aged woman in a violet hanbok. The sternness in her eyes almost corrodes the vividness of her hanbok into a sad wash of grey. She seems familiar, but Yeoreum doesn't recall ever seeing her.

"Who is she?"

"She is Lady Seora. The second-eldest child of the Lee cadet branch and the older sister of Lady Min, the woman who passed us our rings on our wedding," Taehyung says. "Do you remember Lady Min?"

Yeoreum sardonically shakes her head. "I can't remember anything from our wedding except for all the lies we told each other. Does it matter?"

Taehyung laughs. "No, it doesn't matter. I was just testing if you still remember our sacred vow as a married couple."

"So, absolute bullshit? Yeah, I remember that."

Taehyung purses his lips and flits his eyes away.

"Lee Seora was going to take over their family business when her sister Lee Min compelled the shareholders into backstabbing her. Lee Seora furiously left the country to start a business in France, where she made it huge in the lingerie industry. Aside from her motivating revenge story, she is one of the main shareholders of C&E Group, and I would like to have a piece of her cake."

Yeoreum frowns. "How am I supposed to make her give me shares? It's not as if those shares are decreasing in value."

"You can do it by playing your vulnerable card." Taehyung widens his smile. "Lee Seora has a soft spot for the weak, so you can easily ride her pity waves to make her do things."

"Fine," Yeoreum utters.

Taehyung takes a document file out of his desk drawer and hands it to Yeoreum. A photo of a woman is on the front with a label saying Lee Seora.

"These are the things you need to remember about her. Tomorrow night is crucial because Lee Seora rarely comes back to Korea. I wish you victory."

A scornful smile plays about Yeoreum's lips. "No, you should wish victory for yourself. Those shares won't end up in my pocket. They will end up in your pocket."