“I am your only ally.”

Tae’s brightly burning eyes stared at Yeoul.

Yeoul took a deep breath at his intense gaze.

Making a deal with Tae was no different from gambling, but it was Yeoul’s only lifeline.

If even that opportunity were to be cut off, Yeoul would plummet into a bottomless abyss.

She had enough of such a fall.

Looking at Tae, Yeoul barely parted her lips.

“…Please show me. That you are capable of doing so.”

The corners of Tae’s dark red lips curled up strangely.

It was an infinitely arrogant smile that also kindled a passion.

“I will send someone tomorrow.”

Tae got up from his seat and left the prison cell.

Yeoul quietly watched Tae’s back as he moved away.

His back looked as huge as an impregnable fortress wall.

.

.

.

In Gangnyeong Hall, the king’s bedchamber.

On the cushion sat King Lee Gwang, beside him Queen Hui Ran, and across from the two sat Tae.

Lee Gwang raised his voice at Tae with a flushed face.

“Murder, what on earth were you thinking?!”

After leaving Yeoul’s prison cell, Tae had confessed to murder at the Police Bureau.

The rumor that Tae had killed someone reached Lee Gwang’s ears, and Lee Gwang had urgently summoned Tae to the palace.

Amid the heated atmosphere in the royal quarters due to Lee Gwang’s anger, Tae calmly replied.

“I could not stand by and watch an innocent woman being harmed before my eyes.”

Tae’s confession that he had killed because the man had tried to harm a woman gave justification to Tae’s actions.

Crucially, there was no one who would dare to hastily arrest the king’s son. This murder case could be overlooked with Lee Gwang’s power.

However, the story of killing a person was not good to be spread around.

“So you killed a person? Are you a thug? If you were an ordinary person, you would have been dragged to the government office and more!”

“I am always grateful to you, Father, for cleaning up after me.”

“You really…!”

Lee Gwang grabbed his own neck as his blood pressure rose rapidly.

Tae’s misdeeds were not limited to this time.

Postponing his marriage and causing accidents whenever he had the chance, Tae had long been a headache for Lee Gwang.

“Is this all? Don’t you always go around fighting like a thug in the streets? When will you ever grow up? I can’t even hold up my face because of the petitions that come up because of you!”

Hui Ran, who was sitting next to Lee Gwang, gave a gentle smile.

She spoke in a beautiful voice that could not be thought to belong to someone who had people watching over Tae.

“Do not be so angry. It reminds me of when Your Majesty was in his prime.”

“Queen, I was not as bad as that!”

Perhaps it was because of Hui Ran’s soft-spoken manner. Perhaps it was because of her beautiful appearance that had avoided the ravages of time.

Lee Gwang’s voice softened a little.

Still, his anger had not subsided, and Lee Gwang looked at Tae with a displeased gaze.

“You don’t want to settle down, you want to enjoy your freedom, how long will you keep saying such immature things? I thought you would grow up if you got married, but forget about getting married, you cause accidents like this every time.”

“I will get married.”

“Yes, marriage… what?”

Lee Gwang’s mouth gaped open in surprise, wondering if he had misheard.

Hui Ran next to him must have been surprised as well, for her eyes widened.

Tae stated his opinion once more.

“I said I will get married. It has been a long time since I passed marriageable age. Shouldn’t I also do my part now? As you said, Father, I cannot live as an immature child forever.”

At Tae’s sudden change, Lee Gwang stammered.

Wasn’t Tae the one who had shown no intention of getting married until just recently?

He wondered what kind of whim this was, but the answer that he would get married was Lee Gwang’s wish that he had waited for for many years.

He was not without the desire to get the disgraceful Tae out of his sight as soon as possible.

Tae was an unpredictable son.

He had to quickly drive a stake in before his son’s boiling whims turned over.

“You have thought well! You are finally listening to your father.”

Hui Ran spoke gently next to him.

“We will have to set up the marriage bureau as soon as possible. I will personally find a maiden suitable for Prince Gang Seong…”

“But I have a request.”

Tae cut off Hui Ran’s words.

Then, looking at Lee Gwang and Hui Ran, he brought up the purpose of coming here.

“I will choose the woman to marry myself.”

Silence flowed through the royal quarters.

It was as if time had stopped, with no one even blinking an eye.

At that moment, Hui Ran broke the silence with a calm voice.

“Your Majesty. It goes against the fairness to the other princes for a prince to personally choose the woman he will marry.”

“Ha.”

Tae let out a crooked laugh.

It was a laugh as if there was nothing more ridiculous than this.

“I did not know you would speak of fairness, Queen. Wasn’t the maiden you were going to find your own choice? If you are going to speak of fairness, you should start from there.”

Hui Ran’s ulterior motive was obvious even without looking.

Under the pretext of finding a maiden suitable for the selection, she would plant her own person.

That way, it would be easier to keep an eye on Tae.

However, Hui Ran brushed off Tae’s words like flowing water and spoke in a calm tone.

“Your Majesty. The crown prince’s wife must be chosen from a family with tradition and trust. Moreover, this is a matter of selecting the wife of a grand prince. It is not just a matter of today or yesterday, but a practice of the royal court to secure a suitable maiden.”

Lee Gwang nodded at Hui Ran’s words.

“The queen is right. Looking at the women your mother has found so far, their family, character, and appearance are all beautiful. Why do you dislike them?”

“They are not to my taste.”

Lee Gwang closed his eyes tightly.

His head was dizzy from his grown son’s immaturity.

“The selection process is just a formality. The wedding will proceed according to custom, so if there is a woman you want, take her as a concubine.”

“Didn’t you also marry the woman you wanted, Father? Why is it allowed for you but not for me?”

“What?!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Lee Gwang finally shouted.

His face was as red as a well-ripened persimmon, and veins bulged on his forehead.

“I am the king of this country before I am your father! I will not indulge a boy who cannot even differentiate between heaven and earth just because he is my flesh and blood! I don’t even want to see your face! Get out!”

Even in this situation, Tae did not blink an eye.

“You’ll have less reason to see me once you marry me off.”

“Lee Tae, you…!”

As Lee Gwang was about to throw an ink stone, Hui Ran hurriedly approached and grabbed his hand.

Hui Ran gently caressed the back of Lee Gwang’s hand.

“It’s not the first time Prince Gang Seong has done this. Please do not waste your precious energy in vain.”

“But Queen, that boy…!”

“It pains my heart so much when Your Majesty is angry. Please calm down.”

Hui Ran’s consolation must have been effective, for Lee Gwang’s anger subsided considerably.

By the time Lee Gwang’s rough breathing had calmed down, Tae spoke.

“I am not saying I will not get married, nor am I saying I will not hold a selection process. Didn’t you say the selection is just a formality, Father? I am merely asking you to let me choose the woman myself.”

Having regained his reason, Lee Gwang thought calmly.

Some time ago, Lee Gwang had tried to force Tae to get married.

At that time, Tae had gone to the family of the maiden who had been chosen and caused a scene.

If the selection process were to be forced in a situation like now, Tae would cause another accident.

Tae was someone who could do that and more.

If that happened, most of the maidens from decent families would be reluctant to marry Tae, and it would become even more difficult to get Tae married.

Lee Gwang could not miss this opportunity when Tae had shown his intention to marry.

He had to marry him off, even if it meant coaxing and persuading him, as he did not know when Tae would say he would marry again.

Lee Gwang was lost in thought for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I will let you marry the woman you choose.”

“Your Majesty!”

Hui Ran called out to Lee Gwang in a desperate voice.

Lee Gwang ignored Hui Ran and continued.

“However.”

Tae and Hui Ran’s gazes focused on Lee Gwang’s lips.

“You must choose from among the women who make it to the final three candidates.”

Tae quietly looked at Lee Gwang before parting his lips.

“You mean I can choose one out of the three?”

“Yes. The woman you marry must be qualified to make it to the final three candidates. That means no daughter from a humble family who cannot even submit her name. Understood?”

It was not common, but there were always exceptions.

It was not difficult for Lee Gwang to influence the selection process.

He could not get Tae married if he followed the custom as it was.

But he could not ignore the custom either.

Proceed with the selection to keep up appearances, but let Tae choose from the final three.

This was Lee Gwang’s best option.

“I will obey your command, Father.”

Tae bowed his head respectfully.

He had not expected Lee Gwang to accept his request as it was anyway.

To have the woman he wanted make it to the final three.

It would not be easy, but it was a gamble worth taking with these conditions.

He had also seen Hui Ran’s dumbfounded expression, so he had gained an unexpected harvest.

A faint smile spread across Tae’s lips.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

.

.

.

Early dawn. The prison guard came in and woke Yeoul up.

Yeoul, who had been dozing off in the corner of the prison cell, opened her eyes groggily.

Exhausted from days of imprisonment, Yeoul looked at the guard with drowsy eyes.

“Get up.”

At the guard’s words, Yeoul tried to get up, but her legs would not support her.

As Yeoul kept sinking down, the guard grabbed her and pulled her up.

Coming out of the prison cell, Yeoul blankly followed the guard.

Then, the sunlight piercing her eyes suddenly brought her to her senses.

‘Where are we going?’

She had no idea where the guard was trying to take her.

‘Could it be that we’re going to the Ministry of Justice?’

Last night. Yeoul had heard that she would be taken to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation.

Yeoul’s complexion turned pale with the anxiety that surged like a flood.

“Excuse me… where are we going?”

Instead of an answer, they arrived at the exit of the Police Bureau.

“You’re being released. You may go back now.”

“Released?”

“That’s right. The prince has proven your innocence. You may go back now.”

Before she could understand the situation, Yeoul was pushed out of the Police Bureau.

The door of the Police Bureau closed, and outside, a waiting palanquin and Je Hun came into view.

Je Hun approached Yeoul.

“You are Lady Han Yeoul, correct? I have come to escort you.”

“…Who are you?”

Yeoul stepped back, on guard.

Je Hun smiled in a way that made him look like a good person, as if he had noticed his mistake.

“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Jung Je Hun, who will be attending to you from now on. I was sent by Prince Gang Seong.”

“Ah…!”

Yeoul recalled Tae’s words about sending someone.

The night before. It seemed that Yeoul’s request for Tae to show his capabilities had been fulfilled.

She had not expected him to be able to get her out of prison so quickly.

He had properly shown the capabilities she had asked to see.

Yeoul looked at Je Hun’s face, which had a pleasant smile.

‘So this is the person he said he would send…’

Je Hun appeared to be around Yeoul’s age.

Unlike Tae, who looked dangerously fierce, Je Hun had a pleasant and gentle impression.

So she had not thought that Je Hun would be Tae’s person.

Seeing that Yeoul’s guard had lowered a level, Je Hun gave a relaxed smile.

“Please get in. I will take you to where the prince is.”

As Je Hun opened the palanquin door, Yeoul carefully got in.

The luxurious palanquin was comfortable even on the inside.

‘I’ve never even ridden in a palanquin at my family home…’

The palanquin door closed and she felt it being lifted.

Now that she thought she was finally safe, a sense of relief and fatigue washed over her.

It was because she had not been able to rest properly for days.

Yeoul did not have time to think about where the place Prince Gang Seong was staying was.

Her heavy eyelids slowly closed.

Without even anticipating what would happen next.

Long-awaited deep sleep found Yeoul.