Empress Handbook

Chapter Fifty-Four | Choking

The dusk sky envelopes the determination on Yeoreum's face with a goldish-orange colour.

Yeoreum examines her lips, which have been robbed of their usual vibrance. She wavers between two lipsticks and settles for a red one in the end.

"Empress Dowager's hanbok is going to be delivered to Myungbok Palace at dinner time. She wants a hotpot for dinner, so the servants would be busy preparing ingredients. All her attention will be on me once I tamper her hanbok with grease," Yeoreum utters. "During this time, you can hack into her computer to get what we need. I will drag out her tantrum for as long as possible to earn you time. "

"No, I will distract her, Your Majesty," Nara cries. She finishes fixing Yeoreum's hair into a low bun with a gold binyeo. "It's too dangerous. Empress Dowager values that hanbok a lot. She could lose control and go overboard. Mr Min taught you the basics of hacking at the Headquarters, right, Your Majesty? I can drag out her tantrum long enough for you to do the hacking. She can do more cruel things to me than you. Please, Your Majesty, I can't watch you feed yourself to Empress Dowager."

Yeoreum shakes her head. "Empress Dowager trusts me a lot more now, but she would be suspicious if I don't jump out to protect you. Plus, I am bad at hacking. I'm sure Yoongi already told you. You're much quicker than me, so putting me in that position will be unnecessary. It's the best way we can do it, Nara."

Nara ponders for a moment and gravely looks into Yeoreum's eyes.

"I will only need a maximum of fifteen minutes."

"Okay, to be safe, I'll aim for twenty minutes to give you some wriggle room in case you need it."

"No, Your Majesty," Nara says, clenching Yeoreum's hands. "Fifteen minutes is enough, trust me."

Yeoreum tugs her lips. "All right, I trust you."

As Yeoreum walks into Myungbok Palace, she sees two rows of eight servants carrying a large rectangular timber box into the main palace. It's safe to assume that it is her target tonight, judging from its peculiar shape.

Assistant Gyo marches to Yeoreum with a frown. "Here you are. Her Highness is already waiting for you," she says.

Yeoreum nods and treads inside without a word.

Yunhee frowns at her. "Empress, why are you so late today?"

"I am sorry, Your Majesty," Yeoreum says. She kneels on the ground and sobs. "I was too curious of the wonderous hanbok."

"It is quite spectacular," Yunhee says.

Yunhee unlatches the wooden box and brings out the hanbok on a headless mannequin. She rubs the yellow fabric laced with pure gold threads and diamonds, allowing it to shine a blinding light over her hand.

"It is inspired by Wu Zetian, China's only female ruler. Her enthronement robe has a similar look to this one with the dragons and auspicious clouds," Yunhee says. "What do you think of it, Empress?"

"It looks marvellous, Your Majesty," Yeoreum extols.

"But more importantly, I've already prepared your ingredients for the hotpot," Yunhee says. She drags Yeoreum to the hotpot with a mocking smile. "I've heard you loathe eating animals' internal organs, so I specifically prepared this for you to challenge yourself."

Yeoreum looks at the clots of raw reds bouncing in the spicy soup in front of her, frowning. She shifts away from the boiling pot when Yunhee pushes it closer.

"Don't move," Yunhee says. "You won't be able to reach all the delicious food."

An idea strikes Yeoreum's fear-ridden mind. She shoves the pot, knocking over the side dishes.