Ransomed Fiancée (Michaeng)

Chapter 52: With or Without You, I'm a Mess

Chaeyoung

[few hours ago]

I watched the woman walked away, guided by one of my crew. I sighed and turned to the man, "Mr. Ogura, please escort Mr. Lee back to his cabin room. We will address this situation appropriately and provide an explanation to all parties involved," I instructed. Mr. Ogura attempted to guide the man away, but he resisted and pushed one of my crew members.

Our eyes locked, and in that tense moment, I leaned in, my voice a low, almost conspiratorial whisper, "Does the Congressman know about the Bar?" I knew well that the he had a long history of involvement in his dirty business. His expression shifted from anger to sheer panic. I stepped back, his eyes widened, and his face drained of color.

"You—" he stammered, his confidence eroding.

"Son Chaeyoung," I introduced myself.

"Son?——You—-Wait—-What are you doing here?" He was clearly flustered and caught off guard.

"Mr. Ogura," I called out firmly. Mr. Ogura nodded and forcibly led him away. It was not the first time this man had been involved in allegations of sexual assault, and his behavior was expected. From the moment I had perused the guest list, I had a nagging feeling that he would cause trouble. It was almost a bit late. I had anticipated an issue much earlier in the cruise. As they disappeared into the crowd, I wondered if his father was aware of his behavior or if he had been using his family's influence to cover up his misdeed.

Chairman Son had a long history with  Congressman Lee, having financially supported his political campaign when he initially ventured into politics after a career as a prosecutor. Due to their lengthy friendship, it wasn't exactly pleasant to tangle with the Congressman's son either.

The crowd slowly dispersed, and I offered apologies to the other guests for the disruption. Entering my office, I found her there, the woman from earlier. I rubbed my temples and sat across from her on the couch, feeling the weight of the situation. I had instructed my crew to take her here to fix the matter, "Your Highness," I sighed. She didn't meet my gaze, keeping her legs and arms crossed.

"I want him to be in jail," she declared.

"That man is one of Korea Congressman's second son," I explained. Finally, she looked at me, her expression filled with a sharp glare.

"So what? You don't believe me? He touched me inappropriately first!" she insisted, anger flaring once again.

"Enough!" I slammed my hand on the table, frustration boiling over due to her stubbornness. She had caused me so much trouble in the past few days, and now this situation, even though I knew she was a victim, she complicated things further. Her royal title and presence itself created too many issues  for me. I took a deep breath and rubbed my eyebrows, attempting to regain my composure. The mounting pressure was starting to wear on me. I looked at her, and her eyes glistened with tears. A gentle voice in my head scolded me, reminding me to show kindness, and I realized how unsympathetic I had sounded.

"I'm sorry. I apologize," I said. She looked away. I sighed and moved to sit beside her, trying to offer some comfort. "You must be scared. How about you take some rest for now? We will continue discussing this tomorrow."

"Do you think I did this for fun? That I lie?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"No," I replied. "Princess, you are not here on an official visit. This issue will have significant diplomatic and political consequences. I will have him apologize to you personally. I hope that will satisfy you, and you won't pursue this further," I advised, offering reassurance.