The ministers and higher-ranked officials were already present in the Royal Court when Eun-bi and Accountant Cha arrived. As always, the place was in a state of disorder, so much that it felt like a shame that they were mistreating such a majestic grandeur.

She stood before the King sitting on his throne, waiting for him to speak. He was deep in thoughts; eyes closed, chin on his hand. His fingers tapped against his temple quickly.

When his eyes snapped open, he caught her gaze. Despite the tense situation in the hall, he was the only one who smiled at her warmly. "You're here."

She returned a half-smile, to which he nodded in understanding.

Raising an arm, he chastised the talking men. "Silence. How is it that this court is as noisy as a children's yard?"

Instantly, the murmurs ceased, their lips pursed as they waited for the King to begin the interrogation.

Amid the heavy silence, the entrance doors swung open and Eun-bi let out a sigh of relief.

Her husband, the Crown Prince, stormed down the aisle, passing by the rows of people whose heads dropped in a formal bow. Nothing mattered more to him than rushing to her side. He took her hand and gripped it, partially shielding her from watchful eyes. Even though his body was vibrating with anger, he assured her with his eyes.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. His voice softened as he squeezed her hand once. "Whatever happens later, I will always be on your side."

His assurance eased her anxiety, and she squeezed back his hand. "Thank you."

Giving her a short nod, he turned around and glowered coldly at Accountant Cha, who now stood rigid in place. This was the first time that both men stood facing each other, but the tension between them was like water crackling on boiling oil.

Eun-bi watched the scene closely. The expression on Accountant Cha slowly morphed into something dark and dangerous—hatred.

The King's voice resounded through the royal court, loud and dignified. "Now that everyone's present, let us begin the questioning."

Yul remained by her side, placing him between her and Accountant Cha. Meanwhile, the King regarded them with a seriousness that belied in the casualness of his tone.

"Crown Princess," he said. "Are you aware of what has happened to the female academy? A part of the building collapsed today."

"What?" Eun-bi's jaw dropped in shock. "No, I was not informed."

To her knowledge, the academy was still in construction. How was it that no one told her? Did someone intercept the messages?

"Was anyone injured?" she asked, her heart thumping in trepidation.

She feared the worst might have happened. It would be her fault for not paying close attention to matters relating to the academy.

The King shook his head once. "No, but the cause of the damage was because of the low-quality materials used to construct the building," he said. "However, the ledger recorded a significantly higher cost. We've received complaints that the finances are coveted. Are you responsible for such an act?"

She could sense glares coming from all around her, but her voice remained strong and undaunted. "No, Your Majesty. I wasn't aware of it happening. I found it out last night as well." She scowled at Accountant Cha. "Perhaps you should question this man instead."

"Is that so?" The King's gaze traversed over to where the real culprit stood. "What do you think?"

Accountant Cha remained eerily calmed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I was the one who manipulated the numbers in the ledger."

His confession sparked anger from everyone. "However," he continued, "I did them because I was following the Crown Princess's instructions."

His answer elicited a mixed reaction from the court; some protesting, whereas some remained supportive of her.

"This is why the scholars have all been protesting outside the palace for days. The female academy should have never been built!"

"Several witnesses have seen the Crown Princess flirting with this man! She has committed a sin against the Crown Prince!"

Eun-bi snorted out loud. "Some people ought to visit a physician to get their eyes and ears checked," she lamented. "Standing in the same place and breathing the same air does not mean that both people are flirting with each other! I've seen worse behaviour from some officials here. Yesterday, a couple of married noblemen were fooling around at a courtesan house and putting their hands all over the courtesans." Her gaze strayed across the hall, purposely staring at a couple of officials whom she had identified. "I wonder what their names are...?"

Her outburst quietened the crowd until someone yelled out supportively. "The Crown Princess is right! And haven't you seen the relationship between her and the Crown Prince? They are madly in love! No one can keep them apart!"

Eun-bi's cheeks heated as another voice added in. "Our Crown Princess saved a boat of abducted slaves last time. Everybody knows she has a kind heart!"

As the argument turned heated, the King almost chuckled, but he held himself well. He rapped his knuckles once on the polished armrest to silence them all. "Let our Crown Princess speak."

Their attention returned to where Eun-bi stood indignantly, fists clenched tightly. Accountant Cha's accusation was baffling and absolutely made no sense. "How can you lie this easily in front of everyone?" she asked.

His head lowered in distress. "I apologise for betraying your trust, Your Highness. I couldn't bear to continue committing a sin any longer."

Helplessness gripped her. "You are insane!"

She shook her fist at him, hoping to give him a piece of her mind, but Yul held her back by her shoulders. Unwilling to let her advance further.

He had been listening quietly to every allegation for the entire time.

Now, he was about to speak his mind.

His entire demeanour changed, appearing far more intimidating than before. His words directed towards Accountant Cha, sharp as the blade of a sword.

"Any lies found in that statement of yours earlier will be punishable by death," Yul said. "In your case, it wouldn't be a simple execution. I will personally see to it that you will die a painful death."

"And that includes everyone else here." His muscles flicked angrily in the jaw. His seething gaze could incinerate everyone. "Falsely incriminating a royalty brings about immediate execution. We will not accept appeals."

The entire court seemed to flinch at his words. Accountant Cha remained rooted to the ground, unmoving. Although he didn't show a hint of emotion in his expression, he was losing some of his confidence that he wore earlier in his shoulders.

The King nodded in agreement with his son. "It seems like we're all confused and will not get our answers today. I will send my men to investigate further on this and collect evidence."

He dismissed the court and called in the guards, waving towards Accountant Cha. "Lock this man up in the dungeon. As for the Crown Princess, she shall remain in her room until we've completed our investigation."

Yul snapped his head towards her, looking extremely worried. His hand clutched hers tightly, unwilling to let her go.

She offered him an assuring smile. "I will be fine," she said. "I've a clear conscience, so I'm not worried. Don't you worry about me either."

Truthfully speaking, she wasn't feeling well.

But she wasn't willing to admit that to him yet.

Yul's frown deepened; he didn't seem to believe her words. "Wait for me, Eun-bi. I'll resolve this somehow."

She nodded her head. Even as the guards forced them apart and ushered her back to her room, he followed her from a distance. Watching her until she entered her room safely.

***

Being confined to her room was an exhausting chore. Eun-bi felt restless after a few hours.

She paced back and forth in her bedchamber. Gnawing on her bottom lip as she tried to figure out Accountant Cha's intentions. Why was he willing to lie and put his own life in danger like that? His confession and voluntary captive meant he was unafraid to meet death.

She remembered the look of hatred on his face when he saw Yul, and now she realised she might not be his actual target after all.

If she wanted the truth, she needed to meet Accountant Cha again.

But the King had bound her to her own bedchamber, prohibiting any form of communication with the outside world temporarily. To others, it may look as if she was getting punished, but she knew that this was a measure to keep her safe as the palace remained in chaos.

Apart from her court ladies, she could not speak to her family and friends at all. This was a miserable day for her. She felt extremely bored that she even began missing Senior Court Lady Yi's grumpy face.

Releasing a sigh, she got up and walked over to the window. There were letters addressed to her the day before, but she hadn't had the chance to read them. She might as well do it now.

Her sister's letter stood out the most, because of a small drawing of a pink hibiscus at the bottom right of the paper. It felt so much like her sister. Her confidante.

When Eun-bi read the message, she broke into a smile. Yoo-jung revealed that she would marry Jung-ho. The fortune teller had already set their marriage date, and both families were preparing for the joyous event.

But Eun-bi's delight was short-lived.

If Yoo-jung were to find out her predicament, she would cry a river.

A lump formed in Eun-bi's throat. She hurriedly tucked away her sister's letter under her pillow, refusing to let her tears flow.

She would not cry. Not at a time like this.

This was something that she and the King had already expected to happen. They just needed to find enough evidence to hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

There was still another letter to be read, but this one came without the name of the writer. The handwriting, however, reeked of a sinister familiarity.

"I warned you, Crown Princess."

A/N: I'm often hit with writer's blocks, but getting through them always leave you feeling great about yourself! ✨

If you are a writer, how do you deal with your writer's block? I will usually head out to the malls for walks, read some stories on Wattpad and watch some dramas to keep my ideas flowing in.