Yeocheong had returned most of the gifts he had received, keeping only a few.

The items he kept were so few that he could easily remember them, and among them there was no crimson pearl necklace.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Since you returned the other items and kept only that necklace, it must have really caught your eye. You have excellent taste. It’s not easy to find pearls with such a vivid crimson colour…”

Minister Jeong went on for quite a while, proudly describing the gift he had sent. Meanwhile, behind Yeocheong, the faces of Seon and Sowol grew more and more pained.

‘Did I make a mistake when I returned the items? No, it can’t be. I double-checked, even triple-checked everything. Sowol also confirmed it with me…’

‘……’

Yeocheong tried to remain calm, but his mind was full of confusion. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember accepting a necklace like the one described.

Meanwhile, Seon and Sowol exchanged uneasy glances behind him, their faces growing pale with tension.

Yeocheong kept his composure as he continued his conversation with Minister Jeong. After their brief exchange, Minister Jeong left Eunpyeong Palace, flattering Yeocheong to the end and expressing his hope to see him again.

“……”

After Minister Jeong left, an oppressive silence hung in the air of Eunpyeong Palace for a long time. It was Yeocheong who finally broke the silence.

“It seems that we had a thief in the palace.”

“There… there must be some mistake, Your Highness.”

“Perhaps.”

Yeocheong rose from his seat and turned to look at Seon and Sowol. Both had gone pale, though their expressions were markedly different.

Seon looked startled, her face filled with fear and confusion. Sowol, on the other hand, was frozen, trembling slightly, her lips quivering uncontrollably.

Bad habits are not easily cured, and I had expected this to happen… but I thought it would be something minor, like a small trinket at most.

A crimson pearl was so rare and valuable that even Yeocheong, who didn’t know much about the value of things, understood its significance. Not only crimson pearls, but any pearls with colour commanded exorbitant prices everywhere.

It could not have been easy for Minister Jeong to procure such an item, but someone had dared to touch something so precious without fear.

“How many people handled the items during the process of returning them?”

“Myself, Sowol, and then Na Gyeong and Munhee… After that, the items were immediately handed over to the military office.”

Yeocheong had no intention of escalating the matter unnecessarily. However, it was unlikely that whoever had tampered with the items would come forward willingly. A certain amount of intimidation would be necessary to flush out the culprit.

“Bring the person in the military office who handled this matter, along with the records of the returned items.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

Sowol staggered as she left the room, probably racking her brains to figure out the best way to ensure her own safety at this point.

‘I’m curious to hear what she has to say.’

Regardless of the outcome, Yeocheong thought, I hope this won’t be too easy to solve. With this thought in his head, he looked at Sowol’s retreating figure.

“I was told that you summoned me, Your Highness.”

A short time later, a bewildered military official, who had been summoned, bowed deeply before Yeocheong. Seon had brought the book, which Yeocheong opened at his request and began to read.

“You are responsible for supervising all goods entering and leaving the palace, correct?”

“Yes, yes. I inspect all items entering and leaving the palace.”

“Then you must also know what items have entered and left Yeon Palace.”

“I, uh… I’m not sharp enough to remember the details of every item, Your Highness, but I check the records regularly, so I have a general idea.”

Yeocheong glanced briefly at the book before closing it. He slowly raised his head and addressed the official.

“You are of course aware that I have returned some of the items sent to Yeon Palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you also have any idea how much of the incoming items have been returned?”

Yeocheong had returned most of the items sent to him. If he received ten items, he would keep at most one, if any. So, if everything had been handled properly, the answer should reflect more than ninety percent of the items sent back.

“I remember it was just over eighty per cent. I’d have to check the book in my office to be sure, but I’m sure it was around eighty percent”.

At his words, the faces of the four palace guards turned eerily pale. They had left at most two to four items behind, so how could the remaining items be twenty percent of the total?

“How long have you worked at the palace?”

“It has been 23 years since I entered the palace, and I have held this position for 15 years now.” “Then you must be well-versed in the laws and protocols of the palace.”

Yeocheong spoke in a steady tone, his expression calm. Although he was well aware of the laws that governed the royal court of Yeon, he feigned ignorance and questioned the official.

“What is the punishment for those who embezzle palace property?”

“Regardless of the value of the item, they are given 20 lashes and expelled from the palace. Depending on the severity of the crime, further punishment may be imposed.”

“Explain in detail.

“Even if it is determined that there was no intent, the act of mishandling palace property cannot be overlooked. As I mentioned earlier, the punishment would include flogging and expulsion from the palace. However, if someone is found to have deliberately and knowingly misappropriated palace property…”

As the officer paused to catch his breath, the faint sound of someone swallowing nervously broke the silence. Yeocheong concentrated on the officer’s words, deliberately avoiding a glance at the four guards standing behind him.

“In such cases, the person would first be interrogated to find out if there was any collusion or higher authority involved. Then their wrists and tongues would be cut off to ensure they could never steal or sell palace property again. A brand would also be burned on their foreheads to mark them as criminals before they were “banished from the palace forever”.

At the mention of this brutal punishment, the four guards all flinched. Although neither Yeocheong nor the guards were unfamiliar with such punishments, the weight of the words was different now that it seemed certain that someone had stolen items sent to Yeon Palace.

Yeocheong, of course, was looking for the truth, not the culprit’s wrists or life. But for the guards, the situation was one of fear.

“In some cases, the severity of the punishment can be reduced depending on the nature of the stolen object. But such cases usually don’t even reach the Ministry of Justice. Typically, the punishment is handled internally by the palace where the person is stationed.”

“I see. Once the case is referred to the Ministry of Justice, the person is already considered a criminal and the palace where they are stationed no longer has jurisdiction over their punishment.”

“That is true, Your Highness. But… why would such a… If you need the book, I can get it for you right away.”

The fact that Yeocheong had asked for items related to Yeon Palace and not Eunpyeong Palace had probably tipped off the official to the nature of the situation. However, Yeocheong made no effort to allay his suspicions.

“If I need anything else, I’ll call you back. You can go now.

“Yes, Your Highness. Please do not hesitate to call on me again.”

The official bowed deeply before leaving, a mixture of confusion and apprehension evident in his demeanour. Yeocheong watched him leave without a word, the tension in the room still palpable.

Noticing the official’s quick and respectful bow as he left, Yeocheong felt reassured that there was no need to explicitly warn him against spreading unnecessary rumours. Someone who had spent over two decades in the palace understood such unspoken rules well.

“Jewels and ornaments don’t grow legs and run away.”

After the official had quietly left, Yeocheong’s voice echoed loudly in the now silent room.

“That would mean someone gave these things legs to walk on.”

With every word Yeocheong spoke, the palace guards trembled more and more. Even those who were innocent couldn’t suppress their fear of being falsely accused.

“That reminds me…”

Munhee, who had been trembling in silence, suddenly raised her head as if struck by a thought. It was probably a survival instinct kicking in.

“The task of repacking was always done by Seon and Sowol. Na Gyeong and I only helped to carry the things and confirm their owners.”

“Yes, that’s right. Since Seon and Sowol are Your Highness’s close attendants, we only did simple tasks while they did all the important work.”

Na Gyeong added, bowing her head next to Munhee. As they said, Seon and Sowol were undoubtedly Yeocheong’s closest attendants and they took great pride in that status.

“This kind of work is for us to handle. Na Gyeong, you should focus on something else.”

Yeocheong also treated Seon and Sowol differently from the other prisoners. Since she had brought them from her family home, it felt natural. But the other inmates couldn’t help but envy and resent her privileged position.

But now that same position had inadvertently made her a suspect. Despite her pale and stricken face, Seon tried to shield Sowol.

“That is not true, Your Highness. There must have been a misunderstanding. S-someone must have made a mistake.”

“……”

Yeocheong remained silent, her gaze calm yet unyielding, making the tension in the room grow with each passing moment.

“Even if only one or two items were missing, it would be alarming. But how could so many items have disappeared through carelessness?”

“This is too bold an act for one person. Maybe it was – two people…”

“Enough.”

Yeocheong silenced Munhee and Na Gyeong who were vehemently proclaiming their innocence to clear themselves of suspicion.

“Are you so loud because you want your voices to be heard over the walls? Do you want everyone to know that Queen Yeon cannot even keep her own servants in order and is completely incompetent?”

“S-so sorry, Your Highness.”

The two stammered, bowing their heads deeply, their voices faltering as they fell silent.

But Yeocheong’s sharp eyes never left Seon and Sowol.

In the midst of this chaos, there was one person who hadn’t said a word: Sowol. She stood there trembling, unable to say anything. Yeocheong turned her calm, penetrating gaze to Sowol and slowly opened her mouth.

“Speak.”

“Sowol.”

“……!”

The moment Yeocheong called her name, Sowol’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor. As Seon moved to support her and help her to her feet –

“I have committed a great sin, Your Highness.”

Sowol suddenly fell to her knees and began to bow her head repeatedly, her voice trembling with despair and fear.