Coming out of Seongjungwon, Sang-jong crossed the yard alongside Chang-jong, his face deeply creased.

"Oppa."

Just then Jeong-eun, who had come out ahead of them, approached Sang-jong quickly.

"Oppa. I need to talk with you."

"You didn't leave? You've been waiting out here?"

"So what, was I supposed to just go home?"

Jeong-eun shot Chang-jong a sharp look and grabbed hold of Sang-jong's lapel.

"Oppa. I said I need to talk with you."

Sang-jong looked down at Jeong-eun with unfocused eyes.

"What is it, why is he like this? Did Father scold him after I left?"

Jeong-eun threw the question at Sang-jong, then turned to Chang-jong.

Because it looked unlikely she'd get any answer out of Sang-jong's own mouth.

"He didn't say much of anything."

"Then why is he like this? Oppa. Snap out of it. This isn't the time to be standing around dazed."

"All right, enough."

Sang-jong knocked Jeong-eun's hand away and asked her with a scowl, "So what is it you want to say?"

Confirming that Sang-jong had returned to a state where conversation was possible, Jeong-eun led him and Chang-jong to a corner of the Seongjungwon yard.

And once she'd confirmed there was no one nearby, she began.

"I told you we should have gotten Father to step down first, didn't I. And now look. Me, you—we've ended up with neither rice nor porridge."

At those words, Sang-jong and Chang-jong looked at Jeong-eun with utterly incredulous eyes.

"When did you ever say we should get Father to step down? You're the one who said we should leak the Seon-myeong story and take out Big Brother first."

"When did I?"

Jeong-eun shook her head as though this were the first she'd heard of it.

"I clearly said we should join hands with Big Brother, escort Father comfortably home first, and then deal with Big Brother afterward."

"You... whew. Never mind."

Sang-jong had been about to point out that she was lying with Chang-jong right there listening, but stopped himself.

Because it occurred to him that arguing about it now wouldn't change anything.

"Let's just say you're right."