Albeit busy with a lot of things, Joohyun kept Moonbyul’s advice in mind: to put not just her sword but also her shield to good use. It was time to take action against the Queen Mother.

The royal family had a vacation palace situated in the countryside. Joohyun had previously sent word to the servants stationed there, instructing them to make sure it was perfectly clean and habitable. This gave everyone the impression that it was the Queen herself who wanted to go on a vacation. Little did they know what she had up her sleeve.

Once she received word that the vacation palace was now in perfectly good condition, she made the public announcement that the Queen Mother was going to stay a while at the vacation palace. And by ‘a while’, she pretty much meant ‘indefinitely’.

Once Joohyun’s decree had reached the Queen Mother’s household, her handmaidens had no choice but to obey. Efficiently, they worked together to pack her belongings. As they did so, she was visited by her nephew, Lord Jongin. Hurriedly, he greeted her and then asked, “Your Majesty is going on a vacation? How come I didn’t know about it? I want to go on a vacation too.”

“Because I never told anyone about it,” she explained wryly. “I wasn’t even told about it until just now.”

“Wait, what?” Jongin gasped. “So you don’t actually want to go on a vacation?”

“Well, my daughter certainly wants me to go on a vacation.”

“Oh, no! Why is life so unfair?” He groaned and stomped his feet. “I wish she’d let me go on a vacation!”

“You’re more than welcome to come along, if you wish.”

Slowly, a smirk grew on his face. “If I come with you, does it mean I won’t have to have lessons with my tutors anymore?”

His aunt sighed as she absentmindedly approved of a few outfits and accessories that her maids were packing for her. “My dear nephew, your academics are the least of my concerns at the moment.”

“But what are you so worried about? You’ve essentially retired, right? It’s time to enjoy this vacation, to enjoy life!”

“If only life were as simple as you see it,” she stated sardonically. “Such a privilege to be so carefree.”

“Well, even if you don’t want to be away from the royal court, you’ll just be away for a while, right? At least that’s what I heard from the servants...apparently that’s what the Queen said.”

“Yes, so I’ll oblige and go for a while,” she replied with a shrug. “One day, Joohyun will realize she needs me around. And when she wants me back, she will be begging on her knees. And that’ll teach her a lesson.”

“Alright. Don’t worry about me — I will be on my best behavior,” he declared proudly, which only made her smile while shaking her head.

“I’ll believe that when the sun rises from the west,” she said, causing him to giggle.

The next day, the Queen Mother was seated in her carriage, accompanied by a group of her attendants as she made her way to the vacation palace. Once she was out of the way, Joohyun felt so much more relaxed that she could not even stop smiling, nor could she remember the last time she was in such a good mood. Of course, just because her mother was physically absent did not mean all of her worries would just evaporate. Out of sight but not entirely out of mind, and Joohyun would do well to remember that one could never be too careful in a place as dangerous as the royal court.

“So she really is gone?” Seulgi asked as she and Joohyun cuddled in bed that night. “Will she ever come back though?”

“Not unless I allow it to happen,” Joohyun declared confidently, happy to reassure her lover of their newfound sense of security. “She’s not likely to be able to hurt or bully you now.”

“I’m more relieved that she is not so likely to be able to hurt you now,” Seulgi replied with a shudder.

“Thank goodness Moonbyul inspired me to come up with this strategy,” said Joohyun. “Although there are other people who are still in my way. My mother isn’t the only threat I’ve got.”

“I think I know who you are talking about. What are you going to do about them?”

“Well…” the Queen smirked. “Those puny men are going to find out very soon.”

Among those puny men was the Queen’s uncle, Lord Kwon, whose power has increased exponentially now that the Queen Mother was no longer present at the royal court. Even outside of the council, he was now the one with the most influence over Prince Jooyoung, the heir presumptive. It had been this way ever since Joohyun appointed him as Jooyoung’s mentor. Of course Joohyun took note of this and worked to limit his power. What better way than to invite his nemesis into the council?

When she showed up to her daily meeting with her advisors, she revealed that she had an important matter to announce. There was a smirk upon her face, which sent chills down her advisors’ spines. It gave them the hunch that what she was about to say was going to be something that was bound to put them at a disadvantage.

“I would like to introduce