Chapter 20

“How about boxing?”

At my words, Lee Hwan’s brow twitched ever so slightly.

It seemed that wasn’t the answer he’d expected.

The people watching us had similar reactions.

After all, boxing was a bit cruder than crossing swords.

Still.

“I believe settling things with our fists is no less sufficient for gauging each other’s spirit and courage.”

I said it calmly.

“Besides, since no blades are involved, there’s no risk to anyone’s life.”

“…….”

“If this is truly a friendly duel as Your Highness said, wouldn’t boxing be fairer than swords?”

Lee Hwan didn’t answer for a while.

He had to be fairly taken aback from his perspective, and I was certain.

Certain that he would never refuse.

Crown Prince Lee Hwan.

He was the elite of elites produced by the Imperial Family.

A man who had learned everything from a young age—swordsmanship, of course, but also various sports, studies, etiquette, and political science.

And according to the records, he was a near-genius who showed impeccable results in all those fields.

‘Which is exactly why he became even more arrogant, like a narcissist.’

In any case, a man like that—he’d proposed the duel himself, and now he’d back down when his opponent suggested changing the event?

His pride would never allow it.

Especially not with all the heavyweights of the Korean Empire watching this very situation.

“…Fine.”

Just as I expected.

As I smiled inwardly, he continued.

“I accept your proposal. The event for the duel shall be boxing.”

A low murmur spread through the surroundings.

The friendly duel between the Crown Prince and the new chairman of Seonghwa Group was already a provocative sight, and now the event was boxing on top of it.

Who wouldn’t want to see an event this big?

And then.

“Have you ever done boxing before?”
“A little.”

At my answer, Lee Hwan’s smile deepened almost imperceptibly.

He seemed to find the word “a little” rather amusing.

With that, the conversation ended.

The Crown Prince moved first to prepare.

By the time I reached the reception hall, everything would already be set up, I figured.

And the moment he walked away, as if it were only natural, Choi Yuna approached.

“Chairman.”

Her voice was low.

It was the same composed voice as always, but there was a strange edge to it.

So naturally, I expected her to say something out of concern.

After all, a gathering created to celebrate me had now completely lost its meaning.

However.

“Please, just lose by a reasonable margin.”
“?”

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.

Normally, wouldn’t it be something like “don’t get hurt” or “don’t push yourself”?

But lose by a reasonable margin?

“I must have misheard you just now, right?”
“You heard me correctly. I’m not sure if I should be saying this, but from what I’ve seen, you’re not the type to just stand there and take hits. If anything, you’re closer to the type who, once you find an opponent you don’t like, beats them until they’re dead.”

Hmm… when she puts it that way, I sound like a pretty violent person.

And coming from Choi Yuna, the very embodiment of composure, it’s a bit hard to argue.

“So I’m asking you to go a little easy on him.”
“But aren’t you worried about me? From the way you talk, you’re assuming I’ll definitely beat the Crown Prince.”

At my words, Choi Yuna fell silent for just a moment.

Then, with a truly serious expression, she spoke.

“I am worried.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes.”

Just as I was about to be a little moved by her answer.

“About His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“…….”

Just how much does Choi Yuna trust me, exactly?

At this point, I feel like she’d have said the same thing even if we’d been facing each other with swords.

***

The reception hall was transformed into a space for the duel in an instant.

A place that had been for celebration and conversation just moments before.

But now, at its center, a wide open area had been cleared.

There was no official ring.

Instead, Imperial officials, business elites, and high-ranking government figures formed a circle around the perimeter.

Some watched with intrigued faces, some with troubled eyes, and others seemed to be calculating which direction this situation would take as they observed the two men.

The press had already been escorted out.

The Imperial Family had sent the reporters outside under the pretense that “the reception will proceed behind closed doors.”

But everyone knew.

This wasn’t simply a switch to a private event.

It was a decision made under the judgment that whatever was about to happen could not be allowed to leak to the outside.

A friendly boxing match between the Crown Prince and the new chairman of Seonghwa Group.

They called it friendly, but the meaning behind it was far from light.

And through it all, the Emperor watched in silence.

At the head table of the reception hall.

The Emperor, seated there, maintained his gentle expression.

But his gaze was different from before.

The eyes of a monarch observing the situation without a word.

Wondering what choice his son had made, and how long the young chairman of Seonghwa Group could hold out.

It was the gaze of a man who intended to see all of it with his own eyes.

And at the center of it all, the two men stood face to face.

Crown Prince Lee Hwan and Kang Geon, the 3rd chairman of Seonghwa Group.

Both were wearing boxing gloves.

Having shed his Imperial robes for a simple shirt, Lee Hwan looked far more solid than expected.

Unlike the refined image typical of royalty, his body had excellent balance.

Broad shoulders, and arms and waist free of any excess.

Anyone could see it was the body of a man who had trained consistently since childhood.

That much was clear.

Swordsmanship.

Horseback riding.

Marksmanship.

Swimming.

And even various combat sports.

Raised as the Imperial heir, Lee Hwan had been exposed to countless disciplines.

Boxing was naturally among them.

Even if he wasn’t at the level of a professional athlete, his fundamentals were solidly established.

Above all, he was someone with natural athletic ability.

The elite produced by the Imperial Family… that was no exaggeration.

In contrast, Kang Geon, having shed his suit jacket and now in his dress shirt, was quiet.

Clenching and unclenching his gloved hands lightly, he was simply checking his own condition.

There was no tension or excitement on his face.

Just calm.

In fact, that calmness was what made those around him uneasy.

Because no one could tell what he was thinking.

“Are both of you ready?”

At that moment, one of the Imperial officials stepped between the two men.

He was the one who would serve as the referee for today’s friendly duel.

He spoke in as composed a voice as possible.

“This friendly duel will consist of a single three-minute round. As this is a friendly duel above all else, excessively aggressive attacks are prohibited, and if either party is clearly judged to have lost the will to fight, the match will be stopped immediately.”

At that, Lee Hwan gave a light nod.

Kang Geon also nodded briefly.

The referee looked at both men in turn, then took a step back.

“Then.”

The referee raised his hand briefly.

There was no official ring, no fight bell.

Instead, one of the Imperial protocol officers picked up a small drumstick set beside him.

Thoom!

A low drum sound echoed through the reception hall.

That sound was the signal to begin, and Lee Hwan moved first.

Tap.

His toes lightly struck the floor, and his body shot forward in an instant.

His movements were far faster than expected.

On top of that, his center of gravity was low, his strides were stable, and there was no unnecessary tension in his shoulders.

As if he weren’t charging in driven by emotion at all.

What came first was a left jab.

Whoosh!

A fist flying toward Kang Geon’s face, plainly targeting it.

Kang Geon tilted his head just slightly to evade it.

But Lee Hwan’s attack didn’t end there.

As if he’d anticipated the direction of the dodge, his right hand followed immediately.

The sound of air being split rang out briefly, and Kang Geon leaned his upper body back, barely creating distance.

Low gasps leaked from the onlookers.

Even someone unfamiliar with boxing could see Lee Hwan’s movements were light.

The countless sports he’d mastered as the Imperial heir.

Among them, boxing certainly wasn’t his main discipline.

But his fundamentals were more than sufficient.

He knew how to use his feet, and the speed at which he retracted his fist after throwing was fast as well.

Above all, he had a sense for cornering his opponent.

Thud!

This time, a jab landed on top of Kang Geon’s guard.

Kang Geon’s arm shook slightly.

Lee Hwan didn’t let the opening slip by.

Jab.

Jab.

Right straight.

Under the consecutive attacks, Kang Geon stepped back once, then half a step to the side.

There was no attack from Kang Geon.

Only evasion and defense.

It looked as though he was barely withstanding Lee Hwan’s pressure.

At that sight, the Imperial officials’ expressions began to relax little by little.

As expected of His Highness Lee Hwan.

As expected of the man who would lead the Korean Empire into the future.

That sense of relief spread subtly through the surroundings.

In contrast, Choi Yuna, the only one on Kang Geon’s side, simply watched him in silence.

Her expression remained composed, but there was a faint tension in her fingertips.

Thud!

Lee Hwan’s fist struck the top of Kang Geon’s guard again.

Kang Geon retreated as if pushed back.

Lee Hwan’s eyes gleamed coldly at the sight.

‘So this is all he’s got, after all.’

His reactions certainly weren’t bad.

There was no sign of fear either.

But that was it.

He only absorbed the attacks, unable to move first.

In the end, it came down to a difference in real combat experience.

A difference in basic conditioning.

And a difference in the amount of time spent training.

That was Lee Hwan’s assessment.

Which was why he pressed even harder.

He used his left hand to obscure the vision, and his right hand targeted the body.

When Kang Geon dropped his elbow to block, he’d bring his fist back up toward the face.

He kept shifting constantly.

He gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath.

And so, nearly a minute passed.

Everyone in the reception hall had begun thinking the same thing by now.

That Kang Geon was putting up a fight, but in the end, he wouldn’t last much longer.

However.

With a heavy thud—

A dull impact sound, completely different from anything heard until now, rang through the reception hall.

And along with that sound, the eyes of those who had been watching the two men with serious expressions grew slightly wider.

“……!”

Because the Crown Prince, who had seemed to hold overwhelming superiority just moments ago, was now bracing himself on the floor with one hand.

But the one who was actually flustered was Lee Hwan himself.

His eyes were wide open, and his breath wasn’t escaping properly through his lips.

Just now…

‘What just happened?’

Lee Hwan couldn’t process the situation for a moment.

He had definitely been the one pressing the attack.

He was obscuring vision with his left hand, pressuring with his right, and systematically erasing the space Kang Geon could escape to.

But suddenly, Kang Geon’s fist had slammed into his abdomen.

Right below the solar plexus, to be exact.

The perfect spot for stealing someone’s breath.

‘I can’t… breathe….’

He couldn’t breathe properly.

Even when he forced himself to inhale, it felt like the air never reached his lungs.

At the same time, a wave of nausea rose from deep within.

It was unpleasant.

More than painful, it felt like his body’s functions had simply stopped for a moment.

Lee Hwan gritted his teeth and lifted his head.

And he saw.

Kang Geon’s face looking down at him.

That expression wasn’t much different from before.

No tension.

No excitement.

Just calm.

But his eyes were beginning to look different.

They were cold enough to feel vicious, and any respect for him was no longer present in them.

A gaze he had never received in his entire life as Crown Prince.

At that moment, Lee Hwan’s pride reacted first.

‘It was luck.’

What just happened was nothing but luck.

He had pushed too hard and left a brief opening, and Kang Geon had happened to catch it.

There was no other explanation.

With that conclusion, Lee Hwan forced down his breath and pushed himself to his feet.

And as he rose back up, Kang Geon finally spoke for the first time.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

It would be best to admit defeat before you embarrass yourself further.

…Was what he wanted to say.

That single line was truly brief.

But it was more than enough to strike at what remained of the Crown Prince’s pride and patience.

Defeat.

Admission.

And from a young chairman of illegitimate birth whom he had always looked down upon, no less—said in front of everyone.

Lee Hwan’s eyes flared up in an instant.

“……What did you just say?”

“If you keep going, you’ll get hurt.”

Kang Geon remained calm.

But even that attitude drove Lee Hwan insane.

As if it were concern rather than anger.

Like someone stating a plain fact rather than issuing a provocation.

“Kang Geon….”

Lee Hwan gritted his teeth.