Chapter 20: My Genius Counter Plan

I woke up the next morning full of resentment and bitterness, it was just like having plain black coffee without any sugar or creamer on a day where you craved for sweets. I was a total emotional wreck when the morning sun came; one moment I was weeping and feeling sorrowful over the fact that Donghae had cheated on me, and the next moment I was screaming in frustration at the top of my lungs, punching Tae Hyun's face printed on the newspapers that I found and cursing him, hoping that he would burn in the depths of hell where demon can ravage him alive for daring to use blackmail against me.

Though I did consume four bottles of soju last night, the total sleep-wanting effect wore off completely when I got home, thanks to a certain royal scumbag that I had encountered last night. So being unable to sleep again, I rolled around in bed, trying various methods to get some sleep like cocooning myself in in my blanket like a sushi.

But nothing worked; so I gave up and took some of my mother's sleeping pill in the wee hours of the morning instead and it did it job pretty well. But I didn't get enough sleep and was forced awake by my mother to get the hell out of the bed with an unsightly kick to the butt and face palm to the floor.

So I wasn't only extremely lethargic, I woke up with a pounding headache that mirror the likes of jackhammers infiltrating the core of mind thanks to the alcohol and I felt immensely irritable. I woke up feeling like shit and I imagined I probably looked like shit as well.

If it wasn't bad enough, today was the day that I got summoned by the queen herself to discuss about the engagement; so I had everyone in the house fawning over me today and warning me to be polite and courteous no matter my final answer.

I had to look my best, which meant that I had to actually wear painful demonic looking high heels and uncomfortable but pretty and classy dresses. My eyes were puffy from my lack of sleep and my skin was going crazy over my bad life choices of last night.

God damn it.

I tried to curl my straight hair into voluminous waves but I was so impatient that I couldn't even wait for the curls to fully heat up and form. My hair probably looks like a complete fail now, not to mention that I had also accidentally scalded a small part of the very side of my chin. It hurt like a bitch.

Great, my life is finally complete with a cherry on top! Thank you karma for returning to favor, now please go and inflict misery on that pompous crown prince so that we can get even.

I seriously didn't even understand why I had to put so much effort just for an audience with the royal family. Sure they were royalty and all, but I am just going there to reject them!

Can't this be solved via text message or something?

I wondered what happen to our advanced technology at times like this. Cell phones were created for convenience and yet here I am standing in front of my full-length mirror getting ready.

"This is so god damn irritating!" I grumbled angrily awhile I tried to fix my failed curls. Picking up the heated curling iron again, I fixed a strand of curl, counting down the seconds to release it. I huffed an irritable sigh and glared my own reflection in the mirror. I hated myself immensely for not slapping the royal bastard yesterday when I had the chance to.

The stupid Kwon Tae Hyun. I have heard many girls swoon over how much of a perfect gentleman he was. Well, hell to that. Unicorns that pee glitter and shit cupcakes would exist before I would even dubbed him as a gentleman. I guess people didn't really know him. I mean not many would actually get the opportunity to meet someone like him. I was sure that after meeting a devious jerk like him, he would lose half of his female supporters.

The more I thought about that stupid idiotic yet charming smirk of his, the more irritable and grumpier I got. I should have known the reason behind him actually visiting me at my workplace; he did all that so that he could use something against me! Feeling like absolute crap, I angrily turned off my curling iron and placed it down.

I spent a good couple of hours scheming up a perfect plan to counter his smart blackmail. I couldn't possibility allow him to file a lawsuit against Chaerin family's cafe! They would grow bankrupt instantly, and I couldn't do something like that to my sweet best friend who had always been there for me.

I do give him props for cleverly assuming that if he were to file a lawsuit directly against me; it wouldn't work. But since he was practically holding my best friend's business hostage, he got the advantage this time.

So after a good couple of hours plotting, did I stupidly realize that I was missing the biggest piece to complete my puzzle – of course there would be someone in the royal family with a higher rank and more authority than him. The queen and queen dowager of course!

Therefore my plan was to go there and explain to them my situation and admit fault for scalding the crown prince with scorching coffee, then reveal his cunning plan to blackmail me into marriage with him!

Though I knew it was risky. I could have easily taken the poisonous arrow instead and land myself into big trouble. They are family after all, there was a high chance that they would side with their prince and defend him, and then I would be doomed.

But if there was a slight chance that they would feel remorseful and guilty for me I would take my chances. If things do turn out in my favor, I would be allowed the reject the marriage and the queen with her authority could command Tae Hyun to drop the lawsuit!

With my mind made up, I prayed that the queen would have some mercy on me.

You are a genius Lee Kara! I happily praised myself for coming with such a plan. Feeling a little better, I started to fix my dress. I looked like a complete different person today. I wasn't wearing my comfortable jeans or well fitted sneakers. I was in a floral skater dress with sweet pastel colors. My feet were killing me with the pale pink chiffon wedges and I had dangling crystal earrings – I looked like a million bucks (the outfit was really cheap though), but I felt like a walking and breathing human replica of shit.

"Whoa, my caterpillar big sister has finally evolved into a butterfly." Ji Sung stepped into the room and leaned on my dresser, staring at me with approval. "You look good."

"Yah, did you eat something wrong today? Since when would you actually praise your noona?" I smiled softly at him, joking with him. I pointed a finger at him, squinting my eyes to look like I was judging him. "Don't think about flirting with me young man, I am still your noona."

He laughed, clutching onto the sides of his stomach. "Please noona, you would need a thousand more years for you to actually be up to my standards." He smugly replied, he glanced down at my wedges. "You sure you can walk in those? They seem pretty tall."

"It's fine for her since she's so short!" Young Jae came bustling out into my room, the idiotic pair high-fived each other, giggling hysterically and I rolled my eyes at their immature behavior.

"Yah! How dare you call me short!" I dramatically look big strides over to them and started hitting them playfully on the head. "Have some respect for your noona before I beat you both into a bloody plup!" My lips twitched in feigned anger and my idiotic brothers dramatically ducked for covers from my savage blows.

"Ah! Noona! Stop hitting me!" Ji Sung cried out, using his hand to block one of my slaps to his head, he childishly hit behind Young Jae. Funny, sometimes I wonder who is the older brother of these two morons.

"Ah! How can the next crown princess of Korea be so violent?! Shouldn't you be more elegant and courteous instead of acting like a running barbarian?" Young Jae teased, dodging my blows quickly.

He switched places with Ji Sung, choosing to hide behind his much taller older brother instead. He stuck his tongue out playfully at me, "I will only respect you as my noona when you become the next crown princess!"

"Yah!" I grabbed my pillow and started slapping them with it; I had enough with this crown princess crap – no way in hell will I marry that douchebag! "Who said that I was going to accept the marriage proposal huh?! I am still your elder regardless!" I screeched, hitting Young Jae without any mercy.

"Umma! Kara is on extreme mood swings today help!" Young Jae yelped, covering his head as I repeatedly hit him with my pillow. He quickly dodged my blows and scurried out of the room, choosing to retreat and seek refuge with our mother for now.

"Aish!" I groaned in annoyance, throwing my pillow back to my bed. It bounced off and landed on the floor. I shot a dirty accusing look at Ji Sung who was now laughing his butt off on my bed. "This is all your fault for showing such a bad example to him!" I accused, my nostrils flaring from irritation.

Ji Sung stopped laughing and his eyes glazed over me, he crossed his arms with a confident huff. "Hey, don't blame the cool older brother! I only taught him what he needed to know to survive in his household." Just as I was about to reach over and give him and piece of my mind with my slaps, he held his hands out for defense and I stopped midway. "Noona ah, are you really going to reject the proposal?"

"Of course! I am still young, how can I possibly get married especially to someone that I don't even know!" I retorted back, sighing deeply. I slumped back onto my bed next to Ji Sung. "Why? Are you here to convince me again? Save the talk because I have already decided."

He chuckled softly, tilting his head and looking at me with honest round hazel eyes. "No. How could I ask such a thing from you when you have already sacrificed so much for this family?" He smiled softly, ruffling the crown of my black hair with affection. "I will respect whatever you decide. What kind of an younger brother would I be if I forced my sister to marry someone against her will?"

"Ji Sung..." I glanced up at him with love. I felt my heart swell with immeasurable pride at that every moment, wondering where my insensible impulsive and promiscuous younger brother had disappeared. I smiled warmly with gratitude. "Thank you."

"...But Noona-ah... You didn't hear this from me, but umma is sick." He said with great hesitation for a moment of comfortable silence.

My smile vanished instantly and I sat up the bed abruptly like something has hit me in the stomach. I felt my prideful heart dropped to my stomach at the sudden news. He breathed loudly, his thin lips in a straight clamp. "Her kidneys is acting up again, but she didn't want to tell you because she was afraid that you might see it as a reason to accept the marriage proposal. She didn't want you to stress yourself out seeing that you have been really bothered the last few days. It seems that if her condition worsen, her kidneys will fail... The doctor recommend that we put her on dialysis."