Born As The Daughter of a Lowly Concubine - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Born as the daughter of a concubine of the lowest rank.
Chapter 108
Se Hwa, her expression bewildered, echoed the words back to me.
“The Crown Prince…… as the main character?”
“Yes.”
Making the Crown Prince the protagonist didn’t necessarily mean that the actual Crown Prince himself would be the protagonist.
But humans, as it turned out, had a habit of overlaying fiction and reality.
‘When a drama becomes popular, people cheer while superimposing the drama’s character onto the actor, even though they know the actor and the character are separate people.’
Of course, the Crown Prince was no actor.
Just as people who grew up watching animations of princes and princesses end up projecting fantasies onto actual royalty in monarchies, it wasn’t impossible to overlay fantasies onto someone distant.
At the very least, wasn’t it possible to replace people’s perception of the Crown Prince’s infirmity with something else?
“For instance—a Crown Prince who met a girl in childhood, fell in love at first sight, and has never forgotten her longing.”
“A girl he met in childhood?”
“Yes. Say, his first love was falsely accused of a crime, her family fell into ruin, and the two were separated. Then she returns for revenge, and by chance, the Crown Prince meets her again and falls in love once more. Something like that. Though isn’t that a bit worn out?”
……
I’d spoken without much thought, but now that I considered it—wasn’t this just a request to recreate the original work?
“It’s difficult to get honest opinions when I hold power like this.”
“No, not at all.”
Se Hwa shook her head, though she didn’t seem entirely enthusiastic. Being someone of authority made genuine feedback hard to come by.
“But I’m not forcing anything on you.”
“No, no. It’s just that I was wondering—who would be the one who falsely accused the girl’s family? Or rather, who should it be?”
“I suppose it could be a conspiracy hatched by some official who wanted to push his own daughter as Crown Princess. Yes, that’s why the Crown Prince refuses the marriage!”
Though the actual circumstances of our own Crown Prince were completely different.
The reasons why the Crown Prince couldn’t marry back then had likely grown hazy in most people’s minds by now, so it didn’t matter what reason I gave in the novel. As long as it wasn’t about any defect of body or mind.
Those who didn’t know my true intentions praised me as if fascinated—or with ambiguous expressions on their faces.
It depended on whether they knew I was a princess or not.
“I never would have guessed you possessed such talent.”
“I wouldn’t call it talent. I just threw out a subject that came to mind.”
I deflected Master Jang’s remark appropriately, but the truth was, what had prompted these thoughts was the conversation I’d overheard from those kidnappers earlier today.
‘If the Crown Prince’s refusal to marry or take concubines becomes proof that something is wrong with him, that would be troublesome.’
But what if there really was some problem I didn’t know about—something he couldn’t bring himself to mention?
‘No, the female lead’s official setting is that she’s a renowned physician…… If there’s any problem, she’ll fix it!’
Though the genre might shift a little! Changing from romance to romantic comedy should be fine!
Come quickly, female lead!
While I was lost in these relatively serious thoughts, everyone else was showing interest in the story I’d proposed.
So-i in particular grew a little triumphant, since this was her area of expertise.
“Why don’t you try writing it? I could help with historical accuracy.”
“Pardon? But wouldn’t that be—disrespectful?”
While the others seemed indifferent as long as they could read a new work, the one who would actually have to write it looked troubled.
“Disrespectful? What do you think I’d have him do……”
“I’m just not sure what would even be appropriate to have him do.”
“Well, just make him reasonably handsome, competent, and not villainous. That much should be accurate enough. Really, as long as you don’t write anything disparaging.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s a novel—what does it matter. If the material is decent, it’s worth thinking about. You don’t have to stick exactly to what I suggested.”
“Ha. Yes.”
We first discussed the Limited Edition Publication, consulted appropriately about the dramatic adaptation, and then left the Book Rental Shop. It was a bit chaotic with so many people, but the variety of opinions wasn’t unwelcome.
“The Crown Prince’s first love……”
“……?”
Se Hwa, who had been murmuring to herself, flustered and made an excuse when our eyes met.
“Oh, no. It’s just that thinking about the subject you mentioned earlier, I wondered if such a first love were even possible for the Crown Prince.”
“I suppose it would be quite possible, wouldn’t it? The way it works in Romance Novels—when you’re forced to part from someone you’ve grown fond of, the longing often becomes all the more tender.”
“You’re too cold-blooded about it.”
Se Hwa said nothing, but So-i grumbled instead.
I would have liked to spend more time chatting about this and that, but Se Hwa had to return to Hye Minser. And I had to get back to the palace myself.
I hurried back to the palace, holding the first signed copy, signed by Se Hwa herself right before my eyes.
I checked the books Master Jang had set aside for me again, and since he’d confirmed separately that they were meant for me, their condition was fine. I took only one with me and made sure Se Hwa took one in good condition as well.
She signed her pen name—Ji Cheon—with some embarrassment at writing an author’s signature on such a thing, still unfamiliar with the practice.
So-i received a copy too. She’s been running around after me, and her body and mind must be worn out, so she deserved these little consolations.
Looking at her face, she seemed satisfied with it.
‘Phew, it’s been a tiring day.’
Some days I’d roll around on my floor with nothing to do, and other days I’d sneak into kisaeng houses to check the faces of would-be kidnappers. It was quite the spectacular life.
‘I hope Seong Gyeom-sabok is all right.’
Having put my foot into dangerous territory, I certainly felt anxious—but even so, the first-edition limited copy I’d received today, especially the signed copy I’d gotten directly from the author, lifted my spirits a little.
That’s why I held onto just one copy, refusing to hand it to So-i, cradling it close. Today I’d check how the illustrated sections and my favorite parts had been translated, and tomorrow in the daylight I’d read it thoroughly.
Se Hwa, a court physician, is the author. I never would have guessed.
‘Now that I think about it, before we went into the book rental shop, she seemed like she was trying to tell me something. Was that when she was planning to reveal she’s the author?’
Seeing as she’d deliberately come along with me to the book rental shop, it did seem like she’d meant to tell me from the start.
There was also the possibility that she’d deliberately revealed it after learning I was a fan of her novel. The reason? Well, it wasn’t particularly odd if she’d think it natural to get closer to me.
‘She didn’t seem like that type, though. But if her mother is unwell and she needs money, then maybe.’
Still, her novel had been a hit and she must have earned quite a bit, so her mother’s condition must be quite serious.
Unlike Se Hwa, who departed earlier toward Hye Minser, Seong Ji—who’d accompanied us partway before splitting off—said Se Hwa possessed knowledge just as extensive as the physicians at Hye Minser, and her Medical Arts were equally skilled.
But if she couldn’t cure her mother, that meant… it was likely an illness beyond recovery.
Yet she couldn’t stop treatment, so the expenses drained endlessly.
‘When there’s a patient in the house, the family fortunes decline—that’s unavoidable. Whether in the past, now, or in the future.’
Fresh from remembering how I’d worried about my parents’ medical bills in my previous life, So-i and I hurried back into the palace.
“We seem to have returned quite late because of our visit to the book rental shop.”
“Still, it’s not too bad since you unexpectedly got the book, is it? Later on……”
As So-i and I chatted away, I stepped into my quarters—and then heard an unexpected voice.
“Why are you only just arriving now?”
“Your Highness? What brings you to my quarters at this hour?”
“I came looking for you, but the attendants at your quarters couldn’t say where you were.”
It was typical of him to show up without any warning, no matter that we were siblings. How rude.
“The Mother Queen is searching for you urgently, and since you weren’t in your quarters, your attendants came to the Eastern Palace asking for help. I told the Mother Queen I had business to attend to and managed to put her off, but I can’t simply let this slide myself, can I?”
“I’m sorry. Thank you.”
Because my bond with the Crown Prince was so close, the attendants assigned to each of us had made it routine to seek help at each other’s quarters whenever something urgent arose.
Thanks to that, the matter had passed without reaching the King and Queen, but the Crown Prince himself looked furious.
“You’re running around far too much these days. What on earth were you doing this entire time? Where have you been until now?”
“Uh, at the Sa-ga and Siyeongwon and… here and there?”
“Here and there?”
“Um……”
When I trailed off, the Crown Prince let out a sigh.
“You went to the book rental shop again, didn’t you?”
If he knew I’d gone to the kisaeng house, he’d faint.
I nodded anyway.
“Despite the fact that the royal relatives favor you, you are still a princess of this nation and must maintain your dignity, yet you behave so recklessly—this is becoming a serious problem.”
He must be in a particularly foul mood today.
“What books are you reading at the rental shop that keep you out this late?……”
The Crown Prince trailed off mid-lecture, and his gaze shifted oddly—lower than my face. Then his hand reached toward the book I’d been cradling so carefully.
“Let me see that.”
“No, wait—”
It wasn’t that I had anything particularly to hide, but this book, whatever else it was, happened to be a romance novel.
Even in modern times, if someone liked romance novels or dramas, they’d be branded as harboring fantasies about love, as someone seeking romance.
But liking mystery novels or thrillers was somehow different, wasn’t it?
And in this era, if anyone found out that I—someone at marriageable age who hadn’t even married—was reading romance, I genuinely didn’t want to know what they’d think.
Liking a romance novel didn’t mean I wanted to fall in love!
But even if I tried to explain, they wouldn’t believe my excuses—they’d just look at me with that pitying expression, clear as day.
People would have to believe me when I said I had no thoughts of marriage in the first place.
I was already known as a pitiful child, and getting pitied over this for all the wrong reasons irritated me to no end.
I tried my hardest to keep the book from being snatched away, but there was no way a child could match the strength of an adult man.
“I said let me see it. What sort of strange book is this that you’re being so stubborn?”
“No! I won’t give it!”
Rip—
And so the brand-new limited edition I’d brought home today was mercilessly shredded with a loud tearing sound, destroyed by the hands of blood kin.
“Ah… no, this isn’t……”
“……”
“……”
“……”
Even the Crown Prince seemed unintentionally caught off guard and couldn’t find words, while everyone around us, unable to intervene, could only stand frozen—and for a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.
It was only natural that I was the first to break it.
“Idiot! You dimwit! You worthless fool! I can’t even stand to look at you!!”
“…!”
I hurled the torn book at the Crown Prince along with a string of curses and bolted straight into my Residence.
“My lady!”
So-i’s voice rose in alarm, but I didn’t look back.
My book! My book!!! The author even signed it for me in person!
And I haven’t even had the chance to read it yet!!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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