Born As The Daughter of a Lowly Concubine - Chapter 22

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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 the daughter of a low-ranking concubine.
Episode 22
Even the word “brother” that seemed it would never leave my lips came naturally enough after a few years.
‘The Crown Prince is my savior, and he’s so sweet and handsome that calling him brother doesn’t feel difficult.’
I want to just abandon my conscience and call him brother—and honestly, it wouldn’t matter even if he were my real brother.
‘The little one apparently dove into the water without even knowing how to swim when I was drowning. For that much, I can call him brother. ……Later, when he’s a bit older.’
Technically it would be “older brother” rather than “brother,” to be precise.
The term “brother” is originally baby talk used only in infancy, so the royal court, with its strict propriety, teaches children to use “older brother” from the start.
‘Thinking about it, in modern times the word “brother” has settled into everyday speech even for adults. Though technically “mother” and “father” are the same—they’re baby talk like “mama” and “dada.”‘
When you think about it that way, you can almost understand why elderly people dislike women calling their husbands or lovers “brother.”
‘Well, language changes constantly, so there’s nothing to be done about it. Though baby talk like “mother” and “father” doesn’t seem to have changed much since ancient times.’
Terms like “mama” and “papa” aren’t just ancient—they’re similar across the entire world.
The era is medieval, yet I’m not speaking medieval Korean, so it’s an odd situation. Does it really matter what honorifics I use?
In any case, Prince Youngwon deserves to be called older brother, since the man now known as Prince Youngwon, who was then Prince Gyeongeon, apparently went wild that day and even threw punches at Prince Gyeongeon.
That was the reason I was treated like a criminal when I woke up.
Of course, once what Prince Gyeongeon had done came to light, he was reevaluated as an admirable older brother who rushed to help his sister without hesitation.
‘Though it seems he received a lecture about how hitting people is wrong. But it didn’t really seem like he was punished.’
As I sat on the Crown Prince’s lap and swung my legs, he took a glutinous rice ball from the Yuanxiao Pastry he’d made with omija liquid and offered it to me on a spoon.
“Sia, ahh~”
“Ahh~”
He’s not a stranger, he’s a real older biological male relative, and when an older brother feeds you sweets and clothes, how could you refuse to call him brother?
Prince Youngwon watched me gulp down the pastry that the Crown Prince was feeding me with a displeased gaze.
“You must eat carefully.”
“Okay.”
“Your Highness has been rather inseparable from Sia lately.”
“When she gets older, we won’t be able to do this anyway. Gender separation after seven years of age, as the saying goes.”
“Though at present, it’s not entirely befitting of royal conduct……”
The royal family placed such importance on propriety that even young children carried themselves stiffly.
And the stiffest among them was Prince Youngwon, who had become a prince a few years ago.
Perhaps because he was the current Queen’s only biological son, the Queen was strictest with Prince Youngwon.
‘Shouldn’t he have been the Crown Prince originally?’
The novel “Lover of Leehwa” was a palace romance set in an imaginary Joseon dynasty.
‘Or was the palace intrigue portion even larger?’
In any case, the male protagonist Leehwa was Prince Youngwon before being installed as Crown Prince.
I vaguely remembered the title “Prince Youngwon” only because the antagonist prince refused to acknowledge his younger brother who had become Crown Prince, and kept calling him Prince Youngwon.
And the fact that a prince became Crown Prince meant there had been a Crown Prince before, which meant something had happened to that Crown Prince.
‘Concubine Young tried to sit on the Queen’s throne herself and had the current Crown Prince Leehwa and Concubine Seon—who became Queen in the original—killed, so that Prince Gyeongeon could become Crown Prince.’
Though it wasn’t just Concubine Young, but her entire household working together.
But despite killing the Queen and Crown Prince, the King appointed a different concubine as Queen instead, and when Prince Youngwon was designated Crown Prince, Concubine Young never became Queen and ended up just doing favors for others.
And she played the role of the villain, sowing discord between the new Crown Prince and Queen, slandering them, plotting murder—doing nothing but harm until her downfall.
Concubine Young and Prince Gyeongeon were villains like that.
‘In other words, they should have been the final bosses in their own way in the novel……but here they’re like a kite with its string cut early.’
Even in the original story she wouldn’t become Queen, but her downfall came extraordinarily fast.
And it was me who pushed them down like that.
‘If they’d just left mother and me alone, the story wouldn’t have developed so drastically.’
That’s what you call karmic retribution.
Of course, thinking of the novel’s plot, it was very fortunate.
‘The princess didn’t even exist in the novel.’
Only a vague memory remained of testimony passing in the background that Prince Gyeongeon had harmed young younger sisters in his childhood when he met his downfall.
Just remembering what he did to me, there was no way to call it normal, so I didn’t want to think about what else he might have done.
In any case, the development was not unfavorable from my perspective.
The Crown Prince seemed so gentle that it was almost a concern—he was genuinely kind, and got along well with his siblings.
Even the King, knowing his nature, seemed to be excluding the Crown Prince as much as possible from the matter of Concubine Young and Prince Gyeongeon.
Concubine Young was at least kept as a lady in residence out of deference to the Left Minister’s honor, while Prince Gyeongeon was confined to his quarters with his mother.
‘He must have accumulated quite a grudge.’
Moreover, the Left Minister himself eventually stepped down from his position, taking responsibility for having raised his daughter poorly……
Those who had threatened the Crown Prince in the original would now find it difficult here.
‘Surely they wouldn’t take another reckless move in this situation.’
If anything happened to the Crown Prince now, anyone could pin it on the retired Left Minister and Prince Gyeongeon as holding a grudge and doing harm.
Moreover, with the people he could see limited, it would be difficult for him to scheme even if he tried.
Thanks to that, these past few years had been peaceful.
Except for the Crown Princess, who’d barely been married before she passed away just a few years later.
‘She was a good person.’
She was kind-hearted, but the rigors of royal life seemed beyond her endurance; she grew sickly, the ailing days multiplying until finally…….
After that, the Crown Prince—already quiet by nature—became even more withdrawn, and everyone worried.
Though he’s improved considerably of late.
“Is it true that Prince Youngwon has been teaching you to read lately?”
“He’s only shown me a few characters from the Thousand Character Classic—hardly worthy of being called instruction. Besides, Sia dislikes studying.”
“Ha. Perhaps it’s not interesting?”
“Not at all.”
I answered plainly, and the Crown Prince chuckled softly before setting a cup of Sikhye in front of me.
For someone who’d been waited on all his life, the Crown Prince was surprisingly perceptive.
Of course, I’d already mastered Hangul.
And naturally, a Princess my age was expected to complete the Thousand Character Classic—it was the baseline for royal children of this household. Yet no one else rushed quite so earnestly over a Princess’s education.
“Father is teaching me directly, so progress won’t be swift, will it?”
That wasn’t quite it—it was my biological father’s keen interest that drove things.
‘I don’t hate studying itself, especially since I’ve nothing else to do. The problem is knowing how much is enough.’
I didn’t want to earn the title of prodigy, did I?
Not that being called brilliant would cause me great harm.
‘If I were a Prince, I’d face rivalry. But I’m a Princess.’
The more I thought about it, the easier life was as a Princess. I had no full-brother to become a rival of the Crown Prince’s.
“It seems Father desires your company more than actually teaching you. Since his official duties exhaust him, he likely seeks solace in being near you.”
Yet the Crown Prince’s eyes, as he spoke, were fixed distantly ahead in a way that wasn’t quite normal.
‘He must be very tired.’
Indeed, from what I’d naturally overheard through time spent with my biological father, there was much work to be done, and the ministers apparently gave him endless headaches.
“Brother, are you suffering?”
“When I’m with you, I don’t suffer.”
The way he pulled me close without even being warm suggested something was truly amiss.
I wanted to be patient about it, but honestly, I was sweltering, so I pushed him away firmly.
“It’s hot. Let me go.”
“Sia, you’re so cold…….”
“Brother, do collect yourself.”
“Prince Youngwon is cold too…….”
At the Crown Prince’s listless words, Prince Youngwon and I exchanged furtive chuckles.
The Crown Prince had made time for afternoon refreshments to glimpse his younger siblings, and his efforts bore fruit—yet pleasant moments were always fleeting.
“Your Highness.”
“Ah. Has the time come already?”
Seeing the attendant’s sour expression, the Crown Prince’s face fell with disappointment.
Unlike younger siblings whose mere flourishing was contribution enough, the Crown Prince had much to occupy him. And already, whispers were beginning again about selecting a new Crown Princess.
‘The position can’t remain vacant forever.’
Watching him with wide eyes, the Crown Prince stretched out his arms one last time to embrace me and find some comfort before departing.
He looked so pitiful heading off to work in this heat that I patted his back, and his handsome face lit up with a smile. I’d grown accustomed to it by now, though that handsome face remained unchanged.
“Go on to your work, brother.”
“Right. Work hard. I’ll be well-behaved.”
As I waved my hand, the Crown Prince waved back with reluctance before vanishing.
My second brother, bearing the same features as our late father, watched with a displeased expression.
“You were putting on airs in front of the Crown Prince again.”
“Nonsense. You’re just the same.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The palace attendants, accustomed to our bickering, suppressed their laughter and lowered their heads as if they’d heard nothing.
We then rose, each taking a pastry to distance ourselves from them. In the palace, too many ears were always listening.
Once the attendants had moved sufficiently far, I offered Prince Youngwon a pastry and spoke playfully.
“Our diligent Prince Youngwon lately—care for a pastry?”
“Where do you hear such rumors?”
“There are no secrets within these palace walls.”
My words seemed to strike something in him; Prince Youngwon sighed.
“You’re hardly the child you appear.”
“When did you ever see me act like one?”
“Why must you always have the last word?”
Together, we trotted toward the Pond.
Because I had such an unsettling past, many in the palace grew anxious whenever I approached the Pond, so whenever I walked there, I did so with Prince Youngwon whenever possible.
Since they knew we were deliberately keeping our distance, the other palace attendants followed at a discreet remove without being asked.
Just as it had been with the Crown Prince earlier, these brothers never reproached me for speaking freely when no one else was listening.
“Is it because of the Empress?”
“I told your older brother I would study Martial Arts along with him, and she seemed displeased by it.”
“Hmm.”
Based on the information I’d gathered in the palace over time, I’d reached a rough conclusion, but I hesitated about whether I should explain this to a child.
Royal children mature quickly, yes, but even accounting for that, the Crown Prince is only twelve—and here I am, barely six years old, trying to explain matters of court intrigue. That hardly seems appropriate, does it?
‘The Empress seems to be worried that Prince Youngwon might become an unnecessary target of the Crown Prince’s faction.’
The Crown Prince was so affectionate and good to him that Prince Youngwon might not yet grasp the danger, but even within the concubine quarters, there was a subtle atmosphere of wariness.
Despite becoming Empress, she held little actual power. Her health had always been fragile besides.
Because Concubine Young’s affair had been so grave, everyone kept their heads down, leaving the Inner Palace Administration hushed and subdued.
I decided to ease the boy’s mind with a vague reassurance.
“The Empress is likely concerned you might be hurt. And with the Crown Princess Selection coming, she probably has much on her mind and is feeling anxious.”
“That makes sense. The Crown Princess Selection is coming soon, after all.”
My explanation seemed persuasive enough—Prince Youngwon nodded slowly.
“I should study quietly for a while so as not to trouble her.”
“Do it in moderation. You’re still at an age when you ought to be playing.”
“Ha. I suppose you’re right. But since your older brother is pleased to see me studying, it’s hard to stop. Besides, I find it enjoyable.”
These children were strange, so fond of their books.
‘At least for now I’m just learning Chinese characters, so it doesn’t bother me. But later, when they want me to learn the duties of women, I’ll probably just throw the books away.’
Truth be told, I’ve already done that since I was a baby.
When I was younger than I am now, sensing they were about to teach me useless things, I threw away any book from the Thousand Character Classic that contained the characters for “woman” or “wife” and picked up ones with the character for “history” instead. Recognizing my temperament from all I’d already shown them, they eventually gave up and put the books away.
‘History books are better anyway.’
Even back in university, I never so much as glanced at self-help books.
And anyway, don’t go foisting the Analects on little children.
Prince Youngwon rambled on about this and that to his much younger sibling before leaving once his tutor’s hour arrived.
“Young lady, it’s dangerous if you venture too near the Pond.”
“All right.”
When I stood alone near the water’s edge, the attendant who’d been following me approached cautiously, anxious.
It was tiresome, but given who she was, I said nothing and stepped back.
‘It’s no wonder she worries so much—she’s experienced something that would leave trauma.’
The attendant now serving me had once been Jo Ga, the Concubine Young’s maid.
After revealing everything and essentially betraying her mistress, Jo Ga had been reassigned to my service.
Her younger sister came with her as well.
‘It’s nice that the sisters are together.’
Either the author or her parents had been lazy with names—the younger sister was called So Yi.
Both were common names in this era.
“Shall we play hiding and seeking with the attendants?”
“No.”
I shook my head at Jo Ga’s suggestion.
Fortunately, being born into the royal family afforded many conveniences, yet compared to my past life, the lack of entertainment and treats was unavoidable.
Oh, now that I think of it.
“Shall I bring some refreshments to Father and my brother?”
“They would be delighted.”
“Perhaps Yakgwa would be best.”
I preferred Hangwa in general, but I still missed bread and chocolate…
Though I couldn’t very well ask someone to import cacao, could I.
‘The main cacao-producing regions are… Africa, weren’t they?’
That would be difficult.
What about bread? Flour was scarce in Joseon times, but seeds were available at least.
Native wheat came in various varieties, though it was typically used for noodles, so bread made with it wouldn’t be fluffy but rather dense—though since I wasn’t particularly picky, it hardly mattered.
‘But a small child kneading wheat dough and baking bread? Wouldn’t that be strange?’
My older sister had been an enthusiast of baking, and I still vaguely remembered how it was done, but it would seem far too odd for a child like me to suddenly start making bread dough from scratch.
Could I find some excuse and make something simpler instead?
“Oh.”
“…?”
“Let’s go to the Fresh Fruit Kitchen.”
Eggs—I needed eggs.

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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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