Born As The Daughter of a Lowly Concubine - Chapter 26

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

I was born as the daughter of a concubine of the lowest rank.
Chapter 26
Several months passed after the news of my sister’s pregnancy became known, and the baby in her womb grew steadily.
Beyond the hardship of morning sickness, which led me to invent new snacks and earn praise from many without intending to, the days unfolded peacefully enough.
But that was our story—the Queen Consort’s situation seemed to be quite different.
“Young lady, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, truly. Don’t tell Mother, understood?”
It was not proper for a princess to call her biological mother, a concubine, by such a familiar name, but among the palace women she could trust, she used it freely.
I gave these instructions to the attendants applying medicine to the welts the whip had left on my calves, but they all shook their heads.
“She’ll know anyway, without us saying a word.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you spoke to her first, young lady?”
“Hmm. But I can’t seal the lips of every palace woman.”
Ugh. Power, I need power.
Not the sort of news a pregnant woman should hear, but what can one do.
‘I did go a bit far this time.’
Seeing how the Queen Consort was relentlessly drilling Prince Yeongwon, who loved his studies, I had dared to speak against her—no wonder she’d taken up the whip.
“There’s no help for it. I’ll have to go speak to her myself.”
I gathered my skirts to keep the medicine from smudging and pushed myself up; the attendants followed, their faces etched with worry.
‘It’s really all right.’
Of course, if I were a truly ordinary child of this age, the shock and pain of being scolded and beaten for the first time would have left me hurt, frightened, angry, and ashamed.
But I had spoken with the intention of being punished, so I harbored no regrets.
The Queen Consort, too, was not truly angry for its own sake.
Later, she even wept and apologized.
‘If she cried over it, she shouldn’t have done it in the first place. But honestly, how wonderful it would be if she were so candid with her own son?’
In fact, she seemed to use the whip far more often on her biological son.
Lost in such thoughts, I had my shoes on and was making my way down when someone called out to stop me.
“Sia.”
“Crown Prince?”
“Are you all right?”
“……?”
How did he know?
Seeing the concern on his face, he seemed to know something had happened, yet there was no sign that he’d heard the news in haste and come rushing over.
At my bewildered expression, the Crown Prince carefully lifted me into his arms, taking care not to touch my calves.
“You must have had quite a fright. Did you apply medicine?”
“……Yes, I’m all right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, has it?”
“Yes, it has been.”
He’d been so busy lately that he’d even summoned the painters from Dohwaseo to bring him pictures of me and Prince Yeongwon playing, so how strange that he’d come by now.
“Would it be all right if you came with me for a while?”
“All right.”
Though I didn’t understand the reason, the busy Crown Prince had sought me out, and as someone whose living was play, I had no cause to refuse.
When we arrived at the place he carried me to, hot refreshments were already waiting, as if he’d given orders beforehand; worried that a chill was settling into the season, he’d even arranged for heating.
And surprisingly, Prince Yeongwon was waiting there as well.
He, too, seemed to have heard the rumor that I’d been beaten, and sat with his lips pressed firmly together in a sullen mood.
I found it awkward to speak to him, so I simply sat on the Crown Prince’s lap and ate whatever was offered, when he sighed and said something unexpected.
“I’m sorry. The reason you were so severely scolded by the Queen Consort—it is all the fault of my failing as an elder brother.”
“……??”
“There is such a thing.”
As he spoke, the Crown Prince appeared more listless than usual, but I was hardly in a position to be concerned about him when I was the one with welts on my calves.
“But how did you know?”
“Well…… the truth is, I was planning to visit the Queen Consort today.”
“Then you were listening from outside?”
The Crown Prince would not have arrived at the Central Palace without warning, which meant the Queen Consort had anticipated that he would visit at that moment and had punished me accordingly.
‘Did she show him me being scolded?’
Considering that the reason for my punishment was that I had spoken too harshly to the Queen Consort, who was drilling the overly studious Prince Yeongwon……
It could be seen as a kind of performance to show the Crown Prince that Prince Yeongwon and the Queen Consort harbored no ill intent.
‘Was I sacrificed?’
Looking at the Crown Prince’s face, it seemed I was right.
But since he couldn’t explain that to a young child like me, he simply kept stuffing my mouth full of food.
“……Is this Castella?”
My pronunciation was garbled from having so much crammed into my mouth.
“It’s not fine. You must have been startled and in pain. Still, you took Prince Yeongwon’s side, didn’t you?”
“Yes. But this time the Consort went a bit too far. Not with me—with her own son.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“I do.”
I nodded, watching Prince Yeongwon’s face carefully. He’d been silent ever since, without uttering a word.
‘He must feel sorry.’
Princes who weren’t Crown Prince—non-heirs—were meant to master the basic arts of royal courtesy and cultivation before steering themselves toward pursuits like painting and music, taking deliberate pains to avoid scandal. They spent their lives emphasizing: “I am a pure and free spirit, utterly indifferent to the throne, power, and such dark ambitions.” This was the aftermath of a past king’s brother who’d staged a rebellion for the crown.
A cautionary shadow that lingered over the entire royal house.
The trouble with Prince Yeongwon was this: his older brother, the Crown Prince, was so generous with him that Yeongwon mimicked everything—his studies, his martial training, everything.
One might think an younger brother’s imitation harmless enough, but the real problem was that Prince Yeongwon surpassed the Crown Prince in everything he attempted.
‘With Prince Gyeongeon gone, she’s finally at ease. Where’s her composure gone?’
The Crown Prince was still far younger than Prince Yeongwon, so direct comparison was impossible; yet the assessments praised Yeongwon’s abilities as superior even to the Crown Prince’s childhood, and it was no wonder the Consort trembled at the thought.
“The Consort treats Prince Yeongwon strictly because she worries about him.”
“I know.”
The Crown Prince likely understood this well.
“Indeed, I’m grateful Sia is so wise. Please don’t resent the Consort.”
“I don’t resent her.”
Fighting with the Consort would only hurt me in the end.
The Consort was strict only toward Prince Yeongwon; in ordinary circumstances, she treated me with reasonable kindness. This time had merely been an exception.
‘There’s nothing more precious to a mother than her own child.’
I wasn’t young enough to cry over a few strokes of the rod, and I’d undertaken the task knowing the consequence. Yet when the Crown Prince and Prince Yeongwon saw my marks, they inspected them so carefully that their faces seemed ready to crumble at any moment.
“I’m fine, truly.”
“In fact, Prince Yeongwon was listening to it all earlier.”
“What?”
“He rushed out of the Central Palace, and I caught him and brought him with me.”
Oh no.
‘So he heard everything I said.’
The thought made me a little embarrassed.
‘Prince Yeongwon only works hard, so please be just a bit more gentle with him!’
‘He’s the Consort’s own son!’
At least I hadn’t said anything truly terrible—that was something.
“I’ve burdened you both because of a flawed older brother…….”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not your brother’s fault, Your Highness.”
At the Crown Prince’s words, Prince Yeongwon, who had been avoiding his gaze, finally lifted his head and spoke for the first time.
“I am a slow-witted person who merely works hard. Would it not be better for the nation if someone more capable became Crown Prince?”
No—what a terrifying thing to say.
“If we tried to make a different prince Crown Prince because he was more capable, wouldn’t the grandfathers who torment father end up in a brutal fight?”
“……Our Sia is truly clever.”
“I’m something of a wasted talent, myself.”
“Hey.”
From the lips of Prince Yeongwon, who’d been maintaining a solemn demeanor beyond his years, came a petulant remark at last.
I twisted the topic slightly to lighten the mood.
“It’s not just princes who have to bury their talents, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Poor common folk, people of low station, women—even if they have talent, they can’t accomplish anything grand.”
It was a deflection to suggest that Prince Yeongwon’s plight wasn’t uniquely his own.
His case was different—his talent made him worry for his very life—but as long as the Crown Prince didn’t suspect him, it would be manageable.
Yet something in what I’d said seemed to strike both of them; unexpectedly, they grew quite serious.
The truth was, even if I’d possessed greater talents than Prince Yeongwon, such talents would have been wasted in this era.
“I sometimes think, Sia, that you speak in a most unchildlike manner.”
“Perhaps, but it doesn’t seem to be untrue.”
“Do you think so?”
At the Crown Prince’s question, Prince Yeongwon glanced away and deflected.
“……It’s merely the words of a younger sibling, without deeper meaning.”
“No. Your words are not wrong.”
Yet the Crown Prince seemed pleased by his brother and gently patted Prince Yeongwon’s shoulder.
“With the two of you together like this, I feel assured, even if I cannot always be there to look after you.”
“Your Highness, are you very busy?”
“Busy, yes—and truthfully, Gangmu will be held soon, so I’ll be away from the palace for some time.”
“Gangmu?”
What was that again? I felt like I’d heard the term before, maybe?
As I tilted my head in confusion, the Crown Prince kindly launched into an explanation. Prince Yeongwon seemed to know already.
“Military training combined with hunting—you can think of it as a hunting expedition.”
“But the weather’s gotten cold, isn’t it? You do this in winter?”
“They used to hold it in spring and autumn, or so I’m told, but nowadays it’s winter. Though it’s military training, you need people to drive the game, so it’s conducted during the Agricultural Off-Season—when there’s no farmwork to be done. Besides, when soldiers in full kit move in numbers, it can help prevent the wild beasts from coming down to the villages in winter when food is scarce for them.”
Yes, I did feel like I’d heard this before somewhere.
In any case, what it meant was that the Crown Prince would be leaving the palace for military training.
“Hmm. Hunting doesn’t really suit you, does it?”
“Really, it doesn’t?”
You seem more suited to a brush and books.”
“Ha. That’s true enough. But as the realm’s Crown Prince, I can’t neglect this either.”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince’s security would surely handle itself, but the man was so gentle by nature that I worried for him.
‘Can this person actually take an animal’s life?’
Here was someone who’d never spoken a harsh word even to Prince Gyeongeon, and now he’d have to do something so bloody.
Though, in an age where the king himself gives final approval for executions, perhaps he needed to learn a measure of ruthlessness.
“Do your best, brother.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Bring back some good meat.”
“Right. I’ll try my best.”
I’d heard that wild game is tough and reeks of gaminess, but still, might as well offer a little lip service.
The experts would handle the cooking anyway.
“Oh, that pastry Sia made for us before was delicious—could you make it again before you leave?”
“Pastry? Oh, the Gyeran Mil-tteok?”
“Yes, that was so good.”
Gyeran Mil-tteok was a confection I’d made for my sister-in-law, who’d been struggling to keep food down because of morning sickness.
Made from eggs, flour, honey, and other ingredients, it was—in the modern world, it was “Castella,” and in Joseon it would have been called by the phonetic transcription Gasujeora, a type of sponge cake.
Whether because the ingredients were slightly different, or for some other reason, it came out denser and moister than the fluffy texture I remembered, but lighter than a tteok and easier to eat, so my sister-in-law had adored it during her morning sickness.
“It was the first time I’d ever had a confection that melted so smoothly.”
“Sure. I’ll make it tomorrow.”
And most of the royal family had loved it too.
“Even the royal relatives have heard the rumors and are dying to try it.”
“Everyone likes it.”
For the record, only I and my assigned attendants knew the method for making Castella.
After there was gossip about the pudding I’d made at the Royal Kitchens before, we’d decided to make it in secret and not teach it to anyone.
How humans smile pleasantly to your face but speak differently behind your back.
“Even Sanggung Im seemed eager to eat some.”
“Hmm. Is brother saying he has leftovers and wants to give them to her?”
Seeing even the Crown Prince’s chief attendant—who’d disliked me—acting that way, it was clear the Gyeran Mil-tteok was definitely the current craze.
“Is that not possible?”
“If you want to give it, give it.”
At that point, something else occurred to me.
“By the way, brother, are you thinking of giving some to Prince Gyeongeon too?”
“Ah, well… being confined like that, I worry his temperament is growing more volatile.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I didn’t really want to give him any, but… well, they’d give him bread in a juvenile detention facility too.
“It’s fine. If you want to give it, give it. There’s no need to be petty about feeding someone.”
“You truly have a generous heart, Sia.”
After all, he’s locked away, and it’s better to keep the Crown Prince from suffering needlessly by feeding him something good and keeping his spirits up.
“What about you, brother? You don’t want any?”
“Of course I do. You’ll give me some too, won’t you?”
“Let me think about it.”
As I stuck out my lower lip and spoke, Prince Yeongwon beside me let out a sigh and began to remonstrate.
“Why must you always be so disrespectful to the Crown Prince?”
“I won’t give any to people who call me disrespectful.”
“If that’s what Sia wishes, then so be it?”
“Hey!”
With an attitude entirely different from when I’d first entered the room, Prince Yeongwon let out an exaggerated yelp.
The Crown Prince and I laughed at Prince Yeongwon, our giggles filling the air.
Sadly, this would be the last day the three of them spent together before the Crown Prince departed.

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