Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 13

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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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Chapter 13. The Duty of a Young Palace Maid
Pat, pat, pat.
I waited quietly for the Crown Prince’s emotions to settle.
Waiting, and waiting still….
‘…My arms are killing me.’
Perhaps from running about on errands so much, my legs felt ready to cramp as well.
“Ugh.”
At the sound that escaped my lips unbidden, the Crown Prince turned his head.
“Oh dear. Your arms must be aching because of me.”
“…My legs are trembling too.”
The Crown Prince laughed brightly—a radiant laugh that had completely dispelled his earlier gloom.
Yes. This suffering was worth it.
“Bong-bong.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
The Crown Prince, watching me tap my limbs gently, suddenly asked.
“Shall I carry you?”
Pardon?
Me?
Unable to comprehend the situation in that instant, I blinked rapidly.
“You have worked so hard to care for me. Now I wish to ease your burden.”
“Ah…. Yes.”
I rolled my eyes awkwardly, deliberating over this predicament.
An ordinary child would have accepted without hesitation, but with an adult mind trapped in this small body, it felt rather….
“Come now, let me carry you. I have always wished to have a younger sister to hold like this, and thanks to you, that wish comes true.”
…For the Crown Prince himself to say such things, I could hardly refuse to the end.
I awkwardly leaned my body against the Crown Prince’s offered back and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Rest comfortably. Comfortably now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Realizing I had been holding myself rigidly, I carefully relaxed against his back.
‘This is nothing like the records of his frail constitution. His back feels like that of a grown man.’
Perhaps I was simply too small.
“Bong-bong.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You must be delighted—soon you will return home.”
“No, Your Highness. I am not going home.”
“But it is a festival. Why would you not?”
“Because I am an orphan.”
The Crown Prince’s back stiffened. I heard the sound of him swallowing hard.
“…I spoke thoughtlessly. Forgive me, Bong-bong.”
“It does not trouble me, Your Highness.”
I was truly fine, but the Crown Prince was visibly distressed.
…So he was such a virtuous person.
Thinking of the countless trials that awaited him, my heart grew heavy.
‘Though I must admit, being carried like this is far more comfortable than I expected.’
His broad back was remarkably warm.
Thump, thump.
…Gradually.
I drifted off to sleep.
***
The young eunuch Moon, entering the courtyard of Jeoseungjeon, came to an abrupt halt.
“My lord, surely this child is from Chwisuondang….”
“Shh.”
The Crown Prince brought a finger to his lips.
Moon gazed in bewilderment at the sleeping child cradled in the Crown Prince’s arms, breathing softly.
“Han Sang-gung is looking for you.”
“Is that so? Then I shall take the child to Chwisuondang on my way there.”
By now, the blue twilight had settled over the palace.
The Crown Prince nodded quietly.
“Take care not to wake her.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Moon carefully lifted the child into his arms.
“Ah, wait.”
The Crown Prince called him back in a low voice.
“Moon, could you look into this child’s background?”
“This child, Your Highness?”
“I heard she is an orphan, and I find myself curious about how she has survived.”
Moon glanced subtly at the Crown Prince’s face.
His solemn gaze remained fixed upon the sleeping child.
The Crown Prince was a man who deliberated deeply a hundred times before acting.
Thus, the command to investigate the palace maid was truly remarkable.
“Ah…. Yes. I shall obey your command.”
As the Crown Prince and Moon exchanged words—
“Mmph.”
The child stirred softly with a small sound.
Throughout the journey to Chwisuondang, I never woke.
***
“Yaaawn….”
The moment I opened my eyes mid-yawn, what greeted me was—
“Mother! My lady!”
Seol-hyang’s face, peering down at me from an uncomfortably close distance.
“You startled me. Have I done something wrong?”
“Wrong? No? That couldn’t possibly be….”
I felt a chill run down my spine without meaning to.
Had I been talking in my sleep? Or worse—had I let slip some dangerous secret while drowsy?
‘Jang Hee-bin receives the poison cup, and the Palace Maids get their necks snapped!’
Imagining myself muttering such things made my blood run cold.
“But…. why are you staring at me so intently, my lady?”
“You fell asleep in Jeoseungjeon, didn’t you?”
“Me? Ah….”
Memory finally returned to me.
I’d been carried by the Crown Prince and fell asleep just like that.
…But how did I end up back in Chwisuondang?
Seol-hyang provided the answer.
“Moon brought you here while you were sleeping. Bong-bong, do you have any idea how busy the eunuch who serves the Crown Prince is? How could such an important person waste time on a child’s errands like yours?”
Though her words carried a note of reproach, Seol-hyang’s cheeks were flushed a deep crimson for some reason.
Ah.
Beyond understanding how I’d been moved to Chwisuondang, I grasped one additional truth.
‘Seol-hyang seems to have taken a liking to Moon.’
Palace Maids may all belong to the King, but the Royal Palace is ultimately just a place where people live.
“I apologize. I won’t fall asleep anywhere carelessly from now on. But about Moon….”
Seol-hyang’s eyes widened instantly.
“What about Moon?”
“Well, his face is so pale and elongated, isn’t it? But surprisingly….”
I lowered my voice conspiratorially.
As if sharing some tremendous secret.
“His chest is incredibly firm. His arms are remarkably muscular….”
It was an exaggeration Moon himself would question if he heard it—’Me…?’—but what did it matter.
Considering how Seol-hyang had teased me relentlessly about being assigned to latrine duty, this little jest was nothing.
“My goodness! Really?”
“Yes. And that’s not all—his muscles…. Cough!”
“His, muscles? What are muscles?”
“My throat…. Cough cough!”
“Water! Should I get you water?”
“If you could, sweet rice drink would be…. Cough cough cough!”
“Sweet rice drink? Got it!”
“And honey cakes too.”
“Wait! You can’t fall asleep!”
I chuckled as I watched Seol-hyang rush out in a panic.
These days were exhausting, demanding constant vigilance, but moments like this were necessary.
Yes, absolutely.
***
As a young Palace Maid of Chwisuondang, my duties were essentially three-fold.
1. Learn Royal Palace etiquette
2. Study Korean writing
3. Fetch water for Seol-hyang and run minor errands
In truth, it was an incredibly cushy arrangement.
‘If not for the time bomb ticking around my neck, that is.’
But when the day of the lunar new year drew within a single day, I was assigned a task of considerable danger.
“Jang Hee-bin is in such a foul mood today… What should we do?”
“The Royal Chambers sent no word, so it’s only natural. No gifts, and there’s no sign of His Majesty coming…”
“She went to such great lengths preparing herself and waiting. Her disappointment must be immense.”
It was then that the Palace Maids, huddled together with their foreheads nearly touching, turned their gazes toward me.
“What if we sent Bong-bong in to see her?”
“Yes. If a child acts silly, it might lift her spirits.”
“Even if she’s displeased, she wouldn’t get too angry at a child.”
…Excuse me. I have thoughts and opinions too, you know. A little respect, please.
But the Palace Maids, without bothering to ask my opinion, thrust me into Jang Hee-bin’s Private Chamber.
“Bong-bong, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Well… you see…”
Jang Hee-bin’s gaze as she looked at me was quite dry.
It was as if she had written “I’m in a terrible mood today” across her forehead.
I sensed it instinctively. The moment had come to deploy the social skills I had acquired in my previous life.
“I had a frightening nightmare, so I wanted to see your face, my lady…”
“You had a nightmare about a ghost, so why would you want to see me?”
“Well, beautiful things make me feel better.”
“…Ha.”
It was a small laugh, but I had succeeded in making Jang Hee-bin smile.
“So you think I’m beautiful, Bong-bong.”
“Yes! Even three hundred and thirty years from now, there won’t be anyone as lovely as you, my lady!”
Jang Hee-bin’s expression softened considerably, pleased by the flattery grounded entirely in truth.
‘Good start. Thank goodness.’
In fact, I had gathered some information about Jang Hee-bin over time.
She was prone to emotional fluctuations. Moreover, she frequently experienced difficulty breathing—a condition called “damhwa” that bore striking resemblance to panic disorder.
‘Which means her stress levels must be considerable.’
And there was one more thing.
There was something she thought about with particular sensitivity…
“Where did the rouge go….”
It was, of course, about her appearance.
Even now, she rummaged through the cosmetic case, searching for the rouge container.
Jang Hee-bin applied rouge with particular intensity. She favored bold makeup—lips painted a rather excessive shade of red, eyebrows emphasized with dark brow pigment.
‘In the end, it was all an effort to reclaim King Sukjong’s affection.’
I couldn’t say I didn’t understand that desire.
But the problem was….
‘But you have a warm undertone, my lady.’
Please, don’t apply cool-toned colors….
Thanks to a beauty that transcended personal color theory, it was less noticeable, but the bluish-tinged red looked absolutely dreadful on Hee-bin.
Her lips appeared to float disconnected from her face, and it only emphasized her cold, sharp features.
Yet Hee-bin continued diligently applying the rouge.
Tap, tap.
Rub, rub.
“Bong-bong, why does your expression look like that?”
“My expression, my lady?”
“You were smiling brightly all this time, so why do you suddenly look so serious?”
“That’s…. Well….”
I wasn’t keen on commenting on someone else’s appearance, but honestly, I was in no position to be choosy.
If there was any way to win back King Sukjong’s heart, I had to try, whatever it took.
I lowered my head and pretended to sniffle.
“Just a moment ago, my lady was the most beautiful person in the world, but now that you’ve applied that red….”
“Applied it?”
“You’re not as beautiful anymore. Sniff.”
Hee-bin’s hand, which had been applying rouge, stopped.
“My lady looks most beautiful with pale lips. Like peach blossoms! Soft eyebrows, soft lips….”
“….”
“I want to see my lady beautiful…. Whimper.”
Even as I feigned tears, I was on high alert.
What if she issued a harsh command?
What if she ordered me to clean the latrines and threw me out?
“…I suppose the makeup was a bit excessive.”
Hee-bin said.
I watched clearly as she took out a silk cloth and began wiping her lips.
‘Yes. It worked.’
So, my lady, no more red from now on.

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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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