Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 28

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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 28. Hwang Bong-bong’s Preferences
The heavens were truly merciless.
No matter who witnessed it, this was the sort of mortifying moment that would haunt me for a lifetime—yet of all people, I had to encounter the absolute worst.
Should I simply collapse and feign unconsciousness?
I hesitated for a moment, but the weight of his gaze upon me was far too piercing.
I lowered my head in a bow.
“Ah, greetings, Prince Yeonning.”
“Greetings, perhaps, but… what exactly were you doing? Throwing punches, kicking, muttering to yourself, and then falling flat on your face?”
Did he truly need to catalog my ridiculous performance in such meticulous detail? I was already drowning in humiliation.
Prince Yeonning crossed his arms with a sharp gesture.
His expression was filled with the determination to uncover the reason behind my bizarre behavior, no matter what.
“Well, you see, what I was doing was…”
Come on, brain. Think of something.
Anything but possession by a spirit or hallucinations—please, just produce some plausible explanation.
“Actually… I was… preparing myself for when I might encounter someone frightening… through a sort of… training of my own…”
Even I could hear how pathetic my excuse sounded, and my voice trailed off of its own accord.
“Hmm…”
What was this?
Prince Yeonning’s gaze upon me, as I spouted such nonsense, had grown unnaturally grave.
“It seems you’ve experienced quite a significant shock.”
…What do you mean? What shock have I experienced?
At length, Prince Yeonning opened his mouth to speak.
“I hear the Palace Maids of Bogyeong Hall treated you abominably. Ah, I’m not the sort to concern myself with trivial gossip, but… my attendant happened to relay the matter to me, and so I learned of it.”
I was genuinely taken aback.
Though the incident had occurred in the quarters of Suk-bin, his mother, it was remarkable that he—merely a child—was aware of such rumors. That was the first surprise.
And the second was the look of profound sympathy in his eyes.
It was entirely at odds with the image of Prince Yeonning I had held until now.
“My mother has spoken of the many hardships she endured during her time as a Palace Maid, yet for the attendants of Bogyeong Hall to commit such acts…”
He clicked his tongue in disapproval and continued.
“The attendants of Bogyeong Hall are ordinarily people who value propriety and understand decorum. My mother is an exceptionally strict woman, after all. It must be that some uncouth individuals have somehow infiltrated their ranks.”
Even so, he did not forget to uphold his mother’s dignity.
Truly, a person without flaw.
In any case, hearing such words from Prince Yeonning—not even the Crown Prince—was profoundly strange and intriguing.
‘No, perhaps… I was simply mistaken from the beginning.’
Regardless of what the future King Yeongjo would become, the Prince Yeonning before me now was merely seven years old.
A young sapling whose character had not yet fully taken root.
‘So I mustn’t view him through such a cynical lens.’
Not that I harbored any grand notions of reforming Prince Yeonning.
‘Though perhaps… just a little bit…?’
Even as these thoughts crossed my mind while observing Prince Yeonning, his words continued to flow.
“Therefore, I intend to discipline the Palace Maids of Bogyeong Hall thoroughly. The fact that they looked down on a mere child servant because of her youth means they could just as easily look down on a young prince. I will hold them strictly accountable and ensure they never behave so recklessly again.”
His words weren’t exactly wrong, and I was grateful for them, but…
‘He’s really insufferably meticulous, isn’t he.’
And why did he have to talk so much?
I already felt sorry for the palace attendants of Prince Yeonning’s quarters, people I didn’t even know.
“So, Hwang Bong-bong.”
“Yes?”
“If anyone tries to bother you again in the future, tell me at once.”
“Tell you what?”
“That I’ll report it to Prince Yeonning and have him punish them.”
“…Thank you, Your Highness.”
I stared blankly at Prince Yeonning for a moment, then offered my thanks since it seemed appropriate.
Prince Yeonning’s eyes gleamed with self-satisfaction, as if urging me to trust only him.
‘Something feels off about this…’
I was still trying not to harbor prejudices against him.
Yet despite my efforts, a thought kept surfacing that I couldn’t shake away.
Prince Yeonning—the future King Yeongjo.
What was he an icon of?
‘The rice chest…’
No, that was too heavy a subject to bring up.
‘An icon of favoritism.’
He was a man who showed extreme partiality in how he treated people.
He poured torrential love upon some of his children, yet treated others with a cruelty too harsh to even speak of.
So perhaps Prince Yeonning…
‘Had decided to favor me?’
I thought this while watching him wear that self-satisfied expression.
It didn’t feel particularly fortunate, but it wasn’t bad either.
At least I was fortunate enough not to have fallen out of favor with someone as extreme in temperament as Prince Yeonning.
As long as he didn’t cling to me with those strange words about being his “older sister,” I didn’t care.
“Then I shall take my leave now, Your Highness.”
In any case, I didn’t want to talk longer, so I bowed respectfully.
“Where are you going?”
“I was running an errand to Jeoseungjeon.”
“What kind of errand?”
“I need to bring dried persimmons…”
Crunch.
Looking at the dried persimmons scattered across the floor, I had nothing to say.
“The Crown Prince is not at Jeoseungjeon. There’s an event at Chunbang, so most of the palace attendants are there. Besides, the dried persimmons are now unusable.”
Why did he have to be so logically thorough about everything?
I genuinely wanted to open his head and look inside, but I held back and asked instead.
“So?”
“In short, there’s no need for you to run errands.”
“Then I should return to Chwisuondang….”
He cut me off mid-sentence.
“Since you don’t need to run errands, you’ll have time. Come, let me show you something fascinating.”
“…Something fascinating?”
I wanted to seem indifferent, but honestly, I felt a spark of curiosity.
My nervousness had eased considerably compared to when I first encountered him.
It didn’t seem like a bad idea to understand Prince Yeonning’s character a bit better while I had the chance.
‘Since he seems to know about Bogyeong Hall, maybe I can extract information about Suk-bin from him.’
Could I actually use Prince Yeonning as a source of information?
While I was lost in thought, he suddenly thrust something toward me.
“Look. You don’t have anything like this, do you?”
…This sounds like a line I’ve heard somewhere before.
Anyway, what he offered was a transparent glass marble.
With its iridescent hues, it was undoubtedly an expensive piece.
The marble was lustrous, glittering, and perfectly smooth to roll.
In other words, it was pretty garbage.
The seven-year-old Prince Yeonning’s expression as he displayed it looked so proud that I feigned admiration.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Beautiful indeed. An envoy who returned from Qing specially obtained this. There won’t be a five-colored marble like this anywhere in the eight provinces of Joseon.”
“Ah. I see.”
“If you want it, you may have it.”
For me?
“Really…. Truly?”
I asked without any genuine interest.
“Truly. If you wish for it, just say so.”
I honestly hesitated for a moment.
Not because I wanted the marble, but because I didn’t want to displease Prince Yeonning.
But still, it was awkward.
The way he emphasized how precious it was made me worry that accepting something I didn’t want would leave me indebted.
“I’m truly grateful for your kindness. However, I don’t even know how to play marbles…. I’m also worried I might lose something so precious. Above all, I have no need for such an expensive item, sir.”
“Is that so?”
Prince Yeonning didn’t hide his disappointment as he put the marble away.
“Then what is it you’d like to have?”
He was far more persistent than I expected.
‘Could it be…. He feels guilty because of what the palace maids of Bogyeong Hall did to me?’
I hadn’t thought he was such a sensitive person….
Since any answer would help me escape quickly, I gave a vague response.
“I prefer useful things. Even if they’re not beautiful, I like things I can use in daily life.”
For instance, silver ingots, gold ingots, precious treasures and such….
In other words, if he wanted sympathy, he’d have to pay for it in coin.
That was when Prince Yeonning suddenly recalled something and let out an exclamation.
“Then come with me to Hongseogak for a moment.”
Hong…. What?
“Where is that?”
“Hongseogak. It’s where the Crown Prince and I keep the books we read together, and I’ve stored the gifts I’ve received there.”
He was starting to boast again, with that air of ‘I’m about to show you something incredible.’
“I’m fine either way….”
“Hongseogak is very close. It won’t take long.”
“…Yes.”
There was a limit to how many times I could refuse when a prince was insisting.
Besides, I was somewhat curious about what a place that housed precious books looked like.
Seeing his eager expression, desperate to show off, I found myself curious about what he’d hidden away, so I reluctantly followed him.
***
Hongseogak.
The small pavilion bore a nameplate written in elegant calligraphy.
‘The scent of ink.’
A space thick with the aroma of aged paper and ink.
Prince Yeonning, who had been rummaging about somewhere, returned carrying a bundle.
But….
‘How much stuff is in there?’
It was like a traveling merchant’s entire inventory.
Prince Yeonning spread the bundle open with a flourish.
The items that spilled out numbered easily in the dozens.
A small bow, a spinning top carved with intricate detail, gleaming jeweled beads and ornaments befitting a child, jade go stones….
I gazed without interest at all these beautiful but utterly useless precious trinkets.
‘Wait, that’s…!’
My eyes snapped wide open.

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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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