Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 36

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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 36. Guardian
“Jang Hee-bin, please….”
I peeked out from behind Seol-hyang’s skirts, watching as Suk-jeong was dragged away by Sun-rye, struggling and pleading.
‘It seems Suk-jeong had been tormenting the palace maids quite severely.’
Not a single soul showed sympathy or concern as she was hauled away like a sack of grain.
Several of them, including Seol-hyang, even seemed to relish the sight.
That was when our eyes met.
Oh….
Suk-jeong. Her eyes had gone wild.
The moment I thought that——
“That treacherous creature!”
Suk-jeong wrenched free from Sun-rye’s grip.
While everyone stood in confusion, Suk-jeong lunged toward me with the face of one possessed by a malevolent spirit.
…Or rather, she tried to lunge.
“What is the meaning of this!”
A thunderous voice shook the courtyard.
At the same moment, a strong arm pulled me close, holding me protectively against a firm chest.
It was the Crown Prince.
Every palace maid within earshot was struck with profound shock.
Not a single person had ever heard the Crown Prince raise his voice like this before.
His voice carried such overwhelming authority that it made everyone tremble.
“Your, Your Highness, Your Highness….”
As if her scattered wits had finally returned, Suk-jeong prostrated herself flat on the ground.
The Crown Prince opened his mouth.
His first words were directed not at Suk-jeong, but at me.
“Are you unharmed?”
“Yes…. Yes, Your Highness.”
His hand still encircled my shoulders protectively.
He turned his gaze toward Suk-jeong.
“An outsider dares to harm a young palace maid within the Royal Palace. How do you justify such barbarous conduct?”
“That is not the case, Your Highness. I….”
“Insolence! I witnessed your actions with my own eyes. Do you dare insult the Crown Prince?”
“No, Your Highness! Please, if you would only hear my explanation!”
“Enough! Must I report this matter to the King before your mouth will close?”
The King.
At those words, not only Suk-jeong but all the gathered palace maids held their breath.
The Crown Prince had never displayed such fierce anger before.
Generous, serene, composed——the Crown Prince.
He spoke and laughed so rarely that no one could fathom the depths of his heart….
“….”
Suk-jeong dropped her head low.
Only then did I become aware of the gazes around us.
The Palace Maids were stealing glances at me, held by the Crown Prince’s hand.
To their eyes, surely the Crown Prince and I must have appeared as nothing less than ‘protector and protected’.
“I-I shall withdraw. Please forgive this wretched creature.”
Suk-jeong, staggering to her feet, left Chwisuondang.
She no longer cast her gaze toward me, only hastening her unsteady steps.
***
“Are you truly unharmed?”
“I was startled at first, but now I’m quite fine.”
The Crown Prince, who had gone to inquire after Jang Hee-bin, soon returned to me, his concern evident.
We moved our conversation to the pavilion in the back courtyard of Chwisuondang.
“More importantly, how is Jang Hee-bin?”
“She was quite frightened and has retired to bed. Han Sang-gung went to prepare medicinal broth.”
It was only natural that Jang Hee-bin, already suffering from her ailment, would be alarmed by witnessing such a disturbance.
“Hwang Bong-bong. What on earth happened to cause that woman to create such a commotion?”
“I don’t know, Your Highness.”
Truly knowing nothing, I shrugged while sipping the warm honey water.
A tempest had swept through and passed.
Yet I remained remarkably composed about it all.
Of course, O-rye’s prattling about me being divine and untouchable did leave me somewhat uneasy.
However, Han Sang-gung was the only Palace Maid who heard those words.
Han Sang-gung was someone who prioritized Jang Hee-bin’s honor above all else. She would never breathe a word of it.
Moreover, Jang Hee-bin appeared to have completely given up on Suk-jeong, so this could even be called a fortunate turn of events.
‘O-rye will never involve herself in Chwisuondang affairs again.’
Watching O-rye tremble with fear before me, I was certain of it.
Though I couldn’t be certain Suk-jeong would abandon everything entirely…
‘At least she’ll exercise restraint for some time, that much is certain.’
That alone was an enormous gain.
Jang Hee-bin, Suk-jeong, O-rye.
The three conspirators of the ‘Queen Inhyeon curse incident’.
Of these, O-rye had been eliminated, and the connection between Jang Hee-bin and Suk-jeong had become completely frayed.
‘This is tremendous progress.’
Ah, the honey water tastes particularly sweet today.
That was when it happened.
A small shadow appeared in the back courtyard.
The figure cautiously gauging the Crown Prince’s mood, as if having business yet having none, was none other than Bok-hee.
“Bok-hee!”
I beckoned her with a gentle wave.
“Hm? What? What is it?”
Even as Bok-hee asked in a trembling voice—though her delight was barely contained, her lips twitching with barely suppressed joy—she first offered the Crown Prince a proper bow.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Yes.”
“I am Bok-hee. Hwang Bong-bong’s friend!”
“This child is your friend? There seems to be quite an age difference for that, doesn’t there?”
Well, that’s true, but honestly, the mental age gap between a four-year-old and me isn’t really that significant.
“But she’s my closest friend! Your Highness, may Bok-hee sit here with you and eat yuhmil too?”
“Very well. Since you call her your friend, what objection could there be?”
“Come sit, ma’am!”
I tapped the floor with my hands.
Bok-hee’s face flushed crimson as she carefully settled her bottom beside me.
“So your name is Bok-hee. I have seen you pass by many times, yet in my inattention, I only now learned your name.”
“Y-yes. Your Highness, the Crown Prince….”
Bok-hee’s voice quivered like honey.
Now her entire face, even her earlobes, had turned bright red.
“Your Highness.”
“Mm?”
“Next time you go to play at Jeoseungjeon, may I bring Bok-hee along?”
I heard Bok-hee’s sharp intake of breath.
Breathe, child. Just breathe.
“Of course. Seeing how thoughtfully you look after her, Bok-hee must be quite the wonderful companion.”
“Yes! Bok-hee is a good person!”
Bok-hee’s cheekbones were ascending toward the heavens. I was genuinely concerned her face might burst from the strain.
I smiled softly watching Bok-hee, absolutely delighted.
“Bok-hee.”
“Y-yes…. Your Highness.”
“Since you are considerably older than Hwang Bong-bong, I ask that you look after her well. This is my request.”
A request from the Crown Prince.
The moment those words reached her ears, Bok-hee’s eyes gleamed with brilliant radiance.
“Yes! I understand, Your Highness! Of course! Do not worry! I will take good care of Hwang Bong-bong! Of course I will! Absolutely!”
Her voice was tremendously resonant.
…Bok-hee could seriously become a rapper.
***
After the Crown Prince left, I patted Bok-hee’s shoulders—who was on the verge of tears from overwhelming emotion—and then took a brief stroll.
Though it had been a day of great gains, I too needed a moment to catch my breath.
‘Perhaps I’ll walk somewhere I haven’t explored yet.’
I was wandering aimlessly near Si-min-dang, south of Chwisuondang, organizing my thoughts about the situation, when it happened.
‘…Who is that?’
Upon spotting an unfamiliar Sang-gung, I instinctively concealed myself behind the wall.
The only quarters in this area where a Sang-gung would have business were Chwisuondang and Jeoseungjeon.
Yet the Sang-gung standing at a distance was unusually large and plump, resembling none of the people I knew.
Hmm. Something’s suspicious.
While I was observing with such thoughts, the Sang-gung stepped aside slightly.
A small maid, hidden behind the Sang-gung’s imposing frame, was finally revealed.
‘…Yong-hee.’
When Suk-jeong was dragged away, Yong-hee had been in the Inner Courtyard too.
I quickly pieced together what had transpired afterward.
The Crown Prince appeared just as Suk-jeong lunged at me, and for a while his furious roar shook the courtyard….
‘Yong-hee was definitely near me. She slipped away quietly.’
I watched Yong-hee, who was acting secretively as though reporting something to the unfamiliar Sang-gung.
In truth, it wasn’t difficult to surmise the situation. I possessed the information that Yong-hee was a ‘Bogyeong Hall spy.’
Because of that, deducing which faction the large Sang-gung belonged to was child’s play.
‘So this was Yong-hee’s decision.’
A bittersweet feeling suddenly washed over me.
I had never expected Yong-hee to be frightened by a four-year-old child’s threats and suddenly reform.
That wasn’t the true intention I had meant to convey to her.
‘That’s how the world works. You might think doing wicked things will bring great rewards, yes? But it never does.’
I had hoped that upon hearing those words, Yong-hee would realize something….
‘If Yong-hee has made that choice, then there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Meanwhile, the conversation between Yong-hee and the Sang-gung continued in hushed tones.
Softly, softly.
I crept closer to the wall near them.
“…Sun-rye dragged the young lady out, and the Palace Maids were all watching….”
“Just tell me the main point, the main point.”
“Ah, yes! So then, suddenly the young lady….”
Hmm. This is exactly the moment my story would come up, isn’t it?
‘That would be rather inconvenient.’
“Ouch!”
I executed a splendid act of stumbling dramatically, as though I’d caught my foot on a stone.
With a flourish, I walked out before the Sang-gung and Yong-hee, calling out cheerfully.
“So the young lady was dragged out! I already know all about that!”
Watching the large Sang-gung’s and Yong-hee’s eyes tremble as though an earthquake had struck, I greeted them pleasantly.
“Sang-gung, hello. It’s our first meeting! But which quarters do you serve? You seem to know Yong-hee quite well!”
“….”
I saw it all.
Trembling. Yong-hee’s body quivering.
And before the threat masquerading as a four-year-old’s greeting, the Sang-gung’s face drained of all color as her identity teetered on the brink of exposure.
*Footnote: Because he spoke sparingly and laughed rarely in his daily life, people could not fathom his depths. — Quoted from the Chronicle of King Gyeongjeong.

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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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