Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 52

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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 52. The Identity of the Hot-tempered Young Master
“Aha! Just as I thought—a con artist after all!”
Sighs rippled through the gathered crowd.
“And yet he has the audacity to play dumb like that…!”
“If the child hadn’t been sharp-witted, we’d all have been fooled without a trace!”
“Return the old man’s money at once! And give back the young nobleman’s clothes!”
Only after the wooden tile had popped out did the onlookers, who had been merely watching until then, begin to demand answers.
But the Shell Game Operator refused to back down gracefully.
“What? You got proof? You got proof this wooden tile was used in the shell game?”
Well, um….
‘Truth be told, I have no proof.’
I had seen with my own eyes as he switched the tiles.
Given my short stature, the sleight of hand with his sleeves had been perfectly visible to me.
But since I couldn’t leave behind physical evidence like a photograph, naturally I had none….
“I knew it! I was right! Yes! There’s no way I could be wrong!”
At that moment, the Hot-tempered Young Master burst back onto the scene with a thunderous roar.
“Cowardly! Unjust! Contemptible!”
Faced with the Hot-tempered Young Master’s renewed outburst, I saw the Shell Game Operator falter.
I recalled a fact I had momentarily forgotten.
‘That’s right. In a fight, momentum is everything!’
So I decided to press forward with momentum as well.
“Give the money back! You wicked person who bleeds the old man dry! Con artist!”
The Hot-tempered Young Master beside me picked up my words.
“Yes, that’s right! Con artist! Shameless wretches! Despicable! Greedy! Misers!”
That was when it happened.
“So that’s how it is, huh? Where do these brats get off…!”
A Bandit-like Man stomped forward with heavy footfalls and charged toward me and the young nobleman.
In an instant, he was upon us, seizing our collars and hoisting me and the young nobleman into the air!
Gasp. I hadn’t anticipated this.
Was my life truly in danger now?
At that moment, a sharp cry rang out from behind the crowd.
“Constables! The soldiers are coming!”
The effect of those words was tremendous.
Shell games and gambling were strictly forbidden by the state.
Not only the Shell Game Operator and those who wagered, but even spectators could face punishment.
The gathered crowd fell into chaos.
Again, a voice cried out: “The soldiers are coming!”
The Bandit-like Man, who had been dangling me and the young nobleman, simply dropped us to the ground.
The Shell Game Operator’s gang began to flee.
At that moment.
“Where do you think you’re going like this! You have to pay that old man first!”
The Hot-tempered Young Master grabbed the Shell Game Operator’s pant leg and hung on.
Losing his balance, the pouch of money in the Shell Game Operator’s hand flew through the air.
Whoooosh!
Coins rained down from the sky.
Catching the sunlight, the coins glimmered as if they were gold.
Wow. A money windfall!
“Ugh. My money. My money!”
Even as he cried out, the Shell Game Operator couldn’t bring himself to turn back and fled instead.
In the chaos of people scrambling to escape and gather coins, everyone scattered in different directions.
“Phew, I’m alive.”
Only then could I catch my breath and wipe my chest.
That voice shouting “The constables are here!” had saved me.
But there was something oddly familiar about that voice…
“That was a perfect entrance, Seol-hyang!”
Because the culprit was none other than Seol-hyang herself.
Of course, the appearance of constables must have been a complete lie.
I rushed over to Seol-hyang and pulled her into a tight embrace.
My savior.
Smart. Cool. The best!
“Bong-bong, what in the world happened while I was in the outhouse?”
“Hehe. How long have you been watching?”
“Since you fired that slingshot. Goodness, how are you so good with a slingshot? And where did you even get it?”
“Um… I’ll explain that later.”
“By the way, do you know that young nobleman?”
“No.”
Only then did I turn to look at the Young Nobleman.
He was beside the Elderly Man, who stood dazed at his loss.
“Old man, is this enough?”
People had gathered to pick up the coins, and he had managed to collect money in the midst of the commotion.
The Elderly Man’s eyes glistened with tears as he thanked the Young Nobleman.
A peculiar young nobleman with a hot temper and an unpredictable mind…
‘He’s not a bad person.’
No, that was too harsh a judgment.
‘A bit strange, but decent.’
I quickly upgraded my assessment.
Then the Young Nobleman approached me.
“Kid, thanks.”
…This bastard?
Didn’t he know that calling a kid “kid” was taboo across all times and places?
“I’m not a little kid.”
“Then… thank you, little one.”
“I’m not a little one either?!”
I let out a sharp protest.
I rescue someone who looks like they’ve been beaten to a pulp, and now they’re trying to patronize me about my age…
“Young Nobleman. This young lady’s name is Hwang Bong-bong.”
It was Seol-hyang who suddenly interjected.
…What’s with the “young lady” business?
That’s a title reserved for daughters of the most distinguished families.
Seol-hyang winked at me.
“Hwang Bong-bong, is it? Quite an unusual name.”
“It’s far less unusual than your laugh.”
“Despite your tender years, you possess remarkable cunning, and judging by your skill with that slingshot, you show talent in martial arts. Are you descended from a Martial Officer?”
“Despite your apparent maturity, you act recklessly and let yourself be stripped of your clothes without resistance—it seems you have no talent for martial arts at all. Whose descendant are you?”
So I have the makings of a hot-tempered person too.
Apparently shocked by my sharp tongue, the Young Nobleman, who had been staring blankly at me, opened his mouth with a very serious expression.
“Me? Well, I am descended from the Goryeong Park Clan. My great-grandfather served as Minister of Personnel under King Hyeonjong…”
How tedious.
Spare me.
“Introductions are done. Grandfather, you got your money back, yes? Young Nobleman, your clothes are fine?”
“Well, yes…”
“Then I’ll be going.”
I grabbed Seol-hyang’s hand and spun around sharply.
Truth be told, I had much ground to cover.
I still hadn’t visited Seol-hyang’s home, nor had I been near my own place.
But suddenly the Young Nobleman came running after me and spoke again.
“Bong-bong, was it? I wish to repay this debt of gratitude. So tell me, which family’s daughter are you?”
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know. I’m not from Hanyang. I live far away.”
Annoyed, I gave him a vague answer.
“Ah… I see. Then, if you find yourself in any trouble while staying in Hanyang, come find me!”
“How am I supposed to find you in the middle of Hanyang without knowing who you are?”
“Ah, that’s right! You truly are clever! Brilliant! Sharp-minded…”
“Just tell me already. I’m in a hurry.”
To me, who was shaking my head in frustration, the Young Nobleman said:
“Go to the residence of Lee Tae-jwa, the Elderly Man who serves as a Scribe at the Crown Prince’s Institute, and say you’ve come to meet your maternal uncle. Understand?”
“Well… yes.”
I agreed, but I let it go in one ear and out the other.
I didn’t venture outside the palace walls often anyway—what reason would I have to seek help from a young nobleman?
‘If anything, it would be me helping him, like now.’
I moved forward again with Seol-hyang.
“Hwang Bong-bong!”
He shouted at my retreating back.
“My name is Park Moon-soo! Just find Park Moon-soo!”
Huh?
My footsteps froze in place.
Did he just say Park Moon-soo…?
What?
The ‘Secret Royal Inspector’ Park Moon-soo?
***
‘I met Park Moon-soo.’
As I left Unjong Street, I was in an extremely excited state.
My heart was pounding with the joy of having encountered a historical figure.
Who was Park Moon-soo?
Throughout all of Joseon history, he was a figure who built a fortress that even most kings could not rival.
Elementary school children might not know kings like Yejong or Gyeongjeong or Heonjong, but the moment the name ‘Park Moon-soo’ is mentioned, they cry out ‘Secret Royal Inspector!’
‘Surely it’s not just a coincidence of names?’
I quickly dismissed the doubt that had crossed my mind.
As for Park Moon-soo, he was a figure famous throughout his life for his fiery temperament and conduct.
Unreasonable! Unjust! Barbaric! Wrong!
The young nobleman who shouted such things was the very embodiment of a hot-tempered soul.
“Hwang Bong-bong. What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Hehe. It’s nothing.”
Seol-hyang was looking at me.
I smiled brightly and pretended it was nothing special.
Meeting Park Moon-soo had been an incredibly special experience.
There was the thrill of witnessing the childhood of a great figure etched like a star in history.
But well, that was all there was to it.
In this life, I was destined to live as a palace maid.
As an orphan with no family, there was no way I would have any connection to the world outside the palace.
In the distant future, when Park Moon-soo passed the civil service examination and began frequenting the Royal Palace.
By then, my survival.
That was the most important thing to me right now.
‘…Still, the historical records are really accurate.’
I couldn’t help but think this.
In the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Park Moon-soo was recorded as a rather unique figure.
Namely.
A madman.
In other words, someone insane.

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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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