Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 54

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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 54. The Star of Taebaek Shines to the Southeast
“Bong-bong… no, I suppose I should call you Bong-mok now. Bong-mok.”
“…Yes.”
I answered, but Bong-mok? The name felt utterly foreign no matter how many times I turned it over in my mind.
It was a name that never quite sat right with me, no matter how I considered it.
“Lady Seol-hyang. Could I… continue being called Bong-bong instead?”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve known myself as Bong-bong all this time, and that’s how I’m registered in the Palace Maids roster too. Bong-mok is such a difficult name. My tongue keeps getting tangled whenever I try to say it…”
My earnest explanation made Seol-hyang nod in agreement.
“Well, if you prefer being called Bong-bong, then that’s what we’ll call you. What’s so hard about it? Calling Bong-bong by her name.”
Seol-hyang chuckled softly.
“Honestly, I think Bong-bong suits you far better than Bong-mok anyway. Don’t you agree, Bong-bong?”
“Yes! Exactly!”
Thank goodness.
Now that I was Bong-bong again, I quickened my increasingly heavy steps.
We had been walking for quite some time when it happened.
Trudge, trudge.
“Huff…”
Shuffle, shuffle.
“Ugh…”
We were leaving Nam-chon, heading toward Seol-hyang’s house in Middle Village.
My pace grew slower and slower.
My back was damp with sweat, and a sickly-sweet taste was creeping into my mouth.
Part of my sluggishness came from the mysterious scrap of paper I’d found at home clouding my mind, but the real problem was far more pressing.
‘I’m going to collapse from exhaustion…’
I had reached my limit. A four-year-old’s stamina was on the verge of complete depletion.
“Bong-bong, your legs must hurt terribly, don’t they?”
“Yes…”
To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to collapse right there on the spot.
I had prided myself on my excellent stamina from all my wandering about the Royal Palace, but that confidence had been nothing but a miscalculation.
Compared to the sprawling expanse of Hanseongbu, the Royal Palace was nothing more than a space the size of a palm.
Starting from Changgyeong Palace, passing through Unjong Street, and traversing Nam-chon—I had pushed this four-year-old body far beyond its limits.
“Bong-bong, shall I carry you?”
“No, thank you. I can still walk.”
“Oh, you stubborn thing…”
Seol-hyang, watching me drip with sweat, seemed to make a decision and grabbed my hand firmly.
“This won’t do, Bong-bong. Let’s go this way.”
***
The tavern we visited was located at a crossroads.
Seol-hyang and the Tavern Keeper seemed to know each other quite well.
After exchanging warm greetings with the Tavern Keeper, Seol-hyang pulled out her coin purse.
“Auntie. I’m going to settle my father’s tab now. How much is it?”
“My goodness. Really? That’s so kind of you. You know, before you even ask, Seol-hyang is the only one who pays off debts without being reminded. But who is this adorable young lady over here?”
The Tavern Keeper pointed at me, sitting on the wooden platform and tapping my legs rhythmically.
“Oh. She’s my young ward, and I actually came to ask a favor. Could you watch over her for a bit?”
“If it’s a favor from Seol-hyang, there’s nothing difficult about it. But why?”
“I need to go home, but we walked such a long distance that the child is exhausted. The Royal Palace curfew is approaching, so I’m in a hurry.”
“I see. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. Go on now.”
“Thank you. Please give her a bowl of soup and let her rest comfortably. I’ll be back within two hours.”
“Don’t you worry. Whose favor is this, after all?”
Seol-hyang gave me strict instructions as well.
“Bong-bong. You must stay inside the tavern. You absolutely cannot go anywhere else, understand? Do you?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Eat your soup and take a nap if you can. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Still worried, Seol-hyang even pressed money into the Tavern Keeper’s hand.
“Just trust me and go! Come here, little one. Would you like to try a special bowl of soup that the officials call Hyojong-gaeng?”
“What? Hyojong-gaeng? Yes! I’d love to!”
Hyojong-gaeng, no less.
It was a dish that existed only in historical records.
A legendary hangover soup that scholars had delivered every dawn—supposedly incredibly delicious!
My legs were aching, and my stomach was beginning to rumble.
And Hyojong-gaeng, of all things.
I couldn’t resist.
I waved at Seol-hyang and quickly took my seat.
Soon the Tavern Keeper brought out a bowl of soup brimming with steam.
“Mmm….”
It was absolutely heavenly.
I scooped up a spoonful of the piping hot broth filled with beef, cabbage, and mushrooms, mixed it with rice, and the world felt entirely mine.
“Oh my, eating with such relish. You must be quite favored at the Royal Palace, little one.”
“Hehe. I suppose I am, somewhat.”
“How adorable. This is why one needs a daughter…. Oh my, sir! Welcome!”
True to Seol-hyang’s word, the Tavern Keeper took meticulous care of me.
In the meantime, I was too absorbed in devouring the Hyojong-gaeng to pay much attention.
I was savoring the broth spreading across my palate when—
“…Hm?”
What was that?
I lifted my head abruptly.
An inexplicable unease settled over me.
‘I could have sworn someone was staring at me….’
Well, it would have been strange to see a small child in expensive silk garments alone, wolfing down a bowl of soup.
On the off chance, I scanned my surroundings more carefully, but I detected nothing further amiss.
‘I must have imagined it.’
I returned my attention to my meal.
After emptying the bowl entirely, drowsiness began to creep over me as I sat.
‘I’ve eaten far too much.’
Exhausted, my stomach warm and satisfied, the sunlight filtering through the window pleasantly tepid….
‘…I’m so sleepy.’
The Tavern Keeper roused me as my head began to nod forward.
“Oh dear, child. Don’t doze off here. I’ve laid out bedding in the back room—go rest there. Seol-hyang will be here soon.”
“Are you certain it’s no trouble?”
“No trouble at all. Come now, let’s go.”
With my eyes half-closed, I was led by the Tavern Keeper’s hand into the room.
Behind the bustling tavern.
A quiet back room with no passersby, furnished with a plush mat and quilts.
“Then I’ll rest for just a moment.”
The moment I curled up and lay upon the quilts, sleep crashed over me like a wave.
Pat, pat. Feeling the Tavern Keeper’s gentle hand drawing the quilt over me, I surrendered to slumber.
***
‘I…want to sleep longer.’
My vision swayed. My stomach churned….
Something was wrong.
‘What is this…?’
When my eyes snapped open, the world was reeling chaotically.
No—to be precise, my body was cradled in someone’s arms.
Because that ‘someone’ was moving at a brisk pace, my body swayed with each step.
Only then did I recall falling asleep in the tavern.
“Seol-hyang…?”
Or was it the Tavern Keeper?
But why were they moving so quickly?
And this strange scent….
What was this fragrance?
A low, sinister voice reached my ears then.
“Found her. That damned woman. Heaven’s curse upon her!”
“….”
Thump.
My heart plummeted to my feet.
Struggling to focus through the swaying haze, I turned to look at the source of that voice.
“Yesterday, the Taebaek Star appeared in the southeast! Do you know what that means? It means sinners receive punishment for their sins, and those who harm others pay the price! The Taebaek Star! The southeast! An ominous woman! A woman who must die!”
A chill ran down my spine. My entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
‘Why is this insane woman holding me like this?’
The woman’s identity was none other than Suk-jeong!
“Help me! Please, help me!”
The moment I realized I was being kidnapped by Suk-jeong, I thrashed about and screamed.
At the same time, Suk-jeong clamped something like a bundled cloth over my mouth, choking off my cries.
Whether from madness or sheer strength, her grip was extraordinarily powerful.
Suk-jeong immediately began to run.
With my nose and mouth sealed shut, breathing became increasingly difficult.
“Help me… mmph…”
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind.
When Seol-hyang discovered I was gone, how much would she torment herself with guilt?
And Jang Hee-bin…?
The Crown Prince…?
“Ugh…”
As my consciousness began to fade.
A door creaked open with a loud screech, and Suk-jeong hurled me down as if discarding garbage.
The impact sent pain through my entire body, but there was no time to dwell on it.
‘Focus. Stay conscious…’
My breathing ragged, I frantically surveyed my surroundings.
I was in some kind of warehouse or storage space—I couldn’t even tell.
Darkness engulfed everything, and a thick, acrid stench—a mixture of mold and incense—filled the air.
“Help! Is anyone here?”
As I cried out with all my might, Suk-jeong stared at me and laughed loudly. “Ha ha!”
“Scream all you want. This is an abandoned shrine. No one will hear you.”
“Why… why are you doing this to me?”
“You don’t know?”
Suk-jeong let out a piercing shriek.
“You cursed woman! You’ve ruined my life! You’re a calamity! Every misfortune that’s befallen me is because of you!”
Suk-jeong looked up at the sky as if possessed, her hands clasped together.
“Heavenly spirits and divine beings! This child is wicked! A seed of evil! I must kill her, erase her from this world!”
In the darkness, her eyes gleamed with an eerie, unnatural light.
The eyes of someone completely mad.
Foam flecked the corners of Suk-jeong’s mouth.
“Die! You wretched thing! I’ll tear your limbs apart and offer them to the divine spirits!”
“Ahhh!”
The moment Suk-jeong lunged at me.
Was this what they called the lantern of one’s life, flickering in the moment before death?
Seol-hyang’s face.
Jang Hee-bin’s face.
Seol-hyang’s hand stroking my head, and the warmth I felt in Jang Hee-bin’s embrace.
The Crown Prince’s slumped shoulders on a day when he wept alone.
And Yi Hwon’s innocent laughter as he called out “Bong-bong!”….
That was when it happened.
Crack!
With a tremendous crash, the bolt shattered into pieces.
Bang!
A shadow appeared amid the blinding sunlight pouring through the open doorway.
Moving with the speed of a tiger, that shadow leaped between Suk-jeong and me.
Everything happened in an instant.
When I came to my senses, a gleaming blade was pressed directly against Suk-jeong’s throat.
“Step away from the child.”
A heavy, cold voice.
A man in warrior’s garb spoke.
But that warrior was….
Wait.
‘The grumpy old man?’

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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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