Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 57

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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 57. Bong-bong!
“W-what did you say?”
Shortly after returning to Chwisuondang, Seol-hyang led me to Jang Hee-bin.
Upon hearing that Suk-jeong had attempted to take my life, Jang Hee-bin was aghast, and her shock quickly transformed into fury.
“Han Sang-gung!”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Send word to my brother’s household and order Suk-jeong to enter the Palace immediately. I can no longer tolerate that woman’s insolence.”
Jang Hee-bin gnawed at her lips with barely contained rage.
“That viperous creature….”
As her indignation reached a fever pitch, she issued another command, her breathing sharp and labored.
“Han Sang-gung. If Suk-jeong refuses to come, have her brought by force if necessary.”
“It shall be done. But what of her afterward, my lady?”
“What else? She must be cast out from our family. There are limits to what I will endure, even for my brother’s sake.”
“Yes, my lady. I shall send people at once to carry out your orders.”
The sound of Han Sang-gung’s footsteps faded into the distance.
Listening to Jang Hee-bin’s wrathful breathing, I found myself recalling the final image of Suk-jeong—gagged and bound.
“Whoever that warrior was, I am truly grateful. If I knew his name, I would surely bestow upon him a great reward….”
Some time passed.
Once Jang Hee-bin had regained some composure, she spoke.
I told her that I had received help from a warrior passing nearby.
I made no mention of Kim Che-geon, nor did I reveal that he had been the one to bind Suk-jeong.
To explain Kim Che-geon’s involvement would have required disclosing far too much.
“Suk-jeong. That woman deserves divine punishment. I shall sever all ties with her forever. She will not dare show her face near my brother’s household!”
Jang Hee-bin poured out her wrath upon Suk-jeong, but….
‘I have a feeling Suk-jeong will never enter the Palace.’
For reasons I could not quite explain, an inexplicable premonition seized me.
…And my intuition proved correct.
One day, two days, three days.
Time passed, yet Suk-jeong did not return to the Palace.
From Jang Hee-jae’s household—where Suk-jeong had once reigned as mistress after casting out the legitimate wife—came only one consistent answer.
She had left the house days ago, and her whereabouts had become unknown.
“She must be hiding somewhere, burdened by her sins. But if she dares return, I will show her no mercy.”
Jang Hee-bin ground her teeth, yet I could not shake the conviction that I would never see Suk-jeong again.
Perhaps, forever.
Never to lay eyes upon her a second time.
‘If my suspicions are correct….’
Suk-jeong had been the linchpin of the “Queen Inhyeon Curse Incident.”
If Suk-jeong had truly been removed.
If she had truly exited this stage….
‘Then perhaps history has already begun to change.’
I didn’t know which direction the shifting current would flow.
But one thing was certain—I had crossed over a great mountain.
***
After reporting the situation to Jang Hee-bin, I received a generous gift.
She had given me access to the bathhouse.
As I sank my body into the hot water, my shaken mind and spirit gradually found peace.
‘I can’t remember the last time I bathed like this.’
I had grown accustomed to rinsing myself hastily with cold water, and after such an exhausting day, drowsiness soon overtook me.
Seol-hyang helped me to bed as my body drooped with fatigue.
I was in the midst of undressing when it happened.
A soft rustle.
A single piece of paper fell from between the folds of my clothes.
It was the paper with names written on it—the one that had been wedged in the cracks of the house’s floor.
After Seol-hyang left, I unfolded the paper as I lay in bed.
Names written in neat, careful calligraphy.
I stared intently at what seemed to be a message left for me: ‘Do not forget. Remember.’
Sleep began to creep over me.
‘I must keep this safe.’
Just as I was about to fold the paper again and place it in the small box where I kept my belongings—
‘…?’
The back of the paper, which I hadn’t had the chance to examine when I first discovered it.
Tiny characters, barely visible, appeared along the bottom of the reverse side.
‘What is this?’
Sleep vanished instantly.
A single line written in Hangul.
The moment I read that sentence, my heart began to pound without reason.
On the back of the paper, it read:
[I will surely find you.]
The person telling me not to forget.
The person saying they would find me.
‘…Who could it possibly be?’
Hwang Ho. Cheok Yu-hwa. Hwang Jin-gi…
I turned over these names that refused to leave my mind for a long time before sleep finally claimed me.
***
I rested for several days without incident.
It was thanks to Jang Hee-bin’s orders to take sufficient rest.
The encounter with Suk-jeong left behind aftereffects that were difficult to shake.
Her eyes gleaming with madness.
Her mouth glistening with foam.
That eerie voice chanting “Taebaek Star”….
Those memories would surface from time to time, and occasionally I would startle myself awake alone.
But time was indeed the greatest healer.
Gradually, I grew numb to it, and returned to my ordinary life.
A summons arrived from Sung-gyeong Hall on a day when, after the long rest, I was beginning to feel restless again.
‘Oh my. How beautiful.’
On the path leading to Sung-gyeong Hall.
All manner of spring blossoms bloomed in profusion to greet me.
During the days I had remained secluded in Chwisuondang, spring had arrived at the Royal Palace.
‘I’ve been living without even noticing spring’s arrival.’
The spring of Changgyeong Palace with white, red, and yellow flowers in full bloom.
Though the distance was not far, I took a moment to breathe and savor the beautiful palace scenery.
The entrance to Sung-gyeong Hall, adorned with plum blossoms as white as snow and abundant red flowering quince blossoms.
In that enchanting spring landscape, Suk-ui Park, cradling Yi Hwon, awaited me.
“I hope you are well, Suk-ui Park.”
Though her complexion still bore traces of illness, Suk-ui Park greeted me in radiant attire.
Yi Hwon, nestled in her arms, waved at the sight of me and burst into bright laughter.
“So your name is Hwang Bong-bong, is it?”
“Yes, I am Hwang Bong-bong, my lady.”
“I called you here to express my gratitude.”
Suk-ui Park gently soothed the squirming Yi Hwon and continued.
“The young prince no longer cries.”
Only then did I realize it.
The loud wailing that had echoed whenever I passed near Sung-gyeong Hall was absent today.
Thanks to that, I had been able to fully immerse myself in viewing the blossoms.
“The young prince has become quite composed now. He no longer fusses severely, nor does he cry without reason.”
“That is truly wonderful, Suk-ui Park.”
“It is all your doing. I am truly grateful, Hwang Bong-bong.”
“…I merely spoke the truth because the honey tasted sweet.”
“There are more than ten Palace Maids serving in Sung-gyeong Hall, yet none of them noticed that sweetness in the honey. Even this mother did not know. You—only you perceived it.”
Suk-ui Park’s voice grew thick with emotion.
“Had it not been for you, the young prince would have….”
Suk-ui Park lowered her head.
Tears streamed down her face.
“Here I am, showing such weakness again. I apologize.”
Suk-ui Park hastily wiped away her tears.
“This is a reward for saving the young prince. Accept it.”
She held out a silk pouch toward me.
Without thinking, my hands dropped as I accepted the pouch.
It was considerably heavy.
“If I had my way, I would give you a hundred times, a thousand times this amount. No—I would give you my very life.”
From the feel and weight of it, the pouch clearly contained silver coins.
I hesitated about whether it was right to accept money, but seeing the light in Suk-ui Park’s eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
‘Well… if I save it, there will surely come a time when I need it.’
Now that I thought about it, I was remarkably wealthy for a four-year-old.
I had a house in a prime location, silver coins, a position in the Palace Maids…
“Bong-bong! Bong-bong!”
Yi Hwon, nestled in Suk-ui Park’s arms, reached toward me with his little arms and babbled.
It certainly did sound like he was calling my name…
“It seems the young prince understands that you are his savior. I’m told that whenever he sees you, he stops crying and smiles instead.”
“Yes, that’s true, but I’m not sure why.”
“It must be because the young prince is so clever. It appears he recognized at a glance that you are the one who saved him.”
…Perhaps so.
But there was nothing more I could do for Yi Hwon.
While it was fortunate that he would no longer eat honey, I didn’t believe his fate of an early death would change because of it…
“Bo-bo! Bong-bong!”
As Yi Hwon squirmed and stretched his body, Suk-ui Park set him down on the blanket.
Yi Hwon flipped himself over quickly.
Then, without hesitation, he began crawling toward me.
‘Well, I suppose he’s at the age where he should be crawling around now.’
Suk-ui Park spoke quietly as she watched Yi Hwon crawl straight toward me.
“Since he likes you so much, I do wish you could come to Sung-gyeong Hall… but that’s impossible since Jang Hee-bin holds you so dear. Still, Bong-bong, could you visit Sung-gyeong Hall often to play with the young lady?”
“Yes, I will do so…”
That was when it happened.
The moment I stretched out my hands toward Yi Hwon, who had crawled right up to me.
As if using my palms as support, Yi Hwon placed his little hands on mine and his body…
Whoosh!
“Huh?”
Shot straight up in an instant!
“Goodness! Yun Sang-gung! Yun Sang-gung!”
At Suk-ui Park’s urgent voice, Yun Sang-gung rushed into the room.
“Oh! The young prince has stood up! Suk-ui Park! What a blessed occasion!”
Yun Sang-gung clapped her hands and cried out.
“Young prince! How remarkable! How admirable!”
Yi Hwon, still gripping my hands tightly, managed to stand upright before settling into my arms.
“They say this child is a lucky charm at Chwisuondang, and it seems that’s truly the case.”
It was the moment when I, Hwang Bong-bong, the official lucky charm of Chwisuondang, acquired the status of ‘guest lucky charm of Sung-gyeong Hall’.
***
On the way back to Chwisuondang.
Hidden in the corner of a wall, the moment I opened the heavy pouch.
A dazzling brilliance struck my eyes with a soft shimmer.
‘Gold…!’
What lay in the fortune pouch was not silver.
Gleaming nuggets of gold shining with brilliant radiance!
Four small gold nuggets glowed with resplendent light.
‘I, I’m now…!’
Rich!
I was Joseon’s first child tycoon!
***
“There’s no such child here.”
“She’s four years old this year. Her name is Hwang Bong….”
“I’m telling you, there’s no child that young at our gisaeng house!”
Slam!
The gate shut harshly.
A cloud of dust rose and fell squarely onto the young boy’s face.
…My eyes sting.
It must be from the dust that got in.
‘I’ll find you.’
The young boy straightened his shoulders, which had drooped.
‘No matter what happens, I will find you.’

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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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