Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 6

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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 6. The Crown Prince and Dried Persimmons
“Persimmons or crabs?”
The Crown Prince, who had been staring at me in bewilderment, let out an “ah” of understanding.
“So you want persimmons. Let me see… Yes, I happen to have some.”
The Crown Prince rummaged through his robes.
“Dried persimmons. I packed them just in case…”
“D-dried persimmons…!”
The moment the Crown Prince held out the dried persimmons before me.
“No! Get away! Ugh!”
It happened before I could stop myself.
Whoosh!
I snatched the dried persimmons and hurled them away with all my might, as though they were a hand grenade.
Only after hearing the dried persimmons roll across the floor did I come to my senses.
‘…What on earth did I just do?’
Possessing a child’s body must have damaged the part of my brain that controls impulses.
I saw the Crown Prince staring at me with a vacant expression.
How was I supposed to get out of this predicament?
“W-well, you see. Persimmons are… bad for you!”
“Why would persimmons be bad?”
Blink, blink. The Crown Prince asked with a confused look.
At least he didn’t seem displeased or angry.
“W-well, there’s that thing. Haven’t you heard? If you eat too many persimmons, you might catch a terrible disease where your… your bowels get all hard and…”
Stop. Please stop.
Even though I think like an adult, the moment I open my mouth, childish nonsense keeps spilling out.
Sigh.
The real problem might be my own uncontrollable mouth.
At the same time, I felt a pang of guilt toward the Crown Prince.
Persimmons and crabs were ingredients that history suspected had driven him to his death.
‘Should I tell him never to eat persimmons or crabs?’
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I let it go.
‘What matters to me right now is my own survival. I don’t have the luxury of worrying about someone else’s life.’
I wasn’t in a comfortable enough position to worry about the Crown Prince’s death, which would happen some twenty years from now.
‘So forget about all that and just focus on taking care of myself.’
“Are you all right?”
The Crown Prince’s concerned voice pulled me back to reality.
Despite my throwing the dried persimmons away so rudely, he was being so generous. Truly, he had the temperament of a virtuous prince.
I realized I had been wearing a serious expression unbecoming of a child, so I offered a bright smile.
It was the “harmless smile” I had perfected through days of practice.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’m fine. Sang-gung might be looking for me, so I should go now.”
“Very well. Oh, but what is your name?”
“Hwang Bong-bong…”
Another failure.
“Hwang, Bong, Bong.”
“…That’s a fine name indeed.”
For some reason, I noticed the corners of the Crown Prince’s mouth twitching slightly.
“In any case, Bong-bong. Let’s meet again.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I bowed deeply toward the Crown Prince and thought to myself.
‘I need to make an effort to maintain a favorable relationship with the Crown Prince. After all, he’ll be king someday.’
Though witnessing the Crown Prince become king would ultimately only be possible if I survived.
***
The next morning.
Jang Hee-bin did not turn me away as she had the day before.
“Lady Jang Hee-bin. I am Hwang Bong-bong, a palace maid.”
I waddled forward and performed a full bow just as Seol-hyang had taught me.
I nearly tripped over my skirts and fallen flat, but I managed to navigate the crisis.
“Very well. I acknowledge your greeting. Listen well to Han Sang-gung and the other maids.”
“Yes, Lady Jang Hee-bin.”
Even as I responded, I discreetly surveyed the chamber.
When investigating the shrine that had been installed west of Chwisuondang at Ipchun, Jang Hee-bin’s private chamber was the one place I had been unable to examine.
There was nothing particularly striking or suspicious about the room.
‘Of course. The king frequents this place—there’s no way a shrine would be installed here.’
With that thought, I carefully raised my head.
“Lady Jang Hee-bin. I have something to tell you…”
Originally, I had prepared a poetic expression overnight: ‘Among the swaying flowers, I felt your white sandalwood fragrance,’ intending to win her heart with such eloquence.
But the moment I saw Jang Hee-bin’s face directly, my words simply failed me.
‘Her beauty is breathtaking.’
A face as smooth as porcelain, eyes with slightly upturned corners and a nose sculpted as if by divine hands, lips of an intense crimson.
She was a coldly beautiful woman capable of stealing one’s very breath.
“Speak.”
“Ah, there was a flower scent, and it suddenly swayed…”
What am I saying?
Jang Hee-bin, who had been regarding my rambling with indifferent eyes, offered only a single word in response.
“You may leave.”
That was all.
“…Yes.”
In the end, I had no choice but to shuffle out of her private chamber.
I felt somewhat disheartened, but I resolved not to be too disappointed.
The most important thing was that I had gained certainty—the shrine did not exist in this place.
‘It’s not the worst-case scenario. So I mustn’t panic.’
So my next objective was clear.
‘Exploring the Royal Palace!’
I hurried over to Seol-hyang and asked.
“Seol-hyang, ma’am.”
“Yes?”
“Can I go outside Chwisuondang?”
“Outside? Well… there’s nothing pressing to do right now, so I don’t see why not. Just don’t wander too far. You might get lost.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be careful.”
I’d already mapped out the layout of Chwisuondang, so now it was time to explore the Royal Palace.
The moment I stepped out of Chwisuondang with purpose, the true splendor of the palace unfolded before me.
Though I’d visited Changgyeong Palace countless times in my past life, the reality before me was utterly different from what I remembered.
‘Many of the palace buildings were lost during the Japanese occupation, after all.’
Only now did it truly sink in that I stood within history itself.
My heart raced. The instincts of a history enthusiast stirred within me.
It was only natural.
The thesis I’d been writing through countless sleepless nights as a graduate student was titled—
“The Lives of Royal Women: A Study Through Records of the King Sukjong Era”
—after all.
With excitement coursing through me, I was about to dash forward when—
‘Oh. Those girls from yesterday.’
That’s when I spotted the two young attendants.
They were wearing mourning clothes and carrying heavy water buckets.
Their crime of damaging the spring placard had been grave enough to earn them hard labor for some time.
…But what were they talking about?
“We need to find the evidence quickly…”
“Once we find proof, we’ll receive a great reward…”
My head spun in an instant.
For these already suspicious young attendants to speak of “evidence” and “great reward”—it was too much of a coincidence.
‘Could they be… spies?’
My suspicion hardened into certainty in a flash.
But there was a problem.
‘…Why are they heading toward me?’
I wanted to eavesdrop further, but unfortunately there was nowhere suitable to hide.
Deciding to retreat, I began running away hastily.
And the moment I turned down a corner—
Crash!
“Oof!”
I’d careened directly into someone’s silk skirt.
“I-I’m terribly sorry.”
Though I was utterly flustered, I tried to quickly assess the situation.
First, the color of the skirt the woman wore was far from ordinary.
Not the blue skirts worn by Sang-gung or palace attendants, but a vibrant pale pink that shimmered before my eyes.
‘She’s definitely a royal concubine.’
I sprang to my feet and bowed ninety degrees.
I was about to offer a more formal apology when—
“My goodness. It’s been ages since I’ve seen such a young attendant. Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”
A warm and affectionate voice reached my ears.
Since it didn’t sound like a reprimand was coming, I lifted my head and spoke.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Oh my, what a pretty face. But I don’t recognize you. How long have you been in the palace?”
“Um… five days? Or perhaps six…?”
“Goodness. Not even ten days since entering the palace. You’re quite the fresh arrival.”
The woman had an elegant impression.
Her slightly drooping eyebrows and eyes gave her an innocent appearance.
‘Who is she?’
I mentally listed the names of the concubines who currently existed within the Royal Palace.
Besides Queen Inhyeon and Jang Hee-bin, there were many concubines in the palace.
Suk-bin Choi, Lady Kim, Lady Park, Lady Yoo…
‘Even if he is the king, he should show some restraint.’
Suppressing my resentment toward King Sukjong, I offered the concubine a bright smile.
Then the woman spoke.
“I have a wonderful idea. Child, I should take you to my quarters.”
…Me? Suddenly?
She looked me up and down. Despite her gentle impression, her gaze was quite sharp.
“Prince Yeonning is always lonely, so he’ll surely treat you like a younger sister. I can already picture how delighted my son will be.”
My mouth fell open without thinking.
‘Did she just say Prince Yeonning?’
Prince Yeonning was the princely title of the man who would later be recorded in history as King Yeongjo.
In other words, the woman before me was…
‘Suk-bin Choi, the mother of King Yeongjo.’
The woman who had formed a powerful rivalry with Jang Hee-bin, with King Sukjong between them.
And she wanted to take me to her quarters?
In that instant, fireworks exploded in my mind.
‘Does this mean I can escape from Chwisuondang?’
If I could only become a palace attendant in Suk-bin Choi’s quarters, everything would be secure.
After Queen Inhyeon’s death, the ensuing bloodshed had destroyed Jang Hee-bin, but it had brought no harm to Suk-bin.
It made perfect sense.
‘Because it was Suk-bin Choi herself who reported that Jang Hee-bin had cursed Queen Inhyeon.’
In the media, Suk-bin Choi is typically portrayed as a virtuous and righteous woman.
But as a history scholar, I knew Suk-bin was far from being so innocent.
‘Rather, she was a cunning strategist. That’s how she survived to the very end.’
In other words….
‘If I can just reach Suk-bin Choi’s quarters, my survival is practically guaranteed.’
My heart began to race.
Escape. Survival.
An ordinary life untouched by bloodshed and chaos.
A transition from a survival story to a bright, everyday narrative!
That was it. Suk-bin Choi was my lifeline.
“Tell me, which quarters do you belong to? I’ll have Je-jo Sang-gung bring you to Bogyeong Hall….”
That was when it happened.
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed ominously.
A thick floral fragrance—one I seemed to have caught before—drifted on the air.
“Suk-bin.”
…Why was Jang Hee-bin appearing here?
“This child belongs to Chwisuondang.”
Jang Hee-bin’s voice was terrifyingly cold.
“How dare you covet what is mine at this very moment?”
Goosebumps erupted across my skin in an instant.
…Damn it. Transfer failed.

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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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