Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 68

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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 68. Heuk-mak’s Shadow
“My, what an appetite you have.”
Chirp!
“One more bite. That’s it, well done!”
Chirp!
Three times a day.
I made regular trips to the Storage Room.
At each meal, I would sneak away grains of rice and side dishes, and from the Nae-so Kitchen, I’d pilfer boiled beans and individual grains.
I’d also pluck mugwort and shepherd’s purse growing around Chwisuondang to feed it.
My devoted care was bearing fruit.
Two days after I brought the crow home….
“Chirp!”
The creature that had refused to leave the basket was now toddling out on its own.
Whether from incomplete recovery or a head too large for its body, it wobbled and swayed.
Yet those pitiful wings fluttered about, and the bird seemed to have regained considerable vitality.
“Do you think you’re getting better?”
Chirp!
“I’m glad you’re healthy, but I still can’t release you to the Forest. You don’t even know how to find food, do you?”
Chirp….
“Once you’re a bit stronger, I’ll set you free in the Forest. Your mother and siblings are probably waiting for you.”
…Even if you never reunite with your family, you’ll be able to survive on your own.
Chirp!
I tore off a small piece of sticky rice and fed it to the creature.
Accustomed to my touch, the crow opened its beak eagerly without hesitation.
“Though we’re only together for a while, I wish I had a name to call you by.”
I gazed at the creature—black from body to legs to eyes—and fell into contemplation.
“Blackie?”
That was far too ordinary.
“Blackstone…. Blacksun…?”
Since I couldn’t determine its sex, such names felt unsuitable.
“Since it’s a crow, maybe Shadow…. No, that won’t do.”
Hmm.
As I pondered various names,
I suddenly recalled a memory with my older brother—the very reason I’d decided to bring this creature home.
A flock of crows soaring across the sky.
And what my brother had said as he watched them….
‘Like a dark curtain, but magnificent, isn’t it?’
“…Heuk-mak.”
Chirp?
“Let’s call you Heuk-mak.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a somewhat cringey name.
“From today on, your name is Heuk-mak!”
I said this while gently stroking the creature.
A handful of glutinous rice. Four boiled beans.
After finishing the meal until my belly was perfectly round.
The baby crow Heuk-mak, who had been nodding off drowsily, let out a final soft chirp.
***
It was as I was leaving the western storage room where Heuk-mak lay sleeping peacefully and heading toward the Inner Courtyard.
“Bong-bong.”
Oh.
Han Sang-gung appeared suddenly, regarding me with a puzzled expression.
“Yes?”
“Why are you coming out from that direction?”
Though startled, I composed my expression with composure.
Deception demands confidence.
This too was a lesson I’d learned from that madman I’d encountered outside, Park Moon-soo.
“Whenever I eat, I get drowsy, so I was taking a walk around Chwisuondang to help with digestion and shake off the sleep. It really does work, you know.”
Han Sang-gung smiled knowingly.
“Light on your feet—that’s good. Yes, there’s no better quality for a palace maid than that. But….”
Han Sang-gung plucked something from my sleeve.
Dried rice paste would have been fine, but.
“How do you walk around with such things? Is this a bird feather?”
“It must have fallen off somewhere while I was walking!”
Fortunately, Han Sang-gung didn’t seem to doubt my words.
Han Sang-gung gestured to me.
“In any case, this works out perfectly. Since no one’s watching, let’s go to my quarters.”
“What is it about?”
“What do you mean, what is it? Is there another secret matter between you and me besides that one?”
Ah. ‘That’…?
“We need to settle accounts.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
I quickly followed Han Sang-gung into her quarters.
Settlement.
This grand-sounding monthly event had become a secret between Han Sang-gung and me.
Following the King’s counsel, I had entrusted Han Sang-gung with four gold nuggets I’d received as a reward for saving Yi Hwon.
Han Sang-gung too seemed to have received separate instructions from the King.
She was meticulously managing my wealth, even keeping detailed ledgers.
In the process, I’d picked up knowledge about currency and market trends.
What I’d learned first was that gold in the Joseon Dynasty wasn’t nearly as valuable as in modern times.
‘I thought I could easily buy a tile-roofed house, but all I got was empty promises.’
Still, it was by no means a small sum of money.
I had not become a merchant prince, but the amount was sufficient to serve as seed capital.
Han Sang-gung engaged in money-lending at interest.
She would lend money to palace maids from families of confirmed status or to merchants.
It was nothing like usury; she collected interest at the fair rates the market permitted.
Sometimes she would purchase textiles, ginseng, or medicinal herbs in advance, then resell them after their prices rose.
The intimate information I could access as a palace servant proved invaluable in such ventures.
Thus my wealth accumulated steadily, profit layering upon profit.
“I am also setting aside your salary without fail. I have recorded everything in detail in the ledger, so you will be able to verify the accounts once you reach an age of understanding.”
I gazed at the ledger placed before Han Sang-gung.
Han Sang-gung was not merely a capable palace maid but a talented individual of this era, gifted in mathematics and accounting.
Between the densely packed numbers recorded in Chinese characters, I could see characters for gold, bolts of cloth, hemp, and rice paddies.
“Yes. Thank you, madam.”
“If you accumulate money steadily, by the time you become a full-fledged maid, you will be able to acquire a respectable tile-roofed house. All of this is the grace of His Majesty, so you must always be grateful.”
“Of course. I shall remember this always.”
“Then go now. I must rest for a while.”
“Yes, madam.”
I bowed respectfully and left Han Sang-gung’s quarters.
‘Phew. I escaped.’
Han Sang-gung was truly a good person.
Stern though she was, she possessed great warmth, and one could see her earnest efforts to protect the people of Chwisuondang.
Yet she harbored one fatal flaw.
‘Han Sang-gung’s quarters always reeked of tobacco smoke!’
In Joseon, tobacco was called “nam-ryeong-cho.”
Nam-ryeong-cho had become quite fashionable even among the palace maids, and it was common for senior maids to possess at least one long pipe.
It was a matter of personal preference, and rumors circulated that tobacco was beneficial to health, so I tried to accept it.
Yet lingering in a room permeated with the acrid stench of a long pipe was far from pleasant.
‘At least Seol-hyang does not smoke nam-ryeong-cho, so that is a mercy.’
What would I do if Seol-hyang were to appear with a long pipe in hand?
‘What would I do? I would simply confiscate it at once.’
With grim determination, I brushed at my clothes, trying to dispel the tobacco odor that had seeped into my garments.
***
Dusk fell, and the night deepened into a rich, dark blue.
Over the fresh green leaves that had sparkled brightly throughout the day under the harsh sunlight, the murky night descended.
“His Majesty the King arrives!”
The eunuch’s resonant voice announced the King’s procession.
The King had come to Chwisuondang.
It was his first visit since the day I lost consciousness.
As always, I stood right beside Jang Hee-bin to greet him.
“Your Majesty. How is your health?”
“As you can see, I am well. It seems the recent fatigue was the problem, so do not worry.”
“Seeing Your Majesty in such robust health fills me with profound emotion.”
“You saved my life through your resolve, so I must treasure my existence all the more from now on.”
“Your words are too generous. I know not what to do with myself.”
A tender gaze passed between Jang Hee-bin and the King.
Then the King’s eyes turned toward me.
“Bong-bong.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I knew you were fond of candies, but I cannot fathom how a child like you possessed such knowledge and wit.”
“That candy was a precious gift from Your Majesty. Thanks to it, I had it with me that day.”
“What one possesses matters less than how one uses it. You saved a life with but a few pieces of candy.”
“Because it was Your Majesty’s precious gift. I do not forget it and carry it with me every day like this.”
I proudly held up the pouch containing the candies.
“Ha ha. Then I too have something to show you.”
The King quietly drew a pouch from his breast.
“I do the same. The Royal Physician told me to carry this for when I feel my strength draining away.”
Oh…
It seems the physicians of this era also possess knowledge of low blood sugar.
This put my mind at ease considerably.
“Then, Bong-bong. You and I are comrades who carry candies.”
“Comrades? I am honored, hehe.”
Though the King is usually stern and fearsome, occasionally he shows a rather endearing side.
“You have done a commendable deed, so I must bestow a reward upon you. Is there anything you desire or wish for?”
Yes! Gold coins…
But appearing as a greedy child would not do, so I straightened my chest proudly and declared:
“Yes! That Your Majesty visits Chwisuondang often!”
“Heh heh. You could wish for something far greater. Is that truly all?”
“Yes. I am delighted whenever Your Majesty visits Chwisuondang. Jang Hee-bin becomes so very happy, and that brings me joy as well.”
The King burst into hearty laughter and turned his gaze toward Jang Hee-bin.
Jang Hee-bin, whose mouth had nearly reached her ears in joy, quickly composed herself with elegant grace.
“Jang Hee-bin. I cannot fathom where such a precious child fell into your care. Surely this is all your good fortune.”
“I believe so as well, Your Majesty.”
“I bestow this pavilion upon you, and it brings to mind the time when I named it Chwisuondang.”
“You gave it the name Chwisuondang, meaning never to forget a virtuous heart, Your Majesty.”
“Because you have faithfully upheld my will without forgetting it, it seems I have been blessed with the gift of Bong-bong.”
The atmosphere was wonderful.
Wonderful indeed… but shouldn’t we set aside pleasantries and move to the main matter?
I grinned broadly and bowed deeply to them both.
“Then. For tonight…”
May you have a pleasant evening!
***
The morning after the King visited Chwisuondang.
Jang Hee-bin remained shut away in her chambers for quite some time.
“Did something happen between her and His Majesty last night, perhaps?”
“Who knows. Why does she seem so grave? They say she didn’t even touch her breakfast.”
As the palace maids whispered among themselves, my concern deepened as well.
Jang Hee-bin emerged from her quarters.
‘This is completely different from usual.’
Though there was no special occasion, Jang Hee-bin was impeccably dressed.
Yet her appearance differed from when she adorned herself for the King.
Her garments were in subdued colors, and she wore almost no makeup.
Her ornaments—her earrings, hairpins, and decorative combs—were elegant and refined in their simplicity.
The palace maids, sensing this distinctly different atmosphere, held their breath.
Soon, Jang Hee-bin spoke.
“Han Sang-gung.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“We go to Tongmyeongjeon.”
“…Yes?”
Han Sang-gung’s bewildered question.
Jang Hee-bin answered with resolve.
“I must pay my respects to Queen Min.”

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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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