Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 7

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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 7. The Only Light
I was quietly backing away when Jang Hee-bin’s hand seized the nape of my neck and yanked me forward.
Even as she did, Jang Hee-bin’s gaze remained fixed on Suk-bin.
“My, how the world has changed.”
Jang Hee-bin spoke with a sharp exhale.
“A water-carrier who once drew water from wells now wears the robes of royal favor, dons the garments of a concubine, and struts about as the mother of a prince—and now it seems she’s even forgotten how to properly greet her superiors.”
Jang Hee-bin’s tone was glacial and oppressive.
It was an air of dominance that made one forget they held identical ranks—both First-Rank Concubines.
“…I trust you are well, Jang Hee-bin.”
At last, Suk-bin bowed her head.
Though it would have escaped others’ notice, my diminutive stature allowed me to see Suk-bin’s expression with perfect clarity.
Let me pose a riddle.
Question: What was Suk-bin’s expression after being insulted by Jang Hee-bin?
1) Her teeth ground together as though she were seething with fury.
2) Tears glistened in her eyes as she was overwhelmed by the pressure.
3) She sighed as though she had abandoned all hope.
The answer was none of the three.
Suk-bin…
‘She’s smiling?’
Suk-bin was smiling.
I watched clearly as she twisted her lips upward in a mocking sneer, as though finding the whole affair contemptible.
Honestly, that smile chilled me far more than Jang Hee-bin’s arrival had.
“I, unlike what you might wish, remain in perfect health. But tell me—did you truly intend to take my palace maid to your quarters?”
“It was a misunderstanding. Had I known she belonged to Chwisuondang, I would never have laid a hand on her.”
The warmth that had been visible moments before vanished entirely, replaced by a cold, lifeless gaze.
And the way she spoke—as though addressing an object. I felt like nothing more than filth beneath her feet.
“But why are you here alone in Changgyeong Palace, Suk-bin?”
Jang Hee-bin asked.
While Chwisuondang was located in Changgyeong Palace, Suk-bin’s quarters, Bogyeong Hall, belonged to Changdeok Palace.
Jang Hee-bin’s question essentially meant: ‘Why are you lurking in someone else’s territory?’
“His Majesty entrusted me with an urgent matter.”
“…”
An unexpected blow delivered with perfect timing.
With a single sentence from Suk-bin, the air froze over in an instant.
I stole a cautious glance at Jang Hee-bin’s face. I could see her crimson lips trembling slightly.
…Jang Hee-bin’s loss.
‘So this is the palace intrigue I’ve only heard whispered about. It’s brutal, absolutely brutal.’
Simply standing beside them made my legs feel weak.
It was then that I noticed the woman standing behind Jang Hee-bin.
‘Who is that?’
The woman I saw for the first time was not a palace maid.
Judging by the silk dress she wore—the kind noble ladies favored—and the outer robe draped over it, she was clearly a guest from outside the palace.
She stepped forward.
“Jang Hee-bin. Stop wasting time on trivial matters and return to your quarters.”
For a woman, her voice was remarkably deep.
Only then did Jang Hee-bin speak.
“Yes, Suk-jeong. Let’s go.”
…Suk-jeong? The very Suk-jeong who orchestrated the curse against Queen Inhyeon?
In that instant.
Thud.
Something fell from inside Suk-jeong’s sleeve as she turned.
The small object that tumbled across the floor came to rest at my feet.
‘This, this is…!’
How could I even describe the shock of that moment?
It was a small doll fashioned from straw in the shape of a human figure.
At first glance it looked like a worthless toy, but….
‘It’s a curse doll.’
The very doll from the historical records—the one with Queen Inhyeon’s name written upon it and needles driven through it as a curse.
‘What do I do?’
Terror flooded through me instinctively.
Should I kick it away?
Should I sit down on top of it?
Fortunately, Suk-bin didn’t seem to have noticed the doll yet….
Then it happened.
“My goodness. Poor child, you must have so little to play with.”
Suk-jeong bent down and met my gaze.
She picked up the straw doll lying bare before my feet and held it out to me.
“You’re a good child, aren’t you? You dropped this. You understand, don’t you?”
A whisper meant only for my ears.
Her voice sounded almost affectionate, but the hand pressing the doll into mine gripped with crushing force.
“Jang Hee-bin. It seems the child was lonely by herself. Carrying around straw like this as a plaything, no less.”
Suk-jeong smiled at me. But her eyes gleamed with lethal intent.
“Next time I visit, I’ll bring you a pretty bride doll.”
…Bride doll, my foot.
I was nearly in a state of panic.
When I lifted my trembling head, what I met was—
Suk-bin’s meaningful gaze, fixed intently on me and the curse doll in my hand.
‘Why in the world am I holding this?’
This is what I’d only heard about….
A death flag?
“Well then.”
Suk-bin opened her mouth.
“That’s quite an odd-looking doll for a child to be playing with. You there—where did you get that doll?”
The question struck like a fastball with no time to dodge.
What was I supposed to say?
Would Suk-jeong help me?
…No, she wouldn’t.
I watched Suk-jeong turn her gaze away as though she had no further use for me, and I knew for certain.
I looked at Suk-bin, who was quietly observing me, and spoke.
I had no confidence in what I was about to say, but I decided to throw it out anyway.
“This is Bom-bomi’s friend. Her name is Bum-bumi. I found Bum-bumi near Seonjeongjeon Hall….”
In that moment, Suk-bin’s expression stiffened slightly.
“That’s enough.”
Suk-bin cut me off mid-sentence.
‘Phew…. Thank goodness.’
Saying I’d found “Bum-bumi” near Seonjeongjeon Hall was a spur-of-the-moment idea.
Since Bogyeong Hall, Suk-bin’s quarters, lay to the north of Seonjeongjeon Hall, my words essentially meant ‘I found it near your residence.’
“Then I’ll go play with Bum-bumi now, if that’s alright!”
I cried out as cheerfully and brightly as I could manage.
Hoping the “I don’t know anything and just want to play” act would work.
“Go ahead.”
Jang Hee-bin’s permission came through.
I began hurrying away with quick, rapid steps.
Clutching the hideous doll in my hand as though it were something precious.
My spine felt clammy and my hands trembled.
The wind that scraped my cheeks felt as cold as Suk-bin’s gaze.
***
“Hah….”
I chose a deserted path and allowed myself a moment to catch my breath.
I had managed to overcome the immediate crisis through quick thinking.
Yet the memory of Suk-bin’s cold gaze and Suk-jeong’s forceful grip weighed heavily on my mind.
“This is so hard. Really….”
For the first time, I truly grasped the reality.
This world I had fallen into was not some thrilling historical experience or a novel with a guaranteed happy ending—it was a cruel, unforgiving reality.
And that was the greatest problem of all.
‘There are far too many dangerous variables.’
Suk-jeong’s appearance was powerful evidence that the time bomb was actually ticking.
On top of that, I had made an enemy of Suk-bin from our first meeting, been branded as the owner of that grotesque doll, and had drawn suspicion from maids who might be spies….
‘Will I even survive this?’
I exhaled a sigh so deep it felt like the earth was swallowing me whole, staring at the curse doll clutched in my hand.
The immediate question was how to dispose of it.
That alone was a massive problem.
I was lost in thought as I walked.
Waaah—
Suddenly, the loud wailing of a baby pierced the air.
“Young master, our precious young prince! Please don’t cry. It breaks my heart when you do! Hush now, hush!”
A Palace Maid appeared around the corner, cradling an infant.
There was no real reason to hide, but I pressed myself out of sight.
I didn’t want my face—bearing the weight of heavy emotions in a way no child should—to be seen.
Fortunately, the Palace Maid didn’t notice me.
‘But that baby…. She called him a young prince.’
The tiny figure was dressed in fine silk, and the ear-covering winter cap wrapped around his head was lined with fur.
At this point in time, if there was a young prince in the Royal Palace….
‘Ah. King Sukjong’s youngest son, Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon. He must be around two years old now.’
I finally recognized the child’s identity.
Despite the nursemaid’s desperate efforts, Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon continued to cry.
Then it happened.
His bright, intelligent eyes turned directly toward me.
“….”
At that same moment, his crying stopped abruptly.
“Oh my, our young master. Are you feeling better now?”
Even as the Palace Maid cooed and soothed him, Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon stared intently at me, hidden in the corner.
‘Why does he keep looking at me?’
Curiosity stirred in me, but my heart remained uneasy.
Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon was a remarkably beautiful child.
It was natural to smile at the sight of an adorable baby, but I couldn’t….
‘Because Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon dies young, at just twenty-one.’
It was because the truth hidden in history had clouded my mind.
…There are far too many people in this Royal Palace destined to die.
In that moment—
Trill, trill, trill!
A crystalline laugh rang out.
Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon, who had been weeping so pitifully just moments before.
And there he was, flashing me a smile as warm as spring sunlight.
“Kyaa-woo!”
His childlike laughter echoed brightly across the sun-drenched walls of Changgyeong Palace.
It was a strange feeling.
I was contemplating his death, yet there he was, laughing so radiantly.
Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon continued to beam at me for a long while.
“…Hehe.”
Before I knew it, I found myself laughing as well.
My fate, Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon’s death, Jang Hee-bin’s future—all my worries faded, if only for a moment.
…It felt like the only light breaking through an exhausting day.
“Take care, Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon.”
Feeling a touch of comfort, I bid farewell with only the shape of my lips before turning to leave.
“Oh, who’s there?”
The palace maid noticed because Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon kept staring in my direction.
Still chuckling, she hurried toward me while cradling Prince Yeonning Yi Hwon in her arms.
There was no real need to run, but the feeling of being caught made me bolt without thinking.
“Hey, wait a moment!”
I ignored the palace maid’s voice calling from behind and fled in a flurry of footsteps.
‘Phew…. What a tumultuous day this has been.’
Only when Chwisuondang came into view in the distance did I slow my pace and catch my breath.
I still held the curse doll in my hand, feeling heavy as a burden.

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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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