The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#1. The Half-wit Princess

A morning when soft sunlight filtered through large windows covered with fine Korean paper.

In front of a splendid silk folding screen embroidered with flowers and butterflies sat a young girl with her cheeks puffed out.

Though her face was scrunched up as if tears would burst forth at any moment, her clear and large eyes, straight nose, and clean round forehead radiated a subtle dignity despite her young age.

But the tears filling both eyes and the protruding lower lip that kept twitching were unmistakably those of a five-year-old child.

After sniffling and staring down at the writing desk for some time, the girl finally threw down the tangram piece she had been clutching onto the desk.

Then she lifted her tear-filled eyes toward the middle-aged court lady who had been watching her carefully and parted her lips.

“Nanny.”

Behind her voice full of tears, she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, causing pearl-like tears to fall immediately.

“Oh my, Princess!”

Lady Park, startled, quickly pulled out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and hurried over to sit down.

“Princess, why are you like this?”

Lady Park carefully wiped the tear-soaked face of the young girl and gently smiled soothingly while firmly grasping her small, soft hands.

“Are you so disappointed by the Queen Mother’s command this morning?”

The girl, who had been pouting again, slowly shook her head.

“No, I’m not disappointed. But I hate myself.”

“What? Princess, how can you say such shocking words?”

How could these be words spoken by a princess who was only five years old?

Lady Park, who had opened her eyes wide in surprise, was flustered by the anger in the young princess’s eyes as she stared at her and even began to stutter.

“P-Princess, please don’t say such things. This servant doesn’t know what to do with herself.”

The young princess, clenching both fists and even biting her lower lip, soon spoke with a voice wet with moisture.

“What’s the use of being a princess of a nation? Even the palace servants all call me a half-wit.”

“Oh my goodness, Princess!”

Lady Park shook her head with an almost tearful expression.

“That’s not true. Who would dare say such things? Everyone in this palace knows how intelligent our Princess is. Absolutely not, Princess.”

Lady Park kept shaking her head while firmly holding the girl’s clenched fists.

The young princess pulled her hands free and spoke angrily.

“It is true. I know everything. Even Mother finds me disgusting to look at.”

“Princess, that’s absolutely not true. This servant knows better than anyone how much the Queen Mother loves you. It’s just that today’s command was…”

“No! Mother is scared and ashamed of me being a half-wit and seeing spirits!”

The Princess, who had cut off her words immediately, squeezed her eyes shut again while shedding sorrowful tears.

“Oh my, our Princess… what should I do…”

Lady Park patted and wiped the soft face of the young princess, soaked with tears, with a heartbroken expression as if the world was ending.

“Princess, please listen. This servant thinks you have misunderstood the Queen Mother’s deep intentions.”

Lady Park gently held the young princess’s hands once more and met her gaze.

“Since Princess is still young, instead of waking up at dawn and losing sleep, she meant for you to sleep well and eat well to grow healthy. Even the Crown Prince only began morning greetings after he turned six.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Princess. So this servant believes the Queen Mother’s command to stop morning greetings was given entirely out of consideration for you.”

“Did Crown Prince really only start morning greetings from age six?”

“Of course, Princess. You were so intelligent that you took care of it yourself, so this servant simply followed along. From now on, you only need to pay morning respects at the Queen Dowager’s Residence after having your morning meal.”

“But I still want to see Mother and Father…”

Lady Park let out a pained sigh through her teeth at her young mistress’s dejected murmur as she listened quietly to her words.

“Also, didn’t the Queen Mother send someone from the Royal Kitchen?”

“Who?”

The black eyes that still held moisture finally showed curiosity as they looked up at Lady Park.

“A girl named Lady Lee from the Royal Kitchen’s fruit section is said to be quite skilled. She’s especially good at making the apple preserves and honey cookies that you love, so the Queen Mother specially selected and sent her.”

Lady Park looked warmly at the young Princess, who only nodded at her words with clear eyes, and released the hands she had been holding tightly.

“So please don’t say such things again. Princess is loved not only by His Majesty the King and the Queen Mother, but by all the people of Taeshin Kingdom. Do you understand?”

Lady Park’s smile, hoping her words would be comforting, was very gentle.

“But… why is there always a strange old ghost spirit next to Mother?”

“Oh my goodness, Princess!”

Lady Park, shocked again, opened her eyes wide and quickly turned her head toward the door.

“Don’t say such things, someone might hear. As the Doctor said, you haven’t yet shaken off the fever from when you suffered from smallpox. So you think you see such things, and you must never speak such words aloud again.”

Seeing Lady Park’s extremely earnest expression, the young princess reluctantly nodded. Lady Park continued speaking in a warm voice to the young princess who was looking at her with round eyes.

“As the Queen Mother said, if you sleep well until late and eat your meals properly, you will recover soon.”

“Will it really happen like that?”

“Of course, absolutely.”

“Then will I really not see the spirits anymore?”

“Yes, Princess.”

Lady Park nodded greatly and smiled sadly.

My princess, who was so beautiful from the moment you were born.

Princess was the first princess born in a palace that had only three princes above her.

So His Majesty the King was greatly pleased, calling her a blessed gift that came to Taeshin Kingdom, and personally bestowed the name Eunhye (Grace).

And he had a special residence built anew for the princess within the inner palace, which was the Hyesin Palace where Princess currently resides.

As she grew, she was so intelligent that as soon as she began to speak, she memorized all the letters of Taeshin Kingdom.

She was a genius who even followed the Crown Prince to his lessons and recited the Elementary Learning and Analects fluently, amazing many ministers.

Moreover, with her beautiful appearance that perfectly resembled the Queen Mother, who was praised as Taeshin Kingdom’s greatest beauty, the Queen Dowager and other palace ladies would compete to call Princess to their quarters to watch her charming ways.

When Princess, who had been the treasure of the entire palace, had just turned three, a terrible epidemic called smallpox began to spread through Taeshin Kingdom!

The frightening smallpox, comparable to a tiger’s threat, eventually struck even within the palace, and Princess, who was the youngest in the palace, was the first to fall ill.

Amid the worry of everyone in the palace and the Queen Mother’s devoted care, Princess, who had wavered between life and death with high fever for a full seven days, finally regained her strength.

But an unexpected symptom developed – the sinister ability to see and hear things invisible to others’ eyes…

The young Princess fainted dozens of times from that energy too difficult for her to handle, and countless physicians from the Royal Medical Office, including the court doctor, worked day and night to restore Princess’s vitality and drive away that symptom, but it was all in vain. Rather, as she regained strength, she couldn’t look at people properly and became increasingly silent.

No, to be precise, she became a Princess who always kept her head down, saying she could see ghosts beside people.

His Majesty the King was greatly disappointed by the changed appearance of Princess, who had been so intelligent and beautiful, and eventually issued a gag order.

The princess’s condition would be treated exclusively by the court doctor, and except for her nanny Lady Park and personal attendant Lady Han, no one else should know about the princess’s condition – this strict command was issued.

But during the nearly two years that passed, all sorts of strange rumors circulated within the palace.

That she left the Princess’s Quarters in the middle of the night to wander the palace alone, that she talked to herself in empty air where no one was present, that she screamed and ran away just from seeing palace servants passing by, and so on.

Lady Park looked at Eunhye’s darkly wet eyes and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Everything will surely get better. Didn’t Princess overcome smallpox, which is said to be more frightening than tigers?”

Hoping her earnest heart would provide even small comfort, Lady Park smiled faintly as Eunhye asked with clear eyes.

“Really… could that happen?”

“Of course, Princess.”

Just then, the voice of Lady Han, the personal attendant, was heard from outside the sliding door ahead.

“Princess, the Royal Kitchen servant sent by the Queen Mother has come to pay her respects.”

Lady Park smiled warmly at Eunhye, crinkling the corners of her eyes.

“She seems to have arrived already. Will you receive her greeting?”

At Lady Park’s smile, Eunhye also hung a small smile on her lips. But Eunhye, who glanced at the sliding door ahead, quietly lowered her eyes.

My Princess, who fears strangers – or more precisely, the sinister beings that might be attached to unfamiliar people.

Lady Park gently suggested again in a soft voice, as if it was okay.

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can just send her away.”

But after a moment, Eunhye, who had let out a small sigh through her tiny lips, spoke quietly in a barely audible voice.

“Isn’t she a servant sent by Mother? If I just send her back after she came to greet me, it might be unfilial.”

At the dignified words of the young Princess, Lady Park smiled sadly and responded.

“This servant will speak well and send her back. Please don’t worry.”

Just as Lady Park finished speaking and was about to open her mouth toward the outside,

“No. I’ll just receive her greeting, so tell her to come in quickly.”

At that frightened but quite dignified appearance, Lady Park silently nodded and turned her head toward the door.

“She says to come in.”

As Lady Park finished speaking, the door quietly opened as if it had been waiting.

Without realizing it, Eunhye swallowed hard and bowed her head, but as soon as the door opened, she squeezed her eyes shut at the cold air that rushed toward her entire body.

It’s definitely a ghost. There’s a ghost with the nain that Her Majesty the Queen Mother sent!

Thump thump thump thump.

Eunhye’s small heart began to beat violently.

Rustle rustle rustle rustle.

After the sound of a skirt dragging, she carefully opened her eyes at the presence that stopped in front of her, and saw the white sock tips worn by the nain standing before her. Then, as the nain knelt down to bow, she saw the navy blue skirt slowly spreading out, and after the nain stood up properly and bowed her head, she heard the nain’s voice.

“I greet Princess Eunhye. This humble servant, following the command of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, has been assigned from the Royal Palace Kitchen to the Hyesingun Confectionery, and my name is Seonmi.”

“….”

When the Princess she was to serve gave no response, this nain rolled her eyes back and forth while standing, reading the atmosphere.

Had she said something wrong?

After thinking for a moment, this nain bowed her head even lower and opened her mouth again as if remembering something.

“I will… I will serve you with utmost loyalty.”

“….”

At this nain’s continued words, Eunhye slowly opened the eyes she had been keeping barely open toward the ground, took a deep breath, and raised her head.

Gasp! Ah…!

The ghost she was seeing now was a boy ghost about five or six years old, dripping water all over his body!

Moreover, he was clinging to the back of the nain who stood with her head bowed, as if being carried with a dark blue face!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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