The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 10

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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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#10. Reddened Rice Cake

Under the ceiling on the eastern side of the library, a large skylight half-open was letting in gentle sunlight abundantly.

This secluded corner, barely visible from the library entrance, was Eunhye’s favorite place. Moreover, on sunny days like today, she could hear the sound of leaves singing in harmony with the wind through the open skylight.

“Ah, I’m tired.”

Eunhye plopped down with her legs stretched out and lifted her small head.

Sunlight resembling pale gardenia-colored silk spread widely throughout the dark library.

A long sigh, unbefitting a young child, flowed from the small lips of Eunhye as she leaned her back against the wall and gently closed her eyes.

The warm sunlight shining overhead and the quiet stillness of the library felt like a resting place. She even felt comforted, as if all the incidents she had experienced on her way to the library were melting away.

After a moment, Eunhye slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the ancient books filling the shelves.

It seemed as if old stories that her great-grandmother and great-grandfather might tell were coming to her with their aged fragrance.

Shortly after, Eunhye folded her short legs that had been stretched forward, raised her knees, and rested her small chin on her arms.

“That insolent brat!”

She recalled that arrogant boy named Jihoo she had just met. Jipyeong, that is, her teacher’s son, and his name was Jihoo, right?

Eunhye blinked as she recalled the name of that child her teacher had called from afar.

How dare he grab and shake the nose of me, a princess, and even touch my face!

Moreover, didn’t he even say harsh words asking who my parents were to have raised me so poorly?

You brat! Just wait until I meet you next time. I will never let you off easily.

Eunhye puffed up her cheeks and touched her nose with her chubby fingers, the same nose that boy named Jihoo had grabbed and held with his handkerchief.

Ugh, what a truly insolent brat!

Throughout her life as a princess, that boy named Jihoo was the first person to touch her so carelessly!

“From what I can see, you too seem to have lost your way like me, but will it do any good to just stand there crying? Hurry up and cheer up.”

At the voice that suddenly seemed to ring vividly, Eunhye’s rice cake-like cheeks instantly flushed red.

Ah, how truly embarrassing and shameful.

A boy from a common household, and the teacher’s son at that, wiping away her snot and tears!

Eunhye buried her face in her arms resting on her knees and squeezed her eyes shut.

“How can I face my teacher?”

Thinking about seeing Kim Gyo-hyeon’s face during this afternoon’s writing studies and lectures made everything seem dark.

“But… what was that handkerchief? Why does that brat have such a thing?”

Eunhye slowly raised her head as she recalled the handkerchief that boy named Jihoo had been holding.

It was a strange feeling she had never experienced before.

It was definitely the cool energy she felt from ghosts, but it wasn’t wicked or unpleasant evil energy. No, rather, didn’t she feel a refreshing and clear energy with even a subtle fragrance?

Moreover, what were those golden and red thread letters embroidered at each of the four corners of the handkerchief?

Though she had scolded that good-for-nothing boy named Jihoo for being so insolent and inauspicious, that handkerchief was truly a coveted item for Eunhye. Therefore, hadn’t she told him to keep it safe since it was precious, lest he lose it by handling it carelessly?

How does that brat have such a fine item?

Eunhye rested her chin on her arms and looked at the Scholar Ghosts reading books in the distance.

If I had that handkerchief, would the ghosts not be able to come near? Perhaps if I ask my teacher, would he get me such a handkerchief too?

In the eyes of Eunhye, who had lifted her previously lowered head, she saw the beautiful rippling sunlight illuminating the library.

“Wouldn’t two be better than one alone…”

She seemed to hear the voice of that boy who had comforted her without knowing she was a princess.

Eunhye’s lips quivered as if tears might burst forth at any moment.

Why am I the only one who sees ghosts, when no one else can see such things? Why can I see ghosts? If I couldn’t see such things, I wouldn’t have wandered around the palace alone like this.

If only I couldn’t see such things, Father and Mother would love me like before, and I wouldn’t have to hide alone like this.

As she recalled Mother’s sad face looking at her, her eyes instantly became hot. When her heated eyelids became heavy and she blinked, the tears that had been welling up fell with a plop.

It would have been better if I had just died when I caught smallpox.

Then I wouldn’t have to see such things, and I wouldn’t disappoint Father and Mother, right?

Tears falling onto her stained crimson skirt were spreading wider and wider.

Father, who has been looking at me with cold eyes since some time ago, and Mother, who only shows sad and stern expressions.

The gentle appearances of the two from past days seemed to be nowhere to be found now.

All of this is because I see strange things.

It’s because wicked and impure ghosts keep coming to me.

Because I see such things, Father and Mother are afraid of me.

But I’m scared too!

I wish I couldn’t see such things either!

How wonderful it would be if everything really depended on one’s mindset, as Crown Prince said.

How wonderful it would be if thinking “I can’t see, I can’t hear” and steeling one’s heart could really make it so.

But Crown Prince doesn’t know anything!

No matter how much I steel my heart and think that I can’t see or hear, those things keep coming to me!

Eunhye buried her face in her arms resting on her knees and burst into tears.

“I hate it. I really hate myself like this too. Sob sob…”

As the sorrowful sobbing of five-year-old Princess Eunhye spread through the quiet library, the Scholar Ghosts who had been reading books slowly turned their heads.

The ghosts who had been watching Eunhye for a while simply turned their gaze back to the books they had been silently reading.

After sobbing alone for quite some time, Eunhye began to fidget with the silk pouch rustling beneath her jacket.

Rustle, rustle.

The dried flowers and leaves of the nandina tree inside seemed to make tickling sounds as if comforting Eunhye.

It was a gift from Crown Prince.

“In common households, the nandina tree is said to be a tree that drives away ghosts and brings good fortune. So I put dried flowers and leaves of the nandina tree inside this.”

Crown Prince had personally tied this pink silk pouch to her jacket and said those words.

Eunhye, who had been fiddling with the rustling pouch with her small hands, began to sob again.

“Sob sob, Crown Prince, but I’m still scared.”

Crown Prince Lee Hwan, who was twelve years old this year, was always kind to her, unlike Mother and Father.

But the Crown Prince of Taeshin Kingdom was always busy from dawn to night. Sometimes she wouldn’t see his face even once for five days straight.

How wonderful it would be if Crown Prince were by her side right now.

“I wish I couldn’t see ghosts either. I really hate seeing them. Sob sob.”

The warm spring sunlight gently caressed the small, cute, sad head of Eunhye as she muttered to herself and sobbed.

Gardenia-colored sunlight slanting between the neatly arranged books, the sorrowful sobbing sounds flowing from the corner of the bookshelf where ancient books were kept, where that sunlight began…

The Scholar Ghosts in the library, who had shown no movement at that sound, suddenly began to murmur and ripple.

The spirits who had been tense as if feeling fear all looked in one direction at once, and there, an elderly spirit in white magoja suddenly appeared riding the gently shining sunlight!

Unlike other ghosts, the spirit that appeared emanating a powerful aura sent a frosty gaze toward the surrounding Scholar Ghosts.

Then the murmuring Scholar Ghosts instantly vanished without a trace!

How much time had passed like that?

The Old Ghost slowly approached the crying Eunhye and spoke in a low, slow but clear voice.

[What do you hate seeing that makes you cry so?]

The sobbing of Eunhye, who had been crying with her face buried in her arms, stopped abruptly.

The voice of some old man asking her once more

[Are you not going to answer why you are crying so?]

Eunhye, with her face still buried in her arms, wiped her wet eyelids with her sleeves and blinked while holding her breath.

Who is it?

I didn’t hear any approaching presence at all, so is it a ghost?

No. For it to be a ghost, there was no chilling cold creeping up from the back of her neck or goosebumps rising all over her body like millet grains.

Then, is it a person?

Judging from the voice she heard, it’s definitely an old man.

What old man is in Crown Prince’s library?

Moreover, is there anyone who can freely enter the solemn Library of the Crown Prince’s Palace like this?

Eunhye, who had been resting her head on her arms placed on her knees, tilted her head and finally seemed to make up her mind, closing her eyes tightly before opening them and asking loudly in a confident voice.

“Who are you?”

What followed immediately was an angry roar filled with rage!

[Tsk, how impudent! When an adult asks a question first, how dare you impudently ask back?!]

Startled, Eunhye’s lips quivered as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

Had she ever heard such a stern scolding from anyone before?

Eunhye looked up at the strangely dressed old man standing before her, her heart pounding with surprise.

He was an old man wearing not the attire of palace servants, but fine white silk pants and a white magoja—an outer garment with a hem that hung longer than the jeogori underneath. No, he was an old ghost!

Seeing the pale yellow sunlight pass through the old man’s body and reach her feet, frightened Eunhye pursed her lips, trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst forth.

Then the old ghost looking down at Eunhye scolded her once again.

[What have you done right that you’re about to cry again!]

At the old ghost’s loud reprimand, Eunhye’s tears dried up and she clenched her small fists tightly.

First Lady Gyeongbin earlier, then that guy Jihoo, and now why do all the people I’ve met today treat me so rudely?

Moreover, who is this old ghost who dares to enter the Library of the Crown Prince’s Palace and stand before me, yelling at me, a princess?

Furious, Eunhye clenched both fists tightly and shot up to her feet.

“You fool! Even if you’re a ghost, do you know who I am to speak so rudely!”

But…!

Eunhye, who finally got a proper look at the old man standing before her, opened her mouth wide and widened her eyes as if they would tear.

“Huh?”

The old ghost’s build, through which the pale yellow sunlight from the skylight passed, was far too large.

At the sight of the old ghost who was much larger than even Father in his dragon robes, Eunhye lifted her head high and gaped.

“Wh… who… are you?”

This was a ghost she had never seen before in all her visits to the Crown Prince’s Library!

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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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