The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 11

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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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#11. Strange Grandfather

Eunhye, with teardrops still clinging to the ends of her long black eyelashes, began to slowly examine the Old Ghost before her.

Seeing this, the Old Ghost let out a soft chuckle and continued speaking in a much gentler voice than before.

[I’ve been hearing the sounds of a kitten from here and there around the Palace for some time now, and it turns out those sounds were your crying.]

As the Old Ghost finished speaking and lowered his tall frame toward Eunhye, she was so startled that she involuntarily plopped down on the ground.

Hic. Hic. Hic.

She was so surprised that hiccups burst out on their own, and the Old Ghost just laughed loudly with amusement.

Eunhye held back the urge to wet herself while looking up at the Old Ghost who was laughing before her.

Though he was clearly a ghost, unlike the others she had seen, she felt no spine-chilling coldness nor any foul smell. Rather, this was a ghost who radiated an unapproachable dignity and presence.

“Who… hic, who are you? Hic.”

Unlike her earlier loud voice demanding to know who he was, respectful words naturally burst out along with her hiccups.

Hic… hic… hic…

Though the flustered Eunhye covered her mouth with her small hands, the hiccups that had started wouldn’t stop, as if a large grape was moving up and down in her throat at will.

Hic… hic… hic…

At the adorable sight of her covering her mouth with her chubby little hands, the Old Ghost smiled kindly and met Eunhye’s eyes.

[You have become a Princess of this nation, so why do you cry alone everywhere? Your crying sounds so sorrowful that I came to see for myself today.]

The Old Ghost gave a different answer to her question about who he was. But at his gentle voice asking why she cried alone, Eunhye’s tightly closed lips began to tremble up and down.

Her small, plump lips, glistening with saliva and tears, looked as if they would burst into tears at any moment.

Can ghosts hear my crying from far away?

This Crown Prince’s Library was a place no one could enter without Crown Prince’s permission, and the ghosts here didn’t frighten her, so she could cry freely.

But if ghosts outside could hear her crying, wouldn’t they also come looking for her here?

Then where could she go to escape the scary ghosts?

The Old Ghost shook his head at Eunhye’s expression that looked ready to cry again and spoke gently.

[Child, not all spirits can hear your crying.]

At the Old Ghost’s words, as if he knew her thoughts, Eunhye asked in a small voice with her round eyes full of tears.

“Yes?”

Though it was an incomplete question that couldn’t finish asking what he meant, the Old Ghost answered with a kind expression in a way Eunhye couldn’t understand.

[Only special ghosts like this old man can hear it.]

What does that mean?

Seeing Eunhye tilt her head to one side as if she didn’t understand, the Old Ghost asked in a kind voice.

[Child, are you perhaps afraid of me?]

Eunhye, who had been looking at the Old Ghost, shook her head back and forth.

Even while continuously hiccupping, she shook her head as if to say no, making her chubby cheeks sway cutely from side to side.

Finding this adorable, the Old Ghost unconsciously reached out his hand, but it passed right through Eunhye’s plump cheek without being able to touch it.

[Ah!]

At the old man’s frustrated sigh of regret at not being able to touch those rice cake-like cheeks, Eunhye also opened her eyes wide.

How could she not be surprised when a transparent hand suddenly thrust toward her face?

The Old Ghost who let out a light sigh slowly straightened up. Then he looked at Eunhye, who was still hiccupping, with pitying eyes.

‘How did such a young child come to have spiritual sight…’

Meanwhile, Eunhye, who had swallowed her continuing hiccups, looked around at the suddenly strange feeling in the Library.

None of the Scholar Ghosts who had been here and there in the Library were visible.

Where did they all go?

Eunhye, who had been looking around and then raised her head up, tilted her head toward the Old Ghost who was looking down at her with pitying eyes.

As she had felt before, strangely this Old Ghost wasn’t scary like other ghosts. What could this feeling be that even seemed familiar?

[What are you staring at so intently? I’m also a ghost, but aren’t you afraid of me?]

Grandfather?

Eunhye’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at the Old Ghost before her and asked.

“Grandfather? Then perhaps, are you this girl’s grandfather?”

The Old Ghost, pleased by the intelligence and clear energy contained in her black pupils, looked down at Eunhye with a grinning face.

Her eyes were full of expectation. The Old Ghost, who had been quietly watching that sight, burst into laughter as if he couldn’t contain himself.

[Hahahahaha! Grandfather… Yes, would you like that?]

At the old man’s question asked with pleasant laughter, Eunhye, who had straightened up from her sitting position on the floor, began to slowly examine the Old Ghost’s face.

This laughing Old Ghost’s face seemed somehow familiar.

He seemed to resemble Father and Crown Prince somewhere, and also looked similar to her grandfather who had passed away long ago.

The Old Ghost, who had been calmly meeting Eunhye’s gaze, released his hands that had been clasped behind his back and lowered his height again.

[Now that you’ve looked closely, how is it? Do I seem like your grandfather?]

Eunhye, who had been looking up and examining the Old Ghost, lowered her eyes and began fidgeting with her hands that had been folded in front.

“That is… this girl doesn’t know well either. But, Grandfather seems to resemble Father and Crown Prince, and somehow… I don’t know well, but strangely you’re not scary.”

At the cute words spoken by her small red lips moving like ripe cherries, the Old Ghost laughed loudly again.

[Hahahaha, hahaha.]

Finally, the Old Ghost who had finished laughing stroked his white, full beard and asked in an affectionate voice.

[Child, why have you always hidden and cried alone like that? Does someone scold you, a Princess of this nation?]

At the Old Ghost’s loving tone, Eunhye remembered the times she had endured alone, and her nose tingled as she tightly closed her burning eyes.

Then pearl-like teardrops fell pitter-patter…

At that pitiful sight, the Old Ghost stroked his beard for no reason and asked again in an awkward voice.

[Shall this old man get rid of all the ghosts bothering you and become your ally?]

Sob…!

Eunhye’s nostrils began to flare as she held back the cry that was about to burst out in sound.

How scary and sorrowful she had been alone all this time. But now, though he was a ghost, she had met the first being who said he would become her ally.

Eunhye barely held back the cry that was about to burst out and looked up at the Old Ghost.

“Is that true?”

The child’s pupils were shaking wildly as she asked through tears. The Old Ghost, who had been quietly looking into Eunhye’s eyes, finally smiled broadly and opened his mouth.

[Of course. It’s true indeed.]

At the Old Ghost’s assurance, Eunhye put strength into her tear-filled eyes and said loudly.

“Yes! Please do that!”

Her black, wet pupils that swayed greatly reached the Old Ghost directly. The Old Ghost, who had been quietly watching such Eunhye, finally had his lips curve up slowly.

[Yes! I shall do so. From now on, this old man will chase away all the evil things approaching you, child, so they can’t even come near!]

Eunhye’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe it, and her cherry-like lips opened with a pop like a ripe pomegranate.

The Old Ghost, who had been watching that cute sight with a pleased smile, slowly lowered his height and asked while crouching down on the Library floor.

[Child, can you tell this old man all of your past stories?]

Eunhye, with her eyes full of tears and mouth half open, nodded and smiled faintly.

At the time when the sun had risen high and was casting its light into every corner of the Library.

In one corner of the bookshelf where ancient books were organized, a five-year-old Princess and an Old Ghost in white traditional clothing sat side by side with their legs stretched out, chatting intimately like a grandfather and granddaughter who had shared affection for a long time.

The young Princess brought out scary stories one by one that she had never been able to tell anyone freely.

The Old Ghost, who gave kind responses to five-year-old Eunhye’s frightened voice, reached out his untouchable hand and placed it over her tiny hand.

The sight of him patting the small hand as if to say she didn’t need to be afraid anymore was very heartwarming.

“The very first ghost I saw was a scary grandmother ghost who was next to Mother.”

The first day she saw some old woman ghost with a bloody face as if she had been tortured, standing next to Mother, how loudly she had screamed…

After that, Eunhye’s face looked very relieved as she told all about being startled by seeing a baby ghost clinging to Doctor, and about various ghosts of different ranks in the Palace who would speak to her here and there.

Stories she couldn’t tell anyone because of His Majesty the King Father’s strict command…

Eunhye’s voice telling all these stories began to get wet with moisture at some point.

The Old Ghost, who had been letting out long sighs at the incredible stories the young Princess had experienced, finally furrowed his brow deeply and closed his eyes tightly.

“And, just a little while ago I met a very, very scary ghost.”

Eunhye shuddered as she talked about the boy ghost who had been clinging to the back of This Servant who had come to Hyesingun Confectionery for the first time this morning.

“His whole body was soaking wet and his eyes were hollow like holes had been punched through them. And he came to me and…”

Eunhye, who had been pursing her lips, finally couldn’t continue speaking and even closed both eyes tightly.

Seeing this, the Old Ghost let out a long sigh through his nose and clicked his tongue.

[That wretched thing. How dare it frighten our Princess. Shall I catch that thing right now and teach it a lesson?]

Was it because of the Old Ghost’s comforting encouragement? Or perhaps it was the accumulated sorrow finally overflowing.

From Eunhye’s tightly closed eyes, tears as lustrous as pearls rolled down one by one, thoroughly soaking the front of her garment.

In the quiet Library where even the wind sounds occasionally heard through the open skylight seemed to hold their breath, Eunhye, who had been sobbing for a while, looked up at the Old Ghost with sorrowful hiccups.

“Hic… hic… So please, I just wish the spirits wouldn’t appear to me anymore.”

The Old Ghost, who had been watching her with pained eyes, raised his wrinkled, large hand and slowly stroked little Eunhye’s head, though he couldn’t actually touch her.

[Yes, from now on, no spirits will be able to come near you without this old man’s permission. I promise you this.]

Then he raised his head to look up at the large skylight that brought bright light into the dark Library.

It had already been hundreds of years since he had defied heaven’s law, refusing to ascend and wandering the Palace as a spirit.

Though he had not ascended, he knew well that he should not interfere with the affairs of the living, so he had never once manifested before his descendants. Thus, he had deliberately turned away even from this child’s frail crying.

But wasn’t it too tragic that spiritual sight had opened in a young Princess who was neither a Shinyeo nor a Domu (the head shaman among those belonging to the state)?

He could no longer forgive himself for being indifferent to this young descendant who was enduring alone without anyone to help her.

From now on, this old man would be her strength. Though he didn’t know why her spiritual sight had opened, he could no longer leave this young descendant alone.

Even if this meant he couldn’t be reborn and would fall into the endless hell, he was confident he wouldn’t regret it. After all, hadn’t his life in the world been worse than hell anyway?

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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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