The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 14

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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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#14. A Secret Plan to Seek Forgiveness

“Young master, I’ve brought your meal.”

Deoksan’s voice calling from outside the door was quite boisterous.

“Thoughtless!”

Had it been two gak (about 30 minutes) since he came from his father Kim Gyo-hyeon’s room to his own quarters? Jihoo sat frozen with his forehead pressed against the desk.

Have I truly gone mad?

How dare I not recognize Princess Eunhye, and even do such things to her.

I must have been possessed by something.

No matter how young a girl she was, if she was running around inside the Palace in such splendid attire, I should have suspected at least once that she might be Princess Eunhye!

“I want to kill you… nya!”

“If you knew who I was, you could die!”

Princess Eunhye’s clear, ringing voice continued to echo in his ears, whether it was a hallucination or not.

Hah… what am I to do about this sin?

“How dare you! Do you know who I am to act so rudely! How dare you grab my hand? You must be crazy wanting to die!”

Ah, Father! Your son might truly die. Moreover, what if our family faces extermination because of my foolishness?

Jihoo shook his head vigorously against the desk, recalling Princess Eunhye’s soft and tender small hand that he had carelessly grabbed.

I’m crazy, truly I’ve gone mad. Even in this situation, I’m remembering Princess Eunhye’s white cheeks that were soft like rice cake and her hands that were as soft as a puppy’s paws!

And her voice was so clear and ringing, like morning chirping… chirping what? Hah… am I really crazy?

“From what I see, she seems to be a girl from a family with some power, but she truly lacks education. It’s not right to speak so rudely regardless of who you’re talking to, flaunting her father’s authority!”

Crazy fool, crazy fool! To say such nonsense!

Not only did I insult Princess Eunhye, but I also dishonored His Majesty the King, so I’ve committed a sin that won’t allow me to die peacefully. Moreover, didn’t I tell Princess Eunhye that she was poorly educated and that I didn’t even want to know who her parents were?

Father! Your son will go first.

If I confess before this matter reaches His Majesty the King’s ears, could it end with just my death?

As Jihoo banged his head against the desk and sighed, Deoksan’s voice from outside the door reached his ears again.

“Even if you’re being thoughtless, please eat! Deoksan is coming in! Don’t they say if you starve on your birthday, you’ll starve for life?”

Making cheeky jokes, Deoksan finally opened his master’s door and entered, shaking his head at the sight of his master banging his head against the desk while sitting.

“You went sightseeing in the Palace with the master, so why this pitiful state? What are you doing? Please move aside so I can clear this and set the table.”

“Hey, you rascal!”

Despite his refusal, Deoksan stubbornly pushed his body aside and cleared the desk.

“The master specifically instructed me to make sure you eat. Ah, and this.”

Deoksan took out Jihoo’s face veil that he had brought tucked in his sleeve.

“He also told me to definitely give you this, huh?”

“Yes, this is it!”

Before Deoksan could finish speaking, Jihoo snatched the face veil and jumped up.

“Oh my, what a shock! Young master, what’s really wrong with you!”

Startled by Jihoo’s sudden action, Deoksan fell backward with his hands on the ground, blinking his gentle eyes in surprise.

But to Jihoo who had jumped up, Princess Eunhye’s clear, ringing voice came to his ears.

“And I don’t know where you got it, but that face veil seems to be a precious item, so don’t use it carelessly like before and keep it well. Do you understand?”

Ah, the face veil! Yes, I had this!

Yes, since she liked this face veil, perhaps if I offer this to Princess Eunhye and beg for forgiveness, she might spare me?

I don’t know why she showed such interest in this face veil or what she knows about it, but Princess Eunhye definitely seemed to want this face veil.

And didn’t she also say to see her again?

Although it’s a precious memento left by my mother, I should offer this and beg for forgiveness.

Giving away mother’s memento would be unfilial, but isn’t it better than the extermination of our family?

Having made his decision, Jihoo burst out of the room. Then he hurriedly shoved his feet into the shoes on the stone step and looked back at Deoksan, who was staring at him with a dazed expression.

“Deoksan, you eat all that food. It’s a gift from the birthday boy, so you must eat it all in my place. That way my fortune won’t run away, right?”

“Uh… huh? Young master!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Deoksan stared blankly with a dazed expression at his master who ran off somewhere.

After blinking for a moment, Deoksan looked down blankly at the well-prepared meal with seaweed soup.

“What is he saying, really. Am I supposed to actually eat this or not?”

With a troubled look, Deoksan alternately looked at the meal his master had left behind and his master moving away, then swallowed his saliva.

“Park Seobang! Is Father inside?”

Jihoo, who had run to the sarangchae, asked the old servant who was sweeping the madang.

“Yes? The master? The master went out a little while ago.”

The servant stopped sweeping and bowed his head to Jihoo as he answered.

“Hah, do you happen to know where he went? I have urgent business to discuss with Father.”

“Well, he said he had some urgent business to attend to, told me to definitely bring you your meal, and went out a little while ago.”

“Ah…!”

Upon hearing news of his father’s departure, Jihoo let out a long sigh and looked down at the face veil he was holding with a dejected expression.

I can’t go to the Palace alone, so what am I to do about this matter?

I wanted to offer this face veil and beg for forgiveness before the matter with Princess Eunhye is reported to His Majesty the King…

Ah… does Heaven truly intend to destroy our family?

Thud.

At the sight of Jihoo collapsing onto the ground as if his legs had given out, the servant knelt down hurriedly in shock.

“Oh my, young master! What’s wrong with you?”

“Park Seobang, now I only have death left, just as Princess Eunhye said.”

Jihoo looked up at the sky while clutching his mother’s memento, the face veil.

Rumble- Crash! Rumble- Crash!

Though explosive thunder and lightning were raging in his heart, the brilliant sun was shining splendidly in the spotlessly clear sky.

Mother, please help your son!

Our family is about to face extermination because of your son!

Then, Park Seobang, who had been kneeling beside Jihoo not knowing what to do, suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.

“Master!”

Kim Dae-hyeon, Kim Gyo-hyeon’s older brother and a Hongmungwan instructor, was entering the madang.

Master? Has Father returned?

Jihoo quickly stood up with a surprised and delighted expression, and saw his uncle entering the madang through the Palace Gate.

“Hey, aren’t you Jihoo? What’s wrong with you? Has some misfortune befallen the household?”

Kim Dae-hyeon, shocked at the sight of his nephew sitting collapsed in the madang, approached with hurried steps.

“Uncle, you’ve come.”

Jihoo bowed his head with a dejected expression, not even thinking to brush off the dirt on his clothes.

“What’s the matter! Has something happened to your father?”

Shake shake… nod.

“Hey, you rascal! Jihoo, you fool! Won’t you come to your senses!”

At the absurd sight of Jihoo shaking his head with a dazed expression and then nodding again, Kim Dae-hyeon raised his voice and scolded him.

“Ah… I’m sorry, Uncle.”

Seeing Jihoo bow his head with an expression that looked like he might cry at any moment after his scolding, Kim Dae-hyeon felt suddenly sorry and asked in a soothing voice this time.

“What’s the matter? Tell your uncle. Where did your father go, and why were you in such a state?”

“Well…”

Jihoo hesitated for a moment at his uncle’s soothing words, then looked up with determination in his eyes.

“Uncle! Could you possibly take me to the Palace?”

“What, what? By palace, do you mean the royal palace?”

“Yes! I tried to ask father to help me enter the palace, but father suddenly left on a trip…”

Deep wrinkles formed on Kim Dae-hyeon’s brow at his young nephew’s eyes filled with desperation and determination.

“If you tell me the truth about what this is about, I’ll consider it.”

His stern uncle’s piercing eyes were staring at him as if they could see right through him.

Right, this isn’t something that can be kept secret anyway.

Meeting Princess Eunhye as soon as possible is the only way to survive, so let me tell uncle the truth and ask him to find a way for me to enter the palace.

Having made up his mind, Jihoo looked up at Kim Dae-hyeon with eyes that had become much calmer than before.

“Yes, I will tell you everything truthfully. However, uncle, the matter for which this nephew wishes to enter the palace is extremely grave and urgent. So may I tell you while we’re going to the palace? No, you must do this for me. This is my earnest wish.”

“Haha… really…”

Kim Dae-hyeon closed his eyes tightly and let out a deep sigh.

This nephew had been unusually mature, intelligent, and prudent since childhood.

When he was six years old, wasn’t he recommended as a companion to His Highness the Crown Prince, who was seven at the time, and even took the first examination?

Although he failed to take the second examination due to his mother’s sudden death and had to taste defeat, even after that he made rapid progress in academics and martial arts, and rumors spread that he had already achieved skills that peers his age could not match.

If such a child was pleading so urgently and desperately to enter the palace, it surely wasn’t a trivial matter. Could something have happened to his younger brother?

Kim Dae-hyeon looked down at his nephew with heavy eyes.

“Does your father also know about this matter you want to enter the palace for?”

Jihoo, who had been hesitating while biting his upper and lower lips inward, raised his head straight and looked up at Kim Dae-hyeon.

“Yes, he knows. However, he said it’s a problem that adults must solve and told me to reflect quietly in my room. But I have a secret plan, so please enter the palace with me.”

Kim Dae-hyeon, who let out a long sigh, looked at Jihoo with even heavier eyes than before.

“Since your father knows and you say with your own mouth that the matter is very serious, I’ll grant your request for now. However, you must explain the reason in detail while we’re going to the palace, and if I don’t find the reason reasonable, we’ll turn back immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, uncle. Then may we go right now?”

At his nephew’s unusually impatient behavior, Kim Dae-hyeon even let out a bewildered laugh.

“Haha! This boy. You must be quite urgent indeed. I’m only doing this because today is your birthday. Do you understand?”

“Thank you, uncle. And I apologize for showing you such behavior.”

Kim Dae-hyeon, who let out a long sigh through his nose at his nephew’s extremely desperate appearance, spoke to Park Seobang who was standing nearby, bowing and not knowing what to do.

“If Lord Jipyeong returns home, tell him that I stopped by and took Jihoo with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And also tell him that I’ll be back before the evening meal, so let’s all eat together.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jihoo, who had already brushed off all the dirt and dust from his clothes, stood one step behind his uncle and bowed his head.

“Thank you, uncle.”

“Yes, let’s go quickly. I’m so curious that I need to leave through that gate right away.”

In the chest of Jihoo, who was taking steps toward the palace together with his uncle, Hongmungwan Instructor Kim Dae-hyeon, the loud pounding sound of a mortar could be heard going thump thump thump thump.

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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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