The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 22

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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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#22. An Unspeakable Secret

Perhaps it was because of the savory and rich aroma wafting from the kitchen preparing the Queen Dowager’s royal meal, but an embarrassing growling sound came from Lady Park’s stomach as she stood holding the wooden box containing cherry rice cakes.

Lady Han quietly smiled and took the wooden box, seeing Lady Park’s ears turn red as she hurriedly lowered her eyes in unavoidable embarrassment.

“You must be having a hard time serving our young Princess Eunhye.”

“Oh! No, hard time? That’s absolutely not the case. Don’t you know how intelligent and thoughtful Princess Eunhye is?”

Lady Han nodded with a kind smile at Lady Park, who shook her head quickly as if it were absurd and smiled gently.

“Follow me. Seeing that Princess Eunhye is looking for Guseon-wangdogo, she must have inherited the Queen Dowager’s taste.”

The cooks and palace servants who were busy preparing the royal meal briefly bowed their heads in greeting as Lady Han and Lady Park passed by.

“But do you have Guseon-wangdogo?”

It was Lady Park’s question, knowing that since it wasn’t a commonly eaten rice cake, it wasn’t made frequently.

“That’s what’s so strange. The Queen Dowager’s nephew and his wife happened to visit Jagyeong Palace today.”

Lady Han, who had entered the confectionery department after passing through the kitchen, spoke with a smile stretching her lips.

“Hearing that news a few days ago, we prepared various foods instead of today’s regular meal and also prepared the Guseon-wangdogo that the Queen Dowager usually enjoys.”

“Ah yes, I see.”

“It’s amazing, as if Princess Eunhye knew in advance and sent you.”

Lady Park also opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“It’s truly amazing.”

“Haha, indeed it is. Since the Queen Dowager had her meal at noon today, take all that’s left here. I hope Princess Eunhye will like it.”

Lady Park’s head tilted again as she watched the Guseon-wangdogo and various refreshments that Lady Han had the servants pack.

Why did Princess Eunhye suddenly ask for this rice cake that she had never requested before? Does she really take after the Queen Dowager’s taste?

Behind her, Gwangjo’s spirit, who was a head and a half taller, was smiling contentedly!

[So our granddaughter’s taste takes after mine? Heh heh heh heh.]

Gwangjo, who had left Eunhye’s room and headed to the confectionery department, immediately caught sight of the ghost boy clinging to the back of the servant girl like he was being carried. Though he wanted to make him disappear immediately, seeing the young spirit crying sorrowfully reminded him of Eunhye.

The ghost boy had been dead for five years, but he was a spirit without deep resentment. Perhaps this child could be helped to find peace by the young princess whose spiritual sight had opened two years ago?

Gwangjo, who had been sternly instructing the ghost boy about something, saw Lady Park leaving Hyesin Palace and walking hurriedly toward Jagyeong Palace.

[Where is the princess’s nursemaid going in such a hurry?]

Curious, Gwangjo accompanied the hurrying Lady Park and entered the Palace Kitchens.

But asking for Guseon-wangdogo? And saying that young child wanted it?

Wasn’t this quite interesting?

Gwangjo walked alongside Lady Park like a guardian as she properly carried the Guseon-wangdogo given by the Palace Kitchens and diligently headed toward the Princess’s Quarters.

[It seems that young one relies more on you, her nursemaid, and that child called Lady Han than on her father and mother. Even if it’s difficult, endure just a little longer. I’ll somehow find a way to close the child’s spiritual sight…]

Gwangjo’s determination, inaudible to Lady Park’s ears, spread through the flower-scented paths of the palace.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lady Han, who had cleaned Eunhye’s hands with a clean wet cloth after she had eaten only three or four apple jellies, glanced at the books placed on the desk and spoke.

“Princess Eunhye, earlier Lord Jipyeong sent someone with those two books.”

“Books?”

Eunhye asked as if she didn’t know and turned her head toward the desk that had been pushed away.

“Yes, he said since you couldn’t have today’s lesson, he’ll come around the fourth hour tomorrow (9 to 11 AM).”

In Eunhye’s eyes looking toward the desk, she could see ‘History of Taeshin Kingdom’ and ‘The Analects’.

“Sigh, Teacher never just lets things slide.”

Eunhye clicked her tongue in a way unbecoming of a young child and shook her small head.

“But why isn’t my nursemaid coming back?”

As Eunhye stretched her neck to look at the sliding door in the distance, waiting for Lady Park, she heard sounds from outside.

“Princess Eunhye, Lady Park has returned. I went to the Palace Kitchens as you instructed.”

“Yes! Come in quickly!”

Lady Park entered through the gently opened door, carrying an octagonal mother-of-pearl box.

“Was it there? The rice cake?”

To Eunhye’s immediate question before she even came forward, Lady Park nodded with a smiling face as she approached.

“Yes, the Queen Dowager’s nephew and his wife happened to come today, so they steamed Guseon-wangdogo.”

Clap!

“Great!”

Eunhye was delighted, raising her white, plump hands like rice cake dough and even clapping. Lady Park smiled warmly at that cute sight and carefully placed the octagonal box she brought on the refreshment table, opening the lid.

“Wow!”

Eunhye exclaimed and her eyes sparkled.

Inside the octagonal box with four compartments, Guseon-wangdogo along with plum cookies and tea cookies were appetizingly arranged.

Eunhye’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction at the sight, and she clapped her chubby hands again and shouted.

“Wow! This is exactly Great-grandpa’s taste!”

Great-grandpa? Not great-grandmother?

At the young mistress’s unexpected exclamation, both Lady Park, who had returned from Jagyeong Palace, and Lady Han sitting beside her could only open their eyes wide.

Eunhye grinned widely at her nursemaid and Lady Han, who were blinking in bewilderment.

Then she gently shook her head and raised her short, stubby index finger to her lips.

“Shh, this is a really, really, really big secret.”

“Pardon?”

At the questioning sounds from Lady Park and Lady Han, who were even more confused, Eunhye bit her plump, red lower lip lightly with her upper teeth and made a thoughtful expression.

“Ah… I want to tell you. But probably, even if I tell you, you won’t believe me? But I really want to tell just my nursemaid and Lady Han.”

Lady Park swallowed even her saliva and spoke in a careful voice at Princess Eunhye’s increasingly confusing words.

“What do you wish to tell us?”

Then Lady Han also leaned toward Eunhye, following Lady Park.

As Eunhye was contemplating whether to tell them or not, she saw Gwangjo appearing as if seeping through the door.

It’s Great-grandpa!

Eunhye unconsciously waved one hand toward the door where Gwangjo entered and squinted her eyes. But Lady Park and Lady Han were startled by their mistress suddenly waving her hand and quickly turned toward the door.

There’s no one there? Why, where and at whom is she looking so happily?

After confirming that there was definitely no one in front of the door, Lady Park and Lady Han’s heads creaked as they turned back toward Eunhye.

“Prin… cess? May this servant dare ask why you suddenly looked toward the door and waved your hand?”

It was a voice trying hard to calm its trembling. Eunhye looked at Lady Park and Lady Han, who were startled by her behavior, then looked up at Gwangjo, who had already approached in front of her.

May I tell them about Great-grandpa?

But seeing Gwangjo slowly shake his head as if to say no, Eunhye nodded with a disappointed expression.

Then she wrinkled her nose bridge and spoke to Lady Park and Lady Han, who were looking at her with wide, startled eyes.

“Sorry for startling you. I really want to tell my nursemaid and Lady Han, but I can’t yet. But I promise. When the time comes, I’ll tell you two first.”

“Pardon? What do you…”

Lady Park and Lady Han looked at Eunhye with frightened faces, trying hard to smile without realizing it.

“Yes, everything. I’ll tell you everything. So for now, don’t ask even if you’re curious.”

At Eunhye’s command not to ask anymore, Lady Park swallowed her dry saliva.

There was definitely a feeling that someone else was in this room besides themselves and Princess Eunhye. Hadn’t the hair on the back of her neck been standing on end strangely since a while ago? But whatever or whoever the presence in this room was, our Princess Eunhye wasn’t afraid as usual.

Then was that enough?

Perhaps it was the spirit of a small animal like a cute puppy or kitten?

Lady Park and Lady Han slowly nodded toward Eunhye, who still had a smiling face, and glanced around them once more.

Toward them, Eunhye spoke with a rather dignified voice.

“Nursemaid, you worked hard going all the way to Jagyeong Palace. Thank you.”

“Hard work? That’s absolutely not the case.”

Lady Park quickly bowed her head as if trying to regain her composure and slowly raised her head.

Wasn’t her young master’s gaze directed toward the rice cakes and refreshments in the octagonal box and the cherry tea and apple jellies on the refreshment table?

“Princess Eunhye, please have your meal now. I will…”

“No, both of you go out now and have something to eat. You must be hungry since you’ve been starving while serving me.”

“Pardon?”

Lady Park and Lady Han looked at Eunhye with surprised eyes as she dismissed them before her offer to help was even finished.

“Just go out, eat, and rest.”

“That is absolutely unacceptable. We are fine, so please have your meal. How could we leave you alone here, Princess?”

When Lady Park shook her head as if to say no to the sudden dismissal, looking flustered, Eunhye slightly furrowed her brow and spoke in a rather stern voice.

“Hey, I said it’s fine, so go out, will you?”

It was a clear dismissal.

Lady Park was about to say something, flustered by Eunhye’s sudden insistence on being alone again, when Lady Han suddenly poked her in the ribs.

Lady Park, startled, frowned at her as if asking why she did that, but Lady Han just smiled with the corners of her eyes crinkled and bowed to Eunhye.

“Princess, are you really sure it’s alright for both of us to leave like this?”

Eunhye nodded as if it were obvious.

But Lady Park looked at the refreshment table placed before Princess Eunhye with a troubled expression. How could she eat those large rice cake pieces in the octagonal box and hot cherry tea all by herself?

But Eunhye waved her hand toward Lady Park as if telling her to hurry and leave, nodding her head.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I know what to do and I’ll handle it. So don’t worry and just go. I want to be alone.”

Finally giving in to Eunhye’s firm stance, Lady Park slowly stood up with a worried expression.

“Then Princess, we will be outside the door, so please call us if you need anything.”

Eunhye’s eyes widened as she shook her head.

“No, no, don’t stay by the door. Go to the kitchen or somewhere and have a snack. Aren’t you and Lady Han hungry?”

“Pardon?”

Seeing Lady Park ask back as if she didn’t understand, Eunhye shook her head.

“Oh my, how frustrating. Don’t stay by the door, everyone go away. Tell the wet nurse, Lady Han, and all the other maids outside to go eat. Understand?”

“Ah, yes, yes?”

At the command to send away even the maids outside to somewhere outside the palace quarters, Lady Park widened her eyes and asked again. Then the quick-witted Lady Han bowed deeply and tugged at Lady Park’s sleeve.

“Yes, Princess. We will all go together to have a snack thanks to your generous command. We’ll return in about an hour, so this time please don’t go anywhere and stay in your room, alright?”

At Lady Han’s earnest words, Eunhye smiled brightly and nodded.

“Don’t worry. This time I absolutely won’t go anywhere and will stay right here.”

Lady Han pulled Lady Park, who was still standing there looking dumbfounded, and backed toward the door.

Gwangjo, who had been standing and watching them, let out a pleased chuckle.

[Heh heh heh, I thought she was just a little thunderbolt, but she’s quite clever.]

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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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