The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 24

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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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#24. Enlightenment

Gwangjo chewed and swallowed the rice cake in his mouth, clearing his throat with a few coughs. Then he opened his mouth with a moved expression toward Eunhye, who was looking up at him with wide, round eyes.

[Child, this old man is…]

Gwangjo’s lips trembled as he tried to say something but then closed his mouth tightly.

Once again closing his eyes tightly and opening them, Gwangjo smiled gently at Eunhye who was looking at him.

[I am truly blessed. To have met such a precious descendant like you, child. Hehehehehe.]

Though she didn’t quite understand what he was saying, Eunhye grinned along seeing Gwangjo’s smiling face.

Gwangjo looked at Eunhye with affectionate eyes, then pointed to the teapot containing cherry tea.

[Child, could you pour this old man a cup of that tea as well?]

“Ah, yes! I can do it.”

Eunhye got up on her knees and grasped the handle of the teapot, which was as big as her head, with both hands, slowly and carefully pouring it into the small teacup.

Trickle trickle trickle—

A quite fragrant aroma spread from the tea water falling thinly into the small teacup.

Eunhye filled the teacup with careful movements and set down the teapot even more carefully. It seemed like she could be heard grunting softly.

Having completed the difficult task of lifting the teapot and pouring tea, something she had never done before, Eunhye looked up at Gwangjo and grinned proudly.

[Well done. Now, will you give me that teacup directly?]

At Gwangjo’s request, Eunhye lifted the teacup with both hands after the hot steam had subsided appropriately and it had become lukewarm.

“Here it is.”

Gwangjo received the teacup lifted by her small, plump hands like a white rabbit’s front paws and poured the tea into his mouth.

Then he let out an exclamation, even spilling the reddish tea onto his bushy beard!

[Ah! How can this be, how can such a thing happen! It has flavor, it really has flavor!]

A full five hundred years.

During the five hundred years of wandering the Palace as a ghost, he had never once properly satisfied his hungry stomach.

Though the Palace used only the finest ingredients from the nation to create splendid meals every day, for the spirits it was utterly impossible—even the food offered to them couldn’t be tasted, so no matter how much they ate, they remained perpetually hungry.

Therefore, the spirits consumed not the taste of the food their descendants offered, but their sincerity, and could only savor food through memories from their living days.

But what miraculous thing was this?

It had flavor!

He could feel everything—the crispy yet chewy texture of the rice cake, the sticky and sweet taste of the cherry glutinous rice cake, and the fragrant, sweet, and warm flavor and aroma of the tea!

“Is it really that delicious?”

These were Eunhye’s first words as she tilted her head, watching Gwangjo’s moved expression.

[Hahahaha! Yes, it’s delicious, very, very delicious! In over five hundred years, this is the first time I’ve had such tasty rice cakes and tea.]

To Eunhye, who blinked her eyes as if she didn’t understand, Gwangjo also asked her to bring the pastries and candied fruits from the bowls brought from the Queen Dowager’s Palace.

Crunch crunch, munch munch.

The rice cakes and snacks Eunhye offered piled up high in front of where Gwangjo sat. And the corners of Gwangjo’s mouth, as he continued eating, were gradually reaching his cheeks.

After eating all the food Eunhye offered for a while, Gwangjo finally smiled contentedly and stroked his beard only after all the food bowls and plates were empty.

[Hehehehehe! I truly ate well. I really can’t even remember when I last ate so satisfyingly.]

“What? Then have you been starving all this time?”

Gwangjo explained to the puzzled Eunhye that when one becomes a ghost, no matter how magnificent a feast is before them, it only fills their hunger but they cannot taste it.

Listening to Gwangjo’s words, Eunhye suddenly tilted her head as if finding it strange.

“Then do you really mean you could taste the food I offered?”

[Hehehehe! That’s what I’m saying. Though this old man doesn’t know why, it seems you have the ability to feed ghosts, Eunhye.]

At Gwangjo’s explanation, Eunhye opened her eyes wide as if she couldn’t believe it, then spoke with a serious expression.

“Then does that mean all the ancestral rites that Father and Crown Prince have offered to the late kings every year were meaningless?”

How admirable. When you explain one thing, she understands ten.

Looking at Eunhye’s worried expression, Gwangjo smiled faintly as if finding her admirable and spoke in a warm voice.

[We ghosts eat by recalling our descendants’ sincerity and memories from our living days. So although we cannot taste it, we receive the offerings with joy.]

At Gwangjo’s explanation, Eunhye frowned sadly. How much Queen Dowager must have missed the taste of food all this time. There are so many delicious foods in this world.

Eunhye looked at Gwangjo, who had a satisfied face from his rare full meal, and spoke with a determined expression.

“From now on, I will offer you many delicious foods, Queen Dowager.”

At Eunhye’s adorable and admirable words, Gwangjo’s cheeks rose to the sky once again.

[Hehehehehe, hehehe, thank you.]

Seeing Eunhye laughing together as if sharing his joy, Gwangjo slowly gathered his laughter and spoke.

[Child, we ghosts don’t need to eat as frequently as the living. So don’t worry about such things, and keep this ability of yours hidden for now.]

“Why should I do that?”

At her questioning tone as if she didn’t understand, Gwangjo made a quite serious expression.

[If it becomes known that you have the power to feed spirits, far more ghosts than before will flock to you. So you must be careful from now on.]

At Gwangjo’s explanation, Eunhye nodded with her mouth half open, then asked as if finding it strange.

“If Queen Dowager, who has the strongest power in Taeshin Kingdom, stays by my side, other ghosts can’t even come near, right? So what are you worried about?”

[Hehehe, that’s true, but there’s no harm in being careful. Hehehe.]

Gwangjo’s gaze deepened as he watched Eunhye laughing cutely along with him.

Why does this child have not only the ability to see spirits, but also the precious talent to feed food to souls?

Though I spoke lightly of it, if the spirits in the Palace learn of this fact, it would truly be a disaster.

The wandering ghosts had already been hungry for a long time, unable to taste the foods they ate while alive.

But if it became known that Eunhye had the ability to serve food, what would happen?

Before Gwangjo’s silent gaze, Eunhye fidgeted with her hands folded on her skirt and looked at the refreshment table.

Though Queen Dowager had eaten all the food on the table, mysteriously, the amount hadn’t decreased at all and remained the same.

Only, thanks to her continuously bringing food to Queen Dowager, it was piled high only in that spot.

Thinking about how surprised her wet nurse and Lady Han would be when they entered the room later, Eunhye was laughing to herself when she heard Gwangjo’s kind voice.

[Child.]

“Yes?”

At the sudden call from grandfather, Eunhye quickly raised her head.

Gwangjo got up from his seat and came to sit facing Eunhye. Then he spoke in a kind voice to the young Princess who was looking at him with surprised eyes.

[Child, thanks to the food you served me, this old man’s energy seems stronger than ever.]

“Wow, that’s really good news. Isn’t it?”

[Of course it’s good news.]

Eunhye smiled brightly at Gwangjo who answered that it was good news.

“Then, will you dine with me at dinner time too?”

At Eunhye’s admirable suggestion, Gwangjo stroked his bushy beard under his chin with one hand, wearing a kind smile.

[Hahaha! No. Since I’ve eaten my fill after so long, I won’t be hungry for a while. However.]

Eunhye looked with round eyes at Grandfather Gwangjo who paused his words and was looking at her.

After looking down at Eunhye for a moment, Gwangjo soon continued with a gentle smile.

[Actually, I saw that nain child from the Royal Kitchen you mentioned earlier.]

Eunhye’s complexion was instantly colored with fear.

“Then… did you also see that boy ghost?”

Eunhye’s voice sounded as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

The bluish face with pitch-black eyes that seemed like gaping caves, plus the cold air emanating from his dark blue lips and that eerie voice asking if she was really a princess!

To Eunhye who was gasping, Gwangjo spoke in a warm voice as if comforting her not to worry.

[I met him. But don’t worry. Didn’t this old man say he’d always be by your side? And when I met him, he wasn’t a bad child.]

Though she felt considerably relieved hearing that Grandfather Gwangjo had met him directly, Eunhye was still anxious.

“Still, I think I’d be scared if I met him again.”

Though he said the child wasn’t bad, if that child came before her again, she would surely be just as frightened…

As if guessing Eunhye’s feelings, Gwangjo reached out his intangible hand and slowly stroked her small head.

[He said he was hungry.]

“What?”

To Eunhye who looked up as if asking what he meant, Gwangjo smiled warmly and continued, slowly nodding his head.

[Ghosts, you see. They are souls that wander, unable to go where they should after their physical life ends.]

“Queen Dowager, do you know where they should go?”

At Eunhye’s question, asked with bright eyes as if curious, Gwangjo lowered his head to look into her clear, black pupils.

[Since this old man also remained in the Palace without leaving, you would understand, wouldn’t you?]

“Ah, I see. Then why couldn’t you leave and are wandering around?”

Eunhye nodded so vigorously that her cheeks like glutinous rice cakes shook, then asked again.

[The reasons would all be different. But what they all have in common is that they have something so desperate that they remain wandering in the world of the living.]

It seemed like difficult words for Eunhye to understand, as her head tilted to one side again and her soft cheeks followed suit.

[It’s called Enlightenment. Ghosts resolving their remaining resentment in this world and going where they need to go. To achieve that Enlightenment, ghosts need living people who can listen to them.]

Enlightenment – ghosts resolving their remaining resentment in this world and going where they need to go.

And herself, who could hear the words of ghosts… Eunhye nodded as if she finally understood.

“Ah…! So that’s why the ghosts keep coming to me? Because I can hear their words?”

Her small lips like a chick’s beak opened wide as she let out a small exclamation. Then suddenly she pouted her lips as if troubled and spoke complainingly.

“Then why don’t they go to the Shinyeo instead of coming to me? The Shinyeo can see ghosts too, can’t they?”

Gwangjo nodded as if she was right and spoke with pitying eyes.

[But the Shinyeo do the great work of protecting this country. And the Shinyeo regard spirits wandering this world without achieving Enlightenment as wicked beings and mostly eliminate them.]

“Ah…!”

Eunhye’s eyes and mouth both grew large as if she had learned something she didn’t know.

[So they run away hiding from Seongsucheong and the Shinyeo. What would happen if such beings met a living person who could hear their words and see their forms?]

Eunhye’s eyes began to moisten with sadness as she listened to Gwangjo’s words.

“They would be very happy. But what power do I have to help the ghosts? It’s scary.”

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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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