The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 34

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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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#34. Cherry Ice Treats and Honey Won’t Do

 

As Kim Gyo-hyeon left the room, Queen Dowager Jeong pushed the desk in front of her to the side.

 

Then she spread both arms wide and looked at Eunhye.

 

“Princess, come here. Let this old woman hold our princess after such a long time.”

 

Eunhye smiled brightly at Queen Dowager Jeong and shuffled forward on her knees while seated, then fell into her embrace.

 

“Queen Dowager.”

 

“There, there. It’s been so long since I’ve held our Eunhye.”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong rubbed her cheek against the crown of her small, precious granddaughter’s head nestled in her arms.

 

Was what the royal physician said about her gradually getting better true? She had improved incomparably compared to when I saw her recently. No, rather she had become much more clever and lovely.

 

Queen Dowager Jeong gently grasped the shoulders of Eunhye who was quietly nestled in her arms and lowered her head.

 

Beneath long eyelashes, bright black eyes sparkling with intelligence looked straight up at her with a pretty smile.

 

How lovely she is.

 

“Princess… This old woman believed that you would become this strong.”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong, who had swallowed the words ‘Are you well today?’ that she was about to say, warmly patted the back of Eunhye who smiled sweetly at her.

 

“You must continue to stay strong like this in the future. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Queen Dowager. Please don’t worry anymore. Now I’m not scared of anything at all.”

 

At Eunhye’s cute answer, a bright smile bloomed across Queen Dowager Jeong’s wrinkled face.

 

“Oh, is that so?”

 

“Yes, now I truly won’t be scared. I also have a Guardian Talisman. Oops!”

 

Startled by the words that slipped out without her knowing, Eunhye opened her eyes wide and rolled her upper and lower lips inward to bite them.

 

“Guardian Talisman? What is that?”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong also tilted her head at the unfamiliar term Guardian Talisman.

 

Eunhye pursed her small lips forward, then blinked her eyes while glancing around the room.

 

If Queen Dowager Gwangjo were here at a time like this, she would tell me how to answer…

 

What should I do? I can’t tell Queen Dowager about the sacred objects of Seongsucheong.

 

“What might our little one’s Guardian Talisman be?”

 

As Eunhye looked up at Queen Dowager Jeong who asked with a gentle smile, looking troubled, the pink palace pouch that Crown Prince Lee-hwan had given her suddenly came to mind!

 

Ah!

 

Eunhye held up the palace pouch tied to her skirt waistband for Queen Dowager Jeong to see.

 

“This is it.”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong looked at the pink palace pouch Eunhye held up with curious eyes and extended her wrinkled hand.

 

With a rustling sound, the subtle floral scent of nandina wafted out.

 

“Isn’t this a palace pouch? Let me see, it seems to have a subtle fragrance too – are you using it as a scent pouch?”

 

“It’s not a scent pouch, it’s a Guardian Talisman. My brother gave it to me directly.”

 

At Queen Dowager Jeong’s words, Eunhye shook her small head from side to side.

 

“Oh, the Crown Prince did? What’s inside that makes it our princess’s Guardian Talisman – may this old woman take a look?”

 

At the cute appearance of her granddaughter in her arms, Queen Dowager Jeong asked with a pleased laugh.

 

“Um… I’ll show it just to you, Queen Dowager.”

 

Eunhye, who had been making a thoughtful expression, nodded with a smile as if she had made up her mind.

 

“Thank you. Now let’s see what our princess’s Guardian Talisman is.”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong opened the mouth of the rustling palace pouch while holding Eunhye.

 

There were quite a lot of dried white petals and red leaves, as well as bean-sized red berries inside. Moreover, the subtle fragrance that tickled the tip of her nose seemed to have the effect of making one feel very good.

 

Queen Dowager Jeong nodded toward Eunhye who was looking up at her with a pleased smile.

 

“The fragrance is very nice. So the Crown Prince gave this as a gift directly?”

 

“Yes, Queen Dowager. Crown Prince worried that I was very fearful, so he personally tied this palace pouch for me.”

 

Eunhye told Queen Dowager Jeong all the stories the Crown Prince had told her about the nandina tree.

 

“Oh, the Crown Prince cherishes his only sister very much. This old woman also seems to remember hearing when I was at Saga that nandina trees ward off bad luck and block evil things. So this is our princess’s Guardian Talisman.”

 

“Yes! That’s right.”

 

Eunhye smiled with relief seeing Queen Dowager Jeong looking satisfied.

 

Phew… That was fortunate.

 

If I hadn’t had the palace pouch that Crown Prince gave me as a gift, it would have been truly awkward.

 

Just then, This Servant’s voice announcing that the evening meal was being brought in could be heard from outside the paper door.

 

Eunhye looked at the three large tables being brought in one by one through the opening door, then got up from Queen Dowager Jeong’s arms and sat quietly right beside her.

 

“Now, let’s eat deliciously together with this old woman.”

 

“Yes, Queen Dowager!”

 

Queen Dowager is showing a satisfied smile at the lovely answer of the little princess. At the happy sight of the two after such a long time, quiet smiles also appeared on the faces of the court ladies and nain who brought in the tables.

 

“I ate very well indeed. Did our princess also eat deliciously?”

 

“Yes! It was really delicious!”

 

At the cute sight of her patting her belly with her tiny hands, Queen Dowager Jeong smiled kindly.

 

When had the princess ever been as bright and cheerful as today? At Eunhye’s bright appearance, who had become even more adorable than before she was ill, Queen Dowager Jeong ate sweetly even the food she usually didn’t eat well due to stomach discomfort.

 

“Queen Dowager, I really ate the evening meal deliciously today. Thank you for inviting me.”

 

Eunhye licked the meat seasoning remaining on her lips with her tongue and looked up at Queen Dowager Jeong with a big smile.

 

“There, there. Thanks to the princess, this old woman also ate very well after a long time.”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong laughed as if finding it cute, watching Eunhye’s eyes light up at the refreshment table being brought in right after the meal table was taken out.

 

Then, even before the legs of the refreshment table had fully settled on the floor, she spoke in a playful voice as if telling a secret.

 

“You’ll be greatly surprised if you know what refreshments this old woman has prepared.”

 

Eunhye, who had been looking at the refreshment table, looked up at Queen Dowager Jeong with great anticipation.

 

“If you say special refreshments, could it be persimmons?”

 

“Would it be just persimmons?”

 

Queen Dowager Jeong, wearing the smile of a kind grandmother, ended up laughing out loud seeing Eunhye sitting close in front of the settled refreshment table with shining eyes.

 

“Wow! Queen Dowager, isn’t this ice treats!”

 

“Hahaha! Yes, it’s ice treats. This old woman specially ordered them to be prepared.”

 

In the white ceramic bowls carved with a concave, shallow depth, cherries preserved in sugar and two small green leaves were prettily decorated on top of modest ice.

 

The cherries with red sweet syrup flowing over the pure white ice powder made one’s mouth water just by looking.

 

Eunhye unconsciously put down the spoon she had quickly grabbed and looked at Queen Dowager Jeong.

 

“Hehe, I’m sorry. Please eat first, Queen Dowager.”

 

Then Queen Dowager Jeong nodded with a smiling face and picked up a small bowl from the wooden tray placed under the refreshment table.

 

“What is that?”

 

Toward Eunhye whose eyes were shining with curiosity, Queen Dowager Jeong smiled gently and poured the thick yellow liquid in the bowl over the cherry ice treat.

 

“It’s honey. Even though cherry syrup is added, it tastes much better when you sprinkle honey like this and eat it. Shall I sprinkle some for you too, little one?”

 

Eunhye, who was already holding a spoon again, looked at the honey bowl Queen Dowager Jeong was holding and tilted her head.

 

“Why, you don’t think this old woman is lying, do you?”

 

When Queen Dowager Jeong asked with an amused laugh, Eunhye slowly shook her head.

 

“Queen Dowager, you drank water frequently when eating the evening meal earlier, so perhaps… do you often have stomach discomfort?”

 

The pretty eyes looking up at her were full of worry.

 

Queen Dowager Jeong gently stroked Eunhye’s head and smiled kindly.

 

“How clever you are. You were watching all of that too. When you get old like this old woman, it’s all like that. It’s fine.”

 

Isn’t the thoughtfulness of the young princess who is only five years old so lovely?

 

Queen Dowager Jeong pushed the cherry ice treat covered with honey toward Eunhye.

 

“Go ahead and try it. The cool, sweet and sour taste will be very delicious.”

 

Then she generously poured honey from another bowl onto her own ice treat as well. But Eunhye didn’t put the spoon she was holding into the ice treat and looked up at Queen Dowager Jeong with a deliberately serious face.

 

“Queen Dowager, if you eat like this, your stomach will continue to be unwell.”

 

At the young princess’s unexpected words, Queen Dowager Jeong asked back briefly with a puzzled face.

 

“Hm? What?”

 

Then Eunhye, slightly frowning around her eyes, looked up at Queen Dowager Jeong with a voice full of worry.

 

“Originally, honey should be eaten warm to be good. So if you eat it with cold food, their natures clash and make your stomach uncomfortable.”

 

“Oh my!”

 

At the words of the young princess who was so dignified, Queen Dowager Jeong, who was at a loss for words, only blinked her wrinkled eyes and even opened her mouth halfway.

 

“If you continue eating like this, you will keep having stomach troubles. Does Your Majesty usually enjoy eating ice desserts and honey?”

 

Heh heh heh, where did this child learn to know such things?

 

Eunhye looked up with clear eyes at Queen Dowager Jeong, who was staring at her with surprised eyes.

 

“Mm, this old woman is getting old and sometimes feels stuffy as if my stomach is completely blocked. When something cool like this goes down, it feels like it opens up a bit, so I tend to enjoy it…”

 

Faced with the bright, intelligent gaze looking up at her with sparkling eyes, Queen Dowager Jeong couldn’t readily continue her words.

 

Then Eunhye nodded as if she had expected this.

 

“If Your Majesty has often eaten ice desserts drizzled with honey like this, your stomach discomfort might be because of that.”

 

“Huh… ha…”

 

Thoughts that were absurd yet admirable, indescribable feelings filled Queen Dowager Jeong’s mind.

 

Who was it that called this child a half-wit of the palace and a disgrace to the Royal Family?

 

Do His Majesty the King and the Queen Mother even know that she is such a wise and intelligent Princess?

 

Soon, Queen Dowager Jeong’s face was filled with a pleased smile.

 

“Where did our Princess hear such things? And how did you know that this old woman’s stomach was uncomfortable?”

 

At Queen Dowager Jeong’s question, Eunhye nodded her small head.

 

“Your Majesty only ate soft side dishes and broth when you had your meal earlier. And I also saw you continuously drinking water in between.”

 

“Hooo…! Is that so?”

 

This Servant, who had been serving refreshments beside Queen Dowager Jeong, also looked at Eunhye with admiring eyes.

 

“Then, where did you learn that honey and cold food are incompatible?”

 

At Queen Dowager Jeong’s question, Eunhye hesitated for the first time and pursed her lips.

 

How could she say that it was something Lady Park’s Ghost had said in the Royal Kitchen where she often went to avoid ghosts?

 

At that time, hadn’t Lady Park’s Ghost said this to the court lady who was preparing ice desserts and honey together?

 

[Child, if you serve it like that, the person eating it will keep having stomach troubles! Instead of ice desserts and honey, rather sprinkle more sugar on it!]

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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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