The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 44

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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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#44. Wait, Persimmon Tree Ghost

 

“If you mean the persimmon tree….”

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon looked at Eunhye, unable to finish his sentence as he momentarily couldn’t find an answer to the suddenly changed topic.

 

“Yes, I heard that a sapling was planted in Mother’s greenhouse half a month ago, sent as tribute from Miseondo along with persimmons.”

 

“Ah…! Is that so. I was not aware of this.”

 

Nod nod.

 

“Yes, that’s understandable. Well, since today’s lecture with Teacher is all finished, I think I’ll go see the persimmon tree at Mother’s greenhouse now.”

 

No matter how mature she was for her age, she was still only a five-year-old Princess.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon couldn’t help but smile slightly at Eunhye’s cute appearance as she seemed to have forgotten all the heavy conversation they’d just had and was fidgeting as if ready to get up at any moment.

 

“Then I shall take my leave now. We will have another lecture at this time in two days, so please study up to volume 5 of the Analects.”

 

“The Analects and Mencius are boring now. Can’t I learn horseback riding like Crown Prince too?”

 

“No, you cannot. Although Taeshin Kingdom doesn’t greatly distinguish between men and women in martial arts, Princess is still too young and your body needs to grow more.”

 

“Hmph.”

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who had risen from his seat, bowed to Eunhye as she pouted with her lower lip sticking out.

 

“Well then, I shall take my leave for today.”

 

“Yes, thank you for today’s excellent teaching.”

 

Along with Eunhye’s response, Kim Gyo-hyeon heard that cute voice again as he was about to back toward the door.

 

“Please be kind to Young Lord Jihoo. Even with a Guardian Talisman, scary things are still scary.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

To Kim Gyo-hyeon, who wore a confused expression not knowing whether she really knew something or not, Eunhye smiled cutely once more.

 

“If not, that would be fortunate.”

 

The more he heard Princess’s words, the less he understood them.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon quietly left Eunhye’s quarters with his head down, giving no response.

 

Lady Park and Lady Han, who had been standing outside the door, gave Kim Gyo-hyeon an inexplicable smile.

 

“Take care.”

 

Lady Park, who bowed and left a farewell greeting toward the bewildered-looking Kim Gyo-hyeon, entered Eunhye’s room.

 

“Hehe, take care, Lord Jipyeong. And please tell your son never to loiter in front of our Princess again. Well then.”

 

What, what, what?

 

While Kim Gyo-hyeon was looking for words to respond to such an absurd statement, Lady Han also slipped into Eunhye’s room.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, dumbfounded and clicking his tongue without realizing it, stared at the door that had quickly closed in front of him.

 

“Well, really…!”

 

The hour or so he had spent at Princess’s quarters felt like it had passed as if he had been bewitched by something.

 

With a light sigh and shaking his head, Kim Gyo-hyeon left Eunhye’s quarters and stepped down into the courtyard of Hyesin Palace.

 

Though lighter than before, an indescribably sweet floral fragrance still seemed to envelop all of Hyesin Palace.

 

No matter how much he looked around, there were only winter plum blossoms and cherry blossoms in the Princess’s Quarters, so where on earth was this fragrance coming from?

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon unconsciously closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

 

“Oh? Teacher, you’re still here?”

 

At the suddenly heard clear and cute voice, Kim Gyo-hyeon opened his closed eyes with a start and whirled around.

 

Before he knew it, Princess had come outside and was smiling brightly at him, looking like yellow forsythia flowers, no, like lily of the valley flowers.

 

“Yes, Princess, I was briefly enjoying leisure time, intoxicated by the floral fragrance and spring sunlight. Are you going for a walk somewhere?”

 

To Kim Gyo-hyeon who bowed his head and asked, Eunhye showed a mischievous smile and answered.

 

“Oh my, Teacher, did you forget already? Didn’t I just tell you earlier? I said a persimmon tree came to Mother’s greenhouse. I’m going to see it.”

 

Eunhye, who had put on both of her cute flower shoes with the help of the palace ladies, jumped down below the threshold with a hop.

 

Was it his imagination that the floral scent seemed stronger than before?

 

At the rich floral fragrance lingering at his nose tip, Kim Gyo-hyeon unconsciously widened his nostrils and bowed his head.

 

“Ah, that’s right. Please go carefully. However, Princess.”

 

Eunhye, who had been holding her skirt with both hands as if about to leave Hyesin Palace immediately, turned to look at Kim Gyo-hyeon.

 

“Yes? Do you have something to say?”

 

“Though it may be presumptuous, it will soon be lunch time. You must be getting hungry, so how about having a meal first?”

 

Then Eunhye smiled cutely and shook her head.

 

“Thank you for your concern. But I will see the persimmon tree and then eat.”

 

“Yes, if that is Princess’s wish, please go carefully, but you must consider that when the master skips meals, those who serve also go hungry together.”

 

“Ah…!”

 

At Kim Gyo-hyeon’s advice, Eunhye looked at Lady Park with a face that showed she hadn’t realized this.

 

“Then did you go hungry yesterday because of me too, nanny?”

 

Then Lady Park bowed her head with an embarrassed expression.

 

“Please don’t worry about it.”

 

With an awkward expression, blinking her eyes and puffing out both cheeks, Eunhye finally nodded as if she understood.

 

“Thank you for enlightening me, Teacher. Then I’ll eat lunch first and then go.”

 

“Yes, that is truly a wise choice.”

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon nodded with a pleased smile as if she had done well.

 

“Then take care, Teacher.”

 

To Eunhye who put her hands together in front and gave a respectful greeting, Kim Gyo-hyeon also bowed his head.

 

“Nanny, let’s eat lunch first and then go.”

 

Eunhye, who smiled brightly at the palace ladies serving her, climbed up onto the veranda and waved her small hand at Kim Gyo-hyeon.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who had been unconsciously bowing his head with a pleased expression, noticed the colorful silk pouches hanging from Eunhye’s waist.

 

Was the blooming floral fragrance around Princess because of those?

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who had been following Eunhye’s figure with his eyes as she entered her quarters with the court ladies, suddenly chuckled.

 

Hadn’t the hour spent at Hyesin Palace been truly hectic?

 

Because he had told the secret story related to King Gwangjo, the young Princess had even shed tears. And in the following story about his son, hadn’t he received comfort from Princess as well?

 

Moreover, Princess, who had asked about the persimmon tree sent as tribute from Miseondo, had shown a cute appearance truly befitting her age of five.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon unconsciously chuckled once more, thinking of Eunhye whose eyes had sparkled while talking about the persimmon tree in Queen Mother’s greenhouse.

 

No matter how mature she was, she was still just a five-year-old little princess.

 

Perhaps, wouldn’t Princess, who was wild but thoughtful and kind-hearted, suit Jihoo well, who had lost his mother at a young age and always grew up lonely?

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who had been picturing Eunhye telling interesting stories to the calm and serious Jihoo with her cute voice like a chirping little bird, suddenly startled and shook his head vigorously.

 

“Ah! What ridiculous thoughts am I having!”

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who even muttered to himself with an incredulous expression, looked up at the blue sky.

 

Sigh… This was all because of that rascal Jihoo’s nonsense about becoming a royal consort.

 

Kim Gyo-hyeon, who coughed unnecessarily and took steps toward the direction of the Office of the Censor, had cherry blossom petals laughing merrily pour down over his head.

 

* * *

 

“Oh my, Princess, please don’t run. It’s quite far to Queen Mother’s greenhouse, and you’re already running like this!”

 

As soon as they left Hyesin Palace, the Princess’s Quarters, Eunhye had started running straight toward Queen Mother’s Palace.

 

Behind such Eunhye, all the palace ladies of Hyesin Palace, who had been able to eat lunch thanks to Kim Gyo-hyeon, were following with quick steps.

 

“Huff huff, and why are you running like this instead of taking a palanquin? If Queen Mother finds out, you’ll get scolded again!”

 

“Still, I hate riding in palanquins!”

 

Though Queen Dowager was there and she had the Guardian Talisman from the shrine so ghosts were no longer scary, Eunhye didn’t feel good about sitting trapped inside the small palanquin that princesses rode.

 

“Oh my, Princess, at this rate I’ll die!”

 

“Then nanny should have just stayed at Hyesin Palace!”

 

At the conversation between Lady Park, whose face was already red from being out of breath and panting, and Eunhye, who ran as nimbly as a flying squirrel, all the Hyesin Palace ladies following behind had their lips twitching as they tried to hold back laughter.

 

Princess, who had completely changed since yesterday, was so lively and bright.

 

It was the same during breakfast and lunch – she was a thoughtful person who would ask for various things to be put on the table saying she wanted to eat many things, then leave most of it for them to take.

 

Their master was so thoughtful and generous that it was hard to believe Princess was only five years old.

 

Even Lady Kang, who had been gossiping about Princess and even got slapped by Lady Han, was excited by the completely changed atmosphere of the Princess’s Quarters overnight.

 

Next to their master running far ahead, a tall Lady Han was attached like a bodyguard.

 

The Hyesin Palace ladies, though wheezing, followed their master with quick steps along with Lady Park, who was earnestly following behind.

 

“Princess, how about resting for a moment? At this rate, Lady Park is really going to collapse.”

 

At the words of Lady Han who was walking quickly beside her, Eunhye, who had been running without rest since leaving Hyesin Palace, turned around to look back.

 

About ten steps behind, Lady Park could be seen gasping with one hand clutching her chest, looking as if she might die at any moment.

 

“Oh my, I really can’t handle my nanny.”

 

Only then did Eunhye stop her running steps at Lady Park’s pitiful sight, shaking her cute little head back and forth.

 

“Hurry up, nanny!”

 

Eunhye had been running without a single rest toward the Queen Mother’s Palace since leaving Hyesin Palace.

 

While waiting for Lady Park and catching her breath, Eunhye lifted her head up and saw the clean, blue sky.

 

‘Was his name Seonnam? Did he achieve enlightenment well?’

 

Eunhye thought of This Servant’s younger brother Seonnam, who had ascended to heaven with a white light while praying for his sister’s happiness.

 

‘As This Servant said last night, could there really be a ghost in Mother’s greenhouse? Queen Dowager said she would be back soon after taking care of some business, so she should return shortly, right?’

 

Even while giving herself suggestions that ghosts were no longer frightening, Eunhye thought of Gwangjo due to the fear that had not yet completely disappeared.

 

‘That’s right, and now the Cheongmyeong Mirror, which is a divine object, is protecting me!’

 

Eunhye lifted her cute chin while recalling the blue eyes that had looked at her from within the Cheongmyeong Mirror and the cool sensation of light that had filled her heart.

 

‘Now ghosts can never harm me!’

 

Lady Park finally came to stand in front of Eunhye, who was tightly gripping the strings of several palace pouches hanging from her waist sash with one hand.

 

“Huff huff huff! Princess, huff huff!”

 

Lady Park was catching her breath with both hands on her knees, her face looking as if she might pass out.

 

“Oh my, Princess. Please walk slowly. At this rate, my chest will really burst and I’ll die.”

 

“Nanny is older than me, so why can’t you run as well?”

 

“Huff huff, running would actually be better. Do you know how difficult it is to walk as if running in order not to break protocol?”

 

At Lady Park’s groaning, Eunhye laughed as if finding it amusing.

 

“Hahahaha! Really? Then shall I try walking quickly instead of running this time?”

 

“By the way, Princess, did you hear from the Queen Dowager that there is a golden persimmon tree in the Queen Mother’s garden?”

 

Lady Han asked as if suddenly remembering. They had no idea about it either, so how did their young mistress know about it?

 

At Lady Han’s question, Eunhye smiled with her eyes curved like crescents.

 

“Lady Han.”

 

“Yes, Princess.”

 

“Lady Han has never seen a golden persimmon tree either, right?”

 

“Of course. I have never seen a tree that bears golden persimmons in my entire life.”

 

At Lady Han’s answer, Eunhye beamed with eyes full of curiosity.

 

“That’s why we’re going to see it. Who knows? Perhaps golden persimmons will hang abundantly in Mother’s greenhouse in the future, and everyone will get to taste golden persimmons?”

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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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