The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 70

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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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#70. Finally Outside the Palace!

Behind the folding screen in Princess’s Chamber at Hyesin Palace, when they pressed down on one side of the ondol stone with their foot, a door opened as if by magic, revealing long stairs leading down below.

“Oh my, Princess Eunhye, must you really go to that frightening place?”

From Lady Park’s pale lips came sounds almost like crying, and with Lady Han joining in, Park Jeong-bin, who had changed his status from a noble of a scholarly family to a peddler, was staring with surprised eyes at Lady Han dressed as a female servant.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”

At Lady Han’s stern questioning voice, Park Jeong-bin, who seemed to come to his senses, looked elsewhere with a reddened face and gulped down dry saliva.

“No, Lady Han, even when you wear servant’s clothes, ahem, your noble bearing cannot be hidden. Perhaps you should smear some dirt on your face?”

“What? Have you truly lost your mind?”

Lady Han shuddered as if disgusted, then waved her hand reassuringly toward Lady Park, who was still crouching while tightly holding Eunhye’s hand.

“Lady Park, don’t worry since I’ll be going along. If anything happens, I’ll carry the Princess and run, so please stay here and pretend the Princess is here as usual. Eat all the meals that come up by yourself too.”

Watching Lady Park glare at Lady Han, who was reassuring her with brazen words, Eunhye also smiled brightly.

“Nanny, don’t worry. Uncle is here too, and there’s the reliable Lady Han. Understand?”

Reliable? What does that mean?

At the word “reliable” that came from Eunhye’s mouth, Park Jeong-bin and Lady Park looked at Lady Han.

Shake, shake, shake.

Watching Lady Han shake her head as if she didn’t know either and smile awkwardly, Park Jeong-bin stepped down toward the stairs leading to the underground passage.

“Now, let’s go. Time is of the essence.”

“Oh my, Princess, you must really be careful and careful again. Lady Han, if there’s even the slightest harm to the Princess’s body—!”

Eunhye’s small palm pressed firmly against Lady Park’s mouth as she spoke tearfully.

“Shh, stop worrying. I’ll go and come back safely, Nanny. I’ll definitely bring back that poisonous mushroom, so Nanny, guard this place well. Understand?”

Eunhye took Park Jeong-bin’s outstretched hand from the underground passage stairs and took her first thrilling step.

Thump, thump, thump.

Eunhye’s heart pounded wildly with anticipation of seeing outside the palace for the first time in her life. Thus, Eunhye’s cheeks flushed red, forgetting even the grave responsibility of finding the poisonous mushroom called Cheongmyeong-ungyun.

“There, niece, please wait here for just a moment.”

Park Jeong-bin, who had gently set Eunhye down on the underground passage floor, extended his hand to Lady Han who was stepping toward the stairs.

“Hold on and come down. It’s dangerous because it’s dark.”

Then Lady Han twisted her lips as if to say “what nonsense” and waved one hand dismissively as if telling him not to say useless things.

“Hey, what are you doing there? It’s bothersome, so move aside.”

“What?”

Eunhye, who had lightly grabbed Park Jeong-bin’s hand as he was flustered by Lady Han’s rough words, shook her head and smiled brightly.

“Uncle, our Lady Han is really good at running and really good at acrobatics too. She’s strong as well. So don’t worry and come this way. You might get hurt for no reason.”

Park Jeong-bin, who moved his body as Eunhye pulled him, turned his head away sharply while watching Lady Han grab and wrap her skirt with both hands.

How can a woman…! No, does that woman not even see me as a man? How can she so carelessly lift up her skirt?

While Park Jeong-bin was turning his face red alone, Lady Han, who had jumped down the stairs, sat with her back to Eunhye.

“Get on, Princess. The path is dark and rough.”

“No. Let me walk a bit first, and if it gets difficult, I’ll tell you then. This is my first time on such a path, so I want to try walking.”

“Yes, then when you get tired, don’t endure it and be sure to tell me, alright?”

Eunhye nodded toward Lady Han and looked up, waving her hand.

“Nanny, I’ll be back! Don’t worry and stay here!”

“Yes. Lady Han, and Instructor Park, please take good care of our Princess!”

Lady Park, who had been waving tearfully, lowered the ondol stone door leading to the underground passage.

“What are you standing there for? Didn’t you bring flint?”

Park Jeong-bin still hadn’t calmed his heart, shocked by Lady Han’s appearance he had seen earlier.

“What? Flint?”

Then Lady Han let out a long sigh and took out a torch from the torch holder attached to the wall.

“Aren’t you going to light a fire? Does light just come out of Guard Park’s eyes?”

“Ah! Flint, torch!”

Only then, as if flustered, Park Jeong-bin put his hand inside his clothes and took out a pouch containing flint.

“Please wait just a moment, niece. This uncle will quickly light the fire…”

Strike, strike, strike!

But the sparks didn’t catch as well as expected. Meanwhile, Lady Han, who had applied oil to the cloth bundled around the torch from the grooves carved on both sides, shook her head as if pathetic and extended her hand.

“Give me that, and please hold this.”

“What? No, but this is something I should…”

“Shh, hurry and give it here, please!”

Lady Han, who had thrown the empty torch she was holding to Park Jeong-bin, snatched the flint and struck it forcefully with both hands.

Strike! Strike!

Unlike before, when she brought the sparks that flashed brightly to the torch Park Jeong-bin was holding, flames burst forth with a whoosh.

“It’s done!”

Watching Eunhye clap once and laugh happily as if the sight was amazing, Park Jeong-bin became dejected again.

No, what exactly is that woman’s identity? Could she be a female guard warrior that His Majesty the King secretly placed beside my niece?

Lady Han didn’t stop there and took out another empty torch from the wall, transferring fire from the torch she was holding.

“Uncle, shall we go now?”

Eunhye, whose eyes sparkled with interest while watching Lady Han, looked back at Park Jeong-bin.

“Yes…”

Unlike his spirited appearance when first coming down the stairs, watching Park Jeong-bin who was completely deflated, Lady Han held out the torch she was carrying.

“Why are you so dispirited again? Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you’re all good with flint, right? You might not be able to make sparks well, but what’s so great about that? Isn’t that right, Princess?”

Then Eunhye also nodded greatly and looked at Park Jeong-bin.

“Yes! Our uncle is good at everything except what he can’t do. Besides, he can see ghosts like me!”

At Eunhye’s words about being able to see ghosts, Lady Han gulped down dry saliva.

Could it be a family trait?

Why can both of these people see ghosts? How scary…

Lady Han waved the torch she was holding up and down unnecessarily and called out to Park Jeong-bin.

“L-let’s go. What are you doing? The person who knows the way should lead!”

Then Park Jeong-bin looked back at Eunhye and opened his mouth that had been tightly shut.

“Niece, this uncle is usually good with flint!”

And then he began walking forward with big strides.

“Geez… Don’t tell me uncle, being a grown man, is sulking? Uncle, you should come with us!”

Eunhye, who tightly held Lady Han’s hand as she let out a small laugh, began walking while calling Park Jeong-bin.

The winding underground passage.

Whenever paths split into two or three directions appeared, Park Jeong-bin looked at a map he took from his clothes to find the way.

After walking for some time, the baby hair on Eunhye’s forehead, now riding on Lady Han’s back, had become curly from the humid air of the underground passage.

Finally seeing a faint light in the distance, Park Jeong-bin looked back at Eunhye riding on Lady Han’s back.

“Niece, we’ve arrived. If you go out through that door, you’ll be inside a shop at the very end of Yuk-eui-jeon Street that sells paper.”

Then Eunhye, who asked Lady Han to put her down, quickly walked on her short legs to stand beside Park Jeong-bin.

“Wow, it’s amazing, Uncle. I thought some street corner of the market would appear like the path we walked.”

“Hahaha, niece, how surprised would the people be if we suddenly appeared as if sprouting from the middle of the ground?”

At Park Jeong-bin’s laughter, Eunhye also giggled and clapped her hands.

“Now, from here on, we’ll move quietly without making noise, so be careful.”

Lady Han firmly grasped Eunhye’s small hand as she nodded with a serious expression, understanding.

Wasn’t this the Princess who might dash out as soon as the door opened?

Park Jeong-bin, who had walked with big strides toward the door visible in the distance, carefully unlocked the door handle and brought his index finger to his lips.

As Lady Han and Eunhye, who had gulped down dry saliva, nodded simultaneously, Park Jeong-bin gently pushed open the small door and stuck out only his head to observe the situation.

“I’ll go out first to check outside and come back. I’ll knock on the door twice, so please wait here for just a moment.”

“But is the paper shop outside the door a safe place?”

At Lady Han’s curious question, Park Jeong-bin nodded as if to say yes.

“This place has been used for His Majesty the King and Crown Prince’s secret travels since long ago. The owner is also our person. Then I’ll be back.”

Park Jeong-bin, who spoke in a small whisper, quickly went out through the slightly opened door crack and gently closed the door.

Lady Han raised one corner of her mouth crookedly at the agile movement that didn’t match his large build.

Lady Han skillfully adjusted Eunhye’s clothes, which had become thoroughly damp after walking through the humid underground passage for more than half an hour.

“You’ve been through a lot, Princess.”

“Yeah. Lady Han, you also worked hard carrying me here.”

“You’re too kind to say such things.”

Lady Han gently smoothed down the curly baby hair on Eunhye’s pretty forehead, then lowered herself to meet her eyes and spoke.

“Princess, from now on, you must not call me Lady Han. Do you understand? My name is Song-i, so just call me ‘Song-i.'”

“Okay!”

Lady Han smiled warmly at Eunhye, who nodded and answered spiritedly, then looked at Park Jeong-bin with a furrowed brow.

“And Instructor Park.”

“What is it?”

Park Jeong-bin turned to look at Lady Han, who suddenly called him with a serious expression.

“Since you’ve stepped down from your instructor position, may I address you as Guard Park from now on?”

Nod, nod, nod.

To Park Jeong-bin, who nodded as if that was correct, Lady Han opened her mouth to give another instruction.

“Unlike our original plan, I am a female servant attending a young lady from a noble family, and Guard Park, you are a merchant. So we’ll go to the apothecary as strangers, won’t we?”

“That’s right.”

“Guard Park, you must never call the Princess your niece in front of others.”

“I understand. While my niece and you draw attention at the apothecary, I’ll go inside and say ‘I came from the Palace,’ show the Palace entry pass, and give them this pouch of silver, right?”

Lady Han nodded as if that was correct and gestured toward Park Jeong-bin.

“Now, if you understand, I’ll take the Princess and go out first to find the general store called Man-bok Store. Guard Park, please follow behind us while watching the surroundings.”

“Understood.”

“Princess, shall we go?”

Eunhye, who had been looking around the paper shop with an excited expression, flared her nostrils wide and nodded.

Lady Han firmly took Eunhye’s hand and went outside through the shop. Park Jeong-bin, who had been following Lady Han’s retreating figure with his eyes, seemed to come to his senses as he took a deep breath through his nose and shook his head as if to clear it.

Wait, wasn’t I the leader of this operation? Why does it feel so natural to follow that woman’s orders?

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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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