The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 75

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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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#75. At the Commoners’ Restaurant

Park Jeong-bin wrapped Eunhye’s small hand that had grabbed his sleeve with both hands and spoke warmly.

“What is it, Princess? Do you have something to tell me?”

Then, Eunhye glanced up at Lady Han and smiled brightly, extending her short finger to point at the tavern about ten steps ahead.

“A very savory smell has been wafting from that place. Uncle, aren’t you hungry? I’m very hungry since it’s past lunchtime.”

The sound of gulping saliva came from Eunhye as she pointed at the tavern, making Park Jeong-bin burst into loud laughter without realizing it.

“Hahahaha! How can our niece go hungry? Let’s go. This uncle will buy you everything you want. Hahahaha.”

Even though she’s the princess of a nation, she’s still truly a five-year-old child. Even facing such an important matter, she’s salivating at the smell of food.

Park Jeong-bin, who had stood up while spinning around without realizing it, suddenly put his hands under Eunhye’s armpits and lifted her high.

“Kyaaaa! Hahahaha.”

“Princess!”

Eunhye’s delighted laughter and Lady Han’s startled voice, worried she might get hurt, rang out cheerfully in the middle of the market.

“Our niece, would you like to ride on this uncle’s shoulders after such a long time?”

“Yes! That sounds wonderful!”

Park Jeong-bin gently placed the giggling Eunhye on his shoulders, wrapped her cute little legs around his neck, and firmly supported her small waist with both hands.

“Be careful!”

Lady Han looked up at Eunhye, who was seated on Park Jeong-bin’s shoulders, with terrified eyes.

“Wow! This is so much fun, Uncle!”

Beside Eunhye, who was bouncing excitedly while sitting on his shoulders, the white spirit of Master Choi the herb gatherer was also bouncing along, making Park Jeong-bin’s lips curve upward.

It was the first time in Park Jeong-bin’s life that he had smiled while seeing a ghost, or rather, a spirit.

“Welcome! Please sit at that empty spot over there.”

The tavern, which sold soup with rice and other simple dishes along with alcohol, was quite crowded with customers who had gathered to have their lunch.

The tavern owner, who had greeted Eunhye’s group as they entered, glanced at Park Jeong-bin dressed as a peddler, Eunhye who looked like a noble family’s young lady, and Lady Han who appeared to be a servant, then tilted her head puzzledly and disappeared toward the kitchen.

Eunhye, who had gone to the spot the tavern owner indicated, took off her shoes, sat down, and looked around the bustling tavern with curiosity.

Park Jeong-bin, who had been watching such Eunhye with affectionate eyes, leaned down and asked in a small voice.

“How do you feel about visiting a place where the common people of the market fill their empty stomachs?”

Then Eunhye, who had been carefully observing the people, answered with bright, intelligent eyes.

“It’s joyful, sad, frustrating, and good. I can see sadness and joy, frustration and comfort, and pleasant flavors on the faces of people who share stories while eating together.”

Lady Han also smiled slightly while watching Park Jeong-bin nod greatly and laugh at Eunhye’s answer.

“My, what’s so amusing to you all?”

The tavern owner, who had brought a rough table with a few vegetable side dishes, smiled and asked Eunhye’s group.

“Our young lady said she wanted to visit the market’s soup restaurant, so we brought her here. She says the food smells so good.”

“Oh my, she looks like a young lady from a high-ranking noble family, but now you’re in big trouble.”

At the tavern owner’s words about being in big trouble, Eunhye poked her head out beside Lady Han.

“What do you mean we’re in big trouble?”

Then the tavern owner wrinkled her plump face with a smile and spoke with a playful expression.

“Our soup and meat pancakes are the most delicious in the capital city. So from now on, you’ll be coming to see us frequently, won’t that be big trouble? Hohohohoho!”

“Haha! Hahahaha! Now that I hear it, it really is big trouble.”

The tavern owner looked surprised and made a double chin, seeing the young lady who appeared to be only three or four years old cleverly respond to her joke.

“Then shall we bring the food as we see fit?”

“Yes, do that. Bring out the most delicious food here.”

“Yes, then we’ll quickly go and bring some amazing food.”

Even though there were two adults present, the little princess was giving orders efficiently, making the people eating nearby laugh with amusement.

The tavern owner wiggled her bottom excitedly and disappeared into the kitchen, while Eunhye also laughed as if she found it amusing.

“Uncle, it was truly good to come out with you.”

“Are you that happy?”

“Yes. I’m so very happy. Please bring me out again next time, okay?”

Park Jeong-bin, who couldn’t easily answer that question, coughed awkwardly and looked at distant mountains.

“By the way, Princess, I’m slightly worried.”

When Lady Han, who had smiled slightly at Park Jeong-bin looking at distant mountains, changed the subject, Eunhye turned her head curiously.

“About what?”

“All of this will be food you’re trying for the first time, so what if you get sick after eating it?”

That made sense, since Princess Eunhye had lived her entire life in the palace, eating only food made from the finest ingredients from across the nation.

How could they trust the condition of food that would be prepared in such a shabby soup restaurant?

Looking at Lady Han’s face, which was truly full of worry, Eunhye opened her mouth with a rather mature expression.

“Mencius said ‘yeomin dongrak’ (sharing joy with the people), meaning a true ruler enjoys pleasures together with the people and rejoices together with them. Although I may not be a king like Father, I am a princess of this nation, so I should be able to deliciously eat what the people enjoy eating.”

“Ah… our Princess…”

Like Lady Han, who had her mouth agape at Eunhye’s amazing words, Park Jeong-bin also looked at his young niece in her colorful jacket with admiring eyes.

Who dared call this little princess a half-wit? Who would know that this young princess, only five years old, harbored such a bold and great heart?

Park Jeong-bin looked with proud eyes at Eunhye, who seemed to have forgotten about making that mature statement and was now examining the wooden spoon and chopsticks placed in front of her.

“The food is here.”

The tavern owner came carrying a fairly large wooden tray with three bowls of soup with rice, meat pancakes, and even a large steamed fish.

“My, what is all this?”

Looking at Park Jeong-bin, who asked with a surprised expression, the tavern owner grinned with an excited face.

“Didn’t this young lady tell us to bring out everything our house does best?”

“But even so, if you bring this much food, who’s going to eat it all?”

When Park Jeong-bin spoke with a troubled expression, surprised by the food filling the table, the tavern owner said triumphantly.

“What sells best at our place is soup with rice and meat pancakes, but what I make best is this herring stew. Try it once. It’s so delicious that even if two of you three dropped dead while eating, you wouldn’t notice.”

Eunhye giggled while watching the tavern owner make a gesture of cutting her throat and sticking out her tongue, but Park Jeong-bin frowned.

“Really, the way you talk!”

“Well then, please enjoy your meal. Yes yes, I’m going, going!”

The tavern owner received Park Jeong-bin’s scolding with an eye roll and waddled off running toward the people calling for her from the other side.

“Wow, I’ve never seen food prepared like this before, but it really looks delicious.”

Eunhye flared her nostrils excitedly and quickly dipped the spoon she was holding into the soup with rice.

“Oh my, Princess, it’s hot.”

Lady Han quickly ladled some soup into an empty bowl on the table and cooled it by blowing on it, while Park Jeong-bin gulped at the appetizing-looking herring stew.

The large meat pancakes giving off a savory aroma also looked very delicious, but the herring stew, made with fresh herring with a bluish tint, seasoned with fragrant citron salt and topped with garlic and peppers, looked so wonderful that just seeing it conjured up its taste.

“The tavern owner seems to have quite good cooking skills, contrary to appearances.”

Lady Han, who had cooled the soup and placed it in front of Eunhye, tore the meat pancake into small pieces with chopsticks and muttered toward Park Jeong-bin.

“Ahem, indeed. It looks quite delicious.”

“Please go ahead and eat, the food will get cold. I can eat after attending to the Princess.”

Then Eunhye suddenly pushed the soup from her spoon into Lady Han’s mouth, which had opened while speaking to Park Jeong-bin.

“Mmph! Princess!”

Lady Han, surprised by the soup that had suddenly entered her mouth, looked at Eunhye with round eyes.

“Hehe, let’s eat together. Here, from now on, you eat the soup with these utensils too. I’ll eat what you cooled for me. Understood?”

Eunhye took the new utensils that had been in front of Lady Han, smiled brightly, and put a spoonful of properly cooled soup into her mouth.

“Princess…”

Lady Han, with tears of emotion welling up, swallowed the rice in her mouth and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

What a truly heartwarming sight.

Park Jeong-bin, who had been watching the two with pleased eyes, had to turn his head toward the tavern entrance at the sound of a sobbing cry coming from somewhere.

Wait, that young lord?

“Young lady!”

Jihoo, covered in dirt and sweat as if he had been rolling around somewhere, was running into the tavern shouting for the young lady!

Park Jeong-bin blinked his eyes wide and put down the spoon he was holding, and Lady Han, who had been placing a piece of torn meat pancake on Eunhye’s spoon, also stared with wide eyes at Jihoo, who was running in crying loudly.

Was that young lord Jihoo originally… a madman?

Eunhye also swallowed the soup in her mouth without chewing, seeing Jihoo running toward her shouting “Young lady!”

What in the world… is this about? Why is that Jihoo, whom we parted with at the general store earlier, in such a state and looking for me like a crazy person?

While Eunhye, Park Jeong-bin, and Lady Han were all startled, Jihoo, who had run up to where the group was sitting, collapsed flat on the floor and began wailing.

“Waahhh! Thank goodness. I’m so relieved that you’re all safe. Huuuhh!”

The surprised eyes of the people inside the tavern and the tavern owner carrying soup bowls turned toward Eunhye’s group.

Park Jeong-bin saw an Amyeongdae member who quickly disappeared from the entrance when Jihoo came running into the tavern.

It seems like the one who guided this fellow to where we are was an Amyeongdae member, but why would they… do such a thing?

Park Jeong-bin, who had no idea that Jihoo had told Dong-chun, the Amyeongdae unit commander, that he was going to be the Princess’s consort, furrowed his brow deeply.

What exactly are you?

Earlier I was in such a rush that I gave an important errand to you, someone I’d never seen before, but now you follow us here to check on my niece’s safety? Who are you?

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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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