Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 6

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter Six
“Wait, please. Did His Majesty ask you to do this?”
Samcheon’s eyes widened in surprise, her pupils trembling.
“I asked her. I have you, after all. We’ll manage just fine together.”
Daebuин taking charge of Mokseo Palace meant far more than simply managing the Private Treasury in her stead. It meant serving as a guardian in the shadows until Gyesan came of age and married.
Yet to abandon such an opportunity outright—
“Your Highness.”
Could they not still reverse this decision? As Samcheon’s mind raced, Gyesan spoke brightly.
“When Daebuин said she would look after me herself, your words came back to me. You said I needed an adult I could truly trust.”
“Yes. I did say that.”
In the Eastern Quarter, where the Daewang’s consorts and children dwelt, there was no one more powerful or dependable than Daebuин. With Hae as the next figure of authority, Daebuин’s support had seemed essential.
“Today was the first time I’ve seen Daebuин up close. She’s a great elder of the palace, yes, but trust is another matter entirely.”
……
Gyesan was right.
Daebuин had left Gyesan to her own devices until a crisis arose. That she would prove her devotion was merely speculation.
As Samcheon blinked, Gyesan broke into a wide smile.
“I made a good choice, didn’t I?”
When Gyesan decided something, Samcheon followed. Her task now was to find “an adult worthy of trust, even without power.”
“Then I’ll look into whether Deuksim can be brought back.”
Deuksim, who had overseen Mokseo Palace’s kitchen, came to mind first. She was someone So Buин Jeong had brought from her family home—a woman of both affection and worry.
At the mention of Deuksim, Gyesan’s eyes lit up.
“Really? Will she come back?”
“I’ll ask her to return to the palace.”
“Then I can have warm meals again!”
“Of course. Which palace attendant do you prefer most? I’ll need to confirm whether re-entry procedures are possible.”
Samcheon mentally reviewed the attendants who had served in Mokseo Palace. They would need trustworthy hands to manage the household until Gyesan came of age.
Yet Gyesan smiled brightly.
“I don’t need anyone but you.”
One attendant—Samcheon alone—was enough for Mokseo Palace.
Gyesan had no desire to enlarge her household. She decided to keep it only as comfortable as necessary, and instead hired one person from outside the palace.
Samcheon sent word to Deuksim. Whether through Daebuın’s influence or not, the relevant procedures were smoothed through without difficulty.
Once the budget was calculated, even with a new Swordsmanship instructor and meals of meat dishes three times daily plus desserts, the Private Treasury remained substantial. Not merely adequate—genuinely abundant.
The basic provisions of food and clothing alone were considerable, so the Private Treasury would only continue to grow.
Samcheon went ahead and set the first operational goal for Mokseo Palace: to save diligently and purchase a fine sword for Gyesan. A master-crafted blade was worth the price of several tile-roofed houses.
‘I’ll save bit by bit and make sure our Highness walks only a path of flowers.’
Eager to share news of this newfound wealth, Samcheon headed toward the inner chamber. As she approached the door to announce herself, she sensed something amiss and fell silent.
From within came the sound of quiet weeping.
Perhaps Gyesan had wept alone often, in those stifled moments.
Samcheon too had shed tears without reason for a year after losing her mother. It was So Buın Jeong and Gyesan who had reached out their hands to her then.
Remembering those days, Samcheon clenched her fists, returned to her room, and gathered her bedding. Cradling the rolled quilt and wooden pillow to her chest, she stood before the inner chamber’s entrance.
“Your Highness, it’s Samcheon. I’m coming in.”
Without waiting for a reply, Samcheon opened the door and entered the inner chamber, where she spread her quilt on the floor and set down the pillow.
Gyesan, sitting on the bed, looked at her with bewilderment.
“What are you doing?”
Samcheon turned away from Gyesan, whose tears clung to her cheeks, and answered.
“I’ll sleep here. Cry if you need to, then rest.”
“……Shouldn’t you tell me to stop crying?”
“You’re grieving. Cry all you need. I’ll be beside you.”
As Gyesan blinked, tears spilled down her cheeks.
Samcheon patted her own quilt absently and spoke softly.
“After my mother passed, I hated lying alone at night. I was afraid.”
“I’m the master of Mokseo Palace. I shouldn’t be afraid.”
Gyesan tried to save face, but it made no impression on Samcheon.
“Then I’m afraid for both of us.”
“In that case, you can stay.”
“Yes.”
Samcheon folded her quilt in half and slipped inside.
She remembered to turn her back so Gyesan could cry at ease. The floor was hard and cold air crept upward, but it was bearable.
Just as sleep was beginning to claim her, a cricket’s song pierced the silence. Then came Gyesan’s voice.
“Thank you.”
“It’s my duty to help you walk the path you wish to take, Your Highness.”
The words were dutiful, yet a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. Samcheon hoped her presence alone might offer some comfort.
Into that comfortable silence, sleep was beginning to descend—
“One day you’ll leave too, won’t you? What will I do when you’re gone?”
The sudden words chased sleep away entirely.
“Where would I go? I have nowhere to return to.”
“Your father said he’d come for you.”
Had Samcheon said such a thing to Gyesan? Her father had said it when she entered the palace—that he would gather wealth and return for her one day.
“He won’t come. There’s been no word in over five years.”
“Still—”
“My father enjoys dog fighting.”
“What’s that?”
“They pit dogs against each other and wager on which one wins.”
“His Majesty does something similar. He sets his own children against each other and watches to see which one prevails.”
Samcheon bolted upright, her spine suddenly chilled as though she’d plunged into ice water.
“You mustn’t say such things. Where did you hear this?”
“When Sohwa and So Buın came visiting before, I heard her talking to Mother about it…….”
“Never, ever speak of this in front of anyone else.”
When Samcheon spoke with such firmness, Gyesan nodded obediently.
“Understood. But it wasn’t true?”
Samcheon considered before deciding on a lesson suited to her understanding.
“It’s true, which is exactly why you can’t say it aloud. Calling a clever person foolish is a jest, but calling a foolish person foolish becomes an insult.”
“It would be wrong to insult His Majesty.”
Fortunately, Gyesan grasped the point.
“Precisely. Guard any word about His Majesty carefully. You may express longing to see him, but nothing more.”
“I don’t want to see him.”
“Your Highness?”
“I’ve never even met him. I’m told he came a few times when I was a baby, but I don’t remember.”
Samcheon felt a pang of resentment. Why was the Daewang so indifferent to Gyesan?
“In any case, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good! Don’t you go anywhere! Understood?”
“Yes.”
“……Your cheek—does it still hurt?”
“It’s just unsightly to look at.”
“Mother said I should protect you……. You’re my person.”
So it was what So Buın Jeong had said. Samcheon recalled that warm, gentle smile.
“Not anymore.”
“Hmm?”
“When you shouted at that woman Hae earlier, I was truly frightened. But at the same time, it felt…… satisfying.”
“See? Trust only me from now on. I’ll take care of you properly.”
“Yes. I’ll trust only you, Your Highness.”
Samcheon buried the warm feeling and lay back on the quilt. She had been happy too when Gyesan said no other attendant was needed—though worry had flickered beneath it.
After a long day of tension, Samcheon fell into deep sleep the moment her eyes closed. Listening to her steady, even breathing, Gyesan rose from the bed.
Samcheon lay curled tightly on her side, her back turned.
‘Is she cold?’
Gyesan pulled her own quilt over to cover Samcheon. At the touch, Samcheon instinctively burrowed deeper, her breathing becoming even more peaceful.
Now that her quilt was given away, the night would be chill for Gyesan. Yet strangely, her heart felt warm.
Samcheon was not merely an attendant providing service. Even calling her family seemed insufficient. How could this bond be defined?
If there existed someone to whom one would gladly give everything without regret, that could only be family.
‘So that’s what Samcheon is to me.’
It was the night Gyesan recognized in her own heart that Samcheon was her only family.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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