Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 7

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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 Seven
Samcheon achieved her first operational goal for Mokseo Palace in a single day.
The moment morning arrived, Palace Maids from Yeonhwa Palace swept in. They set down a wooden trunk they’d brought without warning and showed her what was inside.
“It’s three times the Personal Allowance you’ve been receiving.”
The trunk, which two men had barely managed to carry, was packed full of Gold Pieces of uniform size. Three times—Samcheon’s heart began racing.
“I’ll count it for you.”
“If there’s any shortage, you’re welcome to come to Yeonhwa Palace.”
The Palace Maids from Yeonhwa who’d confirmed the trunk left without so much as a goodbye, rushing away.
Hearing the commotion, Gyesan emerged from the inner quarters, scratching her disheveled hair.
“What’s going on?”
Samcheon spoke, looking down at the trunk sitting alone.
“They returned the Personal Allowance. Three times over.”
“So we can eat meat side dishes every day now?”
“I think we could manage three square meals a day.”
Gyesan showed interest and came over to check inside the trunk.
Her eyes widened at the quantity, far more than she’d expected.
“Are we rich now?”
“It seems that way.”
“We’re rich!”
Grinning widely, Gyesan grabbed a handful of Gold Pieces with her small hands. Then, with a triumphant expression, she turned back to Samcheon.
“Hold out your hand.”
Without thinking, Samcheon extended her palm, and Gold Pieces showered down onto it. She stared blankly at the glittering pieces in her hand.
Real gold.
Gyesan gathered another handful and placed it in Samcheon’s palm. Samcheon received it with both hands and waited for instructions.
“You take it.”
For a moment, Samcheon’s eyes flashed.
“Really? This is mine now?”
“Yes. It’s yours.”
The moment permission was granted, Samcheon clenched her fist tightly.
“Thank you.”
It was the first gold she’d ever owned. Samcheon felt so pleased she giggled, and Gyesan found it so charming she laughed along.
When mealtime came, the Palace Maids sent by the Lady of High Rank prepared their meal. She’d said she would provide simple meals until Deuksim entered the palace, yet an elaborate spread filled the table.
Not only Gyesan but Samcheon too was given meat side dishes. Having eaten no meat in half a year, she chewed carefully to savor each bite.
The moment Samcheon set down her spoon after eating her fill, she felt a strange unease.
The back of her head felt cold and her nose tickled, as though she might sneeze.
Everything had gone so smoothly it seemed to erase all her suffering from more than half a year of hardship.
‘Something feels off.’
When she looked up at the sky, sunlight stabbed her eyes. That too felt somehow wrong.
‘I should be careful today.’
Having made her decision, Samcheon did not leave Mokseo Palace.
As an uneventful day passed and she began to think everything had been mere worry, evening meal arrived. After eating her fill, Samcheon noticed water had dripped from the Water Bucket.
“I’ll fetch water.”
This would be the last time she fetched water. Once Palace Outer Staff were assigned tomorrow, chores like this would be a thing of the past.
Samcheon left Mokseo Palace with the Water Bucket in hand, moving briskly, when she sensed a strange presence and turned her head. A figure was suddenly there behind her, snatching the Water Bucket away.
“What in the—”
Before she could protest, a Blanket was thrown over her head.
Samcheon was seized and dragged away by someone.
Everything went dark. The room they dragged her to was dim enough on its own, but with the Blanket covering her head, she couldn’t see a thing. From the tension, it felt like her breath was catching in her throat.
“You haven’t properly attended to the princess. Because of your failure, the Secondary Consort has fallen into a difficult position.”
The voice wasn’t unfamiliar.
There was no twist to the revelation. Those who’d dragged her here were Palace Maids from Yeonhwa Palace. A rough hand pressed hard into Samcheon’s shoulder.
‘Now I understand why I felt so uneasy.’
The source of her dread had finally revealed itself. The problem was she hadn’t expected to be dragged away so helplessly. Here, there wasn’t even a single shield to protect her.
With the Blanket over her, they wouldn’t be letting her go gently—if this played out badly, she could die and no one would ever know. As that thought took hold, fear began to strangle her throat.
A suppressed voice came from behind her.
“Honghwa had both her legs broken and was cast out.”
Samcheon’s body trembled beneath the Blanket.
As a commoner, Honghwa would have no way to mend her legs—she’d spend the rest of her life unable to walk. The one who gave the order, Hae, lived comfortably and well, while only Honghwa, who followed the command, suffered a terrible fate.
Then someone tapped Samcheon’s head.
“It’s your fault! Beg for forgiveness!”
Samcheon felt sorry for Honghwa too. Even toward someone she disliked, she would never wish for them to lose the ability to walk.
But this wasn’t her fault. They were being unreasonable.
Anger burned in her chest, but she pressed her lips together, deciding it was better not to talk back. Yet—
‘Do they really think keeping quiet will make them let me go gently?’
Did they not understand how unjust this was?
Of course they did. They couldn’t direct their resentment at their master, so they wanted to vent their frustration on someone weaker.
Someone kicked Samcheon. Wrapped in the Blanket, she tumbled to the ground and landed hard on her tailbone. Pain shot through her spine.
With eyes wide open beneath the Blanket, Samcheon answered in a suppressed voice.
“If you have a mind, you’d know this isn’t my fault.”
“Do you think we’re a joke? How dare you flap your mouth.”
“You just wanted to vent anyway. Do whatever you want.”
She’d done it.
As if her words rang true, sounds of irritation came from all sides.
“What is this?”
“Fine then. Let’s give her what she’s asking for.”
As several voices overlapped, kicks began raining down.
Samcheon curled her body into a ball and wrapped her arms around her head.
The Blanket wouldn’t make it hurt less—it was there only to soothe their hollow consciences.
Even as pain wracked her body, Samcheon didn’t let out a single scream. It was the only resistance she had.
As consciousness began to slip away under the relentless assault—
“Hey, don’t kill her.”
The kicks faltered, then stopped.
“Stubborn thing.”
She heard the sound of people shuffling out. One of them even spat.
After the door closed, silence settled over the room.
Samcheon couldn’t rise even after all the sounds had faded. Not from caution—her body simply had no strength left.
It hurt.
Her entire body burned as though aflame. Only the cold seeping up from the wooden floor kept her conscious. Blood dripped from her nose, her face smeared with it, but she lacked the strength to wipe it away.
Lying in the darkness, a face she’d nearly forgotten surfaced in her mind.
‘Mother.’
Before closing her eyes for the last time, her mother had gripped Samcheon’s hand tightly and made her a promise.
‘Eat well, sleep well, laugh often—then you can become happy. Do you understand?’
Perhaps her mother had worried not about hunger, sleeplessness, and unhappiness, but about something worse.
But for now, it’s all right. Since entering the palace and serving Gyesan as my master, I’ve been able to laugh often.
So I will become happy. Surely.
When her teeth began chattering from the cold, she forced herself up.
“Ugh.”
Every part of her ached, but she had to hurry back to Mokseo Palace.
‘If I’m too late, she’ll worry.’
She managed to unwrap the Blanket from around her body and wiped her surely battered face with her hands.
Barely standing, Samcheon looked around the dim room.

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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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