Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 8

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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 Eight
“……My water bucket.”
No matter how thoroughly she searched the surroundings, the water bucket was nowhere to be found. The other buckets were too large to carry easily.
“Thieves, that’s what they are……. As if we had anything to spare.”
Muttering her frustration, she wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and half-dried blood smeared across her fingers. She’d need to wash up as soon as she got back.
Samcheon turned her steps toward Mokseo Palace.
Midway there came an urge to lie down again, but she pushed through it. Just as dizziness began to overtake her, the eaves of Mokseo Palace appeared in the distance.
Relief washed over her at the thought that she’d made it—until a figure crouched by the door caught her eye.
‘Your Highness?’
It was Gyesan.
The moment Gyesan spotted her, he leapt to his feet and rushed toward her.
“Samcheon!”
Gyesan’s face twisted.
Samcheon meant to ask what had happened, why he was out here, but her vision blurred, and she crumpled where she stood.
The first thing Samcheon saw when she came to was Gyesan’s puffy, swollen eyes.
“Your Highness, why…….”
Your eyes are so swollen.
She wanted to say it, but her voice came out hoarse and broken, and the sentence died unfinished.
Why is my voice like this? She tried to bring her hand to her throat, but her arm wouldn’t move properly.
‘Ah, I was beaten.’
Only then did worry begin to creep in—what if something was broken?
Every joint in her body throbbed in protest. Nausea rose up her throat, and Samcheon drew a shaky breath to calm herself.
“Samcheon…….”
Gyesan’s voice broke, and he began to cry.
“I’m fine now.”
The moment she managed to answer, she saw the ceiling reflected over Gyesan’s shoulder.
He must have gone to great effort to move her here. Our prince certainly has strength.
“Thank you for carrying me inside.”
If she had remained lying on the ground, her mouth might have been twisted permanently.
“Don’t die.”
“I won’t.”
She tried to brush it off with a bitter smile, but then their eyes met. The deep fear in his gaze swallowed her whole.
“You’re all I have left. Don’t leave me—don’t die.”
Startled by the urgency in his voice, Samcheon spoke quickly.
“I’ll live a long and healthy life. I’ll live longer than you, Your Highness.”
“Promise me.”
“Yes. And besides, I’m not all you have left. Mokseo Palace is yours, and now you have the Gold Box too.”
“Can those things compare to you?”
Gyesan began to protest indignantly, but ultimately his anger gave way to tears.
“I really do hate you.”
“Don’t cry, please. I’m truly all right.”
“Do you have any idea how terrible you look?”
“You don’t look great either. Your eyes are all swollen.”
“I know.”
Displeased with her remark, Gyesan’s lips pouted out.
There was something endearing about it, and Samcheon found herself laughing.
Every part of her body ached, and she could barely move a finger, yet her heart felt warm. Gyesan’s swollen eyes seemed to be telling her that she mattered to him.
If she said she was happy that he’d cried for her, he would probably get angry again.
“You can hate me all you like. I’m staying right by your side, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do as you please.”
“Yes!”
Now, though—had something broken? Samcheon carefully lifted her arm to test it.
It hurt, but it moved.
Oh, thank goodness—her legs had strength in them too.
As she checked herself over for injuries, Samcheon noticed something strange. The blanket was far too soft. The bed seemed quite wide as well.
Could this be the Inner Chamber?
‘Good heavens.’
She was lying in Gyesan’s own bed. Cold sweat rolled down her spine.
She tried to sit up urgently, but Gyesan stopped her with his hand.
“Don’t move. You need more rest.”
Samcheon lay back down despite herself, looking up at Gyesan with beseeching eyes.
“I’ll go rest in my own room.”
“No. I cannot permit it. But tell me—who was it? If you don’t remember their name, describe them. It was someone from Yeonhwa Palace, wasn’t it?”
Gyesan opened his eyes wide with the determination of one who meant to take revenge. He didn’t seem to realize that his naturally gentle eyes, swollen as they were, merely looked endearing.
Samcheon’s brows fell slightly.
“They threw a blanket over me and beat me. It was wrong of them.”
“I won’t let them get away with this.”
Simply being in the presence of Gyesan’s fierce determination slowly melted the knot in her chest.
“It was too dark, and everything happened so fast—I couldn’t see who they were. It’s frustrating.”
If Gyesan acted now, the matter would escalate.
Baek-ssi was not an opponent to be taken lightly. Samcheon wanted to get past this without cornering Baek-ssi, but Gyesan would not back down.
“It’s fine—just tell me who it was.”
Samcheon recalled the rain of kicks and opened her mouth.
“I really couldn’t see. If I knew, you would have given them a thrashing already—it’s a shame I couldn’t.”
Realizing that Samcheon wouldn’t tell him, Gyesan’s shoulders sagged.
“I should have protected you.”
“You’re still young, Your Highness. When you’ve grown a bit more, then you can protect me.”
“Don’t talk like an old soul. You and I are the same age.”
Samcheon smiled warmly at her kind master.
Then, from beyond the Inner Chamber, unexpected footsteps sounded.
“What is this? I called—why isn’t anyone coming out?”
Gyesan and Samcheon exchanged glances.
The familiar voice of the uninvited guest burst through the Inner Chamber’s door without asking leave. The newcomer spotted the two of them and stopped short.
The intruder looked between their faces, then burst out laughing.
“What a sight! One with goldfish eyes and the other with a black eye to match. And what’s wrong with Samcheon’s cheek? Did you hit her?”
Startled by the sudden visitor, Gyesan scrambled down from the bed.
“Weren’t you supposed to be at Ungjin Fortress?”
“What kind of question is that to ask your brother? My elder brother stayed behind—only Mother and I came back.”
Samcheon’s lips parted slightly as she recognized the beautiful face of the visitor.
The second son of the Concubine Baek-ssi—the thirtieth prince, Hui.
The lawless troublemaker had returned after a year away.
“Hey—did you beat Samcheon?”
Hui grabbed a passing palace maid in a casual manner and questioned her. Watching closely to see what Hui was doing, Gyesan immediately followed suit.
“Was it you?”
The palace maid who received questions from both bowed respectfully and answered.
“I do not know who Samcheon is, but I have done no such thing.”
“Are you sure? Samcheon, a Palace Maid of Mokseo Palace.”
The palace maid recalled a young maid with round, bright eyes.
“It seems something has happened to that maid.”
“She was beaten black and blue.”
From Hui’s words, the palace maid understood the situation.
Nine times out of ten, it was entangled with Yeonhwa Palace. The problem was that Yeonhwa Palace’s influence was considerable. Knowing better than to risk trouble, the maid held her tongue.
“I regret to say I have no information on this matter.”
“Fine. You can go.”
Hui let the palace maid pass.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The maid who had nearly been interrogated longer fled as if her life depended on it.
But this was only the beginning. Every time a palace maid passed, Hui would block her path and demand, “Was it you?” as if they were under suspicion. Especially persistent was he with any maid who emerged from Yeonhwa Palace.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You hit Samcheon, didn’t you? Huh? Did your eyes just dart away? So it was you!”
“Brother Hui, I think we’ve got the right one.”
With Gyesan joining in, the palace maid went pale as a sheet and prostrated herself.
“No, I swear it wasn’t me.”
Though the maid denied it with a desperate expression, Hui was not someone reason would reach.
“What do you mean, no? I can see it in your face—you did it. What kind of person beats a tiny thing like her? Where do you get off pretending to be wronged?”
“It truly wasn’t me. I am innocent. Please believe me.”
Terrified, the maid couldn’t even lift her head as she pleaded.
“If it wasn’t you, then who? Give me three names and I’ll let you go. It wasn’t done by just one person. There’s no way a single person could have beaten a child into such a pulp.”
She bowed her head begging for forgiveness, but had to endure a prolonged barrage of accusations—”I’m sure it was you”—until she was on the verge of tears. The moment Hui said, “Go on, get out of here,” she fled back to Yeonhwa Palace as if pursued.
Watching from the side, Gyesan felt as though a long-standing weight had been lifted from his chest.
“Brother Hui, you’re amazing. If you keep investigating like this, we’ll find out who beat Samcheon.”
Hui, arms folded and a twisted smile on his face, spoke.
“I won’t find out.”

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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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