Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 27

As the days grew colder, my sister’s belly grew larger.

“Ooh, it’s moving.”

“Hehe. The baby becomes especially active when you talk to him.”

“Yes, yes, I’m your older sister.”

“We don’t even know if it’s a princess or a prince yet; you’re so impatient.”

“Hehe. Just be born healthy, whichever you are.”

That’s what I said, but for some reason, I felt like the baby in her belly was a boy.

‘Maybe he’ll be born as my younger brother again.’

It might be a baseless hope that my younger brother, who died even earlier than I did from an accident, might be born as my younger brother again.

If he really is reborn, I could treat him better this time.

“The baby is moving again because you called to him.”

“Oh my, be still for a moment. If you bother your mom, your sister will scold you.”

Of course, I’ll make sure to discipline him properly.

As if understanding my words, the baby calmed down, and my sister rubbed her belly and got up from lying down.

“It seems the baby listens well to you, sister.”

“Is it okay for you to move around when your body is so heavy?”

“It’s fine, so you don’t have to worry.”

“The roads will be slippery in winter, so you have to be careful when you go outside.”

“Of course.”

In the palace without a king or crown prince, I was spending leisurely days feeling the baby’s movements.

‘I wonder where the king and crown prince are right now.’

They said they were going to Gangwon Province, right?

Gangwon Province in winter… I should pray it doesn’t snow.

“What brings you here today instead of going outside?”

“I wanted to be with my sister today.”

“Isn’t it because it’s cold?”

“Hehe. Achoo.”

“Are you alright?”

Was it too much to eat cold noodles, a winter delicacy, yesterday, and run around with Grand Prince Yeongwon while eating frozen fruit snacks?

“You’ve been coughing a lot lately. Are you taking your medicine regularly?”

“Um, of course.”

It wasn’t a cold, but I sometimes felt chilly and coughed.

‘I should stay inside and behave for a while.’

Was it because so many people had left for the military exercise? The palace felt emptier than usual.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t the first time this happened, but I didn’t know last year because I was sick with a cold.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t have a very healthy body.’

I sometimes forget, but I’ve been quite sickly since birth.

I seem to have good natural strength, but I also have a lot of minor illnesses.

Thanks to that, I’ve been taking herbal medicine sent from the royal physician since I was young.

I didn’t have a cold yet, but I thought it would be better to keep a distance from pregnant women just in case, so I got up from my languid position.

“Are you going to see Grand Prince Yeongwon again?”

“Yes. I’m going to disturb his studies a bit.”

“Oh my.”

Leaving my sister giggling behind me, I went outside, and the maids hurriedly came and wrapped me up in clothes.

It seemed a bit excessive, but since they were the ones who would be blamed if I got sick, I decided to accept it willingly.

“Are you going to see Grand Prince Yeongwon?”

“Yeah.”

Recently, I had been making it my business to disturb Grand Prince Yeongwon’s studies with the Queen’s full support, so the maids naturally nodded.

As I walked, a white afterimage brushed past my eyes.

“Ah, it’s snowing.”

“It seems to be frequent lately.”

“That’s worrying.”

I should be used to living without weather forecasts or cell phones.

Gangwon Province, which used to be a day’s journey away, felt so far.

***

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

The Crown Prince, who was checking the bird he had shot down with his arrow, wiped the blood from his face and clothes by the stream with a few guards, thanks to the bird’s last struggle. Although the water hadn’t frozen yet, the winter stream water was literally ice-cold, and just wiping his face made his whole body shiver.

Of course, it was not a big problem compared to the embarrassment of showing that he was shaken by a mere bird, not a wild boar.

It would have been easier if it had just died from the arrow at once.

In the end, the memory of having to cut off the animal’s breath with his own hands came to mind, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

The guards next to him reached out to help, but he couldn’t borrow their hands.

The bird caught today would be sent to Hanyang [the capital city] and used to perform a sacrifice at the Jongmyo Shrine [a royal ancestral shrine].

It was a life he had taken.

If the revenge was just splashing blood on his body, it was worth enduring.

“Looking at the sky, it looks like it’s going to snow.”

“We’ll be descending the mountain soon today, so it’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t block the road.”

“His Majesty won’t stop the military exercise with just a bit of rain or snow.”

“His Majesty enjoys hunting, so he must want to enjoy the long-awaited sense of liberation. I wish I was more like His Majesty.”

Although the snow hadn’t accumulated yet, the scenery of the winter mountain, full of fallen leaves, was still bleak.

He thought it would be okay since it was early winter, but looking at the sky, it seemed like it would snow early this year.

Maybe it’s snowing in Hanyang too.

The young princes would be happy to run around when it snows, but he was worried they might catch a cold.

Thinking of his younger siblings, whom he missed even more because he wasn’t with them, warmed his empty heart.

The military exercise was attended not only by military officials but also by members of the royal family, so it was full of people he knew, but he didn’t know why he felt so desolate.

He thought that he might not feel this way when Grand Prince Yeongwon grew up and joined the military exercise, and took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his arms.

Yeon Seon-o, the left Sima [a military rank] who was still guarding the Crown Prince’s side, shook his head as if he was tired of the sight.

“Are you looking at it again?”

“Yes. I haven’t been away for that long, but for some reason, I keep wanting to see them.”

The unfolded paper contained a picture of Grand Prince Yeongwon and Sia playing with a cat.

He had been too busy to visit his younger siblings for a while, and he felt wronged when he saw how much they had grown in the meantime, so he often called a painter to draw his younger siblings.

Children grow up so quickly, so if he didn’t leave them like this, he wouldn’t be able to see their current 모습 [moseup – appearance/figure] soon.

“The skill is truly excellent. Even though it’s a small painting, the children’s expressions are immediately apparent.”

“Considering the rewards Your Highness bestows, even non-existent skills would be demonstrated.”

The other guards around him frowned at his indifferent reply, but the parties involved didn’t care much.

Yeon Seon-o, the Jwasema [Junior 9th rank official] of the Crown Prince’s Guard (世子翊衛司) [a military unit often composed of elite children], was a martial arts officer personally selected by the Crown Prince based solely on his skills.

His expression, which rarely wavered in ordinary situations, hardened when everyone else was relieved after finishing the hunting game.

A chilling scream that made his legs tremble was heard from afar.

“Eheuheung-”

“Your Highness.”

“It would be best to return quickly.”

It would be different if it were daylight, but it was already sunset. Moreover, everyone was exhausted from the day-long military exercise.

And just then, an unwelcome white substance began to fall from the sky.

“Even snow on top of that…….”

“Please don’t worry too much. Isn’t the Jwasema here from the Tiger Hunters (捉虎甲士) [a kind of special forces unit for tiger hunting]?”

“Hahahaha.”

Everyone was trying to laugh it off, but Jwasema Yeon Seon-o’s face was not so bright.

Whether he was a Tiger Hunter or not, if he had to fight a tiger while protecting the Crown Prince, he couldn’t guarantee that both of them would be safe.

Moreover, since there were even members of the Royal Guard with a severe lack of practical experience, it was impossible to know whether they would be helpful or a hindrance in an emergency.

“The sound is quite close. Please hurry.”

“Let’s go.”

If a tiger was nearby, it was extremely dangerous to be separated from the group with such a small number of people, as they were now.

The group quickly mounted their horses and spurred them on to rejoin the main party.

However, the snow was falling harder and harder.

***

“You’ve come again.”

“You’ve come again, Your Highness.”

Grand Prince Yeongwon and his tutors were no longer surprised when I came.

“I even have a bribe today.”

“Hahaha. What kind of bribe would a Princess bring…… Huh, could this be what I’ve only heard about?”

Those who were laughing, wondering what kind of bribe a six-year-old would bring when visiting her brother, all changed their expressions when they saw the castella [a type of sponge cake] I held out.

“Take it and share it with your wife and children.”

“I am deeply grateful, Princess.”

The stern-faced man (I think he told me his name, but there were so many teachers that I got confused and just forgot) who had been teaching diligently tried to calm his beaming face and carefully packed the 찬합 [chanhap – a traditional Korean food box] containing the castella.

‘When I gave it to the King and Crown Prince before they left for the military exercise, telling them to eat it when they were hungry, everyone around them looked envious.’

No one dislikes delicious things.

The Crown Prince, who had entrusted the castella I gave him to a eunuch, also took out a ring from his pocket and gave it to me.

‘This is something precious that I received from Father, so could Sia keep it until her brother returns?’

‘Your Highness, this is perhaps…….’

‘Yes. It’s the ring you mentioned before. I received it from Father. I’ll buy you something better when I return, so please keep it until then.’

‘Okay.’

He must have received a token of his parents’ affection from the King after hearing the story I told him before.

No matter what, the child the King loved the most was still the Crown Prince.

Aside from the King’s affection for me, it was clear from the sidelines that he had great affection for the Crown Prince.

Perhaps that was also the affection for the Crown Prince’s late mother.

Unlike me, who could think a little coldly because my previous life’s father was separate, the other concubines and princes who desired affection probably realized that fact earlier and were tormented.

‘Still, it’s good if the father and son have a good relationship.’

Looking at history, there were cases where the King and Crown Prince were wary of each other or were at odds.

For a powerless princess like me to have a peaceful palace life, this peaceful mood was very welcome.

‘취영당 [Chwiyeongdang – a residence within the palace] will be against it, though.’

A few days before leaving for the military exercise, the Crown Prince visited 취영당 [Chwiyeongdang – a residence] with the castella I had made, as he had said.

However, the Crown Prince’s expression was not good when he came out of 취영당 [Chwiyeongdang – a residence] a long time later.

I was a little worried and went nearby, and I could hear loud noises from inside, so I didn’t want to imagine what kind of atrocities had been committed.

‘Were you bullied again?’

‘Oh, Sia was waiting for her brother.’

‘It’s a waste to give it to such bad people, so don’t give it to them in the future.’

‘Okay, I understand. I won’t give it to anyone else in the future and will only let my brother eat it.’

The Crown Prince, who said that, was exhausted, but still had a somewhat relieved expression.

‘I think I heard the Crown Prince’s voice inside 취영당 [Chwiyeongdang – a residence] at that time, so did they fight?’

To make such a gentle person angry, they must have been truly impossible people.

It’s a good thing that the Crown Prince won’t visit them anymore.

I smiled contentedly and took classes with Grand Prince Yeongwon.

Together.

“Oh, so the rebellion failed.”

“That’s right. The Princess is truly interested in history.”

“It’s fun.”

Grand Prince Yeongwon, who saw our friendly selves, frowned and asked.

“Weren’t you here to interfere?”

“Yeah. Interference.”

Saying that, I carelessly touched the book spread out in front of Grand Prince Yeongwon.

“…….”

“Now, let’s continue.”

I urged the class on, not caring about Grand Prince Yeongwon, who was dumbfounded.

It was a very beneficial time because I could learn about how this world was set up under the pretext of Grand Prince Yeongwon’s class.

This place was Joseon, the same country name as the Joseon I knew, but it was a slightly different country.

Moreover, the country next to it was not Ming (明) or Qing (淸), but Qi (齊). I was very curious about what happened in that neighborhood. Is it a world where Zhu Yuanzhang wasn’t born?

In this Joseon, Yi Seong-gye was not the founder at all.

‘But the surname is still Yi (李).’

There was no Taejo Yi Seong-gye, no Taejong Yi Bang-won, no Sejong Yi Do, and of course, no Danjong or Sejo.

‘Even the 계유정난 (癸酉靖難) [an event caused by Grand Prince Suyang to seize power, later leading to the deposition of Danjong and Suyang’s ascension to the throne] and similar events occurred, but I like that it’s a world where they ultimately failed.’

No Sejo in my ancestry!

Grand Prince Yeongwon also focused on the class while looking at me with bitter eyes.

In fact, these kids don’t stop studying just because you interfere with them.

So, it was better to let them listen to the class well and interfere with them by asking them to play after class.

Wouldn’t that be more justified?

Besides, Grand Prince Yeongwon will be participating in the military exercise in a few years, so I should play with him now.

‘I think there are about two months left until 산달 [sandal – the expected due date]. Next year, even if the Crown Prince and Grand Prince Yeongwon are not there, there will be a baby, so it won’t be boring.’

I had made such plans, but that day the snow was heavier than expected, so instead of going out to play after class, I had to return to my residence as it was.

And a little later, an express messenger arrived, leaving footprints on the white snow, delivering urgent news from Gangwon-do.