Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 89

The place where I heard these unexpected words was the Queen’s residence.

“There’s a widespread rumor that you called courtesans to Siyoung Garden to ‘play around.’ What’s the story behind that?”

“It wasn’t intentional, and it happened by chance. If I had to put it a certain way, it was a small celebration for those who were working hard. But how did the rumors spread so quickly?”

Summoned suddenly and hearing these unexpected words from the Crown Prince, I frowned.

I understood that this gathering was originally for the royal family to greet the Queen and discuss potential marriages for their daughters, so I wondered why this story came up and why I was summoned. Frankly, I wasn’t in a good mood.

“Rumor has it that people who saw the courtesans, who were supposedly going on a picnic to the Han River, entering Siyoung Garden followed them and watched over the wall. Did you order that?”

“Of course. I was the one who took them there.”

“You did?”

The Crown Prince also frowned.

Everyone’s expression wasn’t good, perhaps because they couldn’t imagine that I would take the courtesans there myself.

But unlike the Crown Prince, I was still young and a girl. It wouldn’t lead to a scandal, so I thought it would be better to be honest rather than trying to hide it clumsily.

The Crown Prince seemed to think so too, as he tried to manage his expression and continued speaking.

“I didn’t know you were interested in such things.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m particularly interested. In fact, I don’t know it well enough to know if I like it or dislike it.”

The Queen interjected at my words.

“The Princess is young and has a delicate constitution, so she probably hasn’t seen a proper court banquet and might find it fascinating.”

Whatever mistake I made, her words contained the meaning of shielding me, saying, ‘She’s young and her body is weak, so that’s why!’ The Crown Prince didn’t seem to want to press me further and gave me a light scolding.

“Yes, you may be curious, but it’s best to refrain from causing unnecessary talk during the Grand Queen Dowager’s mourning period.”

“I apologize for causing concern. I didn’t originally intend to do that either. That day, I happened to run into the courtesans and took them there to compensate them for the financial losses they seemed to have suffered because of me. How would I know where the courtesans were and summon them?”

The Queen and the Crown Prince nodded as if they thought my words made sense.

Since they were people who would naturally favor me in such matters, I decided to add an excuse.

“The people in Siyoung Garden, both the children and the workers, all trust in me, the Princess, and have been working hard for several years. All I can give them is a house to escape the wind and rain, and some small help like a little grain and clothing. Moreover, the children are all studying and working together under my instructions, and those who teach them must be tired, so I thought it would be good to have a day to let them relax sometimes.”

“You still have a silver tongue.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to give the young Princess some praise sometimes, Crown Prince? She has a good heart.”

As the Queen smiled kindly and shielded me, the Crown Prince grumbled lightly.

“Mother, you’re too lenient with Sia.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Crown Prince.”

As the mother and son were laughing and chatting, an unfamiliar voice interjected.

“The Princess is so bright and pleases the Queen and the Crown Prince, so we are all happy.”

He speaks well.

The royal relative, Lord Yeongcheon, who was making such a playful remark, was the one who brought up my story.

His older brother, Lord Hwacheon, was giving his younger brother a look, but the person in question had a brazen face.

The reason why the royal relatives were gathered in the Queen’s residence was to discuss the marriage of Lord Hwacheon’s daughter, Songan.

She was of marriageable age, and there were talks of marriage with a certain family, but it seemed that they were wary of the royal family because of the Grand Queen Dowager’s mourning period, so the Queen created a place for them to discuss it.

Lord Hwacheon and Lord Yeongcheon were among the closer royal relatives.

There were so many royal relatives that I couldn’t remember them all, but I knew the faces and titles of the royal family members within the eighth degree of kinship who came to greet me.

It was too confusing to think about their children.

Anyway, the story about the marriage was already mostly settled with the other family, but they still came here to subtly say, ‘So-and-so’s son from such-and-such family is said to be good, and our daughter is of marriageable age and the right age, and well, that’s that. Oh, well, that’s what I’m saying,’ while trying to gauge the situation and ask for permission.

If there was anything they knew about that family, they would subtly share it, and if there were no major flaws, the higher-ups would say, ‘How about we arrange the marriage between the two families?’ and it would go well.

Perhaps they were having small talk before getting to the main point when my story came up, and I was immediately summoned for an explanation.

Since I came all the way here, it would seem like I was appealing in a bad way if I went back to my residence, and I couldn’t just get up and leave when my relatives were here, so I ended up having to sit here.

“You made unnecessary remarks and made the Princess apologize.”

“Ah, please don’t do that, brother. I’m sorry, Princess.”

Lord Hwacheon, who couldn’t stand it, scolded his younger brother, Lord Yeongcheon, who had spread the rumors about Siyoung Garden, so I decided to just laugh it off.

In fact, Lord Yeongcheon was also the one who caused the disturbance by talking about the confectionery to the Grand Queen Dowager, so I wondered if he did it on purpose.

‘If I call courtesans to play during my grandmother’s mourning period, what will I become?’

Although there were some conflicts while she was alive, I almost became a truly unfilial granddaughter.

Knowing that fact well, his children, who had come to the royal palace with their father after a long time, didn’t know what to do.

In particular, Songan, Lord Hwacheon’s daughter, was someone I didn’t see often and couldn’t say I knew well, but she had been blushing and embarrassed since I came in.

Even though they were royal relatives’ children, they weren’t much different from other children of that age, and they were quite lively when they gathered together, but she was the quietest and most demure of them all.

‘She should marry into a good family.’

People were worried when someone was too innocent.

After some casual talk, the story slowly moved on to the main point.

“Are you talking about the grandson of Lord Kim Jubo, who served as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?”

“He hasn’t taken the civil service examination yet, so he hasn’t entered government service, but I heard he is a talented person with literary talent.”

While the adults were laughing and chatting about the prospective groom’s background, I, who was quietly eating *yakgwa* [Korean honey cookie] and drinking *sikhye* [sweet rice beverage] that had been placed in front of me, almost spat out the *sikhye* I was drinking when I heard a familiar name and official title.

“Cough.”

The Crown Prince, who was next to me, looked at me with a pathetic expression and quietly clicked his tongue.

That’s not it, you idiot.

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

“What is it, Princess?”

“May I ask about the family that Songan is talking about marrying into?”

The Crown Prince was flustered when I boldly interrupted the adults’ conversation and asked.

“Why do you ask?”

“Perhaps it’s someone I’ve seen before.”

“Where would the Princess have…”

The Queen, who had said that far, frowned as if she was thinking about the few possibilities that I had encountered a man from outside the palace.

And the royal relatives, who couldn’t possibly know the situation well, once again recited the other man’s background.

“He is the grandson of Lord Kim Jubo, who was the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the second son of the Second Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel.”

“Does the Princess perhaps know something?”

“…I’ve heard of him. That is…”

I glanced at the Queen’s expression.

The Queen also asked me with a puzzled look.

“What’s going on, Princess?”

“Princess, please tell us honestly.”

Lord Hwacheon asked more actively because it was a matter involving his daughter’s marriage.

“Actually…”

If I don’t say it, she’ll definitely suffer after the marriage.

‘And if it’s known that I said it, I’ll be resented.’

If either way leads to resentment, shouldn’t the innocent one avoid harm?

“Your Majesty the Queen knows that I wanted to see the outside world a while ago, so I got permission from my father and went out for a while.”

“I know, Princess.”

“When I went out, I wanted to bring snacks, so I secretly went to Siyoung Garden with the palace servants.”

“I also heard that you were late returning to the palace that day and stopped by Siyoung Garden. Mother.”

The Crown Prince subtly shielded me. And added.

“By the way, wasn’t that the day you called the courtesans to Siyoung Garden?”

That’s right. The day I went outside the palace with the King’s permission.

“Yes, that day, on the way to Siyoung Garden, I saw a group of Confucian scholars going on a boat trip with courtesans. They were, I am ashamed to say, harassing a courtesan they didn’t like in the middle of the day.”

“How could the descendants of noble families do such a thing?”

The Crown Prince frowned.

And if the story comes this far, there’s no way they wouldn’t know why I brought up this story.

Silence filled the room, and the sound of dry swallowing could be heard here and there.

But I can’t stop talking here.

“The courtesan was trembling and telling them to stop in a voice full of fear, but the Confucian scholars were laughing and enjoying it. Unable to watch, I stopped them, saying, ‘How can you do such a thing in broad daylight?’ and when I approached, they told me not to interfere in adults’ affairs…”

Here, I should also tremble a little as if I’m scared.

“Still, feeling sorry for the crying courtesan, I stood in their way until the end, and they said their grandfather’s and father’s official titles, asking how I dared to stand in their way. I couldn’t reveal that I was a Princess, so I stood still, and they got angry, saying something I didn’t understand…”

“Did he dare to threaten you?”

As the Crown Prince’s aura became fierce, I shook my head.

“Fortunately, Seong Gyeom-sabok was with me and told them to stop, and the people around me also told them not to do that to a child, so they backed down.”

“Who dares to threaten the Princess in this Joseon land?”

“How would they know if I didn’t reveal that I was a Princess?”

“But how can we call someone who threatens such a young child a scholar?”

That’s right.

The Crown Prince, who had been suppressing his anger for a while, opened his mouth again.

“Is it related to this that you called the courtesans and held a party?”

“Because I ruined their fun, the Confucian scholars said they would stop the boat trip and all left, so wouldn’t the courtesans and servants all be in a state of dismay?”

“…You even did such a thing.”

He must have known that there were talks of marriage. Not only did he go out to play with courtesans, but he also harassed a courtesan in broad daylight, threatened a child who was stopping him, and even acted like a jerk. The faces of those who had been praising the prospective groom until just now turned gloomy.

“Since everyone looked disappointed, I took the courtesans to Siyoung Garden, promising to give them *jeondu* [coin-shaped pancakes] instead, as it was also my responsibility.”

“That’s what happened.”

“Fortunately, everyone was happy that they could all have fun.”

Smiling with a pleased face, I soon lowered my eyes and pretended to be scared.

“But in fact, I’m scared when I think about that day… How could I have imagined that there would be someone who would yell at me like that, a girl who grew up so preciously in the palace? Surely not all the Confucian scholars are people who torment children like that, right?”

“Ahem. Such a thing will never happen again.”

“And I’ve been anxious since a while ago, but could it be that the person Songan is going to marry is that Confucian scholar from that time?”

At my question, which was disguised as innocence, the room was filled with silence.