Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 138

Born as the Daughter of a Lowly Concubine 138

“I am merely protecting the child of the person I love.”

I failed to protect.

While I was so far away, that person passed away.

Heo Yeon-tae still stayed by the side of the one he loved, saw their end, and even raised their child to be a great doctor.

“I thought you would laugh at me. This is unexpected……”

How could I laugh at him?

“Watch your mouth. You’ve been hiding it well until now.”

“That’s why I always drank alone.”

In case something that shouldn’t be said might slip out. I drank until I lost consciousness.

No, in truth, I just wanted to escape, to not remember, and kept it buried deep in my heart.

Because I couldn’t tell anyone.

So perhaps that’s why the words came out so easily like this.

More than anything, it felt like this person would understand that feeling.

“But I wanted to protect that child at least……”

As if reading Heo Yeon-tae’s mind, Royal Guard Sung’s thoughts spilled out, mirroring his own.

“If it’s the child of the woman I love, isn’t it the same as my own child?”

“……That’s right!”

Even if we can never meet again.

May the child who resembles that person, the child that person left behind, live happily.

That was the only thing a person left behind could do.

***

‘How much should I tell Her Highness the Princess?’

Heo Yeon-tae seemed relieved to have confessed everything, entrusting his fate to Her Highness the Princess with a lighter face.

He said he would be fine no matter what happened, as long as Sung-ji’s sins were not questioned.

His actions at the time were not incomprehensible.

If you were involved with rebels, it was common to be dragged to the Uigeumbu [a Joseon Dynasty judicial office that handled serious crimes] and subjected to harsh torture, no matter how innocent you were.

Knowing this, he must have wanted to protect someone precious.

‘What will Her Highness the Princess think?’

She probably won’t punish them. She is especially kind to her people, and she has known Doctor Heo Sung-ji for a long time, so she trusts him quite a bit.

Everyone knew that Her Highness the Princess was a merciful person, so I was confident that she would not punish Doctor Heo Sung-ji for a crime he did not commit.

‘However, the things Heo Yeon-tae said…….’

The ominous stories about Yeongbin were too much to even bring up.

The fact that Consort Yun resembled Queen Seonghyeon was the same. What if Her Highness the Princess were to be shocked if she found out?

Sung-yoon, like others who knew even a little about His Majesty the King, thought it was strange that the King, who had not shown much interest in concubines, suddenly brought a court lady into the palace as a concubine.

I heard several people whispering that he already had many concubines and that he wouldn’t do that.

If the reason was that she resembled the beloved Queen, it would be understandable.

But was Consort Yun truly happy?

How could I, a mere secret agent, compare myself to His Majesty the King, who was like the sky…… Could a life where she was not fully loved and even threatened have been happy?

‘She said she wanted to create a family.’

That girl, who had lost her parents and felt lonely among her cold-hearted relatives, had said that.

I should have stayed by her side.

Recalling faint memories from a long time ago, Royal Guard Sung headed to the Princess’s residence.

“Giggle!”

Clear laughter rang out amidst the now familiar scenery. As I approached, I saw Her Highness the Princess clinging to Chunho’s back as he ran.

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Run faster! The cats are following us.”

As Her Highness the Princess said, several small, young-looking cats were following behind Chunho.

Royal Guard Sung had been in and out of the palace for years, so he knew that those cats were His Highness the Crown Prince’s cats without having to confirm it.

The Princess’s court ladies were also laughing and giggling a little further away, finding the sight amusing.

An unexpected peaceful scene brought a smile to Sung-yoon’s face without him realizing it.

‘In the old days, that child also clung to my neck like that.’

A childhood where we were satisfied just by laughing and giggling, without any thoughts.

Although the difference in size wasn’t that great, I remembered carrying that child on my back when she got tired after going to the mountains to find food together, a memory that came to mind after a long time.

It was a beautiful memory, though it had faded a lot and not much remained.

But before I could indulge in the pleasant reminiscence, Royal Guard Sung widened his eyes.

‘No, that guy is being dangerous.’

Chunho was now lifting Her Highness the Princess up and making her hang on his arm, playing dangerously with her.

Fortunately, contrary to his worries, Her Highness the Princess was hanging stably on his arm, but it was unsettling for those watching. However, it was a little surprising that he was so strong despite being young.

Chunho was, in Royal Guard Sung’s view, a talented guy.

He had a natural physique and excellent senses.

Considering that he was still young, he was truly a promising talent.

I don’t know what he was thinking, but he wasn’t thinking about succeeding at a young age and was already sticking close to Her Highness the Princess.

I was wondering if I should avoid breaking the atmosphere by talking to them while they were having fun, so I was hiding in the shadow of the building without realizing it.

Then, a court lady who spotted him first spoke to him.

“Have you arrived?”

“Ah, yes.”

It was Songbi, who served Her Highness the Princess.

In contrast to the slightly cold-looking Gaei, the gentle-looking Songbi rarely left the palace, always staying in her place, even though she served an active mistress.

This was partly because Her Highness the Princess had been taking Soi with her lately, but also because she seemed to be preparing to leave the palace soon, ordering Songbi to teach some of the maids in her residence how to make bread.

Perhaps because of that, Songbi always smelled of savory bread.

But even though they had known each other for quite some time, there was nothing to talk about between them.

Royal Guard Sung pointed to Chunho without thinking and asked.

“I know that guy has been coming and going to Her Highness the Princess’s residence frequently these days, but how is it?”

“His visits have certainly become more frequent recently, but surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be afraid of the palace from the beginning. Because he is so unreserved, Her Highness the Princess seems to be comfortable with him.”

He seemed to be adapting quickly and was sociable.

“Her Highness the Princess was careful when she was with her peers as a child, as if she were taking care of a younger sibling, but now she seems much more comfortable with him.”

“It’s a relief if Her Highness the Princess is not uncomfortable.”

That’s what I said, but to be honest, I had slightly different thoughts.

‘Could that mean she’s treating him carelessly?’

Whether she knew that Royal Guard Sung was thinking differently or not, Songbi asked.

“Are you feeling left out?”

“Yes? No, it’s not that.”

“It’s not that Her Highness the Princess doesn’t rely on Royal Guard Sung. But you have your own duties, don’t you?”

“Haha. But if I quit being a Royal Guard, it would be harder to see Her Highness the Princess, so I can’t quit.”

I answered half-jokingly, half-seriously, when an unexpected question was thrown at me.

“Why did Royal Guard Sung choose to follow Her Highness the Princess instead of His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Yes?”

Songbi’s expression, who was quietly smiling as usual, seemed a little scary today.

“Do you know? Gaei was saved thanks to Her Highness the Princess, and I was originally friends with Her Highness the Princess’s birth mother, Consort Suk-ui.”

“I didn’t know that.”

I wasn’t close enough to the court ladies to have deep conversations. We had to be careful not to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.

“The palace is…… a lonely place. For court ladies like us, it’s lucky if we can serve someone like Her Highness the Princess and live peacefully. But Royal Guards are different from us court ladies who have no choice, aren’t they?”

And with the following words, Royal Guard Sung suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

“I remember the person who came to see Consort Suk-ui when she was still a court lady.”

“!”

“She didn’t have many visitors, so when she said that a relative, her cousin, had come to visit, I checked his face out of curiosity.”

“…….”

Even if I tried to recall the memories of that time, it was so long ago that I couldn’t remember if Songbi was there with me. Maybe Songbi was young back then, so her impression was different from now.

Sung-yoon gave up trying to make excuses and just remained silent. He knew that Songbi was not the kind of person who would cause trouble for Her Highness the Princess.

“Of course, I know that Royal Guard Sung is not that kind of person. However, even if it’s unintentional, you must not put Her Highness the Princess in a difficult situation.”

Court ladies are scary.

Royal Guard Sung realized for the first time that Songbi, who always seemed so friendly, could have such a cold face.

Maybe, if that child hadn’t become a concubine and time had passed, she might have become like this.

It’s just a meaningless assumption.

“I have no intention of causing harm to Her Highness the Princess. I have been away from Hanyang [old name for Seoul] long before Her Highness the Princess was born, and it is not difficult to prove this. There is no need to worry about causing any strange misunderstandings. I just…… want to be of help to Her Highness the Princess in any way I can. I don’t really have anyone I can call family. Really, would you allow me to think of her as a relative…… a blood relative?”

Perhaps those words bothered her, as Songbi brought up an unexpected name.

“……Consort Suk-ui, no, Sia-e unni [term of endearment for older sister or female friend] was.”

“!”

“She was very lonely. She barely made friends after entering the palace and was living her life, but someone shook her up for no reason.”

“…….”

Royal Guard Sung couldn’t help but realize that she was referring to him.

That childhood they had together.

Him telling the girl who told him not to go that he would definitely come back, so don’t worry.

When he said that, Sia-e, who had matured more than he remembered, had a troubled face as if she didn’t expect it.

He wanted to see her smiling face, but he thought he could see it anytime when he returned next time.

He was a secret agent, so if he went to the battlefield and returned with merit, he would be able to get a chance to be with Sia-e.

He heard that the King was a merciful person and had no interest in concubines or court ladies, so he thought he would grant a request that risked his life.

Perhaps his thoughts were not that wrong.

However, he was wrong about the most important thing.

Sung-yoon, who was full of confidence, did not return, and perhaps the remaining colleagues thought he was dead and even conveyed the news to Sia-e.

“And one day, instead of the person I was waiting for, I only heard news that I didn’t want to believe.”