Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 184

I was born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine.

Why is *he* here?

More importantly, did he perhaps follow me? I need to be careful.

Even in this situation, Se-hwa, ever the professional, reflexively frowned at Court Lady Song, who had followed the Crown Prince, but quickly gave up. What power did Court Lady Song truly have? When the Crown Prince ran off, she had no choice but to follow.

Those unaware of Se-hwa’s complicated feelings glanced back and forth between her and the man who had suddenly appeared, exuding a strange atmosphere. They asked with bewildered faces, as if a realization had dawned on them.

“Ah, perhaps the doctor’s…”

“Ah, no!”

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

“Oh my…”

Other actors around them smiled slyly, staring at the two. Even the lead actors, injured and unable to stand, were grinning. The sight of people who had been frowning in pain just moments ago now raising the corners of their mouths was infuriating, but unfortunately, they were injured, so I couldn’t bring myself to slap their backs.

The two lead actors exchanged glances and then spoke up. “Then, how about the doctor and this scholar going on together? We’ll just read the lines from behind, and the two of you can simply move your mouths appropriately.”

“That’s right. It’s a bit much to be acting with another man…”

“Thinking about it, the two lead actors don’t have to move much in the last scene!”

“What? Then let’s just splint it first…”

As Se-hwa tried to back away from their suggestion, the two injured actors exaggeratedly clutched their injured areas, a stark contrast to their earlier demeanor.

“Aigo! My leg…!”

“Ah! My ankle…!”

“…”

“…”

The people around them began to encourage them. “Since you’re wearing masks anyway! You just need to change clothes.”

“The sizes seem to match!”

“Even if it’s not a proper stage, I want to at least show you how the story ends. Can’t we?”

It wasn’t easy to refuse when they asked with such hopeful eyes. Besides, apart from the exaggerated acting just now, the two were clearly seriously injured.

The Crown Prince and Se-hwa, looking at each other in embarrassment, ended up nodding with bewildered expressions.

“Thank you!”

“Prepare quickly!”

As soon as permission was granted, people rushed from all directions, dragging Se-hwa and the Crown Prince away.

“Here, here’s a mask.”

“Here, change your clothes over here.”

“?”

“?”

And so, the two ended up standing on a stage they never expected to be on.

The Crown Prince, who had seen the latter part of this play just before, and Se-hwa, who knew the content as a related person, simultaneously realized one fact.

‘Wasn’t the last part mostly about the male and female leads confirming their feelings?’

It had been a while since I came to Siwolgak [a type of traditional Korean theater or entertainment venue], and a familiar play was being performed.

That wasn’t strange. *Flower Shadows and Flower Rain* was one of Siwolgak’s regular repertoires.

However, as much as that was the case, the actors and direction should be familiar to my eyes. For some reason, the performance currently being staged felt very different from the performances I had seen so far.

And as much as that sense of difference, the two lead actors looked very familiar to my eyes.

“…”

I grabbed the Siwolgak child who had guided me to my seat and asked, “Hey, those two lead actors…”

“Ah. It shows, doesn’t it? Actually, there was a bit of an accident earlier, and the lead actors got hurt.”

“Oh? What happened? Were they badly hurt?”

“Fortunately, Doctor Se-hwa was there at the time, so she gave them first aid right away. But the two people who got hurt happened to be the lead actors, so I was wondering if we should stop the performance, but then we found a substitute who could stand on stage.”

“So Se-hwa is over there?”

“…Yes. You recognized her after all.”

No matter how much they wear masks, people who have been watching them for a long time will recognize them. Especially if you hear their voices, you can’t help but know.

“Se-hwa’s voice is surprisingly loud too.”

“Well, at first, the actors were supposed to read the lines from behind, but at some point, it became like that…”

The child avoided my gaze and smiled awkwardly.

I drank the tea that the child brought and looked down at the stage. Still, both of them seemed to know the content well and were continuing the acting without being too awkward… No, isn’t that originally the part where they like each other, no, argue?

‘It looks quite… real?’

“You must think that because you are the Crown Prince, you can treat someone like me easily!”

“When have I ever treated you easily!”

It’s very exciting.

But the real problem right now isn’t Se-hwa, but… the male actor who is Se-hwa’s partner.

‘Crown Prince… what on earth are you doing here?’

The real Crown Prince is acting as the Crown Prince. Even though he’s wearing a mask, I couldn’t do anything but laugh and drink tea at the creation of a dark history of my obvious blood relative.

‘It’s a bit different from the original lines too. Are they really fighting now?’

Surely in the play, the two of them would have an argument like that, confirm their feelings, and then end the story haphazardly without any regard for reality. Not that the original work is like that. The play is a play, so it had to be omitted.

‘Hoo… what on earth are they doing in a place like this.’

If a stranger saw it, they would think it’s a play, but if someone who knows sees it, it’s a love fight that they can’t bear to watch.

“Does it seem like there are some high-ranking people among the guests today?”

“These days, the atmosphere is ominous, so high-ranking people don’t come often.”

Ah, everyone is nervous because of the Yeongcheon-gun rebellion.

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

I’m really seeing all sorts of things…

Perhaps I wasn’t the only one thinking that, as Cheon-ho also asked with a slightly embarrassed face. “…Um, Princess. The two people on stage look somewhat similar to Se-hwa noona [term of endearment for an older sister or female friend] and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Um… you see it that way too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s leave them alone. Most people won’t recognize them anyway.”

“Is it okay, though?”

“Well, it’ll be fine.”

Things like that should originally be accidents that happen when you’re being chased in a historical drama or something. Or is it not?

‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that it’s hazy.’

I heard that Siwolgak has recently had accidents where enthusiastic fans rush onto the stage, making the distance between the stage and the audience even greater. It’s also the cause of today’s sudden accident, but a safe distance seems necessary.

Thanks to that, the distance from the audience seats is far, so unless it’s someone like me or Cheon-ho who has been watching the two of them closely for a long time, they wouldn’t know that the people on stage right now are the Crown Prince and Se-hwa.

“Ask for some more snacks here. This is quite exciting.”

“…Princess.”

“Why.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Cheon-ho has a confused face. Well, the Crown Prince of a country is acting like that, and I’m just leaving him alone and eating snacks, so he must be wondering if this is right.

“I wish Se-hwa had a bit more ambition for power.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell Se-hwa.”

“Yes…”

It seems like the two of them started being siblings after Cheon-ho carried Se-hwa down from Gangwon-do, so it would be troublesome if the wrong words were conveyed and Se-hwa ran away.

‘She’s a precious person who will take over my work.’

Fortunately, whether the pink mood between the two was not my delusion, the two people on stage finally ended their argument and were hugging each other.

“I won’t make you wait long.”

“However, Your Highness…”

And my feelings while eating snacks and listening to those lines are like this.

“I’m fine with doing it tomorrow.”

“Pfft. Cough.”

I clicked my tongue as I watched Cheon-ho, who was timidly drinking tea next to me, choke and cough.

‘It’s really fortunate that they’re wearing masks.’

While the audience on the first floor was applauding the raw love fight and affection of the couple, I was warning Court Lady Song and the guards who had come with the Crown Prince about today’s events.

“Court Lady Song knows that it’s not good for this kind of thing to be known quickly, right?”

“Yes. Princess.”

“If you mess up for no reason, the day we see the great-grandson may be delayed.”

“!”

Great-grandson! The Crown Prince’s son!

That was truly the word that the Crown Prince’s close aides most desperately wanted.

‘I don’t know how far the Crown Prince is thinking.’

And a little later, the Crown Prince and Se-hwa, who had changed into theater costumes, came up to the second floor, feeling awkward and distant.

And I greeted the two with a bright smile. “Hello. Brother~ You were passionate.”

“!”

“!”

Next to Se-hwa, who was frozen and unable to move, the Crown Prince was also red-faced and just moving his mouth. He seems to be aware that he did something embarrassing.

“No, why are you so embarrassed?”

“You, you, do you have to make it obvious?”

“Oh, geez. Should I say I didn’t see what I saw?”

Then who told you to have such a blatant love fight and display of affection in such a public place?

Se-hwa’s face was red as if she was recalling the words she had said on stage, and she was just drinking tea, and the Crown Prince was angry at me with a flushed face, but it wasn’t very threatening.

“Besides, brother, you did this in a store that I’m running, and you expected me not to know?”

“!”

Really? You’re not serious, are you?

Even if I wasn’t here right now because of the place, the two of them’s affairs would have eventually reached my ears.

I elegantly drank tea while scratching the Crown Prince’s insides.

While I was drinking tea, the two of them were silent as if they had committed a crime. I sighed and put down the teacup. Both of them flinched even at that small noise, as if they were reading my mood.

“Let me tell you.”

“…”

“…”

No. It looks like I’m bullying them?

“I don’t oppose the relationship between the two of you, you know?”

“R-really?”

“…”

The Crown Prince’s face brightens, and Se-hwa is silent.