Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 195

Of course, even if he’s smart, passing the civil service exam is another matter entirely.

Then, the child said something unexpected.

“I like studying… but everyone else is working, so I can’t just comfortably study alone.”

“Hmm.”

Unexpected.

‘He has a sense of shame.’

This is the age when he could easily think he deserves special treatment because he’s smart and bright.

In fact, the problem with those who only study, pass the exam, and become officials is that they often lack a sense of shame.

If they pass the exam thanks to the support of those around them, they start thinking they’re great and ignore the people who helped them.

At least they do that after passing, but even just preparing for the exam, they want to be treated like they’re something special.

‘Is it that studying too much makes you lack empathy?’

In Siyoungwon, there were few classes where you only focused on one thing.

You learn martial arts little by little for physical training, learn enough writing to read Chinese characters, learn calculation methods, learn how to gather from the mountains, learn how to cook, learn other household skills, and if there’s an opportunity, you help with work from a young age.

You never know what specific talents someone might have, but they were also necessary skills for living.

The field currently recognized as dedicating the most time to studying is medicine.

Because the children couldn’t think about the civil service exam yet.

‘They say it’s as hard as a camel passing through the eye of a needle [an extremely difficult task].’

This child probably knows that too. That’s why he’s saying this.

‘I want to support the children so they can take the civil service exam.’

But pushing this as okay is also a bit much.

We’re giving scholarships to children with good grades, but that’s not enough.

Of course, there are people in the world who are born more talented than others and pass the exam while doing all their work, but such geniuses are rare. If you judge the world based on such geniuses, everyone will just lose motivation.

‘Should I create a student loan system?’

But I didn’t think the children would readily use a system that puts them in debt. The civil service exam is like pouring water into a bottomless pit, as you never know when you’ll pass.

Perhaps because I thoroughly educated them not to get scammed, the children didn’t easily take risks.

‘Of course, there’s another way…’

I gazed at the Crown Prince, who was listening to our conversation from behind. I had been sounding him out about this for a while.

As if understanding my intention, the Crown Prince, who had been lost in thought, opened his mouth.

“If you want to study that much, I can help you.”

“Yes?”

“Of course, this will apply not only to you but also to the children in Siyoungwon and… the school.”

‘Hmm.’

I smiled contentedly and stepped back.

The child looked at me with pleading eyes, as if wanting to cling to me, but when I smiled and stepped back without saying anything, he seemed to relax his guard and listened attentively to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was having a serious conversation with the child, setting conditions.

He guaranteed all the necessary financial support for the boy to focus on studying, but he had to meet the conditions presented by the Crown Prince.

‘It’s reasonable.’

There was nothing strange in the conditions presented by the Crown Prince. In other words, he was demanding an extremely wholesome student.

First, the Crown Prince would later check his academic ability through an exam.

Besides that, basic things to learn. And to be loyal to the country, to be friendly with friends, and to respect the people of Siyoungwon who raised and taught him. It was mostly like that.

The child asked the Crown Prince with sparkling eyes.

“Why are you giving me this opportunity, sir?”

“I’m not just giving it to you. Didn’t I say it would be commonly supported for talented children in Siyoungwon? Is that okay?”

The Crown Prince said that and went through the confirmation process with me, who was standing behind.

Detailed matters would need adjustments here and there, but let’s just say it’s a pass at that level for now.

I nodded willingly.

“Please do so, Brother.”

“!!”

By now, most of the children who needed to know knew that I was a Princess.

Especially the children who studied hard, they would whisper among themselves and reach the truth sooner than expected, so those children probably knew too.

Speaking comfortably to me, a Princess, and someone I could call Brother.

The children, realizing the identity of the young man in front of them, turned pale and reflexively tried to kneel, but the Crown Prince stopped them.

“Don’t make a fuss. Isn’t it natural for a brother to help his sister?”

“Yes. Yes.”

Watching the children unable to raise their heads, the Crown Prince began to captivate them with a benevolent smile.

“And isn’t it natural for me to take care of the people?”

“!”

Admiration appeared on the children’s faces.

Well done. That’s the right virtue of a politician.

I smiled contentedly and observed the Crown Prince and Sehwa, who was looking at him.

And the Crown Prince’s aides, who were in a slightly moved and admiring mode.

I didn’t know if they were inwardly exclaiming, ‘Ah, as expected of our Crown Prince!’ or thinking, ‘Your Highness, you’re good at coaxing the kids…’, but anyway, it was a very heartwarming and desirable atmosphere.

‘Then shall I slowly slip away now?’

It was a touching scene, but my aides were making eye contact with me, not the Crown Prince, so when I gestured, they all moved away stealthily as if they had been waiting.

The Crown Prince would take care of the details about the children later.

‘Even if he coordinates with me later, he’ll eventually have to reflect the opinions of the Siyoungwon staff.’

I still smiled and signaled the Crown Prince’s guard, who was the only one who noticed our departure, to be quiet, and left the place.

The last ones to notice us were the little children who were going to be Donggung [Crown Prince’s palace] scholarship students, but when I smiled and signaled them to be quiet, they also pretended not to notice and focused on the Crown Prince.

‘A smart kid is also quick-witted, so his future is promising…’

That’s how I succeeded in escaping from the parent-teacher dating mode.

“It’s too crowded when I’m with Brother.”

“It’s a bit much, isn’t it? There are twice as many people walking around together than usual.”

Cheonho, who was holding me, nodded at my words.

Cheonho was holding me again because we had to move quickly without being noticed by the Crown Prince.

‘It’s like… a daughter being carried by her dad.’

There were many children in the street in similar situations to me, so I had that strange thought. Of course, most of them were smaller than me.

My father still seems to want to hold me like that when I was young, but he can’t because he’s conscious of the dignity of the royal family.

‘Come to think of it, he seemed to hold me without thinking until I was about twelve years old.’

He must have thought he shouldn’t do that anymore.

Now, as I get heavier, my father is also getting older, so it must be hard.

I suddenly compared the size of the children clinging to their fathers with mine and asked Cheonho.

“Am I a bit heavy now?”

I’ve grown quite a bit in the past few months, so I must be quite heavier than before. I don’t exactly weigh myself on a scale, so it’s not accurate, but I’ve definitely grown, so I must have gotten heavier.

Contrary to my worries, Cheonho shrugged and smiled as if it was nothing.

“Well, you seem to have gotten a little heavier than before, but it’s not enough to worry about yet. I’m strong, you know? You’ll have to grow a lot more before you become too heavy for me to carry.”

“Where does this confidence come from?”

Is it coming from the youth that is still growing?

I nodded, asking myself inwardly.

“Cheonho will definitely say he can’t carry me because I’m too heavy before long, right?”

“Haha. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

We’ve shaken off the burden couple, so shall we just look around at the lanterns like normal?

I looked at Soi, who was panting and following Cheonho, or rather, me, with pitiful eyes and felt sorry for her.

“Come to think of it, Soi didn’t have to follow me.”

“Gai unni [older sister], who is not in Hanyang for other work right now, as well as Songbi unni, told me to follow… the young lady no matter what.”

That must be because Songbi remembers the old days.

Gai is currently away on another job, but if she was in the capital, she would have definitely followed me.

In fact, perhaps because of that day, neither I, who often goes out of the palace, nor the Crown Prince, who occasionally shadows me, had ever come out on the eighth day of the fourth month [Buddha’s Birthday].

Thinking about it that way, I was a little worried about Sehwa.

I and the Crown Prince can think of it as something that happened in the past and move on. But for Sehwa, that day was the day she was separated from her family.

But I couldn’t pretend to know this.

‘At least Sehwa’s father had died before that.’

It’s hard to say this is fortunate.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Ah. Yeah. There are so many lanterns, I must have spaced out for a moment. I’m fine.”

“If you’re tired, don’t push yourself and tell me.”

I must have been too lost in thought.

There are many people around, so Cheonho was showing me the scenery while holding me, I feel sorry.

‘Cheonho said he lived in some mountain village, so the eighth day of the fourth month in Hanyang must be his first time.’

Other regions don’t exactly not have events, but Seoul must be different.

The scale is large, and there are many people.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t been to the countryside. I should go later.’

If it’s a somewhat large city, there seems to be something to see. Each region has its own characteristics.

I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so it’s not bad to find things to enjoy in accordance with the times.

“Aren’t you hungry? They’re selling yakgwa [Korean honey cookies] over there.”

“Ah, I’ll eat.”

Come to think of it, back then, I was carrying gamlan jeonbyeong [candied fruits] to give to Jihwa and Sucheon, and I was buying up things that could be worth money, so I was busy and didn’t have time to feel pressured, but now I don’t have any luggage to carry and there’s nothing I have to do, so I feel comfortable.

I sent Sehwa and the Crown Prince separately, so can I just relax and enjoy myself now?

“Here, have some.”

The snacks that Soi paid for went into my mouth.

I don’t think it would suit my high-class taste, which only eats high-end food in the royal family, but these street foods have their own taste.

“Cheonho, put me down and eat some too.”

“Haa. I’m growing too much, so I’m thinking of eating less.”

“Well… it’s okay for now. Even if you grow more.”

I ate some snacks and was about to walk around when it started to get dark.

‘I wonder if they’re having fun over there.’

I had promised Sehwa a place to meet if we got separated in the middle, but I didn’t know when the Crown Prince would let Sehwa go.

“Ah, it looks like there’s a performance over there.”

“Oh. Let’s go see it.”

Seeing a performance like this outside is different from seeing it on the stage of Siwolgak, and it’s also fun.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you going to Siwolgak today?”

“It’s going to be packed with people there today. If I go, I’ll just be taking up a seat.”

“Ahahaha. Would you like to go to the front and watch?”

Cheonho pushed through the crowd little by little to get to the front so I could see well. It would be difficult to hold me throughout the whole performance.

Watching the performance like this reminded me of the old days.

‘Back then, we were children, so we squeezed through the crowd and went to the front.’

“Roar!”

As soon as I thought that, a tiger mask suddenly appeared in front of me.

And at the same time, my hand shot out without me realizing it.

Thwack!

“Ack!”

‘Huh?’

The clown, whose mask was knocked off by my hand, fell to the ground and cried out in an exaggerated manner.