Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 109

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

“Uh-huh. Saga and, Si Yeongwon, here and there?”

“Here and there?”

“Well…….”

As I trailed off, the Crown Prince sighed.

“Did you go to those rental bookstores again?”

He’d have a fit if he knew I went to a gibang [a traditional Korean house of entertainment], wouldn’t he?

I nodded for now.

“Although you are loved by your superiors, you are still a princess of this nation and should maintain decorum, yet you are so unrestrained. This is a serious matter.”

He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today.

“What books do you even read at those rental bookstores that keep you out so late…….”

The Crown Prince, who had been nagging, stopped talking and his gaze subtly shifted downwards from my face. Then, he reached out towards the book I was holding so dearly.

“Let me see it.”

“Ah, no.”

It’s not like I have anything particularly to hide, but one way or another, this book was a kind of romance novel.

Even in modern times, if you like romance novels or dramas, you’re treated like someone who has fantasies about love and wants to be in a relationship.

What about people who like mystery novels or thrillers, then?

Moreover, in this era, I’m at marriageable age but unable to marry, so I really didn’t want to know what people would think if they found out I was reading romance novels.

Liking romance novels doesn’t mean I want to be in a relationship!

But even if I explained it, they wouldn’t believe me and would just look at me with pity. It was obvious.

Even if I say I have no intention of getting married, there has to be someone who believes me.

I’m already seen as a pitiful child, and being pitied for something like this was annoying in many ways.

I struggled to keep the book from being taken away, but there was no way a child like me could stand up to the strength of an adult man.

“Won’t you give it to me? What kind of strange book is it that you’re acting like this?”

“No, I can’t give it to you!”

Boo-shhh-

And so, the brand-new limited edition I had received today was mercilessly torn apart by the hands of my own flesh and blood, accompanied by a loud sound effect.

“Ah…… no, this is…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The Crown Prince also seemed taken aback, as if he hadn’t meant to do it, and couldn’t continue speaking. The people around him, who had been watching without being able to stop him, were all frozen in place, and a moment of silence fell.

The first one to speak was, of course, me.

“Idiot! Moron! Good-for-nothing! I don’t even want to look at you!!”

“……!”

Along with the harsh words, I threw the torn book at the Crown Prince and ran straight into my chambers.

“Princess!”

I heard Soi’s flustered voice, but I didn’t turn around.

My book! My book!!! The author even signed it!

I haven’t even read it yet!!

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“……I’m fine.”

Chief Eunuch Song, who saw the book Sia threw hit the Crown Prince’s chest directly, was flustered and asked if he was alright, but the Crown Prince waved his hand to indicate he was fine.

It did hurt a bit, considering how small she was, but it wasn’t a big deal.

“It would be a big problem if she acted like this with other people. She’s grown up too spoiled.”

“I am sorry to say, but as far as I know, the only person the Princess treats like this is Your Highness.”

Wasn’t the Princess known for being generous and kind to her subordinates?

Except for being a bit rude to the Crown Prince.

“No, is the nation’s Crown Prince that easy to take lightly?”

“Isn’t he her only brother? Besides, the two of you have always been very close since childhood. Isn’t the Crown Prince the person the Princess relies on and is closest to?”

“…….”

Knowing the meaning implied in those words, he had nothing to say.

Well, His Majesty the King cherished Sia, but he was always busy, and Her Majesty the Queen was weak and didn’t keep people close. Even he, her own son, couldn’t visit her comfortably except when paying his respects since his mother became Queen.

In his childhood, when Crown Prince Seongwon was still around, there were many days when he spent time with Sia.

But since then, half of Sia’s few blood relatives had already passed away.

Even he himself had been too busy to take care of Sia since becoming the Crown Prince, so she must have been lonely.

Still, she never complained and was always busy doing something on her own, enjoying herself…….

‘……Why do I feel like I’ve become the bad guy?’

If a younger sibling goes out without saying anything and comes home late and gets caught, isn’t it normal for an older brother to give them a lecture? Especially when it’s such a young child!

“Your Highness, what should we do with this?”

“……Give it to me.”

While he was lost in thought, Chief Eunuch Song picked up the book that had hit the Crown Prince’s chest and fallen to the ground and handed it to the Crown Prince.

‘I didn’t do it on purpose…….’

He had only intended to scold her a little. He knew she liked books, but she was coming home too late because of them. Even though it was inside the capital, wasn’t it dangerous?

‘Should I suggest reinstating the curfew?’

If the curfew was reinstated, it would be safer since only women would be allowed to walk around until 9-11 PM.

But then he thought that she might just stay out until late at night, which he didn’t like either.

“Let’s go back for today.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He had sent people several times to check when she would return, and he had been worried when she hadn’t returned even when it was getting dark, so he had come to find her. But now he was going back without even saying a proper word, and his heart wasn’t at ease.

‘I shouldn’t have tried to take the book away.’

He shouldn’t have touched that.

While regretting it, he still thought that Sia would be angry for a day or two and then come to find him first.

Even in their childhood, they had often fought over trivial things, but the next day she would come to play as if nothing had happened.

But Sia did not visit the East Palace.

***

The Crown Prince’s close aides knew that the Crown Prince had been very upset lately.

They didn’t know why.

They hadn’t done anything wrong, and there wasn’t any particularly urgent political situation.

He wasn’t someone who made life difficult for others except for being demanding at work, so what could have happened?

No one was brave enough to ask him directly, so they all silently focused on their work.

But today, they had a little hope.

‘Still, today is the day the Princess brings snacks, so maybe he’ll be in a better mood?’

The person the prickly Crown Prince cherished the most was his only younger sister.

But their expectations were shattered before long.

“I’ll be going now.”

“……Alright.”

The Princess, who had brought snacks, didn’t even make eye contact with the Crown Prince, just gave him the food, said a stiff greeting, and disappeared.

This had never happened before, so unless they were fools, they couldn’t help but realize that something had happened between the two of them.

“Your Highness, did you perhaps…… quarrel with the Princess?”

“……It wasn’t a quarrel, just a slight disagreement.”

In the world, that’s called fighting.

But they couldn’t bring themselves to say that to the Crown Prince, so they all watched carefully until one of them took the plunge.

“May I ask what happened?”

“The Princess’s behavior is too free, so I just told her to be careful with her words and actions…… I lectured her a little, and then, the book the Princess had…….”

“……The book, what did you do with it?”

“I tried to take it away, but I accidentally…….”

Ah…….

The expressions of those who were listening all twisted slightly.

“……Did you perhaps, tear it?”

“I didn’t tear it. It was torn!”

The Crown Prince snapped back as if he had been stabbed, and those who had realized that the reason for the Crown Prince’s discomfort was a conflict with his younger sister began to rebel, feeling a little empty.

“No, Your Highness. How could you fight with the young Princess?”

“What do you mean young? She’s sixteen.”

The Crown Prince retorted, but his face seemed a little subdued.

“Even if she’s sixteen, she’s still six years younger than Your Highness.”

“Even ordinary siblings wouldn’t fight like that with such an age difference.”

“Besides, you tore her book. Even we know how much the Princess cherishes her books.”

“So, the conclusion is that I was wrong?”

“Your Highness was too harsh.”

“Your Highness was not mature enough.”

Everyone’s picking on me…….

The Crown Prince was a little upset, but he also felt a little guilty.

It couldn’t be helped. A 22-year-old fighting with someone who looks 7 years old. Anyone would think the 22-year-old was the bad guy.

‘I didn’t even intend to tear it.’

He knew how much Sia cherished her belongings, so would he intentionally tear her book?

He was also more aware because he was a little worried that there were many people losing their children near the capital these days, so he might have been a little rough without realizing it.

‘But Sia doesn’t go around alone, so I don’t have to worry so much. Maybe I went too far.’

He knew how stifling it must be to live inside the palace.

Maybe he was unconsciously envying his free-spirited younger sister?

He returned to the East Palace, but a mixture of shame and self-loathing made it difficult for him to fall asleep even at night.

In the room, Sia’s book that he had brought that day was neatly placed.

The cover was so unique and looked quite luxurious, so it couldn’t help but catch his eye, and it made him feel uneasy every time he saw it.

Frowning and looking at the torn book, he remembered what his aides had said.

‘How about getting a new copy of the torn book?’

‘That’s right. It would be good for Your Highness to reach out to the Princess first with a generous heart. Even if the Princess did something wrong, tearing the book was too much, wasn’t it? Reconciliation requires a little sincerity.’

Getting a new book was definitely not a bad idea.

However, the problem was what kind of book it was.

‘I vaguely saw a picture that day, so it couldn’t be a strange book, could it?’

Turning the pages of the book, the pictures that were visible seemed relatively wholesome. But he couldn’t know what the content was like unless he read it. Even if he asked someone else, they would likely side with the Princess…… there was a possibility.

The Princess was generous to her subordinates, so they all liked her, and since it was just a matter of the content of a popular novel, they might gloss over it.

‘I guess I have to read it myself. The title is…… Flower Shadow?’

Hmph, it’s probably just another typical popular novel.

He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway, and there was no Princess to come and nag him.

With a slightly sulky, childish heart, the Crown Prince opened the book.

And soon, he fell into the novel.

‘It’s popular…… for a reason.’

The novel he had read in an instant was simply a novel about love between a man and a woman, but unexpectedly, it also dealt with political content and showed knowledge of medicine. There were thrilling parts and it had a charm that made it impossible to take your eyes off the story.

That was his impression after reading it.