Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 149

The thought that I couldn’t lose made me grab the Crown Prince’s cheeks.

“Stubborn as a mule.”

“?!”

Huhu. I’m probably the only person in the world who can knead the Crown Prince’s face like dough.

But you started it first.

“Ahem, how can you be so disrespectful to your older brother?”

“Well… kick me out if you’re unhappy.”

People lose their fear when they have a lot of money, you know. It’s not like I have nowhere to go if I get kicked out.

And after kneading the Crown Prince’s cheeks for the first time in a while, I felt something was off and threw the question at him without hesitation.

“But Brother.”

“?”

“Your skin isn’t as elastic as it used to be… Shouldn’t you take care of it?”

“!!”

“Hmm. Is it a lack of sleep? Your face also feels a bit rough.”

I shook my head, looking at the Crown Prince with pitiful eyes.

“What, what are you talking about…!”

“Ah, I’m just saying. It’s not the same texture as before… I guess you’ve gotten old too, Brother.”

Saying that, I lost interest and let go.

Ugh. It’s not fun anymore.

The court ladies, who knew that I used to play with the Crown Prince’s cheeks when I was young, quietly bit their lips to hold back their laughter.

Sehwa, who had been a bit nervous since the Crown Prince arrived, couldn’t hold back her laughter at my words and eventually turned her head away.

Ah, I’m serious.

“Well, you’re not exactly at the age to be soft and squishy anymore, Brother.”

“No… Why do I have to be soft and squishy?”

I pretended not to hear the Crown Prince’s protest and spoke to Sehwa.

“Sehwa, I know you’re busy, but could you possibly give the Crown Prince some skincare? He hasn’t even gotten married yet, but his face is like that, geez.”

“……”

Sehwa, who couldn’t even look at the Crown Prince as he touched his own cheeks in silence, trembled slightly and barely opened her mouth.

“…Yes, Princess.”

“Can you do it now?”

You’re laughing too much.

“J-Just a moment, please wait…!”

It took Sehwa a little while to calm down.

***

‘Those who are by the Princess’s side must be happy.’

As Sehwa came out after finishing the skincare, she had to try hard to lower the corners of her mouth that were rising involuntarily as she recalled what had happened earlier.

She had met me a few times at the Hyeminseo [a government-run medical institution], so she thought she knew a little about what kind of person I was, but as she saw me more often, her feeling was different.

Everyone said that Sehwa was too calm and collected, but how could she not be nervous when she first entered the strict palace? In particular, the residences where the royal family lived were solemn and scary.

But always, only the place where the Princess was felt like a different space.

‘Besides, it’s fortunate that the Princess is comfortable with me. If I had entered the medical office without a connection to the Princess, it would have been much more difficult. I’m very lucky.’

The Crown Prince and the Princess were like siblings from ordinary homes, bickering and getting along well.

And every time she saw the two of them, she couldn’t help but think of her younger sibling from whom she had been separated.

‘I wonder if Suchen is doing well somewhere.’

While at the Hyeminseo, she quietly inquired while pretending to visit patients, but it seemed that her younger sibling Suchen had also escaped safely that day. Thanks to that, she had no idea where he was.

Perhaps the Princess, who was with her that day, might know something, but to ask that, she would have to reveal who she was first.

She knew that the Princess was generous, but would she really tolerate the child of a traitor hiding her identity and being in the palace?

Could she truly trust herself and her judgment in providing treatment, as she had been doing until now?

Having left the porcelain bowl of herbal medicine with the attending female physician, she was about to return to the medical office, her steps lighter, when an unexpected figure appeared before her.

‘That must be the Head Palace Maid who attends the Crown Prince.’

Unlike the Princess, who had personally introduced her court ladies, she didn’t recognize anyone from the Crown Prince’s side, though she did recognize the Head Palace Maid’s face from the few times their paths had crossed.

“The Crown Prince is looking for you.”

“!”

The Crown Prince, who had seemed to come to oversee the acupuncture, had left the Princess’s residence after a pleasant visit. Since acupuncture wasn’t limited to exposed areas, even as her close brother, he couldn’t remain by his grown-up sister’s side while she received the treatment.

‘I just assumed he came to visit his sister.’

Did he have something to discuss with Sehwa?

Following the Head Palace Maid, Sehwa found the Crown Prince giving instructions to a eunuch. He approached her as soon as he noticed her.

“I hope you weren’t surprised by the sudden summons.”

“Not at all.”

“I had some matters to discuss away from the Princess, so I asked Head Palace Maid Moon to call you.”

The Crown Prince gestured towards the Head Palace Maid.

“I doubt it will happen, but if anyone other than these two attempts to give you orders claiming they are from me, do not comply.”

“I understand.”

It was well-known that when Princess Suyeong was young, she had unknowingly eaten persimmons laced with poison meant for the current Crown Prince, preventing him from consuming them.

One might wonder if there was anyone who would target the Princess’s life rather than the Crown Prince’s, but it was natural to be cautious.

‘If it hadn’t been for Princess Suyeong… the Crown Prince might have ended up with an undeveloped body….’

If that had happened, wouldn’t petitions to depose the Crown Prince have followed like wildfire?

It was regrettable to say about the Princess, but perhaps everyone considered it fortunate that it was the Princess and not the Crown Prince who had suffered the consequences.

And the Crown Prince would know that better than anyone.

‘That must be why the royal elders cherish the Princess so much.’

In Sehwa’s memory, the Crown Prince, who was still young, also cherished his only younger sister very much.

At that time, perhaps no one knew that the Princess would remain undeveloped.

Still, seeing their bond, she thought he was a good person.

“I wanted to ask about the Princess’s condition. It’s difficult to inquire deeply in front of her.”

“Yes, Your Highness. The Princess…”

Sehwa readily shared the Princess’s current condition and future treatment plans.

A person’s illness doesn’t always manifest according to the medical texts. Therefore, it was necessary to examine her closely and proceed with caution.

For now, her condition was progressing smoothly. Fortunately, the Princess was very healthy, just as she had said, without any discomfort.

“However, I have requested some additional medicinal ingredients from above [the royal stores].”

“Are they difficult to obtain?”

“I understand that they are not commonly used.”

Doctors didn’t know every disease, nor did they know every medicinal ingredient.

Sehwa didn’t find it strange that the medical office didn’t have the ingredients in stock, as she didn’t know many uses for them either.

“Really, is it possible to cure Sia’s illness?”

She didn’t know how many times she had heard the question, but Sehwa’s answer was always the same.

She had stepped forward to cure it because there was a possibility of curing it.

Therefore, the doctor’s job was also one of hope.

“If there are any necessary medicinal ingredients, you may request them without hesitation. If it can cure Sia’s illness, what would I spare?”

“Please do not worry.”

“…Although Princess Suyeong was born a royal daughter, she is also an unfortunate child who lost her birth mother early…”

Sehwa seemed to understand what the Crown Prince had omitted.

Princess Suyeong lost her first older brother, Crown Prince Seongwon, and not long after, she lost her biological mother, and also a sibling who was never born.

Even the one who plotted such schemes was a blood-related sibling. Of the three brothers the Princess had for support, only the Crown Prince before her remained.

“Until now, we have lived together in the palace, but if her illness is cured and she grows up, she may marry and live outside the palace. If that happens, I may not be able to stay by her side as I have until now, but the Princess will surely need you all in the future.”

“Your Highness.”

Once the Princess’s illness was cured, she might leave the Crown Prince’s side.

The Crown Prince looked a little complicated, but soon smiled brightly and said,

“I trust your character. It was by chance, but the day I first met you in the marketplace, I saw you taking someone who had collapsed on the street and treating them without any hesitation or reason.”

“……!”

“I thought I could trust you because of that. I’m glad you’re treating the Princess. So… please take good care of the Princess.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Under the setting sun, the Crown Prince’s gaze towards Sehwa was so affectionate that Sehwa, knowing it was impolite, couldn’t dare to take her eyes off him.

Song Naegwan [a eunuch position] and Court Lady Moon, watching the scene from a short distance, their eyes sharply gleaming, were witnessing a scene Princess Suyeong would have shouted, ‘It’s a honey trap! He’s using a honey trap!’ if she had seen it.

And in fact, Sehwa did not fulfill their expectations.

“However, Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“The Princess was concerned about Your Highness’s skin condition earlier.”

“No, it’s not necessary.”

“Damaged skin and a poor complexion can be the beginning of an illness.”

“I said no.”

The Crown Prince, who was trying to create a mood, was horrified, but Sehwa did not give in.

“Forgive me, but have you been receiving regular check-ups?”

“…….”

It was something the Queen and the Princess would have been shocked to hear, but the Crown Prince disliked regular check-ups and was avoiding them. The medical officials who had been silenced were afraid of being accused of tattling, so they didn’t even tell the Queen.

“Even if there is nothing particularly uncomfortable now, it would be wise to get a check-up in advance.”

“It’s just accumulated fatigue. Sia, doesn’t Princess Suyeong also say she’s often tired?”

“The Princess’s fatigue is probably due to an imbalance in her body. Besides, she is usually very active. But thanks to her young body, she recovers quickly. How can you compare yourself to Her Highness?”

‘Could this mean I’m old?’

The Crown Prince flinched for a moment but denied his thoughts after seeing Sehwa’s serious expression.

Of course, compared to Sia, the expression ‘old’ is not entirely wrong.

“Your Highness.”

“…If you insist, go ahead and examine me.”

When Sehwa called him with a stern expression, the Crown Prince, feeling somewhat intimidated, eventually listlessly held out his arm.

It was difficult to explain, but somehow Sehwa reminded him of the persistence of his only younger sister, whom he had watched over for years.

‘If I don’t do as she says, she won’t back down easily.’

Moreover, she was in a position to report directly to the Queen and the Princess if he refused.

If he put pressure on her like he had done to other medical officials, it would seem like he was bullying a newcomer who had just entered the medical office (and was even treating his younger sister).

Besides, wasn’t she the stubborn type who eventually carried out the smallpox vaccination, no matter what others said?

‘But a kind, principled, and stubborn person… isn’t so bad.’

After seeing only old foxes who were only out to satisfy their own greed, he was bound to be weak to such a person.

And that night, the Crown Prince had to pay the price for impulsively and defenselessly offering his wrist.

“Brother, you’re overworked? No wonder your skin condition is… middle-aged!”

The Princess, who had heard about the Crown Prince’s overworked state through Sehwa, who had returned to the Princess’s residence after examining the Crown Prince, burst into the Crown Prince’s palace, scolding him.

“Hey, that’s a bit much!”

‘Even so, it’s not that bad!’

Of course, the Princess, as always, did not listen to the Crown Prince’s protests.

“Lie down, lie down! It’s time to sleep!”

Court Lady Moon, who was disappointed that she couldn’t tattle because it would interfere with the Princess’s treatment, naturally actively cooperated with the Princess.