Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 180

I was struggling to stay awake, fighting off sleep, when I heard a familiar voice again.

“Princess, please come here.”

“…Of course.”

I turned my head and saw Sehwa calling me, holding a medicinal tonic that smelled strange.

I’d heard that on the day she was rescued from the mountain.

Perhaps because the tension had been released, Sehwa had fallen asleep as if in a faint. When she woke up the next day and her body had recovered somewhat, she immediately prepared medicinal herbs and made medicine for me to take.

Amazing professionalism. A frightening obsession.

I guess I’m benefiting from it, though.

And likewise, as soon as she returned to the capital, Sehwa used the herbs she had brought and those prepared in the royal pharmacy to make medicine for me without fail.

The medicine Sehwa was holding now was exactly that.

“…The smell is still unusual.”

“I am sorry.”

“I have to drink it, right?”

To be honest, I’m a little scared, but it’s not something I can refuse. I wondered if I’d die if I drank it, but I swallowed it down.

I haven’t died yet. Well, if it were possible to die from the taste, it might be possible.

“Ugh…”

“Princess, you may not trust me, but it really is medicine…”

Sehwa made excuses, trying to ignore the cold eyes of my close aides.

No, why is everyone suddenly picking on me…? I’ve already had it several times since Gangwon-do.

“Really?”

“It’s medicine.”

Besides, Sehwa…

‘She might become the Crown Princess.’

Most of the people around the Crown Prince seemed to have noticed.

But even if they are the official couple in the original story, wouldn’t they feel bad if they knew that people around them were watching them with such eyes without them knowing?

I even heard that the Queen Consort called Sehwa today under the guise of asking about my condition and stared at her subtly. What if Sehwa runs away because of this…

Originally, in the original story, Sehwa approached partly to find her father’s enemy in order to get clues, but now so much has changed that I have no idea.

I think I changed it.

‘Where and how did the original story go wrong, really…’

Still, if those two meet and exchange glances, I’ve done my part.

I can’t help them with their romance!

Thinking that, Soy, who had brought snacks, handed me a tray with a small bowl and a spoon, as if she had been waiting.

And when I confirmed what was in the bowl, I smiled brightly.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I like it.”

I took the snack Soy brought and put a spoonful in my mouth.

The soft and sweet taste melted in my mouth.

‘I love ice cream so much.’

After the King and Queen Consort recognized that I was not growing well, I was also given milk.

‘Not a large amount, but still.’

Thanks to that, I sometimes made ice cream like this in the winter when the ice froze.

If you can get milk, the method of making ice cream is quite simple, and there are many people who can stir the milk for me instead.

Of course, since I am a princess, I could get ice somehow and make it even in the summer, but to be honest, it seemed like too much of a waste of ice, so I was avoiding it.

‘Since I don’t consume that much milk anyway, I wanted to eat it deliciously if possible…’

In winter, I made ice cream and sprinkled honey on it, and at other times, I added fruit syrup depending on the season and used it as a palate cleanser after taking medicine.

I once tried making whipped cream, but everyone thought I was tormenting a guilty palace maid.

It’s unfair.

‘When I gave them a piece of castella [a type of sponge cake] and a spoonful of whipped cream, everyone volunteered to do it themselves.’

Still, I eat it sparingly when the weather is cool.

It’s great as a snack.

Even before Sehwa appeared, I was taking medicine to nourish my body almost every day, so a snack to cleanse my mouth after taking medicine was essential.

Of course, among the medicines I’ve taken so far, the medicine that Sehwa has been giving me recently is by far the worst.

‘Haa. I want to eat chocolate.’

I can somehow implement and eat milk ice cream and strawberry milk, but chocolate alone…! I can’t make it without cocoa!

Thump!

Before I knew it, I put strength into my hand, and the sound of putting down the bowl rang out quite loudly.

Thanks to that, Soy, who was next to me, looked a little puzzled.

“Is it not tasty?”

“Ah. It’s not that. I was just thinking about something else.”

“Yes.”

Unlike Sehwa, who looked a little embarrassed, Soy quietly cleared the bowl without saying anything.

Usually, people who serve royalty tend to be mindful of their superiors, but Soy, who had become accustomed to me, didn’t care much.

It was because she had been assisting me for a long time and was used to me being like this.

Well, it’s not like I’m abusing anyone because I’m in a bad mood.

I just sometimes tap the floor a little.

As if relieved by Soy’s nonchalant attitude, Sehwa brought up the words she always said after taking medicine again.

It seemed she was worried that I kept dozing off because the medicine was strong.

“Princess, are you okay? You must tell me if you feel unwell.”

“Yeah. But I think I’m sleepy because I’m tired.”

“I am sorry, but it is not good to lie down immediately after taking medicine.”

Hmm. I don’t think I’ll have reflux esophagitis [acid reflux] yet since I’m still young, but it was worth following the words of a certified doctor. I barely lifted my body, which wanted to lie down.

Soy, who was listening to the conversation, handed me water and suggested a walk.

“Princess, how about taking a walk for a while?”

“Yeah.”

I drank the cool water without ceremony and nodded.

For reference, the water cup I was using was a cup with a handle similar to the one I used in modern times.

I ordered it to be made so that I could drink water more comfortably, and I heard that it spread everywhere after seeing me use it.

Surprisingly, everyone said it was good because it was comfortable to drink water.

In fact, I was worried that I would be scolded for this because it violated protocol, but I pretended that the bowl was heavy and difficult to lift when I drank water because my body had not grown yet, so everyone just let it go.

Of course, the Crown Prince, who had seen me shoot a bow, shook his head as if he was dumbfounded.

“Sehwa, aren’t you leaving work?”

“I have to see the Princess fall asleep.”

“Oh dear. Then it will be too late.”

“It’s okay.”

Although the day had not yet set, it was good to go back early because the days were short in winter.

‘Sehwa must be very tired too.’

Besides, she had been away from Hanyang [old name for Seoul] for longer than expected, so she would want to go and see her sick mother, who was temporarily staying at Siyoungwon [a type of medical facility].

‘Ji Hwa’s biological mother must have passed away early. I don’t think there was any mention of Sehwa’s mother in the original story, so maybe it’s the nanny who ran away with her.’

I went outside, receiving the clothes as the court ladies dressed me.

I’ve gotten used to being served like this now, but I didn’t like it because it felt like I was becoming a body that couldn’t do anything. I’m grateful now because my body is languid.

“Oh, Cheonho, haven’t you left work yet either?”

“Ah, Princess.”

When I went outside, I unexpectedly found Cheonho sitting blankly.

No, aren’t these people tired?

I feel like I’ll be lazy after traveling even if I’m not taking medicine.

“I heard that my uncle will be leaving work a little later, so I was waiting to go that way. What brings you out here, Princess? The wind is cold, you’ll catch a cold.”

“It’s hard to get cold when you’re dressed like this. Cheonho must be tired, so don’t stand in the wind here and go rest quickly.”

“Hahaha. Yes.”

Ah. Come to think of it, Cheonho was only fifteen years old.

Was the source of Cheonho’s vigor just youth itself? There are guys who run around in short sleeves and shorts in the middle of winter at that age, so it was an unnecessary worry.

‘Age is king after all.’

I am an exception because I am unfortunately young and sickly.

“What is Cheonho’s uncle in charge of?”

“Yes? Ah, um… It was originally a bit of a dead-end job, but I heard there was a personnel change this time.”

“Ah, I see.”

I heard that there was a reshuffle due to this treason case, and there was a generational personnel change, so Cheonho’s uncle was like that too.

“But what brings you out here, Princess? You look very tired, why aren’t you resting?”

“They say it’s not good to lie down right after taking medicine.”

“Haha. Then shall I carry you on my back until you fall asleep?”

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, I quickly nodded.

I was still in my right mind, but I felt like I would fall asleep soon. I didn’t want to move either.

I’ll probably walk half-asleep and be carried by the court ladies and fall asleep anyway, so it would be better to be carried by a young and strong guy.

I had already confirmed how capable Cheonho was as a vehicle during the trip, so I got on Cheonho’s back without hesitation.

“Cheonho, aren’t you tired?”

“This much is not that hard. I’ve been walking mountain paths since I was young, picking firewood, picking herbs, hunting, and working all day without rest.”

“A child worked too much.”

“Right? My uncle made that child work so much.”

Cheonho carried me on his back and walked towards the back garden familiarly.

The court ladies following me were lined up behind, and Cheonho, worried about whether they were bothered, checked behind him once and adjusted his speed to walk slowly. He was not used to bringing so many people to Gangwon-do.

“Does Cheonho’s uncle look like Cheonho?”

“No. Not at all. They’re almost strangers.”

“Aww, that’s a shame.”

Well, if he looked like Cheonho, there would have been rumors.

“Do you want to see him?”

“Yeah.”

“Um. Then let’s go together. There are almost no places in the palace that the Princess can’t go, and they say there’s no harm in getting the Princess’s attention.”

It was a saying that was common among the palace people in the palace.

I heard that I gave snacks to familiar faces a few times or granted requests, and somehow that word spread.

Gaina and Soy were disgusted that shameless people were trying to rely on the Princess, so not many people actually made excessive requests to me.

Unlike before, everyone knows that I’m checking up on them later.

‘Hmm. It’s comfortable.’

The kid is big, so his back is wide and stable, so it was definitely comfortable and I was falling asleep.

They gave me good clothes as my escort this time, so it’s moderately fluffy…

“Cheon…ho? What are you doing?”

“Ah. Uncle.”

I woke up from dozing off for a while at the unfamiliar voice calling Cheonho, peeked over Cheonho’s shoulder, and waved my hand.

“Hello.”

“Yes…?”

As Cheonho said, Cheonho’s uncle, who did not resemble Cheonho, had a face that looked quite worn out compared to Cheonho.

‘But he raised his nephew nicely.’

Rather than an uncle (叔父: a word referring to the younger brother of one’s father), perhaps it was an elder uncle (伯父: a word referring to the older brother of one’s father).

“It’s the Princess.”