Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 201

I was born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine. Chapter 201 (201/326)

The real authority rested with a teacher dispatched from the Siyoungwon [a government-run academy for women] in Seoul, while the daughters of the royal family served as symbolic figureheads. A local woman would assist, handling the practical work while having her own authority curtailed.

Furthermore, the royal daughters wouldn’t remain in the provinces indefinitely. They’d be recalled to Hanyang [old name for Seoul] or transferred to other provinces every few years, preventing them from establishing significant local influence.

This system made it easy for local women to gain practical power, but their authority was limited. Their connection to the Siyoungwon headquarters in Seoul was weak, and they were kept in check by both the royal family and the dispatched teachers, minimizing potential problems.

‘You have to create a system where they check each other to maintain long-term transparency.’

Such systems tend to endure when built on a foundation of distrust, ensuring accountability.

There was also the risk of unscrupulous individuals exploiting naive royal daughters unfamiliar with the ways of the world…

And so! In Siyoungwon and Siwolgak [a high-end entertainment establishment], the daughters of the royal family were gathering to gain social experience and handle challenging patrons. Siwolgak had fewer truly difficult customers, but they still existed.

‘Well, considering their lives have always involved people yielding to them due to their status, even a minor challenge might seem significant to them, but…’

Even the most difficult customers, upon learning they were dealing with a royal daughter, would often plead for help and try to disappear.

While some might overstep the line, I made it clear that they could ultimately invoke my name in such situations.

I also ensured they received thorough martial arts training, preparing them for incidents involving unconsciousness due to excessive drinking or dealing with individuals prone to sudden outbursts.

However, to avoid overwhelming the more sheltered girls, they needed to witness such situations from a safe distance. When it came to difficult customers, seeing was believing; a single observation was more effective than endless explanations.

Initially, some faint-hearted girls were scared and wanted to quit, but I managed to reassure them and continue their education. Regardless of the work itself, receiving diverse instruction and gaining experience was beneficial.

‘Whether they can truly leave home and thrive in another region is something they won’t know unless they experience it firsthand. Of course, they’ll be accompanied by maids and servants, so they won’t be entirely alone.’

This was perhaps their only opportunity to escape their sheltered lives outside of marriage, which might have motivated some to volunteer out of curiosity.

Furthermore, there were advantages to working with daughters from prominent families.

Having been exposed to and accustomed to high-quality goods since childhood, they possessed refined tastes and were surprisingly discerning.

‘They’re surprisingly good at recognizing capable people.’

Whether in writing, painting, singing, or dancing.

Of course, some of the Siyoungwon instructors, who were trained to a high level, also possessed discerning eyes.

However, as expected of the royal family, who had been immersed in high-class culture since birth, their insights were exceptional.

They possessed inherently high standards and a knack for identifying quality.

Silk, paper, wood, porcelain… They could identify superior items at a glance.

Sometimes, they would simply glance at something within their area of interest and declare, “That’s silk from such-and-such mountain! That’s such-and-such jade!” As expected… There’s no comparison between studying out of obligation and being a passionate enthusiast.

Therefore, in certain areas, they surpassed my own knowledge.

‘Everyone has their own area of interest.’

“Ongju [a princess’s title], are you here?”

The women, who had been chatting animatedly, immediately stood and bowed their heads as I entered.

Most were young women under twenty.

I offered a light greeting, engaged in some small talk, and smoothly transitioned into the lesson.

“Now, then. How should we handle a difficult customer?”

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“We should call someone.”

Initially, they had been hesitant and silent, but recently, the atmosphere had become much more relaxed, and they were starting to offer suggestions.

“Everyone knows who owns Siwolgak, so anyone who dares to cause trouble should be severely punished.”

“That’s right. But if you don’t project an air of authority, you won’t command respect. As a manager, you can’t appear frightened, right?”

These delicately raised women had likely never encountered a drunkard or a disruptive customer.

‘Well, some, like those related to Yeongcheon-gun, might have seen drunkards at home, but most are kept separate from adult men’s environments around this age.’

Therefore, I had some field workers and stage performers put on realistic portrayals.

“Do you think I’m a joke? Who are you to look at me like that!”

As the actor realistically portrayed a troublesome customer, most of the girls recoiled, but their eyes were wide with fascination.

It was understandable, considering the person who had been politely bowing moments ago was now staggering and shouting.

“Oh my… Are there really people like that?”

“Unfortunately… There was someone who is now in exile…”

“Ah…”

It seemed his reputation was poor even among other members of the royal family.

The noble ladies, shocked by the demonstration, trembled as they looked at me, who remained calmly observant.

“Hoo. How is it that Ongju isn’t surprised at all?”

“!”

A girl roughly my registered age asked, patting her chest, while one of the few women over twenty looked embarrassed and gave her a warning glance.

‘Hoo. The generation gap between those who know about Gyeong’eon-gun and those who don’t is like this…’

Even those who didn’t know had likely been strictly warned by their parents not to mention names like ‘Gyeong’eon-gun’ or ‘Deposed Lee Soo’ in my presence.

‘But they probably couldn’t realistically teach them about his psycho antics.’

Rumors had circulated at the time of the incident, and I had intentionally spread more afterward, so many people knew, but they likely shielded very young children from such gruesome stories.

Even though they were from commoner families, they were all noble ladies.

‘It’s better to leave them as they are if they don’t know.’

None of the stories related to that guy would be beneficial to their emotional well-being.

I smiled and nodded at the woman who was looking at me nervously, as if to reassure her.

I wondered what kind of rumors were circulating about me that made them so anxious.

‘Who am I… Have I ever given them a big punishment?’

Um. Yeongcheon-gun’s fate was a result of his own actions, not mine, but could it be…

I suddenly felt a little concerned about my reputation, but I decided to dismiss it, thinking, “Well, what does it matter?”

‘It’s too much of a hassle to think about such things.’

I had many other responsibilities besides teaching these innocent young ladies.

And in truth, I didn’t dislike these gatherings. In fact, it felt like chatting and playing with girls half my age.

Of course, considering my actual age, they weren’t girls my age, but it felt like I was hanging out with young kids.

Perhaps they felt the same, as they seemed to enjoy gathering and chatting.

‘They must be lonely, so should I send them in pairs instead of one at a time?’

Close same-sex friendships and travel were uncommon in this era.

Besides, they all had different personalities, so they could complement each other.

I didn’t know what their parents were thinking when they sent them, but some were innocent young ladies who knew nothing of the world, while others were accustomed to being in charge and wouldn’t back down from anyone.

‘I’ve already conducted a basic personality test, so… for now.’

In fact, there was a personality assessment for the applicants because there would be no one to stop the royal family from abusing their power if they went to the provinces.

This was mainly done through research by the Siyoungwon children and people who worked in their homes.

And I made judgments based on their behavior when they visited Siwolgak.

‘Siwolgak has a system where a hostess is assigned to each private room, so their true character is bound to emerge.’

So the girls gathered here were those with reputations for having decent personalities.

Thanks to that, there hadn’t been any problems since the education began. There seemed to be some minor disagreements, but that was all.

What I taught the daughters of the royal family wasn’t just courage training through dealing with difficult customers.

I was teaching them everything they needed to know, such as how to write ledgers, basic information about performances, what was needed when signing new performance contracts, and about the interior design of the establishment.

‘It would be a shame if they quit because they didn’t want to do it due to marriage after I taught them all this.’

The higher their status, the harder it was to avoid marriage, and their actions after marriage would have repercussions, which was a hassle.

Regardless, the girls here were all highly motivated.

‘Of course, that motivation will be tested in practice.’

Once they’ve gained some experience, I plan to have them actually confront problematic customers in Siwolgak.

‘I used to work part-time in my past life, and I was threatened by a crazy person when I was a child, and my current status is that of a gangster, so I went a little wild, but I don’t know how everyone else will react.’

After concluding the lesson at an appropriate time, I left early, feigning fatigue.

In these situations, it’s polite for the superior to excuse themselves.

I heard that after I left, they enjoyed refreshments, chatted for a long time, and watched the performance before departing.

How wonderful it must be to play without parental interference under the guise of this activity.

I don’t see them often anyway, and there’s a difference in status, so it would be difficult to get along without being informal.

‘Besides, I know that they haven’t grown for several years, so I have to be careful in many ways.’

People say I’ve grown a lot these days, but I still have a long way to go.

Soi, who saw me leaving first, whispered with concern.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if Ongju sometimes enjoyed refreshments with us before leaving?”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m really tired. I was dozing off when I came here.”

Soi readily accepted my answer, but she seemed a little disappointed.

“That’s true… But if you’re tired, should I carry you on my back?”

“It’s not that bad. I need to move around a bit. Um, I’m still a little sleepy. And I’m a little hungry.”

“You said you were full just a moment ago, but it’s a big problem that you’re saying you’re hungry as soon as you turn around. Please go in and rest, Agissi [a respectful term for a young lady].”

I left the special room reserved for the royal children’s education and went downstairs, where a performance was in full swing on the stage.

‘Ah, it’s Maehyang. I’ll get sulky if I don’t watch it.’

I looked down at the stage and waved at Maehyang.

As if she had spotted me, Maehyang winked, and I heard murmuring voices from here and there.

“Maehyang saw me!”

“No! It’s me!”

“That’s funny. Her gaze doesn’t match at all! It’s me!”

“…”

It would be awkward if I said it wasn’t you guys, it was me.

Soi, who was behind me, whispered with a sullen face.

“She’s looking this way, right?”

“Be quiet.”

It’s troublesome to get involved with obsessive fans.

I waited until Maehyang’s song was over and went backstage, where the staff silently opened the door upon seeing my and Soi’s faces.

“Agissi!”

“I haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been lately?”

“I’ve been missing you so much, Agissi. I heard that you’ve been busy lately. And…”

Maehyang’s gaze swept over me, and a smile spread across her face.

“Hehe. You’re really growing taller every time I see you. I thought I would be sad when Agissi grew up, but seeing you grow up like this makes me so happy, I don’t know why.”

“Umm. Everyone’s eyes are getting red every time they see me, it’s a big problem.”

“Oh my. I’m being so nosy in front of Agissi.”

Seeing Maehyang, who had taken off her heavy stage clothes and looked much lighter, dabbing at her eyes, I sighed and hugged and patted her.

“Oh, come on. I’m telling you, it’s a big problem for everyone.”

“Hehehe. That’s right.”

Maehyang had a slightly complicated expression, but she soon smiled and continued the conversation.

“By the way, thanks to Agissi, there’s talk of trying something new these days.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve been bringing in gisaengs [female entertainers] from other provinces little by little, just like you did in Gangwon-do last time, Agissi. Besides, there’s talk these days that it’s immoral for men and women to stand together on stage in plays.”

“Um. That’s right.”

It was funny that Seja and Sehwa had a realistic love triangle fight on stage, so I honestly couldn’t laugh, but it was funny.

“So, recently, plays consisting only of same-sex people have become mainstream, and we gisaengs have been wondering if we should gather together and perform operas in which we play the main roles.”

“Operas?”

“Yes, each gisaeng has different specialties, but they all have the basics. Besides, there are quite a few gisaengs who specialize in singing like Soin. It’s a little embarrassing for Soin to say this with my own mouth, but I think it’s possible because there are talented people with both beauty and talent gathered together.”

“Oh…”

That’s good.

“Oh, then are the gisaengs going to cross-dress as men?”

“Depending on the role.”

“…Maehyang?”

“Well. What should I do?”

Saying that, Maehyang winked at me again.

‘This person seems to be very interested in cross-dressing as a man.’

It would suit her well. And another thought came to my mind at the same time.