Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 218

“At first, I didn’t bet any money. I just thought it was a game like Yut Nori [a traditional Korean board game], so I didn’t suspect anything.”

“But after playing a few times and winning, it was fun, and they encouraged me, saying I was very good. They said that with my skills, I could make money…….”

He was drunk, and the women were cheering him on. After being intoxicated by a few victories, his reason was paralyzed, and he followed them.

“I thought it was a normal restaurant, but there was a door leading to the back, and inside, people were gambling.”

“I was surprised and asked if gambling wasn’t illegal. The courtesans laughed at me, calling me chicken-hearted, and I got upset……. But since it was my first time, they told me to try without betting money, and I couldn’t refuse.”

He won a few times like that, and for fun, he bet a small amount of money and won a large sum.

“I should have stopped then…….”

The rest was obvious. He got hooked and kept going back, and unlike the beginning, he started losing more and more money.

When he was about to lose all his money and quit, the women subtly egged him on.

‘If I just do a little more, I might win next time. What a shame.’ Something like that.

It might be serious for them, but listening from the side, it was so typical that it was absurdly obvious.

“Hmm……. There must have been shills [decoys who encourage others to gamble] too. It seems like they lured you in very deliberately.”

“Yes?”

He looked embarrassed.

It was the face of a commoner who hadn’t thought that they would be targeted.

“We, we don’t have a lot of money, so why would they think that…….”

“Even if you didn’t, they must have thought something, right?”

Hmm……. Even if the bank wasn’t well known yet, those who needed to know would know that the Crown Prince was giving scholarships to children.

“You said you even mentioned being a scholarship student with your own mouth.”

“I’m sorry…….”

“It’s not confirmed yet, but if you were really a scholarship student, it would have been a good opportunity to make a fool of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes?! We, we, we, we have never even thought of that!”

Perhaps thinking the scale had suddenly become too large, they all turned pale and denied it again.

‘That’s why young ones are…….’

The Crown Prince hadn’t originally limited it to people in Siyoungwon [a charitable institution], so the fact was known to the outside as well.

However, to become a scholarship student, you had to stay in Siyoungwon for a long time and pass a personality test.

The school teachers, as well as the people working at the school, would do research as if chatting and then make a decision.

‘Of course, the kids don’t know this.’

It would be meaningless if they knew.

“You might have mentioned the bank while drunk. Didn’t someone instigate you, saying, ‘Why don’t you borrow some money from Siyoungwon and use it for a while?'”

“That…….!”

He couldn’t say for sure that it wasn’t true.

‘Maybe they thought Siyoungwon had a lot of money because it was opening branches everywhere, not just because of the scholarship.’

In reality, it was closer to a deficit in terms of immediate finances because of the new branch openings.

If he hadn’t been receiving subsidies from the Crown Prince from the start, he wouldn’t have opened branches in the provinces at this rate.

Thanks to that, he received the subsidies from the Crown Prince and even the scholarship in advance.

So it’s not like he didn’t have money.

Moreover, some of the money that the people of Siyoungwon earned like ants was also used as Siyoungwon funds, so the people in charge of managing the funds would know that there was money there.

These guys were the only ones trying to commit a big theft, but they weren’t the only ones addicted to gambling.

To go after money that others had earned with their sweat…….

“You know that money is what the people of Siyoungwon worked hard to earn, right?”

“Yes…….”

“You also know that you shouldn’t touch that money if you’re in debt from gambling.”

“Yes.”

They all answered weakly.

“You’ll have to pay back that money by working. For now, it seems difficult for you to receive the scholarship.”

“Ah, Young Miss!”

“How can someone who easily falls for someone else’s instigation and touches public funds do great things? It seems too early for you.”

He was still young, and it could be said that he was deceived, so he might feel wronged.

However, even in the same situation, there were people who didn’t fall for it, and even if they were deceived, there were people who tried to pay it back with their own hands.

No matter what, it was difficult to entrust a big task to someone who easily touched other people’s money.

“You have to think for yourselves about how to find the money you lost. Don’t aim for a quick fortune.”

“But, but they said they would forcibly collect the money if we didn’t pay it back…….”

I stared at the guy who said that with a look of contempt.

“Where do you live?”

“Si, Siyoungwon.”

“Are you saying that someone would come here to collect an illegal gambling debt?”

“……!”

Even now, there were quite a few women and children in Siyoungwon who had run away from their husbands’ or fathers’ violence and debt.

‘At first, I had them live near Siyoungwon, but they would come and cause a ruckus, demanding their wives and daughters back.’

For some reason, some people were really going to go back because they were embarrassed or ashamed by the commotion, or because they thought they shouldn’t disobey their husbands or fathers.

So I had those people live in Siyoungwon or in my private residence.

Even then, they were blood relatives and family, so they came confidently and told them to come out.

There was no one bold enough to come and demand that someone be handed over because they were sold for gambling debts.

Of course not.

They knew that they couldn’t win with force or power even if they came, so they wouldn’t dare to come to the area managed by the Princess.

Those who oppressed with force naturally succumbed to greater force.

“If they can come to Siyoungwon so confidently, it means they’re going to negotiate with me. Do you think they’re such bold guys?”

As my tone naturally became stricter, the young criminals trembled and bowed their heads.

“I’m sorry…….”

Hmm. I usually didn’t act like a Princess in Siyoungwon, but this is a bit much.

I consciously lightened my voice and tried to make an effort.

“Ahem. But it’s not good to have debt. I can protect you while you’re in Siyoungwon, but if you don’t want to live here forever, you should think about how to pay off your debt.”

“Is Her Highness the Princess really protecting us?”

It was a choked-up voice, but well, it wasn’t a very touching scene, so I hoped he wouldn’t misunderstand.

“If you had committed a crime that harmed someone, I would have punished you first. But this time, someone deliberately set a trap for you, and it doesn’t seem appropriate to let you be sold as slaves as a result of illegal gambling. However, you will have to pay the price for illegal gambling and attempted theft, so don’t be happy.”

“Yes, yes!”

I wanted to beat them up and kick them out, telling them to take care of it themselves, but I had a bad feeling that those guys would pick them up and use them strangely.

“More than anything, I’m annoyed that they seem to be deliberately targeting the children of Siyoungwon.”

Everyone seemed to have something to think about at my words, and there was a moment of silence.

Mauri, who didn’t look well, opened his mouth first.

“……Shall we do some background checks?”

“Investigate what kind of place it is, but within a safe range.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

Haa. I never thought I would experience something like this in my life.

I felt drained.

“Let the disposition of those children be decided within Siyoungwon. But it shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

I was a little relieved because both Minister Min and Mauri didn’t seem like they were going to take it lightly.

It would be difficult if they glossed over this kind of thing.

‘The scholarship is also the Crown Prince’s money, so they are people who know its weight well.’

It was money that the Crown Prince had entrusted to me, trusting me.

Money can be replaced if it’s lost, but it’s difficult to get back trust if it’s lost.

‘Like those young criminals.’

If it were modern times, would they have just let it go because they were young?

Well, when I think of the minors who committed such heinous crimes that I still remember even after being reborn, this doesn’t seem so serious.

Come to think of it, there were teenagers who put poison in people’s food even in this era.

‘No, that won’t do. I need to set the standards a little stricter.’

Should I use psychopaths as the standard? It wouldn’t be good to be too lenient with criminals.

“I’m tired today, so I should go back early.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

I patted my shoulder and got up.

When I got up to go back, the others also moved to see me off.

The only ones who didn’t move seemed to be the children who were still kneeling and the few Chetamins [guards] who were watching the children.

I was leaving early today, so it was still bright.

The children seemed disappointed that I wasn’t playing with them and was going back, but they knew from the atmosphere that something bad had happened in Siyoungwon, so no child fussed.

‘I guess the children are becoming mature too early.’

Even though I knew it couldn’t be helped, I wasn’t very happy about it.

Still, Ah-young used to be quite spoiled. But that child had grown up a lot, and now she was aware of the younger children, so she didn’t act as spoiled as before.

Well, at first, she didn’t know who I was, so she could be as spoiled as she wanted, but now everyone knows that I’m a Princess…….

Before leaving, I urged them once again.

“Don’t let your guard down. Warn the children too. Similar things can happen at any time.”

“I’m sorry.”

I could see everyone sighing at my words.

“Don’t blame yourselves either.”

“……Yes.”

Humans are creatures that are weak to temptation.

The meaning of education is to enable them to have such a will.

There are many cases where education is not effective.

Still, I should find meaning in the fact that there are children who haven’t fallen for it.

“Find out if they have approached other children as well.”

“Yes.”

I lowered my voice and whispered.

“I’d like you to investigate without revealing that we’ve started paying attention to them. Is that possible?”

“Don’t worry. Even if those guys have some idea, it’s impossible for them to distinguish all the people of Siyoungwon.”

Well, there are so many people.

“That’s because everyone has been working hard to take care of the children for nine years.”

“Haha. I hope they don’t cause any accidents, even if they don’t get any benefits.”

“I agree. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine. I guess I’m getting old now. I didn’t have that much strength. It only looks like this, but I wasn’t seriously injured.”

Mauri smiled bitterly, but it wasn’t something to laugh about.

“Education is important, but take good care of yourself. You have more than one or two children to take care of.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The heat has subsided a bit, but it’s still hot, so take good care not to get sick.”

“Yes.”

After a long farewell, I got on Jeok-a’s back.

I was glad that the culprit was caught so quickly compared to what I had worried about, but the fact that it was a headache remained unchanged.

“Keueung.”

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm. I don’t like that something troublesome seems to have started.”

Why did they target the children? Are they picking a fight with Siyoungwon?

“I didn’t like that newly opened restaurant either.”

It seemed that the courtesans who hadn’t come to Siwolgak had gone there, judging from what I had heard earlier.