Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 223

I Was Born as the Daughter of a Lowly Concubine 223

“With such a big mole next to his nose, you’d recognize him instantly if you saw him even once.”

“They deliberately let you win a bit in the beginning, then bleed you dry and disappear.”

“Was I being too obvious about stalling?”

“All I see are low-level guys; there’s no sign of anyone important, so this is pointless.”

They were chatting, pretending to be friendly, but nothing of substance was exchanged.

“In that case, why don’t we just sneak into the house?”

“Those guys aren’t that careless.”

The inside is clearly spacious, so they must be plotting something.

“But doesn’t Siyoungwon [a special intelligence agency] have people with those kinds of skills?”

Those who knew that there were former Chetamin [elite warriors/assassins] among the teachers couldn’t help but react subtly.

But they’ve all retired. Of course, they taught the children who would become Chetamin, but…

As they were all contemplating, someone muttered.

“It would be nice if Mr. Seong were here…”

“That guy is away on another business trip.”

“Heh. That guy is more capable than I thought…”

The Chetamin alumni who knew Mr. Seong’s true identity remained silent.

Jia was hesitant to stir up unnecessary trouble, but she didn’t want to simply ignore the situation.

“If Mr. Seong knew, he would have informed Ongju [princess]. Let’s investigate on our own.”

“I thought Jia would be against it, but this is unexpected.”

“Well, if Ongju finds out, she might rush into a dangerous situation herself!”

“…”

That’s true.

Everyone kept it unspoken, but those who knew shared the same concern.

And they didn’t realize that there was a double agent in their midst, subtly positioned.

“That’s what they say, but what do you think?”

“No, what do you all think of me?”

I clicked my tongue after hearing Cheonho’s story.

No matter how you slice it, I wouldn’t go to such a dangerous place with this young body.

Of course, I was worried about the Siyoungwon kids infiltrating such a dangerous place.

‘Hmm. But the Chetamin uncles will be with them, so it’ll probably be okay, right?’

I took a sip of cold tea and sighed to mask my nervousness.

Cheonho, sitting across from me, was diligently stuffing the sweet glutinous rice cakes into his mouth.

Well, he’s still at an age where he’s easily distracted by food…

I felt like I was watching a large, overgrown puppy, so I pushed the plate towards him, and his face lit up.

Hmm. He’s kind of cute.

“But… why are you telling me all this?”

You even called Cheonho to find out my schedule. Are you all hiding something from me?

“My mission is to deliver news from Siyoungwon to Ongju.”

“That’s true. But wouldn’t the Siyoungwon kids try to keep it a secret?”

“They told me not to tell Ongju… but whether I listen to them is my decision.”

Should I see this as admirable?

Cheonho, having finished everything on his plate, added cautiously, looking a little nervous.

“I thought it would be better for you to know.”

“Even if I know, you don’t think I’ll go to a dangerous place?”

At my words, Cheonho shook his head without hesitation.

“No. You can’t go alone anyway.”

“Tch.”

When I clicked my tongue, Cheonho looked at me, munching on a cookie.

“Why are you annoyed?”

“I’m not annoyed.”

I understood that the Siyoungwon people were worried about me and were keeping things from me, and that Cheonho was telling me this despite that.

“But it does sound too dangerous.”

“That’s right. Gambling dens are likely to be connected to back-alley thugs. But most of the thugs from the previous human trafficking incident should have been sent to the labor camp.”

“Does a new gang pop up every time one is caught…?”

Should I have prepared a replacement sooner?

It was suspicious, but I thought it would end reasonably well with that incident. It seemed like everyone didn’t want to just let it go.

Well, they even touched the Siyoungwon funds in the bank, so they crossed the line in many ways…

It seemed like they were trying to quietly cover it up because it was an internal matter.

‘Hmm. When I think about it, it’s understandable.’

Everyone is secretly proud of Siyoungwon.

“Haa. So, what are they planning to do?”

“The kids who are going in and out of the gambling den are going to deliberately start a fight inside. It would be ideal if the ‘higher-up’ showed up during the commotion, but since that’s unlikely, they’re going to try to sneak inside in the meantime.”

“No, that’s dangerous either way.”

“If they’re specifically targeting Siyoungwon and Ongju, there might be someone pulling the strings.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

A sigh escaped me, but I couldn’t blame them.

‘Well, it’s not like I feel bad because they’re worried about me.’

I was just concerned.

“So, who’s going into the gambling den?”

“There are a few, but I heard that Jia is the main one.”

“…? Didn’t you say that Siyoungwon girls aren’t sent into gambling dens?”

That’s what Cheonho had told me, right?

“That’s right… but among the young men, there wasn’t really anyone who could go inside and not be swept away by the atmosphere, not be flustered by the courtesans, and gamble without fear…”

It was such an unexpected fact that I was momentarily stunned.

So, the kid who’s been infiltrating as a scholarship student and gambling is Jia?

Ah, of course, Jia is a scholarship candidate, but.

“…Should I reduce the Siyoungwon boys’ meals a little?”

I think I’ve been feeding the kids too well. They seem to lack a hungry spirit?

The guys who eat twice as much as the girls… how can they be so easily tempted?

Seeing that I was serious, Cheonho tried to defend the children.

“Don’t be cheap and mess with their food. Just hit them instead.”

I guess he’s not really defending them.

“Come to think of it, you weren’t on the list?”

“They said I’m too big and too noticeable. They seem to know Siyoungwon well, so they might recognize my face.”

“Ah, that’s true too.”

If they were lurking in places I frequent, such as Siyoungwon, Hyeminseo [a medical institution], or my private residence, it wouldn’t be difficult to identify me or my escorts. Besides…

I stared at Cheonho’s face and clicked my tongue.

“Tsk. Uselessly handsome.”

“Huh? Is that… a compliment?”

“What’s the point of being handsome? It’s useless.”

“???”

Cheonho looked at Soi with a dumbfounded expression, as if asking for an opinion, but Soi just avoided his gaze and smiled silently.

‘Guys like Cheonho… their looks are too striking.’

Such infiltration missions don’t suit handsome guys. They’re too memorable.

It would be different if it were about seducing women.

Cheonho continued his report with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

“So Jia is cross-dressing and going in and out, and apparently she even has a slight beard drawn on her face. Surprisingly, she hasn’t been caught yet.”

It looked perfect even to those around her.

‘Now that you mention it, I kind of want to see it. I wonder if she looks like a short, handsome man.’

Anyway, I was worried that Jia was acting on her own.

I hope she doesn’t do anything too dangerous. I’ve been too busy to pay attention, and she’s already doing this.

“So, when is it?”

“Today.”

“…You’re telling me this so late!”

Slap!

When a palm that had grown from a fern to a maple leaf struck Cheonho’s back, Cheonho protested as if he was wronged.

“It was decided yesterday.”

***

Today, Jia, cross-dressed, visited the gambling den, checked a few familiar faces who were already inside, and felt relieved.

She had already come several times, so she should be used to it by now, but she couldn’t get used to the gloomy atmosphere here.

‘The uncles said that they seem to be cheating during the gambling.’

Gambling is inherently like that.

If you get caught, it’s over, but if you don’t, you can do anything.

From the start, it was wrong to try to make money innocently without knowing that it was such a place.

‘If it were Agassi [young lady/princess], she would shout that the cheater is wrong!’

When I thought about it, I felt like my expression was faltering, so I covered my mouth and coughed.

The plan will be carried out when a new Siyoungwon person arrives.

They were going to pretend to know each other, pull them in, and start a fight as if they were releasing pent-up emotions, pretending to force them to gamble.

Already, some young courtesans who lacked talent and couldn’t stand properly on stage were serving alcohol around them.

Of course, they weren’t just serving. The women were deliberately attracting the attention of the targeted guests to help them fall into the trap.

Jia had even made mistakes at first because she was flustered by the courtesans who kept sticking to her.

Even Jia, a woman, was affected, so it was understandable that young men would lose their minds.

When they explained the gambling, they omitted the fact that the courtesans would be so forward. Was that their last shred of decency?

But Jia, who was a little flustered at first, now indifferently pushed the women away and picked up the cards while pretending to be indifferent to the still chaotic surroundings.

She was pretending to be engrossed in gambling, but her mind was elsewhere.

‘Will he really come today?’

The reason why they hurriedly set the date for today was because they had overheard it in a conversation between another gambler and a servant whom they often encountered here.

He only looked like a playboy who was drunk and hanging out with courtesans, but he was a regular here, so the courtesans and even the workers all recognized him and tried to please him.

Sometimes, when he won a lot of money, he would share it around, so it seemed like none of the guests disliked him.

Once, Jia pretended to be drunk and collapsed while gambling, so she was taken away by the servants to rest. By chance, that drunkard was sitting next to her. It was a coincidence that this happened because customers who were not in good condition were kept separate here.

He was definitely drunk and looking for the ‘elder’. And the workers said to him, as if to appease him:

‘The elder is busy preparing for a big game, but he will be here soon, so please wait a few more days.’

He was particularly looking around while saying that, so the conversation stuck in my memory.

The day that guy was talking about was today.

Whether he comes into the gambling den or appears in the house where this gambling den is located, I might be able to confirm the existence of the person who runs this gambling den.

‘I shouldn’t be too nervous.’

I deliberately drank some alcohol to appear drunk, but my hands seemed to be shaking because I was nervous.

‘Should I think of Agassi instead?’

While Jia was trying to recall memories of Siyoungwon to relieve her tension, the back suddenly became noisy.