Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 232

I was born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine.

“Are you talking about the person with a mole next to their nose?”

“Yes.”

To my question, Gai hesitated unusually in his response.

“…It’s been so long that I don’t remember exactly, but I definitely… have seen them.”

I didn’t press him and waited, but Gai tilted his head.

“I apologize. I’m not certain, but I believe they are a relative.”

“A relative of the deposed Hong?”

“Yes. That’s probably it. However, at the time, I wasn’t serving the higher-ups so closely, so I’m not entirely sure.”

“But if they came all the way to the concubine’s residence to meet, they must be quite close relatives….”

“There’s a high possibility… that they were. But I don’t think they were *that* close….”

“Really?”

Then why did she call them?

“I apologize, but it’s been so long that I can’t recall well.”

“I see.”

“The time I spent by Ongju’s [princess] side was so… there was so much work.”

“……Sorry.”

That’s right, he became incredibly busy after coming to my side, so it’s understandable that he wouldn’t remember things from the past.

‘He’s still incredibly busy now.’

Even with the agent running around, there’s still a lot for Gai to do.

“Hehe. Why do you apologize? If I hadn’t met Ongju, I wouldn’t have known that this kind of life existed, or that I had this kind of talent.”

“Um. Do you like your current life?”

“Yes.”

Gai’s face was bright as he answered, so I was relieved.

‘I felt a bit guilty for making him work so much…….’

It was a relief that he was satisfied.

“But I didn’t expect Ongju to remember such old things.”

“Um… really? I’m surprised too.”

He’d probably faint if I told him I even remembered the day I first met him.

‘No, he’s more likely not to believe me.’

“Ongju has been extraordinary since childhood.”

“Well, relatively.”

“If you hadn’t been born a woman, you might have done even greater things, but then again, since you’re royalty, I sometimes think it’s fortunate you were born a woman.”

“Um.”

It’s a relief I’m a daughter.

I wouldn’t be able to say that if I were born in another family.

“Come to think of it, I heard that person also visited other palaces.”

“Other palaces?”

“Yes. I only overheard it briefly, though.”

“Um…….”

Gai’s words made me think again.

Since they have a somewhat distinctive appearance, I thought the palace maids in other concubine residences might remember their face.

“Maybe there’s someone who knows who that person is. Should I ask the Queen or other concubines for a chance?”

“I don’t think the concubine madams are likely to have seen them, but their maids might know something.”

Gai’s words made me think of a suitable excuse.

“Um… it’s about time to inspect the playground equipment I made for the concubines.”

“……When did you even make those?”

Gai shook his head, complaining about me even though he’s busier than I am.

***

Meeting the concubines wasn’t difficult.

The weather’s been nice lately, so there were quite a few people playing outside on the playground equipment.

I heard that the concubines were bored, so those who were relatively close spent time together.

Even the closest personal maids wouldn’t be able to ride the playground equipment and scream with the concubine madams.

‘Come to think of it, the maids can’t ride those, can they? Should I make some just for the maids too?’

It’s not fun to just watch others ride the playground equipment.

While I was lost in thought, a concubine who spotted me greeted me first.

“Ongju. It’s been a while.”

“Ah, it’s been a while. Madam Jeong Suk-ui. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to Ongju, I’m not bored.”

I thought the playground equipment wasn’t working.

Madam Jeong Suk-ui was holding the newspaper I made and sold.

“Were you reading the newspaper?”

“Yes. It’s fun because I can easily learn about what’s going on in the world thanks to it being in Hangul [Korean alphabet], and I know that everyone in the concubine residences is reading it these days because of the serialized novel.”

In fact, I had finally started serializing a novel a while ago.

And sales exploded as soon as it was serialized. Thanks to that, I had to reprint it so many times from the first serialization…….

‘Ha…… as expected, our heroine is a genius. The greatest writer of the century…….’

To think that an internal medicine doctor with no work-life balance is even writing a novel by squeezing in time… what’s with her stamina?

Is this the stamina of the heroine?

Madam Jeong Suk-ui, who had no idea about that, tried to give me a compliment.

“By the way, does this novel perhaps already have a completed manuscript? Then, has Ongju read the entire novel?”

“Of course.”

Madam Jeong Suk-ui’s eyes sparkled at my words.

And she requested a spoiler.

“Th-then, who does she end up with…….”

“Oh, my, buy it and see. Buy it.”

“When will it finally be resolved? The lower ones are going crazy because they’re so frustrated.”

She probably wants to say she’s not, but anyone can see that she’s the most curious.

“It’s no fun if you know in advance.”

“Thanks to you, I’m looking forward to each day. I don’t know when I’ve had so much fun.”

Teacher Ji-cheon, who had been insisting on only 1:1 one-and-only relationships, had made this work a love triangle.

She said she added it because she thought she needed a chewy taste since it was a serialized work, but why is the content so…… genius…… so fun…….

Looking at the reactions around me, it seems that the orthodox male lead is good, but the newly appeared male character isn’t bad either.

‘He’s a bit more of a bad boy st…….’

The charm of a cold Seoul man who is strangely kind only to the heroine is causing explosive reactions everywhere.

“Which one do you like better?”

“Will you reflect my opinion?”

Madam Jeong Suk-ui’s eyes sparkled at my words, but I smiled and shook my head.

You can’t have spoilers.

“Of course not. I just thought the writer would be happy if I told her.”

“Ah, I heard that the previous work was released as a limited edition with illustrations? I tried to get it later after hearing the rumors, but it was too late.”

“More people read it than I thought.”

I have several copies of that, should I give her one?

I was thinking that when I felt Madam Jeong Suk-ui’s strange gaze.

Strange is a bit weird to say, but she was looking at me with a somewhat pleased face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Seeing Ongju grow up like this and having these conversations…… for some reason, I’m all emotional.”

“Don’t cry.”

“Cry? I’m so happy.”

Madam Jeong Suk-ui laughed and wiped away tears with her sleeve.

“If I had known she was doing such heinous things, I might have been able to stop her…….”

“……Does Madam Jeong Suk-ui know a lot about the deposed Hong?”

At the unexpected words, the question popped out of my mouth without me realizing it.

Madam Jeong Suk-ui seemed flustered that she had spoken about the deposed Hong in front of me, but she soon nodded.

“We were concubines chosen at the same time, and many of our families were in similar situations, so we all got along reasonably well.”

“……Then, do you happen to know anything about the relatives who visited Youngbin’s residence at the time?”

“Yes? Ah, weren’t most of those close to Youngbin punished?”

“Um. I see. So that’s how it was.”

“Why do you ask?”

“No. I thought I saw someone outside who looked like Hong’s relative. It’s been so long that I might have mistaken them.”

“Is that so? Well, it’s been a really long time now. But perhaps Ongju didn’t mistake them.”

“?”

“Among those related to Hong, the relatives of Crown Prince Seongwon must have survived.”

“Ah.”

The conversation with Madam Jeong Suk-ui and the other concubines was quite informative.

‘Indeed, so that’s why they’re walking around fine now.’

I heard that many of those who could be said to be on Youngbin’s side were swept away as traitors at the time.

But those who weren’t very close to Youngbin or were insignificant were mostly let go.

Since the maternal family of the deceased Crown Prince Seongwon and the family of the deposed Hong are relatives, they probably couldn’t excessively punish those who were relatives of Seongwon, thinking of the deceased Seongwon.

‘Then that person means that they have a deep relationship with both Seongwon and Grand Prince Gyeong-eon.’

Although they seem like the type whose face isn’t easily remembered because of the mole.

But to think that a guy related to Grand Prince Gyeong-eon is plotting for me to break up with the Crown Prince is too…….

‘It feels like treason……?’

The sudden realization reminded me of when I thought those human trafficking guys were plotting a rebellion.

‘Oh…….’

Somehow, it’s possible.

But with Grand Prince Yeongcheon, who was particularly flamboyant, now in exile, who is left to be the leader of the rebellion?

Are there still any Jongchin [relatives of the royal family] with such big guts left? I’m sure they all wrote wills saying they wouldn’t accept the throne and prostrated themselves in the past.

That’s why there are no candidates, or there are many.

‘Could it be that the rumors that Grand Prince Gyeong-eon is still alive are actually bait?’

Ha, I’ve been forgetting about it lately, but if this is a novel or a historical drama, anyway, if it’s that kind of background, a rebellion will happen at least once.

I can’t avoid it even if I want to…….

Just in case, if it’s a rebellion in a historical drama background, it’s likely to be a serious level of rebellion where soldiers invade the palace, not a small-scale one like Grand Prince Yeongcheon’s rebellion, or one that is suppressed early before it happens, like the one Se-hwa’s father was involved in.

I should have become independent sooner.

‘For now, what’s certain is that I need to take care of those gambling den guys.’

I’ve left the background investigation to Jia and the people from Siyeongwon [a government agency], but there were too many unsettling aspects to just let it go.

I decided to tell the Crown Prince about this, like a normal Ongju.

***