Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 271

It began as a reasonably friendly conversation, but as the story progressed, Royal Guard Sung’s tone grew increasingly loud.

“The Princess Consort was in such a dangerous situation? And you just stood by and watched?”

“I didn’t just watch… I, I apologize.”

Initially, the story focused on keeping the Princess Consort away from dangerous situations as much as possible, which reasonably satisfied Royal Guard Sung. He listened with relief and great interest.

However, as the story continued, detailing the Sooyoung Princess Consort being attacked by a tiger and even shooting an arrow into the eye of the dangerously charging beast, he glared at Chunho.

The cold gaze of the seasoned veteran sent a chill down Chunho’s spine for a moment.

‘Even His Majesty didn’t get this angry…!’

Rather, he greatly praised and even rewarded me for protecting the Princess and catching the tiger!

Chunho felt wronged.

Frankly, that day’s events weren’t Chunho’s responsibility, were they? Still, Chunho felt a little proud of the fact that he risked his life to protect Sooyoung Princess Consort.

Naturally, praise poured in from those around him.

Royal Guard Sung was the second person to criticize Chunho.

Both of them said the exact same thing.

“I should have pushed you harder when I was around.”

“I can catch them without being pushed…”

Royal Guard Sung frowned at Chunho’s timid protest.

“Don’t talk nonsense. You should have caught the tiger with your bare hands.”

“No, why do I have to do such a dangerous thing?”

Sometimes, legendary stories are told of people with great strength who strangled tigers to death with their bare hands, but Chunho was relatively skeptical.

Those people didn’t try to catch tigers with their bare hands; it’s just that the situation forced them to! It was a last resort!

It would be safer to just dig a trap and catch them! Why do such a dangerous thing?!

At Chunho’s reaction, the surrounding older men clicked their tongues. They couldn’t understand why a guy with such great strength lacked ambition.

He didn’t know what kind of ambition that was, but everyone was afraid of tigers, so he didn’t know why they forced that on others.

The problem was that the people who were saying this now were a bit different from those older men.

“My uncle said something similar. Royal Guard, you too, why are you so eager to get a hold of me?”

“What, you punk?”

Royal Guard Sung frowned at Chunho but unexpectedly didn’t resort to violence.

‘He looked like he wanted to punch me?’

Chunho was puzzled but soon found the answer. The rumor that he was injured while protecting the Princess Consort was widespread in the palace, so this older man, who cherished the Princess Consort, must have known about it.

“Listening to you, it seems like you and your uncle would get along well. You said he works in the palace?”

“Yes. He got promoted for catching the tiger this time.”

“I see. He’s the one who taught you, so I can only imagine… Come to think of it, I’ve never seen your uncle even though we work in the same place.”

“Well, it’s not the same place.”

The palace is vast, and there are countless people working there.

If the assigned areas and positions are different, it’s not strange that they don’t know each other well.

In the first place, he hadn’t even been introduced.

“Ah, but recently, he was promoted and went to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince… as a guard in the East Palace [the Crown Prince’s residence]. Since you came from the East Palace, you might have run into him somewhere.”

“Oh, he’s made a name for himself.”

“He has merit for catching the tiger.”

“If what you say is true, he wouldn’t be an ordinary person…”

Muttering to himself, Royal Guard Sung beckoned Chunho with his finger.

“First, you stick with me for a while.”

“Don’t do this, it’s cold… I’m still injured…”

“A young man with no spirit.”

Even as he said that, Royal Guard Sung patted Chunho’s shoulder and grinned.

Really, the young man had potential.

And the person they were talking about was causing a big accident in a place they didn’t know about.

***

Sehwa was pacing anxiously near the East Palace in a secluded area.

She had finished her tasks to some extent, but she had to make a decision quickly because she didn’t know when someone would come to call her.

It was now common knowledge in the Royal Clinic that if she was absent, they would look for her at the East Palace or the Princess Consort’s residence.

‘I heard Royal Guard Sung has returned…’

Even when he was in another province, he would stop by Siyoungwon [a medical facility], so if he was injured, he would have already received treatment. So, he wouldn’t necessarily come to the Royal Clinic for treatment, but martial officers generally had some acquaintance with the Royal Clinic doctors.

Thanks to this, the rumor that Royal Guard Sung had returned to the palace after a long time reached Sehwa’s ears early on.

‘Did he find something, some clue?’

Sehwa already knew that the Crown Prince had sent Royal Guard Sung to Gangwon-do to investigate the treason case involving Sehwa’s father, Grand Scholar Kim Seon-ik, which was now ten years old.

Because of this, Sehwa had been praying for his safe return more than anyone else.

But when she heard that Royal Guard Sung had returned, she was restless all day and couldn’t focus on her work.

‘A doctor shouldn’t be like this.’

Fortunately, Sehwa had finished all the pulse readings and tasks she had to do before hearing the news.

Sehwa was relieved by her diligence.

‘Royal Guard Sung’s return may mean he has caught some clue. But if nothing comes out of it…’

Until Royal Guard Sung returned, she had been filled with hope, waiting for the day he would return, but now that he had returned, she couldn’t easily take a step.

But one thing was certain.

‘Before the truth is revealed, I must confess my identity to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with my own mouth.’

It was too cowardly to say nothing.

At least, before she confirmed whether her father was a criminal or not, she should confess to His Royal Highness and entrust the decision to him.

It was the Crown Prince, no one else.

Being the daughter of a traitor and continuing to hide her identity by his side… was never beneficial to him.

‘Wouldn’t he be disillusioned if he knew who I was?’

She had changed her name and background, gained his trust and affection with a false identity.

Even if the Crown Prince felt betrayed and distanced himself from her, it couldn’t be helped.

‘Even if that happens… if my father is innocent, he will reveal it.’

The Crown Prince was reinvestigating Sehwa’s father’s case for reasons completely unrelated to Sehwa herself. Sehwa was happy about that fact.

And she didn’t want him to hear that the Crown Prince was indulging in women and trying to clear the traitor’s charges.

‘Now that the Princess Consort’s illness is as good as cured… His Highness can dismiss me without hesitation for the Princess Consort’s sake.’

So now was the right time to reveal everything.

‘If it gets any later, I may completely lose the Crown Prince’s trust as a doctor and as a person and become unable to turn back.’

Wasn’t it a fact that had to be revealed someday?

If she went now, knelt down, and confessed the truth, the Crown Prince might accept it.

But she couldn’t handle it if she had such expectations and it didn’t happen.

Since she would have become a government slave if she hadn’t run away that day, she wasn’t in a position to complain even if she fell into the status of a female doctor.

‘Now there’s no chance of becoming a gisaeng (官妓) [female entertainer] in the worst case… Should I say I feel relieved in a way?’

If her identity was revealed, even the always kind and cheerful Princess Consort might be wary of her and distance herself. But she couldn’t keep a dangerous person by her side.

If someone else, the child of a traitor, was by the side of the Crown Prince or the Princess Consort instead of herself, Sehwa herself would not have the confidence to tell them to be careful and distance themselves.

Sehwa took several deep breaths to shake off her fear and hesitation and entered the East Palace.

Since there was no one who didn’t know Sehwa’s face, it was a free pass with just her face.

It was also something the Crown Prince had instructed. If Sehwa came, she should be allowed in at any time without reporting, unless the Crown Prince was with someone.

Thanks to this, many people noticed that the Crown Prince regarded Sehwa specially.

They just wouldn’t be foolish enough to babble and fall out of favor with the future monarch.

And thanks to that, Sehwa witnessed an unexpected guest kneeling before the Crown Prince.

“I have something I dare to say to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”

“?”

Because of this, Sehwa had to step back to an awkward distance, unable to stand before the Crown Prince.

‘I thought I had spent quite a bit of time by the Crown Prince’s side, but this is the first time this has happened.’

Sehwa was a little confused, but she hid behind the building so as not to interrupt the conversation.

‘Should I postpone it to the next opportunity? No, this is escapism. After all, shouldn’t I get things like this done when I’ve made up my mind?’

So Sehwa renewed her resolve.

And she didn’t realize it while she was momentarily out of her mind, but the palace people who usually followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were at a somewhat distant distance where the conversation couldn’t be heard.

‘Isn’t it dangerous?’

Of course, Eunuch Song and the guards who always stood by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were there, but for some reason, Sehwa felt uneasy, so she hesitated but approached the Crown Prince while hiding in the shadow of the building.

Then she heard the conversation that she couldn’t hear before.

‘Oh, should I move further away?’

But if something happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, she might be of help.

While Sehwa was struggling fiercely alone, a word she couldn’t just ignore came to her ears.

“I was under Grand Scholar Kim Seon-ik in the Northern Military Camp at the time.”

“!”

She felt like her breath stopped for a moment.

Sehwa’s heart began to beat frighteningly as she realized what she had just heard.

“Grand Scholar Kim Seon-ik never plotted treason! Please reveal his innocence, Your Royal Highness!”