Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 273

Born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine [a secondary wife or consort] (273)

That young rascal was so disobedient. No matter how much I told him what a great man his father was, I couldn’t tell if he believed it or not.

It seemed like he was even more like that because his older brother had started a new family in Hamgyeong Province. Seeing him care about such things, he didn’t seem like he would amount to much.

Wasn’t it only a few years since he had lost his wife? Besides, being appointed to an outside post and away from home, it wasn’t a big deal to have a woman to take care of the household.

His mother died early, he didn’t know his father’s face, and he was raised by his much older sister. Maybe that had an effect on him.

If he became a close aide to the Crown Prince, he could not only advance in his career but also have a chance to find out about Kim Seon-ik’s case if he did well. However, Cheon-ho refused to become a close aide to the Crown Prince.

If Princess Su-yeong were just an ordinary girl her age, I would have thought he was infatuated with her. But Princess Su-yeong, whom I saw once, was truly an ungrown child, just like the rumors said.

‘I can’t help but feel sorry for her.’

I knew that he had met her when he was young and even helped her when she suddenly became the child of a traitor and ran away.

He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t care.

In fact, I’ve been watching him grow up, so I didn’t think it was possible. But if, by any chance, Cheon-ho had any impure thoughts about a girl who was obviously young, I would have tried to take care of him myself for the sake of Kim Seon-ik’s honor. Fortunately, he didn’t have any impure thoughts and just wanted to protect her.

I heard that she had received treatment and grown up in the meantime, but the difference in status between her and Cheon-ho was too great.

‘Unless Kim Seon-ik clears his name as a traitor.’

Fortunately, even though Cheon-ho didn’t do anything, he heard through Cheon-ho that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was reinvestigating the incident.

Cheon-ho said something foolish, saying it was all thanks to Princess Su-yeong.

I would have glared at him normally, but Kim Hwe-yeop couldn’t help but be grateful to Princess Su-yeong for that matter.

If there was one thing I clearly learned after coming to Hanyang [historical capital of Korea], it was that Princess Su-yeong had a very good reputation and that she was a very good person.

It’s no wonder Cheon-ho follows her so well.

But what he’s about to do now could mean that Cheon-ho won’t be able to stay by the Princess’s side if things go wrong.

‘I’m sorry, Cheon-ho.’

I didn’t tell Cheon-ho.

Cheon-ho, who doesn’t usually talk about what happened next to the Princess, informed his uncle, Kim Hwe-yeop, that Seong Gyeom-sabok was reinvestigating those who had accused Kim Seon-ik of treason. This was not only to give him the hopeful news that Kim Seon-ik’s name might be cleared, but also.

‘He probably meant for me not to antagonize His Royal Highness the Crown Prince or Princess Su-yeong for no reason.’

It was inevitable that he would feel good about them as he saw them up close.

But even such people, the powerful, could harm someone for their own sake at any time.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must have been young at the time, so he may not have been directly involved in the incident, but I couldn’t completely ignore the rumor that His Majesty the King had abandoned Kim Seon-ik.

Of course, those who accused Kim Seon-ik of treason and lived in luxury deserved to be torn to pieces, but since they had already been executed for treason last time, he no longer had to take revenge on them separately.

‘As expected, Princess Su-yeong is worthy of being admired by many people.’

Wasn’t it Princess Su-yeong who caught the evidence of treason at the time?

Cheon-ho also unexpectedly helped with the matter while serving Princess Su-yeong, so it was worth it to have supported her in every way.

He also learned about those who accused Kim Seon-ik in detail only after entering the palace.

Most of the people who knew about the incident at the time were already involved in it, or their whereabouts became unclear in order not to be involved, and in the provinces, there was no one who knew the old treason case very well.

However, there were many long-term employees in the palace, and if you got along well with them and talked about this and that, you could hear the stories you wanted without feeling awkward.

How frustrating it was.

In addition, he heard through Cheon-ho that the Crown Prince had secretly sent someone to reinvestigate the incident.

And under the circumstances, it was obvious to everyone that Seong Gyeom-sabok was dispatched for the investigation.

A Gyeom-sabok [special investigator] from Chetain, who is trusted by the Crown Prince and the Princess.

Kim Hwe-yeop glanced at him from afar as he was still talking to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I could roughly tell that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was trying to give him more work, so it seemed like there was hope for now.

‘I have no choice but to hope that Cheon-ho’s eyes are right…….’

Cheon-ho said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also had doubts about the incident and wanted to clear Kim Seon-ok’s name if it was a false accusation.

That he is a trustworthy person.

That’s why Kim Hwe-yeop also decided to take a reckless gamble.

I’m sorry to Cheon-ho, who may be unintentionally affected, but if that happens, it can be said to be a punishment for an unfilial son who did not try to clear his father’s disgrace.

‘If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the person Cheon-ho says he is, he won’t abandon you unless it’s revealed that you are the son of his older brother.’

Cheon-ho’s uncle, Kim Hwe-yeop, was also prepared to die from the moment he dared to stand in the way of the Crown Prince.

‘And there’s something else I need to tell you now.’

Kim Hwe-yeop recalled the former Cheakhogun [elite military unit] colleague whom Cheon-ho had told him about meeting at Oragwon a while ago.

Before coming to Hanyang, he had asked his colleagues to inquire if he could meet someone who was in the North Byeongyeong [northern military command] at the time.

And they had not forgotten his request.

After confirming that Seong Gyeom-sabok had finished his report and was leaving, Kim Hwe-yeop dared to enter the Crown Prince’s sight, knelt down, and bowed his head.

“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince! I am Kim Hwe-yeop, and I dare to say something to Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“?”

The Crown Prince, who seemed to be lost in thought for a moment after Seong Gyeom-sabok left, seemed surprised by his sudden action, but he stopped his aides from getting angry at his rudeness on behalf of the Crown Prince and gave him a chance.

I had already organized in my mind several times what I should say from the first time I made up my mind, but when I knelt before His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I couldn’t help but feel my heart pounding with anticipation and anxiety.

“Yes. What do you have to say to me so suddenly?”

The Crown Prince was looking down at him.

It wasn’t the first time Kim Hwe-yeop had a conversation with the Crown Prince, but it was the first time he was so afraid.

But now the die was cast.

Kim Hwe-yeop took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

***

‘What on earth are they talking about now?’

Se-hwa was having the experience of not being able to think straight for the first time in a long time.

Who on earth is that person to be claiming the innocence of Se-hwa, or rather, Ji-hwa’s father, Kim Seon-ik?

I couldn’t see his face because he was bowing his head in front of the Crown Prince, but even if I could see his face, I couldn’t guarantee that he was someone Se-hwa knew.

‘The only people I know are my relatives. Even then, most of them haven’t seen me in so long that I don’t know if I’ll be able to recognize them if I meet them now…….’

Even before being branded as a family of traitors and falling into ruin, relatives rarely came to see Ji-hwa and Su-cheon in a house without Kim Seon-ik.

At most, it was my great aunt (大姑母, da gumo – paternal great aunt), who was worried about the young siblings and often came to visit, and who had been alone for a long time and lived relatively close by.

‘I heard she’s passed away now.’

I didn’t have many relatives to begin with, and even those who were there would have had a hard time escaping the hands of the Geumgun [royal guard] at the time.

The reason Ji-hwa was able to escape at the time was because she was still young and because it was the Buddha’s Birthday and she had come out to see the lanterns.

But that may have just been good luck.

“You were under Kim Seon-ik in the North Byeongyeong, is that true?”

“How dare I lie in front of the law?”

“Yes, knowing that means you also know what that means.”

The Crown Prince’s cold voice pierced Se-hwa’s heart.

Wasn’t she about to make a similar confession anyway?

Somehow, the thought that the Crown Prince, who was always kind and even a little cute, might treat her so coldly made her feel like her resolve was wavering.

‘No, that’s not important right now.’

Se-hwa focused on the conversation between the two.

I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding I’ll get if I get caught, but since I’ve already heard it, Se-hwa had no choice but to listen.

“I know. Although I retired before the treason case occurred, I was one of Kim Seon-ik’s close aides in the North Byeongyeong.”

Se-hwa gasped at the man’s words.

‘Father’s close aide?’

That meant he was a close aide to a traitor, which was a dangerous statement that risked his life.

To make matters worse, he said that Kim Seon-ik and he were sworn brothers who had saved each other’s lives.

While Se-hwa was confused by the fact that she had learned for the first time, the Crown Prince’s questions continued.

“Then why are you still alive and well?”

“At the time when I was in the North Byeongyeong, I lost a cherished subordinate in an accident, and I left the army feeling empty. That was shortly before Kim Seon-ik was branded as a traitor.”

He said that he still remembered the face of Kim Seon-ik, who was saddened by his sworn brother who wanted to leave, but told him to come to him whenever he was having a hard time.

“If there had been any signs of treason, there’s no way I wouldn’t have known! Furthermore, those who accused the General were usually dissatisfied with him and often caused problems, so they were losing his trust. It must be a frame-up.”

It was a desperate voice, but the Crown Prince’s voice remained cold.