Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 306

“About the people we met yesterday. They said they want to meet again tomorrow to talk, so I need to see them again with my own eyes.”

“Yes??? What are you saying? How can you meet with such dangerous people again? Aren’t they rebels? They might be targeting Ongju [Princess] herself.”

“……Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you tell me to at least hear their excuses?”

“Ah, no…….”

Cheonho stuttered, taken aback by my words.

“I, I didn’t think you were talking about them…… I thought it was someone else.”

“? Then who did you think it was?”

“…….”

Cheonho couldn’t lift his head for a while after my question.

Then, as if having made up his mind, he raised his face and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“I, I thought you were talking to me…….”

“Why?”

“Haven’t you been avoiding me lately?”

“…….”

I couldn’t deny it when he put it that way.

“Actually, I saw a jade ring in the box you took out earlier…….”

“A jade ring…… Ah.”

I finally understood why Cheonho was reacting like this.

The jade ring that Cheonho had.

I couldn’t carry it around, so I put it in the box where I kept the things I received from Crown Prince Seongwon.

In that very box I opened earlier.

‘He saw that earlier.’

I was so focused on the handwriting analysis that I forgot the jade ring was in there, and he must have seen it in the meantime.

I would have been more careful normally. The contents of the letter sent by Crown Prince Seongwon were so absurd that I was careless.

While I was blaming myself and remaining silent, Cheonho began to explain further.

“My, my maids also know that I had that jade ring……”

“……Is that so?”

“So, the fact that you have that jade ring…… doesn’t that mean you already know who I am?”

“…….”

I couldn’t say no.

I didn’t want to explain, so I hugged the little one tightly and remained silent. Then, Cheonho started to run in a different direction than I expected.

“So, that’s why you’ve been distancing yourself from me? Because I’m…… the child of someone who shouldn’t be here…….”

“What, no, that’s not it?!”

“Yes?”

I put the little one down, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then stood up, grabbed Cheonho by the collar, and said.

“O, Ongju [Princess]?”

“No matter what happened with Lord Kim Seon-ik, I helped that child because I didn’t think he was involved in the rebellion. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Yes…….”

“And you think I would distance myself from you for that reason?”

“I, I’m sorry.”

Cheonho’s face brightened, and I could see the corners of his mouth turning up, as if he liked my words.

Since the topic came up, I pressed him about something that had bothered me for a while.

“No, rather, weren’t you the one who intentionally approached me and entered the palace?”

“Yes?! N, no, that’s not it?!”

“……Not so?”

“No! I really! Really…….”

Cheonho, who had said that far, slumped down and made a timid excuse.

“I, I won’t deny that I recognized you. How could I forget? You were the one who sent me away that day.”

“…….”

“Of course, it was a coincidence that I saved you at first. But once I knew it was you, how could I ignore the danger you were in? I just…… wanted to be by your side, like I said back then.”

“……Why?”

When I asked that, Cheonho looked embarrassed.

“Do you ask Siyeongwon [Royal Guard] or the others in your residence such things?”

“No, the court ladies are originally people who were educated that way from a young age, and not all the people in Siyeongwon [Royal Guard] are willing to risk their lives for me.”

“You’re wrong about that.”

“?”

“Everyone thinks you’re such a good person that they like being by your side and would do anything for you.”

I stared at Cheonho’s face as he passionately spoke, then lowered myself to his eye level, chuckled, and patted his head.

“Okay. Cheonho likes me a lot, doesn’t he?”

“…….”

When I smiled and made eye contact, Cheonho’s face turned red in an instant, and he hurriedly avoided my gaze, his eyelashes fluttering.

‘Huh?’

Come to think of it, was my face too close?

Feeling a strange atmosphere, I subtly removed my hand from Cheonho and quietly backed away.

Somehow, I plopped back down in the spot where I had been at first, and the little one next to me screamed.

‘I must have sat on his tail.’

Hugging the little one, who was blankly getting angry, I also avoided his gaze.

‘What is this? What is this?’

Could this be my delusion again?

I felt like my face was heating up, so I fanned myself with my hand.

Looking around, Cheonho’s face was still red.

‘Ugh, why do I keep grabbing people by the collar these days…….’

I felt a bit embarrassed, as if I had overreacted because my emotions had gotten too intense.

I tried to break the awkward atmosphere by forcing myself to speak.

“Anyway. Ahem. So, uh, I’m going out to meet them tomorrow.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Cheonho seemed to regain his senses faster than I thought.

“……Why are you trying to do such a dangerous thing? Who is that person anyway?”

Since we were both desperate to change the subject, the conversation progressed smoothly.

“The original owner of the jade ring you had…….”

“?”

Cheonho looked completely clueless.

Of course. If it’s the owner of something I’ve had since I was young, what else would you think?

“It would be better for you not to know the details.”

“What does my well-being matter now? Just tell me.”

“Hmm.”

Well, he had already been branded as the son of a traitor and had even run away, so it was understandable that he would say that.

But…….

“You shouldn’t say such things! Huh? Do you think there’s no one around you who’s worried about you?”

“Ouch, that hurts. Ongju [Princess].”

I hit Cheonho on the back.

Your sister is looking for you right now, what nonsense is this!

“And do you even know who you’re being called a close aide to right now?”

“T, to Ongju [Princess], right?”

“Good. Then will you say such things again, or not?”

“I won’t!”

“Ugh. He’s just a big kid. I’m worried, really.”

I need to somehow hand him over to Sehwa, but how?

‘Could it be faster for Kim Seon-ik to clear his name and Sehwa to reveal her identity?’

As I sighed deeply without saying anything, Cheonho timidly spoke to me.

“Um. Ongju [Princess]. Are you still angry?”

“No.”

“Is that so.”

Seeing Cheonho shrinking timidly, not befitting his large frame, I reached out my hand again and this time roughly stroked his head, unlike before.

“???”

Cheonho’s face was full of question marks, but I didn’t care.

‘Yeah. Just the fact that Cheonho is alive is proof that what I did wasn’t in vain.’

The same goes for Crown Prince Seongwon being alive.

Originally, Crown Prince Seongwon should have already been dead and there should have been no mention of him.

But suddenly he’s back as a villain, and a rebel at that.

Now, the story is too different from what I knew in the original.

‘If this happened because I twisted the original story, then I need to find a way to get to a happy ending if possible.’

So, I don’t care about the original story anymore.

No, it’s enough if just one thing is the same.

‘The original was also a happy ending.’

Of course, many people died.

Then I had to move to get to a happy ending too. So that as few people as possible die.

“I’m going to meet my first older brother, who’s supposed to be dead, tomorrow, so help me.”

“Yes? Yes, understood.”

Cheonho replied to my words with a slightly doubtful voice.

The owner of the slightly excited voice awkwardly avoided my gaze again.

‘Ugh. It’s a relief Soi isn’t here…….’

It’s still cold, but I felt strangely hot.

***

‘I got out easier than I thought.’

Thanks to Soi’s injury and Cheonho’s cooperation, I was able to quietly slip out of the arcade and go to the place written in the letter sent by Crown Prince Seongwon.

‘Soi tends to think that if she’s inside the arcade, she’ll be safe.’

It was a relief that I didn’t have to worry Soi any more than necessary, as she insisted on coming along even though it wasn’t easy for her to move her feet yet.

Squeak-

“Brother?”

I called out to Crown Prince Seongwon as I entered the place written in the letter he sent.

“Si-ah.”

There, Crown Prince Seongwon was really waiting for me.

“…….”

“You came. I’m glad.”

I didn’t really get a good look at his face last time because I was so flustered.

Crown Prince Seongwon, whom I saw in natural light for the first time in a while, didn’t seem to be much different from before.

‘What’s with the youthful genes.’

His skin even looked more supple, as if he hadn’t left the palace and hadn’t suffered much.

Thanks to that, the fond memories I had with Crown Prince Seongwon came flooding back, but at the same time, the memories of crying and struggling because my brother had died came to mind, and I unknowingly clenched my fist for a moment.

The place where I met the Crown Prince was a house across from the arcade, near the very building where the illegal gambling den used to be.

Thanks to that, the ruined gambling den was easily visible.

‘Is the land in this neighborhood bad?’

When the illegal gambling den was thriving, the arcade side was in ruins, but now that the arcade is doing well, the gambling den building is in ruins.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere around here was quite ominous.

But why did Crown Prince Seongwon call me to a place like this?

“I didn’t get a chance to properly greet you the other day because I was so flustered. Have you been well?”

“……Yeah.”

“Weren’t you hurt that day? I didn’t feel good after sending you away like that.”

“You too, Brother.”

“Huh?”

“Weren’t you hit by an arrow?”

The Crown Prince smiled awkwardly at my words.

“Yes. The guard you have is quite capable. Would you introduce him to me if he came with you today?”

“I ditched him.”

“Really?”