Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 308

However, Crown Prince Seongwon quickly reappeared, likely having seen off Buwongun [a high-ranking official, possibly a relative of the Queen], cutting off any further discussion.

“Your Highness. But…”

“Don’t say strange things to the Princess.”

“Shouldn’t the Princess also be aware of this matter?”

“Don’t speak nonsense. This is a family matter.”

*If that family were the royal family, the phrase ‘just a family matter’ wouldn’t come up.*

But Yeon Seon-o was not someone who could defy Crown Prince Seongwon. If he were, he wouldn’t have lied to me on Seongwon’s orders.

“Alright. Since it’s a family matter, I should have a conversation with my brother directly. Since you seem unwilling to let others hear, would you excuse us for a moment? Brother, please come in.”

“…….”

The Crown Prince was silent at my words but didn’t come inside.

In the meantime, Yeon Seon-o discreetly stepped back, out of my sight. Probably still within earshot if I raised my voice.

I spoke to the Crown Prince, who still kept his mouth shut.

“Did Buwongun leave?”

“Yes.”

The Crown Prince seemed unwilling to say anything other than answering my question, but unexpectedly, he spoke before I could say my next words.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect my uncle to barge in so suddenly. Were you very surprised?”

“No, I kind of expected it.”

“Haha.”

“If my brother is involved, Buwongun is bound to be part of it, right?”

“You thought so.”

The Crown Prince replied, smiling as if pleased, but of course, I didn’t see it that way.

“Don’t act impressed. It pisses me off.”

“Going out to the marketplace so often has made you foul-mouthed.”

“I’m going to live outside anyway, so what does it matter?”

“That… that might be true.”

“Then start quickly. I don’t care if you speak from there if you don’t want to come in.”

At my words, the Crown Prince still avoided my gaze.

“What are you talking about?”

“The explanation. I need to hear it quickly.”

“Do you really need to hear it? Nothing will change now even if you hear it.”

“Then you shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. You started talking and then stopped, how could I not be angry?”

“…This brother is more worried about your behavior.”

“Brother. When someone speaks, please listen.”

“…….”

I could see him swallowing hard instead of answering. *What’s so scary?*

“I asked you to tell me something I could understand. Am I wrong?”

“But Si-ah, your words are short [implying a lack of respect].”

“If you’re upset, become the Crown Prince again… no, does starting a rebellion end with just being the Crown Prince? Anyway, get re-appointed as Crown Prince or Grand Prince, or whatever, and then speak.”

*Even though we are siblings, you are now a commoner, and I am a Princess.*

*Since I left pretending to be dead, I’m neither a royal nor a noble. It’s like I’ve erased my family register.*

My words could have been unpleasant, but the Crown Prince just chuckled.

“My little sister is so smart.”

“Aren’t you going to talk?”

When I abruptly stood up again with a sharp voice, the Crown Prince was startled and appeased me.

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. You’ve become much rougher while I haven’t seen you.”

“Isn’t it all because of you, brother?”

Crown Prince Seongwon drooped his shoulders as if stung by those words. It was a sight that could easily evoke sympathy from many women, but it had no effect on me, his own sister.

*Objectively speaking, he’s become an ugly older brother and a rebel trying to take the place of the sister he abandoned, so why is he acting pitiful?*

“Aren’t you curious why Buwongun is trying to involve you?”

“I think I know roughly, so it’s okay.”

Probably because the justification for the rebellion is weak, so Siyeongwon [her business network/organization] wanted to borrow the influence I have on the people.

Besides, I have a lot of money, a lot of land, and a lot of people.

If I use the network connected like a spider web through Siyeongwon, there are many things I can do.

Even secretly raising soldiers, or using the logistics lines that extend to Siyeongwon and even the provinces these days, would make things easier in many ways.

*That’s also why I try not to get too involved in politics.*

It would be troublesome if some hot-headed guy interfered and tried to use Siyeongwon.

Even if I do nothing, I’m in a position to be at the center of power.

People can connect directly to the King or the Crown Prince through me, and there aren’t many people who can do that.

So I deliberately keep my distance from politics.

The Crown Princes’ aides all have some acquaintance with me, but they don’t contact me when the Crown Prince isn’t around to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Still, there are many people who try to put in a request to me, so even refusing them is annoying.

*Leaving the palace and going on a trip is the best.*

But for my peaceful independent life, I first need to handle the immediate problem safely.

I sighed and subtly hinted that I had caught on to some extent.

“Now that I think about it, all the strange things that have happened to me seem to be because of this.”

Various criminal acts involving money and people that I couldn’t quite catch the tail of.

“I don’t think I can say no.”

“Brother.”

“So I hope you’ll be in a safe place this time. I was worried that you might get caught up in the rebellion and get hurt without me knowing since you move around so unpredictably, but I’m glad you came here. I even thought about kidnapping you to protect you.”

“Why me… Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hurt me?”

At my words, Crown Prince Seongwon smiled weakly.

“It’s because I don’t think you’ll stay still. The sister I know hasn’t been afraid since she was a child and couldn’t stand injustice.”

“…You’re aware that you’re wrong.”

“My uncle has been targeting you. How could I ever use you? I don’t even have the face to see you now. It’s better not to get involved unnecessarily. No, it seems like you think of them as allies now, so it’s better to leave it as it is.”

The Crown Prince ignored my words and kept saying what he wanted to say.

“So, the details later. Hear it later.”

“Later, when?”

“When everything is over.”

I sensed something suspicious and stood up.

While I was talking to Crown Prince Seongwon, people who hadn’t been visible until now had come into view.

“Brother?”

“These people here are my hands and feet, so you can trust them. They will take care of you until everything is over, so don’t worry.”

“What.”

It seemed that Crown Prince Seongwon had no intention of continuing the conversation any further.

“Take good care of the Princess.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Wait, hold on. I said wait!”

The open door and windows were closed, and I could see the other side of the latticed window darkening as if something was being added.

And I wasn’t someone who would just wait quietly.

*Such old latticed windows!*

Whether my arrival was unexpected or not, the furniture in the room was still there, so why would they think I would stay still?

I kicked the window, as a matter of urgency.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

“Si, Si-ah?”

I didn’t intend to, but when I kicked it, the old latticed window broke.

*Oh my gosh.*

I could hear the Crown Prince’s voice, so it didn’t seem too late.

I tried to act as if nothing had happened and opened my mouth.

“…Open the door when I’m asking nicely.”

Come to think of it, I had enjoyed riding horses since I was young, and now I could even sprint on horseback.

I had only learned self-defense from the Seong Gyeom Sabok [likely a martial arts style or instructor], so I couldn’t compare to martial artists, but my leg strength was quite something…?

“Can’t you just open it before I break it down?”

“…….”

When I kicked the tattered window a few more times, the Crown Prince Seongwon’s subordinates… no, the Ikwisa [likely a military unit or guard], obediently opened the door.

I don’t know if they were frozen because what I did was too out of the ordinary, but I couldn’t keep staying in a room with a hole in the window in this cold weather.

I brushed off the wood fragments on my socks and came out.

The Crown Prince was looking at me with a dumbfounded face.

“No, Si-ah. I’m really glad you’ve grown up so… strong, but couldn’t you just stay still for a little bit?”

“Brother, it seems like you’ve been away from the palace for too long and lost your touch. A person who has grown up as preciously as a young lady can’t last a day without attendants around her.”

“No. These people here will attend to you! You just have to wait quietly.”

I scoffed at Crown Prince Seongwon’s words.

*How are those men going to attend to me?*

The reason I’m wandering around like this when I should be warming myself in a hot room is because of words like that, so I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m on my period right now, can they even run errands for sanitary pads?”

“…….”

“…….”

The confidants whom Crown Prince Seongwon trusted turned their heads silently. They were old enough to have eaten their fill of rice [a common idiom for being mature/experienced], but because of the era, they seemed embarrassed by the fact that a woman was saying such things so openly, and they all cleared their throats and moved away.

In modern times, it would end with simply buying disposable sanitary pads, but in this era… of course, they use cloth sanitary pads.

It was an errand in name only, but it was not something that could be easily entrusted to a man who was a complete stranger, or even to someone of the same sex.

“No… no, that’s… you’re already that age… no, talking about such things…”

Crown Prince Seongwon was also flustered and couldn’t continue speaking, and while he was stuttering, I grabbed my shoes and walked towards the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince’s face still showed signs of embarrassment.

“No, how did the Queen raise you?”

“No, what right does a son who ran away from home have to criticize his mother?”

“…….”

Confucian people can’t stand their mother being slandered.

Of course, most people, regardless of Confucianism, wouldn’t stand for their mother being slandered.

But literally, Crown Prince Seongwon, of all people, had no right to say anything to the Queen.

*Well, if the Crown Prince, who is her own son, grumbles a little, she might listen with a smile.*

An older brother who ran away from home was not qualified to discuss his younger sister’s education.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince is at fault.”

“Ahem, that’s right. It seems so.”

I could hear the Crown Prince’s confidants whispering in the distance. Inevitably, most of them were Confucian people, so they seemed to agree with my words.

“Ye, yes. I was wrong… Th, but are you okay? Being out here like this?”

“Brother called me out here like it was a notification and now you’re saying so much.”

It’s the second day, when the flow is heavy and the pain is severe.

*Tsk, when I wasn’t growing up, I didn’t have to worry about this, so it was comfortable.*