Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 312

The mountain path was dark as the sun set.

Following those who led the way with torches, Crown Prince Seongwon asked Yeon Seon-o in a voice barely audible, standing next to him.

“Are you all really planning to stay with me?”

“Now that we’ve come this far, who would trust us if we left Your Highness’s side?”

Crown Prince Seongwon sighed at Yeon Seon-o’s words.

The former Royal Guard officials who had gathered around him were never numerous, but now, most of those remaining by his side were like Yeon Seon-o, without family or relatives.

It wasn’t easy to abandon those who were determined to remain loyal to the end.

‘I thought they would understand if I told them to protect the Princess…’

They had spent enough years in the viper’s nest that was the palace, so he thought they would understand the situation.

It was difficult to guarantee the lives of his close aides, let alone Crown Prince Seongwon himself.

Following him now was as good as going to their deaths.

‘It’s a relief that those with families to protect seem to have stayed by Sia’s side.’

He had to separate them somehow before the uprising began, but it didn’t seem easy.

“How is Sia… how is the Princess?”

“The Princess is a very capable person and didn’t seem to need our protection.”

“She’s grown up well despite all the hardships…”

“She seemed a bit headstrong, though.”

“I think she’s been like that since she was little.”

Yeon Seon-o seemed to agree, as a small chuckle could be heard. Crown Prince Seongwon blinked, thinking of Sia.

‘Is it because it’s the middle of the night? I’ve been feeling a bit sleepy. Maybe it’s because I had a snack earlier and my stomach is full.’

Crown Prince Seongwon forced strength into his eyes, not wanting to show weakness to those who were following him.

“Don’t worry about the Princess. She is not a powerless, ordinary princess.”

“I don’t know if that’s a generous or harsh assessment.”

His younger sister in his memory was still small, and thinking of his childhood always brought a smile to his face.

That child secretly wandered around and caused quite a bit of trouble, but when he thought about it, she never did anything dangerous enough to reach their father’s ears. In that sense, she was quite clever.

“Okay. If she’s alright, then that’s enough.”

He always felt sorry for his younger sister. How terrible it must have been for a child to keep losing the few family members she had.

‘I even wondered if she knew the dried persimmon was poisoned when she ate it.’

He felt uneasy thinking about leading the privately raised soldiers and becoming the leader of the rebels, but all the information had already been delivered, so it wouldn’t be difficult for the current Crown Prince to quell the rebellion.

His younger brother was bright and had the drive to act, so it wouldn’t be difficult.

And if there were any shortcomings, their father was there.

‘Is he very ill?’

He wanted to ask Sia, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask, fearing he would only be scolded for worrying about his brother.

He had heard that his father was healthy until he started acting as regent, but lately, he seemed to be staying away from state affairs, which worried him.

He felt sorry for causing his father so much heartache because of his incompetent son.

He was even planning to commit a greater act of filial impiety [disrespect to one’s parents] this time.

‘Oh, dear.’

Feeling his body sway for a moment, Crown Prince Seongwon tried to regain his senses. Fortunately, no one around him seemed to notice.

“Is Your Highness really alright?”

“Aren’t you the ones who aren’t alright? Even now…”

“It’s too late.”

“Now you’re even cutting me off…”

Sia did that too, and now even Yeon Seon-o.

It didn’t matter now, but he wondered if they had been influenced in that short time.

He had pretended to be fine to Sia, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.

He didn’t know about their father, but when the current Crown Prince gained power, he could become a considerable obstacle.

His very existence could cause discord.

‘So it’s better to disappear properly…’

He had lived freely outside the palace for the past ten years, but he still couldn’t shake off his guilt.

This was definitely an opportunity to be at ease, but he was only filled with gratitude and regret that there were still people following this inadequate person.

‘I still have time, so I have to send them back somehow.’

He was only taking close guards who had been Royal Guards with him under the pretext of inspecting the soldiers, so this was the perfect opportunity.

First, after getting out of this dark mountain path.

“Oh, Your Highness. We need to stop for a moment.”

“What’s wrong?”

“There are large branches blocking the path, so we need to clear them before we can proceed.”

“What? I’ll check it myself.”

He got off his horse to wake himself up and brought a torch. He could see a large branch that looked like a small tree blocking the path.

“I don’t see any broken trees around…”

“It’s dark at night, and it might have slipped down from somewhere as the snow melted.”

“Be careful in case there are wild animals nearby.”

“Yes.”

Soon, several men who had been walking ahead busily moved to clear the branches.

‘It’s not strange that it hasn’t been cleared since it’s a path that people don’t use often, but…’

Could it be that the government troops have already found their way here?

He was worried about the fact that he hadn’t been able to evacuate the other aides yet.

‘Oh, dear.’

He swayed again for a moment. He was relieved that everyone hadn’t noticed in the dark, but Yeon Seon-o approached him.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“There’s something I need to give you.”

“To me?”

“Yes, the Princess asked me to give it to you.”

“Why now…”

He should have given it to him when he confirmed Sia’s safety and returned first.

“It was difficult to bring it up because Your Highness was constantly with the Grand Prince Consort or others.”

“Come to think of it, was I.”

Now that the uprising was nearing its end, there were many places where he had to show his face.

He hadn’t told anyone else about Princess Suyeong yet, only his maternal uncle knew.

‘He probably doesn’t want the Princess to gain any merit now.’

His maternal uncle was a dark-hearted person, but his only advantage was that his intentions were obvious to those who knew him.

He didn’t want to know how many terrible things he had done so far, including things he didn’t know, but he had to know, and he also had to take responsibility for not stopping them until now.

Of course, those who gained power would eventually become corrupt, but doing nothing would be a shortcut to the country’s downfall.

Suddenly, his consciousness blurred again.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, I was just thinking about something.”

“You’ve been lost in thought a lot.”

“I can’t help it. The uprising is just around the corner.”

Yeon Seon-o advised in a small voice at Crown Prince Seongwon’s words.

“Why don’t you give up now?”

“Don’t say that. My decision is firm.”

“Is that so…”

His face, nodding as if he had accepted, was full of worry.

He felt bad for making him do nothing but terrible things.

“You guys should leave now.”

“The more you say that, the more determined I become.”

“You really don’t listen.”

“I must take after my lord.”

“Okay. What is it that you need to give me?”

Finally returning to the main point, Yeon Seon-o took something out of his pocket with a regretful expression.

“The Princess said it was something she promised to return to you, so she asked me to deliver it.”

“Something she promised to return to me…”

The Crown Prince, who received the item Yeon Seon-o took out, narrowed his eyes in the darkness.

The light from the torches held by those around him was far away, so he couldn’t see well, but he quickly knew what it was by the sensation in his hand.

‘Mother’s jade ring.’

It was something he had entrusted to Sia before leaving Gangmu.

He often thought about it when he thought of Sia after faking his death and running away, but he was speechless for a moment because he never thought it would return to his hands like this.

He couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed when he thought of his younger sister, who still cherished such a thing.

He would surely incur his younger sister’s resentment later.

‘Sia will be very sad.’

Even if no one else did, that child would sincerely grieve.

Along with his apology, the fact that there was someone who would remember him and grieve for him even after his death remained a small comfort.

“Don’t you feel sorry for the Princess?”

“…I just feel sorry for that child.”

He took his eyes off the jade ring and looked back at Yeon Seon-o, opening his mouth again.

“To you as well. How can I not feel sorry when you follow me like this, who has given you nothing?”

“Then why don’t you not do things that make you feel sorry?”

“Haha, I’ll repay you in the next life.”

“Even though you’ve given it up, you’re still the Crown Prince, but you’re talking like Buddhists.”

“Haha. I’m not the Crown Prince anymore. Maybe it’s because my mother used to say that sometimes.”

His kind mother.

She was said to be so respectful that she even used honorifics to her inferiors. Would that person really have harmed other royal descendants?

The mother he remembered was never like that.

‘I believe it’s not true, but…’

If the palace maids who served his mother were doing such things without her knowledge, how scared would they have been if she smiled and treated the concubines without knowing?

How much would they have cursed her as a hypocrite in their hearts?

His father might also resent his mother if he found out.

‘It’s difficult to know what goes on in the inner palace…’

That was right.

Even if he was young, it was difficult for the Crown Prince, who was always busy studying, to know about the affairs of other concubines, and his father was always busy with state affairs and didn’t have much interest in the concubines, so there was no way he could know unless someone told him.

Who would dare to challenge the power of the Queen’s Palace, which received the King’s favor in the inner palace?

It was already too late when he first learned about it.

Even if he apologized for it, the children would not come back alive. Wouldn’t the concubines just recall painful memories and be terrified?

‘They… would have been more relieved than anyone else when I disappeared.’

He thought this was the most certain way to apologize.

He was sorry for even being alive, sorry, and just guilty.

The current Queen’s wariness of him and her opposition to her own son’s studies must have been more than just simple concern.

He was just grateful that there was a bright younger brother who survived in his place.

He was sorry to Sia, but he still felt sorry to Hwa.

‘That child is more suited to the position of Crown Prince than I am.’

Hwa, Grand Prince Yeongwon, who survived the threat to his life. That child was qualified to be the Crown Prince.

He was originally a bright child, so he had no doubt that he would become a great Crown Prince.

As expected, his only younger brother was making a name for himself as a Crown Prince who cared for the people.

His young younger sister was gathering orphans, helping them with food, clothing, and shelter, and even teaching them.

They were lovely and proud siblings.

He could not forgive even his own flesh and blood for threatening the lives of those who were not only scattering ashes on the future of such children.

He tightened his grip on the jade ring.

He told Sia that there were things he had to do as the Crown Prince, but that was wrong.

This was something he had to do as a brother.

The Crown Prince Seongwon, who had been wearing the jade ring around his neck, groped it one last time, as it had been brought as it was.

It was the size of a woman’s finger, so it wouldn’t even fit on his finger, so this was appropriate.

‘Many people know that I entrusted this to Sia… but it’s okay because no one will recognize that this jade ring is the same one from that time.’

Of course, the existence of his father, the original owner, came to mind, but if Sia had continued to keep it, it would have been difficult for his father to guarantee that this was the same jade ring.

His heart felt heavy when he thought of Sia’s intention in asking him to deliver this to him…

Suddenly, his body swayed again.

“Your Highness. Are you alright?”

“…I’m fine. I’m just a little tired from the accumulated fatigue.”

“Please rest for a while.”

“I can’t… do that.”

“Your Highness, look over there.”

The men who were sweating as they cleared the branches, as well as the Crown Prince’s aides, were staring ahead with tense eyes.

People with torches were approaching them.

“Could it be, who is it?”

“There aren’t many people who would pass by here at this time…”

Everyone quietly put their hands on their weapons with tense faces.

He didn’t know if this would be meaningful in the dark, but there was no other way to ease their minds.

The other party was getting closer and closer, and everyone was tense at the fact that the other party had a considerable number of people and some were riding horses.

Except for one person who felt his consciousness fading more and more.

And as if to break that tense atmosphere, a carefree girl’s voice was heard.

“Brother!”

“…Sia?”

The one riding the horse at the head was clearly Crown Prince Seongwon’s only younger sister.

“Why are you… here…?”

“I thought I’d have a little more conversation with you, Brother.”

“How did you… know about this…?”

“Who knows?”

Feeling Sia smiling and the hands holding him as he collapsed, the consciousness he had been holding on to finally faded away.