Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 318

I was born as a daughter of a low-ranking concubine.

‘Both Sehwa and Cheonho must have been shocked…’

Since they both took some time to put on the shoes they had taken off, I could roughly see the direction they were going, even though I came out late.

Based on my perspective, Sehwa went left, and Cheonho went right.

Ah, why are they going in opposite directions!

I wish they would talk about why they were both shocked and have a sibling reunion!

For a moment, I had that thought, but in reality, it would be strange for Cheonho to follow Sehwa, who had left first, since they don’t know they are siblings.

And if you ask me which one of the two I should go to comfort in this situation, there was only one choice, both emotionally and rationally.

‘It would be strange if I went to comfort Sehwa in this situation.’

Sehwa hasn’t revealed to me yet that she is the daughter of Lord Kim Seon-ik, so if I comfort Sehwa now, it would be even stranger.

It was right to go to Cheonho, whose background had already been exposed to me, though unintentionally.

‘Sehwa probably got a bigger shock than Cheonho, but Cheonho must have been surprised too.’

Honestly, I was worried about Cheonho because he was still a young child.

Cheonho had been separated from his father at such a young age that he didn’t even remember his face, but he had heard the story of his father’s death, so he didn’t seem to be in a good state of mind.

He probably needs time to sort out his thoughts.

And someone to tell him it’s okay.

“Cheonho.”

“Ah, Princess. Why did you come out in the cold?”

Fortunately, Cheonho hadn’t gone far and was sitting powerlessly on the wooden porch.

“Are you okay? Were you very surprised?”

“…I’m okay. It’s just that I found out why that day happened in such an unexpected place, and it’s a bit… too sudden, and my mind is complicated.”

As he said that, Cheonho smiled weakly, which was rare for him.

“Oh my, a kid is saying such things.”

“Yes?”

At my words, Cheonho blinked, looking as if I was talking nonsense.

“You should be angry. Your father was framed as a traitor and died, you were separated from your only sister, and you ran away and lived a hard life at a young age. You should get angry, swear, and shout at times like that.”

When I clenched my fist and said that, Cheonho shook his head with a small smile.

“I don’t. I don’t do things like that.”

“Oh, really?”

Isn’t that what people usually do?

I thought back to Grand Prince Gyeong-eon and others who had angered me in the past.

‘Come to think of it, I just didn’t hold back and resolved it on the spot.’

I guess that’s because it includes the time when I couldn’t speak, but I don’t think I swore.

“It’s scary.”

“What is?”

“…When such a big guy swears and shouts.”

As he said that, Cheonho drooped his shoulders.

He is big, tall and bulky.

To make an analogy, it was a little pitiful to see him like a sulky large dog.

“What’s scary about Cheonho?”

“Really?”

“Of course, you’re so kind.”

Feeling cute, admirable, and pitiful, I patted the child’s head as if embracing him while he was sitting powerlessly on the porch, and a slightly grumpy voice was heard.

“…Princess. I hope you know I’m not a dog.”

“I know, of course.”

Where is there such a big dog?

“It feels like I’m being treated like a dog.”

“If you were a dog, I would have showered you with affection and then hugged you and slept with you, saying, ‘Let’s sleep with sister today~’.”

Remembering when I raised a dog in the past, or rather, in my previous life, I patted Cheonho’s head, and he muttered in a small voice as if he was dumbfounded.

“Wow, a dog’s life is the best life.”

After grumbling, Cheonho took a few deep breaths and leaned his head on my shoulder, asking in a timid voice.

“Princess.”

“Yeah.”

“Just, for a moment, if I stay like this… would that be okay?”

“…Okay.”

I couldn’t leave Cheonho, who was showing a rare sign of weakness, so I nodded.

“I don’t even know my father well, but I’m still angry that he passed away for such a reason, and that I had a hard time.”

“It’s understandable.”

Pat, pat.

“Actually, I don’t remember anything about my father anymore, not even his face or voice. So, when my uncle was so eager to avenge my father, I couldn’t help but wonder if my father had really done something wrong.”

“I see.”

Cheonho was too young at the time. If what he’s saying now is cold-hearted, it means that he has a clear sense of self, thinking alone without being swayed by the words of the adults around him.

Of course, it could be because he doesn’t feel that close.

“Am I weird? He’s my biological father.”

“Maybe.”

“Do you really think so? I thought I had… some kind of emotional problem.”

Did he get scolded by his uncle for not being active in his father’s affairs?

“Well. Then let’s think about it this way.”

“?”

Um, it’s a bit much to use his sister, who is missing and presumed dead, as an example from Cheonho’s point of view.

“If something happened to your uncle…”

“That guy won’t die even if he’s dead.”

“Um, then… what if someone hired someone to assassinate me and killed me? Would you be angry?”

At my words, Cheonho gasped and suddenly grabbed my skirt tightly.

My balance was lost, and my hands had to grab Cheonho’s shoulders. Somehow, it became a position that looked like we were hugging, which made me feel a little embarrassed.

‘This kid is really… has a good body.’

I felt strangely nervous, as if I was doing something inappropriate.

“…Don’t say scary things.”

“Scary?”

“If something happens to Princess… I will never forgive them, even if I die.”

The young boy’s voice, speaking without an object, was quite fierce.

I was a little concerned about the awkward posture, but Cheonho’s atmosphere was still dark, so I decided to comfort him first.

“Um. If something like that happens, you’ll be sentenced to death even if you don’t do anything.”

And soon, a weak voice, as if something had been let out, flowed from Cheonho.

“That’s true, but… I guess so. I guess I don’t have an emotional problem.”

“That’s good.”

I patted Cheonho’s back, whose voice had no energy. Cheonho let out a slightly lighter sigh and opened his mouth.

“Shouldn’t we have… not hidden Father?”

“Well.”

According to what I heard earlier, Lord Kim Seon-ik’s burying of the Grand Prince’s absurd actions was rather a way of holding the weakness of a petty person, so he was eliminated.

They didn’t seem to be very close, so Lord Kim Seon-ik probably buried it for the sake of the then Crown Prince, that is, the current King.

Or he may have wanted to create a debt to the Crown Princess’s family.

Of course, I want to think that there was a reason why he trusted the current Crown Prince and Sehwa, or rather, Ji-hwa, enough to try to make her the Crown Princess.

‘Besides, if Kim Seon-ik was Ji-hwa and Sucheon’s father, he must have been quite young at the time, so it might have been difficult for him to step forward.’

“We can’t know what happened back then now.”

Still, isn’t it better than not even knowing why he had to die like that?

Even if I think so, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Come to think of it, this will be the end of Cheonho following me around.”

“Yes? Why?”

“Now that you’ve restored your identity, you’re a young nobleman, right? It’s not the time for you to follow me around, is it?”

“…Can’t I just stay by Princess’s side?”

Even if you want to, I don’t think your sister will let you.

“No, you can’t. Besides, there’s someone new coming in.”

“In my place? Who?”

His voice was strangely desperate. He seemed to be misunderstanding something, so I quickly reassured him.

“I think Sung Gyeom-sabok will retire after his work is done and move to a lifelong job.”

“Ah.”

Seeing the strength leaving his stiff body, I chuckled and stroked Cheonho’s head.

“Were you wary of losing your spot?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that! I…”

Cheonho moved his lips as if he wanted to say something.

But before Cheonho opened his mouth, someone strongly appealed their presence next to us.

“Ahem!”

“Ah, Brother. Why did you come out?”

It was Crown Prince Seongwon, who had followed me out at some point.

‘Maybe he heard our conversation.’

I got up and wondered if I should talk about Cheonho. And Crown Prince Seongwon seemed to be more concerned about the other side.

“I followed you out because I had something to tell you… um, are you two perhaps…?”

I was aware that we looked too close, so I denied it for now.

“Um… it’s not like that.”

“….”

“Right? I saw that young man holding you when you were still small.”

Crown Prince Seongwon was looking at Cheonho with eyes that seemed to see an impure creature.

Just in case, I decided to correct one misunderstanding right away.

“Uh, uh. I’m telling you this because I’m afraid you’ll misunderstand, Brother. Cheonho is younger than me.”

“What…?”

“….”

Why do you have such a face as if you heard something you shouldn’t have?

Cheonho, who was listening to our conversation next to me, was silent with a strangely bitter face.

It seemed impossible to talk any further, so I patted Cheonho’s shoulder.

“Cheonho, go in and rest now. You worked hard yesterday, and you were busy following me around today.”

“Yes. Princess.”

Cheonho politely greeted me and Crown Prince Seongwon and stepped back.

I gave him a room to rest in yesterday, so he could rest there again today.

While Cheonho was stepping back, Crown Prince Seongwon, who had a somewhat uneasy look on his face, asked me with a face asking for an explanation.

“What were you doing yesterday?”

“Yesterday? You had a hard time bringing Brother yesterday.”

I wondered if anyone had told him, but no one had. Crown Prince Seongwon asked back with a bewildered face.

“Yesterday?? Ah, maybe you’re calling it yesterday because it’s early morning…”

“No. It’s just that Brother slept for a long time. I used a strong medicine so that you wouldn’t wake up in the middle, but everyone was worried because you slept for so long.”

“Did you deliberately use a strong medicine?”

I nodded and led Crown Prince Seongwon back into the room.

He only looks healthy, but he seemed to be weak, so I was worried about leaving him in a cold place for a long time.

“Um. I was afraid you’d try to stop me as soon as you woke up. But you slept well. Have you not been able to sleep lately?”

“….”

Crown Prince Seongwon was silent at my words. It was an era without the right to remain silent, but I decided to respect that silence.

Well, there’s no way he could have slept well.

“If you don’t sleep, your body will be damaged.”

“…It’s okay. Even before, while I was in the palace, there were many days when I couldn’t sleep, so this is nothing.”

His forced smile only looked pathetic.

‘It must have been very difficult.’

I don’t know if he knew that my eyes had become sad, but the mumbling continued.

“When I handed over the position to my younger sibling and left, I couldn’t sleep because of that.”

It’s not that he couldn’t sleep because he regretted the position of Crown Prince.

‘Looking at the timing, is it because I was poisoned?’

He couldn’t sleep because his young youngest sibling was poisoned and on the verge of death.

“Oh, is that what you wanted to tell me?”

“No. Not that. I saw something earlier, and I came out because I thought I should let you know.”

After saying that, Crown Prince Seongwon looked around to see if anyone was there, and then pulled me into the room and whispered in my ear.

“…Youngseon?”

“Yes. I heard her talking to that woman, her mother.”

“Ah….”

When I heard the Crown Prince’s words, I had a hunch, so I sighed softly.

“Youngseon is okay. I allowed it.”

“?”