Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 323

“Yes?”

The rapid pace of the conversation was a bit overwhelming for Crown Prince Seongwon.

“You once mentioned the treason case from about ten years ago, didn’t you?”

“Yes…”

“I am the daughter of Lord Kim Seon-ik, who was branded a traitor at that time.”

“!”

Crown Prince Seongwon, flustered, moved his lips a few times before bowing his head with a pained expression.

“I am sorry. I…!”

“Please lower your voice. His Highness the Crown Prince is asleep.”

“……”

Seeing Crown Prince Seongwon unable to speak, Sehwa calmly spoke, letting out a small sigh.

“Thanks to you, I finally understand why my family suffered so much.”

It was a statement that her family had been destroyed because of his maternal relatives, and Crown Prince Seongwon couldn’t bring himself to look up and apologized.

“It is all my fault.”

“……It would be a lie if I said I didn’t resent you.”

If it weren’t for him, none of this would have happened.

If he was going to disappear like that, he should have resolved things with his maternal family before leaving.

She couldn’t help but think that way.

But Sehwa also knew. She couldn’t ignore the truth.

He had lived his entire life as the Crown Prince and had abandoned that position.

A person who had never bowed his head to anyone was now bowing his head to her.

She knew how significant that decision must have been. How much he had to give up.

He could have remained ignorant, pretended not to know, and enjoyed all the privileges.

He abandoned his future as the Crown Prince, and later the King, ruling the eight provinces of Joseon [historical Korean kingdom], and instead… conceded everything to his younger brother and disappeared.

‘What’s the point of resenting someone who abandoned the Crown Prince position himself and lived as a dead man…?’

And she knew, unless she was a fool, that it wasn’t his fault.

How could she hold him responsible for what happened after he disappeared, effectively a dead man?

There might be resentment, but she couldn’t hate him. Besides…….

“But I also know who is responsible for my family’s, my father’s enemies, being dragged to the Uigeumbu [Joseon Dynasty’s supreme legal institution] right now. In a way, I… might have to thank you.”

Sehwa said with a bitter smile.

“I am sorry. If the resentment is not resolved, I will do anything. So… please don’t let my being related to you affect His Highness the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort……”

“That will not happen.”

Sehwa shook her head, seeing him anxious. Crown Prince Seongwon was relieved but blamed himself again.

“I am sorry. In this situation, I am only worried about my younger siblings……”

“……I owe a great debt to the Princess Consort and the current Crown Prince, so don’t worry about that.”

He was someone she couldn’t hate, and he was also the older brother whom her beloved cherished so much.

“And His Highness the Crown Prince knows who I am. Of course, about this matter too.”

“Yes?”

“I can’t deceive His Highness, can I?”

The day he first learned about this.

The Crown Prince, who learned everything from the Princess Consort’s letter, looked at Sehwa and the letter alternately with a surprised expression. After dismissing everyone else, he immediately hugged Sehwa and patted her shoulder.

‘I don’t know why I feel so frustrated, even though I know the truth I wanted to know so much.’

‘Isn’t it natural since the fact that you lost your family doesn’t change?’

‘Those who were involved in the incident at that time…….’

‘I will reinvestigate and make sure that no one is wrongly accused. But…….’

The Crown Prince trailed off.

‘Brother…….’

‘……How can I resent someone who has not committed a crime?’

‘Thank you.’

The Crown Prince thanked her for not resenting his brother.

Nevertheless, Sehwa wanted to inform Crown Prince Seongwon of this fact. She felt like the knot in her heart wouldn’t be resolved if she didn’t tell him.

The resentment that remained in her heart, even though the false accusation would soon be cleared and the criminals would be punished.

She had vaguely thought it was because the dead could not return.

But the moment she saw Crown Prince Seongwon simply bowing his head, distressed and apologetic, she felt that she didn’t have to be tormented by her father’s matter anymore.

‘Did I want an apology?’

Even though nothing changed, the fact that her heart felt lighter with just that one word did not change, so Sehwa could smile peacefully in front of Crown Prince Seongwon.

“What are you planning to do in the future?”

“I will leave now. Once things are somewhat settled… the Princess Consort will let me go.”

Would the Princess Consort and His Highness the Crown Prince really let go of the blood relative they had met with such difficulty?

Crown Prince Seongwon, perhaps misinterpreting Sehwa’s silence, added with a firm face.

“I will live my life atoning. Once I leave this place, I will never appear before His Highness the Crown Prince or the Princess Consort again.”

“……”

“So, please leave the resentment to me and stay by His Highness the Crown Prince’s side.”

“……Please take back those words. If that happens, wouldn’t the two of you resent me instead? Whatever decision I make, the past will not affect it.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did Crown Prince Seongwon smile with a relieved face at Sehwa’s words.

Truly, he was someone she couldn’t hate.

“Are you married?”

“……I dare not have such qualifications.”

It was a bitter smile, as if embarrassed.

Sehwa didn’t know why Crown Prince Seongwon was saying such things, but she speculated that he probably had many sins related to his maternal family, just like with her father’s matter.

“I, with my sinful body, cannot ruin the life of a precious lady from a noble family.”

“How can you say such a thing?”

Seeing him say ‘again,’ he must be referring to the Crown Princess from when he was the Crown Prince.

Sehwa knew that she had passed away early due to illness, but Crown Prince Seongwon spoke as if it was his fault.

“My wife might have lived longer if she hadn’t met me. I always feel sorry when I think of her, as if she suffered because of me and left.”

Sehwa cut off the sentimental Crown Prince with a sharp tone.

“That cannot be. I heard she passed away due to illness. Illness has causes, whether internal or external, so unless it is a contagious disease, the possibility of it being the fault of a specific individual is low.”

“……”

While Crown Prince Seongwon was stunned by the unexpected scientific statement, Sehwa asked.

“Or did you perhaps harm her or torment her?”

“Ah, no.”

“Insult, ignore, or make her do difficult tasks?”

“That’s not it either.”

Crown Prince Seongwon shook his head desperately.

Several more questions followed, and Crown Prince Seongwon answered them without realizing it.

After a while, Sehwa said seriously.

“In that case, the illness is likely due to genetic factors.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, coming alone to the strict royal family with many layers of hierarchy and not being able to mentally endure it could be a cause of the illness.”

“That’s probably true……”

“But don’t blame yourself for everything.”

“……Thank you.”

He seemed a little dazed, but Crown Prince Seongwon couldn’t help but smile comfortably at Sehwa’s last words.

After learning about his younger sibling’s illness, he had spent time searching through medical books, knowing it was futile.

Thanks to that, he was not ignorant of medicine, but there were words that he had to hear from someone else’s mouth.

“It is truly reassuring to have the doctor by His Highness the Crown Prince’s side.”

“……”

“Please don’t take my clumsy brother’s slip of the tongue to heart.”

Seeing Sehwa hesitate to answer, Crown Prince Seongwon left his greetings as if nothing had happened.

“I will go in first. Please take care of His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“……Yes. Rest well.”

Crown Prince Seongwon quietly disappeared, leaving behind the Crown Prince and Sehwa.

Sehwa, who had been watching his retreating figure, sat down on the doorway as if her energy had been drained, and the expected voice came from behind.

“Is this alright?”

“……I should have grabbed him by the collar.”

“Hmm… it’s not good to resemble Sia too much.”

Sehwa chuckled at the Crown Prince’s words.

She knew that the Crown Prince was drunk, but he hadn’t lost his mind.

“How can the Crown Prince of a nation eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?”

“Aren’t you not someone else? It’s cold, don’t stay there and come in.”

Until now, while talking to Crown Prince Seongwon, she hadn’t felt the cold, but when he said that, she suddenly felt it.

Perhaps she had been unconsciously tense, as she felt her body lose strength when the warm comfort touched her.

“It would be a lie if I said I never resented His Highness’s brother……”

She had even thought that such a thing might not have happened if the Crown Prince hadn’t changed.

But either way… it wasn’t Crown Prince Seongwon’s fault, was it?

“How can I continue to resent someone who has not committed a crime?”

“Yeah. Thank you for saying that.”

The Crown Prince hugged Sehwa and comforted his melancholy lover.

And at the same time, Crown Prince Seongwon was being tormented elsewhere.

“I must have a lot of bad karma, so I’m probably not going to die peacefully.”

“What nonsense are you talking about again, Brother?”

“How can the Princess Consort’s words be so harsh?”

Crown Prince Seongwon, who was talking to himself and trying to return to his residence, ran into me on the way.

Sehwa had taken his coat and hadn’t returned yet, but I was watching outside in case the drunken Crown Prince might grab Sehwa.

Then, I witnessed Crown Prince Seongwon having a conversation with Sehwa, so I pressed Crown Prince Seongwon.

“But why are you coming alone, Brother?”

“Ah, His Highness the Crown Prince fell asleep, so I asked the doctor to take care of him.”

“What did you talk about with Sehwa?”

Tell me! Tell me! Tell me now!

I had seen Crown Prince Seongwon bowing his head to Sehwa, so there was only one conversation they could have had, so I pressured him with my eyes.

Crown Prince Seongwon seemed to be contemplating, but after confirming that only me and Cheonho were here, he readily opened his mouth.

It seemed he thought it would be okay since they were people who had already heard about Lord Kim Seon-ik’s matter, and the false accusation would soon be cleared.

“Doctor Sehwa… is said to be the daughter of Lord Kim Seon-ik.”

“Yes?!”

Finally!

I quietly clenched my fist.

Crown Prince Seongwon, who had no way of knowing that, nodded as if understanding, hearing Cheonho, who was behind me, shout with a flustered face.

“I told her how that family was destroyed, so it must be surprising that the person involved was in the same room.”

“I guess so.”

Actually, there was one more person.

“……”

Cheonho, the person involved, seemed to have forgotten his words, frozen by the sudden fact.

“Lord Kim Seon-ik’s matter is a false accusation, and His Highness the Crown Prince knows about it, so don’t worry too much.”

“Okay.”

Having achieved my purpose, I first took care of Crown Prince Seongwon, pretending not to know.

“Brother, you should go and rest now. You’re staggering because you’re drunk.”

“Really? I didn’t drink as much as His Highness the Crown Prince, but I must have drunk too much today.”

“Go to sleep quickly. Should I support you?”

“It’s not that bad.”

And as he said, he walked quite steadily.

After confirming that he was walking steadily without staggering, I sighed and turned my head.

Anyway, there are more than one or two people awake in this house right now, so if something happens, anyone will find out quickly.

I took my eyes off Crown Prince Seongwon and checked on Cheonho, who had finally officially learned the truth.