Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 39

I was born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine. (39)

“Why are you trying to follow me?”

“Hmm. Should I tell Father right now then?”

“Tch. Come along.”

The Crown Prince obviously didn’t want to take a child with him, but I was persistent, so he had no choice.

‘He probably doesn’t want to because he doesn’t know what might happen outside.’

If I go out, maybe I can save one more person.

Besides, the Crown Prince’s date preparation, disguised as an incognito outing, was clumsy to say the least.

It seemed like his usual guard had given him some coaching, though…

“It seems Ongju [Princess] has prepared more thoroughly.”

“I did prepare a bit.”

Court Lady Song, the Crown Prince’s personal attendant, praised me with a strange look as she saw me leaving with Gai, dressed as a thoughtful court lady.

On the other hand, Gai’s face wasn’t so bright as he followed me.

“Ongju. The Lantern Festival will be crowded and dangerous. Isn’t it too early for the young Ongju to attend?”

“I’m not going alone, so it’s fine.”

I deliberately clung to the Crown Prince.

“I’m going with Oppa [older brother].”

“Hmm.”

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince, who I thought would hate it, grabbed my hand as if he couldn’t help it.

No, taking your younger sister on a date. I’m the one who insisted on following, but if this were modern times, you’d never get married.

“What can I do when she wants to go with her brother like this? This child hasn’t been outside the palace even once.”

“That’s right!”

“The Jagak Lantern Festival (watching the lantern festival at Changuimun in Jahagol) is one of the Eight Views of the Capital (King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty left poems about the seasonal scenic spots in Hanyang Fortress). I don’t know when I’ll be able to see it with Sia again.”

Changuimun is on the opposite side of Cheonggyecheon, way back there, so I don’t think that has much to do with us going to Cheonggyecheon.

“I guess it would be boring to just watch from afar. But you mustn’t leave Oppa’s side. Understand?”

“Yes!”

Eventually, when the Crown Prince’s permission was granted, Gai secretly let out a deep sigh.

“I’m just worried about Ongju disappearing on her own.”

“Songbi and Gai know too much about me.”

“Of course, we do.”

Songbi and Gai aren’t supposed to be working together, but Gai insisted on following me, giving up his day off.

If they were going to see the Lantern Festival, they probably wanted to go with friends or acquaintances, but I’m sorry.

‘Court ladies can get vacations, but it’s hard to go out and play during festivals.’

Seeing that he even brought up that I would get tired soon, it seemed like he had made thorough preparations.

“Did you bring the snacks?”

“I brought them as Ongju ordered.”

These were things I had packed to give to Jihwa and Sucheon later.

‘If something happens, they can be emergency rations, and if nothing happens, they can just think of them as gifts.’

As far as I’ve heard, there were no signs of anything happening until yesterday.

I hadn’t gone to the main hall to check, so I couldn’t say for sure.

I stroked the familiar horse’s mane and let out an uneasy sigh.

‘I hope nothing happens today.’

Songbi, who couldn’t know my heart, asked Gai, who was holding the reins, anxiously.

“Does Ongju have to wear a riding skirt too?”

“Isn’t it okay since she’s still young?”

“It’s annoying. I’m not wearing it.”

A riding skirt is a kind of equestrian pants worn when riding a horse, but everyone rides horses just fine without wearing them.

They say that women from noble families have to wear them because their underpants show when they ride a horse in a skirt… but honestly, it’s annoying, cumbersome, and not particularly good-looking.

“You must wear it later. Ongju.”

“Not Ongju, call me Agassi [young lady].”

“Oh my. Yes, Agassi.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay riding alone?”

“Yeah.”

I’m a woman who knows how to ride a horse.

Besides, the horse I’m riding is a gentle and smart one that was carefully selected from the national stud farm, so honestly, it’s more like the horse is carrying me than I’m riding the horse.

It was said to be a horse that the deceased Crown Prince had ordered to be given to me as a gift.

“Won’t you be surprised by the crowd?”

“It’s a smart child, so it’ll be fine.”

Songbi sighed in relief at Gai’s words, who had more riding experience than me as a court lady.

In the Joseon Dynasty, horses were like private cars, so women in the upper class rode them a lot, and the same was true for court ladies. In the first place, palanquins were for high-ranking people, so not just anyone could ride them.

Of course, most horses could only be ridden by nobles and, exceptionally, by female entertainers. Court ladies were not originally nobles by status, but they were people who had received ranks and ran errands for the royal family, so many of them could ride horses.

There was even a story of someone being exiled for mistaking a woman riding a horse without a riding skirt for a female entertainer and assaulting her.

‘As the late Joseon period went on, women were restricted from moving around, so it seems like they disappeared from sight.’

But for now, that was a distant story.

As we quietly slipped out of the palace, unlike the others, only the Crown Prince and I were curious, craning our necks and looking around.

‘It feels like a folk village.’

There were already a lot of people, but it was a bit chaotic to have almost ten people walking around together, but we couldn’t travel in small groups for safety reasons. Above all, the Crown Prince and I were too young.

I thought it would be a bit boring because it was daytime, but the scale of the lantern festival was bigger than I thought, and everyone in the private houses set up poles in their yards and hung lanterns, draping pheasant feathers and colorful silks, making it quite splendid even in the daytime.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a boat-shaped lantern. The shapes of the lanterns are diverse, aren’t they?”

I thought the fancy lanterns would only be in temples, but everyone was competitively raising various lanterns, and the flags were also colorful. Besides, each house hangs as many lanterns as there are family members, so considering the era of large families, it was bound to be bright.

For the past few days, even when viewed from the palace pavilions at night, the lanterns were brightly lit.

“They say there will be fireworks at night too, right?”

“Shouldn’t you go in then…?”

“I’m going to watch.”

Bad accidents usually happen at night. I can’t go in early.

Of course, the best thing would be to watch the fireworks and go in without anything happening.

When I whined, Gai turned his head towards the Crown Prince as if he was in trouble, but that person’s mind was elsewhere.

‘It can’t be helped since it’s his first time out.’

When I went to the meeting place, the siblings were already waiting.

They couldn’t just bring the young siblings out, so a woman who seemed to be a nanny and a servant were following behind them. Considering that the lantern festival lasted until night, it wasn’t strange.

‘It’s not a date… I think about it.’

Isn’t this a co-parenting meeting with a burden each?

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No. I thought it was impudent to bring my younger sibling, but I was relieved that Ong… Agassi came with us.”

Jihwa, who was embarrassed because Sucheon had followed, was delighted to see me.

‘I thought she would tell her sister, but she didn’t.’

The little kid, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, waved his hand as if he was happy to see me.

We toured the streets with Jihwa’s guidance.

The Crown Prince, seeing that many people had already gathered to buy or see the lanterns, looked a bit dazed.

“You seem amazed.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a crowded scene. Sia, aren’t you surprised too?”

“Yeah. So-so.”

I had seen even higher population densities quite often, so I wasn’t that surprised, but I nodded as a matter of courtesy.

“Ongju… Agassi is very calm. I wish my sister would be a little calmer, but I’m ashamed.”

“Hey, why are you talking about me when I’m just standing here…?”

“Let’s go.”

Without giving Sucheon a chance to complain, Jihwa grabbed her younger brother’s hand and led him away.

Since there were many people, the distance naturally narrowed as we walked.

The Crown Prince and Jihwa walked side by side, and those following us were behind, so naturally I walked with Sucheon.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“You really came today?”

“I said I would.”

“Yeah. But my sister said that the Crown Prince… that person might not be able to come.”

“Ah.”

Well, he might not have been able to come, but I had given so many bribes (mostly food) that it was actually quite easy.

Besides, instead of the Crown Prince going out, I wanted to go out and whine, so everyone turned a blind eye with pitiful eyes, pretending not to see.

“Hehe. It’s good to see you again.”

The child said that and subtly grabbed my hand.

Hehe, this little kid is really… better than the Crown Prince?

‘That guy should learn…!’

Seeing him seriously talking about medicine with Jihwa in front, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hey, do you like dried persimmons? They say the dried persimmons at that store are really delicious.”

This little kid is trying to win a woman’s heart like this.

Maybe it’s because he was born a prince, but he lacked effort.

‘Well, he’s the male lead, so he’ll take care of dating on his own even if I leave him alone.’

In the first place, kings and crown princes didn’t need romance. They were forced to marry, and if they didn’t have children, they would take in concubines.

“I don’t like dried persimmons.”

“Ah, sorry. I see.”

Dried persimmons have been taboo in the palace since I vomited blood after eating them.

But the child couldn’t have known that, and I felt complicated as I looked at the child’s gloomy face.

‘I want to pat his head.’

Seeing him gloomy reminded me of the Sapsaree dog I raised when I was young… that dog was so cute.

I should be reminded of my dead younger brother, but…

“I like yakgwa [Korean honey cookie]. Let’s eat the one they sell over there together.”

“Really?!”

The child’s face, which had been gloomy, brightened in an instant.

Oh my, he’s so happy.

After Gai paid, we each put a yakgwa in our mouths and followed our older siblings.

The surrounding area, where the lanterns were lit, was noisy with all sorts of stalls and lots of things to eat and see.

“I’m going to buy that.”

“Why are you picking something like this?”

Gai raised suspicions when I picked out a norigae [ornamental tassel]. I felt a bit guilty, but I decided to be brazen.

“Why?”

“You have high standards, so you’re not interested in anything unless it’s a royal… no, a very precious item? You’re more interested in paintings or ceramics.”

“Really? Really?”

Sucheon, who was next to me, asked curiously.

“It’s not really like that. I should take a souvenir since I came out after a long time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

That’s what I said, but the truth was a bit different.

‘Something that can be turned into money… something small that would be good to use as travel expenses in case of emergency would be good.’

If something happens today, these two will need escape funds.

The snacks I brought earlier were also entrusted to the servants following the two of them.

‘As long as the master’s personality is decent, the servants won’t betray the master, so they’ll run away with them.’

In the original story, Jihwa’s nanny sacrifices her life to help Jihwa escape and raises her as if she were her own daughter.

I don’t know what the servant following Sucheon will be like… but I have no choice but to believe that they brought someone useful since it’s the precious eldest grandson’s outing.

‘And if nothing happens…’

Then everyone will just have a happy childhood memory.

I bit my lip, praying that this anxiety was just my own.