Chapter 6: Meeting a prince
‘Suyang-gun.’
He is currently 9 years old.
As the only son of the noble concubine and a candidate to become the crown prince, he is a prince rising in prominence.
I had crossed paths with him a few times while staying in Jibokheon.
Back then, Suyang-gun was only four years old, and our interactions were limited to exchanging curious glances and a few staring contests.
‘Oh, his loud and obnoxious behavior used to be annoying sometimes.’
He was a free-spirited soul, known as a troublemaker in the palace despite efforts to keep it quiet.
He had a particular fondness for physical activities, constantly running around outside, picking up and swinging anything he could find, and had no talent for studying.
This made him both the most cherished and the biggest headache for the noble concubine.
"Did you hear? Suyang-gun caused trouble again?"
"He skipped his lessons at the royal academy and was at the martial arts training ground instead."
I hadn’t seen him since moving to the secondary palace, but I occasionally overheard the maids talking about him.
‘He’s grown up pretty well.’
The four-year age difference that seemed significant when we were younger felt less so now that he had grown tall, closely resembling the king with his sharp eyes, and had an impressive physique for his age.
‘With the genes of the noble concubine and the king, he’s destined to be quite handsome.’
Despite being only nine years old, his small hands bore calluses, evidence of frequent training. He was holding a wooden sword, suggesting he had just finished a session.
“Greetings, Suyang-gun.”
Chief Lady Choi quickly bowed her head in greeting.
Having experienced my lowly status in the palace over the past five years, I also clasped my hands together and bowed my head.
“What’s this?”
Suyang-gun’s indifferent question was interrupted by Lady Choi.
“This is...”
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Suyang-gun cut off Lady Choi’s words with a dismissive tone and stepped forward.
“Suyang-gun...! The noble concubine...!”
“How dare you stand in my way?”
Thwack!
Suyang-gun struck Lady Choi’s waist with his wooden sword, causing her to yelp and jump aside.
“I-I’m sorry!”
Holding her waist, Lady Choi bowed her head in apology, indicating she had previous unpleasant experiences with Suyang-gun.
Ignoring her, Suyang-gun approached me and suddenly lifted his wooden sword to point it at my neck.
“Hey, answer me. Who are you?”
I glanced at the wooden sword pointing at my neck without flinching.
Perhaps mistaking my reaction for fear, Suyang-gun grinned triumphantly.
“You’re the one, aren’t you? The girl without a name who dared to shoot an arrow at the king.”
Already? How did the rumor spread so fast?
“......”
“Hey, are you not going to answer? How dare you, girl!”
I sighed inwardly.
In my previous life as a child at the assassin training camp, there were always kids like this.
They were the so-called ‘little punks’ who came over to show off their strength.
As expected, he has grown up to be a bratty kid, just like the noble concubine’s son would.
But I knew exactly how to deal with this type.
I lifted my head and met Suyang-gun’s eyes directly. Then, tilting my head, I employed my secret weapon.
“Oraeboni?” (Older brother?)
“?!”
For a moment, his pupils wavered, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
I cheered inwardly.
“......What?”
It’s working!
These prideful types are weak to cute and loving individuals who depend on them.
“Oraeboni...!”
This time, I called out louder, displaying the cutest smile I could, making my eyes crinkle into crescents.
“I’ve always wanted to see you, Oraeboni.”
“Always... what?”
“I’ve always heard that I have the most handsome and wonderful older brother in the world. Since I grew up in the secondary palace, I never had a chance to see you, and I missed you every day.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Oraeboni. I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
Great! Having experienced this once with the king, I found the words flowing even more smoothly.
“Uh, um...”
Suyang-gun seemed momentarily flustered by my advanced flattery skills, but then he furrowed his brow and raised his voice.
“You! Don’t try to trick me! How dare you lie!”
“I speak only the truth, without a shred of falsehood.”
I rushed forward and grabbed his hand.
“To have calluses on your hands from so much training, you’re truly impressive...”
“L-Let go...!”
Startled, Suyang-gun shook off my hand and stepped back.
“Ah!”
The force made me fall backward.
“I-I didn’t mean to...”
Suyang-gun seemed even more flustered, unsure of what to do.
“What’s this commotion?”
Hearing the unexpected commotion, the noble concubine’s sharp voice rang out from inside.
Lady Choi, who had been bowing her head, quickly responded.
“M-Madam! As per your orders, I have brought the princess.”
“What are you waiting for? Bring her in!”
“Yes, madam!”
While Lady Choi answered, Suyang-gun bolted past me and ran away.
Leaving even his wooden sword behind, he fled without looking back, displaying his childish side.
‘He’s still just a kid.’
Following Lady Choi’s prompt, I dusted myself off and stepped into Jibokheon.
The noble concubine was sitting in front of a small table, illuminated only by a single lantern.
‘She’s still beautiful.’
It had been a while since I last saw her, and she looked even more strikingly beautiful, almost inhumanly so.
Her features were exquisite, perfectly suited to the phrase “skin as white as snow and a face as lovely as a flower.”
With long eyelashes, a sharp nose, and skin so fair it seemed almost transparent, she had an otherworldly aura.
She was the epitome of the phrase “a beauty that could topple a kingdom.”
‘And the woman who tried to kill me.’
Instinctive wariness sent a chill down my spine.
How could I forget the assassination attempt on me as soon as I was reborn?
Especially when I was just a helpless baby, this woman treated me harshly every day.
"Greetings, noble concubine."
‘How have you been, you evil wench?’
Smiling politely on the outside, I inwardly cursed her with every foul word I knew.
‘You have no idea how many times I starved because of this woman when I was just a baby.’
The thought made my teeth grind.
“It’s been a while, princess. As your mother, I am delighted to see you growing so well.”
She barely visited me in the secondary palace, and now she calls herself my mother?
I almost lost my composure but managed to keep a straight face.
“However, a mother must correct her child’s mistakes, no matter how much she loves them.”
“?”
“I couldn’t let the recent incident pass, so I summoned you here.”
What is this crazy woman planning?
As I eyed her suspiciously, she reached under the small table with the open book and pulled out a birch rod.
“?!”
“I heard you endangered the king and spoke to him without proper decorum, disgracing me.”
She smiled falsely, acting like a loving mother.
“I had instructed Lady Choi to keep you in the secondary palace, yet you disrespected your mother’s words, wandering aimlessly and causing trouble in the king’s training ground. And during this critical time before the king’s visit to the ancestral shrine!”
Like mother, like son, bringing up the same issue?
She had ignored me all this time, but now that I had met the king, she acted so urgently.
My hands trembled with rising anger.
I had faced numerous life-threatening situations over the past five years, all because of this despicable woman.
Even now, she was concocting a ridiculous reason to punish me.
“If only you had stayed quietly as I advised.”
“......”
“You are just like your lowly mother.”
Now she’s insulting my mother?
Her gaze was filled with contempt and disdain.
At that moment, I felt something inside me snap.
If you see any mistakes, if you have anything you wish to suggest then please, by all means, post a comment! thank you!
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